Ep 19: The Politics of Athlete Activism

On this week’s filibuster, Jemele takes the Los Angeles Dodgers to task for visiting the White House after Donald Trump’s administration temporarily erased Jackie Robinson’s military history on the Department of Defense’s website. Jemele is then joined by sports business guru Andrew Brandt, who has worked in a NFL front office, negotiated player contacts, and is the  executive director of the Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova University. Andrew breaks down the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics, why he believes the Dallas Cowboys are worth $10 billion, and what revenue sharing will bring to college sports. Andrew also shares his choice for the Sports Business Hall of Fame, meaning which players who have secured great contracts despite not having the results to match. Plus, Jemele answers an intriguing question from a SPOLITICS listener: Who is her all-time Detroit Pistons starting 5?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s filibuster, Jemele takes a 360-degree view of the transfer portal, looking at its impact on college basketball, including the upcoming men’s and women’s Final Four. Jemele is then joined by former SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne in a wide-ranging interview that covers Kenny’s career journey, the bold moves that led him to ESPN, the devastating injury that ended his college football carer and how it ties into the organization he began to help veterans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s filibuster, Jemele breaks down what’s wrong with Fox Sports’ list of greatest women’s college basketball players ever and shares her own list. She is then joined by comedian Roy Wood Jr., who shares his passion for baseball, thoughts on why the sport needs a major African-American star, and his observations about the state of political media. Roy also discusses why he chose to focus his latest stand-up comedy special, Lonely Flowers, on the epidemic of loneliness in America. Finally, Jemele pays tribute to boxing great George Foreman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's opening filibuster, Jemele breaks down the Department of Defense temporarily deleting the military history of Jackie Robinson. Later, she is joined by Troy Millings and Rashad Bilal, the creators of the Earn Your Leisure platform. Rashad and Troy discuss their new book, You Deserve To Be Rich, a step-by-step guide that teaches people how to build their wealth. Rashad and Troy share anecdotes about their financial growth, share the top reasons people are intimidated when it comes to growing their finances, and common financial mistakes people make when they begin their investment journey. Jemele then closes out the episode by remembering former NBA player Junior Bridgeman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the NFL’s free agency in full swing, on this week’s filibuster Jemele remembers Curt Flood, the Major League Baseball player whose fight for free agency became the blueprint for other players to fight for their freedom. Jemele also explains why Flood deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame based on how his court battle with MLB changed th esport forever. Jemele is then joined by Matthew Hatchette, a former NFL veteran who transitioned into filmmaking and storytelling. Hatchette reflects on his time on the Minnesota Vikings with former teammates Randy Moss and Randall Cunningham. He also shares the triumphs and challenges he’s faced transitioning into entertainment. Jemele also answers a question from a “spolitician” about what would be a winning platform for a politician in this political climate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s opening filibuster, Jemele makes the case for why MLB legend Pete Rose shouldn’t be inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously, despite pressure from Donald Trump. Jemele is then joined by Etan Thomas, a college star and former NBA veteran who has become one of the leading athlete-activists. Etan explains why speaking up always has been important to him, and how he navigated having strong opinions about race and politics during his playing career. Also, this week, a “spolitician” asks Jemele how she feels about so many former athletes getting into the sports media industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jemele is joined by ESPN women’s basketball analyst LaChina Robinson to discuss the incredible career of basketball legend Diana Taurasi, who recently announced her retirement from the sport. Jemele and LaChina discuss Taurasi’s place in history, including whether she is the greatest women’s player ever. They also discuss who should be the favorite to win the national championship in the women’s college basketball and LeBron James admitting that being the face of the league is no longer appealing because of intense media criticism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s opening filibuster, Jemele explains the historical significance of Howard University swimming and diving team recently winning their second Northeast Conference championship in three years. Jemele then has a wide-reaching conversation with filmmaker and former Georgetown basketball player RaMell Ross, whose movie, ‘Nickel Boys’ is nominated for two Oscars (Best Picture + Best Adapted Screenplay). RaMell shares his journey into photography and filmmaking, how he handled the end of his basketball career, and how his recent Oscar nominations compare to when he was nominated for Best Documentary Feature in 2019 for his work on 'Hale County This Morning, This Evening.’ And finally, Jemele gives her thought on MNBC firing political commentator and host Joy-Ann Reid.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s opening filibuster, Jemele shares the story of Bill Nunn, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout who was the architect of the Steelers infamous “Steel Curtain” defense, which led to Pittsburgh’s four Super Bowls. Jemele also has a conversation with mega producer Will Packer, who talks about his new book, “Who Better Than You: The Art of Healthy Arrogance & Dreaming Big,” and how he became a minority owner in the Atlanta Falcons. Will discusses his relationship with star actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and the secret behind them making blockbuster films together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's opening filibuster, Jemele shares the inspiring story of Rose Robinson, who is believed to be the first Black athlete to protest against racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem. Jemele is joined by social media influencer Josiah Johnson, who also is host and executive producer of Gil’s Arena, the digital basketball show that stars former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. Josiah shares how he built his influential social media brand, and gives advice to other influencers and content creators seeking to follow in his footsteps. Josiah reveals what it was like being the son of L.A. hoops legend, Marques Johnson, who also is known for his comedic role in White Men Can’t Jump. Josiah also addresses some hot NBA topics, including Jimmy Butler’s beef with the Miami Heat and NBA commissioner Adam Silver floating the idea of 10-minute quarters. Finally, Jemele addresses a fan who asks what other content she’d like to see for women in the sports media space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.