On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss
"On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss" is a captivating podcast that explores the intersection of sports, culture, and politics through thought-provoking conversations. Hosted by Andrew Maraniss, bestselling author and director of the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative, the podcast features a diverse lineup of guests—including athletes, authors, activists, and thought leaders—who bring unique perspectives on topics ranging from sports history and social justice to personal resilience and current events. Whether you're a sports fan, history buff, or curious thinker, "On The Ball" is your ticket to meaningful dialogue and inspiring storytelling. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse coach Beth Hewitt joins the show to discuss the state of the sport and of her program as it celebrates its 30th anniversary on campus.
Bestselling authors and sports scholars Randy Roberts (Purdue University) and Johnny Smith (Georgia Tech) discuss their acclaimed new book, “The Fight of His Life: Joe Louis’s Battle for Freedom During World War II.”
Bestselling author Scott Ellsworth stopped by our Kirkland Hall studio while on campus to discuss his new book, “Midnight On the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America.” Ellsworth is also the author of the PEN/ESPN award-winning book, “The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph."
Former collegiate (San Francisco, Duke) and international pro baseball player Sam Granoff joins the show to discuss his life in and out of the sport. A Fulbright Fellow and literary review founder with a passion for music, movies, books, and writing, Granoff is now teaching at the University of Tennessee and writing a novel partly inspired by his love of baseball.
Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post joins the show to discuss an interactive feature he put together on the top 10 greatest sports theme songs of all time. From the Monday Night Football theme to John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” to John Williams’ classic Olympic them, Dave breaks down what makes each song an unforgettable piece of sports culture. A music major as a Vanderbilt student, Sheinin’s interests converged perfectly on this pro...
Dr. Alex Diamond, Vanderbilt Athletics team physician and founder of the Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center, joins the show to discuss everything parents, coaches, and young athletes should know about the state of sports medicine for kids.
Tennis pro and journalist Gabriel Allen joins the show to discuss his new book, “Tennis Tensions: Class, Race, and Gender in The Evolution of The Sport." Former Vanderbilt women's tennis coach Geoff Macdonald joins as co-host to add some tennis expertise to the questions!
James and Lauren Osborne are the founders of the Exchange Running Collective in East Nashville, a running store that brings the community together through ‘running culture, art, and social change.’ Their inclusive approach demonstrates the power of sports to create a better world.
Legendary sportswriter and bestselling author Jane Leavy joins the show to discuss her acclaimed new book: “Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It.
Britt Hunter was the consensus National Player of the Year in high school and the first woman to compete in the Slam Dunk contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game. After suffering a potentially career-ending injury at Duke and spiraling into a life-threatening depression, she faced new pressures rehabbing from her injury after transferring to UConn. After college, she struggled to find her identity, ultimately finding purpose as...
Former Vanderbilt and NFL defensive end Jonathan Wynn has always been more than a football player. As a kid, he enjoyed spending time in libraries and bookstores. In the NFL, he kept a journal and wrote a novel. Now, he and a partner have launched a Nashville nonprofit that boosts BIPOC creatives and are planning to open a coffee shop on historic Jefferson Street. Listen to Jonathan discuss his life in and out of football and how l...
Celso Castilho, Vanderbilt history professor and director of the university’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, joins the show. Castilho discusses recent protests by soccer fans in Nashville and Los Angeles and the implications of ICE raids on events such as the Club World Cup.
On the heels of CMA Fest and in the midst of Pride Month, country music artist Bryan Ruby joins the show to discuss his one-of-a-kind career as a pioneering LGBTQ musician, professional baseball player, and nonprofit founder.
Nick Cormier, founder and editor-in-chief of “The Fabric of Culture,” joins the show to discuss the connections between athletes, marketing, and fashion. As one apparel company founder said recently, “Sports stars are the new Hollywood stars.”
From the third panel in our Sports & Activism symposium, Courtney M. Cox, professor at Oregon, Perry B. Johnson, professor at Southern Cal, and Joanna K. Love, professor at Richmond, lead a presentation on the connections between sports, music, and activism in the context of the Super Bowl halftime show.
As part of our second annual sports and activism symposium conducted in partnership with the James Lawson Institute, Jesus Ortiz of Our Esquina.com hosted a session on the state of Latino athlete activism. Joining Jesus are professor Adrian Burgos Jr., former pro soccer player Janelly Farias & sports exec Sara Toussaint.
Yussuf Khan, founder of FirstandPen.com, leads a discussion on the current state of athlete activism at both the professional and collegiate levels. Joining him are Michigan State professor and author Lou Moore, former NFL player Chris Kluwe, Benedict College professor Aquasia Shaw, and Ursinus College professor Johanna Mellis. This discussion was recorded during the 2nd Annual Sports & Activism online symposium hosted by the V...
University of Oregon professor Courtney M. Cox joins the show to discuss her new book, “Double Crossover: Gender, Media, and Politics in Global Basketball.” The book “considers how Black women and non-binary athletes maneuver through the global sports-media complex.” Cox is also co-director (with Dr. Perry B. Johnson) of The Sound of Victory, a multi-platform digital humanities project located at the intersection of music, sound, a...
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Kurt Page, the first SEC QB to throw for 3,000 yards in a season (1983), joins us from Europe to discuss his experience as the quarterback coach for the Wroclaw Panthers in Poland and how the opportunity has expanded his horizons and changed his life.
Former Vanderbilt placekicker Rob Chura joins the show to discuss his recent trip to the US-Mexico border. A football coach, teacher, and director of Global Education at Saint Louis University High School in Missouri, Chura took a group of students to the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Mexico to work with deportees and migrants.
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