On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss

Bestselling author Keith O’Brien joins the show to discuss his new book, “Heartland: A Forgotten Place, An Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird.” The book focuses on the period between 1973-79 when Bird leaves tiny French Lick, Indiana to play for Bobby Knight’s Hoosiers; departs IU after just a few weeks; nearly quits college basketball altogether; and leads underdog Indiana State to the NCAA national championship game.

Dr. Pavel Brunssen, a research associate and lecturer at Heidelberg University in Germany, joins the show to discuss his book, “The Making of ‘Jew Clubs’: Performing Jewishness and Antisemitism in European Soccer and Fan Cultures.” Why do non-Jewish football fans chant "Yid Army" or wave "Super Jews" banners—especially in support of clubs that are not Jewish? The Making of "Jew Clubs" explores how four...

In Panel 3 of our third annual Sports & Activism online symposium, Kevin Blackistone of the University of Maryland leads a discussion on the state of sportswashing with three experts on the topic: Jules Boykoff (Pacific University), Minky Worden (Human Rights Watch), and Sarath Ganji (Autocracy and Global Sports Project). The symposium is a collaboration between the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative and the James Lawso...

In Panel 1 of our third annual Sports & Activism online symposium, Michael Fletcher of ESPN interviews legendary sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards about founding the field of study, the 1968 Olympic protest, and the state of sports activism. Olympian John Carlos also makes an impromptu appearance during the recording. The symposium is a collaboration between the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative and the James Lawson...

In Panel 2 of our third annual Sports & Activism online symposium, Carl Suddler of Emory University leads a discussion with Lou Moore (Michigan State), Ajah Hawley-Alexander (Iona), and Tracie Canada (Duke), on the economics of college sports in the age of NIL, particularly as it relates to race and gender. The symposium is a collaboration between the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative and the James Lawson Institute for...

Braden Brown, director of mental health at BYU Athletics, joins the show to discuss the immense value of mindfulness for athletes. "Based on the Lochbaum et al., 2022 systematic review of 30 meta-analyses across 40 years of sport psychology research. Mindfulness wasn’t just effective—it was THE most effective variable in the entire dataset. In a world obsessed with confidence, self-talk, and motivation. The data shows mindfuln...

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...

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...