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
For the 100th episode of our podcast, we’re joined by Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Lee. On the eve of the 2026-2027 academic year, Sports Business Journal’s national AD of the Year talks about growing up in a military family, her journey from student-athlete to intern to AD, the state of college athletics, and the importance of the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative.
Vanderbilt sociology professor and former US Olympic Boxing Coach Dr. Christy Halbert introduced an unusual course last semester: Leadership Through Boxing. Students strapped on gloves, put on headgear, and challenged themselves like never before. Two students even took what they learned in the classroom and applied it in a collegiate boxing tournament. Dr. Halbert and students Katerina Krizner, William Masferrer, and Wyatt Levi jo...
Vanderbilt women’s soccer coach Darren Ambrose had a front-row seat at the World Cup, serving on the field maintenance crew at the championship game. He joins the show to discuss this once-in-a-lifetime experience, allegations of FIFA corruption, and the differences in the growth of men’s and women’s soccer in the U.S.
Ryan Middagh is director of jazz studies and Beth Wiese is associate professor of tuba and euphonium at Vanderbilt’s acclaimed Blair School of Music. Both were part of a 100-piece band assembled to record music for EA Sports’ popular College Football video game for the third consecutive year. Middagh and Wiese join the show to discuss this “only in Nashville” experience.
Karim Zidan, Sports & Dictators Program Lead at the Human Rights Foundation, is an author and investigative journalist who focuses on the intersection of sports and politics. He is the founder of Sports Politika, a media platform dedicated to his niche, and host of Power Plays, a podcast examining historical connections between FIFA, the World Cup, and authoritarianism. He joins the show to discuss that history and the highs an...
In May, Vanderbilt assistant athletic director Nate Bell helped lead a group of Vanderbilt student-athletes to Iceland for an immersive week of sightseeing, learning, and team-building. Bell, along with Thomas Jones of the Vanderbilt football team and Bailey Ratzburg of the women’s swimming team, join the show to discuss the highlights and meaning of the trip.
AnnaSofia Dickens is a teenage author, singer-songwriter, and flag football player from Southern California who has become a national advocate for the sport she loves. She joins the show to discuss flag football's explosive growth in the US and internationally and her work to grow the game.
Kelsey Davis, Episocpal priest and co-founder of Christian Athlete Circles, joins the show to discuss her work to provide an inclusive and non-proselytizing resource for college athletes. A former collegiate, national team, and professional soccer player, Davis says "being an athlete is a great gift and a great challenge. In a world centered around the commodification of bodies, high-pressure environments, and ruthless schedules, i...
Our resident soccer expert Ricky Thrash guest hosts this episode with Vanderbilt women’s soccer coach Darren Ambrose. They discuss the meaning of soccer in Darren’s life, the rise of the women’s soccer program at Vanderbilt, and the state of the global game.
Filmmaker Michael Husain joins the show to talk about his incredible documentary, The Waiting Game. The film tells the little-known story of a renegade basketball league that inspired today's NBA – and the mostly Black players who have had to fight for decades for fair compensation and recognition. The ABA innovated pro basketball with the 3-point shot and slam dunk contest, and embraced Black culture in ways that the NBA had...
Author Danny Funt and Vanderbilt professor Eric VanEpps join the show to discuss the high societal costs of sports betting. Funt is the author of the highly acclaimed new book, “Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling.” The book looks at addiction, predatory marketing tactics, massive lobbying efforts, and the 180-degree shift by sports leagues in their embrace of sports betting. Along with coll...
Janelly Farias, an Emmy Award-winning soccer commentator, came to Vanderbilt to speak to the women’s soccer team and the ‘Fútbol-Soccer: Culture, Gender, and Diaspora’ course taught by Prof. Celso Castilho. A former professional soccer player and Mexican National Team member Janelly is the author of a new memoir, “Surviving Women’s Soccer.” She writes candidly about lifelong mental health struggl...
Charles Waters and Irene Latham join the show to discuss the new book of sports poems they have compiled in “For the Win: Poems Celebrating Phenomenal Athletes.” Aimed at children ages 7-11, the poems, written by a diverse group of poets, feature 20 contemporary athletes who have overcome obstacles, broken records, and inspired fans around the globe.
Author Adam Henig joins the show to discuss his new book, ‘Baseball’s Outcast: The Story of Ron LeFlore.’” When twenty-three-year-old Ron LeFlore played his first organized baseball game, it was in a yard at the State Prison of Southern Michigan where he was serving five to fifteen years for armed robbery. An extraordinary athlete, the Detroit native had luck on his side: his coach, a convicted felon, had co...
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 nat...
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...
Emma May-Bradley and Erin Ryder are experienced sports media and marketing professionals who co-founded Playmakers Nashville, a non-profit supporting women working in, or aspiring to work in, sports. Emma and Erin joined the show to talk about the purpose of their organization, the state of women’s sports nationally, and the opportunities for women in a growing field.
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...
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