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
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.
ESPN Senior Writer Michael Fletcher joins On The Ball to discuss his recent article on legendary sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards. Fletcher calls Edwards, 82, “arguably the strongest advocate for Black athletes in history.” Battling cancer, “Edwards is clear-eyed about his illness, as well as the challenges that he will one day leave behind,” Fletcher writes. “After all of his work to promote diversity, he is witnessing the fed...
Members of the Sports Business & Analytics student organization at Vanderbilt discuss their 2nd place finish at the SABR Case Competition in Phoenix and the purpose & work of their club.
Geoff Macdonald, the former national championship-winning women’s tennis coach at Vanderbilt and the real-life “Most Interesting Man in the World,” joins the show.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, joins the show to discuss the past, present, and future of the Museum, the incredible success introducing Black baseball history to kids through a partnership with the MLB The Show video game, and the importance of the museum in today’s political climate.
Washington Post sportswriter Dave Sheinin discusses his recent three-part series, “Beautyball.” The analytics movement helped revolutionize sports. But now the all-consuming influence of those efforts is being blamed for harming the aesthetics of our games, forcing league officials to make a course correction before it’s too late.
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe made headlines recently when he was arrested after engaging in civil disobedience in his hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif., following his remarks at a city council meeting. Kluwe has been an outspoken advocate for social justice issues and has expressed views comparing MAGA to a fascist movement. He joins the show to discuss his path to activism and his opinions on the state of the country.
Author Tim Gay joins the show to discuss his new book on PGA star Rory McIlroy: “Roryland: The Up and Down World of Golf’s Global Icon."
Author Steve Dittmore joins the show to discuss new book “Jim Gilliam: Forgotten Dodger,” on the Black Nashville native who succeeded Jackie Robinson at second base in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ infield and became a mainstay with the franchise as a player and coach until 1978.
Former Kentucky and NBA basketball star Rex Chapman joins the show to discuss his bestselling memoir, the traps that come with success and failure in life and basketball, and his recovery from opioid and gambling addiction.
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