Burn It All Down

This week Jessica Luther interviews media scholar Dr. Jenn McClearen about her book "Fighting Visibility: Sports Media and Female Athletes in the UFC." They discuss the conflict of the representation of women in the UFC with the exploitation that those same women face in the sport. They also talk about the complicated effort to unionize UFC fighters and how to love women's sport and the UFC by illuminating the ways they needs to change. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalld

Shireen Ahmed interviews Anastasia Bucsis, 2-time speedskating Olympian for Team Canada and CBC Sports Analyst and host of Player's Own Voice Podcast. They discuss Anastasia's transition from professional athlete to journalist and the challenges of the 2020/21 Olympic games. Anastasia also shares her experience competing as the only out North American athlete at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and publicly opposing Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws. They talk about the progress made and the progress needed to eradicate homophobia from sport and better support for athletes' mental health. **TW: This episode discusses depression and suicide.** This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merch

Amira Rose Davis interviews Tianna Bartoletta, track and field Olympian, gold medalist and author of the memoir "Survive & Advance." They talk about Tianna's writing process, the experiences that have impacted her life and career, this year's Olympic trials and how she's wrestling with the 2020/21 Tokyo Olympics. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lindsay Gibbs interviews Jordan Ligons and Haley O'Shaughnessy about their basketball and culture podcast, Spinsters. They talk about Jordan and Haley's connections to basketball, Spinsters' origin story and who to look out for in the NBA playoffs. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ http://bwhustle.com/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lindsay Gibbs interviews Ashley Hart, the CEO and co-founder of She Plays, the first US fantasy sports site dedicated exclusively to women's sports. They discuss how fantasy leagues can help expand the fanbase for women's sports as well as the hurdles to developing a fantasy sports app, including sourcing stats for women's sports.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist.  Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shireen Ahmed, Lindsay Gibbs and Brenda Elsey start this gastronomic episode with their favorite kids' books about sports. Then they dig into the main course of the conversation: food, sports, food and sports. They discuss food based competitions, the impact of stadium food prices on vendors, classic cuisine-event associations (we see you, tennis), the popcorn obsessed Steph Curry and more.  Next, you'll hear a teaser from Lindsay's interview this week with Ashley Hart, the CEO and co-founder of She Plays, the first US fantasy sports site exclusively for women's sports. Following is the ever-flaming Burn Pile and the ever-glowing Torchbearers, including the Santa Clara women's soccer team as NCAA champions. They wrap of the show with what's good in their lives and what they are watching in sports this week.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist.  Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.  For show notes, transcripts, and more i

In this Hot Take, Shireen Ahmed interviews Dr. Sophia Azeb, assistant professor of Black studies in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago and regular contributor to The Funambulist magazine. They discuss the recent trauma in Palestine, how athletes have addressed the violence, Black and Palestinian transnational solidarity, and how sports are wielded politically.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad

In this episode Amira Rose Davis interviews Bianca Tylek, Founder and Executive Director of Worth Rises, a non-profit advocacy organization dismantling the prison industrial complex. They discuss Worth Rises' recent prison phone justice action on Mother's Day at a Detroit Pistons game to call out (again) Pistons' owner Tom Gores and his telecom company that profits from overpriced prison phone calls. They talk about the sacrifices families make to pay for these phone calls that are the only lifeline to their loved ones who are incarcerated.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.c

Amira Rose Davis, Shireen Ahmed and Jessica Luther start the show with the most random thing they've seen at a sporting event. Then they cover the latest on the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics. Will they happen?! If so, How?! They talk about Japan's low vaccination rate and overburdened medical system, the IOC offering the vaccine to competitors and how impossible it feels to determine fairness.   Following the main segment, Amira teases her interview with Bianca Tylek, Founder and Executive Director of Worth Rises about national prison phone justice. Then sports' latest garbage gets torched on the Burn Pile. Next they lift up the people and projects shining brightly, including Torchbearer of the Week: 144, the documentary about last year's WNBA bubble, and Executive Producer Chiney Ogwumike. They wrap up the show with what's good in their lives and what sport they are watching this week.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part

Lindsay Gibbs talks with Howard Megdal, Founder and Editor of The Next and The IX Newsletter about all things WNBA. In anticipation of the 2021 WBNA season tipping off Friday May 14, they discuss in-depth each of the 12 WNBA teams' prospective rosters and who they think will be this season's gamechangers.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this interview Brenda Elsey is joined by Melissa Ortiz, Olympian, analyst, former professional footballer and member of the Colombian Women's National Team.  They discuss the importance of athletes speaking out against recent police violence against protesters in Colombia and the reality of the women's professional league in Colombia, contrary to a viral advertisement. Melissa also talks about her new role as an analyst for Fubo TV and coffee company called Kick Off Coffee Co.   This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod

Brenda Elsey, Amira Rose Davis and Lindsay Gibbs start the show by revealing who they would like to boo. Then, they talk about fan activism, including the recent Manchester United protests at Old Trafford, fan-led petitions pushing the NWSL and who gets included and excluded from fandom.  Next, they share a sneak peak of this week's interview -- an in-depth discussion between Lindsay and Howard Megdal (of The Next) about what to expect from the 2021 WNBA season. Then, they set aflame the worst things in sport this week on the Burn Pile, followed by shout outs to the Torchbearers making things brighter, including Yoreli Rincon, Colombia women’s national soccer player, one of the first to speak out about the police violence launched against protestors in recent weeks. They wrap up the show with what's good in their lives and what sports they are watching this week. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist.  Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire p

Amira Rose Davis talks with cultural critic Scarlett Harris about her new book "A Diva Was a Female Version of a Wrestler: An Abbreviated Herstory of World Wrestling Entertainment." The delve into the current state of women in the WWE, including issues of power, race, gender binaries and fandom.   This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.comTo help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldownFor BIAD merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessica, Amira and Lindsay start the show with musings on the NFL draft. Then they dive head first into new technologies in sport: from WTF are NFTs to wearable stat trackers from DarkHorse (maybe) closing recruitment gaps to Metrica Sports' making cutting edge analytics more accessible to women's sport. They wade through the tech gobbledygook to discuss the good, bad and confusing of these new technologies.   Next, they burn the awful things in sport of the week. Then they celebrate the Torchbearers bringing light, including Deepika Kumari who won team and recurve individual gold medals at the Guatamala Archery World Championship representing India. Following that, they tease this week's interview with wrestling critic Scarlett Harris, share what's good in their lives and what they're watching in sports this week.   And lastly, Amira announces their new merch shop on Bonfire: bonfire.com/store/burn-it-all-down/ This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specia

In this episode, Amira Rose Davis chats with Andrea Williams about her new book "Baseball's Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues." They discuss Effa's powerful role as co-owner of the Newark Eagles, her foresight of the costs of desegregating baseball, her importance in contemporary conversations about Black institutions and why Andrea wrote this story for young adults.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.comTo help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldownFor BIAD merchandise: teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-downFind us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

In this episode Lindsay, Jessica and Brenda talk about feminism and climate activism in sport, thanks to a suggestion from flamethrower Dr. Maddy Orr. They discuss the ways mega events impact the planet, how climate change disproportionally effects marginalized communities in sport and what individual athletes and teams are doing to promote more sustainable leagues and events. They also burn the things that need to be burned in sport and highlight Torchbearers forging their own way, including the eternal light that is Simone Biles. They wrap up with the things that are good in their lives and the matches they're watching this week.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BI

This episode is all about the latest mayhem in European football. First, Shireen and Brenda discuss the everchanging hot scoop on the proposed Super League "debauc-ery" (that's debauchery + debacle). This update is followed by Shireen's interview with  Fadumo Olow, women's sport journalist for the Telegraph Fadumo Olow. They go in-depth on  Super League mess and the ways the women's clubs could be impacted.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-down Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choic

In this episode Shireen Ahmed, Jessica Luther and Brenda Elsey discuss the (longstanding) controversy around the Qatar 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup including the ongoing inhumane working conditions and indentured servitude for migrant laborers building stadiums that have led to at least 6,500 deaths, the corruption of FIFA's host-country selection and the ways that European players are now voicing opposition to the Qatar-hosted event.   Shireen will also preview her interview with Telegraph journalist Fadumo Olow on the proposed Super League and navigating the world of sports during Ramadan. They'll then burn the worst of sport this week in the Burn Pile, celebrate Torchbearers like softball pitcher Hope Trautwein, share what's good in their lives and what they are watching in sport this week.  This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, che

In this Hot Take, Amira Rose Davis is joined by ESPN and SEC Network basketball analyst Andraya Carter. They discuss their 2021 WNBA draft predictions and the bright future of the league. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-down Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Brenda Elsey interviews Andrew Maraniss about his new book Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke. Burke was the first openly gay player in MLB, playing for the L.A. Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics in the 1970s. Brenda and Andrew discuss the histories of racism, the AIDS crisis and the incredible obstacles that Burke faced. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: www.burnitalldownpod.com To help support the Burn It All Down podcast, please consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For BIAD merchandise: teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-down Find us on Twitter: twitter.com/BurnItDownPod; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices