The Untold History of Sports in America

iHeartPodcasts

Join celebrated history professor Matthew Andrews for discussions about sports from their earliest days in the colonies all the way to their present status as culture defining billion dollar industries. Sports are more than a collection of games, much more. From Jackie Robinson to the 1968 Olympics to Mia Hamm, sports have provided a stage for important conversations about equality and justice, and helped push the American experiment forward one generation after the next. Check back for new episodes every Tuesday & Thursday. Available on the Curiosity Audio Network, the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. Founding Son: Episode 6 - The Last of Earth

    05/11/2023

    Founding Son: Episode 6 - The Last of Earth

    John Quincy Adams finally defeats the Gag rule, but his feud with Andrew Jackson lasts until the bitter end.  And Congressman Abraham Lincoln witnesses from the House floor the dramatic final hours of Adams' life. Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  2. Founding Son: Episode 5 - Amistad

    05/04/2023

    Founding Son: Episode 5 - Amistad

    When the fates of the enslaved captives of the Amistad are put into the hands of the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams feels it's his duty to represent them. Adams’ son and wife would have preferred he stayed away from the case altogether.  Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min

  3. 11/10/2022

    Taking A Knee: Athlete Activism

    In our final episode, Matt Andrews explores how athletes have protested in the modern era, from Craig Hodges' direct plea to President Bush to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem. Those protests, just like similar ones before it, were criticized by some Americans who told those athletes to "shut up and dribble."  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min

  4. 11/08/2022

    Patriotism's Role in Sports

    Why do we sing the National Anthem at sporting events? Is patriotism part of sports? Matt Andrews explains how American sports have been intertwined with national tragedies over the last century, including September 11th.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min

  5. 11/03/2022

    Cheating and Sports

    Baseball, Cycling, Golf....why are we so obsessed with athletes cheating? Matt explores this question through the stories of Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  6. 11/01/2022

    Mia Hamm and the World Cup

    Women's soccer began to take off in the U.S. in the 1990s, culminating in the frenzy surrounding the 1999 World Cup and one of the greatest female athletes, Mia Hamm. Matt tells that story and explains how a sports bra created a controversy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min

  7. 10/27/2022

    Air Jordan

    Matt Andrews tells the story of one of the greatest athletes of all time, Michael Jordan, and how his relationship with Nike changed the world of sports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  8. 10/25/2022

    The Return of the Great White Hope

    In the 1980s, white athletes for some Americans came to represent white excellence in a sports world dominated by black athletes. Matt Andrews illustrates this through the stories of three white sports legends-NBA player Larry Bird, boxer Gerry Cooney...and fictional fighter Rocky Balboa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min
See All (33)

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Join celebrated history professor Matthew Andrews for discussions about sports from their earliest days in the colonies all the way to their present status as culture defining billion dollar industries. Sports are more than a collection of games, much more. From Jackie Robinson to the 1968 Olympics to Mia Hamm, sports have provided a stage for important conversations about equality and justice, and helped push the American experiment forward one generation after the next. Check back for new episodes every Tuesday & Thursday. Available on the Curiosity Audio Network, the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2023
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Untold History of Sports in America

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