All Bets Are Off: A Gambling Counselor on Legal Sports Betting
A gambling addiction nearly ruined Arnie Wexler’s life in the 1960s. Since then, he and his wife, Sheila, have dedicated their lives to helping compulsive gamblers recover. Now, as states rapidly legalize sports betting, Wexler warns of an industry that prioritizes profit over people.
Wexler, a certified gambling counselor, co-wrote All Bets Are Off: Losers, Liars, and Recovery from Gambling Addiction with Sheila.
12 Mar 2025
Jimmy Carter’s Sporting Legacy
Peanut farmer, president, humanitarian… and distance runner. Jimmy Carter was both an athlete and a devoted sports fan—just not of golf. Sports played a surprising role in his life and presidency, shaping key moments and controversies. Jonathan Alter, author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, joins me to explore the little-known story of Carter and sports.
11 Jan 2025
The First High School Football League to Ban Kickoffs
Riverdale Athletic Director John Pizzi and the Metropolitan Athletic League make history as the first high school football league to ban kickoffs, paving the way for meaningful change in player safety and the future of football.
2 Dec 2024
The History and Politics of the American Stadium
Columbia University professor Frank Guridy explores the intricate politics of American stadiums, revealing how these spaces have long been battlegrounds for protest and play.
4 Nov 2024
Political Football 2024
Writer and former New York Times sports columnist, Robert Lipsyte, talks about the politics of sports—and the sport of politics—ahead of the 2024 US election.
2 Aug 2024
The Rat Run
Studies show that exercise can help decrease feelings of fear and anxiety. So, in an experiment on myself, I run alongside the things that scare me with someone who doesn't.
27 Jul 2024
A New NFL Fan (Taylor's Version)
Molly is part of a quickly growing demographic of NFL fans… Swifties. After a Super Bowl season with her Chiefs and some time on the road with The Eras Tour, Molly reflects on how Swifties and sports fans have more in common than they think.
NYT -- How Often Is Taylor Swift Actually Shown at N.F.L. Games?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/style/taylor-swift-nfl-broadcasts.html#:~:text=The%20reality%20is%20Ms.,her%20name%20rarely%20being%20mentioned. (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/style/taylor-swift-nfl-broadcasts.html#:~:text=The%20reality%20is%20Ms.,her%20name%20rarely%20being%20mentioned.)
31 May 2024
4 - The Strenuous Sporting Life of President Theodore Roosevelt
Throughout his life and Presidency, Theodore Roosevelt spoke about the virtues of a “strenuous life.” That strenuous life, Professor Ryan Swanson argues, was “very tied to physical activity.”
Swanson, author of The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete, tells a sports story of an asthmatic, unathletic child who turned into a physical fitness evangelist and the 26th President of the United States. Oh, and he played a role in preserving the sport of football.
17 May 2024
3 - God is a Mets Fan
For years, I’ve heard the Reverend J. Donald Waring preach about baseball. He’s used the game as a metaphor enough to make me wonder if there’s a story behind the sermons. In today's show, Don discusses who has influenced his preaching and why he thinks God “must” be a Mets fan.
4 May 2024
2 - You'll Never Walk Alone
Robert Paylor suffered a spinal cord injury in the 2017 collegiate rugby championship that left him unable to move anything below his neck. Now, he walks with an assisted device and works as a motivational speaker.
Today on Sidelines, Paylor recounts an athletic injury that left his body paralyzed and his mind searching for a new purpose.
For more on Robert, visit:
Website: https://www.robertpaylor.com/ (https://www.robertpaylor.com/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.paylor/ (https://www.instagram.com/rob.paylor/)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertPaylor5 (https://twitter.com/RobertPaylor5)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertpaylor5 (https://www.facebook.com/robertpaylor5)
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/robert-paylor (http://linkedin.com/in/robert-paylor)
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rob.paylor (https://www.tiktok.com/@rob.paylor)
5 Apr 2024
1 - Take Me Out To The Ballgame
What is theme music in sports trying to say? The Olympic Hymn is a tune about the brotherhood of nations, the NBA track on ESPN has a trap beat, and the NFL opening songs on FOX and CBS are percussive and aggressive.
Listen closely to the sounds of the game and you'll begin to understand the myth of certain sports, and what sports TV is trying to sell.
On the first episode of Sidelines, Professor Jeffery Segrave (Skidmore College) discusses the role of music in sports. Through analyzing a handful of sports television themes, we can begin to understand how songs shape athletic events... and even define certain sports.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
8
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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