Podcasts about Louisa Thomas

In honor of The New Yorker's centennial this year, the magazine's staff writers are pulling out some classics from the long history of the publication. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker's sports correspondent, naturally gravitated to a story about baseball with a title only comprehensible to baseball aficionados: “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu.” The essay was by no less a writer than the author John Updike, and the “Kid” of the title was Ted Williams, the Hall of Fame hitter who spent nineteen years on the Boston Red Sox. By happenstance, Updike joined the crowd at Fenway Park for Williams's last game before his retirement, in 1960. Thomas, looking at subtle word changes that Updike made as he was working on the piece, reflects on the writer's craft and the ballplayer's. “Marginal differences really matter,” she says. “And it's those marginal differences that are the difference between a pop-up, a long fly, and a home run. Updike really understood that, and so did Williams.”Plus, a visit with one of the great modern practitioners of the earworm, Charles Strouse, who wrote music for “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Annie,” and the theme to “All in the Family.” Strouse died this month at ninety-six. In one of his last interviews he gave, in 2023, he spoke with the Radio Hour's Jeffrey Masters about his rivalry with Stephen Sondheim. “Stephen and I were friendly enemies. He didn't like me much. I didn't like him less.” 

Louisa Thomas is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams and Mind and Matter.We talk about a profile she wrote on Nikola Jokic as well as her incredible knack for a great kicker.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod

One of the big questions about Vice-President Harris's candidacy is undoubtedly race. She would not be the first Black President. “I think that most times when people bring Kamala Harris and Barack Obama into the same conversation, they are kind of mistaken—it's just this kind of wish-casting,” Vinson Cunningham says. But “what they do have in common is a Black father who is not from America. And this brings all kinds of strange things into being . . . in creating a Black American identity.” Cunningham and fellow staff writer Doreen St. Félix discuss Harris's complicated identity as the child of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, and more.  (This segment is an excerpt from a longer conversation on The Political Scene.) Plus, the New Yorker sports correspondent Louisa Thomas talks with David Remnick about some of the unusual venues of the Paris Olympics—from the Place de la Concorde and the supposedly cleaned-up Seine to a small reef village in Tahiti.

Stefan Fatsis and Joel Anderson talk to the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas about the 55th pick in last week's NBA draft: LeBron James' son, Bronny. Plus, Joel and Josh Levin interview Wil Aaron about racism in baseball in the decades after Jackie Robinson. Bronny James (3:33): LeBron James wanted to play with his kid in the NBA. Will that be good for Bronny? Wil Aaron (20:54): Hank Aaron's cousin on his frustrating years in minor-league baseball. Afterball (54:06): Stefan on Turkey vs. Türkiye at the 2024 Euros. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Joel Anderson talk to the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas about the 55th pick in last week's NBA draft: LeBron James' son, Bronny. Plus, Joel and Josh Levin interview Wil Aaron about racism in baseball in the decades after Jackie Robinson. Bronny James (3:33): LeBron James wanted to play with his kid in the NBA. Will that be good for Bronny? Wil Aaron (20:54): Hank Aaron's cousin on his frustrating years in minor-league baseball. Afterball (54:06): Stefan on Turkey vs. Türkiye at the 2024 Euros. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Joel Anderson talk to the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas about the 55th pick in last week's NBA draft: LeBron James' son, Bronny. Plus, Joel and Josh Levin interview Wil Aaron about racism in baseball in the decades after Jackie Robinson. Bronny James (3:33): LeBron James wanted to play with his kid in the NBA. Will that be good for Bronny? Wil Aaron (20:54): Hank Aaron's cousin on his frustrating years in minor-league baseball. Afterball (54:06): Stefan on Turkey vs. Türkiye at the 2024 Euros. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA Draft draws near and the majority of the hype has been surrounding where Bronny James will land in the draft. We welcome staff writer for the New Yorker Louisa Thomas onto Hoopsology to give her analysis about the pressure Bronny is facing. Louisa wrote an article for the New Yorker about Bronny and talks about why Bronny is being underestimated among basketball experts. Hoopsology is presented by Ballislife. Twitter:@hoopsologypod Instagram:@hoopsologypod Justin's Twitter: @JGHoopsology Matt's Twitter: @thetrainerstake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In “The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports,” the journalist Michael Waters tells the story of Zdeněk Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women's sports. Koubek shocked the sporting world in 1935 by announcing that he was transitioning, and now living as a man. The initial press coverage of Koubek and another prominent track star who transitioned, Mark Weston, was largely positive, but Waters tells the New Yorker sports columnist Louisa Thomas that eventually a backlash led to the 1936 Berlin Olympics instituting a sex-testing policy for women athletes. Any female athlete's sex could be challenged, and cisgender women who didn't conform to historical gender standards were targeted as a result. These policies slowly evolved to include chromosome testing and, later, the hormone testing that we see today. “And so as we talk about sex testing today,” Waters says, “we often are forgetting where these policies come from in the first place.”

In “The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports,” the journalist Michael Waters tells the story of Zdeněk Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women's sports. Koubek shocked the sporting world in 1935 by announcing that he was transitioning, and now living as a man. The initial press coverage of Koubek and another prominent track star who transitioned, Mark Weston, was largely positive, but Waters tells the New Yorker sports columnist Louisa Thomas that eventually a backlash led to the 1936 Berlin Olympics instituting a sex-testing policy for women athletes. Any female athlete's sex could be challenged, and cisgender women who didn't conform to historical gender standards were targeted as a result. These policies slowly evolved to include chromosome testing and, later, the hormone testing that we see today. “And so as we talk about sex testing today,” Waters says, “we often are forgetting where these policies come from in the first place.”

The NBA is nearing a massive media rights deal, as a dramatic playoffs featuring a new cast of characters unfolds. The New Yorker's Louisa Thomas joins the show to discuss how these playoffs represent a changing of the guard and the enigmatic figure of Jimmy Butler. Plus, the Premier League could implement a spending cap and LeBron James is leaving his options open with his son, Bronny, entering the NBA Draft.

As this year's annual March Madness tournament kicks off, there's a sense of malaise around men's college basketball. The advent of the transfer portal is partly to blame, and the trend of top talents departing for the N.B.A. after just one year of college play. “There hasn't been that kind of charismatic superstar like Zion Williamson at Duke,” Louisa Thomas tells David Remnick, “the big school and the big player, which is the perfect match.” But women's college basketball is another story. Last year, superstars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark helped the sport reach its highest ratings ever for a final. Clark, in particular, with a penchant for nearly forty-foot throws that almost defies belief, has become such a source of fascination for fans that Remnick compares her to LeBron James. “The question is whether or not she can carry that attention with her” into the W.N.B.A. and to the league's benefit, Thomas wonders, and  if “she can leave some of that attention behind. To what extent is this a unique phenomenon around a unique player?”

Episode 382 of Sports Media Podcast features Louisa Thomas, a staff writer at The New Yorker who recently profiled Nikola Jokić for the publication. In this podcast, Thomas discusses how she finds her stories; what is unique about covering sports for The New Yorker; how people in sports respond to the publication when she contacts them; how she approaches writing when a subject does not want to talk; profiling Jokic; writing about a First Lady; whether how The New Yorker approaches sports coverage; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From 'Sports Media with Richard Deitsch' (Subscribe here): Episode 382 of Sports Media Podcast features Louisa Thomas, a staff writer at The New Yorker who recently profiled Nikola Jokić for the publication. In this podcast, Thomas discusses how she finds her stories; what is unique about covering sports for The New Yorker; how people in sports respond to the publication when she contacts them; how she approaches writing when a subject does not want to talk; profiling Jokic; writing about a First Lady; whether how The New Yorker approaches sports coverage; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the brilliance of her latest piece, "How Nikola Jokić Became the World's Best Basketball Player." On how she navigates a subject who doesn't speak with her. On the beauty of tiny details. On whether bad writers can learn to be good writers.

Nikola Jokić is a singular basketball player, but he is emblematic of a talent pipeline from Serbia that is growing in prominence for the NBA. The New Yorker's Louisa Thomas joins the episode to discuss the Serbian team that produced the superstar, the challenges of marketing Jokić, and what he means for the future of the NBA. Plus, Oakland and the A's are talking again, and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo tells FOS's Mike McCarthy how ESPN changed his life. This episode is sponsored by: Autotrader: autotrader.com/seeitfindit

Tony opens the show by pulling back the curtain on how he prepares for a segment on PTI. Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker calls in to talk to Tony about the “Taylor Swift Effect”, Steve Sands phones in to talk about what needs to be done at the Phoenix Open to reign in the rowdiness, and also about Tiger Woods's new clothing line, and Tony closes out the show by opening up the Mailbag. Songs : Brett Wiscons “Honey” ; “French Cafe (Inside a Dream)” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, in honor of Superbowl Sunday, we listen back to Mike's 2019 interview with former Baltimore Raven offensive lineman John Urschel. After his time in the NFL, Urschel went on to get a PhD and have an accomplished career as a mathematician. He is joined by his co-writer, Louisa Thomas—who is also his wife—to discuss their book Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football. Then, to honor the Sunday political shows, Mike's recent Spiel following up on the question of Kristen Welker's insistence on follow-up questions.  Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara  Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com  To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/  Follow Mike's Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you Ready for It? We should have known all along that the Travis Kelce - Taylor Swift romance was destined for the Super Bowl stage. And while many can't wait to see how it all plays out, others are just asking Is It Over Now? Through it all, as the gossip columns, social media Swiftie commentary, and song lyric puns add up, diehard football fans are wondering if this will damage the game's Reputation. So today, sports writer Louisa Thomas helps us understand why so many people are so angry about Taylor Swift. And why understanding it really might be The Story of Us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NB: It turns out the first successful proof of Fermat's Last Theorem was published in 1995. I think I might have been thinking of the Twin Prime Conjecture…?For more SLEERICKETS, check out the SECRET SHOW and join the group chat!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard, ed. Mary Pilon & Louisa Thomas (featuring an essay by Brian!)– They Studied Dishonesty. Was Their Work a Lie? by Gideon Lewis-Kraus– Francesca Gino's Rebuttal– Hasan Minhaj's Emotional Truths by Clare Malone– Hasan Minhaj's Response– A Suspense Novelist's Trail of Deceptions by Ian Parker– Jonah Lehrer– Malcolm Gladwell– Victor Lavalle's introduction to The Best of Richard Matheson– The Daemon Lover by Shirley Jackson– Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal by Eugene SoltesAlice: Poetry SaysBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: CameronWTC [at] hotmail [dot] comMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander SmithFrequent topics:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Alexis Sears– JP GrittonMore Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry SaysI Hate Matt WallVersecraftRatbag Poetics

The director Spike Lee looked back at the length and breadth of his career so far during a sit-down with David Remnick at the New Yorker Festival. Although Lee's storied filmography may be familiar to movie buffs, few are likely to know as much about his humble beginnings as the scion of a celebrated, but often unemployed, musician—the late Bill Lee. The young Spike Lee bore some resentment toward his father, an upright-bass player who eschewed countless gigs because he refused to play an electric bass guitar. “[I]t wasn't until later that I saw that, yo, this is his life. He was not going to play music that he didn't want to play.” As an artist in his own right, Lee has taken a similar approach to filmmaking. He has tackled a myriad of genres and difficult subject matter, without sacrificing his unique voice and social consciousness to satisfy Hollywood. “Some things you just can't compromise,” he told Remnick. Now in his fourth decade as a filmmaker, Lee hopes to one day make a long-gestating bio-pic about Joe Louis and have his career last as long as that of one of his idols. “Kurosawa was eighty-six!” the sixty-six-year-old Lee said, of the Japanese filmmaker's retirement age. “I have to at least get to Kurosawa.” Plus, the sports writer Louisa Thomas talks with the New Yorker Radio Hour's Adam Howard about the stars to watch in the N.B.A.'s new season. Share your thoughts on The New Yorker Radio Hour  podcast.

Josh Levin and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas are joined by the Washington Post's Ben Golliver to discuss how the Denver Nuggets took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Next, Slate's Henry Grabar comes on to talk about Novak Djokovic's record-setting French Open title. Finally, Josh is joined by Slate's Alex Kirshner and the Fried Egg's Brendan Porath to sort through the PGA Tour's new deal with the Saudis.   NBA Finals (2:16): What makes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a historically great duo?   French Open (26:55): How Djokovic keeps winning.   Golf (49:37): Why the PGA Tour reversed its big moral stand.   Afterball (1:13:34): Josh and Louisa discuss her feature story on how pitcher Daniel Bard lost control, regained it, and lost it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas are joined by the Washington Post's Ben Golliver to discuss how the Denver Nuggets took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Next, Slate's Henry Grabar comes on to talk about Novak Djokovic's record-setting French Open title. Finally, Josh is joined by Slate's Alex Kirshner and the Fried Egg's Brendan Porath to sort through the PGA Tour's new deal with the Saudis.   NBA Finals (2:16): What makes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a historically great duo?   French Open (26:55): How Djokovic keeps winning.   Golf (49:37): Why the PGA Tour reversed its big moral stand.   Afterball (1:13:34): Josh and Louisa discuss her feature story on how pitcher Daniel Bard lost control, regained it, and lost it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas are joined by the Washington Post's Ben Golliver to discuss how the Denver Nuggets took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Next, Slate's Henry Grabar comes on to talk about Novak Djokovic's record-setting French Open title. Finally, Josh is joined by Slate's Alex Kirshner and the Fried Egg's Brendan Porath to sort through the PGA Tour's new deal with the Saudis.   NBA Finals (2:16): What makes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a historically great duo?   French Open (26:55): How Djokovic keeps winning.   Golf (49:37): Why the PGA Tour reversed its big moral stand.   Afterball (1:13:34): Josh and Louisa discuss her feature story on how pitcher Daniel Bard lost control, regained it, and lost it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas talk about what went wrong for the North Carolina men's basketball team and other NCAA Tournament matters. They also check in on quarterback Lamar Jackson's standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, the Athletic's Nick Miller joins to discuss why the BBC pulled soccer commentator Gary Lineker off the air, and what happened next.   NCAA (5:54): Checking in on the Tar Heels and the sport's other blue bloods.   Jackson (3:50): Why doesn't anyone want to give the young star a guaranteed, mega-bucks deal?   Lineker (43:50): The controversy, the resolution, and what it says about the UK.   Afterball (1:00:52): Stefan on whether the Ivy League is ready to change with the times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas talk about what went wrong for the North Carolina men's basketball team and other NCAA Tournament matters. They also check in on quarterback Lamar Jackson's standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, the Athletic's Nick Miller joins to discuss why the BBC pulled soccer commentator Gary Lineker off the air, and what happened next.   NCAA (5:54): Checking in on the Tar Heels and the sport's other blue bloods.   Jackson (3:50): Why doesn't anyone want to give the young star a guaranteed, mega-bucks deal?   Lineker (43:50): The controversy, the resolution, and what it says about the UK.   Afterball (1:00:52): Stefan on whether the Ivy League is ready to change with the times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas talk about what went wrong for the North Carolina men's basketball team and other NCAA Tournament matters. They also check in on quarterback Lamar Jackson's standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, the Athletic's Nick Miller joins to discuss why the BBC pulled soccer commentator Gary Lineker off the air, and what happened next.   NCAA (5:54): Checking in on the Tar Heels and the sport's other blue bloods.   Jackson (3:50): Why doesn't anyone want to give the young star a guaranteed, mega-bucks deal?   Lineker (43:50): The controversy, the resolution, and what it says about the UK.   Afterball (1:00:52): Stefan on whether the Ivy League is ready to change with the times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Woodward is not one to editorialize. But, during his interviews with Donald Trump at the time of the COVID-19 crisis, Woodward found himself shouting at the President—explaining how to make a decision and trying to browbeat him into listening to public-health experts. Woodward has released audio recordings of some of their interviews in a new audiobook called “The Trump Tapes,” which documents details of Trump's state of mind, and also of Woodward's process and craft. “I could call him anytime, [and] he would call me,” Woodward tells David Remnick. His wife, Elsa Walsh, “used to joke [that] there's three of us in the marriage.” And, in the wake of Damar Hamlin's accident, the staff writer Louisa Thomas talks with David Remnick about an uncomfortable truth: football's danger to players is part of its singular popularity. 

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2022 is: lapidary • LAP-uh-dair-ee • adj Lapidary is used to describe something—usually the style of one's writing or speech—that is elegant and precise in a way that suggests similar qualities associated with inscriptions in stone monuments. It also has the less figurative meaning, “of, relating to, or suggestive of precious stones or the art of cutting them.” // In a single, lapidary couplet, the poet exquisitely captured the bittersweet mood of autumn. See the entry > Examples: “Last year, [Venus] Williams published an op-ed in the [New York] Times in which she described how her mother, Oracene, at the start of Venus's career, counselled her to take care of her ‘whole self,' not only her body but her mind. … Watching Williams, earlier this week, with her lapidary grace and impenetrable expressions, I thought it might explain something else, too. To a degree that I have rarely witnessed in another person, and perhaps never in a prominent athlete, Williams seems to have reserved her self, protected it. There is, behind the calm façade, an inner life that shows in flashes of coolness and bursts of passionate, athletic intensity.” — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 2 Sept. 2022 Did you know? The Latin word for “stone” is lapis, which rock hounds and jewelry lovers may be familiar with as the term for a semiprecious, deep blue gem also known as lapis lazuli, or “stone of the sky.” In the 1300s, lapis lent its shine to the English noun lapidary, referring to a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones, as well as to the art of such a person. The crystalline refinement involved in the work of a lapidary eventually led, centuries later, to the use of lapidary as an adjective describing things that have the elegance and precision of inscriptions carved in stone monuments. Today it is used most often to characterize speech or prose (such as an essay, memoir, or address) that is considered notably clear and fine, but lapidary can also describe virtues such as grace and dignity, whether observed in one's language or character.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2022 is: lapidary • LAP-uh-dair-ee • adj Lapidary is used to describe something—usually the style of one's writing or speech—that is elegant and precise in a way that suggests similar qualities associated with inscriptions in stone monuments. It also has the less figurative meaning, “of, relating to, or suggestive of precious stones or the art of cutting them.” // In a single, lapidary couplet, the poet exquisitely captured the bittersweet mood of autumn. See the entry > Examples: “Last year, [Venus] Williams published an op-ed in the [New York] Times in which she described how her mother, Oracene, at the start of Venus's career, counselled her to take care of her ‘whole self,' not only her body but her mind. … Watching Williams, earlier this week, with her lapidary grace and impenetrable expressions, I thought it might explain something else, too. To a degree that I have rarely witnessed in another person, and perhaps never in a prominent athlete, Williams seems to have reserved her self, protected it. There is, behind the calm façade, an inner life that shows in flashes of coolness and bursts of passionate, athletic intensity.” — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 2 Sept. 2022 Did you know? The Latin word for “stone” is lapis, which rock hounds and jewelry lovers may be familiar with as the term for a semi-precious, deep blue gem also known as lapis lazuli, or “stone of the sky.” In the 1300s, lapis lent its shine to the English noun lapidary, referring to a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones, as well as to the art of such a person. The crystalline refinement involved in the work of a lapidary eventually led, centuries later, to the use of lapidary as an adjective describing things that have the elegance and precision of inscriptions carved in stone monuments. Today it is used most often to characterize speech or prose (such as an essay, memoir, or address) that is considered notably clear and fine, but lapidary can also describe virtues such as grace and dignity, whether observed in one's language or character.

The wonderful New Yorker writer Louisa Thomas joins the show as we consider the significance of the interest & lack of more in Aaron Judge's home run chase, bask in the sunny decency of the majestic Roger Federer, consider the legacy of Venus Williams in light of Serena's career, and sympathy for the devil, i.e. Tom Brady.

On today's BRING IT IN TrueHoop's Jarod Hector and David Thorpe discuss:David's recent article on Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets. He is the key to the Nets' season. The Phoenix Suns got beat by the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL on Sunday. The 36ers were led by Robert Franks, a player David knows well and believes every NBA team could use. Is there trouble brewing in Philly? Jarod doesn't like some of the noise coming out of 76ers training camp. What should smart teams be doing this preseason? David has a few thoughts.RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 30, 2022 James Wiseman shines and the art of coaching NBA playersSeptember 27, 2022 What is really being said at NBA media days?September 22, 2022 Ime Udoka and the Celtics and 2022-23 All-NBA predictionsSeptember 19, 2022 The greatness of LeBron, KD and Steph and the upcoming MVP raceSeptember 15, 2022 The Robert Sarver situation and Brittney Griner with Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

On today's BRING IT IN TrueHoop's Jarod Hector and David Thorpe discuss:David and his family are very grateful they made it through Hurricane Ian James Wiseman looked great in the Warriors preseason game. Are the Warriors young players the best in the league?Doc Rivers had an interesting conversation with James Harden. Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton haven't spoken in months. David has thoughts on how you connect with NBA players.Ben Simmons seems happy in Brooklyn so far. David teases an upcoming article. RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 27, 2022 What is really being said at NBA media days?September 22, 2022 Ime Udoka and the Celtics and 2022-23 All-NBA predictionsSeptember 19, 2022 The greatness of LeBron, KD and Steph and the upcoming MVP raceSeptember 15, 2022 The Robert Sarver situation and Brittney Griner with Louisa Thomas of The New YorkerSeptember 12, 2022 Steph talks KD, midseason tournament, and play-in teams. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

On today's BRING IT IN TrueHoop's Henry Abbott and Jarod Hector discuss NBA media day:Wait, where is coach Thorpe?Jarod attended media day in Brooklyn and it was a doozy … but Henry says at least stuff is out in the open. The Cavaliers seemed poised to do big things this year. The right people in Denver started to say smart things about their players and injuries …The Lakers don't appear to be giving Russell Westbrook any royal jelly. Zion Williamson is back, ready, and citing Notorious B.I.G.RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 22, 2022 Ime Udoka and the Celtics and 2022-23 All-NBA predictionsSeptember 19, 2022 The greatness of LeBron, KD and Steph and the upcoming MVP raceSeptember 15, 2022 The Robert Sarver situation and Brittney Griner with Louisa Thomas of The New YorkerSeptember 12, 2022 Steph talks KD, midseason tournament, and play-in teams.September 8, 2022 Cavs are all in. Is SGA long for OKC? And solid playoff teams. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

On today's BRING IT IN TrueHoop's Jarod Hector and David Thorpe discuss:Ime Udoka and the Boston Celtics. Robert Sarver is selling the Phoenix Suns, who will the NBA get in bed with next?The Detroit Pistons are making a push towards relevancyDavid and Jarod make their 2022-23 All-NBA predictions. The teams you could make of the players that don't make it, are really good!RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 19, 2022 The greatness of LeBron, KD and Steph and the upcoming MVP raceSeptember 15, 2022 The Robert Sarver situation and Brittney Griner with Louisa Thomas of The New YorkerSeptember 12, 2022 Steph talks KD, midseason tournament, and play-in teams.September 8, 2022 Cavs are all in. Is SGA long for OKC? And solid playoff teams.September 1, 2022 2022-23 NBA Championship Bus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

On today's BRING IT IN TrueHoop's Jarod Hector and David Thorpe discuss:The brilliance of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen CurryDavid wrote a piece handicapping the upcoming NBA MVP race. Who are the candidates and which player is the “best bet”?A case for Zion Williamson as MVPWhat did David learn watching EuroBasket 2022?RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 15, 2022 The Robert Sarver situation and Brittney Griner with Louisa Thomas of The New YorkerSeptember 12, 2022 Steph talks KD, midseason tournament, and play-in teams.September 8, 2022 Cavs are all in. Is SGA long for OKC? And solid playoff teams.September 1, 2022 2022-23 NBA Championship BusAugust 29, 2022 The NCAA and sports with Victoria Jackson This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

On today's BRING IT IN, New Yorker staff writer Louisa Thomas hosts with Jarod Hector and David Thorpe:Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver was suspended for a year and fined $10 million for abhorrent behavior. Louisa just published a New Yorker story about Sarver, and has thoughts on what could the league have done better or differently.Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for over 200 days, what actually matters and what did Louisa learn writing about Griner's situation?In the span of one month Serena Williams and now Roger Federer have both retired from professional tennis. What makes the sport so fascinating to cover? How is it like basketball?RECENT BRING IT IN EPISODES:September 12, 2022 Steph talks KD, midseason tournament, and play-in teams.September 8, 2022 Cavs are all in. Is SGA long for OKC? And solid playoff teams.September 1, 2022 2022-23 NBA Championship BusAugust 29, 2022 The NCAA and sports with Victoria JacksonAugust 25, 2022 Muggsy Bogues This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truehoop.com/subscribe

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel left the game after three seasons to get his PhD in mathematics. Totally normal career path, right? He wrote the book Mind And Matter: A Life In Math And Football alongside his wife, author Louisa Thomas, and they joined Mike in June of 2019 to discuss the similarities and differences between John's two chosen career paths. And then we listen back to Wednesday's Spiel, in which Mike ponders the threat of overstating threats from the right. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson's sexual abuse case and Serena Williams' impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated's Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics.   Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers.   Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.”   Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson's sexual abuse case and Serena Williams' impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated's Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics.   Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers.   Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.”   Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson's sexual abuse case and Serena Williams' impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated's Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics.   Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers.   Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.”   Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 40 of The Meadowlarkers, Howard, Kate, and Amin are joined by writer Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker to discuss Athletes Unlimited, a new league helping to reshape who has the power in sports by having the players run the show. The crew dives into Louisa's story on the league and begin to reimagine the entire sports landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA swimming championship, and the honor has put her at the center of the discussion about trans competitors. Sports writer Louisa Thomas (no relation) tells the swimmer’s story in the New Yorker. She spoke with Shumita Basu for the latest episode of Apple News In Conversation about the difficulty of creating fairness in sports when no two athletes’ bodies will ever be perfectly matched.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker discuss the NFL's conference championship games and Tom Brady's (probable) retirement. Then, they talk about Rafael Nadal's record-setting Australian Open victory. Finally, Grant Wahl joins Josh and Stefan to assess the U.S. men's national soccer team's frigid loss to Canada. NFL (2:32): How did the Chiefs blow it? Is Joe Burrow as charismatic as he thinks he is?    Tennis (26:32): How Nadal staged the best comeback of his career. U.S. men's soccer (45:49): Why can't the U.S. score? Could they miss the World Cup? Afterball (1:06:49): Josh and Stefan celebrate the winner of Hang Up's goofy sports idea contest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker discuss the NFL's conference championship games and Tom Brady's (probable) retirement. Then, they talk about Rafael Nadal's record-setting Australian Open victory. Finally, Grant Wahl joins Josh and Stefan to assess the U.S. men's national soccer team's frigid loss to Canada. NFL (2:32): How did the Chiefs blow it? Is Joe Burrow as charismatic as he thinks he is?    Tennis (26:32): How Nadal staged the best comeback of his career. U.S. men's soccer (45:49): Why can't the U.S. score? Could they miss the World Cup? Afterball (1:06:49): Josh and Stefan celebrate the winner of Hang Up's goofy sports idea contest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has changed since China last hosted the Olympics, during the 2008 Summer Games. Those Games were widely seen as greatly improving China's international reputation. But the 2022 Winter Games have put a spotlight on its human-rights abuses, most notably the genocide taking place against Uyghurs and Kazakhs. The U.S. government and other nations are boycotting the games in a limited way, leaving government officials home while allowing their athletes to compete, to avoid a bitter disappointment like that in 1980, when America didn't compete in Moscow. The effect of these actions on China may be limited, but the tensions may be very difficult for athletes to navigate. Peter Hessler, for many years The New Yorker's China correspondent, asks David Remnick, “When an athlete says something about the internment camps in Xinjiang, and the oppression of Muslim people in China, what is the Chinese response going to be?” “The I.O.C. has really left them out there. The I.O.C. … basically just washed their hands of it. It's really up to the athletes,” he notes. “A lot of people I've talked to are very concerned about this.” At the same time, the sports reporter Louisa Thomas notes that these Games may garner little American support or attention. The delayed Tokyo Games last year “were already the least-watched Games in history,” and there are few big-name American athletes for NBC to promote. “I even have a lot of friends who have no idea there's about to be an Olympics,” Thomas says. “Which is extraordinary.”

Much has changed since China last hosted the Olympics, during the 2008 Summer Games. Those Games were widely seen as greatly improving China's international reputation. But the 2022 Winter Games have put a spotlight instead on its human-rights abuses, most notably the genocide taking place against Uyghurs and Kazakhs. Peter Hessler, for many years The New Yorker's China correspondent, asks David Remnick, “When an athlete says something about the internment camps in Xinjiang, and the oppression of Muslim people in China, what is the Chinese response going to be? The I.O.C. has really left them out there.” The sports reporter Louisa Thomas notes that these Games may garner little American support or attention, with few big-name American athletes for NBC to promote. “I even have a lot of friends who have no idea there's about to be an Olympics,” Thomas says. Plus, at the Beijing pizzeria Pie Squared, the owner, Asher Gillespie, glumly assesses the Olympics boom that isn't coming. With ticket sales halted and the events in a bubble, he says, “We're going to be watching from TV just like everybody else.” 

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas talk about Daniil Medvedev's upset over Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu's shocking U.S. Open title. They also discuss Jameis Winston, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cam Newton's interview with his dad. Finally, they assess the U.S. men's national soccer team's rocky opening to World Cup qualifying. U.S. Open (2:25): What to make of Djokovic's loss, and his response to it. Plus, where did Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez come from?   NFL (31:12): Making sense of pro football's opening weekend.   U.S. soccer (48:19): How concerning are the USMNT's on-field struggles?   Afterball (1:06;30): Stefan on Sheriff Tiraspol, the Moldovan soccer underdog that you maybe shouldn't root for Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker's Louisa Thomas talk about Daniil Medvedev's upset over Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu's shocking U.S. Open title. They also discuss Jameis Winston, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cam Newton's interview with his dad. Finally, they assess the U.S. men's national soccer team's rocky opening to World Cup qualifying. U.S. Open (2:25): What to make of Djokovic's loss, and his response to it. Plus, where did Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez come from?   NFL (31:12): Making sense of pro football's opening weekend.   U.S. soccer (48:19): How concerning are the USMNT's on-field struggles?   Afterball (1:06;30): Stefan on Sheriff Tiraspol, the Moldovan soccer underdog that you maybe shouldn't root for Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker joins us to discuss how greater media presence means better working conditions for women athletes, the richness of rooting for a losing team, what drives her as a fan and a sportswriter, Steph Curry normalizing the impossible, and why Gregg Popovich is her favorite interview ever. Matthew gushes over Louisa being the first guest in the show's history he could talk to about legendary gymnast Tatiana Gutsu while Jonah prays for a quick and merciful end to the Celtics' season. Follow the Jacobin Sports Show on Twitter: @JacobinSports Email us: jacobinsports@gmail.com

Louisa Thomas is a graduate of Harvard University and former fellow at the New America Foundation think tank. She is also a former contributor to the sports and pop culture blog Grantland and contributing editor at Newsweek. In this episode Ms. Thomas discusses her second book "Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams." Ms. Thomas spoke at the second of three Michelle Smith Lectures on April 20, 2017.