Edge of Sports Creators & Guests

Dave Zirin is a political sportswriter. He is known for calling for sports boycotts, of Arizona for its anti-immigration laws, and of Israel for its treatment of Palestinians. He is currently the sports editor for The Nation and writes a blog named Edge of Sports: the weekly sports column by Dave Zirin.Zirin is a contributor to The Nation, and has been a columnist for SLAM Magazine, and The Progressive. He has been a guest on ESPN's Outside The Lines and Democracy Now!.He was the host of the podcast "Edge of Sports Podcast" and co-host of "The Collision: Where Sports and Politics Collide on Pacifica Radio."Zirin's first book, "What’s My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States," was published in 2005. He has since published nine more books.Zirin was born in New York City. He graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Martina Navratilova is a former professional tennis player and coach.

Dr. Pamela Grundy is a historian, author, activist, and museum curator.Grundy's first book, "Shattering the Glass: The Dazzling History of Women's Basketball from the Turn of the Century to the Present," was published in 2005.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Arian is an Assistant Professor of History at Georgetown University Qatar, where he specializes in the modern Middle East and the study of Islamic social movements. He is also co-editor of the Critical Currents in Islam page on Jadaliyya.Previously, Al-Arian was a Visiting Fellow at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.Al-Arian's work has appeared in Foreign Policy, Middle East Eye, MERIP, Muftah, and Al-Jazeera. His first book, "Answering the Call: Popular Islamic Activism in Sadat's Egypt," was published in 2014. He edited the book "Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game," which was published in 2022.Al-Arian received his B.A. in Political Science from Duke University, his M.A. in Sociology of religion from the London School of Economics, and his Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University.

Judah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for playing the role of writer Frank Rossitano on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Friedlander is also known for his role as Toby Radloff in the film American Splendor, a role that garnered him favorable reviews and a nomination for best supporting actor at the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards.

Bradford Pearson is the former features editor of Southwest, The Magazine.

Dr. Chloe Angyal is an author and journalist. Currently, she is an Editor at VICE News.Angyal's work has appeared in Jezebel, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and the Washington Post. Her first book, "Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself," a non-fiction investigation into gender and power in American ballet, was published in 2021. Her second book, the novel "Pas de Don't," was published in 2023.Angyal received her B.A. in Sociology from Princeton University and her Ph.D. in Arts and Media from the University of New South Wales.

Dr. Amira Rose Davis is historian of 20th Century Black History with an emphasis on race, gender, sports and politics. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Penn State University.Davis's work has appeared in Radical History Review, Journal of African American History, The New Republic, and ZORA. Her first book will be "'Can’t Eat a Medal': The Lives and Labors of Black Women Athletes in the Age of Jim Crow."Additionally, Davis provides sports commentary for public venues such as NPR, ESPN, and BBC. She is also the co-host of the Feminist Sports Podcast "Burn it All Down."

Bill Lester is a retired NASCAR professional racing driver who last competed in the Grand Touring category in the Rolex Sports Car Series for Autohaus Motorsports.