The Sport of Life: Chats w/ Comedians, Filmmakers, Sports Figures, Musicians, & Intellectuals

Houston Chronicle & San Antonio Express-News columnist and bestselling author Chris Tomlinson chats with Trey Elling about FORGET THE ALAMO: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN AMERICAN MYTH. Questions include: What myth about the Alamo does Chris hope this book dispels? Why does he believe slavery is the primary reason Mexico sent troops into Texas? What kept Santa Anna from accepting William Travis' surrender before the battle? How many of those at the Alamo were actually slave owners? Did Davy Crockett die fighting to the death? Why was LBJ guilty of "Alamo syndrome"? How should the Alamo be taught in schools?

Filmmaker Garret Price chats with Trey Elling about his new HBO Max documentary, WOODSTOCK 99: PEACE, LOVE, & RAGE. Questions include: What were his memories of that disastrous festival going into this project? How well-prepared were the security guards? What insight about the weekend did Moby provide? Considering it didn't rain that weekend, why did the grounds get so muddy? When did he decide to explore the dichotomy between the social awareness brought about by grunge earlier in the decade, and the machismo physiology that took over when Cobain died? How responsible was Fred Durst for the worsening of conditions with his performance on Saturday night? When did he decide to use what was the perfect song for the end credits? Will there ever be another Woodstock?

Emmy-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Fagan chats with Trey Elling about ALL THE COLORS CAME OUT: A FATHER, A DAUGHTER, AND A LIFETIME OF LESSONS. The book details Kate's relationship with her dad, who died from complications of ALS in December 2019. Questions include: What was her dad like as a parent during her childhood? Why did he wisely never let her beat him as a kid? How did her decision to play college hoops far from home impact their relationship? Why did Kate let her mom tell him when she came out as gay? What did she go through when he informed her of his ALS diagnosis? How did Kate learn that she and her dad slept in the same position? Why was the night before Kate's wedding an important moment in her relationship with dad? What does she cherish about her mom?

Former jazz pianist and boxing manager Charles Farrell chats with Trey Elling about (LOW)LIFE: A MEMOIR OF JAZZ, FIGHT-FIXING, AND THE MOB. Questions include: How did Charles get into music, gambling, and hustling as a kid? (01:56) Why John Coltrane is the only musician he ever saw in person who scared him, and how did it impact his music? (06:57) What did teenaged Charles do when Janis Joplin tried to seduce him? (08:54) Which was the worst of the many mob clubs that Charles played in the 1970s? (10:36) How did Charles manage Leon Spinks so late in Leon's career, and what challenges did that pose? (18:30) Why does he believe Sonny Liston took dives in both his fights with Ali? (23:39) Was Mike Tyson's fight with Peter McNeeley fixed in any way? (33:31) What does Charles mean when he refers to Mike Tyson's former trainer Cus D'Amato as a "chickenhawk"? (35:15) Did Charles ever get suckered into a boxing bet that cost him big? (40:28) Is Charles considering turning his life story into a movie? (54:38)

Neuroscience expert and storyteller Ginny Smith chats with Trey Elling about OVERLOADED: HOW EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE IS INFLUENCED BY YOUR BRAIN CHEMICALS. Questions include: How do sea slugs help us better understand human memory? (02:40) Why is dopamine not necessarily the pleasure chemical? (06:30) What causes some people to urinate themselves when scared? (10:29) Why do we sleep? (25:37) How does coffee wake us up, and why does it lose its effect over time? (29:48) Chemically speaking, why do people overeat? (32:52) Does swearing help with pain? (35:17)

Former mayor of Cleveland, US congressman, and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich chats with Trey Elling about THE DIVISION OF LIGHT AND POWER. The book chronicles Dennis' political rise in Cleveland, fueled by his desire to keep the city from selling its municipal electricity system to a private interest. The fight led to many powerful enemies and more than one attempt on his life, also ultimately costing him two marriages. Dennis and Trey discuss these details and much more.

For the second episode of our NO BOOKS REQUIRED series, Trey Elling chats with Mike Leach, aka 'the Bill Murray of college football'. Questions include: Does Mike like Zoom calls? (01:42) Is he ever asked about his 'fat girlfriends' quote? (02:47) How does Gardner Minshew impress him? (09:07) Why did actor Jim Caviezel visit him in Starkville during the spring? (15:56) What does Mike's plan for expanding the college football playoff to 64 teams look like? (18:06) And just how believable is the internet rumor that Craig James killed five hookers while playing football at SMU? (30:58)

Wildlife biologist, National Geographic journalist, and bestselling author Doug Chadwick chats with Trey Elling about FOUR-FIFTHS A GRIZZLY: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON NATURE THAT MIGHT JUST SAVE US ALL. What has the human population explosion of the past fifty years done to plant- and animal life? Just how genetically similar are we to other creatures? Why are grizzlys, elephants, and colony insects so impressive? What are the physiological benefits of being out in nature? And how can we take simple steps to positively impact all other lifeforms? Doug and Trey discuss these things and much more.

The Daily Show's CJ Hunt & Roy Wood Jr join Trey Elling for episode #2 of Docs on Pod to discuss their documentary, THE NEUTRAL GROUND. The film, directed by Hunt and executive produced by Wood, chronicles the multi-year fight that led to the removal of several statues in New Orleans that honored Confederate figures. During that time, Hunt explored the strong feelings on both sides of the issue, including taking part in a Civil War reenactment and visiting a plantation museum that shared its history from the slaves' perspective. THE NEUTRAL GROUND premieres on PBS on July 5th, as the first episode of the 34th season of POV. 

New York Times bestselling author and science/psychology/human behavior journalist Claudia Kalb chats with Trey Elling about SPARK: HOW GENIUS IGNITES, FROM CHILD PRODIGIES TO LATE BLOOMERS. Did you know that Picasso and Yo Yo Ma discovered their brilliance in childhood? Or that the bubonic plague factored into Sir Isaac Newton's coming of age in his early 20s? Or how Julia Child's "middle-agedness" contributed to her appeal? And that Peter Mark Roget created the first edition of his famous thesaurus in his 70s, after a successful career in medicine? Claudia and Trey discuss these things plus the circumstances and attributes that assist in an individual's genius.