Slate Culture Feed

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic discuss the wave of protests against Donald Trump’s remarks about the NFL. Then they talk about Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant’s recent Twitter snafu and his fragile psyche. And broadcaster and former U.S. soccer player Marcelo Balboa joins for a conversation about hot, new Major League Soccer team Atlanta United FC.NFL protests (1:35): Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic discuss a remarkable weekend in professional sports that began with Donald Trump calling protesting NFL players “sons of bitches” and culminated in hundreds of athletes, coaches, owners, and others across sports rebuking the president in a wave of on-field protests and statements.Kevin Durant (27:16): Stefan, Josh, and Marcus assess Kevin Durant’s apparent insecurities—reflected in his new line of Nike sneakers with insoles that take on his critics—and whether it’s possible to be an NBA superstar and also mingle with the public like a regular guy. Soccer (41:13): Stefan interviews three-time World Cup soccer player Marcelo Balboa about Atlanta United FC, the Major League Soccer expansion team that recently drew a league-record 70,000 fans to a game in a new stadium in Atlanta. Afterballs (48:17): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss Jemele Hill and ESPN’s conservative trolls, by HBO’s Eric Raskin to talk about Golovkin-Alvarez, and by Ninja Warrior’s Josh Levin for a conversation about obstacle course stardom.Jemele Hill (1:28): Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch comes on the show to explore why ESPN has become a target in the culture wars and the kinds of discussions that happen when people of color become leading voices in the mainstream media.Golovkin-Alvarez (25:43): Eric Raskin of the HBO Boxing podcast explains what made the middleweight fight between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez an instant classic, and what can be done about scoring controversies in boxing.Josh Levin (46:55): A different Josh Levin comes on the show to chat about what it’s like to appear on American Ninja Warrior and his quest to become an Olympic rock climber.Afterballs (1:01:20): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Need help with the debt you already have? Balancing loan payments with the rest of your life expenses? We tackle your questions in part two of our call-in specials about student debt.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.Want to support Death, Sex & Money? Become a WNYC member today!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is loan forgiveness a safe bet? When is college not a good investment? Is bankruptcy an option? Part one of our live call-in specials about student loan debt.Get your questions ready for our second night of live student loans call-ins TONIGHT (Wednesday, Sept. 13) from 8-9 pm ET. Watch and listen live at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. The website that expert Rohit Chopra mentioned about public service loan forgiveness during our episode is http://forgivemystudentdebt.org/. Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.Want to support Death, Sex & Money? Become a WNYC member today!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Mark Leibovich to discuss the NFL’s opening weekend, by Racquet’s Caitlin Thompson to assess Sloane Stephens’ U.S. Open win, and by Mike Pesca for a debate about the Red Sox’s sign-stealing.NFL (1:08): Mark Leibovich describes his experiences in New England and Dallas during pro football’s opening week, and whether owners are getting closer to dumping Commissioner Roger Goodell. Sloane Stephens (18:38): Caitlin Thompson joins to talk about the rise of the young American women at the U.S. Open, and what to make of Sloane Stephens’ surprising triumph.Red Sox sign-stealing (32:56): Mike Pesca returns to Hang Up to help Josh and Stefan decide whether the Red Sox’s technologically enabled sign-stealing scheme is cheating or gamesmanship.Afterballs (50:09): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the 40th anniversary re-release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, whether Taylor Swift represents Trump-era art with critic Jody Rosen, and fan fiction with Laura Miller.  The Culture Gabfest is brought to you by the Platinum Card from American Express. There’s a world of experiences waiting to open up with the Platinum Card. Backed by the services and security of American Express.And by Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. Home plays a big role in your life. That’s why Quicken Loans created Rocket Mortgage. It lets you apply simply and understand the entire mortgage process fully, so you can be confident that you’re getting the right mortgage for you. To get started, go to RocketMortgage dot com/culture.And by The Bureau, Sundance Now’s exclusive spy series called “both cerebral and gadget-filled” by the New York Times. Start your free 30-day trial of Sundance Now today by going to sundancenow.com and using the promo code culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We check in with the Another Round co-host about her long list of New Year's Resolutions, and why she says she's in "a much different place today" than she was at the top of the year.Get your questions ready for our LIVE student loans call-in episodes next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 12 and 13 at 8 pm ET! Watch our Facebook page for more details.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.Want to support Death, Sex & Money? Become a WNYC member today!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation’s Spencer Hall to discuss college football. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders also joins to talk about NFL tanking, and Ed Cunningham explains his move to quit his job as a football announcer for ESPN.College football openers (2:14): Spencer Hall talks about Texas A&M’s crushing loss to UCLA, Howard’s exhilarating win over UNLC, and other scenes from college football’s opening weekend.NFL tanking (21:08): Aaron Schatz explains why and how the Jets, Bills, and Brows are losing on purpose; whether tanking is a sound strategy for NFL teams; and what the league should do to address it, if anything.Ed Cunningham (37:43): The longtime ESPN announcer explains how he came to the decision to quit his job as a college football analyst, why he developed ethical qualms about the game, and why he doesn’t enjoy watching the NFL.Afterballs (57:48): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Isaac Butler discuss the social media satire Ingrid Goes West, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, and Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede with Aisha Harris. The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Boll and Branch. Right now, get 50 dollars off your first set of sheets plus free shipping by going to BollandBranch.com and using promo code culture.And by Open Account, a podcast that gets personal about making, losing and living with money. Created by Umpqua Bank and hosted by SuChin Pak, download and subscribe to Open Account wherever you get your podcasts.And by the Platinum Card from American Express. There’s a world of experiences waiting to open up with the Platinum Card. Backed by the services and security of American Express. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest storm to hit the Gulf Coast has us thinking back to the people we met two years ago, for the series we put together around the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In our newsletter this week, we compiled a list of local and national organizations where you can donate to Harvey relief efforts. If you're not subscribed, sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. We'll also send you great audio recommendations, letters from our listener inbox and updates from the show. Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney.And as always, you can email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.