Sports As A Weapon Podcast

Miguel talks with freelance journalist and comrade Abraham Marquez. They discuss using pro-sports for Zionist propaganda. We also discuss our overall feelings and thoughts on Israel committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. Free Palestine! You can follow Abraham on X/Twitter @abemarquez3 and read some of his work here. Note: The links below include examples of Zionist propaganda in pro-sports and examples of athletes/sportswriters/fans supporting Palestine. Links: NFL’s condemnation of Hamas terrorism is important in fight against hate (Yahoo Sports) The NFL Prays for Israel and Ignores Palestine (The Nation/Dave Zirin) Israel-Palestine war: US sports stars ignore Palestinians in pro-Israel posts, face fan backlash (Middle East Eye/ Zainab Iqbal) Arsenal Supporters Pro-Palestine Official Statement (Twitter/X) Gaza Fights for Freedom (Film by Abby Martin) Ian Kinsler threw out the first pitch tonight in a Team Israel jersey (@MLBONFOX) Jewish Major Leaguers come together against antisemitism and to show their support of Israel (@ILBaseball) Angel City FC supporters’ group responds after club restricts non-game-related flags amid Israel-Hamas war (The Athletic/Elias Burke) Champion Abdel Rahman Sameh refuses to celebrate the gold medal at the World Cup in Swimming and reveals that he has been subjected to threats because of his support (Video/@RassdNewsN) Liverpool FC’s Mo Salah speaks in support for Palestine (Video/@MoSalah) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

In this episode, Miguel interviewed Daniel Montero, a Cuban journalist, producer, and director with Belly of the Beast Cuba. Miguel spoke to Daniel about his documentary film director debut, Little League Dreams, which dropped on Belly of the Beast Cuba's YouTube page. You can watch the film here. The documentary Little League Dreams chronicles the journey of the 11 – and 12 – year olds from the Bayamo (Granma) Little League team that represented Cuba at the 2023 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Panama eliminated Baymo Little League, 3-2, on Sunday, August 20, 2023. However, these kids should be proud of representing Cuba and winning against Australia 11-1 on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Miguel also asked Daniel about the impact of the 61-year U.S. Embargo policy on the Bayamo Little League team and Cuban society in general. I hope you all enjoy this episode! Daniel Montero was co-winner of a One World Media Award and a Telly Award for his work on the Belly of the Beast acclaimed documentary series, The War on Cuba. Daniel has been interviewed on Democracy Now! and published in The Guardian. He graduated from the University of Havana School of Communications in 2020 with a degree in journalism. Daniel was a reporter and presenter for Radio Havana's Cuba's English broadcast for two and a half years, where Daniel ran two shows. In 2018, he was a co-winner of a Caribbean Broadcasting Union Award for his work on Cito del Arte (The website of the arts). You can follow Belly of the Beast Cuba on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BellyofTheBeastCuba Twitter: @bellybeastcuba Instagram: bellyofthebeastcuba Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellyofthebeastcuba/ Links: Cuba's first Little League World Series team has family ties to MLB's Gurriel brothers (USA Today) The War on Cuba Series (Belly of the Beast Cuba) The U.S. blockade, and the "1 cent 4 Cuba" campaign to challenge it (Dr. Helen Yaffe) Let Cuba Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

We are back! It’s been a while, but Miguel welcomed another friend and comrade of the podcast, Dr. Franca Fernández. Franca is the creator and host of the real francamente podcast! I talk to Franca about Lionel Messi & his move to play for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer (MLS) and what it means for fútbol in the imperialist core, aka the US. We also discuss the racial abuse faced by Brazilian superstar Vinicius Jr in Spain’s La Liga and more! Dr. Franca Fernández is a fútbol fanatic and scholar who believes in the intersection of fútbol and politics, history, and social justice. You can Listen to the real francamente podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. You can follow them on Twitter: @realfrancamente. Links: realfrancamente.com: this weekend’s epic, historic final (Copa America Final 2021: Brasil v. Argentina) To tackle racism in football Spain needs to face its history (Gabriel Leão/AlJazeera) Lionel Messi to join MLS side Inter Miami after PSG departure (ESPN) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel welcomed another friend of the podcast, Dr. Adnan Husain, co-host of the Guerilla History Podcast! You can Listen to the Guerilla History Podcast here and follow them on Twitter: @guerrilla_pod. Dr. Adnan Husain is a historian and Director of the School of Religion at Queens University. Adnan is also the host of his podcast, The Majlis podcasts. In this episode, Adnan was kind enough to come on the podcast to report on his experience attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. For example, Miguel asked Adnan about Palestine's support at the World Cup and asked him what team/nation was the most well-represented while he was in Qatar. Additionally, Miguel asked Adnan about the historic run by Morocco and if France vs. Argentina was the most incredible World Cup Final of all time. Lastly, Miguel rooted for Argentina in the final because he could not root for France due to its history as an imperialist power and colonizer. However, some were rooting for France because their roster was full of African Diaspora players, and Argentina's roster was very white. Miguel and Adnan gave their thoughts on that and more. Links: Listen to the latest Guerilla History Podcast episode: Sanctions Against China & Their Political Economy w/ Zhun Xu Guerilla History Podcast: The World Cup: Sport, Politics, History, and Propaganda w/ Alexander Aviña Qatar World Cup 2022: Palestine 1, Israel 0 by Feras Abu Helal (Middle East Eye) The (African) Arab Cup By Hisham Aïdi (Africa is a Country) Arab football fans at the Qatar World Cup turn down interviews with Israeli television (Video by MintPress News) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

We are back, and Miguel is happy to welcome a friend of the show, Dr. Munene Mwaniki, to the podcast. Dr. Munene Mwaniki is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University and is the author of the book, The Black Migrant Athlete: Media, Race, and the Diaspora in Sports (University of Nebraska Press, 2017). In this episode, Miguel and Munene discuss the history of Black Migrant Athlete Labor in Europe and the US, including the concepts of the model minority and othering of Black Migrant Athletes such as Christian Okoye (NFL), Mario Balotelli (Footballer), Dikembe Mutombo and Hakeem Olajuwon (NBA), and others in the Western sports media. Additionally, Miguel asked Munene about the narratives created around these Black Migrant Athletes and how they help continue the capitalist neoliberal order in the West. Lastly, Miguel and Munene think about what a Sociology of Sport through a Marxist-Leninist lens looks like and discuss how Western liberalism keeps an ML analysis of sport from the masses. Links: The Ogwumike Sisters Offer a Way to Think Differently About the Black Athlete by Dr. Munene Mwaniki and Manuel Zenquis (Engaging Sports) Munene F Mwaniki, The Black Migrant Athlete (YouTube Video) The burden of playing while Black and Irish by Oluwashina Okeleji (NewFrame.com) Mario Balotelli suffers racist abuse, threatens walk-off after booting ball into crowd in Brescia defeat at Verona (ESPN) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel welcomed back Chuy from The Heatwave Podcast to talk about the 2022 Qatar World Cup (Recorded 11.4.22), which began earlier this morning on November 20, 2022. The Heatwave Podcast is a podcast centered around the political environment of the State of Arizona from a revolutionary socialist perspective, made by the people, for the people! You can listen to Chuy and his comrades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast! To start the podcast, Miguel and Chuy get into what they are looking forward to the most during the World Cup and what team they are most looking forward to watching (hint: El Tri). Additionally, Miguel and Chuy discuss the issues with Qatar as the host of the World Cup, such as the abuse Migrant Labors faced in building the stadiums for the World Cup. Miguel and Chuy also discuss the entanglement between the FIFA World Cup (Mega Events), Capitalism-Imperialism and Neo-Colonialism, the collaboration of the West with Qatar hosting the World Cup, and the overt Orientalism in Western sports media coverage. To end the podcast, they make some World Cup predictions, Which Group they think is the "Group of Death," and if anything unusual will happen. Sports As A Weapon Music Feature: Too Close For Comfort - Burn Bright (feat. Joey Fleming) (Official Music Video) Links: Follow The Heatwave Podcast on Instagram @thwpod and follow MECHA de ASU on Twitter @mechadeasu World Cup 2022: What's behind the sustained condemnation of Qatar? (Middle East Eye) World Cup 2022: Migrant worker abuse shames whole world, not just Qatar (Middle East Eye) ‘Racism’: Qataris decry French cartoon of national football team (Aljazeera) Qatar: what the media isn’t reporting (Morning Star) Qatar hosting the World Cup highlights Western double standards (MSNBC) World Cup deaths: How and why do inaccurate figures spread? (DW News) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

After a couple of months, Miguel is back with a new episode! Miguel welcomed Chuy from The Heatwave Podcast to talk about the NBA investigation of Phoenix Suns Owner Robert Sarver, who was accused of racism and misogyny by Suns employees (Note: Episode originally recorded 9.23.22). The Heatwave Podcast is a podcast centered around the political environment of the State of Arizona from a revolutionary socialist perspective, made by the people, for the people! You can listen to Chuy and his comrades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast! To start the podcast, Miguel and Chuy discuss the Investigation Report findings and the NBA fining Robert Sarver $10 million and suspending him for just one year. Like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and others, Miguel and Chuy were outraged that Sarver received a slap on the wrist. However, two days before they recorded this episode, Robert Sarver announced he would begin the process of selling the team. You can read the investigation report here. Miguel and Chuy also discuss how the Robert Sarver investigation is another example of White Supremacy, Patriarchy, and Toxic Masculinity in sports. Miguel also mentions the rumors of Jeff Bezos buying the Suns and the issue of capitalism and Billionaire owners. To end the podcast, they talk about former Phoenix Suns head Coach Earl Watson, who is Back and Mexican, and the racism he had to endure under Robert Sarver. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Today (July 19, 2022), the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the 2022 MLB All-Star Game for the first time since 1980, and Dodgers future Hall of Famer Pitcher and 9x All-Star, Clayton Kershaw, will take the mound and start his first ever All-Star Game in front of the hometown crowd. The 2022 season is also the 60th anniversary of Dodger Stadium, but the Dodgers do not want you to know about the dark history of Dodger Stadium. So as the biggest stars in Major League Baseball take the field tonight under the bright lights of Hollywood, the Dodgers and Major League Baseball can not hide the dark history buried under the blue (literally). On May 9, 1959, The LA County Sheriff's forcefully removed Aurora Vargas and her parents, The Arechigas. Thus, the last family of the three Mexican/Indigenous communities, Palo Verde, Bishop, and La Loma, were displaced. Of course, the Dodgers do not want you to know about this dark history, but we do! Miguel spoke to two descendants of the displaced families who had their land stolen to build Dodger Stadium: Melissa Arechiga and Vincent Montalvo of the organization Buried under the blue. The families of the three communities created the organization Buried Under the Blue to teach people what happened to the three Mexican/Indigenous communities and seek justice and support for communities facing displacement today. To end the podcast, instead of our usual Molotov MVP and Xicano/a sports History segments, we included more history on the displacement of the three communities. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Media collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel talked to Hockey Scribe Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) about Hockey Culture and some Stanley Cup talk (Note: Episode originally recorded 5.26.22). Ian Kennedy writes about Hockey for @TheHockeyNews and provides hockey analysis at Yahoo Sports-Canada and Yahoo Sports NHL. To start the podcast, Miguel talks to Ian about his new book, On Account of Darkness: Shining Light on Race and Sport, and Miguel asked Ian to choose three stories he enjoyed learning and writing about the most in his new book. You can purchase the book here. Additionally, Miguel and Ian get into the recent racism Black, Muslim, and Indigenous NHL Players have faced, such as the Islamophobia that the Colorado Avalanche’s Nazem Kadri had to deal with during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs from racist St. Louis Blues fans. Also, Miguel asked Ian if the NHL has done enough to combat the anti-blackness and anti-indigenous racism? At the end of their discussion, Miguel asked Ian about a new combat sport that combines hockey fights with MMA called Ice Wars, and who Ian thinks has the best shot at winning the Cup, plus more! To end the podcast, Miguel’s Molotov MVP and Xicano/a sports History segments make their triumphant return! Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Media collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponp Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel talked to Sam of the Southpaw Podcast (@SouthpawPod) to discuss Combat sports and Marxism! Listen to the Southpaw Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts and visit their website for more information. At the start of the episode, Miguel asked Sam about starting a podcast, and Miguel had Sam give us a Marxist analysis of MMA and combat sports. Miguel and Sam also discuss how the Southpaw Podcast grew into a podcast network, including podcasts not specifically about MMA or combat sports, such as Southpaws’ Deep Space Nine podcast. Additionally, Miguel and Sam discuss the connection between right-wing ideology and MMA and the relationship between US Imperialism, Korea, and Taekwondo. Furthermore, Miguel had Sam discuss his article and brilliant analysis of the Netflix series Squid Game and American Imperialism titled “Squid Game and the Long Shadow of the American Empire” that he wrote for the Real News Network. Instead of the usual Molotov MVP and Xicano/a sports History segments to end the show, Miguel includes his June 10, 2022 Redspin Sports Report appearance on Radio Sputniks By Any Means Necessary with Sean and Jacquie! Miguel talks to Sean and Jacquie about a new lawsuit filed against the FBI by Simone Biles and other gymnasts abused by Larry Nassar over its failure to act on its knowledge of accusations of abuse against Nassar in 2015 and more! Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Media collective. Subscribe to the Antincoquista Patreon and follow on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel welcomed Mike McGuinness (@beardedcynic473), co-host of the Beyond the Red Zone Podcast (Recorded on March 7, 2022, but it is still relevant). Miguel and Mike get into the increasing Russophobia that has infected sports because of the Russian-Ukraine war. First, we discuss CCM Hockey ending their partnership with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Miguel also discusses New York Ranger star Artemi Panarin's support for anti-Muslim Alexey Navalny. We also get into how the Great One Wayne Gretzky calls for banning the Russian Junior Hockey Team at the August 2022 Junior Hockey World Championships held in Edmonton. Additionally, Miguel and Mike discuss UEFA moving the Champions League final from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Paris, France. The Champions League final just happened this past weekend between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid. Unfortunately for Miguel, his Reds lost 1-0. Miguel and Mike also discuss the role of NATO and US imperialism in the Russian-Ukraine war, the hypocrisy of US sports media, and the influence of the Azov Battalion in the Ukraine Military. Mike also discusses his own experience of being in a war zone during his time in the military and why he opposes all war. We end the episode with Miguel's April 22, 2022, appearance on Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary. Miguel joined Sean and Jacquie on the Redspin Sports Report to discuss Russophobia in sports. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Media collective. Subscribe to the Antincoquista Patreon and follow on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

On the first day of Black History Month, former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores decided to fight back against the NFL's white supremacy power structure and anti-black head coach hiring practices. On February 1, 2022, Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against three teams and the league. This critical and courageous move by Brian Flores to stand up for himself and other Black and non-white Coaches will hopefully have a lasting impact for years to come. To discuss this, Miguel is joined on the podcast by Dr. Louis Moore (@loumoore12), Professor of History at Grand Valley State University. He teaches African American History, Civil Rights, Sports History, and US History. He is also the co-host of The Black Athlete Podcast with Derrick White. Follow the podcast on Twitter: @blackathletepod. First, Miguel asked Dr. Moore about the history of racism towards Black Head Coaches in the NFL; and Dr. Moore highlights former NFL WR Lionel Taylor, who he dubs the original Eric Bieniemy and Byron Leftwich. Next, Miguel and Dr. Moore give their thoughts on the impact of Brian Flores's lawsuit and if the Rooney Rule is just a sham to check a box for the White NFL owners. Additionally, in his lawsuit (and we believe him), Brian Flores alleges that Miami Dolphins owner Stephan Ross offered to pay Flores $100,000 if he "tanked" games. To close the segment, Miguel asked Dr. Moore if the NFL would force Stephen Ross to sell the Dolphins and ban Ross from the NFL? Episode 32's Molotov MVP is Chinese American Freestyle Skiing superstar Eileen Gu (Gu Ailing). In addition, Miguel highlights Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame Left Tackle Anthony Munoz for Chicano Sports History. On February 7, 2022, Gu won the first Olympic Gold Medal in Women Freestyle Skiing history. However, Gu is competing for China instead of the US. As a result, she has been harassed and called a traitor by racists and the US corporate media. As Eileen Gu said, racists can "Go cry ab it." Links: For Many Black NFL Coaches, Sometimes Next Is Never (Dr. Louis Moore, First, and Pen) Black Protest and the NFL (Interact Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

For this episode, Miguel did something a little different. First, Miguel read the article he wrote last month on Antincopquista.com called "Paper Tiger Imperialism and the US-Beijing Boycott." If you missed it, on December 6, 2021, the Biden Administration announced a Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which will begin in 10 days, on February 4, 2022. The Boycott is one of many current smear campaigns against China from Washington. Now, we will make one thing clear: We believe in abolishing the Olympics and have been critical of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) corruption in the past, but we are anti-imperialists first, and we will defend China against the Cold War rhetoric and lies pushed by the US government, its allies, and the US corporate media, which acts as the PR arm of the US government. To end the podcast, Miguel has a little fun at the expense of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki talking about margaritas because the Democrats are incompetent and don't care about working-class people. Links: The Xinjiang Atrocity Propaganda Blitz (@RodericDay and Redsails.org) Ugly head of 'imperial jealousy' rears in US reaction to Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (Danny Haiphong/CGTN) Zero Covid: China silences the critics (Carlos Martinez/MorningStar) China is not a democracy… or is it? The Chinese Toolkit (Stefania Fusero/Friends of Socialist China) Our Comments to The Nation (QIAO COLLECTIVE) Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Media collective. Subscribe to the Antincoquista Patreon and follow on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel welcomed Dr. Jennifer L. Rudolph to the podcast to discuss Baseball as Mediated Latinidad, including racist Latino Threat Narratives in baseball that are a microcosm of US white supremacy society. Dr. Rudolph is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at Connecticut College and author of Baseball as Mediated Latinidad: Race, Masculinity, Nationalism, and performance of Identity. Dr. Rudolph's research interests include U.S. Latino expressive cultures, Latino identity formation, transnationalism, urban studies, and teaching Spanish to heritage/native speakers. First, Miguel asked Dr. Rudolph why it was essential for her to analyze new forms of media, such as social media, for her book, Baseball as Mediated Latinidad? Second, Miguel also asked Jennifer about her opening chapter, "La crema de Sammy Sosa," and her analysis of legendary Dominican and former Chicago Cubs star Sammy Sosa. Specifically, Miguel asked Jennifer to explain how specific events tied to Sosa's career and post-career intersected with race, class, and gender issues. Next, Miguel and Dr. Rudolph discussed the controversy regarding Marc Anthony singing the national anthem at the 2013 all-star game and how it was another example of Anthropologist Leo Chavez's Latino Threat Narrative. Miguel and Dr. Rudolph also discuss how the World Baseball Classic and the 2017 Puerto Rico National team connect to nationalism, race, assimilation, and masculinity. For example, Dr. Rudolph discussed how her analysis of the Puerto Rican national team showed the contradictions between Latinos perceived as threats by white fans instead of representing nationalistic pride to Puerto Rican fans. Furthermore, Miguel asked Jennifer about the connections between baseball, language, and racialized capitalism. Lastly, Miguel asked Jennifer about her chapter on Major League Baseball's development, labor structure, and practices at their academias in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Dr. Rudolph summarized the system and explained how they resemble the history of US imperialism and colonialism in Latin America. To end the podcast, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVP for episode 30, the legendary Pittsburgh Pirate and Hall of Famer, Roberto Clemente. Tragically, Roberto Clemente passed away in a plane crash 49 years ago today, on New Years' Eve 1972, while providing h Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

We are back! Miguel welcomed Independent Journalist Danny Haiphong (@SpiritofHo) to discuss Enes Kanter, Sinophobia, and Anti-China Narratives in sports. Danny Haiphong is an anti-imperialist independent journalist and researcher in the US. He is a contributing editor to the Black Agenda Report, co-host of the Left Lens, and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China. Subscribe to Danny Haiphong’s Substack and Patreon. First, Danny and Miguel discuss Enes Kanter's anti-China crusade, and Danny chronicles how Kanter is a member of the Gulen movement. The Gulen movement is a conservative Islamist Fraternal organization founded by Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, who fled to the US in 1998. Gulen currently resides on 25 acres of land in rural Pennsylvania, and the Turkish government considers Gulen a CIA asset. Danny and Miguel also discuss the US Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, fueled by the continued US claims of China committing Human Rights violations. However, the allegations originate from erroneous, right-wing sources connected to the US state department. Miguel also asked Danny about the importance of covering China from an anti-imperialist perspective and more! Additionally, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVP for episode 29, LeBron James. The King responded to Enes Kanter’s criticism, and I enjoyed this segment. Lastly, Miguel gives you this episode's Chicano/Chicana sports history segment. Miguel highlights Ma Jin, a Chinese Diving Coach who has been the Head Coach of Mexico’s Olympic diving team since 2003. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Media Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Pod Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

It's October, which means postseason baseball! This week, Miguel had three guests on the podcast to talk playoff baseball and the topic of unionizing minor league baseball players. Miguel was excited to welcome Alex Bazeley and Bobby Wagner, who hosts one of our favorite podcasts, the Tipping Pitches Podcast (@tipping_pitches). Miguel was also joined on the podcast by comrade Justin Williams of the Redspin Sports Podcast. First, Miguel asked Bobby and Alex about their podcast and what inspired them to start it. Miguel also asked Bobby and Alex about their "unionize the minor leagues" t-shirts and the National Question of Baseball: What would it look like to nationalize the national pastime? Additionally, Miguel, Justin, Alex, and Bobby drive deep (into left field) and discuss unionizing minor league baseball players, the #FairBall protest, the upcoming labor negotiations between the MLB owners and MLPA, and predict if the players and MLBPA will strike for the first time since 1994-95. Lastly, they discuss the MLB postseason and weigh in on who they think will be awarded the MVP and Cy Young for the NL and AL. Note: Originally recorded on October 1, 2021. Unfortunately, you already know the Blue Jays and Mariners didn't make it to October, and the Cardinals and Yankees lost the wild card. But it was still a great episode, and I suggest you listen, trust me. Miguel gives you his Molotov MVPs for episode 28, minor league right-handed Pitcher Kieran Lovegrove, and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Brooklyn Cyclones, minor league players. Finally, Miguel ends the podcast with another Chicana/o Sports History segment. This week, he highlights current Mexican and Chicano Major League Baseball Players playing this October in the Postseason. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Sports As A Weapon is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deez Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Miguel spoke to Dr. Tracie Canada (@tracie_canada) this week, a socio-cultural anthropologist and assistant professor at Notre Dame (Department of Anthropology and Africana Studies). Dr. Canada’s ethnographic research uses sport to theorize race, kinship and care, gender, and the performing body. Her work focuses on the lived experiences of Black football players. Dr. Canada is currently working on her first book, “Tackling the Everyday: Race, Family, and Nation in Big-Time College Football.” First, Miguel asked Dr. Canada about her two recent articles, “The NFL’s Racist ‘Race Norming’ Is an Afterlife of Slavery” and “Brotherhood and Anti-Blackness in College Football.” Next, Dr. Canada explained the practice of race-norming and how the NFL used it against former players impacted by brain trauma during their playing career. Additionally, Miguel and Dr. Tracy Canada discuss the lawsuit by former NFL players Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport against the NFL, who accused the NFL of “explicitly and deliberately” discriminating against them and black players filing dementia-related claims. Dr. Canada also explained how race-norming is an afterlife of slavery, and Miguel and Dr. Canada discussed how injuries and concussions are structurally crucial to the NFL as a business. Lastly, as one cultural anthropologist to another, Miguel asked Dr. Canada why Miami Dolphins rookie WR Jaylen Waddle’s draft-day press conference caught her attention and the difference between football teammates and football brothers. Note: Originally recorded on September 2, 2021. Next, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVPs for episode 27, former NFL running back Najeh Davenport and former NFL linebacker Kevin Henry. Finally, Miguel ends the podcast with another Chicana/o Sports History segment. This week, he highlights the 2021 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee and the first Mexican/Chicano and Latino Head Coach to win a Super Bowl, Raiders legendary Head Coach Tom Flores! Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Sports As A Weapon is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Pod Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

Happy International Podcast Day! We have a Breaking News bonus mini-episode! Miguel spoke with Unite Here Local 2 Organizer Ted Waechter about the San Francisco Giants/Oracle Park food service workers' labor victory announced on September 29, 2021. The workers are voting and ratifying their new bargaining contract with their employer, Bon Appetit, today, September 30, 2021. However, as workers vote to ratify their new contract and we celebrate this significant victory for organized labor and all service workers, Unite Here Local 2 and the San Francisco Giants food service workers still have one crucial demand: They call on the @SFGiants and @sfgov to follow Los Angeles County's lead and require fans to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter Oracle Park. Also, look out for another new episode this weekend! Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Sports As A Weapon is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and on Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com Links: Follow Unite Here Local 2 on Twitter! Giants concessions workers avert strike, reach tentative deal for raise and better health care S.F. Giants concession workers vote to strike over pandemic safety concerns. But they'll work Sunday's home game Nuestra America Ep. 14 | Latin Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

This week, Miguel spoke to Dr. Jennifer McClearen (@jmcclearen), a feminist media scholar whose research examines sports, difference, and consumer culture. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Sports, Media, and Culture in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. McClearen published her first book, Fighting Visibility: Sports Media and Female Athletes in the UFC, with the Studies in Sports Media Series with the University of Illinois Press in March 2021. First, Miguel asked Dr. McClearen about the Millennial Sports Media Brand and how the UFC leveraged the early days of blogs and social media to market their product. Additionally, Miguel and Dr. McClearen broke down how the UFC uses the myth of the American dream and protestant work ethic to get their fighters to buy into the UFC neoliberal business model. Dr. McClearen explains how it harms female fighters, and in particular, non-white female UFC fighters. Miguel also asked Dr. McClearen about the relationship between the UFC and the gig economy, the push by former UFC fighter Leslie Smith to unionize UFC fighters, plus more. Note: Originally recorded on July 22, 2021, before the cancellation of Nunes vs. Pena at UFC 265. Next, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVP for episode 25, current Bellator MMA fighter Leslie Smith. Finally, Miguel ends the podcast with another Chicana/o Sports History segment. This week, he does something slightly different and highlights Unite Here Local 2 and the San Francisco Giants/Oracle Park concession workers, who voted to authorize a strike on September 4, 2021. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Sports As A Weapon is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and on Instagram! Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com

This week, Miguel spoke to Dr. Johanna Mellis, Professor of World History at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania and one of the End of Sport Podcast co-hosts (@EndofSportPod). Dr. Mellis's research focuses on the interactions between Hungarian athletes, socialist sport leaders, and the International Olympic Committee as a microcosm of relations between society, the socialist state, and international organizations during the Cold War. Her work focuses specifically on the influence of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, which saw a mass defection of hundreds of Hungarian athletes to the West on Hungarian socialist sport policy and the IOC (Urisnus.edu). Dr. Mellis was also a Division I swimmer at the College of Charleston from 2004-2008 and coached swimming for seven years. First, Miguel asked Johanna how she became the third co-host of the End of Sport podcast and how her experience as a Division 1 Athlete shaped her career in Academia. Additionally, Miguel and Johanna discuss her article, From Defectors to Cooperator: The Impact of 1956 on Athletes, Sport Leaders, and Sport Policy in Socialist Hungary. Finally, Miguel and Johanna discuss Trevor Bauer, anti-blackness, and white supremacy in Swimming, the Pandemic Tokyo Olympics, Rachel Nichols, and more! Next, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVPs for episode 24, three WNBA players, Los Angeles Sparks stars and sisters, Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike, and Atlanta Dream veteran Center Elizabeth Williams. Finally, Miguel ends the podcast with another Chicana/o Sports History segment. This week, he highlights five Chicana softball players who helped the Mexican National Softball Team make their first-ever trip to the Olympics. Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Be sure to listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Visi Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok! Also, listen/subscribe to the Sports As A Weapon Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on: Twitter: @sportsasaweapon Facebook: fb.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast Instagram: @sportsasaweaponpodcast Tik Tok: @SportsAsAWeapon BlueSky: @sportsasaweapon.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sportsasaweaponpodcast (If you want) Visit our website: www.sportsasaweapon.com