There have been some attention-grabbing retrospectives on Main League Baseball’s previous dealing with of steroids recently, together with final June’s 30 for 30 installment Long Gone Summer on the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa residence run chase of 1998. The newest in-depth remedy of the difficulty is an upcoming seven-part narrative podcast collection known as “Crushed,” hosted by former Sports activities Illustrated employees author Joan Niesen and offered by Religion of Sports and public media group PRX. The collection will debut on April 1, with a brand new episode launched every Thursday by Could 13. As a launch on the present relates, Niesen has a private connection to the subject material from rising up in St. Louis whereas McGwire was chasing the house run report:
In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced to interrupt the single-season residence run report, casting a spell on the nation. Host and former Sports activities Illustrated employees author Joan Niesen was one of many many individuals who fell in love with baseball that summer season; she was 10 years outdated and lived in St. Louis. However not all the pieces was because it appeared. Because it got here to gentle that McGwire and quite a few different gamers had been utilizing anabolic steroids, many followers’ love of the sport was rocked. Revisiting a pivotal interval for America’s pastime, “Crushed” delves into the fallout from that scandal. What occurs when our heroes allow us to down?
“Crushed” will function candid interviews with former gamers, together with Rick Honeycutt, Dan Naulty, Royce Clayton, Mike Trombley, and Jeremy Cummings. They’ll talk about the pressures they confronted to remain aggressive, baseball’s tradition of dishonest, and the way steroids took maintain within the sport. The collection may even function former Giants and Dodgers head athletic coach Stan Conte; Tom Davis, the chairman of the 2005 Congressional steroid hearings; former U.S. Consultant Dennis Kucinich; Roger Maris Jr., whose father was the earlier residence run report holder; longtime St. Louis sportscaster Frank Cusumano; ESPN reporter Howard Bryant; and Related Press reporter Steve Wilstein, who broke the story that McGwire was utilizing a steroid precursor, androstenedione, in 1998.
“I went loopy for baseball in 1998,” stated Niesen. “And I’ve beloved it ever since. However over time, I noticed I’d come to the sport at a novel and complex second, and it’s been fascinating to dig in deeper to the steroid period and its enduring legacy. I’ve realized loads, and I believe this podcast will assist listeners separate the reality of that point from the myths.”
This comes as a part of Faith of Sports activities (the corporate based by Gotham Chopra, Tom Brady and Michael Strahan back in 2018, primarily based off the success of their Faith of Sports activities documentary series)’ newest growth. They’ve accomplished loads of documentary collection on particular person athletes, including Brady, Steph Curry, Simone Biles, and more, they usually’ve beforehand dove into podcasts with the “Why Sports Matter” podcast, “More Than A Game,” and “Now For Tomorrow.” However a single-host narrative podcast centered on one explicit historic sports activities subject is an attention-grabbing soar for them, and it’s notable to see them teaming up with PRX (who they beforehand introduced a partnership with in October) for this. Right here’s extra from the discharge on what to anticipate right here:
Faith of Sports activities not too long ago introduced an growth into podcasting by a partnership with PRX, in addition to a brand new workforce of journalists with expertise producing award-winning audio tales. Along with Niesen, the manufacturing workforce for “Crushed” consists of senior producer Jessica Pupovac, editor Michael Garofalo, affiliate producer Devon Manze, manufacturing assistant Megan Coyle, and co-executive producers Ameeth Sankaran, Gotham Chopra, and Adam Schlossman.
“My recollections of the highs and lows of the steroid period are so vivid. From watching McGwire hitting 62 to him sitting in entrance of Congress pleading the fifth,” stated Schlossman. “Joan expertly tells this story as each reporter and true believer in a recreation she fell deeply in love with. ‘Crushed’ will problem the assumptions and even the recollections that so many people have concerning the steroid period, whereas asking questions central to baseball’s current and future. How did a once-revered American establishment lose its heroes, and might it get them again?”
“We’re proud to associate with Faith of Sports activities to deliver ‘Crushed’ to podcast listeners,” stated Jason Saldanha, Chief of Enterprise Growth and Content material at PRX. “We imagine this must-hear collection is elevating what’s attainable for impactful sports activities storytelling and journalism in audio.”
There definitely might be some attention-grabbing stuff right here, particularly for these interested by MLB’s previous coping with steroids. And the interviews with former gamers specifically appear doubtlessly notable. It’s additionally notable to see a bunch of a podcast collection with an admitted private connection and previous reactions to the subject material; in sports activities specifically, that appears like one thing that might be invaluable. Niesen’s private connection to the 1998 drama appears like an asset right here, and it might be attention-grabbing to listen to how her ideas on that second have modified over time, and doubtlessly even over the course of recording this collection.
Crushed is a free podcast, and will probably be obtainable on Apple Podcasts here starting April 1. It can even be obtainable on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher and extra.
