Futbol Rebelde: Javier Zanetti and the Zapatistas
July 6, 2014
As Argentina heads into the semifinal, we give props to the great former Argentinian team captain, Javier Zanetti. Always a friend of the people, Zanetti famously demonstrated his support for the Zapatistas in Mexico, and organized his teammates at Inter Milan to send money and goods to autonomous communities in Chiapas. In response, EZLN leader…
The People’s Game podcast #23 – 7/4/14
July 5, 2014Today’s Podcast: Another super-hyper-mega dramatic day at the 2014 World Cup. Germany dominates, Brazil & Colombia play one for the ages, and Neymar exits. We review it all, and look forward to tomorrow’s matches. Plus, Meleiza’s brilliant interview with Amazonian scholar Professor Susanna Hecht on the deep history and political ecology of Latin American futbol,…
The People’s Game Broadcast Episode #5 – 7/4/14
July 5, 2014The People’s Game Podcast #22 – 7/3/14
July 4, 2014On today’s podcast we look forward to tomorrow when Germany and France will settle things once-and-for-all on the battlefield; and Colombia tries to conquer Brazil. We talk with Soccer blogger Elaine Teng from the New Republic, author of the article “Stop Treating Women like they don’t anything about soccer;” and also actor and writer Brendan…
The People’s Game Podcast #21 – 7/2/14
July 3, 2014It’s a day off from Brazil’s World Cup 2014, and what better way to relax our frayed nerves than with some great Brazilian music and dialogue about the World Cup from KPFK’s Global Village host and Brazilian DJ Sergio Mielniczenko. But first, Margaret Prescod from KPFK’s Sojourner Truth talks soccer with Mickey Cohen, the Goal…
The People’s Game Broadcast Episode #4 – 7/2/14
July 3, 2014This installment of The People’s Game features author Gabriel Kuhn on soccer and radical politics; columnist Gustavo Arellano on the Mexican National Team; filmmaker Pablo Miralles on the U.S. Team; Professor and soccer blogger Laurent Dubois on the Belgian team and the popularity of the World Cup in the USA; performance artist Karen Anzoategui on…
The People’s Game Podcast #20 – 7/1/14
July 2, 2014The Round of 16 concludes: Argentina prevails over Switzerland, and a heroic but futile effort by Tim Howard and Team USA to defeat the Belgians leaves only one CONCACAF team left standing. Alan and Meleiza recap the day’s events. Pablo Miralles hails the superhuman feats of Tim Howard and the guts of Team USA, while…
Soccer + Socialism = 21st Century Americanism
July 1, 2014Ann Coulter fears soccer – as she should. Soccer has deep roots in American radical communities. Long rejected for being un-American by Coulter and other denizens of the right, futbol has been embraced by those of us who seek social justice, for its working-class roots and internationalism. One highlight in the history of radical American…
The People’s Game Podcast #19 – 6/30/14
July 1, 2014CAF, or the Confederation of African Football, ends its World Cup run as Nigeria and Algeria are both eliminated from the tournament, and Germany and France move on to the quarterfinals. Alan and Meleiza recap today’s dramatic games and preview tomorrow’s final matches for the Round of 16. Meleiza also asks Algerian fan Gortha Korchit…
Football, Nationalism, and Identity: Zinedine Zidane
June 30, 2014Without immigrants, there are no Les Bleus – and some of the brightest stars in French football, including Karim Benzema, playing today for France, are products of Algeria’s fraught relationship with their former colonizers. For example, People’s Game featured guest Laurent Dubois writes on the politics of singing (or not singing) La Marseillaise for France’s…