Sport may be one of the last shared cultural languages, capable of unifying almost anyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, or political beliefs.

“Sport doesn’t live in society simply as performance,” TAPE TUESDAY guest Dr. Daniel T. Durbin says. “We have to communicate about it.”

STORY: On GeoSports, 82-0 & Sports Media

As time, society, technology, and culture evolve, the ways we tell sports stories — and, in turn, how they’re consumed — evolve, too.

“You have a whole generation now,” Durbin says, “for whom sport is not defined as: No. 1) the NFL, No. 2) everything else, and No. 3) anything that’s not American. It really has changed the sports experience, and back to what you’re interested in [regarding the role games like 82-0 and GeoSports play in the sports media landscape] as well. One of the things is that they create community. So much of what we can do now with sports is frame it around whatever our momentary interest is.”

This week, Dr. Durbin, director of USC’s Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media, and Society, guides us through a fun examination of how community and narrative are inseparable elements of sport that make it an essential part of society. He explains why games like 82-0 and GeoSports have a role in today’s evolving sports media landscape, and represent a noteworthy evolution in how fans gather, participate, and experience sports together.

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Cover Art: Basketball (Convention Hall, Philadelphia) (1935), by Michael Leone (American, 1906-1982)
Music: “Loosin’ Up” by Wendy Marcini; “Ruby” by Ennio Mano
Host/Produced/Edited: Kaelen}

Writing is my practice of understanding others. Understanding others requires context. Too much context can be overwhelming. Whether someone is the biggest celebrity on the planet or a stranger on the street, I believe everyone has a story — and subsequent perspective — that sentences and paragraphs, no matter how detailed, can fully capture. Even without editors to redline my ramblings or word counts to contain myself, plenty gets left on the table.

In creating this space, the intention is to do the best job possible at sharing full context and perspective, whenever possible. We all learn and consume things differently, so instead of just writing very long-winded articles (thank you to those who read anyway!), Tuesdays here are now going to be known as TAPE TUESDAYS, where I’m going to share conversations I have with subjects, too. It should provide additional context and serve as a more consumable medium for those who would rather listen to someone than read.

Iranian Fans, Team Melli & the Regime

The first edition of this features actor/writer and human rights activist Nazanin Nour and comedian Tehran Von Ghasri — clearly true professionals in their respective fields, considering how entertaining and informative they each are. My chats with them take place the days after Iran made its 2026 World Cup debut. We discuss reactions to the match, the history of Iran, the nation’s current political state, and what they hope you, me, and everyone else who isn’t part of the diaspora should take away from watching Iran compete on United States soil in the midst of a conflict.

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Cover Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Music: “Loosin’ Up” by Wendy Marcini; “Starry Night” by Harry Noda; “Ruby” by Ennio Mano
Host/Produced/Edited: Kaelen}