Best Jonathan Sheppard Podcasts (2025)

1
Joshua K. Wright, "The NBA's Global Empire: How the League Became an International Powerhouse" (McFarland, 2025) 1:12:17

2h ago1:12:17

1:12:17

Joshua K. Wright, The NBA's Global Empire: How the League Became an International Powerhouse (McFarland, 2025) During the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the Dream Team, a collective of the National Basketball Association's top talent led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley, shook up the world as they amazed spectato…

1
Andrew Forbes, "McCurdle's Arm: A Fiction" (Invisible Publishing, 2024) 1:01:58

2h ago1:01:58

1:01:58

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Andrew Forbes about his phenomenal novella, McCurdle’s Arm: A Fiction (Invisible Publishing, July 16, 2024). Southern Ontario, 1892. The Ashburnham Pine Groves are a semi-professional baseball club in the South Western Ontario Base-Ball Players’ Association, sponsored by the Grafton Brewery, make…

1
Gennifer Weisenfeld, "The Fine Art of Persuasion: Corporate Advertising Design, Nation, and Empire in Modern Japan" (Duke UP, 2025) 44:44

3d ago44:44

44:44

Commercial art is more than just mass-produced publicity; it constructs social and political ideologies that impact the public’s everyday life. In The Fine Art of Persuasion: Corporate Advertising Design, Nation, and Empire in Modern Japan (Duke University Press, 2025), Gennifer Weisenfeld examines the evolution of Japanese advertising graphic desi…

1
Dionne Koller, "More Than Play: How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape American Youth Sport" (U California Press, 2025) 32:52

13d ago32:52

32:52

Tens of millions of children in the United States participate in youth sport, a pastime widely believed to be part of a good childhood. Yet most children who enter youth sport are driven to quit by the time they enter adolescence, and many more are sidelined by its high financial burdens. Until now, there has been little legal scholarly attention p…

1
Elyssa Ford and Rebecca Scofield, "Slapping Leather: Queer Cowfolx at the Gay Rodeo" (U Washington Press, 2023) 1:20:41

19d ago1:20:41

1:20:41

What would a rodeo open to anyone and everyone look like? In their new book, Slapping Leather: Queer Cowfolx at the Gay Rodeo (U Washington, 2023), history professors Elyssa Ford (Northwest Missouri State) and Rebecca Scofield (University of Idaho) argue that the International Gay Rodeo Associaton (IGRA) provides a template. Founded in the 1970s as…

1
Courtney M. Cox, "Double Crossover: Gender, Media, and Politics in Global Basketball" (U Illinois Press, 2025) 1:05:06

20d ago1:05:06

1:05:06

As they compete in leagues around the world, elite women’s basketball players continually adjust to new cultures, rules, and contracts. Courtney M. Cox follows athletes, coaches, journalists, and advocates of women’s basketball as they pursue careers within the sport. Despite all attempts to contain them or prevent forward momentum, they circumvent…

1
Brian M. Ingrassia, "Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing and the Making of Modern America" ( 39:31

21d ago39:31

39:31

The 1909 opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway marked a foundational moment in the history of automotive racing. Events at the famed track and others like it also helped launch America's love affair with cars and an embrace of road systems that transformed cities and shrank perceptions of space. Brian Ingrassia tells the story of the legendary…

1
The Chevalier d'Éon: History’s First Trans Spy and Master of Disguise 28:59

26d ago28:59

28:59

In this episode of Macabre London, we uncover the astonishing true story of the Chevalier d'Éon — a master spy, decorated soldier, and diplomat in 18th century France who became one of the first openly transgender or gender-nonconforming public figures in recorded history. D'Éon led a double life in the shadowy world of Louis XV’s secret intelligen…

1
Why You Could Legally Kill Criminals in Old London! Crime & Punishment in London 28:51

1M ago28:51

28:51

Before London had the Met, it had chaos. In this episode of Macabre London, we uncover the strange and often deadly story of how policing began in the city—from the drunken "Charlies" who fell asleep on the job, to the terrifyingly informal Hue and Cry system that let ordinary citizens legally execute criminals on sight. And let's not forget Jonath…

1
Katie Rose Hejtmanek, "The Cult of CrossFit: Christianity and the American Exercise Phenomenon" (NYU Press, 2025) 1:08:28

1M ago1:08:28

1:08:28

CrossFit in the United States has become increasingly popular, around which a fascinating culture has developed which shapes everyday life for the people devoted to it. CrossFit claims to be many things: a business, a brand, a tremendously difficult fitness regimen, a community, a way to gain salvation, and a method to survive the apocalypse. In Th…

1
Jonathan D. Cohen, "Losing Big: America's Dangerous Sports Gambling Boom" (Columbia Global Reports, 2025) 59:01

1M ago59:01

59:01

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court opened the floodgates for states to legalize betting on sports. Eager for revenue, almost forty states have done so. The result is the explosive growth of an industry dominated by companies like FanDuel and DraftKings. One out of every five American adults gambled on sports in 2023, amounting to $121 billion…

1
Maurice Jackson, "Rhythms of Resistance and Resilience: How Black Washingtonians Used Music and Sports in the Fight for Equality" (Georgetown UP, 2025) 57:35

2M ago57:35

57:35

In the Nation's Capital, music and sports have played a central role in the lives of African Americans, often serving as a barometer of social conflict and social progress―for sports clubs and ball games, jam sessions and concerts, offered entertainment, enlightenment, and encouragement. At times, they have also offered a means of escape from the h…

1
Macabre London Presents: Killers, Cults & Queens is BACK – Season 3 Premieres April 14th! 0:40

2M ago0:40

0:40

True crime lovers, horror fans, and mystery addicts – it’s time to get spooky! Join Nikki and Cheryl as they return for another chilling season of Killers, Cults & Queens! This season, we’re diving deeper into the most twisted cult leaders, infamous serial killers, and bizarre conspiracy theories you won’t believe. From historic slashers to the mur…

1
Christian Sheppard, "The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball: Lessons for Life from Homer's Odyssey to the World Series" (Greenleaf, 2025) 1:01:28

2M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Who are you, how are you supposed to live, and what about happiness? Answers to age-old questions are offered in classic myths about heroes, gods, and monsters, and at the ballgame. In The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball (Greenleaf, 2025), author Christian Sheppard interweaves Homer’s epics with glorious stories from the green fields of America’s pastim…

1
Jason Cannon, "A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Baseball Icons Willie McCovery and Billy Williams" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025) 1:07:24

2M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

Professional baseball has featured a bevy of superstars over the past century and a half, but only a few of them have impacted their sport and cities as deeply as Willie McCovey and Billy Williams. Born just a handful of miles apart in 1938, they grew up in and around one of the sport’s true cradles, Mobile, Alabama, on their way to producing two i…

1
D. D. Miller, "Eight-wheeled Freedom: The Derby Nerd's Short History of Flat Track Roller Derby" (Wolsak and Wynn, 2016) 1:04:17

2M ago1:04:17

1:04:17

NBN host Hollay Ghadery chats with author D. D. Miller about the fascinating sport of roller derby. As the Derby Nerd, Miller covered roller derby since 2009, travelling to games across Canada and the United States, including two world championships, reporting back to an ever-growing audience the details of the sport. In this entertaining and thoro…

1
Who Was the Croydon Poisoner – And Why Were They Never Caught? 33:30

2M ago33:30

33:30

☠️ Poisoned to Death in Plain Sight – Who Was The Croydon Poisoner? 💀 In the 1920s, an unknown killer stalked the quiet streets of Croydon, leaving a deadly trail of poisoned victims in their wake. But who was behind these sinister tea-time murders? Was it an elusive criminal mastermind, or did police completely miss the real killer who may have ju…

1
Tracie Canada, "Tackling the Everyday: Race and Nation in Big-Time College Football" (U California Press, 2025) 1:14:16

2M ago1:14:16

1:14:16

Big-time college football promises prestige, drama, media attention, and money. Yet most athletes in this unpaid, amateur system encounter a different reality, facing dangerous injuries, few pro-career opportunities, a free but devalued college education, and future financial instability. In one of the first ethnographies about Black college footba…

1
The Screaming Mummy of Luxor: The Cursed Mystery of Ancient Egypt | Macabre Mini Mystery 22:28

3M ago22:28

22:28

Deep in the heart of Egypt, a horrifying discovery shocked archaeologists—a mummy with its mouth frozen in an eternal scream. Who was this tormented soul? And why did ancient embalmers leave them in such a ghastly state? In this episode of Macabre London, we uncover the chilling mystery of the Screaming Mummy of Luxor. Was it a curse? A case of liv…

1
Mike Sielski, "Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk" (St. Martin's Press, 2025) 58:16

3M ago58:16

58:16

The evolution of basketball, and much of the social and cultural change in America, can be traced through one powerful act on the court: the slam dunk. The dunk's history is the story of a sport and a country changed by the most dominant act in basketball, and it makes Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk (St. Mart…

1
Jack Sheppard & Jonathan Wild: The Criminal & The Thief-Taker Who Betrayed Each Other 30:58

3M ago30:58

30:58

Jack Sheppard & Jonathan Wild: The Criminal & The Thief-Taker Who Betrayed Each Other In the dark and dangerous streets of 18th-century London, crime was everywhere—but so was corruption. Jack Sheppard, the legendary escape artist, and Jonathan Wild, London’s self-proclaimed ‘Thief-Taker General,’ started as allies, but their partnership took a dea…

1
Jonathan Wild: London’s First Crime Boss & the Origins of the Police Force 42:08

4M ago42:08

42:08

Before Scotland Yard, before the modern police force, one man ruled London’s underworld—Jonathan Wild, the so-called "Thief-Taker General." But was he a crime fighter or the city’s first true crime lord? In this episode, we uncover how Wild manipulated both criminals and the law, shaping the way crime was controlled in 18th-century London. Discover…

1
Stan Bunger, "Mornings with Madden: My Radio Life With An American Legend" (Triumph, 2024) 1:07:33

4M ago1:07:33

1:07:33

John Madden is synonymous with football. He was the television face and voice of the nation's most popular sport, the namesake of its best-selling sports video game, and the man with the highest career winning percentage of any NFL coach. Despite his international fame, there was a side of Madden known only to those who listened to morning radio br…

1
The War of the Worlds Audiobook | Part 1 - Read by Macabre London 48:11

4M ago48:11

48:11

Step into a new adventure with Macabre London! I’m thrilled to announce a special series where I’ll be narrating some of my all-time favorite books, starting with H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. This iconic sci-fi masterpiece has been a personal favorite for years, and now I’m bringing it to you in audiobook form! To celebrate, I’m releasing Par…

1
Michael Ray Richardson, "Banned: How I Squandered an All-Star NBA Career Before Finding My Redemption" (Sports Publishing, 2024) 1:00:04

4M ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Michael Ray Richardson was a star in the making. After a stellar collegiate career at the University of Montana, where he was voted first team All-Big Sky Conference as a sophomore, junior, and senior, the future seemed bright. Taken fourth overall in the 1978 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, Richardson was billed as “the next Walt Frazier.” In ju…

1
Weird News Round-Up 2024 | 2024 Prediction Review - 2025 Predictions, Scams & Intergalactic Tourism! 29:16

5M ago29:16

29:16

It’s the end of 2024, and I’m back with your Weird News Round-Up! Forget the regular doom and gloom of daily news—this is all about the strangest, most head-scratching stories from the past year. 🌌 From Lexington, Kentucky, beaming out literal invitations to aliens, to mysterious unsolicited packages in the latest “brushing” scam, and a look back a…

1
John Eglin, "The Gambling Century: Commercial Gaming in Britain from Restoration to Regency" (Oxford UP, 2023) 56:42

5M ago56:42

56:42

John Eglin talks with Jana Byars about The Gambling Century: Commercial Gaming in Britain from Restoration to Regency (Oxford UP, 2023). Gambling captures as nothing else the drama of the "long eighteenth century" between the age of religious wars and the age of revolutions. The society that was confronted with games of chance pursued as commercial…

1
Weird News 2024 - November | Bear Fraud, Lighthouse Mystery, and a Space Station Surprise! 16:59

5M ago16:59

16:59

Welcome to another Weird News Round-Up where we delve into the strangest stories of 2024! This episode is packed with bizarre twists, from bear-themed insurance scams to mysterious space station mishaps. Here's what you can expect: 🐻 Bear Costume Insurance Scam Three people in California thought they could outsmart the system by blaming bear attack…

1
Weird News 2024| The Cheese Heist, Sheep Thief with a Twist, and THC Pizza Mix-Up! 🍕🧀🐑 October 13:13

5M ago13:13

13:13

Prepare yourself for a whirlwind of bizarre stories in this episode of Macabre London! From cheese thefts to sheep-stealing antics and a surprise *high* in a pizza joint, it’s a wild ride filled with unbelievable twists and pun-filled fun. 🧀 *The Great Cheese Heist:* Discover how an audacious scam led to the theft of **22 metric tons of cheese** fr…

1
Neil Atkinson, "Transformer: Klopp, the Revolution of a Club and Culture" (Canongate, 2024) 45:42

5M ago45:42

45:42

How did Jurgen Klopp change Liverpool? In Transformer: Klopp, the Revolution of a Club and Culture (Canongate, 2024), Neil Atkinson, host of The Anfield Wrap tells the story of Klopp’s time at the football club and in the city. The book ranges widely, from socio-cultural history, through personal memoir, to tactical analysis and contemplations on t…

1
Weird News Round-Up 2024 - September: Spy Whale Mysteries, Cryptid Clowns, and Airport UFOs! 16:18

6M ago16:18

16:18

Weird News Round-Up 2024: Spy Whale Mysteries, Cryptid Clowns, and Airport UFOs! In this year’s Weird News Round-Up, I uncover some of the strangest stories from 2024 that you won’t believe are real! From a mysterious beluga whale with alleged ties to Russian espionage to UFO sightings over China’s Tianjin Airport, this episode has it all. Plus, we…

1
Bob Kuska, "Balls of Confusion: Pro Baskelball Goes to War (1965-1970)" (From Way Downtown, 2024) 1:14:55

6M ago1:14:55

1:14:55

Balls of Confusion: Pro Basketball Goes to War(1965-70) is the first of a two-part story about one of the most transformative events inpro basketball history: the war between the National Basketball Association and its challenger the American Basketball Association (ABA).From this nine-year battle for the heart of the game, modern pro basketball em…

1
Postscript: Violence, Consent, and Coercion in American Football 1:21:26

6M ago1:21:26

1:21:26

Last week, the press focused on what the press repeatedly characterized as an “ugly” fight between American college football players that broke out after the University of Michigan beat The Ohio State. But another story received less attention. Medrick Burnett Jr., a 20 year old from Southern California was playing his first season as a linebacker …

1
Weird News 2024 - August: Driverless Cars Malfunction, Phantom Twins Mystery, and Hamsters Take Over a Plane! 12:13

6M ago12:13

12:13

### Podcast Description (SEO Optimized) 🌍 Weird News Round-Up 2024: August Edition!📰 Join me, Nikki as I delve into the bizarre, the baffling, and the downright unbelievable stories that didn’t make the regular headlines this year! In this August round-up, we explore: 🚘 *Driverless Chaos in San Francisco*: A glitch in Waymo's AI fleet turns peacefu…

1
Weird News Round-Up July 2024: Orca Attacks, AI Meltdowns & A Forest Rescue 15:20

6M ago15:20

15:20

🎙️ Weird News Round-Up July 2024: Orca Attacks, AI Meltdowns & A Forest Rescue Welcome back to the Macabre London Podcast! In this episode, we’re diving into the strangest stories from July 2024. Forget the bleak headlines—this roundup is all about bizarre, fascinating, and sometimes darkly humorous tales from around the world. 🕒 What’s Inside: 1️⃣…

1
Weird News June 2024 | Mysterious Monolith Returns, Robots With Human Skin, and the Voynich Manuscript Decoded! 12:53

6M ago12:53

12:53

*Weird News June 2024 | Mysterious Monolith Returns, Robots With Human Skin, and the Voynich Manuscript Decoded!* June 2024 has delivered some of the strangest and most fascinating stories of the year, and we’re diving into them all! Prepare for a wild ride as we uncover baffling discoveries, unsettling breakthroughs, and ancient mysteries finally …

1
Weird News May 2024 | Monster Bees, Cannibal Scandal & Mysterious Missing Cats! 17:20

6M ago17:20

17:20

May 2024 was full of bizarre weird news headlines you won't believe! From a terrifying bee invasion to a dark web body modification scandal and a mind-boggling cat mystery, this month’s round-up is one you don’t want to miss! 🐝💉🐱 In this episode, we cover: *The Bee Infestation That Sounded Like Monsters:* A 3-year-old girl in North Carolina heard m…

1
London's Runaway Horses & Strange Eclipse Stories | Weird News Round-Up - April 2024 19:44

6M ago19:44

19:44

Welcome back, fiends! Dive into the strangest stories of 2024 in this *Weird News Round-Up: April Edition.* From cosmic chaos during the historic solar eclipse to runaway cavalry horses galloping through London, these tales are nothing short of bizarre. 🌌🐴 *What’s in this episode?* - *Eclipse Madness:* A once-in-a-lifetime solar event dazzles astro…

1
Voices Part 1: Hut-Hut-Hike 31:27

6M ago31:27

31:27

In this first episode of a three-part series called Voices, we’re listening to the sound of American football—specifically the role of voices in the NFL. We start with a rather quirky story from NFL history that speaks to how the voice intersects with our ideologies around both disability and gender. It’s about a player whose voice stopped working …

1
2024’s Weird News Stories - March | Waiters Racing Through Paris & Parrots That Swear?! 14:41

6M ago14:41

14:41

Welcome back to another episode of Weird News 2024 - we recap some of the strangest stories to have come out of March 2024. March 2024 brought us some of the most bizarre and unexpected news stories of the year, and we’re here to break them down for you! This isn’t your regular news round-up; this is where the strange and surreal shine. 🕺 *In This …

1
2024’s Weirdest News - February: Charlotte the Stingray Scandal, Groundhog Drama & Leap Year Mysteries! 19:18

6M ago19:18

19:18

Welcome back to another episode of Weird and Wonderful 2024 - we recap some of the strangest stories to have come out of February 2024. 🦈 Charlotte the Stingray: How did a stingray in North Carolina become a viral sensation for an impossible pregnancy? From theories of immaculate conception to unexpected tragedy, Charlotte’s story captivated the in…

1
Weird News January 2024: Hidden Victorian Code, Viral Elmo Moment & Tidy Mouse 17:49

6M ago17:49

17:49

Get ready for the most bizarre, unexpected, and downright fascinating stories from January 2024! In this first episode of Weird News 2024, I’m diving into a hidden Victorian dress mystery, the viral kindness of Elmo, and the cutest (and tidiest) little mouse you’ll ever meet. Join me, Nikki Druce - your Spooky Specialist, as I uncover the unbelieva…

1
Daniel S. Goldberg, "Tackle Football and Traumatic Brain Injuries: Law, Ethics, and Public Health" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024) 1:03:15

6M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Football is the national game in the United States – and many families and friends bond over their love of the sport. While few people play professional football, many participate in tackle football as children and adolescents. In the last decades, more attention has been paid to the dangers of playing tackle football, including traumatic brain inj…

1
Angelique Chengelis, "Michigan Vs. Everybody: Inside the Wolverines’ 2023 National Championship Season" (Triumph Books, 2024) 1:12:02

7M ago1:12:02

1:12:02

In Michigan Vs. Everybody: Inside the Wolverines’ 2023 National Championship Season (Triumph Books, 2024), The Detroit News' Angelique Chengelis expertly retraces an unforgettable championship season. Featuring in-depth reporting and an unforgettable cast of characters including Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Roman Wilson, and Junior Colson, this is …

1
The Shocking Rayleigh Bath Chair Murder: WWII’s Most Bizarre Crime Story 25:58

7M ago25:58

25:58

The Shocking Rayleigh Bath Chair Murder: WWII’s Most Bizarre Crime Story | Macabre London Podcast Step back into the dark streets of wartime England with Macabre London, where we uncover the chilling tale of The Rayleigh Bath Chair Murder. In 1943, a seemingly routine walk turned deadly when Archibald Brown, a 47-year-old man reliant on his bath ch…

1
Seth E. Jenny et al., "Routledge Handbook of Esports" (Routledge, 2024) 35:37

7M ago35:37

35:37

The Routledge Handbook of Esports (Routledge, 2024) offers the first fully comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of esports, one of the fastest growing sectors of the contemporary sports and entertainment industries. Global in coverage, the book emphasizes the multifaceted nature of esports and explores the most pressing issues defining the compet…

1
Mirin Fader, "Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon" (Hachette, 2024) 46:32

7M ago46:32

46:32

It’s now the norm for NBA and collegiate teams to have international players dotting their rosters. The Olympics are no longer a gimme for Team USA. Both via fans streaming from all over the globe and leagues starting in countries throughout the world, the international presence of the game of basketball is a force to be reckoned with. That all sta…

1
Richard Moss, "Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games" (Bitmap Books, 2024) 37:28

7M ago37:28

37:28

Painstakingly researched and written by football-obsessed writer and experienced game journalist, historian, and documentarian Richard Moss – author of Bitmap's own The Secret History of Mac Gaming – A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games stays keenly on the ball as it shares the rich and influential history of video game footbal…

1
How An American Werewolf in London Changed Horror Forever: Behind-the-Scenes, Secrets, and Legacy! 23:59

7M ago23:59

23:59

In this episode of Macabre London, Nikki Druce dives into the backstreets of London’s horror film history, focusing on the 1981 classic An American Werewolf in London. Known for its groundbreaking special effects and darkly comedic twists, John Landis’s cult hit left an indelible mark on both London’s movie scene and horror cinema. Join Nikki as sh…

1
Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva, "The End of College Football: On the Human Cost of an All-American Game" (UNC Press, 2024) 1:10:05

7M ago1:10:05

1:10:05

In The End of College Football: On the Human Cost of an All-American Game (UNC Press, 2024), Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva offer an existential challenge to one of America's favorite pastimes: college football. Drawing on twenty-five in-depth interviews with former players from some of the country's most prominent college football teams, Kalma…

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