Freakonomics Radio Launches New Series Exploring the Hidden Side of Sports

Today, Freakonomics Radio launches a special multi-part series, "The Hidden Side of Sports." It follows their hugely popular "Secret Life of a C.E.O." series (which, alongside in-depth interviews with Mark Zuckerberg, Indra Nooyi, Richard Branson, and many others, spawned the #LadyDoritos meme). The sports series features interviews with dozens of world-class athletes, coaches, owners, league and union officials, and of course economists.

Listen to the first episode at: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/sports-ep-1/

"Sports are, on one level, nothing more than glorified games, races, and fights," says host Stephen J. Dubner. "But for centuries now, they've have also reflected (and sometimes predicted) the most important political, economic and social issues. In this series, we'll look at how sports became an entertainment juggernaut, how the economics actually work, and how the best practitioners in the world do their job."

Among the interview subjects: NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick, sportscaster Dan Patrick, UFC fighter Lauren Murphy, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former MLB slugger Mark Teixeira, N.F.L.P.A. executive director DeMaurice Smith, former cyclist Lance Armstrong, former NFL defensive back Domonique Foxworth, and the Olympic champions Simone Manuel (swimming), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics), Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball), and Mikaela Shiffrin (alpine skiing). One episode is devoted to the San Francisco 49ers' attempted turnaround after a roller-coaster 2017 season, and includes interviews with the team's top executives, coaches, and players, including superstar quarterback Jimmy Garropolo.

In addition to the multiple episodes of the series, extended versions of the full interviews will be made available on Stitcher Premium.

About Freakonomics Radio:

Discover the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the best-selling Freakonomics books. Each week, hear surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature -- from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs -- and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt. After just a few episodes, this podcast will have you too thinking like a freak.

About Stephen J. Dubner:

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and TV and radio personality. In addition to the Freakonomics book series (which have sold more than 8 million copies in 40 languages), he is the author of Turbulent Souls (Choosing My Religion), Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children's book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons. His journalism has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time, and has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Crime Writing, and elsewhere. He has taught English at Columbia University (while receiving an M.F.A. there), played in a rock band (which started at Appalachian State University, where he was an undergrad, and was later signed to Arista Records), and, as a writer, was first published at the age of 11, in Highlights for Children. Dubner is also the host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, which gets 8 million downloads a month. He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their children.