Hard Knock Radio Summary: Davey D in conversation with Dave Zirin
Davey D’s latest Hard Knock Radio conversation with sports writer Dave Zirin digs into how legalized gambling is reshaping sports from top to bottom and turning games into something that feels closer to pro wrestling than competition. The discussion starts with the recent wave of scandals, from former and current NBA figures like Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier to baseball players from the Cleveland Guardians accused of manipulating “prop bets,” all against a backdrop of 24–7 betting promotion on sports broadcasts.
Zirin argues that sports media has basically become an arm of the gambling industry, with journalists acting like bookies and every game framed through the lens of point spreads and player props. He points to a growing youth gambling epidemic, overwhelmed addiction hotlines, and teenagers using their parents’ betting apps as signs that the harm is already here. What used to be small time locker room gambling among players now intersects with billion dollar app companies, creating constant “crimes of opportunity” where an athlete can influence a tiny play for quick money, while organized crime works the margins and looks for vulnerable stars to pressure or extort.
The two trace the turning point back to 2014, when NBA commissioner Adam Silver publicly supported legalized sports betting and the leagues lined up behind a Supreme Court push to make it legal nationwide. The promise was that legalization would make cheating easier to detect and push out the mob. Zirin says the opposite happened. With Vegas now an official home for franchises and fantasy sports fully monetized, the money is too big, the temptation too easy, and the safeguards almost nonexistent.
Davey D and Zirin also talk about how all this undercuts the wave of athlete activism seen between 2012 and 2020. When salaries and gambling-fueled profits explode, the cost of becoming the next Colin Kaepernick goes up, and resistance gets quieter. Zirin closes with a warning and a hard choice. Unless this “Wild West” gets reined in, fans may have to either walk away from organized sports or watch knowing they might not be seeing anything real, while parents are left trying to keep their kids off an addiction that is just a swipe away.
Hard Knock Radio Summary: Davey D in conversation with Katie Gladstone
On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, Davey D takes a deep look at the state of the economy and the widening gap between political narratives and the lived realities of working people. The guest is Katie Gladstone, Managing Director of Unrig Our Economy, an organization focused on exposing how policy choices made in Washington have driven up basic costs for families while shielding corporations and the ultra wealthy.
Katie explains that Unrig Our Economy formed as Republicans pushed through a sweeping tax law filled with giveaways for billionaires and major corporations. She breaks down how that legislation slashed Medicaid, threatened food assistance, and set the stage for today’s affordability crisis. She also highlights how current GOP-led decisions—tariffs, refusal to extend ACA tax credits, and attacks on Medicaid and SNAP—are driving up costs for everyday people, even as those in power claim the economy is booming.
Davey pushes the conversation further, pointing out that Democrats in solid blue states like California have also failed to address housing, homelessness, and skyrocketing living costs. He notes how media figures and wealthy politicians often misrepresent economic conditions because they are insulated from the day-to-day grind. Katie agrees that all elected officials must be held accountable, but emphasizes that with Republicans currently controlling all three branches of government, they are the ones positioned to provide immediate economic relief—and have instead chosen policies that make things worse.
To help people push back against political gaslighting, Katie introduces DontInflateOurPlates.com, a real-time tracker that shows the actual rise in grocery staples like eggs, beef, and coffee at the state level. The platform links price increases directly to policy decisions, offering a tool for residents—and even governors—to understand and respond to the crisis.
The conversation closes with a call for people to stay informed, organize, and demand policies centered on working families rather than corporate interests. Katie invites listeners to visit UnrigOurEconomy.com and the new food-cost tracker to stay plugged in.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.