Latest podcasts
- Bonus - Overtime
Wednesday, August 2nd 2023
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to discuss our recent season on hockey.
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- HOCKEY 7 - Blood on the Ice
Wednesday, July 5th 2023
Derek Boogaard made his living pummeling people on the ice. But outside the arena, he was soft-spoken and kind.
Fighting was just his job. But it would end up taking everything from him.
Hockey fights, and the numerous blows to the head that players have to endure, have become a moral crisis at the very heart of the sport. And the NHL is doing everything they can to deny the science and allow this gladiatorial combat to continue.
And it’s enforcers like Derek Boogaard who end up paying the price.
Featured in this episode: John Branch (The New York Times), Jeremy Allingham
To learn more:
Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard by John Branch
Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey by Jeremy Allingham
“Years after his son's death, Len Boogaard on quest to end fighting in hockey” by Roy MacGregor in The Globe and Mail
“Brain Trust: Big questions surround the most influential concussion research on the planet” by Jeremy Allingham in CBC News
“NHL commissioner disputes link between hockey and CTE brain disease” by H.J. Mai in NPR Morning Edition
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- HOCKEY 6 - The Problem Hockey Won’t Name
Wednesday, June 28th 2023
The Hockey Canada scandal has become one of the biggest stories in the country. And now, hockey appears to be in the middle of a reckoning. But this isn’t the first time. There was another moment, just like this one.
Back then, people tried to warn the hockey world — they were ignored. And even today, the sport won’t name the very specific issue they face.
Hockey has a gang rape problem.
Featured in this episode: Alexis Peters, Laura Robinson
To learn more:
Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport by Laura Robinson
“Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal” in The Globe and Mail
“Hockey Canada, CHL settle lawsuit over alleged sexual assault involving World Junior players” by Rick Westhead in TSN
“Toxic masculinity is part of elite hockey. We need a culture shift” by Alexis Peters in CBC Calgary
“‘We haven’t learned a damn thing’: Sexual violence is embedded in junior hockey culture” by Ian Mendes, Dan Robson, and Katie Strang in The Athletic
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Airbnb, Oxio, Better Help,
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- HOCKEY 5 - The Boys from Brampton
Wednesday, June 21st 2023
Mike Danton was playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the St. Louis Blues. And at the same time, he was trying to hire a hitman to kill his agent, David Frost.
Danton’s arrest and conviction would become one of the biggest hockey scandals of all time. But this is not just some salacious true crime story.
It’s an extreme example of everything that’s wrong with hockey culture; hazing and abuse, sexual misconduct and the adult men who control the lives of teenage boys for their own monetary gain.
Featured in this episode: Steve Simmons (The Toronto Sun)
To learn more:
The Lost Dream: The Story of Mike Danton, David Frost, and a Broken Canadian Family by Steve Simmons
“A teenage girl's vulnerability laid bare at David Frost trial” by Christie Blatchford in The Globe and Mail
“The sometimes sad and remarkable journey of Sheldon Keefe” by Steve Simmons in The Toronto Sun
“How police cracked 'the cult'” by Greg McArthur in The Globe and Mail
“I’m glad I went to prison” by L. Jon Wertheim in Sports Illustrated
“Frost case a study in tragedy and farce” by Gare Joyce in ESPN
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Airbnb, Canva for Teams, Better Help,
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- HOCKEY 4 - The Lonely End of the Rink
Wednesday, June 14th 2023
Justin Davis was never a superstar. He was a journeyman player, one of tens of thousands, chasing the dream. And at almost every step, when hockey gave him something, it would also take something away.
Hockey exacts a heavy toll on many boys and young men — on their minds and their bodies. And then they’re told not to talk about any of it outside the locker room.
It’s enough to make you ask the question. Is this a sport? Or a cult?
Featured in this episode: Justin Davis
To learn more:
Conflicted Scars: An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL by Justin Davis
“Hockey Is Not for Everyone” by Akim Aliu in The Players’ Tribune
“Flying” by Stan Rogers
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Better Help, Ecojustice
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.