Design by: Tianxin Chen
Frame of Reference is
my passion project.
In 2018, I co-founded this audio documentary series when I grew tired of listening to sports podcasts in the same-old format for years. We take our time with our subject matter, and try to tackle issues that can have a generational impact in their respective sports. More often than not, we’ll talk to guest experts like Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus or Kurt Melcher, who founded one of the first collegiate eSports teams in the country. In addition to hosting, my partner and I develop, record and produce the podcast all on our own.
Episode V
Hockey has always been a physical sport rooted in violence and fighting. Over time, this style of play has taken a toll on its players and we are just now starting to understand the sport’s long-term consequences on the brain. We discuss hockey’s impact on head trauma and the NHL’s response.
Guest: Dr. Chris Nowinski, Co-Founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation & the Boston University CTE Center.
Episode IV
The NBA has seen an unprecedented increase in player mobility over the 2010s. Star players have changed teams at a historic rate and so-called "superteams" have ruled the day - but is this really a new concept? A discussion on the impact of superteams and whether or not they help or hurt the league.
Guest(s): Jared Dubin, FiveThirtyEight, FanSided and Eric Pincus, Bleacher Report and Basketball Insiders.
Episode III
Technology has resulted in the rise of two billion-dollar industries and numerous unintended consequences. An examination of how Fantasy and eSports have evolved and affected how we consume sports.
Guest: Kurt Melcher, Executive Director of eSports at Robert Morris University.
Episode II
The U.S. men's national team has come a long way from its humble beginnings, but there is still a lot of work to be done. An in-depth look at how the USMNT can get their act together in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Guest: Phil West, MLSSoccer.com, "The United States of Soccer", "I Believe That We Will Win".
Episode I
How one athlete's fight for fair compensation illustrates a microcosmic example of the NFL's continual devaluation of the running back position.
Guest: Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (formerly), The Athletic.
Listen to our trailer!
Frame of Reference kicks off by surveying the current landscape of sports media; Atzl and Mookerjee make their pitch.
Design by: Tianxin Chen