Shortly after the publication of Payback, Part 10, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced it had ratified groundbreaking collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with both the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, guaranteeing the players equal pay—the resolution of a decades-long fight by Jessica McDonald the women’s team for gender equality. In this extended interview, Alex Andrejev speaks with Dan Lust, an attorney for Geragos & Geragos and the Sports Law professor at New York Law School, about surprising components of those CBAs, unexpected reasons the women’s team might have thought this was a bad deal, and the potential ripple effects of this contract across the sports landscape. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback . Payback is hosted by Alex Andrejev. It's produced by Kata Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and executive producer Davin Coburn. The executive producer for iHeartRadio is Sean Titone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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17:28
Part 10: Pay Up
In late 2020, something unusual happens: Jessica McDonald and her USWNT teammates lose—this time in court, as the players’ lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation suffers a major setback. Yet, with a new president of U.S. Soccer on their side, the groundwork is laid for a breakthrough, including equal payments for the men's and women's teams. At the same time, the National Women’s Soccer League signs a collective bargaining agreement with its own players, as veterans like McDonald help set the league — and women’s soccer in America — on a path toward a more equitable, even more successful future. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback . Payback is hosted by Alex Andrejev. It's produced by Kata Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and executive producer Davin Coburn. The executive producer for iHeartRadio is Sean Titone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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46:41
Part 9 Bonus: Dr. Leeja Carter
As listeners heard in Part 9 of Payback, the role of athletes acting as advocates has never been more prevalent—or more polarizing. That’s particularly true for women athletes of color. In this extended interview, Alex Andrejev speaks with Dr. Leeja Carter, an associate professor of exercise psychology at Temple University, about the intersection of racism, sexism and classism in sport; historical and contemporary representations of Black women’s “strength;” and culturally sensitive health and physical activity approaches for women of color. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback . Payback is hosted by Alex Andrejev. It's produced by Kata Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and executive producer Davin Coburn. The executive producer for iHeartRadio is Sean Titone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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20:49
Part 9: Nasty Women
In early 2019, heated internal negotiations explode into public view as 28 USWNT players, including Jessica McDonald, file a landmark lawsuit against U.S. Soccer for “institutionalized gender discrimination.” In that lawsuit, the players argue they play more games and win more often than the U.S. men’s team, yet still receive less pay from the federation; U.S. Soccer counters that the men’s games drives more revenue for the federation. And as McDonald and the national team advance to the finals of the 2019 World Cup, they know one more win on the field could signal something even greater off it—generations in the making. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback . Payback is hosted by Alex Andrejev. It's produced by Kata Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and executive producer Davin Coburn. The executive producer for iHeartRadio is Sean Titone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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33:11
Part 8: My Other Half
The unlikeliest of U.S. Women’s National Team journeys comes full circle in a doctor’s office. There, on a phone call during a routine checkup for her reconstructed knee, 31-year-old Jessica McDonald gets the call she’s waited for her entire life. But realizing her global soccer ambitions will mean once again contending with home life as a single mom. And here in his first interview, McDonald's son, Jeremiah Stuart, offers touching perspective on the search for personal and professional balance, and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of our dreams. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback . Payback is hosted by Alex Andrejev. It's produced by Kata Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and executive producer Davin Coburn. The executive producer for iHeartRadio is Sean Titone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2019, U.S. women’s national soccer team striker Jessica McDonald capped a World Cup journey few could have imagined. A teen runaway who became a single mom, McDonald tells The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer for the first time how she rose from a broken home in Phoenix to the pinnacle of sports in Lyon, France — and how today, she’s using her voice to battle systemic inequalities in soccer, including as part of the U.S. women’s national team’s recent settlement in their landmark fight for equal pay. Hosted by Alex Andrejev.
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