Emily Austin, a former sports analyst who gained recognition for her in-depth commentary on NBA and sports topics, has launched a political podcast titled ‘The Emily Austin Show.’ This new platform is designed to create open dialogue for athletes and politicians to express their political views comfortably. Austin, who previously blended sports and politics in her career, now aims to provide a safe space for discussions without any restrictions.
Austin’s transition from sports to politics was influenced by her experiences at Hofstra University, where she felt compelled to use her platform for advocacy. She emphasized the importance of allowing athletes to voice their political opinions, even if they differ from mainstream perspectives. The podcast, which dropped recently, featured notable guests such as former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and NBA players Mitchell Robinson and Ryan Garcia.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Austin shared her motivations for entering the political arena. “It was never my intention to get political, but sometimes duty calls, that’s what I tell people,” she said. Austin’s decision to shift her focus was partly due to her experiences with campus policies during her time at Hofstra University. She explained how her frustration with these policies led her to use her platform as a means of advocacy.
Austin’s podcast serves as a medium for diverse political discussions, ensuring that all viewpoints are respected and encouraged. She expressed her desire for a space where athletes and politicians can freely express their opinions without fear of censorship. “What I’m happy that came out of the podcast is everyone asks me ‘How do you stay political and stay in sports?’ What I’ve come to realize is every person on my podcast that is an athlete has their own political opinion, too,” Austin said. “And a lot of them agree with me, and a lot of them don’t. But at least we have that relationship to have dialogue about it.”
Bringing out athletes’ political views is not even Austin’s end goal, she said. All she wants is comfortability to be able to discuss issues, no matter what side of the coin an athlete, or any politician, is on. “If the conversation stays strictly on sports, so be it,” Austin said. “But if, let’s just say I have a guest coming up that is going to announce that he voted for Trump, and it will break the Internet, that’s coming too. So it’s really just like a safe space of dialogue that covers everything with no limitations. I don’t want anyone to feel that there’s any boundaries or any lines that can’t be crossed. Whatever needs to be said is going to be said on ‘The Emily Austin Show.’”