On episode six of Class is in Session with Doug Glanville presented by UI Health, Doug Glanville and the panel of guests discuss how sports can bring a country together in the wake of tragedy, and also how athletes can use their voice to speak up against injustice in the country and create societal change. To watch the full episode, click here.

Guests for this episode include:

• Bobby Valentine – Longtime MLB manager, including for the Mets in the aftermath of 9/11
• Kevin Blackistone – Washington Post columnist and professor of sports journalism at the University of Maryland
• Tom Murray – Sports ethics leader and expert; author of “Good Sport”

“Sports have a way of uniting us through our commonalities and that includes our patriotism and love of country, particularly in times of uncertainty,” said Glanville. “And, more than that, our pride and love of country is a means of team solidarity in the global sports arena from the Olympics to other international competitions.”

For the full discussion, tune in to Marquee Sports Network or watch the episode on-demand via the Marquee Sports Network app.

Episode Quotes:

“10 days after those horrific attacks, we played a ballgame in New York on September 21^st, and I think it was the most unifying event that’s ever happened in our country … Mike Piazza hits the home run and all of a sudden frowns were turned upside down and people started the healing process.” – Bobby Valentine, manager of the New York Mets in the aftermath of 9/11, speaking about the role that baseball played in healing the country

“When I apply patriotism to sport, I see it as people within the game … who see sport as an instrument to make society more equitable for everyone.” – Kevin Blackistone, discussing the significance of athletes that use their voice to highlight changes needed in society

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About Class is in Session: A monthly show hosted by Doug Glanville, exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Each month, Glanville sits down with a distinguished panel of guests, analyzing and providing solutions to the most challenging issues in the world of sports.

Previous episode topics include the lack of minority coaches in sports today (guests Dusty Baker and Herm Edwards), the impact and importance of establishing legacy as an athlete (guests Cameron Maybin, Chris Long and Dr. Edwin Moses), the current state of NCAA amateurism (guests Sonny Vacarro, Prof. Kenneth Shropshire and Dr. Victoria Jackson), MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game (guests Jason Heyward, Curtis Granderson and Ken Rosenthal) and the influence of analytics in baseball (guests Bill James, Sarah Langs and Jimmy Rollins).

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About Doug Glanville: Glanville, a nine-year MLB veteran, is a Marquee Sports Network analyst and the host of “Class is in Session with Doug Glanville” presented by UI Health, a half-hour panel show exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Glanville was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft and made his major league debut with Chicago in 1996. After spending five-plus seasons with Philadelphia and Texas, he returned to the Cubs in 2003 and hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning of Game Three of the NLCS against the Marlins. He was the first African American Ivy League graduate to play in the MLB.

A writer and multi-media journalist, Glanville is a frequent contributor to numerous outlets, including ESPN, the New York Times and The Athletic, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut. His “Enough” video essay is nominated for a 2021 Sports Emmy Award (The Dick Schaap Outstanding Writing Award – Short Form) by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Glanville is the author of The Game From Where I Stand, an inside look at the human side of the game of baseball, and is outspoken on topics relating to the human condition, including culture, diversity, overcoming adversity, and community-building. He also teaches a course at the University of Connecticut titled “Sport in Society.” The highly praised course examines the relationship between sports, celebrity, and its impact on society. Glanville is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.