Longshot: Payback

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After her first minutes with the U.S. Women’s National Team, Jessica McDonald returns to the NWSL, and is once again on the move. This time, it’s her entire team, as the Western New York Flash become the North Carolina Courage. McDonald is only paid roughly $13,000 per season; but she flourishes back in the Triangle, where she’d once attended college, thanks to a chance encounter with a local family, which turns into a deep and lasting bond. And as McDonald and the Courage dominate the 2018 NWSL season, among the people who can’t stop watching: USWNT head coach Jill Ellis. 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.

Content warning: This episode contains adult language and adult themes, including sexual coercion and emotional abuse. If you or anyone you know is facing these issues, help is available through RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Visit RAINN.org, or call their hotline: 800-656-HOPE. As listeners heard in Part 6 of Payback, the women’s sports world has been shaken in recent years by repeated allegations of sexual and emotional misconduct by men in positions of power. In this extended interview, Dr. Tanya Prewitt-White, a sport psychologist and author of Examining and Mitigating Sexual Misconduct in Sport, speaks with Alex Andrejev and Kata Stevens about the complex dynamics in the coach-athlete relationship, how athletes today are redefining their roles as advocates, and how to foster the transformative dialogues necessary for equity and progress in sport and society. 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.

Content warning: This episode contains adult language and adult themes, including sexual coercion and emotional abuse. If you or anyone you know is facing these issues, help is available through RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Visit RAINN.org, or call their hotline: 800-656-HOPE. In 2013, Jessica McDonald makes it to the National Women’s Soccer League, the most recent iteration of an American women’s pro league. The NWSL’s low pay is hard on players — particularly for single mothers like McDonald. However, when shocking allegations of abuse expose how misconduct runs rampant in a game perpetually struggling for legitimacy, uneven pay scales are revealed to be just one component of systemic gender inequality in soccer. Yet, as McDonald blocks out off-field issues by focusing on her game, the rest of the league can't help but notice her play. Updated April 25 with comment from Paul Riley, and additional thoughts from McDonald. 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 2010, Jessica McDonald is drafted by the Chicago Red Stars of WPS, the women’s professional soccer league. The WPS acts as a feeder system for the larger U.S. national team, and McDonald is poised to become the fresh blood the USWNT needs. But in her first pro start, McDonald tears the patellar tendon in her left knee. The best-case prognosis: an 18-month-long recovery. Worst-case? Her soccer career is over. Then, during rehabilitation, perhaps the biggest surprise of the 23-year-old McDonald's life: an unplanned pregnancy. 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.

Following the fateful encounter with her mother, Jessica McDonald runs away from home. Soon, her grades flounder, leaving her ineligible for Division I athletics at all. McDonald's road to Chapel Hill detours through a nearby junior college in Phoenix, where she improves her GPA — and rewrites the juco record books as the most decorated female athlete in Phoenix College history. Then, upon becoming Division I eligible in 2008, Anson Dorrance comes calling once more. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback .  The host of Payback is 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.

Throughout Jessica McDonald's tumultous childhood, there was one person she could always turn to: her grandmother Abbie, who becomes McDonald's biggest cheerleader. McDonald becomes a superstar for multiple Cactus High School sports teams, but the Sereno Soccer Club she plays for after school is where she truly stands out. And as McDonald leads Sereno to multiple state titles, she catches the eye of legendary University of North Carolina women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance. Suddenly, soccer is more than a distraction; it becomes an escape from Phoenix entirely. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback .  The host of Payback is 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.

A child of a broken home, McDonald finds her calling — and her refuge — on the playing field. She grows up competing against her brother, cousins and other boys in the neighborhood, and no matter what the sport — basketball, volleyball, football, track — as the child of two talented athletes, McDonald can do it all. But she now shares for the first time how deceiving appearances could be: McDonald’s early athletic prowess hides from the public a childhood of shattered dreams, the ravages of drug abuse, and the abandonment of her father’s imprisonment. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback .  The host of Payback is 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.

The 2019 World Cup-champion U.S. Women’s National Team was arguably the most dominant team ever fielded by the most dominant institution in soccer. But striker Jessica McDonald remembers that for many people, what that team represented off the field was more important than what it accomplished on it, as fans around the world rallied behind the players’ public battle for equal pay. Legends of the women's game — including Julie Foudy, Michelle Akers and Joy Fawcett — look back at the early days of the USWNT, and a gritty fight for equality that had been unfolding behind the scenes for decades. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17. To continue supporting journalism like this, visit charlotteobserver.com/payback or newsobserver.com/payback .  The host of Payback is 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.

From The Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News & Observer, McClatchy Studios and iHeartRadio comes the remarkable journey of Jessica McDonald, a striker on the 2019 World Cup-champion U.S. Women's National Team who might not be a household name, but whose story you’ll never forget. A teen runaway who became a single mom, McDonald reveals 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. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through May 17.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paula Johnson, whom listeners heard in the podcast, is a professor at the Syracuse University College of Law, and co-director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI). Her team at CCJI could soon begin investigating Jim Duncan's death from a legal perspective. In this extended interview, Johnson talks about how her team of student-volunteers approaches Civil Rights-era investigations, what could come next in Jim's case, and that elusive concept of closure.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seth Stoughton, whom listeners heard in the podcast, was a police officer before becoming a lawyer. Today, he teaches at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and is an expert in the evolution of policing tactics throughout American history. In this extended interview, Stoughton talks about lessons today's officers can learn from a case like Jim Duncan's, and the vital role of trust in the police-community relationship.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For some, including some of Jim Duncan's friends, the past is better left in the past. But for others, there will never be closure with so many open questions; and the chance to find answers is worth the pain of asking one last time. Late in our reporting, we learned that a legal team in New York could begin an independent investigation of this case, in the search for even more answers.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the weeks following Jim Duncan's death, conspiracy theories proliferated throughout the Black community in Lancaster. Was his death really about drugs? A woman? His skin color? Many other proposed versions of events seemed equally as implausible as the official narrative—but one scandalous theory came up time and time again, and it was one we could investigate.New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following Jim Duncan's death, the Lancaster County coroner called an inquest to determine what happened inside the police station. Seven witnesses were called to testify under oath; all worked at, or with, the Lancaster police department. After a short deliberation, the small jury concluded that Duncan died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But the one Black member of the inquest panel didn't believe what became the official account, and doesn't to this day.New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to officials, Jim Duncan walked into the Lancaster Police Station on Oct. 20, 1972, and crossed the lobby in just a few steps. Without saying a word, authorities allege, he ripped the revolver from the holster on an unsuspecting officer's hip, stepped back, and shot himself in the head. But what sort of investigation was done after the fact? What sort of investigation could have been done — and should have been done?New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a series of injuries and bizarre behavior, Jim Duncan's last chance to catch on with a new NFL team fell short. By the fall of 1972, he was back in Lancaster; his career was over, his marriage wasn't much better off, and he was running out of money. On the morning of Oct. 20, 1972, Duncan left his family's house and drove downtown. It was the last time his loved ones saw him alive.New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following his Super Bowl win, Jim Duncan fell in love with a woman he met in South Carolina. But financial obligations soon sapped his joy for the game, and those who knew Jim say his personality began changing in unsettling ways. They speculate that for a rising star playing arguably the most dangerous position on the football field, head injuries might have begun to take their toll on Jim.New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Duncan's rare athleticism made him a star on the Maryland State College football team, where he played offense, defense and special teams. In 1968, he was a fourth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Colts, and soon became the leading kickoff return man in the NFL, enjoying a level of celebrity and status that friends and family back in Lancaster could hardly imagine.New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.To continue supporting work like this, visit heraldonline.com/podcasts and consider a digital subscription. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Duncan was one of eight children, growing up in a shotgun house on the poorest side of a small South Carolina milltown. There in Lancaster, the public facilities were segregated—but one of the few spots Blacks and whites both called home was the lone football field in town, shared by the Black and white high schools. There, Duncan began carving a path out of poverty for himself, and his family. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C., McClatchy Studios and iHeartRadio comes an investigation into the life and mysterious death of the only Super Bowl champion from Lancaster, S.C. At one time, Jim Duncan was a star on the rise for the Baltimore Colts; the NFL’s leading kickoff returner in 1970; and a hero of that year’s title game. Then, two years later, authorities say Duncan, who was Black, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his hometown police station. Many Black people alive in Lancaster at the time didn't believe the official account of the death. We examine the questions they had. New episodes coming each Tuesday, through March 16.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.