Two and a Half Men: Sportswashing w/ Tom Usher

This is a preview. To hear the entire episode and help Blood Work to survive and thrive, become a supporter on Patreon.   Gregk is joined by Tom and Producer Thomas to discuss whether cultural reputation laundering is really such a new phenomena, and whether anything is even being washed at all. Read Patrick Redford’s piece ‘The State of Sportswashing’ in Defector here. Read Jack Crosbie’s piece ‘The White House UFC Fight Was Donald Trump’s All-American Dream’ in Rolling Stone here.   For more from Tom Usher: – Check out his Substack – Follow him on Bluesky and – Follow Tangible Vibe Shift on Instagram   Image: Donald Trump accepts the inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World’ award during the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.   Blood Work is a Scam Goldin Production This episode was produced by Thomas O’Mahony Our theme song is ‘Dream Weapon’ by Genghis Tron Our artwork is provided courtesy of KT Kobel   For more: – Support Blood Work via Patreon – Follow us on Bluesky / Instagram / Twitter   THIS WEEK IN VIOLENCE: Strange Bedfellows ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO This week’s newsletter is a mini-episode, unlocked for all listeners, taking a deeper dive into the history of the interlocking conflicts currently engulfing the Sahel, and trying to make sense of what Russia and Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group) are really up to in West Africa.