Level Playing Field (2021)
"Inequality is not a game."
Synopsis
A sports documentary series featuring a range of stories that illuminate how public policies have contributed to inequities in the sports landscape and society at large.
Creator
Mark Olsen, Joe Posner, Mike Jacobs
Network
HBO
Episodes
Midnight Basketball
Episode 1 investigates the intersection of sports, race, and social policy through a look at “Midnight Basketball” – the innovative program started in Glenarden, Maryland in 1986 to provide a haven for at-risk youths and help curb rising crime rates in the area.
Misclassified
Episode 2 focuses on the events that precipitated the NCAA’s creation of the term “student-athlete,” connecting that history to a wider modern trend in corporate America: avoiding legally classifying workers as “employees” to escape the fiscal responsibilities that come along with that designation.
Down the Backstretch
Episode 3 explores how the shift in United States immigration policy towards Central America during the Trump administration impacted the horse racing industry. With laborers from Latin America making up a predominant number of backstretch workers at racetracks across the country, the “sport of kings” – typically associated with big money trainers and owners – suddenly found itself with a shortage of some of its most overlooked and undervalued figures.
The Assist
Episode 4 explores the intersection of sports and politics through an examination of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream’s landmark role in the election of Senator Raphael Warnock and the ongoing fight against voter suppression in Georgia. The Dream players’ impassionate campaign against then-Georgia senator – and team owner – Kelly Loeffler made an undeniable imprint on one of the most closely watched senate races of all time.
Trailer
Details
Original Title
Level Playing Field
Status
Ended
Seasons
1
Episodes
4
Production
HBO Sports, Vox Media Studios
