This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In this short talk, Andrew Billings shares the idea that using sports can be a common ground for conversations to overcome perceptions and our differences. “Sports provide teachable moments for some of our most difficult conversations.”

Andrew Billings is the Director of the Alabama Program in Sports Communication and Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting in the Department of Telecommunication & Film. His research interests lie in the intersection of sport, mass media, consumption habits, and identity-laden content. With ten books and over 100 journal articles and book chapters, he is one of the most published sports media scholars in the world. His books include Olympic Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television (Routledge, 2008) and The Fantasy Sport Industry: Games within Games (Routledge, 2014) and his journal outlets include the Journal of Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Mass Communication & Society, and the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. His writings have been translated into five languages. Billings’ work has won numerous awards from organizations such as the National Communication Association, the Broadcast Education Association, and the Association for Education in Mass Communication and Journalism. He is the current chair of the Sports Interest Group of the International Communication Association and has lectured in nations around the world, from Spain to China to Austria. His work in the classroom has also earned him many teaching awards. He has been interviewed over 500 times by media outlets ranging from The New York Times to The Los Angeles Times to ESPN. Billings has also consulted with many sports media agencies and is a past holder of the Invited Chair of Olympism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)