College football has become the uniquely American engine that pays for the training of future US Olympians. The Indicator's Wailin Wong and Adrian Ma go back in time to the Cold War to explain why.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Wailin Wong
Wailin Wong is a long-time business and economics journalist who's reported from a Chilean mountaintop, an embalming fluid factory and lots of places in between. She is a host of The Indicator from Planet Money. Previously, she launched and co-hosted two branded podcasts for a software company and covered tech and startups for the Chicago Tribune. Wailin started her career as a correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires in Buenos Aires. In her spare time, she plays violin in one of the oldest community orchestras in the U.S. [Copyright 2025 NPR]
Adrian Ma
Adrian Ma is a host and reporter for NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, a daily podcast that helps listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy.