30 for 30 Podcasts

ESPN, ESPN Films, 30for30

Original audio documentaries from the makers of the acclaimed 30 for 30 film series, featuring stories from the world of sports and beyond. 30 for 30 offers captivating storytelling for sports fans and general interest listeners alike, going beyond the field to explore how sports, competition, athleticism and adventure affect our lives and our world. Sports stories like you've never heard before. read less

Our Editor's Take

30 for 30 Podcasts explores and shares the original audio from the documentary film series 30 for 30. The first series came out in 2009, released in time for ESPN's 30th anniversary.

ESPN is the home of sports and discusses its biggest moments and news. Former ESPN host Bill Simmons created the franchise. Since then, the network has released many more series. The films contain interviews and archival footage. Each one highlights sports stars, issues, and important topics. Since sport has an unending list of incredible moments, there is much to explore.

This podcast gives an audio version of the same types of highlights. It uses actual interview soundbites and explores themes of athleticism, competition, and achievement. The 30 for 30 Podcasts may be enjoyable to anyone who did-or didn't-see the original documentary series.

30 for 30 Podcasts examines interesting sports events, sporting momentums and incredible achievements. Some topics include the fascinating 2003 World Series of Poker and Chile's rise to make the 1990 World Cup. Others include Bikram Choudhury's hot yoga empire and the longest baseball game ever played. With so many topics featuring, there's an episode for everyone to enjoy. Some episodes, like the miniseries on rapper Nipsey Hussle talk about music as well as his ties to the NBA.

The 30 for 30 Podcasts episodes are shorter than the hour-long TV documentaries. The show will span multiple episodes if there is a lot of content for one topic. No matter what's featured, this podcast is thrilling, dramatic, and enlightening. It's for sports lovers and those interested in great sports storytelling.

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TRAILER: THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

TRAILER: THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

NFL Films producer Courtland Bragg investigates the mysterious 1996 burning of Reggie White’s church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in the process, shines a light on the greater legacy of the NFL Hall of Famer. In the midst of a rash of mid-1990s church burnings across the United States, White’s Inner City Church boasts a growing interracial congregation, and after the building is firebombed and reduced to ashes, White believes the attack is the work of racists. The podcast brings the story to life through the voices of those involved with the church and the investigation – and in the process, draws a powerful parallel between these ugly incidents and the deeper challenges the nation still faces. 30 for 30 Podcasts and Andscape present Through the Flames: Reggie's Church. Available February 20th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episodes

THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

NFL Films producer Courtland Bragg investigates the mysterious 1996 burning of Reggie White’s church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in the process, shines a light on the greater legacy of the NFL Hall of Famer. In the midst of a rash of mid-1990s church burnings across the United States, White’s Inner City Church boasts a growing interracial congregation, and after the building is firebombed and reduced to ashes, White believes the attack is the work of racists. The NFL legend and pastor uses his platform to maintain public pressure on the investigation, even as the sensitive nature of the crime causes government officials to tread carefully. As the story unfolds, questions are raised about the church’s financial status, along with the possibility of arson. The podcast brings the story to life through the voices of those involved with the church and the investigation – and in the process, draws a powerful parallel between these ugly incidents and the deeper challenges the nation still faces. 30 for 30 Podcasts and Andscape present Through the Flames: Reggie's Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRAILER: THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

TRAILER: THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH

NFL Films producer Courtland Bragg investigates the mysterious 1996 burning of Reggie White’s church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in the process, shines a light on the greater legacy of the NFL Hall of Famer. In the midst of a rash of mid-1990s church burnings across the United States, White’s Inner City Church boasts a growing interracial congregation, and after the building is firebombed and reduced to ashes, White believes the attack is the work of racists. The podcast brings the story to life through the voices of those involved with the church and the investigation – and in the process, draws a powerful parallel between these ugly incidents and the deeper challenges the nation still faces. 30 for 30 Podcasts and Andscape present Through the Flames: Reggie's Church. Available February 20th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE BAG GAME Episode 1: The Making of Billy Preston

THE BAG GAME Episode 1: The Making of Billy Preston

To unravel how a top college recruit’s NBA dreams ran into a sprawling federal investigation, reporter Paula Lavigne explores his early years. Billy Preston and his mom struggle to get by in L.A. An active kid, Billy finds basketball through his mom’s partner, a high school coach and former professional player. Billy’s star rises in youth leagues. He generates buzz as an NBA prospect. Top colleges vie for his talents, and his family pulls out all the stops to support his goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE BAG GAME Episode 2: Nichole and the Bag Man

THE BAG GAME Episode 2: Nichole and the Bag Man

Billy’s mom Nichole lets her son focus on improving his game. Meanwhile she fields all the onlookers who want Billy on their team. To play for a top college, Billy couldn’t accept any money or he’d ruin his eligibility. Yet offers to circumvent that abound: aka, the bag game. In the college recruitment dance, Billy gets his top pick and Nicole makes a connection that promises to secure the family’s finances. But Billy’s dream is short-lived. And Nicole’s dealings later get federal investigators’ attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE BAG GAME Episode 3: The Sting

THE BAG GAME Episode 3: The Sting

The NCAA’s amateurism rules kept schools from paying players like Billy, so money wouldn't sway their college decision. But Paula learns how the youth teams delivering top recruits could serve as a go-between, where influence could be peddled. We hear one youth coach in Florida court much-needed funding from big-time shoe companies, only to land in hot water for what he promises in return. He didn’t know he was being recorded. The bag game unravels, as the feds’ secret investigation comes to light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE BAG GAME Episode 4: Plausible Deniability

THE BAG GAME Episode 4: Plausible Deniability

Federal prosecutors tell the college sports world, “We have your playbook." As court cases begin, details come out on secret payments. Who made them and for whose benefit? Who was the victim of all this and what, exactly, was the crime? Why were no head coaches called to testify? Prosecutors break their silence and reveal their legal strategy. After playing overseas, Billy returns for the NBA draft. His name and the Kansas program have been swept into the case. Sentences come down for defendants. Billy and Nichole don’t face charges, but feel the impact of the fallout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRAILER: THE BAG GAME

TRAILER: THE BAG GAME

ESPN and 30 for 30 Podcasts present "The Bag Game." Investigative reporter Paula Lavigne shines light on the biggest pay-to-play scandal in college basketball, through the story of Billy Preston. He was a five-star recruit set to start for Kansas, when his path crossed a sprawling federal investigation. The complex case ensnared major athletic programs, coaches, apparel executives and agents. But did it clean up corruption in college sports? And what did it mean for players like Billy? Available now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PINK CARD Episode 1: Red Girl

PINK CARD Episode 1: Red Girl

Growing up Iranian American, Shima Oliaee found her mother didn’t talk much about where she came from. Watching soccer, though, was a portal to Iran, a place that was in large part a mystery. Shima delves into the stories she didn’t hear growing up: Iran's mandated modernization and how soccer played a role, the women-led 1979 revolution, and her parents’ mistaken-identity love story. Shima and her mom meet Zeinab Sahafy, a young Iranian woman and avid soccer fan whose love of the game led to her being named an enemy of the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PINK CARD Episode 2: The Mannequins

PINK CARD Episode 2: The Mannequins

This episode starts with two questions: If women equally led the 1979 revolution, why were their rights stripped away first? How does this happen to an emboldened part of the population? At first, the women fight back, chanting “Azadi! Azadi!” [translation: “Freedom! Freedom!”] in the streets until the clerics back down. But in a story told by legendary writer and activist Mehrangiz Kar, women’s rights erode one by one – leading us to the nationwide ban on women at stadiums. This is when Iran's national soccer stadium becomes a battleground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PINK CARD Episode 3: The White Scarves

PINK CARD Episode 3: The White Scarves

One game sets off a movement. In 1997 Iran surprisingly makes the World Cup in the last three minutes of play against Australia. When Iran's national team gets helicoptered into Azadi Stadium to celebrate, women are asked to stay home. They don't listen, and thousands rush the stadium. This is the origin story of the White Scarves, a group that uses international soccer matches to defy the regime and take back their country. As the White Scarves gain international fame, they face grave danger at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PINK CARD Episode 4: Blue Girl

PINK CARD Episode 4: Blue Girl

(Warning: this episode includes description of a suicide). The newest generation of Iranian girl soccer fans take a bold new approach. They cross-dress as men to sneak into Azadi Stadium, documenting their rebellion live on social media - an irreverent middle finger to the government. One of those girls is Zeinab Sahafy, from Episode 1. One night four of her friends are arrested and she flees for her life. Another girl, still in the country, loses her life. In a moment described as “a miracle,” Iran’s regime relents on its ban and thousands of women enter the stadium. We end Pink Card wondering how this hard-won slice of freedom connects to the 2022 historic protests and a possible new revolution, more than 40 years after Shima’s teenage mother left home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRAILER: PINK CARD

TRAILER: PINK CARD

In Iran, women are banned from soccer stadiums. But some dare to defy that. From 30 for 30 Podcasts, Pink Card tells a story of Iranian women fighting for their rights across three generations. They use ingenious tactics and risk their lives to take back their stadiums and their joy in the game. Created by Shima Oliaee (Dolly Parton’s America, Radiolab), Pink Card will forever change how you see fandom and freedom. Available December 8th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE LONGEST GAME

THE LONGEST GAME

Baseball holds its records sacred. Most home runs, strikeouts, career wins. But what about the longest game ever? That honor goes to a 1981 AAA game, when the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings slugged it out from dusk to dawn. The record-breaking 33 innings brought hope, despair and drama on and off the field. Radio Diaries and 30 for 30 Podcasts take listeners to that frigid, surreal night with the voices who lived it – including Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. Most heroes of The Longest Game never made it big, but their unflagging endurance made history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A STREETBALL MIXTAPE

A STREETBALL MIXTAPE

Streetball. It's a style of basketball defined by trash talk, windmill dunks, no-look passes, and broken ankles. You can find streetball at city parks and rec centers, driveways and playgrounds, pro-am leagues and even -- in spirit -- NBA arenas. Through it all, you might even call it hoops in its purest form. Drawing inspiration from hip hop mixtapes, this podcast explores how streetball – and the way it’s played around the United States – has shaped not just the game of basketball, but the country's culture. In true mixtape form, the podcast is a compilation of stories, styles, and sounds, all illuminating the essence of the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE KING OF CRENSHAW BONUS: The Xtra Lap

THE KING OF CRENSHAW BONUS: The Xtra Lap

Nipsey’s life story lives on in his music, but only a handful of people witnessed Hussle in creation mode. Meet the brothers behind the beats and hear some of the secrets of the “slaps.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 4: Neighborhood Nip

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 4: Neighborhood Nip

Nipsey traveled across the world, but all of his love and loyalty funneled back to the community that raised him. With the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue as his headquarters, this episode looks at Nipsey’s devout local commitment — and how that played out in the worlds of business, philanthropy and social justice as many young Black men in the NBA began to actively engage in those areas as well. In death, Nipsey left a blueprint for this friends to follow, and through them, Nipsey’s prophetic mantra, ‘The Marathon Continues’ will do just that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 3: Songs in the Key of Life

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 3: Songs in the Key of Life

There are a ton of descriptions that could properly summarize Nipsey Hussle’s music career. But “overnight” isn’t one of them. A decade-plus-long journey through time that weaves in the highs, lows, joys and pains of Nipsey’s voyage to his debut album ‘Victory Lap.’ And how that marathon ran parallel with the NBA players who were in awe of his every move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 2: Where You From?

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 2: Where You From?

Nipsey Hussle is a Los Angeles icon, but what’s the story behind that? Before the fame, he was Ermias Asghedom, a young kid coming of age in the South Crenshaw district. Life in South LA was beautiful, but it wasn’t for the weak of heart either. This episode is a look into the world that raised, bruised, and ultimately made Nipsey Hussle the man he became. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 1: To Live and Die in LA

THE KING OF CRENSHAW Episode 1: To Live and Die in LA

When Nipsey Hussle was murdered on March 31, 2019 in front of his South LA clothing store, the tragedy elicited immediate tributes across industries, walks of life, and international borders. One world in particular where the news resonated on a personal level — the NBA, where Hussle had long, deep and authentic ties. For the host Justin Tinsley and many young Black men in the league, like DeMar DeRozan, Isaiah Thomas, and Demarcus Cousins, Nipsey was far more than a rapper who wrote the score to their lives. Hip hop has always been woven with basketball in one way or another, but why was this particular connection so deep? What was it about Nipsey Hussle that made him so much more than a friend, but rather an inspiration and beacon of light they carry with them for the rest of their lives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRAILER: THE KING OF CRENSHAW

TRAILER: THE KING OF CRENSHAW

The King of Crenshaw is a four-part podcast series that will focus on how the late Nipsey Hussle’s life, death, and legacy deeply impacted the sports world. This series aims to examine how that overlap of Black male creativity, talent, and ambition will forever live on in Nipsey’s responsibility to his neighborhood. And how NBA players are vowing to continue his marathon moving forward. From 30 for 30 Podcasts and The Undefeated. Hosted by Justin Tinsley, Senior Reporter for The Undefeated. Original music for the series by 1500 or Nothin'. All four episodes available August 23, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices