30 For 30 Podcasts

Five years ago, Americans woke up on March 11 2020 in one reality and, by the time they went to sleep that night, they were living with a new one. Hear the story of the day everything changed — the day the NBA shut down and the pandemic became real — as told by those who lived it. This episode originally aired December 21, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Race Day arrives. Nicole travels to Big Hill Lake, Kansas to compete in a 50-mile race against horses. All the training, medications, and strife have built up to this moment. The trail opens and Nicole begins the race of a lifetime. But can she beat even one horse? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In order to run a 50-mile race against a horse, Nicole must first figure out how to safely train by herself and how to run next to horses. Her epilepsy makes this challenging. Some days are good and some days are bad. So Nicole does what most athletes do when they hit a low: she gets a trainer. Enter Coach Sarah Scozzaro.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With her epilepsy somewhat under control, Nicole sets her sights on racing a horse. She begins by exploring a theory known as “The Endurance Running Hypothesis.” To understand how this theory works, Nicole explores the long history of humans outracing four-legged animals, like persistence hunters that track and chase kudus in Namibia. Then she travels to Arizona to witness the human vs. horse races of today: meeting horse riders and ultramarathoners who compete alongside each other in impressive, 50-mile runs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Nicole Teeny, a long-distance runner with a wild dream: to outrun a horse. It all started with a book, Born to Run, a theory, and an epilepsy diagnosis. After experiencing several life-altering seizures, Nicole must come to grips with a new normal and a new body. In this reality, the seizures begin to take on a greater significance, like raging animals—horses—inside her mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Runner Nicole Teeny wants to do something possibly absurd: race an ultramarathon against a horse. It all started with a theory and a diagnosis. In GIRL v. HORSE, a four-part podcast from 30 for 30 Podcasts, Teeny comes to terms with being diagnosed with epilepsy, and hating the loss of control, decides to push her body to the limit.  In the process, she investigates how evolution drove humans to become runners—and what horses have to do with it—all while training to beat a steed and settle the battle between mind versus body and girl versus horse. Who will win?  Coming September 24th on your favorite podcast player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Let's Talk Clipped, a companion podcast for FX's Clipped, a Hulu sports drama based on the 30 for 30 Podcasts series, The Sterling Affairs.  In our final episode, host Ramona Shelburne chats with returning guests Gina Welch (showrunner, writer, and executive producer of Clipped) and writer and producer Rembert Browne about the sixth and final episode of Clipped, “Keep Smiling.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Let's Talk Clipped, a companion podcast for FX's Clipped, a Hulu sports drama based on the 30 for 30 Podcasts series, The Sterling Affairs.  In this episode, host Ramona Shelburne chats with Jacki Weaver, the actor who plays Shelly Sterling, and Ed O'Neill, who plays Donald Sterling, about the fifth episode of Clipped, “The Best Words.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Let's Talk Clipped, a companion podcast for FX's Clipped, a Hulu sports drama based on the 30 for 30 Podcasts series, The Sterling Affairs.  In this episode, guest host Clinton Yates (host of ESPN Daily) speaks with actor Kelly AuCoin, who plays Clippers Executive Andy Roeser, and director Kevin Bray about the fourth episode of Clipped, “Winning Ugly.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As WWI rages, Hobey arrives in France to prepare for aerial combat. He embraces being a fighter pilot, finding the adrenaline-fueled commonality between war and sports. While in Europe, Hobey exchanges dozens of affectionate and loving letters with Percy Pyne. And during his off-duty forays into Paris, Hobey experiences the city's lively cultural scene – including a reignited friendship with famed songwriter Cole Porter. After proving his combat valor in the air, Hobey – now a captain - receives his orders to return home, but he insists on taking one last flight. It would turn out to be his last one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His Princeton glory days behind him, Hobey moves to New York and begins a job at JP Morgan Bank. A member of what would be called the Lost Generation, Hobey misses the adrenaline rush of his college sports stardom and becomes despondent. But he soon finds himself in the social circles of the flamboyant and extremely wealthy Percy Rivington Pyne 2nd, who invites Hobey to live with him in his Gilded Age Manhattan mansion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Hobey Baker makes his triumphant Princeton hockey debut against Williams, we travel back to his early days attending St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. He develops a reputation as both an athletic phenom and a kind, generous sportsman. After the economic crash of 1907, his father struggles to send him to college at Princeton where he becomes a two-sport star in football and hockey. After graduation, Hobey embarks on a summer motorcycle trip around Europe – a grand experience interrupted by the ominous clouds of conflict circling the continent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Let's Talk Clipped, a companion podcast for FX's Clipped, a Hulu sports drama based on the 30 for 30 Podcasts series, The Sterling Affairs.  Each week, Ramona Shelburne, host and reporter of The Sterling Affairs and executive producer of Clipped, sits down with cast and writers from the show to talk about the latest episode.  In this episode, Ramona chats with Cleopatra Coleman, the actor who plays V. Stiviano and J. Alphonse Nicholson, who plays Chris Paul, about the third episode of Clipped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Let's Talk Clipped, a companion podcast for FX's Clipped, a Hulu sports drama based on the 30 for 30 Podcasts series, The Sterling Affairs.  Each week, Ramona Shelburne, host and reporter of The Sterling Affairs and executive producer of Clipped, sits down with cast and writers from the show to talk about the latest episode.  In this episode, Ramona chats with show runner, writer, and executive producer Gina Welch and writer and producer Rembert Browne about the first two episodes of Clipped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been ten years since Donald Sterling was banned for life from the NBA. In this very special bonus episode, we check in with our Sterling Affairs' mainstays: Shelly, V., and of course, the Los Angeles Clippers. A whole lot has changed for the allegedly cursed team in the past decade, from a new owner to a new arena. But can they actually take home a title?  Guests: Marc Spears, Zach Lowe, Steve Mason, John Ireland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Donald Sterling story comes to an end where it all started — with a showdown in court. This time, though, it's Donald vs. Shelly.  This series was originally aired in 2019. We're re-releasing it in anticipation of the FX and Hulu series, Clipped, a six-part sports drama based on The Sterling Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the explosive tape of Donald Sterling broke, it came at a moment when power in the NBA was changing. Players, owners, and a new commissioner were faced with a major test that would re-shape the league.  This series was originally aired in 2019. We're re-releasing it in anticipation of the FX and Hulu series, Clipped, a six-part sports drama based on The Sterling Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald and Shelly Sterling escaped poverty, reinvented themselves, and became the biggest residential landlords in LA. But in housing and basketball, they never had to face the consequences of their actions.  This series was originally aired in 2019. We're re-releasing it in anticipation of the FX and Hulu series, Clipped, a six-part sports drama based on The Sterling Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout the 80s and 90s, the Clippers were horrible and Donald Sterling was known as the worst owner in sports. But Donald Sterling wasn't the joke we all thought he was.  This series was originally aired in 2019. We're re-releasing it in anticipation of the FX and Hulu series, Clipped, a six-part sports drama based on The Sterling Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A domestic battle boils over and sends the NBA into crisis when secretly recorded tapes of Donald Sterling and his mistress V. Stiviano leak on TMZ.  This series was originally aired in 2019. We're re-releasing it in anticipation of the FX and Hulu series, Clipped, a six-part sports drama based on The Sterling Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 30 for 30 Podcast, The Sterling Affairs, is turning into a TV show! It's called Clipped. It starts airing on FX and Hulu on Tuesday, June 4.  In anticipation of Clipped, we're re-releasing The Sterling Affairs. If you're new, check it out. If you've already heard the series, stick around. We have a brand new, never-been-aired bonus episode coming out on Friday, May 31.  Finally, we're releasing a Sterling Affairs spinoff podcast, Let's Talk Clipped. Ramona Shelburne, host of the original series, will sit down with the cast and crew of Clipped in engaging, spoiler-filled conversations that follow along with the TV show. First episode drops Tuesday, June 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every hockey fan knows the name Hobey Baker - collegiate hockey's most prestigious trophy is named after him - but very few know the real story of this all-time great athlete. Using an archive of personal letters and source materials provided by the Mudd Library at Princeton University, as well as original research, the series charts Hobey's glory days as the best collegiate hockey and football player in the nation, his post-grad ennui in Gilded Age New York City, and his exploits as a WWI fighter pilot, which ended tragically in a mysterious crash in 1918. Beyond Hobey's adventures on the ice and in the air, this podcast also re-contextualizes the hockey legend through the lens of his lesser known struggles as a queer man in the early 20th century. Listen to the three-part series wherever you get your podcasts June 12th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 odds of seeing a Black American baseball player on the diamond were higher in the 1950s than they are today. Baseball's future will be defined by how it reckons with the past. But is it too little too late? Check out ABC Audio's "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baseball's institutions fail to recognize Negro Leaguers as pressure builds for the sport to reconsider who counts as one of the greats. Check out ABC Audio's "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jackie Robinson is signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, he opens a door that was closed for decades. The move changes baseball forever and sets Negro Leagues players on a new trajectory. But integration comes with a heavier price than they could've ever imagined. Check out ABC Audio's "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To draw crowds to their games, Black baseball players develop a signature style of play. It captivates audiences around the world — even gets the attention of one of Latin America's most notorious dictators. Check out ABC Audio's "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The newly founded Negro Leagues struggle to catch on — until savvy businessmen and fierce rivalries propel Black baseball to the national stage. Check out ABC Audio's "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing a new series, "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League," from our partners at ABC Audio. For decades, Black baseball players were excluded from the major leagues and forced to create their own space: the Negro Leagues. In the new season of the award-winning podcast "Reclaimed," Vanessa Ivy Rose, granddaughter of Negro Leagues star Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, brings us on a quest to excavate his story and those of other Black players who were shut out of the majors, a legacy that still haunts the sport. Check out "Reclaimed: The Forgotten League" on Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/27krwnxr), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/mvejpt2t), Amazon Music (https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfkmu), or wherever you're listening now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 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

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

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? Coming April 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(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

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

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

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

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

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

From 30 for 30 Podcasts, The Longest Game tells the story of a surreal baseball game, a record-breaking 33 innings. As they slug it out from dusk to dawn, the teams make history. Full episode available August 23, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Americans woke up on March 11 2020 in one reality and, by the time they went to sleep that night, they were living with a new one. Hear the story of the day everything changed — the day the NBA shut down and the pandemic became real — as told by those who lived it.

There has perhaps been no greater event in recent history that has so clearly underlined how integral sports are to our culture than the coronavirus pandemic has. March 11 2020 will tell the story of a seismic day that started in one reality and ended with a new one — the day the NBA shut down and the pandemic became real — as told by those who lived it. Full episode available December 21, 2020.