‘The Franchise’
An 8-part podcast exploring the intersection of sports and American Jewish culture, hosted by Meredith Shiner
October 11, 2022
Throughout America’s rich and complicated history, sports has served as a useful lens to examine broader cultural moments. When you look beyond buzzer beaters and extra innings, MVPs and Major Leaguers, you discover the story of how American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and sports imprinted itself onto Jews. The stories of how we’ve assimilated, how we’ve maintained our otherness, how we obsess, how we pass on traditions to our children, how we take communal pride in ourselves and our success, and also how we feel shamed by stereotypes and moral failure, all can be told through the lens of sports. The podcast explores the moments and the people—the athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who merged these two very American worlds.
Throughout America’s rich and complicated history, sports has served as a useful lens to examine broader cultural moments. When you look beyond buzzer beaters and extra innings, MVPs and Major Leaguers, you discover the story of how American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and sports imprinted itself onto Jews. The stories of how we’ve assimilated, how we’ve maintained our otherness, how we obsess, how we pass on traditions to our children, how we take communal pride in ourselves and our success, and also how we feel shamed by stereotypes and moral failure, all can be told through the lens of sports. The podcast explores the moments and the people—the athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who merged these two very American worlds.
The Franchise Trailer
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The Franchise Trailer
Episode 1:
The Franchise
Genesis: Sandy Koufax as Model Minority
Ep 1: Baseball, Yom Kippur, and what it means to be a Jewish athlete in America—then and now
October 12, 2022
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For more information about Episode 1, click here.
Episode 2:
The Franchise
Reevaluating ‘Jewish Jordan’ Tamir Goodman
Ep. 2: In the basketball-crazed ’90s, a Jewish sports hero was anointed. But looking beyond the headlines, did we get the story right?
October 19, 2022
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For more information about Episode 2, click here.
Episode 3:
The Franchise
40 Years in the Desert: Jews and the New York Mets
Ep. 3: How the most Jewish team in the most Jewish sport embodies endless suffering—and the unwavering belief that this season might be different
October 26, 2022
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For more information about Episode 3, click here.
Episode 4:
The Franchise
Jewish Sports Nerds and Their Path to the Promised Land
Ep 4: How ‘Moneyball’ changed the game and opened the door to new careers in sports
November 02, 2022
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For more information about Episode 4, click here.
Halftime:
The Franchise
The Halftime Show
Taking a break to dance with the 1990s New York Knicks and analyze the Kyrie Irving controversy
November 09, 2022
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For more information about the Halftime Show, click here.
Ep. 5:
The Franchise
Shondas and Stereotypes: Jewish Sports Team Owners
Ep. 5: Exploring the complicated way we feel when high profile Jews behave badly
November 16, 2022
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For more information about Episode 5, click here.
Ep. 6:
The Franchise
The Sports Mitzvah
Ep. 6: How the world of professional sports reshaped a rite of passage for American Jewish teens
November 30, 2022
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For more information about Episode 6, click here.
Ep. 7:
The Franchise
Sports, Identity, and Justice
Ep. 7: From Sandy Koufax to Sue Bird
December 07, 2022
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For more information about Episode 7, click here.
Ep. 8:
The Franchise
The Postgame Show
Ep. 8: Looking back on the season, and what we learned about Jews, sports, and America
December 14, 2022
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For more information about Episode 8, click here.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at (917) 310-0456.
Tablet Studios is the premier destination for smart and entertaining Jewish audio content. Our podcasts include Unorthodox, Take One, Hebrew School, and the limited-run series Gatecrashers, Adventures with Dead Jews, Radioactive: The Father Coughlin Story, The Franchise, and 49 Days to Stretch My Soul.
