30 for 30 Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

How The Sterling Affairs Became Clipped May 28, 2024

Show notes

The 30 for 30 Podcast, The Sterling Affairs, is turning into a TV show! It’s called Clipped. It starts streaming on Hulu on Tuesday, June 4.

In anticipation of FX’s 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 FX’s Clipped in engaging, spoiler-filled conversations that follow along with the TV show.

First episode drops Tuesday, June 4.

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THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

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.

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TRAILER: THROUGH THE FLAMES: REGGIE'S CHURCH Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

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.

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THE BAG GAME Episode 1: The Making of Billy Preston Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

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THE BAG GAME Episode 2: Nichole and the Bag Man Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

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THE BAG GAME Episode 3: The Sting Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

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THE BAG GAME Episode 4: Plausible Deniability Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

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TRAILER: THE BAG GAME Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

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.

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PINK CARD Episode 1: Red Girl Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

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.

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PINK CARD Episode 2: The Mannequins Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

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.

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