The Franchise is a new eight-part series exploring how contemporary American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and how sports imprinted itself onto Jewish traditions. Hosted by Meredith Shiner and produced by the team behind Unorthodox, the No. 1 Jewish podcast, The Franchise highlights the moments and the people—athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who are writing this uniquely, American Jewish story.
The series begins in 1965 with Sandy Koufax, and traces the arc of American Jews and sports since then: from probing the so-called Koufax curse that befalls Jewish athletes who play on Yom Kippur to reevaluating the "Jewish Jordan" phenomenon and wondering why Jews love teams that always seem to lose, and much more.
The Franchise premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
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The Franchise is a new eight-part series exploring how contemporary American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and how sports imprinted itself onto Jewish traditions. Hosted by Meredith Shiner and produced by the team behind Unorthodox, the No. 1 Jewish podcast, The Franchise highlights the moments and the people—athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who are writing this uniquely, American Jewish story.
The series begins in 1965 with Sandy Koufax, and traces the arc of American Jews and sports since then: from probing the so-called Koufax curse that befalls Jewish athletes who play on Yom Kippur to reevaluating the "Jewish Jordan" phenomenon and wondering why Jews love teams that always seem to lose, and much more.
The Franchise premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
We’re halfway through our series, so on this bonus mini episode we’re heading to the locker room for halftime. First, a look at the surprisingly Jewish story behind the iconic sound of the 1990s New York Knicks with Pam Harris, the former Madison Square Garden marketing executive who spearheaded the creation of the Knicks City Dancers and the incredibly catchy “Go NY Go” theme song. Then, an analysis of Kyrie Irving’s recent antisemitic statements and the failure of the institutions around him to truly hold him accountable.
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Over the course of this series, host Meredith Shiner explores how Jewish culture, American culture, and sports culture intersect. She’ll talk to journalists, athletes, amateur and professional sports nerds, and fans who have spent as much time obsessing over these topics as she has.
Previous episodes:
Ep. 4: Jewish Sports Nerds and Their Path to the Promised Land
Ep. 3: Forty Years in the Desert: Jews and the New York Mets
Ep. 2: Reevaluating ‘Jewish Jordan’ Tamir Goodman
Ep. 1: Genesis: Sandy Koufax as Model Minority
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at franchise@tabletmag.com. Check out the full series at tabletmag.com/thefranchise
The Franchise: Jews, Sports, and America
The Franchise is a new eight-part series exploring how contemporary American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and how sports imprinted itself onto Jewish traditions. Hosted by Meredith Shiner and produced by the team behind Unorthodox, the No. 1 Jewish podcast, The Franchise highlights the moments and the people—athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who are writing this uniquely, American Jewish story.
The series begins in 1965 with Sandy Koufax, and traces the arc of American Jews and sports since then: from probing the so-called Koufax curse that befalls Jewish athletes who play on Yom Kippur to reevaluating the "Jewish Jordan" phenomenon and wondering why Jews love teams that always seem to lose, and much more.
The Franchise premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
