30 For 30 Podcasts

A bonus conversation about the new 30 for 30 film 'The Good, The Bad, The Hungry,' which examines the contests between Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut, a rivalry that defined the sport of competitive eating. Jody Avirgan talks with director Nicole Lucas Haimes about how Kobayashi, was transformed from hero to villain, and what the film can tell us about our present cultural moment. The film debuts Tuesday July 2 at 8pm ET on ESPN. You can find more bonus episodes about 30 for 30 in our archives: http://bit.ly/30Chat.

To wrap up our first batch of 10th anniversary episodes, we revisit a film that may have had more of an impact than any other 30 for 30. In 1984, the city of Chicago plunged into sorrow when star high school basketball player Benjamin "Benji" Wilson was killed in a shooting. Director's Coodie and Chike chat with Jody Avirgan about their film on his life and death. Then, Benji's killer Billy Moore and former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discuss how the film opened up doors for reconciliation in the Chicago community. 'Benji' and the entire 30 for 30 collection are available exclusively on our streaming service ESPN+: es.pn/2shPit7. All bonus conversations about 30 for 30 films are available in our archives: http://bit.ly/30Chat.

Our anniversary series rolls on with a changeup pitch--a look at the niche phenomenon of fake 30 for 30s. Producers Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda, parodied 30 for 30 by 'documenting' classic sports movies like 'Space Jam' as if they were real life stories. On this episode, Jody Avirgan speaks to them about how a parody can help us better understand the original work, and how their faux 30 for 30s inspired their Netflix series 'American Vandal.' | All our bonus conversations are available in our archives: http://bit.ly/30Chat.

Any retrospective on the 30 for 30 series must include 'OJ: Made In America,' the five-part, seven-and-a-half hour film that broke away from the usual format to great acclaim. On episode three of our anniversary series, Jody Avirgan talks with the film's director Ezra Edelman about how he used OJ's Simpson's life story as a venue to explore America's complicated racial history, as well as his rise and fall as a sports icon. The film and the entire 30 for 30 collection are available exclusively on our streaming service ESPN+: es.pn/2shPit7. All bonus conversations about 30 for 30 films are available in our archives: http://bit.ly/30Chat.

Our 10th anniversary podcast series continues with the director responsible for more 30 for 30 films than anyone else, Jonathan Hock. His six films have covered the iconic Jim Valvano and his 1983 NC State basketball team's run to the championship, the infamous Soviet hockey team, and the fleeting promise of great young athletes. In this episode, Hock talks to Jody Avirgan about why few things are as irretrievable as an athlete's past triumphs. These films and the entire 30 for 30 collection are available exclusively on our streaming service ESPN+ (es.pn/2shPit7), and all our bonus conversations about 30 for 30 films are available in our podcast archives (http://bit.ly/30Chat).