College football has its sacred places, rituals, traditions, rivalries—and some very devoted believers. So when does fandom begin to look a little like faith?
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome ESPN’s Paul Finebaum for a wide-ranging conversation about the two worlds that have shaped his life: Judaism and college football.
Finebaum reflects on growing up Jewish in Memphis, attending an Orthodox synagogue, losing his father at a young age, and navigating a career in Southern sports while trying to maintain a connection to Jewish tradition. He recalls covering an Auburn game while fasting on Yom Kippur, searching out synagogues while traveling through SEC country, and the complicated ways he has continued Jewish practices in honor of his parents.
Along the way, the three wrestle with questions that extend far beyond sports: What do we owe the communities and institutions we love? When does loyalty become idolatry? How much wrongdoing are we willing to overlook when our side keeps winning? And can the things that divide us also provide a common language that brings us together?
Plus: Finebaum on the changing economics of college sports, the decline of the NCAA, the Big Ten versus the SEC, Michigan’s recent controversies, the traditions every college football fan should experience—and the three people he’d invite to his Yom Kippur break-fast.
Paul Finebaum:
https://www.secsports.com/championships/the-paul-finebaum-show2
https://www.instagram.com/finebaumshow/?hl=en
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:
https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove
https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove
Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org
https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#
Jon Frankel:
https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel
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