What does it mean to be proud in a stadium where you’re not always welcome?

In this special Pride Month episode, we sit down with LGBTQ+ fans who are reclaiming space in the stands—even as the world outside grows more hostile. From grassroots movements like PrideRaiser to the deeply personal weight of safety, inclusion, and chosen family, this episode explores what it means to show up when you’ve been pushed out.

Guests include:

• Kate Fasco, a queer supporters’ group leader creating safer spaces from the ground up
• Dan Ryan, lead engineer behind Prideraiser, on the emotional power of visibility
• Dr. Travers, sociologist and author, on trans inclusion, women’s sports, and the backlash against progress

This isn’t just a celebration. It’s a call to protect the communities that keep fandom human.

Whether you’re in the front row or fighting from the sidelines—this one’s for you.

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What do sports fandom and religion have in common?

In this episode of Heart of a Fan, we explore how faith shows up in sports—from game-day prayers to lifelong belief in a team that keeps letting you down. With Pope Leo XIV—a Chicago native, Villanova alum, and White Sox fan—now leading the Catholic Church, the line between spiritual devotion and sports devotion feels thinner than ever.

We’re joined by:

• Dr. Jeffrey Scholes, professor of religious studies and director of the Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life, who unpacks the rituals, myths, and emotional pull that connect sports to faith.
• Jordan Lazowski, editor of Sox On 35th, who shares how the White Sox community is reacting to having one of their own in the Vatican—and why sports fandom may be the most spiritually honest identity we have.

Whether your sacred space is a stadium, a pew, or the spot on your couch where you wear your lucky jersey—this episode is for you.

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In this special episode of Heart of a Fan, host Matthew Barry sits down with Rebecca Davis—co-director of the Netflix documentary Join or Die—to explore the power of community, the decline of civic life, and why sports fandom might be the last great space for belonging in modern America.

Based on the groundbreaking research of Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam (Bowling Alone), this conversation dives into what we’re really losing when we stop joining clubs, cheering together, or showing up for one another—and how we can rebuild that connection through student sections, supporters’ groups, and small acts of togetherness.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or just feeling the weight of isolation, this episode is for anyone who believes in the power of showing up—for your team, your community, and your future.

🎧 Featuring:
– Why social capital matters more than ever
– How fandom functions as modern civic life
– The story behind Join or Die and its mission
– What teams, fans, and institutions can do to rebuild trust

📍Watch the film: joinordiefilm.com
🎥 Now streaming on Netflix
🌐 Learn more: heartofafan.org

Men are lonelier than ever — and often afraid to talk about it. Could fan communities be part of the cure?

In 2023, the NYT asked: Is the cure for male loneliness out on the pickleball court?
It sparked a meme. But behind the jokes is something serious: men struggling with connection, stigma, and silence.

This week on Heart of a Fan, we ask: Can sports fandom — tailgates, group chats, road trips, and emotional highs and lows — offer something more?

Hear from fans like James Eastman, Thomas “Grim” Brannon, Nafis Ricks, and Jaguars Fan of the Year Tyler Derby on how their fan communities became a lifeline. We also explore the “online disinhibition effect” — why fans sometimes attack their own — and how we can build more emotionally honest fan spaces.

💛 This episode is dedicated to Raiders fan Kelsey Ramos. Please consider donating to her family and to Grim’s cancer fundraiser via the links below.

—

Donate & support featured fans:
→ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kelsys-kids-through-their-loss
→ https://gofund.me/ada6e76b

Learn more or share your own story:
→ heartofafan.org

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What does it really mean to make sports fandom accessible? In this episode, we sit down with three powerful voices—disability advocate and hockey fan Chanel Keenan, KultureCity Executive Director Uma Srivastava, and Raiders superfan Keith Smith—to explore the physical, sensory, and emotional barriers that can keep fans from fully joining the stadium experience.

From navigating stadium layouts and sensory overload to rethinking outdated systems and design assumptions, this episode explores the difference between being ADA-compliant and truly inclusive. We also dive into the social model of disability, the emotional power of communitas, and why exclusion from shared fan experiences severs more than just attendance—it severs connection.

Because fandom is more than watching a game. It’s memory. It’s belonging. It’s community. And everyone deserves a seat at the game.

If you have a story about how you’ve built a community through sports fandom or wish to record your own unique story of fandom, please feel free to reach out to us at our website, heartofafan.org. If you’ve enjoyed what you just heard, please consider subscribing to get new stories in your inbox every other Tuesday.

🎧 New episodes every other Tuesday on Spotify, iTunes, or heartofafan.org.

Want to grow a women’s sports team the right way? This episode gives you the blueprint.

With expansion on the horizon for leagues like the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL, the real challenge isn’t just where the next team lands — it’s how to build a fanbase that actually sticks. In this episode of Heart of a Fan, Matthew Barry sits down with Lauren Teague, Dr. Ceyda Mumcu, Jennifer Garrett, and Shea Dawson for a crash course on how to grow women’s sports fandom with authenticity, consistency, and community.

From debunking outdated marketing tactics like “Pink it and Shrink it” to exploring Visibility Theory and Social Adaptation Theory, we unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what it’ll take to make women’s sports part of the mainstream — for good.

If you care about the future of sports, fandom, and representation, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Five years removed from empty arenas, we ask: what did we lose — and what did we learn?

The pandemic changed everything, including how we experience sports. In this special episode, Heart of a Fan reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on fans, teams, and communities — from the silence of canceled seasons to the surprising growth of online connection and fan creativity.

Through stories from across sports, we look back at how fans adapted, grieved, rebuilt — and what the future of community looks like in a world forever changed.

In this episode of Heart of a Fan, we dive deep into the emotional and social impact of the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl victory. This wasn't just a win on the field—it was a victory for a city, a community, and fans around the world.

We explore the powerful concepts of Collective Effervescence, Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRGing), and the Emotional Benefits of Shared Experiences, all through the lens of Eagles Nation. From fans celebrating with strangers on Broad Street to those honoring loved ones who couldn't be there, this episode captures the heart and soul of what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Join us as we share fan stories, expert insights, and a deep look into how sports victories create lifelong memories and a sense of belonging.

🎧If you have a story about how you’ve built a community through sports fandom or wish to record your own unique story of fandom, please feel free to reach out to us at our website, heartofafan.org. If you’ve enjoyed what you just heard, please consider subscribing to get new stories in your inbox every other Tuesday.

🎧 New episodes every other Tuesday on Spotify, iTunes, or heartofafan.org.