Thrill Of Defeat

Comedy writer and sports obsessive Dan Hopper interviews comedians & writers from different fanbases to hear about their funniest and most painful memories of rooting for their hometown team. We’ll learn how they became fans of their team, why they’re STILL fans, and bask in the hilarious and heartbreaking shared pain of what it means to be a sports fan.

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Episodes

Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

Comedians Megan Gailey (ESPY Awards, Roast of Tom Brady) and Tom Thakkar (Conan, Tonight Show) discuss their beloved Indianapolis Colts, from the highs of getting blackout drunk during the Super Bowl and flipping off a Chicago cop, to the lows of ending a friendship over *another* Peyton Manning choke-job. It's a bittersweet journey through the Brady/Manning rivalry, the tragedy of Andrew Luck, and Marvin Harrison maybe sorta killing a guy?

Tuesday Nov 11, 2025

Jacksonville Jaguars fans: Who are they? What are their customs? Are they mythical creatures? Comedian and real live Jaguars fan Brennan Tasseff (Your Ex Drinking Buddy Podcast) is here to answer everyone's BURNING questions about the NFL's most teal franchise, from their brief moment of '90s coolness to the fleeting hope of Party Boy Blake Bortles.

Tuesday Oct 21, 2025

The Ravens started existing in 1996 and have already witnessed two Super Bowls, a Ray Lewis murder investigation, a hall of fame kicker's sex scandal, the best defense of all time, the worst Super Bowl QB of all time (arguably), and a year of Elvis Grbac (?) Natalie McGill (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and Bill Oakley (The Simpsons) talk about the rise of Ravens fandom, their go-to gameday foods, the nervous thrill of watching Lamar Jackson, and why Maryland is the only state that cares about their flag.

Tuesday Oct 14, 2025

Writers Joe Wengert (New Girl, Big Mouth) and Patrick Sauer (Squawkin' Sports) relive the many fascinating eras of the Sixers, from Dr. J. and Moses Malone to Charles Barkley to Allen Iverson to "The Process" and Joel Embiid -- truly, one of the most fascinating teams that hasn't won a title in over 40 years.

Tuesday Sep 30, 2025

Comedian Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight, Desus & Mero) and writer Luke O'Neil (Welcome To Hell World) talk about what it was like to root FOR the Brady/Belichick Patriots, reactionary Boston sports fans, Tom Brady's flammability, cueing up the Boston accent, and being a Lefty sports fan in the Era of Trump.

Tuesday Sep 23, 2025

Comedian & Bengals superfan Michael Turner forces us to feel what it's like to be a Bengals fan, from the hopeless '90s Bengals and Corey Dillon's "flipping burgers" comment, to Vontaze Burfict murdering Antonio Brown, to doing a Walk of Shame home from the Super Bowl in a full tiger suit.

Tuesday Sep 09, 2025

Comedian Sarah Tiana (The Roast Of Tom Brady) talks about growing up in Georgia during the Braves' heyday, plus the Tomahawk Chop, meeting Derek Jeter and Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones's depressing final season, and her rotating hatred for the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Phillies.

Tuesday Aug 19, 2025

Knicks diehards Dan Devine (Yahoo Senior NBA Writer) and Jason Concepcion (X-Ray Vision) help us re-live Patrick Ewing's giant knee braces, a Finals game preempted by OJ, the tragic arc of John Starks, Spike vs. Reggie, Everyone vs. MJ, and a lifetime of rooting for a marquee NBA franchise that was somehow the worst team in the league over a TWENTY year span.

Tuesday Aug 12, 2025

The 49ers were SUCH a dynasty in the '80s, no one even felt bad when they lost THREE Super Bowls since 2013. Former 49er Brendan Darby and his podcast co-host Vince Mancini (The Frotcast) explain Niners fandom, Brendan's training camp with the team, classy sideline suits, QBs opening car doors for moms, and whether we can ever TRULY feel bad for fans who've had it so good.

Tuesday Aug 05, 2025

The Tennessee Titans pulled off the Music City Miracle and came up ONE YARD short in the Super Bowl in their first-ever season... and haven't been back since. Jesse Farrar (Your Kickstarter Sucks) explains what it's like to root for this death-cursed team that's DETERMINED to never have a quarterback. Plus Jesse's TRUE feelings about KIND Bars, Wawa, and Mark Cuban.

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