Is football America’s true religion? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel sit down with ESPN’s Adam Schefter—who they dub as the “Pope” of NFL information—to explore the game’s unmatched hold on American life. From the gridiron to the pulpit, they discuss how football has eclipsed baseball as the nation’s pastime, what it says about our shared culture, and how faith, fandom, and identity intertwine every Sunday.

Schefter reflects on his unlikely rise from a rejected Michigan freshman to one of sports media’s most trusted voices, and opens up about his deeply personal book *The Man I Never Met*, honoring his wife’s late husband who perished on 9/11.

The conversation moves from locker rooms to life lessons—touching on ethics in sports, personal faith, and the ways football mirrors both our values and our vices. The episode closes with a visit from former Michigan defensive back Jeff Cohen, who revisits his now-legendary decision to play on Yom Kippur under Bo Schembechler, proving once again that faith and football often share the same field.

Adam Schefter

https://x.com/AdamSchefter?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/adamschefter/?hl=en

ESPN football:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/

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/#

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