Join or Die: What Fandom Can Teach Us About Saving Community

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.

“Fandom isn’t just showing up. It’s building something worth coming back to.”

Heart of a Fan is a podcast about sports fans who build, organize, and give back — from founding supporters’ groups and fundraising for local causes to keeping traditions alive and creating space for others to belong.

We spotlight the people who shape fan culture from the ground up — because the stories of sports fans deserve to be told, remembered, and celebrated.

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