The Pickup Game

The Pickup Game podcast is about street football or soccer in New York City. It's a portrait of a rich, diverse community that transcends societal divisions and politics. We're reaching out to players and communities everywhere to share their voices with us. Please write to us at jc@pencilandpaper.net

The Pickup Game is a sports podcast hosted by JC, with 26 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

JC hosts The Pickup Game, a sports show with 26 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  The Pickup Game

  First connection with another player.

  Aug 13, 20261 min

  During my travels to different parts of the world, I sought out games. I played with orphans, gangsters, military personnel, cops, NGO workers, artists, lawyers, politicians—you name it, they were all on the pitch. The games took place in conflict zones, rural areas, on beaches, cement courts, wooden floors, or in parks. Each person and place had its own unique flavor. Every game was different, yet approached in the same way. You were no one until you made your first connection with another player.

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  The Pickup Game

  A February Morning in Chișinău

  Aug 6, 20260 minS1

  On a February Sunday morning in Chisinau, I was told to take a minivan to the outskirts of the city. We drove through the cold winter desolation until the last stop. I got off, and there wasn’t a soul around as I looked at the makeshift directions to get to the field. I walked through broken courtyards and arrived at a cracked cement pitch with netless goals. It didn’t feel right until I saw the players arriving. They were an amazing cast of characters I had the privilege to play with.

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  Episode #24

  Jean-Christophe Couet

  Jul 16, 202630 minS1

  It’s not every day that I get interviewed by New York Public Radio’s John Schaefer at WNYC. At the beginning of the year, I started a podcast about the pickup game in New York City. Through a series of interviews, it became a portrait of the city. Our diverse players transcend societal divisions and politics, discussing everything we loved and feared in a shared environment. In this interview, I talk about my origins, my work, my discovery of art in the game, and looking to the future of bridging communities.

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  The Pickup Game

  Rob Blackman and Juan Sanguinetti

  Jul 9, 202645 min

  In the penultimate episode of Season 1 of The Pickup Game, I am joined by Rob Blackman and Juan Sanguinetti. The World Cup has been divisive for some, polarizing for others, and enthralling for many. It has brought countless people from diverse backgrounds together to celebrate our differences, something those of us in New York experience daily.

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  Episode #22

  Joe Cogan

  Jul 2, 202629 minS1

  In episode 22 of The Pickup Game , Joe Cogan of Parkit Management talks to me about the Goals for Good competition, the World Cup fever engulfing the U.S., and rewarding simple actions for the people who need it most.

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Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

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