Searching For Hobey Baker

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

From triumph to tragedy, this series chronicles the life of hockey star Hobey Baker, who was both a nationally renowned figure and a closeted man whose romantic life has long been a subject of speculation. The saga includes his glory days at Princeton University where he excelled as the best hockey and football player in the nation, his post-college experience in Gilded Age New York City, the relationships that defined his life, and his exploits as a World War I fighter pilot, which ended in a mysterious crash and his death at 26 years old in December 1918.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The Hobey Baker podcast set a new standard for ESPN for a podcast whose subject passed before the advent of significant modern audio or video coverage. While ESPN would likely be unable to produce a documentary film on Hobey’s life using archival material, the team creatively used David Duchovney as a narrator and included written materials such as letters and newspaper articles in order to bring Hobey’s story to life. The audience responded to this approach as people were able to learn about Hobey’s story in a way that was much more immersive than many other platforms would have been able to provide.

Objective

Every fervent American hockey fan knows the name Hobey Baker - collegiate hockey’s most prestigious trophy is named for him - but few know the real story of this legendary player. Using an archive of personal letters, newly unearthed source materials, and extensive interviews, the podcast recontextualizes this athletic phenom through the lens of his lesser-known struggles as a queer man in the early 20th century.

The result of four painstaking years of research and reporting, it takes a profound investigative look at the complicated, unforgettable life of a fascinating figure. The journey not only takes us through that life, but also explores the ways we have obscured, and too often marginalized, LGBTQ people in America: erasing them from history—especially when it comes to sports.

Strategy & Execution

One of the challenges of telling this story was bringing the early 20th century, a time before audio recordings, to life. To do this, the production team worked with voice actors to read from a trove of personal letters, newspaper articles, and journal entries. In addition, an immersive sound-design and original score were used to enhance the listening experience.

The podcast features experts who explain how gay relationships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were given significantly more space than we might imagine. The growing and emboldened homophobia of the last two-thirds of the 20th century has blinded us to the comparative permissiveness of the decades before.

Organizations

• ESPN Films
• 30 for 30 Podcasts
• Ross Greenburg Productions
• Silver Sound

Links

•   30 for 30 Podcasts
•  Ep. 1 - The Natural
•  Ep. 2 - The Lost Generation
•  Ep. 3 - Going West
•  Spotify
•  Apple
•  Amazon

Featured

• Hobey Baker (Athlete)
• David Duchovny (Narrator)

Credits

Timothy Smith
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Andrew Reynolds
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Ross Greenburg
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

David Duchovny
Narrator
30 for 30 Podcasts

Cory Choy
Producer & Re-Recording Mixer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Luke Allen
Supervising Sound Designer
30 for 30 Podcasts

John Sands
Music Composition & Supervision
30 for 30 Podcasts

Evan Jaenichen
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Hunt Beaty
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Reed Adler
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Tom Fama
Studio Recording
30 for 30 Podcasts

Tarcisio Longobardi
Location Recordig
30 for 30 Podcasts

Christian Cuciniello
Location Recording & Sound Editing
30 for 30 Podcasts

Wenrui Zhao
Sound Editing
30 for 30 Podcasts

Carolyn Hepburn
Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Tara Nadolny
Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Adizah Eghan
Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Cath Sankey
Line Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Gus Navarro
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Isabella Seman
Associate Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Diamante McKelvie
Production Assitant
30 for 30 Podcasts

Anthony Salas
Production Assistant
30 for 30 Podcasts

Marquis Daisy
Senior Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Gentry Kirby
Senior Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Heather Anderson
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Marsha Cooke
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Brian Lockhart
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Burke Magnus
Executive Producer
30 for 30 Podcasts

Preeti Varathan
Head of Audio
30 for 30 Podcasts