The Fandom of the Opera: A Linebacker, a White Whale... and a Secret
14 April 2026

The Fandom of the Opera: A Linebacker, a White Whale... and a Secret

Pablo Torre Finds Out

About

We get it: As Timothée Chalamet said, "no one cares" about opera. But you should listen, instead, to former college linebacker Brandon Jovanovich — whose impossible rise from cater waiter to Captain Ahab proves that the artform that used to rule the world has way more in common with sports than you realize. (And that's even before you realize what he's been playing through, onstage.) Also: what a castrato is, Bugs Bunny, actual divas, Modell's and monster trucks.


Further content:


• "Inhabiting Ahab" (Patrick J. Sauer)


• Vote for PTFO at The Webby Awards: Best Sports Podcast + Experimental & Innovation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.