Nick Corasaniti (The New York Times) joins host Thomas Emerick to traverse from Asbury Park to the Meadowlands — and through time — to revisit Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s 2003 The Rising Tour shows at Giants Stadium. Together, they explore how the Meadowlands and the Stone Pony became home fields for Bruce — and how those venues reflect the broader culture of New Jersey music and sports.

The conversation maps out the geography of fandom across the Garden State and tri-state region: where Giants fans give way to Jets and Eagles territory, and where Springsteen’s following overlaps or competes with Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, and Sinatra. It’s a look at how those boundaries mirror the rivalries that define both music and sports. But we will be very careful about going too deep on Bruce Springsteen vs. Billy Joel in the tri-state. These two millennial Italians hailing from NJ and NY will however reminisce on favorite Giants memories from the old venue, and Week 17 against the Pats in '07 definitely makes the list. Unfortunately for the Jets, Chad Pennington got injured the same week Bruce played and it basically ended their season before it started. One of the AFC betting market favorites that year. That team is just cursed around Labor Day. Also kind of tough for the brand they had to play home games at a place called Giants Stadium for decades.

Nick and Thomas also share favorite moments from concerts and games at Giants Stadium, compare the Meadowlands experience to today’s MetLife Stadium, and revisit Bruce’s role in sending off Giants Stadium before its closure, along with basking in the glow of total New Jersey cultural dominance when Springsteen played the Super Bowl halftime show that year.

HOST

RotoViz contributor Thomas Emerick

Guest

New York Times political reporter Nick Corasiniti

Check out Nick's book: "I Don't Want to Go Home: The Oral History of the Stony Pony" (HarperCollins Publishers)

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