Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 204 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Chad Finn, a sports media writer and general columnist for the Boston Globe, and Austin Karp, managing editor/digital of Sports Business Journal. In this podcast, we discuss Fox hiring Tom Brady as an analyst after he retires; how Brady may fare on the job; the reported money paid to Brady for the deal; the explosion of F1 in the U.S. and where it’s heading; why F1 is having this American moment; Peacock’s Sunday Morning MLB debut; how we see the USFL at this point; the Kentucky Derby viewership and what Rich Strike’s win mean; if Carlos Alcaraz can be a sports media factor; media research wars; the NFL schedule release; a Wall Street Journal sports media job opening and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 203 of the Sports Media Podcast features Larry Collmus, the race caller for the NBC Sports Group coverage of the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont), and Breeders’ Cup. In this podcast, Collmus discusses calling Rich Strike’s remarkable win at the Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds; when he saw Rich Strike making his move; what he thought about his call; how much race preparation he does in advance; what he did after the race; the impact of the win and what he expects for the Preakness; his racecalling and analyst work away from NBC; the difference in calling races from Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park; his all-time favorite horse racing calls, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 202 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with three women who transitioned from sports media into other businesses — Amy Moritz, a former Buffalo News sports writer; Amy K. Nelson, a former ESPN and SB Nation writer and on-air commentator; and Kat O’Brien, a former baseball writer for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Newsday. They are followed by T.J. Quinn, an ESPN investigative reporter. In this podcast, Moritz, Nelson and O’Brien discuss transitioning from working in the sports media to other professions; the challenges of that process; where they have found success; what, if anything, they miss from their previous jobs; how identity plays into working in the sports media; how they view the sports media business today; advice for those in the business who want to leave; and more. Quinn discusses the latest on Griner; what changed with the case; how the WNBA is involved; the challenge of reporting on Griner; the future of women’s basketball abroad; what’s next and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 201 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Chad Finn, a sports media writer and general columnist for the Boston Globe. In this podcast, we discuss ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network’s NFL Draft coverage; what we thought about the lower viewership; how we would staff future NFL Draft presentations; what we think about Amazon’s first game in 2022; how ESPN and Turner will present the NHL playoffs and what series has the most viewer appeal; Urban Meyer returning to Fox Sports; the Celtics as an NBA ratings draw; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 200 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests — Michael Shawn Dugar, who covers the Seahawks for The Athletic; Tashan Reed, who covers the Raiders for The Athletic; and Rhiannon Walker, who previously covered the Washington Football Team for The Athletic and now works as a feature writer. In this podcast, the guests discuss what it’s like to cover the NFL Draft from a beat reporter perspective; who they get their information from; whether executives are truthful when it comes to the NFL Draft; what readers want from their coverage; the beat is all-consuming and how they navigate that challenge; missing time with family; being a writer of color on the beat; thoughts on Elon Musk buying Twitter, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 199 of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN host and reporter Suzy Kolber, one of the company’s longtime NFL voices and part of this week’s NFL Draft coverage. In this podcast Kolber discusses how she prepares for her role on ESPN/ABC’s NFL Draft coverage; making connections with prospects prior to the NFL Draft; the challenge of determining what to ask prospects in a short period of time; when she learns who is being drafted; her decision to be NFL-specific professionally; the skillset of thriving and surviving at a high-profile organization; seeing her contemporaries as such as Kenny Mayne and Trey Wingo leave; being asked to take a pay cut and how she reacted to it; her 29th year at ESPN; the skill set needed to host on sports television; being a pioneer in sports television and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 198 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is sports broadcaster Gus Johnson, who is calling the NBA postseason for Turner Sports and is a longtime Fox Sports play by play caller. He is followed by Bill Shea, a senior writer for The Athletic covering sports business, and Robert Seidman, the co-founder of TVbytheNumbers who can be found on Twitter at @SportsTVRatings. In this podcast Johnson discuss what it has been like calling NBA games again; how the assignment came about; why he loves calling the NBA; the reaction to his calls; his fondness for Giannis Antetokounmpo; attending Harvard University as part of a leadership forum and much more. Shea and Seidman discuss what they thought of the first weekend of the USFL; what we made of the viewership numbers; the Fox Sports push for USFL; the tech things we saw that can be incorporated into NFL broadcasts; whether drones work or don’t for audiences; what kind of audience is needed to have a second year; the NBA’s postseason viewership numbers and what they mean; what teams going far would be helpful, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 197 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests — ESPN investigative reporter Paula Lavigne and ESPN senior writer Tom Junod. They are the co-authors of “Untold,” a 30,000-word piece that investigates the horrific actions of Todd Hodne, a former football player and student at Penn State in the late 1970s who was a serial predator and ultimately a murder. The piece took two years to report. In this podcast Lavigne and Junod discuss how they learned of Hodne’s story; the reporting process for their piece; how they characterized Penn State’s response to their queries; if the piece says something about the silence that happens in college football towns; the incredible strength of Betsy Sailor, and the story of Betsy and Irv Pankey; how they view Joe Paterno after their reporting; the decision to contact Jerry Sandusky; what happens next with the story; the resources ESPN gave them to report; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 196 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests — Lisa Byington and Kate Scott, the first women full-time TV play-by-play broadcasters for a major men's professional sports team. Byington calls Milwaukee Bucks games and Scott calls the Philadelphia 76ers. In this podcast, Byington and Scott reflect on their first season in the NBA; the biggest challenges for them this season and how they handled them; how each provided support for the other during the season; receiving online criticism including gender-based criticism; their favorite interactions with players this year; Byington getting Giannis Anteokounmpo Oreo cookies during one flight; what it was like in March when they both called an NBA game at the same arena; receiving feedback from bosses; how they approach the future and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re sharing a special preview of the new season of Against the Rules from Pushkin Industries. On Against the Rules, bestselling author Michael Lewis takes a searing look at what’s happened to fairness in American life. In the preview you’re about to hear, Michael speaks with baseball statistician Bill James. Bill is the man at the heart of Michael's bestselling book, Moneyball, and he's transformed how we think about expertise in the sport. You'll hear Bill talk about how, for him, baseball was never just about the sport itself -- it was about finding meaning in the world. You can hear more episodes of Against the Rules at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/atrsports To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 195 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Chad Finn, a sports media writer and general columnist for the Boston Globe. He is followed by Charlotte Carroll who covers UConn basketball and WNBA for The Athletic In this podcast, Finn discusses the interest in national broadcasts of baseball; whether MLB expanding to streaming services such as Amazon and Apple+ is good for the game; how ESPN’s Michael Kay/Alex Rodriguez Megacast will do; why it is tough to relate to Rodriguez as a game broadcaster; ESPN’s re-signings of Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski and what that means; how much ESPN valued their social media standing; Fox’s upcoming decision to replace Troy Aikman and why Greg Olsen has yet to be named, whether Urban Meyer will be hired in sports broadcasting again, and more. Carroll discusses the on-the-ground coverage of the Final Four; the access media received; how many writers The Athletic had in Minneapolis; how the players felt as far as equity from last year; what it means that the final drew 4.85 million viewers on ESPN; what to expect from UConn and South Carolina next year; the favorite for the WNBA title; the status Britney Griner and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 194 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Davis, who replaces Joe Buck as the lead television voice of the World Series. Davis is also the television voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In this podcast, Davis discusses how he found out he was getting the job; what his reaction was to that promotion; his awareness of Joe Buck wanted to step back from calling baseball; how he is approaching the assignment; how many national games he expects to do; the challenge of calling the Dodgers if they make the World Series; his conversation with Buck after getting the job; what sport he enjoys calling the most; his brother winning a Best Documentary Short at the 2019 Oscars; why he left ESPN in 2014; the impact of Vin Scully for any Dodgers broadcaster; how often he stays in touch with Scully; You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 193 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is James Andrew Miller, best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and HBO. He is hosting a new chapter of the podcast “Origins” titled “HBO: Present, Past, and Future.” He is followed by Grant Wahl, who writes the Futbol with Grant Wahl at GrantWahl.com and works with CBS Sports and Meadowlark Media. In this podcast, Miller discusses the ESPN deals for Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski; what it means salary-wise for others; how much has the talent office changed at ESPN over the years; ESPN employees participated in walkouts over Disney’s response to the Florida legislation coined the “Don’t Say Gay” bill; whether it is a good time to be a talent agent, and more. Wahl discusses the World Cup draw; World Cup viewership in the U.S.; the interest in group stage matches; the importance of the U.S. getting out of knockout stage; the prospects of Ukraine making the World Cup and what it would mean; how he will cover this World Cup; how Fox Sports , in his opinion, will not talk about the rights of migrant workers in Qatar; on rightsholders not being critical of the host country, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 192 of the Sports Media Podcast features Paul Heyman, the longtime WWE performer who will be part of the main event of WrestleMania 38, the WWE’s signature event, which is set for April 2-3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In this podcast Heyman discusses how he approaches this stage of his career and how long he wants to perform; the ability to align yourself with great performers such as Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and CM Punk; how the best performers never break from character; Renee Paquette calling him a method actor and why he agrees with that; performers getting physical with his character and how to prepare for that; why Pat McAfee has been so successful as a WWE broadcaster; his desire to do a podcast and what those future plans possible can be; the prospect of one day working with Ronda Rousey; CM Punk’s future in AEW; why the WWE is not using Charlotte Flair to her best potential; the incredible women’s division in the WWE, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 191 of the Sports Media Podcast features Isabelle Khurshudyan, a foreign correspondent for The Washington Post based in Odessa, Ukraine, and a former sports writer who covered the Washington Capitals for the Post. In this podcast, Khurshudyan discusses what her days are like covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; what the city of Odessa, where she is situated, is like; her safety level in the country; whether anything prepares a journalist to cover war; why the war has proceeded as it has; leaving Moscow for this assignment; the global outpouring of solidarity shown toward Ukrainians; wearing a bulletproof vest; how she views Alex Ovechkin within this larger conflict; if she is following any sports; why she does want to leave her assignment; whether she sees an end game for Russia and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 190 of the Sports Media Podcast features Taylor Rooks, a host and reporter for Bleacher Report and Turner Sports and Alex Sherman, who covers technology, media and telecommunications for CNBC. In this podcast Rooks discusses her “Taylor Rooks X vodcast, whose recent interviews include DeMar DeRozan, DK Metcalf and Micah Parsons; the challenges of booking guests and how much of that is relationship-based; reflections on covering the NBA bubble; the dehumanization of athletes and how we are all guilty of that; our shared fondness for Pam Oliver; the challenge of interviewing Kawhi Leonard; navigating wanting to promote your work but not to be overexposed, and more. Sherman discusses his piece on the near-term future of ESPN; the prospect of spinning off ESPN from Disney; the rift between Disney chiefs Bob Chapek and Bob Iger; how Chapek’s leadership has impacted ESPN; the future of sports betting and ESPN; how Chapek will navigate the issues regarding the Florida House bill and his company’s LGBTQ employees and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 189 of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo and ESPN reporter Holly Rowe. Both have significant on-air roles during ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament including being part of the Final Four and national title game telecast. In this podcast, Lobo and Rowe discuss their preparation for the NCAA Tournament; how this tournament is different based on the NCAA’s equity changes; what the changes mean for women’s basketball heading forward; should the women’s Final Four be in the same city as the men; the viewership of the women’s title game; whether sports gambling will help women’s basketball; which No. 2 seed is most dangerous; NC State as a No. 1 seed; Stanford’s attempt to repeat; Kim Mulkey at LSU; Nicki Collen at Baylor; Aliyah Boston as a difference-maker in big sports; UConn is now healthy and what does that mean. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 188 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is T.J. Quinn, the ESPN investigative reporter. He is followed by Chad Finn, the sports media writer for the Boston Globe. In this podcast Quinn discusses his reporting on WNBA star Brittney Griner being detained in Russia; the road ahead for Griner; the political component to this story; whether she can she get a fair trial in Russia; why the WNBA and players around the league have stayed relatively quiet; how one goes about reporting this respectfully and more. Finn discusses the NFL broadcasting changes; what he thinks of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman moving to Fox; who will call the World Series; whether he thinks Amazon will be impactful with its coverage; the media impact of the unretirement of Tom Brady and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 187 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Bomani Jones, the sports journalist and commentator whose new HBO show, “Game Theory with Bomani Jones,” debuts this month. He is followed by Jeff Pearlman, the best-selling author of nine books. HBO’s new docudrama “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is based on Pearlman’s 2014 best-seller “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.” In this podcast, Jones discusses how his new HBO show came to be; what’s it’s like to be management on a show; what the format will be and the how the show will break down; the idea that there is less ratings pressure at HBO versus elsewhere; the culture of HBO versus ESPN; what happens after his six episode run ends April 17; the short term extension he signed with ESPN; whether he is interested in continuing his ESPN employment; his podcast and more. Pearlman discusses “Winning Time”; what it’s like when a book you write gets turned into a television show; his best tips on how to promote a book; what he looks for in potential stories to sell a book; whether there is another Lakers era to write about; his upcoming book, “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson” and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 186 of the Sports Media Podcast features Bryan Curtis, the Editor-At-Large for The Ringer and also the co-host with David Shoemaker of The Press Box podcast. In this podcast, Curtis and Deitsch discuss how news is presented on television versus sports; whether you can do policy-based programming on cable news; the reverberations from Troy Aikman's move to ESPN; how Fox would handle the loss of Joe Buck; the mindset of Al Michaels heading forward; ESPN’s re-set of its relationship with the NFL; how ESPN looks at First Take in 2022 versus five years ago; Amazon’s NFL plans; the future of sports-talk radio; how Bryan sees Tony Romo and why he believes Romo is different depending on the game; writing sports media as a career and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 185 of the Sports Media Podcasts focuses on the state of the Canadian sports media. The guests are Shireen Ahmed, a senior contributor with CBC Sports and a co-host of the “Burn It All Down” podcast; Donnovan Bennett, a multi-media host and writer for Sportsnet; Morgan Campbell, a Senior Contributor for CBC Sports; James Cybulski, a play by play voice for EA Sports’ NHL 21 and longtime sports media voice in Vancouver; Bryan Hayes, the host of TSN’s “OverDrive” show and podcast and a commentator for TSN, and Kara Wagland, an anchor and reporter for SportsCentre and the host of the NFL on TSN. The podcast is broken down into two panels, with Bennett, Hayes, and Wagland in the first panel and Ahmed, Campbell, and Cybulski in the second panel. In this podcast, the group discusses whether Canadian sports fans are being served by the Canadian sports media right now; what Canadian sports consumers want from the people in their positions; what content areas are growing and receding; prospects for long-term employment; the U.S. impact on Canadian sports media content; the impact of the arrival of legalized sports gambling in Canada; the makeup of those in the business and being a disrupter; advice for young people heading into the profession, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 184 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina about the impending move of Troy Aikman to join ESPN’s Monday Night Football. In this podcast, Traina and Deitsch discuss the impending move, first reported by the New York Post; what the move means for ESPN and Fox; who could potentially partner with Aikman; how Fox will handle the move; what this means for Amazon’s NFL interest; Al Michaels' future, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 183 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is NBC Sports host and play by play broadcaster Mike Tirico, whose assignments include the Olympics, NFL, horse racing, golf, and Notre Dame Football. He is followed by a panel featuring Austin Karp, managing editor/digital of Sports Business Journal and Jon Lewis, founder and editor of Sports Media Watch and the Sports Media Watch podcast with TJ Rives. In this podcast Tirico discusses his Beijing Olympics experience; the environment of China for NBC Sports; Tirico’s comments on Kamila Valieva and the IOC; his thoughts on Beijing being the least-watched Olympics ever; the future of the Olympics as a viewership play; the prospect of Al Michaels leaving for Amazon and taking over Sunday Night Football; navigating wanting to do NFL football while Michaels was still in the booth; the researchers for the Olympics; the sharing of on-air people between networks; his dream of calling an NBA game with Charles Barkley, and more. Lewis, Karp and Deitsch discuss the Beijing Olympics viewership; what to make of the Olympic brand heading forward; NFL scheduling on Christmas Day in 2022; Daytona 500 viewership and NASCAR’s brand; PGA Tour and Phil Mickelson; what kind of viewership the NCAA Tournament will get, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 182 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Michele Tafoya, the longtime sideline reporter for NBC Sports who is leaving sports broadcasting for both a role in Minnesota politics and political commentating. She is followed by USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour, who is onsite at the Beijing Games. In this podcast, Tafoya discusses why this was the right time for her to leave sports broadcasting; becoming a co-chairman of a gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota; making herself available as a political commentator; insisting that NBC Sports had no issues with her appearance on The View; the prospects of interviewing Enes Kanter Freedom at CPAC; how she classifies herself politically; navigating politics while working for NBC Sports; talking politics on with Sunday Night Football cast mates; being the poolside reporter at the Olympics; reporting on Gary Kubiak when he suffered a transient ischemic attack during Sunday Night Football; her most memorable assignments; her memorable interviews with Bill Belichick and Gregg Popovich; and more. Armour discusses the biggest challenges since she arrived in Beijing; what she had to do to get Beijing; her accommodations; staffing levels; how she decides what stories she does daily; her access to athletes; covering alpine skiing; covering the Olympics during a Super Bowl Week; how much she worries about her intellectual security; the future of the Olympics and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 181 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is Jim Trotter, a reporter for NFL Media and a longtime NFL writer and Jane McManus, the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication. They are followed by Chris Herring, a Sports Illustrated senior writer and NYT best-selling author of “Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks.” In this podcast, Trotter and McManus discuss covering a Super Bowl; how journalists can separate themselves with so many media people; coverage of Brian Flores filing a 58-page class-action discrimination against the league and all 32 teams alleging discrimination in their hiring practices; the allegations and testimony of former Washington Commanders employers regarding of workplace misconduct; separating yourself against competition at the Super Bowl; Super Bowl viewership expectations; is there anything that could turn people away from the NFL; Herring discusses the 1990s Knicks and why people care about them; how would things be different had they beat the Rockets; covering NBA Trade deadline week; working for SI, ESPN, Five Thirty Eight and Wall Street Journal; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 180 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Burke Magnus, the President, Programming and Original Content for ESPN. He is followed by Tim Layden, writer at large for NBC Sports In this podcast, Magnus discusses how ESPN negotiates sports rights deals; his philosophy when it comes to rights acquisition and negotiation; how negotiating with the NFL is different than other entities and where the similarities are; dealing with deals in the billions of dollars; why the college football playoff has not yet expanded; ESPN’s upcoming SEC deal; ESPN’s interest in maintaining Big 10 Football; ESPN’s relationship with the NBA; ESPN’s F-1 deal and where that property is heading forward; how ESPN and Disney executives look at sports betting gambling space and what that means for ESPN; whether ESPN can serve both the traditional cable model and the growing direct-to-consumer model; how many years away from a direct to consumer title game of significance; ESPN’s interest in the upcoming NFL Sunday Ticket rights package; is the sports streaming too crowded; ESPN’s Australian Open issues and much more. Layden discusses the upcoming Beijing Games; what stories are the most interesting for the Games; how to cover an event when you are not there; the relationship between feature writer and subject; debates about access, the state of horse racing in 2022, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 179 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox NFL analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman. He is followed by Chad Finn, the sports media writer of the Boston Globe. In this podcast, Aikman discusses how long he wants to remain in broadcasting; his future at Fox Sports and links to working for Amazon; the launch of a his low-cal, low-carb light beer called Eight; attending John Madden’s private funeral; his thoughts on the Niners-Rams NFC Championship Game; what he thinks of Joe Burrow and those who say Burrow reminds them of Aikman; why he’d like to meet Sylvester Stallone and much more. Finn discusses the divisional NFL weekend and what it means heading forward; postseason NFL viewership; the prospect of gambling companies hiring insiders; negative momentum for the Beijing Olympics and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 178 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Mike Golic, the longtime ESPN staffer who now works for a variety of places including Westwood One Audio, Learfield and Meadowlark Media, and Peacock. He is followed by Jay Glazer, the Fox NFL insider and the author of “Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety into Motivation and You Can Too.” In this podcast, Golic discusses life after ESPN; how he approached getting work following ESPN; working with Kate Scott doing college football for Learfield; calling NFL games for Westwood One Audio and his Super Bowl assignment; working with Stugotz (Jon Weiner) and Meadowlark Media; what he’s learned in the podcast space; his continued interest in doing daily sports radio; the role of sports gambling in media heading forward and his work with Draft Kings; the broadcasting work of Drew Brees and more. Glazer discusses his new book, “Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety into Motivation and You Can Too; why he wrote the book; suffering lifelong depression and anxiety; having panic and anxiety attacks on the set of Fox NFL Sunday; talking to Rams coach Sean McVay about depression; the role of famous athletes in breaking mental health stigmas; whether he is tempted to join a gambling company; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 177 of the Sports Media Podcast features four guests for a roundtable on the future of hockey reporting. The guests are Michael Farber, the Hall of Fame hockey writer and longtime Sports Illustrated writer and TSN contributor; ESPN hockey reporter Emily Kaplan, Michael Russo, a senior writer covering the Minnesota Wild and the NHL for The Athletic and Fluto Shinzawa, a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Bruins In this podcast the panel evaluates the state of hockey reporting in 2022; defining access in 2022; the most under-reported stories; hockey culture and the reporting on mental health and sexual abuse by Rick Westhead and Katie Strang; who is covering the sport and where the sport’s media is regarding people of color covering it; will ESPN and Turner make a difference good or bad in NHL coverage; the role of analytics in the sport heading forward; the next iteration of reporting and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 176 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests: First up is Britt Ghiroli, a national baseball writer for The Athletic. She is followed by Chad Finn, the sports media writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. In this podcast, Ghiroli discusses Ken Rosenthal (who works with us at The Athletic) not being retained by MLB Network; her experiences working with Rosenthal; whether MLB Network can cover ownership and the commissioner with any heft; what she learned during her 10 years with MLB.com including eight on the Orioles beat; an update on Trevor Bauer’s legal situation and more. Finn discusses whether Urban Meyer will return to broadcasting and whether he remains hirable; what he thought of the news of Rosenthal; the Week 18 schedule in the NFL; why the Cowboys remain a national team; the upcoming Beijing Olympics and why we think it is going to be the least-watched ever; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 175 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fred Gaudelli, the executive producer of NBC's Sunday Night Football. In Sept. 2021, he began his 32nd season as the lead producer for an NFL primetime game, and his 16th season producing SNF. In this podcast Gaudelli discusses his relationship with Madden; his first meeting with him; the last time he spoke and visited with Madden; what made Madden unique as a sports television figure; his interest in seeing United States up close and learning about people; how he made Gaudelli a better NFL producer; what Madden thought about his fame; the plan to convince Madden to come out of retirement for one game; the best game Gaudelli and Madden worked together; how players wanted Madden to improve their Madden game rankings when he met with them in production meetings, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 174 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is a conversation with Donnovan Bennett, a host, podcaster and writer for Sportsnet in Canada, and Amil Delic, the senior producer of original audio for Sportsnet in Canada. They are followed by Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur. In this podcast Bennett and Delic discuss the nexus of sports and COVID; how that nexus is viewed in Canada; why this topic has become politicized in the United States and the levels of politicization in Canada vs. the U.S.; the challenges of a subject that is of great importance to the public yet many in the public are exhausted by; the upcoming Beijing Olympics and more. Arthur discusses switching from sports to COVID coverage in early 2020; how he feels that transition from sports has gone; his analysis of how the coverage has been in the U.S. versus Canada; he and his colleagues getting Covid-related vitriol on social media; what to expect from the Beijing Olympics; his most trusted sources on COVID information; the Maple Leafs heading forward for this season as Stanley Cup contenders and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 173 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is ESPN NFL analyst and podcaster Ryan Clark, the former NFL safety who has worked at ESPN since 2015. He is followed by Patrick Antonetti, the lead producer of this podcast. In this podcast Clark discusses his path from professional athlete to broadcasting; what in his opinion separates long-term success versus one contract and out in sports broadcasting; how close he was to leaving ESPN for Fox Sports earlier this year; why he wanted to own his own content; his travel schedule for his job; how a guy such as Urban Meyer bullshits his way into the NFL; comparing Patriots' Bill Belichick to God; self-evaluating his work; what he wants to do heading forward and much more. Antonetti discusses how this podcast gets put together; what his job entails; the challenge of audio editing; what he thinks makes a good podcast; his Jersey sports fandom; what episodes he’s liked producing and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 173 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is a roundtable with Kavitha Davidson, a correspondent for HBO’s Real Sports and a longtime sports and business writer, and Jane McManus, the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication and a Deadspin sports columnist. They are followed by Jesse Eisinger, a senior editor and reporter at ProPublica. In April 2011, Eisinger and a colleague won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series of stories on questionable Wall Street practices that helped make the financial crisis the worst since the Great Depression. In this podcast, Davidson and McManus discuss what they see as the biggest sports stories for 2022 including athletes continuing to talk about mental health publicly; the prospect of a major gambling scandal in sports and potential corruption of college players for information to aid bettors; NILs and market creativity forcing the NCAA to completely reevaluate revenue structure; F1 continuing to balloon in the States;women’s sports finally getting their financial due; Amazon becoming more of an NFL presence; leagues are going to have to deal with the China question; a total reimagining of what the role of coach is and much more. Eisinger discusses his recent piece on real estate and oil tycoons avoiding paying federal income taxes including Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross; how widespread are income-tax avoiders among the ultrawealthy sports owners; how one goes about doing this kind of reporting; the lack of congressional oversight for tax loopholes; how sports owners use their teams to avoid millions in taxes; why the sports public does not revolt, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 172 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Jayson Stark, senior baseball writer at The Athletic, and Britt Ghiroli, also a senior baseball writer at The Athletic. In this podcast, Ghiroli and Stark discuss how they will approach the next couple of months as reporters amid a work stoppage; navigating labor stories versus more popular topics; the declining media access in baseball and why that significantly impacts you as a fan; whether we will see previous media access return; the Eras Committee process Hall of Fame selections including great news for Buck O’Neil and Dick Allen once again being one vote shy of the Hall of Fame; how Stark and Ghiroli feel about voting for awards that can increase a players’ contract and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 171 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live, and his latest, “Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.” He is followed by Bruce Feldman, a senior writer at The Athletic covering college football and a college football insider for Fox Sports and The Audible podcast. In this podcast, Miller discusses why HBO was worthy of this exploration; his 757 interviews for the book and how he navigated that terrain; how he approached his chapters on Succession including interviews with Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Adam McKay and Jesse Armstrong; why Dennis Miller did not want to talk for the book; the legacy of HBO Sports; HBO’s Wimbledon legacy; how HBO lost its boxing and documentary monopoly; the future of sports on HBO; ESPN shrinking another 10 percent to end fiscal 2021 at 76 million U.S. households and what that means for the company heading forward and more. Feldman discusses the reporting of the Lincoln Riley to USC story; who talks in college football between agents, head coaches, assistants, boosters and everyone else; why college football fans have an insatiable appetite for news; whether players have more agency with the media in 2021; whether college football gets more value out of a Cincinnati making the playoffs versus a bigger brand-name team and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 170 of the Sports Media Podcast features Rebecca Lowe, the host of NBC Sports Group’s Premier League coverage as well as an Olympic host for NBCUnversial. She is followed by a media roundtable with Chad Finn, the sports media writer and columnist for the Boston Globe, and Austin Karp, the managing editor/digital for Sports Business Journal. In this podcast Lowe discusses being in England when she learned NBC had retained the Premier League rights; how her bosses keep her abreast of the proceedings; her role in NBC Universal’s pitch to the EPL; what NBC has built with its soccer coverage; whether NBC retaining has incentivized she and NBC extending her current contract when it expires next year; what is happening with Manchester United; whether Fulham can sustain long-term success; whether the EPL would ever do a Drive To Survive series; why she avoids Twitter and much more. Finn. Karp and Deitsch discuss our reactions to NBC’s landing the U.S. media rights to the Premier League through 2028; the upcoming MLS media rights negotiations; NFL viewership in 2021 and what the last part of the NFL regular season might bring viewership-wise; where are we right now with the NFL and viewership; why we think the upcoming Olympic viewership from Beijing could be looking at record lows; the upcoming Ohio State-Michigan game and Fox’s noon Eastern window; CBS’s interest in staying in big-time college football; the Manning Megacast and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 169 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with ESPN NBA announcer Mike Breen and Ian Eagle, who calls the NBA for Turner Sports and the YES Network, and the NFL for CBS. They are followed by Dana O’Neil, a senior writer for The Athletic and the author of the new book, “The Big East: Inside the Most Entertaining and Influential Conference in College Basketball History.” In this podcast Breen and Eagle discuss how they first met and the longevity of their friendship; how they would describe the other’s broadcast style; why they don’t view each other as competitors; why they still call local teams, the Knicks and Nets; how they view production meetings with coaches and players; Breen’s interest in calling games in the future; how they would feel about incorporating gambling content into their broadcasts; the NBA call they are most proud of; Kevin Garnett calling Eagle “the mother----- voice”; Magic Johnson’s praise of Breen, and much more. O’Neil discusses why she wanted to explore the history of the Big East in- depth; how she approached the reporting and writing on such a broad topic; the league’s famous coaches and players; Georgetown coach John Thompson relishing being an iconoclast in the league; her attempts to get Allen Iverson for the book; what the Big East is now and where it sits among conferences; covering college basketball today; the goal of mid-majors to be the next Gonzaga and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 168 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox NFL reporter Pam Oliver and writer Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, the co-author with Britni de la Cretaz of the new book, “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League.” In this podcast, Oliver discusses what the 2021 season has been like for her as a sideline reporter; her remarkable longevity in the sports TV business; the on-field access she has in 2021 versus other years; working with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen; what she says to women in the business wh0 approach her for advice; the chronic migraines and headaches she has suffered for decades, which sometimes force her to hide out in stadium; enduring fibroids that has required surgeries; her intentions to publish a memoir down the road and much more. D'Arcangelo discusses the origins of how “Hail Mary” emerging as a book; the challenge and fulfillment of unearthing something fascinating about an athlete or league from a previous era; how the NWFL was covered by the sports media of the day; how the players looked upon those media experiences; the players’ pioneering role even if they did not realize it at the time; the finances of the league; women in football today such as Sarah Fuller and why that was predictably criticized by a segment of people; the advancements in women’s sports, especially in viewership, as a commercial play; the challenges of women’s sports today and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 167 of the Sports Media Podcast features Chris Jericho, who currently works as a professional wrestler for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), hosts the popular podcast “Talk Is Jericho,” and is the lead singer of the band, Fozzy. The next wrestling PPV he will perform in comes at “AEW Full Gear” on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this podcast, Jericho discusses the concept of professional reinvention and his ability to change his character over multiple decades for multiple companies; what he’s learned about reinvention that can be used by everyone; his approach to doing media; whether the media companies he has worked for dictate the press outlets he speaks with; how much he reads the people and publications who cover the business of professional wrestling daily; the importance of television viewership in professional wrestling and the 18-to-49 demo that advertisers want when they buy television time; if he follows how WWE does in viewership on Monday and Friday nights; why AEW has worked; the cool factor of the company; Chris’s role in bringing wrestlers such as Jon Moxley into the company; the success of Talk Is Jericho as a podcast; interviewing a variety of subjects from star musicians to paranormal experts to wrestling colleagues; facing criticism for some of his guest choices; the art of wrestling promos and how he prepares and approaches them; navigating the line of realism in promos and why sometimes that’s not a smart play; the prospect 0f Chris transitioning to broadcasting following his in-ring career and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 166 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is ESPN college football and NFL analyst Robert Griffin III. He is followed by Katie Strang and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. In this podcast, Griffin discusses the how he landed at ESPN; his audition process at Fox and ESPN; why the ESPN job made sense; whether he sees broadcasting as a long-term proposition versus playing again; his preparation for calling games with Mark Jones and Quint Kessenich; why, in his opinion, some former players succeed and why some do not succeed in sports broadcasting; his role in production meetings; his interest in providing opinion versus doing a game broadcast; discussing Langston Hughes on the Oklahoma-Kansas broadcast; his interest in doing NFL content, learning about broadcast boards and much more. Lazerus and Strang discuss the damming results of the Jenner & Block investigation; TSN's Rick Westhead’s powerful interview with Kyle Beach and the reporting on the sexual abuse allegations Beach made against former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich; how the Blackhawks fan base has responded to stories; the challenges of reporting this type of story; how ESPN and Turner will cover this as new rightsholders and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 165 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is ESPN reporter and Utah Jazz analyst Holly Rowe. She is followed by Jimmy Traina, a writer/producer for Sports Illustrated and the host of the SI Media Podcast. He is followed by Ivan Maisel, the vice president of editorial and a senior Writer for On3. Maisel’s newest book is “I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye: A Memoir of Loss, Grief, and Love,” which is about his late son, Max. In this podcast, Rowe discusses has she landed the Jazz broadcasting job and what her role is on the broadcast; the challenges of navigating multiple jobs across multiple networks; what her college football access has been in 2021; getting coaches after games amid the crowd scrum; how she viewed the WNBA’s season and the cable and broadcast placement of the Finals and more. Traina and Deitsch discuss what Amazon Prime’s NFL exclusivity will mean for viewers next year; Traina’s interview with Steve Levy and Levy’s thoughts on the Manning Megcast; how the Mannings would do if the roles were switched with the main broadcast; what we expect from World Series viewership; whether people should care about the Sunday Night Baseball booth; why Traina is not a fan of the Red Zone fan at all; whether other sports media podcasts are competition or additive; WWE vs. AEW and more. Maisel discusses his new role with on3.com; why he wanted to write about his son; what he learned about grief through his writing; how much of his writing on Max he showed his family prior to publication; how his family processed Max’s death; whether he wants to know more about Max’s final days; the end of his ESPN tenure; the challenges of promoting a book during a pandemic and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 164 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is New York Times writer Ken Belson, who covers the NFL for that media outlet. Belson joined with Katherine Rosman to report on the 650,000 emails the NFL is reported to be looking at regarding the workplace conduct with the Washington Football Team. He is followed by Jemele Hill, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, the host of the “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” podcast for Spotify, and a creative adviser for Meadowlark Media. She is followed by Grant Wahl, who writes the Futbol with Grant Wahl newsletter and works with CBS Sports and Meadowlark Media. In this podcast Belson discusses the challenges of covering the NFL; when he started working on stories about the review of workplace misconduct at the Washington Football Team; why readers should care about this story; his access to emails from Jon Gruden; whether the NYT is actively trying to get more of these emails; league attorney Jeff Pash’s role in the story; the nearly naked photos of former Washington cheerleaders being passed around; whether the Raiders would have released Gruden without the later batch of emails; whether there are emails he has seen that he has yet to write about it; Adam Schefter and his email to Bruce Allen and much more. Hill discusses how she viewed the NFL email story; her column on the NFL being full of Jon Grudens; whether ESPN has any incentive to cover the story aggressively; Gruden as ESPN’s longtime lead NFL analyst; the revelations about Adam Schefter’s email to Bruce Allen and much more. Wahl discusses his decision to start a Substack and what readers can expect from his work; how he pays for travel and an editor; whether he has experienced any access issues since leaving SI; Meg Linehan’s reporting on the NWSL; the prospects of the U.S. and Canada making the men’s World Cup in 2022 and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 163 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is Jeff Van Gundy, the lead NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC’s NBA game coverage. He is followed by a media roundtable with Kavitha Davidson, a sports and culture writer for The Athletic and the host of Culture Calculus podcast, and Chad Finn, the sports media writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. In this podcast Van Gundy discusses how he prepares for an upcoming season; why he thinks he has lasted in broadcasting as long as he has; if having money in the bank gives you freedom to say things; his reaction to Kyrie Irving not playing or practicing with the Nets until he is eligible to be a full participant; his thoughts on players doing their own vaccination research; whether the Raptors can attract transcendent free agents; how forthcoming he finds coaches in pregame production meeting; why the NBA hates when you criticize referees and much more. Davidson and Finn discuss Jon Gruden resigning as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following reports that emails he wrote over a 10-year period included racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language; what ESPN’s responsibility is here if any; what’s next with the reporting of this story; NFL’s national viewership and why the numbers are up in 2021; the idea of momentum scheduling by the league; the connection between quarterbacks and viewership; Sage Steele being taken off ESPN’s airwaves; what the future holds for Steele at ESPN; how we think ESPN and Turner Sports will do with the NHL; what Wayne Gretzky might be as a studio analyst for Turner; who should be the future play by play broadcaster for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball; why Alex Rodriguez is much better served as a studio analyst and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 162 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up is a conversation with Lisa Byington and Kate Scott, the first women full-time TV play-by-play broadcasters for a major men's professional sports team. They are followed by Eli Saslow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter who has published a new book —Voices from the Pandemic: Americans tell their stories of crisis, courage and resilience. In this podcast, Byington and Scott discuss the interview process for an NBA play by play role and how they landed their jobs; becoming the first full-time TV play-by-play broadcasters for a major men's professional sports team; the challenges of the job; how to adjust to a new city and fan base; the broadcasters who reached out to them; how they will view success and much more. Saslow discusses the oral history project he did last year for The Washington Post where he talked to people around America about dealing with COVID; what he learned about America through his reporting; how to get subjects dealing with trauma to trust you to tell their story; why COVID became a cultural war and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 161 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Conrad Thompson and Jeff Jarrett, the co-hosts of “My World’ with Jeff Jarrett,” which focuses on Jarrett’s Hall of Fame career as a main-event professional wrestler, promoter, and company owner. Jarrett has been a well-known figure in professional wrestling for decades including in-ring prominence in the WWE, WCW and NWA Total Nonstop Action wrestling. In this podcast Thompson and Jarrett discuss the process of forming a podcast; how they first met; whether Thompson’s success with his other six podcasts gave Jarrett proof of concept; the number of downloads they average weekly and what the realistic celling is for the podcast; how the podcast makes money and what the download number is to make money; how prep works for the podcast; Jarrett’s approach to nostalgia storytelling; how not to be duplicative with other wresting podcasts; navigating multiple podcasts as a host and much more You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 160 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with the documentarian Ken Burns. In this podcast Burns discusses his latest project “Muhammad Ali,” a four-part documentary co-directed by Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon that will air on PBS September19-22; why he his co-directors embarked on a subject that has been explored in so many forms; how they determined the chronology of the film; the challenge of when to use Ali as a narrator; the complexity of Ali as a social and political figure; how Ali would be looked at if he existed in a 2021 contruct, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 159 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with the new Fox NFL broadcast team of Gus Johnson and Aqib Talib. The duo debuts in Week Two with the Vikings-Cardinals. In this podcast Johnson and Talib discuss how they formed their partnership; working together on a practice game; how Talib got into sports broadcasting and introduced himself to Fox Sports; how Johnson morphs between preparation for college football and the NFL; Talib’s style on the air; how broadcasters deal with feedback; what Talib is looking at pre-snap and how that is different than other announcers; their upcoming Cardinals-Jaguars broadcast; whether Gus wants to continue doing NFL games; Talib’s longterm thoughts about broadcasting and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 158 of the Sports Media Podcast features two segments. First up is Kevin Clark, an NFL writer, podcaster and video host for The Ringer. He previously covered the NFL for The Wall Street Journal. He is followed by a media roundtable with Kavitha Davidson, a sports and culture writer for The Athletic and the host of Culture Calculus podcast, and Chad Finn, the sports media writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. In this podcast Clark discusses the stories that interest him most at the start of the 2021 NFL season; how COVID has shaped his approach to stories; his travel experiences; the nexus of gambling and the NFL and what it means; how he views his competition; what the NFL public relations establishment thinks of The Ringer; why geography matters very little regarding where you live today; why he chose his most recent pieces and much more. Davidson and Finn discuss the biggest media-related stories of the NFL season; what the NFL setting strict limits on game-day access means; how sports gambling will look on NFL content this year; whether college sports broadcasters have any responsibility to discuss the COVID protocols and COVID stats during games; whether college football viewership will be up or down; John Smoltz and Al Leiter not appearing in-studio for MLBN and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 157 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Molly McGrath, an ESPN college football and college basketball host and reporter. She is followed by Christopher Clarey, a tennis writer for the New York Times and the author of “The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer” In this podcast, McGrath discusses returning to college football this season after the birth of her son earlier this year; finding a work-life balance; the internal pressure she felt to return to ESPN; how much college football coaches tell ESPN on-air talent during production meetings; her approach with her bosses after Maria Taylor left for NBC; being assigned to the team of Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, and Todd McShay; COVID protocols for covering college football this season; dealing with toxic social media; being public about her pregnancy; her interest in hosting long-term and more. Clarey discusses what he hoped to produce by exploring Federer in longform; why he connected with Federer as a subject and writer over the years; what Federer’s top competitors said about him; Mirka Federer being non-existent on social media and not giving interviews for 15 years or so; how Federer’s upbringing with parents from Switzerland and South Africa impacted him; what he expects Federer to heading forward; the challenge of selling a tennis book in the United States; You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices