Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 108 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, who is covering the WNBA season from inside the bubble in Bradenton, Fla. Next is Tania Ganguli, the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times who is covering the NBA season from inside the bubble in Orlando. She is followed by ESPN’s Stefano Fusaro, who is covering the “MLS Is Back” tournament from inside the bubble in Orlando.  In this podcast, Rowe discusses how she landed the assignment and why she wanted it; her experience leading up to going inside the bubble and her first week there; speaking to her doctors about taking the assignment; the access she has inside the bubble; what WNBA players have told her so far about the experience; getting a daily COVID-19 test; her role on WNBA game broadcasts; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage and much more.  Ganguli discusses getting the assignment and how she arrived in Orlando; what the opening weeks were like for NBA reporters; the access she has inside the facility; her interaction with players; what she has been told about game access for reporters; the challenges of covering the Lakers; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage and much more.  Fusaro explains how he got the assignment and why he wanted to come to Orlando; his opening weeks inside the bubble; the access he has to MLS players; what players have told him about the experiences; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage; providing news for multiple parts of ESPN; how it works for him during game broadcasts; his experience with doctors prior to arriving inside the bubble and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 107 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN national MLB writer Marly Rivera. Next is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. His latest project is a deep dive into the Cameron Crowe classic coming-of-age-film, “Almost Famous.” He is followed by agent Steve Herz, the president of The Montag Group and the author of a new book, “Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Using Authority, Warmth, and Energy to Get Exceptional Results.” Rivera discusses her piece on Black MLB players past and present on what needs to change; how a piece like that gets put together at ESPN; covering MLB amid COVID-19, the recent New York Times piece featuring ESPN employees criticizing the career pipeline and diversity of top leadership, and more. Miller discusses Wojnarowski’s suspension by ESPN for tweeting “f--- you”to a U.S. Senator; leaks at ESPN; whether this was selective discipline by ESPN; what this means for President Jimmy Pitaro heading forward in terms of discipline and much more. Herz discusses his new book and why he wrote it; the importance of Authority, Warmth and Energy; how COVID-19 has impacted the talent market right now and how it might 18 months down the road; how he advises clients on the intersection of politics and race and social media; what he would say to a young person who wants to enter the business and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 106 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. His latest project is a deep dive into the Cameron Crowe classic coming-of-age-film, “Almost Famous.” He is followed by Kurt Streeter of the New York Times, who has done extensive reporting on Maya Moore, the WNBA star who left professional basketball to help free a man she believed was wrongly convicted.  In this podcast Miller discusses how the “Almost Famous” series came to be and why he wanted to do it; getting stars such as Kate Hudson, Jimmy Fallon and Zooey Deschanel to participate in the project; his approach to featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away in 2014; Disney’s deal with Colin Kaepernick; how ESPN will handle the intersection of race and sports from now on; how ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro will handle the upcoming social and political terrain during the Presidential Election season; Mike Golic’s legacy at ESPN; the new ESPN Radio lineup; a Golic-Greenberg return and more. Streeter discusses how he came to Moore’s story on her work toward getting Jonathan Irons, serving 50 years, released from prison for a crime he did not commit. (In 1998, a jury found Irons guilty of burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. He was 16 when the crime occurred); how he earned Moore’s trust; how much gender plays in this not being a bigger story; what he expects from Moore heading forward and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 105 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is Rhiannon Walker, who covers the Washington football team for The Athletic. She is followed by Mike Reiss, an NFL Nation reporter for ESPN who reports on the Patriots for all ESPN platforms. He is followed by Josh Tolentino, who covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Athletic. In this podcast, Walker discusses the challenges of covering the NFL during a pandemic and the unknown heading forward; how she has personally processed the last month in America; the racism and sexism she has experienced on social media platforms and in the business; how she feels about the future of the sports media business as someone in her 20s; what she he hopes to be doing 5-10 years; the Washington Post calling for the end of the name ‘Redskins’ and how much of a story that will be heading forward, and more. Reiss discusses what the addition of  Cam Newton means for the Patriots media beat; how the absence of Tom Brady changes the tenor of the Patriots locker room; covering the Patriots amid a pandemic; the prospect of player activism in New England and more. Tolentino discusses covering the Rays and the challenge of covering MLB amid COVID-19; living and working in Florida; his post on June 25 about a racist couple yelling out “Kung Flu” and telling him to “go back to China;” facing anti-Asian xenophobia during his life; why he believes in the future of beat writing and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 104 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Michael Lee, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic. He is followed by Washington Post writer Robert Klemko, an investigative reporter in the Sports department who has been assigned to news during COVID-19. In this podcast, Lee discusses how he has processed the last three weeks in America; the nexus of sports and race in 2020 and what it says about the moment; the NBA’s return-to-play plan and whether it can work; how the game might be covered and which writers will be inside the bubble; would we cover the sport inside the bubble; how much NBA activism will ESPN and TNT show; the NBA reporting ecosystem. Klemko discusses moving from Sports to News during the COVID-19 pandemic; covering politics versus sports; covering the Donald Trump rally in Tulsa; interviewing people around the country and how they react to him when he identifies as a writer from The Washington Post; his social mentions, being called the n-word, and threats against his family; the NFL player activism coming and Jerry Jones’s role; how the NFL networks will cover football this year, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 103 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is J.A. Adande, the Director of Sports Journalism and the Medill School at Northwestern University and a longtime ESPN staffer. He is followed by The Athletic NASCAR writer Jeff Gluck. In this podcast, Adande discusses how he has processed the last two weeks in America; the nexus of sports and social justice and sports and race and why you must cover these issues even knowing that some consumers of your product are not going to be happy if you do; what his students at Northwestern are saying about sports journalism; his optimism for sports journalism given this moment in America; the growing power of college athletes; the discussion among NBA players regarding the league’s return-to-play plan; and much more. Gluck, who has been traveling on the NASCAR beat since 2007, discusses NASCAR’s decision to prohibit the display of the Confederate flag from all NASCAR events and properties; how he anticipates this will be covered heading forward; the role of the networks that air NASCAR in the decision; whether this will have an impact on viewership or attendance and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 102 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with four guests. First up is Lisa Wilson, the NFL editor for The Athletic and a former sports editor for The Buffalo News. She is followed by ESPN SportsCenter anchor Michael Eaves. He is followed by Rana Cash, the executive editor of the Savannah Morning News who was just recently the sports editor at the Louisville Courier-Journal. She is followed by Donnovan Bennett, a host, podcaster and writer for Sportsnet in Canada (where I work as well in addition to The Athletic). In this podcast, Wilson discusses how she is processing what she has watched this week in the United States following the death of George Floyd; serving as the nation's only black female sports editor at a major metropolitan daily when she worked at The Buffalo News; howshe would evaluate sports media in 2020 on issues of race, institutional racism and hiring practices; how the pipeline of hiring needs to change regarding sports media staffers of color; the impact of athletes speaking out right now in America, and more.  Eaves discusses how he is processing what he is seeing in the United States right now; his experiences growing up black in Kentucky; how he views the sports media business at large on issues of race and institutional racism; the conversations he is having with his colleagues at the National Association of Black Journalists; how much freedom ESPN affords him professionally right now on social media to discuss and express issues involving race; how he views athletes speaking out right now and more.  Cash discusses how she is processing what she is seeing in the United States right now; her experience growing up in Sanford, Florida; being the nation’s only African-American female sports editor at a major metropolitan daily; how the hiring pipeline in sports media can change; Lisa Wilson's influence on Cash; working in the city of Louisville right now; athletes speaking out and not speaking out; the words of Drew Brees; what she wants to do heading forward in journalism at the Savannah Morning News, and more.  The podcasts concludes with Bennett on how he is processing what he is seeing in the United States and Canada right now; his experience growing up Black-Canadian in Toronto; why Canadians may want to frame this as an American issue but the reality of racial injustices in Canada; his piece on a particularly difficult month to be black in North America, the role of white athletes speaking up; whether sports has a role to play in bridging the racial divide in North America and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 101 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with two guests. First up is Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. He is followed by The Athletic senior NHL writer and investigative reporter Katie Strang. In this podcast, Ourand discusses the potential for the most crowded pro sports schedule in history and what that means for networks that air games; whether networks or leagues will work with each other to change schedules; how network officials are approaching college football; whether the era of remote broadcasts is here for good; John’s reporting on future Turner Sports exhibitions with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson; whether any sport such as NASCAR will get sustained growth off the increasing viewership during the pandemic; how sports outlets will approach social media during the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, and more. Strang discusses the NHL’s return to play plan; what she expects regarding media access; whether she would work inside an NHL hub city or bubble; how the pandemic might impact long-term media coverage; her reporting on alleged sexual abuse in junior hockey and how the bodies that monitor youth hockey have handed allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 100 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with two guests. First up is ESPN NFL and college football analyst Booger McFarland, who spent the past two years as one of the analysts on Monday Night Football. He is followed by Barry Landis, the lead race producer for FOX’s NASCAR coverage and a producer on that network’s NFL coverage.  In this podcast, McFarland discusses his time as an analyst on Monday Night Football; how he learned he would not return; how he viewed that decision; whether he advocated for one additional year; how he felt about Joe Tessitore also being re-assigned; the criticism the broadcast booth received; what he learned most from the experience; calls he wish he had back; what he hopes to do heading forward in broadcasting; what he thinks of college football attempting to play in 2020; what playing in Tampa Bay will be like for Tom Brady, and much more.   Landis discusses the challenges of producing NASCAR during a pandemic; the most challenging thing he faced producing the Darlington races; how he approaches relationships with his analysts; the decision-making process of how to discuss COVID-19 and mask-wearing during racing; the switch from Darrell Waltrip to Jeff Gordon; how he compares producing NASCAR to the NFL and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 99 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Illustrated senior writer and Fox and MLB Network reporter and broadcaster Tom Verducci. In this podcast, Verducci discusses MLB’s proposed plans to return and what he thinks of those prospects; how baseball will be covered with COVID-19 restrictions; the potential loss of media access beyond 2020; how social distancing will change media coverage; the prospect of calling MLB games from a studio as opposed to a ballpark; going through temperature checks and other health checks to cover a game; the rise of specialization as a baseball reporter; the future of gambling in baseball writing; examining Michael Jordan’s time with the White Sox and why Tom thinks Jordan would have made the majors; the SI cover telling Jordan to "Bag It, Michael"; whether one can still have a career in baseball writing as a young person in 2020 and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 98 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features the sports television journalist and host Bob Costas, who currently calls baseball and hosts specials for the MLB Network. In this podcast, Costas discusses his role in launching and developing the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s CLF Media Project, the first and only concussion reporting training designed specifically for sports media professionals; the importance of proper terminology for broadcasters when it comes to head trauma; whether there are limits to how far a rightsholder broadcaster can go when it comes to discussing head trauma prior or during a game; how he views his final years with NBC Sports; appearing in The Last Dance; the prospects of an Olympics in Tokyo in 2021; his view on whether we will see a Tokyo Olympics in 2021; the prospect of broadcasting baseball with no crowd and calling games either remotely or within a bubble; knowing one’s career arc, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 97 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Adam and Craig Malamut, the creators of the B/R animated series, “Game of Zones.” In this podcast Deitsch and Finn discuss the future of the NFL Draft on television; the possibilities of a Super Bowl that kicks off on Feb. 28, 2021 and a regular season that starts as late as Thursday, Oct. 15; the combined ESPN/NFL Network Draft production; the coverage of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa and New England; the impact of COVID-19 on the sports media and how the Globe sports section has approached stories during COVID-19.  The Malamuts discuss what viewers can expect from the final season; why Game of Zones became popular; how the shows gets created; the impact of COVID-19 on the finale; what is next for them, and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 96 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. In this podcast Deitsch and Ourand discuss the combined ESPN/NFL Network production of the NFL Draft; the issues and challenges surrounding it; why the tech worked for viewers; the public response to The Last Dance; whether comparisons to the O.J. doc is fair; what the COVID-19 shutdown will mean for sports media long-term; the rise of TV networks producing non-remote productions; sportswriters who have moved to the news side during the pandemic; Sports Illustrated/The Maven layoffs and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Welcome to Hope, Through History with Jon Meacham. This limited series explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, and how this nation dealt with these moments, the impact of these moments and how we came through these moments a unified nation. Season One takes a look at critical moments around the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the polio epidemic and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Episode 95 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN play by play broadcaster Sean McDonough, who has called major sports for three decades including national championships in college football and basketball; Monday Night Football, and the World Series McDonough was scheduled to return this year as one of the voices of Boston Red Sox, whose games he also called from 1988-2004. In this podcast McDonough discusses what he is doing now amid COVID-19; his time at Monday Night Football and why it did not work with Jon Gruden; the cancelation of his spring broadcasting schedule; how he feels about the prospect of calling games without crowds; working in college football with two great broadcasting teams over the past two decades; the Syracuse University play by play pipeline; and much more. McDonough is followed by Kalyn Kahler, most recently of Sports Illustrated and The MMQB and Joan Niesen, a writer for The Guardian, podcaster for Religion of Sport and a former Sports Illustrated writer. Kahler and Niesen discuss being laid off by SI/The Maven and how that process went down; how Kahler was informed last week of her layoff; the prospect of finding work in this market; what it has been like to work at SI the past two years; what both expect from Sports Illustrated heading forward; Niesen on living in New Orleans; how to contact both for work, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.