Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 51 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests: First up is Tim Layden, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a contributor to NBC Sports. He is followed by Bruce Feldman, a college football reporter for The Athletic and Fox Sports. The last segment is with Daniel Dale, the Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star.  In this podcast, Layden discusses how to cover the Kentucky Derby, whatmakes covering the Derby unique compared to other events, the access that the sports media gets during Derby week and after the race; writing about horse racing versus other sports; what the media contingent is like covering the Kentucky Derby; how two Triple Crown horses over the last four years will impact this year’s coverage; the deaths of 23 horses at Santa Anita and where that story will next go; the prospects of Omaha Beach; whether there are young people on the horse racing beat; and much more.  Feldman discusses his experience at ESPN The Magazine; how he views the decision of ESPN to stop publishing the print issue starting in September; the rivalry between ESPN The Magazine and Sports Illustrated; the future of magazines that focus on sports, and more. Dale and Deitsch discuss the Raptors postseason; the ceiling of this Raptors team; why the bench has struggled in the postseason; the genius of Kawhi Leonard; how Dale first got into the Raptors; whether you can declare the Leonard for DeMar DeRozan trade a success if Leonard leaves; how Dale grades Nick Nurse; Dale starting a website about Vince Carter at age 14; whether we would bring Marc Gasol back; whether the Raptors finish will be tied to Leonard’s decision, and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 50 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two segments: First up is Adnan Virk and Mike Lombardi, the co-hosts of the new podcast, “The GM Shuffle.” Virk is currently the host of DAZN’s “ChangeUp” MLB whip-around show as well as a host at MLB Network. He worked for ESPN for a decade before he was fired by that company earlier this year. Lombardi is a longtime NFL executive who has worked for ESPN, CBS Sports, Showtime, the NFL Network, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, The Ringer and The Athletic. In this podcast, Virk and Lombardi discuss how their podcast came together and what they hope to bring to listeners; honesty and authenticity for podcast listeners; how Virk feels about ESPN today; whether he would have been fired by ESPN if he was a bigger name; how ESPNers should feel about management loyalty; who leaked the story of Virk’s firing and whether he leaked that information; Lombardi on how long Bill Belichick can continue to coach; the Kyler Murray-Josh Rosen situation for Arizona, and much more.  The second guest is John Ourand, the media reporter for the Sports Business Daily. In the podcast, Ourand discussed ABC bidding for NFL packages during the next round of negotiations including a Super Bowl; the CBS Sports/WNBA deal; Sinclair’s bid for the Fox-branded RSNs and what would that mean if they win it; Peyton Manning turning down ESPN’s Monday Night Football; Abigail Disney’s Twitter thread excoriating Bob Iger’s 2018 compensation of $65.6 million and how laid-off ESPN-ers should feel about it, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 49 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Jemele Hill, a staff writer for The Atlantic and a former ESPN SportsCenter anchor and personality. Hill is the host of a new podcast — “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” for Spotify. Hill is followed by Rick Reilly, the author of "Commander In Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump” and a former writer and on-air personality for Sports Illustrated and ESPN.  In this podcast, Hill discusses her transition from ESPN to roles that intersect sports, politics and social issues; her reaction to the Adnan Virk firing; her new podcast and how it was conceived; what she hopes listeners will take away from her new podcast; how to format a new podcast; the future of her friend and former ESPN colleague, Michael Smith; getting death threats online and how that has impacted her life; her thoughts on Tiger Woods winning the Masters and his role in the African-American community, and more.  Reilly discusses why he wrote a book on Donald Trump’s relation to the truth when it comes to golf; how he reported the book out; the most dramatic cheating story in the book; how he navigated audiences that will dislike what he wrote versus those that will like it; why how Trump approaches golf ultimately matters; how he views his years at ESPN after leaving Sports Illustrated; being criticized by the sports blogosphere; sucking on television; what Woods’s win at The Masters meant in his mind; Trump saying he'll award golfer Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 48 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Ron MacLean the host of Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey and one of the most well-known sports broadcasters in Canada. He’s followed by Chicago White Sox and ESPN broadcaster Jason Benetti. In this podcast, MacLean discusses the relevance of the Hockey Night In Canada host role in 2019; the most important trait a sports television host can have and why; his relationship with Coaches Corner co-host Don Cherry and why it was worked for as long as it has; why Cherry continues to provoke a reaction from an audience; navigating politics in on-air commentary; his turbulent relationship with Gary Bettman; his return to the Hockey Night in Canada host role two years ago after he was removed from the lead chair; traveling Canada for Hometown Hockey broadcasts; where the hockey stands in terms of inclusiveness and specifically for people of color, women and the LGBTQ community; whether there are truisms of about a Canadian sports audience and more. Obvious disclosure: Ron MacLean and I both work for Rogers in Canada.  Benetti discusses how he navigates the many sports he calls including baseball, college football and college basketball and the NFL; his role as the play by play TV voice of the White Sox; how one makes a jump from local to national sports broadcaster; whether his law degree manifest itself in his day to day life; homerism vs. objectivity in local baseball broadcasting; his thoughts on using analytics on a broadcast; how his cerebral palsy defines and does not define him; what he does to eradicate stereotypes about disability awareness; where the White Sox are in terms of the rebuild, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 47 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Renee Young and Paul Heyman of the WWE. Young is a commentator on Monday Night Raw, the WWE’s flagship show, and the first woman to hold that position. Heyman is a longtime WWE performer — he currently is the advocate for Brock Lesnar —and sports entertainment impresario. Both Heyman and Young will perform at WrestleMania 35 in East Rutherford, N.J. The last segment features Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand.  In this podcast, Heyman and Young discuss what they see as effective public speaking and performing on television; what a work week is like for each prior to performing on Raw; Young’s learning curve as a commentator for RAW; the freedom both get from management regarding WWE storylines; how to sell a message most effectively in the fewest words possible; the adjustments Young has had to make calling matches of her real-life spouse, Dean Ambrose; how Heyman worked with Ronda Rousey on her promos and why he has enjoyed the process of working Rousey so much; how Becky Lynch has developed into one of the biggest stars in the WWE Universe; why Heyman and Young enjoy working with each other on-camera, especially the one-on-one interview they did last year; whether they have had trouble navigating their real lives versus their WWE lives; why Heyman approaches each show as if it will be his last; and much more.  Ourand discusses the contract chatter surrounding CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo; ESPN’s Get Up! celebrating its one-year anniversary; the latest on the RSN (Regional Sports Network) sale; the Pac 12’s gamble regarding media rights; and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 46 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features five sports podcasters discussing all facets of their podcasts. The opening segment features Conrad Thompson, the host of three immensely popular wresting podcasts: Something to Wrestle (with Bruce Pritchard); 83 Weeks (with Eric Bischoff) and What Happened When (with Tony Schiavone). He is followed by Shireen Ahmed, one of the co-hosts of the “Burn It All Down” podcast, which brings an intersectional feminist view to the biggest stories in sports. Next up is Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski, the co-hosts of “ESPN On Ice with Wyshynski and Kaplan.” Wyshynski also hosts the Puck Soup podcast. They are followed by Steven Bennett, who hosts the Buffalo-based podcast, The Sports-Casters. In this podcast, the podcasters discuss how and when they started their podcasts and why they do it; the process of putting together their podcasts each week; how many downloads they get per episode; how much time it takes each week from conception to completion; who they think their audience is; whether they are making money from this; what their favorite episode is and why; how they hope to gain more audience; extending their podcast beyond audio; the differences in being an independent and working for a major sports outlet; how they work with partners; and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more.

Episode 45 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Michael Kay, the television voice of  the New York Yankees for the YES Network and the host of The Michael Kay Show, which airs 3:00 to 7:00 PM ET on ESPN’s New York City radio affiliate. Kay’s interview is followed by a sports media roundtable with Mike McCarthy, a sports media reporter for The Sporting News and Hannah Withiam, an associate editor for The Athletic. In this podcast, Kay discusses his recent interview with New York Knicks owner James Dolan; how he assessed it from his end; what Dolan said prior and after the interview; his radio competition with WFAN’s Mike Francesa; his professional issues with Francesa; why he feels his show is better; what he will do if he beats Francesa in the ratings; what Kay has learned about being a drive-time host in the nation’s biggest media market; navigating working for the Yankees with hosting a sports-talk show that discusses the Yankees; how far a broadcaster in his position can go in terms of being critical about a player or owner; what it’s like to be the subject of stories the way an athlete is; how sports-talk hosts have become the new sports columnists; his viral video about the attacks on the press amid the New York Daily News massive layoffs last summer; his current relationship with Rudy Guiliani; whether he will leave one of his jobs at the conclusion of the five-year deal he signed last year with ESPN; how he views the construction of the Yankees 2019 roster and more.  McCarthy and Withiam discuss Fox’s new college football Saturday morning show featuring former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer; the show’s longterm prospects for success and inevitable comparisons to College GameDay; a look at the Monday Night Football booth following Jason Witten’s departure; Withiam’s interview with Kay for The Athletic; the dual role of Jessica Mendoza, Alex Rodriguez, David Ross and others who work for both broadcast outlets and professional teams; thoughts on CBS/Turner’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament and more.     You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more.

Episode 44 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with NFL Network analyst and NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah. In this podcast, Jeremiah details what a typical day is like for him prior to the NFL Draft; how the departure of Mike Mayock has impacted him professionally; whether he feels more pressure this year on-air in the post-Mayock era given his prominence at the NFL Network; how he will evaluate Mayock’s picks and whether he thinks he’ll have insight into which players Mayock prefers; growing up as the son of David Jeremiah, the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church and a well-known figure in the faith community; how ESPN’s Chris Mortensen helped him get his start in the sports media; how he weighs sharing his faith publicly; whether he feels ESPN’s Draft analysts are competitors; his father serving as the chaplain for the NBA’s Clippers (then playing in San Diego) and leading services for NFL teams in town to play the Chargers; what he thinks of anonymous sources being quoted in the media; how player makeup impacts his evaluations; how he evaluates the 2019 Draft class overall; whether Kyler Murray has vaulted up to the top pick in the Draft; being listed in Mel Kiper’s scouting guide when he played, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more.

Episode 43 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Sports Business Daily media reporter John Ourand and Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn. In this podcast, the group discusses Jason Witten’s return to the Dallas Cowboys; how surprised ESPN management was with Witten’s decision; what ESPN is likely to do next with Monday Night Football; whether ESPN would be better served with a two-person or three person booth; what media outlet will end up getting the story on the new Monday Night Football booth for 2019; David Levy leaving Turner Sports and the impact of that departure; what Jeff Zucker running WarnerMedia’s news and sports means for Turner properties; the Mets hiring of Jessica Mendoza as an advisor; how viewers should view Mendoza, Alex Rodriguez, David Ross, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez and others working for baseball organizations and broadcasting games at the same time; what to expect from ESPN’s new sports gambling show; whether hardcore sports gamblers will every embrace such shows on mainstream sports networks, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more.

Episode 42 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is Ian Eagle and Sarah Kustok, the broadcast team for the Brooklyn Nets as well as accomplished broadcasters for CBS, the YES Network  Turner Sports and Tennis Channel (Eagle) and the YES Network and Fox Sports (Kustok). They are followed by Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jason Gay and Boston Globe baseball writer Pete Abraham.  In this podcast, Eagle and Kustok discuss why it works between the two of them; what is unique about their partnership; how they value preparation and passion about preparation; whether you can have a good broadcast if you dislike your colleague; how the Nets’ current success has impacted their broadcast; why Eagle says Kustok gets television; whether they have ever gotten on each other nerves; working with Richard Jefferson in a three-person booth; why Brad Stevens, Erik Spoelstra and Nick Nurse are great in production meetings; why the Nets are good this year; whether the Nets can land a big-name free agent in 2019; what Sarah wants to do long-term in broadcasting; how Eagle tries to develop chemistry with his partners and much more.  Gay discusses his recent piece titled, “Mr. Kraft’ and the Sports Owner God Complex,” and why sports owners are so often afforded the honorific “Mr”; why this exists more in the NFL than other sports; whether there is a parallel to “Coach” in college sports; the racial component in this construct; the uniqueness of writing sports for the Wall Street Journal; writing celebrity profiles versus sports pieces and much more.  Abraham discusses the passing and legacy of longtime Red Sox beat writer Nick Cafardo; how Cafardo was instrumental in Abraham being hiring at the Globe; the pressures of covering a cultural institution such as the Red Sox and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more.

Episode 41 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media reporter John Ourand. In this podcast Ourand and Deitsch discuss the NBA’s declining viewership at this point of the season; why big markets among the regional sports networks are so down including New York (down 41 percent on MSG Network), Chicago (down 36 percent on NBC Sports Chicago) and Boston (down 27 percent on NBC Sports Boston); why national games are down 18 percent on TNT and 17 percent on NBA TV; the early line on which TV networks will retain NFL rights and whether ABC will get a Super Bowl; a guess on the money the NFL will receive for its media rights; how the AAF is doing as a media play and whether AAF and the XFL can both survive with a spring schedule; the firing of Adnan Virk and Virk’s future; leaks at ESPN and whether they will continue, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more.

Episode 40 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three great guests: ESPN senior investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada; Fox Sports NASCAR host and NFL reporter Shannon Spake, and preeminent NASCAR writer and reporter Jeff Gluck.  First up is Fainaru-Wada, who discussed his recent piece on how Bob Costas went from fronting the NFL to being excised from last year's Super Bowl; how the story came to fruition; how often he spoke with Costas; why he thinks Costas talked to him; how he approached NBC Sports and what their response was to his inquiries; whether an in-game broadcast of the NFL can ever tell hard truths; calling me out for saying ESPN would no longer do investigative work on third rail NFL issues; how he navigated this story with his superiors, who negotiate NFL media contracts; ESPN’s commitment to this kind of reporting, and much more.   Spake discussed being named hostof FOX NASCAR’s race coverage, including all the anchor duties for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series; how that assignment came about; how she plans to forge chemistry with the studio group; the numbers of women working in NASCAR; how to navigate covering the sport from a studio in Charlotte; why NASCAR has hemorrhaged television viewers; working on the team of Thom Breneman and Chris Spielman on NFL games this season; the differences and similarities between NFL and college football sideline reporting; whether players and coaches curse more in pro football or college; the differences between working at Fox and ESPN; her superfandom of The Howard Stern show; her training as an endurance racer and racing in multiple half Ironmans  1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, and much more. Gluck discussed covering NASCAR via crowdfunding and how he supports his career and life via his Patreon page; why he opted to leave USA Today for this new style of independent reporting; who is patrons are and why he thinks they fund him; his current relationship with NASCAR; how he views the state of the media covering NASCAR today; why media outlets have scaled back on NASCAR coverage; whether ESPN leaving the sport has had an impact; the declining television ratings of the sport; how to get more people of color and women interested in NASCAR; whether the crowdfunding approach could work for writers in major sports, and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 39 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two segments. First up is a conversation with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. He is followed by Boston Globe media writer Chad Finn and USA Today staff writer A.J. Perez.  In this podcast, Miller discusses how he views ESPN’s firing of Adnan Virk; why he believes there was a significant over-punishment; why ESPN has not investigated who leaked Virk’s firing to the media and whether that is hypocrisy; the historic inconsistency of ESPN discipline; whether the information Virk leaked was benign or significant; whether ESPN’s decision will have a chilling impact on others staffers talking to the media; what Virk’s next steps should be regarding future employment; why Miller believes ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro should bring back Virk, and much more.  Finn and Perez discuss the low Super Bowl viewership number and potential reasons why it happened; whether Patriots fatigue actually exists or is a myth; the impact of Tony Romo on NFL broadcasting and their thoughts on the Virk firing.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 38 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Kevin Harlan, who is calling his ninth consecutive Super Bowl game for Westwood One, the audio rightsholder for the Super Bowl. He is followed by Mike Arnold, who is directing his fifth Super Bowl for CBS.  In this podcast, Harlan discusses calling his ninth Super Bowl for Westwood One and how his radio call is different from his television work; the preparation he does to call a radio broadcast versus a television one; who he envisions listens to the radio call of the Super Bowl; creating chemistry with his color analysts including Kurt Warner and Boomer Esiason; being critical of his own radio work; where the radio booth is located at the Super Bowl and how that impacts his call; calling games through binoculars versus a monitor; how he defines satisfaction from the radio broadcast versus television; how long he hopes to continue with the radio call and more.  Arnold discusses the role of director on a Super Bowl broadcast; how many camera operators he directs on Super Bowl day; the conversations he has with the camera persons prior to the game; whether certain camera locations are more important than others and why; what is unique about Tony Romo from his perspective; how he determines success in a broadcast; how much interaction he has with his bosses on Sunday; whether he gets nervous prior to air; what is something viewers should know about the process, and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Episode 37 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Laura Rutledge, a reporter and host for ESPN in a number of roles including as a reporter on live-event programming such as college football as well as a co-host on “Get Up” and the SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.” She is followed by Kevin Clark, an NFL writer, podcaster and video host for The Ringer. He previously covered the NFL for The Wall Street Journal. In this podcast, Rutledge discusses her various roles on major college football and other sports as well as hosting; her work process for each of those roles within ESPN; how she landed on “Get Up” and what ESPN has told her about her future there; her thought process on discussing Courtney Smith and Urban Meyer via commentary; facing sexism and chauvinism on social media; dealing with the stereotypes that exist on her being a former Miss Florida; the specific differences in working the sidelines on Monday Night Football versus college football; the passion of college football fans in the South; her experience being a regular on The Paul Finebaum Show; getting offered to join the Nashville and Sarasota ballets; and more.  Clark discusses his unique  style of NFL writing and how he finds his stories; why he left The Wall Street Journal for The Ringer; why the football analytics revolution may not be obvious, but it is happening in front of our eyes; whether wins above replacement a good metric for NFL; the interest in NFL viewers in analytics; his access working for The Ringer versus the Wall Street Journal; his thoughts on the Patriots-Rams Super Bowl, and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.