Sports Media With Richard Deitsch

Episode 263 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation on the soccer journalist Grant Wahl with three of his longtime friends and colleagues— Jon Wertheim, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a senior correspondent for 60 Minutes and a senior analyst for The Tennis Channel; Mark Mravic, a longtime editor for Sports Illustrated who was the editor for GrantWahl.com and best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, the author of  “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson” and a longtime former Sports Illustrated writer. In this podcast, we talk about Grant’s impact on people professionally and personally; the outpouring of love for him on social media and elsewhere; our earliest memories of him; how he approached his work; his relationship with his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder; his work as an independent journalist and growing his own business; his support and work for U.S. women’s soccer; his enduring legacy and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and mo

Episode 262 of the Sports Media Podcast features T.J. Quinn, an investigative reporter for ESPN who has reported on the Brittney Griner case for ESPN since her imprisonment. In this podcast, Quinn discussed how he learned of the prisoner swap for Griner; his game plan for reporting the story; dealing with government sources; reporting on Griner getting a chance to do a light basketball workout; Griner’s life in Russia as best as Quinn could report; how Griner is doing psychologically and what is next for her; on Roger Carstens, the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs; the social media vitriol and Russian disinformation floating through Twitter and Quinn’s accounts; media outlets requesting 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 261 of the Sports Media Podcast features a media roundtable with Kavitha A. Davidson, a sportswriter and a correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and Ben Strauss, who covers sports and media for The Washington Post In this podcast, Davidson and Strauss discuss the U.S. and Russia prisoner exchange involving WNBA star Brittney Griner and how that coverage will likely play out on sports outlets; Fox’s World Cup coverage; Arson Judge and the race to be first among transaction reporters; the coverage of Deshaun Watson from NFL partners; Ben's piece on the power and peril of being Adam Schefter, the ultimate NFL insider; 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 260 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Renee Paquette, who was recently hired by AEW (All Elite Wrestling) as a host, interviewer and producer. She also hosts her own podcast — The Sessions with Renée Paquette — and does video content for the Cincinnati Bengals. She is followed by Grant Wahl, the longtime soccer journalist who is covering the World Cup in Qatar. In this podcast, Paquette discusses how she ended up at AEW after her long run with WWE; what her responsibilities are at AEW; how she anticipates she’ll be used in the next few months and how that role will evolve; working as a producer at AEW; her fandom for the Bengals; the differences in how segments are done in AEW versus WWE; how she feels about any potential storyline with her husband, Jon Moxley; the importance of providing the audience with a visual response during interviews; the genius of Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn; what she hopes to accomplish with her podcast and how she chooses guests; maintaining friends

Episode 259 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Tom Rinaldi, the Fox Sports reporter, host and producer who has had a crazy travel schedule in November. In this podcast, Rinaldi discusses the 10-day stretch that saw him travel from Doha to New Jersey to Dallas to Columbus to Kansas City and then back to Qatar; covering the Cowboys-Giants Thanksgiving Day game; Michigan-Ohio State; Rams-Chiefs and U.S-Iran in a two-week stretch; how to prepare for so many different assignments; the access he has received from the U.S. men’s national team; profiling Tyler Adams and Harry Kane; Fox’s mandate on sticking to the pitch when it comes to covering this World Cup; what he will be doing for the final weeks of the World Cup; the prospect of being assigned a WWE event 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

Episode 258 of the Sports Media Podcast features a roundtable sports media discussion with Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal managing editor/digital Austin Karp. In this podcast, Deitsch, Finn, and Karp discuss Fox’s World Cup coverage; the viewership totals for the World Cup so far; the NFL’s massive Thanksgiving Day ratings and what it means for future Thanksgiving  games; next year’s Black Friday game; the Michigan-Ohio State viewership; Bob Iger replacing Bob Chapek at Disney and what happens if ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro left ESPN; this year’s Manningcast; what could replace Twitter for sports media; our thoughts on Kirk Herbstreit as an NFL analyst; Amazon’s viewership so far, why we love “Andor” 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/adcho

Episode 257 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with ESPN’s Lydelle King, the coordinating producer of NFL Live, and ESPN’s Mark Eiseman, the producer of NFL Live. In this podcast, King and Eiseman discuss their roles producing a daily NFL show; how a show such as this gets put together each day; why on-air chemistry is almost always forged away from the camera; how viewership plays into their jobs; the importance of social media when it comes to their show; contingency plans if staffers such as Laura Rutledge or Dan Orlovsky were to leave; navigating people who appear remotely; who they consider their competition; the challenge of content during the spring and summer; 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 256 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Candace Parker, the Hall-of-Fame-to-be basketball player who works as a studio and game analyst across the NBA on TNT, NBA TV and NCAA Tournament coverage. Parker will join Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy and Stephanie Ready for the Nets-Sixers on Nov. 22 on TNT. In this podcast, Parker discusses how she entered broadcasting and her approach to the medium; the difference in studio work versus game work; how she prepares for her assignments; why basketball has had women in broadcasting roles that men held traditionally; being the subject of an upcoming ESPN documentary; the process of being vulnerable publicly and how that can be a strength; paying in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg from 2010 to 2015; Brittney Griner’s sentence; her marriage to  Anna Parker (nee: Petrakova), a former Olympic basketball player from Russia; her desire to play in the WNBA next year; why Seimone Augustus was such a tough guard; working on Inside the NBA and more. You

Episode 255 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Deirdre Fenton, Executive Director, Unscripted. at Meadowlark Media. In this podcast, Fenton discusses “Good Rivals,” a three-part docuseries (Fenton is the executive producer) on the rivalry between the Mexican and American national men’s soccer teams that debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 24; how Fenton defines her role at Meadowlark Media; the making of Good Rivals and the challenge of getting Mexican team players; what an executive producer does in totality; the Meadowlark/Skydance Sports upcoming documentary on Diana Taurasi; if women’s sports stories are an untapped market; the projects Meadowlark hopes to do heading forward; serving as a producer on the Academy Award-winning documentary “OJ: Made in America” and the BAFTA-winning “Hillsborough”; how could a young person can get to a position like Fenton’s and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener d

Episode 254 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Sean Keeley, the Editorial Strategy Director at Comeback Media and the creator of Nunes Magician. Last week Keeley wrote a piece, “What happens to sports media if Twitter dies?” and that’s the topic of our conversation. In this podcast, we discuss Sean’s piece with multiple sports media members and what they believed the impact of Twitter is; what the social media site's ending would mean for them individually; the impact of Twitter on careers; the wave of  impersonations, including Adam Schefter and LeBron James, on Twitter and what it means; the utility of sports Twitter; how advertisers see the product right now; how individual sports media people monetarized a large Twitter following; what a Twitter alternative for sports might look like; whether any large sports media organization would direct its employees to leave the site and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more a

Episode 253 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, the author of  “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson.” In this podcast, Pearlman discusses how to promote a sports book; why he wanted to profile Jackson; how to conduct 700 interviews and make some kind of order of them; the treasure trove of information notes, transcripts, and audio recordings that the late Dick Schaap donated to the Auburn University library; Bo Jackson’s greatest season; why Jackson is still relevant in 2022; what happened when Pearlman contacted 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 252 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Grant Wahl, the longtime soccer journalist who will be reporting on the ground from Qatar for the entirety of the World Cup starting November 14 for his own site, GrantWahl.com. In this podcast, Wahl discusses his previous reporting from Qatar on migrant workers at FIFA hotels in Doha and if laws to protect migrant workers are being enforced on the ground; the climate of Qatar for Western guests; what kind of access he will receive for the tournament; our deep dive on Fox’s coverage of the World Cup and what we think of each broadcaster; a breakdown of each World Cup Group and who we think might surprise; the final World Cup for Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, 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/adchoice

Episode 251 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox Sports and Chicago Bulls play by play broadcaster Adam Amin, and Adnan Virk, a host for MLB Network, NHL Network as well as his film podcast. Cinephile. In this podcast, Amin and Virk discuss if it was daunting to leave ESPN; the challenge of finding the next sports job; Virk on meeting Amin and knowing he was a rising star as a broadcaster; the differences of working at Fox Sports vs. ESPN; Amin on whether he wants to be be a No. 1 broadcaster; Virk on why he loathes Tom Cruise; Amin on his longtime friendship with Fox Sports colleague Joe Davis; the difference between working in sports in Canada versus the U.S.;  Virk on working at the WWE; Amin on calling the power of calling the NFL; Virk on having WWE co-CEO Nick Khan once represent him; Amin on how he chose his agent; what they each look for in representation, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about liste

Episode 250 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jemele Hill, a contributing writer for the Atlantic, the host of “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” on Spotify, and the author of  “Uphill: A Memoir,” which published on Oct. 25. In this podcast Hill discusses why she wanted to write a book about her life, especially one so personal and raw; a childhood where addiction was all around her; the pain and catharsis of writing so intimately about her mother; how being around addiction impacted her choices as an adult; her reasons for having an abortion and why she wanted readers to know about it; her default to pouring all of her energy into her career; being the only Black female sports columnist out of 305 daily newspapers in the country; joining ESPN in November  2006; the incorrect reporting of her initial ESPN salary and how that impacted people’s reaction to her; the voicemail Chris Berman left for her which prompted meetings with management; navigating ESPN politically; her tweets about Donald Trump; being suspended

Episode 249 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN, Saturday Night Live, and HBO. In this podcast, Miller discusses the current state of ESPN; ESPN ultimate move from direct to consumer; ESPN’s relationship with sports gambling; where talent salaries stand at the network; the growing power of Stephen A. Smith and talent asking to be on political shows; Chris Fowler’s upcoming contract negotiations; HBO’s House of Dragons 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 248 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Boston Globe writer Chad Finn for some sports media talk. He is followed by Meredith Shiner, a freelance writer, communications strategist, lecturer in public policy and the host of ‘The Franchise,’ a limited series podcast from Tablet Studios exploring the intersection of sports and American Jewish culture.  In this podcast, Deitsch and Finn converse on Al Michaels discussing ESPN’s story on Dan Snyder acquiring dirt in owners during Amazon Prime Video's Bears-Commanders broadcast; NBA broadcasts this season; Stephen A Smith appearing on "Hannity" and does it open the door for other ESPN-ers to appear on similar shows; whether Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole will impact his broadcasting career; Fox’s decision not to discuss any issues regarding Qatar during its World Cup coverage, such as migrant workers, LGBTQ concerns or any issues regarding the upcoming World Cup away from the pitch; 1970s MLB players getting rooked by the Hall

Episode 247 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Bob Costas, who will call one of the American League Division Series for TBS (alongside Ron Darling) and will host TBS’s coverage of the American Championship Series alongside Pedro Martinez, Jimmy Rollins and Curtis Granderson. In this podcast, Costas discusses his evolution as a baseball game-caller (he will call the Yankees versus the winner of the Guardians-Rays series); his observations of the coverage and language on sports television around Tua Tagovailoa’s head injuries; whether NFL game broadcasters can be critical of owners; how he views the resignation of Vince McMahon; being offered jobs by David Letterman and 60 Minutes; his work on “Later with Bob Costas”; the genius of Dick Cavett; the accurate story of why he ended his broadcast association with the NFL; being turned down by Jack Nicholson for a halftime interview during the NBA Finals; the cognitive dissonance sports fans have when it comes to events such as the Olympics, th

Episode 246 of the Sports Media Podcast features a sports media conversation with Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and The Big Lead editor in chief Kyle Koster. They are followed by J.A. Adande, the Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and the editor of the new anthology, “Year’s Best Sports Writing 2022.” In this podcast, Finn and Koster discuss showing replays of injuries on NFL broadcasts; how brain injuries are talked about on air;  Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit discussing Tua’s Tagovailoa injury; Amazon Prime Video’s Week 4 viewership of 11.7 million viewers; will a TV deal for LIV ever come and will sponsors want to be part of it; complaints over college football cut-ins for Aaron Judge; what we think about the upcoming NHL coverage and more. Adande discusses the editing process for Triumph Books’ Year’s Best Sports Writing 2022; what he was looking for with submissions; finding stories that reflect the current moment in sports; where we are

Episode 245 of the Sports Media Podcast features Yahoo Sports NFL writer Shalise Manza Young and Front Office Sports senior reporter A.J. Perez. In this podcast, Young and Perez discuss Mississippi’s sprawling welfare corruption scandal that has ensnared several people, including retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, and the sports media coverage surrounding it; companies enabling Favre; Perez’s reporting on Favre; whether any game broadcast would discuss Favre; the language on television surrounding Deshaun Watson; Kim Mulkey’s non comment on Brittney Griner; how they viewed coverage of Ime Udoka’s suspension; the thought posited by sports writer Sean Highkin that sports reporters and sports media personalities who have an agent should be required to disclose it when reporting on a player or coach repped by the same agency as them, 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.au

Episode 244 of the Sports Media Podcast features Ashley Adamson, the lead studio host for football and basketball on the Pac-12 Network, and Lisa McCaffrey, a former Stanford University star soccer player who has raised four adult sons, all of whom still play or coach football, most notably Christian McCaffrey who plays for the Carolina Panthers. In this podcast, Adamson and McCaffrey discuss their new podcast, “Your Mom,” a weekly conversation with moms of the most notable, successful people on the planet; how this venture came together; how they make the pitch to the Moms they want; their conversations with the mothers of Ryan Leaf (Marcia Leaf) and Jake Plummer (Marilyn Plummer); where they hope this podcast is a year from now; how to build a podcast from scratch, and more. Maraniss discusses why he wanted to write the book; the notable players on the 1976 team including Pat Summitt, Ann Meyers, Nancy Lieberman, and Lucy Harris; the impact of the team on the sport; uncovering women’s sports stories from hi