Awful Announcing Podcast

For the latest edition of the AA Podcast we're pleased to be joined by the play by play voice of the Boston Celtics, Sean Grande. In addition to being the Celtics radio voice for more than a decade, Sean has experience working in a number of different capacities across the sports world including college football, the Frozen Four, and the Boston Red Sox. He also happens to be one of the biggest wrestling fans in sports along with friends Michelle Beadle and Bill Simmons. So of course you know we're going to dive into this Sunday's Royal Rumble and even the time Sean had dinner with The Iron Sheik and Fred Lynn. Other topics include...- The Celtics entering full-on rebuild mode and the strategy of gathering assets.- The astounding number of players that have passed in and out of Boston in the past month.- The challenges of calling an NBA team that's in a rebuild versus when the franchise has been to the mountain peak and winning a championship.- Which young players might be part of Boston's plan to get back

It's a special episode of the AA Podcast as we have a tripleheader of guests with a Columbus flavor. Our trio of guests join us to talk about Ohio State's victory over Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game from their varying perspectives covering the Buckeyes. First, Matt Barnes of NBC 4 in Columbus gives us his perspective on the trip to Dallas, following the team this season, and the win over the Ducks.Second, Dave Biddle from Bucknuts.com examines some of the national media storylines and the "Ohio Against the World" mindset of the team and the fanbase. We also take a deep dive into Urban Meyer's recruiting success and whether or not the Big Ten is really back.Finally, Beau Bishop of 97.1 The Fan and WBNS examines the remarkable storylines from this season and putting what we just witnessed into historical perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our annual tradition at AA, we welcome Sports Illustrated media scribe Richard Deitsch for your special 2014 Year in Review podcast. We chat about the biggest sports and media stories of the year (including Darren Rovell blocking him on Twitter, naturally). Topics include...- How the media handled the massive NFL stories this year of Michael Sam's coming out and the domestic violence crisis.- ESPN's year in journalism for good (Don Van Natta/OTL) and bad (ESPN & Media Reports)- The Bill Simmons suspension and what might be in the future of The Sports Guy.- Did 2014 represent progress for women in sports media?- Did Twitter take a turn to the dark side in 2014? Richard and I are in agreement on this one.- Gus Johnson's soccer experiment coming to an end and Fox taking the World Cup baton from ESPN.- The current state of Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN.- A rundown of RD's Media Awards including Doc Emrick as his person of the year.All that and a lot more on our 2014 Year in Review special. Merry Christm

In today's episode we welcome ESPN's Sarah Spain. Sarah is a contributor to espnW, ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago, and appears on a number of television platforms. We talk about her increasing national exposure at ESPN, Chicago sports and a number of other topics including...- Her start in the industry in Chicago.- What has changed for her since becoming a national personality at ESPN.- Increased platforms for women in sports media (and how ESPN has led the way) and where there are still areas for growth.- The NFL seeing an increase in female fans this year.- Our hopes of bringing Talk Soup to the sports world.- Whether or not Jay Cutler is losing support in Chicago.- The Derrick Rose panic-meter and how Jimmy Butler suddenly became an All-Star.- Which team most defines the mood of the Chicago sports fan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's podcast we talk with one of the busiest announcers in sports - ESPN's Dave Pasch. We catch up with Dave in Houston in the middle of a four game stretch this week spanning the NBA, NFL, college football, and college basketball. We chat about the Arizona Cardinals being the best team in football and of course, his long, strange, trip with Bill Walton. Topics include...-What it's like to work 6 games in 8 days and the differences in calling each sport.-How he can loosen up and be a fan on radio broadcasts with the Arizona Cardinals.-Seeing the Lakers in person and what their season might be like.-Just how the Cardinals have got to 9-1 and the best team in the NFL.-Can Drew Stanton become a Super Bowl winning quarterback?-The prospects of Arizona hosting a home Super Bowl.-Seeing the growth of J.T. Barrett at Ohio State firsthand.-His partnership with Bill Walton and how he prepares for a telecast with the big redhead.-The experience of being in Bill Walton's backyard teepee. Hosted on Acast. Se

With the NASCAR season nearing the checkered flag, we welcome ESPN's lead play-by-play voice for the sport, Allen Bestwick, to the podcast. With the new Chase format and the Texas pit road brawl, the sport is at a fever pitch at the moment. Allen joins us to chat about...-His future at ESPN and moving on from NASCAR as the sport goes to Fox/NBC next year.-Being able to call the Indy 500, Wimbledon and the British Open and what led to his decision to stay at ESPN versus staying with NASCAR.-Whether or not NASCAR has finally found the right formula with their current Chase format being a true playoff.-The Brad Keselowski-Jeff Gordon fight at Texas and how Keselowski is received by fans and the garage area.-NASCAR's ratings and why finding an answer to growing the sport again is so complex.-Why Kevin Harvick is the favorite in Phoenix this weekend.-What to expect at Homestead for the first true championship race in NASCAR history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cleveland is the epicenter of the sports world tonight. To talk about LeBron's return to the Cavs and the opening of the NBA season we're joined by Dustin Fox of 92.3 FM The Fan. As a national champion with the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes, we also chat about this year's OSU team and the first year of the college football playoff. Topics include...-How LeBron's SI letter was the defining factor in winning people in Cleveland back.-The enthusiasm of the city when James announced his return and tonight for opening night.-How the excitement and optimism in the city surpasses even LBJ's first tenure with the Cavs.-How different of an environment it is in Cleveland sports talk radio than a year ago at this time.-The Browns as a possible playoff contender.-Why claims of ESPN's SEC bias are a cop-out and why Michigan is the key to the Big Ten's return to prominence.-This year's Ohio State team being a playoff contender.-Why Urban Meyer and LeBron James will both be defined by championships in Ohio. Hosted on Acast. Se

Hello, friends. For the centennial edition of the AA Podcast we welcome the one and only Jim Nantz of CBS Sports. As the longtime play by play man for the NFL on CBS, The Masters, and the Final Four, nobody in sports broadcasting has a better list of assignments. This year Nantz has added Thursday Night Football to his busy schedule to mark his 30th year at the network. In this wide-reaching podcast, Jim talks to AA about...- The new Thursday Night Football schedule and how he copes with non-competitive games.- The effort being put into the TNF franchise behind the scenes and the work he puts into calling 2 NFL games some weekends.- The current state of golf and the passing of the torch from Tiger to Rory. Why a duel at next year's Masters might be a historic occasion for the sport.- Tiger Woods and the '97 Masters as the transcendent athlete and event that he has covered in his 30 year career at CBS.- The surprising reason why his call of Devin Hester's opening kickoff return for a Super Bowl is his favo

Our last episode in double figures welcomes one of our favorite and most frequent guests back to the show - New York Times #1 bestselling author James Andrew Miller. As the co-author of Those Guys Have All The Fun, Jim has remained an authority on all things inside and outside Bristol, Connecticut. With so much happening around ESPN in recent weeks, we talked with Jim about the following...- The severity of the Bill Simmons suspension and the "civil war" within Bristol.- Simmons' roller coaster year at ESPN and whether or not he will stay with Bristol when his contract is up next year.- The comeback of Keith Olbermann and the big personalities that have returned in recent years... and why John Skipper's personality is instrumental in that.- The rash of suspensions this year at ESPN.- The new NBA TV deal and why it was "required" for ESPN to get it done.- How ESPN is further separating itself from its competitors and why Fox Sports 1 overshot expectations.- The big picture of John Skipper's tenure as ESPN pr

With the dawn of the 2014 MLB Postseason, we're joined by one of the best playoff pitchers of the last generation - John Smoltz. After an illustrious career with the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz moved to the broadcast booth and has been a consistent presence covering the sport. In today's podcast, we talk about John's TV career, his duel with Jack Morris, and which pitcher is most important this postseason. Topics include...- Starting in television right away after his playing days and the differences in preparation between his analyst and pitching jobs.- The differences in postseason pitching versus the regular season.- The state of the game and pace of play issues.- Why John is against the one game Wild Card round and why a Best of 3 series would be more fitting.- Memories of his postseason duel with Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and whether that is his defining playoff moment even in defeat.- The pressure on Jon Lester against the Royals to justify Billy Beane's risky midseason trade.- Why Wa

On a special edition of the AA Podcast we break the news of ESPN's newest additions to the basketball version of College GameDay - former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg and former Duke star Jay Williams. The ACC pair will join Rece Davis and Jay Bilas on the 2014-15 version of ESPN's flagship college sports show. On the podcast, Seth and Jay take us through their ESPN careers and getting the call to join GameDay and the different paths they took. Also, there's plenty of lively banter between the two on topics ranging from their history with one another to the current state of college basketball and paying players. Other topics include...-Their unique paths to ESPN and how the veteran and rookie roles might be reversed for the two from the normal player-coach dynamic.-Taking GameDay on the road and performing in front of a live crowd. -Seth and Jay's relationship and how it evolved after a rocky start after Williams criticized Va Tech on the air before Greenberg came to ESPN.-Flex scheduling for GameDa

For the second time, we've collected our editorial staff for a roundtable discussion on the eventful month that's been in the NFL. We're joined by Steve Lepore, Ken Fang, and Joe Lucia to wade through arguably the worst month of off-field news in NFL history, the league's response (or lack thereof), and how the media has covered it all. In addition, we tackle some other sports media topics of the day. Our conversation covers...-Major takeaways from the NFL scandals.-Where is Roger Goodell?-How NFL insiders reported the story and the trust gap that may have developed.-TMZ as the sports media person of the year? It doesn't sound too crazy.-Mike Francesa's simulcast woes on FS1.-Gus Johnson stepping down from Fox soccer and who should replace him.-How will the MLB postseason do in the ratings without the Yanks and Sawx?A lively discussion on a number of topics, hope you join us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's podcast features a lenghty, in-depth interview with Josh Elliott of NBC Sports. Elliott recently moved to the peacock after a succesful run at Good Morning America saw that show vault over Today to become the number one morning show in the land. Now Elliott serves as a features reporter across a variety of NBC sports and news platforms. We spent a lot of time talking about the Ray Rice story and the credibility crisis facing the NFL as well as his time in morning show television and his future at NBC. Topics include...- Why this story (Ray Rice-NFL-domestic violence) has resonated with so many in becoming a mainstream sports and news story.- Being in San Francisco for Sunday Night Football, what the reaction is to the ongoing Ray McDonald and Greg Hardy cases in relation to Ray Rice.- The pressure mounting on Roger Goodell and whether or not he should lose his job.- Whether or not this credibility crisis will affect the league's popularity in any way.- The larger cultural issues in sports that nee

The AA Podcast is back! After a summer hiatus we're back for a new fall season of the Awful Announcing Podcast. And what better guest to invite on the program than one of the most respected journalists and hosts in the history of sports media - ESPN's Bob Ley. The OTL host has been there since the beginning and we were fortunate enough to spend an hour chatting with him talking about a number of topics including...- Saying goodbye to ESPN's World Cup coverage.- Making the case that Germany 7, Brazil 1 being the most shocking result in the history of sports.- ESPN's next steps in soccer and increased competition in the sports rights derby.- ESPN's growth into a multi-billion dollar corporation and whether some of the soul of the network's beginnings is still in tact.- How ESPN has adjusted to being watched by sports media observers and reporters.- What advice he would give to someone starting out at ESPN and how the network can continue to push forward. - The recent Redskins OTL special and the nickname deba

This weekend represents the biggest day in motorsports across the world and the marquis event is the Indy 500. On today's podcast we're joined by the host of the race for ABC, SportsCenter anchor Lindsay Czarniak. This will be Lindsay's first assignment since having her first child in March. On today's show we talk about the race, her time away, and working on the 6 PM SportsCenter. Topics include...- Coming back to broadcasting this weekend for the Indy 500.- Her personal reaction to the backlash to Daniel Murphy's paternity leave and her Today Show segment with husband Craig Melvin about their own experience.- The journey to ESPN and why her time working with the legendary George Michael was the pivotal step in her career.- What might surprise viewers about working the daily 6 PM SportsCenter.- Her relationship with co-anchor John Anderson and the chemistry they've developed.- Her affinity with motorsports and excitement in hosting the Indy 500 and being the first woman to do so.- Storylines to watch this w

For this week's podcast, we have a special treat. ESPN coordinating producer Amy Rosenfeld granted us some time for an interview in the midst of preparations for the 2014 World Cup. Amy has played a major role in ESPN's critically acclaimed coverage of international soccer and the 2010 World Cup in particular. She's been one of the driving forces in transforming ESPN's coverage of the sport from a foreign novelty to the revered, mature product it is today. In this podcast, listeners are granted insights into that transformation and a look ahead to the 2014 World Cup broadcast. Topics include...-Amy's journey to being at the controls for ESPN's World Cup coverage and how far the network has come since the 1999 Women's World Cup.-Her personal philosophy in broadcasting sports and why staying out of the way is so important as well as how her life as a fan helps in production.-The transformation made at ESPN from the 2006 to 2010 World Cup and why the network no longer felt like it had to explain the offside

On today's show we're joined by one of the best basketball players of the last generation, former All-Star and current NBA on TNT analyst Chris Webber. C-Web has seen his broadcast career take off since joining Turner and he's currently working alongside Ian Eagle calling the Pacers-Wizards Eastern Conference semifinal. In this podcast, we chat with Chris about his broadcast career, his desire to get into coaching, and how the playoffs have shaken out so far. Topics include...-How being close to the game as a broadcaster helps to prepare for an eventual coaching career and his desire to follow the paths of Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr.-What it's like to work with EJ, Kenny, and Charles at Inside the NBA and why it's even funnier behind the scenes.-Why this year's first round was the best ever.-The struggle in Indiana and what's really going on with the Pacers. It's not all Roy Hibbert's fault that the Pacers are reeling.-Walking the line in being able to be critical of players having been there before and

On today's podcast we talk about the Donald Sterling controversy with Bomani Jones of ESPN. Bomani's work has drawn plenty of attention this week due to a column he wrote in 2006 documenting Donald Sterling's racism and asking why it wasn't news. Although Bomani has been credited with showing "foresight" the truth is he was one of the few calling attention to the real issue at hand that was ignored for years. In this podcast, we cut straight to the heart of the matter to talk about sports, race, the media, and society as a whole. Topics include...-Why his 2006 column is receiving more attention now than it did then.-Whether or not a threatened player boycott forced the hand of Adam Silver to deliver a maximum punishment.-Why we are easily drawn to the sexiness of the TMZ audio versus housing discrimination.-The validity of Mark Cuban's "slippery slope" comments.-The legacy of David Stern. -Who takes the brunt of the blame for enabling Donald Sterling for years and not speaking out.-Whether or not the NBA

On today's podcast we shift our attention to the NHL postseason and chat with NBC sports host Liam McHugh. Liam is the lead studio anchor for NBC's coverage of the NHL as well as Notre Dame football, the Tour de France, and other sports. In many ways, he is one of the faces of the young NBCSN. Today we talk with Liam about the Stanley Cup and his career at NBC. Topics include...-His journey to NBCSN including looking back at his time with Versus and The Daily Line and what that experience meant for his career.-How he became a "hockey guy" with his NHL assignments.-Whether he's ever had to break up a fight between Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick. Sadly, answer is no, but the behind the scenes dynamics are great.-Why Pens-Blue Jackets is the most exciting first round series.-How the physicality of the Blackhawks has been one of the most impressive things from the playoffs thus far.-What it maeans to have an 18 year old, Nathan MacKinnon, as the top points scorer of the postseason.-What's left on Liam's broa

On today's podcast we welcome the co-host of Fox Sports 1's newest show, America's Pregame, Molly McGrath. Molly has been with FS1 since the network launch in mid-August. After serving mainly at the newsdesk providing updates, she then got the call to co-host Fox's new daily show alongside Mike HIll (who she incredibly used to print scripts for as a production assistant at ESPN). Molly also chats with AA about...-Her sportscasting journey including how she created a sports reporting role as a Boston College cheerleader.-Her time with the Boston Celtics and whether she has any good Tommy Heinsohn stories.-Moving to Fox Sports 1 and the difference in sports on the west coast and east coast.-Fighting the stigma against blonde women working at Fox News and Fox Sports 1.-Is Fox Sports 1 really "the one for fun" behind the scenes?"-The vision for America's Pregame and how it can grow into being an alternative to SportsCenter.-Why taking viewer suggestions for improving the show is so important.-Which would she r