Sports Media With Richard Deitsch

Episode 62 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is best-selling author and media writer James Andrew Miller, the host of the podcast, “Origins with James Andrew Miller. He is followed by longtime NFL writer Jim Trotter, who serves in a multitude of roles for NFL Network and NFL.com and previously worked at ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the San Diego Union-Tribune. In this podcast, Miller discusses ESPN Radio host Dan Le Batard’s criticism of President Donald Trump and Le Batard’s criticism of his own network  for not having “the stomach for the fight” when it comes to ESPN’s  coverage of issues of race unless “there is some sort of weak, cowardly sports angle that we can run it through;" where the line is for an opinionist in relation to ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro’s dicta that it is not ESPN job “to cover politics, purely” and what that even means; the reaction of employees and management inside and outside of ESPN to Le Batard’s comments; whether there is a differenc

Episode 61 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests: First up is a boxing roundtable with Mike Coppinger, a staff writer covering boxing for The Athletic who formerly covered the sport for USA Today and Ring Magazine, and Lance Pugmire, a senior writer covering boxing for The Athletic who previously spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times as their lead boxing writer. They are followed by Chad Finn, the sports media writer for the Boston Globe.  In this podcast, Pugmire and Coppinger discuss the most enjoyable and most challenging thing about covering boxing in 2019; who the most important people are for them on the boxing beat; the transparency of fighters, promoters and TV executives; the kind of access they get as writers; the rise of DAZN as a player in the sport and what it means; Al Heymon’s power; how they define Boxing Twitter; what exists in the podcast space and their upcoming podcast; what it is like covering a sport where there are few reporters, and much more.   Finn

Episode 60 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Conrad Thompson, the host of four immensely popular wresting podcasts: Something to Wrestle (with Bruce Pritchard); 83 Weeks (with Eric Bischoff), What Happened When (with Tony Schiavone) and Grilling JR with Jim Ross. He is followed by Chris Herring, a senior NBA writer for FiveThirtyEight and the former Knicks beat writer at The Wall Street Journal.  In this podcast, Thompson discusses Bischoff and Pritchard taking job with the WWE and what that means for his podcasts; what he expects from Bischoff and Pritchard episodes heading forward; how much, if at all, the content of those podcasts will change; whether Pritchard has pulled any punches about the WWE since joining them earlier this year; how Thompson’s production schedule and live show schedule has changed with Bischoff and Pritchard taking WWE jobs; whether he has interacted with any WWE officials about the content of the pod; why you don’t hear current WWE tal

Episode 59 of the Sports Media Podcast features guest Bob Ley, who recently retired from ESPN after 40 years with the network. Ley was ESPN’s longest-serving commentator, joining the network as a SportsCenter anchor on its third day of operation (September 9, 1979)and had hosted Outside the Lines since its inception in May 1990. In this podcast, Ley discussed why he left ESPN; dispelling any notion that this was not his decision and his alone; how he came to his decision; what he did during his sabbatical from ESPN prior to announcing his retirement; whether he would do some on-air one-offs for ESPN in the future; what he believes the future is for Outside The Lines and whether management will support the show; how he navigated ESPN internally for 40 years; how the rounds of layoffs impacted his day to day at ESPN; how ESPN attempts to navigate the discussion of politics, race and social issues when its front-facing people discuss it on their social media channels; what it was like for him internally when rep

Episode 58 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. The first segment is a conversation with John Ourand, the sports media reporter for the Sports Business Daily. The second segment features best-selling author James Andrew Miller, the host of the podcast, “Origins with James Andrew Miller. In this podcast, Ourand and Deitsch discuss Bob Ley’s decision to retire from ESPN after 40 years; the impact of Ley on programming at ESPN; what this means for ESPN’s journalism and Outside The Lines heading forward; the Women’s World Cup viewership for Fox Sports; Fox’s lack of interest in the PGA Tour rights; Fox receiving praise for its US Open coverage; the IOC provisionally approvingbreakdancing as a new medal event at 2024 Paris Olympicsas well as skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, and a discussion on the Barrett Sports Media Top 30 Studio Shows of AllTime Draft. Miller jumps on the podcast for the final segment to discuss Ley’s impact on ESPN; why he was the conscience of the editorial operation; wh

Episode 57 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. The first segment is a conversation with Michael Grange, who covers the Toronto Raptors for Sportsnet (Canada) and Ann Killion, a sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle who covers the Golden State Warriors. The second segment features Mark Feinsand, an MLB. com executive reporter, MLB Network Insider and the co-author of "Mission 27: A New Boss, A New Ballpark and One Last Ring For The Yankees' Core Four.”  In this podcast, Grange and Killion discuss the challenges and professional excitement of covering a championship team; what the process was like to cover this year’s Raptors and Warriors; what kind of access they received as reporters; covering Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant daily; Killion on covering a team that consistently makes the NBA Finals; why Steph Curry is so unique among NBA superstars; the most challenging things about covering this year’s teams; who surprised each writer on the other team’s roster; what they anticipate wi

Episode 56 of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN’s Taylor Twellman, the network’s lead analyst for domestic and global soccer. In this podcast, Twellman discusses Fox owning the rights to the World Cup and the frustration that comes from that; how he watches World Cup games; how he got into broadcasting following his career as a professional soccer player; how he hopes to navigate his soccer presence with other opportunities to discuss and cover sports away from soccer; his fandom for the St. Louis Blues; living in arguably the most intense sports media city in the U.S. (Boston); and a long conversation between Twellman and the host on the United States’s 13-0 win over Thailand in Group Stage play.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 55 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is best-selling author James Andrew Miller, the host of the podcast, “Origins with James Andrew Miller.” He is followed by  sports broadcaster Jenn Hildreth, who will be calling the 2019 Women's World Cup for Fox and also works for ESPN and the SEC Network. In this podcast, Miller discusses the many interviews ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro has done on the intersection of sports and politics at ESPN and how Pitaro views that intersection with relation to ESPN’s audience; the research ESPN says it has done on this issue and why it won’t release that data; how a company such as Disney navigates this issue; whether the social media rules should be (and are) different for Disney Chairman Bob Iger versus a front-facing ESPN employee; the growth of ESPN+ and the job ESPN programming execs have done building it up; the ESPN Monday Night Football booth decision; whether Bob Ley will return to ESPN; what the Andy Ruiz Jr.- Anthony Joshua fight means for

Episode 54 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests: First up is David Epstein, a New York Times best-selling author whose latest book is “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” He is followed by Seerat Sohi, an NBA writer for Yahoo Sports based in Toronto who is covering the NBA Finals. The third segment features Daniel Dale, the acclaimed Washington bureau chief for the Toronto Star and a mega-Raptors fan. In this podcast, Epstein discusses his latest book, which questions whether early specialization leads to your best possible result; the development of Roger Federer vs. Tiger Woods; how specialization impacts society; the system of parallel trenches in science and what that means; those who find success late; how parents can best introduce their kids sports; the greatest organizational challenge Epstein faced with the book; his thoughts on Caster Semenya, and more.  Sohi discusses how she will approach covering her first NBA Finals fulltime; whether she feels pressure writing a

Episode 53 of the Sports Media Podcast features a roundtable with Sports Business Daily media reporter John Ourand. In this podcast, Deitsch and Ourand discuss the NFL moving Sunday divisional playoff games to 3pm and 6:30 p.m. ET start times; dropping the single-header rule, meaning all markets will get at least three Sunday afternoon games; the postseason NBA viewership; how much of the declines are tied to LeBron James versus other factors; the L.A. Times profile of ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro; the future of cord cutting; whether Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google will pick up significant sports rights packages by 2025; ESPN and the nexus of sports and politics; Pitaro saying talent is no longer confused about politics; the NFL Network’s rights deal with Conference USA for 10 football games; the Sports Emmys and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 53 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Taylor Rooks, a host and reporter for Bleacher Report and the host of “Take It There With Taylor Rooks,” which airs on Bleacher Report. She is followed by Jim Ross, the iconic wrestling broadcaster who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling as a commentator and senior advisor. He also has a new podcast — Grilling JR – with Conrad Thompson.  In this podcast, Rooks discusses her career arc and how she landed a national sports interview show at age 26; how her age is an asset with athletes; mentors such as Cari Champion and their impact on helping Rooks guide through the sports media business as a women and women of color; whether she feels pressure as the face of a B/R campaign; speaking truth publicly on topics such as race; her interviews with Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Saquon Barkley, Elena Delle Donne and Rudy Gobert among others; the role of “each one, teach one” in her life; what she hopes to achieve long-term and much more.  R

Episode 52 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests: First up is a sports media roundtable with Washington Post sports and media writer Ben Strauss of The Washington Post and Hannah Withiam, an associate editor at The Athletic. They are followed by  Armen Keteyian, the longtime broadcast television journalist and an anchor and executive producer for The Athletic.  In this podcast, Strauss, Withiam and Deitsch discuss the XFL’s media deal including the announcement that more than half of the XFL's games will be on broadcast television as part of deals the league announced with Fox and ESPN; whether spring football can be successful as a sports media play; how ESPN and Fox might approach production; what we think of ESPN’s decision to name Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland as the Monday Night Football booth; how long we expect ESPN management to give the new MNF booth; the Sinclair Broadcast Group buying 21 regional sports networks from Disney for $10.6 billion; what Sinclair owning the linear TV and

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 publi

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 Ari

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 r

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 abou

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

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;

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

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 s