Clay Travis, founder of OutKick and author of 'Balls', dives into the transformation of sports journalism since 2015. He discusses the rise of identity politics in sports and the impact of Trump's win on media narratives. Travis shares insights on why many athletes remain silent on political issues, highlighting how only top stars like Aaron Rodgers dare to dissent. He reflects on the backlash faced by athletes who push back against woke culture and the shifting viewership trends fueled by technology.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
From Firing To Founding OutKick
Clay Travis lost his job at FanHouse in 2011 and started Outkick to control his online income.
He wrote articles, sold ads, and wore every small-business hat to grow the site himself.
insights INSIGHT
When Sports Turned Serious
Clay pins the start of 'woke sports' around 2015 when identity began to overshadow fun and merit.
He says sports shifted from entertainment to overly serious cultural battles during that period.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Learn The Business To Improve Media
Learn the business side to make better media and run a profitable operation.
Clay says doing ad sales and reading data made his content choices more effective.
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Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Clay Travis about building OutKick during the early days of independent media; the evolution of sports journalism before and after 2015; how podcasting shifted from audio to YouTube dominance; the impact of Trump’s 2016 win; selling OutKick and how financial success gave him more freedom but didn’t change his passion for work; how sports media became overtaken by identity politics around 2015; why woke culture peaked with trans athletes like Lia Thomas and ESPN’s award decisions; and how Clay’s new book explores Trump, sports fans, and cancel culture; why professional athletes failed to push back against woke sports culture; how fear of backlash and team control silenced dissent on issues like BLM and trans athletes; why only top-tier talent like Aaron Rodgers can defy political narratives; how Colin Kaepernick’s activism outweighed his skills as a backup quarterback; how media hypocrisy extends to figures like Harvey Weinstein and Epstein; and much more.
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