Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 67 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Monday Night Football analyst  Booger McFarland. In this podcast, McFarland discusses the criticism of the product last season; his confidence level that he would be retained by ESPN for MNF; the challenges of being a field analyst last season; how things will be different this year; how he views ESPN’s interest in high-profile people; how he got involved in the sports media following an NFL career that included two Super Bowl titles; how he views Andrew Luck’s decision to retire; what he has learned about broadcasting; how honest one can be in his position, and much 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 66 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Fox Sports play by play broadcaster Gus Johnson and The Athletic college football writers Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel.    In this podcast, Johnson discusses his approach to calling big plays and silence; the challenges of calling college football compared to other sports; his most memorable college football game as a broadcaster; how noon ET kickoffs will change his routine; why he wants badly back in the NBA; his approach to social media; his thoughts on Jay-Z and the NFL; why he considers his world soccer assignment the best of his professional career; the most impactful people in his career; working with Joel Klatt and Bill Raftery; if Fox Sports and CBS Sports are different and much more.  Feldman (who also works at Fox Sports) and Mandel discuss the biggest storylines of the CFB season; whether access has changed since they have been on the beat; how they would add to the television coverage of college football; the podcast market for college football; what college football stories work for The Athletic and much 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 65 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Washington Post sports and media writer Ben Strauss.  In this podcast, Strauss and Deitsch discusses the changes at ESPN’s NBA Countdown; the history of changes at Countdown; why Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor were chosen to help; the future of Michelle Beadle; the proliferation of wresting on Wednesday nights at USA Network and Turner Sports; the resignation of Deadspin editor of chief Megan Greenwell; the future of that site under G/O Media, the site’s parent company; the launch of the ACC Network and whether it has interest beyond ACC country; the coverage of women’s sports this summer; whether the increased WNBA’s coverage this summer will continue beyond this year; 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 64 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Don Van Natta, an investigative reporter for ESPN whose work appears across that company’s platforms. Van Natta is the host of the docuseries “Backstory,” whosedebut episode “Serena vs. The Umpire” launches Aug. 18 on ABC. He is followed by Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post. In January Janes moved from her longtime role as the Washington Nationals beat reporter to covering the 2020 Presidential election.  In this podcast, Van Natta discusses his coverage of NFL ownership and the reporting skills needed to uncover that secretive world; why he believes ESPN is committed to journalism long-term; how he describes his new docuseries; why he chose Serena Williams as the opening subject; the future episodes of the series including an examination of Shoeless Joe Jackson; the most important trait a sports reporter should have; how to ask a good questions of a subject; how a reporter knows when a subject is lying to him or her; the challenge of navigating Twitter as a journalist; how he views ESPN prohibiting staffers from commenting on “pure politics; whether ESPN can cover the nexus of politics and race and sports, and much more.  Janes discusses her move from covering the Nationals to the Kamala Harris campaign for The Washington Post; the most challenging part of that transition; how she was received by political reporters; a major social media mistake she made early in her tenure and the impact of that; the similarities between covering a sports beat and a political campaign; how she prepared for her new assignment; navigating social media and the differences and similarities of sports and political Twitter; her assessment of the Nationals playoff chances; the food at the Iowa State Fair 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 63 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Business Daily media reporter John Ourand. In this podcast, Deitsch and Ourand project how NFL viewership will fare in 2019; why last year’s NFL viewership was up five percent across the board; the impact of close games and matchups early in the season on ratings; the impact of the Bears and Browns on national ratings; the Pac-12’s prospects of 9:00 a.m. ET kickoffs; what we think of college football viewership for 2019; the latest on local baseball viewership and why some markets have dropped considerably; how local viewership impacts national viewership; ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast; Ourand’s story on the PGA Tour rights and WarnerMedia telling the PGA Tour that it would consider converting one of its existing TV channels into a golf-focused one; where the PGA Tour might land; ESPN+ investment in “Peyton’s Places;” whether Peyton Manning would consider doing an ABC package of NFL games and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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 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 difference between saying something on ESPN’s airwaves and personal social media feeds; whether ESPN’s social media policy can stand heading forward; what is likely next in this story, and more. Trotter discusses working at ESPN and discussing issues of race; how he viewed Le Batard’s comments from afar; his thoughts on whether there are any parallels to  Jemele Hill’s situation at ESPN; how he views ESPN’s social media policy and whether it is tenable; whether others at ESPN will head in the same direction as Le Batard, especially as we head toward an election year; why some issues are more important than policy; how sports has always been connected to race and politics; how he sees this will play out heading forward, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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 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 discusses Sunday Night Baseball and why so many viewers are expressing displeasure with the broadcast; the changes on the morning show at WEEI Radio in Boston; how the Celtics will look with Kemba Walker and without Al Horford and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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 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 talk on his pods; how he and Ross came together to do a podcast; why Grilling JR has been so successful from the jump; why Ross is so good in the podcast nostalgia space; why Pat Patterson, Kevin Dunn, Triple H and Jeff Jarrett would be excellent for this format; how much of the current product Thompson consumes and much more.  Herring discusses how the many free agent moves might impact the popularity and viewership of the NBA product; whether so-called parity or super-teams are better for NBA popularity; the impact of Lakers and Clippers moves on television viewership; how the Kawhi Leonard news cycle played out and what it meant for journalism and hot talkers, and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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 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 reporting on ESPN’s league partners; the experience of covering the World Cup in South Africa; where his current professional interest lie; the most satisfying and challenging stories he worked on; what it’s like to be a guest at your own online funeral and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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 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; whether we will see him on the air again and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com 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