Sports Media With Richard Deitsch

Episode 125 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Renee Paquette, who worked for nearly eight years as a WWE broadcaster under the name Renee Young. She is the host of “Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette,” an uncensored and unscripted weekly in-depth conversation with a personality. She is followed by Shalise Manza Young, a columnist for Yahoo Sports and a former Boston Globe sports writer. In this podcast, Paquette discusses her pregnancy (she and the AEW wrestler Jon Moxley are having a girl); how the pregnancy announcement came to be on AEW; the shock of the death of Brodie Lee (Jon Huber); missing people in pro wrestling; whether we will see a woman at the main announcing desk of “Raw”; the creative freedom of AEW versus WWE; her upcoming cookbook, “Messy In The Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously, and Drinking Copiously” which will come out in May 2021; whether her husband practices promos in her house; if she thinks Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey will return t

Episode 124 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is  Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina, the host of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast. In this podcast Traina and Deitsch discuss the state of NFL broadcasting; ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth and what will happen next; whether an Amazon or Netflix would ever get a standalone NFL package. the challenges of a hosting a niche podcast; interviewing people from the wrestling world, Peyton Manning as a broadcaster, WWE vs. AEW, and much more. He is followed by Jane McManus, the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication, a Deadspin sports columnist and former ESPN staffer. She is the co-host of “Ladies Room” podcast with Julie DiCaro. McManus discusses the coverage of college football during the pandemic and the trouble she has with it; why she feels how the young people in her program look at sports journalism; what she thinks ESPN is now after the latest round of the layoffs; journalism at ESPN; and

Episode 123 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller and Deitsch discuss ESPN and Dan Le Batard announcing they are mutually parting ways; why that relationship ended; the impact of ESPN management on that decision; Trey Wingo leaving the company;  the impact of ESPN management on Wingo not being retained; longtime ESPN writers Wayne Drehs, Bonnie Ford and Ian O’Connor announcing last week they were no longer at ESPN; the impact of losing as many sports journalists as ESPN had over the past five years; what ESPN’s commitment to sports journalism is amid their larger ecosystem heading forward, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 122 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Trey Wingo, who joined ESPN in 1997 and anchored multiple sports and events for the network including serving as the lead host of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage. Wingo is debuting a new podcast series this week —  Half-Forgotten History. In this podcast Wingo discusses his new podcast venture; why he is no longer at ESPN from his perspective; what ESPN management told him when he told them last year that he no longer wanted to continue co-hosting his ESPN Radio show upon the conclusion of his current contract; being the subject of negative news; whether he was a casualty of the company purging high-salaried, long tenured folks; how he viewed the outpouring of praise he received on Twitter after the annoucement; working with Mike Golic on ESPN; why Golic is no longer hosting a prominent spot on ESPN Radio; hosting the September 11, 2001 SportsCenter with Bob Ley; how social media has impacted ESPN; his thoughts on future television work and much

Episode 121 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN and YES Network broadcaster Ryan Ruocco, who serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s NBA and WNBA coverage and was most recently named to serve as ESPN’s lead play-by-play commentator for Women’s college basketball. He is followed by Lindsey Adler, who covers the Yankees for The Athletic and Olivia Witherite, who is the social media lead for The Athletic. In this podcast Ruocco, who has worked for ESPN since 2008, discusses how the women’s college basketball assignment come about; whether he will be traveling for it this year; if feedback from producers and executives is different for women’s basketball vs the NBA; the anticipation of calling the Nets this year; why he thinks Brooklyn are legit NBA Finals contenders; his relationship with C.C. Sabathia, and more. Adler and Witherite discuss the impact of Kim Ng becoming the first female general manager in MLB; Adler’s column on   on what Ng’s hiring mean

Episode 120 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Hall of Fame basketball coach Muffet McGraw, who served as the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame from 1987 to 2020, leading her team to nine Final Fours, seven championship game appearances, and two National Championships. Last month McGraw joined ESPN to work in a studio analyst role for the ACC Network. She is followed by soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who hosts the "Fútbol with Grant Wahl" podcast. This week Wahl debuts "American Prodigy: The Freddy Adu Story," a seven-part series on the American soccer player Freddy Adu. In this podcast, McGraw discusses her decision to join the ACC Network and how it came about; why she is sure she will not coach again; why studio work is interesting to her; reaching out to former college basektball coaches Andy Landers and Seth Greenberg about the transition to broadcasting; the challenge of being associated with Notre Dame while analyzing Notre Dame; her relationship

Episode 119 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller discusses the ESPN layoffs; the behind-the-scenes impact of the layoffs; what it means for the company heading forward; the industry trends at work; how ESPN’s desire for the NFL plays into this; the future of ESPN talkers; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 118 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN’s Chris Fowler, the lead college football and tennis voice for ESPN. He is followed by Jordan Cornette and Shae Peppler Cornette, who co-host ESPN Radio’s GameDay each Sunday during football season from 1-5 p.m. ET. It is the first time a married couple has co-hosted an ESPN Radio show. The final guest is the longtime New York Times sportswriter Harvey Araton. He is the author of “Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship,” which chronicles his bond with Michelle Musler, a longtime season-ticket holder for the Knicks. In this podcast, Fowler discusses his new podcast, “Fowler, who you got?”; why he likes long-form interviews; trying to book guests away from ESPN; doing a non-sports podcast; the adjustments he has made regarding calling college football this year; the lack of a crowd; calling an NFL game this year with Kirk Herbstreit; his interests in doing the NFL long-term; his approach to social justic

Episode 117 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests as part of a roundtable. The guests are: Michael Mulvihill, the head of strategy and analytics and an executive vice president for Fox Sports; Flora Kelly, the senior director of Strategic and Brand Insights at ESPN and Austin Karp, the Managing Editor/Digital at Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily. In this podcast, the trio discusses the macro trends of sports viewership and where things are on linear television and on-demand; why the numbers for so many signature sports properties – Stanley Cup Finals, Kentucky Derby, NBA Finals, Indy 500, and U.S. Open golf etc… — have gone down so much; the NBA and how much impact social justice messaging has had on viewership; why the NFL generally speaking has kept afloat with viewership; general college football viewership trends; social media changing the way perceptions are created about the success of leagues and networks; how much will streaming be a factor over the nex

Episode 116 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. The first guest is Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. He is followed by Turner Sports NBA analyst Stan Van Gundy. In this podcast Ourand discusses where NFL viewership is after Week 5; how much the Presidential Election coverage will impact sports viewership; the NFL’s thoughts on ratings; the use of ABC has a sports channel; the conclusion of the NBA season and more. Van Gundy discusses his experience and challenges and joys working in the Orlando bubble; spending time with his brother, Jeff Van Gundy, inside the bubble; the current popularity of the NBA; the nexus of sports and politics and race and his willingness to discuss them publicly; how having money gives you the freedom to speak your mind in sports; how he sees owners in the NBA; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 115 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features ESPN NBA reporter Malika Andrews, whose work appears across ESPN platforms including ESPN.com, SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. In this podcast Andrews discusses working inside the NBA bubble for four months; the challenges and rewards of the experience; the medical protocols of the bubble; being the youngest television sideline reporter ever to work the Eastern Conference finals; how she has found her age to be a factor in her reporting and access; her choking up on camera on SportsCenter following the Louisville grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case; her social media experience; flunking out of middle school suffering from an eating disorder; how she views her future and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 114 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Jeff  Pearlman, the author Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty. He is followed by Donnovan Bennett, a senior writer and host for Sportsnet Canada (where I also work). In this podcast, Pearlman discusses his reporting on Kobe Bryant and what it was like to report and write critically on Bryant; reporting on the 1996 to 2004 Lakers, interviewing more than 300 people for his book; his reporting interactions with Shaq, Phil Jackson and J.R. Rider; why he thinks people spoke with him; how he views Bryant today, and much more. Bennett discusses the differences and similarities of Canadian sports coverage versus U.S. sports coverage; debate versus conversation in sports;  the intersection of the sports media and social justice and racism in the U.S. and Canada; counsel culture; what kind of NBA Finals the Lakers-Heat will be; his take on American college football playing, and much

Episode 113 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is John Ourand, the media reporter for Sports Business Daily. He is followed by writer Seyward Darby, the author of “Sisters In Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism” and writer Corey Sobel, the author of “The Redshirt,” selected for the 2020 Long List of the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Darby and Sobel are married.  In this podcast Ourand and Deitsch discuss the seven game windows for the NFL to start the season, which averaged 15.8 million viewers and was down 9% from 17.3 million last year; the mega-viewership for Fox national window, which drew 25.8 million for Bucs-Saints and was the most-watched Week 1 game for Fox in four years; NFL viewership issues in New York and L.A.; what we expect from the Las Vegas market this year as a ratings play; the Big Ten consulting with network partners such as Fox and ESPN before making its decision to play football this fall; whether ESPN and F

Episode 112 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features four guests. First up is Steve Wyche and Jim Trotter. Both are reporters for NFL Media, where they frequently appear on the NFL Network. They are co-hosting a new podcast, "Huddle and Flow." They are followed by Kavitha Davidson of The Athletic and author and writer Jessica Luther. They are the co-authors of  “Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan.” In this podcast, Wyche and Trotter discuss their new podcast, Huddle and Flow and what they plan to bring to listeners; why Washington coach Ron Rivera was on the first pod; what they expect from NFL players this far as activism on the field in either the pregame and postgame and what they expect the public reaction to be; Tom Brady moving to Tampa Bay; is this the best group of quarterbacks in history; surprise NFL teams in 2020 from both guests, and more. Davidson and Luther discuss why they wrote the book; your conscience vs. your fandom; the relationship bet

Episode 111 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Renee Paquette, who worked for nearly eight years as a WWE broadcaster under the name Renee Young. She is followed by Turner Sports and NBA TV reporter Stephanie Ready.  In this podcast, Young discusses leaving the WWE after nearly eight years; her desire to host a longform audio and video interview podcast in the future; getting the coronavirus and how that still impacts her health today; feeling lost during the time she was assigned as the first full time woman to be on the RAW commentary desk; hearing Vince McMahon in her ear and what it is like to be produced and overproduced by the WWE; the surreal juggling act she had to do when calling her husband’s (Jon Good, who performs as Jon Moxley) matches; her non-compete clause after leaving the WWE; what she thinks about the prospect of joining AEW after her non-compete is over; why Paul Heyman is a genius; traveling with her husband in airports and elsewhere; her upc

Episode 110 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is Austin Karp, the managing editor for the Sports Business Daily and Sports Business Journal and one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. He is joined by Anthony Crupi, sports media reporter for Sportico, a long time Ad Age staffer, and also one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. Curipi and Karp join Deitsch for a wide-ranging discussion on NBA viewership; where viewership is heading; the impact of LeBron James on the viewership of the sport; whether the NBA’s support for China and Black Lives Matter has impacted viewership and much more.  The final segment features Kate Abdo, who hosts UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for CBS Sports and Premier Boxing Champions on FOX, and has covered significant soccer events for Fox Sports and Sky Sports. In this episode Abdo discusses a remarkable stretch in which she has worked for Fox, Turner and CBS; her surprise th

Episode 109 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. He is followed by NBC NHL studio analyst Anson Carter. In this podcast, Miller discusses what college football moving from fall to spring would mean for ESPN both for the business as well as the on-air talent and producers that work on it; the impact the move might have on Monday Night Football; Nick Khan, the former Co-Head of Television for CAA Sports, leaving CAA to take the job as President & Chief Revenue Officer of WWE and what impact it will have on the sports media; the decisions ahead for former Khan clients such as Kirk Herbstreit; Sage Steele; Colin Cowherd, Mike Greenberg and others; the current salary structure for sports television talents on TV; how COVID-19 has impacted the financials for talent; what kind of clients agents want today in the sports media, and much more.  Carter

Episode 108 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, who is covering the WNBA season from inside the bubble in Bradenton, Fla. Next is Tania Ganguli, the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times who is covering the NBA season from inside the bubble in Orlando. She is followed by ESPN’s Stefano Fusaro, who is covering the “MLS Is Back” tournament from inside the bubble in Orlando.  In this podcast, Rowe discusses how she landed the assignment and why she wanted it; her experience leading up to going inside the bubble and her first week there; speaking to her doctors about taking the assignment; the access she has inside the bubble; what WNBA players have told her so far about the experience; getting a daily COVID-19 test; her role on WNBA game broadcasts; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage and much more.  Ganguli discusses getting the assignment and how she arrived in Orlando; what the opening weeks were like for NBA

Episode 107 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN national MLB writer Marly Rivera. Next is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. His latest project is a deep dive into the Cameron Crowe classic coming-of-age-film, “Almost Famous.” He is followed by agent Steve Herz, the president of The Montag Group and the author of a new book, “Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Using Authority, Warmth, and Energy to Get Exceptional Results.” Rivera discusses her piece on Black MLB players past and present on what needs to change; how a piece like that gets put together at ESPN; covering MLB amid COVID-19, the recent New York Times piece featuring ESPN employees criticizing the career pipeline and diversity of top leadership, and more. Miller discusses Wojnarowski’s suspension by ESPN for tweeting “f--- you”to a U.S. Senator; leaks at ESPN; whether this was selective discipline by ESPN; what

Episode 106 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. His latest project is a deep dive into the Cameron Crowe classic coming-of-age-film, “Almost Famous.” He is followed by Kurt Streeter of the New York Times, who has done extensive reporting on Maya Moore, the WNBA star who left professional basketball to help free a man she believed was wrongly convicted.  In this podcast Miller discusses how the “Almost Famous” series came to be and why he wanted to do it; getting stars such as Kate Hudson, Jimmy Fallon and Zooey Deschanel to participate in the project; his approach to featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away in 2014; Disney’s deal with Colin Kaepernick; how ESPN will handle the intersection of race and sports from now on; how ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro will handle the upcoming social and political terrain during the Presidential El