Sports Rule Pod with Nick Elam

Hernando Planells has built one of the most unconventional careers in sports, moving between college basketball, international coaching, NBA development, broadcasting, and Hollywood. Today, he serves as Technical Director of the NBA Basketball School in Dubai, where he oversees hundreds of young athletes and a large coaching staff. In this episode, Planells talks with Nick Elam about player develo...

What does it take to stay curious, versatile, and ready for the moment across decades in sports broadcasting? Canadian broadcasting legend Rod Black joins Nick Elam to share stories from a career that has taken him across baseball, basketball, hockey, football, golf, the Olympics, and more. He looks back at the chaos surrounding Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in 1993, explains why broa...

How did U.S. soccer grow from a developing program into a country with legitimate World Cup ambitions? National Soccer Hall of Famer and author of From the Sandlots to the World Cup: Inside Seven Decades of American Soccer, Dr. Joe Machnik, joins Nick Elam to reflect on more than seven decades in American soccer, including his work as a college coach, U.S. Men’s National Team assistant, referee, o...

What does it really take to build a lasting career in sports media? Dani Wexelman, St. Louis Cardinals pregame and postgame host and MLB Network Radio host on SiriusXM, joins Nick Elam to discuss the preparation, sacrifice and persistence behind sports broadcasting. She shares how internships, production work, layoffs, radio opportunities and trusted mentors shaped her path from minor league baseb...

How do baseball players turn name, image, and likeness into lasting value? Nick Elam talks with Evan Kaplan, President of MLB Players, Inc., about the commercial side of baseball, from licensing and sponsorships to trading cards, jerseys, video games, social media, and player brand opportunities. Kaplan explains how MLB Players, Inc. supports active players, minor leaguers, and retired players whi...

The NCAA Tournament is expanding to 76 teams, but does that actually make March Madness better? Nick Elam breaks down the new men’s and women’s tournament format, the added opening round games, and why this may be a solution in search of a problem. The episode also features Kristen Dozier-Williams, regional club leader for League One Volleyball, on LOVB’s youth-to-pro volleyball ecosystem, sports...

College basketball and the NBA are both facing format questions that could reshape how fans experience the game. Nick Elam talks with ESPN analyst and longtime college basketball coach Seth Greenberg about preparation, mentorship, leadership, NCAA Tournament expansion, player compensation, transfer rules, and the lessons that last beyond wins and losses. Greenberg also shares what he learned from...

MLB All Star Monday could showcase more than home runs. Nick Elam talks with Jerry Coleman, a longtime Baltimore sports media voice and host of the Bmore Baseball Podcast and Bmore Football Podcast, about Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,131st consecutive game, Baltimore sports fans, the Colts leaving for Indianapolis, sports talk radio, podcasting, trust with sources, and why pickleball has become such a sore...

A four point field goal sounds exciting, but would it actually make football better? Nick Elam talks with Corey Parkman, a former NFL wide receiver, CEO of Corpas Holdings, founder of Minutemen Pre-K Leadership Academy, and author of The IVF Playbook for Men. Corey shares what he learned as an undrafted free agent, why versatility matters in pro football, how he moved into business acquisition and...

The NBA draft lottery has a tanking problem, and one new idea may offer a better balance. Nick Elam talks with bestselling author and ICF certified coach Scott Doyne about sports media innovation, his years at Turner Sports, NASCAR digital products, March Madness on Demand, league partnerships, career transitions, and his book Navigating the Quarter Life Career Crisis. Scott shares why relationshi...

What makes a sports talk show part of someone’s daily routine? Nick Elam talks with Marvin Prince, associate producer and Danette on The Dan Patrick Show, about his path from ESPN Radio to the front of the camera, what Dan Patrick has taught him about preparation, and why every show should feel like the Super Bowl. Marvin also shares favorite guest moments, UConn national championship memories, sp...

MLB’s automated ball strike challenge system could change baseball without changing how the game feels. Nick Elam talks with longtime NCAA Tournament analyst Dan Bonner about more than three decades calling March Madness, working with Kevin Harlan, Gus Johnson, and other broadcast partners, preparing for first round chaos, explaining basketball clearly, and why the best analysts keep the game at t...

AI is already changing sports, but not always in the ways fans expect. Nick Elam talks with Dr. Liz Wanless, associate professor of sport management at Indiana University Indianapolis and director of the Sport Innovation Institute, about AI in sports, custom software, data insights, sport partnerships, and how innovation can serve real organizations. Liz also shares her path from philosophy major...

What if the best teams got to choose their own playoff path? Nick Elam talks with Eric Collins, play by play voice of the Charlotte Hornets and NBA on Prime, about NBA broadcasting, calling his first NFL game, finding a unique voice, preparing for broadcasts, working with Dell Curry, learning from Michael Jordan, and why the Elam Ending still has room to grow in basketball. The innovation segment...