Two Writers Slinging Yang

On relocating 4,284 miles to take his first journalism job. On working for a weekly paper in a town of 2,000 people. On making connections with folks he doesn't know in a community he doesn't know. On the joys of salmon and shrimp.

On the importance of Doug Williams and Vince Evans in the rise of the Black quarterback. On why sports history unfairly overlooks Vince Evans. On the scores of unknown Black QBs lost to history. On why Colin Kaepernick should be a Miami Dolphin.

On what it's like to have your life story inspire a hit TV show. On how one sheds his reputation as (solely) an athlete. On the highs and lows of Hollywood. On whether it's all worth it.

On the highs and lows and mental anguish of writing a biography. On trying to convince Hakeem to sit down for a chat. On Ralph Sampson and Pete Chilcutt and basketball glory. On how one selects a subject.

On self-publishing a 794-page opus. On how a love of Tupac Shakur drove him to a monumentally ambitious task. On how to sell an Amazon-printed book. On the legacy of a legendary artist.

On how TikTok works for journalists. On how to use the platform to expand readership. On the dos and don'ts of it all. On whether wearing makeup matters.

On what makes a great sports movie v. an all-time great sports movie; On whether "Field of Dreams" is excellent or trash. On "Teen Wolf" and "Bull Durham" and Gary Coleman as the San Diego Padres manager.

On what to do when a subject agrees to talk to you after your biography is complete. On why we're fascinated by Aaron Rodgers. On whether people want to read about those they dislike. On having your flight experience a bomb threat.

On the deep, deep, deep dive into a subject. On being a small-town Oklahoma kid and making it big. On winning a James Beard Award. On surviving in a strange business.

On transitioning from self-starting blogged to Red Sox beat writer. On the wild and wayward path to this career. On the sadness of David Ortiz's departure. On earning respect in a rough field.

On thinking a book would take one year to complete—then having to go much, much longer. On having sex workers open up to you and your questions. On plopping down in a sink-stained motel. On the dreams/nightmares that come with crime reporting.

I talk all things book deadline hell and Tupac hell with special host, my wife—Dr. Catherine Pearlman

On jumping onto the Mavs beat late in their chase for a title. On life with the lowly Pistons. On his amazing LinkedIn page. On the dreams of a young scribe

On the crazy joy of covering Caitlin Clark. On the highs of an Athletic gig and the lows of losing an Athletic gig. On serving as the Indiana Fever ballboy back in the day. On what keeps him writing.

On how he went from being a hard-core Republican to the editor of an anti-Trump website. On what has to happen for Joe Biden to save his presidency. On what it is to think and write and write and think politics 24/7.

On life running Atlanta's largest (and only) Black newspaper. On the lengths political campaigns will go to woo Black voters. On the furious sheriff who wanted his daughter on a softball team. On the beauty of Waffle House.

On writing a book with Digger Phelps and projecting the greatness of Clint Hurdle; on the golden era of print magazines; on Dan Jenkins and Frank Deford and Mark Kram; on watching his beloved publication morph and change; on the legendary editor who smelled of body odor.

On the rise of the WNBA; on covering Angel Reese as she blooms into a League star; on the complications of Caitlin Clark; on where women's basketball is heading.

On the intricacies of his latest article, "A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies." On how to convince subjects to open up to a media outlet they don't trust. On working with a photographer.

On Kendrick, Drake and a fool's opinion of their beef; on a beautiful piece between Black-Italian cinematic ties; on Don Lemon as a voice for inspiration; on teaching those who can't write how to write.

On the joys of writing about prospects on their way up. On why Kerry Lightenberg and the 2004 Blue Jays drove him to drink. On how a non-journalist from Harvard became one of the best. On dealing with editors.

On why Gannett did what Gannett does and wrongly fired her for bullshit corporate reasons. On the importance of local media. On a bunch of crazy right-wing zealots overtaking a town's government. On the transition to Substack and the need to report.

On proudly being recognized as "The queer writer ...". On the Manhattan prison that inspired a book. On writing about people and issues who have been largely ignored and scorned. On writing and self-discovery.

On the anger of Bobby Knight and the love of Christian Laettner. On why John McEnroe was a brat and why Dean Smith only gave five minutes. On the magic of Sports Illustrated in the 1960s and the splendor of Frank Deford.

On finding joy in the aggregating of NBA info. On the fight for survival in the modern media landscape. On long-ago hockey fights and BYU-Wyoming games and dog sled races.