Press Box Chronicles

The 1985 Chicago Bears are one of the greatest NFL teams ever assembled. That year, the Bears went 15-1, and destroyed the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Everyone was overjoyed and excited. Except Walter Payton. This is the story. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes.  Follow...

When Sugar Ray Leonard returned from retirement to face Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the world watched two legends collide. What followed wasn’t just a controversial decision—it was a turning point. One man walked into the sunset. The other walked into the spotlight. Hagler vs. Leonard: the fight that split fans and shaped legacies. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for m...

Today, we dive into one of my favorite players of all time: Houston Astros ace J.R. Richard. Richard was a 6'7" pitcher out of Louisiana who was a terror on the mound. Then one day, he had a stroke. And the Astros did nothing. His career - and his life - were never the same. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them i...

In 1996, there we two high school phenoms coming out in the NBA Draft - Jermaine O'Neal from South Carolina, and Kobe Bryant from Pennsylvania. The New Jersey Nets were all be sure to pick Kobe Bryant at No, 8 overall. Then, it all changed. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes.  Follow 'Pr...

Today, we're doing a bonus episode. As I say at the end of every show, leave a comment or drop a question, and I'll answer. Today is that day. We will do this more often going forward. This was fun. Enjoy! Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes.  Follow 'Press Box Chronicles' on Social Media...

In this episode I dive into the one of the many, many things that made the 1986 Mets so insane: their rap song Let's Get Metsmerized. In a time where sports teams all thought it'd be a good idea to do music, the Mets did it in the worse way possible. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes. ...

In this episode, I dive into the 1989 Dallas Cowboys and the birth of the Cowboys Dynasty. I go through Jerry Jones buying the team, Jimmy Johnson becoming head coach, the trade heist of all trade heists, and much more. Order 'Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty' to get the full story of the '89 Cowboys and the Cowboys Dynasty Have any guests you want t...

While working on my Brett Favre biography, I had to cover everything, including the scandal involving Jenn Sterger and the alleged explicit texts. In this video, I break down what I learned while reporting that chapter: what people told me, how it played out behind the scenes, and why Favre’s image barely took a hit. It’s uncomfortable — but it’s part of the story. Have any guests you want to see...

This is a story I've long wanted to write a book on. A team that was the most absurd cast of characters, from all walks of life, that all hated each other, that came together to win the NL Pennant. This is the story of the 1984 San Diego Padres. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes.  Follo...

In Part Two of this Bo Jackson series, I dive into Bo Jackson's short-lived but highly entertaining NFL career. Not only do we dive into Bo Jackson's greatest plays, but we take a look behind the scenes on how Nike hit a homerun with the debut of the Bo Knows campaign at All-Star weekend in 1989. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make...

In this episode, I dive into one of the greatest athletes of my lifetime - or maybe the greatest athlete of my lifetime: Bo Jackson. Not only do we dive into Bo Jackson's greatest plays, but we take a look behind the scenes on how Nike hit a homerun with the debut of the Bo Knows campaign at All-Star weekend in 1989. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them...

In 1983, a fun, exciting & new football league was launched - The USFL. It was a viable competitor to the NFL with a bright future on the horizon. Then, Donald Trump got involved. By 1985, it was dead. #PressBoxChronicles #NFL #DonaldTrump #USFL Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episodes. Follow 'Pre...

Many of you are familiar with the 1996 NBA Draft - widely considered the greatest in NBA history. That draft saw the likes of Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Antoine Walker, and three high school students who made the jump to the NBA: Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, and a kid from Wilmington, SC - Taj "Red" McDavid. Here's the story. #PressBoxChronicles #NBA #KobeBryant #TajMcDavid #AllenIverson Have any...

On this episode of Press Box Chronicles, I delve into my least favorite sport - in fact, it's a sport I hate. I hate golf. But of course, in the mid-to-late 90s, Sports Illustrated thought it'd be good if I covered a few events. It went ... not great. Here's the story. #GaryPlayer #TigerWoods #Masters #PressBoxChroniclesHave any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop t...

In this episode, I dive into the history of Barry Lamar Bonds. When I was writing my book 'Love me, Hate me: Barry Bonds and the making of an AntiHero,' I had heard the stories about Bonds being the world's biggest asshole. But after what I experienced, that description was light, to say the least. #BarryBonds #MLB #OpeningDay #Baseball #JeffPearlman Have any guests you want to see on the show? Ha...

It's 1992, and it's my first time covering March Madness. But not just any March Madness, I'm covering MY University of Delaware Blue Hens, who went 27-3, won the North Atlantic Conference. I'm 19 years old, sitting courtside at the opening round game in Dayton, OH, as my Delaware Blue Hens - a 13-seed - take on Cincinnati, a 4-seed led by Nick Van Exel. What happened next is pure heartbreak. Have...

This is my money story. The story that went 'viral' before being viral was a thing. On December 27, 1999, this Sports Illustrated issue changed my life forever. This is the story of Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker - Misunderstood or just a dick? You decide. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? Drop them below and I'll make sure to include them in future episod...

This is the story of how my book 'Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s became optioned and turned into HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. I take you behind the scenes and deep into the story behind the story. This is episode one of Press Box Chronicles: Winning Time. Have any guests you want to see on the show? Have any questions for me? D...