The Press Box

Bryan is joined by CBS’s Ian Eagle to discuss his career as a sports play-by-play announcer. They dive into Eagle’s background growing up with a singer mother and a comedian father, discuss his experience announcing basketball at Syracuse to the professional level, touch on Marv Albert’s influence, and more! Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Ian Eagle Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about y...

Bryan and David are in Fort Worth, Texas, to break down 'WrestleMania 38.' They talk about covering the event, the impact the sport has had on other forms of media, and discuss the art of wrestling (4:29). Later, they discuss the news that ESPN re-signed Adam Schefter and Woj, weigh in on the Tiger Woods tease ahead of the Masters, and touch on more sports reporting (33:05). Plus, the Overworked T...

Bryan is joined by WWE announcer Michael Cole in advance of ‘WrestleMania 38.’ They discuss Cole’s former role at CBS News, his transition to announcing for WWE, the mechanics in calling matches, his relationships with former and current announcers and wrestlers, and much more! Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Michael Cole Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

Bryan and David talk through the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars and discuss how the Academy handled the broadcast (3:10). Later, they break down the NCAA tournament and highlight the commoditizing of buzzer-beaters and Cinderella stories (24:58). Then they introduce a new feature, Who Wants to Be an F1 Analyst?, in which they spotlight media types who share the newfoun...

Bryan and David discuss the new streaming service on the market, CNN+. They break down the content it will provide, including shows featuring Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, and more, and then address how this transition will affect the way we consume live news (0:33). Then, they touch on The Hollywood Reporter’s "Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot No.3," in which another anonymous member of the Academy...

Bryan and David open by discussing the boom of Formula One in the United States, Netflix, and how this changes the sports-media landscape (1:08). Then, they weigh in on The New York Times’ editorial column on free speech, the subtweets, and how this was all handled (27:18). They end by paying respect to ESPN NFL reporter John Clayton (35:57). Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Produ...

Bryan is joined by Associated Press international correspondent Philip Crowther from Lviv, Ukraine. They discuss Crowther’s day-to-day operations, summarizing the news for other countries when recording live shots, covering this war in comparison to others, and more. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Philip Crowther Associated Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...

Bryan and David address the news that Joe Buck will also be leaving Fox to join Troy Aikman at ESPN. (0:26) Then, they weigh in on media involvement surrounding player communications and breaking news, from Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay to Russell Wilson being traded to the Broncos (29:10). Later, they pay tribute to journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud who was killed in Ukraine as well as a...

The Washington Post’s Ben Strauss joins Bryan to discuss the news that after 99 days the baseball lockout has come to an end. They talk through the weight of the story and how coverage was perceived, break down Major League Baseball’s reaction to the lockout, and discuss theories that could potentially influence the coverage of labor issues. Plus, more on Troy Aikman leaving Fox for ESPN and Strau...

Bryan and David follow up on the ongoing coverage of the war in Ukraine. They discuss The New York Times’ decision to publish a photograph of Ukrainian civilians who were killed as they tried to flee a battle zone, then weigh in on how both countries’ media approaches could affect the perception of the war (0:28). Later, they switch gears and touch on the debut of the new HBO show ‘Winning Time,’...

Bryan is joined by CBS’s Margaret Brennan following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They talk through the ongoing war in Ukraine and touch on how the United States is responding. Then, they discuss the responsibility TV news has to its viewers, and break down the preparation and execution involved in Brennan’s Sunday show, ‘Face the Nation....

Bryan and David discuss the latest coverage developments from the invasion of Ukraine. They break down the “fog of war” and decipher what we can understand from recent reports, weigh in on CNN’s on-ground coverage, and discuss media moments surrounding the invasion (0:39). Later, they touch on the sports news that Troy Aikman will be leaving Fox for ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football' (24:10). Hosts: B...

Bryan and David break down the cable news coverage of the invasion of Ukraine. They discuss first impressions of videos and photos being aired, talk through the type of cable news coverage we’re seeing in comparison to the papers, and then specifically dissect CNN’s coverage of the events.  Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices...

Bryan and David kick off the pod by reacting to coverage about Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine and discussing the latest war correspondent to capture America’s heart (00:50). They then break down Adam Silver’s recent comments about restricting locker room access (22:15) and dive into the legacy of satirist P.J. O’Rourke (38:22), before David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline (55:14)...

Bryan is joined by The New Yorker’s Clare Malone to break down The Ringer’s new podcast, ‘Just Like Us: The Tabloids That Changed America.’ They talk through the era of Bennifer, the evolution of celebrity, and discuss the values of America seen through celebrity media (0:33). Then, Bryan is joined by musician and novelist John Darnielle to dive into the genre of true crime, touch on writing songs...

Bryan is joined by film critics Ty Burr and Owen Gleiberman to break down Entertainment Weekly dating back to the '90s. They discuss the evolution of the magazine, the environment and culture that Entertainment Weekly fostered, and of course, the letter-grade reviews (0:33). Later, Bryan is joined by The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay to discuss his experience covering the Winter Olympics in Beij...

Bryan and David react to Super Bowl 56 featuring the Los Angeles Rams vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. They touch on Al Michaels’s calls throughout the game, the subtle video aspects, all of the Super Bowl commercials, and much more! Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cerv...

Bryan is live on Radio Row talking with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo from SiriusXM to discuss his career as a sports-radio host, the difference between local and national radio, what it’s like covering the Super Bowl, and more (0:19). Later, Bryan is joined by ESPN’s Adam Schefter to break down his and Jeff Darlington’s Tom Brady retirement news. They then talk through Schefter’s past Super Bowl experien...

Bryan is live from Radio Row to talk with David about the media leading up to the 2022 Super Bowl (0:00). They discuss the hype surrounding the Super Bowl, the Radio Row hierarchy, and the quid pro quos attached to the week (6:43). Later, they break down the ongoing Sarah Palin vs. New York Times libel trial and talk through what we could learn about journalism throughout (25:23). Plus, the Overwo...

Bryan is joined by Al Michaels to break down his past 10 Super Bowls called as we approach Super Bowl LVI, featuring the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. Michaels revisits close games ending in interceptions or stops, discusses working alongside the great John Madden, and talks through what it’s like calling Super Bowls with dynasty teams versus games featuring new teams.  Host: Bryan Curt...

Bryan and David begin the pod by reacting to all of the pronunciations of the word 'Bengals' by TV and sports radio personalities. They then analyze Tony Romo's announcing performance, (3:17) Andy Reid's clock management, (10:47) and the unfortunate CBS half-time show during the Bengals-Chiefs AFC Championship game. They wrap up the pod by dissecting every chapter of Saturday's chaotic media misha...

Bryan is joined by The New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson to unpack his career covering topics ranging from stories in the Peruvian jungle to the first democratic election following Peru’s 12-year-long dictatorship. They discuss his stint at Time magazine and then talk through his journey covering guerrilla groups in Latin America and eventually, Che Guevara. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Jon Lee Anderson...

Bryan and David are back to discuss the weekend full of divisional-round playoff games. They break down the impact these games have had on the audience and touch on Aaron Rodgers’s interview with Kevin Van Valkenburg two days before his divisional game as well as Tony Romo's performance (6:42). Then, they address the potential career moves for New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, former Cowboys s...

Bryan is joined by Carl Bernstein to discuss his career as a reporter dating back to his time as a teenager at the Washington Star. They reflect on the newsroom in the ’60s, what it was like covering the Kennedy vs. Nixon presidential election, and how the Watergate scandal compares to recent times. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Carl Bernstein Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your...

Bryan and David break down media moments from the football-packed weekend, including Drew Brees’s reporting, Troy Aikman’s Cowboys comment, and Dak Prescott’s reaction to his fans throwing trash on the field (0:28). Then they switch gears for another Media Piss Test, where they decide whether Mike Lindell soiled the bit, before reacting to the news of upcoming Netflix sports docs highlighting both...