The Press Box

Bryan Curtis is joined by NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton to discuss David Halberstam’s book “The Breaks of the Game,” about the 1979-1980 Portland Trail Blazers. They discuss Walton’s relationship with Halberstam, his experience playing with the Trail Blazers, and why Walton has not yet read the book.  Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Bill Walton Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your a...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are answering your listener mail about the ongoing saga inside ESPN (7:35), the lack of information coming from the White House press corps (15:48), their Olympics viewing plans (32:50), and whether or not David calls Bryan “babe” (47:02). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Da...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker unpack the news that ESPN analyst Rachel Nichols will no longer be the sideline reporter at the NBA Finals after making inappropriate comments about her coworker Maria Taylor. They discuss how the saga unfolded, ESPN’s response, and what this could mean for both Nichols and Taylor. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn mo...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker dive into a new batch of Listener Mail. They break down the history of harsh obituaries (8:40), Mitt Romney’s latest Trump wrestling analogy (13:20), how to correctly write an oral history (21:40), 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 Pro...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker provide some media notes on the 2021 NBA playoffs. They weigh in on whether or not this will be a lesser NBA title than ones before (7:13), discuss their perceptions of the teams left (17:56), and how sports media has changed over the years (24:57). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline.  Hosts: Bryan Cu...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker answer your Listener Mail and talk about the difference between Trump-era journalism and what we’re seeing today (4:08), Conan O’Brien stepping away from his talk show (9:33), and what an NBA team’s standing could mean for its reporters (15:11). Then, Michael Roston and Sabrina Imbler from The New York Times join for a postgame interview to discuss their clever hea...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are joined by NBC moderator Chuck Todd. They discuss the format of ‘Meet the Press,’ weigh in on the impacts of moving to streaming, and talk through the media’s coverage of the Trump era (7:06). Later, The Athletic’s Tim Cato joins to discuss his piece covering the Dallas Mavericks and their front office. He talks about the process of writing and sharing the story...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are opening the mailbag and answering your Listener Mail! They reflect on the life and career of journalist Janet Malcolm, and discuss how her work has impacted the field of journalism (8:30). Then, they answer your questions about The Athletic's Dallas Mavericks story revealing front-office troubles (24:30), weigh in on President Joe Biden's response to CNN report...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are joined by Atlantic writer Edward-Isaac Dovere to talk about his book ‘Battle for the Soul.’ They discuss Dovere’s decision to write a campaign book (10:28) and the challenges that arose during the writing process (22:52) before brainstorming campaign-book power rankings (33:40). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strai...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are responding to Listener Mail. They answer your questions about Jeffrey Toobin’s return to CNN, athletes talking about vaccines, and “only in journalism” word nominees (8:55). Later, Peter Kiefer joins to discuss his profile of journalist Yashar Ali in Los Angeles Magazine (30:44). They touch on how this story came about, discuss Ali’s role within the media world...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are joined by CNN’s Brian Stelter to discuss his career in cable news, reporting on Fox, and his response to individuals such as Rob Schneider and Glenn Greenwald. Then they dive deeper into Stelter's book, ‘Hoax.’  Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Guest: Brian Stelter Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are opening up the mailbag and answering your Listener Mail! They discuss the race to publish a book about President Biden (12:30), weigh in on the discussion over television ratings (25:10), and touch on where the word “embroiled” fits in the dictionary of words used only in journalism (43:21). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Gues...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down the news that Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open. They talk through the tournament's response to Osaka refusing to appear at press conferences, weigh in on the evolving coverage of athletes, and discuss how this type of situation has and could impact an athlete's relationship with the media. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate P...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are answering your Listener Mail! They touch on The New York Times’ interest in acquiring The Athletic, discuss Bob Garfield getting fired for violating anti-bullying policies, and answer which Texas food dish they miss most since leaving the state (4:00). Later, Gideon Lewis-Kraus joins to talk about his piece in The New Yorker, “How the Pentagon Started Taking U....

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down news of the Associated Press firing staffer Emily Wilder. They discuss how this affects journalists, how "cancel culture" was involved, and how the Associated Press is justifying the firing (3:08). Then, The Ringer’s John Gonzalez joins to talk about NBA studio shows and what we can expect from sports television in 2021 (22:18). Plus, the Overworked Twit...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are opening up the mailbag and answering your Listener Mail! They answer questions about Chris Cuomo (3:40), the ‘Friends’ reunion (19:14), NBA play-in games (28:05), and who could be the heir to the Dale Hansen throne (31:30). Later, Jeff Guinn joins to discuss his new book, ‘War on the Border,’ and his career as a writer (42:17).  Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Sh...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the new CDC guidelines that state fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks in most situations. They touch on the impact the new guidelines have had, and weigh in on this new phase of the pandemic (4:42). Later, Sebastian Junger joins to talk about his new book, ‘Freedom,’ and his journey to uncover what the word “freedom” really means (29:13). Plus, t...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker answer your Listener Mail! They discuss Liz Cheney’s removal from her position as House GOP conference chair, the spectacle that is the NFL’s schedule release, and which book given by a first date would make you get up and leave (2:10). Later, NASCAR announcer Jeff Gordon joins to discuss his experience transitioning to the booth, working alongside Clint Bowyer, an...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss The Washington Post's op-ed piece written by the CEO of Washingtonian Media, Cathy Merrill. They discuss the pros and cons of going back into an office versus working remotely, and further break down how Merrill approached the topic (4:20). Then, last week CNN released a job's report citing far fewer jobs were added last month than expected. White House cor...

David Shoemaker is joined by Ringer writer Claire McNear to break down the Atlantic story "The Liberal Who Can't Quit Lockdown." They discuss readers' reactions to the piece, how it was reported, and touch on the related news about herd immunity (3:40). Then, Listener Mail, in which they answer questions about the audio-book process, who would make the best 'Jeopardy!' host, and Mike Greenberg hos...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker answer your questions about Joe Rogan and the vaccine, a New York Post Kamala Harris controversy, and The New York Times losing the term “op-ed” for “guest essays” (2:50). Then, Danny Heifetz joins for the Devil’s Dictionary of NFL Draft Clichés to go through three rounds of top picks (23:12). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker and Da...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker share their takes from the 2021 Oscars and discuss the speeches, production value, and all the think pieces that came after (2:55). Then, host of Slate’s ‘Slow Burn’ podcast, Noreen Malone, joins to talk through Episode 1 of the new season and shares what we can expect from Season 5 (29:37). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker open up the mailbag and answer your Listener Mail. They weigh in on the Derek Chauvin verdict (3:20), discuss everyone’s reaction to the news of the Super League (14:40), and share which of their non-journalism jobs were the most memorable (29:12). Then, author Brendan Koerner stops by to discuss his recent piece in The Atlantic, “A Kidnapping Gone Very Wrong” (36:...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker dissect columnist Margaret Sullivan’s piece, "A New Way of Looking at Trust in Media," to determine what journalists and citizens care about, and how to accommodate this change in journalism (3:50). Then, Jessica Bruder, author of the book ‘Nomadland,’ joins to discuss her experience reporting on the phenomenon of older Americans leaving their homes in pursuit of s...

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker are answering your Listener Mail! They weigh in on the new Anthony Bourdain book (17:15), discuss the journalistic use of the word “slap” (23:00), and touch on the potential repackaging of retired or aging NFL quarterbacks on our televisions screens (25:58). Then longtime theater columnist Michael Riedel joins to discuss his new book, ‘Singular Sensation,’ as well...