The Sports Deli

What does ESPN's SportsCenter, Jemele Hill and Cari Champion, Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, and The Sports Deli Podcast all have in common? We all had exclusive features with the newest full-time employee of The Washington Football Team of the NFL, Jennifer King. Coach King made history on January 26, 2021, by becoming the first full-time Black female assistant position coach in the NFL fo...

Join Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli as we share space with 1994 Stanley Cup Champion, Mike Hartman, our first-ever NHL guest. After spending time with the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes), Mike joined the New York Rangers where he helped bring a championship to New York for the first time in 54 years. He shares his early failures and how that motivated him to work even ha...

Join Hootie Hoot in the Sports Deli as I discuss the thugs and domestic terrorists and the insurrection, the strength of amazing women of the WNBA, Kyrie Irving's selflessness and why I think Stephen A. is wrong, the sad and embarrassing decisions by the NFL owners to not hire any African American coaches in the 2020 hiring cycle, and congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next Pres...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot for this unbelievable interview with Phaidra Knight, who shares in this tell-all life story as an MMA Fighter, Women's Sports Foundation President, PSK Collective athleisure clothing line entrepeneur (now featured at Walmart), NBC announcer, actress, lawyer, grillmaster, author, and USA Hall-of-Fame Rugby player. You can find her clothing line at www.walmart.com or at p...

On the Day James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Join Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli as we interview Etan (pronounced ih-tahn) Thomas, a published poet, freelance writer, activist, and motivational speaker, sports talk show host, and podcaster. He's been featured on ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. He shares his views and experiences on systemic racism, white privilege, his time as a player at B...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli as we interview Coach Bill Curry. Coach Curry played for Vince Lombardi and Don Shula, won numerous Super Bowls and Championships but more importantly discusses his views on America, social injustice and racism, Colin Kaepernick, leadership, and what it takes to be successful on the field and in life. Coach talks about his 10 years with ESPN as an ana...

Crystal Robinson A former WNBA player and coach during a live podcast with The Sports Deli was racially profiled pulled over and later arrested and jailed over a suspended license and possession of THC. She has a medical marijuana card and the entire situation was mishandled and an unfortunate example that displays the difference between black and white America. The first 25 minutes is our discuss...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot with our first Major League Baseball guest, former 3x All-Star, Heath Bell. The picture you see on the cover is of Heath Bell sliding into the mound at the 2011 All-Star Game at Chase Field in Arizona as he entered the game. He took out a huge chunk of grass during his slide and severely stained his pants before even throwing a single pitch. "I wanted the fans to have f...

Join Dr. J., Wendell and Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli for this historic podcast with Super Bowl XXII MVP, Doug Williams, the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP. Doug is transparent about a wide range of topics from systemic racism to how proud he is of his 8 children, in particular with his son D.J., an Assistant Coach with the New Orleans Saints after an e...

Grab your favorite deli sandwich or bagel and beverage and join Dr. J., Hootie Hoot and Coach Dan in The Sports Deli for this episode. Find out how Coach Dan has been able to turn a company that was once an afterthought into an international powerhouse. As a Head Coach (Marketing Director) of Upper Deck, Coach Dan was able to lure MJ, Kobe, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki...

Join Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli Podcast as he interviews former UC Santa Barbara and Cal Head Women's Basketball Coach and current Assistant Basketball Coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lindsay Gottlieb. Coach Gottlieb shares her incredible journey on and off the court and her leap of faith to leave what would in all-likelihood be a million dollar a year salary for a significant pay cut to j...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot for this episode of The Sports Deli Podcast as we dedicate this show to the late Arnie Robinson. Arnie was an incredible track and field athlete, winning the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in the long jump and for over 40 years after his retirement was the consummate professional as a tenured professor at San Diego Mesa College, a true ambassador for the world of track...

Join Dr. J., Coach K., and Hootie Hoot as we delve into a number of topics with the incredible, Hue Jackson - former Head Coach for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. Coach Jackson talks about a variety of issues from his days at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, California to his playing days to all of his coaching stints from northern California to the midwest to the east coast and back....

Join Coach K. and Hootie Hoot as we continue our commitment to thoughtful conversations and equality in The Sports Deli. In this episode, we share space with the incredibly dynamic and talented, Sheri (Shuh-ree) Sam. Sam, who was inducted into the Vanderbilt University Hall-of-Fame, led her teams to a Final Four and an Elite Eight during her four years in Nashville (Tennessee). She went on to win...

Join Dr. J., Coach K., and Hootie Hoot as we share space with Chris Moore, the CEO of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). PCA conducts live and online workshops nationwide for youth and high school sports leaders, coaches, parents and athletes. Workshop attendees have helped create a positive, character-building youth sports environment for nearly 20 million youth athletes. Goto: www.pcadevzone....

Happy Veteran's Day to the 18.5 million veterans like my late grandfather that have ever and currently wear a uniform to serve and protect this country, domestically and abroad. Join Hootie Hoot as he discusses why the hiring of Tony LaRussa by owner Jerry Reinsdorf and the Chicago White Sox was controversial. Although he ended up proving me wrong and did a serviceable job, I still think if a coac...

Join Dr. J., Coach K., and Hootie Hoot for this Special 2020 Sports Deli Presidential Election Podcast with thoughtful conversation about this historic day along with our incredible guest, Judy Sweet.  We will hear from CNN's Van Jones, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and President-elect, Joe Biden. We will then be joined by someone who for her entire life has epitomized listening, le...

Join Dr. J., and Hootie Hoot for this incredible sit down with Alexis Hornbuckle, 2-time NCAA National Champion at Tennessee under Hall-Of-Fame Coach, Pat Summitt and 2-time WNBA Champion. Alexis shares her experiences growing up in West Virginia, being recruited by legendary coach  Summitt in the 6th Grade and how she's now following in Coach Summitt's footsteps as she is now coaching high s...

Join Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli for the 2020 Election Edition with professional women's soccer player, Tziarra King. Tziarra talks about her journey from being made fun of as a kid and not being highly recruited to becoming a 3-time All-American at North Carolina State University and the #8 draft pick of the National Women's Soccer League's Utah Royals Football Club in 2020. She continues to u...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot as we talk candidly with the incredibly courageous Val Whiting. Coach Val (Iamcoachval on Tik Tok) won two National Championships with Stanford University under Hall-Of-Fame coach, Tara VanDerveer and was a two-time All-American and two-time PAC-10 Player-of-the-Year. She played professionally for several years in Italy, Israel, Brazil and in the WNBA. She is in multipl...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli with former D1 Head Coach, Mike Jarvis. Coach Jarvis was the Head Men's Basketball Coach at, Boston University, George Washington University, St. John's University, and Florida Atlantic University. He now teaches a leadership course at the college level and has written three books. He helped George Washington and St. John's to a Sweet 16 and Elite 8 a...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot in The Sports Deli (Podcast) as we speak with Ben Braun, former Head Men's Basketball Coach at Eastern Michigan where he helped his teams earn 3 trips to the NCAA Tournament including a first-round upset of Coach K. and Duke in 1995-96 (yes, Eastern Michigan you read that correctly) and helped Cal earn 8 trips to the post season including an NIT Title in 1999 and a Swee...

Join Dr. J. and Hootie Hoot as we speak with Ganon Baker for this powerful interview. Ganon discusses the impact of his father and how he now mentors players ages, 8-48, how the pandemic has forced him to pivot, and whether or not he would pick me or Dr. J., first in a two-on-two game vs Grant Hill. Ganon has worked with numerous pros from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Maya Moore, Skyler Diggins-Smit...

Breonna Taylor - an African-American woman was wronged not once but twice. She was shot five times by Brett Hankinson, Myles Cosgrove, and Jonathan Mattingly and as a result died with five bullet wounds in her as she lied in bed - unarmed. If that wasn't bad enough, the three cops will not be charged with murder so essentially, they got off Scott-free.  Why Charles Barkley was wrong in his mo...

As we dedicate today's podcast to The Notorious RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, only the second female Supreme Court justice in our nations history. Join Dr. J., Coach K., and Hootie Hoot as we welcome former Mr. Basketball in Michigan in 1981, an All-American at Michigan State for legendary Head Coach, Jud Heathcote, and 1986 NBA Champion for The Boston Celtics, Sam Vincent.