Two Writers Slinging Yang

On feeling like you're not as good a writer as you once were. On the magic of college football at LSU. On Tommy Hearns and Andre Rison and Emmitt Smith. On three unpublished books sitting in a Walmart crate.

On Chris Johnson, ALS and what football does to the brain. On whether the NFL should exist. On what people don't understand about their own bodies and health. On leaving journalism for more noble pursuits.

On writing about your lowest life moments in an effort to help others. On why writing still matters. On the impact of words. On Grant Wahl and the 2026 World Cup.

On funny v. not funny; on how addiction impacts performing; on tragedy's role in finding a voice; on the late Jerry Rocha

On the state of journalism education in 2026. On how to teach writing and reporting. On great students, good students, bad students. On life as a newspaper columnist back in the day.

On her life at everywhere from Cosmo to Seventeen to Shape to Marie Claire. On the difference between a print byline and a digital byline. On the glory days of magazines. On Seventeen during its golden run.

On starting her own website to cover the WNBA's golden franchise. On what she's learned about life in independent media. On past existence as a hockey writer. On journalism 2026.

On overcoming addiction in a public spotlight. On why his father would have beaten Trump again. On cruelty spreading like poison oak. On finding joy in life. On TikTok.

On the WNBA and limited locker room access. On reporters refusing to back on another. On covering democracy as it crumbles. On the definitions of 2026 media ...

On the pressures of writing a toast for your sister's wedding. On whether it's OK to call her a "bitch." On working her ass off to make it in Hollywood. On the joy of "The Paper."

On surviving for decades in a brutal business. On what modern reporters lack in interviewing skills. On Eric Dickerson's shoes and Chipper Jones memories. On retirement.

On how to teach writing in 2026. On whether bad scribes can become good scribes. On the legend of Biscuits O'Bryan. On why Waco should be your next vacation destination.

On writing a biography without the help of the protagonist. On living life in a tight sport with many bruised feelings. On whether people still understand reporting. On golf.

On how influencers are corrupting reviews. On the joy of a delicious meal. On whether her city is corrupted by a celebrity restaurant. On Substack life.

On how the stupidity of this administration might save America. On the continued joy of the written word. On life at The National. On the awfulness of J.D. Vance.

On digging deep into the mythology of the Steinbrenners and the Yankee dynasty. On whether George knew whereof he spoke. On the joys of newspaper writing in 2026.

On covering one of sport's least-significant franchises. On why baseball still excites him. On the joys of spring training. On a furious Memphis State men's basketball coach.

On the impact gambling has on modern sports—and modern sports coverage; on rising from Walmart to ESPN to USA Today; on the wild nights and crazy days of Bristol, Conn.

On the golden days of covering the Dallas Cowboys. On the highs and lows of ESPN TV glory. On surviving in an unforgiving profession and showing up unannounced at Jimmy Johnson's home. On the demise of Skip Bayless.

On rising from covering horses in Florida to the Major Leagues for SI; on starting up ESPN The Magazine; on Michael Jordan and the issue that killed his relationship with a magazine; on writing a letter to a friend.

On the joys of covering an NHL team and the difficulty of not traveling on the beat. On the transition from college to a major newspaper. On what type of access hockey offers reporters in 2026.

On the joys and complications of writing a book on a reclusive dead man and a highly exposed living one. On finally landing an interview with Julius Erving. On life inside a publishing house.

On landing at The Athletic at age 22. On learning to be edited when it's not particularly fun. On avoiding career jealousy. On the benefits of Arizona State. On the saga of a young basketball phenom fighting back.

On what America misunderstands about Jackie Robinson and needs to understand about Paul Robeson. On what history can teach us about 2026 madness. On why the mythology of Branch Rickey is a departure from reality. On the modern approach to book PR.

On working with many of the greatest writers of the past century. On coming to Sports Illustrated with no ties and lots of questions. On how he views a lifetime in print. On the joys of the written word.