Two Writers Slinging Yang

On what it was like covering Donald Trump's recent inauguration. On why fools continue to believe Trump cares about them. On whether American democracy can survive. On his early journalism days at Gawker.

On the jerkiness of Reggie Jackson and the trash talk of Michael Jordan. On rising from Tennessee Vols walk-on wide receiver to ESPN superstar. On joining ESPN The Magazine. On teaching journalism in 2025.

On the leap from sports journalism to soap operas. On the importance of soaps in American pop culture. On bringing characters back from the dead.

On why one spends 27 years on an NBA beat—and why one retires from the gig. On the joys of Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming and Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady. On the worst uniforms in NBA history. On a small Delaware gym and Ralph Sampson.

On what we, America's journalism professors, should be teaching in 2024. On how to respond to the anti-media onslaught. On the power of surprise classroom guests. On watching a classmate pee in a urinal and receiving an A for the experience.

On what it is to do a Barnes & Noble signing and have no one attend. On what it feels like to follow that up with a viral video shot by a store employee. On the highs and lows of self publishing.

On why he decided to write a book that delves into his life and career; on how a boxer knows when it's time to retire; on the strange phenomenon of people knowing about his highs and lows; on whether being an author is worth the trouble.

On working with Def Leppard and Gym Class Heroes and Ringo Starr and Carole King; on the birth—and death—of Bad Ronald; on how one fights to sustain a career in music.

On writing and deciding upon "The Basketball 100." On covering John Thompson's Hoyas and the crappy Washington Redskins. On his love of roundball and why journalism celebrity is nonsense.

On using TikTok to try and establish oneself in the writing universe. On the joy of creating Gods and breaking out metaphors. On writing through anxiety, the North Dakota winters and four children. On the efforts to try and find a literary agent.

On arriving at a newspaper in 1973 and remaining until (gasp) 2016. On the bliss of covering Marvelous Marvin Hagler. On visiting his father's grave after the Red Sox won the World Series. On arriving in the typewriter age of journalism and now being on social media.

On starting up a new sports media platform in 2024; on the reinvention of a veteran journalist; on the glory days of Sports Illustrated; on the misguided anger of a legendary Pittsburgh Penguin.

On the crazy religious cult that gobbled up NFL players. On Jerry Jones' weird tours of the Cowboys facility. On starting out as Peter King's assistant and working her way up. On the joy of dance.

On relocating 4,284 miles to take his first journalism job. On working for a weekly paper in a town of 2,000 people. On making connections with folks he doesn't know in a community he doesn't know. On the joys of salmon and shrimp.

On the importance of Doug Williams and Vince Evans in the rise of the Black quarterback. On why sports history unfairly overlooks Vince Evans. On the scores of unknown Black QBs lost to history. On why Colin Kaepernick should be a Miami Dolphin.

On what it's like to have your life story inspire a hit TV show. On how one sheds his reputation as (solely) an athlete. On the highs and lows of Hollywood. On whether it's all worth it.

On the highs and lows and mental anguish of writing a biography. On trying to convince Hakeem to sit down for a chat. On Ralph Sampson and Pete Chilcutt and basketball glory. On how one selects a subject.

On self-publishing a 794-page opus. On how a love of Tupac Shakur drove him to a monumentally ambitious task. On how to sell an Amazon-printed book. On the legacy of a legendary artist.

On how TikTok works for journalists. On how to use the platform to expand readership. On the dos and don'ts of it all. On whether wearing makeup matters.

On what makes a great sports movie v. an all-time great sports movie; On whether "Field of Dreams" is excellent or trash. On "Teen Wolf" and "Bull Durham" and Gary Coleman as the San Diego Padres manager.

On what to do when a subject agrees to talk to you after your biography is complete. On why we're fascinated by Aaron Rodgers. On whether people want to read about those they dislike. On having your flight experience a bomb threat.

On the deep, deep, deep dive into a subject. On being a small-town Oklahoma kid and making it big. On winning a James Beard Award. On surviving in a strange business.

On transitioning from self-starting blogged to Red Sox beat writer. On the wild and wayward path to this career. On the sadness of David Ortiz's departure. On earning respect in a rough field.

On thinking a book would take one year to complete—then having to go much, much longer. On having sex workers open up to you and your questions. On plopping down in a sink-stained motel. On the dreams/nightmares that come with crime reporting.

I talk all things book deadline hell and Tupac hell with special host, my wife—Dr. Catherine Pearlman