Two Writers Slinging Yang

On knowing from a young age what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. On a string of irksome and weird conflicts with Dana White. On why interviewing UFC fighters is the best gig in the world. On the difference between wanting a career and craving a career.

On being named the first Black news columnist in the newspaper's lengthy history. On what the population misunderstands about Houston's Third Ward. On finding humanity in the recently deceased homeless man. On transitioning from fashion to news after the murder of George Floyd.

On the dispiriting demise (and end?) of his beloved magazine; on the curious case of Sidd Finch and the decision to tell Michael Jordan to bag baseball; on defending the Swimsuit Issue and a bitter divorce from Frank Deford; on Dan Jenkins and George Plimpton and William Nack and Pat Putnam and Rick Reilly and the world's greatest sports writers.

On why former Expos manager Dick Williams physically assaulted him; on the bliss of writing NHL game stories; on the Canadian appeal of Gary Carter; on the demise of a beloved magazine.

On why so many Colorado-based media outlets kneel before Coach Prime; on a long and trying fight to stay afloat as a journalist; on our weirdly combative days as Nashville prep writers; on infuriating Steve Alford and Corey Dillon.

On what it's like to cover an NBA team as it loses 27-straight games; on how to approach players when they have no interest in talking; on the empathy of Cade Cunningham; on working a locker room.

On what a Black man learned about America from white Christianity; on what football players need to know about the system they occupy; on how a Facebook screed became a terrific manifesto; on the book he dreamed of writing.

My dad, Stan Pearlman, died today of pancreatic cancer. He was 81 and a great man—as well as a beautiful writer. This is his final interview, conducted last week in South Florida.

On why Barry Bonds was such a monumental asshole; on a young Aaron Rodgers soaring at Cal; on the unique decency of Dusty Baker; on the wild, wacky Los Angeles Express of the USFL.

On the difference between a great book proposal and a crappy one; on representing Jimmy Breslin and Hank Aaron and Wolfgang Puck; on concerns as Jonathan Eig dove into the legacy of MLK; on how the book business has transformed.

On how one covers Georgia preps ... from Missouri; on growing up with a famous father and taking Charles Barkley to school for show and tell; on why a horse's fossilized poop lived in her family's basement; on how one moves on after losing a loved one.

On having Albert Belle threaten him with a bat; on the strange contradictions of Mike Ditka; on whether anyone cares about newspaper columns in 2023; on the joy of ... poetry.

On breaking barriers and becoming the Daily News' first woman sports columnist; on the different sides of Joe Namath; of how Dick Young lived up to his first name; on the 95-year-old strongman who needed a diaper.

On being (cruelly) let go by ESPN The Magazine and engaging upon a tough road of rediscovery; on sitting in a bar with an alcoholic relief pitcher and urging him not to drink; on the 1995 Yankees-Mariners classic; on life as a baseball glove entrepreneur.

On spending a season observing a college football team; on the love/hate relationship between Jackson and Coach Prime; on the affection Deion has for his players; on breaking in as an NFL scribe with the wild 1990s Dallas Cowboys.

On why society might be better off not chalking everything up to God; on the complications of admitting one believes in no higher power; on snagging a book deal on an unorthodox topic.

On what one should think about Division I college coaches and their pronouncements; on covering the expansion Cleveland Browns and the first-year Baltimore Ravens; on diving deep into C.J. Stroud and teaming up with Cardale Jones.

On why the history of basketball can (and can't) be told in 15 sneakers; on whether Michael Jordan was more accidental tourist than genius; on Dee Brown and the Reebok Pump; on why Russ has eternal love for Milt Palacio and Lucious Harris.

On the frustrations of modern NBA coverage; on a punch-throwing Rod Strickland; on the diva-like behaviors of Jerry Rice; on a frustrated Chris Webber and a furious Don Nelson.

On NFL locker rooms v. MLB clubhouses; on the pettiness of Bruce Allen; on nearly coming to blows with former Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley; on professionalism and accountability in modern media.

On the tiny bits of decision-making that go into every column; on finding the nuance in Adam Wainwright's 200th win; on why long dashes are different than commas, which are different than ellipses.

On why re-writing is more fun than writing; on how a novelist comes up with the end of a story; on whether fictitious characters become real; on the orange couch and soggy pizza of a long-ago college newspaper.

Emotions, feelings as the show (based on my book, "Showtime") vanishes; the highs and lows of adaptation; the white party and 150-year-old Dr. J and memories that will last.

On how opposing candidates should go after Donald Trump and the MAGA nutties; on the highs and lows of the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign; on how elections have changed for the worse.

On why one would write a book on writing and failure; on the craziness of Rob Ford, former Toronto mayor; on why essays are so important in modern storytelling.