Two Writers Slinging Yang

On her early days as sports editor of the Main Line Chronicle; on what it takes to pull of a great interview; on whether she would still advise aspiring journalists to enter the field.

On making the shift from covering sports to covering coronavirus; on the heaviness of his new beat; on how one mentally deals with chronicling nonstop heartache.

On his scathing takedown of Clay Travis, professional buffoon; on the lessons of working on Jeb Bush's presidential campaign; on why some so-called journalists go for clicks over quality.

On myth vs. reality of Texas high school football; on how to tell the story of the Dallas Mavs without always talking about Luka Dončić ; on whether a career in journalism matches one's dreams.

On what it is to have written an enormously popular book; on wasting away trying to find the perfect word; on the Tim O'Brien imposter who walked the earth.

On writing one of the greatest boxing books of all time; on researching a man who died a century ago; on being unable to ask questions (because everyone is dead); on the search for family members.

On having your book come out during a global pandemic; on an NBA franchise going out of its way not to help you; on the invaluable contributions of Jason Richardson's agent.

All sorts of questions about writing, reporting, researching. I turn to social media and take everything you've got.

On creating and running a newspaper in 2020; on how print can survive when print is dying; on writing a gazillion stories per week while also making sure everything gets done.

On the joys of a first Spring Training; on whether to dig into a player's alleged PED usage; on the advantages of youth when covering a young team.

On the uphill battle that was challenging Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination; on how he turned from praising the 45th president to loathing him; on putting that anger into words; on why Bernie Sanders can win.

On his comeback from the depths of journalism hell; on the toxic mix of anxiety, depression, alcohol and social media; on still loving the NHL after decades of covering it.

On the joy of chronicling the journey of a high school girls basketball team; on watching Muhammad Ali's sad fade; on confronting Bobby Knight and living for words.

On covering Super Bowl LIV and talking about it from a bus at 2 am; on what one looks for alongside 6,000 other credentialed media at the big game; on memories of Steve McNair and Eddie George glory.

On learning of—then covering—the death of Kobe Bryant.

On spending $60 on an Uber to cover a high school sporting event; on entering journalism as so many veterans are leaving; on a moment when race played no role in a buddy-buddy profile.

On her 1977 lawsuit that resulted in women reporters being allowed to enter Major League clubhouses; on why male media members were so reluctant to change; on an openminded Billy Martin and a resistant Bowie Kuhn.

On his editorial, "Trump Should Be Removed From Office," that sparked both outrage and praise; on the aftermath of death threats; on why so many evangelicals are willing to overlook a sinful president; on being on the other end of a Trump Tweet.

On covering the out-of-control Australian fires; on conducting the interview for this podcast while walking thru 122-degree heat; on whether his nation is properly confronting climate change.

On calling for Pat Summitt to step aside during her struggles with Alzheimer's Disease; on covering the 1996 Olympic bombing from feet away; on his time as a young white kid in the South handed the Tennessee State football beat; on a newspaper's decline.

On the blood on John Mugabi's shorts; on writing with a hangover; on what the great columnists look for and why interviewing is an art.

On having a player invite you to his hotel room to seduce you with candles and Drake songs; on the (non) excitement of baseball's winter meetings; on missing the World Series to power lift.

On what has to happen at a restaurant to result in a scathing review; on the wild food scene in Fort Wayne; on being an anonymous critic in a world that wants to know.

On his riveting piece about a high school baseball coach sued by a player he told to slide; on tracking down the long-ago youth umpire he flipped off as a boy; on the not-so-riveting world of Eli Manning; on being confronted by an angry hockey player nicknamed "The Grim Reaper."

On finding sexiness in random words; on whether an ugly word (like, c*nt) can be beautiful in the right context; on why writing about sex is healthy for the soul.