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“More than anything else, I wanted the chance to connect it to Philadelphia and the country as a whole at the time the film was being made. I felt like nobody had done that.” Friend of the show Mike Sielski joins Brian to talk about the writing and reporting of his new book, “Going the Distance: Stallone, Philly, and the Making of Rocky”  Mike talks about his journey with Rocky as a son of Philadelphia and how that journey brought him to writing a book about the making of the movie. He talks about what makes this such a Philadelphia story and how he reflected that in the book.  Mike and Brian talk a lot about the myth around the making of Rocky, how Mike set about to find the true story, and how he balanced the line between telling the truth and honoring what the myth means to people.  Mike also discusses why it was so important to have Sylvester Stallone’s voice in the book, how he got the actor’s email address, and the secret to getting Stallone to reply to the message. He also tells Brian his favorite little detail in the book, and describes how an issue of Playboy magazine was integral to his reporting.  “The real story in and of itself is crazy and improbable enough that people will still derive the sense of joy and pleasure from knowing the truth.”  Links Going the Distance on Amazon Going the Distance at an Independent Book Store near you Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (the best thing Mike’s read lately).  Support Subscribe to Sports Media Guy Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“Frank Deford. Dan Jenkins. John Underwood. The list could go on. We thought we were in Valhalla.” Larry Keith joins Brian to talk about his long career as a reporter, writer, and editor at Sports Illustrated.  Larry, who worked at SI from 1970 to 2004, traces his career path from covering high school football in North Carolina to hosting a radio show with Dean Smith at Chapel Hill to Sports Illustrated. He and Brian talk about why covering high school football is so formative for so many sports journalists.  Larry talks about what it was like to be at Sports Illustrated during the magazine’s legendary glory days. Larry discusses the aura that legendary editor Andre Laguerre had and one of his memorable interactions with him at the old HoHo Bar in New York. He also talks about the process of writing a Sports Illustrated cover story, what it was like to cover the 1979 NCAA finals between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and how he helped hire Rick Reilly at the magazine.  “We had the best writers. We had the best photographers. We had brilliant senior editorial leadership in Andre Laguerre. And it all came together.  Links Touch ‘em All by Larry Keith John Adams by David McCullough (The Best Thing Larry’s read lately) America’s Founding Son by Bob Crawford (The Best Thing Brian’s read lately.) Support Subscribe to Sports Media Guy Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“This wasn't gonna be a soccer book. This was gonna be a book about a weird soccer team.”  Leander Schaerlaeckens returns to the show to talk about the writing and reporting of his excellent new book, “The Long Game: U.S. Men’s Soccer and its savage, four-decade journey to the top, or thereabouts.” Leander talks about the idea for this book dates back to the US failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and how an article he wrote for The Ringer got him started on this process. He discusses how he landed on the book’s structure, how he picked which historical events to focus on and how he worked to make sure the six player  profiles are not just standalone pieces but also speak to larger issues facing US Men’s Soccer. He also describes the leap from writing magazine-length pieces to a book and the biggest challenge. Leander tells Brian about how this generation of US men’s players don’t view media obligations the same way as previous generations did, and how that created both a challenge and an opportunity. There’s also a quick digression about Christian Pulisic’s coffee table book. “What I’d like people to take away from the book is just how weird and wacky the US National team’s history is and how kind of miraculous it is in a sporting sense where they are now."  Note: We recorded this episode in June 2026, early during group play of the 2026 World Cup. Links The Long Game on Amazon The Long Game at an independent book store near you. Pulisic: My Journey So Far  The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hi  (The Best Thing Leander’s read lately.) Support Subscribe to Sports Media Guy Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“I had this moment, this great joy and excitement, followed by an equal sense of panic and fear because, I got the deal to write the book, and then I realized I had to write the book!” Bob Crawford returns to The Other 51 for a deep dive into the research and writing of his excellent new book: “America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick.” Bob talks about how he built on his 2022 podcast about Adams, Founding Son, and was able to expand the story in book form. He and Brian talk about how the book is as much a snapshot of America in the 1830s and 1840s as it is the story of any one person. Bob talks about how he decided to make Adams’ evolution into an abolitionist the center of the book and how he learned about Theodore Weld and Benjamin Lindy and how important they were to this story Bob describes how life on tour with the Avett Brothers was actually very conducive to writing, how he had a tub of books on the tour bus and how digital media made his work much easier.  He also tells the story of his unboxing video gone wrong and describes what makes John Quincy Adams so fascinating to him.   “He’s America’s greatest public servant, hands down.”  Links America’s Founding Son on Amazon America’s Founding Son from an independent book store American History Hotline The Road to Now The Living Declaration (The Best Thing Bob’s read lately.) Support Subscribe to Sports Media Guy Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“Here’s what I felt through this entire process in writing this book: I felt complete trust.” Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur join Brian to talk about their new book, Big Fan: Two Friends, 81,589 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love. (*I’m told it’s actually 82,490 miles. Thank you to Joe Posnanski, now the official ombudsman of The Other 51.) Joe and Michael talk about how a clip of the World Darts Championship inspired this whole project and how they figured out what events they would attend. They talk about why avoided the big events, and how Joe’s career as a sports writer made that easier.  Joe discusses what it was like to write collaboratively, and Michael talked about how they worked to capture the vibe of their friendship on the page. They also say what they learned from writing about each other.  “If you have an ego about your writing, you will miss great ideas, you will not be receptive to criticism or rewriting or editing and you will stubbornly stick with whatever your first stupid idea was and your thing won’t be as good.”  Links Big Fan on Amazon Big Fan from an independent bookstore The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (the best thing Joe’s read lately.) On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle (the best thing Michael’s read lately)  Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“I find it to be a pleasure. To be able to write a book is a privilege, but to do it, to me, is a pleasurable event. I just really enjoy writing. I still do.” Mike Vaccaro, my good friend, career mentor, and fellow proud St. Bonaventure graduate, joins me for a deep dive into his delightfully fun new book, “Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees under the house of Steinbrenner.” We talk about why and how he came back to book writing after a long break and why this project was the one that stuck. Mike talks about how thinking of each chapter as one of his columns helped him so much through this process, and how important it was for him to tell these stories in his own voice. That leads to a larger discussion about how to develop your voice as a writer, and Mike also talks about what it was really like to cover George Steinbrenner.  “Everything that’s in that book is me.” Links Bosses of the Bronx on Amazon Bosses of the Bronx from an independent bookstore All of Mike’s books.  Mike at the New York Post.  1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin (The best thing Mike’s read lately.) The Uncool by Cameron Crowe (The best thing Brian’s read lately.) Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“I approach these things almost novelistically. I start with character.” Luke Epplin joins the show for the first time for a deep dive into the writing and reporting of his new book, “Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship and the Birth of Modern Basketball.” Luke talks about how his experience as a failed novelist — his exact words — trained him to write and research and report the way he does. He describes how learning about one moment from the 1982 NBA Finals propelled him into this story.  We talk about how he humanized the almost mythical figures of Julies Erving and Moses Malone, how he made Philadelphia a character in the book, and why pace is so important to him as a writer. “The sort of trick with the book is to convey that larger than lifeness as it was experienced at the time.” Links Moses and the Doctor on Amazon. Moses and the Doctor on Bookshop Our Team (Luke’s first book) on Bookshop What We Can Know by Ian McEwan (the best thing Luke’s read lately) Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

Friend of the show Alysa Auriemma is back to talk about writing, motherhood, her new collection of short stories, her future books, and so much more.  That “so much more” is Heated Rivalry. Yes, the full bonus episode, and more Heated Rivalry content, is here.  But before that, Alysa talks about the two short stories in her new collection, “The Archives of Theara: Stories of the Kinborn.” She discusses how they fit into the All Daughter’s Rise extended literary universe, how it served as a way back into this world, and what it was like revisiting these characters years later. We talk about points-of-view as writers and readers, and Alysa also mentions her upcoming rom-com book coming out over the summer. She also talks about being a writer as a new mom, and how writing can be one of the things that helped her find her way back to being herself. Links The Archives of Theara: Stories of the Kinborn All Daughters Rise Heated Rivalry Ally Marcie Writes on Instagram Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts

Our regularly planned episode with Alysa Auriemma , where we talk about writing and her new collection of stories and motherhood and all of the things, will be out next week. But we also talked a lot about Heated Rivalry. Well, Alysa had a lot to say about the show and the book series. As a bonus, and a preview of the full episode, enjoy some Heated Rivalry talk. Follow Alysa here.

Bestselling author Jeff Pearlman returns to talk all about the writing and reporting of his new book, “Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur.” Jeff talks about how and when he decided to write a biography of Tupac, what made the late rapper a compelling topic, and how he’s similar to Bo Jackson (the subject of Pearlman’s previous book).  Jeff talks about how he interviewed 652 people for this book, how he found them and how he structured the interviews. This leads to a discussion about the importance of sincerity and empathy in reporting, and Jeff describes how he got a Ph.D. in what it’s like to grow up black and poor in education.  Jeff also describes why Ebay is his secret reporting weapon, and how he wrote Brian’s favorite sentence of the year.  Links Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur Buy on Amazon Buy on Bookshop.org All of Jeff’s books on Amazon Jeff on YouTube Jeff on TikTok Who Knows You By Heart by CJ Farley (the best thing Jeff’s read lately) Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz (the best thing Jeff’s read lately) Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover (the dorkiest/best thing Brian’s read lately) Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“I kept thinking, is there a single quarterback I can write about that I can tell this story through? And no matter who it was … everything felt too small. And so what I wanted to do was write about all of them, in a way, at every level.” It’s our 200th episode, and we’re celebrating by talking to one of our favorite writers. Seth Wickersham joins Brian to talk about the writing and reporting of his new book, “American Kings: A Biography of The Quarterback.” Seth discusses what that word “biography” means to him in this context, and talks about how came to write a book about the quarterback position. He talks about how the writing, reporting, and promotion of this book is different than his first book and the lessons he learned from writing about the New England Patriots that applied here.  Seth describes the different reporting methods he used in writing the book, how he landed on this particular structure and how he chose his anchor characters. He tells us how something being interesting to him was his north star, and the moment his repertorial antenna went up. He also talks about how conversations with his friend Wright Thompson and an ESPN editor helped him crack book’s structure.  “Having my friends be brilliant writers has just been like, what a blessing. Because it’s like, everyone’s supportive and a teeny bit competitive … You want to have a story that’s worthy of the text thread.” Links American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback (Bookshop.org link) American Kings (Amazon link) The Book of a Coach Feds probing NFLPA actions that ‘may be criminal,’ doc says by Don Van Natta and Kalyn Kahler (the best thing Seth’s read lately) Untold  by Tom Junod and Paula Lavigne Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“That’s why I do this. That’s why I’m involved in this. I was one of those young people who was endlessly inspired by female athletes and by women’s sport” Danielle Sarver Coombs and Molly Yanity join Brian to talk about the two scholarly anthologies they co-edited about the 2023 Women’s World Cup.  We’ve interviewed writers of all sorts throughout our nine years hosting this show, but this is the first time we’ve ever talked to the editors of an anthology!  Danielle and Molly talk about that process, how they decided against writing a book of their own and instead landed on editing an anthology. They talk about how their anthology on the 2019 World Cup influenced these books, what about these events make them so ripe for scholarship, and how important it was for them to include voices from outside of the Global North.  The three of us also get deeply nerdy talking about the books we’ve read lately.  “We have a responsibility as senior scholars who are also women to help lift the voices of people who have a bigger challenge getting published.” Links Politics, Social Issues and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Media, Communication and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Media, Fandom, and Soccer’s Biggest Stage The best books we’ve read lately Great Big Beautiful Summer by Emily Henry The Creativity Code by Marcus du Sautoy James by Percival Everett Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe at:  Apple Podcasts Spotify

“It was the stories that I woke up the next day thinking about … I want complicated stories about complicated people making difficult choices and facing real things.” Journalist, professor, and author Jane McManus joins us this week to talk about her career, The Year’s Best Sports Writing, her new book and more.  Jane was the editor of the 2024 edition of The Year’s Best Sports Writing. She and Brian do a deep dive into what that job actually looked like. Jane describes how she got the gig, how Richard Deitsch helped her, how she leaned on a group of fellow journalists as an advisory board, and what she was looking for in picking the best sports stories. We talk about the importance of scene setting at the start of a feature story, of showing the work that the reporter has done, and the deep reporting you see in a great piece of investigative journalism.  They also talk about her introductory essay, a form Brian has studied at great length.  Jane also talks about her book, The Fast Track, and why this was the book she wrote at this stage in her career. She describes the biggest differences between writing articles and a book, and why she doesn't want her students to outsource their thinking by letting AI do any writing.  “There's no Tik Tok, there’s no short form video on YouTube, hot-take sports talk show that is going to force you to think about something the way that at a well written long form piece of journalism is.” Links The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024 The Fast Track by Jane McManus The Three-Body Problem (The best thing Jane’s read lately.) Middlemarch (The best thing Jane’s read lately A Gentleman in Moscow (The best thing Brian’s read lately.) Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Apple Podcasts Spotify

“The challenge is to make you love Lloyd and make you realize that Lloyd is extraordinary and that you realize that before Lloyd does.” Will Leitch returns to the show to talk all about his new book, “Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride.” which is out now and you should totally buy!  Will describes how a pre-pandemic visit to a family friend helped plant the seed for the book’s premise, and how that premise allows him to address the existential angst that parents are feeling about the world they’re leaving their kids. Will also reveals the biggest challenge in writing Lloyd as a character, why he wrote the book in the present tense, and how all of his novels have clocks in one way or another.  Will and Brian talk about the action sequences in the book, how they were influenced by Will’s love of movies and how listening to The Donnas was Will’s secret for those scenes. They also talk about how Will’s excellent weekly newsletter influenced parts of this book.  “I want you to feel the entire time like this is happening right now.” Links Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride on Bookshop.org (to support independent bookstores.) Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride on Amazon All of Will’s books Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (The best thing Will’s read lately.) Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham (The best thing Brian’s read lately.) Support Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Apple Podcasts Spotify

“I never really thought about it as something I would ever do a story on. I didn’t even think of it in terms of a story … these were just our friends.” Sam Borden from ESPN joins us for a deep dive into his moving feature story on the friendship between Abby Zittoun and the UConn women’s basketball team.  Sam discusses the intensely personal nature of this story for him, how he navigated being both a friend and reporter in telling Abby’s story, and why being transparent and intimate as a journalist is so vital to doing stories like this. He also talks about how he dealt with the personal pressure he felt writing this story. Sam and Brian also discuss the writing and reporting of the story. The details make this story so memorable, but how does Sam know he has the right details, and how do you keep from overwhelming the reader with them? Sam also talks about how he avoided making an inherently sad story like this feel like a long march for the reader. This is not a story about grief, it’s the story about an amazing young girl, her family, and the connection she had with this team. “I want Abby to be alive for as much of this story as possible.”  Links: Love, Abby: Inside UConn basketball's eternal bond with a magical fan Love, Abby (TV version of story) Trump is selling Jews a dangerous lie by Michael S. Roth (The best thing Sam’s read lately) Support: Support the show at Buy Me a Coffee Follow us on Instagram. Apple Podcasts Spotify