Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Latest Episodes:

Tiffany Greene and Meghan McPeak — pioneering broadcasters in the Sports Media Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

Episode 88 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Tiffany Greene and Meghan McPeak. Green is the first African-American woman to serve as a play by play commentator for college football on a major network. She calls HBCU football games for ESPN as well as other play by play assignments for ESPN including college basketball on the SEC Network. McPeak, who classifies herself as bi-racial, is a play by play broadcaster for the Capital City Gogo, the NBA G League affiliate for the Washington Wizards. In October 2018 McPeak joined the very short list of women who have done play by play for an NBA game when she called a Wizards-Pistons preseason game. That made her the first female play by play broadcaster in 30 years to call an NBA game.

In this podcast, Greene and McPeak discuss their love of play by play and their professional journeys; the pressure they feel as pioneering broadcasters given so few women of color are currently doing play by play at national levels; their broadcasting styles; racism, sexism and inequality in the sports media; how often they hear from women of color who are interested in getting into sports broadcasting; where they hope to be professionally ten years from now; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Jamie Little and Shannon Spake of Fox Sports Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Episode 87 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Jamie Little and Shannon Spake, both of Fox Sports. Little covers pit road for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series. Spake is the host of Fox NASCAR’s race coverage and handles all the anchor duties for NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY series. They will be both be part of Fox’s Daytona 500 c0verage. In this podcast, Little and Spake discuss what is unique about broadcasting NASCAR versus other sports; how they prepare to cover the Daytona 500; why NASCAR television viewership has dropped; their friendship on the road; what covering the NFL is like for Spake; Little’s work on

“America’s Top Dog” and dog show competitions; Spake training to compete in the famed Kona triathlon; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Covering Kobe Bryant (with Howard Beck and Tim Kawakami) Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Episode 86 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Howard Beck of Bleacher Report and Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Both writers covered Kobe Bryant extensively during Bryant’s career. In this podcast, Beck and Kawakami discuss Bryant as an interview subject; the level of access he gave reporters; how long they covered him; how reporters should address the sexual assault case in Eagle, Colo; their most memorable interaction with Bryant; whether Bryant was calculating with reporters;what Beck would ask Bryant if he had 15 more minutes with him and more. Beck hosts his own podcast, "The Full 48.” Kawakami also hosts his own podcast, “The TK Show.” You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

The Producer and Director of Super Bowl LIV: Richie Zyontz and Rich Russo of Fox Sports Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

Episode 85 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Richie Zyontz and Rich Russo of Fox Sports. Zyontz and Russo are the lead producer and lead director for Super Bowl LIV. This will be Zyontz’s six Super Bowl as a lead game producer. It is the fourth Super Bowl Russo has directed.

In this episode, Zyontz and Russo discuss the preparation that goes into the production elements of the Super Bowl; what they do day to day during Super Bowl week; how they practice for the worst contingencies; how the Chiefs and Niners’ specifically impact the broadcast; how much interaction they have with game announcers Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers prior to kickoff; what replays are like in the truck; how they determine what they will do on crowd shots; how they plan to incorporate the rules officials into the broadcast and more.

You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

John Ourand of Sports Business Daily Jan 14, 2020

Show notes

Episode 84 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand on a variety of topics. In this podcast, Ourand and Deitsch discuss potential Super Bowl viewership; whether the Titans being in the Super Bowl would impact the viewership number; the appeal of Aaron Rogers and Patrick Mahomes as TV plays; sports accounting for 92 of the 100 most-viewed telecasts in 2019; the upcoming Monday Night Football changes; what our sources say about Tony Romo’s broadcasting future; our debate about Romo’s place historically; whether ESPN will be able to procure SEC football games from CBS before 2023; ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt moving back to D.C. to do his SportsCenter; DAZN releasing viewing stats for the first time; Ourand appearing on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Jalen Rose Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Episode 83 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features ESPN analyst and host Jalen Rose, who appears on a variety of ESPN shows including NBA Countdown, Get Up! and Jalen & Jacoby. In 2011, Rose established the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA), an open enrollment public charter high school in Detroit that gives students a leadership-focused education.

In this podcast, Rose discusses his ESPN tenure in relation to his NBA career; why he has taken on the assignments he has; his definition of good sports television; how he has navigated all the talent changes on NBA Countdown; the viewership declines for the NBA; whether he thinks an in-season tournament is an interesting media property; the focus on analytics and advanced stats in the conversation around sports as it relates to devaluing of player intellect; whether it is frustrating not to talk about politics as an ESPN employee; the career conversations between he and his wife, Molly Qerim Rose; appreciating your position but planning your promotion; ownership interests and more.

You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Adam Amin Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

Episode 82 of the Sports Media Podcast with RichardDeitsch features ESPN broadcaster Adam Amin, who handles a variety of assignments for the company including college football, the NFL, women’s college basketball and the Final Four; MLB, men's college basketball, and the NBA. In this podcast, Amin discusses how he approaches his assignments, his recent experience on Twitter that went viral when he decided to spend a plane flight praising his colleagues; crazy ESPN conspiracies on college football; struggling to always be positive; how he navigates so many different assignments; calling 95 events in 2020; sitting in the production meetings of multiple sports and what he's learned about that process; the interest in calling the premier SEC football games; the passion of college football viewers; why it works so well with Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe for Women’s Final Four coverage, and much more.

Jim Ross and Joan Niesen Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

Episode 81 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: The iconic wrestling broadcaster Jim (“JR”) Ross, who currently calls All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on TNT every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET and is a senior advisor with the promotion. Ross is also the co-host (with Conrad Thompson) of the popular podcast, “Grilling JR.”

The second guest is Joan Niesen, who recently worked at Sports Illustrated, where she covered national college football, following stops at the Denver Post and Fox Sports.

In this podcast, Ross discusses how AEW approaches broadcasting; whether there is an AEW style of broadcasting; the differences between how AEW and WWE broadcast their products; the art of delivering a promo and why Chris Jericho is so great at it; working into his late 60s; how he navigates social media; why it works so well with he and Conrad Thompson; how he prepares for Grilling JR; his upcoming book, Under the Black Hat, which comes out in March, and much more.

Niesen was a guest on Episode 72 of this podcast as one four former Sports Illustrated staffers who were let go last week by The Maven, the Seattle-based startup that leased Sports Illustrated's media operations from the Authentic Brands Group. In this podcast, Niesen discusses the challenges of freelancing after being let go from a writing job; how the freelance market has been for her; how she views what’s happening under the Maven at SI; the paradox of wanting to support SI writers but not The Maven; her view on college football as a television product; the deification of college football coaches, and much more.

You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Sports Media roundtable with Chad Finn and Ben Strauss Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

Episode 80 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests for a media roundtable: Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Washington Post sports media writer Ben Strauss. In this podcast, the roundtable discusses the decline of the NBA viewership and the reasons for it; what could provide a catalyst; the cable vs. network debate; the impact of the Warriors on NBA ratings; whether MLB can capitalize on a crazy offseason; the future of the SEC Football package; what we think will be the biggest stories of 2020; the bloodletting of writers from places like Sports Illustrated and Deadspin and others; where sports podcasts are and where they might be going, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

Joe Buck of Fox Sports Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Episode 79 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck. He and Troy Aikman will call Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, 2020. In this podcast, Buck discusses how he views the prospect of working until his 70s as his father, Jack Buck, did; how turning 50 impacted him both professionally and personally; whether broadcasting a Super Bowl that year feels different for hos NFL broadcast group; why he signed a contract extension that times with John Smoltz’s contract; how to come to grips with being a figure on sports social media;

whether he could envision doing games without Aikman and Smoltz; his hockey fandom and passion for the St. Louis Blues; raising twin 1-year-old boys; how his wife, Michelle Beisner-Buck, has given him insight into ESPN; his family’s friendship with Randy Moss, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.

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