Sports With Friends

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417. Brent Axe on Kevin Brown Controversy Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

In August 2023, Baltimore Orioles TV play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown was taken off the air after the team owner thought he was too negative on the broadcasts. Brent Axe not only knew Brown when he was a student at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University but he was involved in an all-too similar situation himself. In July 2023, Axe was fired from ESPN Syracuse for being too critical of the Syracuse University Athletic program. In both situations, Brown and Axe simply spoke the truth backed with facts and statistics. In this episode, Axe explains how Brown didn't like all the media attention his temporary removal brought forward. Similarly, he discussed the national reaction to his dismissal. The second half of this episode addresses the recent college sports moves and the impact it has had on the ACC. It closes with Axe's predictions for Syracuse football and basketball in 2023-24. Follow Brent Axe on social media: @BrentAxeMedia.

416. College Football Realignment 2023, Andy Staples Returns Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

When USC and UCLA announced their intentions to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 10 in 2022, Andy Staples joined the podcast to discuss realignment (Episode 361). This year, Washington and Oregon followed them to the Big 10. Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah State announced they were leaving for the Big 12 in 2024. That leaves the Pac-12 with only four schools remaining. This all deals with sports media and the contracts networks give these conferences. Andy Staples left the Athletic to join On3. Staples hosts a nightly college football YouTube show that is also a podcast. For more information on On3: visit www.on3.com.

415. MLB Researcher/Reporter Sarah Langs Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Sarah Langs is currently a research/reporter for MLB.COM. She has also been featured on MLB Network and countless other game broadcasts. She began her career in 2015 as a researcher for ESPN. An avid baseball fan, she is known for demonstrating that “Baseball is the Best.” Her belief is that the people that make up the sport, from players to coaches to scouts to media members make the sport the best there is. She hosts a weekly podcast with her friend and MLB colleague Mandy Bell and continues to promote the game through her powerful social media. In 2021, she was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a terminal illness that affects the brain's ability to control her muscles, which atrophy. The people around the sport have rallied around her, and on the anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous “Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” speech, Sarah and her family were honored at Yankee Stadium. Sarah is selling “Baseball is the Best” T-Shirts and other memorabilia at this link bit.ly/FistBumps4ALS. She encourages people to post pictures from baseball games with the shirt or without using the hashtag #FistBumps4ALS. Follow Sarah Langs on social media @SlangsOnSports.

414. Former MLB Pitcher Dwight Gooden Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

Dwight "Doc" Gooden played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the New York Mets from 1984-1994. During that span, he was National League Rookie of the Year in 1984, NL Cy Young Award winner in 1985, and was a part of the 1986 Mets World Championship Team. He is a 4-time All-Star. His career was derailed by his issues with drug use and was suspended multiple times, including the entire 1995 season. In 1996, Gooden signed with the New York Yankees, and on May 14, 1996, he threw the first no-hitter of his career for the Yankees against the Seattle Mariners. In this episode, Gooden talks about his health today and his battle with sobriety. He is also part of a new company that produces CBD products. Gooden speaks extensively about how Imbue CBD has helped him stay sober. For the first time ever on Sports with Friends, listeners were solicited through social media to ask questions for Doc. He took many questions from fans in this episode. For more information and to order CBD products, visit www.imbue.com/dg16. Make sure to use Doc's code DG16 at checkout for 30% off.

413. Jonathan Mayo, MLB Pipeline Reporter Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

Jonathan Mayo has been with MLB.COM since 1999. He primarily covers the MLB Draft and the minor leagues, with expertise on prospects. He recently completed his second book entitled "Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars." It is a unique take on how first impressions measure up to their aftermaths: the draft, years of progression, and for a talented few, major league success. Some of the players chronicled in the book are Charlie Blackmon, Albert Pujols, Lorenzo Cain, and many more. It Features exclusive interviews with scouts, players, coaches, and more, this fascinating collection of origin stories is an ode to baseball's endless possibilities. Mayo was Seth's first-ever co-host on MLB Radio in March 2001. With that, they spent eight years as co-workers, with stories that could go on for days. In this episode, Mayo reminisces about the MLB Radio days. He also explains the process of scouts in 2023, and how they look for pitchers that throw hard. He also addresses how young prospects are taught launch-angle in the early levels of the minor leagues. Get the book "Smart, Wrong, and Lucky" here: https://a.co/d/hDsjkRu.

412. Director Sam Pollard on "The League" (Negro Leagues doc) Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

The League is a feature-length documentary, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Pollard, and executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The film recounts the dramatic rise and fall of the Negro Leagues – providing a lens on the dazzling parallel world of Black baseball which was created by African Americans during the Jim Crow years. The League reveals the true story of Black baseball is far more complex and intriguing than the commonly accepted narrative of Jackie Robinson's triumphant rise. We learn that the integration of the national pastime – while a moral necessity – came at a cost, in that it led to the demise of a revered and consequential Black institution, the Negro Leagues. In this episode, Sam Pollard joins us to discuss how the film was conceptualized, and the efforts to gather footage. He also talked about the unique balance between recreating certain moments and making sure the movie flows when resources are so limited. He also spoke about his involvement with Spike Lee, including his work on the 1992 film Jungle Fever and the 1996 film Girl 6, which feature extraordinary soundtracks by music legends Stevie Wonder and Prince. The conversation does divert to a short Prince conversation towards the end. The League can be found on Amazon, Apple, or wherever digital downloads are available.

411. Longtime WIP Morning Show Host Angelo Cataldi Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

From 1988-2023, Angelo Cataldi was the host of the WIP Morning Show. He retired in Spring 2023. His show was an instant hit and maintained popularity throughout his tenure. Cataldi never shied away from controversy, and would criticize anyone in the Philadelphia sports market that he felt warranted it. Cataldi was joined on the radio show by Al Morganti, and later by Rhea Hughes and former NHL player turned broadcaster Keith Jones, who was recently hired as President of the Philadelphia Flyers. In this episode, Cataldi talked about his major criticism over the years. He explained his issues with former Eagles head coach Andy Reid and former Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler. Cataldi is writing a new memoir, entitled “Loud,” due out in November 2023. He talked about the creation of the Wing Bowl, his trip to the NFL Draft with Eagles' fans who were shocked that the team selected Donovan McNabb over Ricky Williams. He also addressed the proposed new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers. From 2008-2011, Angelo had Seth Everett on his show weekly to talk about the Phillies and Major League Baseball. This podcast opens with a clip from July 2010 on WIP, when Seth's then 2-year-old daughter made her debut appearance on Philadelphia radio.

410. Former MLB Pitcher Mark Mulder Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

In the early 2000s, Mark Mulder was part of the “Big 3” with Barry Zito and Tim Hudson. He pitched for the A's from 2000-2004. He was then traded to the St. Louis Cardinals where he pitched through 2008. After his playing career, Mulder began pursuing golf. He won the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, a celebrity golf tournament, three times from 2015-2017. In this episode, Mulder recounts the early days of his Oakland tenure. He laments the fact that on MLB Radio, both Barry Zito and Tim Hudson did radio shows, yet he did not. He talked openly about what that team was missing in their run to the championship. Then, he talked about his Cardinals days, and then his move to golf. Follow Mark on social media at @markmulder20.

409. Former MLB Pitcher Derek Lowe Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Derek Lowe pitched in the major leagues from 1997-2013. He is a 2-time All-Star, and a member of the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Championship Team. He threw a no-hitter on April 27, 2002. He was the American League Saves leader in 2000 and also was the NL Wins Leader in 2006. He is a member of the Boston Red Hall of Fame. Lowe is an avid golfer and is participating in this year's American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. In this episode, Lowe discusses being part of one the most lopsided trade in baseball history, where he was Jason Varitek were traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb. He also talked openly about his pitching style not working in today's game. Lowe was a ground ball pitcher who threw consistently at 88-92 MPH, while most pitchers today throw 98+. He also explained his reasons for not joining social media.

408. Charlie Enright, Skipper of 11th Hour Racing Team Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. The 11th Hour Racing Team is an American team competing in the 2023 Ocean Race, the first since 2017. Charlie Enright is the skipper of the 11th Hour Racing Team. At the time of the release of this podcast, the 11th Hour Racing team is currently in the lead. At the age of 36, Charlie has two round-the-world campaigns under his belt and over a decade-worth of experience in offshore racing. Born and raised in the maritime hub of Bristol, Rhode Island, Charlie learned to sail at a young age and went on to join his college sailing team at Brown University. This is his 3rd World Race as Skipper. In this episode, Enright explains the process of racing around the world, and what goes into it. He explains how they use radar and sonar to see where the other boats are, and how they sleep in shifts. They also explain how they eat over the days, and no, Twinkies are not used. Good luck to the 11th Hour Racing Team to finish the Ocean Race in the lead!

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