The Other 51

Latest Episodes:

Episode 139: Full Historian Mode with Amy Bass Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Amy Bass, a professor of sports studies at Manhattanville College, joins Brian to do a deep dive into the writing and reporting of her book, “One Goal.”

Amy talks about how she first learned the story of the Lewiston High School soccer team and what drew her to it as a potential book. She talks about how she developed the trust of the coaching staff and of the Somali refugee community there. Amy describes her reporting style as “hanging out” and discusses what that logistically looks like. She also talks about how she took the results of all that hanging out and turned it into a book.

Amy also talks about how sticking to sports means talking about politics, race, gender, etc.

Episode Links

Amy Bass

Amy Bass on Twitter

One Goal by Amy Bass

The Resisters by Gish Jen

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Episode 138: Fly on the Wall with Joe Posnanski Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

It’s Episode 138. A true milestone for every podcast. And to celebrate, there is only one guest we could have — Joe Posnanski from The Athletic returns.

And to celebrate, Joe breaks some news and announces what his next book will be!

In addition to the news, Joe and Brian talk about the different mindsets that different types of writing require. Joe gives advice on how young writers can learn to loosen up a bit in their work. You have to master the notes, then master the music, then forget all that and just play.

Joe and Brian also have a minute of meaninglessness, and come to terms with the fact that the Bills and Browns are actually good.

Episode links:

Joe at The Athletic

Joe on Twitter

JoeBlogs

The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini

The Baseball 100

Tiger and Time

The Queen’s Gambit

Episode 4:Joe Posnanski

Episode 100: The Amazing and the Impossibe with Joe Posnanski

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Episode 137: On the Front Lines with the First Amendment Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

The panel discussion from the 16th Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, hosted virtually by SUNY-Oswego on Oct. 28, 2020.

This discussion was produced in conjunction with the SUNY Oswego School of Communication, Media and the Arts and the SUNY Oswego CTS department.

Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit

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Episode 136: Bubble Adjacent with Tim Bontemps Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Tim Bontemps, an NBA reporter for ESPN, returns to talk about reporting, working at ESPN and life in the NBA Bubble.

The main topic is Tim’s 76 days in the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. Tim tells Brian about the two different bubbles in Orlando and what life was like in the Yellow Bubble. Tim described his daily routine, how he reported when he had no direct access to players or coaches, and what it was like to be in arena with no fans.

Tim also talks about his move from the Washington Post to ESPN, what advice he’d give young reporters who want to join him at ESPN, and how being a good reporter is like making friends.

Tim on Twitter

This is bad for America but great for us

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Episode 135: I Spoke Up with Julie DiCaro Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

Sports writer, radio host, and author Julie DiCaro discusses her upcoming book, her career in sports media and more.

Julie talks about her career path from public defender to sports columnist. Julie and Brian discuss the surprising similarities between practicing law and being a sports columnist and how being a lawyer prepared Julie to write about sports. Julie also talks about representation in sports media and the notion of see it to be it.

The main topic is Julie’s book, “Sidelined,” which is scheduled for a March release. Julie tells Brian the story of the book, her writing process and what she learned about writing a book from this experience.

Julie DiCaro

Pre-order “Sidleined”

How the Breonna Taylor case went so wrong

Last

Killers of the Flower Moon

The Searcher

Caste

The New Jim Crow

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

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Episode 134: Writing Authentically with Jeff Bens Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

Author Jeff Bens joins Brian this week to talk about his wonderful new novel, The Mighty Oak.

Jeff, a professor at Manhattanville College, discusses his writing and research process for the book, why place and work are so important to his writing, and why and how he teaches his students to write from the gut and the heart, not from their brain.

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Episode 133: Live Long and Prosper with Mike Freeman Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Mike Freeman, a veteran NFL writer and author, joins Brian to talk about his new book, “Football’s Fearless Activists” and how the movement led by Collin Kaepernick changed the NFL and sports in America.

Mike talks about how he knew he would write a book about this movement the moment he first saw Kaepernick’s protest in 2016, and how he knew he was done reporting and ready to write. Mike discusses how his 25 years of experience covering the NFL helped his reporting on this book, what it’s like to release a book during the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests, and what it’s like to have Donald Trump read one of his articles during a rally.

Most importantly, Mike gives Brian some much-needed advice on getting into Star Trek.

Mike Freeman on Twitter

Football’s Fearless Activists

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Episode 132: Role Players with Jeff Pearlman Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Jeff Pearlman, the New York Times bestselling author, is back to talk about his new book, “Three-Ring Circus” about Shaq, Kobe and the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers.

Jeff talks about where the idea for his latest book came from, what about these Lakers’ teams made them a natural subject for a book and, in the end, why the book was so challenging to write and report. Jeff details why this was the most challenging of all his nine books to write and how the culture of sports has changed over the past thirty years and made reporting more difficult.

Jeff also talks about his love of role players, spending a day in Montana with Phil Jackson, and where he was when he learned that Kobe Bryant had died. He also gives top-notch interview advice for young journalists.

Jeff Pearlman

Jeff on Twitter

Three-Ring Circus

Jeff’s books on IndieBound

The Mighty Oak

A Gentleman in Moscow

Doug Christie-Rick Fox fight

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BONUS EPISODE: A Girl and Her Dictionary Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

A special little bonus episode for you about a girl and her dictionary.

(Note: I refer to the Kory Stamper episode as Episode 47 when it was actually Episode 48. Whoops.)

EPISODE 48: INTRODUCTORY LEXICOGRAPHY WITH KORY STAMPER

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Episode 131: No Soup Cans with Zach Roberts Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

Zach Roberts, an independent journalist who has been covering protests for more than 15 years, joins Brian this week to talk about covering the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Rochester, N.Y.

Zach, who was Brian’s student back in 2014, talks about how he got his start in freelance investigative journalism, how covering Occupy Wall Street changed the course of his career, and his experiences covering the protests of Daniel Prude’s death in Rochester. Zach discusses what he does when arrives in a city to cover a protest, his tips for staying safe while being on the ground, and what it’s like to have police officers shooting and targeting protests.

Zach Roberts on Twitter

Support Zach’s work on Patreon

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