On chronicling one of America's all-time most fascinating and influential families, the Shakurs; on what the world needs to know about Tupac's mother, Afeni; on attending an exorcism and keeping a straight face; on the Seattle-based Jewish rapper who warranted a profile.
On the amazing rise and career of Fernando Valenzuela; on trying to convince a shy, guarded man to speak for a book; on what it's like interviewing our heroes as they age and decline; on why people still care about a saga from 40 years ago.
On his funky journalist odyssey from small-town upstate New York newspaper scrub to one of Australia's elite long-form scribes; on following a band's raucous path and chronicling every move; on whether it's OK for a writer to bond with a subject.
On watching the Vandy football team take back-to-back ass kickings from Alabama and Georgia—and trying to write humanely of the massacres; on leaping into a beat and learning on the fly; on whether people care about college print; on why she dreamed of newspapers; on covering Jim Harbaugh.
On whether the sports writers of today are better or worse than the sports writers of a decade ago; on the brilliance of Peter Gammons' World Series chronicling; on the Red Sox manager who committed suicide—and the writer who jotted down the details.
On what it is to tackle the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; on the hells of promoting a book pre-release; on the highs and lows and greater highs of authorship.
On putting everything you have into a book, then watching the publishing company mangle the release and price; on frustrations over seeing America's Covid response turn political; on chronicling the life of a famous football-playing father.
On the craziness of 2022 Indianapolis Colts and head coach (cough, cough) Jeff Saturday; on making his father proud by following the dream; on why a lifelong NBA fan left the Pacers beat to chronicle the NFL; on angering a linebacker and living to tell.
On surviving a childhood where she was beaten and molested; on what it is to run away from home and live on the streets; on how Tupac Shakur served as a bright light; on writing your way through pain and hurt
On more than two decades of covering Cardinals football; on digging into Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury; on making the transition from newspaper to team website; on the mystery that was David Boston.
On recently being laid off and leaving New Jersey without a single congressional reporter; on why covering politics is so important on the local level; on the story of his uncle's mid-pandemic funeral; on whether journalism is still a worthy field.
On the long, early-rise days of Spring Training via the baseball beat; on whether it'd be easier to cover Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. as a Spanish speaker; on whether one needs to care about baseball's new rules to cover baseball's new rules.
On covering the 1988 expansion Miami Heat through a 17-game losing streak; on writing sans bias about the NBA while being employed by the NBA; on the post-9.11 catharsis of writing about his late brother; on the highs and lows of modern media.
On having her name appear in nationwide newspaper transaction announcements; on the adjustment from media relations to covering a team; on the weird experiences of covering Roger Clemens and chronicling the World Series no one remembers.
On how she jumped directly from the UMass student newspaper to a Big Apple daily; on the kinship with her closest work pal—veteran NHL scribe Larry Brooks (age difference: 47 years); on the bliss of walking into an arena and realizing, "This is my life!"
On how she approaches covering a Super Bowl; on Peyton Manning's awful play as a final-year Bronco; on making the leap from editor to writer; on the inappropriate asshole NFL assistant coach.
On jumping into a new Major League beat and learning the landscape; on having a famous journalist as a father; on the heartbreaking saga of Stanley Jefferson and the Phillies pitcher with the tragic past; on a gross Pete Rose encounter.
On what it was like covering Michael Jordan and the 1990s Bulls; on being a rookie Buccaneers beat writer and dealing with John McKay; on a grumpy Dick Butkus and not being allowed in the Boston College locker room after a game.
On being told on Wednesday that your newspaper will die on Friday; on why local newspapers are dying at a staggering rate; on what a veteran reporter does when his office folds; on the joy of covering high school sports.
On the beauty of writing (beautifully, accurately) about hip-hop and Black culture; on the time Wyclef pulled a gun; on coming up through the newspaper ranks in Poughkeepsie; on the Whitlock weirdness at The Undefeated.
On covering year after year after year of dreadful Vanderbilt football; on embedding within a semi-pro football team and being forced to soar in a hot air balloon (despite a fear of heights); on why journalism keeps him young.
On how one writes funny material; on what little life quirks make for good columns; on his run as a major sports television star; on writing Michigan-Ohio State with a unique viewpoint.
On returning to her home state to cover the Cornhuskers; on what it's like to know your career path beginning at age 6; on the struggles and hardships women continue to endure in sports media.
On covering the Cardinals since 1978; on the legendary Garry Templeton-Ozzie Smith swap, the outrageous Joaquín Andújar, the immortal Albert Pujols and on surviving more than five decades in newspaper.
On writing a biography of a legendary sports figure when the legendary sports figure doesn't participate; on why Charles Barkley's niece was a game changer; on calling potential sources—then calling them again; on how a stutter impacts (and doesn't impact) his career.
On why Muhammad Ali so fascinates the world—even after unlimited access; on whether Irish sports fans care about what happens in the United States; on why the world needs a Leon Spinks book.
On the value of great lyrics v. the value of a great voice; on what his Crips background brings to his music; on what he recognized in a young Kendrick Lamar and why "2Pac Must Die" is a song for the ages.
On what it takes to ghost writer another person's autobiography; of what it's like to see musicians you love and admire self-destruct; on his contributions to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"; on the impact stuttering has had on his career.
On the genius behind one of the great HBO shows of all time; on the early frustrations and struggles of a young TV writer; of the difficulty of capturing scenes and voices on television.
On the highs and lows of Belichick, Brady and the dynastic Patriots; on whether columnists ever need to admit they were wrong; on the ills of social media and the future of the industry
