• Home
  • About
Menu

Sports Media Guy

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
• SPORTS MEDIA GUY •

Your Custom Text Here

Sports Media Guy

  • Home
  • About
TheOther51.jpg

The Other 51

Episode 47: Detective Work with Scott Pitoniak

November 9, 2017 Brian Moritz

Scott Pitoniak is one of the defining voices in sports writing in Upstate New York. He’s written about the Buffalo Bills, Syracuse University, and sports in and around Rochester for the better part of three decades.

Scott joins Brian at Spot Coffee in Rochester (excuse the ambient noise and fun 80s music in the background), which is appropriate for a couple of writers. Scott talks about what it was like to cover the Buffalo Bills during the late 1980s and in their Super Bowl run in the early 1990s and why Marv Levy is his favorite coach he ever covered. Scott, who spent much of his career writing for the Democrat and Chronicle, talks about what makes Rochester such a unique sports town and what makes upstate New York special.

Scott also describes what it was like to write a book with Lou Gramm of Foreigner and a book about Jim Boeheim. Scott also discloses what his dream book project is.

Scott Pitoniak on Amazon

Scott Pitoniak on Twitter

Scott at the Rochester Business Journal

Spot Coffee

Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character by Marty Appel

Born to Run by Bruce Sprinsteen

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

Episode 46: Fargo Auto Kings with Matt Vautour

November 2, 2017 Brian Moritz

The Atlantic 10 Media Association reunion tour continues, as long-time listener, first-time caller Matt Vautour joins Brian to talk about the life of a college sports beat writer.

Matt, who covers the University of Massachusetts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and Brian reminiscence about their days covering the A-10 in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the requisite John Chaney stories (for every Phil Martelli, theres a Darelle Porter ). This leads to a larger discussion about how being a beat writer has changed over the past 20 years. Matt talks about how message boards were the original Twitter, what it was like to cover John Calipari as a student journalist, and how everything is a story these days.

They also talk about how blogging has changed. Matt used to say that his blog was like the deleted scenes part of a DVD, which now is two dated technological references. But he and Brian talk about how publishing news online and social media has totally changed what we considered “blogging.” Matt also discusses why he’d like to write three minutes of a stand-up comedy routine.

Matt also makes the best obscure West Wing reference you’ll hear on the internet all day.

Matt Vautour

Matt on Twitter

UMass Sports Blog

David Ford

The Mysterious Montague by Leigh Montville

Where the Bodies are Buried by Patrick Radden Keefe

All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

West Wing: The Butterball Hotline

West Wing scripts

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

Episode 45: You Podcast? with Jen Moritz

October 26, 2017 Brian Moritz

Jen Moritz is the best editor Brian knows. And he’s not just saying that because he married her.

Really, she’s awesome.

And since Brian’s been talking to writers for more than a year, he figured it was time to get the scoop from an editor.

Jen, who is the senior copy editor at Dixon Schwabl advertising, talks about what makes a good editor and how editing should be like gardening. You know your Facebook friend who posts memes about its/it’s and how they love grammar? Jen tells us that just shows they don’t know what an editor does. She also gives writers advice on how to instantly improve their writing — use ALL the contractions, folks! End your sentence in for. It’s OK!

Jen also tells us what grammar tells us about the identity of The Last Jedi. She also reveals Brian’s biggest sin as a writer.

Jen Moritz

Jen Moritz on Twitter

The Language Gardener

#FindMORWeird

Dr. Mütter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

Fellside by M.R. Carey

The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Word by Word by Kory Stamper

Dumplin by Julie Murphy

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

Episode 44: Generic Hot Actor Guy with Alysa Auriemma

October 19, 2017 Brian Moritz

Episode 44: Generic Hot Actor Guy with Alysa Auriemma

In the first return guest spot on The Other 51, author and professor Alysa Auriemma is back.

Brian promised Alysa the chance to talk about her love of Chris Evans, and so there is a lot of talk about Chris Evans. A lot of Chris Evans talk. Then there’s a super-deep dive into the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Things get super nerdy, folks.

But buried in all of this is an important question for writers — what is the role of fandom in our work? Is it like sports writing, where fandom is traditionally a very separate thing? Or can fandom play a role in how we conceptualize and write stories?

Alysa Auriemma on Twitter

The Curious Ally Cat

Support Alysa’s writing

Episode 27: Always Writing with Alysa Auriemma

Carly Lane

Chris Evans

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

Lincoln and the Bardo by George Sauners

The First White President by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

2 Comments

Episode 43: Live at Oswego with Kate Fagan

October 12, 2017 Brian Moritz

Can a podcast be live? Sort of? Maybe? Brian gives it a try this week with Kate Fagan from ESPN, the author of one of the best books he’s read all year.

Fagan is the author of “What Made Maddy Run,” a poignant look at college, college athletics, social media, mental illness and more told through the lens of Madison Halloran. During her visit this week to SUNY Oswego (where Brian teaches), she sat down with Brian to talk about the book and about writing.

Kate and Brian talk about how she first heard about Madison’s story and walks through the reporting and writing process of both an ESPN The Magazine article and later, the book. Kate answers a question she expected to hear more frequently than she did, how writing Madison’s story has changed how she uses social media and how she took care of herself while writing such an emotional topic.

Along with the heavy issues, Kate and Brian also talk about what she learned from being on the 538 Hot Takedown podcast, how she found out about Hamilton before basically anyone else and also discusses why she hates Aaron Burr (the song. Not the guy.)

Special thanks to Jeff Bradbury and SUNY Oswego for the production help and to Dan Roberts for helping set this up.

Kate Fagan

Kate on Twitter

Split Image

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen

The Reappearing Act: Coming Out as Gay on a College Basketball Team Led by Born-Again Christians

Alt White: How the Breitbart machine launders racist hate by Joseph Bernstein

A Requiem for Florida, the Paradise That Should Never Have Been by MICHAEL GRUNWALD

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

Episode 42: The Right Details with Kevin Van Valkenburg

October 5, 2017 Brian Moritz

Hamilton. Jason Isbell. Sports writing.

Kevin Van Valkenburg is pretty much the perfect guest for The Other 51.

Kevin, a feature writer for ESPN The Magazine, joins Brian to talk about seeing the original cast of Hamilton (apparently, it was worth it). He and Brian talk a lot about their admiration for Jason Isbell and what makes him such a gifted lyricist and songwriter. They also talk about how to develop the instinct to find the right details, how Kevin connected with Eddy Lacy before writing a recent feature story, and why reading is so, so important to being a writer. Kevin, who taught for a semester at the University of Montana, also describes how teaching writing improved his own work, and how he showed his students that you are never too busy to do a great piece of writing.

Kevin Van Valkenburg on Twitter

‘You Just Can’t Shake It’

The Audacity of Peyton Manning

Storytelling 101: A Reading List

Beyond the Breach

And the fighter still remains

Death at a Penn State Fraternity

The Mind of John McPhee

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

The Best of The Other 51: Call Mr. Plow with Erik Malinowski

October 3, 2017 Brian Moritz

This episode originally came out in February. Erik's book on the Golden State Warriors is out today. You can buy it here

Erik Malinowski of Bleacher Report talks about writing a book about the Golden State Warriors, our favorite Simpsons episodes (including which one to best introduce Brian’s daughter to the show), and why you should never Tweet. We also get super nerdy talking about Scrivener.

Erik Malinowski

The Making Of “Homer At The Bat,” The Episode That Conquered Prime Time 20 Years Ago Tonight

1. Never Tweet

Nate Silver Tells Tone-Deaf Burrito Arrest Story Amid Ferguson Protests, Gets Epically Burned

A 15-year-old (sorta, maybe) basketball phenomenon

Synderella: How Noah Syndergaard went from awkward kid to Mets ace

I Helped Create the Milo Trolling Playbook. You Should Stop Playing Right Into It

Comment

Episode 41: Song writing and St. Jude with Bob Crawford

September 21, 2017 Brian Moritz

Bob and Hallie Crawford. Photo by Leon Goodwin from Press On Fund.

Bob Crawford, bass player for The Avett Brothers, joins Brian to talk about his family’s connection to St. Jude, the work he's doing through the Press On Fund, and his quest to cure child cancer.

Bob talks about the day his then 22-month-old daughter, Hallie, was diagnosed with brain cancer and how St. Jude gave him and his family hope. He also discusses how his daughter’s diagnosis changed songwriting for him, and how he wrote part of The Avett Brothers' song “Good to You.” He and Brian also discuss their favorite Founding Fathers (Bob goes way off the board for his pick) and the theology of Thomas Merton.

Anyone who knows Brian knows he and his family are big fans of The Avett Brothers. They're also in the middle of a month-long Avett Nation fundraiser for St. Jude in Hallie Crawford's honor. So this is a special episode.

(Our Skype connection faded a few times, so apologies for a few inconsistencies).

To donate to the Moritz family’s team for the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer, click here

Bob Crawford

Press On Fund

St. Jude

The Avett Brothers

Good to You

John Witherspoon

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Google Play

Comment

Episode 40: Stealing Money with Mike Jensen

September 14, 2017 Brian Moritz

Mike Jensen has Brian’s dream job.

When Brian was a young reporter covering St. Bonaventure basketball, his career goal was to write about college basketball in Philadelphia. That’s what Mike has been doing since the 1990s. The two covered some of the Atlantic 10’s most memorable games in the early 2000s, which always somehow involved St. Bonaventure and Temple. Today, they swap John Chaney stories (spoiler, he wasn’t calling about an adverb) and discuss what made the Temple coach so unique and so awesome to deal with. Mike talks about whether or not Chaney would be successful in this media environment.

Mike also discusses his year-long look series at the Philadelphia Inquirer about Philly Hoops. He talks about how Philadelphia basketball is a neighborhood of its own, how he picks his stories, why he’s not writing nostalgia stories in this series, and he defines what Philadelphia basketball is in 2017.

The only thing missing is Ray Cella.

St. Jude Fundraiser

Mike Jensen on Twitter

A Year in Philly Hoops

#PhillyHoops

These Philly hoops super fans see it all - every day

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Fifty-one inches: Terror, heartbreak and heroism as five souls brave the worst storm in U.S. history

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Comment

Episode 39: My Play Uncle with Dr. Sherri Williams

September 7, 2017 Brian Moritz

Dr. Sherri Williams and Brian were classmates in the doctoral program at Syracuse University. Sherri is a former newspaper reporter who is now a newly hired assistant professor at American University in Washington D.C. and incredibly gifted and prolific writer on the intersection of race, media and popular culture.

She and Brian talk about the difficulty they faced in moving from newspapers to academia and why they both, in part, don’t consider themselves fully academics. Sherri also discusses the impact Oprah had on her life and career, why she considers herself a storyteller above all else, the importance of the bulletin board at the supermarket or listening to people talk at a bar to finding story ideas, and how a looming deadline led her to write one of her most personal stories.

Dr. Sherri Williams

Sherri on Twitter

Racism and the invisible struggle of mental health in the black community

After 40 Years of Staying Silent About My Depression, Last Week I Told the Whole World

Hunger: A memoir of (my) body by Roxanne Gay

Dr. Mutter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

St. Jude run/walk to end childhood cancer

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 38: Mets Weblog with Matthew Cerrone

August 31, 2017 Brian Moritz

Matt Cerrone was one of the pioneers of digital sports media. MetsBlog.com, the site he created in the 2000s, has been an indispensable resource for New York Mets fans.

He joins Brian this week to talk about just what the heck happened to the Mets this season, and the challenges and opportunities that a bad year like this presents to writers and storytellers. Matt talks about how he created MetsBlog and how he maintains it while still being a dad to two young kids, why knowing your own strength and weaknesses is so important to being a writer, how blogging really hasn’t changed that much and why journalists need to realize that they’re in the customer service.

He and Brian also talk about Matt’s new book and the joys of New England IPAs.

Matthew Cerrone

Matt on Twitter

MetsBlog

New York Mets Fans’ Bucket List

I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend

What Made Maddy Run

Comment

Episode 37: Off Main Street with Jenni Carlson

August 4, 2017 Brian Moritz

Russell Westbrook.

In Jenni Carlson’s job as a sports columnist at The Oklahoman, she could probably write those two words in the lede of a column and attract readers. But there is more to Jenni’s job than just writing about Oklahoma football and the Thunder.

She and Brian talk about where she finds ideas for more off-beat columns and the balancing act between writing “off-Main Street” columns with ones about subjects her readers care about. She also discusses how writing is kind of scientific and what the ingredients of a good column are, and makes a good Oklahoma story — beyond just football, tornados and military affiliation.

They also talk about how they relate to current politics through The West Wing, what makes that series so beloved by writers and why you should NEVER invoke Leo McGarry’s name in comparison with anybody in the current administration.

Jenni Carlson columns

Jenni Carlson on Twitter

Why Women of a Certain Age Have Embraced Granny Basketball

Dez Bryant: The Survivor by Paul Solotaroff

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 36: Aaron Burr, Sir, with Chris Anderson

July 27, 2017 Brian Moritz

A few years ago, when Brian was writing his dissertation at Syracuse, one of the books that provided the best material and most inspiration was Rebuilding the News by Dr. Chris Anderson.

Today, Chris — a professor at the University of Leeds and the City University of New York - joins Brian to talk about academic writing and the profession of journalism. They talk about what made the era between 2003-09 so fascinating for media sociologists, why tabloid newspapers were probably better suited for the digital revolution than broadsheets, why Chris misses being a doctoral student, and how he is a fast writer of truly awful first drafts. They also discuss Chris’ upcoming book on digital journalism and his respect for Aaron Burr (sir).

CW Anderson

Chris Anderson on Twitter

Rebuilding the News

Burr - Gore Vidal

The German War: A Nation Under Arms by Nicholas Stargardt

Losing the War by Lee Sandlin

Music for Wartime: Stories by Rebecca Makkai

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 35: Bat Flips with Stacey May Fowles

July 6, 2017 Brian Moritz

You know those banal-sounding cliches you hear baseball players say in interviews with reporters every day? Stacey May Fowles finds a lot of truth in them. She’s built a newsletter and written a book about the life lessons she’s learned as a baseball fan.

After breaking down exactly what’s up with the Toronto Blue Jays, Stacey May talks about her career writing about baseball from a fan’s perspective. She and Brian talk about how the Blue Jays’ recent run of success has changed the fan culture in Toronto, the value of writing on a closed platform like a newsletter, how Jose Bautista would be an awesome life coach, and how being an outsider can help you find your voice as a writer (especially in a closed world like sports).

Brian and Stacey May also share their favorite memories of Exhibition Stadium, the best worst stadium in Major League history.

Stacey May Fowles on Twitter

Baseball Life Advice

Baseball Life Advice: Loving the Game that Saved Me

It’s Enough That We’re Here: Thoughts on Baseball and Recovery

Foul Ball: Five Years in the American League

The Art of Fielding

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 34: Something More Than Free with Seth Wickersham

June 29, 2017 Brian Moritz

ESPN The Magazine investigative journalist Seth Wickersham joins Brian this week. The two bond over Jason Isbell and talk about the idea for a SiriusXM channel called “Byline” that would feature Isbell, Bruce Springsteen and other singers journalists tend to love.

Seth calls himself “an accidental byproduct of people landing on ESPN.com” but he’s one of the best reporters in sports journalism today. He talks about his work with Don Van Natta Jr and the lessons he’s learned from working with him on several ESPN stories and their upcoming book about the NFL. Seth also talks about why compassion is such an important skill for journalists, how he organizes his stories, why the worst thing you can feel as a writer is that you’ve plateaued, and why he has faith that the writing process will always work itself out.

Seth also tells the story of what happened when he asked Ben Bradlee a question at a Washington Post internship lunch. You can imagine how this one goes.

Seth Wickersham on Twitter

Seth Wickersham on ESPN

Why Richard Sherman can't let go of Seattle's Super Bowl loss

Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart

THE WOW FACTOR

Sin City or Bust

The Greatest, At Rest

Fire On the Mountain

Did Running Save My Life?

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 33: Apple Jack Would Never Say This with Katie Cook

June 22, 2017 Brian Moritz

Katie Cook is a nerd in the best possible way.

She’s a comic book writer and artist. She’s written My Little Pony comics, worked on books for Marvel, D.C. and IDW. She’s written her own comics, including the adorably awesome Gronk. She drew pictures of the cast of Hamilton for Broadway Cares and has been on stage at the Richard Rogers Theater twice. She’s basically living every nerd’s dream life.

She and Brian talk about the comic book writing process. Katie talks about why it can be easier to write for an already established character as compared to one you create yourself, why she always thinks of herself as an artist first, the importance of having a sounding board as a writer, the delights of hearing your 6-year-old singe age-inappropriate Broadway songs, and how Hamilton inspires us all to create something unique that lasts.

Kate was also kind enough to answer a question from Brian’s daughter about My Little Pony.

Katie Cook

… on Twitter

…and on Tumblr

Gronk: A Monster’s Story

So on Friday night, I saw Hamilton

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon

Saga

Bone by Jeff Smith

I Hate Fairyland

Raina Telgemeier

DC The New Frontier

Death Note

Washington: A Life

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 32: Old Man Yelling at Cloud with Patrick Hruby

June 15, 2017 Brian Moritz

Patrick Hruby is probably best known as the sports journalist who writes about all the unpopular issues in sports. Whether it’s concussions in football, amateurism in the NCAA, or cities subsidizing sports stadiums, Hruby writes about the intersection of politics and sports for Vice (among other places).

Patrick joins Brian to talk about how sports can serve as a gateway drug to talk about bigger issues in society, and why “stick to sports” is such a false position. They also talk about the generational use of social media, why curiosity is such an important trait for journalists and why he sometimes feels like Darth Vader at the end of Rogue One.

Patrick Hruby on Twitter

Patrick Hruby at Vice Sports

Amateurism isn’t Educational: Debunking the NCAA’s Dumbest Lie

WHAT BULLETS DO TO BODIES

Bloomburg Businessweek cover

Broke and Broken

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 31: Summerteeth with Michael Farrell

May 25, 2017 Brian Moritz

It’s a WSBU/88.3 The Buzz reunion, and Brian catches up with fellow St. Bonaventure alum and author Michael Farrell. The two talk about the importance that Dr. Rick Simpson played in both of their writing lives, with Michael telling the story about how Doc Simpson line-edited the 600-page first draft of his first novel.

Farrell talks about the writing process of his two novels, Running with Buffalo and When the Lights Go Out. He discusses the lessons he learned in several grad-school meetings with Dennis Lehane, why it’s important to keep a story moving forward, what it’s like to see Buffalo’s resurgence and how he’s happy his children won’t have to grow up through his stories.

But most importantly, Michael helps Brian figure out how to start listening to Wilco.

Michael Farrell

Michael Farrell on Twitter

Michael Farrell at The Buffalo News

Running with Buffalo

When the Lights Went out

The Last Fine Time

Dreaming the Beatles

Bright Shining Morning

The Plot Against America

The Bad Guys Won

Reconstruction

Tupac, Glocks and In-and-Out: A football team’s run-in with the rapper, revealed

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 30: Cheering for Ourselves with Mike Vaccaro

May 23, 2017 Brian Moritz

Mike Vaccaro and Brian both attended St. Bonaventure University as journalism/mass communication majors. Their first jobs out of college were at The Times Herald in Olean, N.Y., working for the legendary sports editor Chuck Pollock.

The professional similarities pretty much end there.

Mike, a senior sports columnist at the New York Post, joins the podcast this week to talk about the art of writing a sports column. Mike talks about why the lede of his column can be so important, what makes a good New York City story, the value of a great editor and the challenge of writing something that stays with the reader. They also talk a lot about St. Bonaventure and A LOT about the Beatles and Mike’s ranking of all 189 Beatles songs.

Mike Vaccaro on Twitter

Mike Vaccaro Barry, Vaccaro honored by NY Press Club for stories on boxing and basketball

At last, LeBron can cry — because there’s nothing else to do

1941 -- The Greatest Year In Sports

The First Fall Classic

Emperors and Idiots

Robert Caro Wonders What New York Is Going To Become

City of Fire

Hellhound On His Trail

Sting Like a Bee

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

Comment

Episode 29: Standing for Science and Pie with Keith Law

May 11, 2017 Brian Moritz

There have been days in the past month where Keith Law has done more than 20 interviews in one day.

So what’s one more?

Law, the ESPN columnist and author of the outstanding new book “Smart Baseball,” joins Brian to talk about writing and analytics in sports. Keith talks about how he learned to slow down his writing, how writing about analytics doesn’t mean you don’t have passion for your subject material, and how being open-minded can help you ask better questions and write better stories. He also describes how numbers should never drive a story, and he reveals what question interviewers ask him that is a giveaway that they haven’t read his book.

Brian also gets his first-ever board game recommendation.

Smart Baseball

Keith Law

Keith at ESPN

The Dish

Keith Law writer

Like a Detuned Radio

Blackout by Connie Willis

Commonweath: A Novel by Ann Patchett

Reconstruction by Eric Foner

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride First Journey

Subscribe:

iTunes

RSS

1 Comment
← Newer Posts Older Posts →
Blog
Oh Captain, My Captain
about a year ago

Powered by Squarespace