Because Of Sports

One of the things about Stacey Gotsulias that caught my attention was her knowledge of the game of baseball. I also admired how unapologetic she was in her criticism of Hall of Fame voters doing things wrong; her passion for the New York Yankees (even as a Braves fan); and I was intrigued by her fandom … Continue reading S2, Ep. 5: Stacey Gotsulias, Beyond The Boxscore, FanRag Sports, & The Hardball Times →

Melissa Jacobs career in sports media is as accomplished and fascinating as any you will find in this business. She started in her native San Francisco at KNBR, eventually becoming the youngest executive producer in station history. She then moved to Bristol to work for ESPN. It was there she created the talent production department up two Sports … Continue reading S2, EP. 4: Melissa Jacobs, Founder/Managing Editor of TheFootballGirl.com →

African-American participation in baseball, at any level, is a deeply personal subject for me. Growing up, I was usually the only black player on the team. I had great teammates, but I always wondered why more blacks didn’t play America’s Pastime; I also wonder, as the percentage continues to decline, whether or not anything can … Continue reading S2, Ep. 3: Howard Bryant, Senior Writer ESPN/Columnist ESPN The Magazine →

In April of 2015 Greg Howard (who was writing for Deadspin at the time) wrote a piece revealing the issues surrounding ESPN’s then-yet-to-be-launched sports, race, and culture website, The Undefeated. Writing it took a lot of courage considering what was at stake (a chance to write for an ESPN funded site, a relationship with a well-known sportswriter – … Continue reading S2, Ep. 2: Greg Howard, David Carr Fellow, The New York Times Magazine →

The Desert Sun’s Andrew John kicks off season two of the Because of Sports Podcast. Andrew, who is a sports reporter/writer, discusses what it’s like to cover a “Beat”, his experience at the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, the inspiration and challenges to storytelling in sports, overcoming letdowns in the sports industry, and much more.  Andrew … Continue reading S2, Ep. 1: Andrew John, Sports Reporter/Writer at The Desert Sun →

Sports and innovation have always gone together. There are a number of different ways the two have merged in a way that is mutually beneficial for businesses in every industry.  Scott Carter has been with Sports 1 Marketing (S1M) since its inception six years ago. He’s now the executive vice president of the company, and … Continue reading Ep. 22: Scott Carter, Executive Vice President, Sports 1 Marketing →

One part of sports that is often seen but rarely talked about is the photograph. We’ve seen countless images of sports figures and iconic moments that elicit some of our greatest memories.  A while back when I was developing this podcast I had the opportunity to get some advice from Libero “Tony” Di Zinno. Tony … Continue reading Ep. 21: Tony Di Zinno, Photographer, Propagandist Filmmaker/Humanitarian →

Michael Felder is proof that if you want to do something bad enough, all it takes is good, old-fashioned hard work. After his playing days as a walk-on for the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), “Mike” knew the regular 9-to-5 wasn’t for him. His passion for the game of football, particularly at the college … Continue reading Ep. 20: Michael Felder, College Football Video Analyst, Bleacher Report →

Lana Berry has done something pretty cool. She’s a social media consultant with a personal following of over 100,000 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Her love of sports and social media (particularly baseball) has allowed her to meet, interact, and gain credibility with industry professionals. What she’s also done is built enough credibility within the … Continue reading Ep. 19: Lana Berry, Social Media Consultant/Author →

Andrew Bailey has covered the NBA and Breaking News for Bleacher Report for six years. His Twitter account, @AndrewDBailey,  is a treasure trove of basketball analytics and statistics that cause spirited debates. It’s not on purpose, he’s just telling you what the numbers tell him. That’s one of the reasons I asked Andrew (“Andy”) to … Continue reading Ep. 18: Andrew Bailey, Bleacher Report NBA and Breaking News →

Back in February after the Broncos defeated the Panthers in the Super Bowl there was controversy over the way the loss was handled, post-game, by Panthers star Quarterback Cam Newton. His responses were short, and his appearance even shorter after he exited the press conference prematurely. I didn’t see a problem with it, it was … Continue reading Ep. 17: Randy Roberts, Film Studies at Purdue University →

Sports Illustrated put out its first issue in 1954. Since then, to grace its cover has been an achievement to strive for among athletes.  For 20 years B.J. Schecter has been a part of Sports Illustrated and the magnificent work they do covering the world of sports. After spending five years at The Boston Globe, … Continue reading Ep. 16: B. J. Schecter, Sports Illustrated →

Since 2011 the Los Angeles Kings have won two Stanley Cup Championships. Even when the Kings had Wayne Gretzky this feat wasn’t accomplished. It’s no wonder, then, that with that success came a rise in attendance for the franchise in Los Angeles.  Katie Hazelrigg grew up in Los Angeles, California and has been a Kings … Continue reading Ep. 15: Katie Hazelrigg, Los Angeles Kings →

It’s never been okay to downplay a woman’s athletic ability but somehow we continue to allow just that to happen. For too long, we’ve allowed ourselves to view women’s athletics as a novelty or, even worse, as us (mainly men) doing them a favor. I’ve played or followed sports for over 20 years and I have … Continue reading Ep. 14: Donna Lopiano, President/CEO, Sports Management Resources →

When talking to Minnesota Vikings Kicker Blair Walsh you get the sense of a man that is focused on what’s ahead. He’s moved past last season, and is primed for a big season for a Vikings team with high expectations. In other words, he’s got the right mindset to play what can sometimes be a … Continue reading Ep. 13: Blair Walsh, Minnesota Vikings Kicker →

I think a lot of people can relate to the early morning/late night routine of getting ready for work or winding down the day by turning on a show like Sportscenter or a college network show. Even if its for a few minutes as a familiar backdrop to your routine, you can relate to “catching up” on … Continue reading Ep. 12: Mike Yam, Pac-12 Network Studio Host, Give Me A Sense Podcast →

I met Teri Carson a little over two years ago while working for a sports marketing company in Irvine, California. One of the things that stuck out to me was her energy and her drive to do any and everything possible to achieve a goal. As it turns out, that was just the tip of … Continue reading Ep. 11: Teri Carson, MLB/San Diego Padres All-Star Game Volunteer Coordinator, Law Student →

Being an Olympian goes beyond what we see when the lights are brightest. To get to the biggest stage, it takes physical preparation and training beyond anything that most of us can comprehend. At her office in Long Beach, California, I had the privilege of sitting down with two-time Olympic Athletic Trainer, Dr. Karen Bloch; … Continue reading Ep. 10: Olympic Trainer Dr. Karen Bloch, Dr. Carling McMichael, & John Mann, Olympic Men’s Water Polo Player →

The world of sports agents isn’t one for the faint of heart. It takes a level of skill and determination that few have. For minorities, that rings even truer.  Pioneer Sports Attorney/Agent, Bill Strickland, has represented and counseled a number of legendary athletes throughout his career; including Joakim Noah, James Worthy, Rasheed Wallace, and Michael … Continue reading Ep. 9: Bill Strickland, Pioneer NBA Sports Attorney/Agent →

When you speak to Schea Cotton, he commands your attention. You can feel the experiences when the now 38-year old, former #1 High School basketball player in the country shares his life experiences. Such is probably going to be the case when you talk to a man who, at 15, was already better than his … Continue reading Ep. 8: Schea Cotton, High School Basketball Legend, Coach, & Mentor →