I’ve got plans to expand my podcast operation, which means I’m looking for more guests. Any ideas on fascinating people to pod with? And for those who only read the articles: Any people who’d make for an excellent written profile subject?
A bball pod with Tyler Cowen. He always says he loves the NBA, but no one talks about it with him. Want hear is thoughts on what makes it entertaining, what rules he's change, how the salary cap should be organized, etc.
Sorry for the delay Ethan, but I think Pat McAfee sounds like a cool guest! Like he has a successful radio show, and seems to be at ease with Dan LeBatard or with Aaron Rodgers or on ESPN and pro-wrestling.
John Hollinger. Was "the dude" for me for a decade and a half. Everyone knew him for the analytics, I loved him for the writing style. I'm not sure he's ready to be as forthright as HoS demands, but you probably know him personally, so maybe?
Nate Duncan seems like an interesting dude and I think it'd be fun to hear from him on a podcast not entirely dedicated to basketball. Oh and of course Katie Herzog is a must - your pod is a bit of a sausage fest and I think adding history's lone surviving lesbian would help that 😉
You have amazing chemistry with Matt (Syncing Up) and Amin; I’m sure talking to new people is great but don’t deny the power of chemistry for creating good content!
I’d love an episode with a collection of interviews of typical unknown people about childhood education during COVID. Urban, suburban, and rural parents. A teacher. An administrator. A pediatrician. You get the idea.
I’m convinced this is the new and large single-issue-voter topic, and I think that right now is a good time to hear perspectives and imagine how it’ll play out.
Jade Hoye - listening to past pods, seems he experimented with different types of media/formats to cover sports through the 2010s/emergence of social media. It would be interesting to hear about that journey from producer's standpoint. what worked? what didnt? why/why not?
Henry Abbott - rise and fall of True Hoop. What were/are the challenges of "Smart sports coverage" at ESPN? How's his substack transition been?
Maybe ask Jade about the live events too? how'd that idea evolve with the of True Hoops Pod crew? what's the experience been bringing a podcast to a live audience?
Matt Yglesias is one who was kinda canceled at Vox and now very successful on Substack. I think he has an interesting lens on Twitter pros/cons as well.
I would be really interested in hearing about comparisons between DIFFERENT pro sports (cultures, management styles, player daily schedule, etc.). I'm not sure who would be best for this, maybe someone like Billy Beane??
Nate Silver, Andre Iguodala, Malcolm Gladwell, Sean Carroll, for sure Tim Donoughy -- and at the least Tim Livingston from Whistleblowers (smoking-gun-topic-no-one-solved), and lastly bring on Marcus Thompson for some HoS-esque point-of-contention and Amin moderates a few topics de jour.
Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann to discuss the state of the athletic as pod guests. Also David Falk on the state of basketball in America. As far as profiles..a x-ray of Clutch and their personalities. A profile of why there has not been a created popular sport in my lifetime. UFC was a derivative of boxing and video games was a derivative of board games. Looking for a sport that people play at a high level and has popular support.
As far as podcast guests, you mentioned an upcoming focus on gambling- Haralabos Voulgaris, Gill Alexander, or Rufus Peabody? Regarding the straight poop on NBA viewership - Richard Deitsch or John Ourand?
Long form article- reconciling on the one hand - viewership numbers and the fall of RSNs - with the wild expectations of BRI and the resulting salary cap that have been bandied about regarding the next CBA.
I came out of the woodwork with non-sports suggestions (if that’s allowed 😂):
King Randall (Twitter handle @NewEmergingKing), a young man who’s doing awesome work to help guide black teenage boys to have marketable skills and get a strong educational foundation. A positive story in these wild times.
Also, any of the new space company leaders could be really fun, I think (ex: Michael Baine from Axiom Space, Chris Kemp from Astra, Tom Markusic from Firefly, Peter Beck from Rocket Lab, Elon or anyone from SpaceX, of course).
Might make for an excellent well-written-article, instead, since he may not be interested in talking a lot about his experiences. I’m sure there would be others connected to him who have strong feelings on the subject who would provide good insights.
Ismaili Muslims are growing in sports here. Sabreena and one of the biggest journalist (hope you get it) other than that many new people are coming in. See if you can bring them
if you get Voulgaris on, see if you can get him to admit he was wrong about his exceptionally strong "'hack-a" is not viable and I've got some basic expected value formulas to prove it to you rubes'" take. (League had to intervene because it was so incredibly viable)
A bball pod with Tyler Cowen. He always says he loves the NBA, but no one talks about it with him. Want hear is thoughts on what makes it entertaining, what rules he's change, how the salary cap should be organized, etc.
I’ll reach out.
Great call IMO
Darryl Morley
Nate Silver
Sam Hinke
Jason Whitlock would be an interesting podcast guest.
Never met him, but I find the stigma around him to be interesting. From what I can tell, he’s got the same views he had when that stigma didn’t exist
I've heard you make many Dan Carlin references over the years, so I think he'd be a great get.
Sorry for the delay Ethan, but I think Pat McAfee sounds like a cool guest! Like he has a successful radio show, and seems to be at ease with Dan LeBatard or with Aaron Rodgers or on ESPN and pro-wrestling.
Josh Rogin would be interesting on China with your interest in the NBA’s China issues
Maybe Don Nelson? I understand you two are tight.
Also: release the Stern tapes!
John Hollinger. Was "the dude" for me for a decade and a half. Everyone knew him for the analytics, I loved him for the writing style. I'm not sure he's ready to be as forthright as HoS demands, but you probably know him personally, so maybe?
Somebody from Truehoop:
Henry Abbott or Coach David Thorpe. Or both!
Bomani Jones would be incredible. I feel like he never speaks to someone who could challenge him in a real way.
Put out a request. Think he’s a bit busy getting a new show off the ground, but think we can make it happen down the line.
Nate Duncan seems like an interesting dude and I think it'd be fun to hear from him on a podcast not entirely dedicated to basketball. Oh and of course Katie Herzog is a must - your pod is a bit of a sausage fest and I think adding history's lone surviving lesbian would help that 😉
Get an anonymous executive, coach, player or scout to tell hard truths about the league using a voice modulator like Frontline.
Also Stan Van Gundy or someone with a strong presence/opposing world view. A voice representing the “Boomer Gloomer” you love to scorn.
Chuck Klosterman (he has a new book coming out next year)
Bob Voulgaris
Domonique Foxworth (since he worked for the NBAPA for several years)
Dave Portnoy
Rachel Nichols
Jeff Benedict (author of Out of Bounds that contained the Chauncey Billups rape case)
Jeff Ma
Jay Kang
JJ Redick
Bill Bishop
Matt Klinman (more Syncing Up!)
Nate Duncan
Danny Leroux
Bryant Curtis
Would add Jordan Schneider, who hosts China Talk and likes the NBA, and Tim Kawakami to talk about sports media/being an editor, to this list.
pick me pick me pick me!
Klosterman for sure
Keep talking to people you supposedly shouldn’t speak with
Need to run it back with The Fifth Column fellas.
Kevin Durant
Open invite. Can’t tell if it’d be epic or a boring circular rehash
You have amazing chemistry with Matt (Syncing Up) and Amin; I’m sure talking to new people is great but don’t deny the power of chemistry for creating good content!
Tim Donaghy would be the guest of the century
Would love to hear you and Matt talk with Ben Thompson. Big wos is always a great guest as well
I miss the pods with you and Amin!
We got chemistry, it’s undeniable
I’d love an episode with a collection of interviews of typical unknown people about childhood education during COVID. Urban, suburban, and rural parents. A teacher. An administrator. A pediatrician. You get the idea.
I’m convinced this is the new and large single-issue-voter topic, and I think that right now is a good time to hear perspectives and imagine how it’ll play out.
Adam silver unfiltered
Jade Hoye - listening to past pods, seems he experimented with different types of media/formats to cover sports through the 2010s/emergence of social media. It would be interesting to hear about that journey from producer's standpoint. what worked? what didnt? why/why not?
Henry Abbott - rise and fall of True Hoop. What were/are the challenges of "Smart sports coverage" at ESPN? How's his substack transition been?
Maybe ask Jade about the live events too? how'd that idea evolve with the of True Hoops Pod crew? what's the experience been bringing a podcast to a live audience?
The man, the myth, the legend:
James Goldstein
Russillo
Matt Yglesias is one who was kinda canceled at Vox and now very successful on Substack. I think he has an interesting lens on Twitter pros/cons as well.
I would be really interested in hearing about comparisons between DIFFERENT pro sports (cultures, management styles, player daily schedule, etc.). I'm not sure who would be best for this, maybe someone like Billy Beane??
Zach Lowe, KOC, amin again, cleaning the glass guy
Henry Abbott, John Hollinger, Danny Ainge, Dave Cowens who is great to talk with & Jackie MacMullan who is great to listen to.
And Arne Duncan
Christmas wishlist in no particular order:
Nate Silver, Andre Iguodala, Malcolm Gladwell, Sean Carroll, for sure Tim Donoughy -- and at the least Tim Livingston from Whistleblowers (smoking-gun-topic-no-one-solved), and lastly bring on Marcus Thompson for some HoS-esque point-of-contention and Amin moderates a few topics de jour.
Anna and Dasha from red scare.
That would be cool
Mike Duncan of History of Rome and Revolutions pod, although I think he's more MLB than NBA.
Any of the Free Darko crew.
Dan Le Batard, but probably with Amin as an interlocutor.
Ross Tucker (Science of Sport not NFL)
David French, prominent substacker is apparently a huge Grizzlies fan.
Cosign. Also good to have someone from the right to criticise the excesses of the right
Antonio Garcia Martinez for a discussion on tech and culture.
Ron Adams
Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann to discuss the state of the athletic as pod guests. Also David Falk on the state of basketball in America. As far as profiles..a x-ray of Clutch and their personalities. A profile of why there has not been a created popular sport in my lifetime. UFC was a derivative of boxing and video games was a derivative of board games. Looking for a sport that people play at a high level and has popular support.
Erec Smith, Frank Turek, Matt Klinman, Glenn Greenwald, Ryen Russillo
Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday
As far as podcast guests, you mentioned an upcoming focus on gambling- Haralabos Voulgaris, Gill Alexander, or Rufus Peabody? Regarding the straight poop on NBA viewership - Richard Deitsch or John Ourand?
Long form article- reconciling on the one hand - viewership numbers and the fall of RSNs - with the wild expectations of BRI and the resulting salary cap that have been bandied about regarding the next CBA.
Ben Thompson
The Woke Bros - Nando Vila and the Haitian Sensation
I came out of the woodwork with non-sports suggestions (if that’s allowed 😂):
King Randall (Twitter handle @NewEmergingKing), a young man who’s doing awesome work to help guide black teenage boys to have marketable skills and get a strong educational foundation. A positive story in these wild times.
Also, any of the new space company leaders could be really fun, I think (ex: Michael Baine from Axiom Space, Chris Kemp from Astra, Tom Markusic from Firefly, Peter Beck from Rocket Lab, Elon or anyone from SpaceX, of course).
I love the non sports suggestions. Gotta stay flexible!
Former Chicago Bull & NBA Champion, Craig Hodges, one of the first true victims of “Cancel Culture,” 25 years before the topic became an issue.
Always wondered how he looks back on his situation through today’s lens and any perspective gained from that experience.
Might make for an excellent well-written-article, instead, since he may not be interested in talking a lot about his experiences. I’m sure there would be others connected to him who have strong feelings on the subject who would provide good insights.
Andrew Yang
Ryen Russillo
Myles Brown
Van Lathan
Neal Brennan
Mina Kimes
Chuck Klosterman
Adam McKay
Trill withers
Ismaili Muslims are growing in sports here. Sabreena and one of the biggest journalist (hope you get it) other than that many new people are coming in. See if you can bring them
Tell me more about the Ismaili sports influx, I'm curious
Chuck - but you gotta be prepared cus he'll get distracted if it's too open ended.
amin, harlabob
if you get Voulgaris on, see if you can get him to admit he was wrong about his exceptionally strong "'hack-a" is not viable and I've got some basic expected value formulas to prove it to you rubes'" take. (League had to intervene because it was so incredibly viable)