Podcast

Episode 56 (5-20-15): Kavitha Davidson, Bloomberg sports columnist
Episode 55 (1-7-15): Laura Kaye, romance novelist
Episode 54 (12-10-14): Don Van Natta, ESPN investigative reporter
Episode 53 (12-3-14): Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial cartoonist
Episode 52 (10-8-14): Our Favorite Stories, part 3 (w/Geoff Calkins, Anthony Castrovince and Lindsay Jones)
Episode 51 (10-1-14): Dana Jacobson, CBS Sports TV/radio host
Episode 50 (9-24-14): Amber Roessner, author of Inventing Baseball Heroes/media history professor
Episode 49 (9-17-14): Sandy Puc, co-founder/photographer of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Episode 48 (9-10-14): Cheryl Haggard, co-founder of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Episode 47 (8-27-14): How’d You Write That?, Tommy Tomlinson
Episode 46 (8-20-14): Clark Judge, Talk of Fame Sports Network/former CBSSports.com NFL writer
Episode 45 (8-13-14): Jessica Luther, freelance writer/feminist activist
Episode 44 (7-30-14): Our Favorite Stories, Part 2 (with Paul Dehner, Dan Wetzel and Candace Buckner)
Episode 43 (7-16-14): Geoff Calkins, Memphis Commercial Appeal sports columnist
Episode 42 (7-9-14: Alexis Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaking news reporter
Episode 41 (7-2-14): Jason La Canfora, CBS Sports NFL Insider
Episode 40 (6-18-14): How’d You Write That?, ESPN The Magazine’s Kevin Van Valkenburg
Episode 39 (6-11-14): Mark Sheldon, MLB.com, Cincinnati Reds reporter
Episode 38 (6-4-14): Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly’s BBQ editor, @BBQsnob
Episode 37 (5-28-14): Chris Snow, Calgary Flames director of statistical analysis/former Boston Globe Red Sox writer
Episode 36 (5-21-14): Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports columnist, co-writer of “Life of a King”
Episode 35 (5-14-14): Our favorite stories (with Scott Michaux, C. Trent Rosecrans, Travis Haney and Marc Lancaster)
Episode 34 (4-23-14): Linda McCoy-Murray, former wife of Jim Murray/found of Jim Murray Memorial Foundation
Episode 33 (4-9-14): Scott Michaux, Augusta Chronicle golf writer/columnist
Episode 32 (4-2-14): Richard Deitsch, Sports Illustrated media reporter
Episode 31 (3-26-14): Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus
Episode 30 (3-19-14): Stephen Jackson, the lead singer of The Pietasters
Episode 29 (3-12-14): Rob Carr, Getty Images sports photographer
Episode 28 (3-5-14): Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports.com
Episode 27 (2-26-14): Ana Marie Cox, Wonkette/Guardian columnist/MSNBC contributor, part II
Episode 26 (2-19-14): Ana Marie Cox, Wonkette/Guardian columnist/MSNBC contributor, part I
Episode 25 (2-12-14): John Walters, Newsweek sports writer/Mediumhappy.com/steakateria aficionado
Episode 24 (1-22-14): Dorie Turner Nolt, press secretary for US Dept. of Education/former AP education reporter
Episode 23 (1-15-14): Dan Rafael, ESPN.com boxing writer
Episode 22 (1-8-14): Claire Smith, Journalistic trailblazer/ESPN.com editor
Episode 21 (1-1-14) Chris Huston, HeismanPundit.com
Episode 20 (12-18-13): Josh Sneed, stand-up comedian
Episode 19 (12-11-13): Steve Elling, golf/tennis writer, The National newspaper (United Arab Emirates)
Episode 18 (12-4-13): Will Carroll/@injuryexpert, sports medicine writer
Episode 17 (11-27-13): Mack Williams, animator –formerly of Archer and Cartoon Network/Adult Swimʼs Frisky Dingo and Sealab 2021
Episode 16 (11-20-13): Dayn Perry, CBSSports.com baseball writer
Episode 15 (11-13-13): T.J. Simers, longtime L.A. Times/current Orange County Register columnist
Episode 14 (11-6-13): Becky Friedman, Story editor/Head writer of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Episode 13 (10-30-13): Reporting and writing about death (w/Sean Jensen, Doug Farrar and Jeff Pearlman)
Episode 12 (10-23-13): John Koblin, Deadspin.com writer
Episode 11 (10-2-13): Bill Rabinowitz, Ohio State football writer/author
Episode 10 (9-25-13): Chris Kluwe, book author/NFL punter
Episode 9 (9-18-13): Burger Mary, BBQ writer/social media maven
Episode 8 (9-11-13): The art of asking questions, part II (w/Jeff Pearlman, Bill Koch and Bill Rabinowitz)
Episode 7 (9-4-13): The art of asking questions, part I (w/Ben Montgomery, Gregg Doyel, Jeff Pearlman, Bill Koch and Bill Rabinowitz)
Episode 6 (8-28-13): Colleen Oakley, novelist/freelance writer
Episode 5 (8-21-13): Michael Schottey, Bleacher Report
Episode 4 (8-14-13): Greg Bedard, theMMQB.com/SI.com
Episode 3 (8-7-13): Ben Montgomery, Tampa Bay Times, Enterprise writer
Episode 2 (7-31-13): @NFLosophy, former Tampa Buccaneers operations
Episode 1 (7-24-13): Trent Rosecrans, Cincinnati Enquirer, Reds beat writer

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An introduction

I’ve been thinking about this idea for awhile. Maybe six months or so. I’ve turned it over in my head. I’ve talked to trusted friends and colleagues. I’ve had to go through airport security with a phallic-looking Snowball microphone in my luggage. I’ve thought about what kind of podcast I’d want to hear every week.

Hopefully, I’m starting one that you’d like to ingest as well – thus, the mighty Mightier Than the Sword podcast has been born.

I’m a sports writer, but this isn’t necessarily going to be a sports writing podcast. In fact, chop off the first part of the phrase. It will be a podcast about writing. And about writers, about their backgrounds and about the charcoal-to-bark, pen-to-paper, digits-to-keyboard, fingers-to-smartphone-screen world in which I love to live.

I didn’t care about creating another podcast that broke down the latest big game or previewed the next one upcoming.

I’m more interested in the type of podcast that involve conversations about why we love to do what we love to do. In my case, that’s writing and journalism. So, let’s discuss the craft of writing – why we put this paragraph here instead of two grafs lower, why we thought that line was more effective as a lede rather than the kicker, why you ask the questions you do.

Let’s pontificate on the state of journalism and how we can all do it better. Let’s showcase the journey a top writer took to get where she is or daydream with the recent college grad about where he wants to go.

A couple things you can expect out of the Mightier Than the Sword podcast.

1) I’m a journalist. The story isn’t usually about me. That’s why I’ll mostly refrain from monologues before I introduce my weekly guest. We’ll fade out the sweet intro sounds of my favorite Athens, Ga., band, Asa Nisi Masa, and go right into the conversation with the guest.

2) We’re going to be as timeless as possible. I don’t want somebody who discovers this podcast two years from now having to wade through analysis of games that are 750-days old. The goal is to talk about topics that will matter in a month. Or a year. Or five years. That, to me, leaves a weighty imprint on this podcast that won’t ever dissolve.

3) I want listeners involved. I want to hear your questions, and I want to hear about your suggestions for interesting guests. This won’t be a democracy, but I promise to be a benevolent king.

So, that’s that. If you want even more of an introduction or to listen to more details about my background and about my goals for the podcast, take a listen. And, in the months ahead, keep listening and listening and listening to those stories behind the storytellers.