Sports Writers Inc. with JD: Sports Writers Talk Sports Writing
Episodes
114: Luke Epplin, author, "Moses and the Doctor"
24 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Author Luke Epplin joins JD to talk about his new book "Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball"...
113: Leander Schaerlaeckens, author, "The Long Game"
04 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Leander Schaerlaeckens joins JD live from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to discuss his book "The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-D...
112: Franklin Foer of The Atlantic, author, "How Soccer Explains the World"
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Franklin Foer of The Atlantic joins J.D. to discuss his book "How Soccer Explains the World"Join us on Substack!
111: Brendan Gillen, author, "Hang Time"
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Author Brendan Gillen joins JD to discuss his book of sports-related short stories, "Hang Time"Visit us on Substack
110: Howard Bryant, author, "Kings and Pawns"
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
JD catches up with Howard Bryant, author of the book "Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America"Visit us on Substack!
109: Ken Belson of the New York Times, author, "Every Day Is Sunday"
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Author Ken Belson joins JD to talk about his new book, "Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into...
108: Rich Podolsky, author, "Madden & Summerall"
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Podolsky joins JD to talk about his book "Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting"Check out our Substack!
107: Paul Knepper, author, "Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet"
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Knepper joins us from Austin to discuss his new book Paul Knepper, author, "Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet"Visit us on ...
106: Eric Vickrey, author, "Before They Wore Dodger Blue"
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Vickrey joins JD to discuss his new book "Before They Wore Dodger Blue: Tommy Lasorda and the Greatest Draft Class in Baseball History"...
105: Robert Weintraub of "The NYC 1000"
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Weintraub has had a prolific career in sports media, including stints helping to produce "SportsCenter" at ESPN to his latest project...
104: Will Jeanes of The Athletic and "The Soccer 100"
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Jeanes joins JD from London to discuss The Athletic's "Soccer 100" bookCheck us out on Substack!
103: Mike Whaley, author, "Floor Burns"
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Whaley returns to the podcast to discuss his new book "Floor Burns: A Wild Journey Across the Forgotten Backroads of NAIA Basketball in New ...
102: Heidi Smith, author, "Play On"
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Heidi Smith joins us to talk about her book "Play On: From Adversity to Advantage Through 140 Years of Women's Soccer"Check us out on S...
101: Julie Kliegman, author, "Mind Game"
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Julie Kliegman joins JD from Astoria, Queens, New York City, to talk about their book "Mind Game: An Inside Look at the Mental Health Playbook of...
100: Jeff Pearlman, author, "Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur"
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 100! Jeff Pearlman joins JD for the third time to talk about his book "Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur"💯Joi...
99: Ryan Basen, author, "Death of a Childhood"
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Ryan Basen joins J.D. from D.C. to talk about his book ""Death of a Childhood: A Memoir of 1989 and the 'Why Not?' Baltimor...
98: Alan Siegel of the Ringer, author, "Stupid TV, Be More Funny"
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alan Siegel of the Ringer joins JD from LA to discuss his new book, "Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Televis...
97: Giri Nathan, author, "Changeover"
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Giri Nathan joins JD to talk about his first book, "Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men's Tennis"Visit us on Substa...
96: Jane Leavy, author, "Make Me Commissioner"
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed baseball writer Jane Leavy joins JD from DC to discuss her new book "Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and H...
95: Danny Ventura of the Boston Herald
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Ventura joins JD to talk about his 40 years covering high school sports in Boston, the bulk of which as the high school sports editor of the Bos...
94: Jonathan Cohen, author, "Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling"
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Cohen, author, joins JD from New Haven, Conn., to discuss his book "Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling"Visit u...
93: Brendan O'Meara of the Creative Nonfiction podcast and author, "The Front Runner"
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan O'Meara, host of the Creative Nonfiction podcast, joins J.D. to talk about his new book, "The Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefon...
92: S.L. Price, author, "The American Game"
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
S.L. Price joins JD to talk about his new book, "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse"Visit Sports Writers Inc. on...
91: Evan Marinofsky of the New England Hockey Journal
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Marinofsky, editor of the New England Hockey Journal, joins JD to talk what else? Hockey! Also covering high school sports and lots of other stuf...
90: Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune joined JD from New York City to talk about her first year covering the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth)Vi...
89: Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dejan Kovacevic joins JD from Pittsburgh to talk about his sports media company DK Pittsburgh SportsCheck out our Substack newsletter!
88: Tom Carroll of WEEI radio and WEEI.com
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Carroll went viral with an essay he wrote about his weight-loss journey, which included frequent stops at Chick-fil-A for their famous Southwest C...
87: Will Bardenwerper, author, "Homestand"
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Bardenwerper joins JD to talk about his new book, "Homestand"Check out our Substack newsletter!
86: Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer, author, "Magic in the Air"
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Sielski of the Philly Inquirer joins us to talk about his new book, "Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk&...
85: Alex Squadron, author, "Life in the G"
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Squadron joins JD from New York City to talk about his book "Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the N.B.A....
84: Brendan Marks of The Athletic
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan Marks joins JD from North Carolina to talk about his career covering college basketball for The AthleticPlease subscribe to Sports Writers Inc...
83: Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary L.A. Times columnist Helene Elliott joins JD from her home in California to talk about her career covering hockey, baseball, and everything ...
82: Colin Cerniglia, author, "Culture of Excellence"
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Cerniglia joins us to talk about his book, "Culture of Excellence: What We Can Learn From The Yankees About Leadership"Join us on Subs...
81: Jon Finkel, author, "Macho Man"
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Finkel joins us from Florida to talk about his books "Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage" and "Generation Gr...
80: Louis Moore, author, "The Great Black Hope"
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Louis Moore of Grand Valley State University in Michigan joins JD to talk about his new book, "The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vin...
79: Howard Beck of the Ringer/John Hollinger of The Athletic
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Double episode! Howard Beck of The Ringer joins JD to talk about the mass exodus of sports writers from X to BlueSky, among other sports writing topic...
78: Jean Linscott and Kenneth Ruoff, authors, "What Is the Goal?"
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Linscott and Kenneth Ruoff join JD to talk about their new book, "What is the goal: The Truth About the Youth Sports Industry"Please vi...
77: Aaron Fischman, author, "A Baseball Gaijin"
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron Fischman joins us to talk about his book "A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back" Visit Sports Writers Inc. on Substack!...
76: Patrick Sauer, freelance writer and co-host of "Squawkin' Sports"
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Sauer, freelance writer and co-host of "Squawkin' Sports" is our guest this weekVisit Sports Writers Inc on Substack!
75: Brad Balukjian, author, "The Six Pack"
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode No. 1 guest Brad Balukjian is back to talk about his new book, "The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania"Visit Sport...
74: Scott Ryan and Becca Moore, authors, "Massillon Against the World"
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Ryan and Becca Moore join JD to talk about their book "Massillon Against the World"Introducing Sports Writers Inc., a news Substack ne...
73: Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald joins JD to talk college hockey and journalism
72: Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated, author, "The Real Hoosiers"
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Former Sports Illustrated Senior NBA writer Jack McCallum joins JD to talk about his new book, "The Real Hoosiers: Crispus Attucks High School, O...
71: Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mac Engel joins us from Fort Worth, Texas, to talk about his career as a columnist for the Star-TelegramCover art designed by Michael Doyle
70: Joshua Kummins of the New England Hockey Journal and New England Baseball Journal
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joshua Kummins sat down for an impromptu podcast with JD to talk college hockey, college baseball and more! Check us out on Substack!Our cover art was...
69: Zak Ford, author, "Called Up"
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zak Ford joins JD from Sacramento, Calif., to discuss his new book, "Called Up: Ballplayers Remember Becoming Major Leaguers"Check us out on...
68: Rich Cohen, author, "When the Game Was War"
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
JD catches up with Rich Cohen, who makes his second appearance on the podcast, to discuss his new book "When the Game Was War: The NBA's Gre...
67: Clayton Trutor, author, "Boston Ball"
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clayton Trutor is back, this time to talk about his new book, "Boston BallRick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Gary Williams, and the Forgotten Cradle of Ba...
66: Katie McInerney, senior assistant sports editor of the Boston Globe
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Katie McInerney joins JD to talk about her career as a designer, editor and writer and the challenges of covering sports in the digital ageCheck us ou...
65: Mike Sando, co-author, "The Football 100"
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Sando of The Athletic joins JD to talk about his new book "The Football 100,” a deep dive into the greatest players in NFL history, which ...
64: Doug Haller of The Athletic
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Haller, Arizona-based reporter for The Athletic, joins JD from Arizona (naturally) to talk about his career and covering pro and college athletic...
63: Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle chats with J.D. live from Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass. Check us out on Substack!Our cover art was designed ...
62: Bob Kravitz, "Musings of an Old Sportswriter"
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Longtime sports columnist (Rocky Mountain News, Indianapolis Star) Bob Kravitz joins JD to kick off Season 4 and discuss a new Substack venture, "...
61: Mike Whaley, author, "A Pen For All Seasons"
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Whaley, the quintessential New England community sports writer, worked with JD for more than a decade at the Dover, N.H., sports desk. He's ...
60: Jeff Benedict, author, "LeBron"
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Benedict makes his second appearance on the podcast, this time to talk about his new book "LeBron"Check us out on Twitter!Our cover art...
59: Seth Wickersham of ESPN, author, "It's Better to Be Feared"
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seth Wickersham joins JD to talk about his career writing longform sports journalism for ESPN, and his 2021 book "It's Better to Be Feared: ...
58: Iliana Limón Romero, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
JD welcomes fellow University of New Mexico alumnus Iliana Limón Romero to the podcast to talk about her remarkable career, which brought her from El...
57: Timothy Bella of The Washington Post, author, "Barkley: A Biography"
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Timothy Bella, wide-ranging writer for The Washington Post, joins us to chat about his first book, "Barkley: A Biography" about basketball l...
56: Christopher Price of the Boston Globe, author, "Bleeding Green"
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Price joins JD to talk about his new book about the Hartford Whalers, "Bleeding Green: A History of the Hartford Whalers"Check u...
55: Gavin Good of the Lake County News-Sun
21 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin Good has done it all in the Chicago area, covering everything from Major League Baseball to the University of Illinois to mosquito abatement. He...
54: Jeff Pearlman, author, "The Last Folk Hero"
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Pearlman appears on the 'cast for the second time to chat with JD about his new book, "The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jack...
53: Greg Madia of The Daily Progress
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Greg Madia covers the University of Virginia for The Daily Progress of Charlottesville. He joined JD to talk the ins and outs of big-time college spor...
52: Adam Elder, author, "New Kids in the World Cup"
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Elder joined JD from California to talk about his new book that chronicles the 1990 U.S. men's national soccer team and its journey to the W...
51: Jim Connelly of USCHO.com and NESN
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Connelly of USCHO.com joins JD to talk college hockey, golf, and his remarkable career that took him from the trumpet section at UMass-Lowell to t...
50: Kat Cornetta of the Boston Globe
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kat Cornetta covers the h*ll out of Boston's "Olympic sport" — women's college hockey, men's gymnastics, figure skating, fi...
49: Khari Thompson of Boston.com
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Khari Thompson joins JD to talk about covering prep and college sports in Tennessee and Mississippi and his recent transition to his hometown of Bosto...
48: Khari Thompson of WEEI.com
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Khari Thompson covers the Patriots for WEEI.com, and joined JD to talk about covering an NFL training camp, dealing with online criticism, plus his ca...
47: Eden Laase of Just Women’s Sports
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eden Laase joins JD to talk covering college and high school sports, and her new venture working for Just Women's Sports Please visit our Substac...
46: Andrew Mahoney of the Boston Globe
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Mahoney wears a number of hats at The Boston Globe, where he works as a sports producer and college hockey beat writer. He joined JD to talk ab...
45: Howard Bryant, author, "Rickey"
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Howard Bryant joins J.D. to talk about his new book, "Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original" about baseball Hall of Famer Rick...
44: Luke Epplin, author, "Our Team"
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Epplin joins JD from Queens, N.Y., to talk about his book, "Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball&...
43: James Wagner of the New York Times
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
James Wagner joins J.D. from Florida to talk all things baseball writing. Wanger joined the New York Times in 2016 — before that, he covered the Nat...
42: David Davis, author, "Wheels of Courage"
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
David Davis joins us from L.A. to discuss his book "Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans from World War II Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fough...
41: Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alex joins JD from Philadelphia to discuss covering the Phillies during a labor stoppage, her childhood as the daughter of a sports writer, working fo...
40: Clayton Trutor, author, "Loserville"
05 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Clayton Trutor joins JD from Norwich University in Vermont (where Trutor teaches American History) to discuss Trutor's book "Loserville: How...
39: Jason Vuic, author, "The Yucks!"
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Vuic joins us from Fort Worth, Texas, to chat about his book "The Yucks: Two Years in Tampa with the Losingest Team in NFL History". T...
38: Noah Perkins, freelance sports writer
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
JD welcomes freelance writer extraordinaire Noah Perkins. He's from Cambridge, Mass., but joined us from a park bench in San Diego to talk freela...
37: Ben Guest, author, "Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball"
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Guest joins JD from New York City to discuss his book "Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey". Part trave...
36: Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, author, "Wish It Lasted Forever"
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
JD talks with the most well-known, most successful, and arguably most influential writer in Boston sports history, Dan Shaughnessy. About writing. Abo...
35: Jessica Luther, author, "Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back"
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author Jessica Luther joins JD to talk social justice in sports, which is the topic of her book "Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back...
34: Jon Finkel, author, "1996: A Biography"
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author Jon Finkel joins JD from Florida for a conversation about his new book, "1996: A Biography ― Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked...
33: Tim Neverett, author, "Covid Curveball"
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
L.A. Dodgers broadcaster Tim Neverett joins us this week to talk about his new book, "COVID Curveball: An Inside View of the 2020 Los Angeles Dod...
32: Leigh Montville, author of "Tall Men, Short Shorts"
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 kicks off with legendary Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated writer Leigh Montville, who joined JD to discuss his new book, "Tall Men, S...
31: Karen Given, producer/host, WBUR's "Only A Game"
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Given chats with JD about the late, great NPR sports-magazine show, "Only A Game", on which she was a producer and a host. We also tal...
30: Peter May, author, "The Open Question"
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Peter May, longtime Boston Celtics beat writer for the Boston Globe, is out with a new book, "The Open Question: Ben Hogan and Golf's Most E...
29: Patrick Dean, author, "A Window to Heaven"
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Dean joins JD to discuss his first book, "A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali: America's Wildest Peak"Our cov...
28: Ben Volin of The Boston Globe
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Volin is the senior NFL writer for The Boston Globe. He joined JD to chat about covering the Patriots and the NFL, writing on deadline, his early ...
27: Dan Barry, author, "Bottom of the 33rd"
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Barry joins JD to discuss his book, "Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball's Longest Game". This year marks the 40th a...
26: John Gasaway, author, "Miracles on the Hardwood"
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, John Gasaway of ESPN.com joins JD to discuss his first book, "Miracles on ...
25: Eric Nusbaum, author, "Stealing Home"
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Nusbaum, formerly of Vice Sports, joins JD to talk about his book "Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between&...
24: Rich Cohen, author, "Pee Wees"
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Cohen describes his book "Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent" as "'Mighty Ducks' if directed by Martin Scorsese&qu...
23: Peter Kerasotis, author, "Alou: My Baseball Journey"
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Kerasotis joins JD to discuss his book, "Alou: My Baseball Journey", which he wrote with legendary Dominican baseball player and manag...
22: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, author, "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches"
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times national baseball writer Tyler Kepner joins JD to talk about his book "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches". Tyler also d...
21: Joan Ryan, author, "Intangibles"
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joan Ryan's fascinating book, ""Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry" explores the importance of chemistr...
20: Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jen McCaffrey covers the Boston Red Sox for The Athletic. She joins JD to talk about the beginnings of her career, which included stops in Philadelphi...
19: Michael Holley (Pt. 2)
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The author of seven books, Michael Holley joins JD to discuss his latest, "The Big Three: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Rebirth ...
18: Michael Holley, author, "The Big Three" (Pt. 1)
10 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The author of seven books, Michael Holley joins JD to discuss his latest book, "The Big Three: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Reb...
17: Travis Lazarczyk of the Morning Sentinel
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Travis Lazarczyk has seen it all covering sports for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, Maine, He and JD chat about covering community sports in good...
16: Jeff Benedict, author, "The Dynasty"
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The Dynasty" author Jeff Benedict joins JD to talk about his new bestselling book about the New England Patriots six Super Bowl championshi...
15: Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
College basketball, baseball, reading and writing — just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Bob Ryan's passions, all of which contributed ...