Podcast
Sports With Friends
Hosted by Underdog Podcasts · EN
Every guest is a friend. Or a friend of a friend. (We play Jewish Geography)
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
497. 2025 Major League Baseball Season Preview w/Scott Miller
Mar 26, 202501:02:50Tap to summarizeThis episode focuses on Major League Baseball, as the traditional Opening Day is set for shortly after this show's release. Despite having two games in Japan, most teams start now amidst a changing sports climate. The A's and Rays are playing this season in minor league ballparks. 10 teams are having their games broadcast and produced by MLB. Payroll disparity is at an all-time high. Despite this, attendance was up last season, and the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees drew fantastic ratings. Scott Miller has covered MLB for 30 years. For years, he wrote for CBS Sports and Bleacher Report. He is a frequent contributor to MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM as well as San Diego Padres broadcasts. In this episode, Miller discusses the pending labor contract expiration and the ramifications of that. He also talked about the Rays and A's stadium dilemma,s offering potential solutions.
Transcribe →496. Writer/Producer/Researcher Elliott Kalb ("Mr. Stats")
Mar 19, 202500:54:18Tap to summarizeElliott Kalb is a 13-time Sports Emmy winner as a writer/producer/researcher/editor. He is a noted sports historian and storyteller (known nationally as “Mr. Stats”). Kalb covered 16 Super Bowls, 18 World Series, 13 NBA Finals, and 7 Olympics games. Kalb was an Editorial Consultant for NBC Sports for first 12 years of Football Night in America, a writer for HBO's “Inside the NFL” from 1990-2008, and Senior Editorial Director for MLB Network from 2008-2020. He is the author of five books including “Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball” and “Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball.” In this episode, Kalb tells stories from his illustrious career. He tells extensive stories about covering Michael Jordan. He worked with Marv Albert, Bob Costas, Brent Musburger, Vin Scully, and tells stories about them and more. He also offers his unique insight on what coverage of the Olympics, baseball, basketball, and the NFL look like and what the future holds.
Transcribe →495. Women's History Month w/Togethxr cofounder Jessica Robertson
Mar 12, 202500:43:05Tap to summarizeCommemorating Women's History Month in March 2025, media mogul Jessica Robertson joined the show. She is a co-founder and chief content officer of Togethxr, a media and commerce company founded by four of the world's greatest athletes: Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird. In 2023, Togethxr was named one of Fast Company's ten most innovative companies in sports and won Media Company of the Year in the 2023 DigiDay Media Awards. Robertson was the head of content at the Players' Tribune from 2015-2020 before joining Togethxr. Togethxr has published a new book entitled “Play It Forward: How Women are Changing Sports to Change the World.” The book is a collection of short stories profiling outstanding women athletes and their journey to stardom. In this episode, Robertson discusses her journey to Togethxr, and the origin of the book idea. She discusses the growth of women's sports and the indicators that certain sports continue to grow. She talks about athletes building their brands and how social media can still help them. She looks to recent ratings success as a springboard for larger platforms for female athletes. She also comments on the role of female broadcasters and how women are embracing new opportunities and still fighting for others. Check out Play it Forward here: https://bit.ly/43C8Qve
Transcribe →494. The ESPN-MLB Break-Up w/Front Office Sports Eric Fisher
Mar 5, 202500:48:50Tap to summarizeIn late February, ESPN announced that after the 2025 season, it is forgoing the remaining three years of its current contract. MLB responded by ripping the network, saying it has covered baseball less and less over the years. ESPN paid $550 million per season, and baseball will attempt to replace the upcoming lost revenue by replacing it with other networks and digital app opportunities. Eric Fisher is making his second appearance on the show. He last appeared in Episode 421 to discuss various topics in sports business. This time, he focused on the MLB-ESPN break-up and the fallout from it. He also discussed the baseball impact of the recent shakeup in Regional Sports Networks and how some teams broadcasts are being produced by MLB. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SPORTSWITHFRIENDS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/sportswithfriends.
Transcribe →493. 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Recap w/NHL.com's Dan Rosen
Feb 26, 202500:44:07Tap to summarizeIn lieu of an All-Star Game, the National Hockey League hosted a unique international tournament over 10 days in February 2025. It featured the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. It was played under a political controversy in which President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada advocated for Canada to be the 51st state of the US and called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a governor. During the USA-Canada Round Robin game, Canadian fans booed the US National Anthem. That game featured three fights in the first 9 seconds. The action was truly best-on-best, and the NHL's top players rose to the occasion. Canada defeated the US in the championship game and took the trophy. Dan Rosen covers the NHL for NHL.com and is making his second appearance on the podcast (Episode 339). In this episode, Rosen depicts what it was like to be there in person. He addressed how the league came up with this tournament and the future of international hockey. He also discussed the political overtones during the tournament. He also assessed the final “stretch run” of the 2024-2025 hockey season.
Transcribe →492. PWHL New York Sirens Asst. Coach Lauren Williams
Feb 19, 202500:37:10Tap to summarizeThe New York Sirens are a charter member of the 3-year-old Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). After two seasons in Connecticut, the Sirens play the majority of their home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Lauren Williams is an assistant coach for the Sirens. Prior to joining the staff of the Sirens, she coached at Stonehill College (2022–23) and Mount Royal University (2023–24). She previously played 3 years in the PWHPA (2019–22) after spending one year with the Worcester Blades of the CWHL (2018–19), having been drafted first overall. She is an alumna of the Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey program, where she made the Frozen Four all four seasons. In this episode, Williams explains the differences between women's hockey and men's and discusses the growth of the PWHL. She explains the daily life challenges that players may face and how the league has made it conducive for players to join. She comments on her transition from being a player to a coach. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SPORTSWITHFRIENDS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/sportswithfriends.
Transcribe →491. College Football Reporter Jon Wilner
Feb 12, 202500:44:18Tap to summarizeJon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP top-25 football and basketball voter, as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. In addition to being a writer for the Mercury News, he hosts a podcast called Canzano and Wilner with Jonh Canzano. He also appears on various radio stations across the country, specifically KJR Radio in Seattle. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest, and is a five-time APSE honoree. In this episode, Wilner recaps the recent debut season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. He also talked about the revamped Big 10 and SEC and how they dominate the college landscape with strong media deals. He also speaks in detail about the rebuilding of the Pac-12, with Washington State and Oregon State as centerpieces. He discusses the move of Standford and California Universities to the ACC and debates the possibility of the ACC growing or shrinking significantly. Finally, he discusses a potential “super league” involving college football elite programs and the domino effect it would have on all of college athletics. Find Jon's written work and his podcast at www.wilnerhotline.com.
Transcribe →490. Super Bowl 59 Spanish Play-by-Play Announcer Miguel Gurwitz
Feb 5, 202500:38:03Tap to summarizeSuper Bowl 59 features a rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Miguel Gurwitz will be calling the Super Bowl on Telemundo. It's his first time calling a Super Bowl, but he has been a play-by-play for many sports over many years. Gurwitz was named Thursday Night Football en Español's play-by-play announcer in August 2022. He has been the play-by-play announcer for The Open Championship from 2017 to 2022, has covered the FIFA World Cup (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018), Summer Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020), the Winter Olympics (2002 and 2006), Super Bowl (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022), MLB World Series (2018), Copa América (2004, 2007 and 2011), five Copa de Oro tournaments, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the Indy Light series, NASCAR, the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, pre-Olympic qualifying tournaments, and the Goodwill Games, among others. Before joining NBC Telemundo, Gurwitz spent more than 18 years at Televisa Deportes, where he served as host and analyst for a wide variety of programs and was the correspondent and commentator for coverage of the Mexican National Team for 15 years. In this episode, Gurwitz talks about his long journey in sports broadcasting and all the sports he calls. He tells his unique reason for starting his broadcasting career. He also previewed the Super Bowl matchup between Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Transcribe →489. Eagles Hall-of-Fame Play-by-Play Announcer Merrill Reese
Jan 29, 202500:41:49Tap to summarizeOn Sunday, January 26, 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles clinched their 3rd Super Bowl since 2017 with a 55-23 victory over the Washington Commanders. The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 on February 9th. Merrill Reese has been the play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Eagles since 1977. Earlier this season he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by winning the Pete Rozelle Radio-TV Award. He is synonymous with the Eagles and discussed the incredible run by this 2024-2025 Eagles team. In this episode, Reese explained how this season differs from the two recent Super Bowl teams. He also explained how he gets as excited now for Eagles' games as he did in 1977. He discussed the incredible job General Manager Howie Roseman did in putting this roster together. He focused on the acquisition of running back Saquon Barkley. Reese also discussed coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Finally, he sized up the matchup between Philadelphia and Kansas City, who are aiming to “three-peat” as Super Bowl champions.
Transcribe →488. Unstoppable: Meet NCAA Wrestling Champion Anthony Robles
Jan 22, 202500:36:45Tap to summarizeThe feature film Unstoppable is the true story of Anthony Robles, who became an NCAA Champion despite significant social challenges and having only one leg. A model of what determination and hard work can achieve, Anthony's story is an inspiration for everyone. The film is based on a book Robles wrote along with Austin Murphy. The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña with Don Cheadle, and Jennifer Lopez. With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion. In this episode, Robles explains his thoughts about seeing what he wrote in the book become a feature film. He discusses the issues his family faced, and how the film is about more than just his missing leg. He also revisits points in his life that were depicted in the film, and the challenges he faced while trying to pursue his collegiate wrestling career. He also spoke about his role in helping make the film and the reaction that he received from fans when he was wrestling, as well as the fan reaction he's received since the film was released.
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