Episode 37 - Jordan Ritter Conn - Interrupted by Matt Jones

Interrupted by Matt Jones – Episode 37 with Jordan Ritter Conn
iHeartPodcasts | May 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this deeply engaging episode, Kentucky Sports Radio Host Matt Jones interviews Jordan Ritter Conn, sportswriter for The Ringer and recent author of American Men. The conversation ranges far beyond the book itself, exploring American masculinity, the impact of cultural narratives, Conn’s sportswriting career and encounters, and uniquely Appalachian religious practices. Importantly, the episode maintains a warm, inquisitive, and empathetic tone as the two navigate subjects like sports history, the war on drugs, snake-handling churches, and modern anxieties around “the manosphere.”

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Jordan Ritter Conn & "American Men"

[00:11 - 03:03]

Matt Jones introduces Conn, referencing a recent joint event and describing Conn as not only a talented writer but an engaging conversationalist.
Conn summarizes "American Men" as chronicling the intimate, interwoven lives of four men grappling with pressures and contradictions of masculinity.
- “It is a book about four different men, all of whom have some kind of tension in their lives around their relationship to masculinity ... It kind of lets you into the corners of people's lives that you otherwise wouldn't get to see." (Conn, [01:29])
Jones draws literary comparisons with "Three Women," which Conn acknowledges as a structure model, though his book’s thematic scope is broader, encapsulating the evolution of masculine expectations from childhood to adulthood.

Masculinity in Modern America

[03:03 - 07:06]

Jones and Conn explore what American culture currently expects men to be.
- Conn identifies “stoic emotional reserve,” “physical dominance,” and “romantic/sexual attractiveness” as core, learned expectations for men.
- “I think that we all get certain ideas ... one is emotionally reserved ... Another is physically dominant ... and then, you know, sexually, romantically attractive.” (Conn, [03:23])
They discuss how post-COVID and via social media bro-influencer culture, “cartoonish” versions of masculinity and dominance have reasserted themselves.
- “Everyone's just kind of more and more isolated ... and the image that people want to project online is one where, like, physical strength is what matters most.” (Conn, [05:05])
The conversation delves into sports, with Conn emphasizing that while competition and strength are valid drives, current cultural narratives overly emphasize individual domination, missing team and community values inherent in sports themselves.

Reflections on Sportswriting, Venues, & Bill Simmons’ Legacy

[07:06 - 17:10]

Jones asks Conn about the most memorable events he’s covered.
- Highlights include the initial Cavs-Warriors finals (Steph vs. LeBron), and authentically charged venues like Rupp Arena (especially for Calipari’s return) and Allen Fieldhouse.
  - “The animosity was great. Yeah, palpable. Like, you could just, like you could feel the intensity of it from the moment you walked in the building.” (Conn, [08:33])
Jones reminisces about discovering Bill Simmons and how Simmons opened up the “fan’s voice” in sports journalism.
Conn discusses his path from traditional journalism to Grantland/The Ringer. He credits Simmons as visionary, lauding his risk-taking, willingness to let writers inject personality, and a “best version of yourself” workplace culture.
- “He believes in hiring people who he believes in and then trusting them to do whatever it is that they do.” (Conn, [16:09])
The discussion touches on the outsized impact of Grantland’s alumni and Simmons’ enduring influence as a mentor and boss.

Revisiting the Story of Len Bias

[17:10 - 25:04]

Jones prompts Conn to recount his work on the acclaimed podcast about Len Bias, the promising Maryland basketball star whose cocaine overdose after the NBA draft became a national cautionary tale.
- Conn emphasizes Bias’s place as a cultural flashpoint—his tragic death used as justification for draconian drug laws that disproportionately affected Black Americans.
- “His name was being used on the ... floor of the Capitol ... the reason for ramping up ... drug laws, especially around mandatory minimums” (Conn, [18:04])
Both note that the “lens” applied to Bias's death and the legislative backlash still echo in the justice system today, with Conn underlining the problematic, racialized responses and the human tragedy underlying policy shifts.
- “His memory became churned up by this machine that was already kind of in motion … So many forces were kind of coming together all at once around this one event.” (Conn, [23:59])

Reporting from a Snake-Handling Church

[25:04 - 39:27]

Jones and Conn discuss Conn’s longform article on Appalachian snake-handling churches, especially in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
- Conn grew up in a related Pentecostal tradition, familiar with charismatic practices (speaking in tongues, energetic worship), but snake-handling felt “a step wilder.”
- He attended with Cody Coots (whose father and predecessor, Jamie Coots, died from a snakebite in church), witnessing both the electric atmosphere and the congregants' search for meaning and identity.
  - “You see them getting ready to bite. Usually they get a little spooked … nobody actually wants to get bitten by the snake.” (Conn, [29:11])
- The men agree that the phenomenon represents a search for belonging and "extreme" faith, especially in communities with limited economic and social prospects:
  - “I've almost always interpreted it as ... the way that you might show your moral ... superiority is to take it to the most extreme ... say, we'll even do this.” (Jones, [31:30])
- Conn stresses the need to see snake-handlers as multifaceted people: “These are people who are trying to kind of like make meaning of the world that they live in, just the way that all of us are.” ([38:46])
- They discuss ethical questions about participation of children, noting rules (e.g., only 18+) and a rite-of-passage sense associated with the practice.

Delving into "American Men"—Insecurity, Comparison, and Masculine Identity

[39:27 - 44:39]

Discussion turns to the specific stories in American Men, especially “Gideon,” a seemingly ideal man (West Point quarterback, 6'6", handsome) whose insecurities still haunt him when his wife has an affair with his commanding officer.
- “He checked every benchmark of, like, who a man is supposed to be. But ... you can have all of those things ... and still, at some point, you're going to be dealing with a certain [insecurity].” (Conn, [40:42])
They laugh about reading (in front of their mothers) the book's opening passage on penis size anxiety—an emblem of masculinity’s irrational internal comparisons.
Jones suggests Gideon's fixation is a coping mechanism, focusing pain on what he cannot control. Conn agrees, relating this to the broader, learned male impulse for comparison and inferiority.

Raising Boys & Responding to the Manosphere

[44:39 - 49:41]

A question from a single mother asks how to raise a good son in a world full of "monster" stories about lonely, destructive men.
- Conn advocates teaching boys they are seen and good, holding them accountable, and modeling “fully invested” relationships—emphasizing that harmful behaviors are learned, not innate.
- “It's hard to have that same anger for a little boy … all of the stuff that people get frustrated with … is learned. It's not ingrained.” (Conn, [44:39])
Discussing the "bro podcast" phenomenon (Portnoy, etc.), Conn argues such influencers encourage indulgence in base, antisocial behaviors, offering only a “limiting” version of manhood and neglecting more communal, fulfilling possibilities.
- “They give, like, permission to ... indulge the, like, kind of, like, basest pieces of themselves. ... If you are always indulging the parts of yourself that only want to ... make yourself feel more powerful, it's going to lead to a pretty, like, hollow and unfulfilling life.” (Conn, [47:26])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Modern Masculinity:
- “Masculinity is not like a fixed, immutable thing. ... we can all kind of define it in our own ways over the course of our lives.” (Conn, [04:09])
On the Cultural Power of Sports Venues:
- “Everyone there knows that they're part of something special just because they're in that building.” (Conn, [11:00])
On Simmons as a Pioneer:
- “He just opened up a new set of possibilities for what a sports writer could be.” (Conn, [12:13])
On Snake Handling as Meaning:
- “This particular kind of faith injected a sense of real meaning … just energy and electricity. Like, it's thrilling. You feel like you're part of something.” (Conn, [31:30])
On Raising Boys:
- “All of the stuff that people get frustrated with about … the ways in which we can deal with anger ... that stuff is learned. It's not ingrained.” (Conn, [44:39])

Key Timestamps

00:11 – Introduction; overview of Conn’s book
03:03 – Masculinity: expected traits, social influences
07:06 – Sportswriting highlights and historic venues
11:00 – Bill Simmons and the changing culture of sports journalism
17:10 – The story and legacy of Len Bias
25:04 – Reporting on Appalachian snake handling churches
39:27 – Deep dive on American Men and masculine insecurity
44:39 – Raising boys, masculinity, and the “manosphere” critique
49:41 – Closing thoughts, book plug, farewell

Conclusion

This episode of Interrupted is a rich, insightful conversation bridging sports, culture, identity, and regional tradition. Matt Jones and Jordan Ritter Conn manage to be thoughtful, sensitive, and frequently witty, offering listeners both keen analysis and humanizing stories about what it means to be a man, a writer, and a seeker of meaning in modern America. Highly recommended for anyone interested in culture, sports, or understanding the complicated role of masculinity today.

Interrupted by Matt Jones – Episode 37 with Jordan Ritter Conn
iHeartPodcasts | May 7, 2026

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Jordan Ritter Conn & "American Men"

[00:11 - 03:03]

Matt Jones introduces Conn, referencing a recent joint event and describing Conn as not only a talented writer but an engaging conversationalist.
Conn summarizes "American Men" as chronicling the intimate, interwoven lives of four men grappling with pressures and contradictions of masculinity.
- “It is a book about four different men, all of whom have some kind of tension in their lives around their relationship to masculinity ... It kind of lets you into the corners of people's lives that you otherwise wouldn't get to see." (Conn, [01:29])
Jones draws literary comparisons with "Three Women," which Conn acknowledges as a structure model, though his book’s thematic scope is broader, encapsulating the evolution of masculine expectations from childhood to adulthood.

Masculinity in Modern America

[03:03 - 07:06]

Jones and Conn explore what American culture currently expects men to be.
- Conn identifies “stoic emotional reserve,” “physical dominance,” and “romantic/sexual attractiveness” as core, learned expectations for men.
- “I think that we all get certain ideas ... one is emotionally reserved ... Another is physically dominant ... and then, you know, sexually, romantically attractive.” (Conn, [03:23])
They discuss how post-COVID and via social media bro-influencer culture, “cartoonish” versions of masculinity and dominance have reasserted themselves.
- “Everyone's just kind of more and more isolated ... and the image that people want to project online is one where, like, physical strength is what matters most.” (Conn, [05:05])
The conversation delves into sports, with Conn emphasizing that while competition and strength are valid drives, current cultural narratives overly emphasize individual domination, missing team and community values inherent in sports themselves.

Reflections on Sportswriting, Venues, & Bill Simmons’ Legacy

[07:06 - 17:10]

Jones asks Conn about the most memorable events he’s covered.
- Highlights include the initial Cavs-Warriors finals (Steph vs. LeBron), and authentically charged venues like Rupp Arena (especially for Calipari’s return) and Allen Fieldhouse.
  - “The animosity was great. Yeah, palpable. Like, you could just, like you could feel the intensity of it from the moment you walked in the building.” (Conn, [08:33])
Jones reminisces about discovering Bill Simmons and how Simmons opened up the “fan’s voice” in sports journalism.
Conn discusses his path from traditional journalism to Grantland/The Ringer. He credits Simmons as visionary, lauding his risk-taking, willingness to let writers inject personality, and a “best version of yourself” workplace culture.
- “He believes in hiring people who he believes in and then trusting them to do whatever it is that they do.” (Conn, [16:09])
The discussion touches on the outsized impact of Grantland’s alumni and Simmons’ enduring influence as a mentor and boss.

Revisiting the Story of Len Bias

[17:10 - 25:04]

Jones prompts Conn to recount his work on the acclaimed podcast about Len Bias, the promising Maryland basketball star whose cocaine overdose after the NBA draft became a national cautionary tale.
- Conn emphasizes Bias’s place as a cultural flashpoint—his tragic death used as justification for draconian drug laws that disproportionately affected Black Americans.
- “His name was being used on the ... floor of the Capitol ... the reason for ramping up ... drug laws, especially around mandatory minimums” (Conn, [18:04])
Both note that the “lens” applied to Bias's death and the legislative backlash still echo in the justice system today, with Conn underlining the problematic, racialized responses and the human tragedy underlying policy shifts.
- “His memory became churned up by this machine that was already kind of in motion … So many forces were kind of coming together all at once around this one event.” (Conn, [23:59])

Reporting from a Snake-Handling Church

[25:04 - 39:27]

Jones and Conn discuss Conn’s longform article on Appalachian snake-handling churches, especially in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
- Conn grew up in a related Pentecostal tradition, familiar with charismatic practices (speaking in tongues, energetic worship), but snake-handling felt “a step wilder.”
- He attended with Cody Coots (whose father and predecessor, Jamie Coots, died from a snakebite in church), witnessing both the electric atmosphere and the congregants' search for meaning and identity.
  - “You see them getting ready to bite. Usually they get a little spooked … nobody actually wants to get bitten by the snake.” (Conn, [29:11])
- The men agree that the phenomenon represents a search for belonging and "extreme" faith, especially in communities with limited economic and social prospects:
  - “I've almost always interpreted it as ... the way that you might show your moral ... superiority is to take it to the most extreme ... say, we'll even do this.” (Jones, [31:30])
- Conn stresses the need to see snake-handlers as multifaceted people: “These are people who are trying to kind of like make meaning of the world that they live in, just the way that all of us are.” ([38:46])
- They discuss ethical questions about participation of children, noting rules (e.g., only 18+) and a rite-of-passage sense associated with the practice.

Delving into "American Men"—Insecurity, Comparison, and Masculine Identity

[39:27 - 44:39]

Discussion turns to the specific stories in American Men, especially “Gideon,” a seemingly ideal man (West Point quarterback, 6'6", handsome) whose insecurities still haunt him when his wife has an affair with his commanding officer.
- “He checked every benchmark of, like, who a man is supposed to be. But ... you can have all of those things ... and still, at some point, you're going to be dealing with a certain [insecurity].” (Conn, [40:42])
They laugh about reading (in front of their mothers) the book's opening passage on penis size anxiety—an emblem of masculinity’s irrational internal comparisons.
Jones suggests Gideon's fixation is a coping mechanism, focusing pain on what he cannot control. Conn agrees, relating this to the broader, learned male impulse for comparison and inferiority.

Raising Boys & Responding to the Manosphere

[44:39 - 49:41]

A question from a single mother asks how to raise a good son in a world full of "monster" stories about lonely, destructive men.
- Conn advocates teaching boys they are seen and good, holding them accountable, and modeling “fully invested” relationships—emphasizing that harmful behaviors are learned, not innate.
- “It's hard to have that same anger for a little boy … all of the stuff that people get frustrated with … is learned. It's not ingrained.” (Conn, [44:39])
Discussing the "bro podcast" phenomenon (Portnoy, etc.), Conn argues such influencers encourage indulgence in base, antisocial behaviors, offering only a “limiting” version of manhood and neglecting more communal, fulfilling possibilities.
- “They give, like, permission to ... indulge the, like, kind of, like, basest pieces of themselves. ... If you are always indulging the parts of yourself that only want to ... make yourself feel more powerful, it's going to lead to a pretty, like, hollow and unfulfilling life.” (Conn, [47:26])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Modern Masculinity:
- “Masculinity is not like a fixed, immutable thing. ... we can all kind of define it in our own ways over the course of our lives.” (Conn, [04:09])
On the Cultural Power of Sports Venues:
- “Everyone there knows that they're part of something special just because they're in that building.” (Conn, [11:00])
On Simmons as a Pioneer:
- “He just opened up a new set of possibilities for what a sports writer could be.” (Conn, [12:13])
On Snake Handling as Meaning:
- “This particular kind of faith injected a sense of real meaning … just energy and electricity. Like, it's thrilling. You feel like you're part of something.” (Conn, [31:30])
On Raising Boys:
- “All of the stuff that people get frustrated with about … the ways in which we can deal with anger ... that stuff is learned. It's not ingrained.” (Conn, [44:39])

Key Timestamps

00:11 – Introduction; overview of Conn’s book
03:03 – Masculinity: expected traits, social influences
07:06 – Sportswriting highlights and historic venues
11:00 – Bill Simmons and the changing culture of sports journalism
17:10 – The story and legacy of Len Bias
25:04 – Reporting on Appalachian snake handling churches
39:27 – Deep dive on American Men and masculine insecurity
44:39 – Raising boys, masculinity, and the “manosphere” critique
49:41 – Closing thoughts, book plug, farewell

wavePod

Episode 37 - Jordan Ritter Conn

Summary

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Jordan Ritter Conn & "American Men"

Masculinity in Modern America

Reflections on Sportswriting, Venues, & Bill Simmons’ Legacy

Revisiting the Story of Len Bias

Reporting from a Snake-Handling Church

Delving into "American Men"—Insecurity, Comparison, and Masculine Identity

Raising Boys & Responding to the Manosphere

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Conclusion

Transcript

Summary

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Jordan Ritter Conn & "American Men"

Masculinity in Modern America

Reflections on Sportswriting, Venues, & Bill Simmons’ Legacy

Revisiting the Story of Len Bias

Reporting from a Snake-Handling Church

Delving into "American Men"—Insecurity, Comparison, and Masculine Identity

Raising Boys & Responding to the Manosphere

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Conclusion