Today we welcome ESPN college sports sideline reporter Samantha Ponder. Sam has become one of the most popular and recognizable personalities at ESPN almost overnight with her debut on College GameDay last year and subsequent marriage to Vikings QB Christian Ponder. I talked with Sam about her new life in the fishbowl, her rise at ESPN, and the upcoming college football season. Topics include...

-Her meteoric rise through the industry and why the Spelling Bee is her favorite gig.
-The one lesson she learned in her first year at ESPN.
-How she approaches sideline reporting and providing something different for viewers.
-Why criticism of her husband is more difficult to deal with than herself.
-The perils of social media and why she took Twitter off her phone.
-Working the ESPYs red carpet with her husband.
-Which college football personalities are the best and most difficult to interview.
-The situation at Texas A&M and the saga of Johnny Manziel.
-Should college athletes be treated as kids or adults?
-The importance of her charity work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The beginning of the EPL season is just a few short days away. It's a new beginning for American soccer fans as NBC has the rights to every EPL game after coverage from Fox Soccer and ESPN. Before the launch of the 2013-14 campaign, we're joined by new NBC Premier League host Rebecca Lowe. Rebecca moved not just from ESPN UK to NBC, but also transplanted across the Atlantic to anchor NBC's coverage stateside. In this week's podcast we chat with Rebecca about:

-The one thing she's missed most about the UK lifestyle.
-Adjusting her style from a UK to an American audience.
-How revolutionary NBC's coverage will be making every game available.
-Her busy schedule with the tonnage of NBC programming for the EPL.
-The balance between serving hardcore fans and marketing the league to new fans.
-The transfer sagas of Suarez, Bale, and Rooney.
-How the league is different without Alex Ferguson.
-Which team might a new fan want to attach themselves to.

All that and much more with Rebecca Lowe on this week's podcast.

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We're pleased to welcome to this week's podcast one of the premier sportscasters in the country - ESPN's Mike Tirico. We chatted with Mike before the opening Monday Night Football telecast of the preseason in Atlanta about his busy summer calling many of the top sporting events around the world, his career, and his influences in broadcasting. Topics include...

-What it's like to call the NBA Finals, Wimbledon, and the British Open in one summer.
-How he transitions across different sports and mediums.
-Versatility for announcers, what events he'd still like to cover, and which announcer influenced him most.
-A quick discussion about soccer, Gus Johnson, and his acceptance in the golf world.
-The MNF booth, working with Jon Gruden, and what he learned from Tony Kornheiser.
-The challenge of calling NFL Preseason games and what the league can do to fix it.
-His most memorable moment of the last year.

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As we say goodbye to July, we welcome back to the show Rob Stone of Fox Sports. Rob is the studio host for Fox Soccer and will also have a role on Fox's college football coverage this fall. Today, Rob chats with AA about the USA's victory in the Gold Cup and the imminent launch of Fox Sports 1. Topics include...

-The USMNT's record winning streak and how excited fans should truly be.
-How expectations have changed for the USMNT and goals at next year's World Cup.
-Gus Johnson joining Fox's soccer coverage and the reaction to it.
-The complicated relationship between TV and the soccer culture.
-The death of Fox Soccer and launch of Fox Sports 1.
-The increased battle for parking at Fox and which FS1 debutant will make the biggest impact.
-Whether or not FS1 can surpass ESPN as the #1 cable sports network.

There may even be a hambone mention as well.

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The podcast returns with a full recap of the biggest sports media stories of the past month with Steve Lepore of SB Nation's Puck the Media. Steve anchors SB Nation's sports media coverage, which has grown in the past year with all the developments in the industry. We touch on all the hirings, announcements, new shows, and developments including...

-Why Nate Silver's hire by ESPN is the most significant move of the summer.
-Can Keith Olbermann last at ESPN2 in late night?
-NASCAR's move to NBC and how beneficial it is to NBCSN.
-How NASCAR compliments the NHL for NBC.
-The expectations for Fox Sports Live and Fox Sports 1. What is jockularity anyways?
-Can a light hearted approach work for FS1?
-Steroids fatigue and the Ryan Braun coverage.
-What one thing would Steve change at the Big 3 of ESPN, NBCSN, and FS1.

All that and a lot more on this week's AA Podcast!

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With the Stanley Cup Final in Boston and the series tied at 1-1, we're joined before a pivotal Game 3 by NBC's voice of the NHL - Mike "Doc" Emrick. Doc is widely regarded as the best play by play man in sports and has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame. We talk to Doc about the Bruins-Blackhawks series and some of the traits that make him one of the elite announcers in the business. Topics include:

-How he keeps going for multiple overtime games.
-The Doc Emrick lexicon
-Does he ever get nervous before calling a big game anymore?
-The way the NHL has bounced back after this year's work stoppage and the significance of an Original Six Final.
-The connection between the Bruins and the city of Boston.
-The potential for this Final to rate as one of the best ever.
-The players that will be key for both teams the rest of the series.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for a rare weekend podcast and have the privilege of interviewing one of our favorite guests - the voice of the NBA Finals, Mike Breen. This year's championship series is the 8th Finals for ESPN's lead NBA announcer. AA chatted with Mike Saturday afternoon during an off day of the series before a pivotal Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. Topics include...

-The flop of the Finals.
-Broadcast partner Jeff Van Gundy's future and what Breen is willing to do to keep him in the booth.
-How the broadcast team approaches interviews with Gregg Popovich.
-How his approach to announcing the Finals has changed over the years.
-Covering LeBron James and Tim Duncan and how both have evolved in the last decade.
-Dwyane Wade's Game 4 performance and legacy.
-Manu Ginobili needing to provide an emotional lift for the Spurs.
-What this series needs to truly become a classic.

All that and more on this special NBA Finals edition of the AA Podcast.

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Who else could be the guest on the Silver Anniversary edition of the AA Podcast except our first and most frequent guest, the co-author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller Those Guys Have All The Fun - Jim Miller. With several stories surrounding ESPN in the last month, we catch up with Jim and get his take on the happenings in Bristol as well as a few stories he broke on his Twitter page. Topics include...

-TBS hiring Keith Olbermann and where his long-term destination might be.
-The reaction to the hundreds of layoffs at ESPN.
-Whether or not the bursting cable bubble is a myth or reality and the impact on ESPN and other sports networks of rising costs.
-Expectations for the new ESPN ombudsman Robert Lipsyte
-Culture change at ESPN evolving from the Steve Phillips scandal
-The rise and fall and rise of Stephen A. Smith.
-The increasing competition of Fox Sports 1, NBCSN, and CBS Sports.

More great insights from one of the most respected writers in the country on the 50th AA Podcast. I know I'm contractually obligated to say this for every podcast, but this is one you don't want to miss.

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On today's podcast we venture into the world of Formula 1 to chat with globetrotting NBC Sports pit reporter Will Buxton. Will covers every F1 race on the calendar live on-site for NBC and is in Monaco this week for the world's most glamorous race, the Monaco Grand Prix. NBC will be airing live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix on broadcast network television this weekend. We chatted with Will from Monaco after Thursday's practice session about his work for NBC, the F1 season, and the magic of Monaco. Topics include...

-How he went from paying the way himself and camping at all the European grand prixs to workign in television.
-How Monaco is different than any other Formula 1 circuit and the magic of Monaco.
-How Monaco compares to Indianapolis and Daytona.
-Working with a broadcast crew that's often a continent away.
-Growing F1 in the USA and why Formula One needs an American audience moreso than America needs F1.
-The tire debate swirling around F1 at the moment.
-How 3 time champ Sebastian Vettel compares to another multi-time German champion, Michael Schumacher, and more all-time greats.
-The question surrounding Vettel's young legacy and who really is the most talented driver in F1.
-The favorites this week in Monaco.

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Today's podcast guest is the lead analyst for the NHL on NBC, a Stanley Cup champ, and NHL veteran who played over 1,000 games in the NHL. After his playing and coaching careers, Eddie Olczyk has transitioned to a successful broadcasting career calling the Stanley Cup Finals and Olympics for NBC as well as the Blackhawks locally in Chicago. Eddie joins us to talk about the Red Wings-Blackhawks series, the rest of the conference semis, and of course, his passion for horse racing. Other topics include...

-How the Blackhawks will respond to adversity for the first time this season trailing Detroit.
-The unpredictability of the NHL postseason and whether it takes away too much regular season value.
-Pittsburgh's response to their Game 3 2OT loss in Ottawa.
-The chances of the Kings to repeat.
-Which playoff goalie would Eddie take right now?
-Working alongside the best in the business, Doc Emrick.
-Would Eddie consider a return to coaching or a front office role?
-How he got his television start... in horse racing.

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