Breaking In with Kevin Fishbain: A Sports Media Podcast

In episode 30, Kevin chats with Marcus Thompson, senior columnist at The Athletic in the Bay Area. Thompson is the author of "Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry" and was a 2025 nominee for the Dan Jenkins Medal in Excellence in Sportswriting. Thompson recently covered the Track and Field championships and the WNBA Finals before being there for the beginning of the Warriors season, a sign of his versatility. His love for writing began when he read newspapers with his grandma, and you'll learn about the internships that led him back to the Bay for his first job, and what it was like covering the NBA for the first time. Hear how Marcus Thompson broke in. 

In episode 29, Kevin chats with Ken Rosenthal, senior baseball writer at The Athletic and Emmy-winning broadcaster for Fox Sports’ MLB coverage, including this week’s World Series. Rosenthal has been one of the most prominent news breakers in the sport. His name is synonymous with baseball, which he has covered since the late 80’s. He’ll talk about the editor at an internship who doubted him, his first job in York, Pennsylvania, and covering a multitude of sports — including harness racing — in New Jersey. Hear how Ken Rosenthal broke in. 

In episode 28, Kevin chats with Jeff Pearlman, New York Times best-selling author of 11 books. His latest book, "Only God can Judge Me: The many lives of Tupac Shakur,” comes out Oct. 21. He has written biographies of Brett Favre, Walter Payton and Bo Jackson, chronicled the 1986 Mets, the Showtime Lakers, Kobe and Shaq, and the USFL. Pearlman also hosts the podcast "Two Writers Slinging Yang," which helped inspire this one. Before he became an author, Pearlman wrote for Sports Illustrated. In this episode, you'll learn about his first job at The Tennessean: what he learned, the stories that stick with him, and what still matters when he writes books. Hear how Jeff Pearlman broke in.

In episode 27, Kevin chats with Tom Fornelli, college football writer for CBS Sports and co-host of the Cover 3 podcast. Fornelli has been at CBS for 15 years, and he is a fixture in their college football coverage. How did he get to CBS? It wasn't the typical writer's route, but one that speaks to the times. Fornelli blogged in his free time while working as a manager at an Osco Drug in the Chicago suburbs. That led to more blogging for Fanhouse, before getting discovered by CBS. Hear how Tom Fornelli broke in.

In episode 26, Kevin chats with Mina Kimes, NFL analyst at ESPN and host of "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny." Kimes can be seen on NFL Live and a variety of ESPN shows offering her NFL expertise, but her start in journalism was in the business world, not sports. A blog post she wrote about how she and her dad bonded over the Seattle Seahawks caught the eye of an ESPN editor a decade ago, which led to her opportunity. First a profiles writer for ESPN, now Kimes is everywhere, and her path is as unique as it comes. Hear how Mina Kimes broke in.

In episode 25, Kevin chats with Ian Rapoport, senior insider at NFL Network, where he has become one of the most prominent newsbreakers in the sport. Rapoport began covering the NFL when he was on the Patriots beat with the Boston Herald in 2009 and he made his move to becoming a national reporter in 2012. Well before that, he was a college student looking for a job in sports writing, sending out more than 300 applications. Rapoport discusses his first job, how he got a chance to cover the SEC in Jackson, Mississippi, and how Nick Saban helped change his career. Rapoport explains how he handles criticism and offers great advice to aspiring journalists. Hear how Ian Rapoport broke in.

In episode 24, Kevin chats with Dianna Russini, The Athletic's senior NFL insider and host of "Scoop City." Prior to joining The Athletic, Russini spent eight years at ESPN. An accomplished prep athlete, Russini's story begins there, and how she loved to compete. Russini's media career, however, began in news. Inspired by the reporting she watched on Sept. 11, Russini, then a soccer player at George Mason University, began to do whatever it took to get a foot in the door with New York television networks. Her story is a great example of determination, and she'll discuss the moments she was doubted and how she persevered, eventually becoming one of the biggest newsbreakers in sports. Hear how Dianna Russini broke in. 

In episode 23, Kevin sets the stage for the first "Monday Night Football" game of the season between the Bears and Vikings with Joe Buck, the voice of MNF on ESPN and ABC. Buck has been calling NFL games since 1994. He was in the St. Louis Cardinals booth from 1991-2007, and has called 24 World Series and six Super Bowls. Buck has eight Sports Emmys for his play-by-play. He talks about what it was like following in his father's footsteps, what he learned from Jack Buck, dealing with criticisms of nepotism, and his advice to aspiring broadcasters. Hear how Joe Buck broke in.

In episode 22, Kevin kicks off the NFL season with the voice of Sunday Night Football, Mike Tirico, who will call Cowboys-Eagles on Thursday night to begin the season, and then Ravens-Bills on Sunday night. With the NBA returning to NBC, Tirico will be on the call this October, then the Super Bowl in February followed by the Winter Olympics in Italy. Tirico, who was inducted into the National Sports Media Association's Hall of Fame this summer, is calling some of the biggest events in sports over the next six months, and you'll get to hear how he got his start, from writing in high school to broadcasting at Syracuse to getting his own Sunday night sports talk show to getting a job at ESPN. Hear how Mike Tirico broke in.

In episode 21, Kevin chats with Bruce Feldman, national college football insider for The Athletic. In addition to his written work at The Athletic, Feldman co-hosts the podcast "The Audible" and is a sideline reporter for Fox's college football coverage. Before his decades spent as an authority on college football, Feldman had two main talents — golf and drawing. He went to college to study art and play golf, and somewhat stumbled upon journalism. That led to stories about Tiger Woods' early days, high school football in Florida, then after a brief stint of semi-pro football, a job at ESPN. You'll hear about the early days of ESPN.com and Feldman's unique career path. Hear how Bruce Feldman broke in.