Media Credentials

For an Englishman, Gary Christian has an All-American story. Coming from a working class background in Britain, he learned to play golf with a set of cut-down, hickory-shafted clubs. A successful amateur career led to a scholarship at a junior college in Alabama, where he played well enough to transfer to Auburn. Turning pro at the age of 28, he played minitours all over the US, eventually graduating to what is now the Korn Ferry Tour. There, he won twice before earning his PGA Tour card for the first time at the age of 40. When his playing career was cut short due to injury, he began a second act as a golf commentator. He's now in a transitional phase of his career, something that is imminently relatable. Our topics included career pivots, 'Welcome to Wrexham,' and what it's like to be paired with Tiger Woods.

In 1988, a new regional sports network was launched in Tallahassee, Florida. Called 'Sunshine Network,' its first property was Florida State University, and the first announcer for FSU sports was Paul Kennedy. 36 years later, Paul is still broadcasting Florida sports. He was on the mic when the Orlando Magic played their first game; same for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's done play-by-play for the Miami Marlins and hosted talk shows for the Miami Dolphins. There are few, if any, pro teams or major colleges in Florida that haven't welcomed Paul into the broadcast booth. In this episode, we dive into his packed resume' and follow his road to broadcasting, plus share some unique experiences outside the Sunshine State. We also hear about his varied interests outside of sports media.

Jerry Foltz is a golf lifer. He picked up the game as a kid in Las Vegas, was an All-American in college at the University of Arizona, and then (in his words) "backed into" a career in golf broadcasting that started at Golf Channel and now continues with LIV Golf. In all, he's had well over 20 years on a microphone. In this episode, we trace his path to television and get right to it about his decision to join LIV. Jerry is a good friend, and this was a great interview.

Mike Soltys spent 43 years at ESPN -- as he puts it, 98 percent of the company's history. Originally hired as an unpaid intern by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, Mike rose to the very top of the Worldwide Leader's public relations department, documenting the biggest sporting events in the world and managing the explosive growth of the ESPN brand. He departed ESPN in June of 2023, part of cost-cutting moves by parent company Disney. In this episode, we look back at ESPN's history and look ahead to trends in sports media. Plus, details on Mike's upbringing in Connecticut and what motivated him to enter the industry.

If it happened in golf in the last 40 years, Ron Sirak probably saw it, and wrote about it. He's a former senior writer and executive editor for Golf Digest and Golf World magazines and a longtime contributor to Golf Channel. A champion of the women's game, he might be the only media member to cover all of the men's and women's major championships in the same year -- a feat he's accomplished multiple times. We discuss his upbringing in Western Pennsylvania, his time with the Associated Press, his magazine career, his TV work, and the state of journalism today.

Joe "Stapes" Stapleton is a star in the poker world -- as he once put it, he's "poker-famous." He's a longtime poker commentator with credits that include PokerStars, The World Series of Poker, The Big Game, and Poker Night in America. In a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation, he outlines his path from upstate New York to Hollywood, where he's also a stand-up comic and host of the popular "Poker In The Ears" podcast. Joe originally moved to LA with dreams of being a TV comedy writer; his irreverent sense of humor and willingness to try anything opened doors that he didn't even know existed.

In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down a law that prohibited sports gambling outside of Nevada. In the years since, more and more states have legalized sports betting, and sports media has fully embraced 'the line' as content. Steve Rubenfaer, CEO of BettorTakes, walks us through the trends in the industry and outlines his BettorTakes app -- a product that analyzes your betting history to make you a better bettor.

The video game industry did $235 billion in revenue in 2022, and that number is expected to jump to $321 billion by 2026. Six of the 20 best-selling games in '22 were sports titles, and two of the top 7 in sales are produced by Electronic Arts, or EA. Ray Almeda, a former gaming journalist, is now the Global PR Lead for EA's sports portfolio, overseeing the NHL and PGA TOUR franchises, among several others. He joins the podcast to talk about his career path, the scope of his duties now, the mind-bending technology behind the games, and where he thinks the gaming industry is heading.

You're watching a tournament on Golf Channel, and a celebrity drops by the booth for a visit. Maybe you're watching Live From early in the week at a major championship, and Dustin Johnson or Rory McIlroy joins the announcers on set. Ever wonder who sets that up? Alex Russell is part of a two-woman team at NBC / Golf Channel responsible for contacting and booking those guests, as well as maintaining communication with golf's governing bodies. In this episode, Alex explains how it's all about personal relationships and trust. She also tells a few stories about her father, Mark Russell, who spent 40 years with the PGA Tour until his retirement in 2021.

Dan Ballister is a Naval Academy grad and former Surface Warfare Officer who has diverse experience in business. He oversaw digital media for the NBA as part of 20 years in digital media and internet advertising. He tells the story of how a compliment at an Army-Navy tailgate turned into The General's Hot Sauce, a brand that creates employment opportunities for Veterans and donates a meaningful percentage of its profits to help military and Veteran families.