The Ariel Helwani Show

One of the most respected voices in sports media joins Ariel for an open and honest conversation (and I'm glad we're having it). The two friends discuss Le Batard's new outlook on life thanks to the founding of his new company, Meadowlark Media, and his relatively new marriage. He also discusses the separation of his personal and professional lives, why he's happier than he's ever been and the importance of therapy in his life. Then, the guys trade stories about their respective times at ESPN, with "El Bastardo" Le Batard opening up about his exit from ESPN, and if he ever regrets joining the company in the first place (33:20).

Dan Le Batard is one of the most celebrated sports media personalities of the 21st century. Before founding Meadowlark Media in early 2021, LeBatard spent a decade at ESPN hosting The Dan LeBatard Show w/ Stugotz and Highly Questionable. Prior to joining ESPN, LeBatard wrote for The Miami Herald in his beloved home city of Miami.

You can follow Dan on Twitter and Instagram @LeBatardShow.

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For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

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The prolific Michelle Beadle joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion about her life during and after her 8+ years at ESPN. Among many subjects, Beadle opens up about her unceremonious exit from the company, her infamous comment about not watching football, behind-the-scenes drama and much more. Plus, she talks about her solo international travels, how she landed her new gig covering the San Antonio Spurs, and an exclusive scoop!

Michelle Beadle is a sports media personality currently covering the San Antonio Spurs. She also hosts the What Did I Miss?  podcast with The Athletic. Formerly of ESPN and NBC, Beadle has hosted high-profile shows like Get Up!, NBA Countdown, SportsNation and more.

You can follow Michelle on Twitter @MichelleDBeadle and Instagram @michelle.beadle.

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We're also brought to you by BetterHelp. Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health and get 10% off your first month by visiting our link at BetterHelp.com/AHS. 

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

The greatest surfer of all-time joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation, beginning with his MMA fandom and an online battle with Paulo Costa a few years ago. Then, Slater opens up about the dangers of surfing and why he doesn't fear death like most people do (27:18) and why sharks don't worry him too much. Plus, he reveals to Ariel how much longer he plans on surfing (45:08) and also talks about his controversial decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine and failing to qualify for the Olympics this past summer. Lastly, Slater discusses his role on Baywatch in the mid-1990s (59:44) and the relationship with Pamela Anderson that ensued a few years later.
 
Kelly Slater is widely considered to be the greatest surfer of all-time. The winner of 11 World Championships, he is both the youngest and oldest surfer to ever win a WSL title. At age 49, Slater still competes at a world-class level.

You can follow Kelly on Twitter and Instagram @kellyslater.

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We're also brought to you by Pristine Auction, the most trusted auction site for sports memorabilia and collectibles. Use the registration code "HELWANI' for $10 off your first purchase TODAY.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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On today's episode, the famous actor and pro wrestling superfan joins Ariel to talk about his time working for WWE over a decade ago. Then, the guys discuss differences between WWE and AEW, his time training in Albuquerque, NM, his movie plans for 2022 (47:30) and his 20-year marriage to actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (57:05). Also, Prinze Jr. reveals his plans to get back into the wrestling business in a big way next year. Make sure to listen to the very end to witness a special bonding moment between the guys!
 
Freddie Prinze Jr. is an American film and TV actor, writer and producer. He is also the host of WWFreddie - Wrestling with Freddie, a pro wrestling podcast. He has starred in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “She’s All That,” “Scooby-Doo,” and much more.

You can follow Freddie on Twitter @RealFJR and on Instagram @realfreddieprinze.

Today's episode is brought to you by Manscaped! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping today by using the code "HELWANI" when you visit this link: manscaped.com/helwani.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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In this special Wednesday edition of the show, Ariel talks to former NFL linebacker AJ Hawk about his post-football career as a broadcaster and as co-host of The Pat McAfee Show. In this wide-ranging conversation, Hawk discusses his relationship with former teammate Aaron Rodgers (18:57), how the NFL treats its players upon retirement (53:30), his love of MMA and his own fighting experiences, why he says yes to everything and why he and his wife got engaged after only four months of dating. Plus, Hawk gives Ariel some workout advice!

AJ Hawk played 11 seasons in the NFL, spending nine of them with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers selected Hawk No. 5 overall out of Ohio State in the 2006 NFL Draft, eventually winning the Super Bowl with Green Bay in 2011. After walking away from football in 2016, Hawk has been an analyst for Fox Sports, hosted The HawkCast and has become a regular fixture on The Pat McAfee Show.

You can follow AJ on Twitter and Instagram @OfficialAJHawk.

Today's episode is brought to you by Manscaped! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping today by using the code "HELWANI" when you visit this link: manscaped.com/helwani.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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The world-renowned adult entertainer joins Ariel for an honest and open conversation about her career. She tells Ariel why left nursing to pursue performing, how her family and friends feel about her field of work, and how she separates her work from her personal life. Plus, she discusses the biggest misconceptions about her industry and why she loves MMA so much.

Kendra Lust is widely considered to be one of the top performers in adult entertainment. A huge MMA fan, she also co-hosts the Beauty & The Beast podcast alongside UFC fighter Julian Marquez.

You can follow Kendra on Twitter and Instagram @kendralust, as well as her podcast's YouTube channel.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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The Formula 1 superstar joins Ariel to talk about Ricciardo's Bills fandom and obsession with watching the UFC, among many other things. Then, the guys discuss Ricciardo's illustrious motor racing career, where Ricciardo opens up about his rise in popularity, if he has any regrets, his decision to change teams again in 2020, the importance of putting yourself first, dealing with critics and much, much more.

Daniel Ricciardo is one of the top Formula 1 drivers in the world. The 32-year-old Australian-born racer has won eight Grand Prix in his career, the most recent one coming in Italy this past September. Ricciardo gained even more fame in 2019 with the release of the popular Netflix series, Drive to Survive, a docuseries that took viewers behind the scenes of life as a Formula 1 driver.

You can follow Daniel on Twitter and Instagram @danielricciardo, where he has a combined 8.2M followers.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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One of Ariel's favorite sportswriters joins the show to tell the story of his media journey, which began when he covered the elite New York City high school basketball scene. Then, Isola discusses landing a gig with The New York Daily News and the magic of covering those '90s Knicks teams. Plus, he tells Ariel how his relationship with the Knicks eventually soured (39:17), why it's harder for reporters to fairly cover the NBA today (55:32), and much more.

Frank Isola is an American sportswriter who covered the New York Knicks for The New York Daily News from 1995-2017. He then wrote about the Knicks for The Athletic. Today, he co-hosts a SiriusXM radio show, serves as a Nets studio analyst for YES Network, and is also a regular contributor to ESPN's "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption." He is also the author of the 1999 book, "Just Ballin': The Chaotic Rise of the New York Knicks."

You can follow Frank on Twitter and Instagram @TheFrankIsola.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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The New York-born actor joins Ariel for a wide-ranging conversation, beginning with a discussion about Rapaport's role in the 1995 film Higher Learning, where he portrayed a Neo-Nazi. The guys also discuss Rapaport's Knicks fandom and why he's decided to publicly criticize the team he loves so much. Plus, Rapaport opens up about his beef with Kevin Durant (31:42), why he started speaking out about politics on social media, what he still hopes to accomplish in his career (49:46), and the tragedy that rocked the movie industry last week.

Michael Rapaport is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, and fantasy football guru. He has appeared in more than 60 films (Deep Blue Sea, Dr. Doolittle 2, etc.), several TV shows (Friends, Atypical, etc.) and has also directed an award-winning documentary.

You can follow Michael on Instagram @michaelrapaport. He also hosts the I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast and will continue a comedy tour next month. For more details, please visit michaelrapaportcomedy.com.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

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The world-renowned Canadian-born broadcaster joins Ariel to discuss why, after eight years, she decided to leave WWE in 2020 (5:41). Plus, she talks about her short-lived acting career (26:42), how she met her husband (current AEW star Jon Moxley), if she plans on joining AEW (57:52) and how difficult it was to work for WWE at times.

Renee Paquette (formerly known as Renee Young) is a Canadian-American broadcaster. Before spending eight years with WWE, she worked for The Score and BiteTV in Canada. She left WWE last summer and now focuses on her podcast, weekly radio show with Miesha Tate, and her four-month-old baby.

You can follow Renee on Instagram @reneepaquette, check out her new book Messy in the Kitchen and listen to her podcast Oral Sessions wherever you get your shows.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers