On a 10-year journey to write a single book; on developing the story of a battered, broken hockey goon; on whether people can learn to be good writers.

On making the jump from The New York Times to NFL.com; on whether we are kinder to friendlier sources; on Herm Edwards and Wayne Chrebet and covering the old New York Jets; on the awfulness of the locker room.

On the story of a midwestern kid whose love of football ruined his life; on how to interview subjects suffering from the loss of a loved one; on the power of empathy and the sorta-joy of a book launch.

On the gloriously rich days of 1990s magazine journalism; on finding a deep understanding of Whitney Houston; of her meh opinion of "The Chronic" and her love of the written word.

On covering the grand ol' game during a pandemic; on receiving a $50 tip at the piano from Dusty Baker; on introducing Washington to Bryce Harper and spending a season tracking RGIII/

On how the writing of Shel Silverstein influenced a lifelong love of words; on using the COVID pandemic to be productive without being productive; on the magic behind the song "Amazing" and teaching lessons via verses.

On having your heart broken and turning that hurt into a scathing, kick-ass memoir; on writing a first book and having it blow up; on the need to curse and the joy of self publishing.

On how one maintains sanity while going 24/7 American politics; on the jerkiness of an in-his-prime Roger Clemens; on the life and death of The National

On whether team chemistry is a legitimate thing—or just a phantom idea; on how Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent co-existed and how Aubrey Huff is a thing; on helping the young ballplayer understand the media.

On stepping up and speaking out when the head of Black Sports Online made unwanted sexual advances; one how women in media should respond in such moments; on the fear of placing a career on the line to do what's right.