On the rise of the WNBA; on covering Angel Reese as she blooms into a League star; on the complications of Caitlin Clark; on where women's basketball is heading.

On the intricacies of his latest article, "A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies." On how to convince subjects to open up to a media outlet they don't trust. On working with a photographer.

On Kendrick, Drake and a fool's opinion of their beef; on a beautiful piece between Black-Italian cinematic ties; on Don Lemon as a voice for inspiration; on teaching those who can't write how to write.

On the joys of writing about prospects on their way up. On why Kerry Lightenberg and the 2004 Blue Jays drove him to drink. On how a non-journalist from Harvard became one of the best. On dealing with editors.

On why Gannett did what Gannett does and wrongly fired her for bullshit corporate reasons. On the importance of local media. On a bunch of crazy right-wing zealots overtaking a town's government. On the transition to Substack and the need to report.

On proudly being recognized as "The queer writer ...". On the Manhattan prison that inspired a book. On writing about people and issues who have been largely ignored and scorned. On writing and self-discovery.

On the anger of Bobby Knight and the love of Christian Laettner. On why John McEnroe was a brat and why Dean Smith only gave five minutes. On the magic of Sports Illustrated in the 1960s and the splendor of Frank Deford.

On finding joy in the aggregating of NBA info. On the fight for survival in the modern media landscape. On long-ago hockey fights and BYU-Wyoming games and dog sled races.

On whether being close to politics causes one to look less terrifyingly at politics. On whether CNN is still a worthwhile spot. On why one is better served covering sports than government. On the transition to Substack.

On the weird coolness of the Westminster Dog Show. On having an open mind to unique scenes and people. On why one writes a book about dogs. On writing through hell.