Michael Kay and Jon Wertheim

Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 148 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Michael Kay, the television play by play voice of the New York Yankees and the host of The Michael Kay Show, heard on ESPN Radio in New York City from 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Kay has a new book out — Centerstage: My Most Fascinating Interviews—from A-Rod to Jay-Z , which is a collection of the interviews Kay has conducted with some of the biggest names in sports, film, and television. Kay is followed by Jon Wertheim, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” and an analyst for the Tennis Channel. Wertheim is the author of “Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture.”

In this podcast, Kay discusses what he thinks makes a good longform interviewer; a memorable interview with Sylvester Stallone; how his show has been able to book major names and the importance of the Yankee brand; how long he can reasonable call the Yankees; whether baseball broadcasters will continue to call road games; how he navigates being critical and working on behalf of a team; the challenges of doing sports-talk radio in New York City; why he thinks sports-talk radio still has significant meaning in his city; his obsession to beat Mike Francesa in the ratings; competing against Craig Carton and Evan Roberts; being thin-skinned about criticism; the cost and rewards of responding to media criticism about his work, and much more. Wertheim discusses the genesis for his new book, spending time with a young Michael Jordan in the summer of 1984; the cultural milestones in 1984; the challenges of weaving his story into a narrative; his thoughts on Naomi Osaka; what Osaka’s immediate future will be and much more.

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