J.A. Adande On Steelers + Dodgers Dynasties, The Myth Of Michael Jordan, NIL, LIV Golf Crashes Out

Colin is  joined by legendary sportswriter, commentator and the Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University, J.A. Adande to talk about his new sports podcast with Chuck Todd called “Dynastic”, which does deep dives into some of the most legendary franchises in sports history.

They begin with the LIV Tour looking like it’s going belly up and why it wasn’t treated seriously by the broadcast networks & sports media. They discuss the questionable  ethics of LIV being funded by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund and the potential of that type of money flowing into the coffers of other American sports leagues (3:30). 

They move to Dynastic choosing the 70s Steelers as one of their first dynasties to cover, and what J.A. learned about covering that team. J.A. explains how the Steelers were ahead of the curve on drafting from HBCUs and why being racially progressive was a huge reason for their success (10:30).

They pivot to the Dodgers and discuss the lasting legacy of Sonny Koufax despite his career being so short, and why international players have long been a key to the Dodgers success (16:00).

They discuss the longstanding MJ vs LeBron debate and  compare the major differences in the eras they play in, and J.A. explains that there were two different eras of Michael Jordan and how Jordan eventually became trapped by his fame (25:00). 

They break down the massive changes to college sports in the NIL era and why it’s ultimately been a net positive for both the athletes and the fans and J.A. argues they should professionalize the relationship with player contracts (30:30).

Finally, they discuss the current state of sports journalism and J.A. emphasizes the distinction between sports journalism & sports media, and explains his worries about the future of the journalistic side of the business (36:00). 

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