I’m so not into sports— watching them or playing them, though I get the appeal. And I’ve certainly been to my fair share of professional sports, high school sports and other kids sports— sometimes by choice, and other times not. And a friend once told me that the reason football was so interesting was the storylines behind the players. So I get it. But anyway, I digress.
The reason I wanted to post a comment was simply to state that I get the idea of being curious about lots of different things. And how Pablo’s podcast may not have a ‘theme’ per se, other than as he so aptly states in the title, that he’s going to find out about something. That is the theme— the content doesn’t have to be similar. And we are allowed to have diverse interests, etc. It made me think a lot about Elizabeth Gilbert’s line in Big Magic, about following your curiosity, rather than your passion. I always thought I was a failure because I couldn’t find the one thing I was passionate about— and it’s because my passion lies in being curious about different things! But that idea still isn’t quite the status quo, as I think it should be.
Anyway, thanks for broadening my curiosity into something else! Always a lot to learn. And I’d jump on the bandwagon from the above comment too. What is the deal with pickleball? In my NYC neighborhood the building (painting) of multiple pickle ball courts on the basketball court has proven quite contentions. And who gets to play on the court and for how long…
I think it would be interesting to learn more about how fantasy sports changes the consumption of sports, and maybe a more nuanced view of the business models (or business ecosystem) behind it.
I listened to most of Pablo's ESPN podcasts. One of the things I miss most about them is his Monday morning chats with Bill Barnwell or Alex Smith. I have with watched or listened to every Pablo Torre finds out. His episodes with Katie Nolan are great as well as when he talks with Mina Kimes and Lebatard
This newsletter is just as fun as his podcast! A friend of mine turned me onto it a month ago, and I find it strangely validating. As a nerdy person, I find myself around a lot of nerdy people, and I often feel strangely ashamed of and consciously suppressing my massive sports fandom. But it's other nerdy people/big sports fans like you and Pablo who make me feel more comfortable in my own skin. I'm not sure if you've ever felt that, but thank you for that :)
Also, I loved the Zoom with Dr. Mark last night. You nailed a feeling that I couldn't articulate when you noted how rare it is to hear about productivity/self-help from someone who has done so much research in the field. As much as I love Gladwell, Newport, or Stulberg, Mark is the one doing so much of the work that great storytellers feed off of. (To be fair to Cal, he has done mountains of research in other areas.) Can I ask you an interview-themed question? I'm curious as to how you thought about your job during the interview. How was this different than other interviews you do? I suspect that most interviews for your work tend to be about you trying to find out something you don't already know, but in this case I'm guessing you probably knew most of the answers to the questions you asked, and your responsibility was to help communicate these to the listeners. All the while you had to consult your own list of questions, monitor the chat for questions, and make jokes about being able to lift 24/7. You made it look smooth, but (in the same way you said to Pablo that a lot of work must go into his prep) it had to require a TON of work on your end, right?
I'd like to pitch an episode that digs into the heart of Alaska's fun (and some would say lawless) celebrations, with a special focus on Arcticman – Alaska's own Burning Man: an annual weeklong drunken sledneck revival in the mountains, recently in the news for pushing the limits of first amendment rights in the context of extreme sports and festival culture. Arcticman, Salmonfest and the now-defunct Barticman (a drunken race on DIY transportation pulled by other drunk people on bikes, a race to see who can drink the most PBR and the fastest), Case Day (an unofficial college holiday where students try to drink 24 beers in 24 hours and keep track via sharpie on their arms, usually multiple bands, mud wrestling and a mechanical salmon involved), a yearly community 4th of july event driving beater cars off the bluff, and Trapper Creek Bluegrass festival (that one was especially crazy - took place on Hells Angels' land, complete with a self-styled "Karma Patrol" on 4wheelers and a ban on law enforcement). Escapism in a wild-west vibe. Adventure, community, a defiant stance on freedom of expression. This episode could show how festivals represent an intersection of cultural identity, sporting exhilaration, and the ongoing debate over first amendment rights, all set in Alaska: majestic, stunning, and full of militias, conservatives, democrats who love guns, anti-LGBT and staunch church-goers (with a sprinkling of liberals like me).
p.s. I have participated in almost all of these events.
I’m so not into sports— watching them or playing them, though I get the appeal. And I’ve certainly been to my fair share of professional sports, high school sports and other kids sports— sometimes by choice, and other times not. And a friend once told me that the reason football was so interesting was the storylines behind the players. So I get it. But anyway, I digress.
The reason I wanted to post a comment was simply to state that I get the idea of being curious about lots of different things. And how Pablo’s podcast may not have a ‘theme’ per se, other than as he so aptly states in the title, that he’s going to find out about something. That is the theme— the content doesn’t have to be similar. And we are allowed to have diverse interests, etc. It made me think a lot about Elizabeth Gilbert’s line in Big Magic, about following your curiosity, rather than your passion. I always thought I was a failure because I couldn’t find the one thing I was passionate about— and it’s because my passion lies in being curious about different things! But that idea still isn’t quite the status quo, as I think it should be.
Anyway, thanks for broadening my curiosity into something else! Always a lot to learn. And I’d jump on the bandwagon from the above comment too. What is the deal with pickleball? In my NYC neighborhood the building (painting) of multiple pickle ball courts on the basketball court has proven quite contentions. And who gets to play on the court and for how long…
I think it would be interesting to learn more about how fantasy sports changes the consumption of sports, and maybe a more nuanced view of the business models (or business ecosystem) behind it.
Show idea for Pablo:
Why are so many athletes and celebrities buying pickleball teams?
I listened to most of Pablo's ESPN podcasts. One of the things I miss most about them is his Monday morning chats with Bill Barnwell or Alex Smith. I have with watched or listened to every Pablo Torre finds out. His episodes with Katie Nolan are great as well as when he talks with Mina Kimes and Lebatard
This newsletter is just as fun as his podcast! A friend of mine turned me onto it a month ago, and I find it strangely validating. As a nerdy person, I find myself around a lot of nerdy people, and I often feel strangely ashamed of and consciously suppressing my massive sports fandom. But it's other nerdy people/big sports fans like you and Pablo who make me feel more comfortable in my own skin. I'm not sure if you've ever felt that, but thank you for that :)
Also, I loved the Zoom with Dr. Mark last night. You nailed a feeling that I couldn't articulate when you noted how rare it is to hear about productivity/self-help from someone who has done so much research in the field. As much as I love Gladwell, Newport, or Stulberg, Mark is the one doing so much of the work that great storytellers feed off of. (To be fair to Cal, he has done mountains of research in other areas.) Can I ask you an interview-themed question? I'm curious as to how you thought about your job during the interview. How was this different than other interviews you do? I suspect that most interviews for your work tend to be about you trying to find out something you don't already know, but in this case I'm guessing you probably knew most of the answers to the questions you asked, and your responsibility was to help communicate these to the listeners. All the while you had to consult your own list of questions, monitor the chat for questions, and make jokes about being able to lift 24/7. You made it look smooth, but (in the same way you said to Pablo that a lot of work must go into his prep) it had to require a TON of work on your end, right?
I'd like to pitch an episode that digs into the heart of Alaska's fun (and some would say lawless) celebrations, with a special focus on Arcticman – Alaska's own Burning Man: an annual weeklong drunken sledneck revival in the mountains, recently in the news for pushing the limits of first amendment rights in the context of extreme sports and festival culture. Arcticman, Salmonfest and the now-defunct Barticman (a drunken race on DIY transportation pulled by other drunk people on bikes, a race to see who can drink the most PBR and the fastest), Case Day (an unofficial college holiday where students try to drink 24 beers in 24 hours and keep track via sharpie on their arms, usually multiple bands, mud wrestling and a mechanical salmon involved), a yearly community 4th of july event driving beater cars off the bluff, and Trapper Creek Bluegrass festival (that one was especially crazy - took place on Hells Angels' land, complete with a self-styled "Karma Patrol" on 4wheelers and a ban on law enforcement). Escapism in a wild-west vibe. Adventure, community, a defiant stance on freedom of expression. This episode could show how festivals represent an intersection of cultural identity, sporting exhilaration, and the ongoing debate over first amendment rights, all set in Alaska: majestic, stunning, and full of militias, conservatives, democrats who love guns, anti-LGBT and staunch church-goers (with a sprinkling of liberals like me).
p.s. I have participated in almost all of these events.