Best Scott Elmore Podcasts (2024)

1
LEN ELMORE: Balancing The Books And Ball 38:00

3h ago38:00

38:00

For much of his adult life as an athlete and attorney, Len Elmore has balanced academics and athletics. That work continues to this day as a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University in the Sports Management program. The balancing act began long ago growing up in New York City, then attending Power Memorial Academy, the University of Maryland, playing…

1
LUCY KAPLANSKY: Art + Science = Sweet Music 35:32

3h ago35:32

35:32

LUCY KAPLANSKY Art + Science = Sweet Music We’ve all come to crossroads in our lives and our careers. Lucy Kaplansky initially chose music. Then she chose school and a doctorate in clinical psychology. She tried pursuing both passions, psychologist by day with a little music on the side. But then came those crossroads. Her many admirers are thankfu…

1
SEBASTIAN JUNGER: In His Time Of Writing 32:49

4h ago32:49

32:49

I first met Sebastian Junger in 2011, only months after the death of his friend and war reporting colleague Tim Hetherington in Libya. Junger was at a crossroads, searching for an experience as intense as war but an experience that doesn’t get you killed. The passion he felt for war reporting has been replaced by the passion for his young family, a…

1
Alan Zweibel: A Life In Laughs, Part 2 27:16

2M ago27:16

27:16

By 1975, Alan Zweibel had decided on a career in comedy writing. He’d written jokes for older borscht belt comics and become friendly with young comics like Billy Crystal. But then he faced a difficult career decision between a relatively sure thing and a leap into the unknown. The decision changed the rest of his life.Learn more about your ad choi…

1
Alan Zweibel: A Life In Laughs, Part 1 29:08

2M ago29:08

29:08

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Shakespeare forgot about this one: “some are nudged by the rejection of numerous law schools.” Alan Zweibel has written so many words that have made us laugh, through the voices of Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, Garry Shandling and his own. He was one of the origi…

1
Ruth Reichl: Eating Is A Political Issue 37:58

2M ago37:58

37:58

Ruth Reichl never thought she’d make a career out of writing about food. But she has, defying expectations and obliterating boundaries at august publications along the way. She’s found joy and memory and escape in her writing about food: witness her latest book The Paris Novel. But there is also the theme that has stayed true to Reichl from Berkele…

1
Will Lee and Paul Shaffer: 50 Years Of Friendship 44:34

2M ago44:34

44:34

I don’t think it violates some journalistic Edward R. Murrow code to say that some interviews are a labor of love. And if it does, so be it. This is one of them. Paul Shaffer and Will Lee have put a lot of joyful music into the world. They are best known for their work in the Letterman bands, first on NBC and then on CBS, 33 years in all. But their…

1
Bill Persky: Still Funny After All These Years, Part 2 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

By 1963, Bill Persky had already worked as a lifeguard at Grossinger’s in the Catskill Mountains and watched the hotel’s standup comics make people laugh. He’d written a show at Syracuse University that won a national collegiate award. He’d worked at an advertising agency and radio station in New York before moving to California to write for televi…

1
Bill Persky: Still Funny After All These Years, Part 1 28:35

3M ago28:35

28:35

What is it like to create something early in your life and then watch as that creation has a tangible effect on people decades later? Musicians know the feeling. Actors and writers too. It’s a feeling Bill Persky knows well. He and his writing partner Sam Denoff wrote many of the classic episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, a 1960’s show that is tim…

1
Stephane Matteau: Lessons Beyond The Goal 33:38

3M ago33:38

33:38

It seems easy for former professional athletes to live in the past. They practiced their whole lives to play the game and now it’s gone. Fans are constantly reminding them of games long ago, occasionally waiting on long lines for a picture and an autograph at a card show. New York Rangers fans often remind Stephane Matteau of his Game 7 overtime go…

1
Talib Kweli: Hip Hop Academic 35:19

3M ago35:19

35:19

Jay Z once memorably rapped “if skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically, Talib Kweli.”Many are the influences that have shaped Talib Kweli’s words and music for decades: the Brooklyn of his youth, the ubiquitous books and records in that Brooklyn home, the academic careers of his parents as professors and administrators. He once told …

1
Adriana Trigiani: Lessons Inside The Four Walls And Beyond 39:58

4M ago39:58

39:58

Adriana Trigiani has had a long love affair with the written word. And she’s pretty comfortable with the spoken word too. She has quite a story to tell as a novelist/TV writer/film director/podcast host whose journey brought her from a small mining town in Virginia to New York. And she tells that story with insight and humor. Her thoughts on the le…

1
Shawn Colvin :Diamond In The Rough 36:58

4M ago36:58

36:58

Shawn Colvin has been making music, beautiful music, for a long time. She’s known the heights of winning Grammy Awards, including song of the year and record of the year for Sunny Came Home in 1998. She’s known the hills and valleys of the business, especially early on, playing in cover bands, dive bars, taking day jobs before her career took off i…

1
Stan Fischler: The Hockey Maven 35:35

4M ago35:35

35:35

Stan Fischler has been in the hockey world for 70 years, primarily as a writer and broadcaster. His passion for the sport has never waned, even as a 92 year old who now covers and writes about hockey from a small village in northern Israel, where he lives with his son and family. He is the sport’s connection, from Richard to Howe to Orr to Gretzky …

1
Maurice Ashley: Lessons Beyond The Board 25:47

4M ago25:47

25:47

I first met Maurice Ashley in New York in 1994. He was announcing a chess tournament with all of the fervor and excitement of Marv Albert and John Madden. 30 years later, his passion for the sport is the same, perhaps greater. He’s an historic figure in chess as the first African American grandmaster. But that’s only a small part of Maurice’s story…

1
Steve Hindy: From Foreign Correspondent To Brooklyn Brewer 34:13

5M ago34:13

34:13

It was the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald who famously wrote “there are no second acts in America.” Scott, meet Steve Hindy. He’s had an amazing second act, made that much more compelling by his first act, covering wars and revolutions in the Middle East, the taking of the American hostages in Iran in 1979 and surviving the assassination of Anwar Sadat…

1
Bill Raftery: Sending It In! 30:02

5M ago30:02

30:02

If we’re lucky, we find work that is our passion. In a sense, it doesn’t even feel like work. Long ago, Bill Raftery found that passion analyzing basketball games on TV. And we are the lucky ones.What we don’t see is the immense amount of preparation he puts into every game. What millions of us do see and hear and experience is the joy, the excitem…

1
Bob Gruen: “I’m With The Band” 37:31

5M ago37:31

37:31

Growing up on Long Island, Bob Gruen’s parents wanted him to work 9-5. And for much of his life, he did. 9PM-5AM. He’s spent 60 years documenting rock ‘n roll through photographs. Bob wasn’t photographing the scene. He was part of the scene, earning the trust of musicians, hanging out with them, touring with them, befriending them and photographing…

1
Mike Richter: From Goaltending to Green Technology 40:30

5M ago40:30

40:30

Former athletes have all kinds of second careers once their playing days are over. There are lawyers and doctors, business people and broadcasters, lots and lots of broadcasters. But I know of no other former great athlete who has pursued the world of green technology. Mike Richter was always one of my favorite interviews during my sports reporting…

1
Justin Vivian Bond: Entertaining And Educating With A Microphone 37:31

6M ago37:31

37:31

In the world of downtown cabaret and theater, Justin Vivian Bond is nothing less than an icon. For more than 30 years, their performances have compelled audiences, initially in small performance spaces and eventually at Carnegie Hall and beyond. They created their most memorable character while still in their 20’s: a boozy, opinionated, aging loung…

1
Lea Carpenter: Writing In The Present…And The Past 37:27

6M ago37:27

37:27

Lea Carpenter has had an unlikely and compelling path to becoming a writer of novels about espionage: Princeton and Harvard, working for both Senator Biden and Beau Biden and a 10 year magazine publishing career working for the likes of Francis Ford Coppola and John F. Kennedy Jr. There is a powerful connection in her writing to a subject that was …

1
Aggression & Confrontation 25:43

7M ago25:43

25:43

The League and all of basketball is suffering from the disease discovered by Diddy. This week we're addressing this problem.....a lack of aggression. Scott looks at who is winning by attacking and who has hit a wall because they won't run through it. We also address the Doc Rivers era in Milwaukee and why he's the wrong man for that job and maybe o…

1
Kenny Vance: A Musical Lifer 36:10

7M ago36:10

36:10

I first met Kenny Vance at one of the hardest times in his life. It was a few months after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and his house on the beach in the Rockaways of New York had been completely destroyed. And yet even that couldn’t dampen his sweet spirit, his good humor and the joy he has gotten out of a life in music. Kenny grew up in Brooklyn heari…

1
Sarah Jarosz: The Tradition Continues 35:37

7M ago35:37

35:37

There’s no need to categorize the music of Sarah Jarosz. OK, you can put it in one category: good. She has a contemporary sound and a sensibility that pays homage to the musical shoulders on which she stands. She is thoughtful in music and conversation, about the musically vibrant Texas small town of her youth, her time at the New England Conservat…

1
167. Voicemail from the Void: The Vanishing of Henry McCabe 48:03

8M ago48:03

48:03

A respected auditor and Liberian immigrant, Henry McCabe’s story is marked by resilience and ambition. But his life takes a bewildering turn on September 7th, 2015. After a night out, he vanishes, leaving behind only a haunting voicemail that perplexes investigators and the public alike. Today we explore the maze of rumors, misinformation, and dist…

1
Thievery and the Old Man at the Club 22:21

8M ago22:21

22:21

The season is halfway done! Some teams never had a chance and they're stealing season ticket revenues from their fans and Scott isn't afraid to call them out on it. Check out who's not even trying and who isn't good at trying. It's also time to say our goodbyes to some franchises in the twilight of their runs. Father Time is undefeated and this is …

1
Nick Hornby: About A Writer/Music Buff/Arsenal FC Fan, Part 2 22:52

7M ago22:52

22:52

Talent will always win out. At least, I hope so. Talent and creativity and humor and perseverance. But all of us need a moment that opens the window to the rest of our lives. That window opened for Nick Hornby during a conversation with an agent that was not going particularly well. Nick decided “what the hell” at the end of the conversation and pi…

1
Shufflin' the Deck 21:07

8M ago21:07

21:07

It’s trade talk time! This is when champions can be made and early season success is tested. What do the Knicks need to make some noise in the postseason? Is there any what to save the Lakers? Should the Celtics & Sixers to anything at all? Scott offers up all the trades that SHOULD happen….let’s see who listens to the Average White Fan.…

1
Nick Hornby: About A Writer/Music Buff/Arsenal FC Fan, Part 1 22:30

7M ago22:30

22:30

Nick Hornby has never written the phone book, to use an old expression. But if he did, I’d read it. Hornby is one of those writers who elicits unbridled enthusiasm from his unabashed admirers. Count me in, thanks to books like High Fidelity, Fever Pitch and About A Boy. He always had a love of reading and writing and music and sports. But turning i…

1
166. Twisted Roots: Incest, Intrigue, and Tragedy 38:13

8M ago38:13

38:13

In today’s episode we are taking a look into the harrowing and controversial story of the Pladl and Fusco families. As the story unfolds we will unravel a series of disturbing events marked by abuse, manipulation, and a forbidden relationship. The episode takes a dive into the lives of Steven Pladl, his daughter Katie, and their intertwined destini…

1
Winners, Losers and Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes 34:51

9M ago34:51

34:51

We have a WINNER! The first-ever NBA Cup was taken by the Lakers. What went right with the IST and where can they improve? Was this a moral victory for the Pacers? I'll tell you why we all won. Then, it's time to check in on the big off-season trades. Were our expectations too high for the Bucks? The Celtics? I'm handing out judgment this week. Fin…

1
Darlene Love: Making A Joyful Sound 32:56

8M ago32:56

32:56

You don’t need to be a great musician like Steven Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen or Paul Shaffer to understand the greatness of Darlene Love. Perhaps they understand it on a more musical level, but anyone who has ever heard that amazing voice gets it. Her songs radiate joy, none more so than the classic of this season, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Ho…

1
Identity Crisis and The Cup 31:11

9M ago31:11

31:11

Exciting times in the League and The Average White Fan goes beyond the fluff to tell you what it all means. First, I’m tackling the myth of the Big 3 team-building concept. And the FIRST EVER NBA Cup is about to be decided. It’s been a fun ride and it’s also telling us a lot about the teams that made it and the ones that didn’t. Why are the Lakers …

1
Mike Massimino: The Sky’s The Limit 42:00

8M ago42:00

42:00

Mike Massimino is smart. No surprise there. He’s a graduate of Columbia, MIT and the NASA space program. But he’s also incredibly thoughtful about the lessons while preparing for his two space shuttle flights, the time he spent in space and the clarity it gave him about life back on earth. And he’s downright funny when talking about one of the perk…

1
Lisa Lucas: For The Love Of Books 40:44

9M ago40:44

40:44

Lisa Lucas has many of the wonderful qualities that a compelling character in one of the books she publishes might have. She’s smart. She’s thoughtful. And she’s really funny. Have you ever known anyone who breezily refers to the classic The Brothers Karamazov as “ The Brothers K?” She’s the Senior Vice President and Publisher of Pantheon Books and…

1
Chandrika Tandon: Business + Music = Joy 42:35

9M ago42:35

42:35

Chandrika Tandon has a head for business and a soul for music. She’s reached incredible heights in both fields. It’s a remarkable story. Where others see obstacles she sees opportunities, from growing up in India to coming to the United States and then realizing her dream of making music while raising a family and wielding influence in the business…

1
Crystal Balls & Bad Calls 28:57

10M ago28:57

28:57

This week on Average White Fan, Scott hits you with a quick 2-for-1 to start the show. After watching a few games this week he’s wondering if people just like saying “small ball” or do they actually know how to play it. And what’s up with the post-up? Is it time for this dying art to make a comeback? Also, which coaches are dealing with overbearing…

1
Week 2 of the NBA's in-season tournament 22:42

10M ago22:42

22:42

This week's episode is late again! This week on Average White Fan, we're diving into Week 2 of the NBA's in-season tournament, where unexpected heroes emerge. We're asking the tough questions: Does your team have that 'dawg' mentality? And what happens when an 'Old Head’ reveals a surprising lack of fight? We're also tackling the heated debate arou…

1
Asi Wind: The Magician’s Magician 40:50

9M ago40:50

40:50

At this profoundly dark time, a show of hope and wonder is taking place at a small and intimate theater in Greenwich Village. The show is called “Asi Wind’s Inner Circle.” If you love magic, you’ll love it. If you hate magic, you’ll love it. It is unlike any show I’ve ever seen, where the audience plays an integral role in the entire evening. It is…

1
In-Season Tournament-Who Wants to Win? 27:05

10M ago27:05

27:05

-This episode was delayed! My bad! In this week’s episode of Average White Fan, we're diving headfirst into the NBA's in-season tournament. It's a chance to see which teams actually have the competitive fire; the ‘greats’ like Kobe and Michael always want to win, so who’s going to take it all? We’re also reevaluating some opinions and predictions b…

1
Nick Lowe: Writing And Singing The Book, Part 2 17:59

10M ago17:59

17:59

Nick Lowe has been writing and singing his songs for some 50 years. Some songs, like the exquisite “Stoplight Roses” are known by his ardent fans. Others, like “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” are known around the world. More than a few iconic musicians have covered his songs, including Elvis Costello and Johnny Cash. He’s a …

1
Coaching, The Fountain of Youth & a Big Trade 28:19

10M ago28:19

28:19

In this episode of Average White Fan, we put the spotlight on the tacticians of the hardwood—breaking down which NBA coaches are leaving their mark on the game and the reasons behind their influence. We tackle the age-old question of youth vs. experience through the lens of this week’s predictions for key matchups that pit seasoned vets against ris…

1
Nick Lowe: Writing And Singing The Book, Part 1 35:20

10M ago35:20

35:20

There’s something beautiful about a musician who has been writing and performing for decades and is still out there, finding inspiration to write and create special moments for the audience. And yes, there is something beautiful about Nick Lowe. There are the catchy songs that we first loved when we were younger and the poignant songs at every stag…

1
NBA Rosters & First Week Feelings 27:59

10M ago27:59

27:59

In this episode I’ve got some quick hitters on the NBA's freshly locked rosters, breaking down the nuances of newly constructed teams, confidence, confusion and hope and what it truly takes to start grabbing those “dubs”. As we tip-off the season, I’ll also let you know my picks for the most anticipated week one matchups.…

1
Rob Simmelkjaer: The Long Run To A Dream Job 38:22

10M ago38:22

38:22

From the outside, it seems that it’s been a brilliant trajectory for Rob Simmelkjaer, from Ivy League college and law school to prestigious legal and media positions. But to steal a piece of wisdom from Rob himself, no one’s trajectory is a straight line. The path has now led him to his “dream job” as the CEO of New York Road Runners, a position th…

1
Tryouts 22:46

11M ago22:46

22:46

This week we're talking about week 2 of NBA preseason, three types of NBA preseason teams, and moves each team needs to make for success.By Scott Elmore

1
Gabi Conti: Writing For The Soul And The Smiles 40:42

10M ago40:42

40:42

Spend 12 seconds talking to Gabi Conti and you get it, that California blast of energy born out of growing up in the Northeast. She’s written, directed and hosted new media and old. She jokes that she peaked at Emerson College, where the window to the rest of her life opened. In those early years in the business, when obstacles had the audacity to …

1
Garry Trudeau: The Doonesbury Chronicler 39:36

11M ago39:36

39:36

We all have books, music, movies, pieces of art that elate us in good times and sustain us in hard times. The 1975 book "The Doonesbury Chronicles" is at the top of the list for me. I frequently go back to it, rereading strips that I've read a hundred times. Garry Trudeau created Doonesbury, initially called Bull Tales, at Yale in the late 60's. Tr…

1
Stephen Dubner: A Man Of Endless Curiosity 39:14

11M ago39:14

39:14

It’s one thing to have a successful book, and Freaknomics, the 2005 book Stephen Dubner co-authored with economist Steven Levitt, is very successful, with million of copies sold and translated all over the world. But it’s rare that a successful book becomes a radio show, a podcast and a small cottage industry. And it’s even rarer that it becomes pa…

1
Hari Kondabolu: Funny Man. Thoughtful Man. 42:58

11M ago42:58

42:58

It’s not every standup comedian who has the London School of Economics on the resume. In fact, Hari Kondabolu may be the only standup who has the London School of Economics on his resume. It may not reflect how funny he is, but it shines a bit of a light on how thoughtful his work is. He is perhaps best known for creating the documentary “The Probl…

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