The Press Box

Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker preview Election Day by unpacking a final wave of Democratic-friendly Senate polling and the bizarre fallout in Michigan after Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, then struggled to explain her reversal to Anderson Cooper (12:52). Bryan and David rank the 10 races they’ll be watching most closely—from Michigan and Texas to Kansas, Iowa, and potential surprise states (41:02). Then Bryan offers his final predictions for control of the House and Senate before they discuss an update on Michael Wilbon’s health (53:44).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Producers: Jon Jones, Steve Ahlman, and Ben Cruz

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Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker celebrate Halloween by dressing as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman before reflecting on Ernie Johnson’s 37-year run as host of 'Inside the NBA,' the understated instincts that made him a uniquely beloved broadcaster, and what the show might become without him. They also dissect Pat McAfee’s escalating response to a harmless Utah student video and how his outsize presence has changed 'College GameDay' before surveying a batch of startling midterm polls in South Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Maine, and Michigan.

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Producers: Jon Jones, Steve Ahlman, and Ben Cruz

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Welcome to the October Issue of the Press Box. First, author Michael Connelly joins the show to talk about his years as an LA crime reporter, his Harry Bosch novels, why Bosch lives in the hills above LA, and much more. He also weighed in on the Bosch Amazon series and the current state of his old paper, the LA Times.

Then, Chris Ryan and Bryan list their all-time favorite detective novels.

Host: Bryan Curtis

Guests: Michael Connelly and Chris Ryan

Producers: Jon Jones and Steve Ahlman

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Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson make their final predictions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, debating whether James Talarico can break Texas Democrats’ statewide drought, whether Susan Collins can survive once again in Maine, and whether Democrats will take control of the Senate (5:35). They also examine the consequences of weakened voting protections, the possibility of challenges to election results and why celebrities and athletes who align themselves with Donald Trump may face lasting backlash (24:15). Bryan also bids farewell to an unsung broadcast hero (46:00).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Jon Jones, Steve Ahlman, and Ben Cruz

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Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down CBS’s decision to elevate J.J. Watt to its top NFL broadcast team alongside Jim Nantz, assess Watt’s development as an analyst, and consider what the network shuffle could mean for Troy Aikman’s future in the booth. They also examine an increasingly ugly Ohio governor’s race, the wider midterm media narrative (16:31), and Blake Griffin’s new media-criticism show, 'The Step Back,' including whether its John Oliver-inspired format makes the best use of Griffin’s perspective as a former player (37:58).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Producers: Jon Jones, Steve Ahlman, and Ben Cruz

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel kick things off by talking through more of the Joe Buck-Troy Aikman drama at ESPN (6:20).

They then get into the incredible O.J. Simpson story that the New York Times dropped over the weekend (24:47) and Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure as White House press secretary (34:13), before closing out with thoughts on the potential 24-team college football playoff (40:17).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Jon Jones and Ben Cruz

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David discuss all the reports around the tension between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the 'Monday Night Football' booth. They talk about how we got here and what could be next for Troy and ESPN (13:16). Then they talk about the new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia (33:57). After that, Bryan is joined by Peter King to talk about his long career covering the NFL and his new book, 'The Game' (47:05).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guest: Peter King

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel take a look at nine interesting Senate races and tier them in order of Democrats' confidence that they'll win (9:39). They end with talking about ESPN's new 'Saban' documentary (47:22).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David discuss potential retirements on 'Inside the NBA,' the Paramount–Warner Bros. deal finally going through (9:09), and potential Halloween costumes for the pod (21:34). Then Bryan is joined by Lachlan Cartwright from Breaker to talk about James and Lachlan Murdoch (27:15).

Plus, David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline!

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guest: Lachlan Cartwright

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel discuss the latest polling information that provides an optimistic view for Democrats. Then they are joined by Gina Hinojosa, Democratic nominee for governor in Texas. They talk about why she joined the race, ICE, data centers, and much more (25:59). They wrap up with a Joel Anderson lightning round (55:11).

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Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Guest: Gina Hinojosa

Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Jon Jones, and Sarah Reddy

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Today on an emergency edition of the podcast, Bryan and Joel react to the news that Tony Romo is officially out at CBS. They give their instant reactions to the news, discuss Romo's history and legacy at CBS, and wrap up with a discussion of the shuffle at the top to be a network's no. 1 NFL color analyst.

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Jon Jones, and Donald LoBianco

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David start with sports TV news. They talk about Kirk Herbstreit's contract extension with Amazon, the upcoming expiration of Troy Aikman's contract with ESPN, and the fight for no. 1 play-by-play jobs. Then they talk about the news that David Ellison is considering retaining Mark Thompson as the CEO of CNN (21:00). After that, they react to the sports mistake that Missouri senator Eric Schmitt made while questioning Jack Smith (26:00). The guys are later joined by former Michigan state representative Mari Manoogian, and they discuss a handful of upcoming races, Democrat hopium, and a story about negative political ads and Grantland (40:58).

Plus David Shoemaker and Mari Manoogian Guess the Strained-Pun Headline!

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guest: Mari Manoogian

Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Jon Jones, and Sarah Reddy

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel get into a wild weekend in college football, from Texas-Tennessee and Steve Sarkisian spilling the beans on what happens to coaches’ headsets when President Trump moves around the stadium, to the scary Dante Moore injury and Desman Stephens's fallout at USC. They also get into the latest on the increasingly hard to ignore Democratic blue wave, with the midterms now just 36 days away, and ask the question hanging over all of it: Are we actually seeing a wave, or are we falling for this again (17:26)? Plus, Dennis Miller’s strange and fascinating run on 'Monday Night Football' (43:53).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Devon Renaldo and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, it’s the September Issue. Bryan and David give updates on the banned outlets from the White House and the awkward situation surrounding Graham Bensinger and Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, as well as their reaction to the latest trailer for David O. Russell’s ‘Madden.’ Next, they share their opinions on the new movie ‘Primetime,’ starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, host of the popular TV series ‘To Catch a Predator’ from 2004. They discuss how the show grew from a segment on 'Dateline NBC' to a full-fledged TV series, the early-2000s era of sensational TV programming, and the legacy of ‘To Catch a Predator’ and Chris Hansen since the show ended (32:32).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Producers: Jon Jones and Jessie Lopez

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Today on the Press Box, Bryan and Joel start with the news of the Paramount-Warner Bros. lawsuit being settled and that the merger can proceed. They discuss what this means for CNN (2:54). Then, they talk about Donald Trump banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House. They talk about the partial collective action by other TV networks to decide not to cover Trump, why Trump did this now, and what's next (11:38). Then, they discuss Nikole Hannah-Jones's follow-up piece in the New York Times about re-examining her decisions with her child's education (38:47). They wrap up with Tom Brady swearing on-air, and the McClatchy layoffs (52:18).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David discuss the ProPublica piece revealing that Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding was funded by a Russian oligarch (18:16). Then they touch on a handful of other media topics, including Arch Manning and Holly Rowe, a Troy Aikman verbal tic, and more (37:12). Then Bryan is joined by Logan Murdock and Howard Beck to discuss some pre-preseason NBA media stories. They provide some thoughts on the Clippers scandal, investigative reporting in sports, all-time quote guys, LeBron's impact on the media, and much more (54:15).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guests: Logan Murdock and Howard Beck

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel recap Bryan's exciting weekend in Austin, Texas. They talk about the Texas–Ohio State game, Ted Cruz on 'College GameDay,' and some other sights and sounds Bryan witnessed this past weekend. Then they provide their thoughts on the season premiere of '60 Minutes,' and they talk about CBS's 'NFL Today' (37:53).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David ponder what the upcoming new season of a Bari Weiss–led '60 Minutes' will look like. But they start by talking about NBC's broadcast of the opening game of the NFL season between the Patriots and Seahawks. Then they move on to talk about all aspects of '60 Minutes,' including the aesthetics of the show, the history, the scandals, and much more. Then Bryan is joined by Fox broadcaster Joe Davis, and they talk about how he got into broadcasting, switching between calling football and baseball games, broadcaster word association, calling Game 7 of the World Series, and much more.

Plus, David Shoemaker Guesses The Strained-Pun Headline!

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guest: Joe Davis

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel preview the NFL season. They talk about whether Tony Romo will ever return to CBS, some of the new faces on TV this season, Dianna Russini’s potential return, and the 10-year anniversary of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against Black people. Then Bryan is joined by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham to discuss some of his best pieces, his longevity at ESPN, the state of long-form writing, and more (57:18).

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Guest: Seth Wickersham

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David are joined by Jason Concepcion to discuss the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers investigation. They talk about the findings from the NBA, Pablo Torre's reporting throughout this saga, and a past ESPN report that was contrary to the NBA's eventual announcement.

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guest: Jason Concepcion

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Jon Jones

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