Turner Sports Host Ernie Johnson Is in an Insanely Busy Stretch

Ernie Johnson joins the podcast this week. As you’re presumably aware, he hosts Inside the NBA on TNT and is also anchoring coverage for Turner Sports’ and CBS’ NCAA Tournament.

In between the tourney and the NBA playoffs (after which comes his MLB work for TBS), his autobiography, Unscripted, comes out on April 4th. It is available for pre-order on his web site. There will be a book tour hitting New York City, the ESPN carwash in Bristol, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta.

On the podcast we discussed:

• Why does he think ratings for the NCAA Tournament are up big this year?
• How does he play “traffic cop” for Shaq and Charles Barkley, who are not always the most careful drivers?
• If he were NBA Commissioner, what would he do to address players resting, especially on national television?
• LaVar Ball
• The book tour.

Hope you enjoy!

▶ Turner/CBS Analyst Grant Hill Talks Coach K and Grayson Allen, Lonzo and LaVar Ball, NBA Rest

▶ Michael Kornheiser Talks Launching Tony’s Podcast, 2017 Golf Landscape

▶ A Conversation With Joe Buck

▶ Breaking Down Packers Victory and Broadcasting Aspirations With AJ Hawk

▶ Dan Wetzel Talks Chargers-to-LA, UFC Lawsuit, Ronda Rousey, and His Triumph Over Marriott

▶ CBS Sports Host Adam Schein Discusses OBJ and Giants in Miami, Juggling a Half-Dozen Jobs

▶ Aaron Nagler’s Journey from Private Equity PR to Packers Media Maven for USA Today Network

▶ Jeff Van Gundy Discusses Cavs-Warriors, Russell Westbrook, and Why Patrick Ewing Hasn’t Gotten Head Coach Shot

▶ Fox Sports Host Rob Stone: Five Events in Three Sports All Over the Continent Since Last Week

▶ Jalen Rose Discusses His Trajectory at ESPN

▶ Why Does Doug Gottlieb Think NCAA Players Shouldn’t Be Able to Play Right Away Elsewhere If Coaches Leave?

▶ Fox Sports Host Rob Stone Talks USA-Mexico and Network’s 2018 World Cup Coverage Plans

▶ Fox Sports Host Kevin Burkhardt Talks World Series, Working With A-Rod, Pete Rose, + Frank Thomas

▶ Cari Champion Signs New Multi-Year Deal With ESPN, Discusses Expanded SportsCenter + More

▶ Scott Van Pelt on What’s Gone Right in a Year of Midnight SportsCenter

▶ Colin Cowherd Discusses His New Digital Venture

▶ Fox Sports Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas Talks Timbers-Sounders, Champions League, and Hope Solo

▶ A Conversation With Kristine Leahy, Broadcaster on American Ninja Warrior and FS1’s The Herd

▶ Felix Salmon Dissects the Ramifications of Gawker’s Bankruptcy Filing

▶ Talking All Things Media With CNN Poly-Platformist Brian Stelter

▶ Copa America 2016: Rob Stone of Fox Sports Breaks Down the Nuts and Bolts

▶ The Pro Wrestling Reporter Who Left TMZ to Start Up His Own Shop

▶ Rockets Need a Rebuild; Is Daryl Morey the Right Person for that Job?

▶ Richard Deitsch Talks Bayless, Tirico, and Possible First Take Replacements

▶ A Conversation With Sarah Spain

▶ Ahman Green Talks About Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Eddie Lacy

▶ Nicole Auerbach Discusses Tyler Summitt’s Resignation, and the Aftermath

▶ Mike Florio: Average Fans Should Care About Josh Gordon Confidentiality Breach (Previous podcasts with Florio on Deflategate and his own career are here and here)

▶ Dave Kindred Shares Memories of Covering The Masters for 50 Years

▶ Turner Sports Announcer Brian Anderson Talks NCAA Tourney, Career, and Hank the Dog

▶ Chris Russo Talks One-Night Mike and the Mad Dog Reunion, Adam LaRoche, and Tom Brady

▶ Should LeBron Bear More Responsibility for Love and Kyrie “Fitting In?” (With Cleveland sports talk host Anthony Lima)

▶ Sally Jenkins Talks Tennessee, NCAA Pay, Deflategate, Joe Paterno, and Lance Armstrong

▶ What Does PC Twitter Even Mean? (With Jason McIntyre and Barstool’s Big Cat)

▶ A Conversation With Linda Cohn, Whose Record 5000th SportsCenter Is on the Horizon

▶ Woj Discusses Launching The Vertical, LeBron and Blatt, and What Would Make Hacking Stop

▶ Barstool and Its Bloggers Bet on Mainstream Viability

▶ Would Jay Bilas Advise Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey to Sit Out Next Season?

▶ Asking Darren Rovell If and When LeBron James Will Be a Billionaire

▶ Peter King Talks NFL Refs, MMQB*

▶ Peter Mehlman Compares and Contrasts Craftemng Novel Wemth Wremtemng for Howard Cosell and Seemnfeld

▶ Christine Brennan’s Talks About Greg Hardy, NFL Media, and Advice for Young Writers

▶ A Conversation With Michael Wilbon

▶ Bill Plaschke Talks About Lamar Odom and the Curse of the Kardashians

▶ Was Urban Meyer Okay With Players Asking Taylor Swift Out?

▶ Ex-Vikings Mascot Ragnar Tells His Side of the Story

▶ Brett Taylor, the Cubs Blogger Who Left a Big Law Firm

▶ Gary Sheffield Talks MLB Playoffs, Harper-Papelbon, and Hall of Fame

▶ Scott Van Pelt Talks Midnight SportsCenter, Madison As Best College Sports Town in America

▶ Matthew Berry Has Like 45 Jobs

▶ Jim Ross Talks About His Live Show, Roddy Piper, and Steroids in Hollywood

▶ Clay Travis Talks SEC Media Days, New Deal With Fox Sports, and the Confederate Flag

▶ A Long Conversation With Frank Deford

▶ Does Sarah Spain worry that her politics will make her polarizing?

▶ David Purdum talks about Tony Romo, fantasy football, and the NFL’s gambling hypocrisies 

▶ Dan Le Batard talks about his career, Papi, and Bill Simmons

▶ Kenny Smith before the NBA conference finals

*denotes Pigsplosion podcast