The Big Lead

7 ESPN Personalities Discuss How They Got Where They Are, The Challenges They Face, and What's Next

By Bobby Burack

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Seven ESPN personalities sat down with The Big Lead for a face-to-face roundtable discussion with topics ranging from their careers, their futures, their challenges, the business, advice, and more:

The panel: 

What is the most substantial obstacle in your field that you must overcome going forward?

Schefter – ESPN: “Everyone is fighting to retain viewership at a time there is cord cutting. I think people forget ESPN owns a share of Hulu. Maybe some of the people that consume ESPN are doing it in other places and venues. But our job, my job is to come up with good enough content where it compels people to pay attention, and to watch, and to notice whether it is on ESPN, Hulu, or wherever it is. There is so much content out there that I am proud of our company for the great features, timely information, content, and news. That is why I think ESPN has been built up to be ESPN over the years. I think that everybody is being challenged in a time where viewers are pretty smart. The company has a big challenge to retain its viewership and build upon that. I think reporters have the same challenge.”

Steele – SportsCenter: “I think that the biggest challenge for SportsCenter is always going to be balancing personality and balancing a sense of fun with a sense of bringing people up to date with what they need to know. A lot of people are going to say the biggest challenge is technology or distribution – and of course, we need to be everywhere whether it be Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. But I think the challenge with SportsCenter always is being good and being interesting. My contention is if you are good and interesting everything else will fall in place. If you can be the back page as it were, in other words, if you can be the sports show of record, which I still consider SportsCenter to be, people will find you.

Yates – NFL coverage: “I think the amount of interest in the NFL is clear and well established. One of the challenges we face collectively is finding ways to stand out and be different, but not standout just for the sake of standing out. How do you provide exceptional coverage? There are so many people covering the NFL. You go to certain teams’ practices and see 20 different outlets meaning 50, 60, maybe 75 people covering the same practice. You might have a day where there are 15 storylines, but when Saquon Barkley tweaks his hamstring on an otherwise innocuous play, do you find a way to cover that angle differently or do you just attend to the most notable storyline of the day? With there being an interest in all 32 teams there is going to continue to be more and more outlets. The question is can you be someone that viewers, listeners, and readers consider appointment viewing that they find unique as opposed to being at an outlet they just stumble upon you.”

Cain – media landscape: “The biggest challenge for any media business right now is there is so much competition. The entire media landscape, the entire entertainment landscape is fractured. I talked about this on my show the other day, it is going to be so hard, the NBA has no idea what is coming for it when LeBron James retires. Who steps up? I give you Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. The ratings were up 70% because Tiger was in contention. Stars are still important but we don’t have stars anymore like we did say in the 90s. Movie stars, music stars, sports stars, the level of superstardom they commanded in the 90s is much much greater than what anyone we call a star today truly is. LeBron and Tiger are in the tail end of that. The reason for that is there is so much competition. You can put it on a Netflix series whenever you want, you can put it on Amazon Prime, you can listen to a podcast, you have thousands of channels to watch on cable. The challenge for this industry, this business is how do you make yourself relevant on an ongoing basis when there is so much competition.”

Arlen – the business of sports media: “I don’t know that I have the seniority to answer that, but I will say everyone wants to get better. Everybody has their own challenges. I know for me, I have been here for three years now, I just want to improve and make my team proud.”

Fitz – national sports radio: “I think there are constant obstacles in sports in general. On a national level, you are trying to serve everybody as opposed to a local level you are serving one particular fan base. I will say coming from Nashville my job every day was not to talk about Colin Kaepernick, Zeke, or any of those controversies in the NFL. My job was to take those controversies and relate them to the Titans. What would happen if a Titan decided to protest? You always had to spin things to a local level. It also allows you to be super hyper-focused. Nationally, you cannot be that hyper-focused. I feel that way all the time covering college football. A number of college football fans want to yell at you for not knowing the third linebacker for Florida. Well, that is not my job. My job is to know as much about as many things as humanly possible. National always faces a challenge with content. That being said, the other piece of it, and I don’t consider it really a challenge but let’s face it, part of the reason I have a job is I can be on radio five days a week but also on Snapchat doing SportsCenter. Which is reaching close two million people a day. My college football work largely now comes on Twitter. This fall we will start a Twitter college football show at 7 pm recapping the games and setting up the night. Our challenge is to make sure we are not sitting on our laurels and doing just one thing. Those days are gone.

Buccigross – On keeping SportsCenter interesting vs. digital: “My argument is the best place to still see highlights is on your big, beautiful television. I am surprised how little TV networks, cable companies have fought back to the narrative that people watch everything on their little phones. They should fight back more. I think we pay too much attention to that. I think we should do it a lot like we used to. Show the highlights of the day.”

*Next page: “What has been the biggest challenge of your career to this point?”

What has been the biggest challenge of your career to this point?

Schefter: “There have been so many along the way. The biggest challenge was to break into the field, for me. If I go back to the late 1980s, before you were alive, it took me two full years to get a full-time job. I had hundreds of rejection letters. There is a bar at the Michigan campus called Dominic’s that would give you a free drink for every rejection letter you had, and I tell people I could have owned the bar. It was a huge thing for me to get that first full-time job at the Rocky Mountain News. There was a sports editor by the name of Barry Forbis who hired me. I think it was a challenge to cover the NFL in an effective manner, cover the Broncos beat. It was a challenge to write books, it was a huge challenge to be able to do those. It was a challenge to transition from newspaper to television. It was a challenge to build relationships in the league. It is a challenge today just to maintain and stay on top of everything.”

Steele: “I think the biggest challenge for me was making the transition from business news to sports. That is an easy answer for me. I had gone from Bloomberg Television where the mandate is to cover money and markets. But pursued sports because I enjoyed it, they knew I enjoyed it. I became the first sports reporter at Bloomberg TV but you are only going to go so far at a business network covering sports. So when I moved to ESPN full-time that was a huge transition. It is not just about getting people to headline, I will always be a news person, but it is also about having fun with the passion and history of what you are covering. The passion of the fan is never far away from my mind- and that’s a huge change versus someone sitting at home just wondering what the Dow Jones is doing.”

Yates: “As someone who has experienced working in the NFL there is a fine line between drawing from previous experiments, not leaning on it exclusively, and also establishing yourself as someone who can be a voice of authority in different regions of football reporting coverage. Fantasy football is different from being an insider, is different than an analyst, is different than someone who does radio/television coverage. You want to do all those things well but it might come through establishing yourself very good at one of them then hoping people see you are capable of other duties. I think everyone in the media knows the days of doing just one thing are gone. Ultimately, when it comes to football I want people to know I am someone they can rely upon.”

Cain: “I have done a certain thing in my career, Bobby, where I have reassessed, rebooted and never been afraid to start over again and try something new. I have never been afraid, and I’ve probably told you this, to go straight to the top where I can hear a ‘yes.’ The story I always talk about how did I first get into television. I wanted to get into political television. I was doing stuff for free for FOX and the National Review and I sent an email to John Klein, who was the president of CNN at the time, not unlike how you used to hit me up on DM continuously. I told him you need a voice like me at CNN. He responded within 15 minutes and said ‘you are right. Come in, let’s meet.’ I have never been afraid to do that. To try new things, to fail, and I have failed. But that comes with sacrifice. The biggest challenge of my career is I have not spent a lot of time at one place, investing in it, creating new things, networks that I know pay off for me. Look, Bobby, nobody likes it and trust me I am the chief among them but life is often a “who you know” game. And I don’t know a ton of people, man. I mean, I didn’t know really anyone at ESPN. Rob Savinell championed me, introduced me to John Skipper, introduced me to everyone. Rob is so important to my career. I didn’t really have that network because I had never stayed and built relationships at one place.

Arlen: “I started when I was 20, I was in a wheelchair, I was trying to figure out how to be 20 but also in a very grown-up world. So, understanding how things work. For me, just learning. I was so fortunate to start my career on-air and to learn how it all works. Highlights are still one of my nemesis. And, for me, I transitioned from wheelchair to crutches to walking to heels. It has been this steady climb of my mobility on top of my career.”

Fitz: “The first day I ever did radio in my life, I was setting up for a remote and a really smart person came up to me and said always remember one thing: ‘Your job is not to talk about what you want to talk about, your job is to talk about what everyone else wants to hear about.’ That is a daily thing that is implanted in the back of my head. There are teams that you love, there are stories you love, there are things you’re really hot on that you want to talk about and ultimately you can squeeze those in, but realistically your job is to ‘play the hits.’ Your job is to make sure that you’re hitting what the broader set of the audience wants to listen to. And you’re making it entertaining and engaging because while you may be doing it for three or four hours a day five days a week, the people that are listening aren’t consuming all of that. Even if it is the thousandth time you are doing that topic, you have to still come with that same passion so people care.”

Buccigross: “Early on. Just trying to survive that next contract. My first contract was a two-and-two. It was a two-year deal then they decide if they are going to keep you or not. Like a team option, most people have that when they first get here. Then my next contract was a three-year deal and I felt a little better. I was hosting NHL Tonight, had my own show at ESPN2. Then I signed a one-year deal and was really nervous. That was when I fired my agent. I figured, ‘I have an agent and I got a one-year contract? I can do that myself.’ So, I signed a terrible three-year deal myself. But now I have signed three five-year contacts in a row. They have always been professional and fair. I like controlling my own narrative. I also don’t know what other clients that agent is working for. I have never worried about my position here. I have never once gone into the office and talked to an executive to see why I am not doing something. I just show up, try my best, get better, and see where I end up.”

*Next page: “What does the audience truly want from sports media today?”

What does the audience truly want from sports media today?

Schefter: “I don’t think about what people want from sports media. I think about my job. My job is to provide NFL information. If people do not want that, ESPN can not renew my contract. That is up to them. They have hired me to provide NFL information. That is my job. My job is very important to me. I really don’t pay much attention to the outside noise, opinions, yelling. ‘We want this, we don’t want this,’ I just try to do my job. Period.

Steele: “In 2018, we have a media landscape that is as active as the sports world it covers. Let’s take Sam Darnold’s performance last night, you have Booger McFarland reacting to that, you have Keyshawn reacting to it on Get Up, you have Jason Witten reacting to it. You need to keep up on not just what was done in the game, not just what the players said after the game, but what your colleagues and peers are saying because that can be just as interesting or at least add a valuable insight you did not know before. In the show I just anchored, we did play back what Keyshawn said about Darnold because it was interesting. I think that is what people want out of their broadcast now. It is not just about the game, it is also how that performance is being perceived by the larger world. I would also add that I’m proud to be at a network that makes an effort to reflect the diverse audiences who watch us. If you follow me on twitter, you know I’ve said in the past that representation matters. It is hugely important to the business, our viewership and to the athletes and stories we cover, to have diverse perspectives on our editorial staff.”

Yates: “I would think more than anything else people care about informed coverage. They want to know, whoever you are, you are speaking from a position of knowledge, research, and dedication to your craft. If I went on the Fantasy Focus Football podcast and decided to change my rankings and make a backup player my number one fantasy quarterback that would not stick. I also feel as if people want a bit of you personality-wise. They do not want me to just be a robot that spits out tidbits. They want it with a twist of your personality. ‘What is the twist Field Yates presents?”

Cain: “To make them go ‘Hmm, that is interesting.’ Make people go ‘I didn’t think about that. I have two compliments that people call into the show that are my favorites. One is ‘I used to hate you and now you are starting to grow on me.’ A guy just said it to me today. Everyone I know, even my wife’s relationship arc, has gone the same way for me. The other is ‘I don’t agree with you but that was interesting.’ We need people like that. I think we are all living in echo chambers of agreement. Where we turn up, and we look for people to tell us what we want to hear. Then we look up, someone we disagree with and say ‘that is immoral, that is racist, that is stupid, you are a moron.’ Like, I love hearing people disagree with me.”

Arlen – from a SportsCenter anchor: “I think people want the news. They want to know what is going on in a way that is insightful and has heart to it. Every anchor here has that, that heart. At the end of the day, we are a sports network we are supposed to deliver the sports. As a fan, you want to know what is going on. You also want that memorable experience like you were right there at the game.”

Fitz –  from national sports radio: “A combination of things. It depends on your time slot. Smarter people than me figure out what is best for each time. I will say this, you can’t be Le Batard all day, you can’t be Golic & Wingo all day. For Spain and Fitz, we have a very specific goal. One is to react last. I get to consume Stephen A, Will Cain, Trey and Mike, and Le Batard. So, I know what they have said and their opinions. I have to make sure my opinion comes fresh. If not, who gives a damn, right? The other thing my job does, 6-9, it sets up the night. During the playoffs, I really felt Sarah and I could really hone in on being an NBA-centric show. The other side of it is I wear several different hats. I will never forget this, the night Alex Smith was traded we were on radio, I was stoked, we talked about it on radio. I went across campus to do Snapchat, I walk in to talk about how huge it is going to be and the producer looked at me and said ‘Nah, our audience doesn’t care.’ They looked at metrics it didn’t matter. We led that night with a Ball family highlight. My job for each show is giving that studied audience what they want at that specific time.

Buccigross: “I think they want short and funny videos or podcasts which is basically talk radio with some discipline. Focused and concentrated discussion or information.”

*Next page: “What would you tell someone that wants to be in the position you are in?” 

What would you tell someone that wants to be in the position you are in? 

Schefter: “Find something you love. Dedicate yourself to it, make yourself indispensable at that job. Treat people right, do it the right way and don’t take shortcuts. Whether that is as an NFL reporter, an author, feature writer, screenwriter, whatever. I would tell anyone who wants to do this, the same thing I would tell someone who wants to do almost any other job. If you don’t love architecture, don’t become an architect. If you don’t love medicine, don’t try to become a doctor. For someone to be effective at something they have to be immersed in it. If you love it, you won’t mind immersing yourself in it. It doesn’t bother me as much to have to work holidays and weekends. If you are going to be doing abnormal things, you might as well feel very strongly about it. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I do.”

Steele – “I would say get used to having weird hours. My first job in television it was 9-5 in local TV in Chicago I was walking out of the office at 5:30 on a Friday night and my executive producer turned to me and said, ‘You will never have this good of a schedule again.’ I remember thinking to myself, ‘Yeah right, Scott!’ Now years later you get used to working nights and weekends. Every once in a while like today, I am up at 3:45 am to anchor SportsCenter. The other thing I would say is there are a million different ways to get to ESPN. I think I am example number one of someone who had an extremely circuitous route to get to ESPN. I think that sets me apart and that’s a value-add because my experience before this was super unique. I was talking to NFL owners, I was talking to the commissioner of the National Football League. Figure out what your value add is, for me at the beginning it was business news, for other people it might be a different specialty. The NFL’s number one priority is health & safety– if you can go really deep into health issues and safety issues, that’s going to distinguish yourself. Figure out what you can do that will add to the conversation.

Yates:  “One thing I have always encouraged that I have spoken to, and I am fairly young in my career, it is really important to establish a voice for yourself. This is a repetition business in some aspects. I feel as if I have gotten stronger in part because of the opportunity to do things more and more. I feel I am more of a refined writer from the first time I scribbled a blog post together. I feel more as a more comfortable podcaster since my first podcast. A more confident speaker on television since my first ever TV hit. It is important, as much as you can, don’t begin your career path the day after you graduate college and enter the real world. Try to lay the groundwork. Within 30 minutes, if you and I were to start the ‘Bobby and Field Podcast’ we could go to our computer and have something going about any topic we want. Find an authentic voice. I always tell people, believe what you say and say what you believe. You have a chance, if it is an opinion, to back it up.”

Cain: “I would say two things, you have to be persistent, not give a damn about somebody saying no, you have to not give a damn about failure. You can’t care about anything stepping in your way if you know what you want, and you know what your goal is. You are going to have to keep going and grinding for it on a daily basis. That is number one, but number two, you are going to have to be good. You can grind all you want, but if you are not any good it is not going to get you anywhere. For what I do, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to read. Read everything. I spent my 20s and 30s reading the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal every single day. I am mad at myself for not reading as many books as I used to. Read as many things, from as many different backgrounds. From finance to philosophy. Here is why, if you are truly talking what I do, I just complemented Cowherd a moment ago (his style before the interview) I think he is great at analogies. I don’t know how much he reads, or what he does, I don’t know the guy. But in order to be interesting and have perspective, you gotta have a broad base of knowledge. You got to know stories, how things have worked out in various industries. You have to know a lot more than just knowing your sports cold. That is a given. That is necessary, but an insufficient amount of knowledge. ”

Arlen: “Honestly, this can go for anything in life, just stay true to who you are. Be the best version of yourself. I think we have a habit in life where we want to just insert name here, but no, just be the next you. Following the path in your passion that inspires you every day, challenges you every day and makes you say, ‘I can’t believe I get to do this.’ I still geek out when I go into the studio. I still geek out at X Games. I am such a fan at heart.”

Fitz: “Number one, if you want a dream job you have to have two jobs. Job number one that pays your bills, job number two that builds towards your dream. When I was touring at our peak, our busiest days I was in coffee shops loading up podcasts. Because that is what I said I was going to do. While everyone else was out having fun, I was the kid trying to get better at what I do. The advice I give is to get better every day, do not worry about the rest of it. I trust the process. If you do great work, somebody will eventually care. And that has been my experience in the music business and in sports. You can worry all day long about who is listening, your numbers but that is not making you better. If you worry about being great, later in life the one thing you can hang your hat on is ‘Man, I am proud of the work I did.’

Buccigross: “Read a lot of books and watch a lot of games.”

*Next page: “Where do you see and hope to be at in your career in five years?”

Where do you see and hope to be at in your career in five years?

Schefter: “Over the years, that is a question I’ve been asked a lot. And my answer never really has changed over the past couple of decades. I don’t think five years down the line. I did when I was in my early 20s, but not now. Now I think about doing the best job I can today, working as hard as I can today, and if today works out, then I will try to do the same tomorrow. I have no clue where my career will be in five years; but at the risk of sounding like the Patriots head coach, if I do my job, I’m hopeful it will be in a good place. My grandfather always used to tell me, People make plans and God laughs. So I’m not planning on anything years down the line, envisioning anything down the line. I’m just trying to do a job well done today.”

Steele – “I love what I am doing right now. Typically in television, it’s extremely bifurcated – you report or you anchor. For me, I’ve been able to almost create my own major at ESPN. I have opportunities like this week to anchor SportsCenter, or anchor on the road like we did at Patriots training camp, then turn around and report from the field on a regular basis – or write and work on investigative stories for Outside the Lines or for our features unit. That I’m able to do all of those things is pretty rare and something that I hope to continue because ultimately each skill helps the other. I do hope to add a little bit of audio in there whether it’s a podcast or radio in some capacity- I’m a big admirer of Dan Le Batard’s show. Not just because it’s funny in its absurdity, but also because they make the refreshing presumption that people want to learn something new every day. Whether that’s figuring out the kind of soup JR Smith threw at the Cavs facility or taking questions about the animal kingdom every week. I think people are innately curious – and whatever I do next I hope I get to keep scratching that itch. Also, I heard Alex Trebek is retiring soon. Jeopardy producers (mouths ‘call me’).”

Yates: “Now that is one of the tougher questions I get asked and it is something I talk to extensively with people that are close to me is understanding five years ago some of the things that are razor-sharp right now a red hot right now were not irrelevant at that time, but we’re not nearly as prominent at that time. I think that what I have realized is the most important thing I can do to control or dictate where I will be in five years is to have foundational and comprehensive knowledge of the league. Knowing the teams, knowing the context surrounding the teams, all moves, all transactions, all potential transactions, all potential storylines as best you can. Because I don’t know role wise what our landscape will look like in five years. We have seen the rise in prominence of the podcast industry in the last five years, now we are seeing a lot of Periscope, a lot of OTTs, we are seeing a lot of variables in play. I am less married to the idea of in five years ‘I need to this,’ and more relying on the principle of knowing what I need to know.”

Cain: “Five years from now, and I told you this on your podcast, I want to be doing the Will Cain Show, I do. I want to be doing this show. I want to have a television show, like when I started. I have three hours of TV. I want people to look up one day and say ‘That guy is doing amazing.’ I want to do what I am doing but at a higher level. I also want to be entrepreneurial. I told you about podcasting before, that is entrepreneurial. That is building your audience, that is building your brand, that audience that cares what you say. That audience that is all-in on you. I do want to do things outside of ESPN, I do. I have told you that before. I have projects. I have ideas for content, for companies that I intend to create and start and do. We will work that out with ESPN when we get to that bridge.”

Arlen: “Oh Lord, I have no idea. I just hope to be better and get better. I want to make my family proud, God proud, my bosses and colleagues proud. My thing has been making the most at this second chance at life that I have been given.”

Fitz: “My end goal has always been to make an impact to a generation of sports fans.  I want to be as associated with sports memories for the next generation as guys like Stuart Scott, Mike Golic and Rich Eisen were for me.  In five years I just want to be doing great work and closer to that goal.”

Buccigross: “I hope to make that transition to play-by-play. I have been doing college hockey now, the Frozen Four. Studio shows will always have a place. I have done this for 24 years. I also want to have summers off. I want to have that hockey play-by-play season. Maybe some college basketball and football in there too. Hopefully at this network.

*Next page: “What sports story are you most interested in right now or coming up?”

What sports story are you most interested in right now or coming up?

Schefter: “I don’t know what the next big story in sports is going to be, but I am guessing the NFL will be a part of it. Because it usually is. Whether that will be the national anthem, domestic violence, sexual harassment, or a coach snorting cocaine at his desk. The NFL will provide, it always does.

Steele – “The upcoming NFL season. I was just on Monday night games last year, and I hope to cover a mix of Sunday and Monday coming up this season – tons of marquee matchups. Like everyone at this point in the preseason, I am really, really curious how the new rules changes will change the dynamic. You have defenders right now saying ‘I am not going to be able to play the way I want to play.’ Gamblers might want to start taking the over if defenses start taking their foot off the gas pedal a little. [Roquan Smith,] He is a guy who plays fast and makes others go backwards. So the new helmet rule is going to be an issue for him. That is why he held out for so long. As a Chicagoan, you’d love to see the Bears get to the postseason but have such a high bar to get over in the division, with two legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFC North. And, of course, LeBron. Do we get another championship, do we even get a playoff team this year in LA… it’s always going to be LeBron.

Yates: “The gates are opening for sports gambling and sports betting. You have a massive potential impact on all core sports. That is going to be fascinating to watch. Someone like me who does fantasy football might be more mindful of lines than I ever was at any point in my career. Point spreads and lines are something I am going to be more in tune with.”

Cain: “Would it be just so cliché for me to say the Dallas Cowboys? Here is the truth, it is the Cowboys. And I think they are going to be good this year. Here is how I come to sports and I don’t think I am unique here. I think sometime in this business there is a legitimate question ‘Do you like sports?’ A lot of people that comment on it should be asked that. Another thing is a lot of guys in this business stop being fans. I don’t ever want to stop being a fan. It is why I got in here. It is who I am. I am not going to lie to the audience, I am a huge Cowboys fan, Longhorns fan. When I approach sports, I approach it from the prism of a fan. So, the biggest sports story to me is going to be the Cowboys, the Longhorns, Manchester City, the Rangers, and the Mavericks. It is always going to be number one for me. And I will try to be fair to the Packers and your teams.”

Arlen: “I am really excited for the Red Sox. I am a big Red Sox fan. I really want to see them break that record so badly. Red Sox. I remember when they won in 2004. I was out of commission after that but I do remember 2013. They were so good to me after the Olympics. They have a special place in my heart. Go, Red Sox!”

Fitz: “In the fall it is New York. There is a perception the Giants needed a quarterback and they sat there with the number two pick and drafted Saquon Barkley. And because they took Barkley and the Jets with the next pick took Darnold, what you have done is set up is a 10, 15, 20-year run of every time Darnold steps on the field and plays well, there will be a question of did we make the right pick. I think both teams did make the right pick but that soap opera is going to be the most interesting thing I think in the football season.”

Buccigross: “Hockey gets a lot of my attention. I really enjoy the golf. For me, it is to what level will football drop off in this century.  Now, of course, I will only be alive for one to 40 years of it. I just wonder will it continue to drop off and give hockey and soccer a chance to gain? Will the fast, athletic kids start to go play hockey and soccer instead of football? That is going to be fascinating. It might be happening now, but the results might not be until the next generation. Or they will figure it out and it will be fine for the next 15-20 years.

*Next page: Bonus conversations

Bonus conversations: 

On September 4, Adam Schefter’s novel The Man I Never Met: A Memoir will be released (pre-order on Amazon): “It is the story of my wife’s late husband. On the 15th anniversary of 9/11, we at ESPN put out a piece that looked back at Joe Maio’s life. The reaction blew me away and the number of people that were touched. This book is an expansion of that 6-plus minute television story to a 200-page story. It is a tribute to my wife’s late husband’s life. It is a salute to my wife for the toughness and courage she has demonstrated. It is another way for our son to remember his biological father. I like to think it will offer up some hope for those feeling bereaved and lonely. I have been pleasantly surprised by the reaction the book has received. Dan Wetzel tweeted ‘Got this today. Finished it today. Couldn’t put it down. That’s probably the best compliment I can give Adam Schefter’s introspective and inspiring family story.’ That offers me hope that people can remember my wife’s late husband and admire my wife for the life she has led.”

Victoria Arlen on her 30 for 30 documentary and novel Locked In. The story of her transition from ” a rare medical diagnosis that left her in a vegetative state and her incredible recovery that followed:” “It was so emotional. I was also writing my book so I was kind of already in that mindset of sharing my story, reflecting on my story. My family was involved in the film. It was the first time publicly they spoke on about my story, shared their emotions, and their thoughts and feelings. As a family, it was very healing for all of us. Emotional, yes. It made us all sit down and realize, ‘Wow, we really got through that. We got through that together.’ My parents are amazing, my brothers are amazing, my whole family is amazing, but to see my brothers share their thoughts and feelings, I didn’t watch any of their interviews until the film was put together, so to see them all so strong and poise was so emulate to who they were when I was sick and who they are today.”