News Archive
July 2021
For those of us yet to feel climate change's greatest impacts, a bit of travel can offer some much needed perspective. My blog.
June 2021
This month's blog: Planting flowers or plants in potholes may sound odd, but they offer powerful symbolism for nature and infrastructure.
A reminder that a second season of the Jonny and Josh Podcast is in full swing...and we've even had some listening success, placing number one among baseball pods in the United Kingdom at least once recently! (proof here)
May 2021
I discuss whether corporations are really doing what's necessary to fight climate change in my newest Medium blog.
April 2021
Electric heat pumps are cool: this month's blog tells you why.
March 2021
I guested on a podcast to discuss the cultural and baseball importance of Joe DiMaggio.
Wrote this month on how we cannot MacGyver ourselves out of the climate crisis.
February 2021
My monthly blog is on "The Greta Effect" and the marketplace of idea.
January 2021
New blog for the new year: Keeping climate on the tip of our tongues.
December 2020
The unnatural use of the phrase "natural gas" is the topic for my December Medium blog.
November 2020
Here's a Medium blog I wrote for Thanksgiving on how to discuss climate change at the holiday dinner table.
October 2020
October blog: Understanding personal responsibility when it comes to climate change.
September 2020
The difference between being even-handed and fair in climate change media coverage is the subject of this month's Medium blog.
August 2020
Reminder: New episodes of "The Jonny and Josh Show" podcast come out weekly. You can subscribe here.
Heat waves should be named just like hurricanes. Why? The answer is in my newest blog.
July 2020
Nice article in Metro UK featuring the @jonnyandjosh podcast. Please consider subscribing here.
New blog: MLB players opting out of the 2020 season should offer inspiration for our leaders to do the right thing.
We've gotten the old Channel 5 TV team back together to do a new podcast called "The Jonny and Josh Show"! Please check out @jonnyandjosh on Twitter and Instagram and consider subscribing here.
June 2020
I was quoted and my work on the origins of sports metaphors was mentioned in Rob Wilfong and Tim Ito's new book on business speak, "The BS Dictionary."
May 2020
Did something a bit different this month on Medium: I wrote on baseball and the history of the greatest LOOGY seasons (if you don't know what that is, check out the piece!)
April 2020
Bonus blog: Wrote on my experience as an election judge and how it informs my thoughts on emergency mail-in voting.
Journalist Michael Cieply makes a nice mention of my book "Totally Scripted" in Deadline.
The importance of experts is the focus of my April Medium blog.
March 2020
America's founders and climate change is the subject of my March Medium.com blog.
February 2020
A mention for my "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" book in Wide Open Eats.
My annual installment of the Mister-Baseball Top 50 is out.
Did an interview with the British Baseball Podcast.
Should Oscar winners use their acceptance speech to talk climate? I discuss that issue in my Medium blog.
January 2020
My Medium piece this month is on political tribalism and the climate crisis.
December 2019
Can curling save the planet? That question (about the sport) is answered in my December Medium.com piece.
"How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" is described as a book that "offer[s] up plenty of new and interesting flavors" in New Haven, Connecticut's Shoreline Times.
November 2019
Wonderful review of the second edition of my "Baseball in Europe" book in Midwest Book Review (Library Bookwatch).
How personal identity plays a key role in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is the subject of my Medium blog this month.
October 2019
My second edition of "Baseball in Europe: A Country by Country History" is out! Please consider picking up a copy.
The value of compelling photos and graphics in the environmental movement is the focus of my October Medium blog.
September 2019
This month's Medium article is on how electric vehicles can be a positive tipping point in the environmental space.
August 2019
Yahoo! referenced my research from "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" in a recent article.
Newest Medium.com article is on the concept of greenhouse gaslighting.
July 2019
My Medium.com article this month is on making the Freedom of Information Act sexy.
Apparently I sound like actor Jason Bateman, according to this Chicago Tribune review of the British broadcast of the MLB London Series.
June 2019
Fantastic article in The Athletic about the history of my old MLB on 5 TV show in the UK.
Deep MLB.com dive into British baseball history, including my thoughts.
Nice mention of my work in this New York Times piece on British baseball.
My British baseball history work is mentioned in this MLB.com story on the London Series.
A brief report (bottom right) of my curling team's eight-ender was published in the USA Curling News.
New Medium piece on why The Lorax is so important today.
May 2019
My May Medium.com story looks at properly defining heroes in the environmental movement.
April 2019
Wrote an additional article this month on Medium.com. The topic: when climate change meets social media.
This month's Medium.com piece is about the concept of political greenwashing.
March 2019
Did a story this month on Medium.com about MLB's efforts on environmental issues.
February 2019
Here's a new piece I did on Medium.com about the semantics of climate change.
January 2019
Did my first article for The Public Interest Network on Medium.com. The topic: An environmentalist's historical guide to the State of the Union.
December 2018
After five years of hosting KGNU's Real Deal in Sports, I've had to step away because of a new job. Here's my final show (on gender and sports).
September 2018
New KGNU show: Talk about Colin Kaepernick and his relationship with Nike.
August 2018
My book The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors gets a shout out in this article in PR Daily.
In remembrance of the 80th anniversary of England winning the first-ever baseball World Cup (yep, it happened!), I did two podcasts and had a chapter I wrote for a book reprinted by BaseballSoftballUK. Podcasts can be found here and here; reprint here.
Here's a new episode of my KGNU show: An 30-minute interview with author Jeff Pearlman about Donald Trump, his involvement with the USFL and what it might say about the man today.
Wrote an article for the Summer 2018 edition of Headwaters, the magazine of Water Education Colorado. The topic: Water and marijuana cultivation in Colorado's Pueblo County.
July 2018
New episode of my KGNU show is on sports coaches and their role in political discourse. Check it out here.
June 2018
Did a podcast with marketing exec Richard Clarke on MLB's 2019 London Series. Listen here.
April 2018
April's episode of my KGNU radio show looks to answer the question: Is there diminishing interest in major commercial spectator spectator sports? Listen here.
March 2018
My book Totally Scripted was named a finalist in the Indies Book of the Year Awards by Foreword Reviews in the performing arts category.
This month's edition of my KGNU radio show looks at the youth sports industrial complex. Listen here.
February 2018
February's episode of my KGNU program focuses on Trump and how sports have both influenced him (and he's impacted the games we play). Listen here.
January 2018
My first KGNU show of 2018 is on the geopolitical ramifications of the Olympics in South Korea.
December 2017
My December edition of "The Real Deal in Sports" on KGNU looks at rules and sanctions in sports and what following (or not following them) means to the real world.
Amazon is now selling a Kindle version of my book "Totally Scripted". If you want a digital copy, you can get it here.
November 2017
On "The Real Deal in Sports", my KGNU radio show, I look at sexual assault and harassment in sports. It can be heard here.
September 2017
This month's episode of my KGNU show looks at the cost of college athletics and its impact on universities. It can be found here.
August 2017
On Sept. 27, I will be speaking at the Denver Kappa Book & Author Evening, which will take place at Palazzo Verdi in Greenwood Village, CO, starting at 6 p.m. Please come if you're in the area!
This month's episode of my KGNU radio show "The Real Deal in Sports" explores racial issues in the NFL.
July 2017
New episode of my KGNU radio show discusses sports media and political bias. It can be found here.
June 2017
This month's installment of my KGNU show focuses on climate change and it's impact on outdoor recreation. Listen here.
Guested on a fun podcast called Bat Flips and Nerds. Check out the interview here.
May 2017
The May installment of my KGNU show is a 30-minute taped episode on the concept of sports activism. You can hear it here.
I'm quoted extensively in this Newsweek oral history on client/friend Gift Ngoepe.
April 2017
New episode of my KGNU show can be heard here. The topic: Understanding sports fandom.
I joined Marty Lurie on KNBR radio's San Francisco Giants' pre-game show to talk about The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors. To listen click here.
The Independent (UK) ran a feature article on my book How the Hot Dog Found its Bun. You can read it here.
In honor of the new season, I wrote an article for The Hardball Times on four ways baseball has changed the English language.
March 2017
New episode of my KGNU Radio show can be found here. The topic: Sports and opioid addiction.
February 2017
Mental Floss highlights six entries from Totally Scripted in this article.
Here's an enjoyable interview I did with Colorado Public Radio about my book Totally Scripted.
The New York Post did a short video based on an entry from my new book Totally Scripted.
To finish the story on my curling adventures, from Feb. 11-18, my team competed in the 2017 USA National Curling Championships, finishing 9th in the country.
January 2017
Wrote a guest blog for The Wrap about my new book Totally Scripted.
Another fun story on my curling team courtesy of local CBS affiliate.
My new book, Totally Scripted, got a mention in a recent story on gaslighting in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The January edition of my KGNU Radio show discusses what we can learn from sports about losing.
Fun article and videos from Denver NBC affiliate on my curling team here.
On Jan. 5-8, my curling team, Team Sobering, competed in the qualifier for the 2017 USA National Curling Championships and earned a birth to the U.S.'s preeminent curling event as one of America's top-10 teams. USA Curling's press release on our qualification can be found here.
December 2016
A new installment of my KGNU show has dropped. The topic: The prevalence of guns in the sports world. Listen here.
November 2016
This month's episode of my KGNU show "The Real Deal in Sports" was on how sports language impacts politics and election. Listen here.
Doing a talk at the Longmont Public Library Nov. 2. The discussion: Origins of idioms. More info here.
October 2016
The Book of Nice is discussed in this Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal opinion piece.
September 2016
This month's episode of my KGNU show is on how the NFL became America's no. 1 sport and what that says about Americans. It can be found here.
Here's an article I did for Headwaters magazine on the intersection of water and business in Colorado.
August 2016
The Weekly Standard offered up a really nice review of The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors.
Nice quotes and mention of my book How the Hot Dog Found its Bun in this article from The Smithsonian Magazine.
August episode of my KGNU show "The Real Deal in Sports" was on gender politics and the Olympics; it can be found here.
July 2016
Nice interview with "Colorado Matters" on Colorado Public Radio about The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors.
Thrilled to see The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors mentioned in the Wall Street Journal's language column.
New episode of my KGNU show, "The Real Deal in Sports" focuses on the role sports has played (and can play) in race relations.
Book signing/talk event on July 14 at 7 p.m. in Manhattan Beach, California at Pages bookstore for The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors. If you're interested in attending check out Pages' website.
June 2016
Quoted in an article by The Atlantic on sports metaphors in the workplace. See it here
Played my final baseball games as a part of the Southampton Mustangs in a Confederation of European Baseball Federations' Cup event in Sant Boi, Spain. Stats here; pic here.
May 2016
Have done quite a bit of media for The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors. For those interested, among other spots, you can find a TV interview here; a shorter sports radio one here; and a longer radio interview here.
Nice write-up in Denver's Westword about my book signing at the Tattered Cover on May 18. Read here.
The Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein devoted a column to my new book "The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors" here.
This month's edition of "The Real Deal in Sports" on KGNU: The perils of the Rio Olympics. Check it out here.
April 2016
A new KGNU episode of my show can be heard here. The topic: transgender athletes.
March 2016
The kind folks at Mental Floss have placed my forthcoming book The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors on its list of "25 Amazing New Books For Spring" (see number 22).
The March edition of my KGNU show looks at the impact of athletes endorsing political candidates. Listen here.
Wrote a new feature for Headwaters, which is the magazine for the Colorado Foundation for Water Education. It can be found here.
February 2016
My KGNU show for this month went existential and asked the question how should we define the word sports? Listen here.
January 2016
Here are my 9th annual Mister-Baseball.com European Top 50 rankings.
A new episode of my KGNU show. The topic: sports governance and scandal can be found here.
December 2015
This month's KGNU episode of my show: athletes and domestic abuse. You can check it out here.
I was quoted at length in a story on the possibility of MLB coming to London for The Guardian newspaper in Great Britain.
November 2015
Wrote an article on the Colorado River for Headwaters magazine. You can find it here.
To mark the third anniversary of the passage of legislation allowing recreational marijuana use in Colorado, I discussed the intersection between the drug and sports on my KGNU radio show. You can find it here.
Did an interview with Investor's Business Daily about my Book of Nice. It can be found here.
October 2015
I went upbeat for October's episode of "The Real Deal in Sports" on KGNU. The topic: sport as a positive agent for change. It can be heard here.
September 2015
A rousing debate on hero worship in pro sports on my September episode of KGNU's "The Real Deal in Sports."
In the Fall 2015 issue of Medill Magazine, I was included in a series of profiles of Northwestern Medill School of Journalism alums in Denver. You can see my interview here.
August 2015
Did a really enjoyable podcast interview on my experiences in European baseball with MLBTradeRumors.
August installment of my KGNU show is here. Along with guests I discuss 2015 being the summer of women's sports.
July 2015
My July KGNU episode of "The Real Deal in Sports" is here. The topic: Has baseball lost its cultural relevance?
Appeared on a special July 4 episode about U.S. sports on UK's talkSport radio. I pop up at the 36:25 mark.
June 2015
Please check out this great video I did based on an excerpt from my book "The Secret History of Balls" about the origins of the golf ball.
June edition of my KGNU show: the intersection of ethics and sports. Listen to it here.
May 2015
Here's a new episode my show "The Real Deal in Sports" for KGNU radio. The topic: climate change, sustainability and the environment as seen through the prism of sports.
Really fun story looking at business lessons from my book "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" in Investor's Business Daily. The article can be accessed here.
More good news for my food book "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun": It charted on the New York Times Best Seller List (#13 on ebooks, non-fiction) for the week of May 10, 2015! You can find the link here.
April 2015
My food book "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" reached No. 25 overall in Amazon Kindle ebook sales (and No. 1 in a handful of categories...including for some unknown reason celebrity cookbooks!). Proof here.
Did my April KGNU show. Unfortunately, a technical glitch means that while it aired, there isn't an archived version. If you're curious about the topic (community sports role models) you can still find more here.
March 2015
Going on TalkSport in the UK to talk about the upcoming MLB season between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. GMT today (March 28). If you miss it, you can find listen back for about a week here.
I've just begun a podcast project (called World Serious Baseball) with my ol' BBC colleague Nat Coombs. Please check out the debut episode here.
More KGNU fun. Here's my March show on the connection between nostalgia and sports.
February 2015
The February episode of my KGNU show examines our cultural obsession with hearing athletes talk off-the-field. You can find it here.
I'm filling in for Dave Logan on 850 KOA's "Colorado's Afternoon News" from 3 pm to 5 pm on February 2nd and 3rd. It's 850 on the AM radio dial in Colorado or you can listen in here.
January 2015
Here's my KGNU show for January. It's on exporting American sports culture abroad.
My 8th Annual Mister-Baseball Top 50, which ranks the top club baseball performances in Europe for 2014, is out.
December 2014
I discuss (along with guests and callers) the intersection of sports and religion in the December edition of my KGNU show. Check it out here.
November 2014
New episode of my KGNU show. It's on gambling and online fantasy sports games and can be found here.
October 2014
Thrilled to find out I've been elected for induction into the British Baseball Hall of Fame. If you're curious about what merited my enshrinement go to www.bbhof.org.uk and look under 2014 class.
Here's a really nice retrospective on the MLB on 5 show that I used to co-host on British television.
September 2014
Another episode of my KGNU show. The topic: The integration of pro football. It can be downloaded/listened to here.
August 2014
Did a guest bit talking about baseball on The Max and Tom Podcast. You can find it here.
This month's episode of my KGNU radio show can be found here. The focus is on women and their role in major men's professional sports.
July 2014
A new episode of my KGNU radio show has just aired. The discussion was on the role sports films play in society. You can check it out here.
June 2014
Really thrilled to find out "The Book of Nice" received the gold medal in the popular culture category at the IndieFab awards given by Foreword Reviews.
Did an interview with and was quoted in an article in The Guardian newspaper in the UK on the growth of soccer in the US. You can find it here.
My June show for KGNU can be found here. The topic: Soccer's position on America's sporting (and cultural) landscape.
May 2014
Another edition of my KGNU show here. This one is on the community responsibilities of pro sports owners.
April 2014
New KGNU show on legal actions taken by athletes seeking fair compensation can be accessed here.
Wrote the lead article for "This Diamond Isle," an anthology of stories on British baseball. I looked at the history of baseball fields in Britain. Check it out here.
March 2014
I was quoted in a recent story by The Hardball Times on Australian baseball. You can find the piece here.
"The Book of Nice" was named a finalist for popular culture book of the year by ForeWord Reviews. The full list of finalists in the category can be found here.
Another episode of my KGNU radio show can be found here. The topic: sports philanthropy.
February 2014
Here's a new episode of my radio show for KGNU. It's on athlete endorsements and marketing.
January 2014
I'm now regularly doing a radio show for KGNU here in Denver. If you want to sample an episode, you can listen to a recent one here.
My 7th annual Mister-Baseball Top 50 rankings are out. The list runs down (and orders) the top European baseball club performances for 2013. If you're interested, it can be found here.
December 2013
Did a nice Q&A about "The Book of Nice" with Riffle (a web alternative to Goodreads). You can find it here.
I'll be on KLVZ radio 810 AM in Denver with Angie Austin on Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. talking about "The Book of Nice" and again with Angie on KLTT 670 AM talking the same subject on Dec. 26 at 1pm. If you're not in Denver you can stream from their websites.
The Chicago Tribune referenced "The Secret History of Balls" in an article on bicycles. What's the connection between balls and bikes? Check out the article here or pick up a copy of the book :) (Hint: Think, classic Fletch line.)
November 2013
I'm hosting an episode of "The Real Deal in Sports" on KGNU radio in Denver (88.5 FM/1390 AM) on November 27 at 9 a.m. It focuses on the impact Gen Y has had on professional sports. If you miss it live or aren't in the Denver-Boulder area, you'll be able to find it archived here at KGNU.org (as part of a block of programming called "A Public Affair").
For what it's worth, "The Book of Nice" was named the best popular culture book by usabooknews.com in their 2013 USA Best Book Awards. Thanks!
October 2013
I'm hosting BBC Radio's coverage of Major League Baseball's World Series. If you want to check it out go here (subject to blackout in some regions).
I've been informed that I received a British Baseball Writing Award for a research piece I did on the history of baseball fields in Great Britain. It's much appreciated! Announcement can be found here.
"The Book of Nice" received a really nice review from the "Dad of Divas" website. Check it out here.
September 2013
Just found out from my publisher Workman that "The Book of Nice" is going into a second printing. Here's hoping that run continues to find an audience!
August 2013
For anyone in Denver on September 14, I'll be talking at Denver Public Library's Schlessman Family Branch at 11 a.m. about "The Book of Nice" and my other books. More info can be found here.
July 2013
The venerable Reader's Digest has excerpted some of my "How the Hot Dog Found its Bun" book. If you want a hit of food history go here.
Along with writing and broadcasting, I also represent baseball players from non-traditional baseball countries. I recently negotiated the largest contract ever signed between an amateur European player and a Major League Baseball team. Details can be found here.
June 2013
Yankees Magazine, the official magazine of the New York Yankees, has a write up on "The Secret History of Balls" in its June issue. While I didn't grow up a Yankees fan, I'm very grateful. It can be read here.
Enjoyed a fun interview on a podcast called Dads Unplugged. We discussed my "Secret History of Balls" book. If you're interested, you can link through here.
An interesting piece on the development of the baseball in Smithsonian Magazine. It credits "The Secret History of Balls" as a source so it's got to be well-informed! You can find it here.
I'm excited to be doing a book signing and talk on "The Book of Nice" at the Barnes & Noble in Glendale, CA. on June 29 at 2 p.m. Information on the location can be found here. I hope any and all in the Los Angeles area can attend.
Recently was a guest on a couple of very different podcasts. One was for "The Book of Nice" (here) and the other was on baseball -- both broadly and in the United Kingdom (here). Word of warning: the hosts kindly had me on for a long time so these interviews aren't short.
May 2013
Did a really enjoyable radio interview with NPR's "Here and Now" about "The Book of Nice". It can be found here along with an excerpt from the book.
"The Book of Nice" made the Denver Post's best seller list. It reached #2 in non-fiction paperback for the week ending April 28.
I recently appeared on a Podcast to discuss the state of North American sports in Great Britain. For those interested, you can check it out here.
April 2013
Great endorsements for "The Book of Nice" from The Huffington Post and the Tucson Citizen.
Oprah's O magazine has done a small but fantastic write-up on "The Book of Nice".
Did a radio interview with Dennis Prager on "The Book of Nice". If you're interested, it can be found here.
Here's an interview I did with Denver's ABC News 7 for "The Book of Nice".
March 2013
On April 19, I'll be doing a "Book of Nice" signing at the Tattered Cover's Colfax location in Denver at 7:30 p.m. It's always a great honor to go there as it's one of America's best book stores!
I will be attending the Tucson Festival of Books on March 9-10 to support "The Book of Nice: A Nice Book about Nice Things for Nice People". On March 10th, I'll be signing copies from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of Arizona's student union book store.
February 2013
For those who are Twitter inclined I've started a Twitter handle - @BookofNice - for my upcoming book "The Book of Nice: A Nice Book about Nice Things for Nice People". It offers nice history as well as nice stories that come down the news transom.
I was just told Book's Hill Publishers has purchased the South Korean rights to "The Secret History of Balls". Beyond South Korea, region-specific book rights were also previously purchased in China by the Shanghai Scientific & Technology Education Publishing House. Apparently, my balls are popular in Asia (sorry, I couldn't help myself)!
December 2012
My next book - "The Book of Nice: A Nice Book about Nice Things for Nice People" (Workman) - will officially be released on April 9. More information to come as we get closer to the launch.
October 2012
A fun article and radio story here on the BBC's coverage of the World Series with yours truly.
September 2012
Just finished serving as the analyst for TV broadcasts of Major League Baseball's World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg, Germany. The finals aired on the MLB Network with games also being televised on Sportsnet in Canada, ESPN America in Europe and MLB.com in the U.S. If you want to watch any of the games, you can find them here.