ESPN college football reporter Molly McGrath and New York Times writer and Roger Federer author Chris Clarey

Episode 157 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Molly McGrath, an ESPN college football and college basketball host and reporter. She is followed by Christopher Clarey, a tennis writer for the New York Times and the author of “The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer”In this podcast, McGrath discusses returning to college football this season after the birth of her son earlier this year; finding a work-life balance; the internal pressure she felt to return to ESPN; how much college football coaches tell ESPN on-air talent during production meetings; her approach with her bosses after Maria Taylor left for NBC; being assigned to the team of Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, and Todd McShay; COVID protocols for covering college football this season; dealing with toxic social media; being public about her pregnancy; her interest in hosting long-term and more. Clarey discusses what he hoped to produce by exploring Federer in longform; why he connected with Federer as a subject and writer over the years; what Federer’s top competitors said about him; Mirka Federer being non-existent on social media and not giving interviews for 15 years or so; how Federer’s upbringing with parents from Switzerland and South Africa impacted him; what he expects Federer to heading forward; the challenge of selling a tennis book in the United States; You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.