Menu
People and Pop Culture

What I Like... With ESPN "SportsNation" Co-Host Michelle Beadle

In our continuing series, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal asks top sports personalities for their thoughts, ideas, aspirations and likes. Today, ESPN's MICHELLE BEADLE.

What I do: Host of "SportsNation." ESPN2. I talk on television. Mostly about sports.
Where I'm from: I'm from Boerne, Texas; by way of Roma, Italy; through New York and now enjoying sunny California.
Where I went to school: University of Texas, both Austin and San Antonio.
First job ever: Ticket taker at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
First paying TV gig: Interviewer for Professional Bull Riders.

What I Like -- An insight: Be yourself. It's easier than trying to remember who you pretended to be yesterday.

An influential person in my career: EDDIE RAY RODRIGUEZ. My first cameraman, and the man who told me to "forget the cameras are there."

An out-of-the-box idea: A show that pits celebrities against each other in epic lip-sync battles. My idea has been stolen.

A timeless idea: Be kind. Not the cheesy advice version. But the actual, "Don't be a jerk to those around you" version. Makes life better for everyone.

A sports facility: AT&T Center -- San Antonio, home of the five-time world champion Spurs.

A sports event: NBA Finals, but only if the Spurs are in. For hype alone, Super Bowl week.

A strategy: Ask questions. Don't pretend to know it all. Nobody wins that way.

A hire: Creative, hungry, inquisitive minds. Technology isn't slowing down any time soon. Surround yourself with people in the know.

A brand: Smartwater.

A trend: Writers getting more airtime. Always informative.

An innovation: Twitter. (Full disclosure: Sometimes I also dislike Twitter.)

A pro league or team initiative: This probably doesn't apply to me, but in case people are taking suggestions, can someone get baseball to catch up! Technology is your friend.

A story that bears watching: The notion that we may see a day when college athletes are paid, in some form, for their work. And not simply in "free education" currency.

An invention I wish I had thought of: Escalators. They give us the option to ascend stairs, but don't judge us when we choose to just stand and enjoy the ride.

A fantasy job: Late-night talk show host. Think JIMMY FALLON and JOHN OLIVER have a baby. I'd like to be that baby.

What I Like About -- My job: Freedom to express my opinions but never take myself too seriously. And if I do, I'm surrounded by people who will be more than happy to let me know.

Sports: Drama. Mind-blowing athleticism. Competition. Stories. Excitement. Screams of joy. Groans of misery.

Sports business: The "office" is usually a great event or locale, with an energy that is infectious.

Sports media: The landscape is always changing. Women are louder than ever and growing in roles other than the once-limited sideline role.

Sports technology: People are getting bigger and stronger, but the equipment is improving right along with them. What will our sports highlights look like 30 years from now?

Competing: There is no better motivator than the gut-wrenching feeling of losing. And the oath we make to ourselves that it won't happen again. I mean, it will. But not without one helluva fight.

The future of sports business: Social media combined with the "catch everything on camera" way of life that we've made for ourselves is leading us down an interesting yet potentially damaging road. While it may hold many accountable for their actions, as we've seen, it may also cause the downfalls of others, in an ever-growing politically correct environment.

Sports fans: The good, the bad and the ugly. Fans encompass the absolute highs and lows of human emotion. But when a fan base is able to enjoy a championship season, it's a beautiful, natural high.

What I Would Like To -- Change: No more East Coast start times that all but prohibit most normal humans from actually watching the entire game. Sleep is just too important.

Change in what I do: I'm happy. I will always want to do more. More shows. More projects. More, more, more.

See more of in sports: Accountability. Less excuse-making for behaviors that are abhorrent in all others factions of society. Be better.

See less of in sports: Bad merchandise. Let's propose a color limit for all merchandise (think opposite of NASCAR merch). More is not always better.

See different: More diversity in coverage of seemingly "uncomfortable" topics.

Eliminate: Sexism. Homophobia. Fear.

What I Don't Like -- In general: Pretentious people.

Pet peeve: People who don't know the rules of a sidewalk. Like driving, but less dangerous. Stick to the right and we're all good. No "three across" chat parties. And absolutely no bikes.

In sports: My team losing.

In business: Decisions that get made that leave me questioning everything.

About sports fans: The worst of them are allowed on social media. And they tend to be the loudest. All human decency goes out the window when dealing with some "superfans."

Personal What I Like -- People: Honest, intelligent and real people. And funny. Funny trumps so much.

That would surprise those who know me: I'm a huge BON JOVI fan, specifically RICHIE SAMBORA.

Above all else: Puppies, dogs and furry babies.

About myself: Each year on the planet has made me more comfortable in my own skin.

Heroes: My mom. She gave birth to me. And for that, I'm eternally grateful.

Players: Who have more than one dimension to them. Yes, you're great at sports, but what else can you do? Always makes for a more interesting interview.

Team: San Antonio Spurs.

City: New York, but the weather has scared me away. For now.

Possession: My dogs. Although I could argue they own me.

Memento: A picture I took with my brother and boyfriend at last year's NBA Finals. Game 5. Spurs crushing the Heat to win championship No. 5. And us courtside with sad Heat players in the background.

Time of year: In New York it was always spring because it signaled the beginning of another great thaw and the emergence of skin and smiles. In L.A., the sun's out every day. I love the entire year.

Music: Anything by SNOW.

Books: The old-fashioned kind. With pages and a hard cover.

Authors: Currently: The crop of funny women cranking out books. Ask me again in six months.

Magazines: Girly ones. I'm sure I shouldn't admit this, but I feel like we're in the circle of trust now.

Websites: Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Deadspin, Dlisted -- this list could get long.

Gadgets: My GPS watch for running and cellphone because it's my oxygen.

Apps: Waze, Spotify, Gilt, Open Table, Yelp, EAT24 and Amazon.

Chores: I hate them all.

Hobbies: Running is the most boring hobby I could list. I apologize. Traveling. Reading. And I'd like to take this moment to recognize sleep as a hobby.

Trips: Every trip to Europe with my mom and brother in the summers of my childhood. And the time I went to Vegas with two girlfriends and watched JOE PESCI just Pesci up the roulette table.

Movies: "Goonies," "Bull Durham," anything with AL PACINO (except that awful SANDLER thing) and "Young Einstein" starring YAHOO SERIOUS. He's like Australia's CARROT TOP.

TV: "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead," "Nashville," "Survivor," "Veep," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," "Tosh.0," "The Soup."

Concerts: DAVE MATTHEWS, numerous times in college.

Artist: My boyfriend.

Food: All foods, preferably in large quantities. I'll never turn down sushi or a vat of guacamole.

Dessert: More guacamole.

Drink: Water. Wine if I'm feeling daring.

Scent: The smell of puppies and freshly cleaned sheets.

Vacation spots: My mom's house in Italy. Quiet, isolated and with very poor cell service. Makes for a peaceful stay.

Cars: I partly hope that just by saying my favorite car, one will be presented to me by the universe. Ferrari 458.

Aftershave: I'm trying to quit.

Singer: MICHAEL BOLTON, and I will not be bullied into changing this answer.

Quote: "A lion does not worry about the opinion of sheep."

You Did Not Ask About My Favorite -- Color: Black.

New Kid: JOEY MCINTYRE.

Candy: Now and Laters (the old flavors).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/07/02/People-and-Pop-Culture/What-I-Like-Beadle.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/07/02/People-and-Pop-Culture/What-I-Like-Beadle.aspx

CLOSE