Doug Smith has covered the Toronto Raptors from day one. He raised his hand when the Toronto Star was looking for someone to take on the role of a beat reporter when Toronto landed it's NBA expansion franchise. Now, some 25 years later, Smith is the only print reporter still covering the team. To say he's seen it all would be a massive understatement. From the early days in the Skydome to the championship run, Smith brought the fans closer to the players, management, and the game itself.
This year, Smith released a book, We The North spanning the 25 years of the Toronto Raptors from his perspective. The audio version of the book is narrated by Matt Devlin. It's one of the best sports books you will ever read or listen to.
Doug sits with Jonah and talks about the book, his love for the game of basketball, how he has developed meaningful relationships with every type of person associated with the game over the years, and of course some highlights from the book and his career.
Most importantly, the book sheds a light on why the role of a reporter is so necessary, why being present on the road, in the lockerroom in hotels is critical to creating engaging content, and most importantly why the current trend of players being inaccessible and controlling their voice is a dangerous slippery slope for those of us who love to consume sports media.
The book is a must, hopefully, you will feel the same about this interview.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage
Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you’ve become a hero. Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton. Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early. Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com