Kim Jones, NFL Network reporter and former Yankees reporter, joins the show to discuss her career in sports media and share stories from covering the NFL and MLB [Ep. 85]

Kim Jones

We finally had an exciting week in the NFL, some teams in the NBA are forming better lineups than what you’d find in NBA Jam, and the Major League Baseball playoffs are on the horizon. Let’s talk about two of those three things with someone who reports on both for a living.

Before we get into Episode 85, as a reminder, The Bridge is broadcast as a one-hour radio show every Wednesday night at 7 ET and again at 8 ET on Sports Radio America. Once the dust settles from that live broadcast, the show is released as a podcast on iTunes and on this website the following day on Thursday. You can listen to the show every Wednesday on Sports Radio America here or through the TuneIn app, and find some bonus content, including a weekly gambling segment, when the show comes out in podcast form.

  • “Sports News Read Like Real News” told the tale of another pitfall for Rick Pitino and the Louisville program after an FBI investigation of college basketball (2:26).
  • The Bridge Question of the Week is: What is your main storyline after Week 3 of the NFL season? Leave a voicemail or text in your answer to 929-BRIDGE7, that’s 929-274-3437, and you’ll make it on the next show.
  • This week’s guest is Kim Jones, a reporter for the NFL Network and NFL.com who you’ve also heard on WFAN and have seen her on the YES Network. As a Yankees fan, Kim was on my television for several years, including for the last World Series won by the Yankees in 2009, and couldn’t have been more kind with her time and in being completely open throughout the entire interview. We chatted about her start in sports media and humble beginnings at a small newspaper, becoming an NFL columnist and making the switch from football to baseball and from journalism to broadcasting in moving to YES, some stories from covering the Yankees, going back to the NFL and joining the NFL Network, and a very honest and interesting take on how reporting has changed with the recent protests happening throughout the NFL.
  • Follow Kim on Twitter -> @KimJonesSports. The interview starts at the 12:30 mark.

– In the interview, we discuss:

When she knew she wanted to pursue a career in sports media (12:59), her first job at a smaller newspaper (13:46), moving to a larger paper and becoming an NFL columnist (15:36), transitioning from journalism to broadcasting and the YES Network (17:49), dealing with critics (20:31), if the 2009 World Series was the highlight of her time with the Yankees (23:24), getting champagned by Derek Jeter and what he meant to the clubhouse (24:57), the “pork chop on a stick” incident (26:08), going back to football and the NFL Network (31:48), Derek Jeter and sweating through shirts during the dog days of August (35:52), a typical week at the NFL Network (37:31), what makes reporting the NFL unique (40:18), telling short-form and long-form stories (43:21), if the protests in the NFL and mix of politics in sports has affected reporting (47:17) and if she’ll miss Mike Francesa if he actually leaves in December (51:14).

  • “The Toll Bridge with Donnie RightSide.” Donnie is a professional handicapper who knows a thing or two about the lines of the sports world and joins The Bridge for a weekly segment to help us get on the right side of those lines, based on his years of numbers, strategy and overall knowledge of the market. Each week, Donnie will offer up some of his best bets to correspond with The Bridge Fade of the Week, where listeners are urged to completely go in the opposite direction of the show. You can find Donnie at DonnieRightSide.com and SportsBookReview.com and follow him on Twitter @RightSideVP. And remember, this segment is for entertainment purposes only (52:48).
  • “Five Minutes in the Film Room” with Joe Baress, former star of the prestigious John and Joe Sports Show, breaks down “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” which Rotten Tomatoes describes as a new challenge for the Kingsman. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world (57:45). You can follow Joe on Twitter @dukemich and read his movie reviews, previews and ratings at cupof-joe.com.

Call in or text the show 24/7 at 929-BRIDGE7, that’s (929) 274-3437. Contact the show with your questions, comments, stories or hot takes and you might be featured in the next installment of The Bridge.

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You can listen to the show live on Wednesday nights at 7 ET via Sports Radio America or the TuneIn app.

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Email the show at media [at] lundinbridge [dot] com and follow the host on Twitter @lundinbridge.

Show music: ‘Actionable’ and ‘Epic,’ courtesy of www.bensound.com.

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