Episode 227. No, I could not get Jackée to show up, but we do have author Stefan Fatsis, and if it makes you feel better, I did the interview while hanging outside a window like that funny old lady used to do.

Before we get to the interview, I address the moron who threw a beer at Shane Victorino last night, then cowardly allowed another fan to take the fall for him, even though THREE different television networks covered the game and clearly had him throwing the beer. Rather than go off on a total rant here, read what I wrote about it after the game at The Sporting Blog.

The last time Stefan Fatsis was on the show I called him my hero. I back off on that statement because people crushed me for gushing so much. But for a kid who always had a penchant for trying field goals -- I did kick a barefoot 35-yarder in Cal’s stadium and the one in the closed end zone of the Orange Bowl -- and grew up a Broncos fan, Fatsis did live my dream.

Well his book, A Few Seconds of Panic, is out on paperback, so he joins me to pitch the hell out of it. You really should buy the book. It’s not about the Denver Broncos, as much as it’s about the Broncos. And it’s not a kicking book, as much as it’s about his time as a kicker. It’s a unique inside look at an NFL team, from a guy who was a player on the team -- and also happens to be a best-selling author. It’s really a fascinating story.

We talk about the differences in the hardcover book and the paperback. Fatsis basically wrote a new chapter about the end of the Mike Shanahan era, and there are some other updates as well. Basically, the book is smaller, cheaper and bright freaking orange! But we actually discuss the differences in doing a hardcover book and it’s paperback version. What are the differences in promoting the book? The first media tour is usually immense, so what is the paperback tour like? And we talk about the publishing industry in general. With the economy and new technology strapping the printed word more than ever, we discuss how the book publishing industry handles the landscape. What books can even be hardcover these days? It is simply better economics to put a book right onto paperback?

And is the paperback audience a different audience than the hardcover? Can the analogy be made to that of a movie goer and one who will wait for the DVD release?

We do get back into the book to talk about training camp. Does Fatsis still get pains this time of year? Does he have to ice any parts of his body whenever he hears the words two-a-days?

Fatsis brings up the players he talks with who still feel that drive to play every summer when camp rolls around, even if they are retired. He talks about the lost feeling players have without football in their lives. The conversation takes us to P.J. Alexander, who played in 20 games over six seasons. I assert that players who ‘retire’ early are far more set up than those a generation ago. Fatsis brings up Alexander to explain that sometimes the last guy on the team isn’t making as much money as we think he’s making, and while a guy like Alexander has a good head start with finances, he’s not set for life like we think all professional football players are.

We talk about Jake Plummer and his quotes in the book about Mike Shanahan that would have burned any bridge the two ever built together. Plummer is currently coaching high school football, just like he said he would. And yes, Plummer is financially set for life.

We also talk about Jay Cutler’s off-season, and I ask Fatsis if, as a reporter, he knows someone is unlikeable, can one write that? Is that a story worth reporting when a person hasn’t done anything specific, he’s just an unlikeable person. It didn’t hurt in the case of Cutler that Brian Urlacher reportedly called him a pussy last week. That gave the news something to talk about. We discuss the balance of a beat writer, or any writer covering a team, with what they know, think and can write.

We talk a lot more about the book, but also talk about Fatsis podcast over at Slate. I believe the title is “The Snootiness of Sports.” Actually it’s Hang up and Listen and the weekly show is hosted by Fatsis, Slate sports editor Josh Levin and NPR sports guy Mike Pesca. We discuss the format of the show, if it is in fact the snootiest podcast to ever cover sports and how his plug of the show’s format and goal sounds eerily, eerily, EERILY familiar.

While Fatsis is not on Twitter, his show talked about the network and how it’s changed sports. So we talk about his take on the Tweets from an outside perspective. Is it good for sports, or are we learning too much about some of our athletes?

Last, if this podcast thing is another immersion book he’s doing, do I get to be Todd Sauerbrun? I hope so.

Go get his book. Seriously.

Housekeeping:

I clean up a little bit with some chat about the US-Mexico soccer match yesterday. That didn’t end well, did it? And if the US is going to compete at the international level, the midfielders might want to show up and take control of a match.