Episodes

  • A Look Back at 100 Episodes of Skin in the Game

    A Look Back at 100 Episodes of Skin in the Game
    Nov 7 2026
    Who gets to shape the games we love, and who feels the consequences? For the 100th episode of Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei revisit 16 moments from the conversations that have shaped the show. The hosts look at how leagues build audiences, how investors and sponsors help women’s sports grow, and who bears the costs of stadium deals and the sports betting boom. The guests also explore what athletes face under pressure, how they find purpose after competition, and what coaches and mentors can teach them along the way. From the first Winter Classic in Buffalo to a father and son’s day at the ballpark, the stories bring those choices down to earth. The hosts reflect on what sports can give a community and what the people who run the games owe in return.
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    54 mins
  • Jennifer Gibson on the Business of Fueling Athletes

    Jennifer Gibson on the Business of Fueling Athletes
    Oct 24 2026
    What does it take to feed a professional sports team? A lot more than a postgame buffet. On this episode of Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome Toronto native Jennifer Gibson, co-founder and CEO of Elite Eats and head of performance nutrition for the Chicago Blackhawks. Drawing on her work in Olympic sport, the NFL and the NHL, Gibson explains how nutrition has become part of the pursuit of a competitive edge. From fueling and recovery to coordinating meals on planes and in hotels, she takes listeners inside a job that combines science, education and logistics. She also shares how the challenges of arranging team meals led her to co-found Elite Eats, a catering marketplace built for professional sports teams. The conversation explores the different demands of football and hockey, the pressures athletes face around body image and personal branding, and opportunities in the growing field of sports nutrition. Gibson closes with a simple approach to everyday eating that she calls “first generation foods.”
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    51 mins
  • Bradley Poole Is Running for More Tomorrows

    Bradley Poole Is Running for More Tomorrows
    Oct 17 2026
    What drives someone living with cystic fibrosis to plan a 1,500-mile run? On this episode of Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome Bradley Poole, owner of Warrior Fitness and Wellness in Ellicottville and Little Valley, New York. Poole shares how living with cystic fibrosis, struggling with his mental health, and taking on family responsibilities led him to change his life and build a career in fitness. He speaks candidly about his experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the support of his wife, Stephanie, and the role that exercise, treatment, and community have played in his life. He also discusses opening his own gym during the pandemic and helping others find confidence and connection through fitness. Now, Poole is preparing for Miles for More Tomorrows, a planned run from Miami to New York City in March 2027. His goal: raise $1 million for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. From training and nutrition to the people who will support him along the route, he explains what it will take to turn an ambitious idea into hope for those living with CF. To donate, visit https://passion.cff.org/runforeverybreath
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    54 mins
  • Lyndsey D’Arcangelo on Walking Away, Starting Over and the Game Within

    Lyndsey D’Arcangelo on Walking Away, Starting Over and the Game Within
    Oct 10 2026
    Why walk away from a successful sportswriting career just as women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth? On this episode of Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome longtime sportswriter and author Lyndsey D’Arcangelo, who built a career telling the human stories behind athletes and helping launch The Athletic’s WNBA coverage. D’Arcangelo explains why she stepped away from sports journalism, including an industry increasingly driven by clicks, outrage and social media engagement instead of the kind of storytelling that first drew her to the profession. She also reflects on the remarkable growth of women’s sports and why she believes the audience was there all along. Today, D’Arcangelo is taking the skills she developed interviewing some of the biggest names in sports and applying them in a new way as a life coach working primarily with women athletes. She helps athletes navigate performance pressure, major transitions and a question that can become especially difficult when sports have defined so much of their lives: Who am I beyond the athlete? The conversation also explores the pressures surrounding youth sports, the role parents play, what D’Arcangelo learned from elite athletes about mindset, and why she has returned to writing through her newsletter, The Game Within.
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    47 mins
  • Why Being a Sports Fan Gets So Emotional

    Why Being a Sports Fan Gets So Emotional
    Sep 19 2026
    On this episode of Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome psychologist and lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan Dr. Patrick McElwaine to explore the psychology behind sports fandom and why our favorite teams can become such an important part of our identity.
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    54 mins
  • Why She’s Betting on Women’s Sports

    Why She’s Betting on Women’s Sports
    Aug 29 2026
    Women’s sports are booming. But when investors look beyond the headlines, where are the real opportunities? On this episode of Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome entrepreneur, investor, and author Chantell Preston, one of the owners and founders of the League One Volleyball San Francisco Signal, to talk about why she believes professional volleyball could be one of the next big growth stories in sports. Preston spent years evaluating emerging sports leagues before deciding where to put her own money. She explains why volleyball stood out, what she looks for before investing in a team or league, and why the sport’s enormous participation base and growing professional infrastructure caught her attention. The conversation also explores the broader surge in women’s sports, the importance of investing in female athletes and businesses, the opportunities — and risks — surrounding emerging leagues, and what athletes can bring from the court into the boardroom. Preston also shares lessons from her book, The Success Lie, including why she stopped defining success by money and titles, how sports helped shape her approach to leadership and resilience, and why success may have more to do with the journey than the outcome. It’s a conversation about money, opportunity, leadership, and what happens when you’re willing to bet on something before everyone else sees its potential.
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    47 mins
  • Are We Ruining Youth Sports?

    Are We Ruining Youth Sports?
    Aug 22 2026
    Kids say they play sports for two main reasons: to have fun and to be with their friends. So why have youth sports become increasingly expensive, competitive, and difficult for many families to navigate? This week on Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Jon Solomon, Research Director for the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative, to examine what the research tells us about the state of youth sports in America. Participation is rebounding after the pandemic, but Solomon says a troubling divide is growing. Children from the highest-income households are about twice as likely to play organized sports as those from the lowest-income households, while the average amount parents spent on a child’s primary sport increased 46% over five years. The conversation explores the commercialization and privatization of youth sports, the growing role of private equity, and why parents can feel pressured to spend thousands of dollars on travel teams, specialized coaching, and year-round competition just to give their children a chance to make a high school team. It’s a conversation about money, access, and whether youth sports are still serving the kids who play them.
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    47 mins
  • Who Really Has the Power in Sports?

    Who Really Has the Power in Sports?
    Aug 15 2026
    College sports are changing at a dizzying pace. Athletes are getting paid, players are moving from school to school, and the possibility of college athletes collectively bargaining may be closer than many fans realize. This week on Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with sports and labor attorney Michael Elkins, founder of MLE Law, to examine the rapidly changing relationship between athletes, teams, schools, and leagues. Elkins, who represents college and professional athletes, makes a provocative case that despite all the criticism surrounding NIL and the transfer portal, college sports have never been better. He argues that athletes should have the same freedom to pursue better opportunities that coaches and other professionals have enjoyed for years. The conversation also moves into professional sports, including why the NFL Players Association faces a fundamental challenge that other sports unions do not: Most NFL players have short careers, and many never reach a second contract, making a prolonged work stoppage difficult for players to withstand. And Elkins explains why sports fans should be watching Major League Baseball, where another labor battle could threaten a sport he believes finally has momentum again. It’s a conversation about money, leverage, and the people fighting for their share of an increasingly lucrative sports industry.
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    54 mins