On this episode of Podward State, hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are happy to be joined by all the whole podcast team to announce their new positions, starting with official third host, Grace Cunningham, as well as Will Pegler and Jordan Mansberger as associate producers. Also joining on this episode is Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and MLB Network baseball commentator and Penn State Alum, Tom Verducci.
Tom starts out the show talking about how he came to choose Penn State, citing a connection with legendary football coach Joe Paterno, as well as his love for journalism. This leads into his time at Penn State and getting jobs after he left Happy Valley.
As well as being one of the voices of baseball, Verducci is also a Professional Baseball Hall Of Fame voter, which he gives us an inside look into what goes into that decision and some of the tricky decisions during the steroid era.
Tom tells us one of his favorite stories being his spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays. He also recalls some of his favorite memories, favorite games, and favorite interactions.
Finally, to wrap up the show, Verducci gives us some really great advice not only about the sports media industry, but for life in general.
Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.
The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more.
Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.