The Middle

Megan R
  • 4.7 (9)
  • SPORTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Where the game gets personal. From world championships to everyday athletes, we dig into the human side of sports told by the athletes, coaches and industry insiders that lived those career-changing moments, near misses, unexpected wins, season-ending injuries and inevitable transitions.

  1. 3D AGO

    The Sports Streaming Wars Explained

    Why does it feel harder than ever to just…watch a game? In this solo episode, Megan breaks down the rise of the sports streaming era and why fans have to do more than ever before just to follow their teams across platforms like Netflix, ESPN, Peacock, and more. What starts with a frustrating Opening Day experience on Netflix turns into a deeper look at how we got here: why leagues are spreading games across platforms, how much it really costs to be a fan today, and why, despite growing backlash, this model isn’t going anywhere. Drawing on data across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, Megan unpacks what leagues and media companies actually want, how streaming has changed fan behavior, and why live sports have become the most valuable asset in media. But this isn’t just about subscriptions. It’s about what we’re gaining, what we’re losing, and what fans can keep in mind when following their steam from channel to channel. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    33 min

  2. MAR 25

    The Story vs. The Stats: Breaking Down NFL Analytics

    Sports data tells a story, but are most of us reading it wrong? On this episode, we sit down with Cynthia Frelund, NFL Network’s analytics expert, to explore how data and storytelling shape the way fans, media, and teams understand football. From ESPN to a decade inside the NFL, Cynthia has built a career turning complex analytics into stories that both support and challenge the conversations behind MVP debates, quarterback reputations, team identity, and more. We unpack the gap between stats and story, why labels like “elite” or “can’t win in primetime” stick to certain players, how analytics can challenge those narratives, and what the data actually reveals about performance, team building, and winning in the NFL. Cynthia breaks down how her models are built, how coaches use data in real time, and why football remains one of the most complex and unpredictable sports. It’s a deeper look at NFL analytics and the human side of data that helps us understand each game in a new way. Cynthia Frelund is one of the leading voices in NFL analytics. As the analytics expert for NFL Network, she delivers data-driven insights into the game on NFL Fantasy LIVE, GameDay Morning, and more. She joined the network in 2016 after roles at ESPN and the NFL’s league office. Cynthia builds her own models and simulations, running millions over the course of the season, to help explain what’s happening on the field and what’s likely to happen next. Connect with Cynthia on Instagram, Facebook, and X, tune into her show Numbers Game on YouTube, or catch her on the NFL Network. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    42 min

  3. MAR 18

    Inside the Leadville 100: What It Really Takes to Run or Bike the Toughest Race in the Rockies

    At 10,152 feet in the Colorado Rockies, the legendary Leadville Race Series looks like a dream for endurance athletes chasing the Leadville Trail 100 Run, the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race, the Leadville Trail Marathon, and more. But behind the finish-line photos is a year-round operation powered by hundreds of volunteers, emergency crews, and a small mountain town working together to pull it off. In this episode, race director Tamira Jenlink takes us inside the unseen side of endurance racing, where split-second safety decisions, unpredictable mountain weather, and the logistics of supporting athletes above 12,000 feet collide. More than a race, Tamira explores the inclusiveness of the endurance community and the delicate balance between hosting world-class events and supporting the future of towns like Leadville. Because every mile in Leadville demands more of athletes and leaves them with something that lasts far beyond race day. As the series founders Ken Chlouber and Merilee Maupin have always reminded us: "You are better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.” Tamira Jenlink is the race director for the Life Time Leadville Race Series. She has more than 25 years of experience in the outdoors industry and has spent the last 10 years participating in the series, from racer to volunteer to her current role. The Life Time Leadville Race Series is a variety of annual mountain bike and running races held in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Leadville, Colorado. The most grueling of the races – the 100-mile mountain bike and the 100-mile run – have attracted cyclists and ultrarunners from around the world since 1983. The Race Series has become one of the most popular and prestigious endurance Race Series in the world, bringing thousands of athletes and spectators to Leadville each year. Follow the Leadville Race Series on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X, or learn more about the races on the website. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    38 min

  4. MAR 11

    The Weight of #1: The Mental Side of Professional Football

    What really happens when you sign a professional football contract in the United Kingdom? Former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Paddy Gamble shares the reality of coming through the UK football academy system, being signed at just 16, and walking away from the sport at 21. We talk about the pressure young athletes face behind the scenes, the identity crisis many footballers experience after leaving the game, and why mental health in professional soccer still isn’t talked about enough. Paddy also explains why most professional footballers need a second career and why athletes must start thinking about life after football earlier than they do today. It’s an honest conversation about ambition, purpose, and what it really means to “make it” in sport. Paddy Gamble is the founder of Person Before Player, which gives athletes, professionals, and teams a platform to be vulnerable and help them thrive on and off the pitch. He uses his own experiences as a former professional footballer to help academy, professional, and retiring players strengthen their identity and find their purpose beyond their playing career. Follow Paddy on LinkedIn, and visit his website to learn more about Person Before Player. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    47 min

  5. FEB 25

    Cancel Culture vs. Comeback Stories: How Athletes Really Survive Scandals

    Why do some athletes and coaches vanish forever after a scandal, while others return to a standing ovation? It’s not luck. It’s formulaic. In our first solo episode, Megan breaks down how cancel culture really works in sports and why some athletes disappear while others get redemption tours. Drawing on 17 years in crisis communications and public relations, Megan shares the four factors that decide comeback stories, why winning shortens memories, why elite performers get more second chances than benchwarmers, how apologies influence timelines, and why fans hold more power than they realize. From Tiger Woods and Tom Brady to Tonya Harding and Michael Vick, this episode revisits the sports scandals you remember and looks at them through a different lens to find why some careers have survived and others didn’t. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    43 min

  6. FEB 18

    Athletes, Influencers, and the Death of the Sports Section

    The Washington Post laid off its sports department. Athletes and coaches break news on Instagram. Fans get headlines from TikTok. Is the golden age of (sports) journalism dead? Longtime public relations executive and former Washington Post reporter Dave Reddy joins me to talk about the future of journalism, the death of print newspapers, why fake news spreads so fast (even in sports), and whether long-form reporting still matters. We discuss influencer culture, whether we’re more informed today or simply have more information, and what all of this means for audiences and everyday sports fans. Dave Reddy is the Practice Leader for Media and Influencers at Big Valley Marketing. Throughout his tech career, he’s advised clients like PsiQuantum, Vlocity, IBM, Microsoft, and Qualcomm on their earned media strategy and coaching programs. Dave is a former Washington Post and San Jose Mercury News reporter. Follow Dave on LinkedIn, and follow Big Valley Marketing on LinkedIn or visit Big Valley Marketing's website. You can also hear more from Dave and Big Valley Marketing on their podcast, “Pressing Matters,” where they talk to top tech journalists to help listeners make sense of the world, from AI to cybersecurity. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    33 min

  7. FEB 11

    Redefining Fitness, Strength, and Body Confidence

    Fitness instructor Roz Mays is challenging everything the fitness industry gets wrong. Growing up plus-size in a cardio-obsessed sports world, Roz shares how the industry’s fixation on thinness and extreme strength leaves everyday people feeling disconnected from fitness and athletics. In this episode, she talks about discovering her own strength through pole dancing, redefining what it means to be an athlete, and why weight loss isn’t the same as success. We unpack common fitness myths, how shame impacts motivation, how new trends like GLP-1s impact the search for an easy button to health, how to build a healthier relationship with your body and how you can get into fitness even if gyms intimidate you, you’ve tried before, or life pulled you away. Roz Mays’ career began in 2011 at a pole dancing studio in Brooklyn. Over the last decade, she has gone on to teach TRX, BOSU, conditioning, and flexibility classes in 42 different states and 10 countries. She’s been featured on the Tamron Hall Show, in Talks at Google, in Self and Glamour magazine and more. She has dedicated many late nights at the gym to helping non traditional and underrepresented athletes overcome gym-timidation and making fitness accessible to everyone. Follow Roz on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and LinkedIn. Book her services at her website.  Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    49 min

  8. FEB 4

    Behind the Scenes at the Super Bowl

    In our season opener, Matt Taylor takes us behind the scenes on the intense preparation that goes into the Super Bowl, the emotional weight of the event, and the logistics involved in ensuring everything runs smoothly on game day. He shares what cameras don't show, what's really happening on the sidelines, and how teams prevent the nerves from getting to them. He also talks about his journey from a small town in Illinois to becoming an integral part of the Los Angeles Rams organization, and discusses the responsibilities that come with managing players and equipment for a National Football League (NFL) team. Matt Taylor is a sports business development and marketing consultant who spent over 20 years with the Los Angeles Rams/St. Louis Rams. He’s built custom customer relationship management systems, written and produced over 10 commercials and built sponsorship decks valued at over $1 billion. Follow Matt Taylor on LinkedIn. Connect with Megan on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow The Middle on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

    53 min
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Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Where the game gets personal. From world championships to everyday athletes, we dig into the human side of sports told by the athletes, coaches and industry insiders that lived those career-changing moments, near misses, unexpected wins, season-ending injuries and inevitable transitions.

Information

  • Creator
    Megan R
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Megan R
  • Show Website
    The Middle

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