49. Christian Caple, award-winning journalist, on covering a football team

Episode Overview

Tony Castricone speaks with award-winning journalist Christian Caple about the fundamentals of covering a football team. They discuss practical strategies for observing practices effectively, building relationships with sources, and finding meaningful stories, especially when you're new to covering a program.

Key Timestamps

[03:22] Dealing with the overwhelm of first practices and developing an observer's eye

[05:23] What to watch for during practice: Key position battles, QB rotations, and personnel groupings

[10:32] Strategies for tracking player participation and identifying injuries

[17:25] Challenges of identifying depth charts during spring practice

[23:30] Position transitions: How coaches evaluate players differently than in high school

[29:28] Preparing to cover a new team: Studying rosters, returning players, and transfers

[35:55] Navigating relationships with sources: Official channels vs. direct contacts

[42:23] Finding good story ideas and writing for passionate fans

[45:36] Lessons on interviewing: The importance of genuine listening and follow-up questions

About Christian Caple

Christian Caple is an award-winning journalist who previously covered college football for The Athletic before starting his own Substack called "On Montlake" focusing on the Washington Huskies. Follow him on Twitter/X @ChristianCaple and subscribe to his coverage at www.onmontlake.com.

Support the PXPU Podcast

1. Subscribe and rate the podcast 5 stars

2. Subscribe online at playbyplayu.com

3. Follow on Twitter/X at @PlayByPlayU

4. Tell others about the podcast

---

The PXPU Podcast is part of Play-By-Play University, dedicated to creating the best, most instructive content for aspiring play-by-play announcers, analysts, and sideline reporters.