Craig Custance

YouTube video by Breaking In With Kevin Fishbain The Athletic's Tyler Kepner on How He Broke In to Baseball Writing

Subscribe to the YouTube channel! You can now watch full episodes. Next one drops Wednesday

The Athletic Hockey Show: A show about the NHL: Western Conference NHL playoff preview Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman and Dom Luszczyszyn preview the four western conference first round playoff series, including the Stars in tough vs the Avalanche, the Kings and Oilers part 4, Minneso...

🎙️The #StanleyCup Playoffs are set. Today we preview the West!

@seangentille.bsky.social @shaynagoldman.bsky.social & @domluszczyszyn.bsky.social cover it all.

+ @haileysalvian.bsky.social joins for a #WomensWorlds update from Czechia @theathletic.bsky.social
⤵️

pod.fo/e/2c9514

"I have 23 games in the big leagues ... I haven't accomplished a whole lot yet."

Another week, another great guest on Starkville.

Paul Skenes joins me & @dougglanville.bsky.social talking the pursuit of greatness, the MLB the Show cover & lots more
theathletic.lnk.to/windTX

Remembering John Feinstein, renowned American sportswriter who was ‘larger than life’ Feinstein was 30 when he penned 'A Season on the Brink,' a 1986 portrait of Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers.

“He was loved at the highest level and hated at the highest level,” Mike Krzyzewski said by phone yesterday, stopping and starting. “He knew that, too, and he was OK with it."

That's a life too large to fit into any simple sketch, but here we remember John Feinstein
www.nytimes.com/athletic/620...

Play Connections: Sports Edition, our newest word game Group sports terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

Huge congrats to the Connections: Sports Edition team for the official launch today in @theathletic.bsky.social --
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Timer on: theathletic.com/connections

Connections: Sports Edition
Puzzle #139
Time: 00:40
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it's a blizzard here. hope you're ok

So much great work in here from Keith 🔽

A photo of Julie Stewart-Binks posing in a grey blazer. A quote from her: “What could my life have been had this not happened?"

From @theathletic.bsky.social: Former Fox Sports host Julie Stewart-Binks alleges that Fox Sports executive Charlie Dixon sexually assaulted her in 2016. Days later, she said she felt forced to participate in a segment with Rob Gronkowski that led to public backlash. nyti.ms/4hztkbR

The search for an all-time scorer that time forgot The unwritten history of Finell White, who went from Harlem playgrounds to South Carolina countrysides and rewrote the record book

There's a list out there on the internet, one tallying h.s. basketball's highest single-season scorers. The name on top isn't a familiar one. It's one that was without a story.

That's where we begin...
www.nytimes.com/athletic/607...

There's some good stuff in Culture Code by Daniel Coyle that I think you'd like. But yeah, that's what I was hoping to accomplish. Tell some stories that help people learn and get better, I appreciate you sending a note.

A photo of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a red-and-white uniform with the headline: Patrick Mahomes and the Secrets of the Dad Bod

From @theathletic.bsky.social: Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only one with a "dad bod." Superstar athletes in all kinds of physically demanding sports are combining unconventional body types with otherworldly athleticism. nyti.ms/40E0FeH

Episode art for the 2025 Outfield Preview - Part 1 from the Rates & Barrels podcast featuring Jackson Chourio (left), Aaron Judge (center), and Jackson Merrill (right). Jackson Chourio Cover Photo: Cara Owsley-USA Today Sports Aaron Judge Cover Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images Jackson Merrill Cover Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾

After a brief detour to begin the week, @enosarris.bsky.social & I return to the position preview series with Part 1 (of 3) focusing on outfielders.

(Spoiler: There are a lot of players we like in this episode.)

Audio: pod.fo/e/2a2985
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels

Better late to add my eclectic Xmas book haul to #booksky! (Not counting ebooks lol)

Started attacking the stack!

Merci pour la bonne lecture @mathiasbrunet.bsky.social!

We’ll see who’s next! 😁 @pintsizedfarmer.bsky.social @davewragg.com @craigcustance.bsky.social @buehlmeister.bsky.social

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Thrashers 2.0 could learn a lot from the Vegas chapter in there. Also, there's at least one Thrashers 1.0 reference in the book that I can think of off hand.

Great chatting with you Joseph!

I talked to @craigcustance.bsky.social about his terrific book The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams. It's more than just hockey, you'll glean a lot of great life/business advice and reading suggestions: thecommentary.ca/ontheline/22...

Just got finished reading this. Worth the time

The Athletic Hockey Show: A show about the NHL: Are the Canucks prepared to move on from Pettersson and Miller? On the first new Wednesday show of the year, Gentille, Corrado and McIndoe discuss the dysfunction in Vancouver between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller and if the Canucks are prepared to deal both...

New TAHS Wednesday pod with Other Sean and Frank:

- Wait, are the Canucks going to trade *both* of JT Miller and Elias Pettersson?

- Who's real and who's not at the midway mark

- The Blue Jackets have a playoff spot

- Frank Vatrano's weird new contract, and more...

pod.fo/e/29b14b

There's a great new bookstore in Bethesda, MD called Wonderland Books with The Franchise on display. I'd be happy to mail a signed, personalized copy to anyone who buys it and sends me a pic.

The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams [Custance, Craig] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams

This might be my favorite review yet for The Franchise:
"Quick delivery and in perfect condition. Couldn’t be happier." (five stars) 😂

But honestly, huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed over the holidays. Helps a ton and means a lot: www.amazon.com/Franchise-Bu...

Thank you Reece! For anyone interested in some reading in the new year, here's the best place to get The Franchise: bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

🙏

How CT scanners are being used on trading cards: The ethical and legal issues it presents Using CT scanners to reveal what's inside sealed packages of trading cards has raised concerns in the industry

Got a request from our collectibles editor to drive across Michigan to see in person if an industrial scanning company could really do what they said - see inside unopened boxes of trading cards.

Ended up being a fascinating story w/Larry Holder: www.nytimes.com/athletic/598...

Since there's a lot of new folks here, I also run a journalism/media newsletter. It sends out open job postings and links to great stories. I update the Patreon weekly (sometimes more frequently) and send out a newsletter, ummm, as often as I can. Check it out!

Sebastian Cossa’s NHL debut brings a much-needed win: 5 Red Wings thoughts The 2021 first-round pick made his debut in tough circumstances, but came through with the win.

NEW: Five thoughts after Sebastian Cossa’s debut shootout win, Moritz Seider’s statement showing to help secure it, and more on this Red Wings season

www.nytimes.com/athletic/598...

We'll be streaming live tomorrow to react to tomorrow's CFP rankings here:

www.youtube.com/live/i9hRjON...

The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams a book by Craig Custance Draft Day meets Burke's Law in this incisive and entertaining behind-the-scenes look at hockey's highest ranks. Why do some franchises consistently win, while others may never get to see their players...

Better option: bookshop.org/p/books/the-...