Podcast: ‘Out of Sight’ with special guest Howard Beck, talking all things MVP

Mar 30, 2023 - 11:47 PM

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In the latest edition of the “Out of Sight” podcast, co-hosts Adio Royster and Dave Early chop it up with NBA Insider and National Basketball Reporter Howard Beck.

Beck has written for The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report and more. You’ve almost certainly encountered his work over the years, as he’s covered this league for over 26 years.

Beck, you probably heard, landed on Sixers’ fans radar when he joined ESPN’s Zach Lowe’s podcast “The Lowe Post.”

On that episode Lowe and Beck took issue with the way Sixers President Daryl Morey was campaigning for Joel Embiid for MVP. They believed Morey was contributing to a new toxicity that’s surrounding this race, one of the most hotly contested MVP races in NBA history.

We talk about that with Beck here, and much more. Some of our topics include:

• Voter transparency — who are the MVP voters? Can we see who they are and who they’ve voted for in the past?
• Which outlets don’t let their reporters have a say?
• Is there really a “Boston Media Mafia” or other fan-contingents among voters, tipping the scales in favor of certain players?
• Brian Windhorst once said the media doesn’t love Joel Embiid. Has Beck encountered any of that sentiment?
• What type of campaigning do teams do? Has he received any merch from the Sixers or other teams?
• What’s the weirdest thing he’s ever gotten, since he’s had a vote?
• What’s one thing that matters a ton to him when deciding on MVP?
• What exactly is it about Morey’s campaigning that bugged Howard?
• Who does he think will win this thing, after the latest straw poll came out?
• Why does this debate seem so angry now compared to years past?
• What was his back and forth with Daryl Morey like on this subject? Are they cordial now, or is their some lingering vitriol?
• Does Morey publicly campaigning and potentially rubbing national reporters with a vote the wrong way potentially work against his own motives and his players interest? Could his twitter ribbing or officiating compilations backfire?
• Explain his comment that Morey has contributed to a culture where it’s Joel Embiid is MVP or you don’t believe in freedom!
• Should these media members not be voting? Are there some lines that get crossed? For example the NY Times doesn’t let their reporters vote... does transparency in voters erode reader confidence in reporter objectivity?
• Do you have to put one guy down to build your case for another guy?
• Does he think James Harden will make an All-NBA team?
• Does he think there’s truly smoke to the Harden-back-to-Houston rumors?

And much much more. Don’t miss it.