Naked Sports with Cari Champion

“What do people call you? Do you have a nickname?”

She often asks this early to build personal rapport and start the conversation on an informal note.

“While researching [difficult topic], what part made you cringe the most?”

She asks this to move beyond facts and elicit a guest's personal, emotional reaction to their own work.

“Can you tell everybody about [surprising personal connection to a famous person]?”

Used to prompt a specific, often surprising and entertaining, personal anecdote she's uncovered in research.

“How would you describe your field when you were younger and who were your heroes?”

This question is used to establish a guest's origin story and key influences early in their career.

“Talk about your research on [topic of guest's book/film].”

When a guest has a specific project, she uses it as a direct entry point to structure the conversation.

“After the [X] era, what was the next iteration of [Y] affecting culture?”

A transition question used to move a historical narrative forward in a chronological interview.

“What did [Figure A] do differently than their predecessor, [Figure B]?”

This is a technique she uses to trace the evolution of a craft or industry through key figures.

“Do you ever feel you can't give your opinion and have to hold back?”

A direct question, often posed to fellow media figures, about the professional constraints of their job.

“Do you ever think being 'performative' advances others and wonder if you should recalibrate?”

She asks this to explore the tension between authenticity and the pressures for career advancement.

“Was there a stigma for [your group] versus [another group] when you were growing up?”

This question serves to explore historical prejudice and gender or racial dynamics in a guest's field.

“Walk me through the experience of [a major career milestone].”

This prompts the guest to give a firsthand, narrative account of a significant achievement.