This week’s eavesdropping turned out to be very different from what I was originally expecting. I have heard episodes and seen many clips of The Pivot podcast featuring former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor. Generally, what I heard was a lot of their personalities and good conversation between the hosts and guests who would add to the conversation.
As I loaded up the March 14 edition of the show, as I drove from Nashville to St. Louis, I expected I would here much the same. However, this episode was very different in that the guest, WNBA superstar Natasha Cloud, did most of the talking and the hosts did most of the listening.
To be candid, the episode was riveting. The word a lot of people in our business like to use a lot is ‘compelling.’ When you have content that is truly compelling, you win. This episode had it in spades.
I don’t want to make it sound like Cloud talked for 75 minutes, the hosts were engaged in the conversation, she just had a lot to talk about and really opened up in the conversation. Nonetheless, you still got to feel the genuine camaraderie between The Pivot hosts Clark, Crowder and Taylor, and you really got a chance to see their ability to create a space where athletes feel comfortable sharing raw, unfiltered truth. This particular conversation was honest, deep and full of humor, and nobody from guest to hosts was afraid to be real.
From the moment Cloud started, it was clear this wasn’t just another media hit for her, it was a chance to speak freely, to educate, to challenge, and to reflect. Right out of the gate, Cloud set the tone by acknowledging the platform Clark, Crowder, and Taylor have built and the role they play in uplifting Black voices, especially Black women.
“I appreciate what y’all do,” Cloud said about The Pivot. “Before we even start, I think it’s really powerful to have Black men that constantly speak up and talk about issues that not only plague our community, but especially for how y’all speak up for Black women.”
Clark wasted no time getting personal, diving into Cloud’s unique upbringing as a biracial woman raised in a white family, navigating what she called being a “gray area kid.”
“You were never white enough, you were never Black enough,” she added. “It was just like, you’re somewhere in between, so you have to figure it out for yourself.”
Cloud credited her mother for instilling strength in her, but admitted she didn’t truly “find her Blackness” until she got to the University of Maryland, where she was surrounded by a more diverse environment.
If you know anything about Natasha Cloud you know she doesn’t just talk, she acts. Her decision to sit out the 2020 WNBA season in protest after the murder of George Floyd wasn’t a PR stunt or a moment of fleeting activism, it was a conviction that led to action.
“For me, I just couldn’t go in and not be on the front lines, not be in those conversations, not be in rooms that are deciding policies for our communities moving forward,” she explained to the hosts.
It’s no secret that WNBA players have long fought for better pay, resources, and respect, but Cloud laid it out plain and simple saying, “You’re going to give us our money, and you’re going to give us our money now.”
She wasn’t asking for NBA salaries, but she was demanding fair compensation based on the revenue they generate. She even pointed out the fact that WNBA players don’t even receive a cut of their own jersey sales.
“How is that even possible? My sh** is sold out, so why am I not receiving money for that?”
Cloud’s frustration wasn’t just personal, it was systemic. And yet, rather than dwell on the inequities, she made it clear she’s going to fight for the next generation of players.
At one point, the conversation turned to Cloud’s on-court mentality, her reputation as a ‘dog’, and why she embraces the role of an enforcer.
“If I got to crash out to get us fired up, I think sometimes people look at me and they’re like, ‘Oh, she don’t know what she’s doing.’ If I get a technical, most of the time it’s very intentional.”
The hosts, particularly Crowder, couldn’t help but laugh. “You get mad real easy,” he joked, mimicking her aggressive style on the court.
It was in these moments, with humor meeting truth, where the realness of The Pivot podcast shined.
As much as Cloud spoke about her passion for activism, she also revealed the emotional toll it takes.
“People thought I was just chilling at home. I was working 9 to 5. I was in meetings, panels, hard discussions, reliving vulnerable moments, talking about our trauma in the Black community, and then still being demanded to do more.”
Clark jumped in, saying he’s felt the same burden, feeling like if he didn’t speak on an issue, he was letting people down. “I had to get to the point where I was comfortable enough to say, ‘Hey y’all, I can’t talk about everything. I can’t fight everything.'”
By the end of the episode, it was hard not to be moved. Clark, Crowder, and Taylor embraced Cloud’s story, her struggles, and her fight.
“I’m just a normal human being that speaks up when I see something wrong,” Cloud said.
This episode of The Pivot podcast wasn’t just sports talk, it was real talk.
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Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
