A.J. Daulerio, Editor of Deadspin (INTERVIEW) Edit

A.J. Daulerio is known as a man who speaks his mind, and as the Editor of Deadspin that hasn’t stopped. Once described by Yankee Pot Roast as a man who “forgets the pleasantries…and punches in the gut with his questions,” it’s no surprise that A.J. Daulerio would answer our questions with his signature zest. We had a brief talk with him about the role trend spotting plays in his work with Deadspin.

3 Questions with A.J. Daulerio

1. How do you keep your work on the cutting edge?

Overuse of the word “[redacted] rag” and mutton coverage.

2. How do you reset yourself to become creative? Do you have any rituals?

Lift weights at my desk. I sometimes wear a weight belt to work when I know a day will be especially busy. Some days, if I forget my weights, I’ll just do push-ups in the middle of the office and bark out the names of the 2000 Italian World Cup team.

3. What is an example of a time where you have thrown away an existing idea to force yourself to find something new?

Last summer, we were torn about doing a “Women of Water Polo” gallery spread because we couldn’t find the right mix of minorities. Instead we decided to just post a gallery of “Water Polo Balls” since they come in many different colors. It was one of our biggest hits of the summer and we even received a nice handwritten note from Benjamin Todd Jealous, President of the NAACP, thanking us for our progressive take on sports news.