The Podcast About Sports Radio : Chats With Industry Leaders
Sports Talk & News
Zach McCrite does his own sports radio show for a modest living, but he's always been obsessed with how to get better. aboutsportsradio.com/about
How do others do sports radio? How do talk show hosts find their "lane?" How do they create content? Who are their influences? What is the key to, say, play-by-play? How do you get a step up on the competition in a crowded field?
If you've had any of these questions, we ask them and a lot more to some of the most recognizable and informative voices in the sports radio industry. It was a niche in the podcast world that hadn't been filled (seemingly the only one)--until now.
Location:
United States
Description:
Zach McCrite does his own sports radio show for a modest living, but he's always been obsessed with how to get better. aboutsportsradio.com/about How do others do sports radio? How do talk show hosts find their "lane?" How do they create content? Who are their influences? What is the key to, say, play-by-play? How do you get a step up on the competition in a crowded field? If you've had any of these questions, we ask them and a lot more to some of the most recognizable and informative voices in the sports radio industry. It was a niche in the podcast world that hadn't been filled (seemingly the only one)--until now.
Twitter:
@AboutSR
Language:
English
Website:
http://aboutsportsradio.com
Episodes
PASR 077 : The One With Cody Stoots | Sports Talk Host: Sports Radio 610 Houston
8/17/2016
How about being 18, well on your way to a career in business, only to run into "The Godfather" James Brown and decide business wasn't for you?
(now, THAT is a good tease!)
Doesn't sound real, does it? But, that happened to Cody Stoots.
Stoots decided that radio was the path he took, gave himself a deadline by which he needed to be a sports talk host in his native Houston before he decided he'd take a new path.
He got there years in advance.
At 26 years old, Stoots is the driver for a...
Duration:00:38:03
PASR 076 : The One With Lachlan McLean | Sports Talk Host: ESPN 680 Louisville
8/10/2016
Lachlan McLean knew the "New York businessman" lifestyle wasn't for him. So much so that he had zero problem taking a 67 percent pay cut.
All to get into what he was doing in college... something he loved... sports.
After a lengthy stint in television, which included following his then-girlfriend-now-wife from smaller markets, McLean is now one of the most respected sports radio voices in the Louisville, Ky.--one of the few markets that has, as he puts it, "built-in conflict" everyday...
Duration:00:41:14
PASR 075 : The One With Tim Benz | Sports Talk Host: DK Sports Radio Pittsburgh | Pregame Show Host: Pittsburgh Steelers Radio Network
8/3/2016
Tim Benz has been an outsider on the radio, even in the city to which he was born.
Benz, born in Boston, made a name for himself in Pittsburgh sports radio and television, before giving it a successful, albeit it taxing, go at WEEI in Boston.
Now, back in Pittsburgh, with the exception of his regular gig as pregame show host on the Steelers Radio Network, Benz has pulled a "Kornheiser." He's gone to the internet!
Hear about how to host in a market outside your hometown, how to...
Duration:00:27:09
PASR 074 : The One With Sean O'Connell | Sports Talk Host: ESPN 700 Salt Lake City
7/27/2016
It's true that many of the stories of how one gets into a career in sports radio is quite unorthodox.
But this one may take the cake.
Sean O'Connell was an aspiring mixed martial arts fighter. That turned into co-hosting an MMA radio show that was self-admittedly just for fun.
That turned into a daily radio show--one of the most successful in Salt Lake City... and that radio show, one could argue, turned into a career into the UFC for O'Connell.
And that story is a good one, too. Hear...
Duration:00:34:21
PASR 073 : The One With RJ Choppy | Sports Talk Host: 105.3 The Fan Dallas
7/20/2016
RJ Choppy didn't know exactly what he was going to do with his life. But, it sounds like it was definitely going to be something in sports.
An aspiring golfer, Choppy took to a radio station gig at a fairly early age and the rest is history. He worked as a board op, producer and update anchor before finally beating down the door enough to be given an opportunity to be the Dallas Mavericks pre- and postgame show host.
Since then, Choppy has made a name for himself working alongside Shan...
Duration:00:40:27
PASR 072 : The One With Sarah Spain (Part 2) | Sports Talk Host: ESPN / ESPN Radio
7/13/2016
*NOTE: This is Part 2 of our interview with Sarah Spain. If you haven't yet, go back and listen to Episode 071.
Sarah Spain has done it all... and not just in the sports media world.
The once-aspiring comedian has also dabbled in being a restaurant server, a ring girl at a boxing match where no one spoke English, a character in a Chinese video game and more.
Spain knew where she was most comfortable and authentic in the working world, and that was sports.
And then she jumped onto...
Duration:00:27:29
PASR 071 : The One With Sarah Spain (Part 1) | Sports Talk Host: ESPN / ESPN Radio
7/6/2016
Sarah Spain has done it all... and not just in the sports media world.
The once-aspiring comedian has also dabbled in being a restaurant server, a ring girl at a boxing match where no one spoke English, a character in a Chinese video game and more.
Spain knew where she was most comfortable and authentic in the working world, and that was sports.
And then she jumped onto eBay, and everything changed (you'll just have to listen).
As with most guests on the podcast, her road to...
Duration:00:29:16
PASR 070 : The One With Mike Wickett | Sports Radio Host: 105.7 The Fan Milwaukee
6/29/2016
Mike Wickett has always loved radio. In a previous life, his goal was to spin tunes and be a Top 40 DJ. Until that one time he became a sports radio call screener.
The rest is history.
Now Wickett is part of one of the most popular morning shows in all of Wisconsin, regardless of format. Milwaukee's "Chuck and Wickett" on 105.7 The Fan is as popular for their off-the-board segments as they are with their "Green And Gold" Mondays in Packer Country.
Wickett, a decade-long mainstay in...
Duration:00:31:55
PASR 069 : The One With Gavin Dawson | Sports Talk Host: G-Bag Nation - 105.3 The Fan Dallas
6/22/2016
With many of our guests, the "breakthrough formula" is fairly simple. Have talent, work hard, catch a break. And for Gavin Dawson of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, it's no different.
Dawson got a shot while in Portland filling in for Jim Rome. Before long, he was packing his bags for Dallas. Of course, he was a telemarketer first (and we just have to ask about that).
Dawson's incredible flow, mix of sports and humor, and ability to give touches to everyone on a five-man show make him one of the...
Duration:00:37:31
PASR 068 : The One With Chris Duncan | Sports Talk Co-Host: 101 ESPN St. Louis
6/15/2016
Chris Duncan is one of faces that sports radio fans in St. Louis notice immediately. His place in St. Louis sports lore was cemented after being an important part of the St. Louis Cardinals' 2006 World Series run.
But these days, it's not just his face that is recognized. It's his voice. 'Dunc' went from dugout to radio studio and became an instant hit in the space, not only taking what he knew from the baseball field and putting it in digestible terms for the common baseball fan, but also...
Duration:00:32:45
PASR 067 : The One With Zach McCrite | Host: The Podcast About Sports Radio
6/8/2016
The guest on this episode of The PASR is actually the host, Zach McCrite.
Zach made an appearance last week on The Matt Jones Podcast, consistently one of the top sports podcasts in the iTunes rankings. Jones was once a guest on The PASR (Episode 12) and is still, as of this recording, the most downloaded episode in PASR history.
This is a partial syndication of that episode of The Matt Jones Podcast.
In it, Jones asks Zach about his recent move back to his hometown, the radio scene...
Duration:00:30:15
PASR 066 : The One With Joy Taylor | Sports Talk Host: Fox Sports Radio / FS1
6/1/2016
Joy Taylor is as smart as they come in this business? Want just one reason why? Joy had television as one of her many career goals after graduating with a broadcasting degree.
She also found out very early on that radio would accentuate her great personality incredibly moreso than if she just jumped into TV off the bat. And that would open the television door wide open for her eventually.
Now with Fox Sports Radio and FS1, Joy talks about her journey as a music station intern in Miami, to...
Duration:00:35:40
PASR 065 : The Second One With Colin Cowherd | Sports Talk Host: Fox Sports Radio / FS1
5/25/2016
There has been no more mentioned sports radio personality by all of our previous guests than Colin Cowherd.
Cowherd has talked in our podcast before about the intricacies of his show and where he saw the industry going in Episode 14.
This time around, Cowherd talks a lot about why he made the move from ESPN to Fox, why there seems to be an exodus of ESPN's top talent, a rebuttal to Dan Le Batard's "you leave (ESPN), you're going to get lost" comment and a whole lot more on this...
Duration:00:28:15
PASR 065 : The Second One With Colin Cowherd | Sports Talk Host: Fox Sports Radio
5/25/2016
There has been no more mentioned sports radio personality by all of our previous guests than Colin Cowherd. Cowherd has talked in our podcast before about the intricacies of his show and where he saw the industry going in Episode 14. This time around, Cowherd talks a lot about why he made the move from ESPN to Fox, why there seems to be an exodus of ESPN's top talent, a rebuttal to Dan Le Batard's "you leave (ESPN), you're going to get lost" comment and a whole lot more on this episode of...
Duration:00:57:54
PASR 064 : The One With Chris Childers | Sports Talk Host: SiriusXM College Sports Nation
5/18/2016
Sometimes there are people that think they missed their chance to get into their dream of being a sports talker.
Of course, we've learned it's never too late.
And in the case of Chris Childers, it's never too early either.
Childers got himself his first break at 11 years old. Yes, 11.
He made the most of that opportunity, and the opportunities that arose after that. The now-SiriusXM host tells you about the one interview that the right person heard to get him his own show, his working...
Duration:00:31:30
PASR 063 : The One With Danny Parkins | Sports Talk Host: 610 Sports Kansas City
5/11/2016
Danny Parkins got the highly-coveted broadcasting degree from Syracuse. You know, the same one that's supposed to get you right in the door at any station in the country that you so desire.
At least, that's what he thought.
Instead, Parkins had to find a way to make money in other ways to start. And those were fun too, for a time.
Eventually, Parkins really got rolling on the air. Currently an afternoon drive host at 610 Sports in Kansas City, Parkins has accomplished a lot more than many...
Duration:00:42:36
PASR 062 : The One With Jonathan Zaslow | Sports Talk Host: 790 The Ticket Miami
5/4/2016
Jonathan Zaslow is a lifer. Of course, he may not have known it was going to be in the sports radio field. But, ever since he signed on to do anything and everything at a startup sports radio station in Miami, the format began to love him. And he's excelled.
Zaslow, morning show host at 790 The Ticket in Miami and Miami Heat broadcaster, also has the self-awareness to know that he had to change along the way as well, while still staying true to himself.
Here about the journey of Zaslow,...
Duration:00:36:13
PASR 061 : The One With Mike Meltser | Sports Talk Co-Host: MaD Radio - SportsRadio 610 Houston
4/27/2016
Sometimes, just being close to the action is the best way to move up the ranks.
But you still have to be good. Really good. And that's what Mike Meltser is.
Meltser was a host in Hartford, Conn., a stones throw away from ESPN. And when the talent is so close, before you know it, you're doing updates for ESPN Radio.
Since then, it's been nothing but upward for the current host at SportsRadio 610 in Houston.
Hear about his climb and more in this edition of The PASR.
Grab a...
Duration:00:29:35
PASR 060 : The One With Isaac Ropp | Sports Radio Co-Host: Isaac & Suke - 1080 The Fan Portland
4/20/2016
Imagine latching onto a radio station, virtually right out of college, and sticking with that same radio station your entire career?
Maybe you crave an opportunity like that one. Ot, perhaps that sounds boring to you.
In Isaac Ropp's case, though, it was the best of both worlds. Isaac went to a radio broadcasting class in college, talked to a local sports radio pro and worked all the way up from asking a superior for feedback on a sports update demo to afternoon drive host in...
Duration:00:30:18
PASR 059 : The One With Chris Mueller | Sports Talk Co-Host: Starkey & Mueller - 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh
4/13/2016
Most of us odd folk that work in sports radio (especially those that didn't come from the pro athlete background) were probably pretty opinionated about sports from a young age.
In Chris Mueller's case, he was "pontificating"--that's his word--so much about sports during his adolescence, that when a chance popped up to enter an American Idol-type contest for sports radio, it wasn't him who was itching to enter.
His family was pushing him to do it.
Turned out to be a great decision. Years...
Duration:00:32:03