If you were to ask me to name my favorite moment on sports radio in 2019, I would have to take you back to the end of the spring. Game of Thrones was a hot topic as the final season was winding down, and even though spring football was coming to an end and fans in Birmingham had questions about Nick Saban’s plan to get back to the top of the college football universe, the hosts of the JOX Roundtable didn’t miss a golden opportunity.
Nick Saban isn’t a man known for having a sense of humor or ever showing very much joy. That wasn’t the case though when host Lance Taylor asked the Alabama coach about the show. You can hear the result below.
It was everything I could ever want out of an interview. The question was unexpected. The answer was even more unexpected. Everyone involved was clearly enjoying themselves.
Until last week, I didn’t have to think twice about this being my answer when asked what my favorite sports radio moment of the year was. That was before Parkins & McNeil got a hold of Dave Wannstedt.
The former Bears, Dolphins, and Pitt coach joined the show on 670 the Score to talk football. He was also there to unveil what he thought was a musical collaboration between himself and the two hosts. When Danny Parkins and Dan McNeil played the audio though, Wannstedt quickly found out that his vocals were isolated for multiple stretches during the trio’s rendition of “Silent Night.”
Wannstedt’s Pittsburgh accent gave us the merriest Yinz-mas carol you could ever imagine.
For my final column of the year, I want to tip my hat to the guys that aren’t afraid to have fun. We all love sports, but let’s be honest. They can become a drag when it is your job to talk about them everyday. Constantly talking about off field controversies and on field failures is draining. It can also become monotonous.
Let’s use 670 the Score as an example. What are Danny Parkins and Dan McNeil going to ask Dave Wannstedt about Mitch Trubisky’s struggles or Matt Nagy’s job security that hasn’t been asked and answered dozens of times already?
What made both of these moments possible, in addition to the hosts’ fearlessness and creativity, was a level of awareness. Back in May, Lance Taylor told me that he had inside knowledge that Nick Saban watched Game of Thrones. Dave Wannstedt’s voice is legendarily silly and since he launched a Cameo account, the internet has delighted in sending him requests to talk about making sandwiches. Parkins and McNeil had to know the former Bears’ coach would be willing to accommodate an off the wall request like performing “Silent Night.”
Remember earlier this football season when everyone was making a stink about that video where a reporter asks DeShaun Watson what he saw on a play that ended in an interception? Watson gave the reporter a detailed breakdown of the coverage he saw at the line and what he anticipated that meant the defensive backs would be doing after the snap. There was debate on whether the answer was Watson dunking on the reporter or just a guy giving a thorough and clear answer to the question that was asked.
You know what I saw when I watched that video? A guy answering a boring question in a boring way. Who do we think cares about DeShaun Watson breaking down what he saw from a safety before the snap?
Hardcore football guy cares and that is about it. Hardcore football guy is always going to come to your show. You aren’t helping grow your audience by constantly catering to hardcore football guy. Constantly catering to hardcore football guy sucks all the fun out of the room.
When I first started in morning radio my program director told me that every segment should either entertain, educate or enlighten the audience. That advice is fine, but really it should be “Every segment should entertain, and occasionally also enlighten or educate the audience.” I mean, for Christ’s sake, this isn’t NPR.
Your listeners know that you know sports. They know that you care about the teams and players you are talking about. Most of your interviews are going to include the questions they hope to get answers to.
Sometimes though, you’ll have a guest that presents you with an opportunity to venture down a frivolous and silly path. Take it. It’s not what your audience is expecting, and the unexpected is always what stands out.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
