Covid-19 has claimed another victim in the sports media world. Due to restructuring at home station WBUR, NPR’s only sports show is coming to an end. The last episode of Only A Game will air in September.
Ian Casselberry of Awful Announcing called Only a Game “one of radio’s most in-depth, thought-provoking, and sincere sports programs.” The show was heard on 260 NPR affiliates across the country. It was also available as a podcast.
Only a Game was launched by Bill Littlefield in 1993. He retired in 2018. Since then, the show has not had a designated host. Producers Karen Given, Martin Kessler, and Gary Waleik, and technical director Marquis Neal took turns in the role. When the show began, it offered typical sports news and analysis before involving into something more like HBO’s RealSports with long-form interviews and essays about games, athletes, and stories. Esquire‘s Charlie Pierce, the Wall Street Journal‘s Jason Gay, and FOX Sports’s Charlotte Wilder had all contributed to the show in the past.
While public radio stations weren’t in a rush to drop Only a Game, it could sometimes be a tough sell to new affiliates. Sports is not usually a subject listeners turn to NPR for and sports radio listeners don’t typically turn to NPR. Karen Given noted in an official statement from WBUR that it was clear two years ago when the station didn’t invest more in the show’s future after Littlefield’s retirement that it was going to be a rocky road forward.
For now, a full archive of shows are available as podcasts. They can be found on NPR’s site or on the platform of your choice.
Can we get past the “restructuring” buzzword and discuss how this decision relates to the pandemic? Ms. Given’s complaint could also use some follow-up.