Madden 21 doesn’t come out until the end of the month, but you’d think it had already been in stores for several weeks. Why? Because in the past month, player reactions to their rating in the game has been one of the main NFL topics on both sports radio and TV.
For instance, when Kyler Murray said he felt disrespected about his 77 overall rating during an appearance on First Take, it made headlines everywhere. That’s also why the Madden NFL franchise has the best marketing tool any video game has ever seen. It’s free advertising unlike we’ve ever seen and the ratings system has become, arguably, as big as the game itself.
In the game, a 99 overall rating is the highest you can achieve. Having that rating puts you in the category as one of the best in the game, as only a handful are selected each year. In this year’s game, only Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Donald, Stephon Gilmore, Christian McCaffrey and Michael Thomas are in the elite group.
But what if you could give a 99 rating to certain sports radio hosts? Instead of rating speed, agility, throw power and accuracy, how about rating the ability to rant, create compelling hot takes or even interview skills?
Thankfully, this is the website where I can do exactly that.
Rant
To get a 99 in rant ability it has to come naturally. Some guys are loud, just to be loud, but the best know it’s all about picking the right spot and letting the audience feel the passion about the topic. A 99 level rant will always be the highlight of any show and is likely to be replayed for years to come.
Don La Greca – co-host of the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 ESPN New York and YES Network.
Nobody rants better than Don. It’s actually one of my favorite things about The Michael Kay Show. Maybe it’s a dumb caller asking why the Yankees didn’t pinch hit in the second inning, or why the Mets have found their forever player, but when Don starts, watch out. You can see it in his face and hear it in his voice. Heck, the guy may even shake a computer screen to get his point across.
Edddddddddd!!! Freaaaakin! Craaaaanepooool!!!
Intelligence
There’s some guys who just seem to know what they’re talking about on every issue. Maybe that’s from show prep, maybe that’s just being naturally brilliant, but getting a 99 on intelligence requires both. Those are the hosts that you feel you really learn something from
Nick Wright – co-host of First Things First on FS1 and What’s Wright on SiriusXM.
I legitimately feel smarter every time I listen to Nick Wright. Nobody else in sports media can do that the way he does. He’s so well prepared and always has excellent points to back up any take. I could have put Wright on a couple of other categories for having a 99 rating, but his intelligence is his best asset. TV, radio, podcast, whatever, Wright is a 99 talent on them all.
I should also mention that Wright is gracing the cover for this make believe video game in 2020. Colin Cowherd was on the cover in 2019, after Dan Patrick was on it for the previous 10 years.
Interview ability
Getting big guests is one thing, but can you routinely pull the best out of them? That’s the trait you have to possess to receive a 99 rating. That takes an incredible amount of research on your guest, as well as an ability to make them feel comfortable enough to give you answers they wouldn’t give anyone else. Someone immediately comes to mind…
Dan Patrick – Host of the Dan Patrick Show on FOX Sports Radio.
I don’t care how many times Dan has made this list, he’s still a better interviewer than anyone else in the business. He’s done it for so long, there’s almost an unspoken expectation with guests that they better perform. Dan will be remembered for a lot of things when he retires, but his interview ability will be what’s remembered most fondly.
Entertainment
The shows I find myself routinely flipping back to each day, are the ones that make me laugh. Sports radio is still allowed to be light-hearted and funny and the hosts who achieve this on a daily basis tend to catch my attention more than the others.
The winner – Pat McAfee – Host of the Pat McAfee Show on CBS Sports Radio
There’s nobody naturally funnier in the business than Pat. He’s loud, energetic, fun and a 99 when it comes to entertaining an audience. I won’t say he’s a rising star, because I really believe he’s already arrived. Unless you’re just looking for something to hate about the guy, you can’t watch or listen to the guy and not laugh or be entertained. He’ll grace the cover of this game in the next two or three years.
Hot take ability
Though hot takes are seen as a negative by some people I tend to appreciate the ability to argue both sides and come up with compelling points for each. A good hot take is taking something that’s unpopular and making the listener think, hmm, that is a compelling argument, I’ve never thought of it that way. A 99 hot take ability is never scared to take the unpopular side.
The winner: Colin Cowherd – Host of The Herd on FOX Sports Radio
Colin is the only guy that can formulate a strong opinion on something by using the comparison of a steakhouse or wearing a backwards hat. It really is incredible. There’s always substance to every take he has and it shows every time he makes an argument. Sure, he’s not always the most popular guy on the internet, but that tends to happen when you routinely take a unique side of a discussion or an argument. Nobody argues a point better.
Tyler McComas is a columnist for BSM and a sports radio talk show host in Norman, OK where he hosts afternoon drive for SportsTalk 1400. You can find him on Twitter @Tyler_McComas or you can email him at TylerMcComas08@yahoo.com.
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