As the culture wars continue, this week was another example of how sports and politics continue to intertwine more so than ever before. This latest news was also an example of how and why Premiere Networks made a forward-thinking decision in making Clay Travis part of their new two-man team with Buck Sexton to replace Rush Limbaugh as their syndicated option in the time slot.
Unless you have missed the entire news cycle this week, then you’re well aware that former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned after e-mails from up to 10 years ago surfaced with homophobic language, along with a slur aimed at Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association DeMaurice Smith, where he wrote in an e-mail, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires.”
As the story unfolded, there was not an opinion-maker in the political space more qualified to discuss it head-on than Clay Travis (although I would add Will Cain to this list as well). But in the case of Travis, the former longtime sports talk show host had injected himself in the culture wars in recent years, creating a unique lane that was not being filled by anyone else in major mainstream sports media. He had cultivated a massive following by fearlessly pushing back on the cancel culture and other issues that mattered to traditional Americans that transcended the X’s and O’s of the sports world.
It seemed like everyday sports was becoming center stage for the cultural battles of our time and Travis dove in headfirst to defend mainstream values that were not being represented much at all in mainstream media.
While Travis spend his traditional media platforms, like on his syndicated sports talk show, focusing on the sports stories of the day, it also became clear through watching and listening to his personal daily “Outkick” podcast that he was certainly well-versed on the purely political topics of the day as well.
So when Premiere was looking for its replacement to Rush Limbaugh, there was wisely never going to be a one-person act who could have confidently filled that role. So a two-person show was the play, and adding Travis’ unique ability to share and grow his political chops, while being willing and able to inject himself into the cultural battle of the day, be it politics, sports, entertainment, etc., made him a solid commodity for the current moment, plus the future of the format.
As someone who previously hosted sports talk shows, and now is in the political space, it certainly feels like these cultural battles in sports and politics keep intersecting in a way that was not nearly as common even a few years ago. And while a hot topic to discuss is how media continues to become more segregated and niche, which is true to a large degree, there is also plenty to be said about being able to adeptly discuss and understand the inner workings of Washington D.C. politics, along with explaining and understanding the latest angles around Jon Gruden’s e-mails.
That’s because more so than ever, these two trains are running full speed ahead, and the collision feels like it’s right around the corner every single day.
Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the morning show host and program director for KCMO in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. Pete was also the sports and news director for Omni Media Group at K-1O1/Z-92 in Woodward, Oklahoma. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on Twitter @PeteMundo.
