John Jastremski dove deep into the ups and downs of his career on the latest episode of the Sports Talkers Podcast this week. Host Stephen Strom asked JJ about his exit from WFAN in favor of joining Bill Simmons at The Ringer.
There are no regrets for Jastremski about the way his time on the original sports talk station ended. He said his decision was based on what was right for him at the time.
“I think some people thought I was going to move to a certain position,” Jastremski said, referencing rumors that then WFAN program director Mark Chernoff wanted to pair him with Maggie Gray in middays. “Let’s just say I didn’t think the position was right for me with the way it was going to be set up.”
There was one rumor John Jastremski read about himself during the time that he wants to make sure people know is not true.
“The idea that I wanted to work by myself was nonsense,” he said. “I know that was written about. That was just totally not true. I needed a show I could believe in. I needed a show I knew I was gonna be able to be myself. That wasn’t the situation for me. Everything happens for a reason.”
John Jastremski has found success with The Ringer, not only with his New York, New York podcast, but also with Spotify Live sessions after big games that give him the chance to interact with a live audience.
He challenges anyone to say he would be better off in 2022 if he had never left WFAN.
“I would love for anybody to go back and look at say ‘Oh, JJ, I think you got that one wrong.’”
