Michael Strahan wasn’t always thinking about being in the media after his Hall-of-Fame playing career was over. However, there was one show that helped Strahan realize that it could actually be a reality for him.
On the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, Strahan said he started doing guest hosting roles on shows for fun, but then he went on The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
“I literally would just do stuff because it was fun. Next thing you know, I did a Super Bowl for ABC one time on the main desk. I started doing Best Damn Sports Show Period out of fun, not thinking about a second career. But, then I started to realize this actually could be happening and it really happened when I was doing The Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
One of the things that Strahan thinks more people need to understand about broadcasting is that one particular person doesn’t make-or-break the show and sharing on a broadcast was something he learned while on The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
“That was like a training ground to me for live TV and for hosting and for sharing. It’s important to share. That’s what I think a lot of people don’t understand. They think it’s about me, I’m the star. Everyone can be a star. The show’s winning, we all winning…There’s so many people in the ecosystem of making you successful that If you think it’s about you, you’re a damn fool. For me, I truly have learned that it’s about teamwork. It’s about walking into the room and letting people know how important they are about everything.”
Strahan said he had a different mentality about the media while he was a player because he realized in order for the media to get their story, they needed him more than he needed them.
“I realized that they needed me to do their job. I hate to say it that way, but as an athlete, I needed my mentality to be you need me, I don’t need you, and you are telling me how to do my job. I used to say to them “the last time you put on a uniform was when your mom took you trick-or-treating”…It’s easy to write about something you’ve never done, but when you’ve done it, it gives you a greater appreciation about what it takes to get it done.”
