Chris Rose is always up for a challenge.
He’s worked for legendary brands and he’s worked for start-ups. He’s worked on established productions like NFL broadcasts on Fox and he’s helped launch entirely new ones like The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Network and Intentional Talk on MLB Network.
Now, the longtime host is expanding his role with Jomboy Media, recently announcing that he is hosting an NFL podcast with New York Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah this season. He has been hosting the baseball-related podcasts, The Chris Rose Rotation and Baseball Today, since he got to Jomboy in 2020.
“I just like challenging myself with totally different, new projects,” Rose told BSM recently. “I will never sign up for something if I don’t wholeheartedly believe in it.”
This newest venture, The Chris Rose Football Show with C.J. Uzomah has released two episodes thus far and has a goal of being released a few times per month, depending on Uzomah’s schedule.
“It’s just being able to take people behind the scenes,” Rose said. “Most of us cheer like hell for our teams, or our fantasy teams, or just individual players we like on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays, but we don’t know what they’re about away from the field. And you might get a small snippet if they’re available on social media, but it’s different when you’re having a 45 minute to an hour conversation with a guy every few weeks. That’s the win for the consumer.”
With his history of being an innovator and his success at the forefront of a shows creation, this podcast was a no-brainer for the sports media veteran.
“It’s fun when you have a blank canvas,” Rose said. “The one thing that I can’t stand, whether it’s sports or business or anything else is, ‘Well, that’s not the way we’ve done it before.’ Like I think that you’re putting yourself in a box and you stop learning if you do that — and you stop challenging yourself. So I think it’s always been fun to be a part of a startup.
“Yes, I was with it for The Best Damn Sports Show Period. I did that with Intentional Talk. I’ve done it a couple of times with Jomboy Media. And I get it, not all these shows have been for everybody. When you have a show that is new and fresh, it’s not going to resonate with everybody, and that’s okay. I think as long as you come to grips with the fact that you have to be true to who you are and what you think your audience is all about, then you’re going to be well on your way to success.”
While television jumpstarted his career — he still works at the NFL Network — Rose says he is also enjoying life in the digital space at Jomboy.
“I love it. It’s very liberating. I’ve certainly found it that way. When I left MLB Network — and it wasn’t by choice, we all know the story there — it’s state-run TV. There’s times where I got called into the principal’s office and told ‘You can’t say that.’ ‘But that’s the way I feel,’ ‘Yeah, but you can’t say that.’
“Not once have I heard that in the year and a half that I’ve worked at Jomboy, not once. It’s not like I’m sitting here taking shots at the league or taking shots at players, that’s not how this thing works, certainly not from my end. But it does pay to be truthful, and unfortunately, I know that there’s a lot of people at certain networks where you can’t tell the truth, that you always you have to answer to somebody, not here.”
As Rose continues to grow and challenge himself in the present, he brings along with him the successes of his past, which include being able to navigate all kinds of different environments. Serious shows or laid-back shows, shows with all different kinds of co-hosts, no matter the situation, Rose has always been able to deliver.
“I pride myself on trying to not only give the consumer what they want, but the people that I’m working with, whether it’s an analyst or somebody else, the ability to best be them. It’s my job to listen to what they do best, to how they like certain things. And I think that if you can adapt quickly to whatever role you’re at, that’s really important,” Rose said. “The worst thing you can do is be pigeonholed in this business… You want to be the person where somebody says, ‘Yeah, that person can do whatever we ask them to.’
“And that’s why when I get hired, whether it’s a one-off, or a new series or something, I always sit down with the producers. And I say, ‘You tell me what it is you’re looking for. I might have a vision, but you tell me what it is you want.’ That’s most important, and then hopefully your personality is able to shine through in certain areas,” he added.
And with Uzomah’s Jets completing a historic comeback this past Sunday against Rose’s childhood team, the Browns, I imagine a lot of personality will be shining through in episode three.
Brady Farkas is a sports radio professional with 5+ years of experience as a Program Director, On-Air Personality, Assistant Program Director and Producer in Burlington, VT and Albany, NY. He’s well versed in content creation, developing ideas to generate ratings and revenue, working in a team environment, and improving and growing digital content thru the use of social media, audio/video, and station websites. His primary goal is to host a daily sports talk program for a company/station that is dedicated to serving sports fans. You can find him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady and reach him by email at bradyfarkas@gmail.com.
