ESPN Radio’s morning show has found its groove according to host Jay Williams. He told Jason Barrett that Keyshawn, JWill and Max took some time to gel, but now feels like it is something listeners want to hear each day.
Williams is the guest on the new episode of The Jason Barrett Podcast this week. Barrett asked him when the show got to the point that the three hosts felt like they had taken a step forward. He pointed to the comfort that he now has with Keyshawn Johnson and Max Kellerman.
“First off, it comes with time, right? Time spent working together,” Williams said. “Understanding cadences, themes, and narratives we can drive.”
The two-time national player of the year for college basketball pointed to a familiar environment as a model for what he wants to achieve. Jay Williams said that his goal is to give listeners the chance to eavesdrop on the kind of conversations that happen inside of a locker room. That means learning what sets each member of the KJM cast off.
The Chargers’ starting quarterback has become a favorite target of Williams’s because he knows how Max Kellerman feels about him.
“Max hears Justin Herbert, he’s going on a soliloquy. He’s on a diatribe and I’m like ‘oh, got him!’.”
Jay Williams said that everyone on the show had to learn that it is okay to be the butt of a joke and had to be comfortable with not being the star of every segment. They do not approach the show as a monolith. That means everyone will get a chance to shine throughout the morning.
“It’s gonna be a series of ebbs and flows, right? We have four hour shows that we produce,” he said. “It’s not like you’re on TV for four hours. No, from 6 to 7 is a show. From 7 to 8 is a completely different show with a completely different audience. Same with 8 to 9. Now all of the sudden, we’re focused on New York City and things that happen in the city. From 9 to 10, it changes demographically, so you get a chance to repeat some of the same topics, but the way we go about it changes each time.”
