Growing up in Canton, Ohio, Garrett Bush was a huge fan of the Cleveland sports teams so it seemed like it was destined for him to talk about the Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians/Guardians with an audience paying attention. That first opportunity came when he was 12 or 13 years old at a barbershop that two of his uncles owned.
It was a typical Saturday at the barbershop, filled with people who would just love to start conversations about sports, politics, and music.
“You knew you were special or you knew what you were saying was correct when they used to let you talk,” said Bush, a co-host of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show on YouTube weekdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
“I just got up the nerve or gumption to say something one time about the Browns. They let me say something and I just remember no one stopped me. I just turned around and it hit me that nobody was talking and I had the floor.”
And now, Bush has the floor on several platforms including the YouTube show that has been very successful. He co-hosts the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show with Adam “The Bull” Gerstenhaber and Jay Crawford along with several rotating panelists and things couldn’t be going any better for a project that the sports fans in town have really taken to.
“It’s been a blast,” said Bush. “I’m a big fan of independent media and I kind of consider what we’re trying to do as groundbreaking. We’re the first show in Cleveland that’s really taken strictly to YouTube so it’s a different format.”
The format of hosting a sports talk show on YouTube is something that had to be explained to potential advertisers because it’s on a non-traditional platform. But each day, there have been great conversations with varying voices and that has helped create a niche in Cleveland.
It’s not your typical sports talk show in that you’d be hard-pressed to find a subject matter that won’t be discussed.
“I’ve been really appreciative of it because it gives us more liberty to tackle some of the topics that we want to talk about,” said Bush. “We’re able to talk about things that you wouldn’t necessarily hear on other platforms or on regular radio or television. It’s been a joy to be on there and be able to talk about some of the things we talk about. I have so much fun.”
While the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show occupies a lot of Bush’s time during the week, he is still able to handle his other gigs like being the a co-host on the Cleveland Browns Radio Network and host of the Locked On Browns podcast. Bush also continues to host The Barbershop, his weekend show on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to Noon.
His weekly radio show — voted one of the best five Cleveland sports talk radio shows by Cleveland City Magazine — means the world to him.
“A lot of people take a look at me being a weekend host and I laugh and joke that I made being a weekend host feel cool,” said Bush. “Even if I got big enough to go and do other things and do big national stuff, I would always feel like The Barbershop is for me and the people. I really take pride in being able to do that show and bring that energy on the weekends.”
The radio show also carries an extra meaning for Bush and you don’t have to look any further than the name of the show as to why.
Bush’s two eldest uncles on his father’s side owned competing barbershops in Canton. One day, they decided to join forces and they built a barbershop together from the ground up.
“As they got older, they said ‘Hey why don’t we bring our stuff together and really take over the city and do top-notch stuff’,” said Bush. “So, they came together and built a barbershop called Priority Hair Care in Canton and it’s still standing to this day. What was really special about it is that it was probably one of the first black-owned businesses that we had in the city. It thrived. That was the place to be. That was the place to go to get your haircut.”
Bush played football, basketball, and baseball for McKinley High School and helped the Bulldogs to a pair of state football titles. After graduation in 2000, he was off to Ohio University where he earned a degree in Marketing and Communications. Bush would go on to study at Ohio Media School before embarking on his professional career.
A kid growing up in Canton has made a career of talking about the Cleveland teams that he has loved all his life.
“Man, it’s a blessing,” said Bush. “It’s a whirlwind. I can’t really believe that I’m doing it. It feels natural and it feels like something that I was always supposed to do.”
Garrett Bush has achieved a lot during his broadcasting career and he’s certainly proven, just like his uncles, to be a cut-above when it comes to being a media personality in Ohio.
Peter Schwartz writes weekly sports radio features for Barrett Media. He has been involved in New York sports media for over three decades, and has worked for notable brands such as WFAN, CBS Sports Radio, WCBS 880, ESPN New York, and FOX News Radio. Peter has also served as play by play announcer for the New Yok Riptide, New York Dragons, New York Hitmen, Varsity Media and the Long Island Sports Network. You can find him on Twitter @SchwartzSports or email him at DragonsRadio@aol.com.
