Maybe there’s no better sign of aging than being tempted to unironically say, “Wow, time flies!” when someone tells you how long they have been on a particular job. That was my honest reaction when Kyle Bailey told me he is closing in on a decade at WFNZ. I remember when he arrived in Charlotte, and I could have sworn that was just three or four years ago.
Kyle has seen a lot of turnover in his building. He’s been through three programmers, multiple faces cycling through various day parts, and a few parent companies. It’s enough to move you from “new guy” to “old guard” quickly.
But in 2024, he has a clear idea of who he and his co-workers are. He calls WFNZ “mature, steady, and dialed-in.”
“We’ve built up a lot of trust with the audience; they know who we are and what we’re about,” he says. “We have very talented guys in the midday, capable leadership, tremendous support from our producers and board ops, and overall, our staff gets along really well. We root for each other and help out where we can. Not every sports radio station has that, and it’s certainly helped us to grow as a brand.”
Bailey hasn’t just grown on the air since coming to WFNZ. He has grown up off of it. When he’s behind the mic, he’s still locked in on the Panthers, Hornets, and whatever else is happening in town, but he thinks about the job a little differently now than he did before having kids. His age puts him in lock step with what a lot of guys in his audience are thinking about.
“Obviously fatherhood changes your entire worldview – especially with 3 kids under 4 years old. Sports and sports radio were the biggest bond between me, my brother, and our dad. My mom grew up playing softball, so we’re a sports family. Now I’m looking for opportunities to create that connection with my kids.”
If there’s a negative to being on the radio in Charlotte, it may be the downward trajectory of the local teams during that time. Take it from a guy that hosts a podcast about the Carolina Panthers, it hasn’t been fun to pay attention to the local NFL team. I can’t imagine having to do the same for the Hornets too!
“First of all, thank you for your concern. No one ever asks me how I’m doing,” Bailey jokes when I ask how he has held up.
As for how it affects his show, he says that it would be hard if all he had to talk about were the Hornets and Panthers. Charlotte offers him a lot more though.
“This is one of the most interesting sports cities in America. We’re one of just 32 NFL markets and 30 NBA markets. We’re home to major neutral-site college football games and basketball tournaments. The ACC has its headquarters, championship game, and championship tournaments here. It’s the epicenter of NASCAR. Charlotte FC is #2 in the MLS in attendance not even 3 years into existence. Copa America, Gold Cup, and marquis friendlies. Annual PGA Tour signature event, President’s Cup, and next year the PGA Championship. So, there’s always something going on and therefore to talk about. We also have no problem talking about lifestyle, news, and pop culture where it fits, so we stay plenty busy on the air. I’m never bored in this job.”
A little more excitement was added to Bailey’s professional life earlier this year. He and WFNZ colleague Wes Bryant signed on with USA Football as the broadcasters of all of the major events for the governing body of flag football in this country. Just under a month after the deal was announced, the 2024 Olympics kicked off in Paris.
In most years, the football world isn’t thinking about the Olympics. In 2028 though, we’ll be handing out medals for flag football at the Los Angeles games.
Not every Olympic sport is track & field, wrestling or swimming. If it wasn’t part of the original modern Olympics, the sport has to start somewhere. For breaking it was in Paris. For flag football, it will be in Los Angeles. But Bailey is clear, he hopes that’s where the comparisons between the two sports ends. The world has already issued its verdict on breaking. It won’t be back in 2028.
“I’ve always looked forward to the Olympics,” he said. “However, the breaking stuff wasn’t for me. The RayGun thing was funny, but I never understood why it was included in the first place,” Bailey says. “Flag football is going to be really cool in 2028, regardless of who plays. When I was in LA last month calling USA Football’s Week at The One event, it was so fun to experience the different styles and flavors across the American, Canadian, Panamanian, Mexican, and Japanese teams. The Undertaker’s daughter was a QB on one team. Martin Grammatica’s daughter was on another team. A Hollywood actress was quarterbacking a club team called ‘She Unit’. There’s a whole culture developing in the flag football world that many people don’t yet know about. Throw more countries into the mix for ’28 with added interest in the sport, I think it’s going to be a hit.”
So, with all of that international growth, what does Bailey want to see for the men’s team in Los Angeles?
He wouldn’t be upset if some of the NFL’s biggest stars follow through on their promises to play, but he notes that the US already has a national flag football team, and that team is pretty damn good. It would be a shame if they got benched when the sport steps into its biggest spotlight.
Bailey isn’t so sure we should count on that being the way it goes down though.
“I’m still skeptical that NFL stars will end up playing,” he says. “Roger Goodell and the league can ‘encourage’ it all they want to, but are the Dolphins loaning out Tyreek Hill to the USOC in the middle of training camp knowing he could suffer a season-ending injury?”
The future is bright for flag football, but as he closes in on a decade in the Queen City, it’s just as bright for Kyle Bailey. He’s happy, the station is in great shape, and he and his producer Evan “Smoke” Ludwig are in a good groove.
“I think it’s a testament to how hard we’ve worked, and it’s validating to see that hard work pay off,” he says.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
