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The last time the Washington Commanders (formerly Redskins and Washington Football Team) had a season like this, JP Finlay was 8 years old. You have to go back to 1996 to find the last time that the franchise was off to a 7-2 start. And that makes hosting weekdays on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C that much more enjoyable.
“It’s incredible,” said Finlay, co-host of BMitch & Finlay weekdays from 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET. “It’s been a ton of fun. I grew up listening to this stuff. It’s been fantastic, especially this year with them winning games.”
There’s no question that coming to work every day with the team that the local sports fans live and die with winning a lot makes for great, informative and entertaining conversation. And then there are those who feel that local sports talk can be more entertaining when times are tough and a team is losing, but Finlay says no way.
“I don’t buy that,” said Finlay who also is the Commanders insider for NBC 4 Sports and the host of the Beltway Football Podcast. “I know on a personal level it’s way more fun and entertaining and engaging to talk about good teams. I’ve talked about bad teams for a long time, and it sucks.”
Finlay and former Redskins/Washington Football Team/Commanders star Brian Mitchell were paired up for the midday show in 2021 and the chemistry was immediate. They had known each other and were friends for quite some time, so Finlay could not have asked for a better partner to do a show with every day.
“No, he’s the best,” said Finlay. “Doing the show is just a blast. I think one of the biggest differences is how much we laugh and bust each other’s chops and all that is just organic.”
Sometimes, a sports talk show can’t be all about sports. There are times when you have to mix in some other topics whether it’s pop culture or other things going on in the world. So, while BMitch and Finlay is a sports-driven show, they can go off in other directions at times.
That includes segments like ‘Ask BMitch Anything’ or ‘Bleep You Thursday’.
“I think you have to mix it up a little,” said Finlay. “We are more sports driven than maybe other shows are, but we use that as a vehicle to go in lots of different ways. I’m a big believer in you want to be having a sports conversation at the bar that other people want to join in on.”
The sports talk industry has certainly evolved over the years with podcasts and digital content becoming huge and essential for radio stations and networks. At the end of the day, it always comes back to the actual radio show when just about anything can happen at any time.
And that’s when magic happens.
“I love the immediacy of it all,” said Finlay. “You talk about the microwave society we all live in. Sports talk radio is the ultimate microwave. People are reacting in real time to things as they happen whether it’s a big trade or a signing or a win or a loss. There’s just no other medium that allows for that.”
JP Finlay is certainly living the dream as someone who grew up in the area and is now covering sports including his beloved Commanders. And now what happens if the Commanders make it all the way to the Super Bowl?
That would be quite a week on radio row!
“I’ve done Radio Row for a few years a few different ways,” said Finlay. “But…no I cannot imagine…it would be incredible, and I would love to find out.”
You never know!
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.
