Super Bowl week is a gift to television networks that cover the NFL. You know about the ratings windfall that comes along with carrying the game, but any media company that covers it gets to take advantage of the fact that only two teams are playing and scout for potential future stars. Last week, I thought a few people really shined.
I have been screaming that someone should pay Cam Newton to be the face of their football coverage for years. He authored the best college football season of all time. His NFL career did not last nearly as long as it could have if he had played for a team with a competent o-line and more than one other weapon on offense, but when he was on top, he was one of one.
He is every bit as good as I have expected him to be on his podcast and in his appearances this year on First Take. If you have not already seen it, go look up his interview with Jalen Hurts.
Newton gave perspective that very few other people have and had a conversation with the Eagles’ quarterback that you could not get anywhere else. Newton explained that after losing Super Bowl 50, he was in tears because he knew how hard it would be to get back and he said that he hoped Hurts knew how lucky he was to get a second chance.
When it became clear that Hurts was going to raise the Lombardi Trophy, that conversation, which generated a lot of content for ESPN, was the first thing I thought about.
For a guy known to be incredibly confident, maybe even cocky, at times, Cam Newton has shown that he understands the value of humility. It isn’t false modesty. It’s the ability to turn off the charm in order to share some personal pain or even humiliation. It makes Newton a better storyteller and entertainer.
Sean McVay also showed the world that he has some serious star potential when the time comes to give up life on the sidelines. The Rams’ coach joined the FOX NFL Sunday crew during the Super Bowl pregame show. He made it clear that if he had his druthers, he would be coaching in the game, but he seemed at ease in front of the cameras.
It was easy to see why networks had reportedly tried to pry him out of Los Angeles in the past. He’s handsome, funny, and enthusiastic about the sport.
McVay delivered a version of Jimmy Johnson’s pretend locker room speeches without looking goofy. He talked like a coach, not like someone trying to remind you they were a coach thirty years ago.
It’s no secret that FOX’s pregame crew is pretty long in the tooth. The one guy on the crew that has played in the NFL this decade is Rob Gronkowski, and despite being at this for multiple years now, he does not seem to be getting any better in front of the camera.
If Johnson is really thinking about bringing his broadcasting career to an end, FOX might want to consider throwing an absolute king’s ransom at McVay. He has a ring and is clearly built for this. The network cannot do much better.
All of the nice things I have just written are true, but come on. If I am talking about a future TV star that broke out last week in his first real media assignment, there is one name that stands out – one guy that was just operating on a different level than everyone else.
Winston, to put it bluntly, is a weird dude. He had a habit for saying the wrong thing, for misbehaving and for just generally creeping people out early in his career when the weight of the entire Buccaneers franchise was on his shoulders. That was a while ago though.
Once the Bucs chose Tom Brady over continuing what was clearly a failing experiment, Winston was free to develop outside of the spotlight. During the five years he has spent as a backup in New Orleans and Cleveland, he seems to have a better relationship with teammates and a better sense of humor about himself.
As a digital reporter for FOX, he asked Travis Kelce to catch and eat a W for him. He genuinely seemed to enjoy someone on Bourbon Street giving him a crab leg in reference to his shoplifting suspension at Florida State. He thrived in the spotlight on stage playing with a jazz band.
Jameis Winston is the kind of talent that a network could build into a valuable brand, if they are willing to stand behind him. Winston swears he is more mature and that he stays away from alcohol, something that played a big role in his past mistakes.
But some of his mistakes are REALLY big ones. Are they the kinds of things that make someone at FOX or any other network say that Winston is fine to have some fun with at special events, but not worth any risk that may come along with making him a full-time employee? Honestly, it’s hard to say.
Every single pregame show covering the NFL could use some new blood. Super Bowl week gave all of those shows, their producers and their bosses a look at who may be ready to break out on television when their playing days are done.
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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.
