While our nation took a collective extended Independence Day holiday weekend, many in sports media shared their appreciation for those who consume their product. Thank-you tweets, celebratory graphics, Happy 4th of July videos, and appreciation posts flooded my timeline. Many thanked the consumer for allowing them to continue doing what they do for a living. Colin Cowherd was no different.
The FOX Sports Radio host recorded a three-minute “thank you note” to sports for being as “noble a profession as it remains.” He compared the nobility of sports to his disappointment in politicians, Ivy League schools, and mainstream media for continuing to sensationalize every little conflict as though the world is “unraveling all the time.”
While I agree with most of what Cowherd states in his over three-minute “thank you note,” his call-out of mainstream media is outright absurd.
Where Colin Cowherd Was Right
Nothing in life or business is perfect. While trust in mainstream media is at an all-time low, there are reasons for it. I’m not going to shy away from the fact that every traditional cable news channel has blurred the line between fact and opinion for over a quarter-century.
Mainstream media does make the smallest detail into the largest mountain in the news media ecosystem. Every news network is guilty of this—from FOX News to CNN, MSNBC, and nearly every single podcast and independent creator with a slant. They’re just following the model for what they’ve witnessed over time.
If we haven’t figured this out yet, here is the truth. Ratings and clicks matter more than trustworthiness. We live in an attention-driven media economy, and most have cashed in ever since. Attention drives cash. Cash leads to ability. Ability leads to creativity. Creativity leads to opportunity to create more attention. In the words of Eric Bischoff, controversy equals cash.
The irony is, Colin Cowherd is no different from those he’s “disappointed” in.
Where Colin Cowherd Was Wrong
The same person who spent over three minutes on a holiday weekend saying he’s disappointed in how mainstream media oversells and overreacts has done the exact same thing throughout his entire sports radio career. This isn’t political, this isn’t spin. This is fact.
Sure, it’s tough to compare news coverage of war in the Middle East to coverage of LeBron James’ legacy. What isn’t deniable is that, in the end, it’s all content—content that the consumer continues to have an unending appetite for. And the more sensational, the more controversy, the better.
Speaking of sensation, let’s revisit some questions regarding Cowherd’s own personal opinions on sports to see if these meet the criteria of his personal “disappointment.”
Is Ben Simmons a top-five player in the NBA and more fun to watch than LeBron James? That seems to be a reach and embellished for attention.
Is Brock Purdy not a franchise quarterback because he sometimes wears his hat backward while speaking at the podium?
Would Kevin Durant signing with the Warriors be a terrible move for their franchise? Cowherd thought so—and yet, it led to back-to-back NBA titles.
How about ranking Sam Darnold as the best NFL Draft selection for the New York Jets and calling him a home-run pick?
Would these “takes” be considered exaggeration? Are they sensationalizing moments and athletes of those moments that Cowherd gets paid to opine on?
I know Cowherd is still waiting for “tariffs to ruin the economy,” much like I’m waiting for LeBron James not to win a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and blow up the organization—something Cowherd once predicted and spent many days sensationalizing.
Losing Sight of the Lanes You’ve Play In
In the same tenor that Cowherd says he’s disappointed in mainstream media for how little he trusts it and how it makes the world feel like it’s unraveling—can the same not be said of how Colin sensationalizes some of his “takes” on sports radio?
I’m a big fan of Cowherd and have been for many years. I’ve always valued his skill in tying real-time sports conversations into everyday life. Often duplicated, never replicated. He’s one of the more unique sports radio talents out there, providing depth of knowledge with relatable perspective to the common consumer.
He’s also the same person who believes it doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, as long as you’re entertaining. He’s referenced that when describing his own content approach and how he scouts new talent for The Volume.
Cowherd has played in the lane of hyperbole and overemphasis for his entire career in sports media. However, Cowherd’s comments—as a performer and entertainer—fit the bill of what he now says he’s “disappointed” in.
That’s irony. And also quite disappointing.
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Five Findings From The Weekend
- Congrats to Joey Chestnut on his return to the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest as he won his 17th mustard belt after devouring 70 1/2 hot dogs in ten minutes. It’s fascinating to see how many Americans tune in for an annual event which celebrates gluttony, while in the same breath say it’s disgusting to watch yet they can’t stop watching.
- I saw a new study by Performance Research and Full Circle Research revealing that sports fans are adapting to the new streaming environment for sports content. The study showed that 9 out of 10 sports fans are using streaming services to watch sports. The question I left with is what the hell is that one lone sports fan watching?
- This weekend was a massive weekend for fans of British bands. Oasis reunited for the first time in 16 years for an epic performance at Cardiff. Also, Black Sabbath officially said goodbye with an amazing lineup for a tribute show honoring their final performance together. Both events reenforced the fact that I’m now 44 years old, and modern rock music has simply no life or legacy to look forward to. The digital age of modern music has truly ruined how special the art is and unfortunately I don’t see it ever returning.
- I experienced for the first time what a Mochinut donut is this weekend. For those unaware, a Mochi donut is a donut that originated from Hawaii which is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. The taste and texture was wildly different from a traditional American donut. However, the experience walking into the establishment was very unique. Think donuts meets ramen noodles meets corndogs meets coffee stand. Very cool and an uncommon experience.
- Major League Baseball’s viewership and attendance are up, and not only up but way up. Many have credited the superstars of the league for their performance so far this year and attention they’ve created from it. I personally would like to credit Jomboy Media and the Savannah Bananas for their role in baseball’s overall attention spur. Jomboy Media has made baseball fun again using moments to create viral and entertaining engagement around the game. The Bananas have sold out stadiums presenting a different spin on the national past time that’s more affordable and digestible for new fans to latch onto. MLB was wise to officially partner with Jomboy Media last month. They’d be even more wise to find more ways to partner with the Bananas moving forward.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
I don’t think I realized that the Savannah bananas were trying to be the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. I turned it on and was a bit taken aback by all the dancing in and theatrics. I guess this is probably good family fun, but I don’t think I’d ever attend a “game“.