It’s hard to fit a square peg into a round hole. No matter how much effort you put into forcing a fit, far too often the goal is never accomplished. Executives and programming minds across every industry face this challenge: maximizing their investment in talent by testing what that talent can provide in different content lanes. When ESPN announced that Jason Kelce would be part of its Masters coverage next week, that’s exactly what came to mind.
Square peg into a round hole.
I wasn’t alone in feeling this way, but I’m not outraged (like many) by the attempt. For far too long, The Masters has felt a little too highbrow for the casual or passive golf viewer to care about anything beyond Sunday at Augusta. However, the blowback and criticism ESPN is receiving about Kelce’s involvement is odd, to say the least. In an age where audiences crave new, different, and exciting content, why are audiences lashing out about Kelce’s involvement in Augusta to this level?
There are only a few times during the year when I make a point to watch golf. My interest peaks during the major tournaments: the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and whatever they’re calling the one in Europe these days. These events deliver the best storytelling and produce the biggest moments.
They also provide the biggest opportunity for broadcast partners to experiment and enhance their coverage. In past Par 3 contests, ESPN has tried “walk-and-talk” interviews with mic’d-up players during rounds. The network has also featured tour golfers as analysts throughout the broadcast.
Those efforts didn’t infringe on the tournament’s prestige or perception. Instead, audiences appreciated the added access and insight from those who play the game.
Enter Jason Kelce—everyone’s favorite uncle. Football, fun, and family. He’s been a media darling since his playing days, transitioning from podcasting to radio and now national television. When ESPN signed Kelce to a multi-year agreement in 2024, it immediately placed him on the Monday Night Countdown team.
Square peg into a square hole.
This was ESPN positioning its newest hire in a role that played to his strengths. Does Jason Kelce know the NFL? Of course. The reviews were largely positive.
Then Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, signed a three-year deal reportedly worth $100 million. His Q Score rose. Travis Kelce played in a third straight Super Bowl—again, the Q Score rose. Then Taylor Swift entered the picture—technically through his brother—but the effect was the same. The Q Score kept rising.
ESPN seized the moment as everything around Jason Kelce gained momentum. The network launched a late-night comedy sketch show hosted by Kelce. Five episodes later, it chose not to move forward with a second season.
Square peg, round hole.
Remember Kelce’s lone appearance on ESPN’s NHL Stadium Series coverage?
Once again—square peg, round hole.
Kelce also appeared in ESPN’s coverage of TGL, wearing a sleeveless Hawaiian shirt and bringing energy to a made-for-TV golf product. It was a short stint, but he added needed entertainment value to a simulator-driven format built for a live audience and star power. Viewership for TGL rose 8% year over year, and Kelce earned positive reviews for his presence.
But that wasn’t traditional golf. It was a controlled, entertainment-focused environment under a dome.
The Masters is different, and why sports fans are rebelling his inclusion.
Jason Kelce can break down offensive line play and excel in that role every time. He’s a football player with a rare ability to educate and entertain. However, his role in Masters Par 3 coverage feels forced. ESPN appears to be chasing the same energy Kelce brought indoors with TGL and trying to apply it to Augusta National.
Another square peg into a round hole attempt.
The Par 3 contest carries its own tradition, much like the four days that follow. While it’s a family-friendly event—and Kelce certainly fits that mold—you have to wonder how it will translate. Will he really be walking Augusta in a torn-up Hawaiian shirt, interviewing players and their families? Will that TGL spunk and entertainment feel right on the 9th hole?
I value the attempt to inject some personality into a somewhat dull and fruitless event. However, on paper this looks like another square peg attempt into a round hole.
Between a comedy show where the jokes didn’t land, hockey coverage with a sport he never played, and now Masters weekend, it’s beginning to feel like ESPN is placing Kelce in roles just to see what sticks. That’s especially puzzling when he could contribute even more to the network’s NFL coverage as it builds toward its first Super Bowl broadcast.
Plus, apparently an opening in the network’s second booth for football play by play.
That’s what smart programmers are supposed to do: put their top talent in positions where they know they can succeed. Would ESPN put Ryan Clark on NBA coverage? Would Kendrick Perkins suddenly appear on MLB broadcasts?
Playing to a talent’s strengths is always the best strategy. Kelce’s value begins and ends with his ability to educate and entertain football fans.
Experimentation isn’t the problem. In fact, it’s necessary. Audiences evolve, consumption habits shift, and standing still is the fastest way to become irrelevant. But experimentation without intention? That’s when the square peg keeps getting jammed into the same round hole—again and again.
Jason Kelce doesn’t need to be everywhere to be valuable. In fact, the more he’s placed in situations that don’t fit, the more you risk diluting what made him compelling in the first place. Scarcity, authenticity, and expertise—that’s the formula that turned him into a breakout media star.
The Masters doesn’t need saving. And Kelce doesn’t need redefining.
What both need is alignment.
Because the smartest programming move isn’t seeing how far you can stretch your biggest personality—it’s knowing exactly where they belong and having the discipline to keep them there.
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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 really could care less if anyone is “tired of the Kelces'” If you actually care about on air talent and are a viewer of sports TV & or Radio then you would want Jason Kelce on the TV screen on ESPN or radio.