The ESPN Cuts and Radio

I mostly write about music. And that's why you read this blog. But today I'm going to write about something only tangentially related to music.

As a sports fan, I'm well aware of the cuts that were made by ESPN last week. A lot of good people were let go. All people in sports media were touched in some way or another by the cuts. I'm not going to get into any of the reasons or perceived reasons behind the cuts. There are more than enough articles out there that can explain it better than I. What I want to talk about is the radio aspect of the cuts.

I listen to a lot of ESPN's radio programming (mostly through podcasts). When you spend an hour and 45 minutes (pod time, three hours real time) with someone everyday, they become familiar, almost like you know them.

Ryen Russillo was on vacation when the cuts happened. One of the cuts was his radio partner, Danny Kanell. Russillo addressed this on his radio show today (5/1/17). One of the things that hit me was when he said that radio is more intimate. Now, he was speaking specifically to his work relationship in which he would spend four to five hours a day, five days a week with his co-host. But this also extends to the listeners.

I had a brief Twitter exchange with Sarah Spain after one of her co-hosts on The Trifecta, Jane McManus, was a victim of the cuts, about the intimacy that radio provides. She agreed that it doesn't happen with TV or print. Radio is different. It's more personal.

Scott Van Pelt is great. I catch his late night SportsCenter from time to time. I miss him on the radio when it was the SVP and Russillo show. That show coincidentally, really got me hooked on the intimacy of radio. It became familiar and if one listened long enough, the inside jokes became inside jokes that you get.

The best radio not only lets you get a piece of the hosts' lives, but also introduces a cast of characters that make the show seem even more intimate. When the producers and board ops are given an occasional voice, or become a part of the show, it makes it feel almost familial.

I first got in tune with the ensemble dynamic listening to SVP and Russillo with Stanford Steve, Quinnipiac Steve and Outsider Mike (now best known as Mikey C). Then I found the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz and the shipping container. Music snob/producer Mike Ryan is doing his own show with music rejoins. Each member has their own role.

i don't have the same connection with the reporters and SportsCenter hit people. I don't wish for anyone to lose their job, but the radio people hit me more than others.

Jessica Mendoza: Baseball Analyst

The title says it all. Jessica Mendoza. Baseball analyst. At least it should.

There was a big deal made of Mendoza being the first female analyst on ESPN's national baseball broadcast. And it was a big deal. And it wasn't.

You know why it wasn't? Because it sounded just like a baseball broadcast. And that is the best compliment I can provide.  It wasn't schtick. It wasn't a novelty. It was just providing a competent analyst an opportunity.

Did Mendoza ever play Major League Baseballl?  Nope. And neither did you.

Maybe as fan of tennis I'm used to a female voice. Mary Carillo is one the best in the business. Chris McKendry. Martina, Chrissie, Hannah Storm, Mary Jo Fernandez, etc. Nobody questions them calling men's matches. Nor should they,

So why is it a big deal that Jessica Mendoza is calling MLB? Because it's never been done before. Here's hoping to that it's never a big deal again.

Everybody Is From Somewhere

I stole the title of this post from Scott Van Pelt, SportsCenter anchor on ESPN, co-host of the SVP & Russillo Show on ESPN Radio.

That's what Van Pelt says: "Everybody is from somewhere." What does that mean? To make it personal, it means that I'm from Texas, closer to Dallas than Houston. So my teams are the Cowboys and Rangers and to a lesser extent the Mavericks, Spurs and Stars. I didn't go to an FBS college (Division II for me), so I gravitate towards Big 12 schools. I have a rooting interest.

You know what? People in sports media are also from somewhere. They all have teams they grew up rooting for, colleges they attended. Pretty much all are fans first. That's why they got into the business.

That's why it amuses me when they are called out for supporting their teams. Especially when they are not involved in the broadcast of the game. And just throw out something on social media. I think we should all be amazed that they are able to keep their rooting interests in check when it matters.

I actually enjoy knowing who these sports media personalities root for. It makes them more human/approachable. I know that Mike Greenberg is a Jets fan. I know that Linda Cohn is a NYRangers fan. I know that Brad Gilbert is a Raiders fan. I know that Charissa Thompson is a Seahawks fan. And you know what? That's alright.

And you don't think Kirk Herbstreit is a Buckeyes fan? Or Danny Ka
nell a Seminoles fan? Or Jesse Palmer and Tim Tebow Florida fans? Laughable.

We are all from somewhere. Embrace it.

RIP Richard Durrett

The internet in general and social media specifically can be a very cruel place. It's very easy to hide in the anonymity it provides.

It also can be very uplifting. And tear-inducing. And poignant. And good.

Richard Durrett passed away today of a brain aneurysm. He's younger than I am. He leaves behind two young children and a wife.

I never knew Richard Durrett personally. He was a baseball writer, covering my Texas Rangers. All I knew about him was from his writing and appearances on radio. Until tonight.

Of course I follow many baseball writers and DFW sports people on twitter. With the news of Durrett's passing, there has been a flood of tweets about him. Not one negative word has been written. You wouldn't expect anything negative to be said so soon, but these were glowing remembrances of the man. Of the father. Of the colleague. Of the acquaintance.

Yes, there are times when I hate what social media does. Then there is tonight.

RIP, Richard Durrett. And prayers for those loved ones left behind.