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The D.A. Show Hits Home at CBS Sports Radio

“We do a show from New York and I’m from New York but I desperately want this show to be for everyone and I think that comes from dotting the map in my career,” said Amendolara.  “I care that somebody in Omaha or somebody in Little Rock or somebody in Columbus listens and gets the show as well.”

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Damon Amendolara

It’s not that uncommon for a large group of people to gather in the backyard of a Long Island home in suburban New York.  Those gatherings could be for any number of reasons like a birthday party, a just-like-this thrown together barbeque for family and friends, or even just to have folks come over to watch a sporting event if that said backyard was equipped with a bar and a television.

But what about a national sports radio show doing a remote from a backyard bar in someone’s home?

Well, that, in a nutshell, is what The D.A. Show on CBS Sports Radio is all about weekday mornings from 6 to 10 eastern time.

“We just held that “Bob’s Bar” show two weeks ago and strategically that was about connecting with an audience that felt isolated over the last two and a half years,” said host Damon Amendolara.  

Bob’s Bar is the West Babylon, New York childhood home of D.A. Show producer/co-host/instigator Shaun Morash whose parents Bob and Nancy welcomed the show’s staff to their home for the second straight year.  But, for this year for the first time, there was also some of the show’s most passionate listeners onto the premises for a morning, afternoon, and, believe it or not, evening full of fun watching the New York Rangers playoff game on the television screen at Bob’s Bar.

The local and national sports radio landscape is filled with remote broadcasts from sporting events and some in areas filled with fans.

But not like this one. 

“We’ll do a show from one of our parents’ houses and invite an audience of just the most hardcore listeners,” said Amendolara.  “If they want to make the drive, come and we’ll spend all day with you.  I want them to feel like they’re one with all of us and if that means showing up at Mraz’s childhood home to have a burger and a few beers and hang out with us then that’s a really deep connection that I care tremendously about.”  

The D.A. Show is one of only two remaining full-time shows from day one of CBS Sports Radio.  When the network launched on January 2nd, 2012, Amendolara guided his listeners through the overnights and eventually the show “graduated” to early evenings, late mornings and then eventually to where it is now in morning drive.

Why has the show been so successful?

Because it’s unlike any other sports talk show in the industry because the host and the staff don’t really take themselves too seriously.

Sports is supposed to be fun and that’s what The D.A. Show is all about.

“I’m really happy with that part of it,” said Amendolara.  “The sports media landscape and specifically sports talk is kind of littered with debate and arguing, winning arguments and I’ve never, ever related to that.”  

Make no mistake about it… The D.A. Show covers all of the bases when it comes to national sports news and even at times sports items that pertain to the New York based crew. But the discussion is always organic and never has any manufactured animosity.  It’s a show that truly is all about appealing to an audience of sports fans who want to be entertained but also to hear voices that they can relate to. 

“I never followed sports so I could win an argument,” said Amendolara.  “I feel like in today’s day and age where the media, both sports and otherwise, are all lecturing or arguing or pointing fingers at the other side or people that disagree that an audience really doesn’t necessarily always want that…that there’s an exhaustion to that.  So, the fact that we have a lot of fun on a morning-to-morning basis is really important to me and it’s really important for my crew to wake up and want to come to work.”

Let’s talk about that crew.

Shaun “Mraz” Morash has been The D.A. Show producer/sidekick from day one on the overnights and he has blossomed into one of the most intriguing personalities in sports talk radio.  As Amendolara was getting set to move his show from local radio in Boston to a national stage based in New York, he needed to find a producer.  One of the candidates was Morash, already an employee of the company working part-time for WFAN Radio in New York.

“We started out as complete strangers,” said Amendolara.  “The bosses asked me to interview him and there was something about him.  I said boy this guy is interesting.  He’s just an interesting guy to talk to. Look where that’s gone nearly a decade later. I really believe that Mraz is one of the most interesting personalities in sports radio.  He just is all emotion.  He’s completely transparent, honest to a fault, flawed as well, sometimes completely relatable and sometimes completely insane but he’s always compelling.  It’s been a huge part of the show.”

I’m honored to have been part of that first crew overnights as the update anchor.  Kenny Brock was the board operator/technical magician but he departed before the show moved to the evenings.

It was, without question, some of the best times that I’ve ever had in this business.

Now in morning drive, Amendolara and Morash are joined by social media and digital guru Andrew Caplan, producer Pete Bellotti, and update anchor Andrew Bogusch.

“I feel really lucky that we have the guys that we do on the show,” said Amendolara.

“I think Andrew Bogusch is the best update guy doing this in the country.  He’s got a really clever wit and he gets the sense of humor that I go for, a little off-beat.”

“Pete ‘The Body’ is so good on the board.  He’s the best guy in terms of drops in the country.”  

“Andrew Caplan is the best digital guy in the country doing our stream and doing our social clips.”

“I’ve just been blessed with a lot of really talented people. You need everybody.  Great shows…you need more than one voice and more than one opinion and more than one person with the control over everything and I’m really lucky that I have this incredibly talented crew.”

Amendolara, a New York native, has enjoyed a sports talk radio journey that has taken him to Fort Meyers and Miami in Florida, Kansas City, Boston and now home to New York for his national show.  Sometimes, a national radio show can have a bit of a bias towards the city it originates from, but not The D.A. Show.  Sure, Morash cries about his beloved Yankees, Giants, and Rangers and that can be very entertaining, but the show is designed to appeal to sports fans in all parts of the country.

Having worked in several markets, Amendolara knew exactly what he wanted this show to be all about.

“We do a show from New York and I’m from New York but I desperately want this show to be for everyone and I think that comes from dotting the map in my career,” said Amendolara.  “I care that somebody in Omaha or somebody in Little Rock or somebody in Columbus listens and gets the show as well.  I’ve always felt like that has to be a priority that you don’t alienate anybody by talking about just the things you want to talk about.  You care that they want to listen because they relate to it.”

Not only have the listeners related to the show but a good chunk of them have been able to follow D.A. and the crew through all of the moves through the dayparts.  Thanks to technology, including podcasts, the Audacy app and YouTube, fans can follow the show even if they can’t listen live.  That has allowed the show to grow into the masterpiece that it is today.

“That’s been really cool and that can’t happen without technology today,” said Amendolara.  My career can’t be tracked by listeners in all of those dayparts or listeners that used to listen to me in Kansas City or Boston or Miami if we don’t have modern technology where you can stream the show every day on the website or you can listen to the podcasts.”

There’s a part of sports that we all take seriously because we want our teams to win, but there’s also a lighter side of sports and considering the world we live in now, having a platform like The D.A. Show is something that’s very important to the sports world.

“Sports has become so super important to people’s lives,” said Amendolara.  “We heard this so much during the pandemic…normalcy…return to normalcy.  You see with television ratings going up, interest in all of these sports skyrocketing…people need sports more than ever and that’s why I want to provide a space for people to really joyously love sports and have fun.”

The D.A. Show is truly a show for the people because it’s a place where fans can go to think, for information, a little comedy and to feel like they are really part of the show. Damon Amendolara and his staff are committed to making sure that’s on the menu every day.

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

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photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
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The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

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