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‘NHL on TNT Face Off’ Values Authenticity From Former Players, Coaches

“What you see is what you’re going to get…. It’s fresh. If you were to rehearse, your first take is your best take and it usually goes downhill from there.”

Derek Futterman

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Prior to last season, the NHL made history when it inked new seven-year media rights deals with both ESPN and TNT, reportedly totaling in excess of $1 billion. Following an exciting season of hockey that culminated in the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup championship for the first time since the 2000-01 season, the rest of the league will try to prevent the formation of a bonafide dynasty through the winter months. The broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals on ESPN, however, will not be repeated until next season, as the media rights deals rotate which network gets to broadcast the coveted best-of-seven series annually.

This year, Turner Sports’ coverage of the National Hockey League will be the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Finals, marking the first time the network holds such a distinction. Last season, Turner Sports covered portions of first- and second-round matchups and finished its inaugural season by broadcasting an exclusive presentation of the Western Conference Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche.

The network experienced a 58% increase in viewership from the previous year’s matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Montréal Canadiens broadcast on NBC Sports. Play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert was joined by analysts Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, and Darren Pang to bring viewers the live game action which was preceded by NHL on TNT Face Off.

The studio-based show traveled across the border to both Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta and Ball Arena in Denver, providing fans with insightful pregame and postgame coverage. The panel, which includes studio host Liam McHugh and analysts and former NHL players Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, Wayne Gretzky and Rick Tocchet, returns intact for its second season together. The group is ready for a chance to showcase their broadcast and promote the game of hockey on the game’s biggest stage at the end of the season.

“I’m very excited to cover the Stanley Cup Finals,” said McHugh, who joined Turner Sports after spending nearly a decade with NBC Sports. “This group is a special one; it’s one that I feel lucky to get to work with. It was a blast doing the Western Conference Finals, especially going to Edmonton with Wayne Gretzky and seeing the reaction there. Now we get to do it for all the marbles: to see who gets to hoist that Cup.”

From the moment the Colorado Avalanche won the Western Conference championship, the team at Turner Sports has been focused on improving its coverage of NHL games for the 2022-23 season, which began earlier this month with an exclusive Wednesday doubleheader. The group has a growth mindset amid an evolving media landscape and aspires to continue being voices that garner the trust and reliability associated with delivering news and giving informed opinions.

“What I love about this group is how we always think about, ‘Hey, how do we get better from last year?,’” expressed Tocchet, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins – one as a player and two as an assistant coach. “We’re not complacent…. There’s just so many storylines that we can tackle.”

Aside from the Stanley Cup Finals, Turner Sports will also broadcast the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic from Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. in a matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. Moreover, the network will broadcast several marquee matchups between rival teams – including tonight’s game between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers from UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. – games that could have significant factors in determining which teams can make championship runs.

“With the product and trying to deliver it to the fans… constantly improving is definitely at the top of the list,” Bissonnette said, who is the co-host of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast with Barstool Sports and a color commentator for the Arizona Coyotes. “….Agents might not be happy about the hard cap but… from a parity perspective in the league, I think we’ve got 10 teams with the possibility of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Authenticity is highly regarded and valued among media members; therefore, generating discussions in which the analysts can utilize their knowledge and expertise to accurately convey and translate what may seem like esoteric information to viewers is most optimal for the growth of the game and success of the program. While the show does not center itself around debates, there are occasionally disagreements – none of which are contrived – which affords viewers the opportunity to hear a broad range of perspectives and ultimately choose a side or form their own dissenting opinion on a subject.

“I think the best part of our show is [that] we don’t rehearse,” said Carter, who also works as a television studio analyst on MSG Networks. “What you see is what you’re going to get…. It’s fresh. If you were to rehearse, your first take is your best take and it usually goes downhill from there.”

Amid a media landscape where fans have augmented levels of jurisdiction over which programming they consume, along with when and where they do it, understanding and appealing to a target audience is ostensibly essential in maintaining success. Following in the footsteps of Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, the panel has tried to differentiate itself in terms of their parlance and types of segments. For example, the show had Gretzky and Barkley face one another in a shootout during the show’s premiere last year. In the playoffs after Bissonnette lost a bet to his podcast co-host Ryan Whitney, he had his head shaved bald on national television in a segment that went viral on social media.

“Whether it’s a week before or the summer or even [on] a [gameday], one of the guys may be like” ‘Hey, let’s try this,’” Tocchet said. “We’re not afraid to try things and obviously the company we work for wants that; they welcome that. They don’t want to be overprepared, and I think that’s a big part of why this is successful.”

The key in being relatable to fans who may not be familiar with the parlance and nature of every discussion being had on the show will be to adjust the dialogue and simplify certain aspects of it – especially to prevent coming off as being arrogant regarding their roles. At its core, the purpose of studio programming within a live game broadcast is to preview a matchup, analyze it between periods when it is taking place and reflect on how the game was won or lost after the final buzzer. The team at Turner Sports realizes this goal and goes beyond it to make their program unique and a memorable watch for viewers worldwide whether or not they are dedicated hockey fans.

“We make mistakes out there and I think people kind of laugh about the mistakes,” Tocchet said. “….I think that’s something that we’ve tried to learn even from the NBA guys and their Emmy Award-winning show. We kind of watch them and how they do it. I think that’s the future of televising the game of hockey; [that is], trying to get that person who doesn’t know much about hockey.”

“A lot of people working on our show behind the scenes weren’t ‘Hockey people,’” Carter added. “They would ask a ton of questions that [we] would take for granted. [For] your non-traditional hockey fans though, those were legit questions… [some of which] we thought, ‘Yeah, that’s a no-brainer; every hockey fan gets it.’ We had folks in the studio who didn’t follow hockey in the past [and] they gave us a window into the audience we’re trying to tap into.”

Planning for each show extends far beyond the panelists and producers, as there is always the potential to come up with new ideas or talking points that could enhance the broadcast and that night’s game coverage. The best ideas for a given show, according to McHugh, can be sourced from a number of different areas, including those working as video editors and graphics coordinators tasked with creating the visual elements of the show. It is genuinely a group effort to cultivate a compelling and elucidative program at Turner Sports, one that captivates viewers and keeps them coming back for more.

“I think we’re a show that is willing to take some risks,” McHugh expressed. “We’re all-in as a group in the studio where once we decide we’re going to do something, we’re going full steam ahead… but we’re probably going to have a few laughs either way and maybe we’ll have some more if it’s a trainwreck.”

Sometimes, the conversation being had on the show does not directly relate to hockey but may be relevant in the world of sports or on an even larger scale. As a result, the panelists and crew at Turner Sports need to be ready to conform to potential breaking news or a change in the rundown that may alter the remainder of a given broadcast.

“I like what we’re doing because it’s something different every week,” McHugh said. “At the same point, we’re a show where if there’s something serious or something unpleasant, we don’t shy away from it either. It’s a show that’s willing to pivot.”

As the broadcast has cemented itself into the hockey landscape, Turner Sports has gradually gained greater trust from teams and players around the NHL, giving the network more of an ability to reach players and personnel. Whether it is being able to speak with stars, such as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid or Igor Shesterkin, or members of various front offices and coaching staffs, it usually requires fostering some level of trust and respectability. One year after the launch of the broadcast, teams are ostensibly being more open to working with them to elevate the level of game coverage and maintain hockey’s positive growth trajectory.

“Being around the league so long, teams are so protective and not willing to give the access to players that we’re looking for,” Carter said. “….Now that they see we’re trying to do the right thing for our players, they’re granting us more access [and] I think as we continue to work on our broadcasts, we’ll continue to get more access.”

Highlighting the personalities of athletes engenders an enrichment in pathos between fans and teams, sometimes extending to the league as a whole. The panel, with its wide array of experience and vast hockey knowledge, could likely carry a successful show on its own but adding interviews and features with current players only makes the coverage more comprehensive and germane to each specific matchup. Hockey is surely an adrenaline-inducing sport filled with heart-pounding moments and dynamic action, all of which is seemingly amplified once the playoffs begin. Using these facets of the game to its advantage draws sports fans to the game and allows it to leverage its position in a marketplace infused with incessant amounts of choice and freedom in terms of content.

“You see these other leagues – in particular the NFL and NBA – they’re personality and star-driven,” Bissonnette said. “The more you can amplify that and show that off, the more you can grow the game…. I think hockey is catching up to the other leagues… based on a parity standpoint. You get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs – [and] I don’t think there’s anything else like it.”

Turner Sports continues its second year of a seven-year media rights agreement with the National Hockey League, bringing fans exciting matchups largely taking place on Wednesday nights, along with other select games throughout the regular season. Once the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, the NHL on TNT will have coverage of the first three rounds leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals, of which it is the exclusive rightsholder for the first time. It is arguably the pinnacle of professional hockey and a source of motivation and fervor for those working on NHL broadcasts this year with Turner Sports.

“It stunk watching the Stanley Cup on another broadcast,” Carter said. “I’m not saying [the ESPN] broadcast was bad; I just wanted to be a part of it…. Just being on the road and being a part of it; that’s the best time of year. The weather’s great; the stakes are high; people are pumped up [and] all stakes are on the game. We’re crowning a champion and we’re going to be a part of it.”

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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
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

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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Andrew Salciunas Aims to Thrive in Morning Drive on 97.5 The Fanatic

“We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing.”

Derek Futterman

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Andrew Salciunas
Courtesy: Beasley Media Group

When 97.5 The Fanatic midday host Anthony Gargano agreed to a deal to contribute to PHLY Sports, a local digital venture within ALLCITY Network, he was promptly suspended by Beasley Media Group and subsequently sued for breach of contract. Although the two sides eventually reached a settlement and officially parted ways, the future of the daypart was still in question. In the interim time period, the station granted Andrew Salciunas the opportunity to lead a four-hour solo program with producer Ray Dunne. Salciunas had served as Gargano’s producer in the midday slot and still has a strong relationship with the sports media personality today despite no longer working together.

The onerous aspect of the situation, however, was in recognizing that Salciunas was being afforded a chance to prove himself as a host in the marketplace. In the past, he had filled in when Gargano took vacations, but it was not for an extended period of time. Although he was familiar with the flow of a midday program, achieving a successful, yet sudden assimilation into a regular timeslot without a partner was an invigorating circumstance.

“I knew that it was going to be a learning experience because it’s one thing to host a show on Saturday or it’s one thing to host a weekly podcast and you have a week’s worth of content at your disposal,” Salciunas said. “It’s another thing to [be] hosting every single day and needing to come up with new ideas and new angles and new twists on things, so it was a challenge knowing that I was going to have to do that for however long the process was going to be.”

Salciunas received help from program director Scott Masteller, a sports radio veteran who has helped elevate brands and nurture budding talent. Several months later, Masteller asked Salciunas how he would feel about working with morning program host John Kincade. Salciunas replied by saying that it was something he would be interested in doing, and he later added that he already wakes up early and could easily work in morning drive. Salciunas was somewhat nonplussed when he discovered that Masteller’s intention was to have him anchor the program rather than Kincade, who has been hosting in the daypart since January 2021.

In the weeks and months ensuing, Salciunas and Kincade were involved in meetings to plan the new program, which officially made its debut on 97.5 The Fanatic last week and is titled Kincade & Salciunas. Both hosts knew about the program for roughly two months, and Salciunas is surprised that it was kept a secret for as long as it was. Outside of their scheduled meetings, Salciunas was able to speak with Kincade between their shows since they occurred after the other as well. From the onset, he wanted to make his thoughts about the program clear to ensure a smooth transition amid a quest to inform and entertain the audience.

“The first thing I told John when they told us that this was the plan moving forward was that, ‘This is going to be our show,’” Salciunas recalled. “Yes, I might be the guy running the ins and outs out of commercial breaks. I’m the guy that brings on the guests; I’m the guy that brings on the callers, but this is our show. We both have ideas, we’re both passionate about Philadelphia sports teams, we’re both high-energy people, we’re both opinionated and we’re also respectful of each other.”

While there is natural disagreement between Salciunas and Kincade on a variety of sports topics, they make sure not to fabricate their discussions and engender debate for the sake of the show. Instead of feigning their contrarian discourse, there is a legitimate willingness to be genuine with their audience while continuing to put radio first. Salciunas, Kincade and show producer Connor Thomas all contribute ideas for the program to appeal to the audience and continue building the show as a whole. Thomas also had familiarity in working with Kincade since he served as an associate producer on his previous morning program.

“I’m not a former journalist; he’s not a former professional athlete,” Salciunas said. “We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing. Even though our opinions might differ on sports-related stuff, we see doing radio in a similar way.”

Upon Kincade officially joining 97.5 The Fanatic, he demonstrated his magnanimity and commitment to his colleagues by offering to take all of them out to lunch individually to learn more about them. It was a gesture that surprised Salciunas and something that stuck with him, ultimately helping familiarize themselves with one another and subsequently creating a viable on-air product.

“He’s one of those guys who likes getting to know people, and I think that’s helped a lot,” Salciunas said. “We already had that sort of knowledge of one another [and] we already had that relationship, and because we’re just both so bought in and both so hungry, that’s made it so much easier that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the show work.”

Before arriving at 97.5 The Fanatic, Kincade had worked at sports radio both at the local and national levels while also hosting a podcast with Hall of Fame center and Inside the NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal. Bringing him back to his home marketplace and realizing success in the morning daypart was valuable as the sports media ecosystem underwent stretches of change. Transitioning to the new morning show iteration without colleagues Bob Cooney and Pat Egan presented its challenges, but Salciunas has had no qualms that Kincade was invested to win. As a result, the transition has been relatively simple in terms of building palpable chemistry among the on-air team.

“He believes in anybody that he works with,” Salciunas said of Kincade, “and knowing that somebody has worked that long as long as he has in sports radio that he values the young person’s opinion, not just in sports but in terms of radio, that goes a long way.”

There is constant communication between the morning show team leading up to a program outside of typical pre-show meetings and twice-weekly conversations with their boss. Salciunas arrives at the station well before the start of the program and compiles ideas from the previous day into a document, along with ideas from others that come during their commutes. Additionally, they continuously monitor the news cycle and determine what to address on the air while also interviewing special guests throughout the week.

Effectuating a fully prepared show rundown by 6 a.m. EST has been marginally difficult, along with the fact that it can be difficult to book guests on short notice before sunrise. Because of this, the program frequently outlines its guests early in the week and makes adjustments as necessary while maintaining fealty towards conveying their true, authentic personalities.

“I’m a little bit more energetic on the radio because I understand the entertainment portion of doing what we do and having to properly express myself,” Salciunas said. “I’m probably not going to scream at a bar, but when I converse with callers; when I converse with John [or] producers… that’s who I am as a person. There’s just a microphone in front of me.”

When he first started working at 97.5 The Fanatic as an intern, Salciunas did not have a goal of eventually becoming an on-air talent. He was content with his role as a producer, which was borne out of an internship where he worked with Jon Marks and Steve Vassalotti. Both station members served as mentors that he utilized to gain information and advice, a fortuitous outcome after Salciunas impetuously applied for the opening.

While Salciunas was matriculating at Temple University, he needed at least three internship credits in order to qualify for graduation. Reflecting back on his education days, he does not regard himself as the best student and recognized that he needed to intern with the radio station to set himself apart. Honing his focus in sports media took time since he had varied interests in areas such as reporting, podcasting and play-by-play announcing, but he ultimately gravitated towards the sports radio format during his time in Philadelphia.

Salciunas made a favorable impression on those with 97.5 The Fanatic and ended up being hired as an associate producer where he learned more about the format and its programming. Eric Camille, a former executive producer at the station, is someone Salciunas regards as seminal to his professional development.

“He was the guy that hired me out of my internship, and then once I started working, he really helped me,” Salciunas said. “He kind of took me under his wing and helped me out a lot.”

Once Salciunas was hired as a full-time producer, he began to work with Mike Missanelli on his midday program, providing an invaluable learning experience to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the sports media industry. As a veteran host who has captivated Philadelphia sports fans and media consumers at large, Salciunas noticed that collaborating on Missanelli’s program was a different experience than the other shows he had done. Whereas a morning drive show is oftentimes one of the first points of reaction on a given day, Missanelli knew that he would need to approach his daypart differently and adopted a paradigmatic style implementing second-level topics.

“It’s not just going on the air and reacting to an Eagles loss,” Salciunas explained. “It’s reacting to a storyline within an Eagles loss or reacting to a storyline within an Eagles win that may generate conversation. Trying to figure out topics that generate conversation but are not just the, ‘Oh wow, I’m angry they lost today,’ and give out the phone number. It’s [trying] to find topics that make people think and make yourself think and make the audience think.”

When Missanelli left the station, Salciunas began his stint working with Anthony Gargano where he began occasionally hosting select programs. The rationale behind his decision to go behind the microphone was that when the Eagles won a Super Bowl championship, the station needed someone to host from 2 to 5 a.m. Salciunas decided to volunteer for the program, presuming that it sounded fun. From that shift on, he continued his work as a producer while also refining his craft behind the microphone in a major market. It deviated from a philosophy perpetuated by former program director Matt Nahigian of limiting the amount of time producers were on the air, assuming that consumers listened to hear the hosts.

“Now you have to be a producer,” Salciunas affirmed. “You look at both radio stations in Philadelphia – a lot of the hosts now were former producers, and so you learn so much of the craft and then you figure out your own role. You figure out how you handle yourself as a host, so I think producing first before becoming a talk show host should be the way to go moving forward.”

Beasley Media Group’s 97.5 The Fanatic shares the Philadelphia marketplace with Audacy-owned SportsRadio 94WIP, and both stations have had intense battles in the ratings over the years. Salciunas shared that most people between the two stations have worked with their competitors at some point in their careers, and there is an evident respect that exists between the two entities. With both outlets introducing new morning shows within the last two years though, Salciunas understands there is a chance to gain ground on the WIP Morning Show, which finished ahead in the four Nielsen XTrends quarterly ratings books last year.

“Clearly if somebody’s behind a microphone in Philadelphia, everybody’s talented, and we’re going to do whatever we can to try to bridge that gap a little bit, and we’re seeing some good strides already,” Salciunas said. “I think having a new show is a big part of that trying to grab that initial audience, but then it’s holding on to that initial audience.”

Being able to achieve this outcome, however, requires a commitment to showcasing talent and different personalities. Salciunas referenced how there was a point in John Kincade’s stint hosting mornings in the daypart’s previous iteration where he gained ground on his crosstown competitor Angelo Cataldi with WIP. Kincade, of course, used to work with Cataldi’s show as a contributor and received a chance to take the air while with the outlet.

“I’ve seen the turn of tides of ratings over the years for every show [and] every time slot, so there’s always an opportunity, but that means we always have to be on our game; that means we always have to be doing the best show possible,” Salciunas said. “We can’t go in the next day and say, ‘Wow, that show was really good yesterday. Let’s have some fun today; let’s make this a lighthearted show.’ No, we always have to be thinking about, ‘Alright, what can we do next to put on another great entertaining four-hour radio show?’”

Over the last several years, there have been several leadership changes at 97.5 The Fanatic responsible for overseeing the slate of programming and station operations. Scott Masteller currently leads the outlet, someone in whom Salciunas has confidence that he can continue to elevate the standing of the station. In his earlier years working with 97.5 The Fanatic, Salciunas had an innovative spirit but was discouraged from taking steps to align with the multimedia evolution. For example, when he offered to do a podcast several years ago, someone at the station questioned his judgment and the reasoning behind the idea.

“I was told by someone, ‘What’s the point in doing that? We’re a radio station,’ and I knew back then that that was a mistake to say,” Salciunas explained. “You shouldn’t say, ‘We’re a radio station;’ that was years ago, so seeing that bosses and market managers and hosts and producers all realizing, ‘Alright, we have to adapt,’ that excites me.”

Possessing the background as a producer lends shrewd and calculated judgment on how to include members of the audience into the program. While there are still open phone lines for callers to chime in, the program has introduced a text line and also engages with the audience through the live chat functionality of YouTube. Having Thomas as a producer of the show has helped in this area as well, with Salciunas sharing that he has a strong understanding of how to create and optimize content for various platforms of dissemination.

“We have a great YouTube audience where they basically have their own community all of a sudden,” Salciunas said. “They’re constantly talking about the show, and sometimes we grab what they’re saying on that YouTube feed because that’s another area of today’s new media where you have another avenue to communicate with people.”

As Salciunas grows accustomed to the early start on 97.5 The Fanatic and his new colleagues in morning drive, he is filled with enthusiasm and the prospect of possibility. The radio station has been the only outlet by which he has been employed since the start of his media career, and he hopes to work there for as long as possible. National radio and television intrigue him going forward, but his priority centers on thriving in the new role.

“I want to try to get 97.5 The Fanatic – because it starts in the morning – back up in the map; back in the top five of the ratings books – and that’s going to take some time,” Salciunas said. “We’re a new show – we’re going to have to figure each other out.”

Salciunas expressed that the last year-and-a-half has been “hectic” in the midday daypart, but there has also been excitement surrounding the ephemerality as well. Taking the microphone in a major market with a dedicated sports fanbase such as Philadelphia is a privilege he does not take for granted, and he aspires to continue excelling in the marketplace for years to come.

“I just started, so I’m not thinking about the next step just yet,” Salciunas said. “I want this to last for a long time – for a very long time. If I never have to leave, that would be great.”

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An Ode to the Heart and Soul of Barstool Sports — Frank The Tank

If you can simultaneously be the angriest person on the planet, and also be viewed as completely wholesome, you’re doing something right.

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A photo of Frank the Tank
(Photo: Barstool Sports)

I’ve written in this space in the past that Barstool Sports is often an enigma to me. Outside of some of the brand’s major stars — like Dave Portnoy, Big Cat, PFT, and Kevin Clancy — I struggle to figure out just who does what at the outlet. But there’s one role I don’t question, and that’s the role of Frank The Tank.

I’m a true believer in the “personality hire” theory. If you’re unaware, it’s the idea that, sometimes, you simply hire a high-energy, positive, great-personality employee who might be underqualified for a job, but will keep morale high inside the office.

And while Frank The Tank doesn’t exactly exude positivity — quite the contrary, most often — you can tell that he’s the heart and soul of the company.

If you’re uninitiated, Frank Fleming — obviously known as Frank The Tank — is an often-viral sensation that pulls off one of the most incredible feats you’ll ever see in modern-day sports media.

If you can simultaneously be the angriest person on the planet, and also be viewed as completely wholesome, you’re doing something right. And that, in a nutshell, is Frank The Tank.

Tank makes no bones about his feelings. Ever. If you ask a question, he’s got an answer, a strong take, and generally a well-thought-out one at that.

In fact, he was discovered by Barstool Sports for his now-infamous rant about the New Jersey Transit Commission and its “incompetence.” He shouted in anger inside a transit hub about the public transportation’s inability to properly inform passengers about updates, resulting in him missing a New York Mets game.

And yet, despite his unbridled anger, you can’t help but sympathize and relate to the man.

Maybe Frank’s most endearing quality is his complete and utter lack of what anyone thinks about him. To sound a bit country for a moment, Frank The Tank’s give a damn is busted. He says what he thinks, when he thinks it, and doesn’t care what you think about it. But it’s never intentionally malicious. It might be harsh, but it always comes with an air of honesty rather than venom. He’s never trying to harm whoever he’s criticizing, but just believes in the age-old “Honesty is the best policy” thought process.

I’ve long enjoyed the clips of Frank, whether it was future NFL Hall of Famer J.J. Watt sharing his admiration for the digital star, or the times he’s often ambushed in the office by the outlet’s digital team to ask questions like “Who are the five most overrated athletes of all-time?”, which results in him rattling off a list you can’t believe was concocted on the spot.

Others are hopping on the bandwagon, too. Late last year, Mike Francesa was introduced to The Tank, and you could instantly see the chemistry and connection between the two. (As a side note, I can’t tell you how invested I’d be in a Mike and The Tank sports show. It’d have to be about half an hour because any longer and Francesa might strangle Frank, but it sure would make for great radio.)

Frank Fleming has turned into a content machine at Barstool Sports. The consummate underdog, Frank The Tank really burst onto the scene with his acceptance speech at the company’s award show, shouting “Never give up your dream!” and sharing the story of his previous life as a court clerk before joining the digital outlet.

But his latest content endeavor might be one of the biggest in Barstool history. Frank Fleming used to weigh over 500 pounds. But now after a walking schedule, he has dropped more than 160 pounds.

The company has turned his walks into a content series, where he converses with sports and media stars, with sponsor attachments throughout the videos. Recent walks include Mike Francesa, Scott Van Pelt, and an upcoming episode with former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

I began to realize what Frank The Tank meant to Barstool Sports after one recent walk with the outlet’s founder, Dave Portnoy, who admitted he had pegged the digital star all wrong.

“It’s probably one of the most wrong things that I’ve (said). When we hired you, I put you on an innings count,” Portnoy said, inferring he didn’t want Fleming included in much visual content. “I was dead-ass wrong on that one. Gladly wrong.”

You see, Dave Portnoy admitting he’s wrong about something is about as jarring as hearing a kangaroo order an Oreo McFlurry. It just doesn’t happen. And yet, there was, admitting that even he underestimated one of his biggest stars.

And in his response to that, Fleming shared an optimism and a belief in himself.

“I just wanted to go there, get involved, and show what I can do,” Frank The Tank responded to the company’s founder.

In addition to his walks, Frank The Tank also shares videos of his culinary exploits on his personal YouTube page, which now features nearly 50,000 subscribers. Even my wife enjoys sitting down and seeing what The Tank is going to whip up on each edition of Tank Cooks.

There’s a sense of protection around Fleming from other Barstool personalities. In a company that is often maligned for how it treats each other and those who criticize the outlet, you can tell those at the digital juggernaut look out for Frank.

When his personal phone number was leaked on the internet in 2022, most other employees inside the company would have been inundated with calls and messages because others at the outlet had encouraged the harassment as a practical joke.

But when it happened to Frank, a complete onslaught of messages from bloggers and video and podcast hosts begging those to stop messaging the digital star.

And that, to me, shows the role of Frank The Tank at the often-controversial outlet. He’s rarely, if ever, controversial. He’s humble, he’s honest, he’s angry, and he’s wholesome. Frank The Tank is a virtual walking conundrum, and that alone shows why he’s the heart and soul of Barstool Sports.

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