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Dick Vitale Will Never Give Up, Baby

“People don’t realize what a cancer patient goes through. That’s why I have so much respect and admiration for all these families that have to deal with it with their kids.”

Derek Futterman

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Dick Vitale

Last March, Dick Vitale utilized a whiteboard to communicate his Final Four picks to fans on social media through his VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index) ratings system. Normally, he would voice these picks, but a diagnosis of precancerous vocal cord dysplasia left him on vocal rest for an extended period. He ended up having two separate surgeries on his vocal cords and had to use the whiteboard so he could communicate with others.

Vitale had recently completed a bout with melanoma and was facing lymphoma – all while trying to maintain a positive attitude amid a global pandemic and uncertain future. Inside, he was acutely aware that he was “going through hell,” but remained hopeful that he would one day return courtside to receive a dose of the best medicine possible: calling college basketball games on ESPN.

At times, the madness of being away from the game felt unbearable, but it was through “passion plus pride plus perseverance,” along with the support of his family, friends, colleagues, and fans, that he emerged filled with gratitude and excitement to return to doing what he loves.

In 1993, Jim Valvano took the stage at the inaugural ESPY Awards from Madison Square Garden in New York to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. Throughout his career around the game of basketball, Valvano served as a player, coach, and broadcaster, forming one-half of the dynamic on-air duo the “Killer Vees.” He and Vitale, whose pseudonym is “Dickie V,” were often regarded as having similar broadcast styles imbued with exuberance, candor, and passion.

Less than a year before what ultimately became one of the most well-known award speeches of all time, Valvano had received his diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma. Taking the stage, he gave the audience takeaways on how to approach their lives – including laughing, thinking and expressing emotions responsible for getting one to cry – and shortly thereafter, received a signal that he had 30 seconds to go in his speech. Valvano, however, neglected the plan, instead stating words that have endured the test of time: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

As Vitale laid supine in a hospital bed, those words remained in his subconscious and kept him going during a particularly burdensome and critical health battle. Over the preceding two years, Vitale overcame immense hardships, which began with battling melanoma, a form of skin cancer. To treat this disease, Vitale had to undergo surgery for its removal along with four additional cosmetic surgeries. In August 2021, Vitale announced that following a PET scan (positron electron tomography), his doctor declared him cancer free, and subsequently thanked people for sending him prayers and well-wishes.

“My greatest inspiration was all the prayers and all the messages from people I hadn’t heard from in years,” Vitale said. “….You need that support. I know I needed it because there were times I was laying in that hospital and my family would leave, and tears would flow. [I was] thinking, ‘Would I ever get out of here? Would I ever see my grandkids graduate college?’ It’s tough; it’s a really vicious disease.”

In his youth, Vitale played Little League Baseball but faced immense levels of scrutiny from his opponents and their parents because of blindness in his left eye. The cause, he estimates, was poking it with a pencil at the age of 4 or 5, causing it to appear that he was looking elsewhere. Toeing the rubber on the pitcher’s mound and being taunted by those in the stands engendered irreparable harm, and thinking back on it, he still feels the pain from that day.

Although he had surgery to straighten his left eye in 1984, he is still blind and sees entirely out of his right eye. The decision required Dr. Conrad Giles to operate on both of his eyes, risking a permanent loss of vision, but the pain and suffering that came out of the encumbrance were difficult to bear and led him to take the risk. During the midst of the 1979-80 college basketball season – his first on ESPN and in sports media altogether – a viewer had called to complain about Vitale being on television because of it, calling him a “one-eyed wacko.”

The peremptory and heinous actions of bullies compelled him to receive the surgery and urge others to show compassion towards others. Vitale persevered through the situation, as he originally decided to quit television and called Steve Anderson, the executive overseeing college hoops, to inform him of his decision. Luckily for college basketball and sports fans everywhere, Vitale reversed course and has been a fixture of the sport, 

Three years after his surgery, a car crash caused a bone fracture below his right eye, leading him to wear an eye patch and ruminate over whether he would ever see again. Luckily, Vitale did not lose his vision, nor his love for basketball and broadcasting. Through trials and tribulations, he is at the top of his craft, surviving changing regimes, emerging technologies, and a dynamic media landscape simply because he communicates the game to viewers in a way few else can.

“I had a great mom and dad, and they were uneducated [and] had a fifth-grade education – but they had a doctorate of love,” Vitale expressed. “….My [parents] used to always say to me, ‘Richard, big deal. One eye – you can do anything that anybody else does. You’ve got something they can’t hold back. Your energy; your passion; your enthusiasm – someday, you’re going to make in something.’”

Two months after being declared cancer free, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, resulting in six months of chemotherapy and additional steroid treatment. Vitale initially planned to continue working as a college basketball analyst on ESPN during this time, a job he held since the network’s inception in 1979, but he then had to pull the plug when it was discovered he had precancerous vocal cord dysplasia. Resting his voice was no easy task considering it had been the instrument through which Vitale articulated his thoughts, opinions, and feelings on college basketball with unmatched poise and command.

On Nov. 8, 1979, Vitale received a visit to his home by Bill Davidson, the owner of the Detroit Pistons. Little did Vitale know that the moment would mark the end of a 16-year coaching career, taking him from high school to college to the NBA. Vitale started coaching following a brief stint working in accounting, utilizing his business administration degree from Seton Hall University; yet his precipitous rise as a head coach kept him engrossed in the sport and allowed him to experience much success.

From 1958 to 1971, he was a high school basketball coach – first at Garfield High School and then at East Rutherford High School – and led the latter program to two New Jersey state championships. Simultaneously, he was a sixth-grade teacher, balancing the responsibilities of instructing students in the classroom and athletes on the court.

Nonetheless, he was still actively looking for jobs as an assistant coach or graduate assistant elsewhere, always looking to find chances to grow and make it to the NBA. From the day he was fired by the Pistons, Vitale desperately wanted to land another coaching job, especially after posting a 78-30 overall record in four years as head coach of the University of Detroit Mercy Titans.

When he was coaching at the University of Detroit Mercy following two years as an assistant at Rutgers University, Vitale advocated a winning formula of “passion plus pride plus perseverance,” qualities that are evinced in his ebullient and vivacious broadcast style today. He also found ways to convey life lessons to his players and helped the team beat top-ranked opponents and make the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

As the team entered the round to play the University of Michigan Wolverines, Vitale noticed NBC broadcasters Curt Gowdy and John Wooden watching his team practice on the court. He was then approached by Scotty Connal, a producer for the network, and asked the broadcasters to come to the locker room following practice. Vitale then gave a three-minute talk to his team about “greatness” and described Gowdy and Connal as its epitome, leaving them both flattered and convinced that he could one day be a commentator.

Connal departed NBC in 1979 to assist in the creation of a new television network called ESPN, a combination of four letters Vitale initially thought sounded like a disease. After initially declining an offer from Connal to call the first-ever college basketball game on the network – a matchup between DePaul and Wisconsin – he accepted the position at the suggestion of his wife, Lorraine, even though he still wanted to coach.

“I got very lucky that Scotty called me back 10 days later and said, ‘I’m going to give you one last shot, Dick. You’ve got nothing to do; why don’t you do the game and just have fun?,’” Vitale recalled. “….The things that have happened in my career – I’m blessed; I pinch myself; I’m lucky; I’m fortunate. I’ve just had an incredible ride.”

He considers himself fortunate to have received that phone call and rhapsodies of positive feedback, with Connal and other viewers recognizing his deft knowledge of the game and innate zealousness and excitement.

It was his genuine persona of being passionate and forthright that partially lost him his job with the Pistons, as he had told Davidson he would be unable to win and took the blame for the team’s 30-52 record in the 1978-79 season. He was offered another job in the organization, to which he declined with the hope of returning to coach at the collegiate level.

“Bill Davidson treated me like royalty,” Vitale said. “He kept saying, ‘Dick, you want to get it done now. We know it’s going to be five years at least.’ I said, ‘Oh man, I can coach until I’m blue in the face. We can’t beat Kareem; we can’t beat Dr. J.’ It was frustrating.”

On the day he was fired by the Pistons, Vitale never thought he would be a member of various different halls of fame (14 of them on last count), receive roles in commercials and movies or become one of the most recognizable and distinctive figures in sports broadcasting history. Every time he arrives at an arena, it is evident that Vitale feels the spirit of the game radiate from the court. He embraces the enigma, anticipating the action while staying ready to potentially witness something or someone for the first time.

Throughout his four decades in sports media, Vitale has covered basketball Hall of Famers such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing, serving as an erudite voice on a soundtrack documenting the start of legendary careers. While he does not have the ability to jump, run or shoot a basketball, Vitale shares a spot in Springfield, Mass. and is hardly picayune in comparison to the players. His skills and style, filled with honesty, catchphrases and esoteric knowledge, are nonperishable and appeal to audiences no matter their background, acumen or proficiency in basketball parlance.

“I’ve seen so many people today try to develop these niches,” Vitale explained. “I watched John Madden, Terry Bradshaw, Chris Berman [and] Stuart Scott. They were real; they were genuine. That was them; that’s who they are. I’ve always felt I’ve always been me.”

On his first broadcast, Vitale did not arrive until there were 20 minutes remaining to game time and worked alongside Joe Boyle. It was his first time broadcasting a game on television, and in an interview years later, Boyle expressed that Vitale had not changed. His effusiveness and alacrity for basketball and broadcasting keep him well-informed and motivated to improve, prepare and develop synergy with his colleagues and viewers.

“To me, the real pros are your play-by-play guys,” Vitale said. “Those are guys trained… and really have that great ability [and] getting in and out of commercials. I’m there just to tell you what is happening in the world of basketball and in the game taking place. With that, if I do it with lots of energy, enthusiasm and preparation – I’ve always tried to be prepared – my style is unique and different, but it’s always been me.”

Vitale is a beloved figure in the world of sports; however, part of the essence of his job is in critiquing teams and individual players. Sports media pundits and viewers have lauded Vitale for his candor and honesty regarding issues of contentiousness, always approaching the situation with objectivity and integrity. Moreover, he does not waver when it comes to elocuting topics of exigence that simply have to be spoken of. He has gained respect through this approach rooted in probity, augmenting his credibility by being able to support his analysis with facts compendiously and unequivocally delivered in the sport’s vernacular.

“The one thing I’m proud of – and not many guys can say this – I’m going on my fifth decade and there have been all kinds of changes at ESPN, yet I’ve always been there,” Vitale stated. “Our business is very, very situational. It’s not really objective; it’s subjective.”

Despite March Madness being broadcast by CBS, Vitale will still be a critical part of ESPN’s studio coverage throughout the tournament and will broadcast the semifinal and Final Four championships for ESPN’s international feed. In fact, he received an offer made by CBS Sports to call a game or two of the tournament, an offer ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro gave Vitale permission to accept.

Yet he declined out of fidelity to ESPN, the network that gave him his start in the industry, and wants to end his career having worked exclusively for the company. Aside from the tournament itself, Vitale will call the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Game tomorrow (6 p.m. ET) and the first game of the semifinal tonight (7 p.m. ET) with Jon Sciambi and Kris Budden live on ESPN and streaming on ESPN+.

“I think it’s the greatest three weeks in sports,” Vitale said. “….Everyone seems to catch that basketball fever during that time.”

As Dick Vitale sat in his doctor’s office, he was optimistic that he would be cleared to deliver an acceptance speech at the 2022 ESPY Awards 72 hours later. Even though he had been deemed cancer-free in April 2022, he still faced a battle in recovering from precancerous vocal cord dysplasia.

Vitale had not spoken for a period of five-and-a-half weeks in recovering from the surgery, but Pitaro told him that they would bestow the award on him anyway and have him at the ceremony.

Following tests to determine the progress of healing following surgery, Vitale wrote on his whiteboard: “Please give me permission to speak at the ESPYS.” While Dr. Steven Zeitels, a world-renowned throat specialist, surmised it was not 100% healed and instead at approximately 70%, he considered making an exception to allow Vitale to express his gratitude and thanks in front of a national audience.

Making that exception, however, required the doctor to speak to Pitaro on the phone about the conditions Vitale would be placed under in order to attend. Once Vitale called Pitaro, Dr. Zeitels expressed that Vitale could not do any pre-event or post-event media availability, nor attend the ensuing celebration since it would require he raise his voice to be heard by others.

Vitale would be allowed to speak for a maximum of 20 minutes and then remain silent thereafter, a shortcoming that he did not care about so long as he would be permitted to address the crowd.

Three days later, Vitale was at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. and introduced on stage by former ESPN president George Bodenheimer, sportscaster Chris Berman and actor Jon Hamm. He vividly remembers feeling nervous waiting to go on stage and speak, questioning how he would sound or what he would say. Once he stepped back in front of the microphone, he was in his element and back among his colleagues, subsequently addressing his gratitude and the ongoing uphill battle he faced.

“When I started, it was an unbelievable reception and the warmth of the crowd just got my adrenaline going,” Vitale said. “Everything I thought I was going to talk about, I just talked from my heart.”

Throughout the speech, Vitale spoke about the blend of passion, pride and perseverance and related it to the crowd, which included famed athletes including Russell Wilson, Lindsey Vonn and Stephen Curry. It is the winning formula Vitale has utilized since his days as a college coach, and one that motivates him to broadcast college basketball at 100 years old and declare someone “Awesome with a capital ‘A.’”

“I guarantee you’ve had passion in what you’ve done; you’ve had pride in what you’ve done; and you’ve preserved. I don’t care who you are – in life, we face challenges…. You’ve got to be able to respond. I was so pleased he allowed me to speak there. Getting that standing ovation before and after gave me goosebumps.”

In November 2022, Vitale made his return to broadcasting in a matchup between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State University Wolverines. He worked alongside versatile play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman and thanked viewers on the broadcast for their support through the adversity he faced.

In the midst of calling a matchup a few weeks later between the Baylor University Bears and Villanova University Wildcats, Vitale received a two-minute standing ovation from the crowd, moving him to tears.

Days later, another standing ovation occurred in the midst of the SEC Tournament game between the University of Kansas Jayhawks and the Indiana University Bloomington Hoosiers. He felt strong emotions during these moments, recognizing how far he had come – but also despondent that there are some people who do not treat others with respect and instead spawn animosity and contentiousness.

Throughout the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vitale was posting daily motivational tips to help people in difficult circumstances. Moreover, he frequently expresses gratitude pertaining to his upbringing, family and career – never losing sight of how fortunate he truly is. He wishes more people would take the time to follow the “Golden Rule” of treating others in the way you want to be treated and believes this simple action could make the world a lot more bearable.

“The violence and the hate just tears my insides out,” Vitale said. “Innocent people being senselessly taken out – it’s just crazy. If we [only] all treated one another with love. I do loads of motivational speeches, and I try to share that all the time. Extend a hand to people.”

Vitale surely extends a hand to others in society through his work as a philanthropist. Whether it is creating an endowment at University of Notre Dame or awarding scholarships to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, he is always looking to find ways he can help and be a positive force in the world.

Although he enjoys his work as a broadcaster, his primary goal is utilizing his platform to raise awareness and funds for cancer research in order to help oncologists find treatments and a cure. He serves on the board of directors for the V Foundation for Cancer Research alongside Bodenheimer, Pitaro, Jay Bilas and other figures across a wide variety of different industries.

The foundation was founded by Valvano in partnership with ESPN before his death in 1993 and holds an annual weeklong campaign on the network, which includes the “Jimmy V Classic” basketball event. The foundation will hold its 30th anniversary gala from Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. on June 3 to be hosted by North Carolina State University Athletics Director of Content Strategy, Jeff Gravley.

Furthermore, Vitale hosts an annual gala to raise awareness and funding in order to fulfill Valvano’s dream of beating cancer, something he says is essential and must be expediently carried out. In the last 16 years he has held the event, Vitale has raised $55 million for kids battling pediatric cancer, and the foundation as a whole has raised over $310 million. It has its own endowment to cover operational expenses, ensuring all of the money donated gets reinvested into achieving its mission of defeating this disease. This year’s event is set to take place on May 5 from The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla.

“People don’t realize what a cancer patient goes through,” Vitale said. “That’s why I have so much respect and admiration for all these families that have to deal with it with their kids. I try to raise as many dollars as I can for kids battling cancer because people have no idea…. It’s a constant battle and a challenge, so you need that support.”

With March Madness quickly approaching, Vitale is throwing “Dickie V’s Super Sixteen Basketball Bash,” a contest through which he will host one lucky winner and a guest at his home on Friday, March 24 to watch a Sweet 16 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament game together.

The package comes complete with airfare, two nights in a hotel, transportation to and from his home, dinner with Vitale and his wife and a special “Dickie V” care package. The winner will be drawn this upcoming Wednesday, March 15, and all proceeds will benefit the Dick Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer at the V Foundation. Those interested in entering for a chance to win can visit “V.org/supersixteen” for more information.

For now, Vitale has no plans of slowing down, energized to raise awareness and money for children battling cancer, along with commentating on college basketball games on ESPN. He is ready for an exhilarating finish to the college basketball season through which he will continue to promulgate the game, learn new things and work with distinguished colleagues. Quite simply, Vitale is grateful to have been able to return to this position, and surely does not take it for granted – enjoying the ride and keeping his foot steadily on the accelerator.

“The moment I don’t get excited about getting out and doing a game and being courtside, no one’s going to have to tell me,” Vitale said. “I’ll know when the party’s over, and it’ll be a very down moment because I’ve loved every moment 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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