It was beyond time for CBS to do something. I’m in my early 40s and am probably among the younger people in the audience that remember Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason actually playing in the NFL. 

The NFL Today felt dated and at times even disconnected from modern football. Even Nate Burleson, who has taken on a more prominent role in recent years, hasn’t been on the field in a decade. Bidding Simms and Esiason adieu and bringing Matt Ryan out of the booth and into the studio certainly makes The NFL Today feel a little more relevant, but does it actually make the show better? 

CBS will now offer viewers James Brown and the quartet of Ryan, Burleson, Bill Cowher and JJ Watt during the pregame, postgame and halftime. I would argue that while Ryan proved himself a capable analyst, I never found him overly compelling. Actually, I don’t find anyone in the group particularly compelling.

The names and faces may be different, but the problem is still the same. I’m not convinced that the show is more than just background noise.

FOX built FOX NFL Sunday into what it is by hiring opinionated people and then letting the team marinate together. Sure, they cook now, but even before the show left its competition behind, there was a reason to tune in. Terry Bradshaw was larger than life, Howie Long was outspoken and opinionated, and Jimmie Johnson brought gravitas. The mixture proved it worked before people like Michael Strahan and Rob Gronkowski were added. 

Even after a major changing of the guard, ESPN never lost sight of the fact that what brings eyeballs to Sunday NFL Countdown is unique perspectives. That’s why the current variation is built around Randy Moss and Rex Ryan.

CBS may have been missing that ingredient, but it never seemed to be because they didn’t have the guy. Boomer Esiason wouldn’t be on top of morning radio in New York for as long as he has if he were not compelling and capable of entertaining an audience. You could see his willingness to channel what the audience was thinking during halftime of the 2022 AFC Championship Game when CBS’s halftime show was drowned out by an on-field concert from country artist Walker Hays. For some reason, those types of moments were a treat and not the norm. It felt like Esiason was reigned in or being told not to do too much.

CBS’s problem is CBS. The whole network just feels like it’s operating in a time warp. Bombast is frowned upon or reigned in. In the case of the new lineup of The NFL Today, it feels like an effort was made to avoid it entirely.

Nate Burleson is great on the Nickelodeon games. He brings so much energy and really leans into the fun. The version of he we get on The NFL Today doesn’t feel especially different from who he is on CBS This Morning, a show that is meant to serve as background noise. That’s a problem, and for CBS, being comfortable with being background noise is a problem that feels all too common.

This new The NFL Today lineup feels milquetoast, but that’s kinda what CBS Sports does now. Its top broadcaster is bland. Its top college football broadcast felt like it was an afterthought. Even when it comes to the Final Four, the network farms being fun and interesting out to the Inside the NBA crew.

No one on the show is a problem individually. The problem is the combination of Brown, Burleson, Cowher, Ryan and Watt. Who can I count on to make me laugh or raise an eyebrow? 

Matt Ryan is a capable analyst, but if he’s the quarterback on the show, shouldn’t the coach be someone like Pete Carrol? Nate Burleson is an excellent broadcaster, but if he’s the receiver on the show, shouldn’t CBS have filled the QB role with someone like Cam Newton or Ben Roethlisberger? 

Kudos to CBS for recognizing that the age and distance away from their time on the field made The NFL Today crew feel disconnected from the game. The show had to get younger and it did. But getting younger is all it did. It doesn’t feel like the network solved its pregame show’s biggest problem. 

Glen Macnow began his career in sports at the age of 21 starting out as a newspaper writer before entering the world of sports radio. 31 years after it all started, the Philadelphia legend is ready to call it a career.

The 69-year-old Macnow recently announced his retirement from WIP and his final show will be on July 13^th.

“I’ve reached the point of life where time is a more important currency than money,” said Macnow. “I have other things I want to do, places to visit and goals to achieve. It seemed like in order to move to the next step I had to leave this great part of my life behind.”

While Macnow is retiring, he’s not closing the door on continuing to dabble in sports radio. WIP has asked him to come on occasionally but whether that’s as a guest or as a guest host has yet to be determined.

There have been some sports radio hosts who have turned to podcasts after they’ve retired, but don’t expect to see Macnow in that arena.

“I don’t think I want to do a podcast,” said Macnow. “Having the opportunity to do radio, “I don’t really feel that a podcast is something I need to dabble in next.” 

What is next for him, as far as dipping his toes in the sports radio waters, is something that he’ll look at somewhere down the road.

“That’s probably a question that you ask me a year from now,” said Macnow. “Right now, I’m looking forward to doing nothing.” 

What Macnow is also looking forward to is being a fan. He’s eager to watch a game and not have to worry about how he’s going to talk about it the next day on the radio. There is a difference to watching a sporting event as a fan as opposed to watching it as a sports radio host.

“When you’re in the business, you can be a fan but it’s obviously very different,” said Macnow. “You have to watch it differently. You have to watch it from a different angle. Now, I’m just ready to sit back and enjoy sports without it being my business.”

While Macnow is looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his life, there is a part of the business that he’s going to miss and that’s talking sports with some of the greatest fans in the United States. Doing sports radio in Philadelphia certainly has its challenges depending on how the teams are doing, but each day he talked to fans who were very passionate about their teams.

And that made the job fun.

“I’m lucky enough to work in what is arguably the most enthusiastic sports city in the country,” said Macnow. “This is a city that cares about all four teams that has strongly rooted franchises and great fans. I know its cliché to say Philadelphia is passionate about sports but it really is true.” 

During his career, Macnow did do solo shows but he relishes the time that spent with some great partners including Ray Didinger for 21 years and his current weekend partners Mike Sielski and Jody McDonald who helped Macnow break into sports radio many years ago.

He’s going to miss working with them.

“I love these guys,” said Macnow. “Going to work has never felt like work. It’s always felt like an opportunity to hang out with people who I enjoy.”

Macnow has seen the sports radio industry evolve over the years.

WFAN in New York was the first all-sports radio station in the country and then came WIP in Philadelphia. WFAN decided to do a nationwide search for hosts when it first went on the air and would eventually change course by bringing in Don Imus to do mornings while establishing a local sports roster for the rest of the dayparts.

When WIP launched, their late Program Director Tom Bigby brought in radio pros like Jody McDonald, Steve Fredericks and Bill Campbell but he also brought in newspaper writers like Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti and Macnow.

Bringing in writers, as it turns out, was a smart move because it was the writers who were in the trenches covering games and establishing relationships with players, coaches/managers and front office executives. 

And they brought that insight to sports radio.

“In the beginning, there was more storytelling because that’s what newspaper guys knew how to do,” said Macnow. “We were older. We weren’t a bunch of 25-year-old guys. We were all guys into our late 30’s and 40’s and that’s what built the station. Now, it’s a younger crew. We got older so the station needs to recognize that it needs to stay young and keep interest in people who are young. I recognize that it has to evolve and I recognize that I’m the outlier.” 

Another big change to sports radio has been the addition of legal sports gambling in terms of content and advertising. It has become a big part of the industry and one that has allowed radio stations to generate a huge amount of revenue. While that has been important to the bottom line, sports gambling is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Macnow respects that people like legal sports gambling, but he’s not interested in it and has some concerns.

“I am not against legal sports gambling,” said Macnow. “I think people should have the right to do what they want. For me, it’s just not very interesting to listen to. It’s taking over everything. It used to be that we talk all the time about whether or not the Phillies would win. Now, there’s a lot of talk about whether a parlay of Trey Turner and Nick Castellanos hitting home runs will come true and that’s something that doesn’t interest me at all.”

As his sports radio career winds down, Macnow will continue to spend some time with other activities including acting. He has appeared in a few movies and is currently in a play “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Players Club of Swarthmore that runs through May 4^th.

“I’m excited to get into the acting more and more,” said Macnow. “I’m getting a little bit older so there’s not a ton of roles for men of a certain age but I really do enjoy it. I’m in a play now and I just love that. It’s a challenge. I’m not as good at it as I want to be but I think I’m getting better.”

Macnow will also continue to host “What’s Brewing”, a beer show on NBC Sports Philadelphia, at least through the end of this year. He’s hoping that there will be funding to keep the show going beyond that. 

“We’re actually up for a state grant for next year,” said Macnow. “If we get the state grant, I’m certainly going to do the show. If not, we’ll see how that plays out.”

And back to that question of what else is next for Macnow after his final show on July 13^th? He certainly has some boxes to check off and things on his to-do list. 

“I’m looking forward to traveling with my lovely wife to many many places, countries and states that I haven’t gone to,” said Macnow. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll take that hot yoga course one of these days.”

It’s been quite the career for Glen Macnow. Whether it’s a cameo here and there on WIP, more acting opportunities or the beer show, it sounds like you haven’t heard or seen the last of him.

Last Thursday night, the Minnesota Vikings entered the NFL Draft with the eleventh pick. A draft night trade with the New York Jets helped them move up to ten, which is where they selected Michigan Quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In most cities, folks get excited for the draft but there’s usually a different energy picking players in the top five versus spots ten through twenty. Yet in Minneapolis, something looked and felt very different.

The Fillmore in Minneapolis served as the location for SKOR North‘s NFL Draft party. Phil Mackey, Judd Zulgad and Declan Goff broadcasted their hit program ‘Purple Daily‘ throughout the first round of the draft, and the question heading into the event was ‘could a digital show with a minimal radio presence sell out a 1,000+ seat venue on draft night, especially if the Minnesota Vikings weren’t picking until #11?’

The answer was a resounding yes.

Not only did SKOR North sell out the 1000+ seat venue, another 79,000 (and growing) watched the draft party online. The execution on-site and on social was perfect, and the follow up afterwards is an example of what sets winning brands apart.

Video clips hit social from the start of the night to every tense moment leading up to the Vikings selection. AJ Fredrickson and Artis Woods captured the on-site reactions after the Giants picked Malik Nabers at 6 and when the Falcons took Michael Penix at 8. Another video clip hit social media too after Minnesota landed #10 from the Jets. The best reaction video though came when the franchise selected Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the 10th selection. The social team was locked in again too after the Vikings chose Dallas Turner at #17.

Then came the production and on-site support. Adam Van Conant and Mike Weber made sure the program sounded good. Pat Laeger, Tim Krueth, and Trevor Groebner along with additional camera staff made sure the show was brought to life through video on-site and online. VIP check-in and on-site flags were managed by Ross Brendel along with Jason Stormer, Kristi Gavin, Kait Haag, Peter Nomeland, Camille Eckhodff, Bailey Hess, Kelsey St. John, and Donnella Johnson taking care of other on-site needs.

On-air contributions were made as well. Jessi Pierce handled crowd interviews and reactions, Tyler “Forno” Forness and Myles Gorham offered draft analysis, and Mackey, Zulgad and Goff informed, entertained, and fired up the fanbase on stage. They all wore branded shirts too to help drive brand awareness and on-site and online merchandise sales.

It extended to the sales side of the operation too. Bernie Laur and the sales team sold on-site client branding and took care of their clients, while Matt Stengel managed the partnership with The Fillmore. Kwik Trip served as the presenting sponsor of the show with video logo display provided online. Others were incorporated into the on-site content including Northern Fire Grilling & BBQ Supply who served as the official sponsor of the show’s ‘hot takes desk‘. Additional sponsors included Fulton Brewing, Element Hotel, Cry Baby Craig’s Gourmet Hot Sauce, PoppedCorn, and Thr3 Jack.

My favorite part of this story and the unsung hero of the event was Katie Greenhill. Hubbard Broadcasting’s senior designer created and designed logos, t-shirts and billboards to make sure the brand was ready to seize the moment as it unfolded.

It was impossible to know who the Vikings would select so Greenhill designed five different t-shirts (Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix, Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy). The second the selection of McCarthy was made, SKOR North had merchandise ready to monetize the moment. Taking advantage of the opportunity outside the venue required additional steps too. Within an hour of the Vikings choosing McCarthy, SKOR North debuted a J.J. to J.J. billboard across every digital board in the Twin Cities.

THAT is what seizing the moment looks like. Not only was SKOR North on point on the air, on-site, and on social media, but they were visually displayed across the city and ready to monetize the opportunity.

I did a search over the weekend of the local sports radio brands that were connected to the 9 picks in the NFL Draft (Chicago-Washington-New England-Arizona-Los Angeles-New York-Tennessee-Atlanta) that went before Minnesota. Only one, 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. was selling merchandise tied to the draft pick of their local team (nice job CK). One was still featuring a shirt of a player who left a local franchise two years ago.

Do sports format professionals want to make supplemental income? How many times do we have to talk about radio revenues being down, and brands needing to find other ways to increase profitability? This was one of the easiest things to prepare for and capitalize on. All you had to do was use the color’s of the local team, design something good that doesn’t create a trademark issue, and hit social and the airwaves promoting it. Your fans will go into their wallets for your products if they’re cool and available quickly.

If you don’t believe me, go check BarstoolSports.com. They had shirts ready for Caleb Williams and the Bears, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, and Drake Maye and the Patriots. Fanatics was ready too with jerseys for all of the key players minus Marvin Harrison Jr.. Striking while the iron is hot is vital. Unfortunately in this case, many didn’t even plug the iron in.

At the 2020 BSM Summit, Erika Ayers-Badan (then Nardini) said that when it comes to merchandising, you’ve got to understand pace and be on top of it. Consumers won’t wait for anything. Having a structure that’s nimble is also important. You can’t expect to run things through five corporate checks and balances, and expect to maximize demand. Additionally, you have to understand that some things won’t work. However, the ones that do will more than make up for the ones that didn’t.

Being fully transparent, I consulted SKOR North back when it was being built. The pandemic ended our partnership but I hold Dan Seeman, Phil Mackey, and the folks at Hubbard Broadcasting in high regard because they do great work. Five years ago, the brand could not have created this type of success. They had to learn rapid digital execution, and connect their best talent to the market’s biggest sports brand (Vikings). Sales also had to learn how to monetize a product that wasn’t reliant on AM radio ratings. Plus, the behind the scenes crew had to get better at video and social media, and that required trial and error. Now, the brand is humming.

SKOR North set out to revolutionize the way fans consume Minnesota sports content. Five years into a brand switch, they don’t have Nielsen ratings to show they’re a force but one look inside the Fillmore or at their podcast performance or YouTube channels and you can see they’ve tapped into something special.

Being successful requires vision and leadership. It also takes others behind the scenes stepping up to make sure every aspect of the execution is on point. That involves thinking ahead and diving in quickly to capitalize on opportunities. SKOR North has become a successful business, and in the process has proven that you can generate podcasting and non-traditional revenue on a local level. It simply comes down to vision, teamwork, creativity, preparation, and being nimble enough to deliver success. Others in the sports format should be paying attention.

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Thumbs Up

KMOX: I’m sure other brands are doing this too but I haven’t seen them promoted so Steve Moore and his crew are getting the credit. What a cool technological enhancement from Apple TV. This is a great example of audio and video working together to benefit the viewer.

Stacey Kauffman: When the non-compete news came down this week I looked around at industry reactions. You might’ve expected management types to blast the decision but that’s not how Audacy San Francisco Market Manager Stacey Kauffman responded. Her commentary on LinkedIn was spot on. I’d encourage more folks leading companies and brands to read it. Just a well thought out, smart perspective on a complex issue. I’d also recommend reading Dave Greene’s column.

Joe Hunk: We all lose perspective in this industry at times. So when a great reminder is passed along it can be very helpful. I stumbled across a tweet this week from 104.5 The Zone afternoon’s producer. Joe Hunk shared his genuine appreciation for what he was able to do due to working in the industry. The next time you’re frustrated and contemplating a different career path, go back and read this tweet.

Thumbs Down

Mark Madden: 15 years ago I might’ve cared about a tweet like this. Now, I don’t. BSM will always have critics who make assumptions and spew incorrect facts. Hey Mark, I don’t consult Audacy, and they don’t pay us to write these reports. One glance at our past week of content and you’d see we cover a lot of markets and groups. If you want to be included, have your folks share the information. If they don’t, then don’t whine to me about why you’re left out.

Taylor Swift: I’m not hating on Taylor, I’m actually putting her in this section for creating too catchy of an album. As a 50-year old man, who’s not in her target demo, I shouldn’t be walking around my house with Taylor Swift melodies stuck in my head. Yet that’s been the case the past few days due to the release of The Tortured Poets Department. Before you take aim at yours truly for that admission, go listen to that album once or twice and tell me it doesn’t get stuck in your head too. Judging from the recent record she broke on Spotify, plenty are in the same boat as me.

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What’s Brewing?

On Friday, I posted on LinkedIn that we are going to be adding in a few different areas soon. I’m working on something exciting that’s going to make waves, but I’m not ready to spill the beans just yet. However, if you love to write, have a passion for the media business, understand the industry, are well connected, enjoy what we do, and thrive working remotely, email me. I’m not looking for a sports or news media columnist. This will be more of a business editor/reporter/news writer role.

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BNM Summit

Speaker Announcement Update: We are bringing our news media conference to Washington D.C. on September 4-5, 2024. It’s going to be excellent. 14 speakers were already announced, and I’ll be revealing a few more additions later this week on Barrett News Media. The plan is to share that news and the addition of our After Party sponsor on Thursday May 2nd.

If you are planning to attend and haven’t bought a ticket or if you’re planning to be a sponsor, don’t wait until the last minute. Demand has been high for this one. To learn more visit BNMSummit.com.