The Jason McIntyre Show: Colin Cowherd Stops by to Talk About TV Wars and Football
By Jason McIntyre
One-time site blower upper Colin Cowherd has a new football show on ESPN debuting this weekend (9 am Sunday, ESPN 2) and this seemed like a fine time to catch up with the radio host. You may recall last January, I went to Bristol to profile Cowherd (read it here). This is Cowherd’s second TV show in the last few years – his last was SportsNation, with Michelle Beadle. We discussed things you won’t hear him talk about on radio – what his ratings are and whether or not he worries about them; how closely he follows the media; going head-to-head against Dan Patrick, and then, over the last 10 minutes, we argued about football.
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A few notes:
* Staying in Your Lane is a big media topic right now, mostly because to NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN throwing money at everybody. If a network is offering you a radio or TV show, do you jump at the money now even if you aren’t excellent at either of those, or stick to what you do best, and own your niche instead of being a talking head just like dozens of others?
* What does Cowherd think about Richard Deitsch constantly noting that Outside the Lines is getting bumped to 8 am for his show? Cowherd talks about talking with Bob Ley this week.
* Cowherd’s thoughts on having double the TV viewers Dan Patrick has for his radio show. You’ll want to hear the exact quote about five minutes in.
* We talk about Michelle Beadle’s move to NBC and how she doesn’t return his calls (and her last text message to me: “Who is this?”)
* Cowherd was asked by an ESPN suit about Keith Olbermann before the network hired him. “Smart people are restless.”
* He doesn’t pay close attention to media free agency, but sports business free agency fascinates him (MLB, NBA TV deals).
* MLB is “a little like the GOP – older, disconnected, well-heeled.” I mention I watched more preseason football than MLB this year.
* Cowherd slams college basketball. I meekly tried to defend the sport.
* We go a few rounds over week 1 games. We agree Carolina is the pick +3 vs Seattle. We agree the Browns -1 are the pick vs. Miami. We don’t agree on Tampa vs. the Jets (I like New York +3.5).