A Shift in Sports Media? My Interview with Harry Mayes
“Shut up, and pitch!”
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| Mayes’ half of the split screen as he does “Ah Jeez.” |
Mayes left radio more than five years ago, and now calls himself a “content creator” on his Twitter/X bio. He does multiple podcasts, including Swing It and Ding It, with iHeart Media, and Ah Jeez, with Jason Myrtetus, through Not For Long Media (N4L).
He was his usual blunt self when we recently communicated about the current state of sports talk radio. I asked him why he thought local sports coverage from local media outlets seems to be dwindling while established voices leave the air waves. Money? Competition from national outlets? Digital media?
“All of the above,” Mayes said via e-mail. “[Stations] can find someone who will take less, and national outlets can make local media irrelevant in most markets.”
Yet, he questions whether the trend will continue.
“I don’t think Philly is one of [those markets] as local matters more here,” he continued. “There are so many options in the digital world that it makes it tough to find enough advertising dollars to make it worth your while. I’m afraid that many of the newer options will disappear after their initial funding dollars dry up.”
In fact, we were communicating for this interview just before Crossing Broad and, where I first heard the information, Jon Marks on his YouTube show, reported that Mike Missanelli, was returning to The Fanatic. Missanelli is one of the biggest names in Philly sports talk, and currently does a podcast. I asked Mayes for his thoughts on the reports, and if Mayes would go back to radio.
“I guess Mike didn’t like how it ended the first time,” Mayes simply said.
Then he may have broken some news.
“I interviewed two times in [the] last three months,” Mayes said. “Not sure what they are looking to do.”
He did not elaborate.
I was surprised, though. I had asked Mayes if he was podcasting in an effort to create leverage with a traditional station, and why he thought others might be going out on their own.
“My desire to do podcasting was never about leverage,” he said. Then, beating me to my next question, he added that creative freedom played a role. “It was about independence to talk about whatever I wanted. The fact that I’m fortunate enough to make money is a bonus. As for others, I have no idea what their motivations reflect, but freedom is a big factor.”
Again, we were communicating via e-mail, so I had already asked if freedom to talk about whatever he wanted was part of why he did his own podcast. Specifically, I asked if talking about the Eagles year-round was an issue, and what he thinks of the apparent strategy by stations to talk so much about the local NFL team.
“Yes, it was an issue for me because it was repetitive and boring,” he said. “I know I may be in the minority there, but that’s just reality. Not sure how the listeners felt about it, as I gave up listening to a lot of sports radio so as not to have any other host’s opinions shape my own.”
This listener agrees.
More importantly, though, as I’ve said throughout this series about a shift in the media, I’m concerned about what happens to the standards of sports coverage or news coverage if podcasting essentially replaces news stations. For example, are traditional sports talk stations dying? Do we just end up with guys doing their own thing?
“I don’t think [stations] will die off, but they need to evolve and become more creative and entertaining and less about just saying things to generate phone calls,” Mayes said. “As for the standards of sports and news coverage, I’m afraid that has already fallen significantly, especially in news, where in my opinion, it’s more about fostering ideological, agenda driven narratives instead of reporting based on facts.”
As I have in other interviews for this series, I asked about a possible connection between the number of podcasts increasing and conspiracy theories gaining traction. I referenced my article questioning theories that the NFL is rigged.
“It appears that what was once considered ‘conspiracy’ is fact,” he said. “People have lost faith in the news media and do not know what is real nor what to believe. Social media has had a lot to do with it, but so has the agenda driven narratives I spoke of.”
“As for the NFL, I never saw that commercial,” Mayes said, referring to the NFL commercial I included in my article in which they poke fun at the notion that the results of their games are known ahead of being played. “But I can see how fans can come to the conclusion that the sport may be scripted. The proliferation of sports gaming has added fuel to this already existing fire, however, I do not believe the league is scripted, but I do realize the very possible reality that certain officials or players may have been influenced by outside forces.”
By “outside forces,” Mayes would only say that he meant “anyone trying to influence a certain outcome in a sporting event.”
I think his concerns are shared by many. Several professional athletes, including NFL players, have been punished by the league they play for due to gambling activity.
It’s the type of issue only a media with actual reporters being around teams and leagues on a regular basis could investigate. It’s why questioning the current shift in media, wherever it ends up, is important.
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Many thanks to Harry Mayes for his time
and effort.
Check out earlier installments of this series:
A Shift in Sports Media? (Including interviews Max King and Mike Missanelli)
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