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BSM Staffers Past & Present Look Back At The Last 5 Years

“Jason didn’t just build an industry tool, he transformed how the industry is connected.”

Demetri Ravanos

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Jason Barrett changed the sports format in 2015 when he launched this website. That will sound like some self-righteous bullshit, but it is the absolute truth.

The arrival of Barrett Sports Media, then at sportsradiopd.com, was not unlike the arrival of CNN on cable television. Suddenly, there was this place that we could all go to at anytime of day to find out what was going on. The major difference from CNN, aside from the budget and an ownership stake in the Atlanta Braves, was that the site was focused on a niche within a niche. It would be like if I launched a site today devoted not to Jurassic Park, but specifically to that one raptor that Muldoon calls a “clever girl” right before it eats him.

Dinosaurs gathered at NASA Goddard site for fatal feeding frenzy • The  Register

To celebrate this anniversary, I wanted to turn things over to our writing staff, in particular those that have been at Barrett Sports Media since the day Jason decided to employ weekly columnists in 2017.

What did this opportunity mean to them? What have they gotten out of being part of the BSM family? I’ll share my story at the end.

TYLER MCCOMAS (STARTED 2017)

I don’t say this lightly, but I don’t think anyone in this industry could’ve grown this site like Jason Barrett has in the past five years. I say that, because I’ve seen firsthand all of the attention to detail he puts into things. For instance, during my first trip to the Barrett Sports Media summit in Los Angeles, I was truly blown away by how every single detail was taken into account. Literally, the man takes zero shortcuts and it’s the reason why BSM is the successful entity it is today.

Being at the website for three years, it’s humbling to know that I’ve had a very small piece in what this website has been able to accomplish. When I first started writing, I felt like I had to over explain what the website was all about to the people I was trying to interview. Today all I have to say is I’m with Barrett Sports Media and everyone knows what we do here.

BRIAN NOE (STARTED 2017)

When I glanced at my notes, I was surprised to find that the first column I wrote for BSM was in August of 2017. I’ve passed the three-year mark with Jason when I actually thought the two-year mark was approaching. Time flies when you enjoy what you do.

I write with the speed of a tortoise though. Writing is hard, but I’m 100 percent sure I make it way harder. The work is challenging, but the rewards are great. I love the end result when I feel like the time I invest in a column or a Q&A interview help produce a piece that’s worth reading. The positive feedback is very satisfying as well.

It has been a pleasure to interview so many people for JB’s site. It’s fascinating to learn about the personal stories, goals, successes, failures, and general approaches of others in the industry. It’s great to learn more about Jason as well. I’ve never met someone as connected. If I asked him who the board op is in Boise, Idaho, he’d be like, “Oh, John? Yeah, great guy.”

JB is a bulldog. He works incredibly hard and has a true passion for sports radio. I’m thankful he’s trusted me to represent his company. Here’s to many more years of success for Jason and BSM.

DAVE GREENE (STARTED 2017; LEFT 2019)

Dave Greene, Author at Barrett Sports Media

When I was in my first Journalism class at the University of Missouri in 1993, the professor went around the room and asked who was interested in the various sections of journalism taught at the school. He would call out the sections and students would raise their hand if that is why they were wanting to be in the J-school. He called out magazine, television, photojournalism, etc. and then asked specifically, “Who is here for sports?”  I raised my hand along with four or five others (out of three hundred or so in the class) and he responded with, “Just so you know, we don’t teach sports here, we teach journalism.”

So, there was my first experience with what others thought of my career choice. More than 25 years later, not only has the interest in sports continued to increase, but so has the interest in sports media. Kudos to Jason and the BSM staff for shining a light on an industry that normally only gets attention when one of its hosts says something stupid or goes off the rails. The coverage is very much appreciated and it continues to get better all the time. Thank you for having me be a small part of it, writing about my love and passion for the format and selling the format. Cheers!

JAY MARIOTTI (STARTED 2020)

If all media companies operated with the efficiency and no-b.s. ethic of Barrett Sports Media, the industry would be in a better and sturdier place. I’ve worked for the biggest TV and radio shops and major-market writing operations. They could learn plenty from Jason Barrett, who creates a performance-first culture and doesn’t let outside influences interfere with content, though I’m sure those influences are regularly giving him ear aches.

I first met Jason as he was leaving behind a successful radio programming career — on his terms. We chatted for two hours at a San Francisco breakfast place, both seeking unique independent challenges in a media business increasingly averse to risk-taking. I’m not surprised he has constructed a strong career foundation with his ever-growing content site and advisory expertise.

When he asked me to write columns, I knew his target audience was The Industry, akin to The Eagles playing for the music crowd when they returned from wherever they were. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun writing sports and media columns since … college, maybe? And tell me: How many people in sports media are having fun right now? 

MATT FISHMAN (STARTED 2018; LEFT 2019)

For me, Barrett Sports Media was a life raft in my radio career. Finding myself “on the beach” after ten years of working at SiriusXM and 21 years overall in sports radio was daunting. Writing a weekly column about sports radio for the Barrett Sports Media website allowed me to stay engaged with the format while sharing my ideas, suggestions, and constructive criticism with people in the business. It also kept my name out there with important decision makers and allowed me to determine companies I wanted to work for and some I probably didn’t want to.

My favorite part of writing for the BSM website was definitely the Q&As with radio talent. I spoke at length to terrific hosts that I had worked with like Dan McNeil, Terry Boers, Paul Finebaum and Mark Packer. I also enjoyed meeting talent who I knew of and yet did not know. People like Josh Innes and Nick Cattles.

The hardest and most serious part of my job was dealing with death in the sports radio family. Writing about the deaths of Chet Coppock, Allen Lamb, Wolfgang Miller, and John Tautges. I also wrote about sports radio stations in Dayton and El Paso dealing with programming in the wake of mass shootings in both cities. Work I took very seriously as did the local PDs at those stations. 

Overall, my time at Barrett Sports Media allowed me to look at Sports Radio from 30,000 feet. To see the big picture which is sometimes hard to do when you are in it. For the last 7+ months as the Content Director at 850 ESPN Cleveland I have tried to take those lessons to heart. I also know that without writing for BSM, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

BRANDON CONTES (STARTED 2017; BEGAN WRITING FEATURES 2018)

Barrett Sports Media’s five-year anniversary coincides with my three-year mark writing for the site. JB had little reason to bring me on-board three years ago after I reached out. As someone with little experience in the industry, he was able to look past that and recognize my passion for sports media. 

My personal profile has grown immensely since joining BSM three years ago. I’ve met and interviewed people who I’ve always respected, and I’m consistently impressed with the respect they show me in return. But being associated with a brand such as BSM brings instant credibility and inherent respect. Like a music groupie who says, ‘I knew that band before they were popular!’ I’m proud to have been a fan of Barrett Sports Media when it launched five years ago, and equally grateful to have played a part in its development over the least three years.  

DEMETRI RAVANOS (STARTED 2017, PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT CONTENT DIRECTOR 2018)

The first time I reached out to Jason Barrett was 2016. SportsRadioPD.com was in its literal infancy at the time. My sports radio career was only about a year older, having moved over from the rock format in 2014. I just sent him an email and pitched him on a few guest column ideas. To my surprise, he said he’d be very happy to have me write about personality radio and why so much of what works for people like Howard Stern should be adopted and adapted for sports talk hosts.

In 2017, I was working in a very upscale hotel and just looking for any connection back to the industry I loved. Fortunately, JB was looking to bring on full-time columnists. It was a natural fit.

Fast forward nearly one year. I don’t know the best way to say this, but “Jason Barrett saved my life” seems like the best way to do it. I was still at the hotel and as depressed as I had ever been. I HATED my job. I hated that everyday was exactly the same. I hated the way it made me feel about myself, and the worst part of all was I didn’t know how to get out of it.

Thankfully, JB was on a market visit in Charlotte the same weekend I was driving down to Alabama for my godson’s high school graduation. It was on my way. He asked if I wanted to have dinner. We met at a PF Chang’s. I’ll never forget how awkward it was when I, in a Run the Jewels t-shirt and jeans, got up to greet a man in a full suit.

SHIT!

That dinner wasn’t just about getting to know one another or a matter of convenience because we were in the same place at the same time. JB had a vision for me. That was the night we talked about what he would need in a number 2 and would I do it for next to no money.

Here we are two years later and my life and my place in this industry has completely changed. That is all because Jason trusted me.

We have built up a staff together. We consult each other on major moves for the business. We aren’t partners and his opinion still carries more weight than mine, but he treats me like an equal. That’s not just when we are on the phone. That is at the BSM Summit or any other professional event.

When I started writing for the site, I hoped to get my name out there and get someone to listen to my audio. When I became the Assistant Content Director, it was in hopes that it’d lead to meeting the right person. All of that time, I was blind to the fact that I was where I needed to be to make an impact on the industry.

That is Jason Barrett’s greatest strength. He not only recognizes someone’s talent, he recognizes where they will have the most value. Over the summer, after a conversation with Don Martin, I told JB that I think maybe I want to program instead of being back on the air. In the most exasperated voice I have ever heard come out of him, JB said “JESUS! I have been waiting for you to get here for two years!”.

The guy just knows how to put puzzle pieces together without having to look at the picture on the box. That is the kind of talent it takes to build something like this. Jason didn’t just build an industry tool, he transformed how the industry is connected.

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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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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