If you live in and around the DC area and are an avid sports fan, you have two local radio station options for your daily dose: one is 106.7 the Fan, the other is a Redskins-owned channel that shall remain nameless (call me a hater, but they are nothing but propaganda and full of burgundy-and-gold crap).
The Fan is an easy listen for the most part, but really only because they host my favorite AM-drive donks, The Sports Junkies. EB, Cakes, JP, and Lurch have been on-air since 1996 and have had a loyal following ever since. They are a group of guys who have been buddies since they were kids and are now nearing middle-age, but these guys are still talking about the same ol’ shtick. And ya know what? Some find their stuff played out, but I always find myself listening and laughing; secretly wondering if I am/was a “whore or bore” and whether or not I’m smarter than the Junks and the average sports fans calling in for trivia contests against them, or who my “Donk of the Week” might be.
A question posed by some about the beloved DC-Sports talk world is beginning to loom: Who will be heir to the throne once the Sports Junkies are no more?
My guess would be the up-and-coming guys over at Ball Hogs Radio Network.
The Ball Hogs originally started as a weekly podcast sports show a little over a year ago; and they have been moving on up ever since. They now manage nine different local sport blogs and radio shows (Nats, Skins, Wizards, Caps, Orioles, Ravens, Terps, local MMA and their own exclusive blog), have connected with multiple local businesses for sponsorship and advertising, and actively participate in local community events.
I like these guys for a couple of reasons. One, they aren’t completely restricting their coverage to DC sports–they cover Baltimore sports, too. (A lot of DC sports fans HATE Baltimore fans, and as a Skins/O’s fan, I can truly appreciate the dual target demographic.) Two, they got their jump-start in terms of interviews and guests for the show on their own by simply reaching out via Twitter. Nothing beats a self-made product! Three, their content is truly geared towards local sports fans, and they don’t necessarily do any sort of pitching or selling; they are genuine sports enthusiasts, who (I believe) are strategically creating an empire to share their thoughts, engaging readers of the like and setting the bar high for the Mid-Atlantic Area Sports Networking.
BHRN Host/Blogger Adam Bradley explains, “With the rise of internet radio [podcasts] across the country, we felt there needed to be a specific podcast network right here in DC for all the DC sports fans; that is what we’ve working so hard to help build over the last couple years.”
The Ball Hogs didn’t necessarily intend for the parallels to The Sports Junkies, although they certainly don’t mind the comparison. After all, it’s a group of four guys, from the DC area, starting out small and talking about sports. How could they not be compared? The Junks are actually very supportive of the Ball Hogs who have even hosted EB in studio.
These guys are certainly on the right track to branding themselves, their shows, and their websites. I am proud to call myself a fan! Check out some true fan perspectives, and give some support and love to your local digital journalists!
