NBC's John Fanta on Rising in Sports Media & March Madness

All right.

Joining me now, huge week for him and he is a rising star in sports media and with the tournament here, couldn't think of a better person to have on this week's SI Media with Jimmy Trainor from NBC Sports.

He is John Fanta.

John, how are you?

Jimmy, I'm doing great.

It's awesome to be with you.

Happy madness to everybody.

It is such a, a fun time of year, my friend, and looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Yeah, it is, it is amazing.

No matter what changes we go through in sports, the tournament is an institution that it does seem like, I don't wanna jinx it, but it seems like it, it can't be messed with.

But, um, we'll see.

It can't be and it shouldn't be messed with, plain and simple.

When you look at the bubble, this bubble this year, and then we've had a couple in the past couple of seasons as well.

It's not like this is mutually exclusive where you just look at some of the teams that we're debating.

I mean, An Auburn team that was a game over 500 is being debated to be in the NCAA tournament.

Had it expanded to this point, and what they're talking about is 76, Auburn would have been in and probably healthily in, you know, they wouldn't, they, they would have been, uh, the, the 7th last team in.

That to me is the biggest indicator.

Don't mess with it.

I know we all know about money and TV and whatnot, and I, I get that.

But you're right, it's an institution, the same way that the Masters, the same way that the Kentucky Derby, that those types of events have their own feel, don't mess with greatness.

Right, right.

So you're fully against the expansion, and then I wrote a column.

Uh, I think, yeah, Monday, that what I still love about the tournament too is that, and I know you're with NBC and Peacock.

I don't want to put you on the spot, but I love the fact that nothing's been sold off to a streamer.

It's still all there.

CBS, Turner, TNT, TruTV.

If you have an old-school cable broadcast package, you can watch the games properly and you don't have to go to a one-off that's on a streaming service and you can't.

Flip around and there's delays if you're a degenerate gambler like myself and there's all these problems.

So I love that we haven't had the tournament bastardized by streamers yet.

Although who knows, you know, everything is.

So, but I, I like that aspect too.

You know, you go to a bar, you know it's gonna be on, you know, like these things that are on streaming services, when you go to a bar, it's a crapshoot.

Um, so I like that we've still kept it that way for TV, um, but I'm old, so that's why I, I like things on cable still.

Well, look, I, I, uh, uh, to, to, to prove as a precursor to this answer, and I'm sure we might talk about this, I love life at NBC in Peacock.

It's, it's, it's phenomenal.

That, with, with that in mind, as a kid, you remember growing up and turning on CBS and missing school at noon, and you were given whatever your regional footprint is, and you were just grateful when Greg Gumbel showed up at the desk with an update from what was happening elsewhere around the country.

So it, it rarely do you also see something stay at the same place for a long time.

Long time and that is, that is the case.

So with, with that in mind, yeah, it's, uh, you're absolutely right on that.

I, I grew up here in New York.

I was a huge WFAN Mike and the Mad Dog listener and one of my favorite shows every year were those shows when the tournament was going on and their show would turn into Mike and Mad Dog just screaming at the top of their lungs and ripping CBS for not switching out of blowouts.

And those days are over because, you know, and , and I, the current format, and the current way they do it, I think I give them credit, CBS and Turner for how they keep the scores of all the games on the top.

So when you see, oh, this could be an upset, let me go to it.

They're not trying to keep you in one place.

They're, they're covering it the right way.

And, um, like, like you said, there was a time, I don't know how many people listening are old enough to remember, it was one game at a time.

So.

You wonder, you know, it does, it does bring up the fact of like, And I don't know what the end, I'm not saying I have all the answers here, but I'm sure you, you can, you can understand where, where I'm coming from on this of like, you see red zone and the institution that that's become.

And you see Gold zone.

I mean, the, the Olympics viewing experience has totally changed.

The NBC, uh, Molly Solomon and their team over there have done an amazing job of, of making that a destination for fans.

And, you know, I love the, the, the tournament doesn't have to deal, normally doesn't have to deal with games ending at the same exact time.

Like you all, the staggered tip times.

Or make, make for that, or else, you know, the first two days, there's a world where that, that could also exist because there are times where 4 games are going on.

But you're right.

Like when I think of as a, as a, when I think of viewing experience as a sports fan, the first one that really had the scores up top in the right, right-hand corner was, was March Madness.

Yeah, yeah, great television event.

Um, all right, we got right into it.

Let me backtrack a little bit.

I should mention, I think you're now the 2nd person ever to do the pod from a car.

Stephen A.

Smith did it once from his car and the sun was blaring in his eyes the whole time.

You look, yours, you got a sharp look going on in your car, so I appreciate that if people are watching on YouTube.

So, where are you going somewhere or are you coming back from somewhere?

Neither.

And you're gonna be like, what the hell is he doing?

No, I, I, I'm literally like 8 ft from the house because my, my son is napping.

Uh, we have a 10 month old, and I, I do have a home office, but we're, it's a long, long story short, Jimmy, when you have a 10 month old, every sleep moment is good.

And so I'm like, I got, I gotta join you.

This is the best week to be joining you, uh, but I'm not going anywhere .

I'm just sitting in my vehicle.

I love this.

I love, all right.

So John's doing the pod from his car cause his little 10 month old is in the house sleeping.

I love it.

Um, all right, let me, let me, we'll, we'll do so, we're not gonna, just for people listening, we're not gonna like break down the brack and go through everything.

I'll, I'll ask John some questions about it.

I want to get into sort of your career and then some other overall tournament things.

Um, and let me, I want to start with this too.

You mentioned NBC Peacock.

I want, I had to say, I, I, during the college football season, I wanted to reach out and maybe get Jan because I like what you do with the college football highlights, you know.

Listen, If you're a, if you're a legit big-time sports fan like myself, you've seen any highlight there is.

Even the in-game breaks, you sort of, if you're, especially if you're betting, you know what's going on.

So that role, I think is still good if you could put sort of a unique spin on it.

We saw Adam Schein do it this year with CBS and the NFL and you do the same exact thing on NBC when you do those cut-ins.

In the one minute, fastest minute.

I, I, I tip my cap because I think you do a good job with that.

You have a good spin on the way you do it.

Well, Jimmy, I appreciate you saying that, and you're influenced by people you grow up with.

So, you know, to me, like I could never miss.

I still, I'm, I'm telling you right now, like, When the, the championship games end in the NFL, I have to watch primetime still.

It's just the way my brain is.

I'm a bit of an old soul.

I'm 30, but like I, I, I have to watch Chris Berman do the highlight.

And you know, when the Super Bowl ends and they still have him there on the field, that, that's it right there.

That to me is elite sports television, and, and it's never gonna be dead because if you know how to do the highlights, so I, I, I mean, I appreciate you saying that.

And I'll also say this.

I wasn't doing college football TV before this last fall, as you know, that I got to give credit to Sam Flood.

Because Sam Flood and our, our college football, um, college countdown producer, uh, this, this past season, Ryan Burke, they came together along with Fred Gardelli and said, hey, These game breaks are fun and we want them, and it's a huge priority on College Football Saturday.

Game breaks are, you know, on an NFL Sunday too, but on in college football, there's games everywhere, and the wacky, the wacky can happen early in the season.

So it's our way of like, OK, Michigan's up by 4 touchdowns.

Let, let us, let's be honest with the audience.

Let's let people know what's going on around the country.

It's our duty to, to entertain and inform.

And what it turned into was what one, what was one game breaker, two game breaks turned into a, hey, let's do the best of college football in 60 seconds, and let's, let's show the Ivy League game that ended on a Hail Mary.

Let's show the game in North Dakota.

That people won't believe what they just saw.

And so I think, I think that I had a blast doing it.

And, uh, it was fun because I had never really jumped into college football.

And, you know, Jimmy, when you're jumping into something, you wanna create some sort of a flair, be a little different.

So, that was our way of being different.

I like, I liked it.

I liked it a lot.

Um, so, all right, well, let me start with this.

You were at Fox doing college basketball.

You left Fox and now you're at NBC and Peacock to do, you're the voice of the Big East, uh, on basketball and in studio for college football.

What made you jump from Fox to NBC?

Well, what made me jump was, they were willing to, to say, hey, we would like to challenge you and get you into some new sports, and we're willing to try you on some different things.

I grew up on the west side of Cleveland.

I'm a lifelong Browns, Cavaliers, Guardians fan.

And when you grow up on those 3 teams, it means you grow up on those 3 sports leagues.

I was religious with it.

I would listen to Tom Hamilton for an inning of Indians baseball and then turn him down and, and start to call the game off the TV myself or Jim Donovan, who we lost too soon, the amazing voice of the Cleveland Browns.

And then when I was growing up, I mean, LeBron was drafted when I, when I was 7, Jimmy, and Joe Tate, Wham with the Right Hand, was one of the soundtracks of my childhood.

So for me, you get into the business and college basketball gave me an entry point.

And I'm grateful to Fox.

I'm grateful to Jordan Bezant and, and Brad Zeger and Bia Shaw Reyes, and Jordy Wimmer and Steve Schear.

They gave me a chance in college basketball, those guys.

Um, as you go along, you know, I, I enjoyed it.

They had me do some special assignments to some special college sports, so, and, and I did do some bowling, uh, which, which definitely, which definitely entertained some people, and there's a story, there's a spin-off story on that.

But I did a, a couple of college games for NBC Sports last year.

And you know, the, when, when they acquired the NBA and knowing what they have with the Olympics, and knowing they're getting the WNBA and knowing, of course, what they have in college.

It was a matter of, this is a great opportunity to expand the horizon in basketball, call some bigger games, um, and, and also just, hey, the first thing that Rick Cordela, Sam Flood, Uh, Elise Noonan, that that team said to me, Jimmy, last spring was, We are willing to challenge you in ways you haven't been challenged, and we're willing to try you on things, things that you have not been, been necessarily tried on before.

Are you open to it?

And Jimmy, that's all you ever want as a broadcaster, in my opinion, especially somebody in my position.

Again, college basketball gave me a way in, but it, I want to be, if, if I can be somebody who's a, a, a lead voice in that sport for years to come, I'm grateful for that.

I'm humbled by that.

But I wanted a chance to go to a place where they were willing to say, hey, we want to try you on college football.

We want to try you on.

Some of our unique properties.

Hey, can you anchor this, or can you be a reporter on this?

That's all you ever want.

And so, and that's what it's been here through year one.

It was a matter of opportunity.

It was a matter of just, they're willing to try me on some different things, and I, I, I love that about them.

And we saw that you did an NBA game this year.

How do you enjoy that?

Got to work with Jamal Crawford, who I think is beyond his years.

I mean, it's amazing that he's getting kind of just getting into this because it doesn't feel like it at all.

Uh, that was really a, a, a blast to be a part of and studio traveled, so.

You know, you're sitting in a back room with Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony, and Vince Carter.

So to answer your question, you know, I, the, the number one thing on my mind was, um, when you're calling a lot of college basketball, the only way that you start to develop into being, you know, uh, known or, or associated with the NBA is if you do a good job when given the chance to call an NBA game.

And where, where does that start?

It starts with, in my opinion , You, you can't, I, I didn't like show up to the first game and say, hey, I've got to do this, or I've got to do that.

I said, take a step back.

It's an NBA regular season game in February.

It's between the Blazers and the Wolves.

The Wolves have one of the best players in the NBA in Anthony Edwards.

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Yeah, you're doing a lot of college, but Jimmy, when I got the assignment, I started watching those two teams every game for about 1 month, just to see how they played, see what they did, hear what people had to say .

Because for me it was like You're getting asked to an NBA and NBC game.

Full stop.

That's an honor.

Like, I know some people might, might, might look the other way and be like, well, you know, there's a lot of games and you're on staff there.

No, that, that brand carries a distinction in sports history.

I mean, I, I, I grew up thinking about Bob Costas and all that he does with the essays and whatnot, like, that's an inspiration.

So for me, it was like, hey, you're gonna do this the right way.

You're not gonna screw up the opportunity that you, that you get.

So, it was, it was great to jump into that, and, uh, that, that group has been awesome to To, to dive in with, uh, you mentioned the essays, and I, I should probably go there since you mentioned it, but I do, I wanna just follow up on one thing.

Give me from your perspective, are there big differences?

Calling, take out the knowledge of the, the sport and the players that you follow.

Big differences calling an NBA game versus a college or not really?

Well, there's no question the NBA has got better pace.

Um, so one thing that I noticed is, yeah, you could tell a story in an NBA game.

But in my opinion , it's just my, everybody's got a different take.

You don't want the story to go 3 possessions long.

And in the NBA it's easy for that to happen.

Now, you're, that's where it might, like, an analyst is there to break down a play, you got to give them an entry point.

You gotta give them an endpoint, and that means that sometimes you, I think, I think you gotta do a little bit more true play by play, just to, just to give your analysts, when a bucket goes in, lay out, let them react to what just happened.

It's the NBA, it's the highest level of basketball, and to me, the analysts are the stars.

And so, that, that was, that was a difference, uh, understanding the pace is quicker, you're not gonna be able to get everything in that you might have prepared for, not that you don't in college, Jimmy, but It's more, it just feels like there's more trips to the free throw line.

It feels like there's more stoppages.

It's a 30-second shot clock where the 1st 18 seconds, there's nothing going on.

So the pace, the pace is a little bit different.

I would say too, like when we get into January and February in college basketball, whether the casual is following or not.

There's a student section There's a, I'm at Assembly Hall.

You're laying out on a big 3.

Sometimes in the first half, and the place is going berserk.

In the NBA there's a big 3 in the first half to cut a lead to 8.

It's not Assembly Hall or Mackey Arena.

Uh, or stores Connecticut on a, on a weeknight.

So just realize the buildup.

I think is very important that I saw getting into the NBA of understand that there's a true buildup to, to what's gonna happen in the 4th quarter.

You hope, you, you hope for that type of game, right?

You know, it's a fun debate to be had because it's, you, you said the analyst is the star, and I've always believed in basketball, the play by play guy is the star.

You know, think about Marv, Breen, Harlan, Ian, uh, you know, even go before then, Vern Lundqvist with, with TNT did the game so many years in the tournament as well.

I just, and, and I think it's because the sport is so fast-paced, especially like you said, in the NBA.

The analysts have such little time to get in and out in the NBA where I don't know if they get the time to shine, to use a bad sort of, uh, cliche, but The play by play guy in basketball, I feel like can really, you know, I mean those guys I mentioned, Marv Breen, Harlan are so beloved.

I and, um, so it's interesting to hear you say that because I sort of take the other side on it.

Well, I, I can appreciate where you're coming from there.

I mean, and those guys that you just brought up, you, when you're in a position like mine, you hope that.

You know, you could do half of what they've done throughout the entirety of their career.

But, but I, I agree with you of like, I think maybe, maybe, um, maybe the way to put it is, When a sport moves that quickly.

You need to make sure you've got really strong punctuation on your call.

So, give, give the analysts room, what they are or who, or who they are on that, on that, we'll see.

But yeah, you're right, like, it's not, there's not, um, there's not as much of a Romo factor for lack of a better term of like, OK, here's what they're gonna do, because a lot of times it's moving so quickly.

You know, when I had a couple of weeks ago in, in Hartford, a basket here in this place will explode.

Mullins for UConn and Mullins drains a, you know, a long range 3.

Layout and the crowd goes nuts, you're right.

That's where the play by play guy, because of his role is going to, is going to lead, lead things there.

So I think you got to set your analysts up, but you're right.

Like if you don't, you gotta have some punctuation, and basketball is important because it's, once your window's up, you can't be late on basketball.

When the ball goes in, you can't be thinking, you can't be thinking about it.

That's a great point.

That's a great point.

It's true.

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I'm gonna put you on the spot here.

If you can't think of anything off the top of your head, don't worry about it.

Do you have a all-time favorite, not yours, someone else, College basketball call?

By George, the dream is alive from Vern to me with George Mason is, is amazing, um, Cardiacc Kemba.

UConn does it, you know, I, I think, uh, that was Pash.

Uh, that's such a great call.

You know, I mean, I can hear Sean McDonough saying overtime number 6.

I, I love, I love Andrew Catalan's honest.

Ron Hunter has fallen off his stool for good reason.

You know, like, that, that to me, his excitement is, and he's a Jersey guy like myself now, so I, I, I appreciate him, his excitement level, but To me, when I think of great booths, In the NCAA tournament.

I mean, look, I, I love I and Bill and, and Grant, um, now, uh, but to me, like, growing up, it's Vern and Raft sitting courtside.

One year they called a Northwestern State Iowa game, and the kid for Northwestern State hits a shot.

That Jimmy, it's from the very, very furthest corner of the court.

I mean, it could not have come from, if he had been another inch outside of that, it would have been out of bounds.

And, you know, Lundqvist just eloquently says, you know, In the corner, and he lets, he lays out and the shot goes in, you just hear Raf say, oh my goodness.

At the other end, Alaska, off the rim, Northwestern State wins.

And it, he did it in 9 words, but it's just their, their ability to play off one another in that moment is so perfect.

It, it's so funny you say that because mine would be, and I'm a little older than you, so I remember watching it live in my bedroom as a kid was, was the Leightner shot.

And again, he did it.

I, I, I think it was there's the pass to Leitner.

He puts it up, yeah, yes, and that's it.

And just in those few words, magic.

So Vern, I, but I mean we're talking about one of the all-time greats, you know, in Vern.

How about, you know , Raff.

Ronald Moore, double order.

You know, like, like Sienna in Ohio State, the fact that he comes up with a order on, I guess.

5 games draft.

I'll get, I'll give you a very quick story that will make you, you won't, you, you will not be shocked by.

Stories.

Number one, we go to Max's in downtown Hartford, right across from the now People's Bank Arena, Xcel Center.

And we're sitting there and, and we're having a good time, and Raft is doing his thing, and, you know, he could party with anybody or throw them back with anybody.

And I'm, you know, I'm, I don't know, I'm 24, 25, and I'm like, all the time sitting there, I'm like this, you know, I, I can't actually be working a, a UConn Creighton game the next night with Bill Raftery.

And, you know, I get a steak.

And we start, well, we both get steaks, we start throwing them back and whatnot.

And at one point, Raff, like, I don't know, he says like, his potatoes, he's like, I don't want any more, and he like slides them over to me.

And we've been there a long time, so, you know, I take a bite.

And only lower after he could say this, and we had never worked together, Jimmy.

And it was, it was meant in the funniest way.

So, please, he gets up from the chair, he looks at me, he goes, 10 o'clock, shoot around tomorrow?

And I go, yeah, yeah, I, I go, you know, what time?

He goes, 9:45, we'll meet in the lobby.

He goes, well, kid.

I don't know if you can talk, but you sure as hell can eat.

And then the next night rolls around and I am, I am like 3 months into a relationship.

3 months And raft, there's a stoppage on a collision for a potential flagrant.

And Raff goes, oh man, he goes, that was, you know, that was a husky on Blue Jay crime there, what a, what a collision there, what a meeting.

Kind of like you and the bartender last night.

And instantly, you know, my girlfriend, now my wife, she doesn't know Bill Raftery.

She's watching the game.

She texts me and goes, What the hell is he talking about?

I go, it never happened.

These things don't, so now, now I gotta go home because of this guy, Hall of Famer Hall of Famer to my right and explain.

That's, he's one of one.

Or after you breaking up, breaking up couples in the middle of the game.

Love it.

Oh my God, that's a great, that is phenomenal.

It, you know, it's funny, this is the first time we've ever chatted, and I just in my head, I've always thought, you know, I think of you, I hear John Vannon, I think college basketball.

And You know, it's interesting you said with NBC they're all, you know, you dip your toe in the NBA.

I would imagine if they ever came to you for Sunday Night Football, you'd be all over any kind of role you could get there.

They have baseball now.

I don't know if you'd be interested in that, but I, I, I was wondering, uh, you know, is the, is doing the tournament the ultimate goal for you, or do you have other ultimate goals then if, if you're open to everything?

I think, I think the goal is to be the face and, and voice of a network or one of them.

And to keep growing, uh, obviously, when you're calling a lot of college basketball, It's, it's, you'd be lying if you said it wasn't a dream to call a tournament game.

We, we don't, NBC obviously doesn't have that.

Now, there's, there's exceptions that are made.

Those are, those are for a whole different set of conversations.

But I feel like I'm living a dream right now because like, And, and I, I'm sure that you, you can understand this because you've talked to countless people, like, I'll have kids reach out to me.

And they'll say, hey, you know what?

What's the key to getting to this point, to where you're at?

And like Jimmy, You know, last year, Um, I was calling bowling on a Saturday in February, but I treated it like the Super Bowl.

And I don't know how many people were watching.

I really don't care, but I know somebody was.

And if I don't do, if I don't do the job, you're gonna lose your job.

If you do, if, if, if you eventually do your job at my age, you know, poorly, and don't prepare, you're not gonna get brought back.

So for me, like, yes, uh, it is a goal to, to call the tournament, but my, my goal is to keep growing at NBC.

That's all I ever, when I, when I wake up in the morning, like, you know, obviously, I, you're thinking of your family and, and whatnot, but I'm thinking in terms of my career, it's like, OK.

How do I continue to grow today?

And you have to be at a place that's willing to say, all right, well, we, we want, we want that too.

You know, we, we want that too.

And, and with all that they're picking up, that's certainly helpful, uh, because NBC's exploded on the scene over the last two years specifically, uh, but, but I think that that's my thought process is, um, you know, I, I have a, I'm doing sidelines for the NBA NBC in, in a couple of weeks, um, for a game in San Antonio, Bulls and Spurs on March 30th, and You know, then some people, you, you know this, some people say, oh, OK, you did play by play, and now you're doing sidelines.

Well, my thought process is, If I can be versatile and, and help, and help the company in any sort of way, uh, that's something that I believe is a strength, especially in this climate and this atmosphere .

So, I, I, I want to be, uh, at a, at, at a place which I feel like the place that I'm at right now, uh, can be home for a, a long time.

Uh, I, I, I've loved working for them and I love their people.

Uh, I, I just wanna continue to, to grow and the, the goal is.

The biggest events someday in, in my career, whatever those are, or whatever the event is.

I, I try to treat every event as the biggest.

I just, if I can be a part of them in any capacity, that to me is, is the end goal because it's, it's that Cleveland sports fan in me that grew up watching all these things and digesting all these things.

To now say I get to call that work and be on a national scope, that's pretty cool, and I'm grateful for it.

Absolutely.

If, if, so if they came to you and wanted you to do a Major League Baseball game, would you be up for that?

100%.

OK, great.

Absolutely.

Grew up to see that happen.

Grew up a huge baseball fan.

Loved baseball, and, and would, would absolutely, yeah, why not.

All right.

And then we gotta work out, we gotta have NBC and CBS work out a deal where you can do some tournament games or at least, you know, as a fan, you know, as a, I'm, you know, I come at this, you know, everyone thinks because I have the Sports Illustrated Media podcast, it's just like media.

Reporter or whatever, but I come at it as a fan more than anything.

So like, what pisses me off is like a guy like you who's all college basketball, who we associate with college basketball, like, it kills me that like you're not on the tournament as, as a fan of the sport.

So, hopefully we can get there one day.

Um.

I, I, I was gonna ask something about the NBC, the tournament, and it slipped my mind, but that's all right.

We can sort of it might come back to you.

Yeah, it'll come back to me.

It, it definitely will.

Um, well, let me ask you this just based on that.

So what do you do this week?

What does John Fanta do this week while the, so you have March Madness.

The tournament's going on.

It's on CBS.

John works for NBC.

So like, what's your week like this week?

Yeah, so I've done, I've gone to the site.

Like I've gone to the 1st and 2nd round sites, and I've done that.

Uh, and have typically gotten some fun content.

You've, I'm sure you've seen some of my one on one interviews and things like that, trying to get things out of the coaches.

And that's been, that's certainly been cool, and I, it's, it's nothing against that at all.

Uh, but for me, With my social and digital presence.

I'm gonna try.

You try, it's trial and error, right?

Like I don't, I don't have anything, um, specifically this weekend that's on, that's on TV.

So I'm going to be, I'm going to be at home.

I'm going to react live.

You're gonna see, if you follow me on social and digital media, you're going to see my reactions and my take on, on where things stand with the bracket and see, see what, see what happens, you know, TBD on next week, I will definitely be at the finals.

Channel Four, you'll see me on interviews.

I'll do some different live shots for NBC Sports and different, uh, coaches conversations.

I try to get each, each coach for some sort of an exclusive and the star player, you know, I do all that from, from the Final Four, and I'll have some essays from the court throughout that weekend of like, here's what this means.

But for the first weekend, I've got, when I've gone to the site, I've covered.

For, for being, for basically covering like 7 or 8 NCAA tournaments, uh 7 because of the COVID year.

I have seen some wild stuff in person.

I was at the UNBC upset somehow.

It was unbelievable, uh, being in, in a building for that over Virginia.

And then, you know, then you see Virginia win a national championship.

The first national championship game I ever covered was as a student at Seton Hall, but I covered Chris Jenkins' shot.

Uh, against Carolina.

And I, I remember walking out that night being like, the first, it's gonna be really difficult for anything to top what the first one is because of everything that just happened and I'm, all of a sudden I'm sitting down with Rollie Massimino after the game and standing with Jay Wright, like, that was incredible.

But to answer your question, I will be at home, taking it all in, reacting in the moment.

I remembered what I wanted to ask you and it plays off what you just said because you said you're gonna be doing a lot of social and digital stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong and, and lay it out for me the way it happened.

I feel like you're a guy who social and digital were more than a massive thing for you to get where you are today.

And, In an authentic way, not in the bullshit, let me give a hot take and piss people off and say something I don't believe way, just in your enthusiasm, work ethic, love for the sport.

It feels like you were like an internet star before TV star, but tell me, take me through all that and, and how that all worked out.

Well, I will say this to you, uh, about that.

When you're getting into the, the TV world.

And you're getting into the agent world.

Everybody's got a different opinion on this, Jimmy.

Everybody's got a different take on this.

My agents Kevin Belby at CAA.

And Kevin said flat out to me when we, when we started working together, look, This is a differentiator.

You've already been doing it Let's see it.

Let's see it double or, or triple.

Now, in the process, there's some TV stuff that's happening in my career where I'm like, all right, this wasn't happening before.

All right, but take it next level.

Give fans a behind the scenes view, you know, don't, don't let it take away from the work you're doing on television.

I never, that's the, that is the priority.

It always is the priority.

But when I'm doing college football on a Saturday, and I can do that, these are the five things I'm looking for today.

I might walk into work, and I could post that to social media.

You know what else that does at the end, Jimmy?

I could say tune into our pregame show at 3 o'clock on NBC.

We'll have highlights from around the country.

Like the end of it can be tagged with a little promo for when we're on.

And, but I, it's not BS.

It's, we're talking right now.

The way I'm talking to you is the way I would go on my phone and start talking about the tournament or talking about.

I don't think you can fake it.

People can see right through fake now, and it's very hard to get people's attentions.

It's never been harder to get people's attention span.

So, my philosophy has always been, do it in your voice.

Don't force it.

Somebody once said to me, you know, John, you don't look like everybody.

And I'm listening to this, I'm like, yeah.

Um, I, I, I, I know, um, you know, I, I know I don't look like everybody.

I also say, Jimmy, like, I got the comments early in my career, like, Ah, You know, your, your weight's gonna hold you back or that, you know, this your public appearance or whatnot.

I know from people in the bus from people in the business.

Oh yeah, yep, yep, I mean, you know, different people.

Now, I'll be honest with you, like I'm, I, and I'm not saying this, I'm, I, we've talked, we haven't, we don't know each other long, but like I'm not talking to this media like, oh look at me like.

It's something that you manage.

I, I've lost 35 pounds this season, and you do, you take it one day at a time.

And, you know, you have to be yourself.

You gotta unapologetically be yourself.

You gotta take feedback, but for me, it's like, I'm a fan.

Just like you said, you're a fan.

So for me, when I call a game.

Or when I'm doing a social media thing, I'm not saying like, oh, I gotta cater to the fan.

But I think of how I wanna watch the game or how I wanna watch the content, and I wanna be honest with that person because that's what I would want as a viewer, because I am a viewer.

I'm gonna watch the tournament all day tomorrow and take things from the different people that are calling those games because why?

Because I respect them.

So, the social media stuff started with, it started with 0 followers, kid from Cleveland.

With takes on the Browns and Cavs.

I got to Seton Hall, I started covering the Big East more closely.

I started covering Northeast basketball.

I'd go to a Columbia-Princeton game on a Friday.

If I could make it to, to Saint Joe's in Temple on a Saturday in December, I'd find a way there.

And then I come back to the Garden and, and cover Saint John's and Uh, Seton Hall.

And, you know, it just was chip, chip, chip away, and then it was like, all right, do I take this more national?

Do I get to this ACC game?

Do I get to this Big 10 game?

Oh, the field of '68, starting a podcast network.

I'm gonna join that.

I'm gonna start building content that way.

Instagram reels are becoming popular.

Well, I don't need 7 takes.

I can do a walk and talk right now on the street, break down my, my 3 upset picks in the tournament, and people seem to like that.

But it's not like, oh, let me go out and say the thing that's gonna get the most clicks.

It's, hey, this is what I think and this is what my channel looks like.

But when you, when you do go about it that way, you sort of do need, well, uh, maybe you don't, let me ask you, uh, did you, was there one moment, 11 post, anything where Someone big noticed it.

There was a retweet or someone complimenting, like, was there anything that sort of changed the game for you when you were doing it that way before the hardcore TV stuff?

Hmm You know, it's, that's a good question.

Uh, I, you know, I could think of like I got Bill Murray when UConn advanced to the Final Four out of Vegas for one week, and Bill, Bill didn't often do interviews, but I knew his, I know his son very well, Luke, and he's like, all right, I'll do, I'll do it for you, and You know, like he was giving me Texas restaurant recommendations during the interview, and so all of a sudden, like, yes, people picked up on it and it started to gain traction, and all of a sudden you're asked, you know, can you go on The Herd on Monday?

And can you go on this daytime show on Tuesday or whatever it might be, you know, can you go on sports Reporters?

Like I wasn't an ESPN employee, but I hopped on and hopped on to a couple of their shows and, and did that.

And then it was like, You know, when I'm starting to post things and Big Cat, Dan Katz reaches out and says, Hey, would you be willing to come out and pardon my take?

All of a sudden your following goes from, all right, you've got this niche college basketball fan base to, oh, I'm a casual sports fan and I can't miss one of these shows.

And it's like, OK, his energy is authentic.

So, and that show, that show is built on authenticity.

They don't fake out for anybody, and it's what people love about them.

So I would say it was the, I went on pardon my take.

Dave Fortnoy sees one clip, says, hey, can you come on a Final Four show?

I like your energy.

I am not admittedly like I'm not some stoolie.

Like I'm not, I don't like log on the bar.

I, I don't, I don't, it's not offensive here, but like I don't go on Barstool's platforms.

So I wasn't, people were like, oh my God, you're going on with him and I, Jimmy, I was like, yeah, yeah, it's kind of fun.

I mean, I don't, I like, I, I don't know him that well, but that's what kind of led it, led it to sort of working of like, I just, we were just talking about basketball.

Like that, that, that in my mind was what it was.

So I would say it's that.

I would say, you know, I credit people like Andy Katz and John Rothstein, uh, who like looked at my stuff when I was young, and they would amplify it.

Jay Jay Bilas, Jay Bilas retweeted some things that I did.

Seth Davis did too.

Like those guys mean something to this because they helped a young kid get noticed a little bit more, and for that I'm grateful.

And, and Jeff Goodman and, and his team at Field of '68 allowed me to do a podcast for them.

And without that, I don't grow the national brand.

Yeah, yeah, I love it.

It's a great story.

I wanna.

I wanna ask you some bracket stuff and talk about the UConn Saint John's thing, but I can't, now I gotta ask, how did you lose 35 pounds?

I stopped eating, uh, after games.

I was terrible about it.

Uh, I'd get done with the game and then I'd have the adrenaline rush of calling the game and I'd have to have a meal.

Um, when you have a kid.

You start eating breakfast more, and as a result, you start, you start eating healthier, uh, earlier in the morning.

And, and just, um, managing them, managing my meals better, and now I'm walking a lot more.

You know, I'm walking several miles a week.

I'm taking phone calls sometimes on a walk and just, I was at Fox, Jimmy, I was also writing.

And I, I loved it.

It was gonna be very hard for me to continue to do the volume in television and the volume in writing.

It's just not, so I don't, I don't write at NBC.

Uh, I enjoyed writing at at Fox, but for me it was like, OK, you've, now it's time to prioritize what's being assigned to you.

You don't need to be writing at 2 o'clock in the morning when you're calling a game the next night because that led to poor, poor health decisions, right?

What, what, so was Was it a conscious effort to try to lose weight because you're on TV?

No, no, no, it was, it was a, um, It was a, it was a, it was a health.

I lost my dad to a heart attack two years ago.

And so that, and, and, um, you know, he was one of my idols, and he, he didn't take great care of himself, um, but he was, he was a great human being, um, and an unbelievable father.

But when you become a dad , Then, then you say to yourself, I've got to do this for myself, but I gotta do this for my wife and my son, and it was never.

You know, the people that when I say like people in television, like different different people, um, would say that to me early on about my voice or about my appearance and stuff.

You know, everybody's got, when you're early on, but even now, you, you take, you know, they're not commenting on that, but you take feedback when you're younger and you, you, you, you need to be willing to.

But that, it was, it was really about, it was never about like, oh, I'm, I'm making this career move, now, I've got to do this.

Um, it was about, let's try to just get better in this area.

Well, congrats and good luck on it because I know how hard it is.

So that's, you know, you do that, it's impressive.

And I like that, you know, yeah, it just sounds like you just changed some habits and there you go.

So good for you for that.

It's, it's a beast.

Um, all right, before the bracket, quickly on the Saint John's UConn.

So you went viral over the weekend with that lead up to the game.

Um, very dramatically done where you walk on camera.

How, how long did it take you to write it and did you have any idea it would become the smash hit that it became?

I don't write it.

That was all off the top of your head?

No, not one thing, not one.

I swear.

You could ask the editor.

You could ask the cameraman.

Holy cow.

That's amazing.

Yeah, you could ask.

I mean, it's, I, I would, I believe you.

I mean, no, I, I, it's a God-given town.

It is a God-given talent, and you're searching sometimes for the device to show it.

You know, um, and, uh, that is a God-given talent to be able to.

To put those things into perspective, I do not write, write, I do not like take things and like say, OK, I'm gonna write this out, um, you know, I did that all 11 take, one take.

It was done in one take.

Good grief, yeah, you mentioned earlier about Costas and his essay, so I just figured that was sort of what you were emulating there.

No, you know, I think you're, you're, you know, uh, from the age of 5 or 6, I'd be at family parties and I'm talking to the adults while all the other kids are talking in the other room because I'm talking about Kenny Lofton stealing 40 bases and Roberto Alomar making a terrific play in the middle infield and Jim Toy was my favorite , and I just, You know, I, I talked about Jim Donovan, who was a Cleveland sports legend.

Jimmy did local sports in addition to being the voice of the Browns, but he never used a teleprompter.

And I don't know, I mean, I just related to that from like a young age of, of like, you know this stuff, you know this stuff, you don't need, you don't need to, to script it out.

You've got it in your head.

Now, now, now, look, it's not, like I don't think about it too much, Jimmy, but I, I pride myself on the preparation of knowing these teams, knowing their storylines, knowing the angles, and so to answer your question, that was done with no written out script.

That was, that was, how long was it marinating in your head?

Probably about 7 to 10 minutes.

Oh my God, it's unbelievable.

That is unbelievable.

And then, and then that's what it, you know, like we get done.

And I had not worked with my camera guy for a couple of weeks, for a couple of years rather.

We, we, we had just not crossed paths.

He was brought in for the week at the garden.

And he just looked at me and he said, he just kind of shook his head because he's just like, you know, not thank you, but like we did it, you know, together like you need, you need a good, you need a good guy on that side that gets the shot and whatnot and, and, um, those are the people that often don't get credit and so yeah.

Was there someone who acknowledged it that sort of blew you away or you or sent you something that you know like who anybody reach out Twitter whatever yeah, I mean, look, Scott Van Pelt is the best and he sent me a text and he and he, and the text said something to the effect of, you know, the Big East was, was.

Down this year, you know, in general, it was, it wasn't as deep as it was.

But he, but he said, um, You do a great job of making that event feel big.

Because it is Because it is.

And that spoke to me, because the Big East Tournament, Jimmy, it's one of those things where you could put two teams out there and say, this is the Big East Tournament, and people be like, OK, I gotta sit and watch, because they know the history piece of it, and the lighting of the garden and that week in March and knowing a six overtime game is possible.

What seemed impossible is within the realm of possibility that a Kemba Walker could exist in a week like that, and anything could happen.

So, You know, uh, Scott reached out, um, and Pat McAfee, you know, I, I've never even met Pat.

We've never had a conversation.

Uh, how have you never been on Pat's show?

You guys, I think you would be perfect for Pat's show.

That's crazy.

We have never talked, and, uh, welcome, would certainly welcome it.

I, I, I love, I love what he does, and, um, love everything that he does.

Dan Wetzel, I've never met Dan.

And I think Dan's an elite, just an elite writer and has covered things through the test of time, and he starts tweeting about sending multiple tweets out.

So for me it's like that's, that's humbling when you can, when you can see that.

Yeah, and it's not easy to go viral on a Saturday these days too.

That was, that was, that's what I was impressed by.

I was like, I, you know, I, because on, you know, during the week I'm on that freaking app all day long, which I hate myself for because of work, and then on Saturdays I don't want to be on it, but I.

Check it periodically and I just kept seeing your video over and over and over and over, which is part of why I reached out.

So I'm glad we did that because I'm, I'm blown away that you made that, that was not written.

Um, all right, let, let's get to some bracket stuff.

Let me start.

Are you, how many pools are you in?

Oh, I, I do.

So I'll probably end up doing 3 or 4.

I mean, I'm in 1.

I'm in 1 right now, but like I, I, it's the same bracket.

Like, make no mistake about it, I can't do it.

I can't do multiple brackets to honor code.

I mean, I, I, I posted my bracket to X and I signed it, right?

So I saw it and I forgot who do you have winning it all.

I have Duke winning it all.

Despite the injuries.

Yeah, if you do 4 bracket pools, you have Duke winning it in all 4.

100% you're not gonna see me.

You're not gonna see me Final Four weekend say I had Arizona all along.

I've got Duke beating Michigan.

I do now.

I have Arkansas shocking Arizona.

I have Arkansas making the Final Four.

There's my surprise.

I didn't go all once, right?

Well, that's what I was gonna ask you.

Give me the one who you think is.

Most vulnerable.

Florida, uh, because of their guard play being a little inconsistent at times, and because Houston is the 2 in that region, Houston's, their best day is a 1 seed.

It, it just is.

You know, you could say Duke's vulnerable with the injuries, but I still really trust them.

Um, Michigan has a coast.

They have an easy path.

And I like Arizona's path more than, like the Purdue is very, very good, Jimmy, but it's Purdue and Gonzaga.

They are much tougher 2 and 3 seeds, in my humble opinion for, for Arizona.

I think Florida's got a difficult path to this thing cause I think Illinois, the 3 seed, you could argue the most pure talented team in this tournament.

Their, their offensive talent is incredible.

OK.

Now, I, I'm gonna like do these like sort of rapid-fire for like people filling out brackets.

Is there a 2 seed you can see losing in the first round?

In the first round, no way.

In the first weekend, what about a 3 seed in the first round?

Who would, who would you, is there one you could, you would, I, I'll put it, I, I, I'm going by, I'll put it to you this way.

I know DraftKings has a thing.

Pick, pick the lowest seed to win.

Well, I guess it would be the highest seed.

13 for me.

A 13 can beat a 4.

OK, give me a 13.

That you think has the best shot.

So you got Cal Baptist is a 13, Troy is a 13, um.

Hofstra and.

Hawaii Well, given what's happened with Alabama this week with the Aiden Holloway thing, and also that's, here's Speedy Claxton.

If you know Speedy at all, you know that guy, he works relentlessly and that guy can coach, and you know, he's got two guards in Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead.

And Ed Mead right now is playing outstanding basketball.

Hofstra can beat Alabama, because Alabama, Alabama's defense is flawed.

They don't defend.

And so Hofstra, Hofstra's gonna have to dig in a little bit.

I'm not saying Hofstra's a, a, a, a, a gritty, nasty defensive team.

That's, they're not gonna be confused as such.

But I often say, what's the, what, where does the artistry of an upset begin?

It begins with, can you score the ball.

Troy.

Ted hanging with Nebraska.

Troy is not a great offensive team, but Nebraska is gonna be tight as all get out because they've never won a tournament game and everyone is talking about, can they do it?

Can they do it?

Their, their body language will be affected by that early in the game.

So Troy and Hofstra can both pull it off.

So two things there.

I, I love that for Hofstra because I live 10 minutes from Hofstra.

So that would be cool to see that happen.

Um, and it's funny, I, in doing research, I saw you interviewed or I watched one of your videos.

And I heard you mention that Nebraska has never won a college basketball tournament game.

And like you, you don't think of Nebraska as a college basketball school or a college football school, but I was blown away that Nebraska has never once won an NCAA men's tournament game.

That's wild to me.

It's crazy because you've, you've figured out ways to make it, although they, they went through years of darkness.

There was a time when they wanted Fred Hoiberg out, but yeah, they.

They got a good team.

Rick Mast and DeMarcus Lawrence.

They're gonna be players that you like to watch.

I do think 12s can be 5s too.

I do, I, I think that that's entirely possible.

Um, I would keep, I keep it , I would keep an eye on High Point against Wisconsin.

I think High Point is a team that's .

That's capable enough to to pull something off.

OK.

Is there a team that's not like a 12, or 3 seed that you could see making the Final Four?

Like if you had to pick one from like a 5 seed or below to make the Final Four?

Yeah, well, I have 4 seed Arkansas, uh, 55 seed and below.

You know, like, look, when I, when I scan it, it's hard not to go with a team that's won 19 of 20 in Saint John's.

Because Saint John's can compete with anybody.

They lost by 1 point to Iowa State back in November, and that's when they were not themselves.

So, I, I think that they can make something, uh, of this tournament and, and go on a bit of a run.

I also wouldn't totally right away Kentucky yet.

You know, everybody's picking Santa Clara, all right?

Then if they win, they get, if they were to win that game, they get Iowa State.

Now, Iowa State's a really good team.

They, they, they got a tri-0 with Tamon Lipsey, Milan Momcilovich, and Joshua Jefferson that I, that I love.

And I think on paper, they're better than Kentucky.

But Jimmy, Kentucky's heard all year about all their problems.

Could they show up to this tournament and finally play their best and put a run together?

Sometimes wacky stuff happens, uh, in this tournament.

It's why we watch.

It's why we love it.

The other team that could do something is UCLA.

UCLA was thought to be a preseason top 15 team.

We're talking about this East region, and how there's all these coaches, and the one guy nobody's discussing is the guy that made himself public enemy 3 weeks ago when he asked a reporter, did you just raise your voice at me?

Well, guess what?

Ever since Mick Cronin did that, his team has played great.

Donovan Dent is a guard who can write his legacy in this tournament, and Provided Tyler Billio is on the floor, watch out for the Bruins.

They're feisty.

Twitter will be fun if they lose early just because of that incident that you mentioned because he became public enemy number one.

It was disgraceful what he did.

Um, I've had a blast doing this.

I'm gonna ask you two quick ones here and then we can wrap it.

If you could change one thing about the tournament, what would you change?

00, I would, I would go back to the school logos on the courts.

Screw, screw the corporate screws, screw the corporatization.

I want, I want the old school.

Like if you are hosting down in Florida and you're some mid-major school, let your logo be on there.

Love it.

And then tell me, what is your TV setup for Thursday now?

Are you 4 screens?

Is it a laptop?

Is it multiple TVs?

What's the setup?

Yeah, I will have my laptop.

I will have the regular TV.

I don't normally go quad box, but I might for this, depending on how things are going.

I'll give it a whirl.

I also have my phone to YouTube TV.

So there's 3 different screens at once.

I've got an iPad.

If we really, if we really need to get ambitious, we can go with an iPad.

So we could have 4 different sets of devices, uh, but I'm a good, I'm a, I.

I, Jimmy, I don't know.

I told you like I'm kind of an old soul.

Like I don't mind flipping with the team, me either.

Yeah, I, I listen, I have very, very, very few good skills in life.

Flipping around is one of my top skills.

I love flipping around.

I, I will have some popcorn.

I'm known for my popcorn, so I, I will have some popcorn.

The one other thing I would change to college basketball, something for you to monitor.

I hate the coaches.

They challenge once.

Congratulations, you won.

Oh, that was a bad call.

You missed that call.

I'm challenging again.

OK, fine, perfect.

Oh, you won that call too.

OK, you're not allowed to challenge again.

Why?

The, the, you, you should not be capped at two challenges if officials continue to make mistakes.

100%.

It's not even it, it's so anti-common sense that it, it's great.

Barkley actually Charles Barkley ranted about this during the game they did Tuesday, him and Vitale, where He said he didn't know the rule.

Brian Anderson had to explain to him, and Charles is like, we gotta change that.

Like it's just, you know, in baseball, they're gonna add the ABS this year where you can challenge the balls and strikes.

If you challenge and you win, you keep your challenge.

That's how it should be.

It's a no-brainer.

Exactly.

You shouldn't like now be out because you've used to.

If there's an out of bounds call with 10 seconds to go.

You should be allowed to challenge it, provided that that you have it.

And also you shouldn't need a timeout to challenge.

If you challenge because you believe you're gonna be right and you're right, all good.

If you challenge and you are wrong, let them take a one free throw and have the ball because you were wrong.

I like that.

I like that.

I mean, you're basically getting punished if you're right.

It still makes no sense.

It's the dumbest thing ever.

You, you, you should, and it's nothing, and I'm sure that they'll cooler heads will prevail, and they'll, they'll, I don't even think that they were thinking about it.

They thought, let's speed up the game.

But you don't wanna speed up the game and get things wrong.

Right, right, right, exactly, exactly, and It's, it's just, there's no, I don't understand.

I would love to know the reason why you lose a challenge if you're right.

Just I don't, the, you know, it goes back to common sense.

What is, what is the reason or the logic?

I don't get it.

But, but other than that, the tournament is, is pretty perfect.

So it is , it is, and I hope Cinderella, I hope Cinderella returns.

I think that she will in some capacity.

I really do.

Yeah, you need the upsets.

John, I can't tell you how much fun I had doing this.

Appreciate it.

You know, it's always, I've always, I talk about this all the time.

When someone comes on for the first time, I feel like we don't get going for like 15 or 20 minutes.

I felt like we got going right off the bat, so I appreciate that.

Um, you're phenomenal and enjoy the tournament and can't wait to have you on again sometime.

Love the show, Jimmy.

Anytime and to all the listeners and viewers, enjoy the madness.