The venerable CBS Sports host James Brown joined the Sports Media Watch Podcast ahead of the 50th anniversary of “The NFL Today” this weekend. In an in-depth conversation, he discussed various aspects of his career journey, the show he anchors, and the industry in general with Jon Lewis, Armand Broady and Derek Futterman.
Listen to the full episode below. The Sports Media Watch Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.
On being the original choice to host “NBA Inside Stuff”
“I don’t know that many people knew that I was to have been the host [of “NBA Inside Stuff”]. The working name was ‘NBA Entertainment,’ and it morphed into ‘Inside Stuff’ … Ahmad Rashad the former football player took over the basketball show that David Stern, God bless him, the NBA Commissioner had me pegged for … And here I am, a basketball player who’s been doing football all this time.”
On hosting NHL coverage for Fox Sports
“David Hill at Fox said, ‘JB, we’ve done research. We’re going to get the NHL contract. I’d like for you to be the studio host.’ And I said, ‘Excuse me?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I want you to be the host of hockey. Research has shown that they want to really become familiar with folks in cities, in the urban areas,’ and I’m thinking, Oh my gosh.
So I study assiduously to prepare for that. They introduced me to the national press. So all the guys are sitting back, and you can tell they’re skeptical. They’re asking, ‘JB, do you know what icing is?’ So I explain what icing is. Another guy says, ‘JB, do you know what a two line pass is?’ I explain what that is. The third guy says, ‘Do you know how they substitute in hockey?’ I said, Yes, line shifts. I said, fellas, let’s just take the veneer off the questions. I know what you’re asking me and why. So let me be clear, no, hockey was not big in my neighborhood, okay? And number two, the only thing I have in common with the sport is the color of the puck. But I promise you, I will be an excellent ambassador for the sport.
And not to be dropping names, but to make the point that even the biggest of stars back then wanted to see me successful in representing their sport — so people like Wayne Gretzky, Mike Modano, Brett Hull, they all took time to explain the subtleties and nuances so that I could represent the sport well. And I thoroughly enjoyed that, which is why I felt comfortable moving into news or doing any other kind of stories as well, too.
On the lessons he learned from being cut by the Atlanta Hawks
“My work ethic that I still maintain today came out of that disappointment of being cut by the Atlanta Hawks. I knew that I could play, my colleagues knew that I could play. Pete Maravich, God bless him, we were the best of friends. We would go and watch a lot of martial arts movies together because we both had a love of the martial arts. He was my biggest fan, and he would encourage me during training camp, saying, ‘JB, had no idea you had that kind of talent. Keep your nose to the grindstone, and it’ll work out.’ Last cut of training camp, I got cut. I cried like a baby, went home, hid in the house for two weeks, because I’m thinking, ‘I know I could play, my colleagues know, how could I get cut?’ …
The work ethic that came from that was, I knew that I didn’t work as hard to stay on top as I did to get to the top. And I vowed I would never allow an opportunity to pass me by that I wanted without putting in the necessary work and effort to capitalize on that. And that’s the work ethic I’ve maintained since. So coming back home to CBS after being at Fox as a part of that juggernaut pre game show, and blessed that they gave me here at CBS an opportunity to do a range of things across the spectrum, and it was because I never ever took it lightly. I have maintained what I like to call a free agent’s mentality, even with the guaranteed contract then, to say ‘you know what, I am never, ever going to rest on my laurels.’ And that is what drove me in terms of what I’ve been doing now.”
On the CBS decision that made him consider leaving the business
“I actually had a boss ask me, ‘JB, would you want the lead play by play role for the NCAA or would you want the studio host role for the NCAA tournament?’ And I said, I’ll take either one. But help me understand, why are you asking and giving me this option here? What are you thinking? And he said, ‘Well, you know what you would be the first black play by play guy, full time, number one role, in either one of those roles. How would you handle that?’ And my answer was, ‘I’m not sure why that’s germane. I would like to think that you’re even discussing these options with me because there’s a level of excellence that you know that I would bring to the table. So I don’t know how I can answer it, other than to say I would continue the same kind of excellent effort and homework to do the job.’
I got neither job. Neither did the boss come and explain to me why I didn’t. Pat O’Brien got the job — and excellent writer he was, no doubt about it, excellent writer. He got the job as the studio host. Jim Nantz, a Hall of Famer … obviously merited that number one position. He is a talent like none other, and we’re the best of friends. So I got it, but there was no explanation.
And you know what? I almost left the business. I was so distraught thinking that, my gosh, if I can’t get a lead position in a sport that I know so well, maybe it’s time for me to leave. But my sister, my daughter, and my girlfriend — now, my wife of many years — said, ‘No, you don’t walk away simply because it didn’t happen. There will be another opportunity to come down the road. You just need to be prepared for it.’ And I’m glad that they encouraged me that way. And little was I aware that it would lead to an opportunity to go to Fox to be the co host with Terry Bradshaw for what was then — and inducted into the Television Hall of Fame as the longest running number one show in its time slot — a juggernaut.”
On an early play-by-play flub
“So Ted Shaker, who was my boss, then said, ‘JB, you’ve got a career in this business, but you’ve got to learn football, because that’s the dominant sport.’ I studied all offseason with Bobby Mitchell, God bless him, the Hall of Famer, who had me out at the team training camp early mornings walking me through the basics of football.
So my boss said, ‘you’re going to get a chance. We’re going to give you a football game. Bone up and be prepared.’ And they said this: ‘JB, don’t get nervous. Focus on the basics. You’ve got a TV monitor up in the booth with you. The TV monitor will always have things right. It’ll have the right time left in it. Don’t look up at the stadium clock, because it can be wrong. The TV clock is going to be right. Look at the picture. We will give things correctly to you, by way of that.’
So I’m doing a game, and it was at Tampa Stadium. The Atlanta Falcons were there, and I go through the first half and I’m thinking, ‘man, football’s not that difficult.’ Ah, getting cocky, that kind of complacency, will lead to a precipitous slide down the abyss.
So we get to the third quarter, and I’m saying — oh, gosh, I forget the running backs name — ‘Oh, he’s got the ball. He’s got daylight. He’s at the 40, he’s at the 45 he’s at the 50, he’s at the 55! He’s tackled at the 55 yard line!’ My producer gets in my ear, ‘JB, there’s no such thing as a 55 yard line!’ He says, go to commercial. And now I’m all shook up because he’s exercising his voice, and I look up at the clock, and I compound the mistake by saying, ‘Okay, folks, we’re going to step aside and take a timeout here in the third quarter with about eight minutes and 99 seconds left in the third period of play.’ Oh my gosh.
We come back from commercial break. My guy, Dan Jiggets, who played at Harvard, he played football when I was up there, playing basketball. He covered for me. ‘Folks, you may have heard JB say eight minutes and 99 seconds left in the period to play. He just wanted to see if you could do the mathematical conversion to realize that was nine minutes and 39 seconds left. So that was just an academic test for you.’ So he tried to make light of it and have some fun, but, man, it wasn’t fun at that time, but my bosses still gave me an opportunity. Thank God the game was being televised only to the television truck in the bowels of the stadium and the local Piggly Wiggly store around the corner from the stadium. So it didn’t go to the entire country with that mistake.”
On the present cast of “The NFL Today”
“I’m sure all of you guys have seen many shows, there is the proliferation of talent on the set. A lot of mouths to feed in a short period of time. So my previous boss, Sean McManus, kept asking, ‘JB, can I hear something from you?’ And I’m thinking, I’ve got so many mouths to feed here … my colleagues who bring the insight and expertise of having been ex-players or coaches, the people aren’t tuning in to hear me give you know whatever the game plan is, but to ask the intelligent questions and get the best out of them, and also have some fun where it naturally fits.
What’s happened since then, at least in this show, we’ve gone down to a smaller number of people on the show so that the audience can hear more of their insight, get more of their personality, because I’ve got some brilliant guys I work with.
I’ve got a Hall of Fame coach in Bill Cowher, who for years has been invited to be a guest and a speaker at the Allen and Co. confab of all of these CEOs and movers and shakers around the globe, because they know what he brings to the table. Nate Burleson is as gifted a talent who has both the young audience and the season audience. He’s glib, he’s smart, and he knows the game. And now we’ve got Matt Ryan, who is a consummate quarterback who truly understands the game from a global standpoint and can deliver the insight in humorous but insightful fashion. I’m thrilled to be going into this season here with them, where they get a chance to showcase what they bring to the table.”
