The Backyard Banter Podcast

We're back. After a hiatus during the football season, The Backyard Banter Podcast makes a long awaited return and the first episode doesn't disappoint. Now former ESPN employee Jason Romano joins the show to discuss his 17-plus year tenure with the network as a producer and in various other sectors and most importantly, his recent decision to leave his dream job to pursue a different dream.

Highlights from this episode include:

- How Jason "won the lottery" and landed a dream job with ESPN.

- The importance of networking while never asking for a job

- What it's like being someone who is behind the scenes and not necessarily on the center stage.

- Why Jason chose to leave ESPN and what he's onto next.

- At the end of the day, it's all really about stories.

All good things must come to an end and episode 43 will mark the end of Season 1 of The Backyard Banter Podcast. Since it was such a highly demanded one, I decided the final podcast of this season would be an interview where I told my story coming up in the industry. My good friend Sal Stefanile, who was the guest on the 32nd episode of the show, was kind enough to sub in as the host. I sincerely hope you enjoy hearing my story.

Highlights from this episode include:

- What my initial life plans were before starting out as a football analyst and how that influences me.

- How a terrible period of depression in my personal life actually spawned my writing career.

- The struggle of finding purpose in this industry but why I believe I'm in it for a true purpose.

- Why I believe it is so crucial that we lift each other up in this industry and how it makes us all better.

- I am the luckiest person in the world, whether it is my life, my job or my dog.

I want to deeply thank all of you for supporting the show and tuning in. I hope to see you again next year for Season 2.

In the second to last episode of Season 1, Gregg Rosenthal of Around the NFL joins the podcast to talk about his journey through multiple venues and the industry at large. Gregg has been all throughout the business whether it was helping to grow Rotoworld, covering the NFL at Pro Football Talk or building up the Around the NFL group at NFL.com. In an open and honest conversation, Rosenthal brings valuable insight to anyone who finds themselves searching for their place in any field.

Highlights from this episode include:

- How Gregg's dissatisfaction with the entertainment industry pushed him into finding a career working in sports.

- What brought Gregg to Rotoworld, joining forces with Evan Silva and growing that platform.

- Gregg's multiple transitions that eventually landed him with NFL Media and all the duties he filled in between.

- What pushed and continues to inspire Gregg to keep a tight grip on his space in the industry.

- Why a desire to do what he truly loves doing in the football world helped Gregg decide to relinquish "the boss" duties of Around the NFL.

Episode 41 brings us Jon Moore, a former writer/podcaster for RotoViz and now the social media editor for Pro Football Focus. Jon just recently got his full-time job with PFF, so he makes for a great guest in the middle of a big transition. We also dive into Jon's beginning days at RotoViz and how a unique piece of content helped him stand out. Not only was Jon an excellent interview, he also was just plain fun to chat with.

Highlights from this episode include:

- Jon's upbringing as a football fan and how it was the major bonding force between him and his father.

- Why Jon sought to incorporate age into the prospect evaluation conversation and where it fits as a data point.

- Viewing fantasy as merely a means to an end to talk about the actual game of football.

- The three interactions that stuck out to Jon the most coming up in the fantasy world when he felt like he was getting somewhere.

- What Jon will be doing in his new position focusing on social media and his first big "love my job" moment.

Sorry my end of the audio is terrible in this episode. No idea what happened, but you're really here for the elite guest anyways.

The much anticipated moment you didn't know you were dying for has arrived as Uncle Chaps joins the podcast for episode 40. Unlike any other figure we've had on the show so far, Chaps holds a unique place in our space but one that I view is essential. Whether it's the persistent joking, revealing of others' deeper personas or the fake reporting, Chaps has done it all. Yet, that's just the surface level of the beautiful human being that is Uncle Chaps and the story he has to tell.

Highlights from this episode include:

- The parts of Chaps' past you might not know about and where his life was headed prior to serving in the military.

- The relationship Chaps developed with his on-duty dog in combat and what that meant to him.

- How Chaps first started the fake account venture and how he's not sure when it got so big that he Chaps'd ESPN and NFL Network.

- Having fun with your pals online and not understanding the people who are always mad.

- What's next for Chaps, not just as a joker but perhaps ventures as a true writer.

Episode 39 brings the football diehard himself, Bob Harris, a true veteran of the fantasy industry. Bob takes us through the beginnings of his journey and provides a snapshot of what the earliest stages of the fantasy industry looks like. He also wonders aloud if even someone of his status could beak in as easily in an industry now crowded with intelligent writers.

Highlights from this episode include:

- Bob shares about his earliest days in the industry where he sent out newsletters through a fax machine.

- Developing the personality for radio after spending years just writing.

Why Bob's cats keep him grounded and the relationship he has with them.

- What caused Bob to begin his own weight-loss journey and why it's an important message for everyone in the fantasy community.

- How Bob sees the industry changing through the years and where it might be heading.

In what amounts to a national holiday in the fantasy community, we're lucky to be joined by Scott Fish during the ??week of the #SFB480. Scott delves into the origins of the Scott Fish Bowl and what makes it the most unique fantasy format around. He also shares some information about his Fantasy Cares leagues and why he takes the extra time out of his day to make the world a little bit better. One of the most giving people in our industry, Scott's outlook is one we can all learn from.

Highlights from this episode include:

- ?How the Scott Fish Bowl first began and why it almost got axed after one year.

- What makes the league so unique: from the massive 480 team format, the wild scoring to the way it lights up the community.

- Scott's venture with the Fantasy Cares leagues and why he believes charity should be a no-brainer aspect to fantasy football.

- Where Scott sees his place in the community as it stands today and where he's heading.

- The pride he feels not so much for creating a fantastic league, but for bringing us all together.

?Not many individuals in our industry hold a more unique position than Dr. Jene Bramel, Footballguys writer and our guest for episode 37. ?Jene is a pediatrician by day, but writes injury-related content for Footballguys and breaks down defensive players. Not only do we dive into how Jene ended up being in the spot he finds himself in, but we take a 30,000-foot view of the current state of the league as it relates to the work Jene does.

Highlights from this episode include:

- How Jene, a "box score guy" grew to love sports and eventually found himself in a fantasy league.

- What made Jene want to be a doctor and why he chose to work with children over adults.

- Jene recalls situations where his expertise in the medical field helped him pick out situations that the party involved wasn't so forthcoming.

- How Jene deals with having intimate knowledge of the damage football does while still working in the sport.

- The relationship the four primary hosts of The Audible enjoy, and why Jene credits them along with several other sleeper names at Football guys for everything.

We continue onward across the industry to a visit from Mike Tagliere of Pro Football Focus. Not only is Mike one of the kindest people you'll encounter in the industry, he's clearly brimming with an infectious work ethic. He shares the story of a multi-year journey in desperate chasing of a full-time job in the fantasy industry, one which culminated in such a position recently with PFF. Mike dives into the perspective that got him here and his relationship with his wife, who supported him all the way through.

Highlights from this episode include:

- Mike's relationship with his father, how he initially came to love the sports world from his youth and eventually to cover fantasy.

- The moment when Mike almost backed away, but how his wife, Tabbie, pushed him to keep fighting.

- Feeling like he should always be working at the craft, even at a recreational fantasy industry event.

- Why it is important for Mike to always show his followers the appreciation he feels for them getting him to his current status.

- Mike and Tabbie's uniquely powerful message, and what their new Hot Route Podcast hopes to accomplish.

In a style we've never broached before, episode 35 brings us an appearance by Ben Cummins, a new contributor to RotoViz, TwoQBs and The Fantasy Footballers' upstart website. He represents a writer in the industry who is just breaking in at that ground zero level. Ben shares his perspective on feeling the itch to try and make a run at grabbing a position as a writer, and the steps he took to just get off the ground.

Highlights from this episode include:

- Following the Broncos growing up and how his fandom still means quite a bit to him.

- How Ben initially felt the urge to dive deeper into DFS coverage when that format of fantasy just clicked with him.

- Reaching out to established writers and how he knew who to talk to in order to gain more of a footing.

- Looking ahead five years into the future and wondering where he'll stand if he does not have a full-time job.

- Controlling what you can control and always remembering to "just start writing".