Here’s something most of us wouldn’t mind seeing. What if the Philadelphia Eagles’ players hosted their own podcast?
Here’s something you’re sure to find interesting. In a story you might have missed this week, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports shared a few lines on a podcasting strategy the Philadelphia Eagles may be considering.
What if the guys who actually suit up and take the field on gameday got together to host a players-centered podcast? It’s definitely an interesting prospect. It’s sure to pile up the listeners, but is it a good idea?
In his story, McCarthy writes Eagles media executive Jen Kavanagh was pulled aside by a player on June 27th and asked about the idea. Currently, ‘The Birds’ have several podcasts that you can listen to on their official website, PhiladelphiaEagles.com and via other platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and TuneIn.
There are currently six Eagles podcasts for fans to enjoy, including Fran Duffy’s Eagle Eye In The Sky and Journey to the Draft, Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro’s Eagles Live and Feeding The Birds. Three more are expected to pop up during the 2019 season.
According to Mccarthy’s findings, with a fan base that stretches across the country, Eagles-centered podcasts drew over 2 million streams in 2018. Kavanagh is excited about the future and the prospect of drawing even more listeners in 2019.
Here’s a quote:
"We love (players volunteering) because it tells us we’re doing something right, and I think the level of awareness and interest in a lot of these podcasts has really grown in the last several months… We live in a world collectively where there really are no boundaries anymore. Your fandom is no longer geographically restricted, especially with social media and the way we all connect. We have an opportunity more than ever before to reach out and connect with those people. Entertainment, and content, is the way we’ll be able to do that."
Might this fall into the category of ‘distractions’ if the players did participate though? During Philly’s victory parade after a Super Bowl LII win, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said ‘this is the new norm in Philly’.
‘The Birds’ didn’t get to the mountaintop by podcasting, and some even saw quarterbacks and coaches becoming bestselling authors following the victory as part of the reason that there were struggles a season ago. As much as we’d all love to hear a podcast that features the players, is it wrong to ask whether or not creating one is a good idea?
Remember that time Malcolm Jenkins tore down the Super Bowl Champions sign in the Eagles locker room because ‘this was a new season’? Maybe that means he wasn’t the guy who approached Kavanagh about the podcast.
Then again, is it different than just seeing guys show up on one as a guest? It’s a interesting argument on both sides. The debate table is wide open for this one. We’ll have to see how things unfold.