I am a huge sports fan. Always have been. Always will be.
My love of sports started when I was a kid and I played any sport I could, any time that I could. In the ’80s and ’90s, which represented most of my youth, ESPN was growing at an unbelievable pace. My allegiance to the channel grew with each show I watched, be it SportsCenter or NFL PrimeTime. I loved all the highlights ESPN showed, and found comfort in hearing the voices of my favorite ESPN personalities, even when the channel was on in the background.
Like many people, I have been disappointed in ESPN in recent years. Also like most, I continue to watch it.
For some reason, until recently, I rarely looked to alternatives like NFL Network or NBA TV. I watched them occasionally, enjoying one-off shows or game replays, but my habit has always been to turn to ESPN. Even when I was less than impressed by the content or didn’t recognize who was hosting. Even when it seemed highlights became an after-thought.
Recently, I tuned into “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network, and I am so glad I did. This season, I have become enamored by the NFL Draft. For some reason, this year’s draft, and consequently the entire off-season, has captivated me. While the draft is the reason I turned GMF on one day, I have now become a loyal viewer that will watch well after the draft is over, because it is, simply put, an exceptional show.
The GMF producers have created a show that taps into what my favorite ESPN shows of yesteryear offered. It is not chock-full of highlights, but it is authentic, and you can sense the passion that the well-crafted cast has for the sport. It is not over-produced. It does not try too hard. It does not cause controversy for the sake of shocking viewers. It is instead a true representation of the fans’ passion for the sport, which is hard to come by these days. That is what we used to get from ESPN. It was the reason we loved Chris Berman and Tom Jackson talking football. They were fans, sharing their opinions and perspectives because they were actually their opinions and perspectives, not because they were the most controversial or audience-enraging opinions they could come up with. They were us, just on TV. Much like Stuart Scott was, or Scott Van Pelt somehow still manages to be.
The Good Morning Football team is just as authentic, and just as passionate as those ESPN stand-outs were, and rather than adopt perspectives for the sake of inspiring controversy like so many talking heads on TV today, the four cast members of GMF do something I wish more did today: genuinely represent a variety of perspectives. This is something that does not require effort or scripting; it’s just honest. The show has truly tapped into diversity by presenting us with four people who represent different perspectives and can engage in respectful, fun, and entertaining discussions with one another for our viewing pleasure.
Each member of the GMF cast is fantastic.
- Nate Burleson does a fantastic job of presenting the perspective of a former player. Whether he is commenting on issues such as concussions, contract hold-outs, or who is the best player at a specific position, his knowledge of the game from a player’s perspective offers a view that most viewers can’t bring to the table themselves. It’s easy for fans to call players selfish or greedy, but when Nate raises the fact that players are concerned about their futures and need to maximize every day of their career, it opens our eyes to something many might not otherwise appreciate.
- Kyle Brandt, to me, provides a true fan’s perspective. He’s fun, makes great pop culture references (without trying too hard), and speaks with the passion of a true fan. He is very knowledgeable and regularly provides a fan’s approach to debates and discussions, which is nice to have because it represents the way so many of us think about the game. He is honest with his perspectives, and doesn’t hesitate to challenge the others. Finally, his previous experience behind-the-scenes is evident in almost every episode. (Note: Kyle’s “Red Flag” segment is fantastic).
- Kay Adams offers the most practical perspective on most occasions and is the glue that holds the team together. She has a tremendous knowledge of the game and masterfully orchestrates things on set between her teammates. Her passion for football is always evident, and she consistently raises points and perspectives for the others to respond to. She keeps the others on task without being the taskmaster. This comes across as effortlessn for her, which is pretty remarkable in itself, and without her, the show would absolutely lose part of its magic. She’s the team captain, with the confidence to bring out the best in those around her.
- Peter Schrager is the football insider that doesn’t need to remind you that he’s the football insider. I consider his perspective to be that of the GM or management. He sees the bigger picture, thinking not about the player or the season ahead, but about the long-term future of the organization. Some may consider him “the football geek” of the team, but in no way should that be considered derogatory; rather, it is a testament to his insider knowledge. Peter is just as happy making a joke as he is being the butt of the joke (usually a joke made by Kyle). He has great chemistry with the others and never do his insider insights come across in a condescending or arrogant manner; he doesn’t act like he knows more than anyone else on the show or like his opinion matters more.
The cast of GMF has outstanding chemistry. Either that, or they do a great job of fooling me every weekday. Each day, I look forward to watching at least part of the show; watching it feels like I’m having friends over to talk football.
But as impressive as the team’s chemistry is, I think the most important and admirable thing about the show is the job the producers (or whoever) have done in creating a team and a show that achieve so much of what we should all aspire to achieve in our businesses and in our lives.
You see, Kyle is not there to pull in the frat boy crowd. Nate is not there because he is Black. He has not been tasked with making “urban” references or quoting Jay-Z lyrics. Kay is not there because she is a woman, or because she is pretty. She is not there to appeal to male viewers or pull in female viewers. Peter is not there to appeal to the football geeks. To suggest any of this would be ridiculous, and that is different than what I can say about the overtly calculated attempts of other shows on other networks to employ “diversity” and appeal to “diverse audiences”. The cast members of GMF are on the show because they are terrific TV personalities, great football analysts, and passionate fans. GMF represents several types of diversity, and so it represents the best of diversity- diversity in terms of race and gender, but also diversity of opinions and perspectives. And you can tell that the members of the team respect each other. They don’t attack each other or look to upset one another with hot takes. They don’t stoop to the level of shows that introduce issues for the sake of getting clicks online or inspiring arguments between viewers. They are the antithesis of many of today’s shows, and that alone is reason enough to tune in.
I hope that GMF manages to retain its authenticity and the cast members maintain their passion for football. Growing up, that’s what led me to fall in love with ESPN. The lack of such things is what led me to fall out of love with it (with the exception of College Football Gameday, which shares many of its best qualities with GMF). I hope the show maintains its focus on representing diverse perspectives. That it doesn’t fall into the trap of making every member of the team a former player. That the cast doesn’t become dominated by football geeks.
I never thought I would find a show like this on the NFL Network, because I never thought to turn from ESPN to such a specialized channel. That was my mistake. I don’t want to overstate it when I say that GMF represents the best this world has to offer…at least to a football fan.
Now I just want to figure out how I can join the show from time to time. I’ve got a pitch ready!