(Disclaimer: this was recorded Tuesday after Banquet, before Jag's voice was back to full capacity.)
The Super Bowl, The NFL Draft, The Combine, even The Pro Bowl. If it's an NFL "tentpole" event, today's guest is directly involved in its planning and execution. Mike Konner, from the illustrious Class of 1995 joins us today.
A Connecticut native and baseball lover first, Mike realized in Com 107 that on-air might not be his eventual career path. But that didn't stop him from being part of a dynamic morning show at the station alongside the likes of Chris Verlardi, Brian Gewirtz, John Beck, Steve Donovan, Mike Murphy, and more. He also did regular jock shifts, which ended up in an aircheck session with Dion Summers that Mike still hasn't forgotten.Mike also tells the story of the Blizzard of 1993, and how karma got him on a long morning show break.
When it wasn't logistically possible for MIke to intern for the Yankees radio team, he instead did so at A Current Affair, the original tabloid TV Show. This turned into a job after graduation, ambushing the likes of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and others. Next, he moved to LA for the start of Access Hollywood, but the hours were worse than a WJPZ overnight.
Mike followed his love for sports and ended up at Fox Sports Net, then joined the team that launched NFL Network in 2003. Following that success, he was tapped to help launch the MLB Network in 2009. After 8 years there, he headed back west to rejoin his NFL family. In fact, he cites his coworkers as even more of a factor than the NFL's dominant position in sports, in the decision. Last year, he was on the team that, along with player input, revamped the entire Pro Bowl.
The WJPZ spirit of paying forward is still strong with Mike. He give excellent career advice in this podcast, including "if you want to be on air, do it young." (He explains why). And we spend some time talking about the need for friendship when we all hit career setbacks. That part of the podcast should resonate with all of us.
Finally, Mike has a suggestion. Isn't it time we did a documentary on Rick Wright?
Link to Steve Donovan's episode: https://wjpzat50.simplecast.com/episodes/stephen-donovan
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
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