Behind the Scenes: ESPN's NFL Insiders
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In the midst of our annual Reese’s Senior Bowl NFL and College Camp Tour, I returned to Bristol for a “halftime” break between trips for two days of NFL Insiders. Going into its third season, the show has demonstrated staying power and will expand to six days a week during the 2015 season.
We have an all-star team of anchor hosts, reporters and front office analysts who each love the game in a very passionate way. But, behind the scenes, we have an equally talented group of producers, directors, researchers and studio technicians that actually put each episode together.
Here is a typical day at the “Worldwide Leader” in getting ready for NFL Insiders:
The night before show, I will arrive and then send individual notes and discussion topics to the producers.
9:30am
Staff meeting to lay our preliminary plans, which live feeds we may have during program, and a general roundtable conversation about various elements that will be in the show. These sessions are always informative and really give everyone the “flavor” of the day.
10:00am – 12:00pm
After the meeting, I usually have two hours for research to put together my discussion points, pertinent statistics and specific answers for the “Press Coverage” and “Notebook” items.
11:00am – 2:00pm
All of us have different assignments with regard to SportsCenter segments, digital/website/radio interviews and other programs like His & Hers or First Take. The producers for those programs provide the exact times and scripts, so we know exactly when and where to be for these platforms.
ESPN has an expanded and newly renovated cafeteria on campus, so almost everyone will have lunch or grab a snack before 2pm.
145pm
The final show notes are distributed around 145pm and that is when I will transcribe my prepared thoughts and comments into the script.
2pm
Its all about putting “men in makeup” before everyone gets to the studio for audio and microphone checks.
230pm
The daily timeline kicks off the show and we usually have a wide-ranging discussion about the topic at hand.
2:30pm – 3:30pm
Over the next hour, some of the most experienced people in the business, with unlimited contacts across the entire NFL, cover a ton of territory as it pertains to the owners, coaches, general managers and players that are making news on a daily basis.
3:30pm – 6:00pm
After the show, each of us might have an additional segment on NFL Live or another requested interview, but those of us involved with SiriusXM satellite radio often have commitments for night-time programs like “Late Hits” on Channel 88.
All in all, many hours of research and time-consuming work goes into each episode and it is a real privilege to be part of the NFL Insiders team. Everyone involved takes tremendous pride in the show and all of us are looking forward to an outstanding 2015 season.