For this week’s Meet the Media, we’d like you to meet Seth Everett, sports broadcaster and podcast host of “Sports with Friends” and “Hall of Justice”.
1. How did you start your podcasts, “Sports with Friends” and “Hall of Justice”?
I have been involved with podcasting since before that word was invented. In 2005, I was working for Major League Baseball, hosting a radio show on something called MLB Radio. One of the producers (if I knew who, I’d totally give him credit) suggested that we take 45 minutes of the three hour show we did and make it an MP3 that would be posted on MLB.com that listeners could download and put on their iPods. That just might have been the first podcast!
Through the years, I’ve hosted podcasts for ESPN, and attempted to launch my own. In 2005, I created “Sports with Friends” and a comic book/Sci-Fi genre podcast called the “Hall of Justice”.
The idea behind “Sports with Friends” was that I’ve had this 20+ year career and I wanted a place to talk with my friends. I didn’t need to have guests for any other reason than it was my choice. “Sports with Friends” and “Hall of Justice” are both now ranked on various iTunes charts.
2. Which of your stories are you most proud of?
The guests make Sports with Friends. Ken Griffey Jr. has been on. Eli Manning has been on four times. Jayson Stark. Aly Raisman. Greg Norman. It’s wild to think that these people are actually friends.
I am a big Prince fan (worked with him in 2013), and whenever Prince was asked which was his favorite song, he would always reply with, “the next one.”
So, I’m most proud of the next episode.
3. What is your favorite thing about your job?
I love broadcasting. I love telling stories, and entertaining people. I originally wanted to be a political reporter, but I learned early on that I want people to watch or listen to me because they want to, not because they are compelled to.
4. What is your interview style?
Very casual. I do my research, but I rarely write out questions. I’d rather make it a conversation than an interview, and I hope the interviewee feels comfortable. For podcasts, I always offer to a guest that I will take any part of the conversation out if either he or she didn’t like the question or didn’t like his or her answer. So far, no guest has taken anything out.
5. What do you look for in an episode?
I just look for anything entertaining and compelling. If it is easy to have the chat, then I hope the audience finds it easy to listen to. The audio has to be recorded and sound good. I am a bit of an audio snob. People have so many choices when it comes to podcasts that I never want to lose a listener due to a bad audio recording.
6. What is your day like at your job?
To be honest, I have like nine jobs, so every day is different. I do things for NBC Sports Radio, Entercom, iHeartMedia, write articles for Forbes and more. It’s not a 9 to 5, but it’s definitely early mornings, late nights and plenty of weekends.
7. Who do you most look up to in the journalism industry?
In journalism? I would say I look to Bob Costas on the broadcast side. As far as reporters go, I look up to Jayson Stark, Ian O’Connor, Jeff Passan.
Outside of sports, I am a huge fan of the Spotlight team at The Boston Globe. The investigators at The Washington Post amaze me. Investigative journalism is the hardest job in this industry, and these days it’s increasingly harder to do.
I just look for any journalism that is fair and unbiased. That is so hard to find these days, both in news and sports.
8. What is your favorite news outlet?
Definitely KING-5. Steve Bunin and Paul Silvi are my guys, and I always watch them when I’m in town. I listen to “The Daily” podcast by The New York Times. It is a phenomenal show.
9. Fill in the blank:
- If I am not reporting, I am…probably doing one of my other 8 jobs. Or spending time with my family.
- If I could interview anyone, it would be… (wait, you want my guest list for upcoming podcasts?) I’m impressed by Prince Harry, I’d love to talk to Bruce Springsteen. Most people I want to speak to, I try to get on my shows!
- My favorite thing about Seattle is… the community, the feeling that no matter how big it gets, it’s very much still a neighborhood.
10. What is your guilty pleasure?
This is a loaded question, right? What can I say here that doesn’t incriminate me? Hmmm…
I did work with Prince, so I’m a huge fan of his music. Been a fan since I was 10 years old. Also, I love old TV shows. Knight Rider, Quantum Leap, Greatest American Hero — that’s all as good as anything on TV today.
Check out our last Meet the Media where we spotlighted Lisa Patterson, editor of 425 Magazine and South Sound Magazine.
Want to be featured in a Meet the Media? Email ofuller@feareygroup.com.