"When I first started, I had no radio experience, had done some TV, but I knew enough about football to talk," says Kirwan, who has partnered with former NFL players Tim Ryan and, now,Cheap Jerseys From China, Jim Miller. "And I had a lot of notions from TV that it was not addressing the needs of the fans who wanted to grow. The football guy felt there has been more than what these announcers are telling us, because TV appeals to a general audience."
Many of those callers are truckers, and they've developed something of a SiriusXM NFL Radio cult, whether listening to 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon or Hall of Famer James Lofton. Not only do they phone in regularly as they drive the highways of America, but they now make a pilgrimage to Mobile, Alabama, in late January to the Senior Bowl.
Not only has SiriusXM been broadcasting all regular-season and playoff games live throughout its deal with the league, which runs through 2015, but Channel 88 has brought listeners live to the combine,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the draft, and to each of the 32 training camps during the summer.
The camp trips are among the favorite endeavors for NFL Radio's staff (55 and counting), although they got off to a rocky start.
Scott Pioli worked in the front offices of the Patriots and Chiefs and now is assistant general manager in Atlanta. In between NFL gigs, he had the chance to be an analyst on the station.
"Here was the hardest thing: hiring people," Cohen says. "They couldn't pronounce the name and hadn't heard of this company."
Former Jets personnel director Pat Kirwan also signed up immediately, and he's become perhaps the station's most popular voice because of his skill at explaining everything from the intricacies of the zone blitz to the dynamics of the salary cap.
"That is not even our best. One night we had 24 first-time callers," Brandt recalls.
NFL Radio isn't responsible for all of that, not by a long shot with Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey among SiriusXM personalities. But it's among satellite radio's leaders in caller participation and, within the NFL itself, it's become must listening.
And feeding the hunger of folks in the league, too.
"Usually when you are listening to the radio, you are alone, so the hosts become companions," Pioli says. "Now I sat on the other side and got the chance to see how the people behind the microphone actually cultivate relationships with people out there in radio land,Cheap Jerseys From China, and it is cool."
"The training camp tour started out small, three cities, and soon it became every team every summer," says Adam Schein, Cohen's first hire — at age 26. "You'd fly from Seattle to Denver to the Redskins' camp in three days. Fly to Chicago and then drive to Bourbonnais, Illinois, or to Terre Haute, Indiana, and Nashville, and Georgetown, Kentucky. You go to Saints camp in Jackson, Mississippi, and the humidity smacks you right in the face.
"SiriusXM NFL Radio attracts fans of all ages with their insight from former players and coaches and some of the most respected NFL insiders in the industry," Patriots owner Kraft says. "I am a regular listener. I try to listen to financial reporting and timely global news when I can, but most often, I tune in to ... Channel 88. It gives me the pulse of what's going on in my favorite sport seven days a week, 365 days a year."
NEW YORK (AP) — A 24-hour channel devoted solely to pro football? On satellite radio?
Cohen actually consulted with Kraft before taking on the challenge of building the channel. Cohen's vision for it was to have professional broadcasters team with former NFL players or executives.
The NFL's allure seems limitless, and Channel 88 on SiriusXM — the companies merged in 2008 — has built its impressive resume on it. When Steve Cohen, the current senior vice president of sports programming, and Brandt first went on the air 10 years ago, Sirius had 500,000 subscribers. A year later, another 1 million had signed up. By 2008, SiriusXM had 18.5 million subscribers.
Not even the people launching the station could be sure where it was headed. And a decade later, their dedicated listeners range from Robert Kraft to Mike Shanahan to Sean Payton. And from players on all 32 teams to truck drivers traveling the length and width of the nation.
Kirwan throws a bash for them there, even giving out awards, and conducts impromptu class sessions on football,NFL Jerseys China Online, recruiting assistant coaches on hand for the game to help out.
Now, that number has reached 26 million.
Brandt has kept a log of each caller during his 10 years on t
