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10 Questions with ... Hutson Mason
October 7, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Played quarterback at University of Georgia; coaching at Colquitt County High School and Georgia State University; ESPN; SEC Network; 680 The Fan/Xtra 106.3
1. Okay, so, you went from football to broadcasting. How'd that happen? Was that part of the plan from the start, to go from playing into broadcasting?
No, I actually coached first when I originally got done playing football. I coached high school ball at Colquitt Co high school and then in college at Georgia State. The staff I was on at Georgia State was fired. And while I was looking for another job, I got presented with an opportunity to call games in the booth for ESPN. I took it and ran with it and then about 6 months after that 680 The Fan approached me about doing a daily radio show.
2. You spent a few years on The Fan's sister station before you moved up recently to work with another former UGA quarterback, Buck Belue. First, you're replacing John Kincade, who has been one of the longest-running Atlanta sports hosts and synonymous, in a way, with Atlanta sports radio. How are you approaching the task of stepping into that position? What parallels, if any, were there to football, in which you replaced another big name, Aaron Murray?
I think the parallels are similar in a sense, and in other ways they're different. What I can apply to this new opportunity with 680 that I learned from my playing days is to just spend time focusing on the things you can control. I can’t be the next John Kincade and I’m not going to try to be. I only know how to be the best version of myself. We have intelligent listeners who can sniff out quickly if you’re not being genuine.
3. Since you and Buck are both former Bulldogs quarterbacks, it's assumed from the start that you'll be talking college football a lot and UGA in particular. But that's not all that's going on in sports in Atlanta, of course, including the team that plays a short walk away from The Fan's studios. So, how, as a football guy, have you adjusted to talking about the Braves (and, for that matter, on the relatively rare occasions that the Hawks achieve relevance, basketball)? How have you developed your skills in talking about sports other than the one in which you achieved so much?
Yeah, you're 100% correct. The way we’ve put it is that it’s a "new show with a new focus" but in a good way. We’re going to get back to honing in on the local sports teams. College football will be the main focus and then the Braves on Buck & Hut. I think the last few years “in the minor leagues” on our sister station Xtra 106.3 have been a great training ground for my radio career. It’s allowed me to get the reps and on-the-job training that you need early on in this profession. With the youth and talent this Braves team has right now, specifically the starting pitchers, the Braves are going to be relevant for a long time.
4. You have a national show for SportsMap now; how how did that come about? And as an SEC guy, how do you keep from making the show an all-SEC affair -- how do you make sure you're including fans of other conferences on a national show?
"Gameday with Hutson Mason" on Sports Map Radio 7-8am ET on Saturdays. I’ve been their CFB guest on the network for a few years, and they approached me about doing a Saturday show previewing the big games and storylines. My focus when putting the show together is to find the best storylines that week in CFB, no matter the conference. I never go in with a preconceived notion that I'm only going to talk SEC football because I think that's where you start to compromise good content. And then we mix up the guests we have on as well. Last week I had Mark Richt on. He's now working for the ACC Network, so we talked about his alma mater Miami being 3-0 and if they could be the team that dethrones Clemson in the ACC.
5. What's your show prep like? What do you do to get up to speed for the daily show, or the weekly national show?
Show prep for me varies from my Atlanta show to my network show. But I think what's similar is how you watch the games, read columns and how you find storylines within those. Radio is the entertainment industry. So I always ask myself when I'm putting my show together, how can I take this angle, idea, or thought and articulate it or explain it in a way that is relatable, engaging, and thought-provoking. I want to capture even the non-fanatic sports fan out there on my show, and I think you do that by the energy you bring, but also how you construct the framework of every topic.
6. Who have been your mentors, influences, and inspirations as a broadcaster?
In radio, it's been the guys I work around and with at 680. These guys have been doing it for so long and are full of wisdom. Carlos Medina, my producer, is as good as it gets when it comes to knowing the business and creating great content for our listeners. John Kincade was so approachable and taught me a ton about my career. And then on the TV side, I don't think it gets any better than Kirk Herbstreit and Joel Klatt. I love listening and watching those guys do what they do. I'll sit down and watch a game and just observe how they handle certain situations. Much like my playing days, I'm always studying the greats and trying to implement parts of that into my game while simultaneously remaining true to myself.
7. Of what are you most proud at this stage in your career?
That's an interesting question and maybe the answer I'm about to give you is the player coming back out in me. But while I've made progress in my career I genuinely don't feel like I've arrived or I've made it. I'm nowhere near where I want to be. My network show on SportsMap Radio excites me because it's a new and different type of challenge in my radio career.
8. You've got another facet of your career going, writing about sports for The Federalist, which is, of course, not a sports site. And it raises the question: Do you see politics as something you'd be interested in? Can you see yourself running for office at some point?
Definitely not running for office. My wife wouldn't let me. When the pandemic first shut everything down back in March, none of us in this industry knew what the future held. And to an extent, we still don't. Radio has been hit hard. But I wanted to try something new, something that would force me to expand my skillset, step outside my comfort zone. So I started writing op-ed pieces that were focused on sports in politics. Those two are becoming so intertwined now, and, unfortunately, I believe it's here to stay.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ___________.
...coffee. I can't even make it to lunchtime without coffee.
10. What's the most valuable lesson you've learned in your career so far?
Whatever opportunity that comes for you in life is only going to come because of hard work. You have to get out there and knock on doors, send emails, etc. It's only going to be earned. Not handed. I have a great agent, but I never wake up and think, "I hope my agent is thinking of me today.". I can't expect things to happen; I have to go make them happen.
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