CCM Coaching Tip #57 - The Ryan Shazier Story, And How Our Format Totally Missed It

by Tommy Kramer, KramerMedia.net

The Ryan Shazier Story is both compelling and frightening.

He's a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and on December 4th, 2017, he delivered a hit on a Cincinnati Bengals player that hurt....Shazier. Only three minutes into the game. Blam. He grabbed for his back as he fell to the turf. He couldn't move his legs. Then he was carted off the field on a stretcher.

Two days later, he had spinal stabilization surgery.

In the days that followed, in practically every coaching session I did, I asked the talent if they had talked about it on the air.

Only one did, and I was glad, but even he missed out on how to connect it to the listener's life.

Several different morning teams - that's TEAMS, as in more than one person helping to prep Content for the show each day - categorically dismissed it because "Our target listener doesn't care about football" or because "We don't talk about Sports." Or in a couple of instances, they didn't even know about it.

Okay, I get that "we don't need to talk about Sports" sounds somewhat plausible (unless the World Series or the Super Bowl is being played), but the key is what I mentioned earlier: seeing a connection from that story to the listener's life. And no, I don't mean the standard default setting comment of "our thoughts and prayers go out to..." well, you know.

We were just a couple of weeks from Christmas. Most of our listeners have kids. Half of those kids are male. (Has the light bulb gone on yet?)

"This story about Ryan Shazier, the football player who made a tackle and then couldn't move his legs..."

leads to "If you're thinking about getting your kid a football helmet for Christmas...well, I think I'd get my kid a basketball."

So simple even a disc jockey can do it. If his/her eyes are open. If the ending isn't the 'pat' ending everyone else would lean toward using. If you want to share something about your values...and maybe your fears.