This piece in this series is one that pulled at my heartstrings while putting together. The journey to this point in my life has been one of ups and downs. I had dreams that have fell by the wayside due to personal decisions I made in my past. There was one dream that I hadn’t attempted to tackle, and that dream was to have my own sports media brand. A brand that provides honest, consistent, and quality content for fans to listen to and watch. The dream is now a reality. This dream for me personally would not be here without some very influential people during this journey. These people have been patient yet supportive of a dream that has become a reality in just a short year. What is 4 Star Sports Media? Let’s start at the beginning.
The Brand
Growing up I watched ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, and others to get my sports information. I watched the greats like Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Keith Jackson, and others give analysis and commentary on air. I dreamed of having my own sports show with friends and talk for hours. A little over 2 years ago that dream became a reality. I started a Facebook show talking sports with multiple friends on a weekly basis. We took that one show and have grown it into a full sports media network of shows. We now have a 24/7 sports radio station operating on our website that is nothing but our shows and articles we have written covering a variety of topics. This journey so far has been a literal dream come true for not only myself but everyone on my team. We have become credentialed to cover University of Memphis Football and Basketball and Football for Arkansas State, and the Recces Senior Bowl in the short time we have been around. The experience and knowledge we have gained so far have been things we will take with us throughout this journey and bestow upon younger generations coming up in the sports media world.
There are people that have been influential in this journey for me. This journey is ever growing by the day and can be quite fast paced. I can’t allow myself to forget to remember the ones who have been patient with me during this process. These are my thank you letters to these special people.
To My Wife
Wife. One word that means so many different things to me. When it comes to wives, I have a very special one. You see I am not the easiest person to deal with as I can be quite hardheaded and stubborn and have been this way my entire life. My wife, Brea, was instrumental in this brand getting started for without her pushing me to pursue not only my dreams but to be the best I can be I would not be in this situation. Her patience during some long hours away from home and her is something that motivates me even more. Her love for me pursuing my dream is life changing for me to be honest. Her guidance and love are something I cherish in this process. To say I love her wouldn’t do the word love justice.
“When life seems full of problems, your love keeps me strong.”
My Crew
The decision to start a brand takes a team to make happen. Team. One word with many roles. Our team is one of different personalities and strengths and weaknesses as any normal team would be. What sets us apart to me is our love for not only each other but our content we put out.
It starts with my right-hand man “Bum” or Brandon Bumgarner. They say to always find someone who demands attention when they enter the room, and he does. He literally towers over me {I am 5’4 and he is 6’5} when standing next to him but when it comes to the brand we think as one. The friendship that has been created is what means the most to me. He has become like family to me. His knowledge of Memphis is something that inspires me to be a better fan. His takes are wild to say the least.
Next is Christian Johnston, who started the Arkansas side of things for the brand. He has been instrumental in getting our footprint in Arkansas. He does an incredible job with articles covering the hogs year-round. Our friendship has and continues to grow. Christian is growing his show and reach weekly with show updates and articles.
Nathan Wilson has brought some Alabama Crimson Tide love to the brand. Nathan and I have been friends for what feels like 30 years now. We met in school and have remained close to this day. Nathan provides key points and stats that we always seem to miss, and he has. He does a great job on any show he has been on for us. He has been a great addition to the brand, and I am personally glad he is a part of it.
Zack Kerr came to us through Christian Johnstons show “The Hawg Trough” and he has been a welcomed addition. Zack brings his show to the brand but also brought things such as videos, voice overs, and more to freshen up the brand. His show, Inside the hog pen, has become one of the more popular shows on the network. We look forward to growing with Zack in the brand.
Will Bass is the newbie of the bunch, but I have known Will since elementary school. He has brought numbers and Vegas style analytics as well as another unique opinion to the crew. Will has great knowledge of not only Memphis sports as he is a lifelong fan but also on a national level. His articles have been incredibly crafted and tell great stories as you read them.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
Our Sponsors
We have built a great brand so far, but we would be nowhere without our sponsors. Not only are our sponsors great companies but they are even better people.
BA Masks
Alan MacFerran and BA Masks was our first sponsor. His company is the future of sports facemasks in football, lacrosse, and more. He sponsors the 4 Star Sports Show, and we are very appreciated for all he does for our brand. Alan has been a great friend to me from my coaching days with BYS and I value his friendship very much.
Germantown Village Wine and Liquor
Steven Plunk and GTWL have been a great addition as a sponsor for “The Point” podcast on our network. Steven and I have been friends for many years, and I am honored to have him be a part of this journey with us.
Side Car Café
Every brand does live broadcasts from different locations, and we found an incredible place in Memphis. Rick Haygood and company have been incredible to us in allowing us to broadcast from their location twice now. Their open arms to help in any way possible is something that personally I can never thank them enough. We cherish our relationship with them and look forward to growing it in the future.
To all these people and the many others who have been supportive so far, I can’t begin to tell you what it has meant. This journey is just beginning but it has been one hell of a ride so far!
