Two decades after escaping pro sports, Maroon joins our 25th Anniversary with survival tales

Longtime local public relations insider John Maroon joins original WNST producer Andy Mueller at WNST at Drug City on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour to discuss a quarter of a century of changes in the Baltimore sports media landscape. And how to survive Dan Snyder and Peter Angelos in the next century.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

day, week, years, orioles, talk, jets, team, mike nolan, game, won, feel, baltimore, pr, thrown, nfl, coming, love, long, ravens, lose

SPEAKERS

Nestor Aparicio, John Maroon, Andy Mueller

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

What about w n s t tassel? Baltimore? Baltimore positive we are in Dundalk doing the Maryland crab cake tour I will have a crab cake for it’s all over with I had the crab Imperial yesterday and it cost us I felt like a king show brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I Andy got number 21 I got number 22 here for Jim Palmer and number 20 right here for Frank Robinson. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery. We’re gonna be doing the crab cake tour next week on Wednesday up in Greenmount station in Hampstead really looking forward to that. Got some great guests coming out as well. And we’re going to be Pappas in Glen Burnie on the 29th and Rondo county executive Steuart Pittman, we’re also going to be joined by Johnny Oh today to celebrate 25 years of wn St. It’s all brought to you by our friends at window nation and soon to be curio, this is what I wanted to talk to you about our 25th anniversary. So, you know at this point in my life, I mean, I’ve already admitted you know, Steve Hennessy was a part of the beginning of this is Debbie Hi, polka palki whole bunch of people. Cool ball was in the b I’ve all these pictures. Ray still very much in my life. Ray Bachman was supposed to join me at the Beaumont two weeks ago. He blew his knee out. He’s in Aruba this week. So I’m gonna get Ray out and we’re going to like like with you and Ray would it be great Am

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01:11

I just saw red and three concert?

Nestor Aparicio  01:14

Yeah, how many commies that night? We’ll talk. I’ll ask him when he comes. So he saw me Cheap Trick last year. I love Ray. I’m trying to get ready Guns and Roses next week up in Hershey. He says he has to pee too often to go to Hershey you

01:29

know he’s coming up kicks in September right John Allen yesterday for an ad hoc in a way to show right yeah, I’m gonna be there for sure. I’m definitely gonna be at the kick show. In September your kicks go. Oh, you bet. Oh, yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  01:40

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I know this upstate New York guy. Do you know me?

01:43

Oh my god. Yeah, I was you know, it’s an ad here though. Well, I didn’t grow up. I didn’t like to close your eyes. Of course. I knew I knew the first album you know heart ache and atomic bombs. And I mean, I really

Nestor Aparicio  01:55

know them as a local guy. And I know I think of them as being like ours. Yeah, like ocean and they are ocean cities. Ours and then the Pittsburgh people started showing up you don’t I mean, like, the Kitces hours and but they’re not I mean, if my wife knows Don’t close your eyes growing up and doing all

02:12

my my wife will tell you. That’s all I listened to. That’s all I listen to at home. I’ve got you know, I’m like celebrating 40 year old albums this week. I’m listening to you know why Auntie’s mean streak. And summertime.

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Nestor Aparicio  02:24

John maroon is here. You know, I give you trouble about being five minutes tardy, but come on in. We’re, we are keeping good company here. I’m just turning this into like an old home. We Andy Muller is here. And he was my first executive producer along with Ray Bachman and Kurt cool ball. Lou these many years ago, 25 years ago. I think. See, I thought Andy was in my life in oxes. Sit up and have fun animate move to make yourself comfortable. I don’t want to hurt your back. See what Oh, I gotta get your microphone on. I gotta get your headset work. And John maroon is here a man who needs no introduction to anyone. You made it to trunk city.

John Maroon  03:03

This is the coolest place to go to drug city. I’m like, this is weird, but okay. Amazing. I love it. You know, shaken away. Oh, yeah. It’s happened. roadies gonna happen

Nestor Aparicio  03:15

to decide is 150 flavors to pick from someplace is really cool.

John Maroon  03:19

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If nobody’s anybody listened to hadn’t been there. I had not until this moment. And it’s really cool

Andy Mueller  03:25

to check out this room. We’re in Yeah, tasting the tasting room with all the Bourbons on the wall. Yeah, this

Nestor Aparicio  03:29

thing behind you. It just looks like a ledge. It’s a trapdoor. It is. It’s strapped to John, of course. So you walk in. We just started a segment here. And this is a perfect timing, because we’re talking about like current things. And this 25th anniversary. Yeah, very cool. I thought he was in my life that day, the station open. And just just a few months later, he came later. And you were definitely in my life. You were the PR Director of the Oreos at that time, right? Yes. Summer of 9890 9595. Yeah. So you were very much like we had a big buffet in the basement that day. Bob Leffler. I mean, I remember

John Maroon  04:06

I remember it I feel in the house. I was

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Nestor Aparicio  04:08

there was a baseball season that might have been a tough day. I don’t know.

John Maroon  04:12

Maybe not that maybe not that actual day but that was there early on.

Nestor Aparicio  04:16

And that was the beginning of the end 98 Right like that was the beginning it was over

John Maroon  04:21

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well look you know it’s tough to take that team and run into the ground but you know, Ray did it but you know, the the oil we had such a great run 95 was cow 96 Nine several ALCS trips man and then hammy my blue so long story but you know, that was a that was a heck of a time to be with your eyes is now at?

Nestor Aparicio  04:41

Cayman. So yesterday it cost us I my wife took the day off. Thank you. Thank you my wife. Yeah, jet strong. She took the day off and she she made it to appear about me but it really was she’s I want to see Mr. Stadium. I want to see you and she wound up just like hanging out and I felt awful at the end of day because I’m talking to anybody except my guests. Right and I pee I come back. I turned the mic on. And we start doing this right. And Mr. Stadium and Lori and Jerry Piper came out and say a word to them. And Dennis my clients friends all and the only time I had was here, and when it all ended we put the boxes and brought him here to drug city. And we had shirts and gave stuff away hats free, the birds get nasty that old defense signs need to stop right spank the Yanks from Peter had his thrown off and 96 then he had his thrown off a club or Cleveland, we had to collaboratively so I had all the signs were given away. Simple way. I feel terrible. Like she’s like, Oh, I had the greatest day ever. I visited with everybody. And so Ed Lauer shows up and Ristic showed up without telling me they were coming. And Ed Lauer brings this thing and he gives, it’s 97, wired, wired, wired. So that’s why I wanted to pull this out. And he’s like, just read it, it wants to spire you for what’s going on right now. So you know, in the current events and things Crazy, I know, you’re gonna want to look through that 25th anniversary of us doing this and how much media has changed and the world changed and all that. And the current events that we could be sitting your drug city in 2023 all alive and healthy wives are good every you know, team still here that have a lease, by the way. I think it’s why they didn’t get seats, because roms at least. But both of these teams are at a point where in 1998, we would have the the Ravens were joke at that point, right? Like they were Ted’s coach and the team Brian’s coming in, they’re wearing purple Barney uniforms. They’re the browns. The Orioles are on the back end of all this money and Peter and the strikes over with cow still here and we have all this money and Washington’s never gonna get a team, right. Never gonna get a B

06:39

I moved at the wrong time. I really did from an oils perspective. I mean, that’s when I show up the town and 99 and it shows

John Maroon  06:44

missed it. Yes. Missed it. Yeah,

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Nestor Aparicio  06:46

well, but I would say right now you just arrived for it. Wow. Where we are right now, when I walked the streets, despite the fact that both of these franchises have thrown me out. And we will get to that and they allow my Caucasian reporter access. And next Thursday, we have to pick one because they won’t let me in the other one. But the notion that if you’re arriving right now, if I don’t say young reporter because if you’re there are no reporters, you’re either intimidated and work for the team or they throw you out. But if you’re a person arriving a young Andy a young John as a erstwhile PR director or want to be media guy when you arrive in Baltimore,

John Maroon  07:24

right? Hi, man,

Nestor Aparicio  07:25

are you this these next couple of five years? I mean, it’s a good time for me to be in sports radio.

John Maroon  07:31

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It’s just a good time to be a Baltimorean you know, I mean, I’ve I look back on my days with the Orleans mid 90s And they were hugely exciting but for different reasons. Right? They were we had the legend and the anchor like with a cow but we also were spending tons of money right bringing in Robbie Alomar Randy Meyers, BJ surhoff fair trade deadline. Jimmy key all these huge veteran names so it was hugely exciting. Because we’re like the Yankees, we’re gonna step on your neck and we did and it was amazing. It’s so much fun the place was rocking. Now, I think it’s just as exciting but a little bit differently. This guy comes in from Houston is another guy just gonna try it? Does he really know what he’s doing? This farm system is insane. Every kid that comes up is electric. They all seem like kind of good kids. They play with a fire in their belly. They’re crazy talented. This catch Adly might be the best catcher in oral history. And you know you’re projecting out but I mean there’s if you’re not excited for the Orioles and now camp starts and you got the Ravens Lamar is locked in. They’re looking good. I mean, and it’s a good year, you know, their division is gonna be you know, tough with Cincy as always, but you know, it’s just a great time to be a Baltimore sports fan. It just is.

Nestor Aparicio  08:47

I read these clips from 25 years ago and I’m sharing them and I have a little constantly area group. Joe Enoch formally Enoch office has been my friend forever. Towson transfers and Greg Landry who videoed my wedding. His father in law was Harvey from the Emerald tavern. So these are people that have listened to all 25 years, Bill Cole, who was an intern for Bob Haney on Sunday mornings with Bob at his basketball show. I didn’t even know this about Bill, Bill Cole roofing. So the three of them I hit him about a month ago, I said 25 years into this, like, what’s our legacy and doing all of this? What have we really done? And they’re like, Well, I mean, march 12,000 people up the street for the Superbowl, you create a whiskey Joe’s you let a walk out on the owner then you you partner with the Super Bowl winning, you got some stuff, you did some stuff. And then I started thinking about the signs and the road trips and the live shows and like all of this stuff, but free the birds. I don’t know that it’s number one because I’m going to do a countdown. We’re going to every week we’re going to do the wn S T 25 stories of glory. Every week. On a Wednesday I’m going to release what number 25 Number 24 leading to the Super Bowl that the NFL is throwing me out of after 27 years. So I’m doing this once a week and there’s going to be a feat Sure thing, but free the birds for me. I’m so validated and vindicated in my own jerk way nasty Nester way. 25 years later, that the reason I did free the birds was this is what the Orioles were supposed to be. This was what was promised to you when you moved here. This is what was promised to you when you took the job before Davey was here and Phil Regan came over that there an institution Camden Yards is important. The community is important selling tickets and selling crabcakes at Phillips all of that was important to what the Orioles needed to be. That’s why we built the state and that’s why we’re gonna give him $600 million to stick around, and all of that, but it’s supposed to be a daily awesome roller coaster. That’s what baseball seasons. You’re Yankee fan dude. Like you both were Yankee guys, right? You were

John Maroon  10:49

you were I grew up as a Yankee fan, you guys.

Nestor Aparicio  10:52

If you’re a Yankee fan, or even a Red Sox fan or a Cardinals fan, you’ve been engaged with this summer thing where you play 160, hopefully meaningful games, but at least our first 120 means something unless you fall apart. And if you’re the padres, but they’re trying right. I mean, in the way that the Orioles tried 9899. And there’s this point where free the birds for me 17 years later, they still only won one playoff series in 17 years. And now the stadiums full, were vibrant. Everybody’s into the games every night. I’m like, This is what I fought for. This is what baseball is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be this model you want you want to lose, you have to be in first place to have fun. But you have to believe that you have to believe in Michael I

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John Maroon  11:39

think as fans and working there or being in media, you want to see that there’s a plan right and that there’s actually a system in place is people in charge that know what they’re doing? And you might you’re sure we’re all gonna have ebbs and flows. But I think with the oil going back to the Orioles, it’s so evident to see this now and you know, just kind of see these young kids a farm systems deep, you know, the what they built up in Latin America’s deep. Now they’re not afraid to go out and try to spend a little bit as well and hopefully lock some guys up when the time comes. But yeah, I think you’re right. It’s all I think sports is based on hope, right? And we just want to be able to have hope and hope it springs from our passion, being able to look at our clubs and say they have a plan. They know what they’re doing. We might lose more humans or we might have injury issues. But as long as we know that there’s a plan in place and leadership at the top. We’re in maybe

Nestor Aparicio  12:36

well, that’s part of the Ravens where they have this belief. Yep. Right. I mean, even into caster even though he hasn’t won, he was part of this thing and part of this culture of winning, and Shawn knows how to win. And Lamar has won. So, and Odell Beckham has I mean, there’s some pedigree here to say that ro Quan Smith is the next guy and

John Maroon  12:56

all. I love that, by the way, that was amazing move. Well,

Nestor Aparicio  12:59

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and that speaks to trading deadlines. And that speaks to Michael eyes saying all right, you know, maybe this isn’t our year to spend $20 million on Verlander who wasn’t coming or Scherzer and picking up tabs with the Mets problems. I’m okay with the flirty thing and I was okay with it. Before we pitch I would have preferred a bigger I would have preferred seats. But I don’t want to give holiday up right now. We’re doing real sports radio, right? Yeah. This is what was missing, though, for all of those years, which created free the birds eight years after the team went into I love

John Maroon  13:31

it. I think the tough thing for the GM like for Eric and Mike right and everybody else around the league is that you’re dealing with passionate fans who want like we’re close we can do it go out spends bank give give, they have to say okay, timeout, what do we got to give up? What’s the ramifications? Not now but next year, the year after the after that who’s coming up who’s going to be entering arbitration, you’ll all these things are factoring into their mind. So, again, I think if you go back and you say, Mike allies knows what the hell he’s doing, okay, we didn’t make a huge splash at the trade deadline. Michaelides knows what he’s doing. We’re still going to be in the postseason, we got a chance. And this is a longer term play, which I think is hugely exciting. Well, you may

Nestor Aparicio  14:13

not have believed that 53 weeks ago, three weeks ago, they’re dealing Manzini off, they’re dealing Lopez off you’re like What the hell is a Cano? Right now we’re saying what’s the Fuji? I mean, he’s hitting guys with the bases loaded. I mean, like, and then Flaherty comes out. It’s day to day and Yes, Paul, we’re in football. It’s Sunday to Sunday. You know, Lamar throws to pick against the Giants. He socks for six days. And then he left and right and runs for 100 yards and he’s a genius next week. Right. That’s the ups and downs of Brett Brandon Hyde is now criticized widely on the internet. Isn’t that wonderful? I haven’t heard a thing about a relief pitcher here in 15 years. Yeah, right. You know, since Buck since left Britain on the bench, I haven’t heard anything about all the bullpen. He left him in too long. And this innings thing We’re hearing about younger players and younger pitchers. I mean, it’s very, very real. It’s an institutional thing now that pisses on and if Flanagan were alive, he any of those guys would have that era. But we’re looking at the younger pitchers and saying, All right, who’s gonna pitch the innings in October? We need them when you have Bradish out there throwing 200 innings winner. He hasn’t thrown 150 Right.

John Maroon  15:21

Yeah, Bill, but honestly good discussions to have, right. Like, to last few years. It’s like, Yeah, whatever. Can we win a few games? You know, now it’s this. It’s this kind of thing. And yeah, I think it’s just great fun. A baseball summer is so much better in Baltimore when the weeks are competitive. And in the thick of it like, this was such a surprise. It’s your point. You’re right. 53 weeks ago, we didn’t know if this team was good. We thought Yeah, we have few good all that young kid looks pretty special. But the way it’s coming together so quickly, the way they’ve they play and just the energy they bring I just, it’s really cool, man.

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Nestor Aparicio  15:57

I don’t miss it at all though,

John Maroon  15:58

right? Being a part of it working in but no, I don’t miss it. When they

Nestor Aparicio  16:01

start winning like this. You don’t think oh, I’d like to put my hat back.

John Maroon  16:05

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About working and working for a sports team. Day to day is a younger person’s gig. I think there are some old horses that do it for careers. God bless him. I like my life. I like being a fan side of things. It was great. I was incredibly fortunate.

Nestor Aparicio  16:20

Did you want to leave? Yeah, yeah,

John Maroon  16:23

well the opportunity came up I need to start making a little bit more money right here so you know married for a few years and the time was like in my mid 30s And you know the opportunity came up I always love the NFL to work in the NFL and went down work for the then Redskins with the van owner. And didn’t you know fully maybe you were there. Oh yeah.

Nestor Aparicio  16:45

Well putting the Snyder great guest John, maroon

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John Maroon  16:49

bounty of my oh my god. So but but I mean, I’ll tell you the the thing that struck me about the NFL and MLB from a working in the sport perspective, working in baseball was a grind man, like every day is a game. You’re at the office or at the ballpark or I made most of the road trips. So you’re on a road trip with the team. Love it young person’s gig, but it was a grind. The NFL was awesome. From a working perspective. You know, Harvey Green was at the dolphins he was with the Yankees. He called me he’s like, Ah, you’re gonna love it. It’s like semi retirement. One game a week. And you wrote one night road trips. It was really great that way. The thing that struck me you just alluded to it was the the importance of every game. Like in baseball, you lose a few in a row. You like that, okay? Like the guys will figure it out. In football, you lose three in a row you season’s over. It’s a 10 game losing it’s crazy, right? It’s crazy. And that struck me because the intensity of the coaching staff and the player around each game so different. After you lose or

Nestor Aparicio  17:52

lose a baseball game, you go into locker room, guys are a little pissed, especially if it’s a close game. But you know, nobody’s kicking their dog. They’re gonna go get a beer they want to get out to their wives or kids, you can get some rest go out and if you’re in Toronto, find something to eat. Tomorrow. Yeah, go get him tomorrow. That’s different in September and October, you start to feel the sphincter get a little tighter, you know, around all of that in a pennant race and it will here it will here can’t wait. Right. I mean, we haven’t had that a long time. But football man, you know, you lose a football game in Pittsburgh. It’s it’s solemn guys are bloody beaten up to say they, you know, eaten oranges walking out of the locker room. And then the whole week, everybody’s kind of you just walk in the building. And you know, whether they won or lost

John Maroon  18:35

in football and football, it was striking to me as a as a young guy who never worked in football before. And did like after a loss, especially when I was worked there. And after a Dallas loss. It was like a Pittsburgh loss. Yeah. And it was like, whoa,

Nestor Aparicio  18:49

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what was the error? You were there with Mike Nolan? Was that your error? Yes. So that was the ice cream on the desk. Yeah. Part of that went

John Maroon  18:54

completely part of that. I can tell you the whole backstory of that one.

Nestor Aparicio  18:59

Mike Nolan did it over tequila one night in San Francisco.

John Maroon  19:02

One of my favorite human beings, quality guy like none other and we’re going on that. Well. I’ll tell you that whole coaching stuff. I really really liked it like Terry, like North. North was quirky and funny. North Turner was a head coach. He’s quirky Jerry Rybicki. Yeah. Okay. And, and I just really enjoyed all of them. And they were great people and their wives were lovely. And you know, that year period, they won the NFC East. I got lucky there too. They won the NFC. It was good the one year or the other one. I think it was It wasn’t like a dominant 12 and four, it was like 11 or 10 and six, but they won the NFC East one the first playoff game against Detroit and lose lost the Tampa and trying to get to the NFC title game. But oh, ice cream thing was just a really weak, weak ass gesture by Schneider and, you know, one of some journalists you know the story you know, that said I don’t know the start now. So it was was you were there what years? One the season, I wouldn’t be 19 In 2000, okay, okay, right. So

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Nestor Aparicio  20:01

that was Snyder’s first year. Correct. You were his first PR.

John Maroon  20:04

I was his third PR person, but I was first year like the Trump administration.

Nestor Aparicio  20:09

I was a third. I was you weren’t a Sean Spicer but you kind of hung in there a little longer than that. Yeah. I

John Maroon  20:14

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did a full season. You did

20:16

a 12. I was covering the when Gibbs came back at Comcast. Sportsnet. Yeah, that pre I was. Chris. He line took over. Yeah. One of my favorite guys. Yeah. He hired me at Comcast. And he ended up a good gibbs racing. He’s like gibbs racing. Yeah, he’s North Carolina.

John Maroon  20:31

He’s a great dude. Great.

Nestor Aparicio  20:33

Sports, PR, you left Angelo’s to go to Schneider. And you’re like, I’m gonna go with cow. That’s it?

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John Maroon  20:36

Well, you know, it’s funny. People say to me, what about Angela Schneider from working perspective? I always say don’t compare the two like, I never, you know, Mr. Angelo’s would never like call me up and go like, we’re gonna get rid of this person. We’re gonna do this. You gotta shut this. Started. We do it every day. Schneider was like a different kind of guy. He created a very hostile working environment. It was very unhealthy place to be, but apparently never got much better. Never got much better, apparently. But he but the coaching staff was awesome. And Mike Nolan was a defensive coordinator. And one day some calmness wrote that the defense was vanilla. You know, it wasn’t very exciting. They weren’t blitzing. They weren’t doing package or whatever. And Snyder thought it was funny to leave like, five gallons of vanilla ice cream melting on his desk, and then make sure all the beat writers knew about it. So then Mike had to go out and address it, right. And he’s such a class act, that he

Nestor Aparicio  21:35

acted like it was a sense of humor thing, right? And he just kind of fluffed it off like, hey,

John Maroon  21:38

you know, I get it. We need to spice things up. But you know, interesting side note, I just didn’t my job. And I said, Mike, you know, you want to talk to these guys. They’re asking for you about this ridiculous stunt, the owner pulled and he said, Yeah, let’s, I want to talk to him. Let’s go talk to him. So we went out, he and I went out, we got surrounded by the reporters, and he answered all the questions. And then I wrapped it up. And you know, so didn’t go down a rabbit hole too far. And we we parted ways. And he came back to my office today. He just want to thank you for being there with me during this. I said, What do you mean? Like that’s what we’re supposed to do. And he was while you were there. You worked for him? Yeah, I didn’t think about that. You weren’t for sure. I

Nestor Aparicio  22:18

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think about that every so

John Maroon  22:19

I’ve stood with them. I prepped him. And I ended it so it didn’t get too much. So Mike couldn’t get himself into too much trouble with too many questions. But Mike Nolan was just that guy. And it was to him. You felt like you had his back. That’s yeah, it was nice. Now that you mentioned that. And he really thought about that. He’s probably thinking you’re a Schneider.

Nestor Aparicio  22:36

There’s nobody else that could ever stay. Well, you didn’t stay boy there. You couldn’t have stayed employed there. Now taking the side and like no more than that, that debate everything. Literally, that just would never happen.

John Maroon  22:47

Everyone asked me if I got fired, because you know, last year, and I said no, but I’m sure I would have just beat him to the punch. Right. It was fun. Now, I’ll tell you what the last the last day of my job was the day after the end of it. So the NFL Draft, they had the first few picks. They picked Chris Samuels, and levar Arrington in November. So I got to go up to New York and dance plane. Pick up the guys bring them back. Right the fedexfield The fans were going great. It was actually quite nice. It was really happy for these young guys. And, and it was a big celebration through the video scraping forest. Personality Samuel seemed like a nice kid. And then the next day I was gone. But I was like, oh, man, we got fired. I’m like, I would admit, if I got fired, we all get fired. Right? And but I didn’t, but I know I would have if I didn’t get the hell out of there. You know, so

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Nestor Aparicio  23:37

well. I mean, I guess all these years later with Schneider, it peels back the onion. I mean, you were the first of another dozen PR countless we should remind me Tony Wiley was a guy I knew for a long, long time.

John Maroon  23:49

And Tony lasted the longest there’s a credibility

Nestor Aparicio  23:52

issue for humans that bring this forward. And I’m not gonna let the chat steel thing go because like, what’s been done to my company, my business intimidated by a billionaire. After doing this for 30 years, the NFL was told I’m no longer a media member. I have an employee now that has to pick whether he’s going to cover the Oriole Astro game next Thursday, or cover ravens camp because maybe I could send Andy I don’t you know, I don’t know who they’ll let him or not. But the owners really, they own the media. Now there there is no media left anymore. If you’re in there you work at their pleasure or you’re not in anymore. And the partnerships that have evolved where there’s billions of dollars now for their partners they they wanted to and he was talking before you got here about how he wait for Brian Billick on 1999 and Brian would come over and do five or 10 minutes with him the chance thought that Lamar Jackson would ever speak to me one on one without chats deal being right next to Ben Lamar doesn’t have an agent. So a lot of that’s agent play too because an agent will say well, I want my guy On your show to promote a charity event, right? I mean you you had some baseball players at points where you were promoting their off the bucket offseason charity stuff for the heart for the lung, lung longevity in Monica and on like, I would be happy to promote all of that. But the PR people, the the the agents, and then the team PR people, you know, the days of me having team quarterbacks on at the bar, and that’s just me or anybody like me, that’s just over well,

25:29

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how much is PR a content job? Now? The web, you need content and content on your team website? Right? Yeah. So it’s more about generating content and generating money from the content than it is

Nestor Aparicio  25:40

quarterback talking to Ryan mink, and they pretend that so we’re Praeger, they do the lounge, and they pretend that’s the barn show on Radio, and then they do the partner, and EAL and well, but And that’s that. I mean, that’s that’s sports mediate this will look,

John Maroon  25:54

I’ll push back on you guys a little bit. I mean, I think certainly teams own their stuff, and they own their content. And that’s the evolution of technology. Right. And so I think it’d be foolish for teams to not say we can now tell our own story the way we want to tell a good example, I’m in a long suffering New York Jets fan sufferings coming to an end. And they have a chip

Nestor Aparicio  26:17

on their website, because they have hope, like all 32 teams, that’s what they’re selling this week. Their rounds in the Jets. Were both selling hope. I’ll give you a nickel. Neither one. I’ll make the playoffs right now. Yeah. And you know what, I can bet on it now and it’s legal. And I could talk to you about and we’re and

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John Maroon  26:32

we will. We will bet on that. But But I mean, my point. So they have they have a documentary team and one about jammies. They do a thing called one jets drive. And every week they have a show. And it’s they’re going up against hard knocks, and they’re still going to do it. But my point is soon to reality shows they are okay. Just making sure they didn’t want hard knocks the NFL made them do it. But anyway, I think the point is that teams now have ways to reach their fans they didn’t have when I worked for sports teams. And when you got well, when you covered sports teams. It’s just a different way. So they’d be foolish to not utilize that. I will I don’t know enough about the landscape. I haven’t worked for a team and for ever, right? Like, let’s keep it in perspective, I realize I work for a team was before the turn of the century. Right? So

Nestor Aparicio  27:23

I love saying that. Yeah. Long enough, the

John Maroon  27:27

turn of the century turn of the century was less. So the world certainly changed, that’s for sure. But you know, from a guy who owns a public relations firm, I still work hard to earn the media stories to earn their trust, to build relationships to tell stories through them because it says third party credibility that I my clients still value and I still value so I think it’s important to have media relations, I still think it’s really vital for what I’m doing. As I can’t speak intelligently on like, how it works with the club. I will tell you, and again, we’re all shaped by our experiences and how people treat us and how we are these two local teams have been very good to me and my staff and they they allow us the you know, access we need when we do things we work with OJ Braganza, the Brigantes, Shoah Foundation amazing man and his lovely wife Chanda. So you know, when there’s some in deeds for that and the Boys and Girls Club want to bring kids out to training camp or to throw out the first pitch. They’re really good to me. We’re all shaped by our experiences. Those are my experiences as for how a team works down so I feel like a frickin dinosaur because I’ve been out of the game so long I don’t even know I’m I’m trying to get media attention for a hospital and a nonprofit and a tech company as much as I am for anything really.

Nestor Aparicio  28:49

8

The sports teams don’t need the banner or the sun or channel to you cover that because that’s to your point you want that threat you want Jamie Costello or me already bad right out asking the that’s whatever we want about a hospital because that we expect them to be transparent we go in and they take scalpels and cut us open we we want them to like I will

John Maroon  29:11

agree with you I agree that you made that’s a valid point. So I think the need they still need relationships with these newsgathering agencies but the need for it to be as this is far less than it used to be right now it could be this because we have our own ways of talking to our fans through social media through documentaries through TV shows through content creation so I’m not see my jets phone fella you

Nestor Aparicio  29:36

just from JTS jets. Jama rudess here he went wire to wire in nyna. Douglas so I’m not gonna you know what I mean? Like so and I’m not even anti you’re on this Rogers thing you’re he’s gonna He’s gonna be your say he’s gonna be your name. If

John Maroon  29:51

Yeah, well, there’s no reason to think he won’t be right. I mean, why do you think he won’t be the easiest be bad for that football all of a sudden He was last year he played with a broken thumb and he better season than the Jets quarterbacks had 15 years. Maybe the shrooms helped.

8

30:08

I’m just saying I was rooting for Flacco last year just because I like Joe But Joe couldn’t play oh yeah Joe’s

Nestor Aparicio  30:13

chose me last week Joe said he’s waiting on a call they might not get you know

John Maroon  30:17

he got it and you know we might you never know it goes down to training camp for a backup right but I mean, Aaron just feels like he’s got a lot of energy he feels very reborn there he’s got he’s been he seems all indications I follow this very

Nestor Aparicio  30:31

8

well the chip on your shoulder part of a guy that’s that decorated cowl handle that the everybody has it at the everybody wants to I have a 25 years and people pissed on me and threw me out. Watch me. Watch me. Sinead O’Connor. I’m I’m a sea dog.

John Maroon  30:45

You don’t want to bury me? Sinead O’Connor.

Nestor Aparicio  30:48

See you don’t want to hear you did well, but that’s your Rogers. They’re buried.

John Maroon  30:52

I just think Well, I

8

Nestor Aparicio  30:54

think John Harbaugh thinks that way every day. Lamar thinks that’s how they all think.

John Maroon  30:58

Yeah, I just I would be shocked to see the jets to me if you watch them last year, and I watch every game because I love them and they’re my team and you’re born into it. And you know, that’s how it is. The ravens are my second favorite team. we root for them hard as long as they’re not playing the Jets. And but in watch him last year, people were like, why are we talking about the jets that are watching us Sorry, folks, bear with me. They were really a quarterback away. Their defense was number four. They have the offensive and defensive rookies of the year in the NFL. They have running backs and receivers, they have a tight end room. They need to bolster the O line a little bit and they need a quarterback desperately because the pick didn’t work out at least the date so adding Rodgers in theory should get them now you could also watch the AFC East is a beast every team except

Nestor Aparicio  31:49

going down there things are still

John Maroon  31:54

8

pretty decent, like dolphins have reason for optimism. Especially if two can ever stay on the field. But bills are the bills. I think the Patriots are gonna suck. I don’t care how many people’s are still Bella check like they should win five games.

Nestor Aparicio  32:06

But I didn’t win seven because of elegent Yeah, that’s right. Yeah, I think

John Maroon  32:13

to me, but you know, we’ll see. We’ll know what jets talk folks. I’m sorry.

Nestor Aparicio  32:17

John Maroochy. We’ll take a break and you stay a little while are you? Sure All right. Sandwiches and milkshakes. Okay. Liquor here. We’re truck city. sign on the wall says so it’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. It’s our 50th anniversary. The 50th anniversary that they did inspired me to like I’m gonna make a BSD out on March 25. We decided to do here. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery your friends at the window nation 866 90 nation with the summer offer and I’m celebrating the one year anniversary of our windows this week as well. Our friends Acurio are going to be presenting the top 25 stories of glory at wn St. We’re going to release one a week for the next 25 weeks. In the meantime, next week we are in Greenmount station in Hampstead up north eating a delicious crab cake with Chris and the folks up there. That’s on Wednesday. And then we’re on the 29th where Pappas and Glen Burnie in the middle of the day with Anna Rhonda county executive Steuart Pittman. Johnny Oh will be joining us a little later on today. Johnny Ono’s worked on daucus I asked him this Johnny open, plays a politician from Dundalk. Of course he’s been the drug city. So we’re at the tasting room here at York City. We’re gonna continue on former Oriole PR guy reformed PR guy from sports, who now does the good work of the good people at the restaurant association by the way, Tom Pearson I did like an hour and a half I know he’d loved it. Yeah, he I didn’t realize he was so fill it up. He

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John Maroon  33:34

was a classic five golf Yeah, we

Nestor Aparicio  33:35

did cheese steaks. We did pretzel stick into the top of our roof of our mouth coming down 95 Gay, so classified as well. So John’s here and he’s here and he was our turn of the century producer only available because Reebok and blew his leg out. We’ll get right on later on. Alright. Stay with us. We’re celebrating Baltimore positive 25 years and talking sports in Baltimore.