An iconic piano rhythm in C# major starts every show at 3PM Monday through Friday on 104.9 FM in Autsin, TX. 22 seconds into the intro a skreetch of a plane taking off signals for drums and a higher key piano to hit simultaiouly. You can't help but nod your head. This happens almost every time you hear the song.
The instrumental for "Interlude" from Jay Z's The Black Album rolls on for a minute to get show hosts Rod Babers and Mike Hardge in the zone. Then Babers comes in with energy matching the beat introducing the show Ball Don't Lie on The Horn is the first all-black and all-former professional athlete drive time show in Austin's history.
104.9 The Horn in Austin is the home and authority of Texas Longhorns sports. Houston native Rod Babers first came to Austin as a cornerback for the Longhorns and has been a staple in Austin Sports radio for over a decade following a professional football career. Mike Hardge from not far north, in Killeen, Texas. He had committed to The University of Texas, but was taken in the second round of the 1990 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos and played 9 years in the minors. After hanging up their cleats, Babers and Hardge found themselves back in Austin, and with roots from the station on the other side of town, the two joined forces in February 2022 and bring an intelligent, relatable sports talk show to the many people trapped in Austin highway gridlock.
As a talk show host, Rod Babers particularly is among the most dedicated to watching film and it doesn't go unnotice from listeners or his new co-host.
"One of the things I will never, ever question is Rod's loyalty to the film study," Hardge says about his on-air partner. "He is diligent when it comes to that so when us fans listen to his deep dives it is great because 1. He is passionate about it, 2. Rod is giving you a lot of information you may not see initially and 3. He's not just getting you engaged to watch the game for your pure enjoyment, there's certain things you can pick up and you say 'you know what, I saw what Rod was talking about.'"
Rod knows sometimes his information can be dense and as a veteran of hosting a show on his own, he has learned many ways to tackle topics.
"You gotta spin it and it has to be a unique spin," Babers remarked on his balance of technical speak and keeping casual listeners. "When you get into the deep dives of technical stuff in whatever sport you're doing, it's fun for you, but it may not be fun for everyone else so find a way to spin it."
Pop culture references, real-life scenarios such as dating and marriage, history lessons, and more were highlighted by Rod as how he keeps his wide Austin fan base attentive.
While still bringing sharp takes of his own, Mike Hardge is a man who seems to know everyone in Austin in some way or another and knocks it out of the park reflecting this as his on-air personality.
"I'm that guy that's hanging out with his buddies at the bar talking about the game and seeing the things not as deep as Rod goes, but just having fun with the information Rod has given us."
The counterbalance between the two long-time friends has brought instant chemistry to the show. Avid sports fans looking for the best Longhorns, college football, NFL, NBA and MLB talk need to hear Ball Don't Lie. The perspective of former athletes who are passionate about what they do is unique to the central Texas airwaves and perfect a style already perfect by the original Austin sports radio former athlete, the late Sean Adams.
Babers and Hardge originally met through Adams in the late 2000s. Adams was an inspirational voice on radio and had a true joy for sports talk. When asked about his thoughts on being part of Austin's first all-black drive-time sports talk show, Babers was quick to remember Adams.
"He was proud about diversity in the workplace and all aspects of life. I think it is progressive and we've come a long way. I'll give props to ARN (Austin Radio Network). I don't even know if it is something they've thought about either. I think we were just trying to put the best group together that we could."
Sometimes in sports media, topics of race relations, social justice and divisive topics come up. Mike Harge was one of Sean Adam's closest friends and carries some of Sean's style into his own broadcasting.
"Sean Adams was someone who always brought words of wisdom and a message to what was going on with the perspective you could look at because he's been in those huddles. And that's one of those things we always try to portray to the audience. We've been in locker rooms where guys didn't like each other, but once we got into that locker room we were the same group of guys, fighting for a common goal and we have to have those tough conversations with each other."
Regardless of whether Rod and Mike are talking about sports or life, Rod has learned one thing that shines through on Ball Don't Lie.
"You gotta be able to read your listeners and don't be fake. You have to be your authentic self. If you want to be in radio a long time, it's exhausting being fake. It's much easier to just be yourself and then you have to let the chips fall where they may."
Less than three months in, Rod and Mike have let the chips fall where they may and found success as a must-listen for live radio and archived podcasts.
No comments:
Post a Comment