Looking at Jason Kelce’s hybrid on ESPN

I love Jason Kelce.

I don’t know any Philadelphian who doesn’t love Jason Kelce, the retired Philadelphia Eagles All- Pro center, and leader.

He knows football. He’s spent most of his life playing it.

I know show business. I have spent much of my life reporting on it, including stints as a theater critic and TV critic.

This brings me to the 1 a.m. Saturday debut of “They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce” on ESPN.

Which brings me to the First Rule of Show Business:

Leave the audience wanting more. 

Kelce is breaking that rule. No, he is shattering it.

Don’t misunderstand. I don’t begrudge him, and I am mindful of the First Rule of Business: Strike while the iron is hot. (Jason earned a marketing degree at the University of Cincinnati.)

Show Biz and Biz Biz are in conflict.

Popularity can fade over time. Overexposure will speed it.

Because of his popularity, advertisers flocked to Kelce like bears to honey. He does commercials for Campbell’s Soup, Old Spice, Bud Light, Nike, Pfizer, State Farm, MacDonald’s, and more.

The 37-year-old has a top-rated podcast with his brother, Travis, and Jason’s wife Kylie launched her own podcast which outranked Joe Rogan in its opening week. Jason last year joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”

I expect his daughters to sign with the Disney Channel next.

Without the football grind, I’m sure Jason is spending a lot more time with them, but his ever-expanding entertainment empire will affect them.

Already a millionaire, Jason doesn’t need the money. He is a natural exhibitionist who loves to entertain and who loves the attention. God love him.

He is the best-loved Philadelphia athlete of his generation, and perhaps ever.

In the current era, and by that I mean the sports era dominated by television, I can’t think of another athlete as popular. Many are or were extremely popular — Tug McGraw, Doctor J, Bobby Clarke, Dick Vermeil, Bryce Harper, Reggie White, Allen Iverson, Richie Asburn, Joe Frazier, Wilt Chamberlain.

(Mike Schmidt is not mentioned because while being perhaps the best Phillie ever, he was not popular.)

Most of the others on the list are there because of their play, plus their addytude. Kelce has all that plus a big, red bleeding heart for the city on his sleeve.

As to the show, the premiere was a bit wobbly and way too Phillycentric for a national audience, A brief reminder to Kelce — you love Philadelphia, but the rest of sports America does not. 

We are where Santa got booed, where J.D. Drew was a target for batteries, and where the Vet had a jail for unruly fans.

So, tone down the Philly references.

You love your wife (as does most of Philly) but having her as your announcer? That’s nepotism, she has her own show, so give the job to someone else. As to how you fire your wife, that’s your problem. 🙂

What you are trying to do is create a hybrid entertainment/sports show.

That’s hard because finding top-notch comedy writers is hard. The sketch with you talking to your childhood self, and your future self, was a  takeoff on “A Christmas Carol” and it worked fairly well.

The panel portion featured Charles Barkley — another very popular athlete, former Eagle Brian Baldinger, and a rapper I never heard of. Probably someone’s friend.

There was a smart discussion about whether the Eagles should play the other Barkley, Saquon, to chase Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

It interested Philly, but the rest of America? Doubtful.

Topics need to be broader.

Even though the show is carried by ESPN, I’d recommend more comedy and less sports.

Hell, even CNN has a comedy show.