Operation Schvitz: Mitch Rosen on Running Chicago Sports Radio | The Pat McGann Show Ep. 41

Taking a page out of Mitch Rosen’s book, this episode was posted at 3am. (But don’t worry, we scheduled it for 9:03am). The VP of Odyssey Sports and architect of 670 The Score joins Pat and Dwayne to talk about building one of the most iconic sports radio brands in the country. 

The origin story alone is worth it, a 12-year-old from Skokie writes a fan letter to an overnight DJ and ends up producing his show at WGN for $13,000 a year. From there, Mitch traces the unlikely chain of events that put the Cubs on The Score the same season they finally ended a 108-year drought, the hardest phone call he's ever made, and what "taking over Bulls broadcast rights mid-season" actually looks like in practice. 

The episode closes, naturally, at the Division Street Bathhouse: 200 degrees, communal, beloved by Chelios, Belushi, and old Russian men alike. Pat and Dwayne? TBD… 

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🎤 Co-Host: Dwayne Kennedy
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🎤 Guest: Mitch Rosen
Instagram: @mitchrosen670_

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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Kelley Thornton
PRODUCER - Paula Thornton
SHOWRUNNER - Tom Bambara
VIDEO AND AUDIO EDITOR - Madeline Curless
AUDIO ENGINEER - Tommy Grant
VIDEO PRODUCER - Eddie Perez
ORGANIC CONTENT MANAGER - George Moster

0:00 Intro & Welcome
4:38 Mitch's Take on Podcasts vs. Radio
6:18 XRT, The Score & Chicago Radio Legacy
8:49 Finding On-Air Talent at The Score
13:39 How Mitch Got Into Radio
15:32 Working Overnights at WGN with Eddie Schwartz
19:31 Producing for Kevin Matthews at The Loop
23:46 Odyssey Stations & The Score's Move to FM
27:37 The White Sox & Cubs Broadcasting Deals
32:34 How Sports Rights Agreements Work
33:43 Baseball on the Radio & Favorite Broadcasters
37:20 Leaving Radio & Returning to The Score
40:55 Mitch's Daily 4am Routine
42:49 Thoughts on Barstool Sports
44:01 South Side Chicago Food & Culture
47:38 Chicago Comedy Scene
55:35 The Division Street Bathhouse
58:43 Bears Stadium Situation
1:00:50 Radio in the Streaming & YouTube Era
1:04:05 Outro & Upcoming Guests