Doing a Double Take
David Gow's message: From humble beginnings, our company has grown up
Apr 1, 2019, 12:06 pm
Gow Media
Last week the son of a good friend came up to our office. It had been a couple of years since I had seen him, so I still envisioned that he would be an 18-year-old high-school kid. But when he walked in the room, I did a double-take, as he was now a mature young man. The kid had grown up, and he was standing before me ready to talk business.
In some ways, the story illustrates Gow Media. Sometimes I come across people who will ask me: "How is 1560-The-Game doing?" We are not that young kid anymore. We have matured from a sports radio venture to a multi-platform media company. And we too stand before you ready to talk business.
Here's my update, with the following highlights:
- ESPN 97.5 FM: Dominant sports ratings.
- CultureMap: A large wave of growth.
- SportsMap: New content and record traffic.
- SB Nation Radio: Elimination of a competitor.
- The Team: New faces in leadership roles.
ESPN 97.5
A year ago, we secured the No. 1 sports ratings position. This past quarter, we dominated. In the latest Nielsen book, we have the top four sports shows in the city, and five of the top six. The top four: (No. 1) John and Lance; (No. 2) The Blitz; (No. 3) The Usual Suspects; and (No. 4) The Charlie Pallilo Show. In morning and afternoon drive times, our ratings share was higher than our two competitors combined. And more good news: this quarter the Houston Press announced "The Best Radio Station" in Houston. The winner: ESPN 97.5FM.
CultureMap
Last week, more than 1,000 people in Houston turned out for our Tastemakers event, which sold out for the second year in a row. It is an amazing sight to see hundreds of folks line up early at the door. The turnout embodied the growth of Culturemap.com, where online traffic is soaring. Our Houston editorial team of Steven Devadanam, Eric Sandler, Ken Hoffman and others is on a roll. For that matter, the same is true of our teams statewide. We are experiencing double-digit growth year-over-year, yielding a very large and loyal following.
SportsMap
Our deep pool of sports experts has led to record traffic levels. One fun feature: we get to try new combinations such as videos featuring Raheel with AJ and Granato; Lance paired with AJ; Faour and Pallilo. Other must-see videos include Charlie Pallilo and Joel Blank (aka "one-take-Jake"). And we continue to get great written contributions from Barry Laminack, Joshua Jordan, Jermaine Every, Cody Stoots, Jerry Bo and, of course, SportsMap editor Fred Faour.
InnovationMap
Due to the collective efforts of many, Houston is experiencing a great wave of innovation. And now the city has a media outlet to tell the stories. Launched late last year, and backed by blue-chip sponsors, InnovationMap is off to a great start.
When we were planning the site, we were continually asked: who would be the editor? We found a good answer: Natalie Harms, whose fingerprints are all over the site. Last week Natalie was honored by AAF Houston, given the "Rising Star" award.
SB Nation Radio
In this business where we provide sports shows and updates for other stations across the country, we have faced a very competitive landscape the past four years. Finally, in January one of our competitors, NBC Sports Radio, withdrew from the market — enabling new growth and increasing our reach. Our SB Nation Radio Network is now heard on 600 radio stations across the country.
The Team
This has been an exciting season of growth for our people also.In the past quarter, we promoted Josh Jordan to assistant editor of SportsMap; Tyler Scott became assistant programming director. And, most notably, we tapped AJ Hoffman to become program director for 97.5 FM.
Most everyone knows Fred and AJ as leading show hosts, but they are proving to be far more. As Editor of SportsMap for the past 18 months, Fred has been a catalyst for our growth and success online. With AJ, we are tapping into his natural programming instincts and leadership. I have enjoyed watching their talents extend beyond the show and into management.
Let's give sage Ken Hoffman the last word. Some may recall that Ken was with us for a short while in the early 1560-The-Game days. Two years ago he returned to write for CultureMap -- so he has some perspective, having seen both our youth and maturity. The other day he wandered into my office. Looking at Gow Media, it appears Ken had done a double-take. He declared: "I have something to tell you. You have the best group of people and talent now. You really do. This is different than before. You are a real grown-up company now."
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The Astros didn’t get the sweep, but they did get something they desperately needed, a series win and a few signs that this offense might be coming to life at just the right time.
Carlos Correa continues to make a strong case that Houston was the right move. He’s slashing .346/.393/.538 with a .931 OPS through his first six games back in an Astros uniform. Correa looks comfortable again, and the lineup around him is starting to benefit.
Jesús Sánchez has been a revelation as well. His top-end bat speed has always been intriguing, and now it seems the Astros are beginning to unlock it. Astros GM Dana Brown loves the upside, and with two more years of control after this one, Houston is optimistic about what Sánchez can become. He's made a strong early impression.
Even though Spencer Arrighetti’s line in the finale (3.2 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 5 K) wasn't pretty, there were encouraging signs in his return from the IL. He got plenty of swings and misses, and some of the damage came on infield hits. The hope is that with a little more sharpness and a little less bad luck, Arrighetti can turn outings like this into something far more productive.
Any word on Yordan?
All of this comes as the Astros wait on Yordan Alvarez. The lineup already looks much deeper with Correa, Sánchez, Yainer Díaz and Christian Walker trending up. Yordan and Jake Meyers could push this group into another gear. But for now, Yordan still hasn’t faced live pitching, so the wait continues.
The Astros chose not to address pitching at the deadline, putting their bet on internal reinforcements. That approach is about to be tested. Cristian Javier is nearing his return and could be back after one more rehab start, or even sooner. Lance McCullers is expected to throw a bullpen and make a rehab start before returning. Luis Garcia and J.P. France aren’t far off, either. But all will come back on pitch limits, so the bullpen will be stretched.
Vintage Javier
One thing working in Javier’s favor is his velocity. It’s back to the level he had during his most successful stretches. However, command remains a major concern. He’s issued 10 walks over just 9.2 innings in his three starts for Sugar Land.
In his best season - 2022 - Javier's average fastball velocity was 93.8 mph. It fell to 92.7 in 2023 and then 91.7 in 2024 (obviously due to injury). Getting to 93.8 is a great sign. https://t.co/OhHTlP2NtH
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) August 6, 2025
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This weekend’s showdown in the Bronx carries major weight for the Astros, with the Mariners closing in fast and a red-hot Red Sox team waiting for them back home on Monday.
The rotation thins out quickly after Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, who are lined up to pitch Friday and Saturday. The Astros can’t afford to waste starts from their top two right now. Not while waiting on everyone else to get right. The offense will need to do its part, and there’s reason to believe it can. Over the last 30 days, Yainer Díaz (.304/.317/.519, 4 HR) and Christian Walker (.253/.326/.458, 4 HR) are both hitting at, or above their career norms.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are reeling. Their playoff position is slipping. Their confidence is shaken. And now here comes Houston. Winners of the three biggest October series between these two teams over the last decade.
Altuve and Correa. Brown and Valdez. The Bronx in August. The stage is set.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!
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