NEW LINEUP RELEASED

Gow Media announces new weekday lineup for ESPN 97.5 & 92.5 FM

The new shows start next Monday on ESPN 97.5, 92.5 FM. Photo via: Wiki Commons.

Gow Media today announced a new weekday lineup on its stations, ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM.

The new lineup will write the next chapter in the station's storied history. Starting on Monday, August 16th, Houston's independent voice for sports will showcase a new direction, featuring new voices, and new shows with an emphasis on covering the teams and storylines that Houston sports fans care about.

The all-local weekday lineup will continue to boast veteran hosts John Granato, Lance Zierlein, Charlie Pallilo and Joel Blank. New additions to the roster include Jeremy Branham, Jake Asman, Cody Stoots and Brad Kellner. The brand-new lineup is as follows:

7a-10a - The Bench with John Granato & Lance Zierlein

10a-12p - The Charlie Pallilo Show

12p-3p - The Killer B's with Joel Blank & Jeremy Branham

3p-7p - The Wheelhouse with Jake Asman, Cody Stoots & Brad Kellner

"We're thrilled about the new local lineup", said General Manager Todd Farquharson. "We've added some new voices to a lineup of proven all-stars. It's going to be great sports talk with a lot of fun."

Longtime station host Fred Faour will continue to be part of the on-air team, joining shows throughout the week in a new role as the station's sports betting analyst. The growth in sports gambling is undeniable and Fred's talent in that arena makes him the perfect fit. CEO David Gow said, "Fred has a deep connection with our listeners, and will continue to be an important part of our on-air team. He will also lead the development of a new online offering that we'll be launching soon."

The new hosts shared their thoughts:

Jeremy Branham - "Excited and grateful for the opportunity. I've been listening to sports radio in Houston since it was born in the 90's, so getting a chance to team up with Joel and talking to Houston every day is as good as it gets."

Jake Asman - "Houston has become my home for the last 3 years and I'm so excited for this opportunity to talk about the teams and storylines that fans in this city care about. From the Texans to the Astros, to the Rockets, to anything big nationally we are going to have you covered. I can't wait for the city to hear all the fun that we're going to bring every afternoon!"

Cody Stoots - "Excited would be an understatement. I'm thrilled with the opportunity we have in front of us at ESPN 97.5 and 92.5. Jake and Brad are going to be great partners. With football season here and an Astros playoff run on deck we can't wait to get started!"

Brad Kellner - "I am incredibly fired up to be a part of the new afternoon show at ESPN 97.5 and 92.5! The opportunity to join the top station in one of the best sports cities in America is a dream come true for me and I can't wait to get started. I'm especially looking forward to working with Jake and Cody to bring Houstonians the best sports radio experience available."

Weekday evenings on ESPN 97.5 & 92.5 FM will continue to feature Patrick Creighton's Late Hits and weekly show Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis.

About Gow Media

Gow Media, LLC is a large multi-platform media company founded in 2007 and based in Houston. The company's digital assets include CultureMap, the leading online destination for lifestyle content in five cities of Texas; SportsMap, the top sports site in Houston; InnovationMap, the voice for innovation in Houston; and AutomotiveMap, which covers news and industry trends in the automotive industry. The company also owns a Houston sports station, the popular ESPN 97.5 & 92.5 FM, and it owns one of the country's largest national sports radio networks, The SportsMap Radio Network. Gow Media, LLC is backed by a private investment group with significant experience in media ownership. The investor group includes Steve Webster, co-manager, and co-CEO of Avista Capital; Patrick Dugan, vice president and general counsel of Nortex Corporation; and David Gow, chairman and CEO of Gow Media, LLC.

For Media Inquiries

Todd Farquharson

todd.farquharson@gowmedia.com

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Nick Caserio's history of drafting injury prone players has become a problem. Composite Getty Image.

Nick Caserio was hired to serve as the general manager (GM) of the Texans on January 7, 2021. Some saw it as another nod to the organization's obsession with the Patriots. Others saw it as the team finally getting their guy after pursuing him previously. They were even hit with a tampering charge while trying to talk to him about the job. Since he's been on the job, there have been highs and lows.

Recently, the news about Kenyon Green and Derek Stingley Jr put a stain on his tenure. Green was placed on season-ending injured reserve (IR) and Stingley Jr is expected to be placed on IR, likely missing six to eight weeks, per Aaron Wilson. Both guys were Caserio's 2022 first rounders. Both guys are starting to look like busts and have fans a little more than just upset.

Green's case was curious because he was said to have needed surgery before he tore his labrum during the Saints preseason game. He had knee surgery this past offseason. There were knee injury concerns when he was coming out of A&M. Adding to his injuries, Green has played poorly. To make matters worse, the Chargers drafted fellow guard Zion Johnson two picks later. Johnson played all 17 games last season as a rookie at right guard and has moved to left guard this season. The pick used to draft Green was part of a trade back with the Eagles. They used the 13th overall pick to take Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, a guy at a position this team could desperately use.

Stingley Jr was a highly touted recruit coming into LSU as a freshman. He played as well as any corner in the country that year. Oh, and they won a national title with arguably one of the best teams in college football history. His net two years in Baton Rouge were marred with injuries. Some believed his junior year was more him holding back to stay healthy for the draft. It worked because he was taken third overall, one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner. Gardner went on to be an All Pro as a rookie. While he's surrounded by more talent on the Jets' defense, people will forever link them because Stingley Jr hasn't lived up to expectations. He missed six games last season and is set to miss at least that many this season. When he has played, he's looked okay. “Okay” isn't what you want from a guy drafted third overall ahead of the other guy who was widely considered better than him.

For the 2021 draft, Caserio was handcuffed. He had no first or second rounders, and made a few trades that lessened his draft pool from eight to five picks. Of the five guys drafted that year, only Nico Collins seems to be a player. The 2022 draft was more productive. Although Green and Stingley Jr were the headliners and haven't played up to the hype, the others are carrying the load. Jalen Pitre and Dameon PIerce alone make that draft class dope. This past draft was seen as the one to save the franchise so to speak. Getting C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr got the team a franchise quarterback and edge rusher with picks two and three overall. The price paid to move back up to three was hefty and puts more scrutiny on Anderson Jr. They appear, so far, to have also found a couple other nice players. Tank Dell being the hidden gem of this class.

While people can't, and shouldn't, base Caserio's performance strictly off of the guys he's drafted, one must call it into question. The '21 draft was a wash. The '22 draft looks suspect, but has some redeeming qualities. The '23 draft will most likely be his saving grace. But should it? Former Texans GM Rick Smith nailed almost every first rounder he drafted. Even he was almost run out of town because folks didn't like what he did. Why should Caserio be any different? So what if he cleaned up the mess by the previous regime! That's what he was hired to do!

“Keep that same energy!” That phrase is used when people try to hold others to different standards. Where's that energy everyone had for Bill O'Brien, Jack Easterby, Rick Smith, Gary Kubiak, David Culley, and Lovie Smith? When others weren't performing well, their heads were called for. I see some people holding Caserio accountable. For the most part, it appears as if he's getting a bit of a pass. I'll be interested to see if this continues should the team has another subpar season. If that pick they traded to the Cardinals is another top 10 pick and the Browns pick the Texans own isn't...if Green can't come back and/or Stingley Jr doesn't show any signs of being a lockdown corner...then what? Let's hope none of this comes to fruition. If it does, we'll have to revisit this conversation.

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