Maybe there’s something in the Lake Erie water that caused two sports radio employees, one from Buffalo and the other from Cleveland, to make lavish promises based on NFL draft predictions. One of those employees followed through with their promise, hopefully the other will not.
On March 13th, Ryan Gates, a full-time producer for WGR 550 Sports Radio in Buffalo stated he would quit if the Bills draft quarterback Josh Allen with either Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen remaining on the board. One month later, further down Lake Erie, ESPN Cleveland radio host, Aaron Goldhammer, stated he would “eat horse poop” if the Browns take Baker Mayfield with the number one pick in the draft.
Following the two proclamations, Mayfield went first overall to the Browns and the Buffalo Bills traded up to draft Josh Allen while Josh Rosen was yet to be selected which meant two bets need to be paid. Goldhammer says he will follow through and “eat horse poop” prepared by popular Cleveland chef Michael Symon, but personally I wouldn’t mind if he found a different way to pay his debt.
Meanwhile in Buffalo, full-time producer Ryan Gates is in need of new work. Gates is the producer for WGR’s afternoon drive show, Schopp and the Bulldog, as well as their evening program, The Nightcap. After tweeting they “are not playing some sort of long con,” Friday, June 8th will reportedly be Ryan Gates final day producing Schopp and the Bulldog, with Thursday being his last time as producer of The Nightcap.
Gates has not announced his next move, but did say he “will remain a part-time contributor to the station.” It’s possible Gates was already looking for a new job when he stated he’ll quit if Josh Allen becomes a Buffalo Bill. It’s also possible Gates will quietly return after a few weeks away from his full-time gig.
The argument can be made it’s stupid to make promises based on sports outcomes that are difficult to keep. The argument can also be made, for a radio producer in Buffalo looking to take the next step in his career, the national publicity Gates received for quitting his job was a smart play.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.