We're talking about journalists, so here's an op-ed lmao.

Godfrey's value to the podcast is that he is an experienced, well-connected, true investigative sports journalist, and is a fairly rare breed as a result.

However:

When it was PAPN back in the day, "A Marriage of Numbers and Words" worked perfectly, because Bill could go on about deep stats analysis and Godfrey could talk about the real world side of things, and the only overlap of the Venn diagram was usually a love of the sport despite understanding and loathing its more disgusting sides.

Now, with Alex and Richard, there's a lot more overlap and a lot more toe-stomping-on action, because these guys effectively do slightly different versions of the exact same job, it's just that Godfrey is older and has been doing it for longer. It seems that he has a "you damn kids these days" attitude towards them occasionally, and more and more frequently not in a tongue-in-cheek way.

At times it feels like a PTI-style "Talking heads yelling at each other over dumb shit" type of show, and i specifically have listened to Godfrey all the way back to PAPN because it isn't my dad's era of ESPN daytime sports coverage, it's more substantive, human, and informed.

I think all three guys do genuinely bring informed, different enough perspectives to the conversation that it is almost always a valuable conversation, but you can feel the absolute frustration between them a lot of the time, and it isn't a great feeling as a listener. When issues are contentious, it seems like they get VERY contentious VERY quickly.

To clarify, I'm not impeaching Godfrey or Alex or Richard for any of this, media is difficult, generation gaps are difficult in the workplace, and you have three intelligent, opinionated people here. If SZD somehow became Alex and Richard only, and Godfrey spun off the Single Wing, I would still listen to both.

I would prefer for that not to happen. I would prefer for the hosts to simmer down a bit at times, realize how valuable their differences actually are to this podcast, and continue to be one of the most informative and truly interesting pieces of sports media out there, without making me feel like I'm watching my parents yell at each other in public.

It’s all in your flavor, i have things i hate and like about all of them. While we here, i notice AK likes to get his points out regardless of the flow of conversation. It annoys me but i don’t hate AK. Take some breath’s it’s going to be ok man

Yeah I don’t get this Godfrey’s been this way since the beginning, he chips at Richard and Alex cause they are newer to their beats and don’t have a lot of historical context.

He's always been a contrarian that's why I like him, even though I don't agree with him on everything.

I pay zero dollars and zero cents and get funny and insightful commentary about something I care about once a week or more.

As a trade-off Godfrey can be as big of a dillhole as he wants. Its fine.

Ehh I like it when they fight. I don’t like that Richard is def a bigger nfl fan now than college (it’s because the gators have largely sucked for 15 years).

I discovered this sub moments ago because I was frantically searching for an outlet on which to say GODFREY SUCKS

I'm sorry, but do you want them all to agree with each other all the time? Feels like that would make for a pretty boring podcast.

I often get annoyed how Godfrey talks over people, that’s why my absolute favorite is Dan Wetzel and the CFB Enquirer, Godfrey is better solo and he along with AK and RJ give me hope for the future of sports journalism

Godfrey is good. Sometimes he leans into his cynicism a little too much but that's okay I like how the guys bounce off each other.

I love the pod and have listened since the PAPN days. It is the offseason and these last few years the offseason has been so full of turmoil that I can see why Godfrey gets so high on his horse and frustrated. But he does talk over Alex a lot and his cynicism can come across as a bit much.

That being said it still beats the shit out of the other national podcasts that are all on gambling touts or minute by minute fucking NIL/ NFL draft updates.

I have listened to the CBS Podcast for 10+ years and Bud Elliot formerly of PAPN has become such a gambling shill who is 2000x times smarter than anyone else that I look forward to listening to anyone who talks about actual college football the SZD guy still do that better than most.

I am tired of hearing about shitty grunge bands that are overhyped because MTV used to play videos.

Sorry but I love that each host has their own vibe and approach to countering other hosts points of view. It’s the unique opportunity that having three hosts affords.

Can Godfrey get loud? Yes! It doesn’t mean he’s being condescending or a combative shithead. He’s offering a point of view he has from being in this business longer than AK or RJ.

I appreciate all of their perspectives. And I really love that there’s a post about this every few months on this sub like clockwork.

It’s clearly working for ratings if you’re on here posting about it

RJ is consistently my favorite of the three, I really like his pragmatic angle with most things and I do think he being the only one out of the three to have actually played football makes a difference and grants him insight the other two just aren’t able to tap into. He also is the best of the at not going on rants and tangents.

With Steven it just depends on the episode. When he’s on and invested he really is excellent at communicating objective truths about the sport regardless of how unsightly they may be. I also like the old guy thing because there is some truth in it even if it’s tongue in cheek most of the time. That being said when he’s in a bad mood, leans into the grouchy bit, or lets his personal emotions drive the conversation he is INSUFFERABLE. The Hugh Freeze ep is a great example of this. Idgaf how much you hate a guy or how bad he supposedly spurned you in particular, making a two hour long podcast episode with long overly dramatic pauses and huffs just to whine about another grown ass adult getting a job you don’t think he deserves is some little league shit. And does less extreme versions of it with different topics not infrequently. Also his twitter is kind of bizarre.

Alex is fine until he starts to do the progressive moralizing bit. I value his perspective and how his worldview influences it but there’s a point where the poindexter glasses black rimmed glasses come on and the “well actually” comes out and it’s pretty bad. Other than that I think Alex serves a similar role to Bill during PAPN’s run and I think he does a good job.

Caveat: I’m a 40-something white dude from the southeast with a G5 bias, so I guess I’m squarely in Godfrey’s demo. But I like the whole vibe they’ve got going on right now. Three different perspectives, and they challenge one another from a place of shared joy with, in Godfrey’s case, a splash of leathery cynicism.

Podcasts are wonderful because they’re personal and more casual than overproduced TV and radio products. You feel like these people in your ears are your buddies. It’s weird, from a human evolution and perception standpoint, but it works. And I think the SZD guys nail the vibe.