Logan Franz:
The Bleav Steelers podcast you host with Ike Taylor, can you tell us a little bit about that?
Mark Bergin:
Okay, so I was between jobs. And, again, I wanted to get back into the how and why of storytelling. To continue to grow and learn as a journalist, I'm like I need a new challenge, I need a new endeavor.
And I came across what used to be known as the Bleav Podcast Network. It's now just known as the Bleav Network, because we're transitioning into video content as well.
So I get on the phone with the recruiter, and I think I'm going to pitch them either a generic NFL or college football show. And they say, "Well, no, we want to have a show for each team. And we've got a former Steelers player ready to go, Ike Taylor."
So I'm like, multiple Super Bowl titles, rabid fan base, and he has experience at the network level? Sign me up! Are you kidding me? Like I don't need to be told twice. And I get to talk to Ike Taylor, a guy who played in the league for 12 years and just has so much experience.
And the thing that makes him great is he's able to explain things to you and it makes sense if you don't know anything about the sport, but if you're a football guru, you're still going to learn something as well. That is a rare talent. That is a gift.
I kind of try to be the Stockton to his Malone. So my responsibility as the host is to set him up, and to be able to allow him to be himself to where he's funny. He's insightful. He's informative. And we're going to keep this thing rolling.
Logan Franz:
Is there anything that sticks out to you as like a favorite story you've worked on throughout all the different newsrooms that you've worked in?
Mark Bergin:
I am so proud of what we've done with the Bleav in Steelers podcast from the ground up.
And so I'm really excited to see where that could potentially grow to. It was always a long term play. For me. It's something where right now I would not have taken the job at WRAL if they wouldn't allow me to continue to work on that show outside of work on the Bleav in Steelers podcast, That's something where we're going to continue our show and continue to grow that. That's probably what I'm most proud of recently.
I can say I've had the opportunity to interview Deion Sanders before - Prime Time - everyone knows who that is. Who am I? I'm, you know Mark Bergin who's just a graduate from the University of Missouri.
The fact that I've had the opportunity to do and say that in my career, it's like the line from Hamilton: “Put me in the room” to where when I do get those opportunities, I want to take advantage of them tenfold.
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