Bishop & Friends

97.1 The Fan

Beau Bishop takes the art of sports radio and day drinking to a whole new level. Catch the live experience weekdays from 9am-Noon on 97.1 FM in Columbus, on The Fan App, or at 971thefan.com. The Fan, Ohio's Sports Destination. read less

Our Editor's Take

The Bishop & Friends podcast is a high-energy sports news and analysis show. The show offers team news, game recaps, previews, projections, and insider perspectives. The pumped-up radio show's base is Columbus, Ohio. It covers various sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and more. It discusses teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cleveland Browns, and other state teams in various leagues. From BIG Ten games to minor leagues, this podcast has got fans covered.

Beau Bishop teams up with Eric Reiser and Mark Finch on the pumped-up Bishop & Friends. Before venturing into radio full-time, Bishop worked in TV. He reported on the Ohio State football team for a couple of years. Then he had a chance to move into radio, cohosting The Offseason with Bobby Carpenter. That opportunity led to Bishop and Rothman (an early version of the current show), which ran from 2011 to 2015.

Three years later, Bishop and Laurinaitis debuted. He cohosted the show with former Buckeye James Laurinaitis from 2018 to 2022. The current version of Bishop & Friends started in 2022. Bishop and his updated panel of cohosts have incredible energy and synergy on the show. They are through with discussions on games and all things football and beyond.

The podcast welcomes guests from time to time and features interviews. Guests have included other sportscasters and active and retired sporting personalities. The Sporting News' Bill Bender and Jesse Temple of The Athletic are examples.

From the opening minutes until the end, Bishop & Friends delivers engaging commentary. Current football seasons, classic games, on-field drama, and off-season action are all topics. Shows usually begin with an open monologue or recap of recent games, state-of-play, and more. Soon, the panel gets to analyzing games, teams, and controversial calls.

In one hearty discussion, the guys discuss the "sign-stealing" issue in the NFL. They talk about the controversy surrounding sign-stealing accusations against Michigan. The panel examines what the rules say and what penalties are or should be in place for stealing a rival team's sign. Many more thorough and entertaining discussions like this arise on Bishop & Friends.

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