Meet Marcus "Deacon" Donald, a combat veteran whose journey has taken him from the front lines to the front page of media innovation. As we chat with Deacon, we unearth the dynamic growth of Channel 13 under CEO Matt Grenier and delve into how a robust online presence is reshaping the Cleveland media landscape. Deacon's transition from military service to media stardom, fueled by his studies at Ohio Media School, offers a compelling narrative on adapting and thriving in a rapidly changing industry. We navigate through tales of community engagement, thrilling sports interviews, and the evolution of broadcasting, where traditional airwaves meet the boundless realm of the internet.
The thrill of sports and the roar of fans set the stage for our next segment, where we reminisce about Baker Mayfield's electrifying 2012 football showdown. Deacon's vivid recount and candid perspective on the Browns' quarterback carousel, including Deshaun Watson's polarizing arrival, ignite a fervent discussion about the team's future. We shift gears to talk about the Haslams' visionary investment in a state-of-the-art dome in Berea, anticipating the economic and experiential surge for fans and residents alike. Closing on a high note, Anthony Scrofano's musical magic at the Madhouse takes center stage, as we tease the anticipated transformations coming to 13 News and the local airwaves.
Meet Marcus "Deacon" Donald, a combat veteran whose journey has taken him from the front lines to the front page of media innovation. As we chat with Deacon, we unearth the dynamic growth of Channel 13 under CEO Matt Grenier and delve into how a robust online presence is reshaping the Cleveland media landscape. Deacon's transition from military service to media stardom, fueled by his studies at Ohio Media School, offers a compelling narrative on adapting and thriving in a rapidly changing industry. We navigate through tales of community engagement, thrilling sports interviews, and the evolution of broadcasting, where traditional airwaves meet the boundless realm of the internet.
The thrill of sports and the roar of fans set the stage for our next segment, where we reminisce about Baker Mayfield's electrifying 2012 football showdown. Deacon's vivid recount and candid perspective on the Browns' quarterback carousel, including Deshaun Watson's polarizing arrival, ignite a fervent discussion about the team's future. We shift gears to talk about the Haslams' visionary investment in a state-of-the-art dome in Berea, anticipating the economic and experiential surge for fans and residents alike. Closing on a high note, Anthony Scrofano's musical magic at the Madhouse takes center stage, as we tease the anticipated transformations coming to 13 News and the local airwaves.
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Speaker 1:
All right, we're here with Mr Deacon, marcus. What's your last name? Marcus, donald, donald. So where's Deacon come from?
Speaker 2:
Oh, I got Deacon from my father. My father is an ordained Deacon, so I kind of just coined the phrase and took it from my, you know, made it my own All right, all right, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:
That makes sense, so you go with it. Was interesting to me. It that makes sense, so you go with. It. Was interesting to me. It caught me off guard. You told me Channel 13. I personally had never heard of it yet.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, Channel 13 has been around now for almost going on like a year. Honestly, I think the owner, the CEO, Matt Grenier, he does a lot of stuff clearly to us and he just established this organization through, you know, social media, all the other platforms, former people within the community in Cleveland broadcasting and that's something he's created and I just love being a part of it.
Speaker 1:
And it's all social media and internet based right now, right, and so when you're doing it, you're just sports. You don't care about P Diddy or anything like that, right? No, I don't.
Speaker 2:
No, I don't get into too much of that, but I'm probably going to try to branch off and maybe do more human interest stories and stuff like that, things that I'm into If it's something I'm kind of interested in, but mainly I stick to podcasting. As far as the sports, Okay, that's your thing.
Speaker 1:
Is the podcast on sports? That's right. Okay, that's kind of cool. And what makes you the expert in sports? Oh man, I don't know if.
Speaker 2:
I'm an expert.
Speaker 1:
Just years of watching.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, just years of watching. I consider myself a student of the game. Okay, you know a lot of sports, especially football, the NFL, nba, different things like that, not too big on the Guardians let me make sure I get that correct because I don't want to say the other term but yeah, I'm just that person. This is something I've always wanted to do. I'm a veteran, I'm a retired combat veteran and sometimes in life you see different avenues and you want to go down that path and see where it takes you. And, as long as you enjoy it, this is something that I enjoy greatly.
Speaker 1:
So what were you doing a year ago, a year ago, before this started?
Speaker 2:
Oh, yeah, no, I've been doing this for like five years now. I'm a graduate of Ohio Media School, so shout out to Ohio Media School.
Speaker 1:
Oh, yeah, they're always putting out some good products over there. Wonderful. I read. What did I read? It's like 50% right Of the media in Cleveland came out of that school, yeah, they.
Speaker 2:
Um. I can't think of the other school they had before where G Bush came out of and other people like that, or Ohio.
Speaker 1:
Broadcasting yeah.
Speaker 2:
Ohio Broadcasting in any kind of changed it and I guess they rebranded it and then they moved to now. They have different branches like independence and, I think, chicago and different. They've really branched out with all Johnuran he's the director of the school, so, yeah, a lot of the broadcasters. It's almost like a brotherhood.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, this Channel 13 is interesting to me because I think that that's the way of the future. I think that's how it's going to move as we move forward. I mean, you already see with Netflix or you know what I mean it's gone, like the big networks is disappearing and it's only a matter of time before they're. Does my mic sound that bad what happened.
Speaker 2:
No, I think you're cool.
Speaker 1:
You sure?
Speaker 2:
I'm really loud, but it's all good.
Speaker 1:
Oh, okay, yeah, it's sounding like it reverbed or something to me I don't know. Hopefully it didn't record like that. Know, hopefully a day recording like that, I don't know. Anyways, but yeah, I just thought it was interesting that it was Channel 13. How do you get involved in this? How do you know that this is going on, say, like an event like today?
Speaker 2:
Well, on Facebook I'm a part of one of the admins for a big Browns Facebook group called BFO Browns Fans Only, which was created by Christy Acuity and Pete Barker. So once I became me and Chrissy became friends and I bring Chrissy on. She's one of my co-hosts for the show and anything that goes on in that community I'm going to know about it, you know. So some people reach out to me and say, hey, could you do this for us? And I, you know, I, you know I'm a person I believe in networking, I believe in relationships, so of course I'm going to do it. You know what I'm saying. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. You know what I'm saying. So that's how I get to know about certain things. And you know different players I met. There's players, there's all kinds of players. That's a part of BFO. Now, you know, like Reggie Langhorne, felix Wright, I brought from people.
Speaker 2:
I've had an interview with Kay York's mom. She came on the show. Oh, that's cool, yeah, yeah, it was very interesting what she had to say. So that community itself is very intertwined. It's very compartmentalized.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, right so you know, hey, we're going to do this event and I appreciate BFO for all the support they've ever given to TMDE and we just keep doing our thing. And what?
Speaker 1:
was the best, not best, I don't want to say best. Who was the most impressive that you've interviewed so far?
Speaker 2:
Wow, that impressed, like you were like almost shy a little bit about it or something I tend to try to keep my excitement, like when I met Eric. I think Eric Metcalf probably was like one of the better, because Eric really came out and I always ask these guys how do you feel about our model? And they all say the same thing. But there's a little difference, you know differences in what he spoke with. He was saying how he felt when he got traded and he kind of just came like, came out, like you know what.
Speaker 2:
I'm saying I think that interview was interesting. Reggie Langholm, reggie just kept it 100 as well. So you know I've had different interviews. Phil, I talked to Phil Dawson about him possibly getting into the Hall of Fame if they would decide to let a kicker in and MJ, mj shout out to MJ Emerson. Man, mj's been wonderful and just other Browns that I meet. But I'll probably give it to Eric right now.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, eric is. I mean I'm 50 years old, so am I. So that's the guy you know what I mean. I mean, he dropped the ball, but still he's the guy. Yeah, I mean I can't say I wouldn't have dropped it. You know what I mean. But yeah, that was. That's pretty cool and I'm just curious about the event because this is the first time I've ever been involved in something like this. I think it's fun. This is a cool event to be a part of.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, this is a cool event. It's a. My thing is I'm not a tailgater like that, but I'm trying to get involved in the tailgate world. I think at times, after I was talking to Eric, a lot of these guys possibly should come together more often, but I don't know what goes on. But events like this I love to attend.
Speaker 1:
We know the small thing that would bring these events to next level. I mean it's good turnout. I'm not saying it's not, but if you could get you know MJ or Eric Metcalf to just come in, you know what I mean it would be huge. It would make everything lock in better. I think that would be cool.
Speaker 2:
It would just like with some of their schedules I think, like for him and like Eric and Josh and Reggie, they do that the fifth quarter, yeah, so when they come down and walk around for a little bit then they gotta leave. So but I don't know. I would try to, you know, make some calls. Maybe I could try to bring more, you know, forward to form, because the fans they love that, they love seeing if those players are old, that they appreciate that made them a fan in the first place. So oh, oh, there's.
Speaker 2:
Eric there's Bernie and you know, I know last time I was down there Bernie was signing people's jerseys, and one of my other beautiful, she lost her mind. You know what I'm saying and that's the stuff that they like. There is a great appreciation for those players, especially the players from the 86th SC team. You know, once I know some of the players and we haven't done that when the last time we've been there. When you run into these guys and you see these guys. Some people just lose their mind.
Speaker 1:
Oh my God, it's such and such. Great memories, great parties. I remember family parties getting together watching a game. She wasn't born yet, oh really.
Speaker 2:
Oh, you got them young, huh.
Speaker 1:
You know it's funny. We brought out her newspaper. Her grandmother had a newspaper. Her grandmother passed a year or so ago, so she's going through her stuff and found the newspaper from the day. It was the day after she was born, actually. So it was the day that she was born. Is the day that the fumble oh, that's the day she was born. Is the day that the fumble oh, that's the day she was born? Wow, january 12th 1987. Wow.
Speaker 2:
I don't know. But see, that's crazy because Ernest went out and got a ring with the Redskins yeah, you know what I'm saying and they had I think they did like a documentary and he was in tears. He was really still upset about that.
Speaker 1:
Oh yeah, it still hurts him. Yeah, I seen that actually.
Speaker 2:
I did see that. So I just you know the mistake on the lake and I'm trying to. Another thing that I'm trying to work on is a documentary and I want to bring you know everybody's far off Northeast Ohio community into that documentary and show a different side of you know, as far as the fandom, as far as the tailgate, the Brown fans, the players, and that's something I'm working on right now and just writing a script for it and I think that would be a wonderful thing. But to show more of a positive but keep it 100 outlook towards the Browns and towards the fandom and everything that the fans have suffered over all these years, especially when Art Modell took the team and left, you know. But, like I said before, a lot of the players team in Atlanta but, like I said before, a lot of the players, they still have a love and appreciation for him and they feel like he should be in. They all said the same thing he should be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1:
Well, because there was a long time before Super Bowls where he was doing some pretty good stuff. Granted, he pissed Jim Brown off too, but I mean you know whatever, but I mean he did a lot of good things. He brought, you know, free, free. You know the bad, the bad, but whatever. I mean that's bygones be bygones. We're happy with where we're at. The Browns are everywhere. I mean, you go anywhere, there's Browns backer bars and we were talking about that. You look and there's Dallas as number one supported team in the country, but you don't see Dallas backer bars anywhere around here. Where do you ever go and see a Dallas backer? You don't see it. I don't know.
Speaker 2:
I'm a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1:
You're what? Pittsburgh, oh okay, and I was like Pittsburgh got a Browns backer bar. I, oh okay, and I was like Pittsburgh got a brown back.
Speaker 2:
I've been there multiple cases, when we won that game with Baker in 2012.
Speaker 1:
That was awesome.
Speaker 2:
Man, it was ridiculous. They were so pissed.
Speaker 1:
Oh no, my cousin lived in Pittsburgh and I've got a lot of cousins in Pittsburgh, but we go back and forth all the time and he sent me this text. I'd have to pull it up. If I ever find it, I'll message it to you on Twitter. It was hilarious. He said man, I woke up this morning and I had a nightmare last night, and he described the game. That is one I would have been like oh my God. And then he goes. Could you imagine if that happened?
Speaker 2:
It was something to behold, man. I was like we're up 28 to nothing in the first half.
Speaker 1:
Honestly, I know everybody. I mean I miss Baker. I do. I'm a Baker fan. Die hard, Die hard. I miss Baker. I think that he wasn't given a fair shot. I think that we would have been better off the last couple years with him, in my opinion. But that's just me.
Speaker 2:
I'm not a Baker fan, Don't get me wrong. If you're playing for the Browns, I want you to succeed. I want you to succeed. But it was something I saw his kind of gunslinger mentality. It's something I just like. Man, I don't think this guy is it.
Speaker 1:
The greats are gunslingers, though that's what they are. Tom Brady was a gunslinger. He said that. I want to say they told him to keep the ball safe. You always hear the first Super Bowl. He was told to keep the ball safe and as he was walking out somebody said sling that motherfucker.
Speaker 2:
And that's what he did.
Speaker 1:
You know what I mean, and that's what they are. Well, the bus owner got hurt and then he took over, and then the rest is history. But he was a gunslinger.
Speaker 2:
I mean, he just was. But he was more calculated when he decided to do that. It's not like Brett Favre. Brett Favre would just throw it. Oh my God, you can have two Mack trucks in front of him. And he was still trying to throw it Until he got sick.
Speaker 1:
His numbers were better than Brett Favre, yeah, but I mean, but until he got hurt. But I mean it's too late to do anything about it now. But yeah, I do miss. I don't like the in and out all the time. There's been too many quarterbacks. I hate it. Deshaun Watson probably not going to bet on him being good at this point.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, they've invested a lot of money into him and I was an advocate to keep Joe here. Yeah, I was like, and now, and it's crazy, my whole girl, chrissy, she would say I don't want crab legs here now. And you went and got Jameis Winston. I was like, oh my God, you didn't have to say that, but maybe it's because they have a similar skill set and I don't know what Barry was thinking about, but I wanted Blacko to stay here. I would have just gave him enough. He proved beside, he kept turning the ball over and I don't know what was going on between him and Stephanski and I thought they had some kind of camaraderie. But maybe both of them are the same age, maybe that's what it was, I don't know. Barry's a great GM. Me personally. I want to say this too you said you're a fan of Baker. I'm a fan of the Haslam's.
Speaker 2:
You're a fan of the Haslam's, I am a fan of the Haslam's and I'm going to tell you why. Ever since, after I worked for Lerner, after when he acquired this team from all these years, he's done something. He's put money into it. He's after you know, he relinquishes rights in Pittsburgh. He's done hey, I'm going to move forward with the team. I don't care about spending money. We're going to do something. We're going to have a dome. That's wonderful and, as an owner, he's not afraid. I screwed it up. Let's break it down and do it again, right, I have no problem with that. So I support Jimmy and Dee all day.
Speaker 1:
So you think it's going to happen? Berea with a dome oh, it's coming, you think so it's coming.
Speaker 2:
It's coming. There's nothing the city of Cleveland can do. There's nothing the city of Cleveland can do. There's nothing Bid can do. Only thing they can do is maybe try to invest in it. He's already with the parliament I'm parliament To the legislature over how they were pulling in with DeWine. I think DeWine didn't show up, so they're trying to get that regional money, all the money that they need. I don't know what the name of the stadium will be. It could be DHL, it won't be Wells Fargo, but these other major corporations with deep pockets are going to get involved. He's going to get that. He said he would do half. He's going to get that.
Speaker 1:
I was on the last podcast I talked about it. I was talking about it coming to the end. I'm a fan Do it. I want to see it happen. I'm in construction, so I own a bar and restaurant, I have a construction company and I do a podcast. But to me, that podcast, but to me that's going to bring a lot of business, a lot of construction. It's got to be a much more enjoyable uh venue. You'll get to park in the parking lot, walk in, not go to parking garages, walk past homeless although the homeless is not the problem. It was when we were younger. It's definitely better, I think it's. And then once you add that on top of everything else, I think it's a win-win.
Speaker 2:
And Berea is not that far out of Cleveland, so correct and, like I said, 13, I think 13 teams in the NFL right now do not play in that hometown they sure right, so we'll be 14th. That's fine. I mean, we're probably not that far the highway. They're going to have to do a lot of it's going to be up.
Speaker 2:
It's really not that far. The highway, they're going to have to do a lot of it. It's going to be an endeavor, but I think it's going to be enjoyable. And whatever plan they decide to pick which definitely wasn't the one that we saw that was just one of all the plans that they're trying to do. So I think it's going to be whether they spend $2.5 billion or whatever and I've been to Ellijit and I've been an elegant and I've been to these domes. So far I'm not really that impressed with SoFi, but if you can do it, let's do it. Let's be competitive. Chicago they're getting ready to do something. We've got to be able as far as this, region.
Speaker 1:
I don't understand why we can't build a dome in Cleveland, though.
Speaker 2:
You're talking about on the waterfront. Yeah, it won't support it it just won't.
Speaker 1:
It won't support it. That's what it is Okay.
Speaker 2:
So far. I just went to the LA game. We was at the Rams game. You know, the first game that Joe played and they lost. It is what it is. And my nephew who went with me he's an architect and do this and clean, he said no, he said it would just slide into into the water because so far is in a ditch a hole they had to dig down. So street level is 350 at brown stadium. That's how deep it is. Okay, you can't do that that close to there. So as far as the supports, I don't think it's possible. I don't know, you know what I'm saying, but I think for the stability in the foundation, brook Park was a better choice and I think you know they knew that, they know that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know that they're saying Dome would be Berea. There would be a new open-air stadium, basically, and we don't.
Speaker 2:
I'm tired of watching the Browns in the cold Not me.
Speaker 1:
I watch from my couch.
Speaker 2:
I'm excited. I do too, but I want to go. I try to go to at least a couple games a year when that breeze comes. Oh my God, that breeze comes through, and I was one day. I was there. I was underdressed. We were playing the Raiders. I was like, man, I'm cold, and I had a jacket on, no, I'm. Those days are done, it doesn't matter. No more. Cold weather teams come up here and still beat us. Warm weather teams come up here and still beat us.
Speaker 2:
If you can get natural grass, let's do it, or the Bermuda grass, or the Kentucky grass, let's do it. So I'm looking forward to this. I'm a fan of it 100%. He said this when he bought the team. That's something that he wanted to do.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yep, Yep, that is true. I think it would be cool. I think it would be. I just brought it up in the last. I thought it would be an awesome idea and I was excited to hear about it. But anyways, I guess we'll call it quits for that. I'm probably getting ready to pack up. It's raining. We got a live band tonight at Madhouse Bar and Grill. Where are you guys located at?
Speaker 1:
We drill? Where are you guys located at? We're on Northridge Road, right in between Lorain and Elyria. If you know where that U-Haul is on Route 57, right there that's what people kind of always know. You get off at 57 and you head north. There's a U-Haul right there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I see it right on the laptop.
Speaker 1:
That's why I need to get out of here. So right there, there's one block west, so it's real quick off the highway.
Speaker 2:
It's got a nice outdoor patio.
Speaker 1:
I'll give you a pen and that's got the address on it.
Speaker 2:
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:
And I'll give you some gift cards and I'll buy you your meal when you come in.
Speaker 2:
Hey, I ain't got nothing playing tonight we got live music.
Speaker 1:
We got a guy named Anthony Scrofano playing tonight and this kid can sing his heart out. He's a good dude and we have him there every summer, usually on the patio. Probably not tonight, he'll have to be inside, but usually we like to put him on the patio. But it tonight He'll have to be inside, but usually we like to put him on the patio. But it was nice talking to you. Thank you for sitting down with us and explaining this 13 News thing. I kind of think that's exciting. I like it. I appreciate that and thank you for having me. Yes, thank you. Peace out, peace Everybody. We'll see you back at the Madhouse, aha.
Speaker 1:
Damn I'm glad I stopped my promo before it got out here.
