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Let me get this straight.
Bill Rasmussen gets fired as communications director of the New England Whalers, and instead of doing what the rest of us would do — sit on the couch, complain to everybody we know, eat something unhealthy and start looking for another job — this man said:
“You know what? I’m going to start a 24-hour sports television network.”
WHO DOES THAT?!
That wasn’t a career change.
That was a mental health evaluation waiting to happen!
And somehow… THE MAN WAS RIGHT.
Bill Rasmussen, who died Tuesday at 93 from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, was the visionary behind the launch of ESPN in 1979.
Think about how crazy that idea was back then.
Twenty-four hours.
SPORTS.
On television.
All day.
Every day.
In 1979!
Back then, television networks were basically telling you, “Here’s your show. It starts at 8. Don’t ask for anything else.”
And Bill Rasmussen comes walking through the door like:
“I want a channel that shows sports 24 hours a day.”
Everybody must have looked at him like he had just suggested putting Wi-Fi in a horse.
But Bill wasn’t kidding.
He and his son Scott started putting the pieces together. And because apparently Bill didn’t believe in the concept of “financial responsibility,” he maxed out his credit card and used a $9,000 advance to acquire satellite space.
NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
Today, $9,000 gets you a used car, a vacation you’ll regret, or approximately three Uber Eats deliveries if you’re really committed.
This man used $9,000 to help launch what would become one of the biggest sports networks on the planet.
That’s not gambling.
That’s “I either become a genius or I’m sleeping in my car” confidence.
And then came the hardest part:
Convincing everybody else he wasn’t crazy.
Rasmussen knocked on doors.
Sports leagues.
Cable operators.
Investors.
Anybody who would listen.
Imagine being the guy walking into an office in 1979 saying:
“Hi, I have an idea. I want to put sports on television 24 hours a day.”
The guy behind the desk probably said:
“Okay… and what exactly are you going to show at 3 in the morning?”
Bill probably said:
“I don’t know yet. But people are going to watch.”
And you know what?
HE WAS RIGHT!
On September 7, 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — ESPN — was born.
And look at what happened.
The network that people probably thought was insane became the place where we argue about everything.
Who is the GOAT?
Who is overrated?
Who is underpaid?
Who should be traded?
Who should be fired?
Who had a bad game?
Who had a great game?
And most importantly…
WHO THE HELL IS THE TALKING HEAD ON TV WHO JUST SAID THAT?!
Bill Rasmussen didn’t just create a television network.
He created a 24-hour sports argument machine.
And let’s be honest — some of us have made a career out of that.
YOUR BOY ERROL MARKS INCLUDED!
Think about the ripple effect.
Without Bill Rasmussen, there is no ESPN as we know it.
No SportsCenter the way we know it.
No Chris Berman.
No nonstop NFL coverage.
No endless NBA debates.
No baseball highlights at 2 in the morning.
No Stephen A. yelling.
No analysts arguing about whether a quarterback is elite.
And maybe most importantly…
No reason for all of us to be screaming at our televisions like the players can actually hear us!
Chris Berman, who joined ESPN just three weeks after the original launch, called Rasmussen their “George Washington.”
And I get it.
Because Bill Rasmussen wasn’t a guy who simply had an idea.
He had the courage — and maybe just enough insanity — to actually chase it.
He believed in something nobody else really understood.
And that’s what makes this story so incredible.
Because sometimes the person everybody thinks is crazy is actually the person who’s seeing the future before everybody else.
Bill Rasmussen once said:
“I believe the harder you work, the luckier you are.”
That’s a hell of a philosophy.
And clearly, the man worked.
He got fired.
He took a financial risk.
He knocked on doors.
He heard “no.”
Probably heard “you’re nuts” a few times.
And kept going.
Then on September 7, 1979…
ESPN happened.
So today, when you’re sitting on your couch at midnight watching a college football replay, a SportsCenter highlight, an NFL debate, or some analyst arguing for the 47th time about the greatest quarterback of all time…
Remember the guy who made it possible.
Bill Rasmussen.
The man who basically said:
“I got fired? Fine. I’ll just create an entire sports television empire.”
That’s not a bad revenge story.
That’s the kind of revenge where you don’t even have to say anything.
You just sit back and watch the billions roll by.
Bill Rasmussen was 93.
He leaves behind a sports-media legacy that is damn near impossible to measure.
He didn’t just change television.
He changed how sports fans talk about sports.
And for guys like me who make a living doing exactly that…
I owe that man a little respect.
So, Bill…
Thank you.
And wherever you are, I hope there’s a television playing sports 24 hours a day.
Because let’s be honest…
YOU BUILT THE DAMN THING.
Rest in peace, Bill Rasmussen.
And thank you for giving the world ESPN.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
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My name is Errol Marks and I’d like to tell you why I believe I can be a major asset to your station. I’m from a small town in Long Island, NY and from a very young age I’ve always had a love for sports talk radio. Growing up, I would listen religiously to shows like Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, and Imus in the Morning and studied what made those shows so great. I’ve made it my goal to be as influential as the hosts I grew up listening to, and with my knowledge of all major sports, enthusiastic and fearless personality, and my preparation skills, I know I can get to that level. This is an art and a medium that I’m passionate about and one that I feel can never be replaced.
What makes my story so unique goes beyond my 10+ years of experience in sports media. In addition to over ten years of creating and hosting sports talk radio shows, I created the World Wide Sports Radio Network - one of the first ever digital sports radio networks - in 2012. Since the network began, we have had some of the best content in digital sports media. We have six quality shows on our network covering all sports and sports betting. I’m currently hosting New York’s Sports Loud Mouth, and you can find that show and the rest of our great shows at https://worldwidesportsradio.com/.
Our network’s content and listenership has grown significantly year to year and, in the past year, we’ve achieved 3.6 million minutes listened on our audio stream, over 29k followers on tik tok, 500k viewed on YouTube, 1.7 million downloads on Apple Podcasts, and 906,917 plays on Spotify. While we are enjoying a continued increase in growth, I feel that we can take this to a new level and a new audience with your help.
My goal since the day I started is to become the greatest and most recognizable sports radio show host in the country. I can guarantee that nobody in this industry currently has my passion, personality or ability to shape the future of sports broadcasting and entertainment like I do. If given the opportunity, I hope to further share my story and many talents with you and your station.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
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