ESPN’s McGee discusses Pittman and his Little Rock Touchdown Club upbringing

At the Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting this week, held on Monday at the downtown DoubleTree in Little Rock, Ryan McGee was the guest speaker.

Currently working as a senior writer for ESPN.com, McGee co-hosts “Marty and McGee,” a program on the SEC Network, with Marty Smith.

McGee’s humorous speech brought much-needed laughter to the Arkansas fan base after they watched the Razorbacks lose 48-10 to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday in Fayetteville.

McGee talked on Coach Sam Pittman’s potential future as well as the state of the Razorbacks. As usual, McGee answered the question with harsh honesty.

McGee remarked, “I think Sam knows where it’s going and I think everyone knows where it’s going.” “I want him to leave with the respect he is due. Everyone that backs [Arkansas] ought to, in my opinion, be grateful for what he accomplished.

The topic of conversation moved from Razorback talk for a few minutes to more lighthearted subjects, such as his experiences as a sports journalist and co-hosting a college football program that is so distinctively southern.

Smith, like McGee, is renowned for entertaining his audience with his distinct southern style and his upbeat, humorous manner. McGee mentioned his friendship with Smith.

McGee stated, “All I’ll ask of another human being is to be yourself and to be genuine.” “[Smith] is the real deal. We are pals. Our friendship dates back two decades. We’re just shocked that they pay us to do it.

McGee is from Rockingham, North Carolina, and has a long history with NASCAR. He has penned multiple best-selling books about NASCAR and other sports.

“Sidelines and Bloodlines: A Father, His Sons, and Our Life in College Football” is one of those novels, and it is partially based on McGee’s father, Dr. Jerry McGee, who raised his boys while working as a college football referee for many years.

McGee remarked, “Well, you learn how to cuss when your dad is a referee.” “Because during the entire game, everyone is sitting in the stands.” But what it gave me was a glimpse into the world that I love so much. I adore college football tremendously.

He was also a co-author of “Racing to the Finish: My Story,” a New York Times best-seller written by Dale Earnhardt.

“It’s impossible not to be a NASCAR fan growing up in the Carolinas,” McGee remarked. “There was only one person at the global leader in sports who sounded like me when I started working at ESPN in the middle of the 1990s. Nobody else’s accent was from the South.

He was able to advance in his career at ESPN thanks to his familiarity with NASCAR throughout the fast-rising 90s. Eventually, McGee rose to the position of senior writer at ESPN, where he remains today.

When McGee was younger, he used to go to football games that his father was refereeing, and this experience inspired him to pursue a career in sports journalism. He saw himself as a member of the media one day after seeing them on the sidelines.

Looking back on his path, McGee stated, “My goal when I was 12 years old was I wanted to figure out how to get paid to go to football games.” “They send checks to the house, and I get to go to football games. Don’t tell anyone.”