QB turns host of talk show
Stampeders’ star quarterback hosts one-hour of talk on the BoShow
Bo Levi Mitchell — a Grey Cup champion, new father and one of the top quarterbacks in the Canadian Football League — has added yet another impressive entry on his resume this season. Radio talk-show host. The Bo Show is a one-hour radio program that airs every Monday from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. Mitchell, alongside host Rob Kerr, features a guest each week to discuss the previous weekend’s performance by the Calgary Stampeders, the nuances and news around the CFL and other interesting insights from an athlete’s perspective. He also dabbles in other subjects — general sports, TV shows and fatherhood.
All of which brings back memories for Dave Dickenson when he briefly dabbled in talk radio.
“Hey, we all want to get a little extra money and we all like sports,” Dickenson said with a chuckle. "I had a show in college, then I had a few snippets when I was a (CFL) player, but I didn’t have the full hour. I think Bo’s doing a little more football.
“The only thing I say to that is be yourself and try to watch what you say regarding our team, but have fun with it.”
It’s a recipe for success when the starting quarterback interviews guests like former Stampeders centre Brett Jones, now with the NFL’s New York Giants, the effervescent and always colourful Nik Lewis of the Montreal Alouettes, B.C. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay and current Stampeders teammate Alex Singleton.
“It’s been fun to try something different,” Mitchell said with a grin. “You get to talk about whatever topics you want to talk about rather than doing bland ol’ interviews. It’s fun to be able to talk on certain subjects.
“People are telling me that the show is getting better and better each time, so I just have to keep on getting good guests that carry it.”
Dickenson admitted he hasn’t listened to the show, but the boss has heard his quarterback is a quick study.
“I’ve heard he’s been getting good guests — ex-players and guys in the NFL,” Dickenson said. “I don’t know what the heck Bo knows about hockey, though, so I don’t know if he’s venturing too far out of his norm.
“But from what I hear, he’s doing a good job.”
The show is also a unique way to promote each week’s game, including Saturday’s clash against the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN/News Talk 770), which he compared to last year’s Grey Cup final that saw the heavily favoured Stampeders lose to the underdog Ottawa Redblacks.
Mitchell elaborated following Thursday’s Stampeders practice at McMahon Stadium.
“To me — and this isn’t just talking the talk — I believe this is our biggest test of the year,” Mitchell said. “Since the Grey Cup, that was the last time we underestimated a team and this is our test to find out if we’re going to do it again.”
While Mitchell has thrown the third-most yards in the CFL for a second-best nine touchdowns and has a 63.9 per cent completion rate to lead the Stampeders to a 3-1-1 record this season, the Tiger-Cats have been struggling.
The Ticats will be without star linebacker Simoni Lawrence who has been nursing a lower-body injury for a few weeks. They brought back defensive back Dominique Ellis to shore up the team’s beleaguered secondary.
The Hamilton club has allowed a league-worst 35.3 points per game, a league-worst average of 418 yards of passing per game and has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 75 per cent of their passes.
All of which should not be overlooked, according to Mitchell.
“Guys know Hamilton is not an 0-4 football team,” Mitchell said. “Kent Austin is a hell of a coach and Zach Collaros can be the best quarterback on any given night. Once they start to gel, we know they’re going to be dangerous again and we don’t want that to happen against us.” Dickenson said CB Brandon Smith is ready after beginning the season on the Stamps’ six-game injured list, but was non-committal about whether the defensive back would start Saturday. “He looks good and was taking reps. I feel like we have some options which is a good thing,” Dickenson said.