Hey guys,
This is my official post in the Pregame forums and I thought I'd give a little background of who I am, where I come from and what I'm all about.
While some of you may know me from my days at Northcoast Sports and Phil Steele Publications or on SiriusXM radio, most of you are probably hearing the name "Brad Powers" for the first time. I generally consider myself a college football fanatic first and foremost and it's been that way ever since I picked up my first preseason magazine back in 1990. In 1993, while still not of legal age, I gave out my first "pick" to my family and friends in the famous No. 1 vs No. 2 match-up of Florida State and Notre Dame and after cashing with the Fighting Irish (+6.5), I've been hooked in this industry ever since.
After graduating college, I hosted a local sports talk show on the ESPN radio affiliate in Toledo, Ohio for 3 years. My weekend college football and NFL preview shows that had a flare for "crunching the numbers" caught the eye of Ralph Michaels and soon I was working for the most in-depth college football magazine in the world "Phil Steele's College Football Preview". After a few years of being heavily involved with the magazine and several preseason award watch lists, I was introduced to Northcoast Sports and the Power Sweep Newsletter. I then became the lead college football writer and one of the main handicappers for the next 6 years and used all those experiences to branch out with my own service.
However, while I've been officially in the business for nearly a decade now, there was obviously still a need to expand my brand and I couldn't think of anyone better than joining up with RJ Bell and Pregame.com, the most recognizable, successful and distinguished brand in the industry. RJ and Pregame's philosophies of being transparent, accountable while also never guaranteeing get rich quick dreams and never taking part in hard sell tactics firmly lines up with my beliefs of what this industry should be all about. Quite simply, when RJ reached out to me a couple months ago about joining the Pregame team for the upcoming football season, it was a no-brainer for me. I had to be a part of his team and be a part of this great city of Las Vegas.
On a personal level, I recently made the long 30-hour drive and move from Cleveland to Las Vegas in a U-Haul and got a chance to see this beautiful country that most of us call home. I was also blessed to be able to share this journey with my father and if any of you still have the opportunity to do something similar with your dad or any significant other in your life, I'd highly recommend it. The discussions about sports, politics and just life in general while also taking in the gorgeous scenery is something I'll never forget.
As far as the future goes, you can find me posting regularly in the college football forums. I've already got a lot of legwork done on the upcoming season and I'll be sharing my power ratings, schedule analysis and interesting tidbits about all 128 FBS teams throughout the coming weeks. You'll also be able to hear me on Pregame's weekly ESPN radio show and the podcasts when the football season gets closer. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about me or any teams or schools. While college football is my speciality, I'll also be providing info on the NFL, NBA and college hoops leagues as well.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and football can't get here soon enough!