Jason Goff
Jason Goff, the former Chicago radio sports-talk personality, has been tapped by NBC Sports Chicago as pregame and postgame host of Chicago Bulls broadcasts.
Goff succeeds Mark Schanowski, a 13-year veteran of the regional sports network who stepped down as host but continues as a primary contributor on the Bulls across multiple platforms.
The announcement Wednesday was surprising to some considering that Goff was known to be critical at times of Bulls management on Entercom sports/talk WSCR 670-AM during his stint as a co-host, which ended in 2018. The franchise has an ownership interest in NBC Sports Chicago.
Goff was pulled off afternoons on The Score at the behest of Jimmy deCastro, senior vice president and market manager of Entercom Chicago, who expressed concern that some of the station’s hosts were becoming too political. “The truth of the matter is we think they need to be talking about sports,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “We’d much rather have our talent be playing the hits in the sports world because that’s what people come here for.”
Since departing The Score, Goff has been working for SiriusXM’s Big Ten Radio and ESPN Radio nationally. His move to NBC Sports Chicago marks a big career boost for the Evanston native.
NBC Sports Chicago
“Jason is an impact player who joins our already outstanding Bulls content team,” Kevin Cross, senior vice president and general manager of NBC Sports Chicago, said in a statement Wednesday. “His deep knowledge and lifelong passion for the NBA, especially the Bulls, will benefit all of our fans on all of our platforms. We couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming NBA season as the only home for Bulls basketball.”
Goff will debut on the Bulls season opener against the Charlotte Hornets October 23. In addition to his role as Bulls “Pre/Postgame Live” host, he’ll also appear throughout the season on a variety of NBC Sports Chicago programs and portals, including “SportsTalk Live” and the network’s “Bulls Talk” podcast.
After attending Evanston Township High School and Southern Illinois University, Goff first joined The Score in 2000 and moved up the ranks to produce Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein’s afternoon show while honing his skills as a reporter and on-air host. He left for a brief stint at WZGC in Atlanta and at SiriusXM before rejoining The Score as midday co-host in 2015.
“I was that kid watching Bulls games in his basement on SportsChannel and now I have a chance to help cultivate that same energy to Bulls fans old and new on NBC Sports Chicago,” Goff said. “It’s just a dream come true.”
Wednesday’s comment of the day: Dan Miller: The Tribune's editorial page under John McCormick has never been better at identifying key issues facing Chicago, advocating solutions and most importantly of all, following up on its proposals to keep them in the minds of its thought-leading readers. Trump's character and his successes; Chicago teachers, Pritzker's economic policies, the existential hole in the fiscal condition of state and local government, America's confusing foreign policy ... These and a dozen other issues have been clearly, consistently and cogently presented on the editorial page. Quite a challenge faces the new edit page editor.