About Foul Play-by-Play

The audio options available to fans of their favorite teams’ sporting events are very few and very similar in style and content. You can get the home team’s television or radio play-by-play and color commentary, or on MLB.TV, with a premium subscription, the visiting team’s television or radio play-by-play and color commentary. Major League Baseball alleges its copyright includes “accounts and descriptions” of its games and permission is seldom granted, which is why so few audio options are available to fans. We at Foul Play-by-Play think that’s foul and act accordingly.

What Is Foul Play-by-Play?

Foul Play-by-Play broadcasts live, play-by-play commentary on the lives and times outside the lines of sports—during sports. An FPBP broadcast is a creative, transformative take on typical but tired in-game, play-by-play commentary covering everything except the game. It is not a substitute for the play-by-play broadcast on television or radio, so it’s enjoyable as a podcast published postgame, too. Foul Play-by-Play is an audience-interactive play full of theatrics 

Foul Play-by-Play hosts do not provide alternative play-by-play or color commentary on the game. While broadcasters’ live reactions to the televised game are part of a Foul Play-by-Play performance, no description of the game’s events is ever provided. FPBP focuses on the lives of our listeners. Those outside the lines—sometimes in foul territory—but mostly in the stands. It also assures that broadcasters don’t infringe upon the copyrights of sports leagues, or the rights to which they at least claim to own. This will be explained throughout every game.  

Foul Play-by-Play broadcasts are not a substitute for the play-by-play and color commentary available currently. Foul Play-by-Play hosts are instead tasked with providing information of all kinds that audiences find valuable and to do so in an entertaining manner that bares themselves to the audience, creating an intimate look at their character that’s relatable and elicits the trust and attention of the listener. 

The original Foul Play-by-Play broadcast team, from left to right, Bradley Haase, Anthony Varriano, and Michael Haase, on Opening Day, 2015 in Glendive, Montana.

Foul Play-by-Play broadcasts consist of three hours of both audio and visual content, with each hour produced with specific listeners in mind. Hour one is rated G and is family-friendly. Hour two is PG-13 and geared toward teens and young adults, and hour three is rated R, covering topics and, when creatively prudent, using language meant for adults. This production design is meant to appeal to the largest possible audience and the most potential advertisers, but also allows for show hosts to form lasting relationships built on trust with both listeners and advertisers. 

Foul Play-by-Play is not only different in the content it provides listeners, but it’s different in the way it approaches advertising, too. Foul Play-by-Play resists sounding like the typical, sports radio or television broadcast by offering its advertisers an opportunity to partake in the production of content for the show. For instance, instead of reading an ad for a local yoga studio, a FPBP broadcast would incorporate a yoga instructor from said studio in a segment of the show, informing listeners of the importance of stretching regularly and even taking the audience through a short workout.

Foul Play-by-Play’s purpose is not only to entertain sports fans and increase revenue for its sponsors, but to enrich both their lives and provide an opportunity to influence the content of their broadcast, making for a truly unique experience shared with FPBP broadcasters every game. Broadcasters provide listeners with helpful tips to improve their lives, sometimes in partnership with local sponsors, comedic commentary on current events, culture, pop culture, food and drink, art, love, sex, friends and family, and child rearing, amongst other relevant topics at the time. The broadcasts will appeal to those interested in sharing their thoughts and opinions with broadcasters and fellow listeners via live chat, but will also appeal to young listeners looking for comedy, competent debate, and a change of pace to their sporting events, if any.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” William Shakespeare wrote. And while FPBP show segments are meticulously planned, our distribution platform allows for listeners to interact with the live show, and FPBP hosts will make it a priority to put as many interesting and entertaining players on the stage as possible. Foul Play-by-Play differentiates itself by not only not describing the events of sporting events as they occur, but by involving its listeners to produce the show they want on that day.

Who Is Foul Play-by-Play?

A live, uncensored play-by-play alternative to Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven, Fuck Dick and Bert was the original Foul Play-by-Play livecast that debuted in April of 2015.

Foul Play-by-Play has evolved from an alternative, explicit play-by-play livecast to a podcast covering the week’s cheats, cheap shots, and alleged criminals in sports, to its current form. But the Foul Play-by-Play team has been consistent from the start.

The first Foul Play-by-Play livecast was a short-lived, foul-mouthed, play-by-play broadcast for select Minnesota Twins games hosted by three Eastern Montana friends and neighbors. Anthony Varriano founded FPBP with the intent of creating a community of foul-mouthed, play-by-play announcers and color commentators for all sports, but there wouldn’t be much money in that idea given the assured lawsuit that would come from Major League Baseball for providing an account or description of its games. The show, featuring co-hosts and brothers Bradley and Michael Haase, never had a paid advertiser over its very short history.

Years later, Anthony and Michael would join forces to revive Foul Play-by-Play in podcast form, covering the week’s cheats, cheap shots, and alleged criminals in sports. The podcast was brought to listeners by Michael’s law firm until his partner left for another job. In its short history, the podcast saw surprising success, with its sixth episode reaching over 2,500 unique listeners. But a Canadian podcast already well-established in its coverage of law-related sports headlines didn’t make this iteration of Foul Play-by-Play very viable either, so the show evolved once again.

Now, Foul Play-by-Play pokes fun at the fact sports leagues seem to think their copyrights allow them to dictate who can talk about their games, whether in public or private, whether live or in retrospect, and whether for profit or not. Tip-toeing around copyright infringement is a little dance we do called Foul Play-by-Play, and when done right, it’s multimedia performance art.

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