I was not surprised to hear that Steve Phillips would be contributing to Mike Francesa’s show on a weekly basis. I was surprised to hear that AOL Fanhouse announced the hiring of Phillips yesterday. According to AOL, Phillips “will contribute weekly columns and video analysis.”

I have no problem with WFAN, or AOL, hiring Phillips as I believe he has a right to employment. I do question the sudden “interest” in Phillips who never showed a depth of analysis at ESPN. He mainly stated talking points that were centered on empty bromides and anti Mets analysis. If you don’t know what I mean check out some of what Ted Berg had to say last year.

So are WFAN and AOL using a name to generate interest or serious about beefing up their content? You have to believe the “polarizing nature” of Phillips personal life is the main reason they are bringing him into the fold. This type of move always fails. If Phillips performs as he did on ESPN he, and the scandal, will become yesterday’s news and fans will eventually tune out. If we see the Phillips that appeared in Mike Francesa’s studio this past February, then maybe they are on to something. Not that we want to hear “updates” about sex addiction, but Phillips gave you some insight, however flawed the thinking may be, about his time with the Mets. He now has the perfect combo pulpit: new media and traditional radio, to build upon that appearance.

Former executives could provide great insight into the game. Spend some time listening to Jim Duquette, who I interviewed last year, and you can learn a ton about the front office. Phillips needs to be like that in order to gain a following. That probably is more likely to happen on the web with AOL.

The key to success is Phillips transitioning from the sex scandal and quenching the thirst of baseball fans who want professional analysis. They want a subject matter expert to teach them the inner workings of the game. If that doesn’t happen then all WFAN and AOL did was exploit an unfortunate situation in Phillips life for cheap short term publicity. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: AOL Fanhouse, Jim Duquette, Mike Francesa, New York Mets, Steve Phillips, WFAN