Hello readers of NeuPress, this is Cole.
I used to write here bi-weekly on NeuPress, but for the last few months, another project has taken over my time: Around South Philly, a weekly YouTube show on Neumann Media’s YouTube channel.
You may have seen episodes posted here on the NeuPress website and wondered, “What even is this show?” Honestly, that’s a fair question. So, I figured I’d come back to NeuPress and explain why I think you should give it a watch.
1. It’s Philly sports coverage unlike anything else
If you’re expecting polished ESPN-style analysis, this probably is not the show for you — and that’s kind of the point.
Every episode starts with our general discussion, where we break down whatever chaos Philly sports handed us that week. Sometimes it’s actual analysis. Other times it’s one of us yelling because the Phillies bullpen ruined our night again.
We also have our segment “Our Super Totally Definitely Not Biased Assumptions,” where we tackle the hard-hitting questions, like which Phillie would make the best teacher or what random personality traits we’ve projected onto athletes we’ve never met.
Then there’s the Superstition Report, where we document the foods, outfits, and completely irrational habits that DEFINITELY impact our favorite teams. We’ve basically convinced ourselves pizza has been carrying the Flyers to victory.
And finally, we end with Awards of the Week — unique awards that change every episode. It’s our excuse to talk sports in a more sarcastic, snappy way. And just because you get an award from us, it doesn’t always mean it’s a good thing.
The best part about the show is that no episode feels the same. Sometimes we randomly spend five minutes talking about the Puppy Bowl. Sometimes we stop everything to play a board game. Sometimes the entire show becomes us trying to annoy each other on purpose. That unpredictability is part of what makes it fun.
2. It’s loud, unscripted, and very real
We never wanted Around South Philly to feel stiff or overly polished. The show is basically just conversation, which means things go off the rails constantly — but usually in the best way possible.
We interrupt each other. We yell. We make dumb jokes in the middle of serious discussions. Sometimes we fully derail a topic because somebody says something ridiculous and now we have to spend the next three minutes arguing about it.
But that’s also why the reactions feel genuine. When we’re excited, frustrated, or delusionally optimistic about Philly sports, it’s real. Nobody’s reading from a teleprompter pretending to care. We’re just fans talking the same way we would outside the studio.
When we record, it honestly feels more like hanging out with friends than filming a sports show, and that’s what we hope the viewer feels watching it too — like they’re part of the conversation, not just observing it.
3. José.
If you know, you know.
If you don’t know, watch the show and eventually you will.
This show may not be setting the world on fire. It may not be on the homepage of YouTube. It may be chaotic, loud, and occasionally completely ridiculous. But I can still proudly stand behind it because it represents what I want out of sports media.
Sports are emotional. They’re irrational. Sometimes they’re hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes they make you want to yell at your television for three straight hours. Around South Philly embraces that instead of hiding it behind polished analysis or perfect presentation.
And honestly, that’s why making the show has meant so much over the last few months. It gave us a space to be creative, be stupid, be passionate, and just enjoy talking about sports together.
So if any of this sounds entertaining to you, I hope you check out an episode or two. I probably should’ve written this sooner, considering we’ve more than likely wrapped up the show for the time being. But when we return in the fall, I hope you give it a look.
At the end of the day, Around South Philly is just a group of people trying to make sense of Philly sports in the only way that feels right to us — by joking through it, arguing through it, and somehow turning it into something fun to watch. It’s not polished, it’s not predictable, and it’s definitely not trying to be anything it isn’t.
But that’s kind of the point.
Maybe you’ll come for the sports talk. Maybe you’ll stay for the chaos. Or maybe you’ll finally understand why José matters so much.
Either way, I appreciate you reading this 795-word ad — and I’ll probably see you when we’re back in the fall. Until then, I hope you go back and check out what we built this semester, which you can find here on NeuPress!
