Article By: Jason Goodlett
Photographs By: Janae Jacobs

England gave us the Beatles and Elton John, and after decades of idle gratitude and unreturned favor, we may actually have something to give back: Steven Miranda and Jeff Ellis. These American ambassadors are making a splash across the pond by bringing our foreign friends the gift of football. I’m not talking about the kind of Football that’s played on a “pitch” and in short-shorts reminiscent of the Magic Johnson’s “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s. I’m talking about the Smash Mouth, gridiron game that has captivated the hearts and minds of Americans for almost 100 years. In 2009, The National Football League is poised to continue it’s explosion into the mainstream consciousness of Western Europe, and Steven Miranda and Jeff Ellis of NFL Rants and Raves hope to help usher the NFL into this new, budding market.

What started out as a simple one-time rant on an Internet blog about a silly Minnesota Vikings personnel decision almost 5 years ago has now blossomed into a weekly podcast with thousands of listeners worldwide. Despite the revolving door of co-hosts in the beginning that included friends, actors, and spouses, NFL Rants and Raves really hit its stride when Steven invited brother-in-law Jeff Ellis to partner with him – the chemistry was undeniable. The show, which is a spontaneous amalgamation of predictions, opinions, and random personal stories, has struck a beautiful chord with an audience of listeners around the world. This chord proved so beautiful that NFL Rants and Raves has most recently been nominated for two of the Podcast World’s highest honors – Best Produced Show & Best Sports Show – lofty achievements for two regular guys who just love football and dream of getting paid to watch it.

The Pasadena-based podcast is steadily growing in popularity and has a stout fan base in the Los Angeles area. This base is so dedicated that when the show fell on rough economic times, it was a contingency of loyal listeners, many of them Angelinos, who donated their own money to keep the show afloat. Grateful for the local support, the guys have continued to build their product to the point where they’ve grabbed the attention of Sky Sports, a division of the British pay – TV Sky Broadcasting Company, which televises American Football in England and Ireland. Shooting weekly spots for the British TV company is a stepping stone to what Steven and Jeff hope will be larger opportunities in the future – opportunities to bring their spontaneous, fun, and lighthearted brand of football-centered entertainment to the world.

Taking the world by storm is and will be no easy task. On the contrary, it will take a lot of strategic planning and a lot of hard work – the work of a couple football aficionados is never done. There are games to watch, research to do, fantasy football teams to manage, and countless other tasks that come along with the territory. But to Steven and Jeff, it’s not “work” in the conventional sense. It’s every man’s dream job. On its most basic level, they’re a couple of guys making moves to earn a living, kickin’ back in their living room, clowning around, and dishing football. Try not to be jealous.

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