In his first year with the company, AOL President/Video & Studios DERMOT MCCORMACK has overseen a lot of original content, and near the top of the list: sports. AOL works exclusively with former MLBer DEREK JETER’s The Players’ Tribune as a video partner for the site. But McCormack’s most in-depth sports venture thus far has been “2 POINT LEAD,” a satirical comedy series hosted by comedian YANNIS PAPPAS. The show focuses on humor in sports culture, featuring comedians and pro athletes in sketches and interviews. McCormack said, “When we looked at the area of sports, we wanted to cover it in an innovative way. There is no shortage of comedy in the world of sports, especially in social media.” With a lot of work travel between N.Y. and L.A. during the week, McCormack cherishes the time he spends on weekends with family.
A TASTE OF HOME: I have been traveling all week, and this Friday night I am going home to barbecue with my kids. Steaks are my signature dish. I season them up with a little garlic salt, a little bit of chili, some Worcestershire sauce and then throw them on the grill. Serve it with some spinach and a big glass of red wine and it is one of the best meals you will ever have. I am from Dublin originally, so I have always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy. We like eating around here. If I am in L.A., my favorite breakfast spot is Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. If I am in N.Y., I tend to cook pancakes and bacon for breakfast.
INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN: On Saturday, I am going for a bike ride in the morning and then probably try to do some kayaking. If an activity involves being outside, I tend to like it. I do not like being in a gym because you are inside and I love being outside. I spent a couple of weekends recently hiking in Sedona and Red Rocks. There is nothing like a good hike. You are out in nature and exercising. This is one of my last Saturdays of the summer. Once the school year kicks in, I coach Lego robotics for my son. That is a fun event. We will probably stay in Saturday night and watch this show on Netflix called “HUMAN PLANET.” It is really neat because it looks at humans in all of their different habitats, whether it is Alaskan fishermen or city dwellers.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY: I tend not to make plans on Sundays. A nice Sunday for me involves walking on the beach, spending time with my kids and reading. If I am not sitting in my car on the highway, it is a good thing. Unfortunately, in this world we live in we are checking e-mails all the time, and probably when we should not be. I try to limit myself on weekends if I can, but because we live in a mobile communication world, we are always connected. I do tend to look at my schedule for the upcoming week on Sunday nights. My main thing is really timing out my to-do list of what I want to accomplish. It is a great way of keeping on track. I also like to reflect back on what we accomplished during the previous week.
