BOXTOROW: Countdown to 20

Two decades in, BOXTOROW still breaking down sports, breaking news

A little off the top: Simone Biles and Steph Curry were golden during the 2024 Olympics. Snoop Dogg’s quips at the Games were platinum. Yet before making themselves available to the media in Paris, each of them years prior jumped on the mic with BOXTOROW founder and host Donal Ware. 

Big picture: BOXTOROW, a national radio show airing on both terrestrial stations and SiriusXM, turns 20 next year. Ware in those two decades has showcased range, whether talking stick routes in the NFL to NASCAR quarter-panels. BOXTOROW: Countdown to 20 will kick off Aug. 21, 2024 on the show’s YouTube channel and also will broadcast on its terrestrial and satellite outlets. Ware will revisit and contextualize conversations from over the years. Some of the guests he interviewed will join him for those lookbacks.  

Why it’s news: More than a sports show, BOXTOROW is a platform for newsmakers, including The D.O.C., the rapper whose vocal cords were severely damaged during a 1989 automobile accident. In 2015, he granted Ware the first public interview with his restored voice. Other media outlets followed BOXTOROW’s coverage of The D.O.C., but Ware got him on tape first.

There also was BOXTOROW’s exclusive August 2022 interview with former NBA All-Star John Wall, who opened up to Ware about the suicidal ideation he’d experienced since 2018. Major news outlets, including CNN, ESPN, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, picked up the story. Again, Ware had it first, prompting a national conversation about the mental health of professional athletes. 

Athletes and entertainers increasingly are using their own platforms to push their messages. Yet Ware still has them gravitating toward him.  

What they’re saying:

• “Congratulations to BOXTOROW and Donal on 20 years. His persistence and passion won me over, and he did a terrific interview with Michael Strahan.” — Jill Fritzo, entertainment publicist 

 

• “BOXTOROW being in a situation to be able to name guys All-Americans, I know how they look forward to being All-Americans — believe me, I do, and we’ve had some. Congratulations to BOXTOROW for continuing to support our HBCUs.” — Doug Williams, former NFL quarterback, first Black quarterback to play in and win a Super Bowl, former head football coach at Grambling State University, former head football coach at Morehouse College

• “Donal is an authority on HBCU athletics, sure. But the breadth of his sports knowledge makes him different. The guy’s got range, and the way he talks about sports makes his show relevant even for viewers who aren’t traditional sports fans.” — Bonitta Best, The Triangle Tribune managing editor

• “For the past two decades, BOXTOROW has provided outstanding coverage of an array of sports and shared in-depth interviews with high-profile sports personalities, all while shining a spotlight on HBCU student-athletes, coaches and administrators. As a proud HBCU alumnus and former athletics administrator, I recognize the valuable national media exposure BOXTOROW has dedicated to HBCUs. Congratulations to Donal Ware for 20 years of respected service and professionalism with BOXTOROW.” — Kyle Serba, Duke Athletics executive director of communications

 

• “It’s been awesome to witness the evolution of BOXTOROW over so many years. I remember when the show was launched like it was yesterday and am proud to have contributed along the way. To stand strong through the test of time not only says so much about the quality that Donal Ware has consistently delivered but also makes an indelible statement about the need for this type of content to fill a void and serve such a vibrant audience. And even better, this important show still has strong legs for future growth.” — Jarrett Bell, USA Today NFL columnist; Pro Football Hall of Fame voter 

 

• “For more than two decades, BOXTOROW has kept a nation of sports and entertainment fans entertained, engaged and enlightened with the very best and brightest newsmakers in our community. And in many ways, we know the best is yet to come to keep us connected over the next 20 years.” — Mike Wallace, Grind City Media (Memphis Grizzlies) senior editor

 

• “We simply started out to bring the masses more awareness about HBCU sports. We are still doing that but now also bring unknown stories about people and various topics. We do this for all and, in particular, for the culture.” — Donal Ware, BOXTOROW founder and host

Notable nuggets:

• BOXTOROW is short for FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW

 

• BOXTOROW launched August 20, 2005, from a Baltimore radio station and also was carried on radio stations in Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Greensboro, North Carolina 
• BOXTOROW airs in 12 of the country’s top-50 radio markets including Washington

 

• BOXTOROW affiliate stations are located in cities including Tampa, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida

 

• NASCAR drivers were regular BOXTOROW guests. Ware has been credentialed for the Daytona 500, as well as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and All-Star Weekend, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the U.S. Open

 

• Ware engineered reputable and routinely sourced coaches and media polls that help determine the football champion among historically Black colleges and universities

 

• Ware received an unsolicited invitation to the White House ceremony honoring the Texas Rangers for winning the 2023 World Series

 

BOXTOROW: Countdown to 20