08/07/2025
The shutting down of shook me a bit today as I am sure it did most Caribbean sports fans.
I was privileged and honored to be part of the Sportsmax team at the very beginning, to start and help nuture the concept of the first Regional channel dedicated to Sport.
I created the name and concept of what is now known as the SPORTSMAX ZONE ...
I have fond memories of being in Jamaica, and brainstorming the flagship show with the team ...
We could not find a name ... I remember thinking ... Joel look at where you are ... you left home, left TV6, tore yourself away from your wife and flew to Jamaica ... I then said to myself, but yuh know what "yuh in your ZONE, doing what you love.."
And the name of the show hit me ... The Sportsmax ZONE...
It is sad to see it perish. When we did our first broadcast, the team felt we were about to create history ... and we did, even after I left, the channel bravely took on projects that local broadcasters were to cowardly to do, but losing the big ticket broadcasts i.e Olympics, World Cup, and EPL, it would have been difficult to thrive.
The Caribbean diaspora is still very much divided, but naively I always told myself Sport and Culture will bring us closer and make us stronger...
I now wonder with Sportsmax losing its way ... what does it say for our region. I could only hope that this concept does not just die here and there could be a possibility of an evolution.
It seems we are still very much different islands, connected by water, but very separate, dancing to different beats...
