Broadcasting ‘Boy Green’

For Paul Esden Jr. ’15, green is much more than his favorite color. It’s prominently featured in his professional radio persona as co-host “Boy Green” of Cumulus Media’s sports talk morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green,” which airs 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and as host of “Drive Time Sports” from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday on The Score 1260.

He received the nickname from his cohost and SUNY Oswego adjunct broadcasting professor, Jim “The Manchild” Lerch, after Lerch’s original co-host, longtime sports columnist for Syracuse. com, Bud Poliquin, retired in 2017.

“When you join radio, you have to get a nickname; it’s some sort of weird ritual,” Paul explained. “But you can’t give yourself a nickname because that’s against the rules.”

As the self-proclaimed biggest New York Jets fan on the planet with family ties to the home of the Boston Celtics and, of course, as a Laker alumnus, Paul needed to have a name that included green somehow.

“At first, I hated it, but then I accepted it as part of my brand,” said Paul, a broadcasting and mass communication major who honed his craft at SUNY Oswego’s WNYO and as an intern at ESPN Radio in Syracuse. “I’ve met people locally who recognize me at the grocery store, and the coolest moment was when I was at MetLife Stadium for a Syracuse vs. Notre Dame game and someone recognized me as ‘Boy Green.’ So without that nickname, I don’t think I would’ve blown up the way that I have.”

Today, green has become his signature color. Paul wears one of his 40-plus green sports jerseys, 25 green hats, socks, shoes or even underwear every day. In fact, even his Pikachu Pokemon tattoo on his right arm is wearing a “Gang Green” snapback.

“I didn’t pick my teams based on the colors of their jersey, but it feels like destiny that multiple of my favorite teams just happen to have that color,” he said. “I love the color so much, and it’s become a part of my identity and brand.”

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