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All-Time #1 Seeds in Broadcasting the NCAA Tournament

Andy Masur
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All-Time #1 Seeds in Broadcasting the NCAA Tournament

Brackets, brackets, brackets. That’s all we’ll be hearing about over the next month or so, thanks in part to one of the greatest sporting events of the year, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Only a few have been given the chance to call the NCAA Championship Game on television. The NCAA Tournament didn’t start out as an instant smash either on television either. Consider that it’s still a fairly recent phenomenon. The first national broadcast of the tournament title game wasn’t until 1954, when La Salle beat my alma mater, Bradley. That’s only 70 years ago. The tournament itself turns 85 this year.

We know some of the best teams to ever play in the Final Four and Championship over the years. Of course, John Wooden’s UCLA teams in the late 60’s and into the 70’s. Indiana’s perfect team in 1976. Not to mention some ‘Cinderella’ victories, like Villanova in 1985. There have been many, many teams, many schools and coaches to get to the final game of the Big Dance. But there have only been a handful of folks that can say they broadcast it to the world. I’ve identified the great teams, what about the greatest broadcasters ever associated with the NCAA Tournament championships?

By my calculations and going back into the ‘way back machine’, or as its more commonly known, the internet to do some research. The very first person, on record, to call the title game on national television was Bill Flemming in 1963. The game between Loyola and Cincinnati was broadcast on “Sports Network Incorporated”. The broadcast was available to 90 percent of the country, carried on 140 stations. Not a bad game to start with.

The games switched to NBC in 1969 and stayed there through the 1981 Championship won by Indiana. Curt Gowdy took over the reigns as the broadcaster, until 1976, when Dick Enberg took the mic. The two shared the call on the 1977 and 1978 games, then Enberg was the lead through ’81.

CBS secured the rights to the tournament in 1982 and hasn’t let go since. The folks from TNT/TBS/Tru have joined the telecasts in recent years too. The first lead voice on CBS was Gary Bender, joined by Billy Packer for the game between North Carolina and Georgetown. Bender was succeeded by Brent Musburger in 1985 and carried the broadcast through the 1990 title game. Jim Nantz stepped in for the 1991 game, through last year’s UConn championship. Ian Eagle is set to call his first “Final Four” and Championship Game this season.

So, who of those gentlemen that I mentioned is the best? Which would take the traditional “1 seed” in a tournament for broadcasters? Well, I have some thoughts, so let’s travel down the Road To the, well, Top 4 and find out. First, a note on eligibility. Eagle, who as mentioned is set to take over the broadcast this year, hasn’t technically called one yet, so he’s not going to appear. I have no doubt, that he will continue doing the solid job he always does and will be great in his first shot.

If this were open to all announcers that ever called a tournament game, Eagle would certainly be near the top of the list. Others like Don Criqui, Jay Randolph, Greg Gumbel, Kevin Harlan, Dick Stockton, Marv Albert, and Verne Lundquist.

The list however isn’t open to all that have called a tourney game. Ground rules established. Ok, here we go. The seeds are in descending order from the 4th best top seed, to the best.

Curt Gowdy, #1 seed (4th overall) in the “One Shining Moment” bracket

The man called every sport under the sun in his illustrious career, including the Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series, Olympic Games and the NBA. He was once dubbed “the broadcaster of everything”, highlighting his incredible versatility.

Gowdy was around to see the unprecedented run by UCLA, winning 7 of the 8 Final Fours he called. He always brought a down home, folksy style to his broadcasts and it worked in every sport he covered. Back in his day, there was a comfort among fans, hearing him on a telecast meant it was a game to watch.

Brent Musburger, #1 seed (3rd overall) in the “March Madness” bracket

This has to be his bracket, because he is credited with bringing the phrase “March Madness” to the airwaves when describing the NCAA Tournament. For so many years his voice was associated with ‘big games’ and for 6 Final Fours, he didn’t disappoint. Musburger hosted CBS’s tournament coverage as the studio host for 3 years before taking over the broadcast.

He called Villanova’s stunning upset of Georgetown in the 1985 national final, Keith Smart’s winning jumper for Indiana to beat Syracuse in 1987 and “Danny and the Miracles'” upset victory over Oklahoma for the 1988 championship.

Musburger’s style was a little more ‘in your face’ than that of the broadcasters that came before him in the Final Four realm. His work before appearing on the NCAA Tournament telecasts made him a well-known commodity before he took the courtside seat. Musburger’s energetic and commanding presence was made for this big game assignment.

Dick Enberg, #1 seed (2nd overall) in the “Cutting Down the Nets” bracket

“Oh my” what would the #1 seed be without Dick Enberg? The tournament started becoming what it is today on his watch. The veteran of many sports, including Major League Baseball and the NFL, found a nice little niche for himself at the NCAA Tournament.

Enberg had the distinction of teaming with Billy Packer and Al McGuire to call the magical, no pun intended, Final Four of 1979. Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat Larry Bird and Indiana State for the National Title.

Enberg worked with Gowdy on NBC in the Final Four in 1976. A couple of years later he took over the lead seat until CBS took the rights from NBC. His energetic, yet not over the top style, lent itself perfectly to the Final Four and title games.

Jim Nantz, #1 seed (1st overall) in the “Road to the Final Four” bracket

It’s not just because Nantz called the Final Four for as long as he did. 32-years is a long time to do anything. Several generations of fans, only know of Nantz as the lead guy for CBS’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament. While he relinquished that chair after last year’s UConn win, he had the chance to be behind the mic for several huge games in the tournament’s history.  

Nantz started his Final Four run in 1991 with Duke’s upset of undefeated UNLV. It led to back-to-back national titles for the Blue Devils and started the coaching legacy of Mike Krzyzewski. He also called Kris Jenkins’ title-winning shot for Villanova over North Carolina in 2016. It all culminated with UConn’s win as a 4 seed over 5th seeded San Diego State last year in Houston.

His strength comes in being able to set the mood, by explaining the emotion in the moment. He is able to treat each game like a story. Nantz was the perfect narrator for more than 3 decades. He had the ability to call big moments, without losing control of his voice. It’s going to be strange without Nantz on the call at the Final Four.  

Last two out…

There’s always controversy when it comes to the brackets, but with only 4 spots and 6 main broadcasters to consider, two had to be left out.

Bill Flemming

The O.G. when it comes to the Final Four. He was the first to call the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four on television. After listening back to a few of the calls, he was swimming in uncharted territory. Flemming knew what he was doing and was good on the broadcast. Unfortunately, not many were witness to his great work in the tournament setting. Flemming may have been more well known as the original voice of ABC’s Wide World of Sports back in the day.

Gary Bender

After CBS took over the television rights in 1982, Bender got to call the first three Final Fours on CBS. He called North Carolina’s victory in the ’82 game, for Dean Smith’s first national title, and the craziness of the 1983 NC State thriller over Houston. Bender was excellent on both games, but unfortunately, he had a short run as the lead voice for CBS. He was a mainstay though in the NBA and the NFL, having called Phoenix Suns hoops for 18 years and did radio for the Rams, Cardinals and Bears. Bender was also seen on ABC’s Monday Night Baseball.

‘Bleacher Report’ Co-Founder Dave Finocchio Credits ‘Personalizing Sports,’ Short Blog Content for Company’s Success

BSM Staff
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‘Bleacher Report’ Co-Founder Dave Finocchio Credits ‘Personalizing Sports,’ Short Blog Content for Company’s Success

Bleacher Report co-founder Dave Finocchio recently sat down with Bill Simmons to discuss the way B/R revolutionized sports media. Among the many concepts Finocchio credits for the success of his former company was the idea of “personalizing sports” and short, stackable content — concepts that seem like a no-brainer today.

In the Mar. 20 edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons and Finocchio go through Bleacher Report’s history from a college project trying to break through to one of the most impactful sports media companies ever — to a relic of a time of the Internet that has now passed. Finocchio credits B/R’s rise to many factors, like listicles, increasing coverage for events like the NFL Draft, and focusing on audience growth, but maybe most importantly was the idea of “personalizing sports” through the website, app, and newsletters.

Finocchio tells the story of how he would watch SportsCenter and get stuck watching hockey highlights before he could get to basketball or other sports he enjoyed.

“I got a little turned off of hockey after a while…and I was just tired of having to watch hockey highlights for 30 minutes on SportsCenter to get the highlights I wanted,” Finocchio said. “So there was this inefficiency to be able to personalize sports who didn’t want to sit or read through the stuff they didn’t care about. All of a sudden, we had these technologies where we could give people experiences that were all of what they wanted and cut out the stuff they didn’t want as much.”

Another concept that Finocchio credits is the inception of Bleacher Report’s newsletters. The team took top content and content from other sites about a particular topic (Finocchio mentions the Boston Celtics as his example) and combined them into one, easy-to-read message that was delivered right to his readers.

“We were the first media company to really invest in curation,” Finocchio said. “And not curation as people think of it today…we’d have newsletters with links to a couple of articles from Bleacher Report and then we’d round up the best stuff from blogs, ESPN, and newspapers, and we did a really good job providing an experience for people where they could go to one place. We tried to be Google — we’ll be a portal to get you to the places you want to go.”

The former B/R founder mentions that the initial reaction from journalists was incredibly negative. Writers and other media companies accused Finocchio and B/R of stealing their content. The reality told a different story, where B/R newsletters were sending readers to these other sites to read articles and generate traffic. Finocchio says that at B/R‘s peak, it was sending 25 million visits a month.

Finocchio says his overarching goal with Bleacher Report was to circumvent the sports landscape at the time and deliver the a la carte options sports fans are used to these days.

“How do we solve problems for fans and make that experience better in a world where there’d been too much of, ‘God I have to sit through these highlights of stuff I don’t care about,’ or ESPN, because of their TV contracts, covers a bunch of stuff that’s right up my alley. I want what I want.”

Ronnie Lane: WDAE Said “You’re Welcome to Work Here as Long as You Want”

BSM Staff
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Ronnie Lane: WDAE Said “You’re Welcome to Work Here as Long as You Want”

Seth Everett had WDAE host Ronnie Lane as a guest on his Sports with Friends podcast. The two are ex-teammates at SiriusXM but said they had not spoken in over a decade. A main topic of the show was Lane’s recent news that he is stepping away from The Ronnie and TKras Show after nine years with partner Tom Krasniqi.

Lane is not leaving WDAE, rather taking on a new assignment. Beginning March 28, Lane will take on the role of host of the Tampa Bay Rays pre-game show “The Inside Pitch.” Lane will also continue his seasonal hosting duties with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers radio network.  

Everett asked Lane about how this all happened. “It came about when contract talks came up late last year,” Lane said. “They’re aware of my age, I’ll be 68 in July…They just, out of curiosity, wanted to know when I was planning on stepping away if that was going to be soon, later, what have you. And then they also pointed out ‘look, you’re welcome to work here as long as you want, but we want you to dictate terms as to how you want to wrap up your career here.'”

Lane said he told station management at the time, “I know I no longer want to do the daily show, but I’d still like to do radio here with iHeart…They came back to me a couple of weeks later and said…’how about you transition from your daily show with Tom and move into a role with the Rays? We’ve been looking for a full-time host for “The Inside Pitch” (which proceeds Rays games)…We think you would be perfect for that.”

Lane explained to Everett the new duties will include hosting a half hour show before the Rays’ network pregame. “And, it is only Monday through Friday, with no postgame show,” Lane stated. Lane said the show will move quickly and he estimates it will take a couple of hours of prep for each pregame show he hosts.

As for wrapping up with Krasniqi, Lane said he had kept ‘TKras’ in the know about what was happening. “I actually told him a couple of years ago that I was thinking about moving towards retirement,” Lane said. “He goes ‘Well that’s your baby, you do it however you want to.’ So, I told him first right after that initial meeting with upper management…We had all of those talks and believe it or not…we were able to keep it away from everyone at the radio station, where it’s hard to keep something like that a secret. The staff just found out, trust me, about a week or so ago. We are going to have a big party…and a final broadcast a week from Wednesday…that’ll be a blast.”

On his partnership he forged with his partner of almost a decade, Lane said, “Sometimes we vehemently disagreed with one another, that was not made up, it was natural…It was not contrived. We never tried to get personal or mean spirted with it.”

Audacy Debuts AI Contextual Advertising for Podcasts

BNM Staff
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Audacy Debuts AI Contextual Advertising for Podcasts

Audacy has announced it is introducing dynamic AI and machine learning to bring contextual advertising solutions to help brands target podcast consumers.

The new program will use Audacy’s ability to accurately transcribe podcast episodes to contextualize targeted tags with IAB standards. With the new capability, Audacy will be able to insert podcast adds dynamically with more precision.

“The promise of Audacy’s cross-platform audio campaigns to deliver unprecedented reach coupled with powerful precision targeting becomes even more pronounced with the integration of contextual podcast advertising into our Ad Tech stack,” said Audacy Chief Revenue Officer Brian Benedik.

“Our clients are realizing better returns on their advertising investments and better outcomes for their business when they leverage our holistic audio strategies, which is why Audacy boasts one of the highest renewal rates in audio and digital media.” 

With the new features, Audacy’s advertising partners will be able to more strategically place ads within specific podcast episodes and deliver ads when listeners are most engaged.

Keith Olbermann: CNN Deciding to Air Day-Old Bill Maher Show Is Why They’re In Last Place

BNM Staff
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CNN has announced plans to air Real Time with Bill Maher on Saturdays at 8 PM ET. Keith Olbermann wasn’t impressed by the move.

After the announcement came that Maher’s show, which originally debuts on Fridays on HBO, would receive an “encore” presentation on cable news, Olbermann took aim at his former cable news home during his Countdown podcast.

“The real motivation for doing this is actually a little bit more cynical than ‘Oh, I’m sure this will work. God something’s got to work,'” Olbermann said. “Even though all the CNN executives who tried Bill Maher last year are working elsewhere this year, the upper managers of that company…they know they are not going to draw flies with a day-old political insight and comedy show based on what Bill Maher read this week in the columns of Bari Weiss and Maureen Dowd and George Will.

“In other words, they’re not gonna get any ratings from a political insight comedy show without any comedy and without any insight. They’re doing it because they inexplicably just resigned Maher to a two-year contract extension and putting his rerun on at 8 PM on Saturday nights on CNN is called amortizing, even if it literally draws like 250 viewers,” posited Olbermann.

“The point is the costs at CNN for the 8 PM Saturday hour have just been reduced from like a million dollars, at least, to however much it costs to pay the guy who presses that one button that reads ‘play.’

Keith Olbermann then joked that the network could pick up another digital video show that recently launched.

“Maybe they could get this Don Lemon guy, with his new online interview series like that one with Elon Musk…Air them Don Lemon interviews on Saturday at 8 PM. Wait, there’s a flaw somewhere in that idea. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

Report: Bill Simmons Producing Boston Celtics Documentary for Max

BSM Staff
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Report: Bill Simmons Producing Boston Celtics Documentary for Max

Entertainment insider Jeff Sneider, reported on his InSneider website that The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is behind a Boston Celtics documentary being produced for Max. At this time there are not very many specifics known about the project such as a potential release date or even what the focus of the documentary will be. Sneider’s report did say Celtics legends Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish are expected to be featured.

In mid-February, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was a guest of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI and mentioned something was in the works. “…But in terms of the Celtics, I have some positive news there,” he said. “Nothing to officially report yet, but we’re in production on a multi-part, absolutely top quality, fantastic documentary series, along the lines of hopefully The Last Dance, and so on.”

Grousbeck also told Hill a film crew has been with the Celtics throughout this season. “…The film is being filmed and archives are being gone through…It’s really exciting. And they’re following the team this whole year, so, it’s like behind the scenes. So, we’ll see what happens, but win or lose, it’ll be out.”

This year’s Celtics team is on pace to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and is one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship.

Bob Iger, Jimmy Pitaro Looking to Make Deals ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ for ESPN DTF Offering

BSM Staff
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Bob Iger, Jimmy Pitaro Looking to Make Deals ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ for ESPN DTF Offering

According to one sports media insider, ESPN is open for business and looking for investors as it looks to go direct-to-consumer. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported today that Disney CEO Bob Iger and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro are on the hunt for equity partners, and are targeting sports leagues and large digital players to make it work.

Marchand says ESPN brass is simultaneously negotiating for its own direct-to-consumer offering as well as its joint venture with Fox and WarnerBros. Discovery. Its goal is to sell one or two minority stakes in the company, with Marchand reporting the NFL and NBA are top potential candidates, with MLB and the NHL next in line should the former pair not materialize as partners.

Earlier this year, ESPN and the NFL were in talks to form a “strategic partnership,” though nothing yet materialized from the report. Some, including former ESPN boss John Skipper, didn’t think a deal would ever materialize, though the Marchand report indicates it could still happen.

The same terms would apply — ESPN would control NFL Media, and with it, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and NFL films, while the NFL would allow ESPN to use its programming for ESPN’s DTC offering. More NFL content could power ESPN DTC to new heights as sports fans continue to flock toward NFL football in spades.

ESPN and Roku are reportedly in talks to feature ESPN DTC on Roku’s homepage, further expanding the service’s reach to cord-cutters. Marchand also reports that ESPN has spoken to Apple and Amazon in the same realm.

Lastly, Marchand reports that ESPN hopes to be a broadcasting solution for MLB, NBA, and NHL teams and provide local sports as part of its DTC strategy. In the wake of the Diamond Sports bankruptcy, ESPN envisions replacing regional sports networks with its streaming offering to add even more value to consumers. Amazon’s investment into DSG may have thrown a wrench into the scope of that plan but ESPN could still offer local broadcasts of teams that are no longer associated with or never were associated with DSG.

Sid Rosenberg: Jesse Watters ‘The Next Great’ Fox News Primetime Host

BNM Staff
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Sid Rosenberg: Jesse Watters ‘The Next Great’ Fox News Primetime Host

Jesse Watters has been hosting the 8 PM ET timeslot for Fox News for less than a year. But 77 WABC host Sid Rosenberg believes he’s as great as his predecessors.

While promoting his book Get It Together: Troubling Tales from the Liberal Fringe, which released Tuesday, Watters appeared on Sid and Friends in the Morning on 77 WABC.

Before their discussion, Rosenberg shared his opinion that Watters is already one of the top hosts in cable news and is in line with others who held his timeslot.

“I don’t believe anybody in all of cable news gets bigger ratings than Jesse Watters,” said Rosenberg. “He is taking that eight o’clock slot, which was once held by all-time greats like Bill O’Reilly and Tucker Carlson, and he’s the next great one.

“He gets the biggest ratings of any network all day, eight o’clock every night because he’s got great a show. He’s great. He has me on. That’s his best show, of course,” he joked. “The show is great no matter what he’s got on.”

Watters got his start with Fox News working with Rosenberg’s friend and colleague Bill O’Reilly. The 77 WABC host is a regular guest on the cable channel.

NFL Network Host Jamie Erdahl Staying With ‘Good Morning Football’ Amid Move to California

BSM Staff
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NFL Network Host Jamie Erdahl Staying With ‘Good Morning Football’ Amid Move to California

The impending move of Good Morning Football across the country has resulted in one cast member sticking around — albeit after she gives birth, first. Host Jamie Erdahl posted an emotional video today via her X account, saying that she will indeed make the move from New York to Inglewood but that she’ll be delivering her child first:

“I’m really happy to say that I get to keep sitting in my chair, being the best point guard I can be when Good Morning Football returns in Los Angeles. This is a very hard time for many people affected by this decision to move this show, and all I can hope is that for the people making these decisions — our executives at the NFL, our coaches — to not make these decisions lightly and to do so with the best intention of keeping what people love about GMFB intact: the fact that it’s four people who love this game and this league sitting around that big beautiful table, and the dedicated team beyond the table giving you everything we have got at night and every morning. So I will see you in LA, but I’m going to go have a baby.”

Earlier this month, the NFL made the controversial decision to move the popular morning show from its New York City studios across the country to California. The new studios in Inglewood, CA serve as the home to NFL GameDay and NFL Total Access, and will now house GMFB too. While Erdahl will make the move, it’s presently unknown if the show’s other cast members, Jason McCourty, Kyle Brandt, and Peter Schrager, will join her. For a show that has seen success because of its chemistry, keeping the band together will be crucial for its continued success.

FOX Sports Announces 2024 ‘MLB on FOX’ Lineup

BSM Staff
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FOX Sports Announces 2024 ‘MLB on FOX’ Lineup

With the majority of Major League Baseball regular-season Opening Day games set to commence next week, FOX Sports has revealed its MLB on FOX broadcasting plans for the upcoming 2024 season, culminating in its presentation of the World Series. The network’s lead broadcast booth of play-by-play announcer Joe Davis, color commentator John Smoltz and reporter Ken Rosenthal is returning for the season. The lead booth will begin its season by broadcasting the New York Yankees and Houston Astros game from Minute Maid Park on Saturday, March 30 at 7 p.m. EST on FOX.

Additional broadcasters set to contribute to MLB on FOX coverage this season include play-by-play announcers Adam Amin, Jason Benetti, Kevin Kugler and Kenny Albert, along with analysts Adam Wainwright, Tom Verducci, A.J. Pierzynski, Eric Karros and Dontrelle Willis. The network will also broadcast the MLB at Rickwood Field game on Thursday, June 20 and will announce its talent assignments at a later date.

The MLB on FOX studio team will return with host Kevin Burkhardt and analysts Álex Rodríguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter. Throughout the year, the program will travel to cover several marquee events, including hosting live from Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 8. The show will provide coverage surrounding a multifaceted programming lineup on FOX, including the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies game in London, England, which is part of the league’s 2024 World Tour.

FOX will also serve as the home of the Belmont Stakes during the same day, which is taking place at Saratoga Race Course this year due to renovations at Belmont Park. The day will conclude with a prime-time game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, emanating from the Bronx and broadcasting on FOX.

Coverage of the league on FOX Deportes will continue with games featuring play-by-play announcer Adrian Garcia Marquez, analyst Edgar Gonzalez, announcer and reporter Carlos Alvarez and reporter and analyst Jaime Motta. The network has also added Rolando Nichols as part of its coverage, serving as a play-by-play announcer this season. In addition to live game broadcasts, the network will also present a daily sports highlight program, Total Sports 360, which features highlights, interviews and reports during the season.

FOX Sports will also continue to present content tailored for digital media platforms, creating and disseminating original content. Flippin’ Bats, a FOX Sports original digital franchise, will present new episodes multiple times per week available to view on FOX Sports digital platforms and other media platforms, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Hosted by Ben Verlander and Alex Curry, the show will seek to promulgate revelry within the game of baseball and feature interviews, analysis and weekly appearances by MLB on FOX analyst John Smoltz. Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner will also be part of the network’s coverage through written content and analysis.

Viewers are able to stream FOX Sports programming live – which includes MLB games broadcast on FOX and FS1 – by using either the FOX Sports app or on FOXSports.com. Other platforms that enable streaming games includes Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV and Roku devices.

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