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Donald Trump Sues ABC News, George Stephanopoulos For Defamation After Nancy Mace Interview

BNM Staff
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Former President Donald Trump has launched a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos after his viral interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) earlier this month.

During his Sunday morning political affairs program This Week, Stephanopoulos questioned how Nancy Mace — a rape survivor — could support Trump after a jury in a civil trial recently held him liable for the sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll. Mace strongly pushed back on the line of questioning, claiming the anchor was attempting to “shame” her for her political beliefs.

The point of contention from the Trump camp is the use of the word “rape” by Stephanopoulos. In his ruling, Judge Lewis Kaplan claimed “Trump ‘raped’ her as man people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”

However, the term “sexual abuse” was used in the verdict, which attorneys for the former President pounced on.

“On Sunday, March 10, 2024, Defendant George Stephanopoulos, during the airing of his weekly television show, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, falsely stated on several occasions that Plaintiff had been found liable by multiple juries for the rape of Ms. E. Jean Carroll. These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” a legal filing by Trump’s legal team reads.

“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise.”

Later in the filing against ABC News, it alleges Donald Trump was not found liable for the sexual assault — which contradicts the verdict that was rendered in the civil case from Carroll. However, the suit then references the verdict in the case, noting that it is currently under an appeal.

The announcement of Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the outlet and anchor comes on the heels of reporting that he is struggling to pay his $464 million bond in a civil fraud case, with his lawyers telling the court they had approached 30 underwriters for the bond but had been unsuccessful in finding a backer, and weren’t likely to find one by the end of the month when the bond is due.

Ryan Clark Wants to Meet “3 Men in a Room” with Tiki Barber and Gregg Giannotti

BSM Staff
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Ryan Clark Wants to Meet “3 Men in a Room” with Tiki Barber and Gregg Giannotti

The ongoing saga between ESPN’s Ryan Clark and WFAN hosts Tiki Barber and Gregg Giannotti continued on social media with Clark looking to arrange an in-person meeting between the three. Late on Monday evening, Clark put out three posts on X and tagged both Barber and Giannotti.

“This is pretty easy,” Clark wrote. “[Tiki Barber and Gregg Giannotti] I’m in [New York] all week. Would love to meet anywhere you would like. I have no problem. I didn’t say you know where to find me, I said I’m easy to find. As in anything further I’m willing to discuss in person as adult men and professionals.”

The second post was directed at comments Giannotti made in defense of Barber after Clark and Barber exchanged words over things Barber had previously said about Saquon Barkley who recently decided to leave the New York Giants and join the Philadelphia Eagles. “Once the ‘jackasses’ and ‘di**s’ got to flying there was no need to respond publicly,” Clark said. “I spoke on my experiences with Tiki. No name calling just my truth. He deserved his response and I let it be, but since you offered [Gregg Giannotti] I’m here. [Tiki Barber] I’m here.”

In his final post on the thread, Clark added, “So, y’all tell me where and I’m there. No camera, no mics, no public talking after. 3 men in a room. Let me know fellas. God Bless.”

There have not been any responses posted on X by either Barber or Giannotti and ‘Gio’ won’t be responding on the air this week as he is out on vacation.

NewsRadio 1360 PD Sam Eulenfield Exits iHeartMedia Corpus Christi as Cuts Continue

BNM Staff
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NewsRadio 1360 PD Sam Eulenfield Exits iHeartMedia Corpus Christi as Cuts Continue

Sam Eulenfield, Program Director of NewsRadio 1360 KKTX in Corpus Christi, has announced he has departed iHeartMedia as part of ongoing layoffs at the radio giant.

In a post to social media announcing his departure, Eulenfield wrote “Friends, my time with iHeart has come to an end, just shy of 16 years. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the finest people in radio (and yes I will include sales in that bunch). I’m not sure what my next chapter in my life will look like, but for the time being, I shall be content being just Uncle Sam to my niece and nephews.

“I wasn’t sure whether or not I should post about this but I am hopeful that I will see this post in the future amongst my Facebook memories, and I’ll be able to look at it as not just the end of something, but the catalyst for something better.”

Known as “Uncle Sam” on the air, Eulenfield hosted afternoons on country sister station K99 in addition to his work at NewsRadio 1360 KKTX, according to RadioInsight.

Eulenfield is the latest in a line of cuts over the past week at iHeartMedia. More than 10 Assistant Program Directors, Program Directors, or Senior Vice Presidents of Programming have publicly announced their departures from the company in the past week.

Will Women Dominate March Madness in 2024?

Demetri Ravanos
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Will Women Dominate March Madness in 2024?

Fields for both the men and women are set. It’s time to go dancing in college basketball. The sport more defined by its postseason than any other in America steps into the spotlight this week.

I believe we could see something extraordinary happen this year. While ratings for the women’s tournament climb each year, with last year’s title game setting a viewership record, the men have held on to the advantage. With the two trending in opposite directions though, I am ready to call my shot.

2024 will be the year the final of the NCAA Women’s Tournament overtakes the final for the NCAA Men’s Tournament.

There are bona fide stars in women’s basketball. You know all about Caitlin Clark at Iowa, but she isn’t alone. USC freshman Juju Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers stole their share of headlines too. Hell, LSU’s Angel Reese was in Sports Illustrated’s iconic Swimsuit Issuelast year. 

Everywhere you look, there’s celebrity in the women’s game. Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Roy Williams have retired. Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey are better known than most men’s coaches now. Geno Auriemma may be the last true icon left coaching in college at all.

Recognizable names matter. They are what draw interest from casual fans and keep them coming back. It’s something the men’s game has been missing for a long time. The best men’s teams somehow seem extra anonymous this year. It’s not to say there aren’t good players. I just don’t really know their names or what they look like.

I’m not just touting star power here. There are trends that say this very well could be the year the women take over. Last year, while LSU and Iowa were setting the good kind of records, UConn and San Diego State were moving the men’s final in the opposite direction.

There were a lot of reasons for the ratings drop on the men’s side. That lack of star power is big, but so is the lack of brand power. San Diego State is a mid major program. UConn may be a blue blood, but it’s a blue blood from an area of the country that doesn’t dedicate a ton of time to college sports. Coming off of a 2022 final that featured Kansas and North Carolina, a ratings drop of only 15% should maybe be celebrated.

Right now, there are major brands in women’s college basketball that are doing a lot of winning. South Carolina is the overall top seed. Clark, a brand all her own, has lead Iowa to a number one seed. Last year’s champ LSU will be a high seed as will schools with big, nation-wide fan bases like Texas and Ohio State.

ESPN also creates a real advantage for the women. The network has devoted a lot of attention to Clark’s records and to South Carolina’s undefeated season. It’s all in service of synergy. Yes, other networks may have some games, but the biggest event in the sport is on ESPN and ABC, the networks that put its stars front and center.

Conversely, the men’s tournament is spread across four networks that don’t show very much regular season college basketball. CBS starts airing doubleheaders on Saturdays beginning in January. TBS, which will carry the Final Four, doesn’t show any college basketball. Neither do TruTV or TNT.

I like the way the quartet covers the men’s tournament. I think the broadcast crews (now that Jim Nantz is out of there) are great and I enjoy the energy Charles Barkley brings to the studio show. I do not think for a second that CBS or the WBD networks are doing anything to hold men’s college basketball back. What I think is that the game itself is in a stage where it could use a central network acting as hype machine and broadcaster.

Audiences have proven over and over again in the last 18 months that there is an appetite for women’s sports on television. ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro makes no secret of the fact that he believes it is the best opportunity for ESPN to find new audiences. 

It may only be for one year. It may not even be a huge lead. Everything just feels like it is moving in the right direction for it to happen though. That’s why I’m calling it now. The NCAA Tournament will be the crown jewel of what has already been an extraordinary season for women’s college basketball. 

This will be the year that the women’s final overtakes the men’s final in the ratings. If ESPN is lucky enough to get Dawn Staley and South Carolina against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the championship game, we could see a number it takes years for either final to top.

Nick Wilson is Enjoying Life Back Home at 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland

Peter Schwartz
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It’s been almost two years since Nick Wilson left a successful run in Charlotte to return home to Cleveland to replace Adam “The Bull” in afternoon drive at 92.3 FM “The Fan.”  Wilson had some big shoes to fill and now the chemistry has been building with Dustin Fox to the point where it has been a seamless transition.

“Now that we’re almost two years in, okay now we can push that throttle a little bit more,” said Fox.  “Now we can see we’ve built the trust and laid the foundation.  Now let’s go ahead and really examine everything we do and see what’s working for us and what isn’t.  It’s been a really fun journey and I really like where we are.”

The scenario that Wilson returned home for was unchartered waters for him during his radio career.  When he moved to Charlotte, he was new but so was his co-host.  When he was paired with a new co-host, he was the established host.  And now after returning to Cleveland, Wilson was the new guy.

It would not have been appropriate to step into the huddle like a quarterback and bark out the signals.

“I couldn’t just come in and be like we’re doing these five things differently and this sucks and this doesn’t work,” said Wilson. “That show had been the backbone of the station for 11 years.  Adam and Dustin did a good show so I didn’t want to disrupt that rhythm for the audience.”

Much like the Cleveland sports fans and the teams they root for, Wilson brings a lunchpail type of work ethic to his show each and every day.  Like an athlete who doesn’t take a play off, a game off or a season off, Wilson goes into each and every show with the same intensity and the end goal to win each day.

And that’s his objective every day when he comes to work. 

“I look at every show as a living breathing entity,” said Wilson.  “You have to treat it with that kind of reverence.  I am in the business of making things as fun as they possibly can be.”

A native of the Cleveland area in Ohio, Wilson was working for his hometown sports station when he made the quantum leap to go to Charlotte for a new and wonderful opportunity to take his sports radio game to another level.  He loved working in Charlotte, but when the chance to come home came about, he jumped at the opportunity.

For Wilson, that opportunity was there because, to steal a line from “The Who”, the new boss was the same as the old boss.

“Andy Roth has been the brand manager since day one,” said Wilson.  “He was the guy who hired me.  He’s the guy who hired me again.  He’s the guy who was very cool in letting me explore the Charlotte option when he didn’t have to.”

Charlotte was good to Wilson, but there’s no place like home so he clicked his heels and came back to Cleveland to talk to his hometown listeners.

“With all due love and respect to the good people in Charlotte, it is much easier,” said Wilson.  “I’m speaking to myself when I’m talking to the audience.”

But coming home still came with an adjustment period of getting used to a new co-host, to make sure the show continued to produce good ratings and to make sure his work life was in concert with his family life.

“It took a hell of lot more energy than I remember it taking either time in Charlotte simply because it was a completely different approach,” said Wilson.  “It was probably at some point in this second football season that I looked around my work and my life mirrored each other.”

And Wilson, being an Ohio native, certainly was aware of the audience he was coming home to talk to.  Cleveland is a very unique and special sports town.  The fans rally around the Browns, Guardians and Cavaliers to the point where it’s more than just fans rooting for a team and sports radio hosts talking to the fans about those teams.

It’s a community effort.

“It’s family,” said Wilson.  “It doesn’t mean that other sports towns don’t have this, but maybe the sports towns I’ve encountered don’t have it to this degree.  Clevelanders really take pride in their loyalty to the Cleveland sports teams.  It’s like your family.  I can bitch about them so you better not say it if you’re not from here.  If you have not lived these wars, I don’t want to hear you talk about it.”

Wilson’s approach each and every day he hosts the show with Fox is to make sure that the audience buys into what they’re talking about.  It’s sports radio but it has to be both entertaining and informative.  You can’t fool Cleveland sports fans so the content has to jive with what the listeners expect.

And that’s what Wilson and Fox deliver on a daily basis.

“My North Star is pretty much I just want to walk out of that studio feeling like I just delivered something that nobody else can but is something that is up to a standard that people can trust and respect,” said Wilson.  “To me, that begins with having fun and being energetic and being on point with what people are talking about at a bar with their buddies.”

And now that Nick Wilson has established that chemistry with Dustin Fox and afternoon drive continues to be the anchor of “The Fan,” there is a buzz as to what lies ahead.

“I’m really excited to see how the next 18 months evolve,” said Wilson.

Is Talk Radio the Lone Survivor for Free Speech?

Garrett Searight
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Is Talk Radio the Lone Survivor for Free Speech?

In 2005, Howard Stern famously left AM/FM behind to take his talk radio show to Sirius due in part to censorship concerns and restrictions the FCC put on the medium.

However, less than 20 years later, could one make the case that AM/FM radio — and more specifically news/talk radio — is the last bastion of free speech?

The FCC cracked down on terrestrial radio in 2004 after the infamous Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson incident during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII. That increased scrutiny led Stern to depart.

Now, there hasn’t been a similar situation in recent years. However, other mediums and platforms — including social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube — have seen similar pushes. Not to ban things deemed indecent, but rather a limit on what is and isn’t acceptable according to each’s terms of service.

YouTube has received the lion’s share of criticism from news/talk radio professionals due to the symbiotic nature the medium had with the video platform. The outlet — owned by Google — received harsh pushback from the conservative media community for its quick trigger to remove those who questioned or outright pushed back against the COVID-19 vaccine, leading to many companies and creators moving to competitor Rumble.

Logically, it would be easy to view YouTube as a quasi “Wild Wild West”, as far as content goes. Conceivably, anything (within reason) would be allowable on the platform, who few restrictions on content and its moderation.

But that is no longer the case, with Rumble alleging it holds that place in the video-sharing world.

However, there is a deep irony that a medium — AM/FM radio — is regulated by the federal government but appears to be more open to free speech than those outlets not governed at all.

“It is backwards, in my opinion,” Salem Radio Network host “Officer” Brandon Tatum told Barrett News Media last month. “I understand why, to a certain degree, but it is kind of weird that every platform isn’t open enough where you can say whatever you want to say. We live in America, you know, you have the First Amendment.

If you’re going to be a communicative platform for people, it would behoove you to allow people to say whatever they feel, and if they’re wrong, let people challenge them on being wrong.”

Nationally syndicated host Michael Berry agreed.

“There has never been — in an interview — a question that I hadn’t ever thought of, before that one,” Berry said when asked if the talk radio was more open to free speech than an unregulated platform.

The Houston-based host agreed with the idea that, despite FCC regulations, talk radio was, in fact, more flexible in its free speech capabilities than other mediums.

Tatum shared that while he understands that social media platforms aren’t government-regulated, they’re also not government-run entities, either, making them free to operate as they wish.

“The censorship on social media is asinine to me. I get it. Some of these social media companies are private businesses. They exercise the right to put whatever policy in place that they want,” Tatum said. “Everybody, to sign on to these social media platforms, knowingly or unknowingly have to sign at least the terms and conditions to say that they’re going to restrict you if they feel like it. So it’s something that I understand.

“I know I’m disappointed that is the reality of it. But you know, in the time that we live in, you have to just be mindful of being strategic about the way you communicate,” the talk radio host continued. “On YouTube, I just can’t say certain things. But I’m still going to communicate within their policy so I can still get the word out there.”

Doug Gottlieb: There’s a “Less Than Remote Chance” On Getting Oklahoma State Job

BSM Staff
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Doug Gottlieb: There’s a “Less Than Remote Chance” On Getting Oklahoma State Job

For the first time in seven years, Oklahoma State is looking for a new head men’s basketball coach. The school fired Mike Boynton late last week after posting a 119-109 record. Fox Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb, a former Oklahoma State point guard, has openly and publicly campaigned for the position in the past. It was brought up again recently on The Doug Gottlieb Show.

“If you go back seven years ago, when I had just started at Fox Sports Radio, that’s when Mike [Boynton] was hired,” Gottlieb said, “and I was, I think, a finalist…What you should know since then is, yeah, I’ve tinkered around with college coaching. I’ve always tried to protect still doing the radio show. One, because I love this, and two because I’m treated really, really well. And three, I was never in a position I thought, financially, to just walk away from stuff and start all over.”

“…I have been a consultant this year for the program, spent a lot of time there,” Gottlieb continued. “Last year at this time I was actually a finalist for a job at Wisconsin-Green Bay.”

Later, Gottlied got right to the heart of the matter, saying, “I think there’s a less than remote chance that I would get that job, and I know that because I have a good relationship with the Athletic Director Chad Weiberg…He called me, honestly, right after the news broke and in the very nicest way possible said, ‘Look man, I just had a coach for seven years who had not been a head coach before. I can’t hire another coach who has not even been a college assistant before.’

Gottlieb makes a case for himself stating he thinks he would be welcome in gyms and homes where he would need to be in order to recruit. He also says he has many connections between his own coaching in AAU basketball as well as his family’s history and connections in the area. “I think I fit how college basketball is now more so than previously,” he said.

Gottlieb told his audience, “I was offered a job to be an assistant coach at Oklahoma State last offseason. Initially, the plan was to be able to do radio and be an assistant. Then that plan kind of changed, they were like, ‘Hey, you gotta make a decision. Do you want to do the radio show and all of the other stuff you do, or be an assistant coach?’ I wasn’t ready…my girls are seniors in high school, it felt like a sacrifice, frankly, not worth making.”

In the end, Gottlieb made it clear he knows he may never be the head coach at his alma mater and part of that is because of how much he enjoys what he is currently doing. “I am not chasing anything,” he said. “… It’s an itch that I don’t know if it will ever be scratched. I love what I do and the people I get to meet along the way. But, if the right thing presents itself and it feels right, well yeah. But, I don’t think I need to pack anytime soon to be the head coach at Oklahoma State. Even if I do believe that I’m the right guy there, I truly believe that.”

ESPN Announces NCAA March Madness Women’s Basketball Commentary Teams

BSM Staff
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ESPN Announces NCAA March Madness Women’s Basketball Commentary Teams

ESPN has announced its commentary teams for its exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The network has unveiled 16 commentary pairings that will be utilized for the first weekend of action across the United States. Additionally, it will utilize two teams for studio coverage during the First Four and first and second rounds of the tournament featuring College GameDay host Elle Duncan with analysts Rebecca Lobo and Andraya Carter.

The second studio crew will feature ACC Huddle host Kelsey Riggs with analysts Nikki Fargas and Chiney Ogwumike. During the second weekend of play, Duncan, Carter and Ogwumike will continue providing coverage before traveling to Cleveland for on-site coverage, where they will be joined by Hall of Fame coach Carolyn Peck.

Over the course of the tournament, the SEC Network and ACC Network will provide coverage of the teams from their conferences, and The Pat McAfee Show will broadcast live from the University of Iowa for a special live show on Friday, March 22. WWE superstar and universal champion Roman Reigns is currently scheduled to appear on the program, which is simulcast from 12 to 2 p.m. EST on ESPN, ESPN+ and the program’s official YouTube channel. Its final hour, which lasts from 2 until approximately 3 p.m., is available on ESPN+ and YouTube.

The slate of First Four games begins on Wednesday night when No. 16 Presbyterian plays No. 16 Sacred Heart, which will feature Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck on the ESPNU broadcast at 7 p.m. EST. Following that game, Jay Alter and Kelly Gramlich will call the action for No. 12 Columbia’s game against No. 12 Vanderbilt, also on ESPNU at 9 p.m. EST.

Games will be televised on ESPN2 Thursday night beginning with a faceoff between No. 11 Arizona and No. 11 Auburn with commentators Pam Ward and Christy Winters-Scott at 7 p.m. EST. First Four action concludes at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN2 when Beth Mowins, Stephanie White and Holly Rowe call No. 16 UT Martin vs. No. 16 Holy Cross.

Rowe is part of the Final Four and National Championship commentary team, which also includes play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco and analyst Rebecca Lobo. Furthermore, she will be in Iowa City, Iowa to cover the Iowa Hawkeyes first- and second-round games, the latter of which is dependent on a victory in the former, to continue its coverage of star guard and NCAA basketball all-time scoring leader Caitlin Clark. The full commentary teams as announced by ESPN can be found below:

First and Second Round:

Play-by-PlayColor Commentator(s)City
Courtney LyleCarolyn PeckColumbia, S.C.
Beth MowinsStephanie White; Holly Rowe (reporter)Iowa City, Iowa
Elise WoodwardMary MurphyLos Angeles, Calif. (USC)
Tiffany GreeneJimmy DykesAustin, Texas
Roy PhilpottBrooke WeisbrodPalo Alto, Calif.
Matt SchumackerMeghan McKeownColumbus, Ohio
Kevin FitzgeraldKim AdamsLos Angeles, Calif. (UCLA)
Sam GoreTamika CatchingsSouth Bend, Ind.
Jason Ross Jr.Aja EllisonCorvallis, Ore.
Dave O’BrienChristy ThomaskuttyBaton Rouge, La.
Pam WardChristy Winters-ScottStorrs, Conn.
Eric FredeSteffi SorensenRaleigh, N.C.
Ann SchatzMike ThibaultSpokane, Wash.
Jay AlterKelly GramlichBlacksburg, Va.
Brenda VanLengenHolly WarlickManhattan, Kan.
Angel GrayAndrea LloydBloomington, Ind.

Sweet 16 and Elite 8:

Play-by-PlayColor CommentatorSideline ReporterCity
Ryan RuoccoRebecca LoboHolly RoweAlbany Regional
Pam WardStephanie WhiteHolly RoweAlbany Regional
Courtney LyleCarolyn PeckBrooke WeisbrodPortland Regional
Beth MowinsDebbie AntonelliAngel GrayPortland Regional

Final Four and National Championship:

Play-by-PlayColor CommentatorSideline ReporterCity
Ryan RuoccoRebecca LoboHolly RoweCleveland, Ohio

Bleacher Report Sports Gambling Analyst Troy Hermo Has Died

BSM Staff
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Bleacher Report Sports Gambling Analyst Troy Hermo Has Died

Bleacher Report sports gambling analyst Troy Hermo lost his battle with cancer and died on Sunday, March 17.

From Tory Hermo’s X account, “This is Troy’s brother Alex. Troy sadly passed away while surrounded by family last night. On behalf of Troy, his wife Brennah, and the Hermo family I’d like to thank everyone for supporting, donating, and cheering on Troy through his battle with cancer. He loved all of you.”

In 2018, Troy Hermo was diagnosed with stage 4 Adrenal Cancer. As a result, he set up a GoFundMe to help offset expenses for a clinical trial and shared his story:

“When I was 24 years old, I was managing one of the fastest growing companies, dating in a new relationship, purchased a brand new car, and had everything ahead of me. When my first symptoms started to occur, the doctors assured me that it was just anxiety or my casual drinking on the weekends.

“They said I was young and needed to make better food choices.

“What felt like overnight, I gained 20 pounds in my stomach, broke out in severe rashes, and would shake unctrollably, so I demanded a CT scan.

“Two days later, I got the news. I was diagnosed with stage 4 Adrenal Cancer with an 8 1/2 pound tumor on my adrenal gland (the size of a Christmas ham), thus it needed to be removed immediately. After a 12-hour surgery, the incredible team at OHSU had succesfully removed the tumor, along with my adrenal gland, spleen, and kidney.”

Troy Hermo was featured on a ‘Community Spotlight’ interview on Bleacher Report, which can be seen by clicking here.

Adam Crowley: Joe Lunardi “Should Be Ashamed of Himself”

BSM Staff
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Adam Crowley: Joe Lunardi “Should Be Ashamed of Himself”

Adam Crowley, co-host of The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, did not take kindly to a social post from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi. Prior to the start of ‘Selection Sunday,’ the X account for the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team posted a graphic with some information about their resume to make the NCAA Tournament. Lunardi quoted their post and said, “The line with the 343 [Non-Conference Strength-of-Schedule] must have gotten cut off on my screen.”

In a bit titled, ‘Social Media’s Biggest Loser,’ Crowley chose Lunardi as his pick and said, “I’ve been defending Joe Lunardi for weeks, as the ‘messenger who was being shot.’ Joe is just predicting what the committee, in a flawed system, was going to do. That’s all he was doing. But, this was too far for me.”

In explaining to his audience the social exchange, Crowley said, “Pitt basketball tweeted out a worthy resume and posted a really nice graphic…It had all of the reasons why they should’ve been included in the dance.”

After reading the response from Lunardi, Crowley exclaimed, “Look, that’s why they got left out. Joe, you don’t gotta be dunkin’, man. That is such a low-class, low-rent, jerkwad move that I’m never sticking up for the guy again.

“And I get that he probably got worn down by Pitt fans…you gotta have thicker skin, Joe, and you don’t gotta be dunking on a fan base an hour before they find out that they’re not making the NCAA Tournament. That to me was such a low-class, jabroni move by him. It’s not a professional thing, its just a bad move on his part and I think he should be ashamed of himself.”

As he wrapped up the segment, Cowley added, “What do you hope to gain from that?… A big ‘L’ for Joe Lunardi there.”

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