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Josh Pastner: I Love Doing TV, But Don’t Know If It’s a Career For Me

BSM Staff
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Josh Pastner: I Love Doing TV, But Don’t Know If It’s a Career For Me

The 2023-24 college basketball season has been a season of adjustment for Josh Pastner, but he’s fully embracing what’s in front of him.

Pastner, the former head coach at Georgia Tech, is serving as a studio analyst for NBC’s Big Ten coverage on Peacock and works for ESPN and CBS Sports Network as a game analyst.

He told the Arizona Daily Star that after he was relieved of his duties at the end of last season at Georgia Tech, he found working in television as the right move for a gap year.

“I wanted to take a year and really kind of recenter, and I was excited about trying to do television,” Pastner said. “I reached out to people on my own. Some networks had seen me do things before and were interested. But it also gave me the chance to be around my kids as much as I can. Because when I was the head coach for a long time, I was gone a lot of times and I was trying to win games.”

Josh Pastner remains based in Atlanta and travels from there up to Stamford, Connecticut for his Peacock obligations and then to do his other TV work. He said it’s been nice to not have to wear the coaching cap for a little bit. Television has presented a new and exciting challenge.

“I’ve liked it a lot. I’ve been able to see things from a different perspective,” he said. “Obviously I’m keeping notes from my time as a head coach, things that I thought I did well, things I think that I need to do better at, things that I want to continue to study.”

The approach to being an analyst, Pastner said, is much different than how involved he would be as a coach.

“You’re not making the strategic decision on what to do that’s going to affect the outcome of the game or say ‘Hey, we want to run these three plays today against this defense, we’re switching or something, whatever,'” he said. “So it’s different.”

While he’s had fun and enjoys having much more free time and much less stress, he admitted that working in TV hasn’t been a super smooth transition. Josh Pastner still has the coaching itch, and it sounds like Pastner would love to get another coaching job for 2024-25 and beyond. But he’s not going to completely rule out staying in TV another year if need be.

“It’s not easy being in television, I can tell you all the work it takes behind the scenes, with the host and the producers,” he said. “But you’re kind of responsible for yourself. You’re not responsible for basically a whole organization and, and so it’s a different level of stress in a sense but it’s still you got to be prepared.”

“Is there a career in it for me? It’d be really cool but that would be for the bosses of the different networks to determine,” Pastner added. “Same thing about coaching — that’s going to be based on athletic directors and presidents. Once we get to March, if opportunities open up, there will be a clearer picture.”

Radio Groups Asking FCC For Ownership Deregulation

BNM Staff
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Radio Groups Asking FCC For Ownership Deregulation

Several radio groups have asked the FCC to regulate ownership limits, with the hopes of the new rules making the medium more competitive in the advertising market against tech giants.

In a joint statement from Connoisseur Media and Mid-West Family Broadcasting, the companies believe the FCC needs to “relax the current local radio ownership rules particularly for companies like theirs, that already provide significant local service, and would increase such service if allowed to own more stations in their markets,” according to PolicyBand.com.

The request from radio ownership groups coincides with similar questions from TV ownership groups, with the FCC being required to issue a decision by Wednesday, December 27th. Additionally, the NAB and its President and CEO, Curtis LeGeyt, have championed an update to the regulations, saying, “For broadcasters to continue our unique service to your constituents, television and radio stations must remain economically viable in a highly competitive marketplace.”

Currently, the FCC mandates that in a radio market with 14 or fewer radio stations, single groups can own up to five radio stations, as long as that group does not owner more than 50% of the stations in the market.

The radio owners argue that the current ownership caps are outdated since it was last updated in 1996. The proliferation of digital media — with the statement directly pointing to Google, Facebook, and Amazon — is the biggest driver of wanting the change.

“No radio station in any market has more than 1% of the local advertising market share – while Google, Facebook, and Amazon divide more than half of that local revenue and provide no local service,” the radio broadcasters said. “There are radio owners in many markets today who want to exit the market and cannot find a buyer for their stations. There is not a shortage of stations to buy, but a shortage of buyers willing to invest in stations that cannot achieve scale in their markets.”

Amazon Investing in Diamond Sports Group Makes Too Much Sense

Garrett Searight
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Amazon Investing in Diamond Sports Group Makes Too Much Sense

I’ve often taken an impatient stance on Amazon and its flirtation with television rights in the sports space. “Are you in the space or are you just flirting with it? Do you really want to be a player? And if you do, it’s time to start buying.”

Easy to say when it isn’t your money.

But I never considered Amazon as a player in the local sports rights. Never once did I think “You know who could be a smart player to help save the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks as Diamond Sports Group threw the entire sports television landscape into flux? Amazon.”

I was shortsighted, something Amazon rarely is. I didn’t see into the future, which is something the Jeff Bezos-owned company is known for. Truth be told, when the report came down Monday that Amazon was considering an investment into the fledgling regional sports network operator, I couldn’t help but think “Holy cow, that’s a great idea”.

Not only is it a great idea for Amazon, it’s a great idea for the MLB, NBA, and NHL, too.

Companies have long utilized the credibility of professional sports teams to link their brands with favorable entities. It’s why somewhere out there “The Official Salsa of (Insert Team Name Here)” exists.

And that’s what Amazon is going to leverage with local sports deals. Viewers love their favorite teams, and Prime Video is going to get you to associate its brand with the things you love. It is a win-win, and the benefit comes from increased revenue, not only from retail sales, but advertising/sponsorships, and subscriptions.

Additionally, the leagues have to be ecstatic that a company like Amazon wants in on local sports rights. In recent years, “Big Tech” — namely Prime Video and Apple — have been viewed as potential overspenders, the cash cows that will drive rights fees sky high as the ever-hungry professional and collegiate sports monolith continues to grow.

And yet, I don’t think the idea of increased — or even sustained, truthfully — rights fees is the cause for celebration for MLB, NBA, and NHL. It’s retail, baby. Merchandise. Apparel. Whatever you want to call it. Amazon can drive literal billions of dollars in product for these entities, and its corporate partners.

In a world that is frequently shifting to business-to-business relationships, those three leagues being deeply entrenched with a company like Amazon and a platform like Prime Video might literally be invaluable. Potentially unquantifiable.

People love Amazon. Earlier this year, it was named the third most trusted brand in the United States. 78% of Americans view the brand favorably. In a country as divided as ever, the overwhelming majority believe Amazon rocks. And yet, even though it is viewed in such great standing, it’s trying to improve. I find that admirable, despite looking like some corporate shill.

Make no mistake about it, the company has billions to spend. It could probably purchase the entire NHL if it really wanted to pony up the money to do so. But just because Amazon has tons of money to spend doesn’t mean it’s done so unwisely. And any potential investment in Diamond Sports Group would be a wise investment, for not only Amazon, but professional sports leagues, and sports fans, too.

Fox News Scores High Viewership Marks with DeSantis/Newsom Debate

BNM Staff
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The 2024 presidential election season has, thus far, produced five nationally televised debates from August through December 2023. Four of them were for the Republican primary; the outlier being perhaps the most contrived made-for-TV setup: for Fox News Channel on November 30th involving Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).

The event provided the cable network with an additional debate before the end of the calendar year. Fox News had previously televised the first two GOP debates back on August 23rd and September 27th. NBC aired the third one on November 8th and outlets NewsNation and The CW aired the fourth on December 6th.

Moderated by Fox’s conservative host Sean Hannity and billed as the “Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate”, one of the night’s most memorable moments was when Newsom — who is not declaring to run for POTUS in 2024 — quipped to presidential candidate DeSantis, “The one thing we have in common is neither of us will be our party’s nominee in 2024.”

The debate was tangential, at best, for the election cycle, but the night was more vital for DeSantis, who tried to increase his standing among the Republican field that features the party’s outright frontrunner, Donald Trump.

According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.747 million viewers (including 742,000 within the key 25-54 demographic) tuned in to the 90-minute event on Thursday, November 30th from 9-10:30 PM ET.

While far short of the three past GOP debates — Fox News from August 23rd (13 million viewers, 2.82 million adults 25-54), the combo of FNC, Fox Business Network, and Univision from September 27th (9.32 million viewers, 2 million adults 25-54), and on NBC-only from Nov. 8 (6.86 million viewers, 1.31 million adults 25-54), it still topped all cable news telecasts in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo for the week ending December 3rd.

Its half-hour debate analysis from 10:30-11 PM would be the week’s runner-up for cable news in each key figure: 3.414 million total viewers including 541,000 adults 25-54.

To put these numbers into perspective, Fox News — the usual non-sports cable leader in prime time total audience — averages in the range of 2.0-2.5 million total viewers, including 200,000-300,000 adults 25-54 with the lineup of Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, and Gutfeld! from 8-11 p.m. Mondays thru Fridays.

Decent ratings also resulted from its late-night rebroadcasts: the debate at midnight ET drew 706,000 viewers and 154,000 adults 25-54 (on par with how a midnight rerun of their popular early evening talk show The Five regularly performs on other nights); post-debate at 1:30 AM ET drew 576,000 viewers and 131,000 adults 25-54.

Within the seven-day period following their initial airings (November 30th-December 7th), the debate added 442,000 viewers; post-debate earned an additional 206,000 viewers

Cable news averages for November 27-December 3, 2023:

Total Day (Nov. 27-Dec. 3 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.169 million viewers; 134,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.762 million viewers; 71,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.443 million viewers; 78,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.146 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.143 million viewers; 41,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.119 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.110 million viewers; 22,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.078 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.072 million viewers; 12,000 adults 25-54
  • Court TV: 0.040 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:

1. Hannity (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 9:00 PM, 90 min.) 4.747 million viewers

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 3.414 million viewers

3. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 11/27/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.995 million viewers

4. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.760 million viewers

5. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 11/29/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.754 million viewers

6. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.754 million viewers

7. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 11/28/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.709 million viewers

8. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 12/1/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.659 million viewers

9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 11/29/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.504 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 11/28/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.315 million viewers

16. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 11/27/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.056 million viewers

89. Rosalynn Carter Memorial Service (CNN, Tue. 11/28/2023 2:00 PM, 75 min.) 1.319 million viewers

175. Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO, Fri. 12/1/2023 10:00 PM, 59 min.) 0.761 million viewers

261. Trump Speech (NMX, Sat. 12/2/2023 4:30 PM, 75 min.) 0.565 million viewers

327. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 12/3/2023 11:00 PM, 38 min.) 0.423 million viewers

357. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 11/28/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.361 million viewers

363. The Daily Show “Nov 28, 23 – Michelle Wolf” (CMDY, Tue. 11/28/2023 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.353 million viewers

420. Forensic Files II (HLN, late Fri. 12/1/2023 1:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.294 million viewers

464. Fast Money Halftime Report (CNBC, Fri. 12/1/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.259 million viewers

555. Cuomo (NWSN, Fri. 12/1/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.218 million viewers

663. Heavy Rescue: 401 “(206) Not Your Regular Fender-Bender” (TWC, Wed. 11/29/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.178 million viewers

752. FBI Files (COURT TV, Sun. 12/3/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.148 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top  programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:

1. Hannity (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 9:00 PM, 90 min.) 0.742 million adults 25-54

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.541 million adults 25-54

3. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 11/30/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.305 million adults 25-54

4. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Tue. 11/28/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.279 million adults 25-54

5. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 11/27/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.261 million adults 25-54

6. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Mon. 11/27/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.259 million adults 25-54

7. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Wed. 11/29/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.257 million adults 25-54

8. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 11/29/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.235 million adults 25-54

9. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 12/1/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.234 million adults 25-54

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 11/29/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.231 million adults 25-54

37. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 11/27/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.175 million adults 25-54

40. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Mon. 11/27/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.174 million adults 25-54

102. Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO, Fri. 12/1/2023 10:00 PM, 59 min.) 0.138 million adults 25-54

103. The Daily Show “Nov 29, 23 – Michelle Wolf” (CMDY, Wed. 11/29/2023 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.138 million adults 25-54

124. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 12/3/2023 11:00 PM, 38 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54

189. Forensic Files (HLN, late Sun. 12/3/2023 12:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.102 million adults 25-54

448. America’s Morning Headquarters (TWC, Wed. 11/29/2023 8:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.053 million adults 25-54

477. Closing Bell (CNBC, Tue. 11/28/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.050 million adults 25-54

506. Cuomo (NWSN, Tue. 11/28/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.046 million adults 25-54

534. FBI Files (COURT TV, Sun. 12/3/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.044 million adults 25-54

626. Trump Speech (NMX, Sat. 12/2/2023 4:30 PM, 75 min.) 0.035 million adults 25-54

645. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 11/28/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.033 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

Damon Phillips Named Senior Vice President of Digital at NBC Sports

BSM Staff
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Damon Phillips Named Senior Vice President of Digital at NBC Sports

NBC Sports has announced that Damon Phillips is entering an expanded role as the senior vice president of NBC Sports Digital and Emerging Business. Within this role, he will report to NBC Sports President Rick Cordella and oversee the company’s portfolio in various different sectors, including NBCSports.com, sports betting, fantasy sports, NBC Sports Audio, the NBC Sports Podcast Network and college name, image and likeness (NIL). Moreover, he is going to serve as the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) executive champion for the company.

“Damon has long been a valued member of the NBC Sports executive team and has been at the forefront of our NIL business,” Cordella said in a statement. “By expanding his role to include our digital, betting, radio, and podcast properties, we can leverage his skill set to create a higher return on investment and develop growth opportunities.”

Damon Phillips first joined the company in 2018 as general manager of NBC Sports Washington, one of the company’s previous regional sports networks. While he was in that role, the network innovated in the spaces of sports betting and digital media, developing the National Football League and National Basketball Association’s first live predictive-gaming telecasts. Since November 2020, he has worked as the senior vice president of strategic initiatives and head of diversity and inclusion.

Before working with NBC Sports, Phillips worked as an executive at ESPN focused on the company’s digital media portfolio. He was the vice president of ESPN3 and WatchESPN, along with the vice president of digital direct-to-consumer services and vice president of technical product management.

Additionally, he worked with USA Football as its assistant executive director, along ith directing corporate marketing for the FOX Sports Grill. Phillips graduated with honors from Stanford University and also worked with the National Basketball Association and The Walt Disney Company in marketing roles.

Rob ‘Hardy’ Poole to Be Honored on Zolak & Bertrand

BSM Staff
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Earlier on Tuesday, Fred Toucher announced that Rob ‘Hardy’ Poole would be taking over as the co-host of the morning program on 98.5 The Sports Hub beginning on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. The new show, titled Toucher & Hardy, came into fruition when Rich Shertenlieb left the station after 14 years, ending a 17-year partnership between he and Toucher that began on WBCN before the launch of 98.5 The Sports Hub in 2009.

Since joining the station in 2009, he has contributed to various programs and has most recently served as a contributor with the Zolak & Bertrand midday program on the outlet.

Following Toucher’s announcement, Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand discussed Hardy’s exit from their program to work in the mornings interspersed with various callers expressing their gratitude towards his contributions to the show. The program has been simulcast on NBC Sports Boston since July 2018 and has accumulated large market shares in the daypart, most recently finishing with a 14.6 share, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.

“This is a really sad day,” caller Matt in Rhode Island said. “I listen to all three shows mostly every day. I’m just curious who’s going to take Hardy’s seat now. I feel like there needs to be a day dedicated to Hardy at this point with Hardy montages.”

Zolak concurred with the suggestion, stating that it was something the show would do in order to honor his contribution to the program. He then decided to start a segment about who would take Hardy’s role on the show, specifically limiting suggestions to people who were either fired or quit 98.5 The Sports Hub. Some of the guesses the co-hosts and contributors provided included Andy Gresh, Damon Amendolara, Nick Cattles, and Rich Shertenlieb himself.

When the question was later raised about whether or not Toucher or Hardy would miss more shows in the next year, Hardy stated that he does not blow shows off and is looking forward to the new opportunity. Moreover, he interacted with callers congratulating him on the new job and articulating that they would listen to the new pairing on weekday mornings.

“It’s a little tough getting up in the morning though,” Zolak said. “You’ve got to really reset your clock.”

“Oh is it early, the morning show?,” Hardy replied. “You have to get up early for that? You know what? No one has mentioned that to me.”

Hardy remarked that he believes his dog is going to have the biggest change in her routine, specifically when she is taken on a walk. Additionally, he shared that despite filling in on the morning show last week and driving at 5 a.m. in the morning, he still hits traffic on I-95 for his commute into the studio. He drove from 98.5 The Sports Hub’s studios to Gillette Stadium to participate on Tuesday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, broadcasting on location.

OutKick Moving Live Shows Away From YouTube

BSM Staff
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OutKick Moving Live Shows Away From YouTube

OutKick is moving it’s entire suite of live programs — including OutKick the Morning with Charly Arnolt and Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich — away from YouTube and will air the entire live programs on its website instead.

The company was absent from YouTube earlier this year after a weeklong ban for a violation of the platform’s policy about misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning on January 3rd, each OutKick show will air live on the company’s website, with clips and highlights later being added to its YouTube channel, a spokesperson confirms to Barrett Sports Media.

To begin his program Tuesday, Dakich alerted viewers that his daily sports program would no longer be appearing on the platform after the turn of the calendar.

“Starting on January 3rd, we are moving strictly to OutKick.com,” Dakich said. “We’re taking the shackles of YouTube off. You’ll be able to get YouTube, you’ll be able to get our videos here and catch up, but if you want the full show, you gotta go to OutKick.com starting January 3rd. It’ll be your one-stop shop for all things on these great shows.”

Currently, OutKick features more than 1.5 million subscribers on its YouTube channel.

David Kaplan: Rashard Mendenhall Was Talking About Me in Viral Post

BSM Staff
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Yesterday, former NFL running back Rashard Mendenhall set X ablaze with a post arguing for a Pro Bowl split down racial lines because of his anger toward white commentators. ESPN 1000 morning host David Kaplan joked he was who Mendenhall had in mind when making the post.

In the post, Mendenhall wrote “I’m sick of average white guys commenting on football. Y’all not even good at football. Can we please replace the Pro Bowl with an All-Black vs. All-White bowl so these cats can stop trying to teach me who’s good at football.”

It is unclear what triggered Mendenhall to send such a message. In a later post, he clarified his comments by saying “Simply tired of being berated by people who aren’t experts in de game. We jus pretend like I’m the only athlete tired of fans talking trash? You (this) upset over a single tweet. What about us? Like me or not, I’m a GREAT in football. This proves my point, u can’t speak on ball alone.”

On Kap & JHood Tuesday morning, longtime Chicago sports radio host David Kaplan joked that he was the posterchild for Mendenhall’s displeasure with “average white guys commenting on football”.

“He was talking about me,” Kaplan said before reading the post made by Mendenhall.

“We read this yesterday off the air right before we left,” Jonathan Hood said. “It was like ‘What’s the purpose of this? Why would he say that? He’s just trying to start a firestorm’.”

Many in sports radio took the post as a joke, taking time throughout their shows to make up hypothetical White vs Black rosters in a game. Other shows and outlets, notably OutKick, took issue with the racial portions of Mendenhall’s comments.

YES Network Eyes Bernie Williams for Analyst Role

BSM Staff
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Could yet another Yankees legend be headed to the booth to call games for the YES Network? A recent report by The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand indicates that YES and former Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams are speaking about an on-air role for the former Gold Glove winner and World Series champion. There are two places Williams would slot in, according to Marchand.

In one scenario, Williams would work alongside play-by-play man Michael Kay on YES Network games and join his revolving door of analysts, including David Cone, Paul O’Neill, John Flaherty, Todd Frazier, and Jeff Nelson.

In the other, Williams would join Bob Lorenz and Jack Curry on pre-and post-game studio coverage. Marchand notes that the latter would likely be Williams’ first destination, while he slowly works towards calling games.

Williams played all 15 years of his MLB career with the Yankees. He was a five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, four-time World Series champion, and won the ALCS MVP in 1996. His number 51 was retired by the Yankees in 2015.

Mike Krukow Continuing KNBR Appearances After Giants Ink Star Free Agent

BSM Staff
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The San Francisco Giants organization has reportedly been trying to land a star player on their team through free agency for the last several years, but the efforts have proven unsuccessful. A tweet from Jon Heyman regarding Aaron Judge likely heading to the team turned out to be incorrect, re-signing with the New York Yankees shortly thereafter. Moreover, the Giants made an aggressive bid to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, only to lose out on him to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Upon all of this happening – along with Juan Soto being traded to the Yankees – Mike Krukow voiced the need for the Giants to land a star.

In the end, the team came to terms with outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year contract worth a reported $113 million. Lee spent the last seven years playing in the KBO League where he owned a .340/.407/.491 slashline throughout his career. Lee will now make the move to Major League Baseball as the Giants look to field a contending team with hopes of capturing another World Series championship.

The news excited fans of the team and will likely help draw additional attention towards the team in the leadup to Opening Day. While it remains unknown if the Giants will make any more moves this offseason, the team hopes to improve on its 79-win campaign under new manager Bob Melvin. On Tuesday morning, Mike Krukow joined Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on KNBR to convey his thoughts surrounding the acquisition and Lee’s press conference.

“I thought it was great,” Krukow said. “It also means I don’t have to quit.”

Krukow threatened to quit his weekly spot on Murph & Markus if the Giants were unable to land a star free agent. Broadcast partner Duane Kuiper wondered if Lee’s deal would constitute a large enough move that would keep him on the air. Before Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, Mike Krukow discussed how he felt it was vital for the team to make a splash in the offseason. Since the team won three World Series championships in a five-year span, the team has qualified for the postseason twice and lost in the National League Division Series during both years.

“I wasn’t going to hold you to that by the way,” Murphy replied, who also shared last week that he is not quitting either way and has no choice but to join the program. Kuiper wanted to know how his colleague would respond to determine if he would need to appear on the morning show more often. Nonetheless, it seems as if Krukow is content with the free-agent signing, keeping him as part of the program’s lineup for the foreseeable future.

“He’s not a home-run hitter per se; he will hit some, but neither was Ichiro,” Krukow said. “Now is he going to be as good as Ichiro? Man, I hope so.”

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