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Marcellus Wiley: Max Kellerman ‘Helped Me Through Painful Moments’

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Former NFL standout Marcellus Wiley has worked with plenty of hosts and talent in his broadcasting career, but none can really hold a candle to the impact former ESPN host Max Kellerman had on Wiley.

Wiley was the guest last week on Dan Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions, and Le Batard pointed out that the relationship the two had while at ESPN was at a deeper level.

Marcellus Wiley said having a ton in common with Max Kellerman allowed the two of them to develop a great friendship. That friendship translated well on the air.

“It was the best chemistry,” Wiley said. “In large part, it’s because we have a lot of similarities in terms of how we look at life. Family first, our affinity for learning, hip-hop, beefing, clowning, we’re just like brothers from another in that respect.”

“He’s a smart dude, and he’s a real dude,” he added. “And he really helped me through some really painful moments.”

Wiley said Kellerman helped him smooth out the strained relationship he had with his father, which at the time had spanned a couple years. Marcellus Wiley also recalled Max being there for him when he was going through a lot emotionally, in particular when Chargers legend Junior Seau passed away. He said Kellerman utilized their platform on shows like SportsNation on ESPN to help work through some things.

“There were many moments where I was really emotional, and sometimes in despair Max and I talked that out on the air,” Wiley said. “Vulnerable I guess that’s what it is for both of us.”

“We had a chemistry where if it’s something we’re thinking about, let’s talk about it,” he added. “And it was just that simple, man, and that led us to get to places where I wasn’t with any other co-host. And I think the audience felt the same way.”

77WABC’s Sid Rosenberg Has Only Ever Wanted to Be Himself On the Air

BNM Staff
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77WABC’s Sid Rosenberg Has Only Ever Wanted to Be Himself On the Air

After decades in big-market radio, rubbing shoulders with talk legends, Sid Rosenberg at 77WABC is hitting success levels that define our industry. With skyrocketing ratings and a growing audience, he’s thriving in his comfort zone, finally poised for triumph.

Hindered for years by stifling program directors and general managers, Rosenberg’s authenticity, his greatest asset, was suppressed, making it nearly impossible to connect with his audience. Always ‘Sid from Brooklyn,’ now he’s Sid from Brooklyn on WABC—taking charge of his brand, steering it with precision towards his desired destination.

Being a heavyweight in the news/talk genre matters to Rosenberg. Despite a heart-wrenching loss last year — partner Bernie McGuirk dying of prostate cancer — Rosenberg has found success with Lou Rufino, who has proven to be a valuable asset to Rosenberg’s morning show.

Sid Rosenberg recognizes Ruffino, who worked alongside Bernie and Don Imus for many years, as a guy with a sharp eye on the news, a passion for sports, and musical genius. Ruffino has seamlessly transitioned into a sidekick role, prompting noticeable changes in the show. Now, with an increased focus on jokes and more engaging lifestyle conversations, the show is firing on all cylinders, engaging New Yorkers on a different level with the unpredictability that all great shows have.  

77WABC’s operations have undergone a noticeable transformation. The station’s brand stands out with a bold digital presence and talk personalities unafraid to diverge from mainstream narratives to bring forth unique stories. In contrast to past markets where speaking his mind got him in trouble, this new approach has been a game-changer.

Looking ahead, Sid Rosenberg is exploring new ventures, including potential movie roles. This doesn’t diminish the ongoing growth of Sid & Friends in the Morning. Rosenberg can now authentically be himself in a city he loves, at a station that values him, with listeners who genuinely appreciate him.

Ryan Hedrick: What makes 77WABC the right fit for you?  

Sid Rosenberg: It starts with the leadership. It fits John and Margo Catsimatidis (owners) and Chad Lopez ( President of Red Apple Media and Talk) because they allow Sid Rosenberg to be Sid Rosenberg. In the past, I’ve worked at sports stations that didn’t want me doing political talk. I worked for program directors and general managers who were the word police, and anytime I said something a bit controversial, I would have to hear about it. These guys allow me to be me.

I have proven over the years that I can succeed if you allow me to be me. I have been on lots of major markets across the country, but the success that I have had here in New York, specifically over the last 6-7 months, has proven to a lot of folks that if you let me do what I do, I can have success and WABC allows me to be that guy.

RH: How did you transform your show into the successful program it is today following the passing of your partner, Bernie McGuirk, several months ago?

SR: That was a crushing loss, both personally and professionally. They are two different shows. To Lou Rufino’s credit, a guy who worked with Bernard and [Don] Imus for many, many years has stepped up and assumed that sidekick role and is excellent. He follows the news, he’s a big sports fan, and the music on my show is a big deal. He’s a musical genius, so he has stepped into that role, which is a big deal, and the show has changed in that we do more sports now, and there’s more lifestyle conversation.

We were getting heavy into politics, and again, we (Bernie & Sid) had a great show together, and I miss him both on and off the air, but the show seems more broad now. That’s closer to what Don Imus did and what Howard Stern did, and I am a guy who worked with Don Imus, I worked with Mike and the Mad Dog, and all these greats, and I have taken a little bit from all of them and put that into the morning show, and I think the show is a lot more unpredictable. I can’t stand radio hosts that are predictable. If I know what you will say, then I am bored.

RH: You mentioned working with several legendary radio personalities in the past. Is there something they share that makes them great on air?

SR: If I had to use one word to describe those guys, authenticity, whether it was Don, Mike, Chris, or even Howard. People hate what he has become today, and I don’t know if he is genuine, but he’s authentic. Everybody today tries so hard to be somebody else. Every young political guy tries to sound like Sean Hannity. Young sports guys want to sound like Jim Rome, Dan Patrick, or Mike and the Mad Dog.

People forget along the way that they are interesting people themselves. Even though I have adopted some of those guy’s philosophies, I am still Sid from Brooklyn, and that has never changed. That’s another reason that I have been successful. I don’t try to change my voice, I don’t try to change my persona; I am who I am.

You also need talent. This idea that you can teach a guy to be a great radio host is untrue. You can get better, but the all-time greats, they’ve got IT. You have to nurture talent and figure out a way to get better and better. If you don’t have it, you will never have it.

RH: What has John Catsimatidis done to turn 77 WABC into the radio and digital power player it is now?

SR: I don’t want to give away too many of our secrets (laughs), but I will say this: for a hands-on guy, he’s very hands-off. When he needs to be, he can be a George Steinbrenner. But he doesn’t operate that way because I couldn’t work for a guy like that. When he garners respect for you, he does leave you alone. He’s involved with every aspect of the organization. We have daily meetings, whether it’s social media, sales, or talent. John and Margo do a lot of events, and they try to get the talent out together and try to create that kumbaya spirit, which is hard because guys don’t always get along. They do a great job of keeping their hands on things and ensuring everything goes right without being annoying.

RH: As a host, does it matter whether you get along with your partner?

SR: It depends. Look at the guys that were so successful. Mike and the Mad Dog, they didn’t like each other. Opie and Anthony, when that was all over, they hated each other. But remember that when shows have big success when you are 10-15 years in, the other guy thinks he’s more important than his partner, and eventually, it all falls apart. It happens to just about every duo, I can’t think of one outside of me, and we were only together for six years.

In the end, it makes for good radio, but it wouldn’t work if it were that way from the start. You need a certain amount of time together where you have a common goal, and then when you get to the point where you are so successful, like Opie and Anthony and others, that it doesn’t matter whatever you say, people will tune in.

RH: How does Sid Rosenberg define success?

Sid Rosenberg: Well, money (laughs). Seriously, money does play a part. When people say that money doesn’t matter, the only people that say money doesn’t matter are millionaires. This is going to sound cliche and annoying, but that is respect. When I see my colleagues, such as Mark Levin, Michael Savage, and even President Trump, tell me how great I am.

A couple of days ago, I got a video from a friend of mine who’s living in Israel who was making a barbeque for the Israeli soldiers before they went to fight. They are familiar with me from up here in New York, and they took the time to make less than 60-second videos to thank me back here in the States because so many people worldwide have deserted them. To me, that’s a success. I am curious to know how you get much more successful than that.  

Amazon Prime Video Getting Sunday Night Football-Like Ad Rates for Black Friday Game

BSM Staff
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Amazon Prime Video is set to present the first NFL Black Friday game this week, and the interest from advertisers in buying time on the broadcast is very high.

Reports from multiple sources show Amazon has sold all of its available ad slots for the game, with 30-second commercials being sold for around $600,000.

The reason that price is notable is because NBC typically sells ad space for Sunday Night Football in the same ballpark range.

Amazon Prime Video has pulled out all the stops from a marketing perspective for this game. Over the last several weeks both on regular TV and during NFL broadcasts, you’d be hard-pressed to not catch an ad for the Jets-Dolphins contest. That, combined with factors like the timing of the ad buy, has made for varying prices on spots for the game.

Several major brands like Bose, Hasbro, State Farm, and DraftKings are all planning to begin new ad campaigns starting with the Black Friday game.

Rob Manfred: MLB Picking Up More Local TV Deals ‘Not An Appealing Prospect’

BSM Staff
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The 2023 MLB season was a tumultuous one for local television rights, with both the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks moving away from their longstanding regional sports networks to being streamed by MLB. League commissioner Rob Manfred doesn’t want to see many more of those same situations in 2024.

While speaking about the deal put in place between Diamond Sports Group — the parent company of the Bally Sports-branded regional sports network that broadcasts 12 MLB franchises — and the NBA to relinquish the television rights after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, Manfred said MLB views it as a “very, very complicated situation” and that “our primary goal at this point is certainty”.

“To undertake another summer where we have 12 teams at risk given that the financial situation of the Diamond RSNs has further deteriorated is not an appealing prospect,” Manfred said. “It’s one thing to pick up one or two. Picking up 12 with no notice is a herculean feat. We need to know so our fans are not disrupted.”

While Diamond Sports Group has already dropped two MLB contracts, some reports have claimed the team’s deals with the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are also at risk of being dropped. Additionally, the network’s contract with the Minnesota Twins has expired, with no new deal being imminent for either side.

Last week, a lawyer for the regional sports network operator said the company’s intention was “to broadcast almost all” of its MLB contracts next year, while noting that some teams have contracts “that, frankly, at this point, are too expensive for us to broadcast without concessions”.

Jim Rome: I Used to Love Conspiracy Theories Until Listeners Took Them Too Far

BSM Staff
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Jim Rome: I Used to Love Conspiracy Theories Until Listeners Took Them Too Far

A social media post showing Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow with some sort of protective cast on his throwing hand made the rounds on X, formerly Twitter, last week before the club deleted the video. Burrow exited the Thursday Night Football game with a wrist injury, and it was announced he would miss the rest of the season. CBS Sports Radio host Jim Rome says he doesn’t dabble in conspiracies anymore, but could be led to believe one about this instance.

During The Jim Rome Show Friday, the legendary sports radio host argued that he used to enjoy thinking up conspiracy theories, until others took the fun too far. However, he said a common thought floating on social media was the NFL wanted the Bengals to conceal Burrow’s injury to not damage potential viewership of Amazon Prime Video’s lone package with the league.

“So you’ve got yourself a good conspiracy right there. And then it only got better. You only got more and more wild more and more creative. More and more creative theories. Beyond that, including that the league itself was behind it. The conspiracy being because TNF has been so horrendous, they needed to keep people interested in the one decent TNF game. They wanted to storm the betting action so the league was in on it all, allegedly,” said Jim Rome.

“Listen, we all know people love their conspiracy theories these days. It’s like hate is the new dopamine. But crafting conspiracy theories is the next best drug and I get it. I used to love them, too. Notice I said I used to love them, too until people stopped enjoying them responsibly. Take anything else. Gamble responsibly. Drink responsibly. Use conspiracy theories responsibly. Most of the time these days, people’s conspiracy theories are exhausting. They’re ridiculous, and they don’t stand a chance.”

He did continue by noting that conspiracy theories about the NFL and its television partners “might not be so ridiculous”.

Gregg Giannotti: Charissa Thompson Responded Exactly How I Thought She Would

BSM Staff
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On Friday, Charissa Thompson responded to the media firestorm she’s been facing after admitting she made up sideline reports during her tenure in the role. WFAN host Gregg Giannotti questioned why so many were upset at the admission, before saying Thompson played by the rulebook in her response.

In a post to Instagram Friday, Thompson argued that she had never acted with ill intent during her work as a sideline reporter.

“I chose the wrong words to describe the situation,” Thompson said. “I’m sorry. I have never lied about anything or been unethical during my time as a sports broadcaster.”

On Boomer & Gio Monday, Giannotti shared his opinion that Thompson was likely to take the stance she did.

“I told you that I thought Charissa Thompson was going to take the ‘I’m so sorry, I really don’t want to disrespect my colleagues that I call my friends’ all this stuff. She did exactly that,” said Giannotti. “I thought that she was going to cave to all the pressure and all the people going after her and then do this whole thing about how ‘I respect my peers so much, and I need to clarify my comments.’

“She absolutely caved on an Instagram post and did not fight back and say ‘Screw all you guys. What I said was that yeah, I made up a couple things 15 years ago. I did it, I didn’t call our profession into question, and all you people need to pipe the F down’, which is what she should have done. She caved, so I was really disappointed in that. Really disappointed.”

Co-host Boomer Esiason argued that Gregg Giannotti is “spending way too much time” on the topic.

Joe DeCamara on Charissa Thompson: My Expectation is to Change the Channel

BSM Staff
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After a video gained traction on the internet in which FOX Sports studio host Charissa Thompson admitted to fabricating sideline reports when she used to work in the role for the network, she received backlash and was castigated by industry professionals and consumers. Following her hosting TNF Tonight on Amazon Prime Video, Thompson posted an apology to Instagram on Friday morning that explained her rationale and claimed she had never lied or done anything unethical as a journalist.

Many professionals within sports media, such as NBC Sports writer Peter King, believe that the apology fails to demonstrate accountability and an understanding of what she did wrong. Joe DeCamara of SportsRadio 94WIP shares a similar sentiment, prompting him to take the time on Monday’s morning show to outline the insufficiencies embedded within the message.

“Her explanation was so positively preposterous, I think she dug herself a fricking bigger hole,” DeCamara said before the show played audio from her podcast appearance on Pardon My Take and read her subsequent apology.

DeCamara surmised that the only acceptable action for Charissa Thompson was to simply apologize and declare that it would never happen again. In his remarks, he viewed the situation as a crisis instance within public relations and an attempt for her to make amends with those in the viewing audience with whom she lost trust.

“You take that sword and you fall directly on that sword, and you basically ask for the American public’s forgiveness,” DeCamara said. “To me, that’s the only play you have because there’s nothing else; in my opinion, there’s nothing else you can do.”

After reading her apology on the air, DeCamara called the statement “a bunch of trash,” which led co-host Jon Ritchie to elucidate on the deception connotated within the verbiage of the message.

“She’s basically saying that what she said is not true,” Ritchie explained. “She told us, ‘I made up reports,’ quote-unquote. Honestly, it might be one of the worst excuses I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Rhea Hughes, co-host of the morning show on SportsRadio 94WIP, highlighted a social media post from Kelly Stafford, wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. She stated that colleagues of men will band together when one of them makes a mistake, whereas fake female colleagues attack a woman when they do something wrong with a feminist agenda. Hughes asserted that this incident has nothing to do with that, but rather that Thompson’s apology simply failed to meet the mark.

DeCamara responded by suggesting that Charissa Thompson needed to demonstrate humility in her plea for forgiveness rather than publishing an apology where she vouchsafed her reasoning as to why her actions were acceptable. Thompson has yet to address the issue outside of the statement, nor has her podcast co-host Erin Andrews commented after she revealed taking part in similar actions in the past.

“If she’s on my TV screen, my expectation is I’ll change the channel,” DeCamara said. “I’ll just change the channel. I have no desire to watch her on TV if (1) she makes up reports back in the day and (2) she thinks [it] is acceptable and she didn’t do anything unethical. If that’s the standard that she brings to the sports entertainment world in whatever role she’s in – even if it’s not a sideline reporter; she’s just the host of a TV show – boom, next channel. That’s my standard because I’ve got no time for that nonsense.”

Chris Fowler: ESPN Didn’t Want to Spend the Money to Send College GameDay on the Road 30 Years Ago

BSM Staff
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ESPN College GameDay is in the midst of its 30th college football season traveling to campuses across the country and presenting invigorating live pregame shows that prepare viewers for the day of college football. Featuring host Rece Davis and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee, the program has become a staple for sports fans on a weekly basis and recently drew a record-breaking crowd of 26,000 people at James Madison University.

The program’s first roadshow took place in 1993 from South Bend when the Florida State Seminoles faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. About 2,000 fans surrounded the set within the Ed Joyce Center, cheering for their team, and started what has become a weekly tradition that anchors coverage of the sport in the mornings.

Chris Fowler hosted College GameDay until 2014 and has fond memories of hosting a live, in-person studio program in front of large crowds of zealous fans on a weekly basis. In a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Fowler reflected on what it means to have the show go on the road for three decades and how it has shaped the sports media space.

“We had been lobbying to get the show on the road for a while in the regular season; nobody really wanted to spend the money,” Fowler said. “That matchup kind of justified it, and it was pretty cool. We didn’t know what we were doing out there in South Bend, but we stumbled on it and we got through it. It was the birth.”

Show host Dan Patrick previously worked at ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor and was curious to discover when Fowler recognized that taking College GameDay on the road each week would end up paying dividends. Although the program had previously traveled for bowl games, it differed from what it was like to do a show live on a college campus. In fact, on the first night when the commentators were at the University of Notre Dame, Fowler remembers Corso telling him that he wanted to change his pick because of the energy at the pep rally.

“They really stumbled in not knowing what they were seeing,” Fowler said of visitors inside the university’s Hall of Fame, “a game that didn’t have a very high profile back then, but still you could tell that once the game was over, they all spilled back in there to celebrate. [Lou] Holtz storms out of his office up on the set and just arrives unannounced, and sits down and takes a victory lap. We knew at that point to be there on a campus for these big games was going to be something. We also knew we had a lot to learn [with] how to stage it.”

Ken Carman: I Got Choked Up Seeing Jim Donovan Return to Browns Radio Booth

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Ken Carman: I Got Choked Up Seeing Jim Donovan Return to Browns Radio Booth

On Sunday afternoon, Cleveland Browns fans were treated to a thrilling 13-10 win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on a game-winning field goal. Aside from the historic rivalry, Browns fans were elated to welcome legendary play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan back to the broadcast booth, calling his first game since Week 1 after undergoing treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The situation warmed the heart of 92.3 The Fan morning host Ken Carman.

Donovan is in the midst of his 25th season calling games for the team and also works as the sports anchor for 3News (WKYC), a role he will resume on Monday. He had previously been diagnosed with the disease but experienced a relapse last year, resulting in a more aggressive treatment method to effectively combat it.

The Browns’ victory puts the team at 7-3 on the season despite losing quarterback Deshaun Watson for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. Donovan was on the call for the victory, which circulated across social media and elicited praise from football fans at large welcoming him back to the broadcast booth. At the start of the game, fans seated in front of the broadcast booth at Cleveland Browns Stadium turned around and cheered for Donovan as he began his work for the day.

“I know he got a little choked up later on. I mean, how could you not?,” 92.3 The Fan morning co-host Ken Carman said on Monday. “To see the outpouring of love that the Browns fans had for him – and the place was going nuts; the lid was coming off the place when he went out there and smashed the guitar.”

Before the game, the Browns honored Donovan by allowing him to engage in the ceremonial guitar smash. After the contest ended, head coach Kevin Stefanski presented him with a game ball in the team’s locker room, completing a long-awaited return to the broadcast booth and conveying a sense of respect between team personnel and the franchise’s heralded play-by-play announcer.

“The franchise has had an up-and-down journey since ‘99, and again, radio is a place where there’s truly a feeling of, ‘The person is with you,’ you have fun with that person and Jim is,” Ken Carman continued. “We said this to Jim on Friday – Jim is one of the people that can still, in this business, give his opinion while the game is going on.

“You hear the horror stories of other teams where guys are muzzled about the teams, and the teams are not good and it becomes just another kind of P.R. for the team, and Jim has always – he’s not sitting there rubbing it in their noses if they haven’t been good obviously – but he’s certainly been a guy, and we know that he’s shared his opinion.”

Earlier this year, the Baltimore Orioles suspended play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Brown after he reportedly made remarks portraying the team in a poor light. In reality, he was reading a statistic outlining the team’s difficulties winning ballgames against the Tampa Bay Rays, statistics that came from the team’s game notes.

The situation caused several broadcasters and fans to implore the Orioles to add him back on the broadcasts, which ultimately ended up occurring after two weeks away from the team. In witnessing restrictions placed on broadcasters over the years, Carman is grateful that Donovan has made his return to the air.

“To have Jim back where he is – through all the changes; through all the hope of this quarterback and that quarterback, and this coach and that coach; two different owners,” Ken Carman explained, “to have Jim back, it means so much to the fanbase because he’s the storyteller; he’s the one that paints the picture for those who can’t be there.”

Erin Andrews Releases Statement After Admission of Fabricating Reports with Charissa Thompson Goes Viral

BSM Staff
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Following the admission from Charissa Thompson of fabricating sideline reports when she was working in the role for FOX Sports, a previous clip from the Calm Down podcast has surfaced where FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews admits to doing something similar.

Within the quotes, which occurred during an interview with Jay Cutler, Andrews reacted to Thompson describing the reasoning behind her formulated reports and shared that she would engage in the practice when coaches did not provide her sufficient information or if what they said would portray them in a negative light.

A spokesperson for Andrews provided a statement for The New York Times article that defends her journalistic integrity. Andrews has worked as the lead reporter for the NFL on FOX for over a decade and was on the network’s broadcast of the Super Bowl last year, along with Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, and Tom Rinaldi.

“For her entire career, Erin Andrews has worked very closely with coaches, players, and P.R. staffs to ensure accuracy in her reporting,” the statement read.

Thompson and Andrews last released an episode of their podcast on Thursday, which aligns with when Thompson’s remarks began to circulate across the internet. She was excoriated by various industry professionals, including sideline reporters defending the legitimacy and credibility intrinsic with the job.

It remains unknown whether or not Calm Down will address the matter on its next episode, as neither host has spoken publicly regarding the matter outside of statements provided to news outlets and/or posted on social media.

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