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Sean McManus: 3:30 on CBS ‘Most Valuable Timeframe in College Football’ With or Without SEC

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Sean McManus: 3:30 on CBS ‘Most Valuable Timeframe in College Football’ With or Without SEC

The SEC is in its final season airing its marquee college football matchups at 3:30 PM ET. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus says the window will remain the preeminent timeslot going forward, despite losing the conference.

Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger wrote a feature story about the breakup between the network and college conference. In the story, it was revealed that the decision from CBS Sports to not pro-rate its contract with the SEC with the additions of Missouri and Texas A&M was one that wore on conference decision-makers.

In its current deal, CBS Sports pays the SEC $55 million per year for the rights to the league’s top game each week. In comparison, its new deal with the Big Ten will pay the conference $350 million per year, without having the top selection each week.

CBS Sports will continue to air college football in the 3:30 PM ET window, with the Big Ten taking over for the SEC.

“I think 3:30 on CBS is the most valuable timeframe in college football,” Sean McManus said. “We will work really hard to grow the Big Ten into a national conference. The SEC has been great partners and I wish them well and hope they continue to perform well on and off the field.”

McManus told Dellenger the split between the SEC and CBS was “amicable”, before adding that the financial components of a potential extension “didn’t make sense” for both the league and network.

The new contract with the Big Ten will be one of the final deals McManus consumates before his retirement. McManus will step aside in April 2024 after leading the organization since 1996.

Tom Krasniqi, Ronnie Lane Sign Extensions with 95.3 WDAE

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Tom Krasniqi, Ronnie Lane Sign Extensions with 95.3 WDAE

95.3 WDAE afternoon hosts Tom Krasniqi and Ronnie Lane have signed multi-year extensions to remain with the Tampa sports station.

With the extensions, Krasniqi and Lane will continue hosting Ronnie and TKras from 3-7 PM. Additionally, Krasniqi currently hosts the pre and postgame shows for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the station.

“So grateful to be in this seat. Big thanks to iHeartMedia, the unwavering support from family and friends. And most of all, YOU! Wouldn’t be possible without your support,” Tom Krasniqi wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

“Congrats to (Tom Krasniqi) on this news! His constant professionalism plus some antics which will go un-spoken off had brought Tom and (Ronnie Lane) to be the afternoon voices of Tampa Bay sports!”, added John Mamola, the station’s Program Director, wrote in a post to X. “Well deserved and thrilled to have Tom on the starting roster for years to come!”

Krasniqi celebrated his 11th anniversary with the iHeartMedia-owned 95.3 WDAE earlier this year.

“It’s no secret that (Ronnie Lane) is one of the legendary voices in Tampa Bay! Appreciate and thankful for his many years of work on and off the air,” Mamola added about Lane. “Ronnie & (Krasniqi) have built themselves into the leading voices of Tampa Bay sports! Well deserved and thrilled to have “Night Train Lane” on the starting roster for years to come!”

Gregg Giannotti: Nobody On WFAN Wanted ‘Boring 15 Minutes’ With Carl Banks

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New York Giants legend Carl Banks has made the decision to end his weekly interview with WFAN hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata after an on-air fracas went viral last week. The station’s morning host — Gregg Giannotti — said it is not a loss for either side.

Banks told Licata and Tierney he would like to stop the weekly spot, despite both hosts apologizing to him for their conduct last week. However, Banks later told longtime New York sportswriter Gary Myers that he felt “disrespected” by the interaction.

During Boomer & Gio Thursday, Giannotti mocked the entire situation, suggesting that Banks told Myers he felt disrespected only after he didn’t get the reaction he wanted after Licata and Tierney made the announcement he wouldn’t return.

Gregg Giannotti continued by noting that, in his opinion, no one on the station was sad to see the interview end, calling it the “most boring 15 minutes” on the station every week.

“He’s still going to do the pregame show stuff, he’s still going to be calling the games on WFAN, and he did a weekly spot for 20 God damn years here that was boring as hell! So his resigning from WFAN really means nothing to us! And for anybody that’s sitting there going, ‘Man, what a loss for WFAN’, stop! No one really liked that spot,” Giannotti said. “It was only still on because there was a sales play attached to it. That’s it. Nobody wanted it! The hosts? They didn’t want it. Management didn’t want it. Nobody wanted it.”

Lachlan Murdoch: FOX Sports Was ‘Not Hitting Advertising Numbers’ Needed to Keep WWE

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Earlier this year, WWE announced it was moving SmackDown from FOX Sports to USA Network. FOX Corp. Chairman Lachlan Murdoch says the decision not to renew the property was a simple one for the network due to one factor.

In an earnings call, Murdoch claimed FOX Sports wasn’t getting the advertising revenue it needed for the deal to make financial sense.

“We were not hitting the advertising numbers due to the audience of the WWE to make the return for our return on investment, to be above the levels that we would accept,” he said. “But also, we didn’t attribute enough significant retransmission revenue to the WWE either. So it made sense for us to move off and, and they’ve been a great partner for many years… So we wish them luck, and we’ve moved on from them.”

A five-year deal worth a reported $287 million per year between the WWE and NBCUniversal begins in October 2024. It will put SmackDown on USA, where it ran from 2016 until 2019, and has a total value of more than $1.4 billion.

Murdoch did note, however, that the network is seeing a necessary return on its investment with NASCAR to justify a renewal.

“We’re currently in, I think, the final stages of a very constructive negotiation for our NASCAR renewal, we’d look forward to continuing that, that partnership with NASCAR,” the FOX Corp. chairman said. “It’s been a great partnership for many years, and, and obviously, you know, NASCAR exceeds our expectations into from, from a ROI point of view.”

Dan Bickley: I Wish the Diamondbacks Had Pulled Mad Dog’s Credential

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Dan Bickley: I Wish the Diamondbacks Had Pulled Mad Dog’s Credential

Although the Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to win the World Series, there is a perception that the season was largely a success. One storyline surrounding this World Series off the field, however, pertained to radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

Prior to Game 6 of the NLCS, Russo said he would “retire on the spot” if the Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies. After walking back his bet, Russo claimed that it was a radio bit and eventually agreed to a punishment with Howard Stern on his show, even though it remains to be determined if he will carry it out.

Russo was on site covering the World Series for MLB Network and SiriusXM and donned a Diamondbacks jersey before the game on Wednesday. Over the three games in Arizona, Russo was being heckled by Diamondbacks fans and embraced the instance. While hosting High Heat on MLB Network from the field and interviewing Diamondbacks president and chief executive officer Derrick Hall, his guest decided to perform an impression of Russo doubting the team.

“The Mad Dog imitation was very good, Derrick,” Dan Bickley said in an interview with Hall on Thursday morning on Arizona Sports 98.7. “Thank you for not letting that guy off the hook. I wish you would have revoked the credential and not let him in the building, but that’s okay. You handle things a little different than I do.”

“You know what?,” Hall said. “He deserved it, and boy, our fans got him the entire three days. He was getting destroyed by our fans up there in center field, and he knew it.”

Hall divulged that he had been asked by Russo over the years to do an impression of him but frequently declined the opportunity. This time around though, he decided that it was the moment to reveal it to the world, which left many viewers surprised and impressed at how accurate and similar it sounded.

“Yeah, it’s better when you just sprinkle them out like that,” Marotta said of the impression. “It’s fantastic.”

Russo has been paying dividends for his comments across programming, including First Take on ESPN. Moreover, he did not host the first segment of his radio program last Wednesday before making a return and stating that he is not going anywhere.

Ohio State Radio Voice Paul Keels to Call Cleveland Browns Game Sunday

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Ohio State Radio Voice Paul Keels to Call Cleveland Browns Game Sunday

Longtime Ohio State radio voice Paul Keels will work as the play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network Sunday.

Keels will fill the role vacated by longtime Browns radio play-by-play voice Jim Donovan, who stepped aside from his duties to fight a relapse of leukemia after the team’s week one matchup. Donovan intends to return to the club’s radio booth once healthy.

Previously, NFL Network hosts Chris Rose and Andrew Siciliano filled in for Donovan, but both have prior commitments Sunday.

Paul Keels has been the voice of the Ohio State Buckeyes since 1998. He previously worked as the radio voice of the Cincinnati Bengals. Keels was inducted into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Cleveland Browns will play the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Prime Video Premiering Barry Sanders Documentary on Nov. 21

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Prime Video Premiering Barry Sanders Documentary on Nov. 21

Amazon Studios and Prime Video announced that Bye Bye Barry, a firsthand account of the life story of former National Football League running back Barry Sanders, will premiere on Nov. 21. The documentary will be released exclusively on Prime Video and available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. The company released a teaser trailer along with the announcement, outlining how it will tell the story of the dynamic Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and six-time first-team All-Pro selection.

“Barry Sanders is the best running back to ever play,” Matt Newman, head of Prime Video original sports content, said in a statement. “We’ve all watched his highlights and wished he had played longer in the NFL, and wondered why he really retired so abruptly. We are thrilled to look back at his extraordinary career and get to better understand one of the biggest icons of the sport.”

Sanders won the Heisman Trophy with Oklahoma State in 1988 and went on to have a stellar NFL career with the Detroit Lions. Throughout his professional career, he was named the Rookie of the Year in 1989 and the league’s Most Valuable Player award-winner in 1997. Additionally, he was a four-time rushing champion, attaining more than 1,000 yards in the category each season, and reached 10 Pro Bowls.

Sanders’ retirement from the game of football, however, was sudden and unexpected at the age of 31, leaving people guessing what was going on. In fact, he faxed an announcement disclosing his decision to his hometown newspaper, passing up the chance to hold a press conference or participate in a one-on-one interview. The Prime Video documentary covers this facet of his career and looks to give viewers more clarity about what was behind the choice.

“Watching Barry Sanders play running back was to witness a mystery,” Angela Torma, NFL Films senior producer and co-director/co-producer of the film, said in a statement. “But Sanders’ career ended with a much bigger mystery: Why did one of the greatest running backs of all time walk away in his prime, on the cusp of breaking the league’s all-time rushing record? In Bye Bye Barry, we discover the reasoning for his retirement, and why it still reverberates so strongly across the sports landscape today.”

The documentary is presented by Prime Video Sports and classified as an NFL Films production. This project is executive produced by Patrick Kelleher, Ross Ketover, Ken Rodgers and Brian Rolapp of NFL Films, and it is also co-directed by Paul Monusky, Micaela Powers and the aforementioned Torma. Aside from interviews with Sanders and his family members, the program also contains interviews with Tim Allen, Bill Belichick, Jeff Daniels, Eminem, Kevin Glover, Jemele Hill, Calvin Johnson, Herman Moore, Dan Patrick, Rodney Peete, Jalen Rose, Emmitt Smith and Chris Spielman.

Bobby Belt: All John Smoltz Knew is That ‘He Hated the Rangers’

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Bobby Belt: All John Smoltz Knew is That ‘He Hated the Rangers’

The Texas Rangers hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy on Wednesday night as World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. This subliminal moment was 63 years in the making for Rangers fans, many of whom will celebrate with the team as they return to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a championship parade. As a result, a celebration of the team’s historic season took place on 105.3 The Fan Thursday morning, recapping Game 5 and how the team overcame early offensive struggles to put together a four-run ninth inning that ultimately secured the championship. Shortly thereafter, FOX Sports color commentator John Smoltz became the topic of discussion.

Throughout the World Series, the station has highlighted what it perceived to be apparent bias from Smoltz, surmising that he has a disdain for the Rangers organization. Morning show co-host Shan Shariff asked his colleagues what they observed from Smoltz on the final MLB on FOX live game broadcast in the 2023 season, which elicited the observation that he was quieter and more subdued overall.

“He couldn’t make up his mind,” co-host Bobby Belt said on Thursday morning. “All he knew is that he hated the Rangers, and now he’s somewhere in the fetal position just crying his little eyes out, and I don’t feel bad for the little darlin’.”

Shariff took notes during the game of moments that he felt Smoltz was demonstrating aversion towards the Rangers and expressed that it sounded like he was acting as the pitching coach for Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. Amid the contest, his commentary was centered on how the Diamondbacks would be able to win the game rather than the Rangers, catalyzing the feeling of bias to be perpetuated among some fans.

“He talked about [Nathan] Eovaldi going out for the sixth [inning],” Shariff said, referring to the Rangers starting pitcher. “He’s like, ‘Oh, he’s got to be drained. This feels like the ninth inning to him. He’s just got to be absolutely drained and finished.’”

After additional examples of his color commentary, Belt mentioned his observation that John Smoltz and play-by-play announcer Joe Davis seem to have similar speaking patterns and voices. RJ Choppy concurred with this sentiment and commended the second-year voice of the World Series for thriving through a matchup that consistently attained low ratings through its first four games.

“A difficult spot for Joe Davis to be in because he’s got to be like, ‘How the hell do I drum up interest for people to stick around?,’” Choppy said.

“I thought he was great; the entire playoff run, I thought Joe Davis was fantastic,” Belt replied. “He was really strong the whole way.”

John Smoltz has not appeared on 105.3 The Fan during the World Series, but he was a guest during the World Baseball Classic wherefore Shariff has been implored by listeners to have him on the air again. Listeners would presumably want the hosts to question him about his bias, but it is something Shariff has decided to refrain from doing at the moment.

“People have said, ‘Y’all need to get him on,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t like to invite people on to attack,’” Shariff said, “and I feel like we’d have to attack to appease the TOLOs.”

Carl Banks Resigns from Weekly WFAN Guest Spot

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After a heated debate surrounding New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on WFAN’s midday show last week, former Giants linebacker and current radio color commentator Carl Banks has resigned from his weekly guest appearance. Banks, who was scheduled to appear on The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show in middays weekly during the football season, defended the Giants second-year linebacker and criticized the hosts for trying to find flaws with players. Licata then deemed he had heard enough and brashly ended the conversation. WFAN management reportedly tried to smooth things over with Banks, but he was resolute in his decision.

While on the air for their program on Wednesday, Licata addressed the matter and acknowledged that he apologized both on the air and to Banks directly regarding the incident. Although he said that he was okay, he decided against returning for the weekly spot. Tierney has known Banks for over a decade and also spoke to him during the week.

“Things are going to happen in this medium when you bring a lot of passion to a topic, as certainly we did that day and hopefully every day, and Carl did that day,” Tierney said. “When things go awry, as they sometimes do, you’ve got to own it, and I think we did, and I think Carl did as well.”

Spike Eskin, vice president of programming at WFAN and CBS Sports Radio, addressed the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday morning. He explained that he is proud of the job Tierney and Licata are doing in middays and understood the circumstances that can come out of sports radio.

“Sometimes on the station, we will argue *very* passionately about sports,” Eskin said. “It’s not for everyone. That’s totally fine. As a co-worker used to say to me, that’s showbiz!”

Carl Banks continues calling Giants games on the station with play-by-play announcer Bob Papa, a role he has had since the 2007 season. Through his role, he has had the opportunity to be on the call for two Super Bowl championships and countless memorable moments.

ESPN BET Scheduled to Launch on Nov. 14

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ESPN BET Scheduled to Launch on Nov. 14

ESPN BET, the company’s betting platform operated by PENN Entertainment, will officially launch on Nov. 14 in 17 states across the United States, subject to final approvals, and will thus mark the introduction of the sports betting platform to select locales. The 10-year, $1.5 billion deal grants PENN Entertainment media, marketing services, branding and additional rights from the network. Moreover, the deal includes $500 million in warrants that will vest throughout the term, and PENN Entertainment is matching its $150 million annual payment with equivalent marketing spend. Adjusted EBITDA potential for the deal with a retail cross-sell upside lands between $500 million and $1 billion and also includes $159 million in performance warrants. These are predicated on total market share, a tranche currently set at 25% or more at a strike price of $28.95.

The network has released a teaser commercial featuring SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt showcasing the cohesion between the ESPN and ESPN BET apps. A full creative campaign will be released around the platform’s launch, which will also include SportsCenter anchor Elle Duncan.

Surrounding the launch of the app, ESPN will rebrand its Daily Wager program to ESPN BET Live, set to take effect on Nov. 10. The program recently moved back to Bristol after just over three years broadcasting from The LINQ Hotel + Experience studio in Las Vegas, Nev. The show broadcasts Thursday-Monday on ESPN2 and features personalities including Joe Fortenbaugh and Erin Dolan. Ahead of the launch, ESPN is using official odds provided by the ESPN BET platform across its content portfolio.

The announcement of the launch was made during PENN Entertainment’s quarterly earnings call by the company’s chief executive officer and president, Jay Snowden. States currently slated to be part of the launch are Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Our ESPN BET product will include a wide array of popular betting options, including featured bets, quick bets, player props, same game parlays and more,” Snowden said. “In connection with the launch, ESPN will be implementing an initial wave of exclusive integrations targeting their 200 million loyal fans across their linear and digital platforms, including an advertising campaign headlined by SportsCenter anchors Scott Van Pelt and Elle Duncan. Looking ahead, we will be introducing even deeper platform and media integrations with ESPN over the upcoming months, providing an unmatched and seamless media/betting experience that will appeal to sports fans across the country.”

ESPN is in the midst of developing its own direct-to-consumer project, Flagship, and The Walt Disney Company is reportedly in the midst of searching for a strategic partner to purchase a minority equity stake in the company. Disney reported the financial data for its sports sector through the first three quarters of 2023 recently, revealing that ESPN has lost 8.35% in operating income, but is still generating an overall profit of $2.9 billion.

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