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Gregg Giannotti on Taylor Swift NFL Coverage: ‘I Can’t Take It Anymore’

BSM Staff
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Ahead of Sunday night’s prime-time matchup between the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs, the dialogue is centered on Grammy Award-winning superstar Taylor Swift likely being in attendance at MetLife Stadium. Swift made headlines last week when she attended the Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., presumably to support tight end Travis Kelce.

Rumors have percolated over the last several weeks and suggested that the duo has entered a relationship. Moreover, documented photographs and videos are being interpreted by many fans as supporting such a conclusion. With Swift expected to be in the building on Sunday night, NBC Sports will likely have a camera on the suite she is in throughout the game to capture her reactions and appeal to the audience.

For the Jets, however, this game is of pivotal importance considering the lackluster 1-2 start and injury to new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Third-year quarterback Zach Wilson has been thrust into a difficult situation and seems to be struggling under the circumstances presented before him, along with subpar performances by the offensive line. In facing the defending Super Bowl champions with momentum behind the team both on and off the field, Giannotti delivered a soliloquy trying to encourage the group to block out the outside noise.

“I can’t imagine going into this season with all the hype and how exciting as it was, and now the questions that they have to answer are Aaron Rodgers and what he says in Malibu on The Pat McAfee Show and, ‘What do you think about Taylor Swift coming to the game because she’s dating Travis Kelce?,’” Giannotti said Thursday morning on WFAN. “If this doesn’t pull out a demon inside of you on Sunday night and play possessed, nothing will, really. This is either going to make you or break you.”

Giannotti understands the mounting pressure facing “Gang Green” as the team looks to avoid a complete collapse of the season just several weeks in. The Jets are trying to snap a 12-year playoff drought, the longest such stretch in the NFL, and have had a challenging schedule to open the season.

“If you get steamrolled on national TV in your building, then forget it,” Giannotti articulated. “No one’s going to take you seriously anymore, especially under these circumstances.”

The crowd at MetLife Stadium is expected to be at or near capacity, with recent data demonstrating rising ticket prices – including for seats in close proximity of the suite level – because of Swift’s presence. StubHub reported that the Jets sold more than double the amount of tickets sold in a single day than any other day during the season, while Vivid Seats shared that traffic for the game increased by 173%. With Boomer & Gio discussing networks trying to flex the Jets out of scheduled prime-time games in an effort to televise more compelling matchups, they affirmed that it is up to the team to prevent that from happening.

“I think if you’re Zach Wilson, you’ve just got to shake it off,” co-host Boomer Esiason said, referring to the quarterback’s struggles in Week 3 against the New England Patriots. “You’ve got to become the anti-hero.”

Esiason was interpolating titles of Swift’s songs into everyday discourse, leading Giannotti to take a moment of pause on the show. Even though he is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, the inordinate amount of coverage centered on the alleged relationship between the award-winning musician and two-time Super Bowl champion tight end is leading him to become perturbed and exasperated by the league.

“Deep breaths in, deep breaths out,” Giannotti uttered. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m not even a Jets fan – I can’t even imagine what [Brandon] Tierney’s feeling; what Joe [Benigno] is feeling.”

Lauren Jbara Joining Warner Bros. Discovery

BSM Staff
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Lauren Jbara Joining Warner Bros. Discovery

The NBA on TNT is adding a new reporter this season, welcoming Bally Sports South commentator Lauren Jbara to its on-air rotation. Jbara formerly worked as a reporter and host for the Atlanta Hawks and is finishing her inaugural season with the Atlanta Braves. The University of Michigan graduate worked a variety of jobs in her early years immersing into sports media and now finds herself entering a national role with Warner Bros. Discovery that will also have her contribute to NBA TV.

Jbara will make her debut as a media day reporter in Sacramento, Calif. covering the Kings on Monday, Oct. 2, and will be featured on various TNT broadcasts over the course of the regular season. Announcing the new role on X, formerly known as Twitter, she expressed her gratitude for the opportunity and shared that she is excited to cover teams and divulge stories around the Association.

It remains unknown how Jbara’s new job will impact her work with the Braves, along with ACC football games for Bally Sports South. More details about her specific assignments will be revealed throughout the regular season. NBA TV will televise 23 live preseason games prior to tipoff, giving fans chances to preview young players, superstars with new teams and the adapting game plans of coaches ahead of the regular campaign.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s television media rights deal with the National Basketball Association expires following the 2024-25 season. Existing rights holders, which also includes The Walt Disney Company (ABC/ESPN), can enter an exclusive 45-day negotiating window with the league starting on March 9, 2024. If no deal is reached within that period, the rights will be taken to the open market.

Damon Amendolara: ‘It’s Hard to Leave What We’ve Built’ at CBS Sports Radio

BSM Staff
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Damon Amendolara: ‘It’s Hard to Leave What We’ve Built’ at CBS Sports Radio

Damon Amendolara opened his CBS Sports Radio show on Thursday morning by acknowledging that his days at the network are numbered. SiriusXM announced yesterday that he will be taking over the morning show on Mad Dog Sports Radio beginning October 2.

“Instead of a cold open here, I just thought I would talk and reflect and use today and tomorrow to do the same thing,” he said to start the 6 o’clock hour.

He thanked by CBS Sports Radio and the audience for being integral to the show’s success. He noted that finding a dedicated audience is what helped the show grow in overnights and move to more prominent day parts of the course of the last eleven years.

“These eleven years have been a pure joy to work here at CBS Sports Radio,” Amendolara said. “I’ve said this often. The coolest thing about this place for the last 11 years is they gave me total freedom to do what I wanted to do. My mind was the only limit in what we could do creatively. Man, and for those that are creative, maybe you’re a painter, you’re a musician, maybe you’re an artist, a sculptor, maybe you just look at landscaping and see a bunch of weeds and go, ‘I can create something out of that,’ or maybe you see a car that needs to be renovated and go, ‘I can create something out of that.’ Those things, to me, are my oxygen. I love that part of this job. And they let me do it. I mean, look at how weird this show is sometimes! They let me do it, and for that I am forever grateful.”

He said that the show felt complete once it made the move from nights to middays. That is when Andrew Bogusch and Pete “The Body” Bellotti joined the show. 

“I have worked with some amazing, amazing people. Bellotti and Bogusch and me and Mraz (former producer Shawn Morash). I just couldn’t have asked for anything more. These guys are next-level talented, next-level committed, and it was just such a synergy immediately. It was like, ‘Wow, this is special. And that started in 2017. So I can say without a shadow of a doubt, the last six plus years of working with these guys, these shows mid-morning, then we were promoted to mornings going into 2020. These six years with Bogusch and Bellotti have just been the greatest radio I’ve ever done.”

He concluded by saying that in the end, the offer that SiriusXM made him checked all the boxes of what he would need in order to feel good about leaving CBS Sports Radio. 

Amendolara admitted that he wanted to take the entire crew with him. It just was not going to work out. 

“It’s hard to leave these guys and it’s hard to leave what we’ve built here. But it wasn’t an option. Because of the inner workings of radio, that wasn’t an option. They are too valuable here, and they’re going to be wonderful and supportive and talented for Maggie & Perloff, who are taking over the morning show starting on Monday.”

Byron Allen: Bob Iger ‘Is Not Ready’ to Pursue Sale of ABC

BNM Staff
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Byron Allen: Bob Iger ‘Is Not Ready’ to Pursue Sale of ABC

Earlier this month, a report surfaced claiming Nextar Media Group was exploring a potential purchase of the ABC television network. Allen Media Group — controlled by billionaire Byron Allen was also an interested party, but he believes Disney isn’t quite ready to part with the network.

During a discussion with CNBC’s Julie Boorstin at the Code Conference, Allen — who currently owns 27 local television stations in 21 markets, as well as The Weather Channel — confirmed he placed a $10 billion bid to purchase the network, adding that “Capital’s not an issue” for his acquisition.

Allen’s interest in purchasing the network — which he says he’s entertained for nearly a decade — comes after The Walt Disney Company’s CEO Bob Iger publicly questioned whether or not linear television is “core” to the company’s business going forward.

However, Allen shared his belief that Iger “is not ready” to sell the network.

“These legacy companies are trying to reinvent themselves,” Allen said. “It’s like they’re trying to build a new airplane mid-air while they’re flying their old airplane, in a publicly traded entity. This is a very challenging thing to accomplish,” Allen said. “Bob is excellent at what he does, he’s phenomenal, he’s the best person to do it, but whoa, they’re asking him to do something that has not occurred in the last 100 years.”

He then stated that ABC, and linear television as a whole is “really integrated into everything Disney. That’s the hard part.”

Byron Allen then joked that he is going to treat his interest in acquiring the network like “a lion chasing a gazelle”.

Tucker Carlson to Bill O’Reilly: You Gave Me Great Advice About This Business

BNM Staff
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Tucker Carlson hosted an interview with Bill O’Reilly as counter-programming to the second 2024 Republican Presidential debate. During the conversation, O’Reilly accused Carlson of never asking him for advice. Carlson quickly shared that O’Reilly’s comments were inaccurate.

During a discussion about the future of cable news, Carlson asked O’Reilly if he gave new Fox News primetime host Jesse Watters — who previously worked under O’Reilly — any advice before he began hosting the 7:00 PM ET timeslot.

The guest then shared that he only gives advice when asked, before turning his attention to the host saying “You yourself have never asked me for advice”.

“That’s totally false,” replied Carlson. “I schlepped to your office. When I took over for Greta Van Susteren, I waited in the anteroom of your office. In fact (Roger) Ailes told me ‘Go kiss O’Reilly’s ass’, and that’s the first thing I did.”

“What did I tell you?” questioned Bill O’Reilly.

“You said ‘It’s a very treacherous business. Mind your own business. Stay in your own lane. Do your thing’,” Carlson reminisced.

“I thought that was good advice,” O’Reilly admitted.

“Yes, I thought it was great advice,” said Tucker Carlson.

“I’m sorry. I’m old now. I forget things,” joked O’Reilly.

According to publicly available analytics from X, Carlson’s interview with O’Reilly has garnered more than 11 million views.

Phillies Star Trea Turner Thanks 94WIP’s Marks & Reese For Inspiring Turnaround

BSM Staff
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Phillies Star Trea Turner Thanks 94WIP’s Marks & Reese For Inspiring Turnaround

WIP is the radio home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This season, it is like the station has been an integral part of the team. That was clear again on Wednesday when Trea Turner called in to thank afternoon hosts Jon Marks & Ike Reese. 

Turner, who signed with the team this offseason, opened the year in a real slump. He was pressing as fans began to make it clear that he was not living up to his 11-year/$300 million contract. 

Last month, Marks & Reese producer Jack Fritz posted a video on social media encouraging fans to give the shortstop a standing ovation in his next plate appearance. It worked. Fans responded and so did Turner.

“First off, I owe you guys a thank you,” Turner said Wednesday afternoon on 94WIP. “I’ve heard that you guys were responsible so I want to say thank you to you guys. But yeah, I think my wife saw a video on social media about it and she showed me before I went to the stadium that day. So she was kind of where I heard it first. Obviously, the whole thing happened and the rest is kind of history. Started playing a lot better and it was thanks to you guys and the crowd.”

Since the stunt, Turner has raised his batting average from .236 to .263. He has also hit 16 home runs in that span. 

“Those first 100 games or so, I wasn’t kind of living up to the standard that I played at for a while and just wanted to get back to that,” he said. “And then the next 35, 40 games have been pretty special. I think it’s probably the best I’ve hit in my life, just from a power standpoint really.”

Last month, another Phillies star drew inspiration from Marks & Reese. Bryce Harper acknowledged that it was a caller named Chuck who inspired a home run against the Angels.

Ben Shapiro Hosting Discussion with Elon Musk About Anti-Semitism on X

BNM Staff
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Ben Shapiro Hosting Discussion with Elon Musk About Anti-Semitism on X

The Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro has announced an upcoming discussion about Anti-Semitism on X, formerly Twitter, with the company’s owner Elon Musk.

In a post to X, Shapiro shared that he’ll host a Spaces conversation with his co-host Ari Lamm and X owner Elon Musk, as well as a “panel of esteemed leaders in the Jewish community”.

According to Shapiro, the discussion will center on the social media platform, “anti-Semitism, and what it all means for free speech”.

Since Musk’s purchase of X, many have charged his extreme reduction of content moderation policies as reason for a rise in anti-semitism on the platform. The billionaire has rebuffed those allegations. In turn, he has sued the Anti-Defamation League for defamation after allegations that he empowered a rise in hate speech against Jews on the platform.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Musk to discuss his stances after a controversy earlier this summer when Musk called billionaire George Soros a “supervillain”.

The discussion between Shapiro, Lamm, and Musk will begin at Noon ET.

Ryen Russillo Calls Out Dan Le Batard’s Attack on Adrian Wojnarowski

BSM Staff
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Ryen Russillo Calls Out Dan Le Batard’s Attack on Adrian Wojnarowski

The will they/won’t they mystery surrounding Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers is over. Lillard is headed to Milwaukee as part of a three-team trade. Ryen Russillo talked about the deal and some of the narratives about potential moves on the most recent edition of his podcast.

Russillo took people to task for assuming doing a deal with Miami was Portland’s only option because it is where Lillard wanted to be. He specifically called out Dan Le Batard for what Le Batard had to say about Adrian Wojnarowski’s reporting that Portland was not impressed by what Miami could offer.

At the time, Le Batard said that Wojnarowski’s report was “embarrassing” for suggesting that a deal between the two sides was not imminent. He said the ESPN reporter was “agenda-based schilling” and “bought and paid for by Portland”.

“That was on July 17,” Russillo said reading Le Batard’s comments back and reiterating that all Wojnarowski said on his podcast was that Portland did not like Miami’s offer. “’Bought and paid for’? I’m like, ‘Man, if you’re gonna pick a fight, pick a fight with somebody who gets shit wrong, not Woj.’ And here we are, weeks, months later, and it wasn’t Miami.”

Dan Le Batard has never run from the fact that he is a Miami fan above all else. That was on display again this week as he and his colleagues reacted in real time to Stephen A. Smith putting the Dolphins atop his A-List of the best teams in the NFL.

He has also not been above lashing out at other members of the media when he perceives a lack of integrity.

Le Batard’s producer, Mike Ryan Ruiz, acknowledged on social media that Russillo called the show out by name. He also spent much of Wednesday swearing that the NBA and ESPN were conspiring against the city of Miami.

Re-Watch The 2023 BNM Summit, On Demand Tickets Are Now Available

Jason Barrett
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When one of our Summits ends, it’s over for the attendees and speakers. The work is far from done though for yours truly. After packing up a SUV and driving home, the immediate focus turns to posting photos, gathering video of the sessions, sending out final invoices, making sure all ads on our websites and newsletters promoting the conference are updated, adding watermarks to the video footage to support our sponsor, editing clips for social, and then building a web page for folks to be able to go re-watch the show.

It’s a mountain of work and I dive head first into it because I want to make sure that anyone who attends one of our shows has an opportunity to catch a session they may have missed or go back and re-watch a speaker to make sure they have the right information before passing it along to help an individual or entire staff.

When you buy a ticket to one of our shows, I try to provide maximum value. You get an action packed two-day event featuring difference makers in various roles across the industry, access to multiple parties including free drinks, and a FREE on demand ticket to re-watch the show. The ticket price itself is also kept lower than many other events because I’d rather see folks in the room benefitting than worrying about whether or not we crushed our revenue goals. I don’t create these conferences to keep myself busy, boost my ego or get rich. I run them to try and improve the media business. It isn’t easy especially given how reluctant many radio folks are to get out of their buildings and routines to learn something new but someone has to try.

There’s an old Benjamin Franklin quote that I’ve loved and adopted over the years, which says “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” That’s what our conferences are about. We discuss opportunities and challenges and have open and candid conversations with smart people, share information, and provide examples that have hit and/or missed because the goal is to make improvements, and you can’t do that without deeper inspection.

With that said, if you weren’t able to make it to Nashville for the 2023 BNM Summit, I invite you to purchase an on demand ticket to watch the show. The cost is $49.99. Just click HERE to sign up. Once you press the Subscribe button down below, it will take you to the next page to enter your information to gain access. Those who attended the Summit have already received instructions on how to watch the show for FREE.

We will return with a 2024 conference in either Chicago, Dallas, New York City or Washington DC. Given that next year is an election year and we’ve got one of these shows under our belts now, I’m sure the next event will be even bigger, and better. If you’d like to vote on where the 2024 BNM Summit should take place, log on to BNMSummit.com. You should see the poll question just below our main section.

Thanks again for supporting the show. Until next time, may your revenue and ratings continue to rise.

Megyn Kelly: We Need Better Examples for Young Women

BNM Staff
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Megyn Kelly’s recent criticism of Megan Rapinoe’s retirement has ignited a media-focused controversy, shedding light on the intersection of sports, patriotism, and activism. Kelly, known for her outspoken views, took to her SiriusXM podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, to voice her concerns about Rapinoe’s departure from the US national soccer team. 

Kelly accused the retired soccer player of setting “a terrible example for our little girls.”

“Here’s Megan Rapinoe on her last middle finger to the United States, which made her rich, which gave her a college scholarship, which gave her $7 million a year, reportedly, in endorsements and fees for playing soccer for us on her swan song out the door,” Kelly said as she played a clip from Rapinoe’s last game.

According to The New York Post, during the podcast, Kelly played a clip from Rapinoe’s final game in which the athlete did not place her hand over her heart or sing along to the national anthem before a match against South Africa in Chicago.

Kelly’s criticism touched upon Rapinoe’s past activism, referencing her 2016 decision to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a form of peaceful protest against social inequalities—a gesture that mirrored NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest against police violence targeting black communities.

“She sets a terrible example for our little girls,” Kelly said on her show. “All I can say is thank God those girls were looking forward and not looking back at Megan Rapinoe. Let’s hope it’s true metaphorically, in addition to being an actual physical reality, because she is no role model, good riddance.”

This ongoing media clash between Kelly and Rapinoe highlights the debate around athletes’ freedom of expression, responsibilities as public figures, and impact on young fans and society.

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