Home Blog Page 2061

Mike Felger: I’m Critical of NESN, But They’d Never Be Like the Orioles

BSM Staff
-
0

The situation between Kevin Brown and the Baltimore Orioles continues to dominate the sports media landscape. 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Mike Felger says his eyes have been opened toward previous criticisms he’s had of NESN by the developments.

During Felger & Mazz Tuesday, Felger noted that the situation has gotten out of control for the Orioles, but added that the ridiculous nature made him reevaluate some criticism of his hometown regional sports network.

“I’m very critical of NESN — for a lot of different things — but I don’t they’re not this bad,” Felger said.

“It’s insane that that got him suspended. I mean, that is so as bad as I think the Red Sox and Knesset have gotten it’s not that bad. Yeah, right. And in fact, there was a thing the other night where they actually I have some hope for NESN,” Felger said before noting that former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was highly critical of the team during the postgame show.

However, Mike Felger concluded by noting that it’s clear the franchise has gotten into the ear of some of the network’s game analysts.

“It’s obvious with the way you’ve listened to (Kevin) Youkilis and (Tim) Wakefield call these games that the team has said ‘Nothing. You want to say nothing. No. All positive stuff.'”

Boomer Esiason: ‘Hard Knocks Is An Aaron Rodgers Highlight Film’

BSM Staff
-
0

On Tuesday night, football fans were turned to HBO to watch the season premiere of Hard Knocks featuring the New York Jets, and the show received quality reviews from fans – specifically highlighting the impact of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Jets acquired Rodgers in the offseason after he contemplated his future and subsequently requested a trade out of Green Bay, Wisc. to play for “Gang Green.”

He was prominently featured on the opening night of the show and figures to play a major role throughout the five-episode series, which is also available to stream on Max. Jets fans were encouraged by what they saw from the coaching staff, emerging stars and veteran presences, and seem to be fully convinced that this could be the year the team snaps its 12-year playoff drought – or more.

“Jets are winning the Super Bowl folks,” Jerry Recco said to open Wednesday’s edition of the Boomer & Gio show on WFAN. “I will tell you now – I watched One Jets Drive a couple of nights ago [and] I watched Hard Knocks not last night, but this morning. The Jets are winning the damn Super Bowl.”

Recco’s co-host, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, played three seasons with the Jets towards the end of his professional career. After viewing the first episode of Hard Knocks, he reflected on the camaraderie and hijinks that take place at training camp and considers himself fortunate to have participated in 14 of them. Being a former quarterback, he is cognizant of the tone they set and their influence on the team.

“You see the incredible impact that Aaron Rodgers has had on everybody,” Esiason said. “It was the Aaron Rodgers highlight film last night, and rightfully so – that’s exactly what HBO should have done because that’s all we’ve been talking about for the last six months and the impact he was going to have on this franchise.”

One moment in the episode that stood out in particular was when longtime Hard Knocks narrator Liev Schrieber attended Jets training camp. The appearance marks the first time Schrieber had been to a practice or appeared on camera during the series. Rodgers seemed starstruck by the award-winning actor’s presence, imploring his coaches and teammates to greet him on the sidelines. Seeing the quarterback in this sense, along with peregrinating New York City over the last several months, seems to communicate an invigorating sense to take the field.

“What I see now is a guy that is really motivated, actually very funny – and you can see how smart he is; he knows everything that’s going on around him obviously,” Esiason said. “Who knew that Liev Schrieber was a football player, supposedly – I’m not so sure about that – but he had some pretty good lines last night as the ‘voice of God’ as Aaron Rodgers described him.”

Earlier in the week, Recco watched the season premiere of One Jets Drive, the team’s award-winning behind-the-scenes digital series, and thoroughly enjoyed the content within the episode. There was footage from organized team activities (OTAs) leading up to training camp, along with access within the team’s quotidian routines. The series was extremely detailed and comprehensive, leaving him wondering just how, if at all, Hard Knocks would be able to top it.

“I actually even wavered on watching it to be quite honest with you because I’m like, ‘What else could they show us,’” Recco said of Hard Knocks, which is produced by HBO Sports and NFL Films. “There was a lot of crossover – there was 100%… crossover with the footage.”

Both Esiason and Recco recognized that one of the illuminating moments in the episode was seeing defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich lead expletive-filled meetings and coach his players. Ulbrich is familiar with much of the Jets defense, being in his third season on the coaching staff and leading a young, explosive unit that continues to improve each year. Led by star sophomore cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, they are adopting a mindset of exceeding their job descriptions in order to compete for a Super Bowl championship.

“Hard Knocks had some different stuff as well, and the one thing that stood out to me – and I wrote a whole bunch of stuff down – was Ulbrich,” Recco said. “I thought he stood out in this episode.”

“Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator, how many F-bombs can you drop in one session?,” Esiason said earlier in the segment.

Greg Hill: Was Colin Cowherd Trying to Joke About Dwayne Haskins?

BSM Staff
-
0

Yesterday, Colin Cowherd raised eyebrows by listing Dwayne Haskins — who was killed after being struck by a dump truck attempting to cross a Florida interstate in 2022 — as a quarterback who couldn’t win a Super Bowl. WEEI’s Greg Hill tried to give the Fox Sports Radio host the benefit of the doubt Wednesday.

During The Greg Hill Show, the Boston radio host wondered if the situation was a bad use of Cowherd’s humor.

“Were they trying to do a bit? Or a joke?” Hill asked before his co-hosts and producers agreed that it simply was a mistake by not only Cowherd but the show’s producers.

“It’s a bad look for Colin no matter what because it’s not like he misspoke,” co-host Courtney Cox said. “This means that he didn’t look at any graphics before the show went live. Maybe he’s not writing up his full screens, but he should still know the segment and he should know what he’s talking about.

“And then for that to pop up, he pauses, which is interesting. After he says the name, you can tell he kind of takes a minute…maybe somebody said something to him in his ear.”

After noting that Cowherd didn’t correct himself, Hill concluded “It’s just a d-bag thing to say.”

Dan Patrick on Kevin Brown Situation: ‘Sports Broadcasters Can’t Be Puppets’

BSM Staff
-
0

The reported suspension of Baltimore Orioles television play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown for what is being perceived as a relatively innocuous remark continued through Tuesday. During the Orioles’ matchup against the Houston Astros, the crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards erupted into a chant of “Free Kevin Brown,” expressing their displeasure at what team owner John Angelos and management has seemingly facilitated.

While Brown is supposed to return to the broadcast booth on Friday, media members around the major leagues are taking note of the team’s apparent suppression of commentary portraying them in a negative light. In his case though, Brown was simply using the Orioles’ recent struggles at Tropicana Field to make the point that the team was improving, citing statistics obtained by the team’s public relations department and placed in the game notes. Nonetheless, Angelos and the team deemed it was adverse to be highlighted on the broadcast and punished him for simply doing his job.

“You have to be so thin-skinned as an owner where you’re going, ‘Wait, he’s saying that we used to be bad,’” Dan Patrick said on Tuesday’s edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, The Dan Patrick Show. “Yeah, you did. That makes it even more special what you’re doing this year – instead of, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re harping on how bad we are.’ No, you’re good this year.”

Show executive producer Paul Pabst chimed in the conversation and expressed how the program reached out to the Orioles for comment, which the team decided not to return. Patrick “Seton” O’Connor believes the suspension for what he said is hard to believe superficially, instead surmising that the ordeal could probe deeper.

“The only reason is there has to be more to the story than just those comments,” O’Connell said. “I was even listening to it being like, ‘Well, maybe it’s a little heavy-handed. Do we have to point out all of the different times?’”

Patrick, however, did not feel the comment was made to denigrate the team, instead viewing it as providing the proper context to viewers of the game. He also mentioned how since the statement was made during the broadcast’s open, there were many other people involved in its approval and interpolation into the dialogue. MASN even created a graphic that was placed on the screen outlining what was being discussed, evidence of producers and directors signing off on the script. Even so, his temporary removal from the television broadcasts accentuates a larger issue related to the latitude broadcasters and other media members have when working for a team.

“You’ve got to be a broadcaster who at least is able to be a broadcaster – not a puppet,” Patrick articulated. “You’ve got to have somebody who’s going to be able to say what he feels or what he thinks, understanding what the parameters are [and] being professional; being the local broadcaster [and] being paid by the team that you might be critical of. You build that up; you build up some house credit there where now, your voice means something more.”

Todd Fritz, the show’s other executive producer, wonders whether or not he was pulled aside or warned before the suspension. Patrick agreed that the conventional protocol would have been to tell Brown he was straying towards a negative depiction of the team and to refine his approach.

Shortly thereafter, Pabst wondered if Brown could sue the Orioles for defamation of character, as Brown is a young broadcaster with assignments at ESPN and additional endeavors. If Brown decided to file a lawsuit, Pabst affirms that the team could not fire him during his time – evidenced by Sage Steele’s ongoing free speech lawsuit against ESPN and The Walt Disney Company. Front Office Sports reported that the incident has elevated Brown’s profile to where he will likely receive more coveted assignments from the “Worldwide Leader,” and broadcasters around the league conveyed his talent and seem to unanimously be in his corner regarding this incident.

“If I’m an owner of another team, do I want somebody who has filed a lawsuit against ownership because of what was said?,” Patrick replied. “I’d be nervous about that.”

Detroit Tigers Radio Analyst Jim Price Dies

BSM Staff
-
0

Former Detroit Tigers catcher and longtime radio analyst Jim Price has died. He was 81.

Price’s major league career lasted from 1967-1971. He eventually joined the club’s radio broadcasts in 1998, working alongside Frank Beckmann, Ernie Harwell, and Dan Dickerson.

“All of us with the Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Price’s passing,” Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said Tuesday in a statement. “Jim was a champion on the field, in the broadcast booth, and throughout the community. That Jim was with the organization for much of his life, doing what he loved, is such a powerful sign of his dedication and loyalty to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.

“Those are among the many reasons Jim was one of my mother and father’s favorite people, and they had such a strong relationship for many years. The thoughts of my family, and everyone across baseball, are with Jim’s wife, Lisa, and the entire Price family.”

In recent years, Price did not travel with the Tigers to many road games due to declining health. For the 2023 season, the club enlisted several other analysts, including Cameron Maybin and Bobby Scales, due to Price’s inability to travel. The club also worked former Tiger Andy Dirks into the rotation as an analyst for when Price could not attend games at Comerica Park.

In addition to his work with the Tigers, Price also worked briefly as an analyst for ESPN.

His final radio broadcast with the club was on July 9th, the final day before the MLB All-Star Break.

WTOP Adds 3 News Directors

BNM Staff
-
0
WTOP Adds 3 News Directors

WTOP has announced the appointment of three new news directors to its award-winning broadcast team.

Monique Hayes has been elevated from Assignment Manager to AM Broadcast News Director after two years with the station. Before joining WTOP, she worked as a producer and editor for NBC Washington and PBS NewsHour.

“This is a great opportunity to help lead one of the best newsrooms in the area,” said Hayes. “I look forward to coaching and training future newsroom leaders and collaborating with our veteran journalists. I am excited to work with this new management team to deliver great local coverage of Washington, DC, and the surrounding communities.”

Bill McFarland joins the station to serve as the PM Broadcast News Director. McFarland’s previous stops include television management roles at stations in Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and Tampa.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to come back to Washington to join the WTOP team,” McFarland said. “I’m excited to continue WTOP’s tradition of delivering news that informs, engages and empowers the people of the DMV.”

Giang Nguyen has been named the Digital News Director. Her career experience includes television stops in Topeka and the Quad Cities. Additionally, she worked as a researcher at CNN, and a reporter for Radio Free Asia. Most recently, she has worked as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Trade Capital Corporation.

“I’m thrilled to be joining WTOP and to be part of a leading team of journalists that the region has relied on for the most up-to-date news, traffic and weather,” Nguyen said. “I can’t wait to get started and help provide our on-air and online audiences with the tools and information they need to better navigate their daily lives.”

“I am so excited to have the force of Monique, Giang and Bill behind our daily newsroom operations,” added WTOP Director of News and Programming Julie Ziegler. “Having their combined talents on both the broadcast and digital sides is exactly what we need to meet our daily mission of delivering the most compelling content to our listeners and readers across all platforms.”

Ben Mintz Returning To Barstool Sports

BSM Staff
-
0

As ESPN announced its new partnership with Penn Entertainment to launch a branded sports betting platform, Barstool Sports is now out of that space. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy announced Tuesday he has bought back the media outlet outright. One of Portnoy’s first moves as the sole owner of Barstool was to rehire former employee Ben Mintz a.k.a. “Mintzy.”

Mintzy was fired by Barstool in May after using the n-word during a live stream.

Portnoy hired Mintz after his Barstool exit to work for his watch company Brick Watch Co.. On Tuesday, he called Mintz to share the news that he’d like Mintz to rejoin the company.

“You’re coming back, right?” Portnoy asked

“F—king A I’m coming back!” Mintz exclaimed. “Like that’s even a question!”

“I can’t even tell you how happy I am right now, and I just appreciate you giving me this opportunity,” he added.

Portnoy in his announcement talked about how hard it was for Barstool to operate as a media entity in a heavily-regulated space like sports betting. He said now that Barstool and Penn have gone their separate ways, Barstool doesn’t have to worry about being on a short leash.

Bill Simmons: ESPN’s Destiny is Biggest Story of the Next Year

BSM Staff
-
0

Bill Simmons wonders what ESPN’s next moves are as the company ponders its future in the live sports space.

On the latest edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast for The Ringer, Simmons said the network has focused more attention on its streaming platform than anything else.

“What are the hits that they’ve launched over the last few years?” Simmons asked. “It just seems like they’ve missed a lot of different business opportunities and they’ve spent a lot of time and money on the ESPN+ product before eventually realizing people go there for games and that’s about it.”

Recent reports indicate that The Worldwide Leader is considering working with other media companies in the live sports space. Simmons said it’s been quite a shift for the company.

“It’s like they said, nobody’s outbidding us on anything. We are ESPN, we are the Yankees,’ and anyone they wanted to keep they kept, any sport that they wanted they got, and it was only ten years ago,” he said.

Simmons believes ESPN’s managing of its portfolio of sports rights will be a must follow in the near future.

“ESPN’s challenge is: how do you keep all these sports rights? How do you stay relevant? How do you pay for everything,” he said. “Over the next year, the biggest sports business story is what is ESPN’s destiny, and what’s going to happen if those subs keep going down and losing money?”

Kevin Brown Reportedly Returning to Orioles Booth Friday

BSM Staff
-
0
Kevin Brown Reportedly Returning to Orioles Booth Friday

After reportedly being suspended for comments about the Baltimore Orioles performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, O’s broadcaster Kevin Brown will return to the broadcast booth this weekend.

Multiple outlets have confirmed that Brown will call Orioles games on MASN starting this Friday. Baltimore is scheduled to open a series that night against the Seattle Mariners.

Brown’s suspension drew a wave of attention and criticism from fellow baseball broadcasters and sports media alike. The Orioles disputed reports that Brown was suspended, even though multiple outlets have independently confirmed that was the case.

Brown had been missing from TV broadcasts since July 23rd. He called games on the radio July 24-26 for the team’s series against the Phillies but then disappeared.

Brock Huard: Games Are Different When You’re Working for the Team

BSM Staff
-
0

News of the Orioles’ purported suspension of TV broadcaster Kevin Brown swept across sports media on Monday and Tuesday. While he wasn’t justifying the organization’s decision, Seattle Sports 710 host Brock Huard tried to explain the tightrope team broadcasters have to walk.

On Brock & Salk on Tuesday, Huard said there are different standards when the team writes your checks.

“It is different when you work for the home team. And I get people that would tweet me, ‘You’re the biggest homer!’ cause it’s replayed on NFL Network,” he said. “My job is to highlight and focus on the Seahawks.”

“I think what’s so crazy in this case is he didn’t even criticize them,” co-host Mike Salk responded. “I think that’s the thing that’s most remarkable.”

Huard added that even though Brown didn’t say anything controversial, team leadership doesn’t want anything out there that could be perceived as criticism. They also have people who pay attention and report back to them when things get said on the air.

“Any of us that have been in the business doing that understand the way that it works,” he said. “These professional organizations, have people full-time that listen to everything. They listen to radio shows in markets, and certainly to broadcasts – the pre-game the post-game – what’s being said. They want to know everything about what is being said about them.”

Salk said he didn’t think the public was ignorant to the fact that teams are always listening.

“They know that teams have a role in what comes out of their own broadcasts,” he said. “But the idea of that is really bizarre.”

1...2,0602,0612,062...2,883Page 2,061 of 2,883