The end of ESPN’sSunday Night Baseball with KayRod could be near, as Álex Rodríguez is reportedly nearing a contract extension that would have him work exclusively with FOX Sports. The 22-year MLB veteran first joined the network on a full-time basis in 2017 on a multi-year deal, and he reportedly gave the network approval before it inked Derek Jeter to join him. Completing the marquee studio panel is former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and NFL on FOX play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. The quartet has been on the air before FOX Sports’ marquee games throughout the season, and will work together during the postseason and World Series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news, the deal is the most lucrative for a Major League Baseball analyst in the history of the profession. While no details have been confirmed, the contract is believed to be more than three years in length.
Over the last several years, FOX Sports has inked a deluge of big-name talent to supplement its marquee events coverage. Rodríguez, Jeter and Ortiz are among the best players in the history of baseball, and when it broadcasts Super Bowl LIX, FOX Sports will celebrate the first year of legendary quarterback Tom Brady being in the broadcast booth. The network also signed Carli Lloyd to broadcast showcase soccer games and events, including the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Rodríguez, 48, has a variety of business interests both in and out of sports, including as part-owner of the National Basketball Association’s Minnesota Timberwolves. The new contract extension will separate him from ESPN, the network he has worked for in 2018, and creates an uncertain future for alternate broadcasts of Sunday Night Baseball.
Very few programmers in this business garner the respect that 670 The Score’s VP and Brand Manager Mitch Rosen does. He was a guest this week on Barstool’s The Dog Walkpodcast. Host Eddie Farrar spent an hour with Rosen, asking him about his career history and radio philosophy.
One question Farrar asked was who would be on Rosen’s Chicago radio Mt. Rushmore. That prompted Rosen to reflect on the misconceptions so many have about his business.
“You know, sports radio, people don’t know, don’t really realize. They think they put on the mic and go,” Rosen said to Farrar. “You know this too, in sports radio, you watch games, you have to formulate opinions. Sports radio today, you’re in the opinion business. There’s perceptions that ‘I just turn on the mic and talk for 4 hours.’ You have to do homework.”
He compared being a host now to writing for a newspaper. It isn’t good enough to just say what happened. You need to have something interesting to say about what happened. Radio requires a unique element of performance.
“It’s improv. There’s no scripts in sports radio.”
For the record, the first three slots on Rosen’s Mt. Rushmore went to Eddie Schwartz, Kevin Matthews and Mike North. He highlighted them as improv performers.
He tried to put the entire Score brand in his fourth slot, which Farrar would not allow. He settled on one of the station’s founders, Terry Boers for the final honor.
If the Pac-12 wants sympathy for its current state, the conference will not find it in the sports media. Following the departure of Colorado, many have said or written that the conference is at death’s door.
Thursday night, the Pac-12 issued a statement. The conference currently stands at just nine teams, but the plan is that will change as soon as its next TV deal is complete.
“We are focused on concluding our media rights deal and securing our continued success and growth,” the statement reads. “Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement and value to the Pac-12.”
That statement was met with a healthy amount of skepticism. After all, conference commissioner George Kliavkoff has been promising a new deal would be announced “soon” for the better part of 2023. It is that kind of uncertainty that has driven teams to seek out other options.
Sports radio hosts in Pac-12 markets were particularly critical of the statement.
Nothing more effective than a press release when youre on the brink of extinction and have had a full year to figure out a plan. Any plan. https://t.co/lpvOJzGnrc
The national media was no more kind. Whether it was responding to the statement or just making general observations about the league, there was a consensus: this conference is doomed.
“Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities.” https://t.co/CltZhcNz9u
The Pac-12 needs to just legalize six receivers and blitzing off the bench, the regular stuff ain’t working
— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) July 26, 2023
There’s not really much they can say that won’t get roasted here but as much as the academic side is a point of pride, it’s close to irrelevant with the topic at hand. It’s like this was written to appease the presidents and them alone. https://t.co/daB9OlIQ0i
SportsNet New York (SNY) holds an annual contest for a child between the ages of 8 and 12 to join Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling to call half an inning of a New York Mets home game at Citi Field. Usually, the child and their family are informed at home beforehand, but for the first time ever, SNY decided to surprise its precocious winner live at the ballpark.
Field reporter Steve Gelbs opened the bottom of the fourth inning Thursday night in the Delta Sky360° Club seats, introducing himself to Christopher and his parents. Gelbs then proceeded to ask what Christopher was doing on Aug. 8, to which the boy replied that he had no plans.
“Well now you are,” Gelbs said. “How would you feel about sitting right up there in the booth with Gary, Keith and Ron and calling an inning?”
“Yeah,” Christopher replied. “Looks like we’re booked!”
Cohen and Darling occupied the Mets booth during the team’s rain-delayed 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals and proceeded to burst into laughter after Christopher’s comment, clearly realizing his innate ability to play on commentary. As soon as the live hit with Gelbs concluded, both broadcasters spoke about the forthcoming day and their memories of the winners over the years. Cohen even joked that Hernandez will need to make sure he arrives at the ballpark on time.
"Looks like we're booked!"@SteveGelbs delivers the good news to the winner of our SNY Kidcaster contest – Christopher!
Be sure to tune in in August 8th to watch him call half an inning with Gary, Keith and Ron!
Before the segment concluded, Gelbs acknowledged that Christopher had an energetic and enthusiastic entry into the contest that he watched. He then asked if the winner would want to divulge any of his signature calls, which he ultimately decided to hold off until the big day.
“Keep the people waiting,” Gelbs said. “That’s a nice tease.”
Christopher will join the broadcast booth on Aug. 8 when the New York Mets host the Chicago Cubs, sharing the same press box as some of the legends of the craft.
Glenn Beck is frustrated with Target for not stocking his new book in their stores. Dark Future: Uncovering the Great Reset’s Terrifying Next Phase is only available online. A few weeks ago, Beck criticized Target for their celebration of Pride month, claiming that the store’s promotion of LGBTQ-friendly merchandise was enough to make him and his supporters boycott the retailer.
On his radio show this week, the founder of TheBlaze implied that a left-wing conspiracy was censoring him because Amazon took a long time to list the audiobook version of his book for sale on their website.
He also noted that Target, which conservatives have criticized for being too “woke,” did not display his right-wing book on their bookshelves. Beck claimed that this was evidence of Target’s bias against conservatives.
“You know, they did this to Mark Levin, but Mark’s book is in there,” he continued, referencing the Fox News host’s complaints that Target had suggested its stores may not carry his book, which won’t hit shelves for another two months.
Target told The Daily Beast that the book was always available for pre-order, and the company planned to make it known when it is published in September.
Beck criticized the store’s partnership with a trans designer who conservatives accused of being a Satanist; Beck concluded by urging his listeners to ditch Target.
When Dave O’Brien was stationed behind the radio console at WKNE as a high school student, he was responsible for engineering its broadcasts of Boston Red Sox baseball. As one of the outlets within the team’s radio network, O’Brien had to load in commercials, monitor audio levels and ensure everything went over the air smoothly. The opportunity came to him as a student at Marlborough High School, which partnered with nearby Keene High School to allow students to take the air and discover their voices. Through listening to the games, O’Brien became inspired to pursue a career as a play-by-play announcer. It is something he gradually envisioned himself doing as he listened to the dulcet tones of Jon Miller and Ken Coleman call the action.
“At that time, I had no dream of doing the Red Sox – it was too far away, even in my imagination,” O’Brien said. “To call baseball; to call sports, that’s really when that started to formulate. Sitting there at 11:00 on a Wednesday night performing that menial task that they could get anyone to do – that’s why I was doing it.”
The Jimmy Fund was established in 1948 to raise money for cancer research and care, and it remains a critical part of the Red Sox organization’s community outreach. When Coleman was announcing games for the team, he drove around New England to the team’s affiliate radio stations and appeared on the air. The purpose of his visit was to promote the charitable endeavor, and by journeying to each one, he emphasized his commitment to the mission. O’Brien happened to be the radio host on the air who interviewed Coleman, and he told him afterwards how he wanted to be in his position one day. From there, O’Brien received perhaps the most essential advice from a seasoned professional who had cultivated a bonafide sonic resplendence.
“Remember this,” Coleman said to O’Brien in response. “The key to this is to land softly on the ear. People are going to be in their cars listening sometimes for an hour or two at a time. They’re going to have the radios on beach blankets down on the cape; they’re going to be listening while they’re barbecuing in the backyard on the Fourth of July. Learn to land softly on the ear.”
As a budding media professional, O’Brien knew exactly what Coleman meant in that he needed to avoid disseminating a disconcerting sound over the air. Instead, it would be indispensable that he be a pleasant listen and trustworthy presence. Today, O’Brien hopes people hear congeniality and delectation in his voice, and that he is truly grateful and humbled to be the television voice of his favorite baseball team.
Before he reached that point though, O’Brien diligently studied effective play-by-play announcing and served as his own harshest critic. In listening to Marv Albert and Dick Stockton, he came to understand what resonated with the audience. There was no announcer that impacted him more, however, than Bob Costas. He was a staple of NBC Sports’ coverage and a transcendent personality able to ingeniously blend hard-hitting journalism with lighthearted entertainment.
In his senior year of college at Syracuse, O’Brien interviewed with Costas for a behind-the-scenes job on his nationally-syndicated radio show, Costas Coast-to-Coast. While John Frankel wound up landing the role – and proceeded to become an award-winning correspondent on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – O’Brien believes being passed over allowed him to stay behind a microphone.
“I was just looking for a bright, young person who would just kind of work on the radio show and take care of some stuff and learn by osmosis by being around the production of the radio show,” Costas said. “….It filled a programming void; it was on some 300 stations and we got a lot of very prominent guests because there wasn’t a show like that.”
After graduating and briefly working in Spartansburg, S.C., O’Brien joined WSB in Atlanta and quickly became frustrated at the lack of play-by-play opportunities he was receiving. As an avid baseball fan, O’Brien wanted to join the Atlanta Braves broadcast team, but there was simply no room at the time. During halftime of an Atlanta Falcons game, O’Brien had interviewed with program director Brad Nessler for a job – and he received it prior to the resumption of play in the third quarter. He was originally elated to work in the marketplace, but was starting to have second thoughts.
“I remember reaching out to Bob after we had developed this relationship,” O’Brien said. “I wrote him a letter and he answered me back within three of four days, which was incredible. What I was trying to find out was what I should do; what was Bob’s advice? Should I leave Atlanta or pursue a play-by-play job somewhere else?”
Costas replied that it would be in O’Brien’s best interest to stay patient, noting the outlet and its personnel would ease in his pursuits. The sagacious words kept him going, and shortly thereafter, he entered the broadcast booth and called the Braves’ run to the 1991 World Series. The retirement of Ernie Johnson Sr. prompted his promotion, and he suddenly found himself working alongside Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren and Don Sutton from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
“I was 25 when I started broadcasting the Braves – which even by today’s standards is incredibly young,” O’Brien said. “That’s when I began to think, ‘Maybe one day I could wind up calling games in my ballpark, Fenway, but until it happens, it doesn’t happen.’”
When Major League Baseball awarded an expansion franchise to the city of Miami, there was palpable buzz in the area. O’Brien was tabbed to serve as its first radio play-by-play announcer, and he did not perceive a considerable amount of pressure entering the role. Even so, there was a deluge of historic Florida Marlins’ moments, and he became synonymous with the growth of Major League Baseball in South Florida.
“It’s brand new in many ways – you had spring training of course, [and] that was a big focus in Florida, but they never had their own team before,” O’Brien said. “Part of that responsibility is you want them to fall in love with the game, and they fall in love with the game partly by what they hear on television and radio and [through] the people who bring it to them.”
In 1997, the Marlins won their first World Series championship, and O’Brien was on the microphone to deliver the final call. He has called eight World Series, many of them internationally for Major League Baseball, and the key through it all has been controlling his nerves. No moment was more indicative of that than in 2004 when the Red Sox broke an 86-year championship drought. O’Brien’s description of the jubilance was the last play-by-play audio used in the 2010 update of Ken Burns’ award-winning documentary, Baseball, and is a perdurable part of the team’s history.
“That was probably the single most difficult moment of my broadcasting career when that final out was made, and to be there and to hold it together because my emotions were right there on the surface,” O’Brien said. “….Doing it for your hometown team – in my case doing it for the Red Sox, as I did other championships on radio – was a little bit different because I still felt a responsibility to hang in there until the game was over before I lost it and started celebrating.”
Two years earlier, O’Brien had started working with ESPN calling soccer, basketball and baseball. Making the transition to a national network required a change in his technique, eliminating zealous fandom and calling the game without inherent bias.
“If you’re parachuting in and doing a Yankees and Marlins game on a Wednesday night in July, there’s a lot of the ground you have to cover again for an audience that hasn’t been there step per step in both of those teams’ seasons,” O’Brien said. “I think it is a wholly different approach, and I luckily [worked] with some great people who really did a marvelous job covering national baseball back then.”
Four hundred seventy national contests later, O’Brien does not call many of them these days, but he is usually in the ESPN Radio booth during the postseason. As a television broadcaster, having the ability to seamlessly transition and call a game on the radio by rote demonstrates a level of adept versatility. In fact, remaining prepared and inquisitive allows O’Brien to call basketball games for ACC Network during baseball’s offseason. Developing that quality was a point of emphasis while he was a student at Syracuse University.
“You’re actually a reporter as a play-by-play person,” O’Brien remembers being told in college. “It’s not any different than someone calling you down for a five-alarm fire at 2:00 in the morning, and [having] a camera on you and you’ve got to file a report as a news reporter.”
When fans walk around the concourses of Fenway Park, they feel as if they have been transported a century into the past. Narrow and dark with brick slabs and the proprietary “Fence Green” color adorning the poles, spectators emerge from the incommodious corridor to gaze at the tableau vivant. It is a baseball field with a scalene configuration – the Green Monster in left field; the bleachers in dead center; the triangle in right-center field and Pesky’s Pole straight down the right field line – with an alluring charm and viridescent hue.
Stationed high above the grandstand, the facade of the ballpark’s press box displays the team’s pennants and World Series championships – and behind the window directly in its center, O’Brien narrates the action to millions of fans regionally and worldwide. Upon learning that he had landed the radio play-by-play job in 2007 and would be working with Joe Castiglione, O’Brien was simultaneously incredulous and euphoric.
“This was completely different because I kept looking down into the stands thinking, ‘I should be down there with my dad; I don’t belong up here,’” O’Brien recalled. “It was really surreal in a wonderful way.”
O’Brien only knew about the job opening by listening to WEEI on his way to the airport in Boston. It was announced that Jerry Trupiano would not be returning for the 2007 season. Almost immediately, he called Red Sox chief operating officer Mike Dee, whom someone he knew was friendly with, and ultimately was able to set up an interview. He got the job, but there was still a challenge ahead. He was stepping into an organization that had employed renowned commentators, including Curt Gowdy, Bob Murphy and Jim Britt.
“Real quality; real professionalism is timeless,” Costas said. “Boston is a traditional baseball market – it’s very parochial. Every market favors their own team, and they want someone to project that they’re on board with that, but Boston is more parochial than most.”
One of the defining moments of O’Brien’s broadcasting career came in 2013 when Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz hit a grand slam to tie Game 2 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year, and Ortiz’s swing of destiny is viewed as an evident turning point in the team’s postseason run.
“I do remember in 2013 the moment before the Red Sox won the World Series at Fenway Park thinking to myself, ‘The theme of this season has been Boston Strong,’ given everything that happened with the [Boston] Marathon bombing and the recovery,” O’Brien said. “…I wanted to find a way to use ‘Boston Strong’ in the final moments in the final call. That was as close as I got to scripting anything.”
The moment contrasts with San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hitting his record-breaking 756th home run in 2007, a controversial achievement O’Brien punctuated on ESPN. In his broadcasting career, O’Brien has called eight no-hitters, countless walk-off wins and many jaw-dropping feats, and most of the calls are wholly organic; that is, all except for one.
When the San Diego Padres hired Don Orsilllo to succeed Dick Enberg and call games for the team, the Red Sox television play-by-play position was suddenly open. Prior to the 2016 season, NESN announced that O’Brien would step into the position, meaning he would get to pair with Jerry Remy. The former Red Sox infielder for seven seasons, Remy was from New England and considered by many to be one of the best analysts in the sport. He was a beloved Bostonian and a fixture in the NESN Red Sox booth for 33 years. Remy passed away in October 2021 after a battle with lung cancer, a devastating blow for baseball fans and the Boston community.
“Jerry was special because he was one of us,” O’Brien said. “He played for the Red Sox and he wore the uniform, but he sounded like he was from here because he was. He lived and breathed the Red Sox… [and] could be your neighbor. [Jerry] could be the guy down the street, and he felt like a friend every night.”
Throughout the 2023 season, O’Brien has worked with a rotating carousel of analysts, including Dennis Eckersley, Will Middlebrooks and Kevin Youkilis. Each color commentator brings a unique skill set and knowledge base to the broadcast, and it is O’Brien’s job to extrapolate it onto the air.
O’Brien strived for any opportunity he could to get on the air early in his broadcast career, and through endurance and tenacity, he now gets to call “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” his workplace. From the days he was attending games with his father to now, there was and remains a love for the sport and innate alacrity to deliberately strive towards achieving his goals.
“Many students graduate today with broadcast degrees who’ve spent almost no time on the air,” O’Brien said. “How do you know if you’re any good at it? How do you know what you sound like with a microphone unless you do it? That’s my primary advice to every single one of them – find a way to get on the air; find a way to understand if this is really for you or not – and the only way to do that is to be on the air somewhere.”
Whether it is as a spectator or media member, O’Brien has seen a lot – but he still sees something brand new two to three times per month. Aside from his infatuation with sports, it is that enigmatic aura within the history-laden catacombs of the ballpark that keeps him coming back.
“I may see something tonight I’ve never seen before, and if I’m still broadcasting – and I think I am with that same sense of joy over those moments – then I’ll keep doing it,” O’Brien elucidated. “If that ever leaves me, then it’s time to go, and I’ll be the first one to know it.”
When we meet a new prospect or want to present a new idea to a current or former client and get on their calendar for a CNA or pitch a promotion, we must sell the past for a future opportunity. You don’t need sports radio sales experience to do it. It helps, though.
Getting clients to invite us to contribute significantly to their business requires trust and confidence. They are often unfamiliar with your work experience, how radio advertising works, or your station. But we have simple solutions to overcome this obstacle by highlighting your expertise, credibility, and winning personality! Here are some effective strategies to get buyer confidence to climb the sales ladder of success.
Track Record Selling
In radio sales, we need to go all out to make our intangible service REAL and tangible. By telling our prospects about past success, we do that. It could be our success with clients, the stations, or even how your idea has worked elsewhere for similar clients. This is a powerful way to establish credibility, gain trust and provide a Valid Business Reason (VBR) to meet.
Use concrete examples and any sales data about the impact of previous campaigns. Play spec spots. Show case studies or success stories to prove you, your station, or the idea led to tangible results for other clients. Invite them to read Google reviews. Find a track record and play it!
3rd Party Rescue
References from you or your station’s existing clients can serve as valuable testimonials and endorsements. Satisfied clients sell better than you do when it comes to getting value for your expertise. Encourage clients to share their positive experiences and consider offering incentives for referrals. Client references can build trust with new prospects who are on the fence about partnering with you and your station.
Go Network
Leveraging your professional network is an effective way to get appointments. Industry connections can identify potential leads and open doors. Go to industry events, network with colleagues, and engage in online communities to expand your network. Be yourself and offer what you know. Put yourself out there, and it will come back. Warm introductions are coming up!
Fake It Til You Make It
If you don’t feel likable or engaging sometimes, fake it until you come around. If you find yourself faking it too often – get out. There is another way for you to make money in the world. If you are the type of person who is genuinely interested in client’s needs and actively listen to their concerns, you are on your way. Empathy AND expert recommendations establish lasting impressions. One without the other will not lead to the promised land of more money.
You can get more appointments by providing concrete examples of success, utilizing your network, and having the right personality for this business. Sales is fundamentally a people-driven business; your past can unlock your future.
Author and personality Matt Adams is a veritable golf media titan reaching an audience in the millions on various platforms. Beginning in 2006 with Fairways of Life, he has written twelve books including two New York Times Best Sellers.
2006 would become a nascent year for Adams. While still serving as general manager of Newport National Golf Club in Rhode Island, he started a golf interview show on XM Satellite Radio featuring legends of the game.
He then launched his Fairways of Life program on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio eventually becoming an impactful on-air presence on Golf Channel and NBC Sports. Seventeen years later, he is an omnipresent golf reporter and raconteur.
In 2020, Adams began construction on his own TV studio in Orlando. The Fairways of Life Show is now the largest, most listened to, and most widely distributed daily live golf talk show in the world.
It can be seen live AT 8:00 a.m. EST weekdays on YouTube Live and heard around the world on the Fairways of Life apps. The program is also available on Adams’ syndicated national sports network on affiliates coast to coast including AT&T SportsNet, Bally Sports, NBC Sports, New England Sports Network (NESN), Root Sport, DIRECTV, and MSG Networks.
“We are the only independent daily live golf show,” boasts Adams, and he has indeed built Fairways of Life into a golf media empire. He has also built one of the best array of contacts in the golf business, regularly providing inside information in addition to entertainment, interviews, interactive discussions, and the latest in the sport’s innovations.
For Adams, it is all about passion for the game of golf – and this passion has turned into profits. The Fairways of Life property is available on demand 24/7 and it can be heard on every major audio platform.
Despite the enormity of Adams’ success, his mission remains basic. “I consider myself a storyteller,” says the New Englander, born in Hartford and raised in Rhode Island. “Domenic Scarano, my producer, is a critical piece in what we do, and I have the best staff in the world. The mission of Fairways of Life is to share my passion for the game of golf.”
In addition to his multimedia platforms, Adams has more than 30 years experience working in club operations and management. He is also an expert in golf equipment and technology having built and/or designed golf clubs for Nicklaus, MacGregor, Ram, and Wilson.
Adams’ email signature is more like a novel. He is a golf course operator, frequent speaker, chairman of collegiate golf tournaments, golf historian, and travel writer. His interview file is basically a Hall of Fame wing with names like Billy Casper, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and more.
The Fairways of Life website features information and video offerings focusing on quick-hitting news and reports, golf instruction, and show clips. With the 2023 Ryder Cup slated to begin on September 29 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Adams and Scarano recently offered some telling commentary on the event.
Their lively discussion included speculation over who will qualify and whom Captain Zach Johnson will pick for the U.S. team. They also talked about whether Brooks Koepka and other players who jumped to LIV Golf would be selected.
Adams and Scarano discussed key questions. Will Justin Thomas be left out in the cold, and do Jordan Spieth, Cam Young, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, and Max Homa have a shot at representing the United States?
Always ready to offer an opinion, Adams talks about the current state of the game, “I really believe that golf is at its height right now. The talent is deeper than ever. With the technology available, training, and improving college programs, players are coming to the PGA TOUR ready to compete and win.”
Adams stresses the game’s outreach to heretofore underserved populations stating, “The game’s governing bodies are communicating more and embracing a larger demographic. There is a greater percentage of females coming to the game. It is important that we make people feel welcome. Retention of players and fans is essential.”
Adams certainly can speak from a worldwide viewpoint. He doesn’t just have a large footprint; he has the whole shoe store. Fairways of Life delivers headlines from golf’s professional tours, featuring interviews with players and industry leaders. The show also explores the history of the game, golf architecture, and includes interaction with golf fans.
Despite this global reach, Adams’ approach to both writing and broadcasting remains decidedly intimate. He relates, “I don’t know if I’m a good writer,” says the man who has co-authored several books in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. “But if I am, it’s because I stopped trying to be a good writer.
“I just want to talk to people about the game I love, to let it be what it is, not what it is supposed to be. I write constantly, getting phrases in my mind and keeping notes. I don’t look at it as broadcasting to 100 million people, I always see it as having a conversation about golf with one person.”
Adams latest assignment was doing on course play by play on the World Radio feed for The Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. He was assigned to eventual champion Brian Harman. He will also be on the World Radio feed for the Ryder Cup.
Clearly, Adams has a lot of irons in the fire, but his golf irons remain largely in the bag. He now broadcasts live coverage of the PGA TOUR with PGA Live on ESPN+. This, along with his other commitments, leaves little time for play.
He explains, “I hardly ever play golf anymore, but I am the eternal optimist, and I plan to make time to get out there more.” He has a few other items on his bucket list as well. “One of my goals is to use technology to grow the Fairways of Life brand.
“I’ve always been interested in documentary film type of content. There is so much history and so many stories to tell about the game, players, and courses. I want to keep our worldwide golf focus, share interviews with people in our game, and continue to take our viewers and listeners wherever they want to go.”
The marquee football game in the Big Ten will be rotating between the conference’s three key media partners starting in 2024 according to a CBS executive.
CBS executive vice president of programming Dan Weinberg told the Indy Star at Big Ten Media Day this week that each network will get a chance for the first pick of games.
“We’re all going to have first pick multiple times over the course of the season,” Weinberg said. “But the depth of the league in particular, especially when the new members come in and when the (College Football Playoff) expands, the combination of those things create such depth that whether you have the top pick or not in any given week, you know you’re still going to have a very high-quality game.”
CBS is airing a limited number of Big Ten games this season, as it’s still in the final year of its contract with the SEC.
NBC, which will add Big Ten games to its slate of Notre Dame contests, will be able to flex conference games for its Saturday night slot.
The future of the Pac-12 as a conference seems pretty bleak in the eyes of 710 ESPN LA hosts Travis Rodgers and Allen Sliwa.
With the conference not having a new TV contract in place, news this week that Colorado is going to join the Big 12 seemed like the final nail in the conference’s coffin to Rodgers.
“The Pac-12’s dead, right?” he asked on Thursday’s show. “There’s no coming back. I don’t even know if the name exists anymore. Like why have the Pac-12?”
Sliwa said there is a path forward for the conference. They could continue to pursue schools like San Diego State and SMU, but no other member schools can defect.
“I don’t think it’s dead yet,” he said. “How you save it is you make sure these other schools aren’t going anywhere. I don’t think the domino is Colorado.”
“I think the only thing you’re looking at is you’re basically asking yourself, if an Arizona walked, if a Washington walked, an Oregon, it’s over,” Sliwa added. “But I don’t think Colorado was the last straw. I just think that there’s nothing that has been done to tell you that this is a viable conference that you can see three, four years down the road.”
Rodgers said if Colorado leaving is not the final straw, the lack of a TV deal is going to fast-track the Pac-12 going away.
“It’s not the cause of death. It’s a symptom of a dying patient,” he said. “Colorado was just the first off of a sinking boat – that SC and UCLA punched a hole in the side of the boat – and it was unsavable at that point. It’s going down because it’s the biggest television market in the deal.”
“The only thing that saves it is TV, and there are no TV markets that are gonna draw numbers that can save this thing,” Rodgers added. “Once LA was out of the deal, that’s a wrap. The only other television market worth a damn in this thing is the Bay, and those two teams are terrible.”
