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Paul Finebaum, Tim Brando Trade Barbs Over SEC Schedule Criticism

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Paul Finebaum, Tim Brando Trade Barbs Over SEC Schedule Criticism

The SEC is expanding next year with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas. There had been a push for the conference to add a league game to each school’s football schedule. The SEC, at its spring meeting recently, decided to stick with an eight-game conference schedule in football in 2024.

Brando appeared on the Daily Wire‘s sports show Crain & Company last week and criticized Finebaum for not using his platform to push back at SEC commissioner Greg Sankey over the nine-game proposal.

“I couldn’t get over the frothing at the mouth that was going on Finebaum’s show, because Paul couldn’t ask the direct questions either for fear his Bat-phone was going to ring,” Brando said. “So he’s asking all these guys from websites to tell him what he already knew. And that is the SEC presidents had their hand out wanting more money from ESPN. Why should ESPN pay them more money? They have a $300 million deal… Are you kidding me?”

Finebaum responded on Friday in an interview on 105.5 WNSP in Mobile, saying Brando is entitled to his opinion but he can stick to hiding behind his Twitter account.

“Tim’s had a great career. He’s welcome to his opinion,” Finebaum said. “He chooses to take cheap shots on Twitter. I try to contain what I have to say within the confines of a 4-hour program every day.”

“The thing, I think, that exposes him more than any other aspect of his being is the fact that he can’t handle criticism,” Paul added. “Why do I say that? Because if you criticize him on social media, he’ll block you. I don’t believe a public person should do that.”

Later Friday night, Brando did respond on Twitter, calling Finebaum’s critique of his social media behavior sad.

Tim Brando used to be a regular presence on The Paul Finebaum Show. That has not been true for quite some time though.

Leroy Hoard: Chris Simms is ’the Lowest Level There is’

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Leroy Hoard: Chris Simms is ’the Lowest Level There is’

560 WQAM host Leroy Hoard can’t stand Chris Simms, and the NBC NFL analyst’s latest comments on an act of kindness by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa added on another layer of disdain for Hoard.

Last week, Tua donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe raising money for the grieving family of Dolphins superfan Eric Carmona. Carmona recently died in a motorcycle accident and leaves behind a wife and four children. He was the man behind the popular “TuAnon” videos on Twitter. Carmona would wear a dolphin mask and modify his voice and show his support of Tua, who he felt received a lot of undue criticism. The GoFundMe has raised almost $109,000.

Tagovailoa wasn’t the only Dolphins player to donate. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Andrew van Ginkel also contributed a combined $8,000. Team CEO Tom Garfinkel gave $1,000.

While Simms called Carmona’s death tragic when discussing it on PFT Live last week with Mike Florio, he faced plenty of criticism from fans after seemingly taking issue with the fact that Tua and others were supporting the family of a guy who occasionally used his Twitter platform to lash out at Simms.

After hearing the sound byte, Hoard piled on.

“For once in your pathetic life, I want you to understand this simple fact,” he said Friday on Tobin & Leroy. “There are things that happen in the world that are bigger than you or any beef you may have. Death is one of them. The fact that this man can’t show any compassion and put aside his beef for a tragedy, I don’t know what to say about that. It is the lowest level of scum you can go.”

Hoard added that Simms should’ve left his personal feelings out of it when talking about Carmona’s death. He said it was a case of throwing stones from inside a glass house especially because Simms is a known Twitter troll himself.

“If everybody likes you, you’re living in a dream world. Get over yourself,” Hoard said. “You do things on a daily basis to troll people.”

“You are the lowest level there is,” he added. “Because you spend most of your time at your profession getting under people’s skin with some of the stuff you write and say. And your feelings are the ones that get hurt, because somebody says something about you?!”

Bob Costas: ‘I Love a Good Don La Greca Rant’

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Legendary broadcaster Bob Costas isn’t worried about the hot take era in broadcasting.

In an interview on The Michael Kay Show on Friday, Costas was asked about successful people in the business who’ve made a name for themselves shouting the loudest and not caring about being wrong.

Costas said he’s not worried about hot take artists and that what’s important is that truth and credibility.

“I don’t know if I worry about it, but I don’t approve of it,” he said. “You know, I think that there should be certain timeless elements. You and I may prefer, because of our age, to hold a newspaper in our hand with a cup of coffee in the morning. But it doesn’t really matter whether you get it on a laptop, your iPhone or on some device that they’ll invent in the next 10 minutes.”

“What does matter, though, is it truthful, is it credible, is it fair and is the quality of it something that appeals to someone with a sensibility beyond that of the dumbest kid in the back of the room in the sixth grade,” Costas added. “Those things should always matter no matter how the technology changes, no matter how the marketplace and the media landscape changes. Quality and credibility should matter.”

Costas went on to say that there’s a difference between someone who fires off uninformed hot takes and someone like co-host Don La Greca, who occasionally gets fired up and speaks passionately from an educated perspective. The latter helps the industry.

“You can be entertaining and loose and humorous and anecdotal,” he said. “And, you know, fire off an opinion. I love a good Don La Greca rant! I love it. But it comes from a base of knowledge. You can agree with it or disagree, and those who deal in ad hominem attacks – or those who can’t grasp the difference between irreverence and mean-spirited snark – I don’t think that in the big picture helps us out very much.”

Bob Costas spoke recently with BSM’s Derek Futterman and shared his opinion on a number of topics regarding the modern sports media. That included his opinions on the way sports conversations have changed and what the minimum standard should be.

“The essentials of the craft remain the same,” Costas said. “If you’re talking about sports talk radio; if you’re talking about the internet’s coverage of sports, that in some cases bears no resemblance to the notions that people of my generation had about credibility and quality of presentation. No one’s saying that sports coverage is masterpiece theater or something that should be taught at a Ph.D. class at Princeton [University], but it can be done more or less thoughtfully. It can be done more or less credibly, and we see wide variations now in how it’s done.”

Mike Breen: My Dream Was to Be a DJ at WPLJ

BSM Staff
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These days, WPLJ in New York City is a Christian station owned by the Educational Media Foundation. When Mike Breen was a kid in Yonkers though, it was one of the most influential rock stations in America and the man who is now known as the voice of the NBA wanted to be on the air there.

On the latest edition of Dan Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions podcast, Breen revealed that he always loved sports. His first introduction to broadcasting though came from a neighbor named Tony Minecola. He was a few years older than Breen and studying to be a radio broadcaster in college.

“He built a radio station in his basement and played disc jockey,” Breen told Le Batard. “’He had commercials, records, you know, everything. Like it was a real radio station, only it only went from one room to the next. That was what he was into, and that’s what he was going to college for. And we used to hang out in the basement all the time. And one day he says, ‘Hey, why don’t you come in? You want to you want to be the DJ for a little bit?’ And I’m like, okay, let me try it.’ And I fell in love with it.”

Mike Breen didn’t just fall in love with the idea of radio. He saw it as a viable career and knew exactly where he wanted it to take him.

“I enjoyed being on the air and talking. So my initial thought was, ‘I’m going to be a disc jockey.’ WPLJ was like the big rock station in New York back at that time, and I thought, ‘I’m going to be a DJ on WPLJ.’ That was my first goal.

Through the 70s and early 80s, WPLJ was an album rock station. Some of its most iconic on air personalities included Carol Miller, Pat St. John, Fr. Bill Ayers, and Mark Goodman, who was eventually one of MTV’s original VJs.

Breen said he loved the rock music of the time, especially Jethro Tull and Bruce Springsteen, but he realized that a broadcasting career could keep him close to sports too.

Obviously, he chose well. That is not to say that he couldn’t have been a great DJ if given the chance, but he went on to be the voice of the New York Knicks and has called more NBA Finals games than anyone else in history. 

WPLJ was out of the rock business by 1983 when it became a pop station.

1110 KFAB Adds Emery Songer as Afternoon Host

BNM Staff
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1110 KFAB Adds Emery Songer as Afternoon Host

1110 KFAB has added Emery Songer as the station’s new afternoon host.

Songer has previously worked as the morning show producer at 1040 WHO in Des Moines since 2018. Both stations are owned by iHeartMedia.

“I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity to be a part of Omaha and the KFAB team,” said Songer. “My wife and I can’t wait to be a part of the Omaha community and meet all the amazing people that make this city move.”

He will begin on Monday, June 26th. The afternoon show will be heard from 2:00-6:00 PM.

“Emery will continue KFAB’s nearly 100-year-old tradition of on-air personalities who are passionate about connecting with the community we serve,” said 1110 KFAB Program Director Scott Voorhees. “It’s not about hammering an agenda; it’s about entertaining and relevant conversations of interest to Omaha/Council Bluffs and the surrounding area.”

Mike Florio: Chris Simms Isn’t Desensitized to Internet Criticism

BSM Staff
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Mike Florio: Chris Simms Isn’t Desensitized to Internet Criticism

Chris Simms caught some heat this week while discussing the death of Miami Dolphins fan Eric Carmona. Carmona was the brain behind the Tuanon viral videos, which featured him in a Dolphin mask attacking critics of Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Simms was one of his frequent targets.

Carmona was killed in a motorcycle accident last week. He leaves behind a wife and four children. He was just 30 years old.

Mike Florio brought the story up on Pro Football Talk Live, because Tagovailoa himself donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe campaign to support Carmona’s family. Simms responded by noting that Carmona was a frequent critic of his.

Florio pushed back saying that trolling is better than being ignored. People are passionate about their teams and if they are passionate about attacking you for criticizing their teams, it means you matter to them.

“This is a deep subject and I think it’s societal and I won’t go into it because I’m only going to get myself in trouble,” Simms responded. “We’re also setting an example like, ‘Hey here’s money to a guy who was very negative too.’ That’s all I’m saying.”

On Friday, Florio made his weekly appearance on WQAM in Miami. Morning show host Joe Rose asked Florio what Simms was thinking with those comments.

“I don’t know. That’s a question for Chris, and you could invite him on and he could talk about that,” Florio answered. “And I’m not trying to be flippant by saying that. I understand the way he feels from my perspective.”

He did try to explain the point he was making to Simms in saying that being trolled is better than being ignored. He reminded Rose that there is a thick skin required to having the kind of jobs they do.

“Chris takes a lot of crap. I take a lot of crap. I’ve been doing it a lot longer than Chris, and I think sometimes Chris just kind of reaches the end of the rope. He doesn’t actively participate in Twitter. He has one of the producers at NBC that primarily updates his account. So I don’t think he’s become as desensitized to it as I have over the years.”

Simms caught heat earlier this week from another fan base. Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie of the WIP Morning Show ripped the NBC analyst for ranking Jalen Hurts as the seventh best QB in the league.

New CNN Leadership Team: ‘We Understand How Unesttling Changes Can Be’

BNM Staff
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New CNN Leadership Team: ‘We Understand How Unesttling Changes Can Be’

After the abrupt departure of CNN CEO Chris Licht earlier this week, those tasked with leading the organization in the interim have shared with staffers their understanding of the current climate.

In an email from the interim leadership team — which consists of Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, and David Leavy — the group shared in a memo to staffers that they are “humbled by the task” ahead of them, while noting it can be an unsettling time for employees.

“We understand how disorienting and unsettling it can be when we become the news and these recent changes can be difficult to navigate, both personally and professionally,” the group of executives wrote. “So, we want to take a moment to thank you for the talent and dedication you have continued to bring to work every day.”

The group added that they are “committed to making this period as smooth as possible”.

Licht’s exit comes at an unfortunate time, as the network is already in preparation for the 2024 Republican presidential primary race and subsequent presidential election.

Joe Pags: Viewers Would Give CNN Another Try if John Catsimatidis Bought It

BNM Staff
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Joe Pags: Viewers Would Give CNN Another Try if John Catsimatidis Bought It

77 WABC owner John Catsimatidis has publicly shared he’d be interested in purchasing CNN, and would only command a $1 yearly salary to have the opportunity to operate the station. Joe Pags believes it could be exactly what the network needs.

During a conversation with Catsimatidis Thursday evening, Pags shared that his listeners had simply written off CNN.

“Early on in the program, I mentioned that you were making an offer for CNN. I opened up my phone lines, and they melted down,” said Pags. “I asked my listeners: Would you give CNN another chance? Now, John, my listeners don’t wanna give CNN another chance.

“But when I asked them that question and I told them who you were and the offer that you were making, they — to a person — said ‘Yeah, I’ll give them another try’. So people are willing to come back. People are willing to see what you would do.”

Pags then asked if there was a realistic possibility that Catsimatidis could purchase the network from Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I think it’s real. I think it could happen, but we need some common sense to preside,” Catsimatidis said.

Ryen Russillo: Media Will ‘Move The Goal Posts’ on Nikola Jokić When Denver Wins

BSM Staff
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Nikola Jokić, better known to NBA fans as “the “Joker,” and the Denver Nuggets are two wins away from securing the franchise’s first ever NBA championship. The team has been at the center of debate across major sports networks over the last several weeks. Those in and around Denver believe the team has not received enough attention to this point, especially when having Jokić, a two-time league MVP and five-time All-Star selection. Now that the entire country is being exposed to the generational talent, along with venerable teammates Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets are gaining notoriety many argue their play should have merited long ago.

Yet the fact that Denver is far from other major locales, along with the fact that the team has never previously won a championship, has ostensibly penalized the organization in terms of garnering coverage.

“I’m not going to name names on this one, but it was a colleague who said something [like], ‘I’m speechless after somebody did something amazing,’” recalled Ryen Russillo, podcast host and commentator for The Ringer. “And then another colleague [said], ‘It’s your job to not be speechless,’ and I thought, ‘Woah.’ That back-and-forth made the rounds. We all get it – we all have to figure out new ways to say stuff, but sometimes you’re just speechless.”

There are implicit rules to effective sports television according to Russillo, especially debate shows. One is to stick to what works and to talk about players who will move the needle. The most recent example that draws parallels to Jokić is with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and how he rapidly gained legitimacy and plaudits when he led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021.

“If Denver ends up winning this thing, which I’d expect they will, all of a sudden the rules change,” Russillo said, “and we’re allowed to talk about [Jokić] in the way we always should have talked about him.”

Russillo previously hosted radio shows for ESPN. He and former NFL quarterback Danny Kannel hosted the Russillo Show together, but ended his time at ESPN hosting solo when Kannel was laid off. While he returned to the “Worldwide Leader” and ultimately co-hosted the SVP & Russillo podcast with Scott Van Pelt, he departed the company in August 2019 to join The Ringer. Russillo made remarks about his time with the company on a recent appearance with Bryan Curtis on The Press Box podcast.

“Especially when I worked at ESPN, I think half the time I was on the phone with NBA teams, it would be to hear them bitch about somebody else that said something at ESPN,” Russillo shared. “I’d remind them; I’d go, ‘Just so you know, I work with a lot of these people, and it’s hard to watch everything. I try to watch everything and it’s really hard. Just remember that not everybody up there that’s on TV is watching nearly as much [as] they may think they are.”

Both Russillo and Curtis know that if the Denver Nuggets are to win the NBA Finals, it will represent a “coronation” for Jokić to become a regular part of the vernacular. Russillo believes he will be legitimately considered as the best all-around player in the NBA, but stopping there will never be enough for shows based on attracting an audience.

“It’ll be, ‘Does he have a chance to be this?,’” Russillo surmised. “We move the goalposts on players… [and] you have to raise the stakes. Once everything becomes accepted, ‘accepted’ isn’t a good topic anymore. It has to be, ‘Could there potentially be pushback from this?,’ and that’s kind of the game.”

Buck Sexton: If Candidates Aren’t Coming On Our Show, They’re Not Serious

BNM Staff
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The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show is one of the largest radio programs in the nation. The show recently eclipsed the 500 affiliates mark. With that stature comes an expectation that conservative political candidates would want to appear on the show. Sexton argues that’s not always the case.

During Thursday’s show, Sexton mentioned that the program has begun working on landing interviews with as many prospective 2024 Republican presidential nominees.

“We are already reaching out to Mike Pence to try to get him to come on the show,” Sexton said. “Hopefully, we’ll get him in the next couple of weeks. We’ve already got Nikki Haley coming on next Tuesday. People have said ‘What about RFK Jr?’. I’ve said I’ve got to talk to him myself. We’re going to reach out again. We’ll have to have Vivek (Ramaswamy) again. You’re going to get to hear from everyone.”

Sexton then said the show would likely not feature an interview with former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson because “we do have to set some kind of a cap”. He then mentioned that former New Jersey governor Chris Christie would be someone the program would speak with.

“I think we should have Chris Christie coming on…the team just told me we’ve reached out to Chris Christie’s team several times. No response. Which, to me, says if you’re not gonna come on this show, you’re not really running as a Republican President. That’s my opinion. If you’re not going to go on the biggest radio shows in the country, as a Republican, I don’t think it’s fair to say that you’re serious.”

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