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Pat McAfee: ‘Up To Something Season Over,’ ‘The Biggest Announcement’ In Next 10 Days

BSM Staff
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Up To Something Season has officially concluded, Pat McAfee said on Monday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show. He promised a major announcement sometime in the next 10 days.

This revelation comes just days after McAfee and his wife welcomed their first child into the world and shortly after McAfee was seen taking various meetings around Los Angeles. Akin to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, McAfee has represented himself and his own entity throughout the negotiating process – and now, he has found a deal. He previously called the move “industry changing.”

“This is big,” McAfee said. “It is very large. I think some would call it historic…Just know that we are thankful for everybody and yeah, it’s probably going to be in books someday. I’m very, very fortunate, happy, lucky, thankful [and] grateful.”

McAfee had posted a photo of himself with Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, but he has kept a preponderance of his business proceedings concealed. He reportedly took six meetings in Los Angeles, and has seemingly conversed with a variety of other decision makers in sports media. McAfee’s goal going into this “Up To Something Season” was to find a network that would give him a better work-life balance while continuing to keep the show free to view on YouTube, with Amazon and Google being rumored as potential landing spots.

“There’s a lot of big time humans I was having conversations with that I could have never expected to be having conversations with, and everybody was so kind [and] so nice,” McAfee said. “[I am] thankful for everybody at all [the] places that I [talked] to. We found the right direction for us, and it’s going to be pretty large, I think.”

The former NFL punter has fostered a successful media career, hosting his own digital program and appearing as an analyst on various ESPN football programming. In fact, McAfee and members of his show participated in several alternate broadcasts, including on the College Football National Championship titled Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show. NFL national insider Ian Rapoport is a frequent guest of the program, and he appeared in the show’s Indianapolis studio, yet was oblivious to just what the announcement was.

“The reason why all this is happening is because how good the boys are,” McAfee said to Rapoport. “If they would have told you, that would go against everything that they are and we are, and it would be a reason why we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re about to announce that we’re doing.”

McAfee was previously a member of Barstool Sports, joining the company upon his retirement from professional football in 2016. He left the entity two years later to create his own production business and eventually began broadcasting his show on the radio syndicated by DAZN and Westwood One. The show transitioned to satellite radio on Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and remained on its airwaves until August 2022, during which McAfee inked a four-year endorsement deal with FanDuel.

He promised that his show will always remain free and never be behind a paywall when speaking about the potential of exiting his FanDuel deal early. NBCUniversal, FOX Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, YouTube and Warner Bros. Discovery are all holding their upfront events next week in New York City where new programs and acquisitions are frequently divulged to the public.

The Border Patrol: MRN Still Doing Great Job Even As F1 Gains on NASCAR

BSM Staff
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It was a busy sports weekend in Kansas City with rookie minicamp for the Chiefs, Lorenzo Cain’s retirement ceremony with the Royals, and the Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway. It was all broadcast on the Motor Racing Network, which Todd Leabo of Sports Radio 810 WHB’s The Border Patrol happened to be listening to while in Louisville to witness Mage’s Kentucky Derby win.

“Motor Racing Network does a great job – no questions,” Leabo said Monday morning on The Border Patrol. “We had it on the air yesterday, and NASCAR has maybe fallen in popularity in many places, but that was a nice crowd out there yesterday.”

Partially responsible for that drop in popularity has been the rise of F1 Racing, attracting athletes and celebrities including Patrick Mahomes, Tom Cruise, Elon Musk, Serena Williams, Shakira and Jeff Bezos.

Last year, the Miami Grand Prix averaged the same number of viewers (2.6 million) as the NASCAR races at the Darlington Raceway, marking the first time in history that had occurred. This has raised the question as to whether NASCAR will soon be overtaken as the most popular motorsport entity in the United States. The Walt Disney Company is reportedly paying $85 million annually on media rights for the F1 property through 2025.

“It’s not what it was 20 years ago or something when the track opened, but still, that was a really good-looking event and a good crowd,” Leabo said of the race. “There are plenty of times where you turn NASCAR on and they don’t even want to show the stands because it’s not many people there.”

Show co-host Nate Bukaty was broadcasting the morning program from Fort Lauderdale where he is staying in a hotel containing many people who traveled for the race. He came from Nashville, where he had broadcasted Sporting KC’s first win of the season yesterday on FOX.

“A guy and his whole family showed up dressed like they were on the pit crew for the Red Bull racing team, and they had the whole gear on; everything from head to toe,” Bukaty said.

“That sport is growing in leaps and bounds,” added Leabo, “and there’s only a few chances to watch it in America.”

Eduardo Pérez Apologizes For Sunday Night Baseball Jab at Fernando Tatís Jr

BSM Staff
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres renewed their rivalry in the latest installment of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball – ending in a 5-2 extra-inning Dodgers victory. With two outs in the ninth inning, Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts hit a game-tying home run off of Padres closer Josh Hader, and they put the game away with hits in the extra frame. Upon Betts’ clutch hit, ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez subsequently chided Padres outfielder Fernando Tatís Jr., who was suspended 80 games after he tested positive for a banned substance.

“That’s what a superstar looks like ‘Nando,” Pérez said. “Mookie Betts – redeeming himself after that first inning mishap that he owned.”

Tatís Jr. recently made his return to the major leagues coinciding with the end of the suspension for the use of performance enhancing drugs. Before the suspension, he was viewed by many baseball fans as a role model and one of the young stars of the game.

Several baseball fans on Twitter and beyond took Pérez’s statement as superfluous, especially since Tatís Jr. served the suspension and has publicly stated his intent to mature and act more professionally. Monday morning on The Leadoff Spot, the radio show on which he appears with Steve Phillips and Xavier Scruggs broadcast on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio, Pérez offered an apology for his comments.

“As soon as I said it, I cringed,” Pérez stated. “It wasn’t that I was carried away in the moment; it’s that you look at the screen because you’re trying to see and follow where the director is going as well. By coincidence, it was Fernando Tatís Jr. that popped up on the screen… And I said, ‘Nando, this is what superstars look like.’ And I cringed a little bit and I said, ‘Did it sound bad or not?’”

Pérez affirmed that he took 100% ownership of what he said and noted that he will need to apologize to Tatís Jr. directly to make the situation right.

“That’s not who I am and that’s not how I sound professionally on-air,” Pérez said. “If it’s on radio or not, I always try to come through and there was no reason to make it single out that way. I said. I own it. It sounded that way, even though the intention wasn’t that way.”

Fox News Dedicates London Bureau to Fallen Cameraman

BNM Staff
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Fox News has announced it has dedicated its London bureau to honor cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was struck and killed by incoming fire last year while covering the Russian war in Ukraine.

Based in London, Zakrzewski spent nearly 20 years working for Fox News. He covered both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the network in addition to stories across the Middle East and Europe.

“Pierre was renowned throughout the media industry for his passionate storytelling and remarkable skill, and he was an all-around exceptional colleague,” said Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott. “While we are still devastated by his loss, we are extremely proud to honor his legacy by dedicating and naming our London bureau after him.”

The dedication ceremony held last week included Scott and Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall, who was injured in the same attack, as well as Fox News Media President Jay Wallace and Zakrzewski’s widow, Michelle, among others.

Connell McShane Departing Fox Business

BNM Staff
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Connell McShane Departing Fox Business

Connell McShane has announced his exit from Fox Business Network via a Monday morning tweet.

McShane, who joined Fox Business for its 2007 launch, claimed “I’ve been planning for some time to move on when my contract expires, and now that it has, I’m really excited to take on a new challenge.

“In my time at Fox, I’ve had the privilege of anchoring and reporting the news from across the country and around the globe, working with many talented producers and photographers along the way,” wrote McShane. “I’m proud of the work and I’m also particularly grateful to have worked alongside and learned from Neil Cavuto for so many years. Thank you, Neil, for always leading by example.”

After hosting Fox Business Morning in 2008, he worked as a reporter and news anchor for Imus in the Morning on the network while it was simulcast on both radio and television. He also hosted Markets Now alongside Dagen McDowell before eventually co-anchoring After the Bell with Melissa Francis.

Mitch Rosen Celebrates Laurence Holmes’s 25 Years on 670 The Score

Demetri Ravanos
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Mitch Rosen Celebrates Laurence Holmes’s 25 Years on 670 The Score

The boss doesn’t show up on 670 The Score everyday, so if Mitch Rosen is making time to appear on one of the station’s shows, you know something special is happening. He was on the air Monday morning at the start of Bernstein & Holmes to pay tribute to co-host Laurence Holmes, who is celebrating 25 years with the station today.

“Congratulations. 25 years at one brand, let alone 25 years of work at one place of is incredible,” Rosen said as he delivered a whole lot of donuts from Huck Finn, a favorite of Holmes’s, “but at one station in our crazy business is a true testament to who you are and what you do every day.”

Leila Rahimi was in for Dan Bernstein Monday. She echoed Rosen’s statements saying that in 2023, five years on one station in a major market “is incredible. 25 years is unheard of.”

Holmes said that he appreciated what Rosen allowed him to do and be on air. He noted that one of the most impactful moments on his career came after his show Hamp & Holmes failed to catch on. Mitch Rosen told Holmes that he still wanted him to be The Score’s night time host. Holmes told Rosen that helped him understand that just because a show failed does not mean he is a failure.

“I love working with people. I love managing people. I love watching people grow,” Rosen said as he recapped all of the different positions he watched Holmes grow from a producer to a reporter to now a host. He noted that Laurence Holmes even pent some time in sales.

Rosen, who just received some good news of his own last week as he was promoted to Brand Manager and VP of the station, added that he is not surprised that Laurence Holmes is celebrating 25 years at the station. As a host, he called Holmes one of the best interviewers he has ever heard. But he added that his skills are diverse. That has made it easy to always find a role for him at 670 The Score.

“There was always a need for him, whether it was nights or daytime, there was always a special fit at The Score and within our brand, for someone as bright and talented as Laurence was.”

Eric Von Haessler: I Don’t Do ‘Mission-Oriented Radio’

BNM Staff
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Eric Von Haessler: I Don’t Do ‘Mission-Oriented Radio’

After a recent lineup shuffle, 95.5 WSB host Eric Von Haessler has moved to afternoon drive on the Atlanta news/talk station.

While he’s interacting with a new audience, Von Haessler knows there’s a “get-to-know-you period”, but wanted to make clear to new listeners that he’s not going to simply tout conservative talking points on his program.

“Here’s the deal: this is a new audience, a new drive time, you’ll have to understand what this show is and what it’s not. This show is not ‘mission-oriented’ radio,” Von Haessler said after a listener asked why he wasn’t discussing the influx of immigrants crossing the southern border.

“We’re here to entertain you. I hope you have a good time, and if that doesn’t happen, then we’re not your cup of tea and I get that. We’re a current events show. We’ve got our view on things, and I’ll certainly rant on that from time to time, but this is not a mission-oriented radio show. The host that you’re listening to stopped voting recently. There’s nobody asking for my vote. There’s nobody reason.

“So if I’m not voting, that allows you to relax and know that this host is never trying to push you in any general direction. I — quite frankly, get a little closer to the speaker — don’t care how you vote,” he continued. “We’re not trying to change the politics of the country. By us not doing that, there are still 9,256 outlets — daily — that are, so it’s not as if that mission is not being done. It’s just not in my lane.”

The Horn FM Back on Air in Austin Amidst Technical Difficulties

BSM Staff
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The Horn FM Back on Air in Austin Amidst Technical Difficulties

Technical difficulties knocked all of the Austin Radio Network stations off the air late last week. Things are back to normal at KOKE and 105.3 The Bat. At The Horn FM though, things are only halfway there.

Austin will hear sports programming on The Horn FM’s three air signals – 104.9 and 101.9 FM and 1260 AM. They will not hear the station’s local hosts though.

The station did not specify what the problem is, but did post a message on Twitter and the station’s website to say the staff is working to get the listeners the programming they expect to hear on the station.

“While we will not have local programming immediately, check our podcast page and social media channels for updates,” the statement reads. “We look forward to resuming normal programming. Thank you to our fans and advertising partners for your patience.”

The Horn FM typically carries local shows from 6 AM until 8 PM most weekdays. It also hosts numerous local weekend shows. Until local programming returns, the station is carrying SportsMap Radio.

Jay Williams: Networks Will Turn Bronny James into ‘Zion Williamson 2.0’

BSM Staff
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Max Kellerman hit the nail on the head Monday morning on ESPN Radio when he talked about the power structure of college sports in LA. If you’re talking about football, it’s USC. If it’s basketball, you’re talking about UCLA. His partner Jay Williams thinks there is a chance that could change next year.

Over the weekend, LeBron James’s son Bronny announced he would play for the Trojans next season. While Bronny isn’t the phenom his father was in high school, he is still a highly touted prospect. His commitment to USC follows a commitment from the top high school basketball prospect in the country, Isiah Collier.

“I’m getting ready for college ball next year, baby! We’re making a lot of trips to LA. Here we come!” Williams said Monday on Keyshawn, JWill & Max.

Bronny James is bringing serious star power that ESPN will want to take advantage of in the final year of its current rights deal with the Pac-12, and Bristol won’t be the only ones. CBS and FOX will almost certainly figure out what games they can put on their airwaves next season too.

Jay Williams expects the media phenomenon to mirror something we saw during the 2018-2019 season at his alma mater, Duke.

“This is about to be Zion Williamson 2.0 in LA.” He said. “Zion Williamson 2.0 in LA with the way networks are gonna follow Bronny James and Isiah together.”

During Williamson’s one season in Durham, Duke was part of all of ESPN’s most-watched games. He was also credited by Forbes as a reason for rising ratings for the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Keyshawn Johnson played football at USC for two seasons before becoming the top pick of the 1996 NFL Draft. He joked that USC rarely fills up its basketball stadium for home games. Maybe now, that will change. He even said he could see himself leading the charge.

“I’ll even go to a game now!” he joked.

JJ Redick: ‘I Don’t Care About Sales, Downloads’

BSM Staff
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JJ Redick is a pioneer in the podcasting space. He was the first active NBA player to start a podcast back in 2015. As he continues to grow in the media space, Redick makes it a point to not change his approach to the way he does podcasts. 

Redick was a guest on the Club 30 with Henrik Lundqvist podcast and he said that the approach has not changed too much other than just being consistent with the way he puts out episodes. 

“The difference in approach now that wasn’t back then is just being consistent. That’s the advice I give anyone who asks me about podcasting in general. If you aren’t doing it consistently and your audience doesn’t know when the next thing is going to drop, it’s really hard to build that audience. I didn’t realize this until 3 years ago.”

If there is one goal Redick has with his podcast, The Old Man and The Three, he wants to grow the audience and connect with his listeners.

“I don’t care about ad sales, I don’t care about campaigns. I let someone else handle that. I don’t care what the downloads are. I literally don’t care. I just care about the audience and growing the audience. Grow the audience, the downloads go up, the views on YouTube up. Doing things that grow an audience, that connects with people, that’s it.”

During the episode, Lundqvist asked Redick whether he asks questions with the listener in mind or for himself in mind. Redick responded that he is very focused on talking with his guests player-to-player. Tommy Alter, his co-host, is there to think about the average fan.

“I think about both. I think Tommy does a great job thinking about what the listeners want to know and a lot of his questions sort of go down that lane. If there’s a player who had a viral moment and telling the backstory of that viral moment, that’s interesting to a lot of listeners.”

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