First Take has gotten into the reunion business after pairing Mike Francesa and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo together earlier this month. However, don’t expect to see Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless reunited.
During an appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Smith was asked by former First Take host Jay Crawford if we’ll ever see he and Bayless paired up again.
“I don’t believe so,” Smith said. “I love Skip. I’m incredibly grateful to him, but I don’t think that will ever happen. I think we’re just going in separate directions. I have aspirations outside the world of sports. If he interviews me for his podcast or I do it for my podcast, that would be different. But on screen together, working together on-screen in a debate format? That’s not something that I think is going to happen.
“I think both of us have moved beyond that and I don’t see that happening. I don’t think he’ll be back at ESPN. If I’m doing sports, I’ll probably be here, and if I’m doing more than sports — which I definitely plan on doing — that’s not his lane. Skip cares about sports all day, every day, and very little else. So I don’t see that happening.”
Is a Skip Bayless/Stephen A. Smith reunion in the works?
While promoting his book “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes“, Smith has openly discussed his admiration for Skip Bayless, and defended the FS1 host after his controversial tweet during the Damar Hamlin incident received plenty of backlash.
Los Angeles Kings television play-by-play announcer Alex Faust is reportedly joining Apple TV+ as one of the streaming platform’s Friday Night Baseball voices.
The 34-year-old Faust will be paired with Colorado Rockies analyst Ryan Spilborghs as Apple’s second broadcast crew, according to a report from The New York Post.
After joining the Kings’ television crew after the retirement of the legendary Bob Miller, Faust has sporadically announced baseball for FOX Sports and NESN. He has also worked as a college football and basketball announcer for FOX Sports.
Faust notably rose to national prominence after former Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek listed him as one of two potential successors as host during a 2018 interview with TMZ.
The news of Faust serving as the second play-by-play voice for Friday Night Baseball comes on the heels of the revelation that analyst Katie Nolan and play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman wouldn’t return to the broadcast booths in 2023 for Apple.
Apple reportedly has tabbed Wayne Randazzo to serve as its primary game caller in 2023, after he departed the New York Mets radio booth for a position with the Los Angeles Angeles television broadcast. He is slated to be joined by Dontrelle Willis.
Late Sunday, a report from The Daily Beast claimed Don Lemon was “benched” by CNN after his recent comments about 2024 Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley came under fire.
However, the network has denied that Lemon’s future is in doubt, and added that he simply was observing President’s Day.
“He is taking the holiday,” a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite. “He’s been chased by paparazzi all weekend. He’s been under attack. He’s not ready to go back on air.”
Lemon’s comments came on Thursday of last week, where he said that the 51-year-old Haley was “past her prime”, before co-anchor Poppy Harlow pushed back on his comments. Harlow reportedly left the set in anger during a commercial break, which was refuted as a “well-timed bathroom break”.
After the comments, Lemon has since apologized to both CNN employees and the public, calling his statement “inartful” and “irrelevant”.
Lemon also did not co-host the show on Friday, however, he had previously announced he would miss that day’s show before he came under fire.
CNN This Morning was anchored by Harlow and Sara Sidner from New York Monday morning, while Kaitlan Collins appeared in Poland covering the trip made by President Joe Biden.
According to The Daily Beast, Don Lemon will not appear on “CNN This Morning” on Monday as discussions about his future on the show continue at high levels within the network.
Lemon was slated to co-anchor the program with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, but after making offensive comments about women and aging, he was forced to issue an apology to CNN staff on Friday. Confider obtained and reviewed a copy of the CNN anchor schedule that confirmed Lemon’s previous booking.
During Thursday’s broadcast, Lemon criticized Nikki Haley, a GOP presidential candidate, for suggesting that politicians over the age of 75 should undergo yearly mental competency tests. He later expressed regret for his “inartful and irrelevant” remarks. To justify his position, Lemon awkwardly referred to a Google search that stated a woman’s prime was in her 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Haley, who is 51 years old, had recently announced her intent to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and tweeted that “Liberals” are opposed to competency evaluations for older politicians.
CNN management sent out a new on-air lineup schedule on Sunday afternoon, with Harlow and Sara Sidner anchoring the show in New York, and Collins reporting from Poland, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
One source told the website that discussions about Lemon’s future on the show are ongoing, as he has been a “constant distraction.” On Friday, CNN CEO Chris Licht expressed disappointment with Don Lemon’s comments about Nikki Haley being past her prime.
At an informal meeting on Thursday known as “Coffee with Chris,” approximately 30 employees posed questions to Licht regarding the network’s struggling ratings. One of the attendees purportedly inquired about Lemon’s statements concerning Haley, who is 51 years old.
Sarah Isgur, a political commentator, and ABC News contributor criticized CNN host Don Lemon for his sexist comments about Nikki Haley, a GOP presidential candidate, on Bill Maher’s show. During the “Overtime” segment, Isgur was asked about Haley’s proposal to require mental competency tests for politicians aged 75 and above. The segment is now incorporated into CNN’s programming.
According to the New York Post, in response, Isgur referenced Lemon’s remarks on CNN about women being ‘past their prime’ once they’re in their 40s.
“As Don Lemon told us on CNN, women actually can’t run for president because he said we’re past our prime once we get to our 40s. But since you have to be 35 to run, it’s like this really tiny window between 35 and 40,” Isgur said. She received laughter from the audience before Maher moved on.
Lemon had gone on a bizarre rant against Haley, who is 51, for supporting mental health competency tests, stating that she wasn’t in her prime. He said that the talk about age made him uncomfortable and that politicians are suddenly not in their prime. He added that a woman is in her prime in her 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s.
After facing backlash both online and within CNN, Lemon issued a public apology, acknowledging that his comments were “inartful and irrelevant” and that a woman’s age doesn’t define her. CNN staff members are reportedly calling for Lemon’s firing, and a network insider claimed that Lemon’s latest controversy could lead to him being forced out of his show by CEO Chris Licht.
Isgur’s criticism of Lemon’s comments is notable because Maher’s show is partially aired on CNN, the same network where Lemon works. Maher and Lemon are both known for their liberal perspectives, and Maher’s show often attracts high-profile guests from the political world. However, Isgur’s comments highlight the importance of holding people accountable for their remarks, regardless of their political leanings or the platform on which they appear.
Lemon’s comments on Haley’s age and his subsequent apology have ignited a broader conversation about ageism and sexism in politics and media. Although it’s uncertain what measures CNN will implement in response to Lemon’s statements, they highlight the significance of treating individuals with dignity and abstaining from detrimental stereotypes.
On Saturday, a group of talk radio hosts, including Bill Spadea from New Jersey 101.5 FM, joined Wendy Bell on Newsmax TV to discuss the reported exclusion of conservative media outlets from receiving their fair share of advertising revenue.
According to Breitbart, The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a foreign thinktank, is working to prevent conservative news outlets from accessing advertising funds. GDI has reportedly created an evaluation of American digital media that seeks to categorize conservative media sources and obstruct their advertising revenue, which is stored on their “Dynamic Exclusion List.”
On the list, Newsmax TV was placed as the ninth organization accused of spreading misinformation, whereas the GDI has recognized National Public Radio (NPR), AP News, The New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post as the most trustworthy news outlets globally.
“We just had a bill passed in New Jersey, which allows the Department of Education to decide what’s real and fake news,” Spadea said. “I had Dr. Ben Carson on my show [New Jersey 101.5 FM] to talk about this. Now we have the same group of bureaucrats who have forced this sexualized curriculum on our grade schoolers deciding what’s good and bad. It was written by a left-wing professor at one of our universities.”
In December, GDI published a report in collaboration with the Global Disinformation Lab (GDIL), a think tank based at the University of Texas at Austin. The report discussed the purported “disinformation risk” faced by the American online media market and presented policy recommendations and solutions to tackle this issue.
“This is all political,” Spadea added. “They’ve gone so far, when AT&T cancelled Newsmax, I said I think this is actually good news because I think this is going to drive the common person to say, if they’re being banned, I want to tune-in.”
On Friday, Todd Starnes, a conservative radio host, cautioned his listeners that Fox News and other conservative news outlets may be using impostors who are paid to feign conservatism, thereby deceiving their viewers. Starnes also alleged that this practice extends to conservative talk radio.
Starnes responded to the court filing in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News, which disclosed that the network’s top executives and well-known personalities mocked allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election behind closed doors.
Starnes spent over 14 years at Fox News Channel. He has also worked at WLAC in Nashville and KFBK in Sacramento.
“Why would people go through all this trouble to be something they’re not?” Starnes asked. “The answer is simple, a paycheck. In the conservative world, there are some good-sized paychecks. So, people are willing to sacrifice their own moral values, their own moral center, to make a dollar, or a million dollars, or ten million dollars.”
The report published on Friday provides the most detailed description so far of the disorder that took place at Fox News following Trump’s electoral defeat, and the audience’s uprising against the conservative network for accurately predicting Biden as the winner.
Starnes stated that he is not inclined to engage in the act of exploiting conservatism for quick financial gain, saying, “It’s just not part of who I am.”
“For example, when the Capitol riots happened, they happened during our program and I offered immediate commentary and I condemned the behavior of the people that were breaking the windows and storming into the building and fighting with the police,” he said. “Many of you took issue with that and that’s fine, that’s your opinion. You may not always agree with me on what I say and that’s ok too.”
According to Starnes, his audience recognizes that his on-air convictions align with his beliefs off-air.
“You may think that my opinion is wrong-headed on-air, but that same opinion is wrong-headed off air,” he said. “But the reality is, that what you see is what you get when it comes to the ‘Todd Starnes Radio Show.’ When I was at Fox News Channel, what you see is what you got, and it really irritated a lot of the on-air hosts. They would tell me off-air; do you really believe that.”
“The Todd Starnes Show” airs from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on weekdays and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sundays on KWAM, 107.9 FM and 990 AM in Memphis, Tennessee.
I took my kids to see Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania on Friday. It is the latest blockbuster from Marvel, one of the crown jewels of Disney at the moment. The movie is…yikes! It’s not good.
The magic is clearly gone when it comes to the MCU, but that doesn’t mean Disney is done with superheroes. In fact, in light of the company’s restructuring earlier this month, I would guess Mickey Mouse and Bob Iger see superheroes as a more integral part of their future than live sports.
While I do not buy the theory that the company is actively trying to unload ESPN, the possibility it will happen at some point cannot be ruled out. Turning the network and its related businesses into its own division of the Walt Disney Company certainly makes such a move easier to complete if that ever becomes the plan.
So many of the theories and proposals I have read do not make sense to me. Trading all of ESPN for 33% of Hulu? Who would do that? Streaming video doesn’t make money. Live sports does. There is so much chatter though that it is worth thinking about the ramifications of an ESPN spinoff.
There is one question I keep coming back to. If ESPN is sold, what happens to ESPN Radio? What kind of buyer is a national radio network attractive to? Conversely, what kind of buyer would want ESPN but not want the headaches of courting and servicing affiliate stations?
The way I see it, there are three realistic possibilities for the future of ESPN Radio if Disney were to spin off the entire division. A new owner could hold onto everything else and divest the radio network, continue to operate the network, or the broadcast side could go dark while a new owner chooses to focus its audio offerings exclusively on podcasts.
Comcast has been mentioned as a potential destination for ESPN if Disney were to sell. It makes sense in terms of the television network. ESPN doesn’t just fill the hole left by the shuttering of NBCSN a few years ago. It kicks Comcast’s sports presence into a new stratosphere.
Remember that there was an NBC Sports Radio network at one point. NBC ran it themselves while Westwood One handled the distribution. It didn’t even last eight years before going dark. There is a SiriusXM channel that carries audio of Peacock’s sports shows, but I find it hard to believe that Comcast is looking to take on the challenge of running a full radio network again.
If ESPN Radio were to be spun off after an initial sale, it seems like there are two obvious options. The first is to sell directly to a large syndicator and license the ESPN name. Would Westwood One be interested? It could theoretically divest its interest in CBS Sports Radio to Audacy if it had to.
What if acquiring ESPN Radio were a growth play for a network that already knows what it is doing? MRN or PRN could make some sense. Maybe it is a move into the sports world. Would Salem be interested in a move like that? How about Dave Ramsey?
Another option could be to sell the radio network to a national radio group that already has a great relationship with the ESPN brand. Disney has worked with Good Karma Brands for years. Would Craig Karmazin want to add network operations to his portfolio? He has already taken over Disney’s O&O stations in New York, LA and Chicago. His company has also been selling inventory for ESPN Radio for years. Clearly, he is someone that believes in the product.
How about Bonneville or Townsquare? They could be options too if a new owner wanted ESPN but not ESPN Radio.
There is a third, less obvious option for an ESPN Radio spinoff after an initial sale. It may seem far-fetched at first but stay with me.
What about Jeff Smulyan? The man started the sports radio format and is now mostly out of it. It should be pointed out that on an episode of The Jason Barrett Podcast, Jeff noted that he still is the owner of the 98.7 FM signal in New York. If a company that purchased ESPN wanted to spin off ESPN Radio, wouldn’t it make sense to approach the owner of the network’s most important affiliate first?
Traug Keller is running media operations for Catholic-focused American Media. Tim McCarthy is leading the BFOA. Rick Cummings and Smulyan are thick as thieves. Sure, these guys are older, but they all have a history with the network, the format, and all have relationships with each other. If Smulyan were interested, there’s a strong circle right there of qualified minds capable to help him steer the ship.
Who would be a company that would not only want ESPN, but also would not want to give up ESPN Radio? I can only think of one obvious answer: Liberty Media.
The company has a pretty healthy sports portfolio. It owns the Atlanta Braves and Formula One. It also owns SiriusXM and Live Nation, which are not sports-related businesses themselves, but they do have some sports interests. ESPN would be a very logical addition.
Last year, Liberty sold off its interest in iHeartMedia. One could argue that is a sign that the company is not interested in the radio business, but ESPN Radio isn’t a gigantic collection of local stations. A network model fits what Liberty does well in sports media.
The final possibility to consider is the least pleasant of all, but it cannot be dismissed. If Disney sells ESPN, the new owner may have designs on staying in the audio business, just not the radio business. ESPN Radio could go dark as a broadcast network while several shows remain as podcasts and ESPN+ exclusives.
That would create some flexibility with the lineup. A guy like Mike Greenberg, who is already stretched pretty thin, wouldn’t have a hole that he needed to fill. Meanwhile, there is still a way to use someone like Chris Carlin or Amber Wilson and give multiple platforms to rising stars like Chris Canty and Harry Douglas.
An unfortunate reality is that if ESPN Radio loses the “radio” part and becomes a digital-only audio network, we’re likely going to see some staff reductions. Again, this is not the most pleasant outcome to think about, but it cannot be ruled out.
ESPN was, at one point, the most valuable property in the Disney portfolio. But that was back in the days when cable bundles ruled the entertainment world. Between cord-cutters and new economic models presented by a world of endless streaming options, the value of even the most-watched cable networks are not what they once were.
Live sports still matter more than anything else on television, so ESPN will always have value, but live sports will also always be expensive. Do you know what else is expensive? Theme parks, The Mandalorian, and animated movies. Disney is as much a part of the American zeitgeist as it is a part of the New York Stock Exchange and those things are the reasons why, not sports and certainly not sports radio.
Spinning off ESPN is not a certainty, but it is not far-fetched. If it happens, a new owner is going to take a long hard look at everything with the network’s name on it to determine what adds how much value. You can bet that ESPN Radio will be one of the first things under the microscope.
It’s never easy to replace a legend. So, when it comes to WIP’s new morning show, replacing legendary Philadelphia talk-show host Angelo Cataldi will be no easy task. But Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie are up to the challenge as they make the move from middays to the mornings.
That new journey begins today.
“I am as jazzed as can be,” said Richie. “Wow, what a privilege. It’s an honor. It’s an opportunity. It’s a chance to really speak at a whole new level to this incredible city. I’m absolutely thrilled.”
“Focus has been more of top of mind for me the last couple of months more so than excitement,” said DeCamara. “For me, it was about being prepared in every way possible for day one and year one and hopefully beyond.”
DeCamara and Ritchie launched their midday show on WIP back in 2016 and now they are ready to assume some prime real estate in Philadelphia radio as take over the reigns of the morning show.
Those are big shoes to fill, but they don’t really look at it that way. DeCamara and Ritchie are bringing their show to the mornings and they will mix in your typical morning show elements along with a cast of contributors.
It’s a new era for the WIP morning show.
“I’m very aware that there is no replacing Angelo Cataldi,” said Ritchie. “He is a legend and a tradition. We’re not going to be able to do Angelo but we can do Joe and Jon to the best of our abilities so there will certainly be a lot of carryover of us just being who we are in the midday. That will hopefully translate to the morning pretty well.”
Trying to replicate what the show sounded like with Cataldi is not the plan here. DeCamara and Ritchie plan to be themselves and tweak the show to make it fit during morning drive.
“I fully understand the reality of that responsibility but with regards to actually doing the show, I intend to be myself,” said DeCamara. “There’s nothing that I think would be more foolish than me trying to be something that’s different than who I am. I plan to go in there and do my thing and our thing our way and I look forward to it.”
For Ritchie and DeCamara, the challenge will be continuing to do what made them successful in the midday but also now sprinkling in some pop culture and entertainment that comes with hosting a morning show while also incorporating a wide variety of contributors like comedian Joe Conklin.
“The audience is completely familiar with Joe from his time with Angelo’s show,” said DeCamara. “Joe is an incredible comedian and we have not in the midday been able to utilize him because he’s been with Angelo’s show but he’s someone who is incredibly talented and I’m really looking forward to being able to incorporate his talent.”
The key for the new show is the right mix of old and new.
“It’s a balancing act,” said Ritchie, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and a 7-year NFL fullback including two seasons with the Eagles in 2003 and 2004.
“I think to a large extent, we’ll do much of what we’ve done in the past. Certainly, we have a flow that Jon and I have established that I think we feel very comfortable with and that I think the audience has responded to.”
The new morning show — heard weekdays from 5:30-10:00 AM — launches at a pretty hectic time in Philadelphia sports. The Eagles are coming off of a loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Sixers have the second-best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, Phillies spring training is underway after they went to the playoffs last season, and the Flyers are always in the news with their volatile head coach John Tortorella.
There will be no shortage of topics to discuss.
“It is pretty amazing how much we, as a city, have had topic matter wise to talk,” said Ritchie. “When Joe and I started doing the show back in 2016, there wasn’t as much to cheer about with our sports teams. It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how much that’s changed.”
“It’s a unique starting point,” said DeCamara, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and Fairfield University.
“We’ve been in a very robust cycle of information and action with Philadelphia sports to a certain extent for a couple of years. I think we’re going to have a ton to talk about over the next couple of seasons that will be a lot of fun.”
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with hosting a morning show.
For a lot of sports fans in Philadelphia, the first voices they hear when they wake up in the morning and on their way to work will be DeCamera and Ritchie and that is a special and unique responsibility.
“That’s a real privilege being able to be the first in the water so to speak,” said Ritchie. “I’m just overwhelmed about how exciting this is and I’m positive that Joe is up for the challenge and I am too and we’re going to work our butts off.”
The new WIP morning show is off and running as Joe DeCamara and John Ritchie preside over a new era in Philadelphia sports radio.
The Atlanta Braves are a storied organization and an epitome of sustained success, consistently fielding a championship team and creating a stellar sports and entertainment experience for fans. For the last 46 years, Braves fans watched games on television and heard a member of the Caray family broadcasting games – Skip from 1976 until his death in 2008; and Chip from 2005 until 2022. On March 30, Braves fans will notice a new commentary voice in Brandon Gaudin, living out his childhood dream amid the team’s quest for a championship.
Throughout one’s professional career, there are unforgettable moments where a person can vividly recall where they were and the details of what happened. Some people experience more of these moments than others which are firmly etched into the subconscious, the connotation thereof notwithstanding. For Gaudin, his latest moment came approximately two weeks ago when he received the job offer to serve as the television play-by-play voice of the Atlanta Braves.
Gaudin’s journey to reach this point took him across the United States, finding opportunities and adequately performing his role while always possessing a growth mindset. It all began with a trip to Atlanta, Ga. to visit his aunt and uncle to attend Game 5 of the 1991 World Series at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Tom Glavine started the game for Atlanta and a triple by second baseman Mark Lemke ultimately put the contest out of reach – Braves 14, Twins 5.
From then on, with the Braves on our TV nightly via TBS, I found myself hanging on every word of the broadcast quartet of Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson, and Pete Van Wieren. Those were the voices of my youth. The voices behind the team that made me want to be a broadcaster pic.twitter.com/p3IFoI3pQA
“When I left the park that night with my foam tomahawk in my hand, I was head over heels,” Gaudin said. “That night, I didn’t know I was going to be a broadcaster for my career, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of Braves baseball.”
Cognizant that games were televised, Gaudin began fervently watching the team in the evenings on TBS featuring the broadcast crew of Chip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson and Pete Van Wieren. He learned an interminable amount of information about the franchise, including, of course, the 1995 squad that captured a World Series championship. In fact, Gaudin can still recite every starting lineup for the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 1999.
At the age of 13, Gaudin penned a letter to Caray asking him for advice on how to become a broadcaster and to adequately stay composed during a big moment. He explained his fandom, divulged some of the games he had attended and mentioned how everyone in his family thought he should try working in sports media. A few months later, Gaudin received a reply from Caray where he recommended publications to read and subjects to study. Additionally, he implored him to learn how to manage his voice and expand his lexicon through reading.
“He was really the most influential person, even though I was so young, in my broadcasting career,” Gaudin said of Caray. “When I was calling baseball games to start out [at] college, everything that I knew I had learned from him really from just watching countless Braves games on TBS.”
I wrote Skip Caray this letter when I was 13 (excuse the typos). I checked the mailbox every day hoping for a reply. It came a couple months later. I still remember opening it.
I finally got to meet Skip at a game at Turner in 98 along with my cousin Jake. I was star struck. pic.twitter.com/mjQHZIBlFu
With a vast portfolio, Gaudin attended the MLB Winter Meetings resolute in his quest to land a broadcasting job. For $500 a month, he became the new play-by-play announcer and media relations director for the Orem Owlz, a former Pioneer League-affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Even though the team played an abbreviated, 76-game season over an 80-day span, Gaudin and other broadcasters knew it would be a grind. By the end of the season, which consisted of bus rides through the intermountain west surrounding Orem, Utah and fast-food meals galore, Gaudin remained hungry to do more.
“I think that minor league season and getting a start there was fitting because baseball was my love and my passion,” Gaudin said. “….It opened my eyes that I was on the right track.”
Gaudin continued broadcasting baseball at the University of Evansville, along with serving as the voice of its basketball team and general manager of its student-run radio station WUEV-FM. Before that though, he remained home to help care for his father who had suffered a serious heart attack days after the conclusion of the Orem Owlz baseball season. “Thankfully, he’s still here; he didn’t pass, but it was very serious and there was about a five or six-month recovery,” Gaudin said.
In August 2010, Gaudin returned to his alma mater to become the new play-by-play voice of the Butler University Bulldogs men’s basketball team. Broadcasting a sport with a rapid tempo, Gaudin made sure to be concise and comprehensive in his storytelling. Moreover, he sought to pace himself and refrain from expounding on all of his ideas, leaving time for his analyst to chime in. Simultaneously, this shift provided him a chance to effectively call significant plays with proper verve and subsequent extolment.
“I think when you listen to the greats and the ones who really have had a lot of success in the industry, that’s a big key of just making it a comfortable listen and not over-talking for the viewers at home,” Gaudin said. “….Let the crowd and the game dictate the level of excitement in your voice, and I think that’s a key to success for any broadcaster.”
When he was named as the new radio voice of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football, men’s basketball and baseball, Gaudin officially made the move to Atlanta where he resides today.
During that time, he not only honed his craft but took a further liking to the city itself. One year later, he joined Westwood One to call select NFL games and part of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, sharpening his play-by-play skills on the aural medium.
Presently, he estimates his duties only account for about 3 to 5% of his total work, but nonetheless looks to remain involved in radio because of the unique aspects of the medium.
“There’s just something so pure, and it throws you back to the old days, about calling a game on the radio where the listener’s completely vulnerable to your words,” Gaudin explained. “On television, they’ve got the pictures. I always say on TV [that] you’re helping put the game in high-definition, but they can see what’s going on. On radio, they’re completely vulnerable to what you’re saying because they don’t have the pictures.”
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The Madden NFL franchise has redefined sports video gaming since its advent in 1988, providing fans with a way to participate in the game with genuine plays and NFL rosters. Over its 35-year history, a select few broadcasters have had the opportunity to provide play-by-play commentary in the game, including Pat Summerall, Al Michaels, Tom Hammond, Gus Johnson and Jim Nantz.
For Madden NFL 17, those involved in the game’s development looked to change direction and bring in an up-and-coming broadcaster to fill the role. Much to his surprise, Gaudin was contacted on LinkedIn by a producer at EA Sports who had heard him call a Georgia Tech play featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter, and proceeded to invite him for an audition. After he auditioned, Gaudin was optimistic and considered himself a “dark-horse candidate” to be the voice of a video game he had played with his friends while growing up. One month later, he received the phone call of a lifetime shortly before playing pickup basketball with friends at a gym.
“It was one of the coolest feelings you could ever experience,” he said. “They asked, ‘Are you interested still?,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to do it.’ To continue to do that almost eight years later, it’s been a really, really neat journey.”
Joined by analyst Charles Davis, Gaudin records various lines each year that are programmed to be implemented in the video game. Oftentimes, courses of dialogue could span multiple years, requiring consistent intonation and prosody to achieve a smooth, consistent sound. Even though they do not call live NFL games together, Davis has become an important figure in Gaudin’s broadcasting career, guiding him and being there for advice.
“Over the last seven years, I’ve truly spent more time in-person and on the phone with Charles than anybody else outside of my family,” Gaudin said. “He’s become a close friend, and he’s just been such a good mentor and given me wisdom and advice on everything career-related [and] personal-related. He’s just been in my corner and a lifelong friend.”
Gaudin expects to continue his role with the Madden NFL franchise, along with balancing several other jobs. Since 2016, Gaudin has broadcast football, basketball and baseball on the Big Ten Network, demonstrating his adept versatility as a play-by-play announcer. Additionally, he broadcasts MLB, NFL and NCAA basketball and football games on FOX Sports, and is often asked by viewers whether or not he finds it difficult changing from one sport to the next.
“There are nuances to each that you have to be aware of that kind of change how you broadcast the game,” he explained, “but ultimately, the core of what you’re doing and how you’re conversing with your analyst and how you’re weaving in stories; that all stays the same. I didn’t realize that, I would say, as much 10 years ago than I do now that it is transferable sport-to-sport.”
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Caray had served as a play-by-play voice of the Atlanta Braves for the last 20 seasons across various mediums, but he grew up around St. Louis and the Cardinals, making the opening in their television booth that much more appealing. Additionally, both his grandfather Harry and father Skip served as Cardinals broadcasters during their careers, giving him a chance to continue the family’s legacy with the franchise.
“Chip reminded me a lot of his dad who I grew up listening to for all those years,” Gaudin said. “He certainly inherited a lot of the same phrases and things his dad did. For me, it was always kind of nostalgic listening to Chip because I felt like I was kind of listening to Skip through him.”
In departing from the Braves, the play-by-play role Gaudin had coveted from the time he was young suddenly became open. Gaudin, though, had experienced a shift in his thinking over his career centered on remaining in the present rather than hypothesizing about the future. In spite of this, he understood it was a chance he could not pass up and visited Truist Park, the home of the Braves, to be interviewed.
In a one-hour meeting, Gaudin conversed with Bally Sports South/Southeast Executive Producer James Shapiro and Senior Vice President and General Manager Jeff Genthner to discuss his interest in the role and career path. He then proceeded to meet with Atlanta Braves President and CEO Derek Schiller and General Manager and President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos where he learned more about the direction and vision of the organization. Implicitly, their presence communicated a sentiment about the franchise seldom substantiated across professional sports.
“The fact that the president and general manager of this club want to talk to the candidates for an announcing position says a lot about where the franchise is and how they view their television crew because that wouldn’t happen everywhere,” Gaudin said. “I’ve been in some of those meetings and that’s pretty rare to get two of the top people in the organization that want to sit down and chat with you.”
As a local broadcaster, Gaudin knows it is incumbent on him to render the broadcast towards Braves fans. Over the last few years, the team has signed young players to long-term contracts including catcher Sean Murphy; infielders Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley; outfielder Michael Harris; and starting pitcher Spencer Strider. These core players will suit up for the Braves for many years to come, giving fans the chance to learn about them over the next decade.
The differentiating factor will be in informing viewers about the opponent, an aspect of the broadcast Gaudin is used to from doing national games. He thoroughly enjoys researching and reporting on players, personnel and organizations, conveying that information to the fans – albeit at more of a “30,000-foot view.”
“Certainly the first year as I’m getting into this, even though I’ve done MLB [for] the last couple of years, you’ve got to get that groove of kind of learning who is where and the stories behind each player,” Gaudin said. “The prep will be more in year one than in subsequent years, and I know that and every broadcaster that has reached out to me has told me that.”
An ostensible advantage Gaudin may have in entering the position at this time will be adjusting to rule change, instituted with the intent to expedite pace of play and increase offense. A pitch clock, for example, will be implemented into games this season – 15 seconds with the bases empty; 20 seconds with runners on base – necessitating brevity in commentary. Additionally, the league has limited defensive shifts, requiring two infielders to play on either side of second base, along with introducing bigger bases to prevent injuries and encourage more steals.
“With the pitch clock being quicker and these pitchers having to deliver maybe 3-4 seconds faster in-between pitches than normal, you’re going to have to be more aware of your storytelling and pacing than before,” Gaudin said. “Three-to-four seconds may not sound like a lot, but if you’re trying to finish up a point before the next pitch… you’re going to have to tidy things up a little bit.”
From the moment he received the call with the life-altering news on Feb. 7, Gaudin has been working diligently to prepare for the upcoming season. Whether it is watching previous games, reading articles or compiling information on the team, he hopes to be as prepared as possible by his first broadcast on March 23 in North Port, Fla. in a spring training matchup against the rival New York Mets. In addition to his preparation, he will be broadcasting college basketball in both the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, along with the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, making him quite busy in the next few months.
What should make the upcoming season more facile for Gaudin is that the Braves are expected to compete for a World Series championship. In his meeting with Schiller and Anthopolous though, he stated that he would aim to bring passion and enthusiasm for the team regardless of their on-field play. The team has won the National League East division title for five consecutive seasons including a World Series championship in 2021, giving him flashbacks to his childhood.
“Certainly it is an exciting time to be taking over this job because of the success that the Braves have had,” Gaudin said. “It truly reminds me of a lot of what they had going in the ‘90s when I became a fan of the team when they were just rattling off title after title after title, and they had just this bevy of talent that was in the hopper and was going to be in the hopper for a long time.”
Gaudin recognizes that a combination of hard work, talent and luck has placed him in the positions he garners as a play-by-play announcer locally, nationally and digitally. With each broadcast, he tries to perform his job to the best of his ability and carries the intent of steadily improving. He is appreciative of every chance to step behind the microphone and deliver the action to fans by intuitively watching the game and collaborating with his analyst – an amalgamation of information and entertainment.
“It’s what I call a candy-store job,” Gaudin said. “Everybody on the outside that looks at this job… always says, ‘Man, that must be so cool. You’re getting to live out your dream. I would love to be able to do that.’ When you hear those comments, it just reminds you [that] yeah, you’re pretty fortunate to do this for a living.”
Most broadcasters have an avidity for the sports they call and keep a consistent pulse on its ceaseless news cycle. The motivating factor of being in sports media, however, differs between professionals; some want to ascend to national positions of eminence and prestige, while others are content with where they are.
Because of the scarcity of national broadcasting jobs, very few aspiring play-by-play announcers reach that point in their careers, let alone remain at it for an extended period of time. Gaudin is open to the idea of one day having a chance to call a Super Bowl or a World Series, but is not fixated on those goals and instead tries to live in the moment. For now, he looks forward to the first pitch of the Braves season and immerse himself in, as he put it, “the realization of a childhood dream.”
“If you get into it because you see the big dollars at the end possibly or being known and having your face on television, that will ultimately, likely, lead to you being upset because there’s so few that get to that spot,” Gaudin expressed. “The majority of us are just calling games because we really like the art of broadcasting and storytelling…. Just make sure that your heart is in it because if not, you might find out that you don’t like as much as you thought you did.”
