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Alex Rodriguez: You Used To Be Able To Hang Out With Reporters And Know It Was Off the Record

BSM Staff
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The way that MLB players interact with reporters has evolved and changed significantly over the years in Alex Rodriguez’s eyes.

In a media availability Tuesday ahead of the season premiere of the KayRod Cast, ESPN’s alternate feed of select games slated for Sunday Night Baseball featuring Rodriguez and Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay, A-Rod was asked for his biggest surprises as the media coverage has transitioned over the years.

“I would say that back then it was a little bit more of a camaraderie,” Rodriguez said. “You could actually go to a bar and have drinks with reporters, believe it or not, and talk about, you know — and everything was pretty much off the record.”

In today’s game, Rodriguez said you won’t find it being the case where reporters and players are friends away from their respective jobs.

“That ship has left, right? I think it’s just a lot more Twitter, get out there first. Fact check later, but shoot first,” he said. “As a result, I think it’s made players and everybody a little bit more aware.”

“I think in a long-worded answer, I think relationships that go back many years, I think, win in the long run, that trust,” A-Rod added.

The second season of the KayRod Cast starts on Sunday at 7 p.m. featuring the defending N.L. champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers.

Kay and Rodriguez will be live from ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York City. There are eight total editions of the KayRod Cast scheduled for the 2023 season.

Elite 8 Sees Ratings Drop

BSM Staff
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With the last two number one seeds bowing out of the 2023 NCAA tournament by the end of the Sweet 16, viewership for the Elite 8 expectedly dropped.

Over 11 million tuned in for the Miami/Texas regional final on CBS. Viewership for the two versus four seed matchup was down 17% compared to the Elite 8 game in the same window last year (UNC/Saint Peter’s). The broadcast was also the lowest rated and least-watched Elite 8 game in that window in seven years.

San Diego State/Creighton in the early game on Sunday drew 8.34 million viewers, which was down 12% year over year.

Almost 8 million watched UConn cruise past Gonzaga on TBS late Saturday night, while Florida Atlantic’s historic upset over Kansas State had a little more than 7 million watch. The Owls’ win over the Wildcats was only down 1% when looking at the numbers from the same window in 2022 (Villanova/Houston).

Much of the pandemonium, given the number of upsets in this year’s tournament, unsurprisingly impacted viewership as things advanced.

But the Final Four and the national championship are often the three most-watched college basketball games of the year, so there should be no shortage of eyeballs glued to Houston this weekend.

Hawk Harrelson: ‘I Didn’t Retire, I Got Retired’

BSM Staff
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Former Chicago White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson opened up about his departure from the team in 2018. In an appearance Tuesday on the Foul Territory podcast, Harrelson said his whole farewell that season was forced.

“I didn’t retire,” Harrelson said talking to former White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski and co-host Scott Braun. “I got retired.”

“I got fired is what it all boils down to,” he added.

Harrelson, who was the 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner given by the Baseball Hall of Fame, said he stand behind the claim that he was shown the door.

“I’m sure that they will deny that. But it’s what led up to that and everything else, that’s interesting,” Harrelson said.

The White Sox hired Jason Benetti in 2016 as Harrelson’s fill-in. Benetti continues to call games on NBC Sports Chicago full-time.

John Kincade: Thursday Night Football Flex Vote About ‘Licking Jeff Bezos’s Boots’

BSM Staff
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A report claims that at the NFL owners meetings, a proposal to give the league the ability to implement flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football was proposed. 97.5 The Fanatic’s John Kincade was flabbergasted at the idea.

The proposal would allow the NFL to move scheduled games in the final weeks of the season from Sunday to Thursday. The league would also have to change the rule that teams could only play one Thursday Night Football game per season to accommodate the change.

During The John Kincade Show Tuesday, the host claimed that even considering the idea was simply a matter of the owners kowtowing to Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, whose company — Prime Video — broadcasts the package.

“They’re licking Jeff Bezos’s boots,” Kincade said. “I can only imagine buddies running trips and fans go ‘Ok, I’m going to the Eagles game on Sunday. I’m flying in Friday, spend two nights in a hotel, and fly out Monday’. Oh no you’re not, the game’s been moved to Thursday night. This is freaking ridiculous, and shining Bezos’s shoes is freaking embarrassing. For these billionaires to be licking his boots? Embarrassing. They can’t do this. It’s obnoxious.”

Kincade continued by marvelling at the idea even being floated to the public.

“To me, it’s just such a dumb idea. But sometimes those things happen in sports.”

The 97.5 The Fanatic host is not the only sports media member who has shared their displeasure with the proposal this week. Monday Morning Quarterback’s Peter King aired similar sentiments, saying “We can all agree this seems insane.”

Michael DelGiorno Out At SuperTalk 99.7 WTN

BNM Staff
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Michael DelGiorno Out At SuperTalk 99.7 WTN

Longtime SuperTalk 99.7 WTN host Michael DelGiorno has departed the Nashville news/talk station.

A Cumulus Media spokesperson confirmed to Barrett News Media that DelGiorno is “no longer with the station”.

It appears as if DelGiorno’s final show with the station was Friday, March 17th. J.D. Hayworth hosted the program on Monday and Tuesday last week, with Pamela Furr handling hosting duties for the 9:00 AM-12:00 PM shift for the remainder of the week and the first two days of this week.

DelGiorno’s profile has been removed from the station’s website. He was also listed as one of the featured guests for “An Evening With Supertalk 99.7 WTN”, a live event with several of the station’s personalities, on Thursday, March 30th in Murfreesboro, Tennessee as recently as last Thursday. However, he has been replaced on the event’s listing by Furr.

The station posted a job listing for an on-air full-time host on the station yesterday.

DelGiorno joined the station in 2007 after a long tenure in the Tulsa market at KFAQ, KRMG, and KTBZ.

Barrett News Media asked DelGiorno and SuperTalk 99.7 WTN Program Director and morning host Dan Mandis for comment, but as of publication, neither had responded.

Rachel Bonnetta Out at NFL Network

BSM Staff
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Rachel Bonnetta joins Jim Trotter on the list of NFL Network talent that is now looking for a new gig. Bonnetta has been let go as part of NFL Media’s cost-cutting efforts according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Bonnetta joined NFL Network two years ago and had seen her profile rise. She was a significant part of the network’s Super Bowl coverage this year.

She came to NFL Network from FS1. For five years, FOX used Bonnetta in a variety of roles, including as part of Lock It In, the precursor to FOX Bet Live.

There was one more year left on Rachel Bonnetta’s current deal. Marchand reports the network bought her out. Neither Bonnetta nor NFL Media responded to Marchand’s request for comment.

Rob Parker Bringing MLBBro.com Podcast To iHeartRadio

BSM Staff
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Rob Parker Bringing MLBBro.com Podcast To iHeartRadio

Rob Parker loves Major League Baseball and he is expanding his reach in the sport. His site MLBBro.com is taking another step forward just weeks after announcing a partnership with the league to provide coverage of minority players from the past and present.

He will add a podcast to the brand’s portfolio. The MLBBro Show Podcast – The Mixtape will join the iHeartRadio podcast lineup. While Parker oversees the brand, the show will be led by MLBbro.com’s Vice President of Operations JR Gamble.

Gamble brings more than two decades of experience covering the league to the show. The first episode drops right after Opening Day on March 31.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking project – this sound has never been heard before in connection with Major League Baseball,” said Parker, who has been a Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) member since 1990.

“It’s baseball coverage with hot sauce, loud and proud and in living color. Get on board from day one!”

Prime Video Home to 20 New York Yankees Broadcasts in 2023

BSM Staff
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Prime Video Home to 20 New York Yankees Broadcasts in 2023

Amazon and the New York Yankees today announced that 20 regular season broadcasts would air exclusively on Prime Video.

Yankees television voice Michael Kay will continue his work as the broadcast’s play-by-play announcer. 2023 marks Kay’s 32nd season with the club. He will be joined by analysts David Cone, Paul O’Neil, John Flaherty, and Jeff Nelson throughout the year.

Most broadcasts will air on Wednesdays in 2023. Most of the broadcasts previously airing on Prime Video aired on Fridays.

Games airing on Prime Video will be equipped with Amazon’s X-Ray technology, giving viewers live in-game stats, and real-time information for viewers on Android and Apple devices.

The 2023 New York Yankees on Prime Video schedule includes:
Tuesday, April 4 vs. Philadelphia Phillies – 7:00pm
Wednesday, April 19 vs. Los Angeles Angels – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, May 3 vs. Cleveland Guardians – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, May 17 vs. Toronto Blue Jays – 7:00pm  
Wednesday, May 24 vs. Baltimore Orioles – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, June 21 vs. Seattle Mariners – 7:00pm
Friday, June 30 vs. St. Louis Cardinals – 8:00pm 
Wednesday, July 5 vs. Baltimore Orioles – 7:00pm 
Saturday, July 8 vs. Chicago Cubs – 1:00pm 
Wednesday, July 19 vs. Los Angeles Angels – 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 2 vs. Tampa Bay Rays – 7:00pm 
Friday, August 4 vs. Houston Astros – 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 16 vs. Atlanta Braves – 7:00pm 
Friday, August 18 vs. Boston Red Sox – 7:00pm 
Sunday, August 20 vs. Boston Red Sox – 1:30pm
Friday, September 1 vs. Houston Astros – 8:00pm
Monday, September 11 vs. Boston Red Sox – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, September 13 vs. Boston Red Sox – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, September 20 vs. Toronto Blue Jays – 7:00pm 
Wednesday, September 27 vs. Toronto Blue Jays – 7:00pm 

Games scheduled to air on Prime Video will be available to MLB.tv subscribers who live outside the team’s geographic market, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and portions of Pennsylvania.

Sweet 16 Ratings Up For TBS, Down For CBS

BSM Staff
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Sweet 16 Ratings Up For TBS, Down For CBS

In one of the more unpredictable March Madness brackets ever seen, the television ratings for the Sweet 16 mimicked the action on the court for TBS and CBS.

The news is mostly positive for TBS. Thursday’s broadcast of Kansas State/Michigan State average 5.92 million viewers, up 88% compared the Villanova/Michigan broadcast in the same window a year prior. That number also represents the largest Sweet 16 audience for the network since 2015, excluding the 2021 Tournament that saw standalone windows for each broadcast.

Florida Atlantic’s win over Tennessee drew 3.97 million, a 68% uptick compared to the same window for TBS.

Friday’s broadcast of San Diego State’s win over Alabama and Princeton’s loss to Creighton averaged 4.51 million and 4.37 million respectively, a 71% increase compared to 2022.

However, the picture wasn’t as rosy for CBS. 6.13 million tuned into Gonzaga’s win over UCLA Thursday, but that figure represented a 25% decrease compared to last year’s Texas Tech/Duke broadcast. Similarly, the network’s coverage of UConn/Arkansas saw 4.26 million viewers, a drop of 48% compared to Arkansas/Gonzaga in 2022.

Friday’s broadcasts didn’t fare much better for CBS, as the network’s coverage of Miami’s upset win over Houston drew 5.51 million viewers. 4.81 million watched Texas defeat Xavier. Both telecasts saw a drop of at least 40% compared to similar games during the 2022 tournament.

The news of the mixed bag television ratings comes on the heels of record high viewership for the round of 64. Those broadcasts averaged 9.2 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV, and the March Madness Live streaming platform.

Jim Trotter: NFL Media Claims on Newsroom Diversity ‘Banana in the Tailpipe’

BSM Staff
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Yesterday, Jim Trotter announced he was entering his final week at NFL Network and NFL.com. Trotter’s exit comes after he openly questioned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the league’s lack of diversity inside the NFL Media newsroom.

On Tuesday, Trotter took to Twitter to criticize a recent statement by the league to The New York Post that 58% of new full-time hires at NFL Media were people of color, with the three most recent executives hired by the organization fitting that description.

Trotter responded on Twitter by asking “How many Black senior managers are in the newsroom?” and “How many full-time Blacks are on the news desk?”, while simultaneously answering each question with “(0)”.

The exiting columnist then added “Please don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe. In a league that says its player population is 60-70% Black, these men deserve to have someone with similar cultural and life experiences at the table when decisions are being made about how they will be covered. Seems appropriate”.

Trotter joined NFL Media in 2018, working for both NFL Network and NFL.com, after working at ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and The San Diego Union-Tribune.

He brought attention to the lack of diversity in the league’s media entity during Roger Goodell’s yearly address on the status of the league at the Super Bowl, and defended his actions by stating it wasn’t a “gotcha” moment against the Commissioner.

“I felt that it was important to ask him in that situation because it’s not something I haven’t brought up internally over the course of the last year with the powers that be at the media group,” Trotter told The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch at the time.

“All I’m asking is that the league’s actions reflect their words. And to this point that’s not what we have. And I believe that it is critically important for there to be Black representation in senior management in the newsroom based on the fact that we cover a player population – again according to league data – that is 60-70% Black.”

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