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Glenn Beck: More Americans Turning To TikTok For News

BNM Staff
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Syndicated radio host Glenn Beck said Tik Tok is quickly becoming the source of news in the United States. On Friday, he criticized the platform and warned his listeners that the algorithms for Chinese Tik Tok are significantly different from the American version.  

According to Statista.com, in 2021, Tik Tok had approximately 86.9 million users in the United States. 

“I’ve never seen anyone with a clue on Tik Tok,” said Beck. “The algorithm here shows us stupid people and shows us doing stupid things. The algorithm in China highlights young people doing amazing things.” 

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and was launched in 2017. A few years later. The Verge reported that the platform reached two billion downloads. 

Beck stated that the Chinese government is intentionally shifting its algorithmic patterns to train Chinese consumers to think and demand better for themselves. 

“Is there possibly a warning sign when 24 percent of young people get their news from Tik Tok?” Co-host Steve Burguiere aka Stu said. “Do you think that can have any negative consequences on our future?” 

“People trust other people more than they trust the media. People feel like they want to get their news from someone like them, closest to the situation,” Beck added.

Rod Lakin Knew There Was No Replacing Angelo Cataldi at WIP

Derek Futterman
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Rod Lakin Knew There Was No Replacing Angelo Cataldi at WIP

Last October, Rod Lakin joined SportsRadio 94WIP in Philadelphia as its brand manager. Three days into his first week on the job, Philadelphia sports radio staple and morning show host Angelo Cataldi announced that he would be retiring from the station in December 2022.

The search has been on to determine a new sound for morning drive programming on the station, a profound responsibility placed on Lakin who recently completed his first year working in “The City of Brotherly Love.”

Lakin succeeded Spike Eskin at SportsRadio 94WIP when Eskin took over as vice president of programming at WFAN in New York. Before moving to Philadelphia, Lakin worked for Bonneville in Phoenix as the program director of Arizona Sports 98.7 and ESPN 620, an outlet where he began as a technical director and producer before overseeing station programming.

Angelo Cataldi has encapsulated what it means to be a sports fan in the city of Philadelphia. While he will remain on the air until the Philadelphia Eagles’ season comes to an end, Lakin and his team at SportsRadio 94 WIP have concluded their process to name a new morning show.

Last week, the station announced that midday show hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie will be the new hosts during morning drive. DeCamara and Ritchie began working together on their midday program at WIP in October 2016. Previously, DeCamara worked as a local weekday evening host on 97.5 The Fanatic and national weekend host on ESPN Radio following a brief stint in Levittown, PA with 1490 WBCB-AM. Ritchie began working in sports media upon his retirement from the NFL in contributing roles at both ESPN and NBC Sports and as the co-host of The Artie Lange Show on DirecTV.

“They have a really good feel for each other [and have] worked together for a long time,” Lakin said. “Joe is kind of the ultimate Philadelphia sports fan. There’s a segment we do called ‘Beat the Hammer’ where he does Philadelphia sports trivia every Friday, and Joe could tell you who pinch hit in Game 3 of the 1993 World Series. Jon is on the other side of the spectrum as a former athlete – a successful one in the NFL – and I think they have a really good rapport and chemistry with each other; two very, very different perspectives.”

Additionally, it was announced that the morning program will continue to feature Cataldi’s longtime co-host Rhea Hughes. Morning show producer Joe Weachter will remain in his role but will also be joined by current midday producer James Seltzer. The next step for the Audacy-owned station will be to form a new midday team which it says will be named in the next few months. Regarding the morning show, the search process was thorough but having a local connection to Philadelphia from the onset was not necessarily a job requirement.

“Certainly it’s a benefit to have people that the Philadelphia sports audience are familiar with and hosts that have a familiarity with the market too,” Lakin said. “It wasn’t a non-starter for somebody that didn’t have Philadelphia ties, but at the same time – and especially in the case of Joe DeCamara being a lifelong Philadelphian who has seen all the great ups and downs [with] the sports teams – I think it is going to bring tremendous value to the new morning show.”

Cataldi was not directly involved in the search process, not being informed of the decision that had been made until it was completed and ready to be announced. As a longtime employee of SportsRadio 94WIP, he planned to support the decision no matter what and favored being kept out of the search, instead focusing on his ongoing role as a host.

“Angelo Cataldi is an institution in Philadelphia sports,” Lakin expressed. “…When people asked me about replacing Angelo, I said, ‘I’m not looking to replace Angelo. I’m looking to create a new show on morning drive that can hold up the standards Angelo created.’ For three decades, Angelo was the driving voice of Philadelphia sports media. He set the tone in this market and there will never be another Angelo Cataldi.”

Throughout the search process, Lakin did not feel a tremendous amount of pressure regarding making the right decision but was cognizant of its impact. It was not until closer to the announcement when he began to feel the weight of the decision being made and the enduring significance morning drive shows have with the fervid sports culture of Philadelphia.

“The effect Angelo’s had for three decades in this market is incredible,” Lakin said. “Really to see and to hear the responses… after we made the decision was the only time I felt the enormity of that decision.”

Lakin and Audacy Philadelphia Market Manager David Yadgaroff worked closely together in making the decision, but that started with defining just what they were looking for in the search. The key to finding the right fit was determining what they wanted the end result to be and how it would resonate with consumers and advertisers. Ultimately, the choice came down to three determining factors, creating a “strategic clarity” in planning ahead.

“We knew it had to be a show that was going to be the voice of the fan because that was the brand Angelo established so well over the last 30 years,” Lakin described. “We knew it had to be a show that had strong opinions and had the ability to define the sports narrative in Philadelphia [as] that’s critical for a morning show and Angelo has done such a great job with [it.]… Also, we know the show needed to have personality. When you’re talking about a morning drive show, you’re talking about an audience that’s coming in every day and they’re at their peak in terms of their mood and optimism for the day and they want to have fun.”

According to a study published in Emotion, people who operate on morning-driven schedules tend to wake up feeling more positive emotions than those who stay up late and do their work later in days. Furthermore, it was determined that as people age they usually become in favor of waking up early and doing things earlier in the day. The coveted 25-54 demographic aligns with these data which correlate positivity with those who start their days earlier, and sports media has the responsibility to know its audience in this regard.

“I think the best shows in this format, in particular in morning drive, are the ones that combine two things,” Lakin said. “They have a better personality sense than any straight sports talk show; and they have a better sports sense than any personality-driven radio show.”

Rhea Hughes got her first opportunity to join the morning show from Cataldi, and the two have worked together since she joined the program in 1997. She will remain on the morning programming with DeCamara and Ritchie, providing a source of experience and understanding regarding how to appeal to the morning audience.

“She’s a super-talented anchor and co-host and has great connections in the market,” Lakin said of Hughes. “I think it’s important to have some of that connective tissue to the old show. Angelo’s show has been very successful so I think it was a very natural partnership for Rhea and Joe and Jon.”

Al Morganti has been with Cataldi from the launch of the morning show in 1989 but will not be a part of the new program. While the exact capacity has yet to be determined, Morganti will continue working at SportsRadio 94WIP in a new role.

Additionally, Morganti will continue with his job as a studio analyst for Philadelphia Flyers live game broadcasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia. His presence on Angelo Cataldi and the Morning Team has, according to Cataldi, been fundamental for the success and longevity of the program.

“[Al] was critical, and Angelo would tell you this, to the development of the show over the years,” Lakin said. “He’s had so many great ideas for WIP – events; programming initiatives; content. He’s just been such a great guy and such a great advocate for WIP over the years.”

Coinciding with the search to form a new morning show has been a period of sustained success for sports across the city. The Philadelphia Eagles remain the only undefeated team in the National Football League. Sports fans in Philadelphia and around the NFL expect them to make a deep playoff run, therefore delaying the launch of the new morning show and fans surely hope Cataldi’s tenure concludes with the Eagles’ second Super Bowl championship in five years.

As the radio station gets set to launch its new morning show, Lakin remains optimistic about the future of the format amid changes in technology and consumption habits. Management believes that DeCamara, Ritchie and the rest of this new morning show team will be a successful combination, and perhaps the familiarity among each other may catalyze the adjustment period, but it will be critical for the show to uphold the high standards established by Cataldi.

“It’s being the voice of the fan; it’s being the show that helps define the sports narrative in Philadelphia; it’s being the show of record in many ways,” Lakin said. “I think Joe and Jon are up to that task – it’s a big one – and at the end of the day, we’re going to put [on] a very, very quality show to the Philadelphia sports audience.”

Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo Changed The Game and Became a Radio Hall of Famer

Peter Schwartz
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Before embarking on a solo career, he was one half of the most iconic show in sports radio history. And on Tuesday night, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo will take his rightful place in the Radio Hall of Fame when he is inducted at a ceremony at the Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel. Russo is part of the Class of 2022 with Broadway Bill Lee, Carol Miller, Ellen K, Jeff Smulyan, Lon Helton, Marv Dyson, Suzyn Waldman, and Walt “Baby” Love.

His road to the Hall of Fame started when the Long Island native worked at WKIS in Orlando, Florida before coming home to do a show on WMCA in New York. From there, he joined WFAN as a solo host and then was paired with Mike Francesa to host Mike and the Mad Dog from 1988 to 2008.

“I’m very glad to see Dog get into the Hall of Fame,” said Francesa. “He deserves it. It’s a great night for the FAN and a great night for Dog.”

Russo and Francesa ruled afternoon drive-time radio in New York for a long time but that show wasn’t just a sports talk radio show…It was must listen to radio and Russo’s energetic delivery and his passionate discussions with Francesa were a big reason why.

“Obviously, Dog has had a big impact,” said former long-time WFAN Program Director and executive Mark Chernoff. 

“Just the fact that he and Mike set the standard for sport radio and sports radio talk shows. There was no pairing like them before or after their partnership. Dog has always had an encyclopedic sports mind supplemented by his wide variety of interests in history and culture in general. He and Mike both knew how to get the most out of each other and could have fun or be serious as the situation warranted.”

Both Russo and Francesa brought the same passion for sports to the program, but they were different personalities.  Some fans loved one of them more than the other but the listeners were loyal to the show because they covered the big stories better than anyone else did and they were flat-out entertaining to listen to.

And each show started with Russo’s iconic “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH good afternoon, everybody! How are you today?”

“Dog was the straw that stirred the drink,” said former Mike and the Mad Dog producer Bob Gelb who has been at WFAN since 1987. “His passion for sports is what made the program so entertaining plus it was nicely produced!”

Gelb, whose Twitter account is @NicelyProduced, is referring to a common line that Mad Dog used when a great guest was booked.

When Mike and Mad Dog came to an end, it was like The Beatles breaking up.  It was huge news, not only in New York, but all over the country. 

Russo would then dip his toes into the national waters launching his new show Mad Dog Unleased on a channel named for him Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Russo’s arrival at Sirius XM made a huge impact.

“Chris Russo means everything to me,” said Adam Schein who moved from Sirius XM NFL Radio to do an all-sports show on Mad Dog Sports Radio.  

Schein, a New York native, was inspired by Russo to get into sports talk radio.

“I’m 45,” said Schein. “I like to say I was the first generation of sports talk radio. I was the first group of kids who grew up wanting to be a sports radio host as opposed to a play-by-play voice or anchor. WFAN and Mike and the Mad Dog changed the game. Chris and Mike are the reason sports radio exploded. And Dog is the greatest of all time. His unmatched passion, his knack for true entertainment every time he speaks, his opinions, Dog’s legendary interviews, its second to none.”

Russo was already a Hall of Famer based on his career at WFAN, but what he’s been able to do in his time at Sirius XM has been remarkable. It’s one thing to launch a national radio show but it’s another thing to be the man behind a brand-new sport radio network. There were certainly some growing pains along the way, but Mad Dog Sports Radio over 15 years at Sirius XM has been a huge success.

“What Dog has done with us at SiriusXM that has changed the game,” said Schein. “He was already a legend and pioneer. But his brand has gone to a new level as an all-timer with his Mad Dog Unleashed show and our Mad Dog Sports Radio channel. I’d argue Dog has never been better. Dog’s show is the best national show in the game. I’m lucky to call Chris a friend and teammate. I wouldn’t have my dream job without him.”

Let me close with what Chris “Mad Dog” Russo means to me.

When I was home from college between my junior and senior years in the summer of 1988, I was lucky enough to get an internship at WFAN. Later that year, when I was home from school in-between semesters, WFAN hired me as a fill-in board operator for the holiday season and one of the shows I worked on was an overnight show hosted by Mad Dog. He couldn’t have been nicer to a young kid who aspired to get into broadcasting.

Fast forward to 2009. I had already been working part-time as a sports anchor at Sirius XM for a couple of years and while I enjoyed it very much my goal was always to get an on-air job at WFAN. I tried over and over and over again, but kept on getting rejection letters.

And then, one day I get a call from now former WFAN Program Director Eric Spitz who is now at Sirius XM.

“I heard you doing a sports update with Mad Dog yesterday,” said Spitz on the phone. “We’d like to bring you to WFAN as an update anchor.”

I was now working at both Sirius XM and WFAN and a few days later I told Russo this story and he was so happy for me.

“That’s great Pete!” said Russo, but you have to imagine for a second his voice and happiness and think about how this sounded. “We got you hired at the FAN!”

Yeah, you did Chris, and congratulations on a well-deserved honor in getting inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.

5 Questions After ESPN, FOX Agree To Big 12 Extension

Garrett Searight
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5 Questions After ESPN, FOX Agree To Big 12 Extension

The Big 12 has agreed to an extension of its media rights deals with ESPN and FOX that will see an increase of 90% of its annual payment from the two entities.

The average annual payment to the conference is reported at $380 million per year, even after the departure of the conference’s two highest-profile members, Texas and Oklahoma. As you likely know, Cincinnati, UCF, BYU, and Houston will replace the Longhorns and Sooners in the conference.

That number will pale in comparison to what the Big Ten and SEC generates in its new media deals. The Big Ten will haul in more than $1 billion per year.

The agreement, while expected — perhaps not this early, but expected — did still leave several questions that I’m not sure can be answered immediately.

Can The Pac-12 Beat $380 Million?

To be transparent, I never thought the Big 12 would sniff an annual rights fee of $380 million per year for its members after Texas and Oklahoma. No offense to Kansas State and Texas Tech, but you don’t exactly move the needle for the average college football fan (which is what these deals are all centered around…sorry, basketball fans).

So, when the reports started to come out earlier this week that the conference and networks were working on numbers in the $350 million range, but preferred to be closer to $400 million, I was simply stunned.

But the first thought that came to my mind was: Can The Pac-12 Beat $380 Million? According to a report from Pac-12 reporter John Canzano, a conference source said “We are very confident to beat that number.” There’s only one way for the Pac-12 to beat that number, especially after the departure of USC and UCLA after the 2023 school year.

Amazon is the only way the Pac-12 can beat $380 million. While trying to avoid sounding like some Midwestern hilljack, those on the west coast are seemingly more apt to adopt new technology before other areas of the nation. A deal with Amazon, which might have sounded ludicrous before the streaming platform’s high viewership numbers for its Thursday Night Football debut, could legitimately be a viable option for Pac-12 fans. Now, what that would mean for the conference’s standing and reputation nationally is a discussion for a different day.

Was Amazon Involved Or Are They Strictly Holding Out For The Pac-12?

Amazon Prime Video has not been shy about its interest in college football rights.

“Actually, we’re very interested in that,” Amazon Vice President for Global Sports Video Marie Donoghue told The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast last week. “Obviously, we don’t talk about specific negotiations, but we’re going to keep knocking. The thing about sports is there’s a lot of marquee properties out there. We’re very interested in big-time college sports. Anybody would be.”

It was rumored that Amazon Prime Video put in an offer on the Big Ten’s media rights deals. It was rumored Amazon Prime Video put in a bigger offer than ESPN for the Formula 1 package that ultimately went to the worldwide leader.

So it’s safe to assume Prime Video was in on the Big 12, right? How involved is a question I’m guessing isn’t likely to be definitively answered anytime soon, but would you be floored if it was later reported that Amazon had a higher bid than ESPN or Fox did? I don’t think I would.

How Much Inventory Goes to ESPN+?

Reportedly, the reason the Big Ten passed up a deal with Amazon was it’s worry of fans not being able to find the games they were looking for, and valued a traditional TV audience. That’s fine and dandy, but the Big 12 deserves credit where credit is due. It has not been afraid to put games on ESPN+. And really, at this stage of the “streaming wars”, would the Big 12 rather have its games on ESPN+ or FS2? I know which option I’d choose (and it includes choosing it twice on Sundays), but the Big 12 has earned the props for being willing to embrace streaming before others.

Fans will complain that a game will be behind a streaming paywall. That’s the nature of living in America in 2022, we hate everything, and we’re not afraid to share it. But, if more than one of your team’s games is going to be on ESPN+, doesn’t that make the platform more enticing to fans?

Obviously, ESPN and FOX Sports aren’t going to put marquee matchups that have the potential to draw several million viewers behind a streaming paywall. But with ESPN’s expansion of SEC rights coinciding with the duration of the Big 12 deal, just how many games will end up on ESPN+? And if they are on ESPN+, will the schools or conference take back some of the control of deciding when games start? Realistically, if your game is going to be on a streaming platform, does adhering to the now-traditional 12:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 7:30/8:00 PM ET windows make sense?

How Does ESPN Prioritize The Big 12?

Speaking of games being on ESPN, how will the network prioritize the Big 12? Again, not to necessarily speak ill of the remaining members of the conference after Texas and Oklahoma leave, but can you envision more than one or two Big 12 games per season that you can envision bumping an SEC game from primetime on ABC or ESPN?

ESPN holds the “A” package for the Big 12, meaning the network will get six of the top eight picks in the broadcast draft (which should absolutely, 100%, no questions asked be a television special each July but, again, that’s another story for another day), eight of the top 12 selections, and 12 of the top 20. Without a doubt, ESPN is going to have the best Big 12 matchups every year. And yet, I wonder how many will find themselves in primetime.

How Many Games Will Big 12 Get On Big Noon Saturday?

FOX will broadcast 26 Big 12 games every season in the extension. I’m sure being on network television will continue to be a priority for the conference. But, I wonder how the conference feels, in general, about Big Noon Saturday. FOX Sports has shown no signs of slowing down its promotion of the Big Noon Saturday brand, and with good reason. The timeslot continues to produce ratings wins for the network. But, for every member other than West Virginia, Cincinnati, and UCF, Big Noon Saturday means beginning games at 11:00 AM local time, which isn’t exactly a popular time with fans.

Did the conference ask for more Big Noon Saturday games? Or perhaps did they limit the amount of times they could featured in that window? I get the impression that outside of Texas and Oklahoma — who have been spoiled by being premiere college football brands — the remaining conference members would welcome the opportunity to play in front of a national TV audience, even if it meant playing at 11:00 AM CT.

Butler University, CBS Sports 1430 Reach Extension

BSM Staff
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Butler University, CBS Sports 1430 Reach Extension

CBS Sports 1430 and Butler University have extended their partnership to air Bulldog men’s basketball games on the Cumulus Indianapolis station.

Mark Minner and Nick Gardner return to call the games and handle the pre and postgame duties.

“As the largest and most dynamic cluster of media brands in the state, Cumulus Media Indianapolis is honored to be a part of the Butler Bulldog team,” said Cumulus Indianapolis Director of Sales Eric Wunnenberg.

“The first-class broadcast team of Mark and Nick entertaining Bulldog fans with exciting basketball from iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse and Big East venues creates such a unique experience.”

Last year was the first year of the partnership. Butler games previously aired on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan.

Dave Portnoy Ending His Barstool Sports Podcast

BSM Staff
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Dave Portnoy has announced he has cancelled his own Barstool Sports podcast.

“I guess I should mention, I thought I was gonna do it, the Dave Portnoy show is in purgatory it is suspended indefinitely,” Portnoy said. “I stopped it last week because, to be honest, it was terrible,” Portnoy said of The Dave Portnoy Show featuring Eddie & Co. “Not necessarily Eddie’s fault or my fault. It’s just the subject’s stale. We did a show, it’s bad. I gotta change it up.”

Portnoy then said he was planning to chance the content of the show to do a show with celebrities but it was too similar to Barstool Rundown.

“It wasn’t going to work, so I cancelled it,” Portnoy said. “I have a pretty good idea when something’s good and bad. I knew it was bad when I was yawning halfway through.”

Portnoy launched the show in September of 2020, recording 101 episodes before the cancellation.

“I don’t know if it’s coming back or when it’s coming back, but I’m not going to do content that I know stinks,” he added.

Ian Eagle Got 600-700 Text Messages After Final Four Announcement

BSM Staff
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Earlier this week, Jim Nantz revealed he would step aside from his duties announcing the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the Final Four, giving the job to CBS Sports announcer Ian Eagle. His son, Noah, said it has been a whirlwind few days for the family.

“It’s been a tremendous couple of days in the bird’s nest, as we like to call it,” Eagle told T-Row in the Morning on The REF. “I think that the coolest part is the reaction and it’s been overwhelmingly positive, whether that be social media or the people we know and have been around over the course of the last however many decades for him. He told me he got around 600 to 700 texts just in a day, in a 24 hour span.

“That’s what I think is always the coolest,” Eagle continued. “People are excited. People are happy for him. I’m glad to hear it. He’s worked his tail off and it’s well deserved for the long, illustrious career he’s had. I don’t even think — I know — he’s gonna go and dominate the assignment like he always does and I’m gonna be excited to following along as the journey continues.”

Noah Eagle has created quite the place in the industry for himself, alongside his father. He announced his first NFL game for FOX Sports earlier this month. In addition to his work as the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers, Eagle also is working college football games for FOX Sports this fall.

Mike Stone Defends Reaction To Donovan Edwards’ Anti-Semitic Retweet

BSM Staff
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Michigan running back Donovan Edwards created a stir earlier this week after he retweeted a statement defending anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye West. 97.1 The Ticket morning show host Mike Stone, who is Jewish, said he has known Edwards since he was a freshman in high school, and believes he’s a good kid who made a mistake.

“What is really funny is how this has taken a Michigan/Michigan State game into something else,” Stone said. “Someone tweeted at Rich Eisen, Adam Schefter, Dana Jacobsen, every Jew who went to Michigan that’s in the media and asked ‘Why aren’t you tweeting about this?’. Dana Jacobsen was like ‘I didn’t even know about it’.”

“You text me yesterday, and I’m not Jewish, but I didn’t even know about it. You said ‘Can you believe this?’ and I’m like ‘What happened?’,” co-host Jon Jansen said.

“You have the Michigan State people saying the ‘blue wall’ is keeping it down,” Stone stated. “Really? I saw it on ESPN. Obviously, WWJ had it, our website had it. It was all over the local news. WWJ Radio.

“Then you have the other side telling me I’m an idiot for even saying that it was disgraceful and it was just a kid making a mistake, which it was,” Stone continued. “I wish I could find the one who said basically what do you expect from the failure 97.1 The Sparty. What? I said ‘Wait, a second. Let me get this right. The morning show had somebody that played at the University of Michigan and does their color and their podcasts, and the co-host — me — is a Michigan season ticket holder. The midday show has the play-by-play voice of Michigan football, and a Michigan State alum, and the afternoon show is Michigan State. It comes down to perfectly balanced.”

Edwards has apologized for the retweet, saying it was a mistake. A Michigan member of the Board of Regents has said he spoke to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart, and the pair have assured him Edwards will visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. after the season to understand where hate speech can lead.

The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz Floats Buying Naming Rights For Florida Panthers Arena

BSM Staff
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The Florida Panthers currently play their games at FLA Live Arena, which is a generic name due to the fact that the arena doesn’t currently have a naming rights sponsor. The Dan Le Batard Show considered changing that Friday, by putting their own name on the building.

“Is FLA Live at thing that I didn’t know about already?,” producer Billy Gil asked,

“No, I think they just made up a name because they don’t have a sponsor,” Chris Wittyngham said.

“Wait. Hold on a second. Why don’t we make it Meadowlark Arena? They don’t have a sponsor. Why don’t we sponsor an arena? Take Tyler Van Dyke’s money — that was a waste of money, no offense — and give that to them and see if for like $25,000 grand, we could just name an arena after ourselves until they get an actual sponsor,” Gil concluded.

“Landshark did that for a little bit, right? It was Landshark Stadium. I think it was even like half a season because they had some deal with Jimmy Buffet and Landshark Beer where he was part owner or whatever of the team. Can we sponsor an arena until they get a proper name?”

“Are there any sportsbooks that sponsor arenas that you can think of?,” Jessica Smetana asked. “Because I feel like that might be the one type of business that a sports team doesn’t want to associate with.”

After a discussion about whether teams and arenas wanted to be in business with sportsbooks, Gil reiterated his idea.

“I was thinking like Meadowlark Arena,” he said. Or if you guys don’t want in, we could make it like Stupodity Stadium or God Bless Football Arena.”

“What should we name it? Because right now, whatever we offer is going to be better than the $0 that they’re making,” asked Jeremy Tache.

“My presumption is — and David Samson has talked about this — they didn’t put a sponsor on Marlins Park for awhile ’cause they were holding out for an amount of money,” Gil added. So I don’t think they’ll want to devalue their naming rights too much to where they’re giving it away for like $25,000 a game. But we could make a call.”

“You’ll get a call if you leave a generic message. ‘Hey, I’m interested in naming rights’. Of course they’re gonna call you back! They don’t have naming rights!,” Stugotz exclaimed. “Once we get around to $25,000, they’re gonna hang up the phone on us.”

Smetana then said they could offer $30,000 per game, which the crew decided was too far out of their price range.

Michelle Beadle Ending Podcast With The Athletic

BSM Staff
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Michelle Beadle Ending Podcast With The Athletic

After just under a year with The Athletic, Michelle Beadle has announced her podcast What Did I Miss? will be leaving the online publication.

“We are taking a few breaks here on this podcast,” Beadle said. “It’s our last episode with The Athletic.”

In a video posted to Twitter, Beadle said the show completed 107 episode during its time with The Athletic, before using a popular TikTok trend to joke about the end of the podcast.

In the video, Beadle assured listeners the podcast will return with the current cast, but the partnership with The Athletic has ended.

The news comes two weeks after it was reported Beadle will join FanDuel TV to launch a show with Chandler Parsons and Shams Charania called Run It Back, which will air on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:00 AM ET.

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