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Jesse Watters: FBI Was Demanding Twitter Censor Jokes

BNM Staff
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The latest edition of the Twitter Files revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was directly colluding with Twitter to shut down free speech. 

Jesse Watters reacted to the news Friday. The “Primetime” host pointed out that Twitter’s top censorship chief had over 150 emails from the FBI. 

“That’s the kind of relationship we call friends with benefits,” said Watters. “Was the FBI working for Twitter or was Twitter working for the FBI?” 

This marks the sixth instalment of the Twitter Files. Journalist Matt Taibbi reiterated that the latest revelations reveal how the government collects and analyzes social media content.  

Twitter’s contact with the FBI was constant and pervasive, as if it were a subsidiary,” Taibbi stated. 

“The FBI was demanding that Twitter censor jokes,” Watters said. “Why does the Federal Bureau of Investigation care about jokes?”

Watters added that sex traffickers and terrorists are hatching plots and the FBI is focusing on social media for hate. 

“Even when Twitter scrambled for justification from some of these requests and Twitter couldn’t find anything they gave them a bunch of Homeland Security mumbo jumbo about Russian disinformation and domestic violent extremism and it worked like a charm,” Watters said. 

The FBI reportedly established a task force with a social media concentration, after the 2016 presidential election. 

“There were a few Russian bots in 2016 that Hillary said cost her the election, so the FBI cranked up a task force with 80 agents assigned to it,” Watters said. 

“All this was going on as FBI agents were working at Twitter and the former top lawyer at the FBI was Twitter’s top lawyer,” he added.

ESPN New York 98.7 Begins Building For 2023 With Lineup Changes, Renewed Focus

Derek Futterman
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ESPN New York 98.7 Begins Building For 2023 With Lineup Changes, Renewed Focus

Earlier this year in the first quarter, Good Karma Brands began operating 98.7 ESPN New York under a local marketing agreement as part of a larger transaction which resulted in the conglomerate acquiring ownership of ESPN New York 1050, ESPN LA 710 and ESPN 1000 in Chicago. As part of the agreement — which was made official in the first quarter of 2022 — all the newly owned stations continue to operate as ESPN affiliates and air network content, along with other local programming.

As it seeks to better appeal to New York sports fans, 98.7 ESPN New York recently announced a new lineup emphasizing local programming set to take effect on Jan. 3, 2023. On weekdays between 6 a.m. and midnight, the station will carry 16 hours of live and local programming – including the expansion of the DiPietro & Rothenberg morning show to four hours, the shift of Bart & Hahn to a local program, and ceasing airing ESPN Radio’s national morning show Keyshawn, JWill & Max featuring Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams, and Max Kellerman.

“We’re always looking for ways to better serve the sports fans and the listeners,” said Ryan Hurley, program director of 98.7 ESPN New York. “The media world is changing all the time. With the changes that we made… we’re committed to bringing significantly more local programming and content throughout the day in the lineup.”

Since the launch of 98.7 ESPN New York, the station has often lost in key sectors in ratings books compared to its direct competitor in the format, Audacy-owned and operated WFAN. Often heralded for its plethora of local programming, WFAN has been a staple of New York radio since its launch in 1987, featuring prominent hosts such as Mike Francesa, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, Don Imus and Boomer Esiason over the years. Its emphasis on local programming, along with its live game broadcasts of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New Jersey Devils and influx of original podcasts have rendered it a trusted, reliable source keeping the voice of the fan in mind.

Contrarily, 98.7 ESPN New York’s The Michael Kay Show gives listeners live and local coverage with broadcasters who are indelible figures in local New York sports. In fact, the show recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, continuing its run as the longest-lasting sports talk radio show in the market. Yet it has often fallen short to WFAN’s afternoon programming, most recently Carton and Roberts, in the ratings despite beating the station in last fall’s book – perhaps because of the lack of additional local programming surrounding it.

“It gives us a little bit more of a chance to show what we have and get into the nitty-gritty of New York sports a little more than we have been maybe,” Hurley said. “There have been some big national stories that deserve focus, but maybe not so much here in New York, that we focus on. Certain national stories that take precedence and are big [are] definitely worth covering – but I don’t know about how in-depth on a certain level depending on where you are.”

Live and local programming in the New York metropolitan area is essential to attracting sports fans amid a media landscape where there are profusely more options than solely radio to discover appealing content. As a result, radio seeks to utilize its nascent ability to connect with listeners to differentiate oneself from digital outlets, regional sports networks and other forms of information and entertainment.

“New York is certainly a different animal,” Hurley expressed. “The amount of different teams that are represented here in the tristate and how many teams there are. Sports fans are craving that New York flavor throughout the day. That’s exactly what we want to deliver to them and that’s exactly what prompted these changes.”

Vinny DiMarco is the New York market manager for Good Karma Brands, meaning he has oversight of both ESPN New York 1050 and 98.7 ESPN New York. He had previously been working at ESPN as the senior director of sales of its audio partnerships division and helped facilitate a digital sales agreement with Good Karma Brands in 2015. The agreement was also extended as part of the transaction reportedly worth $15 million, and the partnership remains stable and strong.

Many people who worked with 98.7 ESPN New York are now with Good Karma Brands, fostering a mutual familiarity and respect between parties. Aside from DiMarco, Hurley works with various other executives at Good Karma Brands, including Founder and Chief Executive Officer Craig Karmazin, President Steve Politziner, Vice President of Content Evan Cohen and Executive Vice President Debbie Brown.

“The synergy between the two entities has been something that’s been existing for a long time in this industry,” Hurley said. “So far with the change that was made, the partnership has been excellent, the input’s great [and] there’s been a lot of people on that side we already do work with and have worked with.”

Scott McCarthy serves as vice president of business operation and strategy for ESPN Audio and was an integral part of this change. His leadership and expertise in the audio space helped guide all of whom were involved in the decision-making process as the broadcast outlet seeks to position itself for years to come.

“He has really helped and championed a lot of this stuff for 98.7 and has overseen a lot between local and network,” Hurley said of McCarthy. “He has been a real driving force in helping get things moving and helping behind the scenes.”

Hurley has worked with ESPN New York for nearly two decades, and the broadcast outlet has always had active discussions pertaining to how to best improve its standing in the marketplace. At this current predicament, 98.7 ESPN New York believes it is the right moment to go all-in on its commitment to providing local coverage of New York sports.

“This isn’t about, necessarily, the talent [that] is still on our air at the moment,” Hurley explained. “These are all talents that are good and established… broadcasters as well – and professionals that have done great work in their careers. It’s more about being able to deliver that New York content on a more consistent basis. We have that opportunity so this was the time that it presented itself and this is the time we took. We’re excited about it and are thrilled at the opportunity that was given to us here.”

Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg will go head-to-head with WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti in the sports talk radio morning drive slot. The show has been broadcasting from 5 to 8 a.m. since its launch in January 2021, coinciding with WFAN’s The Warm Up Show featuring Al Dukes and Jerry Reco and two hours of Boomer & Gio. Now extended to four hours and in a new time slot, it seeks to pose stronger competition to Boomer & Gio, which was the number one morning show in all of New York City radio in the summer ratings book.

“What’s coming out of that room every morning has been entertaining [and] a lot of fun, and you’re getting incredible sports opinions and knowledge from two guys that have just worked so hard,” Hurley said. “….It’s just a great listen [and] a good way to start your morning off and we’re excited about it.”

Mike Greenberg’s nationally-syndicated show #Greeny will continue to broadcast in the 10 a.m. to noon slot, and it helps that he is from New York and an avid fan of the New York Jets. Yet over the summer months, Greenberg was rarely present to host his show, leading Pat McAfee to question his whereabouts in late August. Today, Greenberg is back to a regular hosting schedule and has recently had the shifts he missed covered by the national afternoon drive duo of Chris Canty and Chris Carlin.

Bart Scott and Alan Hahn continue to broadcast their show from noon to 3 p.m., but the duo will now be broadcast exclusively at the local level and thus more centered around New York sports storylines and topics. At the national level, ESPN Radio will pair Jason Fitz and Harry Douglas, both of whom have worked together on digital shows, to discuss the world of sports at large. In the ratings, Bart & Hahn has not fared well compared to WFAN’s Tiki and Tierney. However, both Scott and Hahn are beloved voices in the marketplace and also appear on television for SNY and MSG Networks, respectively, giving them a chance to effectively battle to gain larger shares of average quarter-hour persons.

“These are two guys that have been here at 98.7,” Hurley said. “….To be able to have their show and allow their show to fully focus on the New York market and our teams and our storylines [is] a big win for the fans.”

Remaining in the afternoon drive slot from 3 to 7 p.m. is The Michael Kay Show featuring Michael Kay, Don La Greca, and Peter Rosenberg. In the ratings, the show has been struggling to keep up with WFAN over the last year but still has a base of loyal and passionate fans, as evinced by the turnout at its 20th anniversary live broadcast.

As the play-by-play voice of New York Yankees baseball on YES Network and one-half of the KayRod Cast duo during select games on ESPN, Kay is renowned in the marketplace and is one of the original voices of 98.7 ESPN New York.

La Greca, whose voice was the first over the station, has been a mainstay on The Michael Kay Show since its launch in 2002 and continues to contribute to the station with his original hockey podcast Game Misconduct and play-by-play announcing and studio hosting within New York Rangers live game broadcasts.

Rounding out the trio is Rosenberg who brings his background as a music radio host and wrestling personality to the air; in fact, he is a co-host on HOT 97’s Ebro in the Morning on weekdays, pushing the envelope by actively broadcasting in two different radio formats.

“They are going to anchor that afternoon drive as they always have and it definitely helps having that credibility and the byplay between shows,” Hurley said. “The guys are all actually very tight and familiar with each other throughout the dayparts. It’s huge.”

Following the departure of Chris Carlin from the nighttime 7 to 10 p.m. slot to host afternoon drive with Chris Canty on ESPN Radio’s national network, 98.7 ESPN New York began an extensive search process to find its next host. While WFAN recently hired Keith McPherson — a podcast personality with no previous major market radio experience — to host from 7 p.m. to midnight, 98.7 ESPN New York opted for someone who had been within its walls for several years in promoting Dan Graca.

In 2003, Graca joined ESPN New York as an intern and was hired as a part-time employee just one year later, initially screening calls for The Michael Kay Show. For the last 12 years, Graca has worked with SiriusXM on Mad Dog Sports Radio, but came back to the station in 2018 on weekends to host New York Jets pregame and postgame shows.

Throughout his career in sports media, Graca has also worked in news at both WBBR Bloomberg 1130 and 1010 WINS in New York along with contributing and hosting on SNY. He returned to 98.7 ESPN New York in August to take over hosting duties on the station’s nighttime show.

“It was a tough search because there were a lot of great candidates that we spoke with,” Hurley said. “….We spoke to a lot of people but Dan has been a voice and has a tie to 98.7 and 1050 obviously for years. When it came down to it, it was a great choice that we made and he’s been doing great work for us.”

Larry Hardesty and Gordon Damer will continue on Hardesty & Damer from 10 p.m. to midnight, concluding the day of local programming. Yet there are times when these nighttime shows are preempted so the station can honor its media rights agreements and carry live game broadcasts. As the flagship home of live game broadcasts for New York Knicks basketball, New York Rangers hockey and New York Jets football and an affiliate of New York Islanders hockey, ESPN New York provides extensive coverage of these teams within and surrounding the live game broadcasts for fans to consume.

“It’s a conduit for us directly to the listeners with their favorite teams and obviously it’s providing entertainment content,” Hurley said. “[It is] not only just the actual games themselves, but the ancillary programming that comes with that and the relationships that are built with these teams is very important.”

While radio pundits and industry insiders will surely look at the Nielsen ratings to determine the success of this new, largely hyperlocal lineup, Hurley will deduce its effectiveness in other ways both quantitatively and qualitatively. In this method, he aims to divulge a more complete view of how the station is performing compared to its competitors in all sectors of media.

“Seeing the reaction from fans and listeners is what’s most important and just the feeling inside the building and studios as well,” he said. “It’s about the content – always – and you know when that’s off. You just know; you know when that’s off and it’s not working. We don’t feel that at all. We feel we have some excellent, excellent shows on our air and listeners and fans let us know that every day in how they consume and the feedback that we get.”

Keeping listeners captivated and absorbed in the programming is effectuated through the means in which content is delivered. The dynamic nature of production and distribution requires media outlets like 98.7 ESPN New York to actively evaluate its own practices and adapt to changes in the marketplace. At the same time, Hurley, as a program director, is responsible for recruiting and evaluating talent and his thoughts on the progeny of today’s generation of sports radio relates to more than just knowing a surfeit of facts or communicating a deluge of opinions about sports.

“Obviously sports knowledge is important here but it’s about entertaining here as well,” Hurley said. “The main focus of what you want to do is you want to make people feel like they’re missing out on being with people they want to be with. Every day, you want to become part of their routine and it’s important the talent can be entertaining and have that hook.”

Once the Times Square New Year’s Ball drops and signals the playing of the iconic “Auld Lang Syne,” 98.7 ESPN New York will nearly be set to unveil its new local lineup. Perhaps you could call it the station’s “New Year’s Resolution” to better serve its listeners as it affirms a commitment to live and local content. Nevertheless, the station will usher in the New Year looking to grow its audience and subsequently improve its standing in the marketplace.

“We’re here for the fan and the listeners and the New York sports hardcore consumer,” Hurley siad. “….We’re going to give it all we have – 100% like we always do – but this is a great opportunity for us as a station and [for] these shows.”

Did Apple Overestimate Its Value To The NFL?

Demetri Ravanos
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Did Apple Overestimate Its Value To The NFL?

We have a bad habit in this country. We equate financial success with intelligence. We do it with people and with companies. Elon Musk is a billionaire! Apple is the most valuable company in the world! Surely each one got there through their cunning and know-how.

For the better part of the last three months, we have watched as it has become more and more obvious that Elon Musk has no real business plan for Twitter. That’s the easy example. People are talking about it outside of media circles.

Apple is the one that hits closer to home in our business. It is clear that in the push to make Apple TV+ essential for sports fans, the company has gotten out over its skis. A limited package of Major League Baseball games is manageable. The entire slate of games for the MLS, a league with niche appeal? Totally in the company’s wheelhouse.

Putting together a deal for NFL Sunday Ticket proved much harder though. Apple went chasing waterfalls when it should have stuck to the rivers and the lakes that it’s used to.

Roger Goodell did his best to control the narrative last week. The NFL Commissioner wants the story to be that Sunday Ticket is so valuable that the league would rather wait and get the right deal done than jump into bed with the company that produced the largest check the fastest.

The value of the league’s out-of-market TV package cannot be disputed. But there has been plenty of reporting on the fact that not only was Apple the frontrunner in the bidding process but that the NFL really wanted to partner with the tech giant.

What has become clear in recent months, at least to me, is that there may be a lot that Apple does well, but when it comes to sports, it doesn’t do anything well enough to make the NFL believe it is worth sacrificing the quality of what is one of its signature media products.

David Kaplan of The Athletic did an excellent job of documenting the complete lack of knowledge that Apple brought to these negotiations. The MLS and MLB need Apple. Those leagues did not have a centerpiece in their respective streaming strategies before doing a deal with Apple TV+.

The NFL isn’t in that boat and doesn’t have to play ball. The people representing Apple in these negotiations aren’t used to having terms dictated to them. Is that the reason the company has reportedly backed out of negotiations for Sunday Ticket?

According to Kaplan’s sources, Apple assumed a lot going into negotiations. It assumed the NFL would placate their demands. It assumed the NFL was comfortable with some unspoken agreements to go along with written contracts. In short, Apple had never done business with the most valuable entity in American television before and didn’t realize what its starting point was.

Don’t mistake the news that negotiations are over for now for them being completely dead in the water. A deal could very much still get done. If and when it does, both sides can spin this any way they want and deny that they were ever at an impasse.

Not many companies would have had Apple’s problem because not many companies have the luxury of being in the position Apple is used to. It has been decades since the company has ever come into a negotiation not holding all of the cards.

The NFL has established value. It is used to success in media negotiations.

Actually, it may not be because the NFL may not be used to having to negotiate. When your product is routinely responsible for 75% of the biggest television audiences each year, you tend to be able to dictate terms to the people that want to do business with you.

Sunday Ticket’s value is understood in the industry. The NFL already has streaming partners. Alternatives were lined up ready to pounce if and when things fell apart with Tim Cook and company. The NFL may have wanted Apple, but it never needed Apple.

Wealth skews reality, whether that means we can be fooled into thinking wealthy people and companies are more intelligent than they really are or the wealthy themselves can overestimate their own importance. It seems like that is what has happened here. There is just no other believable reason that Apple would not have sealed the deal for Sunday Ticket when it is what the league wanted from the jump.

Ross Tucker Might Be The Busiest Man In Sports Media

Peter Schwartz
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Ross Tucker Might Be The Busiest Man In Sports Media

If there’s one thing that you can say about Ross Tucker, it’s that he certainly doesn’t lack in the work ethic department. He’s as busy as anyone in sports media and this past week along with this coming week would be perfect examples.

This past Saturday, he called the Colts/Vikings game for Westwood One before hopping on a flight to Green Bay. From his hotel room, Tucker worked the Eagles pre-game show on WIP Radio Sunday morning and then on Monday night he’ll call the Rams/Packers game with Kevin Harlan on Westwood One.

And what about this coming week?

“I’ll drive on Christmas Eve morning from where I live in Central Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh so I can do the Eagles pre-game show for WIP Radio from a Pittsburgh hotel room,” said Tucker. “That night I’m doing the Raiders/Steelers game for Westwood One and then I’ll drive home and hopefully get home before 4am and maybe get two hours of sleep in before my daughters jump in bed and they want to see if Santa came.”

If you’re tired just reading this, think about how Tucker is going to feel on Christmas Day.

“Needless to say, I’ll probably be taking a nap on my in-laws couch Christmas afternoon,” said Tucker. 

For the former Princeton and NFL offensive lineman, life is really good and busy as Tucker handles a plethora of responsibilities during the football season. Whether it’s doing analysis for college and NFL games or his podcasts, Tucker has built up quite a resume for himself.

There’s something to be said for having a full-time job, but there’s also something special after having a number of different jobs within the business.

“I’ve seen other people that might be full-time at NFL Network or ESPN and then they don’t have those jobs anymore, a lot of times they’re in a bad place,” said Tucker. “I joke that I have a diversified portfolio which I enjoy and I enjoy it not necessarily because of the income but I like the different things I do.” 

That list of gigs includes doing college games for CBS Sports, NFL games on radio for Westwood One, the assortment of shows on his podcast network, and the radio hits that he does all over the country for Audacy. 

From my own experience, having multiple jobs can be exhilarating but you also have to be organized. I like to joke with people that I have to check the calendar on the wall of my home office. Tucker prefers to use technology to keep his life in order.

“I don’t know how I would do it if we didn’t have a calendar on your cell phone,” said Tucker.  “I don’t know how I would have done it before that.”

Being in the sports media is something that was on Tucker’s mind at a young age. There was the dream of becoming a professional football player, but reality hit him momentarily when he was in 7th grade. His father is 5’9 and 170 pounds and that was, for the moment, passed down to Tucker who really thought his life was going to go in a different direction.

“I kind of gave up on that dream of being a pro football player and I wanted to be a broadcaster,” said Tucker. “I used to read very Sports Illustrated cover to cover. The school library would get rid of their archived Sports Illustrated’s after ten years and they would give them to me.”

But then something happened…Tucker would find himself in a growth spurt.

In 9th grade, he was 5’9 and then grew to six feet in 10th grade, 6’3 in 11th grade and 6’5 and almost 250 pounds as a high school senior. That led to opportunities for him to play football in college and he chose to go to Princeton University. 

There was a method to Tucker’s madness.

He loved the work of legendary sports writer and broadcaster Frank Deford who went to Princeton. Tucker knew he was going to get a great education and he was going to play college football. But, in the back of his mind, there was that other goal that he was looking to achieve.

“In my head I still thought of the idea of writing for Sports Illustrated or working for ESPN was exciting,” said Tucker.

Tucker continued to grow physically and he would be contacted by agent Joe Linta. The original dream of becoming a professional football player came to fruition when Tucker signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) in 2001. He had already accepted a job on Wall Street with Lehman Brothers during his senior year of college, but he would begin a seven-year career in the NFL.

While he was living out one dream, Tucker was also making plans for life after football.

“I always knew that football was a temp job and I took every year one at a time,” said Tucker.  “I always did an internship in the off-season. With the Cowboys, I worked for Roger Staubach’s commercial real estate company. In Buffalo, I was working Kurt Schultz, the former NFL safety at Merrill Lynch.”

Then came an event that would really shape Tucker’s future and that’s when the NFL conducted their first over “Broadcast Boot Camp” for players who aspired to get into broadcasting. Tucker met broadcast executives like Steve Cohen from Sirius XM and Howard Deneroff from Westwood One.

Tucker would suffer a neck injury that would force him to retire from football and he would write about it for Peter King in Sports Illustrated. That, coupled with the media rolodex that he had been building up, led to a number of job offers, include one from his alma mater.

“Princeton had held the color analyst position on the radio in case I got cut so I got hurt and I was able to do that,” said Tucker. “Comcast in Philadelphia and DC reached out to me. I got offered like four jobs within the next week or two. Things started to go well. One job leads to another job. Next thing you know, I have a pretty good media career.”

That would be an understatement.

Tucker has been extremely successful in the sports media and he’s developed a very strong following. It’s easy to like him because he brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and enthusiasm to every single job that he has. If he takes on a gig, he’s going to give everything he has towards it and it shows when he’s on the air.

Tucker had two goals growing up…to play football and then to talk and write about it. His two worlds have come together to create a very successful career.

“A lot of feedback I get is people really enjoy my energy and they really enjoy my passion,” said Tucker. “That’s just me, man. I don’t know anybody that loves football more than I do and this is just how I’ve always been. I love football and I like talking. It’s perfect.” 

Part of that “perfect” career is the Ross Tucker Podcast Network, a collection of podcasts that he hosts on a daily basis. His first experience with podcasts came right after ESPN hired him away from Sports Illustrated to write for the “worldwide leader”. ESPN asked him if he would also be interested in hosting their NFL podcast.

“I said sure I would love to but I literally didn’t know what a podcast was,” admitted Tucker. “I just knew they were going to pay me money to talk about football.” 

Tucker built up a strong following and he took that audience with him when he decided to do the podcast on his own. That’s when the Ross Tucker Football Podcast was born and now his podcast empire also includes the Fantasy Feast Podcast and the Even Money Betting Podcast.

For Tucker, the podcasts represent a very important part of his portfolio.

“The podcast network has probably been the biggest blessing or good fortune for my media career,” said Tucker. “It’s like the only thing in media where you don’t really have a boss. I can record the podcasts when I want to. I can say what I want to. I can have the guests that I want to. I’ve built up a really nice community of people and that’s something I’m really proud of.” 

Tucker brings the fire and determination that he had when he played football to his broadcasting career. Sometimes it can be hard for an athlete to deal with life after playing, but Tucker has found a way to stay involved in the game that he loves. It’s impossible to match the same emotions that he had as a player, but broadcasting does give him a taste of what it was like when he was on the field.

“It’s the closest I can get,” said Tucker. “It’s not the same. It will never be the same. I miss it every day. It’s hard to explain to people unless you’ve actually done it but whether you win or lose, you’ll never feel more alive in your whole life then when you’re out there in front of all those people competing. I’ve heard coaching is close, but still not the same.”

Still, Tucker has a pre-game ritual to get him ready for the broadcast to try and replicate the emotions he had as a player. Anyone who works with him at CBS Sports or Westwood One would attest to the fact that Tucker gets into a zone about a minute before he goes on the air.

“I just get this look on my face and I pound my fist into my hand like I’m ready to go like I’m ready to go out there and hit somebody,” said Tucker. “That rush and that excitement…you can’t replicate that anywhere else in life. It’s not the same as playing but it’s still better than anything else I can come up with.”

Tucker estimates that he’s broadcast at least 25 college and pro football games each season for at least 12 years in a row. He gets to rest a bit in the off-season, but once gets going to Eagles pre-season telecasts in August, he really doesn’t get a day off throughout the season. Between the games and the podcasts, Tucker doesn’t have much time to relax during the season, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

After all, he’s talking about football.

“I like the high volume because I love what I do,” said Tucker. “It’s a football life man. I’m 43 years old and I’ve never had to get a real job and I’ve loved every second of it.” 

Life is good for Ross Tucker. He has built up a strong career in the sports media with a variety of jobs that allows him to take part in different aspects of the business. He’s a likeable personality and his passion comes through with everything that he’s doing. Now if he can just get a few minutes for a nap.

Could Richard Sherman Be the Charles Barkley of the NFL?

Garrett Searight
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Amazon Prime Video’s studio coverage is already the best in the NFL. It isn’t close. The work of Charissa Thompson coupled with a crop of freshly retired players — sans Tony Gonzalez — brings a fresh perspective unseen on the other networks. Richard Sherman, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Andrew Whitworth have become stars, and rightfully so.

There’s a refreshing honesty about the way the speak. The group is unafraid of stepping on toes and equally unafraid of the pushback that comes with the unlimited candor they present their opinions.

And that’s the good, and the bad, of Richard Sherman. Last week, Sherman made headlines during a contentious interview with Mike Salk of Seattle Sports 710. For brevity’s sake, Sherman’s issue with Salk boiled down to “I didn’t like the way you spoke about me. I played the game, you didn’t, so I can criticize NFL players, and you can’t.”

It’s not the first time Sherman has taken that stance. In an uncomfortable appearance on First Take in 2013, Sherman told Bayless he was “better at life” than the controversial provocateur. Believe me, I don’t want to ever be in the business of defending Skip Bayless, but it was an unfair and unnecessary shot.

He continued that defense mechanism during a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, where he said media members don’t ever get to know the NFL players they’re commenting on.

I understand Sherman’s thought process on the surface, but at the end of the day it really is a defense mechanism. Gatekeeping, demeaning, condescending, whatever you want to call it, it’s a way for Sherman to talk down to people. “I did this, you didn’t, therefore I’m right and you’re wrong,” is a hell of a thought process. It ignores any potential truthful criticism and it’s somewhat unfair.

I’ve never worked in a restaurant kitchen, never taken a cooking class, and I didn’t go to culinary school. But guess what? I know when food sucks. The idea that because I didn’t play professional football a radio host can’t believe that Josh McDaniels isn’t a very good coach, or whatever opinion someone holds, is poppycock.

I genuinely believe that the analysis provided by Sherman is top-notch. He has a good understanding and feel for broadcasting, and his comprehension of what he sees on the field is unrivaled.

An NFL analyst like Sherman is desperately needed. Truthfully, an NFL analyst in a similar vein to Inside The NBA’s Charles Barkley is desperately needed. Barkley mixes humor and critical analysis with the best of them. He is unafraid to say what’s on his mind, and it’s a breath of fresh air in a broadcasting world consumed by not angering league and corporate partners. And TNT gives Barkley the support to feel like he has the ability to tell the truth.

If Amazon gives Sherman the support that Barkley gets, I have no doubt Sherman can be regarded the way Barkley is. However, there is one thing Sherman has to do get onto Barkley’s level.

Charles Barkley doesn’t give a shit what you think about him. And it’s very clear Richard Sherman does care. You see Barkley share his opinion, and if someone disagrees with him, at most he’ll call them fat, ugly, or some other sophomoric insult, and that’s the end of it. As far as I can tell, I don’t know that he harbors decade-long grudges against people he publicly views as beneath him. He has issues with former teammates or competitors, but he doesn’t go on radio shows and demeans the hosts for their past comments.

Sherman, like Barkley, was a polarizing figure as a player and has many of the same qualities Barkley possesses, but the advice Boomer Esiason gave Sherman this week — no matter how public or unsolicited it might have been — is true. Sherman has to learn to laugh off some of the things people said about him in the past to advance his broadcasting stature.

An analyst in the Barkley archetype would be welcomed by NFL fans. Increasingly, fans want to be told the truth, or what they view as the truth. They want to be told something without it being softened or sugarcoated. Opinions don’t need to be palatable, they need to be truthful, and Sherman often tells the truth. The problem is you become unpalatable if you’re unpopular. I don’t think Sherman is unpopular by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, I think it’s on the contrary. I think he is insanely likeable about 85% of the time. However, it’s easy to think someone is unlikeable when you treat people like they’re beneath you.

Bill Roth: ‘Radio Call Of Bowl Game Will Be Tribute To Mike Leach’

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The Mississippi State Bulldogs have decided they will play in the Reliaquest Bowl on January 2 following the sudden death of head coach Mike Leach. The Bulldogs and new coach Zach Arnett will take on Illinois. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play for the national broadcast on Bowl Season Radio.

“We’ve actually discussed it as the crew that’s doing the game, about the sensitivity that we need to show for this one and how in a way it’s a tribute to Coach Leach,” Roth told Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times. “It’s such a loss for the sport, but it’ll be an honor to call that game.

Leach has been celebrated not only as an offensive innovator but as a gregarious media presence in the wake of his death. One of the most memorable parts of the coach’s personality was his fascination with pirates. Roth noted that it was appropriate that the Bulldogs are playing a game to honor their coach at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“It’s somewhat ironic that it’s going to be at a stadium where there’s a pirate ship in the end zone and … pirate logos all over.”

For Mississippi State fans, they couldn’t ask for a better person on the national call than Bill Roth. He served as the voice of the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2007 season. Before that season opened, a mass shooting occurred on the school’s campus in Blacksburg. The first home game was a cathartic moment for students and fans as it was the first time since the incident that the entire university community had come together.

Roth says he is going to draw on that experience to do justice to Leach and to fans of Mississippi State on January 2.

“We’re going to spend a lot of time making sure we’re sensitive and present it the right way.”

Bill Roth and the Reliaquest Bowl will be heard nationall on SiriusXM.

Rich Eisen Explains NFL Network’s Relationship With Sports Betting

BSM Staff
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Totals and point spreads are a common part of the conversation around football on most networks. That isn’t the case on NFL Network, but Rich Eisen told Dan Patrick that the network is at least acknowledging that it is information viewers are interested in.

Dan Patrick pointed out on his FOX Sports Radio show on Friday that the game between the Browns and Ravens that Eisen will call on Saturday had an over/under of 38. That is when the NFL Network star admitted that was not information he needed to have. The network has softened its position on acknowledging gamblers, but it still isn’t something that any hosts or analysts will be talking about.

“We’re getting close,” he said. “It’s on the bottom line. That information is now only on the graphics.”

In explaining the practice to Patrick, Rich Eisen referenced another former ESPN co-worker. He said that the NFL Network treats gambling info the way Chris Berman did in his old Swami segments.

“There would always be that arrow, that carrot that was next to a team on the screen, even if that wasn’t the team Chris was predicting to win.”

The most Eisen would comment on the total was that with Lamar Jackson not playing for the Ravens and the ineffectiveness of Deshaun Watson to be a difference maker in his two games with the Browns, points would be at a premium.

He didn’t dismiss the idea that the network’s stance may change someday. After all, NFL Network is a league-owned entity and the league itself has official gambling partners.

For now though, Rich Eisen says, “we’re working our way up from that scroll.”

Dan Patrick: Interview Subjects Want to Be Challenged

BSM Staff
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Dan Patrick is widely regarded as one of the best — if not thee best — interviewer in sports media, and he gave a tidbit to a caller on Friday’s edition of The Dan Patrick Show.

A caller said he used to think “W.W.D.D” for “What Would Dan Do” before he interviewed guests, which led to a great interview with former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer. Patrick then revealed what his strategy was when it comes to interviewing.

“I find that a lot of these athletes — or former athletes — like to be challenged. They’re competitors and you’re trying to get them interested in something. That’s the goal. That’s the challenge,” Patrick said. “When Nick Saban comes on, (I think) ‘How do I approach this so it’s not like an SEC press conference?’

“If you’re talking to someone who’s retired, you still wanna get that competition going in them. Going at them, trying to get those answers. They wanna be engaged as well. They do interviews all the time. What makes you different?”

Patrick has seen several interviews go viral over his illustrious career, with his insightful and simple questions being regarded as the key to receiving great answers.

NBC News Removes Ben Collins From Twitter Coverage

BNM Staff
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NBC News Removes Ben Collins From Twitter Coverage

NBC News has temporarily removed tech reporter Ben Collins from coverage of Twitter after his coverage didn’t meet the network’s “editorial standards”.

According to a report from Semafor’s Max Tani, the network quietly removed Collins from coverage of Twitter and its purchase from Elon Musk after tweets Collins sent were hyper critical of the billionaire.

Collins mocked Musk’s ignorance on who the company’s general counsel was. The network reportedly took issue with the early December tweet, saying it was not editorially appropriate”.

In response, NBC News and MSNBC blacklisted Collins from appearing in on-screen discussions or reporting on the matter. However, on social media, Collins has continued to be critical of Musk.

Several news organizations are struggling with how to properly utilize Twitter during it’s current volatility. CNN has announced it will “reevaluate” its stance on the platform after several prominent journalists saw their accounts suspended Thursday.

ESPN Reveals Megacast Plans For College Football Playoffs

BSM Staff
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ESPN Reveals Megacast Plans For College Football Playoffs

Fans will have nine different choices when it comes to the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. ESPN is once again giving college football’s biggest postseason games the mega cast treatment. On Friday, the network laid out the details.

The traditional telecast of each College Football Playoff semifinal game will air on ESPN. Pat McAfee will anchor Field Pass on ESPN2. That broadcast will originate from Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta and feature a rotation of panelists that includes Robert Griffin III, Taylor Lewan, AQ Shipley, AJ Hawk and Darius Butler.

ESPNU will carry the Command Center broadcast. It will allow viewers to see every camera that the network has access to. ESPNEWS will focus on just one camera. Their coverage will come exclusively from the AT&T 5G Skycam.

Both games will see their traditional broadcasts air with the Spanish call on ESPNDeportes. The Peach Bowl will feature Georgia’s radio call on the SEC Network. The Ohio State radio call of the game will be available on ESPN+ as will the calls of the Fiesta Bowl from both the TCU and Michigan radio crews.

The Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl are set for New Year’s Eve. The same MegaCast options will be available for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 9.

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