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Vanessa Richardson Named Houston Rockets Sideline Reporter, Paul Gallant to Host Solo on ESPN 97.5

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Changes are taking place in Houston sports media. First, the Houston Rockets will have a new television sideline reporter this season, and she’s a familiar name to Houston sports fans.

Vanessa Richardson, the now former co-host of ESPN 97.5’s Vanessa and Gallant, revealed that she will be on the sidelines for the NBA franchise covering the team for AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

She tweeted the news saying, “Elated to be the new Houston Rockets sideline reporter! I can’t wait to travel the country & share the stories of this dynamic team during 80+ games on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. I’ll continue to fill-in as a host/reporter for Astros broadcasts as well.”

Richardson’s co-host, Paul Gallant, tweeted that with Richardson leaving the show for the Rockets sideline gig, Vanessa and Gallant will become the Paul Gallant Show. The solo show led by Gallant begins Monday September 26th.

“We’re excited to have Paul host his own show”, said Todd Farquharson, General Manager of ESPN 97.5 & 92.5.  “He’s super creative, energetic, and likeable.  He’ll get the audience involved and have fun.”

Paul commented, “You know what I’ve always loved about sports talk radio?  That it’s interactive.  Whether through a phone call, text message, tweet or on Twitch, it’s the best place for sports fans to come together and celebrate…or vent.  And that’s what The Paul Gallant Show is going to be…Houston’s platform to talk about its teams. THE most interactive sports talk show in Houston.”

Pedro Martinez: ‘Never Imagined’ TV Career

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As the Major League Baseball season comes to a close and preparations for the playoffs begin, MLB Network and TNT analyst Pedro Martinez joined The Press Box podcast to discuss his time as a television analyst.

When asked what he liked about working in television, Martinez didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“I think it’s a platform and the opportunity I have to bring to the audience what I know, what I think, what I understand and broadcasting gives me the opportunity to continue to have that communication with the people, the young athletes and fans. At the same time, I’m able to continue to learn and transmit some of the things that I would love to show everybody by playing but my body doesn’t allow me, but my mind does.

“This is a great way to bring the right information to the people, but I take advantage of the platform to communicate with my fanbase, the player’s fanbase, and the voice behind the players and the situations that come up, I can actually teach the audience some of the things that I understand from my point of view.”

A media career was never in the cards for Martinez. At least that’s what he thought during his playing career.

“I swear to god, it’s the only thing I never imagined. I never thought I would like being in front of a camera,” Martinez said. “And the reason I’m here, it’s not because of the camera, it’s actually because it gives me an opportunity to remain linked to the game, remain linked to what’s going on, the different changes the game is offering right now, adjusting to different things.

“You learn so much just by having access to information, having access to so many other different things. A lot of people would be surprised how much you can dig into and I think for everybody else, if they knew the kind of information we have access to, they’d be intrigued to come do what we do.”

He then said one of the things he would have never picked up on was how many pitchers tip their pitches, but due to all of the information, video, and relationships broadcasters have make that information readily available. He added his work in television has enabled more relationships with baseball players from his home country, the Dominican Republic.

Stephen A. Smith and Malika Andrews Get Heated Over Ime Udoka Coverage

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On Friday’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith continued his stance regarding the public leaking of information surrounding Celtics’ Head Coach Ime Udoka relationship with a team staffer. He also went further by sharing his dismay that Udoka was seemingly the only person punished for the violation of company policy.

“Only he is in violation of the company policy?” Smith asked. “The woman who elected to have a consensual relationship with him is not in violation?” 

Before the end of the show, ESPN NBA Today host Malika Andrews called in the program and wanted to address Smith’s comments.

“Stephen A., with all do respect, this is not about pointing the finger. Stop,” Andrews said. “The fact that we are sitting here debating whether somebody else should have been suspended or not, we are not here, Stephen A., to further blame women.”

Smith would replay saying that his intention was not blame anyone outside of the Celtics coach.

“First of all, let me be very clear, I don’t appreciate where you’re going with that, I’m not blaming anybody but Ime Udoka,” Smith stated. “The fact of the matter is, he deserves to be fired if they were going to fire him. If you’re not going to fire him, then don’t fire him. My issue is all of this being publicized.”

Andrews tried to jump back in for further commentary but Smith stopped that and noted he didn’t appreciate being interrupted on “my show”.

“Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, I listened to you,” Smith interjected, “you’re the one telling me to stop on my show. It ain’t happening.”

Andrews did thank Smith for clarifying his stance at the end of the segment. ESPN has removed access to the video from its YouTube channel by making it private.

Rich Eisen on Tom Brady Joining FOX: ‘I Gotta See It to Believe It’

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Is 2023 the year we see Tom Brady in the broadcast booth for FOX? Rich Eisen isn’t so sure.

“I still gotta see it to believe it, I’ll be honest with you, man. I know it’s a great chunk of change and it’s a lot of money. I don’t know,” the NFL Network icon said on the most recent edition of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast.

Tom Brady has taken his foot off the gas in 2022 in a more public way than fans are used to. He voluntarily missed eleven days of training camp and has announced that he will not be available to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesdays during the season.

Eisen says if Brady is looking for a less demanding career, broadcasting isn’t the best option.

“It is a lot of work. And I’m not saying Brady’s not up for it, but if he’s been grinding for 23, 24 years, it’s still a grind in its own way.”

FOX signed Brady to a ten-year deal reportedly worth $375 million to start after he retires. He will be in the network’s top broadcast booth and also serve as an ambassador for the network’s coverage of the NFL.

Eisen says there is a much better model for Brady’s media career in his old rival Peyton Manning.

“I think what Peyton Manning has done with his post-playing career is more of a blueprint that I would think Brady would follow,” Eisen said. “Peyton Manning could be making that much money in the booth himself, right? Instead, he’s got his own production company and he’s doing the games, but not all of them, only 10 of them. And he’s doing them from his basement and he’s got the rights to the games!”

He added that Tom Brady “write his own ticket like that” if he chose to do something similar to what Manning has done with Omaha Productions.

Brady has not had much to say about his deal with FOX since the news became public. In June, he told Dan Patrick that he knows his first season in the booth will come with a lot of growing pains.

Jay Weber: Media ‘Covering’ For Biden, Democrats On Border Crisis

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Jay Weber: Media ‘Covering’ For Biden, Democrats On Border Crisis

Many conservative commentators have maligned the interview President Joe Biden conducted with Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes last Sunday, and have claimed he got a “pass” on the nation’s southern border. 1130 WISN host Jay Weber can be added to that list.

“Trust me, if a Republican was president, dozens of terrorists roaming America because of the president — intentionally — reopened the borders, it would be a huge deal and a relentless obsession by the news media,” Weber said. “Biden and the Democrats are allowing it to happen. Allowing it! And the news media covers for them.”

Weber pointed out a perceived hypocrisy in liberal circles, as many have claimed Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is guilty of kidnapping after sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, MA, but are ok allowing the southern border to remain open.

He continued by pointing out the southern border’s role in national security, saying it took only 13 people to attack America on 9/11.

Dan Mandis: There’s A Reason Greg Gutfeld Is Winning Late-Night Competition

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Dan Mandis: There’s A Reason Greg Gutfeld Is Winning Late-Night Competition

In August, Greg Gutfeld of Fox News overtook other late-night television hosts in the ratings. Friday, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN morning host Dan Mandis said there’s a reason for that.

After playing a recent clip from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Mandis said it was the chief reason why network shows are losing to Gutfeld. In the clip, Colbert’s audience cheers when the host brings up a Texas sheriff opening an investigation into the actions of Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for shipping illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Colbert called DeSantis “a body builder who skips head day” in his monologue, and Mandis found the comments offensive. He claimed shows on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX should be a place for all viewers, not just members of the “progressive left”.

“To me, Colbert’s show should be on CNN or MSNBC to cater to the left,” Mandis said. “But again, he’s on the network where he should be welcoming for all. There are consequences for doing that. It is now well known that Greg Gutfeld, over there on Fox News, is beating the snot out of Stephen Colbert. I know what you’re thinking. ‘Isn’t Gutfeld blowing off half of America?’ Perhaps, but he’s on Fox News, where people know what they’re going to get.”

Mandis then pointed out the difference in Gutfeld’s approach compared to Colbert’s, saying Gutfeld’s panel approach is easier to digest than Colbert’s solo monologue followed by celebrity interviews.

Will Dahlberg New GM For WBHM

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Will Dahlberg New GM For WBHM

WBHM, the news/talk station owned by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has named Will Dahlberg as its new Executive Director and General Manager.

“Working at WBHM for the past decade has been the highlight of my professional career, and I am honored to serve as executive director,” Dahlberg said. “I appreciate the search committee’s confidence in my abilities to lead this amazing station and the talented and diverse team that works hard to serve our community. I am so grateful to the amazing WBHM team for their time, support and patience during my time as interim and throughout this search. I am also grateful to the many people at UAB who continue to support WBHM’s important mission.”

He also added how important WBHM has been, and will continue to be to the greater Birmingham communitiy.

“WBHM has done an excellent job as a public radio station since 1976, but it is important that we continue to strive to do more,” Dahlberg continued. “I look forward to working with our team, our listeners and our supporters in the weeks and years ahead to put more ‘public’ in public media by better serving all our communities. As Birmingham evolves, so should its public radio station, and I can’t wait for us to do that together.”

Dahlberg has previously worked as the Deputy Director and Membership Manager for the station. He has been the interim executive director since mid-2021.

“Will has more than a decade of experience at WBHM in a range of roles, including 15 months as interim executive director, and his passion for public radio and the people it serves is evident in everything he does,” said UAB Chief Communications Officer Jim Bakken. “WBHM provides an invaluable service to the Birmingham community and beyond, and Will’s commitment and vision will lead the station in delivering on its mission.”

Heidi Watney Understands AppleTV+ Criticism

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As AppleTV+ begins preparation for their broadcast of Yankees and Red Sox Friday, Heidi Watney is understand of some critiques of the streaming platform during a momentous occasion.

Watney along with Stephen Nelson, Hunter Pence, and Katie Nolan, will broadcast the game for AppleTV+ as Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge chases the franchise and American League home run record. Watney was a guest on The Dan Graca Show on ESPN New York Thursday night and she said she will be reporting on the early portion of the game from a unique spot in Yankee Stadium.

“We are going to be out there for the start of the game. The plan is for me to be out there with the Bleacher Creatures and do roll call, which was in the plans already before even this was going to happen,” said Watney.

As Watney said, this plan was already put in place before Judge had a chance on the record. However, she says the goal of these Apple TV+ broadcasts is to bring fans inside the ballpark, which could be special depending on whether or not a home run is hit on Friday.

“That’s the great part about these Apple broadcasts. They are young, fresh, hip, and we want to bring old fans and new fans into the stands, show them the experience of being at the ballpark and that’s a big part of my role. If Aaron wants to hit one in his first AB right to me, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Watney has experience working at a regional sports network (RSN) when she was at NESN (2008-2011), so she understands why fans would be upset that the local announcers might not get to call the historic moment. However, she says the Apple TV broadcast makes a point to highlight the local broadcasters who are with the team on a daily basis.

“I get you want to just be able to turn on your TV and go to your local station that you are used to going to.

“I worked for a RSN. I did games with Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy for 4 years in Boston and I was always mad when we didn’t get to do a big marquee game. ‘I do 150 games a year and you are going to take this good one?’ So, I get the other side of the coin. It’s an exciting thing for us and an exciting thing for baseball to get to hear other voices as well and get to hear a different take on the game.

“That’s one of the things I think we do well on our broadcast is to give credit to the folks who are calling 150 of the 162 games a year. I rely on a lot of those people. I texted Meredith Marakovits earlier this week. It’s all one big family. Baseball is one big happy family.”

As many have pointed out, it is free to make an Apple TV account to watch the game, but it won’t stop the criticism from many about streaming games in general. However, Watney pays no mind to the criticism that the broadcast receives.

“Especially this week with the history on the line, there’s a lot of people that are like I’m not going to be able to watch this? Yes, you are. But, like anything in life that’s worth doing anything, it might take a little extra work and when I say a little, I mean a little bit of extra work…Anything that’s new is going to be something that’s different for people. I don’t think streaming is all that new. I just don’t listen to that kind of criticism because you can get it for free.”

Ken Carman: Al Michaels ‘Feels Untethered’ On Amazon Prime Video

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Ken Carman: Al Michaels ‘Feels Untethered’ On Amazon Prime Video

The Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers during Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. 92.3 The Fan morning host Ken Carman applauded Al Michaels for his performance during the presentation.

“Al Michaels feels untethered for the first time. He’s not network television anymore and he can say whatever he wants. We interviewed him on the pregame show and I was nervous,” Carman said.

“He’s a legend,” co-host Anthony Lima added.

During the final play of the game, the Steelers fumbled a lateral into the endzone which the Browns recovered to make the final score 29-17. Michaels said “that may be meaningful to some of you. And you know who I mean”, alluding to people who had placed wagers on the game.

Carman, who hosts two-hours of pre-game coverage on the Browns Radio Network, continued to discuss how nervous he was interviewing Michaels. He also discussed how impressive Amazon’s behind-the-scenes production was, pointing out the only football broadcast with more cameras is the Super Bowl. More than 400 people work behind the scenes for Amazon Prime Video.

“The thing that stuck out was Kirk Herbstreit ripping the elf,” said Carman. “Don’t be ripping Brownie the Elf, man.”

Carman later said people angry that Michaels misspoke by saying the Pro Football Hall of Fame is “down I-71” instead of I-77 were unreasonable, and joked “Al Michaels hasn’t been on a highway in 20 years”.

Boomer Esiason: Michael Kay ‘Swooping In’ On Stephen Nelson ‘Just Not Right’

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Much has been made about the potential of New York Yankees television play-by-play announcer Michael Kay announcing Friday Night Baseball on AppleTV+ while slugger Aaron Judge chases the franchise and American League record for home runs in a single season. During Boomer & Gio Friday morning, Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti disagreed on whether Kay should have taken the gig from usual AppleTV+ announcer Stephen Nelson.

During a remote broadcast, they asked fans in attendance if they wanted to see Kay in the booth Friday night, which resulted in a resounding no.

“I bet he put that out there to see what the reaction would be,” Giannotti said of Kay’s comments that he would be “big-footing” Nelson by taking the assignment. “And the reaction was like that, and was like ‘You know, I’m kinda uncomfortable doing this. Maybe I shouldn’t do it’. And no one wanted to see it anyway.”

“They shouldn’t do it,” said Esiason of AppleTV+ allowing Kay to step in for Nelson.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, and let’s say it was Pete Alonso chasing this record and there was AppleTV for potentially 61 or 62, you’re telling me that you’d want a fella named (Stephen) Nelson over Gary Cohen? There’s no way in hell!”, Giannotti countered.

“I want what’s right,” Esiason said.

“AppleTV’s not right to begin with,” Giannotti replied.

“But Michael Kay swooping in on some kid named Nelson, that’s not right. That’s just not right. You just can’t do that!”, argued Esiason.

“Yeah, but the fact that it’s on AppleTV to begin with is annoying,” Giannotti concluded. “It’s just annoying.”

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