CNN and two of its biggest stars are reportedly embroiled in a libel lawsuit involving a Florida heart surgeon.
The lawsuit involves alleged false reporting on infant mortality relating to the hospital’s open-heart surgery process.
According to Puck, the suit brought by Dr. Michael Black dates to 2016. At the time, CNN reported that St. Mary’s Medical Center open-heart surgery on infants led to a mortality rate of “three times the national average.”
Hospitals officials claim the reporting used cherry-picked data that was “flawed and deeply dishonest.” The network’s reporting prompted the hospital’s former chief executive, David Carbone, to resign and the hospital to shutter its pediatric cardiac surgery program.
At the center of the lawsuit is star anchor Anderson Cooper who was deposed for the case. Cooper reportedly told attorneys that he never attended editorial meetings where the story was brought up and did not have any involvement in disseminating information on social media about the case.
He reportedly would not answer whether financial bonuses were tied to his show’s ratings—however, the questionable reports aired during his performance and online.
CNN’s fact-checking process is being scrutinized in the lawsuit. The so-called “Triad Process” was the subject of a 2017 New York Times article that referred to the system as a “three-pronged internal system designed to ensure that sensitive reporting by the network’s journalists is unimpeachable before it runs.”
According to the report, Dr. Black is represented by the same attorneys prosecuting Dominion’s defamation case against Fox News, Tom Clare, and Libby Locke.
CNN could face a multi-million-dollar settlement if it is liable for any damages.
Clay Travis and Buck Sexton are questioning the accuracy of a USA Today article criticizing Travis’ character and the duo’s reporting on an apparent racial hoax involving a college volleyball player.
The story sparking controversy reportedly occurred two weeks ago. Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson told ESPN that she was the target of threats and racial slurs from fans in the student section.
Travis began questioning the story’s legitimacy about a week ago, sounding the alarm about the apparent lack of video footage or audio.
“Everyone in there pretty much has a phone in their hands,” Travis said. “The surest way to go viral in one of your videos is by finding someone behaving inappropriately and immediately putting it up on social media.”
On Wednesday, Travis said it’s hard to keep up with the number of people attacking the show’s credibility daily.
“USA Today, I was made aware, has got an editorial up that is defending this Duke volleyball player and attacking anyone who is daring to raise questions about the fact that there isn’t a single bit of corroborating evidence of her allegations against BYU,” said the “Clay & Buck” host.
“You are very reasonable. If anybody is a right-wing extremist here, it is me,” Sexton joked.
“The job of someone who talks every day in the media for a living should be to be as honest as you can. If there are things that appear to be untrue, we are going to discuss it,” Travis added.
Well folks, we survived! We made it through a long, football-less summer. College football gave us everything we wanted in week 1 and now it is time to turn our attention to the NFL.
Arky, Demetri and Garrett are back again to highlight everything and everyone that is great when it comes to the coverage of America’s national obsession. So here is the full schedule for the NFL edition of Countdown to Coverage:
If you need proof that the NFL won, look no further than how the game is covered on TV. The networks that carry the games don’t just show the games. They devote hours to the pregame. When they can, they devote up to an hour to the postgame. We have never had more NFL content on TV and still, we are starving for more of it!
The role of a great pregame show is ever evolving. How much time do you give to gambling? Is there still room for a fantasy expert? Where do you fit in storytelling? Do we need a weather expert?
Pregame shows come in all shapes and sizes. Today, Arky, Demetri and Garrett tell you which ones fit them best.
FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA by Arky Shea
This is a program that gets the benefit of being after the vast majority of the games and they treat it differently. It’s a highlights show with some previews of the evening’s NBC offering but more importantly, it’s our first real chance to digest a lot of the day’s games. Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison are so good at breaking down the fresh “tape” for some fairly instant analysis and it’s always pretty compelling because they give me the 30,000-foot view plus a couple sideline takes and that’s about all I really want in that spot.
This show stands alone as my pick even if it wasn’t featuring and influx of fresh ideas. Matthew Berry is a key one because there is a fascination for me in what he will look like in the autopsy-phase of a fantasy Sunday. He’s not picking sleepers on this show, he’s poking around the slept. Jason Garrett is an emerging, engaging voice who I always enjoyed in Dallas when he wasn’t in “coach” mode. I am even more jacked to see how Maria Taylor blossoms as the lead host of this show. She is dynamic and this is a tremendous spotlight for what a lot of us have seen grow from being sideline reporter for SEC Network games.
SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN by Demetri Ravanos
When you think of the title, you probably think about days gone by. Surely Boomer and TJ are right on the tip of your tongue. Hell, maybe the three glorious weeks of the Rush Limbaugh experiment made an impression. Whatever name or moment you think of, the conventional wisdom is that ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown will never be what it used to be and you know what? That’s true, but that doesn’t mean that the show is now bad.
I would put Randy Moss and Rex Ryan up against anyone that has ever been on that show. They are knowledgeable and entertaining. What more do you want from your stars? Moss alone gives this show more credibility than any of its competitors. Other shows have Hall of Famers. Who else has one of the 2 best at their position in the history of the NFL?
FOX NFL SUNDAY by Garrett Searight
FOX NFL Sunday has had a remarkable staying power. In 28 years, Curt Menafee and James Brown have been the only two hosts (excluding the year where Menafee and Joe Buck split the duties in title only). Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw have each been on the show since 1994. Jimmy Johnson has served as an analyst since 2002. Pam Oliver has been a reporter since 1995. Jay Glazer has appeared since 2007. Michael Strahan has now been on the show since 2008.
The familiarity of the crew is what wins the spot for me. You know exactly what you’re going to get each week. Howie Long is going to be reasonable and well thought out. Terry Bradshaw is going to be your wacky uncle who might have hit the sauce a little too hard for it only being 11:00 AM. Jimmy Johnson is going give you a great perspective on topics from a coach’s point of view. Michael Strahan is going to say nothing of value whatsoever. It’s what you’re expecting! And sometimes, that’s the only bar you have to reach for. Familiarity is the name of the game in NFL coverage, and FOX NFL Sunday has it.
Jason Fitz joins the show this week to talk about making the very unorthodox leap from the country music world to ESPN. Why does he think he has stuck around and how did Jason Barrett make him better?
The most-watched studio show in sports is making its return tonight as the revamped Football Night in America crew gets viewers set for the NFL regular season kickoff matchup between the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. While there are plenty of familiar faces returning, the on-air personalities will bring a new mix of unique experiences and perspectives to each broadcast, leading up to Sunday Night Football with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark.
“[It’s] a big-time touchdown for us,” said Sam Flood, who oversees production for the show. “We’re excited across the board… let’s get it going.”
Now as the NFL season commences, Flood will oversee a studio crew that aligns with consumer interests, including in-depth analysis, fantasy sports, and sports betting. Tirico, who regularly hosted the show beginning in 2018, has moved into the play-by-play role for Sunday Night Football following Al Michaels’ move to Amazon Prime Video. The network also added Maria Taylor, who joined the network last July following the expiration of her ESPN contract. Since signing on, she has served as a host at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Olympics, while also co-hosting Football Night in America with Tirico throughout last season.
“I am honored, blessed and so happy to be able to work with these guys and just be the point guard,” said Taylor, who is the first female full-time host in the show’s history. “….I feel like we have an incredible, dynamic show and… the legend of [the show] continues to live on. We’re just honored to kind of be the flag bearers for it this season.”
Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was also added to the team this past offseason, giving the show perspective from someone who was recently on the sidelines. After being let go by “America’s Team” following the 2019 season, Garrett was not sure whether he would receive another opportunity to work in football. Now with NBC Sports, Garrett is joining Football Night in America and will also serve as a game analyst for the network’s broadcast of Notre Dame Football – games called by Collinsworth’s son Jac.
“The words that keep going in my mind are excited and grateful,” Garrett said. “I’m so excited for this opportunity and grateful to be in a room with these guys. It’s the marquee show – maybe in all of television – certainly in football.”
The Cowboys will appear three different times on Sunday Night Football this season, including Sunday night’s Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which should make for plenty of opportunities for Garrett to demonstrate his unique perspective having recently worked for the team. The same can be said for Tony Dungy during the first week, as he too is a former head coach – albeit for the Buccaneers – and has been with Football Night in America since 2009, three years after its initial launch.
Dungy is excited to welcome Garrett as a regular member of the show, but is also looking to continue keeping studio-based pregame shows relevant in an era where many fans are interacting on social media and other platforms of dissemination. That is a challenge in and of itself; however, it is something he is ready to tackle from his viewpoint as a former two-time Super Bowl champion – once as a player and once as a coach – a clear differentiator in today’s congested media landscape.
“One of the things that we have always taken pride in is we try to tell the audience why things happen,” Dungy said. “A lot of people can show you highlights and tell you what happened and give you the score and that, but being able to see – ‘Well, here’s why it happened; here’s why it’s important; here’s what this team has to do’ – we take pride in bringing that. I’m excited to have Jason with us so we can delve more into that.”
“I think that we are still the show of record,” Taylor added. “I believe that we as a pregame show – as all the games come to an end, we are still valued in this landscape and the shoulder programming we provide is really something that can’t be found anywhere else almost because of where the timing is and because of the specific analysts and expertise that we have on the set.”
Unique perspectives of action both on- and off-the-field are appealing to many contemporary sports viewers, and the addition of Matthew Berry recognizes the growing popularity of fantasy sports. Berry recently departed ESPN after 15 years to join NBC Sports, where he will not only be a regular talent on Football Night in America, but will also host a new two-hour show on Peacock called Fantasy Football Happy Hour.
Berry recognizines the show’s prominence and distinction in the football world, but as someone invested in fantasy sports, he did not ever think it would be possible for him to appear on it – let alone be one of its talents. Now though as the world of sports and entertainment continues to shift towards appealing to the consumer in a quest to stand out amid a battle for both consistent ratings and revenue streams, additions like Berry are becoming more common across the industry.
“The idea that I’m here is a true pinch-me, insane, crazy moment for me. I’m very excited,” Berry said. “When I left ESPN, I was very flattered to get offers but the minute NBC said ‘Hey, we’re interested,’ I stopped talking to everyone else because I’ve watched Football Night in America for years and years and years. It’s the show of record.”
Being able to ingratiate himself to the audience on NBC Sports is something Berry views as an opportunity, especially being surrounded by other media members who garner great credibility and longevity in their careers. Being among them, according to Berry, will help him perform his role and try to make fantasy sports a regular aspect of these types of programs.
“I feel like just the fact that I’m sitting there with [the entire cast] and the support they’ve been [giving me] – I think for the people that are unfamiliar with me, they will give me the benefit of the doubt,” Berry articulated. “Ultimately it will be up to me and my work and analysis to win them over, but I’m excited for the opportunity and I think just… being a part of Football Night in America… gives me a big head start.”
Taylor, Garrett and Berry join the aforementioned Tony Dungy and Jac Collinsworth, along with Mike Florio, Chris Simms and Rodney Harrison. The show will be live from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on NBC and streaming on Peacock with exclusive coverage beginning at 7:00 PM ET leading up to the Rams-Bills NFL regular season kickoff matchup at 8:20 PM ET.
We have reached the start of the NFL season. It all gets started later tonight when the Superbowl Champion Rams host the Buffalo Bills. So, once again, my brain started to work overtime. I wanted to create another list, and this one will deal strictly with the NFL. The question I had for myself was, who are the top 5 NFL announcers of all time?
As with my list last week I have limited the choices to television, network announcers only. As was the case last week, the ranking process proved to be pretty tough. There have been so many talented people calling NFL games, the limitations of ranking just five, proved to be frustrating and maddening all at the same time. There have been many left off, due to limited space.
#5 (TIE) Curt Gowdy
Gowdy appears in a ‘gaudy’ 23 different Halls of Fame. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Not a bad little career huh? In fact, the basketball hall’s media award is named after Gowdy. He was considered the ‘broadcaster of everything’, calling 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games in baseball. Gowdy broadcast 9 Super Bowls and 24 Final Fours. Add in 14 Rose Bowls and 8 Olympic games to that already great resume.
Gowdy’s voice was unmistakable. A polished, yet extremely friendly voice. For a time, if Gowdy was on the call, viewers knew this was a game they had to tune into. His versatility was pretty much unmatched as well. It’s not easy to switch gears to other sports, while focused on one. Gowdy was not only able to do that, most of the time it was while his other season was still going on.
Gowdy was also the host of the long running “The American Sportsman” on ABC, which featured celebrities taking part in hunting and/or fishing trips. He was so associated with the outdoors that a state park in Wyoming was officially named for him in 1972. Curt Gowdy State Park is halfway between his high school hometown of Cheyenne and his college town of Laramie.
#5 (TIE) Jack Buck
While Jack Buck made his mark as a baseball announcer, with the St. Louis Cardinals and the networks, he was also quite a football play-by-play guy. Many of his iconic calls involve baseball, but he was on the scene for many huge moments in the NFL.
In 1964 he started calling NFL games on CBS, after a stint calling AFL games on ABC. Buck called mainly Chicago Bears games in the early part of his CBS career and then would switch to Dallas Cowboys coverage. He was there for the famous “Ice Bowl” championship game in 1967. Eventually the network got away from dedicated ‘team’ announcers, he would call regional games through 1974. Buck called several NFC Championship Games and also Super Bowl IV.
Where most know him from in the NFL, is his work on CBS Radio as the voice of Monday Night Football alongside Hank Stram. The two were paired together for nearly 2 decades. On CBS Radio, Buck would call 17 Super Bowls and some very memorable playoff moments.
His deep, gravelly voice was instantly recognizable. Buck’s calls, whether it be baseball or football were descriptive, informative and dramatic. He had a flare for those big moments, capturing a play in real time and making it iconic. Buck had a humor about him, self-deprecating at times, but there was no mistaking the wit and humor in his broadcasts.
#4 Dick Enberg
“Oh My!”, Enberg became well known for his work at UCLA, covering the John Wooden years as the team’s play-by-play voice. He also went on to do Rams football and California Angels baseball during his time on the West Coast.
During his nine years broadcasting Bruins basketball in the 1960s and ’70s, the Bruins won eight NCAA titles. He was tabbed to call the Jan. 20, 1968, Houston/UCLA game, dubbed “The Game of the Century,” in which the Bruins’ 47-game winning streak was snapped. It was the first NCAA regular-season game broadcast nationwide in prime time.
In 1975, he joined NBC Sports and for the next two plus decades, he would call, baseball, college hoops and football, the NBA, the US Open Golf tournament and tennis. Enberg would replace Curt Gowdy as the network’s main voice of the NFL and the Rose Bowl in 1979. He would call 8 Super Bowl games in his time at NBC. Enberg would move on to become one of the voices of the NFL on CBS in 2000.
Enberg was one of those broadcasters that was always smooth and well-polished. There was a uniqueness to his delivery and voice. There was something poetic about his phrasing, but man, could he call a game. From the landmark games like the Super Bowl to the ordinary regional game, they were always treated like the former. He was nicknamed ‘The Professor’ and listening/watching one of his games was like a history lesson indeed.
#3 Jim Nantz
“Hello Friends”, has greeted NFL fans on CBS for the better part of three decades when they tune in for a game. Nantz started in the network’s NFL booth back in 1991. He would then transition to the studio, to host the NFL Today, before re-entering the booth as the number one guy in 2004.
He maintains a hectic, yet enjoyable schedule. Typically, he’ll finish the NFL season and if CBS has the Super Bowl that year, he’ll call that, take a few weeks off, join the “Road to the Final Four” and then to the Masters. He joins Curt Gowdy, Kevin Harlan and Dick Enberg as the only play-by-play announcers to ever call both a Super Bowl and NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game. Nantz has called six Super Bowls for CBS, 30 final fours, has been a part of the Masters coverage since 1986.
His voice is perfect for each of the sports he calls. Friendly, engaging, enthusiastic and smooth. Nantz’s first Super Bowl call came in the game between the Colts and Bears in 2007. His first call started off in a historic way. Devin Hester became the first player in Super Bowl history to return the opening kick for a touchdown. “Gets past the first wave and here he goes, it’s Hester inside the 30, Hester’s going to take it all the way for a touchdown. No flags, 92 yards!” he described.
As I wrote about Nantz a couple of years ago, his pacing, timing and energy are all based upon the moment and based upon what he’s calling. You can’t be energetic all the time in golf. You have to be energetic all the time in football and college hoops. Nantz knows when and how to use that energy, effectively and in the right spots.
#2 AL MICHAELS
It’s no ‘miracle’ that Michaels appears high on this list. This man has seen and done so much in the sports broadcasting field that there is no need for need for any assists. Michaels has done it all, from the tremendous call in 1980, when a rag tag bunch of college kids from the United States knocked off the Russians enroute to a gold medal. To covering the after effects of an earthquake in San Francisco just ahead of Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. Michaels is the only play-by-play announcer to call the Super Bowl (11 times), World Series (8), NBA Finals (2) and host the Stanley Cup Final (3) for network television.
Michaels has carved out a wonderful career doing play-by-play of the NFL. He was with ABC, calling Monday Night Football from 1986-2005, then it was on to NBC’s Sunday Night Football from 2006 until he called the Super Bowl in LA last year. He will debut on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football package this season.
The great thing about Michaels is he has an innate sense of timing. Michaels can sense moments when he needs to be talking and when he can defer to his analyst. “Command” is something else he has on his broadcasts. You won’t see a game ‘get away’ from Michaels. He uses a unique brand of humor and sarcasm to augment what could be a mundane play or game overall. It’s not haphazard because he has the ability to sense the moments both are needed and not. I love the way he drops in a pop-culture reference or something involving the spread or the over/under in that game. Fans love those drop ins.
#1 PAT SUMMERALL
The former NFL place kicker carved out a nice little career for himself in the broadcast booth. To me, and yes, I grew up in the early 80’s, Summerall is the voice of football. Every big game, every big moment, there was Summerall and his partner John Madden. All you had to do was hear the duo and you knew, right then and there, this was a big and meaningful game. He also covered ‘The Masters’ for CBS until 1994 and worked on the network’s US Open Tennis coverage as well.
Summerall retired from football, and was hired by CBS in 1962 to work as a color commentator on the network’s NFL coverage. He initially partnered with Chris Schenkel on Giants games. It wasn’t until midway through the 1974 season that he shifted to play-by-play, first working with Tom Brookshier. That duo worked 3 Super Bowls together. In 1981 Summerall was teamed with Madden. It was a partnership that lasted 22 seasons over two networks. They became perhaps the best-known broadcast partners ever.
Summerall wound up working 11 Super Bowls, which was the most of all time, until Al Michaels worked last year’s game and equaled the total. He even pinch-hit on a Cubs/Pirates baseball game on WGN-TV, in 1987. Filling in for Harry Caray, who had suffered a stroke and was off the air while recovering.
To describe his style will take some effort. His voice was deep and powerful. Commanding and forceful. It was always in control too. Never has an announcer gotten more out of few words. He understood that on television, it wasn’t how much you said, it was the power of the words you did use. For example, whenever he’d call a Joe Montana to Jerry Rice touchdown pass, it was always something like, ‘Montana……Rice…. Touchdown!’ One of his more famous calls came in Super Bowl XVIII, when he described a Marcus Allen touchdown run this way.
‘Here’s Marcus Allen, cutting back up field. And Marcus Allen could be gone! 74 yards for Marcus Allen!’
Memorable without a scream or catchphrase. Less equaled more. That was Summerall in a nutshell.
Le Batard opened a topic by discussing how Smith has turned First Take and ESPN into “his personal playground,” citing the time he showed up to the show on a helicopter with Jerry Jones and the time he returned to the program on a boat. He then asked producer Billy if he’d be excited to vote for Smith on the 2024 ballot.
“Well, that’s the thing that I don’t know, right,” began Billy. “Because if I vote for Stephen A. and obviously everyone would vote for Stephen A. and Stephen A. becomes president, then what happens to First Take?”
Off the microphone we hear a suggestion that Smith would continue First Take from the White House.
“You think he’d do it from the White House” asked Billy.
“Yeah, he’d do both,” chimed in Stugotz.
“He’d probably have to cut an hour,” retorted Billy. “He’d probably do 10-11 instead of 10-noon”.
CBS Sports Network’s That Other Pregame Show adds former NFL All-Pro players Thomas Davis and Kyle Long as studio commentators.
That Other Pregame Show (TOPS) enters its tenth season with Adam Schein and Amy Trask hosting. Alongside Davis and Long, TOPS has added veteran NFL correspondent Aditi Kinkhabwalaas an on-site reporter.
Long returns to TOPS after being an analyst for the show in 2020 but left to return to football for his final season in 2021 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
TOPS also sees the return of Brock Vereen, NFL Insider Jonathan Jones for analyst work. The show also will drop fantasy knowledge from Jeff Ratcliffe and Keith Irizarry. TOPS also gets drop-ins from The NFL Today analysts Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms.
“By extending our media rights agreement, we are excited to continue one of the first relationships the Predators ever forged, because as long as we have played, our games have been brought to life through our incredible partnership,” Predators President and CEO Sean Henry said. “We are fortunate that Bally Sports South continually shows a desire to invest in and improve all features surrounding our broadcast throughout the year. As we enter the new season, Bally Sports South’s direct-to-consumer streaming product is the latest example of its commitment to our fan base in making our broadcast and Predators games even more readily available and accessible.”
Bally Sports South has been the home of the Nashville Predators since the team’s inaugural season in 1998-99. The new agreement means that Bally Sports South will continue to produce every regionally available regular season game as well as the team’s first round games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The network’s pre- and postgame show, Predators LIVE, will continue to air before and after every game on Bally Sports South.
“We have a longstanding relationship with the Nashville Predators and are excited to continue to collaborate on new, innovative ways to bring Predators games to fans,” said Jeff Genthner, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Bally Sports South. “Our new Bally Sports+ streaming product adds another viewing option to our linear distribution channels this season, giving fans an option to pay directly for Bally Sports South.”
Greg Gumbel did not mince words on a recent podcast when he discussed never taking a broadcasting course but leaned on the advice of his father when it comes to the medium.
Gumbel spoke to George Ofman on the podcast, Tell Me A Story I Don’t Know, and said that he learned a lot of his broadcasting lessons on the job. He said his father had three tenants that the Gumbels would guide their broadcasting journey: think clearly, listen carefully, speak distinctively. Gumbel then would say that he sees a lot of people who talk down to their audience and that’s why he isn’t a fan of one genre.
“I am not a big fan of sports talk radio,” Gumbel said, “because people who listen to sports talk radio strike me as being anxious to be told what to think. I certainly don’t need someone yelling at me, but I don’t need anyone trying to tell me what I should think about this pitcher for the California Angels whom I can watch for myself and make my own judgments.”
Gumbel allowed for there to be a big audience for sports talk radio, but he has never turned the radio on to listen to a sports talk show.
“There apparently is a huge audience for sports talk radio,” Gumbel allowed. “If you’re just tuning in to hear people argue and scream and shout, that’s fine. Good luck to you. Good luck in your early grave. Because I think it is the most ridiculous thing on the planet. I have not heard, in my lifetime, more than an hour’s worth of sports talk radio and most of it that I’ve heard is the lead-in or the lead-out from an interview that I might have done on the station.”
Ofman mentioned that Gumbel actually was a part of sports talk radio a long time ago at WFAN. That’s when Gumbel doubled-down on his dislike for the format.
“That’s when I learned to hate it,” said Gumbel. “I was WFAN‘s very first morning man when they first began the station. They asked me if I wanted to do the morning radio and I said ‘sure’… it was something new and different and I thought I would try it. About three or four months into a three-year contract I knew it wasn’t for me. Because I am not a guy who wants to sit there and argue and yet, that’s what the listening audience wants… I did not like it. I did not enjoy it.”
