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Barrett Sports Media To Launch Podcast Network

Jason Barrett
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Barrett Sports Media To Launch Podcast Network

To run a successful digital content and consulting company in 2022 it’s vital to explore new ways to grow business. There are certain paths that produce a higher return on investment than others, but by being active in multiple spaces, a brand has a stronger chance of staying strong and overcoming challenges when the unexpected occurs. Case in point, the pandemic in 2020.

As much as I love programming and consulting stations to assist with growing their over the air and digital impact, I consider myself first a business owner and strategist. Some have even called me an entrepreneur, and that works too. Just don’t call me a consultant because that’s only half of what I do. I’ve spent a lot of my time building relationships, listening to content, and studying brands and markets to help folks grow their business. Included in my education has been studying website content selection, Google and social media analytics, newsletter data, the event business, and the needs of partners and how to best serve them. As the world of media continues to evolve, I consider it my responsibility to stay informed and ready to pivot whenever it’s deemed necessary. That’s how brands and individuals survive and thrive.

If you look at the world of media today compared to just a decade ago, a lot has changed. It’s no secret during that period that podcasting has enjoyed a surge. Whether you review Edison Research, Jacobs Media, Amplifi Media, Spotify or another group’s results, the story is always the same – digital audio is growing and it’s expected to continue doing so. And that isn’t just related to content. It applies to advertising too. Gordon Borrell, IAB and eMarketer all have done the research to show you where future dollars are expected to move. I still believe it’s smart, valuable and effective for advertisers to market their products on a radio station’s airwaves, but digital is a key piece of the brand buy these days, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Which brings me to today’s announcement.

If you were in New York City in March for our 2022 BSM Summit, you received a program at the show. Inside of one of the pages was a small ad (same image used atop this article) which said “Coming This Summer…The BSM Podcast Network…Stay Tuned For Details.” I had a few people ask ‘when is that happening, and what shows are you planning to create?’ and I kept the answers vague because I didn’t want to box ourselves in. I’ve spent a few months talking to people about joining us to help continue producing quality written content and improve our social media. Included in that process has been talking to members of our team and others on the outside about future opportunities creating podcasts for the Barrett Sports Media brand.

After examining the pluses and minuses, and listening and talking to a number of people, I’m excited to share that we are launching the BSM Podcast Network. We will start with a few new titles later this month, and add a few more in July. Demetri Ravanos will provide oversight of content execution, and assist with production and guest booking needs for selected pods. This is why we’ve been frequently promoting Editor and Social Media jobs with the brand. It’s hard to pursue new opportunities if you don’t have the right support.

The titles that will make up our initial offerings are each different in terms of content, host and presentation. First, we have Media Noise with Demetri Ravanos, which has produced over 75 episodes over the past year and a half. That show will continue in its current form, being released each Friday. Next will be the arrival of The Sports Talkers Podcast with Stephen Strom which will debut on Thursday June 23rd, the day of the NBA Draft. After that, The Producer’s Podcast with Brady Farkas will premiere on Wednesday June 29th. Then as we move into July, two more titles will be added, starting with a new sales focused podcast Seller to Seller with Jeff Caves. The final title to be added to the rotation will be The Jason Barrett Podcast which yours truly will host. The goal is to have five weekly programs distributed through our website and across all podcasting platforms by mid to late July.

I am excited about the creation of each of these podcasts but this won’t be the last of what we do. We’re already working on additional titles for late summer or early fall to ramp up our production to ten weekly shows. Once a few ideas and discussions get flushed out, I’ll have more news to share with you. I may consider adding even more to the mix too at some point. If you have an idea that you think would resonate with media professionals and aspiring broadcasters, email me by clicking here.

One thing I want to point out, this network will focuses exclusively on various areas of the sports media industry. We’ll leave mainstream sports conversations to the rest of the media universe. That’s not a space I’m interested in pursuing. We’ve focused on a niche since arriving on the scene in 2015 and have no plans to waver from it now.

Additionally, you may have noticed that we now refer to our company as ‘Barrett Media’. That’s because we are now involved in both sports and news media. That said, we are branding this as the BSM Podcast Network because the titles and content are sports media related. Maybe there will be a day when we introduce a BNM version of this, but right now, we’ve got to make sure the first one works right before exploring new territory.

Our commitment to delivering original industry news, features and opinions in print form remains unchanged. This is simply an opportunity to grow in an area where we’ve been less active. I know education for industry folks and those interested in entering the business is important. It’s why young people all across the country absorb mountains of debt to receive a college education. As valuable as those campus experiences might be, it’s a different world once you enter the broadcasting business.

What I’d like to remind folks is that we continue to make investments in the way we cover, consult, and discuss the media industry because others invest in us. It’d be easy to stockpile funds and enjoy a few more vacations but I’m not worried about personal wealth. I’m focused on building a brand that does meaningful work by benefitting those who earn a living in the media industry or are interested in one day doing so. As part of that process I’m trying to connect our audience to partners who provide products, services or programs that can benefit them.

Since starting this brand, we’ve written more than 18,000 articles. We now cover two formats and produce more than twenty five pieces of content per day. The opportunity to play a small role in keeping media members and future broadcasters informed is rewarding but we could not pay people to edit, write, and host podcasts here if others didn’t support us. For that I’m extremely grateful to those who do business with us either as a consulting client, website advertiser, Summit partner or through a monthly or annual membership. The only way to get better is to learn from others, and if our access to information, knowledge, relationships and professional opinions helps others and their brands, then that makes what we do worthwhile.

Thanks as always for the continued support. We appreciate that you read our content each day, and hope to be able to earn some of your listenership in the future too.

Court Tosses Out Sexual Harassment Suit Against Former GMA Producer

BNM Staff
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Court Tosses Out Sexual Harassment Suit Against Former GMA Producer

A sexual harassment lawsuit involving a former “Good Morning America” producer has been tossed out of court. According to the New York Post, a state judge dismissed a case against Michael Corn citing a statute of limitations ruling. 

The lawsuit was brought by “GMA” producer Kirstyn Crawford, who alleged misconduct while traveling with Corn in Los Angeles during coverage of the Academy Awards. She claimed Corn forcibly touched and kissed Crawford during an Uber trip back to their hotel. 

The judge also ruled that the incidents cited in the lawsuit didn’t measure up to sexual harassment or creating a hostile work environment.

“We are very grateful the court recognized the total lack of merit to the allegations brought against Mr. Corn,” Corn’s lawyer Meredith Cavallaro told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the news.

Corn, who left ABC News in April 2021 because of an internal probe into Crawford’s claims, has denied the allegations. He is now the head of programming for the cable news channel NewsNation.

Mike Crute Goes After Fox News for Lack of Jan. 6th Hearing Coverage

BNM Staff
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A progressive radio host appearing on Fox News Sunday criticized the network’s coverage of the Jan. 6th committee hearing and swore on live TV before the host abruptly cut him off. 

Mike Crute was taking part in a panel discussion along with conservative pundit Jeff Crouere when he insisted that people should be paying closer attention to the Jan. 6th hearing, which aired in primetime on national TV last week. 

“We should be talking about the Jan.6 hearings, which this network failed to cover, because I’ll tell you what, the real fight is for democracy,” Crute said. “The real fight is for the soul. And the real b******t is that your network won’t cover it!”

A video published on Mediate shows the chaos that ensued following Crute’s comments.

“Whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa!” Emanuel said. “We covered it plenty. We just aired it on the Fox Business Network.”

“Dude! You’re gonna come on here — let me set the record straight,” Emanuel replied. “I wanna be neutral here. But when you attack our network, I’ve got a problem with that.”

Fox Media aired the event across all its platforms Thursday. In addition, FNC hosted a two-hour wrap-up show immediately following the hearings. 

“Did you run any ads during Tucker Carlson’s show?” Crute responded — a reference to Thursday’s broadcast of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” taking place without commercial interruption.

Bill Maher: NY Times Buried Brett Kavanaugh Story

BNM Staff
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Political commentator Bill Maher ripped the New York Times for its reporting, or lack thereof, on the alleged assassination plot against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
According to The Daily Wire, the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host pointed to a double standard in the media’s coverage on this issue. 

“If this had been a liberal Supreme Court justice that someone came to kill, it would have been on the front page,” he said. 

According to CNN, Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, called 911 twice in the early hours of Wednesday, telling the operator that he had a gun and other weapons in a bag and was having suicidal thoughts.

“That’s what’s so disappointing about a paper like The New York Times, because they just wear their bias on their sleeves and they — ‘if it’s not part of something that feeds our narrative, f*** it. We bury it,” Maher said. 

The Times mentioned the alleged Kavanaugh assassination plot in small font at the bottom of the front page, which simply read, “Arrest Near Home of Justice.”

Conor McGahey Is “Very Lucky” to Call Stanley Cup Final for His Hometown Avalanche

Peter Schwartz
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On October 6th, 1995, 10-year-old Conor McGahey was at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver attending the first Colorado Avalanche home game with his father. That night, the Avalanche beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 as Denver celebrated the return of NHL hockey thirteen years after the Colorado Rockies relocated to New Jersey.

Fast-forward exactly 27 years and 8 months later and McGahey enjoyed yet another out of body experience…

“Held back for Makar…lets it go…tipped on…rebound…score! It’s Artturi Lehkonen and you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here because this party is over!”

Those were the words of 37-year-old Colorado Avalanche radio play-by-play voice Conor McGahey. Last Monday June 6th Artturi Lehkonen scored in overtime to give Colorado a 6-5 overtime win in game four of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. With that four-game sweep, the Avalanche punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2001.

The Avalanche will meet the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning starting on Wednesday night in Denver.

McGahey, a native of Breckenridge, Colorado, is set for his first Stanley Cup Final as the radio play-by-play announcer for the team he rooted for as a child.

“It was a blast,” said McGahey of his opportunity to describe the moment that the Avalanche were advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.

“The Stanley Cup Final is a special and emotional time really. It’s a great honor to be a part of it. To be here is one thing but to win it is another and I hope that we’re lucky enough to win because that would make it even more special. It’s fun to soak it in and say hey you’re going to a (Stanley) Cup Final for the first time in 21 years. In that moment, it was super special.”

McGahey, a graduate of the University of Denver, spent more than ten years in the organization as in-game host while also calling play-by-play for Colorado Rapids soccer and Colorado Mammoth lacrosse. He joined the Vegas Golden Knights as a television pregame and postgame host for their inaugural season in 2017-18 before returning to Colorado when he was named the Avalanche’s new radio play-by-play voice prior to the 2018-19 season.

Now in his fourth season as voice of the Avs, McGahey is living out a dream. Not just because he’s getting ready for his first Stanley Cup Final, but because this is the type of job that he has coveted since he was a fan in the stands.  

“I’m very grateful for the blessing and the opportunity to be here and do this job no matter who it was with. If it was with the Carolina Hurricanes or L-A Kings, it wouldn’t matter to me. It’s a job that I love but it makes it even more special that it’s in my home state with the team that basically made me fall in love with hockey.”

Before the Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver for the 1995-96 season becoming the Colorado Avalanche, McGahey did have a taste of the sport. As a youngster he followed college hockey as well as the Denver Grizzlies, the International Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders. When the Avalanche arrived, hockey fans in Denver were getting a team that was already good and just needed a few tweaks to become a Stanley Cup contender.

Those tweaks, including the acquisition of goalie Patrick Roy from the Montreal Canadiens, would help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup during their first season in town sweeping the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

McGahey, who already liked hockey, fell in love with it.

“I think it was the sport itself because there are so many sights and sounds and the speed,” said McGahey.  “It’s the old cliché that hockey is the best sport live.  You can watch it on TV and people will always say ‘hey I can’t find the puck’ or ‘I have no idea what’s going on’ but when you show up and watch a game, your senses just become ten times more acute.”

McGahey delivers a high-energy and entertaining play-by-play call of Avalanche games that includes some unique descriptions of Avalanche goals.

There’s “The moose is loose!” for forward Miko Rantanen. 

“The Mac attack is back Jack” for forward Nathan MacKinnon.

“Oh captain my captain” for… you guessed it… Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog.

And there’s “All hail Cale” for defenseman Cale Makar.

“I just think that it should be fun no matter what,” said McGahey. “I don’t take myself too seriously. Everyone, for the most part, loves sports. Everybody knows pop culture references whether it would be television or movies or music.”

With pop culture in mind, McGahey had another stroke of brilliance during game four against Edmonton.

“Ladies and Gentlemen… boys and girls of all ages …this is a tie hockey game” 

“I always joked that my brother and I could communicate solely on movie quotes so that leaks over into how I call games whether that be rhymes or alliteration,” said McGahey. 

How does he come up with these lines? Most of his calls are simply him, in the moment, saying things that come up organically.  Generally, he comes up with the lines on his own but he is always open to suggestions from fans.  There was time when a fan sent him a tweet that when Andrew Cogliano scored a goal that McGahey should work in “Hey Mambo, Mambo Cogliano”.

Channeling his inner Dean Martin, McGahey jumped at the idea.

“I thought it was genius.”

McGahey also drew inspiration a couple of years ago when he was watching the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  When he heard the song Candyman, he immediately thought of forward Nazem Kadri.

“Sometimes it’s just in the spur of the moment and sometimes you run across something,” said McGahey. “I was like candy and Kadri… it’s really close… the Kadri-Man can!” 

Another entertaining aspect of McGahey calling Avalanche games has been setting the scene at the top of the broadcasts by using actual descriptions of the team nicknames.  The idea was actually the creation of Studio Host Mark Bertagnolli who came up with “Force of Nature” for the Avalanche.  He used that line for a couple of teams including when the Avs played the San Jose Sharks so the matchup would be…

“Force of Nature” vs “Fish”

“He’s been doing it for a long long time,” said McGahey. (Bertagnolli) would only do it for a couple. I said that’s a brilliant concept. Can we bring it into the top of the actual broadcast?”

And the rest is history as McGahey and company have come up with a few more… 

“Force of Nature vs Petroleum Procurers (Oilers)”

“Force of Nature vs Plural Primary Color (Blues)”

“Force of Nature vs Adjective (Wild)”

“Force of Nature vs Fiddle Contestant (Devils)”

If you didn’t get the Devils reference, McGahey is referring to the Charlie Daniels Band song The Devil Went Down To Georgia. 

And what about the Stanley Cup Final matchup?

“Force of Nature vs Atmospheric Electrical Discharge (Lightning)”

“It’s turned into a fun tradition,” said McGahey.  

NHL radio play-by-play jobs are not easy to come by. There are only 32 of them. Getting one of those opportunities is a major accomplishment. Many announcers have come and gone without ever getting an opportunity to call a Stanley Cup Final. Not only is McGahey getting that chance to call the battle for Lord Stanley, but he’s doing it for his hometown team, the team that he cheered for as a child and throughout the existence of the Avalanche.

“I’m very lucky just to be in this position,” said McGahey. 

“It doesn’t happen to a lot of guys. I understand the gravity and the scope and that’s not lost on me for one second. My overwhelming emotion every single gameday and every single day period is simply just gratitude.”

To steal a bit of Conor McGahey’s style of broadcasting…

“What an honor for Conor!”

Fox News Led Coverage for Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Verdict

BNM Staff
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The long-awaited verdict was finally in.

After a near-two month defamation trial between actors and former spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the jury officially made their decision in a Virginia courtroom on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 1. Depp emerged victorious, as his former wife Heard was ordered to pay him a net total of $8.3 million, based on the damages (as claimed by Depp’s legal team) her 2018 Washington Post op-ed (alleging domestic abuse by Depp) had done to his career.

Within the 3-4 p.m. Eastern hour, Fox News Channel led the cable news outlet in verdict coverage with 2.22 million total viewers and 436,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. While CNN, with 1.18 million viewers, drew almost half of FNC’s total audience, the news network posted a closer margin in adults 25-54, drawing 314,000 of the demo — CNN’s peak performance among adults 25-54 for the week (thru June 5). MSNBC trailed behind with 713,000 viewers and 72,000 adults 25-54.

As a gauge of how much interest there was in the announcement of the Depp-Heard verdict, each cable news outlet experienced a significant boost compared to their previous hour of news (in the 2-3 p.m. ET hour on June 1):

  • Fox News Channel: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 1.579 million viewers; 323,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox News Channel: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 2.219 million viewers; 436,000 adults 25-54
  • Difference: +0.640 million viewers (+40 percent); +123,000 adults 25-54 (+35 percent)
  • CNN: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 0.586 million viewers; 143,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 1.178 million viewers; 314,000 adults 25-54
  • Difference: +0.592 million viewers (+101 percent); +171,000 adults 25-54 (+120 percent)
  • MSNBC: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 0.495 million viewers; 59,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 0.713 million viewers; 72,000 adults 25-54
  • Difference: +0.218 million viewers (+44 percent); +13,000 adults 25-54 (+22 percent)

On Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET, President Biden addressed the nation on gun control in the wake of recent notable mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Tex. Upon repeated utterances of “Enough!”, Biden fervently urged Congress to act with legislation to curb gun violence. He went so far to use the label of “unconscionable” for those GOP senators who’ve failed to even bring such proposals up for debate.

ABC led all outlets in coverage for Biden’s June 2nd address, delivering 5.1 million total viewers. CBS (4 million) was runner-up, followed by NBC (3.11 million). Nielsen did not offer a separate time slot designation for Fox News and CNN but based on the 7-8 p.m. hour, Fox News averaged 2.675 million while CNN drew 758,000. From 7:31-7:49 p.m. ET, 1.2 million tuned in to MSNBC (“The Reidout”, which led out of the speech, was the network’s most-watched telecast of the week). 1.1 million watched the Spanish-language version of Biden’s speech on Univision.

Cable news averages for May 30-June 5, 2022:

Total Day (May 30-June 5 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.330 million viewers; 203,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.556 million viewers; 58,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.458 million viewers; 96,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.177 million viewers; 53,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.127 million viewers; 34,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.120 million viewers; 23,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.105 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.100 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54

Prime Time (May 30-June 4 @ 8-11 p.m.; June 5 @ 7-11 p.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 2.010 million viewers; 290,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.800 million viewers; 71,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.603 million viewers; 122,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.223 million viewers; 74,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.205 million viewers; 69,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.154 million viewers; 27,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.112 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.083 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.046 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:

1. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.326 million viewers

2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.236 million viewers

3. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.095 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.087 million viewers

5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.055 million viewers

6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.053 million viewers

7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.050 million viewers

8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.705 million viewers

9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.675 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.671 million viewers

91. The Reidout (MSNBC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:49 PM, 11 min.) 1.223 million viewers

104. CNN Newsroom (CNN, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.178 million viewers

167. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 602” (HBO, Fri. 6/3/2022 10:01 PM, 58 min.) 0.740 million viewers

310. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 6/5/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.469 million viewers

339. Very Scary People “Ken And Barbie Killers: Pt2” (HLN, Sun. 6/5/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.438 million viewers

375. The Daily Show (CMDY, Wed. 6/1/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.366 million viewers

376. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 5/31/2022 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.365 million viewers

396. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1107” (CNBC, Tue. 5/31/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.323 million viewers

441. Deep Water Salvage “(201) End Of The Line” (TWC, Sun. 6/5/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.269 million viewers

470. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7215” (TBS, Fri. 6/3/2022 12:58 AM, 30 min.) 0.254 million viewers

658. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Mon. 5/30/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.183 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top  programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54

1. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.548 million adults 25-54

2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.500 million adults 25-54

3. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.466 million adults 25-54

4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.465 million adults 25-54

5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.455 million adults 25-54

6. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.450 million adults 25-54

7. The Story (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.436 million adults 25-54

8. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.414 million adults 25-54

9. Special Report with Bret Baier (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 6:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.413 million adults 25-54

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.413 million adults 25-54

24. CNN Newsroom (CNN, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.314 million adults 25-54

78. Very Scary People “Ken And Barbie Killers: Pt2” (HLN, Sun. 6/5/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.200 million adults 25-54

134. The Daily Show (CMDY, Wed. 6/1/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.144 million adults 25-54

143. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 6/5/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.140 million adults 25-54

147. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1107” (CNBC, Tue. 5/31/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.139 million adults 25-54

151. Presidential News Conference “President Biden Gun Violence Address” (MSNBC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:31 PM, 18 min.) 0.137 million adults 25-54

175. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 602” (HBO, Fri. 6/3/2022 10:01 PM, 58 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54

259. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7215” (TBS, Fri. 6/3/2022 12:58 AM, 30 min.) 0.099 million adults 25-54

403. America’s Morning Headquarters (TWC, Fri. 6/3/2022 9:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.067 million adults 25-54

555. How America Works (FBN, Sat. 6/4/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.049 million adults 25-54

741. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun. 6/5/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.034 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

Stephen A. Smith Says He Almost Went to Cable News

BSM Staff
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According to Stephen A. Smith, he was close to dominating another sector of television. The face of ESPN was almost the face of CNN or cable news.

Smith joined the latest episode of The Old Man and The Three podcast with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter. On the show, Smith recalled being let go by ESPN nearly fifteen years ago. It was almost the last time he’d be a prominent member of the network.

“When ESPN let me go in 2009, I appeared on Fox News, MSNBC and CNN 150 times,” Smith said. “I honestly thought that could be a possibility. In 2015, one of those networks, CNN actually interviewed me for my own show, on CNN.”

Smith believes if he had taken that path, it would have had serious ramifications for his safety.

“I can honestly tell you I believe, that if I were in politics, it might have got me killed because of the world we’re living in. If it didn’t get me killed, it would have me as a pariah by half of the country. Like the likes of a Sean Hannity or whatever,” Smith continued.

One of the faces of the ‘Embrace Debate’ era, Smith believes he would have been a polarizing figure no matter the network. He said he would “piss off millions” for being able to look at each issue independently. He also believes he’d be a threat because he would be doing whatever it took to be tops in the industry.

“Because when I’m doing stuff and I’m in, I don’t view myself as a second-place kind of guy. I’m coming to be the top dog.”

Smith doesn’t plan to discuss politics on ESPN soon, however. He has told Dan Le Batard as recently as last month that he respects the network’s decision to not have talent be vocal about controversial, political topics.

“When you’re tuning into a sports network, it is not beyond the pale for the consumer to say ‘I expect to hear about sports,’ okay?”

Charles Barkley on Sports Betting: There’s Too Much of It

BSM Staff
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That headline is not a misprint. Charles Barkley is worried that the proliferation of sports betting throughout the country is destined to do damage to sports. He is particularly worried about in-game betting.

“We’ve got people in the stands betting on who’s going make the next free throws. I mean, think about that,” said Barkley. The NBA on TNT analyst voiced his concerns in a media call meant to promote the upcoming American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in July. Interestingly enough, Barkley bet $100,000 on himself in last year’s American Century Championship… and lost.

“If I was a scumbag, I’d look at my friend in the stands, and say, ‘Yo, I’m going to miss both of these free throws.’ Now, that’s cheating.”

Barkley, who is a spokesman for FanDuel, isn’t oblivious to the reality of sports betting’s presence. He seems focused more on in-game wagering options that could affect the integrity of a game.

“Listen, gambling’s always been part of sports. That’s why the NFL is King Kong,” he said. “But I am concerned that you can sit in the stands and make bets in the middle of a basketball game.”

It is fair to scrutinize the messenger. After all, he was once fined after telling the media of an “in-game” bet had going in 1990 with Mark Jackson of the New York Knicks. The two had a running bet on who, between them, would make the play that won the game. Barkley ended up winning the bet and what turned out to be $500. That turned into a $5,000 fine from then commissioner David Stern.

Despite Barkley’s obvious affinity for sports betting, he is concerned about an aspect of it that is in it’s infancy stages. As the industry spreads to over half of the country’s cell phones, it is a concern we will have to monitor.

Brady Quinn on C.J. Stroud Car Deal: Please Don’t Listen to All This NIL Fluff

BSM Staff
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The discussion around NIL is fervent. No one seems to have an accurate idea of how a lot of this is actually happening because we aren’t sure the NCAA knows anything about it either. The hot button was pushed again when news came out that Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was now driving around a $200,000 Mercedes AMG G 63 as part of his NIL deal. Brady Quinn saw this same headline and reacted differently.

The co-host of 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe on FOX Sports Radio with LaVar Arrington and Jonas Knox went oh their show to say that the headlines around NIL may be flashy, but it isn’t what it appears to be especially in Stroud’s case.

“Do you want me to tell you the exact details of the deal,” Quinn began. “I want everyone to listen very closely: please don’t listen to all this NIL fluff. It’s not as much money as everyone’s portraying it to be.

C.J. Stroud gets a 45 day lease… There is zero cash involved. He gets paid no cash and you might say, ‘Well hey, driving a car like that and getting that free and, that to me is incredible.’ You know what the car dealership and CJ Stroud haven’t thought about? He’s going to have to pay taxes on it. That’s the laughable part. They feel like he’s getting this great gift and everything else, they don’t realize when you get something like that, you have to pay the tax value on that…”

The former Notre Dame and NFL quarterback was growing frustrated with the discussion around Stroud’s “extravagant” deal. He went on to opine that he figured this deal would end up poorly, especially for the dealership he partnered with.

“Tell me LaVar this isn’t gonna end up in a dumpster fire when the first person pukes in the back of the seat,” said Quinn. “Or it gets towed because he illegally parks it, or the first bad game C.J. Stroud has and some jerk fan who’s jealous that he gets this car deal is gonna scratch it or throw something at it. I mean, the possibilities are endless and yet we sit here and act like, ‘Oh my gosh, he gets this car.’ No he’s not. It’s a 45 day lease. It’s gonna end terribly. No cash. He has to pay taxes on it… That’s the reality folks.”

Bomani Jones Explains How College Basketball Recruiting Put Him On The Map

BSM Staff
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Bomani Jones Explains How College Basketball Recruiting Put Him On The Map

Before Bomani Jones became a star in national sports media, he was doing sports radio in North Carolina. While he was there in 2009, he got caught in the middle of John Wall and Harrison Barnes being recruited to ultimately go to Kentucky and North Carolina respectively. 

On the latest episode of A Brief History of Triangle Sports with Joe Ovies, Jones talked about what happened over a decade ago and how it gave him his first national platform.

Back in 2009, Jones was hosting Sports Saturday at  850 The Buzz and The Three Hour Lunch Break on 620 The Bull and he found himself in the middle of John Wall’s recruitment. However, he never talked to Wall because he knew the adults were more of the story. 

“The story was all the maneuvering of the grownups, all of whom I believe to this day had John’s best interests at heart. They also had their own best interests at heart at every turn because this was the ticket for everybody,” he told Ovies. “I just remember at the end of it being like, I’ll never do this again. I’m not built for this. I have too much of a heart to be involved with something that involves so many vulnerable people.” 

As Wall was getting closer to signing with Kentucky, Jones’s radio shows were being live-streamed in the Blue Grass State. He was gaining national notoriety and getting caught in the middle of the story.

As the conversation shifted to Barnes, Jones dove into the story of how he found out Barnes turned down Duke to go to UNC and how Duke wasn’t viewed as cool by some of the recruits that eventually chose other programs back then. He called that attitude the product of a bygone era.

“I think the peak of that was 2019. I don’t think anybody can be a cool college basketball program anymore because I don’t think there’s such a thing as cool college basketball anymore. I don’t think these kids have any interest in doing it. They’d rather go do Overtime Elite stuff, which is a terrible idea. They would rather engage in those activities than be a part of a program.”

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