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Laurence Holmes: Michael Jordan’s NBC Sports Agreement Belongs in the Hall of Fame of “The Bank”

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Chicago sports radio host Laurence Holmes believes the sports world should admire the business savvy behind Michael Jordan’s arrangement with NBC Sports. During Tuesday’s edition of Spiegel and Holmes on 104.3 The Score, Holmes joked about the possibility that Jordan might already have fulfilled the entirety of his television obligations well before NBC’s NBA coverage even ends.

Holmes referenced the league’s recent decision to cancel a planned “Magic City Night” promotion tied to an Atlanta Hawks game and suggested, tongue firmly in cheek, that Jordan could contribute commentary to the cancellation by the league.

“What I would hope that Peacock would get Michael Jordan’s thoughts,” Holmes said. “Oh, wait a minute. That interview’s been in the can since November.”

Holmes delivered the line during a broader conversation about the reported financial value of Jordan’s new television agreement. The discussion highlighted the extraordinary leverage the former Chicago Bulls star still commands decades after retiring.

NBC Sports compensated Jordan for a single taped interview. Segments from the interview will air throughout the season during the network’s NBA coverage. NBC Sports play-by-play voice Mike Tirico conducted the interview with Jordan. Tirico said he understands the criticism surrounding how Jordan’s contributions were presented.

““Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not. Was it better than not having Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was,” Tirico said on The SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina in January.

The segments, which aired on NBC Sports’ return to coverage of the NBA, offered a rare look at Jordan’s perspective on the game, his business interests, and his enduring connection to basketball. Tirico described the interviews as a unique opportunity to explore Jordan’s mindset beyond the headlines and highlight his continued passion for the sport.

From Holmes’ perspective, the idea that Jordan could command a large payday for limited television involvement represents a triumph of brand power rather than something worthy of criticism. Even that limited participation, Holmes argued, demonstrates how much influence Jordan’s name still carries whenever networks attempt to build excitement around basketball programming.

“Michael Jordan obviously had to work too much for the money he made [in his basketball career],” Holmes said. “One could argue that he was underpaid as a player. This move [NBC Sports agreement] alone might get him to the hall of fame at the bank. This NBC move alone. Special dispensation to get Michael Jordan into the hall of fame at the bank.”

For Holmes, the juxtaposition between the league’s promotional controversy and Jordan’s reported television agreement highlights where NBC Sports failed to meet the moment with one of the sport’s greatest athletes.

In Holmes’ view, Jordan securing a lucrative television role with minimal obligations doesn’t raise questions about fairness. Instead, it simply reinforces the remarkable staying power of a global sports icon whose name still carries enormous value across the basketball landscape.

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New 102.7’s Mike Adam: I’ll Interview Anyone Under One Condition

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New 102.7’s Mike Adam says there’s nobody he’d refuse to sit down with for an interview — as long as he’s free to ask whatever he wants.

Adam addressed the question of whether he’d ever decline to interview someone he strongly disagrees with, and his answer was clear. He’d have no problem talking with figures like Morgan Wallen or Donald Trump, as long as he wasn’t restricted from going wherever the conversation needed to go.

“I would never turn down a good conversation and debate, a chance to learn something or teach something, or reach some kind of middle ground,” Adam said. “I feel like as a country, we need to be doing more of that.”

The veteran host acknowledged in a post on social media that total freedom in interviews is rarely a reality. “You have to work within the parameters that you’re given,” he said. But when restrictions are placed on him, he feels it reflects poorly on his credibility with listeners.

Adam pointed to a past interview with Barack Obama as an example of the kinds of conditions that can come with high-profile bookings. Before that conversation, he was asked to sign an agreement stating he’d give equal access to opposing candidates. His response? No hesitation.

“I will talk to anybody about these issues that I think are top of mind for all Americans,” he said.

For Mike Adam, staying silent on a major topic — he used racism as a specific example — isn’t something he’s willing to do. He believes his audience knows who he is, and failing to address an elephant in the room would let them down.

“If I’m muzzled in any way,” he said, “that’s a poor reflection of me, and my listeners would be let down from that.”

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WVMT Adds Stronger Simulcast on 101.3 FM

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WVMT in Burlington is adding a stronger Fm simulcast, now being heard on 101.3 FM after previously being on 96.3 FM.

Previously a country station branded as 101.3 The Wolf, the station flipped to a simulcast on 620 WVMT.

The news/talk station mostly airs a nationally syndicated lineup, featuring the likes of Brian Kilmeade, Jimmy Failla, Howie Carr, and The Ramsey Show. It does feature a local morning show from 6-9 AM, led by Dan Feliciano and Anthony Neri.

The WVMT-AM signal is a Class B, 5,000-watt station. The 96.3 FM simulcast only featured 25 watts of power and did not cover all of Burlington proper. 101.3 FM — using the call letters WCPV-FM — is licensed to nearby Essex, New York, and features a Class A, 1,000-watt signal.

With the addition of the 101.3 FM signal, 620 WVMT will also continue to be available on the previous 96.3 FM signal.

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Chris Cuomo to Anchor NewsNation Show From Israel Amid Attacks on Iran

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Chris Cuomo is on the ground in Israel, preparing to anchor his show for NewsNation from the Middle East.

Cuomo was live from Tel Aviv on Monday evening. The show will air live from the second-largest city in Israel all this week, covering the joint military action between the nation and the United States against Iran.

On Monday evening’s program, NewsNation correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera contributed to the program.

Also joining the coverage were NewsNation contributor and former FBI/CIA agent Tracy Walder, retired Army Major General Wesley Clark, and former Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH).

“The American narrative is very simple,” Chris Cuomo said on Monday evening. “The easy part is over, where our excellent American military does what nobody else can do. I heard the president today and I think he’s getting the message. I think he’s getting that he has to get out.”

“Israel has a plan, Israel has the stakes, and Israel has a level of public recognition of the same,” Cuomo later added. “They haven’t been told one thing, and then, another thing happened. They have a two-front war, and the second one is probably more vexing for them. What’s happening on their northern border and with Lebanon.”

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How Millennials Use Stablecoins as a Base Asset

Stablecoins are becoming the base asset because they function like on-chain dollars: low volatility, 24/7 availability, and broad utility across exchanges, DeFi, and payments. For many users, the workflow starts by holding value in USDT or USDC and then acting when opportunities appear, whether that’s yield, payments, or deciding when to change usdt to btc during market pullbacks or momentum shifts.

Want cash that actually moves at internet speed? USDC, USDT, and PYUSD settle in minutes on Ethereum L2s and Solana, often for cents. Need global reach? Cross-border transfers avoid the ~6% average remittance fee and multi-day delays. Prefer optionality? Park funds in stablecoins, then rotate into BTC, ETH, or tokenized T‑bills without touching banks.

The kicker: credibility is rising. Market cap tops $150B, with leading issuers holding short‑term U.S. Treasuries and cash; Circle and Tether publish reserve attestations; MiCA and NYDFS oversight tighten standards. And you can earn on-chain—money markets, tokenized T‑bills, or BlackRock’s BUIDL—turning “cash” into productive dry powder.

Risks? Depegs, issuer blacklists, regulatory shifts, and smart contract bugs. Manage with diversification, reputable issuers, and self-custody hygiene.

Freedom to move. Optionality to act. Cash that works globally now.

What are stablecoins like USDC, USDT, and DAI, and how do they differ?

Stablecoins are the cash layer of crypto—designed to hold $1 value so you can move fast without riding Bitcoin’s swings.

USDC and USDT: fiat-backed. Issuers (Circle for USDC, Tether for USDT) hold reserves like U.S. Treasury bills and cash to redeem 1:1. Want predictability and easy off-ramps? These dominate liquidity. But trust is centralized: blacklisting is possible, and you rely on reserves and attestations. USDC shares monthly attestations; USDT’s disclosures have improved but face ongoing skepticism.

DAI: crypto-collateralized via MakerDAO. It’s overcollateralized with assets like ETH and tokenized Treasuries. More on-chain transparency and partial censorship resistance. Trade-off? Potential depeg risk in stress, and governance can shift collateral mixes.

What about “algorithmic” stables? Hard pass for most—see Terra/UST’s collapse.

Use-cases: parking dry powder, cross-border payments, DeFi yield tied to T-bill rates, and lower fees than wires. Question to ask yourself: do you want bank-like convenience or protocol-level autonomy?

How do stablecoin mechanics and reserves protect your cash runway?

Robust reserve design and redemption mechanics keep stablecoins liquid at $1, helping your cash runway survive volatility and settlement delays.

Worried about a crash week eating your operating cash? Fiat‑backed coins like USDC hold short‑duration U.S. Treasuries and cash in ring‑fenced accounts, with 1:1 redemption and daily attestations. That means quick exits, not fire sales. Prefer autonomy over bank hours? On‑chain transfers settle in minutes, 24/7, so invoices clear fast and payroll isn’t hostage to weekend wires.

Ask the hard question: what’s actually behind the peg? Look for segregated reserves at regulated custodians, T‑bill ladders, and audited reports; avoid algorithmic pegs or murky commercial paper. Depeg risk? It happens—track secondary market liquidity, redemption windows, and issuer concentration. Counterparty risk? Reduce it by diversifying across issuers (e.g., USDC, PYUSD) and chains.

Bonus: Treasury yields flow to the issuer, not you, but the peg stability can beat checking accounts abroad, cut remittance fees, and lower the carbon footprint versus repeated international wire hops.

Where can Millennials park stablecoins for yield without outsized risk?

Park stablecoins where collateral is real, transparent, and short-duration: tokenized T‑bills and blue‑chip on‑chain money markets over promo rates and opaque CeFi.

Prefer:

  • Tokenized Treasuries: BlackRock BUIDL, Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (BENJI), Ondo OUSG, Backed BUIDL/BUIDL-like notes. Yield tracks T‑bills with regulated custodians and daily NAV. Want boring? This is it.
  • MakerDAO’s DAI Savings Rate (DSR): historically competitive with Fed funds; paid from overcollateralized reserves and real‑world asset income. Variable, but transparent.
  • Aave/Compound USDC/DAI markets: blue‑chip, high liquidity, conservative risk frameworks. APY flexes with utilization; avoid degen long‑tail pools.

Questions to ask before depositing:

  • What backs the yield—T‑bills or leverage?
  • Who holds assets—qualified custodian or a “trust me” exchange?
  • Can I exit daily without gates?
  • Smart‑contract audits? Bug bounties? Optional cover (e.g., Nexus Mutual)?

Skip: unregistered “earn” programs, rehypothecation black boxes, and double‑digit APYs. Independence is sleeping at night while your cash earns.

How are stablecoins used as a base asset for investing and payments?

Stablecoins are the cash layer of crypto—your base asset for both investing and payments.

  • Park dry powder in USDC or USDT to sidestep volatility while staying “on-chain.” Ready to deploy into BTC, ETH, or tokenized assets in seconds.
  • Trade pairs on DEXs are mostly against stablecoins. Tight spreads. Clear PnL. No guessing in volatile quote assets.
  • Automate DCA and limit orders denominated in USDC. Why wait on bank transfers when markets move 24/7?
  • Earn conservative yield routes: on-chain T‑bill products and money‑market wrappers mirror U.S. T‑bill rates (~5% in 2024). Prefer audited, transparent issuers. Be skeptical of “high APY” farming.
  • Pay or get paid globally with near‑instant settlement and low fees. Think freelancers, remote teams, and remittances. Stripe, Coinbase, and PayPal (PYUSD) already support stablecoin rails.
  • Social angle: cheaper cross‑border payments help families keep more of what they earn. Lower energy chains make this efficient.
  • Risks are real: depegs (remember USDC during SVB), issuer and blacklist risk, smart‑contract bugs, and shifting regulation. Not FDIC insured. Diversify issuers and chains.

What tools and platforms make stablecoin workflows efficient?

Build a lean stack: fast on/off-ramps, low-fee chains, secure wallets, plus automation and accounting. That’s efficiency.

Which ramp gets fiat in/out without drama? Circle and Coinbase (incl. Coinbase Commerce), plus Ramp Network, MoonPay, and Stripe’s crypto onramp cover most cards and geos. Need cheap, quick transfers? USDC on Solana, Base, or Polygon; Stellar and Tron are popular for remittance costs. Prefer custody? Fireblocks, Anchorage, or BitGo. Self-custody? Safe (Gnosis Safe) multisig, Ledger, or Coinbase Wallet.

Automate payouts and payroll with Request Finance, BitWage, Sablier or Streamflow (streaming/vesting). Park treasuries with DAI’s DSR, Aave/Compound, or tokenized T‑Bills like Ondo USDY—know smart-contract and issuer risk. Track it all with Cryptio, Ledgible, CoinTracker, or Koinly; stay compliant via Chainalysis or TRM Labs.

Want greener rails? PoS networks cut energy. Want freedom from bank hours? This runs 24/7.

How do regulations and taxes impact stablecoin safety and returns?

Regulation boosts safety but often compresses yield and adds tax friction.

Want fewer depeg surprises? NYDFS rules require 1:1 cash/T‑bill reserves, monthly attestations, and T+2 redemptions—why USDC looks boring, and that’s good. MiCA in the EU enforces reserve and disclosure standards too, but may curb interest on e‑money tokens, shrinking returns. The trade-off: transparency over turbo yield.

Comfortable with blacklist risk? OFAC sanctions and FATF Travel Rule mean USDC/USDT can freeze flagged addresses. Safer system, less censorship resistance. Your call.

Chasing APY? Expect the SEC to scrutinize interest-bearing products; yields get rebranded or geo-fenced. Lower risk, lower reward.

Taxes bite. Stablecoin interest and rewards are ordinary income (think 1099). Every spend or swap can trigger capital gains—even at $1.00. Keep meticulous basis logs, deduct gas where eligible, and budget state taxes. Prefer greener rails? Most stablecoin volume rides PoS chains—lower footprint, faster settlement.

Lauren Shehadi Reportedly Lands MLB Sideline Reporter Role With Netflix

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Lauren Shehadi will add another high-profile assignment to an already packed schedule this year, as the MLB Network host has secured the sideline reporter role for Netflix’s first venture into live Major League Baseball coverage.

According to Front Office Sports, Shehadi is expected to patrol the sidelines when Netflix launches its MLB package with an Opening Night matchup between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants on March 25 at Oracle Park.

In addition to the season-opening broadcast, FOS is reporting that Shehadi will also contribute to the streamer’s coverage of the 2026 Home Run Derby and the league’s Field of Dreams Game, giving Netflix an experienced voice as the company begins expanding deeper into live sports programming.

The assignment further elevates Shehadi’s visibility across multiple networks and properties, as the veteran broadcaster already maintains a demanding schedule spanning MLB Network, TNT Sports and TBS throughout the baseball and college basketball calendars.

Major League Baseball announced their new media rights agreement with Netflix in November.

During the regular baseball season, Shehadi serves as co-host of MLB Network’s flagship morning program MLB Central alongside former World Series champion Mark DeRosa and veteran broadcaster Robert Flores.

The daily studio show has developed a strong reputation among baseball fans and industry observers alike, earning a nomination last year for the Sports Emmy Award honoring Outstanding Daily Studio Show. Beyond her duties on MLB Central, Shehadi frequently contributes to MLB Network’s event coverage while also appearing on the network’s weekday morning program Hot Stove, which focuses on offseason news and league developments.

Later this month, Shehadi will appear as part of TNT Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, joining a broadcast team that includes play-by-play voice Kevin Harlan along with analysts Stan Van Gundy and Robbie Hummel. Once the MLB postseason arrives, Shehadi typically transitions to TBS, where she contributes as both a field reporter and studio host during the network’s playoff broadcasts.

MLB Network will co-produce the Opening Night broadcast with Netflix as part of the streamer’s three-year, $150 million agreement with Major League Baseball. The deal grants Netflix exclusive streaming rights to the season-opening showcase, the Home Run Derby and additional special events, including the Field of Dreams Game.

Netflix has previously collaborated with MLB on Emmy Award-winning documentaries including The Turnaround and The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox, as well as the eight-part docuseries The Clubhouse. It now adds marquee live events to its more than 90 million U.S. and Canadian subscribers and over 300 million globally.

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ESPN’s Omar Raja To Host ABC Oscar’s Pre-Show Following NBA Coverage

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ABC will attempt to keep sports fans tuned in Sunday afternoon when its NBA coverage gives way to the network’s Oscars pre-show, leaning on ESPN digital personality Omar Raja to help bridge the transition between live sports and Hollywood’s biggest night.

Raja, who built a massive following through his House of Highlights social media brand before joining ESPN in 2020, will appear during the first 30 minutes of ABC’s On the Red Carpet at the Oscars.

According to reporting by Variety, the segment aims to blend sports conversation with broader pop culture topics while encouraging viewers who tuned in for basketball to stay with the broadcast as the Academy Awards festivities begin.

Network executives view the crossover as a strategic opportunity to connect two massive audiences that often intersect in the social media era, particularly as sports personalities increasingly drive digital conversation beyond traditional game coverage.

“We’re trying to take part of that sports audience and keep them engaged by mixing sports and culture,” Raja said of the concept to Variety. Raja’s segments will lean heavily on the same conversational style that built his following online. He regularly invites fans to submit opinions and hot takes through social media, which he then highlights or debates in short-form videos and posts designed to spark wider engagement.

Those submissions frequently extend well beyond sports.

“I get every kind of take you could imagine,” Raja said. “One person might say Pop-Tarts are the most underrated snack ever, while someone else argues popcorn is completely overrated. The conversations go way beyond sports.”

ABC’s early Oscars coverage will also feature ABC News personalities Linsey Davis, Whit Johnson and Lara Spencer, along with veteran sports and entertainment journalist Chris Connelly. Raja contributed briefly during last year’s pre-show, though his expanded role signals Disney’s continued effort to integrate sports storytelling with entertainment programming.

Adrianne Anderson, ABC’s senior vice president of content development, said Raja’s background made him a logical choice to connect those audiences.

“As one of ESPN’s leading digital voices, Omar brings a perspective that naturally links NBA coverage on ABC with the excitement surrounding the Oscars red carpet,” Anderson said.

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Don La Greca Regrets Not Fighting More To Have Name Represented on ‘Michael Kay Show’ Branding

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For more than two decades, Don La Greca served as a prominent voice on afternoons at ESPN New York, helping shape one of the most recognizable sports talk programs in the nation’s largest media market. Even so, the longtime broadcaster recently admitted that one lingering professional regret still stands out when he reflects on those years behind the microphone.

During an appearance on BT Unleashed, La Greca acknowledged that he wishes he had pushed harder to have his name incorporated into the branding of The Michael Kay Show, a program he co-hosted for many years alongside Michael Kay.

La Greca said he raised the idea with management at various points during the show’s run. The conversations never produced a tangible change. Looking back, he believes he should have advocated more strongly for recognition. He felt it should reflect his role in building the program’s identity and daily rhythm.

“Not enough,” La Greca said when asked whether he pushed for the adjustment. “One of the biggest regrets. I brought it up, but I should have been more aggressive about it. I felt like I got jerked around a lot. Because I would go to management and they’d go ‘yeah, that’s a good point Don. We should do something about it.’ Then nothing would ever get done about it.”

La Greca noted that he also spoke with Kay about the possibility of altering the show’s title, though he said those discussions ultimately ended without progress.

“Michael [Kay] would say his hands were tied. They [station management] don’t want to change the name of the show,” La Greca said. “It just never happened, and I should have been more aggressive. I should have put my foot down.”

Despite those frustrations, La Greca acknowledged that his reluctance to escalate the issue stemmed largely from a desire to preserve the success and chemistry the show had developed over time.

“I was very happy to be a part of the show,” he said. “The show was doing well, and I didn’t want to make it about me and disrupt anything.”

Still, the veteran host explained that the lack of recognition in the title stood out to him because of how uncommon that structure is across sports talk radio.

“There’s no other show in the country where there’s a co-host whose name isn’t on the show,” La Greca said. “That’s always the way it was, and anybody else was always the sidekick or the update guy that talked.”

Even while expressing disappointment about the branding decision, La Greca emphasized that he holds deep appreciation for Kay’s role in helping him secure and grow into the position.

“I would not have been a co-host if it wasn’t for Michael Kay,” La Greca said. “Michael talking to me, having confidence in me. Michael Kay fighting for me when Bristol didn’t think I was the right fit.”

Ultimately, La Greca framed the reflection as a personal evaluation rather than a criticism of the colleague who helped elevate his career.

“He fought for me,” La Greca said. “So this isn’t about Michael.”

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Lisa Dent Sets Return Date to WGN Radio Following Medical Absence

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Following a leave of absence for a medical issue, WGN Radio afternoon host Lisa Dent has announced plans to return to the station.

Earlier this year, Dent shared that she fell at her home, crashing through a “sea of broken glass” in her bathroom in the process. It was later determined that she would need a total shoulder replacement following the injuries suffered in the fall. Doctors at Northwestern University had told her she had suffered a “devastating injury” in the situation.

Following weeks off, Lisa Dent has shared that she’ll return to afternoon drive on WGN Radio on Monday, March 16th.

In a post on social media, she shared her excitement to get back to work following her injury and rehabilitation.

“I’ve missed the conversations, the laughs, the stories, but most of all, I’ve missed all of you,” said Dent. “Thank you for every message, prayer, positive thought, and bit of encouragement along the way. Your kindness meant everything while I was healing. I can’t wait to get back behind the mic and do what I love most.”

Lisa Dent recently earned 14th place in the Barrett Media Top 20 Major Market News/Talk Radio Afternoon Shows voting.

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AM/FM Radio Reaches New In-Car Usage Highs, Edison Research Data Shows

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AM/FM Radio listening in vehicles has been a longstanding relationship. But new data from Edison Research shows just how prevalent the usage is.

According to the latest Share of Ear Study data, 53% of all AM/FM radio listening in 2025 happened in cars. That set a new high mark since the study began.

In 2015, that figure was at 42%. In that decade, the figure rose 25%. The 53% mark is a significant increase compared to the lows of 41% and 43% during the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022.

When broken down by demographics, the figure for in-car listening rises to 63% in the Persons 18-34 demo, 58% in the 18-49 demo, and 57% in 25-54.

Of all ad-supported in-car listening, 83% is spent with AM/FM radio. The next closest competitor is podcasts, which rests at 8%. Ad-supported SiriusXM (4%), Ad-supported Spotify (3%), Ad-supported Pandora (2%), and Ad-supported YouTube Music (1%) account for the other percentages of usages.

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