NBA superstar LeBron James caused a stir in sports media this week following some comments he made about “ring culture” on his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash. The Lakers forward criticized the discourse around the topic, saying that a ring is a “team accomplishment” and pushing back on the idea that any individual player’s greatness is measured by how many titles he won. These comments made their rounds on social media, as many believe the conversation is pointed at certain individuals who frequently contribute to the narrative of “ring culture.”
Meanwhile, former NFL running back Fred Taylor, who co-hosts The Pivot podcast with Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder, said on a recent episode that he can’t defend James’ critique of the discourse, arguing that it’s not relevant.
“I can’t defend it. It’s so multi layered. It’s one of those conversations that is never ending,” said Taylor. “Why is the conversation so relevant? It’s sort of an irrelevant thing, but it’s a great debate, right? But it’s kind of irrelevant, in a sense, because that conversation is just going and it’s dry and it’s unless you just love sports, it’s something for you to always come back to.”
Furthermore, Taylor compared the conversation about ring culture to the debate about the greatest of all time, noting that both are inherently biased. He said that in the sport of basketball, you can often narrow success down to a few players on a roster elevating greatness, which makes it easier to lead to championships.
“I really can’t defend LeBron’s comments,” said Taylor. “It comes across as hypocritical because of the actions that have followed him throughout his career, and I don’t even know why it’s even an important conversation?”
In response, Clark attempted to explain Taylor’s perspective by suggesting that the conversation itself stems from LeBron James’ insecurity about his legacy.
“LeBron James has a level of insecurity with people believing about him what he wants them to believe about him,” said Clark. “That conversation was purely about the G.O.A.T., his claim to it, and what he feels may keep him from having to claim it.”
Additionally, Crowder added to the conversation by saying he feels James is chasing a “ghost” that he will never catch in Michael Jordan.
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Casey Atkins has officially been named Operations Manager for Allegany Communications in Cumberland, Maryland. The move marks a new chapter in Atkins’ broadcasting career, and a return to WVRC Media.
In announcing the news on his Facebook account, Atkins reflected on overcoming a recent setback and reaffirming his passion for the radio industry.
“Even after facing one of the biggest setbacks of my young life last month, I knew in my heart I wasn’t done with radio — and it looks like radio isn’t done with me either,” shared Atkins. “I’m so honored to come back to WVRC Media. I can’t wait to work with a whole new team of high-class air talent and sales superstars in this new season of my career.”
Atkins previously hosted afternoons and served as APD for Beasley Media’s WKML in Fayetteville, NC. Prior to that two-year stint, he spent five years in Charleston, WV at WKWS. Additionally, he has worked in Raleigh for WQDR.
To congratulate Casey on his new opportunity, reach him here.
FS1 host Nick Wright reignited his media beef with Pablo Torre this week when he appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and played an edited clip of Torre mentioning journalism awards in his podcast appearance with Bill Simmons. On top of that, he conveyed that Torre is fascinated with Larsa Pippen but has nothing against her, using such context to outline his relationship with the Meadowlark Media personality. Torre had not seen the clip from the guest appearance with Le Batard, and he reacted to it in real time on the latest edition of Pablo Torre Finds Out alongside Mina Kimes.
Within the clip, Wright spoke about how he was reading another profile of Torre in New York Magazine, ostensibly implying a sense of fatigue. Kimes told him that Wright “got your a**,” and he proceeded to address the matter by reflecting on recent events as he garnered augmented attention from his reporting on Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. Torre had a separate disputation with Bill Simmons of The Ringer; however, he appeared on his show and explained his perspectives upon learning of criticism to his reporting during the Peabody Awards in Los Angeles, Calif.
“It has come to my attention that in my attempt to reestablish what had been called into question, which is my journalistic credibility in general, I maybe overdid it, so sniped,” Torre said. “Sniped.”
Kimes divulged that she was recently participating in a panel and was asked if she really hates Wright. Tying into the primary topic of the program, which was to review the dichotomy between fact and fiction evinced on the HBO series The Rehearsal, she was somewhat surprised of the narrative being considered as the veritable truth. Kimes articulated that she really likes Wright and that he is a friend, and Torre subsequently followed up by providing his own viewpoint on the situation.
“It’s hard to tell, it’s hard for me to tell,” Torre said. “Is Nick Wright still banned from PTFO? I think the answer must be ‘Yes,’ and also, ‘Does Nick Wright have something in common with Larsa Pippen?’ I would say, ‘Yes.’ Yeah, I would say they’re both almost clinically obsessed with Michael Jordan. That seems to be – that seems to be a throughline, so yeah, f**k you Nick Wright.”
Kimes suggested that Torre should partake in a few rehearsals of going after Wright, and while she explained her allegiance to “Team Pablo” in this situation, she believes that he got him in this situation. Later in the episode, he admitted that he needs to workshop the metaphor surrounding Wright and tried to draw a succinct conclusion encapsulating what has ultimately transpired in this instance.
“I just think that Nick Wright and I are both jealous of people who are more ambitious and more creative than us, and that’s how I feel about The Rehearsal, and that’s clearly how he feels about this show,” Torre said. “So the ultimate compliment – the ultimate compliment is that I want to be more like The Rehearsal, I think.”
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Earlier this week, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith made comments about why NBA players have told him they would prefer not to play in the city of Memphis. On Tuesday’s episode of First Take, guest analyst Markieff Morris asked Smith why he thought players preferred to avoid the city. In response, Smith said players have told him it’s not the safest environment and that local authorities need to “clean some of that stuff up.”
Subsequently, Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports brought up the comments on hisMostly Sports with Mark Titus and Brandon Walker podcast Thursday and joked that Smith has appointed himself “God” with his comments about the city of Memphis. As a result, this led to Titus taking aim at the overabundance of Smith on ESPN during the NBA Finals.
“I would have zero problem with anything Stephen A. Smith is saying or doing if he wasn’t on the NBA Finals broadcast,” said Titus. “You try to avoid this Stephen A. bulls**t. You know what I want to do. I love basketball, so I want to watch the two best basketball teams compete for the highest honor in professional basketball.”
Titus, a former basketball player at Ohio State, clarified that his only gripe isn’t that Smith shares opinions about the sport of basketball. Rather, he believes ESPN is making a mistake by placing Smith in his role with the NBA Finals.
“ESPN has appointed him to be one of the voices you hear when you tune into the NBA Finals, that’s the only problem,” said Titus. “If you choose to do that, you are going to get Stephen A in your face. Like Godd**n! This guy’s awful. I almost forget it, because I don’t watch all the other s**t he does.”
Furthermore, Titus agreed when questioned if he feels that Smith goes after NBA players, calling some of the comments made by Smith “threatening.”
In the aftermath of the backlash, Smith has since apologized for his comments if anyone took offense to his stance on the city of Memphis. Additionally, he has accepted an offer by the Mayor of Memphis to visit the city.
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Jimmy Brooks is the Program Director of Country 100.7 The Tiger in Baton Rouge, LA. Home to LSU, summer takes on a special feel in the region, and Brooks creates a summer sound for this station.
“Summer has a feeling. There’s no other place like Louisiana. Our program is a soundtrack for the feeling. The playlist and all the clocks are curated differently to reflect the energy of summer down here in the south.”
“When people are heading out on the boat or they’re hanging out by their pool, or gearing up for a crab or crawfish boil. They want the music that fits that moment. I load up on other high-energy songs I don’t typically play throughout the year.”
“Like the feel-good Country hits. I throw in some more ’90s titles. I play ’90s every day anyway, but there are some titles that are just more of a fit for summer. That screams summer. When people hear them, they turn up the radio, and they don’t leave.
“I believe that the classic summer anthems, your Margaritaville and Jimmy Buffett type of anthems, just bring back good memories. They make people feel good. I’m always just looking ahead.”
Brooks and I agree on the early contender for the song of the summer.
“We do local call out. I know that song of the summer so far is “Bottle Rockets,” Scotty McCreery and Hootie and the Blowfish. The first time I heard it, I said it’s going into a medium right away. It’s not even tested yet, but it is doing so good for us. It just sounds so good on the radio. Yeah, it’s just such a cool song.
That summer stationality extends to imaging and jingles.
“It’s a total summer vibe. I’ve already started updating the imaging with summer stuff. I refresh all the promos. They’re more upbeat. I’ve got some jingles that only run in the summer. Just summer-centric language, if you will. Sound effects that really transport our listeners to a perfect summer day.”
“Whether they’re in the car, they’re on the patio, by the pool, it’s not just about sounding good. It’s about an experience, really. When they turn on the radio, I want to let our listeners know that we’re right there with them. We’re celebrating the best time of the year, and that’s summer down here in South Louisiana.”
That also means staying on top of the message the station is sending.
“You cannot let a radio station autopilot in the summer, especially in Baton Rouge. You just can’t do it. If it’s raining outside, and people are canceling a barbecue or a pool party or something, the last thing they want to hear is some red-hot summer booming imaging on the Tiger.”
Summer will get a nice bow put on it when The Tiger ties its Last Chance Summer Dance to the first LSU football game in August.
“We’re announcing next week. We have a big headliner with two supporters opening up for him. We’ll have the game on in the venue. We have food trucks that will be out there, and that’s just the way that we wrap up the summer. But I feel like with the energy, it’s always summer on the Tiger.
This year will be year two for the Last Chance Summer Dance, and Brooks knew last year that he had a hit event for The Tiger.
“Zach Top was the first headliner that we had. It sold out in a day when nobody knew who Zach Top was. Being in the Texas Club in that room with 1,500 other people, and they were singing every single song I knew, right away, it was a hit. When I was planning for this year, I knew I needed to get somebody in there who would eventually be at the same caliber as Zach is one year later, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Photo Courtesy Jimmy Brooks 100.7 The Tiger
Does Brooks have any tips for generating summer revenue with all that is happening in the area?
“We’ve been blessed because there’s a giant festival that is coming on October 31st, and right now we are putting packages together. It’s a two-day festival called Boots on the Bayou, Chris Stapleton headlines one night. Cody Johnson is headlining the other.”
“It’s two days in Gonzales, so we’ve been treating it like an NPR event. We’re selling booth space for clients. This is the biggest way this summer that we’re going to generate the most revenue that’s non-traditional.
In addition to everything else, Brooks recently learned how to build websites and created the new 1007thetiger.com and is proud of the results.
“I learned how to become a web developer and a WordPress engineer and a graphic designer all in the matter of like a week. Brittany Rose (afternoon host at 100.7 The Tiger) and I created this website. I’m so proud of it. The website’s energy reflects exactly what goes on. I’m trying to get this website sold.”
“Our digital efforts are something that is a priority around here, because we get a ton of traffic to our website.
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While the Indiana Pacers staved off elimination in the NBA Finals on Thursday night to force the series to a decisive Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, there is some uncertainty surrounding the television ratings. Through the first five games of the NBA Finals, the best-of-seven series is averaging 9.18 million viewers on ABC, which is indicative of a 19% year-over-year decline. Although viewership for Thursday’s game is not yet available, the contest ended with a 17-point victory for the Pacers and was not particularly close by halftime. Shan Shariff gave his thoughts on the series during the morning show on 105.3 The Fan, in which he explained that the Thunder season would be a complete failure if the team loses Game 7 at home.
Shariff proceeded to ask producer Bobby Belt how the ratings for the series have looked thus far, to which he affirmed that the numbers were not good. None of the first five games within the NBA Finals have passed the 10 million-viewer threshold, and the fifth game of the series was the least-watched iteration of such since 2003 when excluding the 2020 bubble. The matchup attained a total of 9.54 million viewers on ABC, and while it was the most-watched game of the series at the moment, it was still down 22% from the previous year.
“If you go to baseball, the Rangers-Diamondbacks World Series, the highest they had was 11.4 [million], that was Game 5, but other than that was 9.1 [million],” said RJ Choppy, co-host of the show. “Last year, the lowest was 13 million – 13 million. In the previous year, the lowest for baseball was 10.7 [million], so we are talking about being off the pace. This is bad, this is bad.”
In the preceding three years, the NBA Finals averaged more than 10 million viewers per series, and the trend continues going back to 2008 excluding the seasons directly impacted by the global pandemic (2020, 2021). For the last instance in which the NBA Finals reached a seventh game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in 2016, the game averaged 31.02 million viewers on ABC. As a whole, the series finished with 20.28 million viewers, marking the most-viewed NBA Finals since 1998 when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz in six games.
“Well people have been missing out in my opinion,” Shariff said of the NBA Finals. “This is probably because I am betting every which way possible… but it’s been a fun Finals, it’s been a good Finals. Much better than the Stanley Cup Final, which I thought was going to be much better than the NBA one.”
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May was a momentous month for Fox News Digital, as the network saw its second-best month ever with total digital multiplatform unique visitors during the month.
More than 134 million unique visitors hit Fox News on its wide array of digital platforms during the month. More than 3.8 billion total multiplatform minutes were secured during the month, representing an 18% increase over the same month in 2024.
In total, Fox News Digital racked up 1.8 billion multiplatform views during the month, marking the 13th consecutive month it held the top spot for news brands. It also marked the 51st consecutive month atop the multiplatform minutes rankings.
More than 6 million users consumed content from the brand on its mobile app during the month.
On YouTube alone, the network saw 362 million video views. That figure is a 98% increase compared to May 2024. In its first month on the platform, the Fox News Clips channel earned nearly 30 million views, according to Emplifi.
FoxBusiness.com also featured 218 million multiplatform minutes in May. That was good for fifth place in the business category. The business network saw 125 million multiplatform views and 21.7 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors in the month.
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After 42 years with WBBM, Craig Dellimore is calling it a career as he retires from the Audacy Chicago all-news station on Friday.
Dellimore has served as the Political Director of the station since 2001, as well as the host of At Issue during his long, illustrious career in the Windy City.
In addition to his long tenure at WBBM, Craig Dellimore also previously worked at WCBS 880 in New York, as well as at the Associated Press Radio Network in Washington, D.C.
During an interview with CBS News Chicago, Dellimore noted that one of the biggest changes in journalism during his long career has been the sheer number of people who previously featured political coverage. But that has dwindled in recent years.
“At one point, it was burgeoning. The City Hall press room was packed with people,” he said. “Now there aren’t that many of us, but it’s a tight-knit group.”
Many Chicago news media, WBBM, and political figures shared their well wishes for Dellimore as he rides off into the sunset.
Today we salute the senior Craig of the City Hall press corps @CraigDellimore at his last Tuesday mayoral press conference. We all wish him well in his upcoming retirement. He was always the kind, classy professional that makes us proud to call him a friend and colleague. pic.twitter.com/Yac6ya2krX
Congratulations to the Dean of City Hall reporters – @CraigDellimore – on an historic and illustrious career! I’m proud to call him a colleague and friend, one of the most engaging and friendly human beings you could ever meet, and his presence on the beat will be dearly missed. https://t.co/wvvrLIaAog
What an outstanding journalist and person! Always with a smile when we pass by his office. Always with a thoughtful and professional comment/question at the pressers. We will miss your beautiful voice, @CraigDellimore. I hope retirement is as smooth and wonderful as you are! https://t.co/shfijY0KUw
.@CraigDellimore is a great journalist and consummate gentleman. Learned a lot from his show and questions. Honored to be a friend. https://t.co/EUNNcDWb3K
Congratulations to journalism legend and radio extraordinaire @CraigDellimore on your retirement! It was a pleasure to get to know you and a dream come true to be honored alongside you. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/G15ts7iSrN
The man, myth and now retired legend @CraigDellimore! The newsroom will not be the same without you! God bless you & your wife on your next chapter! pic.twitter.com/OaYAU3Xrfm
Congrats to colleague @CraigDellimore on his stellar 42 years covering politics and more for WBBM Radio. It was great talking to him about his Chicago career on @cbschicago today. Happy retirement! @TVTye pic.twitter.com/Ap21tV88NQ
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The FS1 afternoon program First Things First initially started airing in 2017, albeit in mornings, and over time, it has steadily built its following on YouTube. Yet amid these NBA Playoffs, co-host Nick Wright declared that they would shut down the channel if it did not hit 1 million subscribers before the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Entering the Thursday episode of the show, First Things First had over 998,000 subscribers, and there was a legitimate chance the Oklahoma City Thunder could have closed out the best-of-seven series over the Indiana Pacers. As a result, Wright took to X and implored his followers to subscribe to the channel, and if they were already subscribers, to tell a friend to do the same.
Show co-host Chris Broussard also shared a message on X in which he claimed that Wright was under duress. With this organic promotion of the channel, the show gained approximately 2,000 subscribers to reach its goal. The final countdown leading up to this momentous occasion took place live on the air as the audience viewed a subscription ticker that slowly increased to the targeted threshold.
“It’s going to hit,” Wright said. “Brou, your Twitter is a powerful beast.”
As the show reached 1 million YouTube subscribers, Wright and Broussard fired confetti and a duo of royal trumpeters entered the studio in jubilation. Co-host Kevin Wildes acknowledged that there were several other programs with whom First Things First considers itself peers that have millions of followers, expressing that it felt “a little junior varsity” to have this scale of a celebration for this milestone. Wright, however, maintained his cheerfulness and exclaimed that the show was already on the march to 2 million subscribers.
“I’m on the march to 406 [million] – MrBeast,” Wildes said. Although Wright affirmed that was not happening, Wildes refused to take such an answer and continued to believe that the program could surpass the content creator.
“Beast – I’m still locked in, and I dropped the ‘Mr,’” Wildes concluded.
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NewsNation has announced plans for a weekend special featuring longtime television journalist John Stossel.
Airing on Sunday at 7 PM ET, John Stossel: Give Me Liberty! will feature the former ABC News correspondent’s thoughts on President Donald Trump’s second term, in addition to how Stossel’s libertarian political views are represented in the administration.
“He’s an arrogant bully, but I love it that he’s changing the way things were,” Stossel said of Trump and his condemnation of public and private universities.
“America is what America is because everybody has a right to speak and say things that may be stupid or sometimes hurtful,” added Stossel. “It’s important that we have that right, and where Trump implies he’s going to cut off the money, well we shouldn’t be giving them the money in the first place.”
Included in the NewsNation special is Stossel revisiting his infamous 1984 exposé on professional wrestling on 20/20. The journalist was assaulted by wrestler David Schultz. He stated he had pain and buzzing in his ear for eight weeks after the incident, and later received a settlement of $425,000.
The comments from John Stossel are tied to former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, now serving as the Secretary of the Department of Education.
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