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Ratings Roundup: Newsmax Sees Largest Jump as Every Network Scores Double-Digit Spike

Garrett Searight
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Ratings Roundup: Newsmax Sees Largest Jump as Every Network Scores Double-Digit Spike

The Lead

Every cable news network — from Newsmax to Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and NewsNation — saw a double-digit uptick in viewership in primetime during the week of June 9th. No one saw a higher jump than Newsmax, however.

Fox News continued to lead the cable news ratings — and all of cable television for that matter — during the week. In primetime, it averaged 3.2 million viewers. That marked the first time since the week of March 3rd that the network earned more than 3 million viewers in primetime. For the week, Fox News saw its primetime audience grow by 25%, while its finish with the key Adults 25-54 demographic, with 406,000 viewers, was up 58% compared to the previous week.

Newsmax saw the highest increase in primetime viewership for the week. The network finished with 295,000 total viewers in the window, a 42% increase compared to the previous week. Additionally, Newsmax saw an increase of 108% in the key demographic during the week.

MSNBC averaged 1.1 million viewers in primetime, a 15% increase compared to the previous week. It also marked the first time the network earned more than 1 million total viewers in primetime since the week of April 28th.

After seeing a string of its lowest performances of the year, with the network dropping below 400,000 total viewers in primetime, CNN saw a strong bounceback during the first two weeks of June. After nearly doubling its audience between May 26th and June 2nd, CNN saw its best finish of 2025 with 775,000 total viewers in primetime. That figure represents a 25% increase compared to the previous week.

Additionally, CNN equaled its best performance of the year in the Adults 25-54 demographic, reaching 167,000 viewers on average. It also reached the same figure during the week of March 3rd.

NewsNation saw an increase of just under 30% during the week of June 9th. During the primetime window, it averaged 146,000 total viewers. It also doubled its audience for the previous week in the key demographic, up to 18,000 viewers.

NBC Nightly News Bounces Back in Tom Llamas’ 2nd Week

In the first week of Tom Llamas’ tenure leading NBC Nightly News, the program saw a slight decline, dropping by just under 5% compared to the final week of Lester Holt’s era leading the newscast.

During Llamas’ second week, however, ratings returned to where they were during the final days of Holt’s tenure.

For the week of June 9th, NBC Nightly News averaged 5.7 million viewers, up from the 5.4 million it saw during Llamas’ first week. While it didn’t completely recapture its previous audience, it earned back just under 4% of what it lost in the transition.

The gains were especially noticeable in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic. During Llamas’ first week, the broadcast averaged 771,000 viewers from that sector. In the second week, that figure rose nearly 10% to 844,000 viewers in the key demo.

All three network newscasts saw bumps from the previous week. The news was especially positive for CBS Evening News, which eclipsed more than 4 million viewers for the first week since March 24th. It saw a 6.5% increase in viewership between June 2nd and June 9th, finishing with 4.2 million viewers for the week. That result marked the highest performance for the nightly newscast since the week President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress in a quasi-State of the Union speech.

Meanwhile, ABC News remained on top of the nightly newscast ratings. World News Tonight saw a 4% uptick in viewership during the week of June 9th, up to 7.2 million. It also eclipsed 1 million viewers in the key demographic for the first time since the week of April 21st. NBC News averaged 844,000 viewers in the Adults 25-54 demographic for the week, while CBS News earned 547,000.

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A.J. Pierzynski: MLB Missed Opportunity to Showcase Skenes vs Skubal in Primetime

BSM Staff
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A.J. Pierzynski: MLB Missed Opportunity to Showcase Skenes vs Skubal in Primetime

Due to rain in the Detroit metropolitan area on Wednesday night, the previously scheduled matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park was postponed. To make up for the lost game, the two teams are playing a split doubleheader on Thursday with games starting at 1:10 and 5:40 p.m. EST. There was considerable anticipation around Thursday’s original matchup that would line up superstar starting pitchers Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes against one another, but the schedule change altered the probables. A.J. Pierzynski, former MLB catcher and current FOX Sports analyst, expressed his surprise that the much anticipated showdown was not going to take place.

“I understand, ‘Oh, they want to try and win one,’ but for the people,” Pierzynski said on Foul Territory Thursday afternoon. “For the people. Can Rob Manfred call them up and say, ‘Bob Nutting, can we please pitch Skenes against Skubal? Hey, A.J. Hinch, can we please make it?’ Come on, man. This is a matchup everybody in the world – make it the 7:00 game, put it on ESPN and everybody would tune in.”

Skubal is slated to pitch the first game of the day and will face Andrew Heaney, while Skenes is scheduled for the second matchup facing a Tigers pitcher to be announced. Since this matchup is an interleague game, the two teams will not be facing each other again this year unless they were to meet in the postseason. Scott Braun, the co-host of Foul Territory, stated that he would communicate the importance of such a showdown with both pitchers if he were the MLB commissioner.

“I would call Skubal and Skenes and say, ‘Hey, I know you guys get to pick when you’re pitching, but could we make this happen?,’ and I guarantee you knowing both of those pitchers that if you called them and asked them the day before, they would say ‘Yes,’” Braun explained. “Unless there’s something going on behind the scenes, some little injury or they really feel like it’s going to make a difference.”

Although former MLB catcher Erik Kratz recognized the appeal of the pitching matchup, he made the point that the Tigers virtually have a guaranteed win if the team pitches Skubal against anyone other than Skenes. Skubal is the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and sported an ERA of 1.99 entering play on Thursday. Pierzynski later affirmed that Skubal was not afraid and would have been open to the matchup, resulting in Kratz explaining that he would pitch nine innings per game if he was able.

“I bet you A.J. Hinch said, ‘Tarik, which game do you want?,’ and it just didn’t match up where Skenes got to pitch which game he wanted, and this could be settled if there was someone who’s looking at the bigger picture who makes a phone call and at least tries,” Braun conveyed. “They don’t have to make them. I’m just saying it would have been cool to give that a shot. When you look back, you don’t get these opportunities often.”

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Colin Cowherd: NBA Finals Broadcast Lacks Chemistry

BSM Staff
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Colin Cowherd: NBA Finals Broadcast Lacks Chemistry

There has been much made of the NBA’s presentation of this year’s NBA Finals. From criticisms of logos on the court to the broadcast of the starting lineups, the discussion has often centered more on the presentation than on the actual gameplay itself. Meanwhile, with viewership for the Finals struggling near all-time lows, Colin Cowherd shared his opinion on one particular aspect of the Finals presentation on ABC television that has caught his eye.

Although he’s not typically a fan of being critical of other broadcasters, Cowherd noted that he feels the biggest issue currently with the presentation of the NBA Finals is the chemistry between the broadcasters.

“Not that I’m exclusively or even primarily qualified to talk about it, but I think I’ve earned the right to talk about chemistry. Not talent, chemistry. I don’t like the chemistry on the ESPN NBA broadcast,” said Cowherd on his Colin Cowherd Podcast via The Volume. “It’s not the people, it’s the chemistry.”

This year’s NBA Finals is the first to feature Mike Breen on the call alongside Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson on ABC. Cowherd went on to note the chemistry between talents like Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, and also Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, as some of the best examples of modern-day broadcasts where chemistry—something difficult to attain—is clearly present.

“The chemistry on your show. Beyond talent, the chemistry is really what makes the show,” explained Cowherd. “Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and [Mike] Breen had remarkable chemistry. For 24 years, or however long ESPN has had the NBA, they have struggled with pregame shows, post-game shows. The perfect pairing, they had it, and then they blew it up.”

Furthermore, Cowherd believes Van Gundy’s criticisms of the NBA—and possibly the influence that former commissioner David Stern may have had over certain broadcasters—may have contributed to the issue between the league and its on-air talent. However, despite Cowherd’s view that the current chemistry isn’t meeting his standards, he does not believe broadcast crews significantly impact ratings.

“I don’t think broadcasting crews change ratings,” said Cowherd. “As the NBA moves to other networks, I am really interested to see it at Amazon and see it at NBC, because ESPN does a lot very, very well in my opinion…. I don’t think they’ve been good with the NBA. I think Mike Breen is as good as anybody including Marv Albert. I think for 20 years, and I don’t do this, I think they under produced and under delivered the NBA.”

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David Haugh: Caitlin Clark Means More to the WNBA Than Any Other Professional Athlete

BSM Staff
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David Haugh: Caitlin Clark Means More to the WNBA Than Any Other Professional Athlete

Earlier in the week, Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark was involved in multiple scuffles in a game within the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup in-season competition. While Clark and the Indiana Fever secured a 17-point victory over the Connecticut Sun, it did not come without her being the subject of stringent defensive play and hard fouls. The occurrence was a topic of conversation between Mike Mulligan and David Haugh on 670 The Score this Thursday morning ahead of an interview with USA TODAY sports columnist Christine Brennan, who recently wrote a book about Clark and her impact on women’s sports.

Haugh characterized this instance as one of the byproducts surrounding the Clark phenomenon, and while he does not perceive it as being difficult to understand, he acknowledges potential challenges surrounding its comprehension. The fact that there seems to be substantial animosity towards her harbored by other contemporaries is something he feels has to be born from jealousy.

Earlier in the season, Clark missed five games with a quad injury, and according to Nielsen Media Research data cited within a USA TODAY article by Jeff Zillgitt, national television ratings for the league were down 55% since that time. Upon her return against the New York Liberty, ABC garnered its third most-watched ESPN WNBA game to ever air on the network with an average of 2.2 million viewers.

“The reality is that you just have to look at the numbers, and there’s no other player in professional sports who means as much to his or her league than Caitlin Clark means to the WNBA in terms of interest and television ratings, which creates revenue,” Haugh said. “…I mean, you can go through the leagues. Show me somebody who has more at stake when they’re on the court or on the field and creates a bigger disparity when they’re gone in terms of interest and viewership.”

Haugh claimed that Clark is “good for sports,” pointing out the aforementioned television ratings and questioning what the problem is surrounding the game that is looking to become more popular. Twenty-two WNBA regular-season games averaged more than 1 million viewers last season, a record for the league and the first instance in which a game eclipsed the threshold since 2008. Dustin Rhoades, the producer of the morning show, concurred with Haugh’s point and mentioned how there are ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

“They wanted to be treated like the men, and I understand that and I’m all for that, but when this particular one person goes out and you lose 55% of your audience, you have to be there to embrace it,” Rhoades said, “and shame on USA Basketball on the women’s side for not including her in the Olympics. That was just a dumb decision.”

Mulligan questioned the lack of sportsmanship and referenced how Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese had her hair pulled in the last game. While he admits that there are hard fouls and that players can shove one another if there is a fight, he affirmed that they cannot knock people down or take cheap shots. On top of that, he wondered why the league had not cleaned up this apparent issue heading into the new season nor immediately protected a player who helps generate strong television ratings.

“I don’t understand why we’re getting to the cheap-shot stage as quickly as we have in that league,” Mulligan said. “Has this been going on all along? Have they been playing like this? Honest to God, it’s like watching the ‘90s Pistons when the Bulls were coming up. It’s just too much. They don’t allow that in the NBA. Why are they doing it in the WNBA? Doesn’t make an ounce of sense to me, and again, why would you kill the golden goose? I don’t get that at all.”

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Former WGN Radio Program Director Lorna Gladstone Dies

BNM Staff
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Former WGN Radio Program Director Lorna Gladstone Dies

Lorna Gladstone, who once served as the Program Director of WGN Radio, has died.

Gladstone led the programming efforts of the venerable Chicago news/talk station from 1986 to 1991 after previously serving as an Executive Producer at the station.

Tributes to Gladstone poured into social media after her death was announced.

“RIP and thanks to Lorna Gladstone, the quirky and brilliant WGN program director who decided to pair Judy Markey and me on the radio and gave us 20 of the happiest years of our lives,” former host Kathy O’Malley shared.

“Sad news Radio Programming Legend Lorna Gladstone Passed Away,” wrote Operations Director and Vice President of 670 The Score Mitch Rosen. “WGN Radio. Also innovative in Sports Radio too. Minneapolis, Detroit, and other markets. Understood the format unlike many others. Taught many along the way, myself included.”

In addition to her role at WGN Radio, Lorna Gladstone later served as the Operations Manager at WMAQ, also in Chicago. Most recently, Gladstone helmed her own consulting firm based in the Windy City as well as focusing on her work educating children in Uganda through her Educate Bwindi non-profit.

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Preston & Steve Host 20th ‘I Bleed for Preston & Steve’

BMM Staff
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Preston & Steve Host 20th ‘I Bleed for Preston & Steve’

93.3 WMMR Philadelphia’s Preston & Steve’s held their 20th annual “I Bleed for Preston & Steve” blood donor event June 12 and 13, collecting 930 units of blood, which included 74 first-time donors.

Adding these numbers brings the 20-year total to 21,999 units of blood donated—the show partners with the American Red Cross, which provides the staff and volunteers.

In a joint statement, Preston & Steve said, “As we reflect on 20 years of I Bleed for Preston & Steve, it’s clear that this is so much more than a blood drive. It’s a community coming together to make a real difference — and every pint collected represents a life potentially saved!”

Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. In addition to the morning duo, WMMR On Air Personalities Jacky Bam Bam, Pierre Robert, and Brent Porche lent their energy and spirit to help celebrate the anniversary.

Photo Courtesy WMMR

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Katie Nolan: I’m “Team Pablo Torre” in Media Beef With Bill Simmons

BSM Staff
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Katie Nolan: I’m “Team Pablo Torre” in Media Beef With Bill Simmons

Amid Pablo Torre reporting on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his relationship with Jordon Hudson, he received criticism from sports media luminary Bill Simmons. While he was appearing on his Rewatchables podcast, Simmons joked how Torre would have investigated a key member of the cast who was returning from an injury and proceeded to critique his recent work. Shortly thereafter, Torre appeared on Simmons’ podcast live from Los Angeles as he was in town to attend the Peabody Awards and squashed any perceived media beef between the longtime journalists.

Since this has transpired, there have been questions about who won amid the overtones of the situation, during which both hosts displayed decorum and cordially discussed the matter. Katie Noaln, who appeared on both episodes of Pablo Torre Finds Out as he unboxed his journalistic findings about Belichick in the studio, had told The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that Torre was doing a fantastic job with his reporting and sided with him. During the most recent episode of Torre’s podcast, he apologized to Nolan for getting her involved in the middle of this occurrence happening on the internet.

“Oh yeah, but I picked you,” Nolan said. “It wasn’t like – there was no hesitation. [Simmons] didn’t even listen to the episode. I listened to it back, and I was like, ‘Bro, come on.’”

Nolan broke down the situation to Michael Cruz Kayne, who appeared on both episodes about Belichick and Hudson as well. Within her summation, she characterized what took place as a “media fight” and subtly reminded Torre that his show did not win a Peabody award despite being nominated. Nolan explained that Torre was in Los Angeles and clarified the scope around his reporting before pointing out a key part of the episode that could have potentially diminished the impact of the critique.

“He was like, ‘Have you listened to any of the episodes that the aggregated clips are coming from that you’re referring to?,’” Nolan recalled, “and Simmons was like, ‘Well, what I’d like to talk about instead.”

“It was a scalable move by Bill,” Torre replied.

“Immediately you could see right through,” Nolan said. “It was like, ‘So no then, Bill.’”

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Countdown To Summer: Molly Cruz B96 Chicago

Jeff Lynn
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Countdown To Summer: Molly Cruz B96 Chicago

Molly Cruz is Brand Manager at Top 40 B96 Chicago. Additionally, she is Brand Manager for Top 40 103.7 KISS FM and 99.1 The Mix in Milwaukee.

In that region of the country, summer is a short season. Meaning stations have to be ready to be out with the listeners for about three months.

B96 is a legendary Top 40 station, something that is not lost on Cruz.

“It is the honor of my life to be in this position. I grew up in the Northwest suburbs, so I listened to this radio station my whole life. When the company approached me about coming here, it would have been insane for me to say no. So many people in this market also grew up on B96, but there are so many different versions of B96 that people remember.”

Let’s start by looking at the music mix in the summer. Is there an adjustment?

“Musically, we’re delivering on the brand promise across all the stations. We know that listening habits can be a little different in the summer. Families, kids, they’re out of school in the summer months, we’re just trying to take advantage of the warm weather,” said Cruz.

With a market as large as Chicago, can B96 effectively activate on the ground with listeners?

“We try to be choosy and strategic about what we do and where we do it. B96 in its heyday owned the streets. In the 2025 lens, it looks so much different. But I think the same principles and fundamentals apply to what we do today. It’s harder than ever because we’re all doing more with less, but we’re strategic about it.”

“Maybe we couldn’t get into the Chicago Pride Fest, but we were out in Aurora, one of the biggest suburbs for the second biggest pride celebration in the Chicagoland area.”

“Moug and Karla are doing several listener meetups throughout this summer, making those small but very memorable experiences with the show. Super serving their P1s is a huge priority.”

The morning show has a clever umbrella promotion that draws on a popular ‘80s movie set in Chicago.

“Moug and Karla are doing their Moog and Carla days off throughout this year. Kind of an ode to Ferris Bueller and meet and greets with listeners. They’re going to Six Flags in Gurnee with a group of listeners. They’re going to go out to another minor league baseball game next month.”

I asked Cruz to think about some of her favorite summer promotions.

“There are so many. Out in the suburbs at the start of my career. That was really where I learned how important connecting to the community was. It was like some of the hottest days of the summer. We just went to Sam’s Club and bought a bunch of Popsicles. Then we popped up with them and concert tickets, and gave them away. That was super fun. We did a huge charity event with Turning Point, which is a domestic violence shelter. And that had a huge impact.”

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dells is a highly popular vacation and weekend destination for both locals and visitors from the Midwest region. A giveaway with The Dells proved popular.

“We did this contest or this giveaway with Wisconsin Dells, where they had all these discounts.  I’ve never seen a crowd that big, and people would just sit and wait. And for hours you’d be at a grocery store, they would show up anywhere.”

How does Cruz use the summer months to help generate revenue for the stations?

“I think it’s really about building those relationships in the sales, having a really strong relationship with your sales manager and knowing the team. Knowing the people who are really passionate about selling the brand and bringing them ideas. Saying I know, back in the day, you did this, and I want to bring it back. What do you think?”

“I always try to create ideas and say, I want to do this with sales and here’s how I’ll do it without them too. I always want to present the idea, but I think now more than ever in 2025, it’s just about being super collaborative.”

“You have to be your own salesperson. You have to sell the brand to the account executives. They need to be excited about it.”

Cruz believes that the fundamentals she learned working in the Chicago suburbs laid a great foundation for many things that still work today.

 “I think that those ideas and those fundamentals still apply. We were out there working the streets and connecting with the audience. In the summertime, there’s so much opportunity to do that.”

“I’m always going to be out there. I’m going to Summerfest tomorrow, and I’ll be helping. I am there to facilitate. I’m there to be on the ground floor with the team. They always know that about me. That’s the only way we’re going to get anything done in this time in our industry.”

“It’s still so important to connect with our audience, and they’re outside this time of year. So, we’ve got to get out there and be with them. Whether that’s in a small capacity or hosting and owning an event.” 

“As long as you’re there and you’re shaking hands and kissing babies, that’s what it’s about.”

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Tucker Carlson Network Denies Taking Money From Qatar For Interview

BNM Staff
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Tucker Carlson Network Denies Taking Money From Qatar For Interview

Earlier this week, Laura Loomer asserted that she had discovered evidence that Tucker Carlson and his digital start-up, Tucker Carlson Network, had accepted money in exchange for an interview with officials from Qatar regarding “war with Iran.” The network is strongly disputing that claim.

Loomer said that Foreign Agents Registration Act data shows that the State of Qatar paid Tucker Carlson $200,000 for an interview.

“Tucker Carlson wants you to think his thoughts on Iran are based and original, but he’s literally participating in paid for interviews by the Qataris, who are funding and providing pent houses and luxury lifestyles to the leaders of HAMAS in Doha,” Loomer wrote. “Tucker should just be honest that he’s a mouthpiece for genocidal Muslims. His media company was literally funded by a MUSLIM investor who is half Pakistani and half Iranian and who spends a lot of time in Qatar.

“And trust me when I say a lot of people in pro-Trump circles are very uncomfortable with this. Tucker is controlled by Muslims. People need to wake up and stop pretending like this is a conspiracy theory.”

In a rebuttal published on social media, Neil Patel, who co-founded both The Daily Caller and Tucker Carlson Network alongside the former cable news host, made it clear in no uncertain terms the accusations from Loomer were false.

“Allegations that Tucker Carlson or Tucker Carlson Network took money from any foreign country for an interview or for any other reason are categorically and definitively false and defamatory,” Patel wrote. “Neither Tucker nor TCN has ever taken a penny from Qatar or any foreign country. To the contrary, TCN bought out all its investors last March to achieve total and absolute independence. Almost no other major media company can make that claim.

“There are no more consequential debates than issues of war and peace,” Patel continued. “Thousands and even millions of lives could be at stake. Like his views or not, Tucker is an open book. He gives his opinions daily and openly, along with all the reasoning behind them. He’s proven repeatedly that he’s willing to debate anyone about those opinions. Those choosing to lie about him and question his motives instead of just debating him on the merits are just proving the weakness of their case.

In the file from Loomer purporting to be proof of the payment, no dollar figure is listed for the February interview. Patel responded by stating that the document is actually from a filing related to a group known as Lumen8Advisors that had registered to work for Qatar.

“This contract and filing has nothing to do with us. Tucker and TCN have never accepted any foreign money, Qatari or otherwise,” stated Patel.

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Gregg Giannotti: ‘So Jealous’ of Adam Schefter Reporting from Travelers Championship

BSM Staff
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Gregg Giannotti: ‘So Jealous’ of Adam Schefter Reporting from Travelers Championship

ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter is making his debut on golf telecasts Thursday serving as a featured group commentator for coverage of the PGA Tour 2025 Travelers Championship airing on ESPN+. Schefter will be covering the featured group containing Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley starting at 10:30 a.m. EST playing from TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. Schefter has expressed his desire to explore becoming involved in other sports in the past, and he will now be assimilating into a game that WFAN host Gregg Giannotti affirmed he enjoys playing and watching.

Giannotti admitted that he is “so jealous” of Schefter having this opportunity on the Thursday morning edition of Boomer & Gio. In fact, he divulged that this is probably the best timing for Schefter when NFL teams are preparing for training camps since he is usually inundated with NFL news at other times and speaking to people around the league. Morning show co-host Boomer Esiason estimated that when playing golf with Schefter, he was on his phone for at least 50% of the time.

“Well yeah,” I mean, you got to be if you’re him,” Giannotti said, “but he’s like, ‘You know what? This is the time. These silly camps are going on. I’m going to go out there and do something else. It’s my passion – I’m going to follow these guys around,’ and I was like, ‘Damn, that is cool.’”

Schefter is widely regarded as one of the preeminent insiders surrounding the NFL, and he has been covering the sport since writing for the Rocky Mountain News in 1990 upon his graduation from Northwestern University. After writing for various local publications over the years, Schefter started covering the league at the national scale for NFL Network and proceeded to join ESPN in 2009. In addition to ESPN+ coverage of marquee and featured groups along with certain holes on the course, Golf Channel and CBS are also part of the media rights arrangement. Giannotti will be watching from afar with similar aspirations.

“Oh, I’m telling you, I would take that so [seriously],” Giannotti said. “They’d probably be like, ‘This guy – oh, he’ll make a mockery of it. He just does jokes and everything.’ I say, ‘No, no, no.’ I would take that so seriously.”

Giannotti recalled that they beat Schefter in golf and that he won more holes than him on the course. Esiason then mentioned how both sports media professionals possess the gift of gab and also know the parlance associated with the game. As Schefter prepares to make his debut on the broadcast, Giannotti wondered if he will be criticizing some of the shots, and Esiason added that it will be interesting to listen to him as he embarks on this new venture.

“And you know he’s going to be great at it and you know that he’s going to be prepared,” Giannotti said. “I just wonder, like, would his job be like, ‘Oh man, pushed that one a little right into the sand trap’?”

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