The Sports Media Thread

[The_Admiral]

5 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Has any basketball player had a pro wrestling manager before? The whole thing is absurd, but you have to admire that LaVar is going all the way on this. Everyone's giving him an offramp but he just won't take it.

 

It's great performance art.

 

This is the natural conclusion of the "lightning rod" coach/manager. Ozzie Guillen was lauded for taking attention off his players. Lavar Ball can take attention off everyone in an NBA locker room.

[dfwabel]

Here comes more Lavar Ball on Monday!

 

http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-bringing-back-lavar-ball.html

[CS85]

9 hours ago, dfwabel said:

Here comes more Lavar Ball on Monday!

 

http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-bringing-back-lavar-ball.html

 

Ratings > integrity

[DG_ThenNowForever]

What integrity is First Take supposed to have? The show is about arguing sports. What are you looking for?

[CS85]

1 hour ago, DG_Now said:

What integrity is First Take supposed to have? The show is about arguing sports. What are you looking for?

 

One garbage show shouldn't excuse a network's agenda to trot out freaks and aggrandize controversial figures just to get the unwashed masses to tune in during commercials in Trump coverage.

[dfwabel]

Quote

NBC’s move to carry live coverage across all time zones also reinforces the belief that live TV audiences are a more valued commodity in an age when viewers choose to watch scripted TV shows online or through on-demand platforms rather than at a set time scheduled by a network. Live viewers are more likely to sit through commercials.

“Live television is the backbone of linear TV — sports in particular and the Olympics at the top of that list,” Bell said.

Making coverage live across all time zones has been taking hold in other areas of the industry. NBC recently announced plans to put the last four episodes of this season’s “Saturday Night Live” live across the country — putting the sketch comedy show in prime time in the Pacific and Mountain time zones — so that the entire country can share the experience of its pointed political satire, which has driven the show to its highest ratings in 24 years.

NBC to air 2018 Winter Olympics prime time coverage live across all US time zones.

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-olympic-live-coverage-20170328-story.html

 

 

[2001mark]

 

[HedleyLamarr]

21 hours ago, dfwabel said:

NBC to air 2018 Winter Olympics prime time coverage live across all US time zones.

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-olympic-live-coverage-20170328-story.html

 

 

Like I was going to bite my tongue for west-coast viewers.

 

These next three Olympiads are going to test my DVR space.

[Dynasty]

This is probably old news, but apparently ESPN's Mike & Mike are about to split. I haven't watched them much in recent memory, but I'm a little down; they we're actually one of the few talk shows I liked.

 

Is the show going to cease? Greenberg is the one that's leaving so are they going to find a replacement?

[dfwabel]

On 04/04/2017 at 9:01 PM, Dolphins Dynasty said:

This is probably old news, but apparently ESPN's Mike & Mike are about to split. I haven't watched them much in recent memory, but I'm a little down; they we're actually one of the few talk shows I liked.

 

Is the show going to cease? Greenberg is the one that's leaving so are they going to find a replacement?

Remember, it's still a radio show first and foremost, so it isn't going away. And a radio show which all ESPN Radio affiliates must air at least an hour of.

 

Jim Miller was on Richard Deitsch's podcast last Friday to talk about ESPN as a whole, including the 40-50 layoffs of on-air talent expected in the next 60 days.  Miller said that the new radio show isn't likely to have a ESPN2 simulcast AND that Golic doesn't have a new contract yet (he is making over $6M now). Wingo and Golic, Jr. are seen as his partners.

 

UPDATE: Reports are that Golic has a new contract.

http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-mike-golic-reportedly-agree-new-contract.html

Edited April 6, 2017 by dfwabel
contract update

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Sage Steele was dumped from ESPN's NBA coverage. Good. She sucked.

 

Next step is dropping Michelle Beadle, who is not great but for different reasons.

 

I know Rachel Nicholas does The Drop, but she'd be perfect anchoring ESPN's NBA coverage during the playoffs and the Finals.

[dfwabel]

9 hours ago, DG_Now said:

Sage Steele was dumped from ESPN's NBA coverage. Good. She sucked.

 

Next step is dropping Michelle Beadle, who is not great but for different reasons.

 

I know Rachel Nicholas does The Drop, but she'd be perfect anchoring ESPN's NBA coverage during the playoffs and the Finals.

Sage is likely to be one of those on-air talents to be furloughed as reported last month.

 

In the SI podcast, Jim Miller claimed that in 2013, Steele was in contract negotiations with ESPN when FS1 was starting to hiring hire and basically was given the largest contract to contract raise ever and had her agent move her out of Bristol to L.A.

 

EDIT: Rachel has six year old twins, so Nichols' has something to do in the evening. Rachel is the daughter in-law of Diane Sawyer and the late Mike Nichols, so she's got $, but Beadle is from real oil $$.

Edited April 7, 2017 by dfwabel

[CS85]

Ed Werder was fired today after 17 years with ESPN.  Lots more layoffs coming.

[dfwabel]

ESPN talent layoff start this morning. Jim Miller will likely get the names first.

https://mobile.twitter.com/JimMiller?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

 

Or follow Deitsch:

https://mobile.twitter.com/richarddeitsch?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

 

One of their NFL team writer confirmed his layoff yesterday in Paul Kuharsky, who covered the Titans.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL/status/856554063151890432

Edited April 26, 2017 by dfwabel

[dfwabel]

Running tally from Deadspin.

http://deadspin.com/a-running-list-of-espn-layoffs-1794664091

[Atomic]

I'll be praying for the job security of these fine broadcast journalists:

 

[Sport]

Danny Kanell, the concussion truther and bad take artist, is out. 

[Sport]

This is extensive. They're firing people like Jayson Stark. All the actual journalists are getting canned while Stephen A Smith still has a job and they offered 4 million dollars to Skip Bayless. :censored: ESPN. They're even deader to me than they were before and they were pretty dead to me before. 

[OnWis97]

On 4/4/2017 at 11:01 PM, Dolphins Dynasty said:

This is probably old news, but apparently ESPN's Mike & Mike are about to split. I haven't watched them much in recent memory, but I'm a little down; they we're actually one of the few talk shows I liked.

 

Is the show going to cease? Greenberg is the one that's leaving so are they going to find a replacement?

I have been taking transit to work for nine years but when I used to drive, I'd listed to Mike & Mike...now I catch a segment some mornings on the TV simulcast.

 

I think the show suffered with the NFL's journey from #1 Sport to Total Obsession.  I also struggled with some of their takes (particularly the whole focus on the players after Penn State).  But it was generally good (particularly compared to all the bits and laughing-at-our-own-jokes on local sports radio).

 

Obviously a "drive time" show of a similar format will continue.  

[OnWis97]

17 minutes ago, McCarthy said:

This is extensive. They're firing people like Jayson Stark. All the actual journalists are getting canned while Stephen A Smith still has a job and they offered 4 million dollars to Skip Bayless. ESPN. They're even deader to me than they were before and they were pretty dead to me before. 

Sadly, that's partly on the viewers.  Sports news/journalism is kind of like real news/journalism; there's so much of it and the masses reply by watching people shouting opinions at one another.

 

EDIT: My cynicism had me thinking "yeah, the gotta lay off a baseball guy at ESPNFL."  But Ed Werder was let go, too.