The Sports Media Thread

[dfwabel]

https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/deleted-clip-fox-nick-wright-steph-curry-2015-nba-finals-mvp-voting.htmlI guess FS1's "First Things First" needs any attention they can cultivate.

 

Quote

 

Whoever’s running the Twitter account for FS1 morning show First Things First probably should research the Streisand effect, where “an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet.” That came into play Tuesday, where the First Things First account tweeted a clip from that morning’s show featuring co-host Nick Wright’s claim that Steph Curry was “as close as a player has come to winning Finals MVP ever, without winning it” in 2015.

 

Wright’s claim in that clip is that the initial 11 votes were split: four for Andre Iguodala (who actually won), four for LeBron James and three for Curry. He then claims that a revote led to Iguodala’s win. Well, NBA senior vice president (communications) Tim Frank called that out in strong terms, saying “This absolutely never happened.” And the FTF account then deleted their clip.

 

 

 

[Tracy Jordan]

So Josh McCown finally retired today and ESPN is hiring him as an NFL analyst. What is it with ESPN hiring every single former mediocre white QB on the market over the years? Sean Salisbury, Jesse Palmer, Danny Kannell, Tim Hasselbeck*, Trent Dilfer, Dan Orlovsky and now Josh McCown. Get ready Ryan Fitzpatrick, because in a few short years you'll be moving to Bristol!

 

*What is the point of employing two Hasselbecks? One was a multiple time Pro Bowler and the other was a career third stringer. Is the "they're brothers and they're both bald!" shtick still supposed to be cute?

[dfwabel]

Stephen A and Stugotz's Weekend Observations were just too much.

 

Bob Ley retiring from ESPN.

 

Quote

Across 40 years I have enjoyed a professional journey unimaginable when I joined ESPN on its first weekend of existence in 1979. Each day since has been a unique adventure, one I embraced for the challenge and unequaled fun of a job like no other.
Now, it is time for change.
I will be retiring from ESPN, as of the end of the month.
To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change.
To Jimmy Pitaro and his senior leadership team, my sincere personal thanks for their understanding and patience over the past months.
Through the decades, and my innumerable experiences at ESPN, I have built many deep and fulfilling friendships. You know who you are. I hope you also know how much you mean to me. We have shared an American story unlike any other. And we will continue to do so in the years ahead.
I have been gifted by our viewers and consumers with a precious commodity – your trust. To be invited into your homes was a privilege I never took for granted, one I worked each day to uphold. Thank you for that.
In September, I signed off my last show saying, “I’ll catch you on the flip side.” Now it’s time to take that vinyl off the turntable (ask your folks), flip it over, and drop the needle on the B-side. There are always great cuts, and hidden gems on the B-side.
Thank you for a great run.  

 

[dfwabel]

 

[MadmanLA]

The Clippers, probably as expected, promoted radio voice Brian Sieman to TV starting next season, while Noah Eagle (Ian's son) becomes the team's radio play-by-play man.

https://thebiglead.com/2019/07/16/brian-sieman-promoted-to-clippers-tv-play-by-play-noah-eagle-leading-candidate-for-radio/

[BBTV]

Is moving from radio to TV always considered a promotion?  I look at them as two different jobs.

[infrared41]

48 minutes ago, BringBackTheVet said:

Is moving from radio to TV always considered a promotion?  I look at them as two different jobs.

 

Pretty much. TV is a more prestigious gig and it probably pays a lot better. 

[The_Admiral]

In basketball, where radio play-by-play is generally an afterthought, I would say so. In baseball, they're closer to equals. Pat Hughes is as much the voice of the Cubs as Len Kasper is, if not more so.

[Kramerica Industries]

About the only advantage I can think of that radio crews have over their TV counterparts is that they get to continue broadcasting as long as their team is playing, whereas TV crews either don't do playoffs at all (MLB) or only the first round (NBA/NHL). Other than that, I feel like you would have to really prefer the radio medium if you were to have the choice of radio or TV and chose radio. Speaking from personal experience, about the only times in the last several years where I've listened on the radio to any sporting event has been when I'm leaving work, will be home in less than 10 minutes, and the Lightning game would have only just started. Otherwise, there's only been one occasion I can think of in the last several years where I listened to a large portion of any sporting event on the radio; odds are, if I'm not gonna be able to see it, I'm either just gonna skip it entirely or watch it later. 

[mjrbaseball]

On 5/8/2019 at 6:57 PM, Tracy Jordan said:

 

Do people really watch all these shows on NFL Network? Like, I can understand having primetime shows like NFL Total Access that goes through all the news of the day and maybe a few specialty programs for fantasy news and behind the scenes stuff. But are people really waking up every morning and turning on "Good Morning Football"? I think they'd be better off just airing re-runs of NFL Films programs and classic games all day long.

Not being a football fan, I couldn't say, but I do watch "MLB Central" every morning on MLB Network.

[dfwabel]

John Ourand's sports media blog post from Monday is not behind their paywall. 

[BBTV]

On 7/21/2019 at 12:18 PM, the admiral said:

In basketball, where radio play-by-play is generally an afterthought, I would say so. In baseball, they're closer to equals. Pat Hughes is as much the voice of the Cubs as Len Kasper is, if not more so.

 

For the Phillies, I doubt anyone would not consider (Scott) Franzke and L.A. (Larry "traded for Jeff Bagwell" Andersen) the "voice" of the team, though they're the radio guys.  

 

When Harry Kalas was alive, he always broadcasted three innings a game on radio, because he loved radio so much.  Back in the day, he actually said "no" when they asked him to be the "TV" guy.  Ended up having an OK career.

[The_Admiral]

I sorta miss the days of the middle-inning booth switch. Having the same two guys call all nine innings of a telecast wasn't really commonplace until maybe the turn of the millennium? If you go back and watch David Wells's perfect game from '98, it goes from Jim Kaat and Ken Singleton to Al Trautwig and Jim Kaat to Al Trautwig and Ken Singleton to Singleton and Kaat in reversed roles and then finally back to where they started. I think that's a little excessive, but I do like flipping the pbp guys between booths. I get tired of Len Kasper's Kermit voice sometimes.

 

The way TBS did it where they flipped the entire booth at the middle of the 5th inning was weird, even if it was an equitable 50-50 split, because you'd have [whichever pair of Skip, Pete, and two guys who were not Skip nor Pete] start the game on national TV but not be there to finish it. No continuity!

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

9 hours ago, the admiral said:

I sorta miss the days of the middle-inning booth switch.

 

The switching of the announcers between television and radio was a key part of the experience of baseball growing up.

 

For the Yankees, Phil Rizzuto would start the game on television alongside either Bill White or Frank Messer, with the other one out of White and Messer on the radio by himself. The Scooter would move over to do radio for the middle three innings (I would sometimes turn on the radio to catch his innings while watching on TV), and then would come back to the TV booth in the 7th; and the one out of White and Messer who had started the game on television finished it on radio. The Scooter usually departed the Stadium early, leaving White or Messer alone to call the 9th inning of home games, and to make mention of Rizzuto being on the George Washington Bridge. 

 

Eventually the Yankees brought in Fran Healy to do radio all game, alongside the rotation of Rizzuto, White, and Messer. I believe that, just before my time, Jerry Coleman had served in this role. But I learnt that later; I have no memory of that.

 

The Mets had a similar practice with their iconic trio of Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy: a rotation of two on television and one on radio. For a short time they brought in Steve Albert in the Fran Healy role; and soon after that, Murphy stopped doing television and became the full-time radio voice.

 

Rizzuto, White, and Messer; Nelson, Kiner, and Murphy. That is the sound of baseball.

 

[JayMac]

10 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

For the Phillies, I doubt anyone would not consider (Scott) Franzke and L.A. (Larry "traded for Jeff Bagwell" Andersen) the "voice" of the team, though they're the radio guys.  

 

When Harry Kalas was alive, he always broadcasted three innings a game on radio, because he loved radio so much.  Back in the day, he actually said "no" when they asked him to be the "TV" guy.  Ended up having an OK career.

Franzke and LA >>>> Tom McCarthy and John Kruk or Ben Davis

[Digby]

The TV/radio switcheroo always felt weird to me. What's the point of it? Seems like yet another weird thing that accidentally became tradition in baseball.

 

I like it when the radio guys can switch off play-by-play and commentary over the course of the game. WEEI's Red Sox broadcasts have always done that, pairing Joe Castiglione with whomever happened to walk by the office that day, so it's a crapshoot there. (This year they're having Chris Berman do some games and I cannot listen.) But the concept works well when you manage a fully competent booth.

[The_Admiral]

20 minutes ago, Digby said:

The TV/radio switcheroo always felt weird to me. What's the point of it? Seems like yet another weird thing that accidentally became tradition in baseball.

 

I think BBTV hit on it being about making sure teams' signature voices were exposed to both audiences. The other day I came across an advertisement for Cubs radio in the '90s that promoted listening to Harry Caray and Thom Brennaman in big letters but had Ron Santo and Bob Brenly in smaller letters. Harry only did the middle three on radio but still got top billing. The Cardinals did the same with Jack Buck. 

 

I think the lighter workload of TV play-by-play is a better way for the radio guys to "take innings off" than just disappearing.

[Alex Houston]

I don't really get the need for new folks to join in and take a leg of a broadcast. If you're primary job description is to talk for a three hour period of time, I think it's more of a sign you're not as good at your job as you should be if you need to take a reprieve. Unless it's some historic broadcaster's last season and they're testing out replacements to see who has chemistry. 

[MadmanLA]

You also had situations where teams (not just in MLB either) had three sets of broadcast teams--radio, over-the-air TV, and cable TV. 

 

The Tigers were a prime example in the 80s and 90s--Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey on radio, George Kell and Al Kaline on the WDIV/Tigers TV network, and another set of broadcasters on PASS.  The Mets did for awhile as well in the '90s and early 2000s--Gary Throne and Ralph Kiner did over-the-air TV (WWOR, and then the move to WPIX in '99), Howie Rose on cable, and Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen on radio.  When SNY was created in 2006, Cohen became the play-by-play man for all local Mets telecasts, although he still will occasionally fill-in on radio. 

 

The Yankees, from the early 80s until YES' creation, also had separate over-the-air and cable play-by-play announcers; when Mel Allen returned to the Yankees in 1982, he called five seasons of games on the old SportsChannel New York (which they shared with the Mets until MSG picked up the Yankees in '89), while the Scooter was the #1 play-by-play on WPIX, but also served as a back-up to Allen on SCNY telecasts.

[The_Admiral]

On 8/1/2019 at 2:59 PM, Alex Houston said:

I don't really get the need for new folks to join in and take a leg of a broadcast. If you're primary job description is to talk for a three hour period of time, I think it's more of a sign you're not as good at your job as you should be if you need to take a reprieve. Unless it's some historic broadcaster's last season and they're testing out replacements to see who has chemistry. 

 

So you think a guy should call a game solo for all nine innings every game? I don't think anyone does.