Justin Verlander was hasty to start celebrating. After the Mets swept a doubleheader over the Guardians on Sunday, Francisco Lindor was doing an interview on the field with ESPN’s Nicole Briscoe, and Verlander was getting impatient. Lindor was answering a perfunctory question on “SportsCenter” when all of a sudden viewers could hear in the background, … Read more
It seems unlikely ESPN’s NBA analytics formula has ever watched basketball before. While it is certainly surprising that the Heat are beating the Celtics so summarily that Magic Johnson is flat-out saying Boston has “quit,” the idea that they could win the series was not nearly as unlikely as ESPN’s analytics forecasted. Before the series, … Read more
Years ago, Albert Brooks described performing a stand-up comedy routine before a young adult audience. He was bombing. No laughter. Then chants for the headliner, the late Richie Havens. Desperate, Brooks had an idea. He decided to holler a cuss word, “S–t!” The crowd went wild. He’d won their hearts and the night. It was … Read more
Pat McAfee “didn’t expect” the wave of backlash he received this week after revealing his self-titled show will be moving to ESPN later this year. During Thursday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” the former NFL punter, 36, addressed reactions from fans, stating it’s been “a little bit more negative” on the social media front. … Read more
New network, same old Pat McAfee. The ex-NFL punter-turned-sports media star confirmed his move to ESPN on Tuesday in a video lampooning the idea it would force “The Pat McAfee Show” to change its ways. “Wa ain’t changing a damn thing,” he said in an almost six-minute video announcement on Twitter. “That was literally the … Read more
“The Pat McAfee Show” is moving to ESPN in a multimillion-dollar deal that he is expected to begin in the fall, The Post has learned. In the process, McAfee appears as if he will walk away from his four-year, $120 million contract with FanDuel. He is in the second year of the agreement. The amount … Read more
WFAN morning drive host Gregg Giannotti is curious about why Pat McAfee would want to go to ESPN, where bosses would seek to “control” his content. Tuesday, The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that ESPN was the likeliest destination for “The Pat McAfee Show,” which has appeared to be in the process of exiting its partnership … Read more
“First Take” had a moment of awkwardness on Wednesday when Molly Qerim suggested that recently retired NFL star and coveted media free agent J.J. Watt would become Pat McAfee’s co-host, which wasn’t a deal that he was aware of. “You have a lot of exciting new projects, beyond being a new dad: You’ll be the … Read more
ESPN is doing another Monday night shuffle. With an increase in “Monday Night Football” secondary games beginning in the 2023 season, the network is replacing play-by-player Steve Levy with Chris Fowler on its second team, The Post has learned. It is somewhat of an odd move, because Fowler is ESPN’s lead college game-caller and hasn’t … Read more
ESPN’s controversial coverage of Lia Thomas has not only turned away viewers, but its top talent, too. Charly Arnolt, a host for a new OutKick show currently in development, scorched ESPN for their “hypocritical” tribute, deeming the move as a “slap in the face” to women everywhere. The whole issue is that ESPN always makes … Read more
ESPN national baseball reporter Marly Rivera is being investigated by the network after an incident at Yankee Stadium in which she uttered the words, “f—king c–t” toward a fellow female reporter waiting for an Aaron Judge interview last week, The Post has learned. Rivera has been a dugout reporter on the Home Run Derby, some … Read more
ESPN started a round of layoffs this week that included one employee of 43 years in PR executive Mike Soltys and another employee of 26 years in senior executive Russell Wolff. Hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss how ESPN’s string of layoffs has affected the morale inside the company. They talk about the business … Read more
Marcus Spears spoke candidly Monday about the current state of affairs at ESPN, which began its first round of layoffs this week. In a post shared on Twitter, Spears — who recently agreed to a four-year, multi-million dollar deal with the network — expressed gratitude for his “blessing,” but made it clear “it’s not lost … Read more
Stephen A. Smith sent a message to everybody who was upset that he had Clay Travis on his podcast. Smith hosted the OutKick founder on his Audacy “Know Mercy” podcast earlier this week, and the two opinionists had a wide-ranging conversation that included their thoughts on cancel culture and whether or not Donald Trump would … Read more
WFAN continued to dominate ESPN New York in the just-released winter book, led by its morning show, “Boomer & Gio,” which finished No. 1 overall in the ratings. Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti were first in the mornings, according to Nielsen Audio, in the male 25-54 demo, which is whom the stations traditionally sell advertising … Read more
Affable ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst was apparently on the receiving end of a tirade from a fellow hotel guest in Phoenix. Appearing on a “Get Up” panel Monday morning discussing the 2023 NBA playoffs with Vince Carter and Jay Williams, Windhorst was asked by host Brian Custer why he seemed to be whispering on … Read more
Popular sports host Charly Arnolt has announced that she is leaving ESPN for OutKick. Arnolt, who went by the name Charly Caruso when she was a backstage interviewer for WWE, had a variety of roles at ESPN, including hosting “SportsCenter” and moderating “First Take” on a number of days that Molly Qerim was off from … Read more
In the coming weeks and months, ESPN is expected to have massive layoffs that will impact all areas of the company, including on-air personalities, but it is not stopping the network from investing in those it views as vital. In that vein, ESPN has re-signed NFL analyst Marcus Spears to a multi-million dollar four-year deal, … Read more
Tuesday’s installment of the “Keyshawn, JWill & Max” show took an interesting turn when guest Isiah Thomas expressed displeasure over an image selected for his segment. When speaking about the NBA playoffs on ESPN Radio, Thomas — a Hall of Famer and two-time Finals champion with the Detroit Pistons — veered the discussion to his … Read more
Two years later, Paul Pierce still wonders what he did wrong to get fired from ESPN. Source link