Scott Van Pelt isn’t sure where his voice went during Wednesday’s installment of “SportsCenter.” During the late-night edition of the ESPN broadcast, Van Pelt attempted to recap moments from an Edmonton Oilers game but struggled mightily in the process. “This is terrible, I’m trying,” Van Pelt can be heard saying on the broadcast. Scott Van … Read more
Paige Spiranac is all about tackling new challenges this year. Fresh off the January launch of her exclusive website, OnlyPaige, the longtime golf influencer has continued to step outside of her comfort zone – notably in February, when she served as a special correspondent for “Inside Edition” at Super Bowl 2023. “It was amazing, it … Read more
The viewership numbers for the World Baseball Classic championship game reflected the magnitude of its storylines. Team Japan’s 3-2 victory over the United States averaged 4.48 million viewers on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, combining with Fox Deportes and streaming services for 5.2 million viewers, the outlet announced Wednesday Per Sports Business Journal, the 4.48 … Read more
A sports talk radio host on WEEI in Boston is in hot water after appearing to invoke a racial slur about ESPN personality Mina Kimes. In a conversation on the “Greg Hill Show” about their five favorite nips — show personality Courtney Cox suggested the prompt with Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo seeking to outlaw … Read more
The Mad Dog’s bark will continue to reach a mass TV audience. Sources tell The Post that talk radio legend Chris Russo has signed a new deal with ESPN to continue appearing on “First Take,” where he’s developed excellent chemistry with host Molly Qerim and fellow high-volume broadcaster Stephen A. Smith. An ESPN spokesperson declined … Read more
Michael Wilbon, one of the biggest stars at ESPN, remains in positive spirits after facing some recent health challenges. Wilbon was diagnosed with Type II diabetes after suffering a heart attack 15 years ago. “One of the things that you really have to be on top of, and I probably wasn’t like I should’ve been, … Read more
Michael Kay will stay on his ESPN New York afternoon show, he announced Thursday. It is a seven-figure deal per year and is for multiple years, according to sources. The Post reported in January that Kay, 62, was considering retiring from the radio. Michael Kay will be back on the ESPN New York airwaves after … Read more
Keith Olbermann just had to go there with the grandmothers. Olbermann, a self-proclaimed Mets fan, was distraught over the excruciating knee injury suffered by Edwin Diaz during the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night, which will likely cost the star closer his season. The former ESPN and MSNBC broadcaster lashed out at the “meaningless” global … Read more
For the first time in over three decades, Greg Gumbel won’t be covering the NFL next season. Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand reported Wednesday that the 76-year-old Gumbel signed a new deal with the network to remain the host of the NCAA Tournament, but bow out of the network’s professional football coverage. Gumbel served as … Read more
ESPN’s Dianna Russini addressed the criticism she received from Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday, the same day the Packers quarterback confirmed his intentions to play for the Jets. When discussing Rodgers’ appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he chastised her report about a Jets “wish list” of free agents from earlier in the week, Russini … Read more
Jim Nantz’s final NCAA Tournament as lead announcer is the lead topic on this week’s podcast with Andrew Marchand and John Ourand, who also discuss Jay Wright’s first March Madness as a full-time announcer. Bob Iger said it was “inevitable” that ESPN would be offered as a direct-to-consumer service at some point, prompting Marchand and … Read more
A years-long mystery hit a fever pitch during the 2023 NFL free agency frenzy: Who the heck is Dov Kleiman? Earlier this week, star Jets receiver Garrett Wilson cited Kleiman — or “‘Dov’ bro” — as the source of the “news break” much of the NFL world has been waiting on: Aaron Rodgers’ football future. … Read more
The Mad Dog is barking about Aaron Rodgers’ wish list! Chris Russo opened his SiriusXM program on Tuesday responding to the report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini that Rodgers wishes to play with free agents Allen Lazard (whom the Jets have already signed), Randall Cobb (with whom they’re reportedly in talks with), Marcedes Lewis and Odell … Read more
Brent Axe, a popular host on ESPN Syracuse, has been fired by the radio station for being too critical of the school’s men’s basketball program. Ed Levine, the president and CEO of Galaxy Media Partners, which owns the ESPN Radio affiliate in the region, confirmed the news to Syracuse.com, where Axe remains a sports columnist. … Read more
In the wake of ESPN’s executive reorg, pod hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand look into the future of ESPN, including a discussion of when ESPN will make its main channel available to cord-cutters via streaming. The hosts also dissect MLB’s move to create a local media department and talk about what that means for … Read more
Boomer Esiason walked off the WFAN set after Gregg Giannotti lambasted a caller for not being sensitive to mental health issues. As covered by Elite Sports NY, a caller named “Bill in Connecticut” mocked Giannotti for being “soft” and compared his content to Bravo’s “Real Housewives” programs. Later, Giannotti told the caller that one on-air … Read more
The goat may not be out to pasture after all. Rich Eisen, the NFL Network anchor, spent the week in Indianapolis and dished on several rumors that he heard at the NFL Scouting Combine, including a juicy one concerning a possible Tom Brady un-retirement. “This one just blew my mind: Tom Brady might not be … Read more
Bob Costas had a rough playoff outing. Costas joined Bill Maher on the comedian’s “Club Random” podcast and admitted that he didn’t have a great performance in the ALDS, where his play-by-play of the Yankees series was widely panned. “This past October I did the Yankees and the Guardians in the Division Series and I … Read more
Could “forever and always” help Kevin Durant tune out the noise? That’s what NBA analyst Ric Bucher suggested Thursday on FS1’s “Speak,” when he addressed the new Suns forward’s often contentious relationship with critics and how marriage can potentially offer a different perspective on engagement. “Kevin Durant needs to get married,” Bucher began on the … Read more
Nikola Jokic is likely on the verge of winning his third straight MVP award, and ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins has a reason why: racism. On “First Take” Wednesday, the controversial NBA analyst suggested MVP voters foster bias toward black players by pointing out that only Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Jokic have won the award since … Read more