Plus, Tony Romo’s terrible decision and the potential fallout from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery deal being put on hold.

It is a 36-minute edition of Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.

RUNDOWN …

• Who were the real victims of the ESPN layoffs?

• Who were the fake victims of the ESPN layoffs

• What’s up/What’s down: David Lloyd, MLB Network, Jimmy Pitaro & Tony Romo

• Assessing Pat McAfee & Stephen A.’s reaction post-layoffs

• The reason there are different rules for McAfee & Stephen A. than for Ryan Clark

• Assessing Karl Ravech’s prolific career and the reasons he was let go

• Marchand reaching out to Ravech before he was let go

• Is Clark a good NFL TV analyst

• When the rebooted NFL Live first became a success, it wasn’t because of Clark

• If Clark is the best in the world, as some of his boosters claim, he will get picked up by another network

• Responding to internet noise on the ESPN layoff story

• Why it is good for reporters to be written about

• What was the big mistake by ESPN in the Clark firing

• Tom Pellisero was not part of the ESPN ‘Avengers’

• Stephania Bell and Charles Davis were two more good people let go

• Who are the real victims of the layoffs and where do they go

• Where do Romo and CBS go from here with four years and $72 million remaining on his contract

• How can Romo not call for a Uber or a Lyft

• The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal has been paused, which could have huge sports implications, including possibly with the NFL

• Marchand’s Brian Cashman-Alex Rodriguez STSFU story revisited

• Cakes Are Baking Game: Marchand comes in on 2-for-3 hot streak, moving his record to 10-for-33 … Can he continue his winning ways with A-Rod, Max Scherzer & Jordan Spieth on the card

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Behind the scenes of filming ‘Hard Knocks:’ What are the characteristics to create the three greatest “Hard Knocks’” of All-Time. Rodgers explains how NFL Films deals with sensitive subjects. The surprising executive who was the toughest for the show.

Legendary, players, coaches & decision making: Vince Lombardi’s inspiring and hilarious story with Steve Sabol about camera access. Which coaches historically do Marchand and Rodgers think would be a great for “Hard Knocks." How “Hard Knocks” angles happen. Saquon Barkley and the Giants offseason series and ramifications. The Peyton Manning standard.

Bill Belichick’s Historic Access: Rodgers’ relationship with Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots. What Belichick saw in Rodgers. What Belichick is like. How he got Belichick and Bill Parcells together for the “Two Bills” and why he got “goosebumps” after it happened.

Some Related Podcasts: Howard Katz … Fred Gaudelli …Drew Esocoff …Pete Macheska …Pete Radovich Jr… Hans Schroeder

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Plus, the duo reviews Fox’s World Cup & All-Star Game, Netflix’s Home Run Derby & NBC’s British Open on a 35-minute edition of “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media”

Sports Streaming Myth: What is the sports streaming myth right now? Rights, ratings and production. This is for now, as it could change. We explain.

World Class: Why this was Fox Sports’ best World Cup. What it got right and wrong.

Home Run Derby/All-Star Game/British Open Ratings & Reax: How did Netflix/Fox/NBC do?

More Names and Items in the Pod: Names: Eric Shanks, Zlatan, Rebecca Lowe, Brad Zager, Rece Davis, Alexi Lalas, Thierry Henry, Jenny Taft, President Trump, John Strong, Stu Holden, Darren Fletcher, Ian Darke, Tom Rinaldi, Tom Brady, Bill Parcells, Ken Rodgers, Brian Rolapp, Sam Rutigliano, Chuck Noll, Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, FanDango, Bundesliga, Laura Rutledge, Elle Duncan, Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Bob Trumpy, Phil Mushnick, Vin Scully, Dan Hicks, Bryson DeChambeau, Gisele Bündchen, Ray Allen, Stephen Strasburg, Cakes Are Baking Game

On Deck by Thursday Morning: Ken Rodgers, executive producer of NFL Films, is the guest on The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.

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It is a 50-minute edition of “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand” podcast.

• From a childhood tragedy to finding his voice – Mushnick explains what he believes a true New York sports columnist is supposed to be; how he really learned journalism; losing his mother young yet carrying her influence forever; growing up with a tough father,; admitting he wasn’t exactly a model kid; and the moment college finally lit a fire under him to chase a newspaper career. And the one thing he wishes he could make true.

• Breaking into the business at The Post – From making $80 a week as a copy boy in 1973 alongside legends like Larry Merchant, Vic Ziegel and Paul Zimmerman; to unforgettable sports editor Ike Gellis stories (including a memorable “Who the f— are you”); to landing the Pelé and Cosmos beat on a little bit of a lie.

• Becoming the media columnist — and taking on Cosell – How Mushnick transitioned into sports media criticism; the New York Post assistant sports editor Dick Klayman column name that stuck; an immediate lunch invite from Howard Cosell and how ultimately Mushnick had disdain for Cosell.

• Feuds & Friendships – A classic Mushnick rant; debating what media folks really think of him; building his reputation in the ‘80s by refusing to buy the BS; his battles with Vince McMahon (including his parting words to him); and why screaming announcers and A-Rod being hired still get under his skin.

• The WFAN years, “Mike & the Mad Dog” and a “shame on me” moment – His first impressions of WFAN in 1987; why he stopped going on Imus’ show and the brutal nickname Imus pinned on Len Berman; how he first liked “Mike & the Mad Dog,” but realized quickly some personality traits of Mike Francesa & Chris Russo; Francesa, Russo, Craig Carton, Mark Chernoff, Suzyn Waldman and 9/11; the “AM & PM” blog that Marchand & Mushnick almost started at The Post; and the one do-over he wishes he could have.

• Mushnick on legacy, death and some legendary friendships – Mushnick being done with Jim Lampley; names the broadcasters he’s genuinely admired; explains why he will criticize someone after he or she dies (including John Madden); reflects on the legacy he wants to leave; and closes with personal stories on Ralph Branca, Bobby Valentine, and the two childhood best friends tied to baseball royalty.

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  Related Podcasts

• Mike Vaccaro, Joel Sherman, Chris Russo, Mark Kriegel, Howard Katz, Mike Soltys, Traug Keller, Peter King, Boomer Esiason, Michael Kay, Chris Oliviero

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Plus, dissecting the World Cup, MLB on TV at the break, ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage and Hollywood Meterparel. That and many laughs on a 34-minute “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”

• Fox vs. Netflix and eventizing

• Who’s Up & Down Candidates: Carli Lloyd, Thierry Henry, Charles Barkley, Landon Donovan

• The Netflix ratings for the Home Run Derby will be intriguing

• How Fox hires and big events

• Why the 3 p.m. semifinal World Cup weekday kickoffs are problematic

• Grading MLB on TV at the All-Star Break

• The Peacock July 5 extravaganza and Sunday Night Baseball

• Andy Roddick is a future star and analyzing Wimbledon

• The first 10 picks of the MLB draft were on NBC … is that good enough

• What to make of the Spurs TV play-by-play firing scandal

• Adam Schefter’s new contract (Adam Schefter on The Main Event)

• Jon vs. John: Meterparel goes back at Ourand on Kenny Mayne

• Al Michaels on the Walk of Fame

• What three sportscasters should have stars on the Walk of Fame?

• Papa Clicker Book Review on A League of His Own: A.G. Spalding and the Business of Baseball by Mark A. Stein

• Cakes are Baking Game: Harrison Ford, Spudd Webb, Tony Kornheiser

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  Names mentioned in the pod: Marv Albert, Malika Andrews, Charles Barkley, Judy Battista, Jason Benetti, Chris Berman, Dean Blandino, Mike Breen, Joe Buck, Kevin Burkhardt, Papa Clicker, Kevin Connors, Howard Cosell, Bob Costas, Ian Darke, Rece Davis, JP Dellacamera, Landon Donovan, Chris Eubanks, Mary Joe Fernandez, Harrison Ford, Chris Fowler, Ryan Glasspiegel, Johnny Grant, Thierry Henry, Stu Holden, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Richard Jefferson, Travis Kelce, Jimmy Kimmel, Tony Kornheiser, Alexi Lalas, Tim Legler, Carli Lloyd, Burke Magnus, Kenny Mayne, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Ed McMahon, Al Michaels, Mike Monaco, Phil Mushnick, John Ourand, Jimmy Pitaro, Dave Portnoy, Wayne Randazzo, Ian Rapoport, Andy Roddick, Guillermo Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Adam Schefter, Linda Schulz, Vin Scully, John Strong, Taylor Swift, Jacob Tobey, Mike Vaccaro, Spud Webb, Scott Zolak

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  • On Deck: Phil Mushnick is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand” that will publish by Thursday morning

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Andrew Marchand and John Ourand reunite to delve deep into what is next in the NFL Media rights “opt-out” saga, the misunderstood aspects of the 2030 & 2034 World Cup bidding, Ourand’s issues with the SportsCenter Top 10 debate and some college football talk.

It’s “The Monthly, Marchand & Ourand” going at it in another 40-minute sports media podcast.

• Why CBS & NBC are the linchpins in the NFL “opt out” negotiations

Analyzing why the new NFL deals haven’t happened yet and when they may get done. Will CBS pay more than the other platforms this year for NFL games. Which networks have the most advantageous relationship with the NFL. Why NBC’s Sunday Night Football is the pressure point in negotiations with the streamers potentially lurking. The mechanism of how Netflix could come in for a bigger deal by the beginning of next decade. Why you can’t count out YouTube and even Apple. How does the government noise impact the NFL negotiations. The NBA, Roku mega-deals have caught the NFL’s attention. How much money does NBC need the NFL and what impact will paying more have on other sports

• The Misunderstood Aspects of the next World Cup deals

How much will the next World Cup deals in 2030 and 2034 value broadcast TV following Fox’s success . Why some analysts aren’t positive Netflix will spend big on US World Cup Rights. The impact of the next two Cups not being in America and 2034 not in the summer. Debating if hydration breaks, better known as commercial breaks, are here to stay. What streamers could do to be popular. Does ESPN want the World Series more than the World Cup. The Premier League, etc. impact on the ratings

• Ourand’s Issues with Our SportsCenter Top 10 anchors

Debating Kenny Mayne, Craig Kilborn & Steve Levy. Ourand gives his Top 3 All-Time. Jon vs. John: Meterparel vs. Ourand. Ourand’s support of Scott Van Pelt. Should Stuart Scott have been higher ranked. Gayle Gardner, John Anderson & Tom Mees deserve some more mentions. If you call, it’s on the record.

• Quick Hitters: The Mountain West+ “eating what you catch” idea, Charlie Baker on with CBS’ Ed O’Keefe and changing the make-up of college sports and how rights are negotiated — what college football doesn’t seem to fully understand

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• Next Week: “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media” by next Tuesday Morning. … Phil Mushnick is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand” by Thursday morning.

• Related Pods: NFL Media Rights Projection 2.0, NFL Media Rights Projection 1.0

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Names that were considered or mentioned: John Anderson, Larry Beil, Chris Berman, John Buccigross, Linda Cohn, Kevin Connors, Rece Davis, Elle Duncan, Rich Eisen, Neil Everett, Gayle Gardner, Mike Greenberg, Craig Kilborn, Suzy Kolber, Bob Ley, Steve Levy, David Lloyd, Kenny Mayne, Tom Mees, Gary Miller, Kevin Negandhi, Keith Olbermann, Bill Patrick, Dan Patrick, Bill Pidto, Karl Ravech, Robin Roberts, Stuart Scott, Charley Steiner, Mike Tirico, Scott Van Pelt, Stan Verrett & more

Related PODS: The Top 10 All-Time MLB Play-by-Players, Mike Soltys, Chris LaPlaca, Mark Shapiro, Adam Schefter, Traug Keller

On Deck: Marchand & Ourand by Thursday Morning

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Benjamin is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand”

The ‘Mad Dog” Dream: Benjamin wanted to be the “Black Chris Russo” — but the story of what happened instead is pretty cool

The Foundation Born in Antigua, raised in Harlem by a mom working two to three jobs, Benjamin’s first love was cricket which led him to baseball and the Yankees

The Grind: Out of college, Benjamin was a security guard. How he got his first break at Ch. 9 and then to ABC and, finally, as a YES original.

Yankee Classics: The indescribable feeling of going into the Yankees’ clubhouse and interviewing Derek Jeter, etc. and the story of how “next time I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Plus, the intimidation of seeing the people he read, like Jack Curry and Joel Sherman, in the locker room

His “TV Pops” Connection: How one of the best producers in the business, Bill Boland, was so important in his career. Benjamin’s stop at ABC made him know he was in the right profession. And the connection to his now boss at YES, Jared Boshnack.

YES Education: What he learned from Boland, Frank DiGraci, Kevin Smollen, John Moore and John Filippelli.

Bittersweet: When Benjamin got the top Yankee job, he replaced Boland. Boland did something he didn’t have to

Principles of Producing: What is Benjamin trying to accomplish with the 130+ games YES does? How does he prepare? What are the ethos? Where should the cameras be? The resources from Jon Litner and Boshnack. What is a typical day like? The nuance of “Name that Yankee,” how Alex Mangini, Sean Sullivan and Bryant Gumbel have had a hand in it. And a sweet story about it all.

Kay Corner: His love for Michael Kay as the voice of the Yankees

Learning from the Greats: What Ian Eagle and Marv Albert taught him

What’s Next: The adrenaline of the three-hour rush.

All-Time MLB Play-by-Play List: His love for Jack Buck

Related Podcasts

• How Chris Russo became the greatest sports talk show of all-time

• Michael Kay’s legendary New York career from The Boss to the booth

• How a Hall of Fame producer changed sports TV … Fred Gaudelli TV

• A legendary World Series producer says goodbye…. Pete Macheska

• Legendary NBC director Drew Esocoff and the Super Bowl mindset

• The future of baseball & local rights with SNY president Steve Raab

• The advice of legends behind Ryan Ruocco’s rise to stardom

• On Deck by Tuesday morning: Ranking The Top 10 All-Time SportsCenter Anchors

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Plus, NBC’s big move is not like the others, Fox’s World Cup review, present and future & the NBA Draft needed remix on a half-hour edition of “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media” podcast.

For MLB, It is not 1994: Why MLB needs to go into their next TV negotiations with its best hand as there are a couple of clouds hanging over it. The entertainment differences between 1994 and now. The Manfred All-30 and making finding games simpler. Plus, Baseball Tonight featuring Kevin Connors, Adam Ottavino and Tim Kurkjian shined, while Meterparel felt NBC’s Jason Benetti struggled. What the WBC can learn from the World Cup and how to make it bigger and better. Why developing the WBC further is important for media rights. Mentions: Roger Clemens, Rob Manfred, Scott Boras, Tarik Skubal, Anthony Rizzo & Will Middlebrooks

NBC & the Divergent Power Players: With NBC Universal and Comcast’s announced split, how Disney with ESPN and Fox with Roku are taking different approaches into the next stage of the sports streaming wars. Mentions: Jimmy Pitaro & Josh D’Amaro

Howling Fox: Why Rebecca Lowe is the female Ernie Johnson. How JP Dellacamera has struggled. Why Fox is having its best World Cup. The good and bad of Zlatan. Why this could be Fox’s last World Cup. Mentions: Alexi Lalas, John Strong, Stu Holden, Taylor Twellman, Jacqui Oatley

NBA Draft Zzzz: Who was good and who wasn’t on the coverage? And why it needs a Mel Kiper Jr. What ESPN needs to change and the miscalculation with one segment. Mentions: Malika Andrews, Lisa Salters, Shams Charania, Tim Legler, Jay Bilas, Richard Jefferson, Jay Williams & Jaylen Brown

Cakes Are Baking Game: Mark Grace, Kawhi Leonard & Jude Bellingham

Other Notables: Dr. Swanson, Nick Meteparel

• On Deck: YES Yankee producer Troy Benjamin by Thursday

• In the hole: Our Top 10 All-Time SportsCenter anchors by next Tuesday

• Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

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It’s “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand”

• From JV Cuts to Breaking News – How getting cut from his high school team and a life-changing teacher set Shams on his path

• Early Inspirations & Influences – The impact of Lee Jenkins and RealGM

• A Teenager at the Finals – How Shams was just 19 years old when he covered his first NBA Finals in 2013

• No Fear, No Filter – How a young Shams cold-called anyone and everyone without hesitation,

• Why Sources Picked Up For A Teenager – The surprising reasons NBA executives, agents and insiders actually returned calls

• The Story That Put Him On The Map – Shams recalls the jitters of breaking his first big story at just 19 years old

• The Relationship Rules That Built His Reputation – Why honesty builds long-term equity with sources and a golden rule

• Social Network – Shams opens up about missing out on social life and sometimes wondering if it is worth it

• ESPN Almost Hired Him as a Kid – The untold story of how Brian Windhorst email almost landed him at ESPN early in his career

• Idolizing Woj – Shams opens up about idolizing Adrian Wojnarowski and how Woj changed Shams’ life

• Shams vs. Woj – Why Shams didn’t follow Woj to ESPN in 2017, how he felt about the online rivalry that consumed basketball Twitter, and the influence of Jon Krawczynski in leading him to build something special at The Athletic

• Woj’s ESPN Retirement Bomb – From Woj’s shocking retirement to Shams navigating his decision to leave The Athletic for ESPN to succeed Woj

• The American Dream – How Shams' parents emigrating from Pakistan instilled his work ethic, and the family support system that helped make it all happen

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Why Alexi Lalas and Zlatan Ibrahimović studio hubbub shows soccer viewing has matured. Plus, ESPN’s programming decisions, NBC’s MLB and golf coverage, YouTube dominance, UFC White House ratings, Nolan Ryan and USA Sports’ future.

It is a 33-minute “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”

1. ⬆️⬇️ What’s Up, What’s Down: Fox’s World Cup Coverage
The World Cup TV revolution is here in the US. The analyst who has had a monster tournament. Why Lalas is hearing it from all sides. And the day Fox got really right. Plus, the play-by-players up and down.

2. 📺 ESPN & NBC Old School
A championship moment sparked some old-school ESPN magic — and a standout PTI fill-ins, while NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball has a lot of pluses, but … Also, Linda Cohn retired after we recorded, but we discussed her phrase, “Master batter.”

3. 📺 Has YouTube Already Won?
Netflix. Amazon Prime Video. ESPN. On & On. Everyone’s fighting for your screen — but has YouTube already won. Why it can control the board.

4. ⛳ NBC’s US Open Coverage Reviewed
What NBC got right

5. 🥊 UFC at the White House Numbers: What to make of them?
A promise of Super Bowl numbers. The ratings are in — and we have thoughts.

6. ⚾️ Everybody Loves Local: The Baltimore Orioles crew
Meterparel has high praise.

7. 🏒 USA Sports, Nolan Ryan & ‘Cakes Are Baking’
Could USA Sports be a surprise player for MLB or NHL rights? We dig into their ambitions. Plus, Papa Clicker weighs in on the Nolan Ryan biography you might like and the “Cakes are Baking” game is back with Marchand entering 6-for-24.

Bold Faced Names In The Pod: Marcelo Balboa, Alexi Lalas, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry, Rebecca Lowe, Stuart Holden, John Strong, Juergen Sommer, Taylor Twellman, John Ourand, Jason Benetti, Anthony Rizzo, John Kruk, John Franco, Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Frank Isola, Pat McAfee, Peter Schrager, Rich Eisen, Linda Cohn, Norby Williamson, Rece Davis, Matt Hong, Dana White, Ronda Rousey, Michelle Obama, Mike Tirico, Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Jim Nantz, Chris Fowler, Ian Eagle, JP Dellacamera, Jacqui Oatley, Ian Darke, Mark Scott, Dan Hicks, Brad Faxon, Wyndham Clark, Kevin Brown, Ben McDonald, Jim Palmer, Melanie Newman, Josh Lewin, Papa Clicker, Nolan Ryan, Red Murph, Tim Brown, Clyde Drexler, Meryl Streep, Kurt Warner, Richard Deitsch, Phil Sanford, Oliver Kahn, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Adam Schein, Derek Rae, Rob Stone, Marv Albert, Jack Edwards, Keith Jackson & Darren Fletcher

• On Deck by Thursday Morning: ESPN’s Shams Charania

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In a fascinating 47-minute discussion, Hong, who rose in the media world at AOL and TNT Sports, is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”

The interview was part of the “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports” series.

RUNDOWN …

• Where is sports going?

• Explaining what Versant is trying to accomplish

• The percentage of live sports and news on Versant tells a story

• Why no NFL or NBA for Versant

• What works for Versant

• Understanding Golf Now and Fandango businesses

• The goal is change the model

• Why MLB & NHL could be something USA Sports pursues

• How the NFL getting more could be good for USA Sports

• Why Versant will be more ROI driven than others

• The reasons NBC and Versant split up the sports rights the way they did when the new company was formed

• The three buckets of USA Sports and NBC

• Why Versant can be more nimble

• Hong’s Mark Lazarus connection

• Why golf is the perfect business for Versant

• How Versant is on the front foot with AI

• How Versant could partner with NBC and others

• How M&A is part of what they do

• What is Versant’s digital strategy

• How did Hong rise through media

• Why the AI age may be similar to the digital age

• The mandate to do something different after NBC spinoff

• The advice from Jeremy Legg

• How David Levy, Lenny Daniels and Jeff Behnke helped Hong

• What is Charles Barkley like

• TNT Sports and wanting to get the NFL back

• How the CBS and TNT Sports worked so hard for the NCAA deal

• Hong was ready to leave the sports television business and then Hong received a call from Mark Lazarus

• It was too good to pass up; especially with the team Lazarus had put together with people like Anandi Kini and David Pietrycha

Some Related Podcasts: Gabe Spitzer, Rick Cordella, Christian Oestlien, Mark Shapiro, Jay Marine, Don Garber, Hans Schroeder

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Plus, the duo hits on many subjects, including:

• Grading the post-TNT NBA TV deals after one season

• Going deep into how Mike Breen & ABC/ESPN did on the Finals

• The future rights roadmap for the NHL & MLB

• How has Zlatan & Fox’s World Cup coverage been so far

• Assessing ESPN’s plans for its No. 2 NFL team

• What to make of the White House UFC event

It is a 33-minute “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”

Names in the Pod: Howard Cosell, The Murdochs, Pat McAfee, Mike Breen, Joe Buck, Tyler Murray, John Strong, Stu Holden, Lionel Messi, Marv Albert, Burke Magnus, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, Victor Wembanyama, Mike Tirico, Ian Eagle, Stan Van Gundy, Taylor Rooks, Tim Legler, Richard Jefferson, Dylan Harper, De'Aaron Fox, Karl Anthony-Towns, Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan, Rod Brind'Amour, Brandon Bussi, Gary Bettman, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Alexi Lalas, Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Taylor Twellman, Dave Pasch, Bob Wischusen, Jason Kelce, Kurt Warner, Louis Riddick, Steve Levy, Joe Tessitore, Dana White, Donald Trump, Bo Nickal & Matt Hong. Cakes Are Baking: Oliver Kahn, Wade Boggs & Andy Pettitte.

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Marchand & Puck’s John Ourand go deep into why it may be a smart move and why it may be crazy.

Plus, who will broadcast the World Cup in four years, YouTube’s sports future after being shut out of the NFL and President Trump vs. Stephen A.

It is all in the 36-minute podcast.

The Rundown …

• Why would ESPN offer McAfee $60-65M per year now

• McAfee has some of the most powerful people in media repping him

• Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro started with a $100M per year proposal

• The value for ESPN of the major commissioners seemingly loving McAfee

• The issues for ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus

• What ESPN should really be known for

• What is actually selling ESPN Unlimited

• The reason why you go early if you are McAfee

• How the potential deal could impact other big negotiations

• Who is in the McAfee/Stephen A. tier at ESPN

• In 2030, who will be the broadcast home of the World Cup

• Why Apple may not be counted out of that one, though someone else is Marchand & Ourand’s favorite for the 2030 World Cup

• After failing to pick up more NFL games, what to make of YouTube’s sports future

• Christian Oestlien was The Main Event in Feb. and explained YouTube’s Realignment Vision

• The NFL can’t play bully ball with the big digital companies

• Why there will be no favors later if you give the NFL your milk money now

• Ourand was at Game 3 of The Finals with President Trump

• Larry David’s hand movements during the game

• Trump goes after Stephen A., what happens next

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It is a 30-minute “Everybody Loves Sports Media” podcast with Andrew Marchand & Jon Meterparel"

The Rundown ….

• Why ESPN could be eyeing the World Series next …

• How Ray Ferraro has excelled on the Stanley Cup

• Giving ESPN its due for the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup

• LIV Golf has gone from bad to worse

• Fox Sports’ bad luck on a good baseball idea

• Grading Mike Breen, Tim Legler and Richard Jefferson

• How much would you pay for a top ticket to an event

• Why “Inside The NBA” is paying off for ESPN in the Finals

• How Mark Messier has improved

• The chances of ESPN and TNT Sports of getting an early deal done with the NHL

• Why Linda Schulz’ ESPN team on the NHL is doing well

• How to rate the Russell Wilson and Kyle Long hires by CBS’ NFL Today

• The Kevin Burkhardt super power dissected

• Will this be Fox’s last World Cup

• Zlatan Ibrahimović will be a lightning rod

• Rich Eisen’s new SportsCenter lookback special

• Condolences and remembrances for Stacey King, Bryce Adair and Ned Jarrett

• Papa Clicker Book Reviews: Chuck Klosterman’s Football and Giri Nathan’s Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men’s Tennis

• Cakes Are Baking Game: Tedy Bruschi, Udonis Haslem & Christian McCaffery

• Remembering Uncle Allen

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• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

• Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

• On Deck: Marchand & Ourand

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Burkhardt discusses his big breaks from a small station in New Jersey to WFAN to SNY to FOX. He goes into detail about the thrill of working with Tom Brady, Greg Olsen, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez.

Burkhardt is the guest on a 36-minute edition of “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”

THE RUNDOWN …

• What was shaping Kevin Burkhardt as a kid

• Growing up in North Jersey, his whole family were New York fans, but not Kevin

• Burkhardt was a big MLB radio guy as his family did not have cable

• The influence of WFAN on Burkhardt

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  For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

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• When Burkhardt entered the business, he wasn’t thinking Super Bowls & World Series

• His first job out of college, he had to worry that the signal wouldn’t work

• The old engineer who mentored Burkhardt

• Why Burkhardt enjoyed and valued the journey

• What was Burkhardt’s first break …. on The FAN & Mike & the Mad Dog

• Marchand says Burkhardt is the best sideline TV reporter ever

• The advice that SNY Mets’ producer, Gregg Picker, gave Burkhardt

• Gary Cohen, Ron Darling & Keith Hernandez’ important move for him

• Curt Gowdy Jr. took Burkhardt up on wanting to do more and made him versatile

• How Burkhardt got his Fox break and legendary director Bill Webb’s influence

• The story behind how Burkhardt was shocked in 2013 when Fox offered him a full NFL play-by-play job

• How he tries to relate to stars like Jeter, Ortiz & Rodriguez, which he is calling a game with on Saturday, June 6th, between the Yankees-Red Sox

• Why Burkhardt raves about Jeter

• Ortiz is a “giant teddy bear”

• How A-Rod really wanted to be good on TV

• Why Pete Rose was a little dicier than the current crew

• Burkhardt covered Olsen’s high school games, which helped their bond

• Olsen’s practice game was unbelievable

• What is the process in terms of getting to know Tom Brady up to speed at Fox

• Brady didn’t do something for TV that most other players do

• M-Fing the GOAT & Brady loving it

• How the relationship with Brady has grown from golf to dinners

• The reactions to Brady when they are out is like the Beatles

• The Brady-Burkhardt strategy to deal with Brady’s fame on the field

• The Micah Parsons & Trevon Diggs picture before a game with Brady

• What it meant to Burkhardt that Brady called him as good a teammate as he has ever had

• The fun they have on set with everyone together

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  Related Podcasts: Ian Eagle … Joe Buck .. Jim Nantz …Booger McFarland … Jason Benetti … Ryan Ruocco … Boomer Esiason ... Chris Russo … Chris Oliviero

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• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

• Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

• On Deck: Marchand & Meterparel

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— The Headlines: Adam Silver & The Finals, Grading the NBA on NBC, The ABC/ESPN NBA Finals top storyline, Marchand’s Mike Breen column & Ben Stiller & The Top 10 All-Time MLB feedback.

— What’s Up/What’s Down Candidates: Silver, Alex Rodriguez, NHL on TNT Studio Show, Eric Collins

— The Questions: Where the duo goes in-depth

• Why do Marchand & Meterparel grade NBC’s overall coverage of the NBA the way they do from Mike Tirico to Reggie Miller to Jamal Crawford to nostalgia to Maria Taylor to Carmelo Anthony to Tracy McGrady to Vince Carter and introductions

• Assessing the ESPN booth of Breen, Tim Legler & Richard Jefferson post-Doris Burke on the eve of The Finals

• The Matchup: Tirico/Miller/Crawford vs. Breen/Legler/Jefferson: Who ya got

• Breaking down the Marchand and Ben Stiller tweets as Meterparel gives Marchand a nickname

• The feedback of Meterparel picking Keith Jackson for his Top MLB play-by-players, while Marchand left Bob Costas out of his and more

• What is misunderstood about Joe Buck and the level of scrutiny today

• Why Pete Radovich, last week’s Main Event, has such a good idiom for how soccer should be done and why Fox and Netflix will hopefully follow

• What TNT’s soccer coverage is getting right with its play-by-player Luke Wileman

• Everybody Loves Local: Grading the Boston Red Sox/NESN team of Dave O’Brien, Lou Merloni and reporter Jahmai Webster and does it beat YES’ booth

• Assessing Sports Illustrated laying off Michael Rosenberg, Greg Bishop & Stephanie Apstein

• Cakes are Baking Game (Play Along): Alexi Lalas, Derek Lowe & Morgan Freeman

• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

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• On Deck: Kevin Burkhardt is the Main Event

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The Rundown …

• How Radovich’s job works from the opening teases of Super Bowls to Champions League

• How do you cut through in a second screen world

• Why Radovich & his team have leaned in to the human interest angles

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• The CBS 2018 John Malkovich classic before the AFC Championship game

• How do he get Malkovich to do it

• The reaction it received globally even eight years later

• Winning not only Sports Emmys, but also Cannes Lions

• The Army-Navy tease with editor Anthony Cortese that same year was also special

• Why the Army-Navy teases are so important

• How Radovich grew up with professional soccer

• The reason behind the Champions League approach toward hardcore fans

• Telling Peter Schmeichel & Jamie Carragher that if you would do a segment in Europe than do it here

• How he sat down with Sean McManus and David Berson about the approach

• How Radovich’s “Inside The NFL” producing led to the Champions studio team

• Why host Kate Scott was Radovich’s first hire

• The behind-the-scenes story of how CBS/Paramount ended up with the team of Scott, Carragher, Thierry Henry and Michah Richards

• Radovich produced a four-part history of “Inside The NBA” that really allowed him to get inside the mind of its producer Tim Kiely

• How producers Ben Strauber and Jeff Gerttula worked to put together the chemistry on the studio show, but it is like trying to predict a blind date

• Radovich is always flying internationally for work

• How Radovich broke into the business with no connections as his parents were immigrants from Croatia, but he had friend named Zak Ivkovic

• Lisa Lax and NBC gave him his intern first break

• How showing up on days he wasn’t assigned sprung his break into a job

• Radovich has never had a resume

• Radovich’s parents emigrated from Croatia and his love for the country

• Croatia is half the population of New Jersey, which makes the Croatia’s World Cup success even more amazing

• Who is the best Croatian athlete in history … and how Radovich is friends with this person

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  Some Related Podcasts: Fred Gaudelli …Drew Esocoff …Pete Macheska …Ian Eagle … Jim Nantz

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• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

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• On Deck: Marchand & Meterparel

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Andrew Marchand & Jon Meterparel rank their all-time Major League Play-by-Players. Each host used their own criteria to come up with their Top 10.

At No. 10, Meterparel had a shocker, at least to Marchand, while Marchand wrestled with his No. 1 choice until the last moment. Marchand also had one surprise legend that didn’t make his Top 10.

Play-by-players moved up and down the big boards and many great ones were left on the bubble.

The envelope please on the 38-minute all-time sports media podcast.

Some of the names considered: Sean McDonough, Bob Murphy, Joe Davis, Bob Costas, Skip Caray, Marty Brennaman, Jack Buck, Joe Buck, Bob Uecker, Gary Cohen, Al Michaels, Boog Sciambi, Jon Miller, Keith Jackson, Howie Rose, Dan Shulman; Harry Kalas, Ted Robinson, Vin Scully, Dick Enberg, Jason Benetti, Michael Kay, Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell, Brian Anderson & Duane Kuiper.

• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

• Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

• On Deck: CBS’ Pete Radovich

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The 43-minute sports media podcast was shot in front of a live studio audience as part of the “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports” series.

THE RUNDOWN …

• Why Netflix’s vision for sports is not just a sports strategy

• The evolution of Netflix’s strategy and what sports provides for the business

For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

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• Why Netflix added more NFL and wanted to own Christmas

• How the NFL game deal sprung out of social media

• The race to the first game and setting a then streaming record

• Why boxing has done so well on Netflix

• The surprise of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

• Assessing how the World Baseball Classic did in Japan

• Netflix has MLB’s Opening Night, Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams, why does that work

• Marchand criticized Netflix’s Opening Night presentation in a column for The Athletic, Spitzer gave his response

• The difficulty of networks, like Fox and ESPN, not allowing their exclusive on-air personalities to appear on Netflix anymore

• Why Netflix wants to be the most talent friendly network

• How the Elle Duncan deal works

• How does Spitzer looking at adding more on-air personalities

• The Women’s World Cup next year is the most ambitious project yet

• What is the thinking behind acquiring the Women’s World Cup

• What is Gabe Spitzer’s backstory

• How he started at ESPN in 2005 out of Wesleyan

• Learning how to make documentaries at HBO

• How he moved from Fox Sports to Netflix

• What is the culture of Netflix

• Why failing is important at Netflix

• How the first big live deal with WWE came together

• Grading the WWE deal

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• What is the best documentary that Spitzer has been a part of

• What’s it like working on “Harry and Meghan”

• How do you get subjects to buy in on documentaries

• Beckham’s reaction around the world to his doc

• The one big documentary still out there is …

• How interested is Netflix in the Men’s World Cup

• How does Spitzer look at AI

• Where does Spitzer see Netflix in sports in five years or 10 years

• What’s the hardest part of Spitzer’s job

• How many pitches does Spitzer receive

• Who have been the most important mentors for Spitzer

• Does Spitzer wish he had become a sports writer

Related Podcasts: Mark Shapiro, Hans Schroeder, Christian Oestlien, Jay Marine, Rick Cordella & Don Garber

• Sign-up: Off the Record with Matt Hong on June 9th

• Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

• On Deck: Marchand & Meterparel

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