Behind the Line

Both the NFL and ESPN made kneejerk reactions this week...when they removed Michael Irvin from television over accusations made by an employee at the Marriot Hotel. Michael Irvin has vehemently denied these claims...and his defense received validation late this week.

We reveal and react to a report from TMZ...including two eyewitnesses who back the defense of Michael Irvin. We criticize ESPN and the NFL for refusing to stand by Michael Irvin...and question whether he will return to either network in the future.

Mina Kimes has rose to stardom at ESPN...as the face of their campaign to make sports media more equitable. Although she has zero experience in the NFL...ESPN presents Mina Kimes as an NFL analyst/expert. With her contract expiring in September...it's rumored that ESPN could pay Mina Kimes seven-figures on her new deal.

We discuss the rise of Mina Kimes at ESPN...and the inauthenticity she represents. We explain why Mina Kimes shouldn't be considered an NFL analyst. We credit Mina Kimes for perfecting her lane and increasing ratings on NFL Live...but question whether Mina Kimes represents a positive change in sports media.

Michael Irvin has dedicated his life to the NFL. After a Hall-of-Fame playing career...Michael Irvin has dedicated the last two decades to covering the NFL for NFL Network. You would think a long clean history with NFL Network...would grant Michael Irvin the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately...that's not the case.

We react to both NFL Network and ESPN removing Michael Irvin from Superbowl coverage. We also react to Michael Irvin recounting of the event that got him pulled off-the-air. We criticize the NFL for lacking the courage to stand beside Michael Irvin...and discuss the issues with modern culture.

LeBron James set the all-time NBA scoring record Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers game was broadcast nationally on TNT...with the NBA interrupting the game to allow LeBron James to give a speech. During the speech...LeBron James let a word slip that offended ESPN Michael Kay and others in the mainstream media.

We reveal and react to the speech from LeBron James...and the reaction of Michael Kay. We discuss how Michael Kay and the media are overdramatizing LeBron speech...and why this vocal slip by LeBron James shouldn't be a big deal.

Becky Sauerbrunn is a long-time member of the USWNT...winning an Olympic gold medal and two World Cups. When Bethany Hamilton spoke out against biological men competing in the World Surf League...Becky Sauerbrunn wrote an op-ed disputing Bethany Hamilton.

We reveal and react to an op-ed by Becky Sauerbrunn...claiming men don't have a physical advantage over women. We contrast her claims with Riley Gaines...who continues to speak out against Lia Thomas. We criticize Becky Sauerbrunn for conforming to the media narrative...while praising Riley Gaines for having the courage to take a stand.

Dawn Staley is trumpeting the supposed success of women's college basketball. FOX broadcast a high-profile matchup between South Carolina and UConn this past weekend...drawing the highest ratings for women's college basketball since 2017. Dawn Staley claims this is proof...that women's college basketball is becoming mainstream.

We react to the comments from Dawn Staley...and dispute her claims that women's college basketball is popular. We analyze television ratings and attendance...showing the lack of popularity in women's basketball. We also explain why women's college basketball and the WNBA aren't resonating with millions of people.

Bomani Jones has been a consistent failure since arriving at HBO in January 2022. Bomani Jones has demonstrated that he has no ability to maintain the audience of John Oliver and Bill Maher. But Bomani Jones managed to reach a new level of failure last week.

We reveal and react to Bomani Jones ratings on HBO and TNT. We question how HBO can keep Bomani Jones on their network...when ratings are this poor. We also explain why Bomani Jones has no place in the television industry.

The 2023 Grammy Awards were another abject failure for Hollywood. The mainstream media is claiming the 2023 Grammy Awards were a success...rebounding by 30% in the ratings. While this is true...the media is leaving out an important detail.

We reveal and react to ratings for the 2023 Grammys. We explain the missing piece to the media narrative. We also react to several clips from the Grammy Awards...and explain why Hollywood continues failing to resonate with normal people.

Bethany Hamilton is a legendary figure in the world of surfing. After losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13...Bethany Hamilton fought through adversity and became one of the best surfers in the world. After the World Surf League announced last Friday that they would now allow biological men to compete against women...Bethany Hamilton decided to take a stand.

We reveal and react to Bethany Hamilton...refusing to compete against biological men. We question the World Surf League motives in making this announcement...and explain why we believe this is a ploy for attention by the World Surf League.

Chris Wallace was expected to boost ratings at CNN when he arrived in 2022. The first season of Chris Wallace on CNN was an abject failure...with Chris Wallace failing to resonate with viewers. Season two with Chris Wallace has been even worse.

We reveal and react to Chris Wallace ratings on CNN. We also criticize Chris Wallace...for attempting to embarrass Terry Bradshaw in a desperate ploy to draw attention to his show. We also explain why Chris Wallace is failing at CNN.