Last Word On Sports Media Podcast

We're are back going over the top sports media stories, newsmakers, etc. from over the weekend on the newest "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives and Co-Host Mike Gill of the "The Sports Bash" weekday afternoon show in Atlantic City, NJ return with their takes on:

it was the celebration of the 50th anniversary on CBS' "NFL Today" show that debuted in 1975. The network did great tributes to it with Brent Musberger in the studio and the guys go over it.

Then, the NFL had some CRAZY endings with blocked field goals in Philly, Tampa and Cleveland. The guys go over the games and play highlights from Merril Reese on the Eagles call and even, T.J. filling in for legend Gene Deckerhoff on the Bucs radio call of their dramatic win.

Also, how pitiful is the Monday Night Football doubleheader for ESPN/ABC next week?! Yuck.

And, the guys analyze Fox Sports' Greg Olsen appearing to get aggravated with Dave Portnoy of the new "Wake Up Barstool" show on FS1 cable during their live interview segment Monday morning that he's being PAID to be on with them? Was this legit or perhaps contrived to help get some audience going for the show?

The guys also talk some college football and the tough weekend for the lack of many close games. However, this week wth Notre Dame at Arkansas, Oregon at Penn State and Alabama at Georgia, there are massive matchups.

There's also more clarity on ESPN rolling out the "Inside the NBA" studio coverage for the upcoming season starting in November. Mike has more on that.

And, the boys wonder if Bruce Pearl "retiring" from Auburn in college basketball with their season starting soon means he's headed to the TV studio and maybe with CBS and leading to their March coverage?

It's all on the "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

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It's a jam packed new edition of the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast," as host T.J. Rives and co-host Mike Gill are back with LOTS of takes on the personalities, coverage, ratings, etc. in sports media.

They talk first about the massive "win" for Fox Sports' coverage of the Chiefs-Eagles on Sunday with over 31 million watching on average. Seven time Superbowl winner Tom Brady was on the call and we give his analysis some critiquing. But bigger, he was in the Las Vegas Raiders coach's booth the next night with a headset on during the game, as the minority owner? What abou tthis and how much longer do the other NFL owners stand for him doing both things?

The guys also talk some college football and LSU coach Brian Kelly going after a local reporter late Saturday night after his team's SEC win over Florida in primetime. Where's the line on legitimate question and the timing of when to ask it?

Plus, Amazon is now involved with The Masters golf tournament come next April. The guys have more.

And, why is NBA Commissioner Adam Silver telling fans/viewers that watching the whole games on TV, etc. is not as big a priority anymore as viewing clips and highlights on social media, etc.?

The guys talk about it all on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

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It's a brand new edition of the show that talks sports media, news, TV ratings and more, as host T.J. Rives is back aboard with the NFL getting underway, college football ramping up, etc. on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast!"

T.J. is joined by Tyler Jones this week of the "The Jones Report" Podcast with his takes, as well.

The guys discuss:

The NFL starts with tremendous action last Thursday and Friday for the Cowboys at the defending champion Eagles and the Chargers playing the Chiefs in Brazil. The boys discuss the action and the TV numbers, etc. Plus, what about streaming services continuing to be outlets for these standalone special games?

Next, the discussion is college football and the games of the second full weekend. Plus, what's going on with the Big Ten and so few interesting conference games the first three weeks? Shouldn't CBS, specifically, be getting better games? And, what about wild start times early for Oregon this week and late, late for Michigan State next weekend?

There's also discussion about Barstool Sports continuing to integrate with Fox and FS1 Cable for programming. And, Tyler has more on the WWE wrestling and already an issue with ESPN, when they have a brand new deal for their biggest PPVs on their streaming service.

Hear it all on the "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscirbe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.





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We are back in the full swing now with football, as the college season is underway and the NFL is about to begin. We're covering that and a lot more in sports media this week on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives is joined this week by guest Jay Betsill of DFWSportsOnline and formerly the Ft. Worth Star Telegram to go over it all.

First, since Jay is in Dallas, we get his insight on the Cowboys trading disgruntled defensive star Michah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. And, what about the fallout for controversial, egotistical owner Jerry Jones and his disastrous press conference to discuss the trade, too?!

Next, they talk the 2025 shaky debut of Arch Manning for the Texas Longhorns in their loss at Ohio State and even back up before the game to the debut of Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports on the Fox "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show from Columbus, last week. Plus, what about the thrilling FSU upset of top 10 Alabama, the LSU upset of top 10 Clemson and the dramatic Miami win Sunday night over Notre Dame all had to draw ESPN/ABC BIG audience. The guys discuss.

Then, the NFL is BACK this week/weekend. And, they go over the announcers for the biggest games on the networks coming up for this start to the season.

The guys also talk Rich Eisen debuting on ESPN Radio with his show and Jay has tremendous stories about him coming to Dallas and Jay actually meeting and helping Eisen.

Plus, Disney/ESPN decides to demote Doris Burke off their main NBA coverage team. There's more to go over about that move and why?

It's all on the "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!!




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Newest "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" returns with co-hosts T.J. Rives and Mike Gill. They have many takes on subjects like:

College Football is BACK

- Did Ohio St. try to ban David Portnoy of Barstool Sports from being in their stadium Saturday for Fox "Big Noon Kickoff" or not? The boys have theories.

- Both pregame shows, including "College Gameday" on ESPN will be in Columbus for Texas at Buckeyes. Legend Lee Corso's final live show.

- Dublin, Ireland CFB opener lost 20% audience on ESPN Saturday for Iowa State-Kansas State (4 mil avg). Still that won Saturday in the ratings.

Meanwhile, Youtube TV and Fox (Newscorp) are in a carriage dispute with deadline looming Wednesday 5 p.m. Will subscribers lose out on seeing CFB, MLB etc this weekend? Bigger if Fox News is dropped, too!

MLB settles on it's revamped TV packages- 

NBC getting Friday/Sunday and the Wildcard games for reportedly $200 mil per year. 

ESPN stays in for select weekday MLB games, purchase of MLB.TV for local/regional broadcasts and keeping basically unlimited use of highlights, etc. for $1.4 Billion over 3 years. 

Netflix got Home Run Derby at the All Star Game for reported $35 million.

Also, NBC concludes golf season with Fed Ex Cup finale' in Atlanta with another HUGE (relative) audience number of over 4 million average (up 20% over last year).  The Ryder Cup (USA vs. Europe) looms in late September on NBC, too.

U.S. Open Tennis EVERYWHERE on ESPN/ABC platforms but does this country really care anymore?

And, what about the Little League World Series and "overkill" there?

Hear it all on the "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure that you are subscribed on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.


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It's a brand new edition of our sports media show/podcast as co-host Mike Gill is back from his European vacation along with T.J. Rives to talk news, personalities and takes on the "LWOS Media Podcast!"

The start with:

MLB Broadcaster Deals Breaking News 

Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports Reported Tuesday night that Apple is out for Friday nights and that a Friday/Sunday package that includes the Wildcard round is about to agreed to by Comcast/NBC/Peacock. Also, Netflix will buy the Homerun Derby on All Star Week and ESPN will apparently buy MLB.TV and stream all non-national games through their new paid app launch. The guys go over it all.

Next, Rich Eisen was back hosting "Retro-SportsCenter" on ESPN Monday night for the first time in 22 years. Moving Tribute to the late Stuart Scott (his partner for 7 years) and more. Mike LOVED it. Should more of it continue?

Also, Eisen's daily TV show will now be on ESPN's new paid app and on ESPN radio affiliates, too.

Next up, SkyDance/Paramount+ gets the UFC exclusively on a 7 year nearly $8 Billion Deal. Amazing money being spent. Why did they do it for that price?

Then, former Superbowl winning QB turned Fox Sports lead NFL analyst, Tom Brady was doing the "walk in" to the Raiders game Saturday in Las Vegas in full team gear. At what point does NFL tell him to "tone it down" if he's going to be a national broadcaster? The boys have takes.

And finally, more on ESPN women's hoops analyst Monica McNutt and the idiocy of last Friday with here not knowing who Barry Sanders is on First Take? She asked comedian, "Druski,"  if it's was a Shadeur Sanders tribute? Soooo, so, bad for ESPN but we wonder, why did they put her in that position to fail?

All of that and more on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to us on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!





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On this edition of the show, host T.J. Rives returns with his insight and analysis on the latest in sports media including the announced new media deal for the UFC (Combat Sports) to Paramount+ in a multi-billion dollar deal.

Then, he welcomes Anthony "Booger" McFarland of ESPN/ABC for a full length conversation on the "ins and outs" of broadcasting in the studio for Saturday College Football and Sunday's legendary "NFL Primetime" post game highlight show with the legend Chris Berman on ESPN+. 

Booger, who played over a decade in the NFL, talks about the process of how the highlights are gotten to him for both and the craziness on Sunday night of doing shows, when they haven't seen the end of the late games. And, he and Berman are watching with the audience for the first time, when the highlights of the endings roll out.

T.J. finishes with the latest on the "Inside the NBA" show making it's debut on ESPN, the league returning to NBC and more this Fall and more. And, he also has more on the NFL Media/ESPN details, inlcuding about the status of the "RedZone" coverage on Sundays. Plus, Netflix is looking to get the MLB Home Run Derby and some other news items. 

Hear it all on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 



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It's the latest edition of our show devoted to covering sports media with insight, analysis and info. And, this week's edition spends a lot of time on the new found "marriage" of the NFL and ESPN with their announced deal for the league to buy a 10% stake in ESPN and for ESPN to now be in charge of the NFL media assets like NFL Network and the "NFL RedZone" Sunday coverage, etc. 

It's all part of the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" with host T.J. Rives back aboard. He also welcomes Joe Flint, Senior Media Writer for the Wall Street Journal, who's been covering the NFL deal with ESPN that has been ongoing for months and months.

Joe has insight on when this will take effect, how the fans viewing will be impacted (if much at all) and more. Also, the guys discuss whether ESPN is compromised now from an integrity standpoint and being able to be critical of the NFL on a big scale, if the NFL is now part owner, etc.?

Plus, how much say will ESPN have on something like the RedZone, which has been commercial free for it's two decade existence, but could now have ads? They also discuss the NCAA and it's basketball tournament failing to get it's TV Partners Skydance/CBS and WBD/Turner Sports to go along with expanding. And, also the WWE has a new deal with ESPN also for streaming its biggest events.

Finally, T.J. wraps up with some ratings and news info from over the weekend and more. 

It's all part of the "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

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On the newest edition of the sports media show/podcast we're back talking the passing of baseball icon Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs and the media angles around his playing and managerial career, etc. Plus, we talk the NFL getting back to work with training camps and the scary mass shooting at the HQ in Manhattan on Monday, where the gunman was apparently targeting their officies.

It's all part of the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" with co-hosts T.J. Rives and Mike Gill.

The guys are also joined by George Ofman from Chicago. George is the host of the "Tell me a story I don't know' sports podcast to talk the passing of Sandberg and give insight on his career, the coverage of it and more.

Also, T.J. and Mike talk the scary cancer surgery for Colorado Buffaloes coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He met the media on Monday.

And, they also prop the Nascar on TNT coverage from Sunday's "Brickyard 400" race at Indianapolis with the thrilling final two laps coverage.

It's all on this "LWOS Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

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We're back as Summer rolls on with more on sports media takes, ratings and interviews on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast."

Host T.J. Rives is back with more on:

Scottie Scheffler winning another golf major and actually brining more audience for NBC on Sunday late morning/early afternoon.

The WNBA All Star Game last Saturday night predicably having a dud audience on ABC (down over 30%) with Caitlin Clark injured and unable to play.

And, what about FS1 cable turning to Dave Portnoy's "Barstool Sports" to help their lifeless audience numbers during the week, etc.?

Then, T.J. brings aboard Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, noted NFL author and national writer Jason Cole to go over some top stories. What's going on with the NFL Players Association and the ouster of their executive director. And, why isn't it seemingly getting more media and public scrutiny? Jason and T.J. debate. Plus, they talk some interesting storylines for the upcming season.

The show wraps with T.J. giving thoughts on Paramount/CBS cancelling Steven Colbert's late night show on the network- a show failing in audience and losing massive money. Where have you gone Johnny Carson?!

It's all on the "Last Word on Sports Media Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

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