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🎤 QUICK START ✍️

🏀 Haliblurtin’ After leading the Indiana Pacers to a Game 3 NBA Finals win, Tyrese Haliburton pondered what the talking heads on TV really know about basketball. Stephen A. Smith took that criticism personally, accusing him of being too sensitive on First Take. “Just in case he was talking about me, my brother, I’m not going away. I’m gonna be here awhile.”

📺 Wind & Thunder. Pablo Torre delved deep into Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti's background and discovered that he once released a secret rap album… and also attempted to lure ESPN’s Brian Windhorst to Oklahoma City to serve as their “information guy.” We’re glad Windy stayed at ESPN; otherwise, we would’ve never been blessed with his “Now why is that?” meme.

🏀 Colin out the WNBA. Recent reports indicate that the nationally televised viewership of Indiana Fever games has decreased by 53%, and overall nationally televised WNBA ratings have dropped by 55% since Clark suffered a quadriceps injury last month. Colin Cowherd hopes WNBA players will use Caitlin Clark’s recent injury absence as a learning experience, stating this in the most condescending manner possible. "Be nice, WNBA players, to the lady that currently has her leg up because she’s giving the league a leg up."

🚨LEADING OFF 🚨

Mr. McAfee’s wild ride

It’s been a while since we’ve had a good insider story about Pat McAfee and his push-pull relationship with ESPN, so Thursday’s report by The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand was a welcome shot in the arm for those of us fascinated by how the high-priced and brash host coexists with Bristol’s finest.

Marchand, who reached “rat” status with McAfee from his days reporting on him at the NY Post, dropped a few interesting nuggets. Chief among them was confirmation that ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter had been “essentially banned” from The Pat McAfee Show since March when he failed to make an appearance at the former All-Pro punter’s request.

Schefter’s absence had not gone unnoticed by many of the show’s loyal fans, who also noticed that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suddenly started making more appearances during that time.

Not coincidentally, Schefter appeared on PMS for the first time in 100 days on Thursday. McAfee cheekily referred to him as the “banned man” several times. He also took the opportunity to call Marchand a “rat” once more and seemingly called out an ESPN executive (not the first time), whom he presumes could be Marchand’s source or one of them.

“I appreciate Burke Magnus going to bat for us,” McAfee said of the ESPN President of Content, who was quoted in The Athletic’s piece. “That was the most definitive statement that has been made by actual people with power at that company. And there’s this level right below there, probably a couple … that they all think they are somebody. Y’all motherf*ckers are dinosaurs, bro. You’re about to get run into extinction. And you know it. And it’s only a matter of time before everybody else does.”

The fact that this felt like a rehash of a previous reaction to reporting suggests how strained the relationship between McAfee and certain individuals at the Worldwide Leader must be. While the former NFL punter has been minting money for ESPN and helped reinvigorate College GameDay, he’s also committed his fair share of unforced errors and ESPN-on-ESPN crime.

Publically, ESPN has been nothing but supportive of McAfee, but it’s hard not to notice that they recently brought in an insurance plan in the form of Rich Eisen (McAfee sure noticed). Given how mercurial and thin-skinned he is, McAfee may take his ball and go home before his deal expires. Still, despite the internal misgivings of some, it’s clear that ESPN and Disney are more than happy to take this ride for as long as they can.

📣 NOTABLE QUOTABLES 🗣️

• “We’re all concerned; I’m not gonna lie to you. Because we just don’t know. So, I wish I could give you a definite answer, but we made the move, and we’re gonna see.” - Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA’s move to ESPN next season.

• “I do miss it. The coolest thing about radio to me, and why I enjoy it over every other medium, is that the community that surrounds it is always so much more intimate, and always like much closer.” - Bomani Jones on his sports talk radio days.

• “We have carried the day for Big Noon. There’s no question about it. You look at the viewership. So, we understand why Fox went with Big Noon. We understand why we’re picked all the time. But we’re hoping for just more flexibility.” - Ohio State AD Ross Bjork on the ongoing complaints about the Buckeyes’ noon game times.

📈 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 💰

• Ever since The Toucher and Rich Show ended in November 2023, the tension between former Boston sports radio co-hosts Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb has been palpable and, at times, downright nasty. While Toucher was profiled in the Boston Globe this week, it was a quote by Shertenlieb that told the story. “I have stayed silent in an attempt to take the high road while Fred Toucher says untrue and slanderous things about me in an attempt to defame my character, much like he admitted to doing to other members of our show months before I left,” he said. “This is disappointing, as Fred was someone I once considered a good friend.”

• Amazon’s American Gladiators reboot has found its gladiators and the broadcasting team that will call the action. Along with WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, who was previously announced as the host, the Prime Video version will include sideline reporter Rocsi Diaz and play-by-play commentator Chris Rose, who hosts NFL GameDay Final on NFL Network with Maurice Jones-Drew.

• Grand Slam Track’s first season is coming to an expected stop. Writing for Front Office Sports, Daniel Kaplan revealed that the professional track circuit founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson is canceling its final race in Los Angeles, which was scheduled for June 28-29. According to Kaplan, GST has an all-hands meeting scheduled for Thursday, where it is expected that the status of the meet and the future of the company will be discussed.

💬 AROUND AA 💬

SNY director John DeMarsico is making baseball a cinematic experience

America’s most historic sport is often slow to change.

However, SNY director John DeMarsico and his crew’s new perspective is receiving critical applause. By mixing unusual camera angles and homages to movies, New York Mets broadcasts have become a must-see event.

DeMarsico, a former walk-on catcher at NC State, was a film studies major. He grew up as a Mets fan in North Carolina because his parents are from New York. Now, the Emmy winner is working with the highly acclaimed broadcast team of Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez and bringing a cinematic experience to the game.

Awful Announcing’s Michael Grant caught up with DeMarsico to ask him about how his team is changing the way we view baseball.

“I feel like Brian De Palma would have been a good baseball director. In his thrillers specifically, he shows you all the pieces on the chessboard so that when checkmate happens, it makes it extra exciting. He sets the scene better than any director. He wants the audience to know all the players. I think that philosophy would apply well to baseball. You have all of this extra time built in, even with the pitch clock to set the scene and let the viewers know everything that’s happening on the field visually without the announcers even telling you.”

Read the full interview here.