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🎤 QUICK START ✍️

🏈 The 2025 NFL announcer rankings are in, with some surprising moves up and down the list of broadcast teams.

🏈 Speaking of NFL announcers, Cris Collinsworth will sit out this year’s Thanksgiving game with Jason Garrett filling in alongside Mike Tirico once again.

📺 ESPN announcer Joe Buck will pull one of the longest daily doubles in broadcasting when he hosts GMA and calls MNF on the same day next week.

📺 Elle Duncan is officially on the move to Netflix and cutting ties with ESPN.

📺 Warner Bros. Discovery is telling the three media giants bidding for the company that it wants to see some improved offers.

🚨 LEADING OFF 🚨

Power players

In a conversation with Joe Budden, Pablo Torre gave some direct and fascinating thoughts on the power that Stephen A. Smith has gained at ESPN. Smith’s position at the network is basically unmatched in the annals of sports media history. He not only gets to star in his show, but also picks the talent he’s with and produces it. He also gets the freedom to go independent and build his personal brand, whether that’s getting into politics, podcasts, radio, or acting. Oh, and ESPN is paying SAS $100 million just to keep him in business.

But when thinking about the most powerful personalities in sports media, the irony is that most of them also work at ESPN.

Part of that is just how far ahead ESPN is of its competitors as the Worldwide Leader in Sports. Part of it is just how much they carry the daily sports conversation in the country. And part of it is the sheer amount of talent they have amassed in recent years - Pat McAfee, the Mannings, the Kelces, Charles Barkley, Scott Van Pelt, and others all call ESPN home to a varying degree.

As for those outside ESPN, the most prominent names at the networks who call games, and for as much as they are seen and enjoyed by the masses, the likes of Jim Nantz, Mike Tirico, or Greg Olen aren’t influencing the sports world on a 24/7 basis.

So, who is outside of the friendly confines of Bristol, Connecticut? These are the most powerful sports personalities outside the ESPN universe.

Pablo Torre - At least in 2025, the list has to begin with Torre himself. His reporting through his podcast has led to huge breaking news stories with Kawhi Leonard and Jordon Hudson that are still unfolding. Nobody has shaped the headlines like Torre, and it’s setting a new foundation for modern sports journalism.

Bill Simmons - The podfather is going stronger than ever at The Ringer, not just with his own work, but with his continued work across different platforms. And while it’s hard to believe that Grantland has been gone for 10 years, it shouldn’t be overlooked that The Ringer has almost reached its 10th anniversary with no signs of slowing down.

Dave Portnoy - The face of Barstool Sports has fully entered the mainstream thanks to his deal with Fox Sports and Big Noon Kickoff. That hasn’t translated to daily viewership on FS1, but Portnoy’s influence is still widely felt.

Colin Cowherd - The FS1 host is one of the few people who have left ESPN and maintained a steady presence near the top of the industry. But he’s also shown an impressive ability to adapt his podcast network, The Volume, which is still growing.

Tom Brady - The only traditional game announcer to make the list, Brady largely plays by his own set of rules as part-broadcaster/part-owner because he is the GOAT of the NFL. And getting $375 million to call NFL games shows just how much power he has.

📣 SOCIAL EXPERIMENT 🌟

Would it really be that difficult to live without the numbers 6 and 7 in our lives? Like hotel numbers without a 13th floor, let’s just skip from 5 to 8 and be done with it.

Lee Corso made one of his first public appearances after retiring from College GameDay, and he misses us as much as we miss him.

ESPN’s Joey Galloway may just be done with the attention that Diego Pavia’s mom is getting at Vanderbilt games. Somebody alert Theo Von for a potential grudge match.

Nobody prepares a Thanksgiving turkey quite like Bowling Green head coach Eddie George.

🗣️ NOTABLE QUOTABLES 🗣️

“And the fact that those two guys are not in, but somehow, Bud Selig is in the Hall of Fame, that to me feels like there’s a little bit, some hypocrisy around that.” - Alex Rodriguez wonders why Bud Selig is a Hall of Famer while the players from the steroid era are not.

“We’re done. This is not a bit. I’m not coming back in three months. Dave and I are good. We’re done.” - Kirk Minihane announced the end of his daily Barstool show.

“I’m very aware of what’s going on, I just don’t care as much as you do, Dan Le Batard. I don’t care as much as other people might care because guess what, I don’t feel the way that you feel, and I don’t share your politics.” - Stephen A. Smith didn’t appreciate a political jab from Dan Le Batard.

"The last week and a half is probably the worst hate I’ve ever received in the 10 years of me doing this." - Paige Spiranic is still dealing with backlash from the Internet Invitational with golf YouTubers and influencers.

️‍️‍🔥 THE CLOSER 🔥

Happy Anniversary to this OSU-Michigan classic…

This weekend The Game takes centerstage as Ohio State and Michigan renew their rivalry once again.

In many ways, the game has established itself as the top rivalry not just in college football, but maybe in the entire sports world. The history, the national championship implications, and the passion on both sides are unmatched. And this year represents a meeting of the last two national champions, with the Buckeyes looking to stop a four-year losing streak after years of domination over the Wolverines.

So, to commemorate the rivalry, enjoy the 40th anniversary of one of the great local news segments ever. In 1985, legendary Detroit newscaster Bill Bonds delivered an iconic essay arguing that the rivalry's importance was a tragedy that warped everyone’s minds and society as a whole. And then, he ended it with one of the best and funniest twists imaginable. And it’s just one more reminder that our love of sports, even though it makes us do some crazy things, is timeless.