It is. The JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast. on the Infiniti Sports Network. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Much love and many thanks to everybody tuned in all over North America.
I hope you're well. I hope you're safe. I hope you have had a tremendous Wednesday. I'll be hanging out with you for the next four hours. This is when the show gets started every weekday.
6 p.m. Eastern, 3 Pacific. I'm in Atlanta. Our producer holding it down in New York City. Ryan Botcher.
What a day. It's Wednesday. I'm trying to get you over the hump, and we got a lot. to get into. It was only twenty four hours ago that I told you that Matthew Stafford, Just dealing with a little bit of a back issue.
I I don't know if it's a little back issue. This guy needed an epidural Into his back. No, he is not pregnant. We're going to talk about that. Aaron Rodgers, he's an old busted-up quarterback.
He says I'm not busted up right now. I am ready, willing, and able. to play preseason if the Steelers and Mike Tomlin want me to. ESPN is buying up everything. First they bought up the NFL Red Zone network.
They got the NFL network. Early this morning they announced a deal with the WWE I guess whoever's gonna pay, right? Hey, we had it hard knocks. It debuted last night. Featuring the Buffalo Bills.
Uh n not a lot on James Cook. More about drifting and injuries, not a lot, about James Cook. Hey, we got Russell Baxter who's gonna join us. Covers all things NFL for pro football guru fan-sided. He'll be here with us next hour to break down everything going on in the NFL.
Shadore, Matthew Stafford. On and on. We got the champs they're trying to flush last season.
Well, the team that tried to become champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, they failed in that. Kelsey says we got a flush last year. Patrick Mahomes is motivated moving forward. And of course it is Wednesday. Every Wednesday I bring you a new top six list.
Today, We're going to take a look. at the top six divas in sports to day. These are people that can't get out of their own way. They can't avoid the limelight. Things always have to be about.
them. A top six list of divas and sports that is coming your way uh two hours from now. There is another flying object That ended up wanting WNBA court last night. flying rubber object. I mean uh they have a They have a problem in the WNBA.
Hey, we got a female umpire getting ready to Call a first game in Major League Baseball. That'll be fun. At the end of the show, we'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history. We got a lot to do. Thank you for listening on the Free Odyssey app.
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Lots of fun. Hey, if you want to be a part of the show. You can do that too. 888. 710.
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I exist. I am at London. JR Sport Brief at JR Sport Brief everywhere, all over the place. on social Media. Botcha, how you doing, man?
You good? Doing good. How's your back feeling? My back out's great, actually. You just jinxed it.
Oh, what what? Did you turn the wrong way and now you're hurt? No, I'm afraid I'm gonna hurt it now. Oh, uh uh. I jinxed you by asking you how your back is doing?
Yes, you brought up its sacred name. Have you do you got a history of back issues? No, not at all.
Okay.
Well somebody who has a bad back. is Matthew Stafford. We sat here yesterday. We talked about his back. He's not practicing right now for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams just gave him a two-year contract. $84 million total. He's getting $42 million a year. Matthew Stafford is 37 years old. They have Super Bowl Aspirations.
The Rams are trying to go back to the Super Bowl now that they've retooled. with a younger roster. But can you do that if Matthew Stafford is sittin' at home? Having medicine. Because he got a Niro.
in his back just yesterday. It's about him being weak to weak. And then we learned that he just got an epidural in his back because he has an aggravated disc. That is not. Ain't mine a thing.
If he's having an epidural now in August, they're probably going to have to put another shot in this guy's back by the time we get to the middle of the season or the end. If he could even make it there, I mean, just two days ago, this is what Sean McVay had to say about Matthew Stafford's back. No, just because he'll be doing a workout on his own during that time period. And so he is able to do a little bit more, which is good. And things are progressing well, but he won't take part in the jog through because he'll be doing some other stuff during that time.
Things are progressin' well. Things are are are pro now things are are progressing well. This is what he said yesterday. Good, yeah. He's making good progress.
He feels good. We've been able to kind of increase some things behind the scenes, and so he's in good spirits. You know, he, Reggie, and I sat down, and we have a good plan, which I'm not going to get specific with you guys about, but we do have a good plan in place that we feel good about, and he's progressing in the right direction. No, he he's not progressing in the right direction. if he needs a needle in his back.
He is not progressing in the right direction if he needs a needle in in his back. Adam, go the other way now. Go back. Things are very bad here for Matthew Stafford. He's 37 years old.
You think about Jimmy Garoppolo having to take over. That's not even the worst of the issues. When you think about this team, They have Super Bowl aspirations. And to know that this man is already dealing with a back issue. Botcher, that's not the best situation, is it?
No, of course. When you have a guy who's basically this entire year, you restructured your entire offseason around going for one last shot as Matthew Stefer got a new contract, you have to. Basically put all your Eggs in one basket for this aging quarterback that you made a trade for, for Jared Goff gave up a couple firsts.
So I would like to see. Any type of real clarity from Sean McVay, when you go out there and say, Yeah, he's progressing, and then you hear something like, Yeah, he's getting a shot for his back, he's got a rest, he's not going to be possibly ready for week one, even though it's against everything you're saying. It's just a very, very backwards thing to see there. It's more than a backwards thing. And we said this yesterday.
When you think about Stafford, and it's normal to have a 37-year-old guy. It's normal to have a 37-year-old guy who's been playing for years. Who sits out? who sits down, And he arrested him. Because you got a seventeen game slate, You don't want him getting busted up in the regular season.
You don't want him getting busted up, sure as hell, in the preseason, and so you take your time. But if you need a shot in a preseason. Bacha, he hasn't played. He hasn't stepped on to a field. in a preseason.
And he already needs a shot? And I get it, backs are tricky. And a lot of people might actually forget. It was only a couple seasons ago, in 2022, when Matthew Stafford. only played nine games in twenty twenty two.
Because of a bad back. What are we doing here? And so I don't know if things are going to get better as he gets older, but at 37 years old. This is just Not a good luck. They're gonna have maintenance issues.
or throughout the season. The cat is out the bag. You could look at this as a team that you felt confident in. The Rams are gonna compete for a Super Bowl. Quentin Lake told us a couple of months ago they were gonna compete for a Super Bowl.
You think about their ends from Florida State, Fisk and Verse. They're gonna help them compete for a Super Bowl, post Aaron Donald. Uh No. It's not working out not in August. I'm sorry.
If you got to think about Matthew Stafford's back now. And backs are tricky. His back might be in pain to day. And then I mean by the time October rolls around He may feel nothing. They may give him an epidural to day.
And in three weeks he doesn't have another issue. the rest of the week. I know, Bacha, you said I jinxed you with your back. Take it from a guy whose back Man, Bacha, I have been on my floor. unable to move.
for hours because my back is killing me. And then there's other times I'm over here running marathons and jumping through things and you wouldn't know that my back was killing me. I'm not Matthew Stafford. I'm not getting round the clock treatment. But I'll tell you this.
You gotta have a little less confidence. and the Los Angeles Rams. Knowing, that their star quarterback who's thirty seven years old. And I know we see Aaron Rodgers running around, even though he blew out his leg. I know we saw Tom Brady into his 40s.
This is not the norm. Human beings and quarterbacks and people who get smacked around and hit and beat up for a living. They still break down. as they get older. There's not one singular player in the NFL.
Who is Benjamin? Button. It doesn't work out that way. And so when I look at the Rams, it's Good luck I don't have all that much optimism. you know, based on this guy already needed Pain.
Let me see him last. five weeks before I have optimism in the Rams. And then on the other end of it, Let's Let's also know that, hey. One shot could fix it. and they can all go away.
Matthew Stafford, that back doing a little bit more damage to him. than we were led to believe. At the same time, speaking of old-ass quarterbacks, the oldest one. in the NFL right now. Aaron Rogers, at the spry old age of forty one years old.
He will be forty two. at the beginning of December. Aaron Rogers, he's practicin'. Aaron Rogers, he's he's playin' out here. He's getting re-acclimated.
Well, not re-acclimated. He's becoming acclimated to a new team and new teammates. Aaron Rodgers actually said. You know what? with all the new talent around me, and DK Metcalf, and I I I'd be willing to go out here and play.
In the preseason, he was asked if he'd want reps in preseason. Listen to what he said. Yeah, I mean that's an interesting conversation. I think Mike and I will have that at some point. Um I'm not I don't think it's in the plan for me to play this week, but Whatever Mike wants to do, I'm fully on board.
If he wants me to go out there and play, I'll play. Uh if not, then I won't. Wow. What is this a new A new Aaron Rodgers? Did Aaron Rodgers just say that I will listen to whatever the coach wants from me?
The Steelers are going to take on the Jaguars on Saturday. Bacha, did I hear that correctly? Aaron Rodgers said he's going to do what the coach asked him to do? Honeymoon phase. It's all a honeymoon phase right now.
He's going to take a dump on Mike Tomlin. He's passive-aggressive, though. It won't be public. It won't be very jarring. But it'll be kind of a undercut how he does it.
Yep. Regular season. That's when it starts. Oh damn. Right now, Aaron Roddy, whatever Mike Tomlin says, I'm going to do.
Whatever he says, I'm going to do. Whatever he says, I'm going to do. Aaron Rodgers continued on. He said that even though I'll do whatever Mike Tomlin says to do, This ain't real football. Listen to this.
I said a lot, you know, with all due respect, then I can say whatever I want. Preseason football is not necessarily real football because the defenses just don't do a whole lot, and the offensives don't either.
So you go out there with a very limited playbook against the defenses playing. One eye zone, one high man, or two eye zone. And there's not much pressure. There's oftentimes communication between the coaches about, hey, we're not going to pressure this week, or hey, we need to see a little bit of pressure. What Yeah, Mike Tomlin, I'll do whatever you tell me to do, even though I don't agree, whatever the hell I'm doing makes a whole lot of sense for me.
And so, Aaron, are you meaning to tell me Aaron Rodgers? There is no benefit at all To being out here in the preseason, there is no benefit at all. We got these guys who are trying to get roster spots. Everybody's not Aaron Rodgers. Everybody's not DK Metcalfe.
Everybody isn't, I don't know, TJ Watt who just got a major deal. We got guys who are looking for contracts. We got dudes who are trying to make life changing money. Aaron, You mean to tell me outside of, you know, saying whatever you want, Mike Tomlin, you mean to tell me there's no benefits of the preseason, not one? It's really about the operation.
Now, that is where you can actually gain something from the preseason. You got 40 seconds. There's a play clock out here, but it's not always adhered to, so you got 40 seconds. To call the play, to get the line of scrimmage, to get us in the right situation, and to go out and do it. And I think there's something to be gained for that.
But as opposed to kind of when I got in the league, I would say, there's less. schematic stuff that you're going to see in the regular season. Oh, well. Oh, thank you, Aaron Rodgers. But anyway, I'll do whatever Mike Tomlin tells me to do because Mike Tomlin is the boss, even though it's not advantageous to me or anybody else.
I know Mike Tomlin is already shaking his damn head, going, Why Aaron, just Just shut up. Just stop at, hey, whatever coach wants to do. And Mike Tomlin knew exactly what he was signing up for. I saw on one hand you got a 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. The guy's back is in shambles.
He hasn't played in a preseason game. He hasn't practiced. He has already needed an epidural. And then, on the other hand, you got a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers who knock on wood. This man's body still works at this point in time.
He has not blown out an Achilles? He has not blown up the other one. His arm and his shoulders still work. Obviously he is not as mobile as he used to be at almost forty two years old. But Aaron Rogers's body is good.
But his mouth Oh, yeah, he hasn't learned that aspect of it yet. His mouth still keeps going. Ingoing, and going. Aaron Rodgers doesn't know when to stop. Hey, we got two teams here.
The Los Angeles Rams. The Pittsburgh Steelers, they both have older quarterbacks. They both have aspirations of making it to the playoffs. But to actually win a championship, Eh, uh good luck on that one. I don't know if we got some Tom Brady magic juice that's going to help out either one of these guys.
And as Bacha just said, Yeah, we're we're on a ticking time bomb. What's more likely? Aaron Rodgers losing his you know what? Or Matthew Stafford having a busted-up back. I find it more likely at some point in time that Aaron Rodgers just, um.
I don't want to say goes off the deep end. but he says some interesting things that rock the boat. in Pittsburgh. I'm gonna bet on that actually. more than I'm going to bet on Matthew Stafford's back being busted up.
In the regular season, good luck to Matthew Stafford. Hopefully, no more needles. Oh my god. Bacha, have you seen the size of those needles they put in that back? I have not seen them in person, but I've seen...
Vicariously, where it's like ugh. Oh my God. Hey, there's a there's a buddy of mine who played in the NFL. He has to get injections into his knees to alleviate the pain and to lubricate them. Botcher, if I saw a needle that long, You'd have to knock me out, man.
You'd have to put me It's a bed. We got we got if you faint. Technically, it's being put to bed in a weird way. That doesn't count. I need to be put to bed.
before you inject me. I need to be put to sleep Before any of you know what? This is a prime opportunity. Shout out to all the women out there Shout outs to all the ladies. It's one thing for Matthew Stafford to get an epidural, okay?
He's his back hurts, he got a disc problem and he wants to play NFL football. He is making forty two million dollars a year. They are women, All over the place. There are women listening, maybe you. got an upper dural uh during uh childbirth.
Shout outs to you for being a tough ass mom. Shoutouts to you for being tougher. than an NFL player. It's not Mother's Day, it's August. Shoutouts to all the moms, okay?
That's a good time to do that. It's the JR Sport Bree Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network. Hey, we got so much to get into. Of course, I told you it's Wednesday. We got a new top six list coming your way.
The top six Divas in sports today. We got a lot of people always whining and complaining. I'm going to give you a top six list. That's coming your way. Nobody got a new contract.
And then Jerry Jones sees not feeling too good about Micah. ESPN is buying up everything humanly possible. Hard Knox, featuring the Buffalo Bills, it debuted last night on HBL. Russell Baxter is going to come through and join us next hour to talk some football. And we have a team that didn't three-peat last year, and the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to move forward and.
Forget last year. I can't blame them. They got their asses whooped in that Super Bowl. We got a lot to do. If you want to call up, you can.
888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-4ISSN. 4ISN. You're listening to the JR Sport Reshow Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief.
It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. To open up the show and right before we went to break. We talked about two old quarterbacks, in different places. Matthew Stafford is thirty seven years old. This man just needed an epidural in his back to help alleviate pain.
for a disc issue that he's having. He hasn't played in the preseason game. He hasn't practised. This man, I guess, has been stretching and working out and minding his business for the past several months, and now he shows up to work. And he can't perform.
Meanwhile you got Aaron Rogers. He's about to be forty two years old come December. Aaron Rodgers is like, yeah, guys, I'll play preseason. Whatever Mike Tomlin wants me to do, even though preseason is not real football, it's a complete waste of my time.
So we'll keep you up to date on Matthew Stafford as we get updates. Don't expect any soon. As Sean McVay has said, his situation is fluid, it is weak. Too weak. is speaking of a situation being fluid.
We have no update. When it comes down to Michael Parsons and a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Outside of the fact that there is no movement, and we're getting closer and closer to the season every minute and every second. It is my belief that In the belief of many others, that Michael Parsons is eventually gonna get paid. By the Dallas Cowboys.
That Jerry Jones, who likes to stretch everything down to the final second, to the final minute. He wants the attention, he wants the media, he wants the questions, he wants it all. He'd rather do that. Then just pay Michael Parsons, who said that he wanted to get paid. Last year.
And Jerry Jones is just waiting till the final minute to overpay him. I guess he just. doesn't. Care. Michael Parsons last week said, Well, I don't want to be here anymore.
The owner's being disrespectful to me about my injuries and not playing through injuries, and he's being a jerk to me about how many games I'm playing, how many games I'm not playing. He's not talking and communicating with my agent. Michael Parsons said, I. want Out.
Well Jerry Jones answered Because that's what the hell he does. He puts his foot in his mouth. Be prepared. Jurry Jones was asked If he feels confident, that Michael Parsons is going to be available week one. Against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.
And let's just say Jerry Jones didn't have a lot of confidence in that. Any confidence that he will be on the field against Philadelphia? Again, no. Absolutely not. That has to, a big part of that is his decision.
How would I know that? I'm just saying. No, but I'm urging. Oh, it's it's his decision. Oh, ouch.
So what happens? You you gonna pay him if he doesn't show up for work? It's his decision.
Okay.
Well Jerry It was the end of last week that Micah Parsons requested A trade from the Dallas Cowboys. I don't know anybody who believes that he's going to be traded. Michael Parsons probably doesn't even want to leave. Hey Jerry, You you so much don't want to talk to his agent. Have you spoken to Micah Parsons?
Have you talked to him since the trade request? I have not, no. Has your people started any contract talks with his agent? Excuse me, excuse me. Has your negotiator started contract talks with his agent?
No. No. Oh, well, well, we know that. It's been months. He probably still doesn't know his agent's name, David.
Mullagera. Don't ask Jerry Jones to spell it, because I'm sure he'd have a difficult time doing so. Jerry Jones. At the end of the day, He says contract Or not. This is all Normal.
This is all a part of trying to get a deal done. Listen to what Jerry said about this. I don't necessarily put a big red letter beside any time that we've completed contract negotiations, but I'm appreciative when we do. But it's really business as usual. Yeah.
Wow, well well we know that. Business as usual for the Dallas Cowboys is to screw things up. Business as usual for the Dallas Cowboys is to stretch things out, To make people and everybody uncomfortable and then do the deal at the end. Jerry Jones wants so much attention. That he's willing to pay and overpay and pay too much money.
Just so he can make more money, just so he can have all the attention on him. That is business as usual.
Now, has it led to victories and wins? Ah, no. No, it hasn't. Even Dak Prescott. Today was just like, man, what are we doing here?
Can we just go ahead and get this deal done already? Everybody's sick of this. And this is the part that kills me.
Okay.
Jerry Jones says He's offended That they didn't get a deal earlier didn't get a deal done earlier. With Michael Parsons in the offseason. Listen to this. I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake. Took about 30 seconds and I gave the number, shook hands.
The details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money and we had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental, I'm buying, and you're going to sell it to me for that range, that's done. And those are done with eye contact and handshake. There is no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing.
All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we're still talking about renegotiating it.
So, so much for that. Uh but yeah, you dumbass, that's your fault. And we heard from Michael Parsons. Michael Parsons made the point of: hey, we talked and we had a discussion. I didn't know that we were.
finalizing my contract. and then he said he put his agent on and then he he didn't communicate with his agent. That's Jerry Jones's fault, man. We had a deal and then the deal changed.
Well, obviously, you didn't have a deal because Amanda had signed it to paper, so all of that can go to hell. Talk to the guy's agent. There's so much jackassery going on here, I can't believe it. We would never hear this. from a legitimate General manager or a legitimate president of football operations.
We wouldn't hear this in the NFL, the NB MLB, NBA, NHL. None of it. The GM and the president would have been raked through the coals. They would have been. fired.
This is Bush League. This is embarrassing. And the only thing that saves the guy, the only thing that saves Jerry Jones is the fact. That the Dallas Cowboys are worth, what, fifteen billion dollars? That's it.
This is Bacha. This is embarrassing. The more he talked, I can't believe it. He just is more embarrassing every step of the way. I can I just can't believe how he keeps trashing his players.
I don't understand what he thinks. when he goes out there, I don't know if he's misspeaking 'cause of age. Or he just doesn't like his players. But each time he says a press conference has a press conference, It's just worse and worse for the future of his players trying to re sign there. But you know, here's the thing.
There are only but so many spots and jobs available. Indiana Val. And if you got a shot at an opportunity with the Dallas Cowboys, You gonna take it. I don't know anybody in the NFL. Who's ever had the luxury is just saying.
Yeah. No. I'm not going to take the job. If the Dallas Cowboys are going to be stupid, If they're gonna use you know, stretch big contracts to the end and They're going to overpay because they're dumb. You got to take advantage of.
You got to grin and bear it. You have to understand what's going to happen once you're inside of the building. And then you're just gonna have to deal with with this? It's a circus. It's a side show.
Dallas Cowboys are not a championship organization, and every time Jerry Jones opens up his mouth It just becomes more obvious. Look, if Michael Parsons could go somewhere else and get paid the same amount of money with less stress. I'm sure he would. If Dak Prescott knew that he could make the same amount of money, 60 plus, elsewhere, With all the endorsements on another team, I'm sure he would. It just really stinks.
You know, if you're coming from the outside and the Dallas Cowboys are the only team that's there and you know you're going to get paid, you take the job. But this is the the players are sick of it. I mean they're putting it on social media. Sedee Lamb tweeted it last week. Here we go again.
Like the players are letting you know what type of crap show. that this guy is running. And we know it's about money, God bless them. But come on, a couple of seasons ago players were complaining like, We're out here working out This is during the season. Why do we have panels for fans to walk by.
And watch us work out like we're at the zoo. Is nothing sacred in Dallas? I guess not. Jury's just about money. He ain't about winning.
He knows about oil. He knows about making money. He doesn't know a squat, damn, diddly thing. Shoutouts to Net Flanders about winning. That sucks for the Cowboys fans.
888-710-4ISN. That's 888-710-4ISN. We are going to take a break. and when we come back, speaking of money E S P N The NFL. Make a big deal.
For the NFL network, the NFL Red Zone Network, and even the NFL acquiring 10%. of ESBN. Yeah, ESPN and the NFL, they just had a baby. Congratulations to them. I'm going to give you some of the details on the other side of the break.
And then we'll also hear from, I guess, one of the parents of this deal. Roger Goodell. We'll hear what he had to say about this merger between ESPN and the NFL. It's the JR Sport Re show on the Infinity Sports Network, and right now it's time for a news flash. Here he is.
Rich Ackerman. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief show here on the Infinity Sports Network. And I need you to think. O'Reilly Auto Parts for all of your car care needs.
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We've talked Matthew Stafford, his back. Aaron Rodgers willing to play in the preseason, despite him saying it really doesn't matter, or doesn't make sense, it's not real football. We heard from Jerry Jones. Not all that optimistic, let's just say, that Micah Parsons is going to be on the field suited up for the Dallas Cowboys in week one against the Philadelphia Eagles. And then.
I alluded to the fact that yesterday we had some news. About the NFL Acquiring a ten percent stake in in ESBN. Could you imagine that? You think about this. If you're the NBA, are you not looking at?
And the NBA, they make billions of dollars, they're not the NFL. Could you imagine the NBA? Goin' to ESPN and just goin'. Hey, we we want our cut. Like, we want a portion of this too.
The NBA just got all these new media rights deals. It wouldn't be. out of the realm of possibility to think about a potential partnership. But let's talk about the one that actually took place. I want you to listen to this clip.
This is from ABC. This is a report ABC owned by Disney, the same parent company with ESPN. This is the report about ESPN buying the NFL network in Red Zone. With the NFL preseason kicking off, tomorrow, massive unprecedented news sending the sports world spinning. ESPN, our sister company under the Walt Disney umbrella, is acquiring the NFL network and other NFL media assets.
In exchange, the NFL will take a 10% equity stake in ESPN. Disney CEO Bob Iger saying the announcement, quote, paves the way for the world's leading sports media brand and America's most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans in a way that only ESPN and Disney can. How much more NFL could honestly be on ESPN? I mean, that's all they do, is NFL, NBA, Here's a sprinkling of MLB, which is why Major League Baseball is pretty much ticked off at ESPN. They got a rights agreement and they get kinda pushed to the background.
is that how much more NFL can we get? I mean, they got a ten per cent stake in ESPN now. You gotta be imagining that Roger Goodell is gonna be twisting the knife into him, going, We need more coverage, we need more cover, we need more coverage. Or maybe they just. Change up the format of the NFL network.
We have no idea. We do not know the details. But there were a lot of people who were concerned. About what this deal means for ESPN, for the NFL network.
Well, Roger Goodell talked about it today. on ESPN. Take a listen to what he said. He said this for the fans. I think this is just going to make the experience for our fans even better as we evolve this relationship.
And it's something when we see the innovation that ESBN always has and how we've grown together over the years and decades. This is really exciting for our fans. Oh. Exciting for the fam I don't know about that one. There are a lot of fans who were concerned that on Sundays Red zone Is going to change.
Bacher asked this last night. It's like: is it going to have commercials? Are they going to switch things up? Apparently they're going to continue production in the same studios. It's still going to be red zone.
and ESPN will just broadcast it. apparently no different than what we're supposed to get with Charles Barclay and Shaq and Kenny and Ernie with inside the NBA. ESPN will broadcast and distribute it. but it'll still be produced, in house. Same host, same everything.
Listen to what Roger Goodell had to say about NFL Red Zone, and he even said now that ESPN owns it. They may apply it to other sports as well. Listen. It'll continue to be produced right here in this building. It will be the NFL Red Zone.
I don't think fans will see any difference to that. Obviously in the context of that though, ESPN purchased the Red Zone name and they will be able to utilize that for other sports, college football and other things. Oh, I mean, that makes sense. That makes sense. I mean, what there's so many movies on a Saturday afternoon, forget the NFL.
There are so many college football games. That makes sense. For college basketball, there are so many damn college basketball games. To imagine one channel. That's kind of shuttling you through every single game, at every single matchup, and every single big moment.
Hasan me up. Because there must be 50 million channels going on at the same time. Where college football is on And you switch one channel, or you put one on your phone, another one on the T V, something on the iPad, something on the computer, you're bound to miss something. I think red zone would be even more advantageous for college sports or Although when you really think about it, They have so many different deals. You know, whether it's Big Ten on Fox or you think about the SEC not on CBS anymore, how they would be able to do that, I have no idea.
I guess you would be able to only utilize the rights that you have if you're ESPN. But the idea is certainly a novel one, but everybody is going to want to be paid. Botcher, having heard from the Commissioner to day. about Red Zone. Do you feel more comfortable or do you still think this is going to get screwed up?
It's a one-year promise, I think. where they'll they'll keep it normal the first year and they realize how much money you could make. If you do add, commercials and then they'll screw it up next year.
So you don't feel good about this? Not at all. I don't trust him. And so, what's the deal? Are you going to have to pay more money?
How's that supposed to work?
Well I think They'll keep it the way it is, where it's like part of the packages and what not. But they'll throw in, hey, Mo no games are really going on. We're gonna, instead of showing you fantasy succeeders, they'll play, I don't know, a minute and a half of spots. You're talking about this year? Not this year, next year.
So I think they're going to be true to their word. and not show any commercials this year. I think next year they'll realize the amount of profit they could make. Oh, they know that already. Oh, yeah.
And then they'll be like, okay. We're gonna do it anyway. and play commercials during, I guess, lulls in the games and during half times. In essence, it's a soft landing. We don't want to tick anybody off on the onset, and so we'll just tick everybody off in the second year.
Makes sense. And deal also includes ESPN licensing additional NFL games to air on the NFL network. And the merging of NFL fantasy football with ESPN fantasy football. The NFL, as we just heard from Roger Goodell, the NFL will continue to own and produce the Red Zone channel, while ESPN will handle its linear, which is the television, distribution. Bacha, you also play fantasy.
Do you use ESPN or CBS? What do you mean? I used ESPN, and they've already massacred the app. I don't know if it was because. Yeah.
But there was a huge update that came out I think two days ago. The entire app got updated, and it looks ugly. It just ruined it. It looks ugly. Does it work?
Is it works? It's the same app. But like the way You go between your leagues the way you like.
So I'm doing doing fantasy baseball now. It just, it's an eyesore. And I have to get used to it. And it it's like it's built like the NFL network graphics now instead of the ESPN. Yeah.
Well, they said it's a merger, NFL Fantasy Football and ESPN. And so. For me I don't I don't I don't do any of this. I'm not a fantasy football guy, I do not care, I just want to watch the games. And at the same time, I'm I I've tried red zone in the past.
Uh back wa early on with Direc T V, not a fan, I'd rather just flip through every individual game. And watch it in whole.
So, this ain't gonna affect me too much, but I certainly understand the way media moves and how media changes. For instance, you talk about the red zone being the same for the first year. By the time you move into the second year, look for the massive changes. Yeah, and I I I think as everybody's figuring out streaming and the the adoption of streaming Not work. Er every year.
What? Netflix is going up every year? Peacock is going up every year. ESPN is starting its own. Standalone streaming service later this year.
That's going to cost $30. Botch, are you paying for that? Nope. I I refuse to. I'll keep the the basic ESPN one and two and maybe ESPN news.
Well you have that what is ESPN news still existing? They changed that to like betting or gambling? I think it's just like a the backup channel, just in case they have to throw like Sports Center on there or something while there's like literally World Series on like right now. I didn't know ESPN News still exists. See, that's news to me.
I thought they made it ESPN gambling. I I I have no idea. I just know that every time I turn my head. The prices are going up. There was a point in time where streaming was a better alternative, especially cost-wise.
you know, for for all of the apps. Like if you're a sports fan, if you really a fan of everything... You gotta pay for ESPN. You got to pay for what? Peacock.
You got to pay for Apple if you want baseball. You got to pay for Netflix if you want to watch all the NFL games. Amazon has Thursday night football. Like it is a lot to pay for. And ESPN is going to have its own standalone service coming soon.
It's going to be absolutely nuts. It used to be a little bit of a discount to just stream a la carte.
Now the prices are about to be insane. You're about to pay what you paid for cable. With all these streaming services, if you're a hardcore, die-hard sports fan. 888-710-4ISN. Hey, it's a simple question to you.
Ar do you think the streaming is out of control? Is there not too much money? I mean, you gotta pay for ESPN soon if you just wanna stream it. Are you gonna buy all of the streaming services? Are you sick of this already?
888-710-4ISN. That's 888-710-48. for ISN. ESPN and HBO and Turner and Netflix and Amazon. Are you paying for all of this?
Call me 888-710-4ISN. Hey, when we come back, we'll talk about hard knocks. Yeah, I gotta pay for that with HBO. Don't move.
