Awful Announcing

AA Podcast: Bill Raftery on March Madness, onions, not slowing down, and more

Mar 26, 2026 @ 6:00am

BasketballCollege Basketball

Awful Announcing

On this week’s episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast, host Brandon Contes interviews college basketball broadcasting legend Bill Raftery. Brandon and Bill discuss a wide range of topics including working March Madness, why Bill was unable to trademark “onions,” Bill still loving his job and not slowing down at 82 (or is he 82), and more. Read more... The post AA Podcast: Bill Raftery on March Madness, onions, not slowing down, and more appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Netflix’s MLB debut was promising, excessive, and occasionally a disaster

Mar 25, 2026 @ 10:44pm

Awful Announcing

Netflix arrived at Oracle Park on Wednesday night with 73 kayaks in McCovey Cove, a shirtless comedian, two WWE tag team champions, the all-time home run king, and the first pitch of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. It was exactly as chaotic as that sentence suggests, and somehow more. There was a lot to Read more... The post Netflix’s MLB debut was promising, excessive, and occasionally a disaster appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Caitlin Clark works Pacers-Lakers game as photographer

Mar 25, 2026 @ 10:00pm

BasketballWNBAIndiana Fever

Awful Announcing

With the news of a WNBA labor deal, thankfully basketball fans will have the chance to see Caitlin Clark do what she does best this season with the Indiana Fever. But that’s not slowing her down from continuing to try new things this offseason. Clark committed to the WNBA, once again resisting overtures from overseas Read more... The post Caitlin Clark works Pacers-Lakers game as photographer appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Netflix MLB scorebug draws polarizing reaction

Mar 25, 2026 @ 9:15pm

BaseballMLBNew York YankeesSan Francisco Giants

Awful Announcing

Netflix made its big Major League Baseball debut as the 2026 season kicked off on Wednesday night with a game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees. And true to form for the streamer, it was a very unique presentation as they look to make their mark in live sports coverage. Netflix has Read more... The post Netflix MLB scorebug draws polarizing reaction appeared first on Awful Announcing.

The Netflix MLB pregame show was one big Netflix infomercial

Mar 25, 2026 @ 8:30pm

BaseballMLBNew York YankeesSan Francisco Giants

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Major League Baseball kicked off the 2026 season unlike ever before, with the national pastime’s first telecast on the global streaming giant Netflix. And in case it was lost on you that you were watching the game on Netflix, Netflix was very eager to remind you that you were watching on Netflix. There was a Read more... The post The Netflix MLB pregame show was one big Netflix infomercial appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Fanatics Flag Football Classic draws underwhelming TV audience

Mar 25, 2026 @ 8:00pm

Awful Announcing

The NFL is invested in flag football being a big part of its future. Perhaps in that future, more people will be interested in watching it on television. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, produced by Fanatics Studios, was hyped to the moon when Tom Brady announced he was “coming out of retirement” to headline the Read more... The post Fanatics Flag Football Classic draws underwhelming TV audience appeared first on Awful Announcing.

College football could shift start of season to ‘Week 0’ by 2027

Mar 25, 2026 @ 7:30pm

FootballCollege Football

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The 2027 college football season could start one week before we’re all accustomed to. According to a report by Seth Emerson and Ralph D. Russo in The Athletic, administrators and coaches are “moving toward making a recommendation” to shift the start of the college football season up by one week, to what is now colloquially Read more... The post College football could shift start of season to ‘Week 0’ by 2027 appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Men’s college lacrosse game of the year finally finds a broadcasting home

Mar 25, 2026 @ 7:00pm

BasketballCollege BasketballNotre Dame

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In any sport, if the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation were facing off, you’d imagine networks and broadcasters would be lining up to put it on their airwaves. That didn’t seem to be the case with the game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Richmond, scheduled for Saturday, April Read more... The post Men’s college lacrosse game of the year finally finds a broadcasting home appeared first on Awful Announcing.

CBS extends WNBA media rights deal, reveals broadcast team

Mar 25, 2026 @ 6:30pm

Awful Announcing

The WNBA has finalized what will seemingly be the last of its media rights deals for at least the next couple of years. On Wednesday, Paramount announced that it has reached a new “long-term” media rights agreement with the WNBA, under which CBS will broadcast up to 20 regular-season games each season, beginning in 2026. Read more... The post CBS extends WNBA media rights deal, reveals broadcast team appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Former Ohio State star, Buckeye Scoop owner Kirk Barton sentenced to prison for fatal drunk driving crash

Mar 25, 2026 @ 6:00pm

BasketballFootballCollege BasketballOhio StateCollege Football

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Kirk Barton, a former Ohio State offensive lineman and Buckeye Scoop owner, was sentenced Wednesday to 5 to 7.5 years in a Franklin County court after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide in the June 2025 crash that killed 24-year-old Ethan Perry of Columbus. A second aggravated vehicular homicide count and two Read more... The post Former Ohio State star, Buckeye Scoop owner Kirk Barton sentenced to prison for fatal drunk driving crash appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Zac Brown Band will perform ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ open for NBC

Mar 25, 2026 @ 5:30pm

BaseballMLBAtlanta BravesCleveland Guardians

Awful Announcing

NBC has found its Sunday Night Baseball theme song, and it’s going country. The Zac Brown Band will star in NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball show open, according to Sports Business Journal’s Richard Deitsch. The open debuts April 12, airing on NBC and Peacock ahead of the Guardians-Braves game at 7 p.m. ET, then before every Read more... The post Zac Brown Band will perform ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ open for NBC appeared first on Awful Announcing.

BetMGM shamed for X post purposefully spreading false UNC coaching report

Mar 25, 2026 @ 5:00pm

BasketballCollege Basketball

Awful Announcing

You gotta hand it to Elon Musk. Every time you think his X platform (formerly Twitter) can prove itself as unreliable and untrustworthy as possible, it fosters an environment that allows things to sink even lower than imagined. These days, the idea of fake reporters posting fake breaking news in order to go viral is Read more... The post BetMGM shamed for X post purposefully spreading false UNC coaching report appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Michael Kay laments ‘concerning’ fragmentation of MLB rights

Mar 25, 2026 @ 4:30pm

BaseballMLBNew York Yankees

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Michael Kay will be watching Opening Day from the stands. Again. Last year, when ESPN held the Yankees opener and put Joe Buck on the call, Kay — who has either written or announced Opening Day for 37 consecutive years — was “red-hot” about it and ended up in the seats at Yankee Stadium with Read more... The post Michael Kay laments ‘concerning’ fragmentation of MLB rights appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Dan Orlovsky didn’t answer Pat McAfee’s FaceTime request following testy appearance

Mar 25, 2026 @ 3:55pm

Awful Announcing

On Tuesday, Dan Orlovsky tried to power through on his wild take that Ty Simpson is a better NFL quarterback prospect than Fernando Mendoza, and no one on The Pat McAfee Show let him slide. McAfee pressed Orlovsky on his admiration for Simpson and whether CAA, which represents both of them, has anything to do Read more... The post Dan Orlovsky didn’t answer Pat McAfee’s FaceTime request following testy appearance appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Chris Russo contests Stephen A. Smith touting Kenny Smith for UNC: ‘He’s never coached!’

Mar 25, 2026 @ 3:20pm

BasketballCollege Basketball

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Everyone feared Stephen A. Smith might ruin Inside the NBA by forcing his way onto the show. IInstead, he’s looking to break up the crew by shipping Kenny Smith off to UNC. In the wake of the University of North Carolina firing Hubert Davis, Stephen A. Smith has quickly pivoted to touting Kenny Smith as Read more... The post Chris Russo contests Stephen A. Smith touting Kenny Smith for UNC: ‘He’s never coached!’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Al Bernstein reveals ESPN producer once pushed for ‘Howard Cosell-type controversy’ during live fight

Mar 25, 2026 @ 2:15pm

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ESPN’s daytime studio lineup is fully in its “embrace debate” era. Most of us have long accepted that as fact. But the network’s live sports broadcasts are, in many ways, still the same as they’ve always been. There’s no need for manufactured drama when there’s real drama happening on the court or field. However, with Read more... The post Al Bernstein reveals ESPN producer once pushed for ‘Howard Cosell-type controversy’ during live fight appeared first on Awful Announcing.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ben Davis to call more Phillies games from field level in 2026

Mar 25, 2026 @ 1:45pm

BaseballMLBPhiladelphia Phillies

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Phillies broadcasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia are going to look a little different in 2026, and Ben Davis is a big reason why. Ben Davis, who has been part of the broadcast team since 2015, will be spending more time calling games from the field level. Davis got his feet wet in the dugout for Read more... The post NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ben Davis to call more Phillies games from field level in 2026 appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Prime Video to debut ‘Inside Amen Corner’ data-based live feed for Masters

Mar 25, 2026 @ 1:15pm

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Awful Announcing

Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service is set to make its Masters debut in just over two weeks. The streamer will exclusively air main feed coverage of the first and second rounds between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, leading directly in to ESPN’s traditional broadcast window beginning at 3 p.m. Previously, Read more... The post Prime Video to debut ‘Inside Amen Corner’ data-based live feed for Masters appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Sports media insider: ‘NBC may have moved ahead of Fox’ in Mike Tomlin sweepstakes

Mar 25, 2026 @ 12:45pm

FootballNFLPittsburgh Steelers

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Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the hottest NFL media free agent currently on the market. Earlier this week, it was reported that Tomlin has hired sports media superagent Sandy Montag for representation. Montag, reps prominent broadcasters including Jim Nantz, Scott Van Pelt, and Mike Tirico, and formerly represented John Madden during his Read more... The post Sports media insider: ‘NBC may have moved ahead of Fox’ in Mike Tomlin sweepstakes appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Shannon Sharpe says debating Skip Bayless was more intense than Stephen A. Smith

Mar 25, 2026 @ 12:15pm

Awful Announcing

There might not be anyone more apt to discuss the differences in debating Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith than Shannon Sharpe. The Pro Football Hall of Famer spent seven years as a debate partner with Bayless on FS1’s Undisputed, before the network chose to move on in 2023. And he spent nearly two years Read more... The post Shannon Sharpe says debating Skip Bayless was more intense than Stephen A. Smith appeared first on Awful Announcing.

NBC will hire another ‘Sunday Leadoff’ play-by-play voice

Mar 25, 2026 @ 11:45am

Awful Announcing

Matt Vasgersian is not calling every Sunday Leadoff game this season, and NBC’s executive producer Sam Flood made clear Monday that the network already has a plan for when he can’t. On NBC Sports’ MLB preview media conference call, Flood confirmed that a second play-by-play announcer has agreed to handle the Leadoff dates Vasgersian won’t Read more... The post NBC will hire another ‘Sunday Leadoff’ play-by-play voice appeared first on Awful Announcing.

YES Network expands Yankees studio programming amid cuts at other RSNs

Mar 25, 2026 @ 11:15am

BaseballMLBNew York Yankees

Awful Announcing

YES Network is bucking the ongoing trend in regional sports networks. The New York-area regional sports network, which serves as the local television home for New York Yankees games, is expanding its pregame and postgame studio shows, according to a report by Eric Fisher in Front Office Sports. YES Network will add one extra hour Read more... The post YES Network expands Yankees studio programming amid cuts at other RSNs appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Anthony Rizzo, David Ross launch new Cubs podcast celebrating 2016 World Series

Mar 25, 2026 @ 10:30am

BaseballMLBChicago Cubs

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Chicago Cubs World Series heroes Anthony Rizzo and David Ross are launching a new podcast in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 championship that snapped a 108-year title drought. The podcast, titled The Lovable Reunion, debuts on March 31 at The Volume. In The Lovable Reunion, Rizzo and Ross will sit down Read more... The post Anthony Rizzo, David Ross launch new Cubs podcast celebrating 2016 World Series appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Is Dan Orlovsky falling into the hot take abyss?

Mar 25, 2026 @ 10:00am

Awful Announcing

This originally appeared in the Wednesday edition of The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything you need to know about the sports media world. Dan Orlovsky has risen through the ranks at ESPN because he’s not willing Read more... The post Is Dan Orlovsky falling into the hot take abyss? appeared first on Awful Announcing.