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ESPN Defiles Augusta National With Embarrassing Masters Coverage

Welcome to Friday, at The Masters. Can you feel it? The anticipation is building towards the weekend. We've got a solid leaderboard. We've got drama. Balls are flying left and right. Bryson DeChambeau is vigorously printing new irons as we speak as he tries to make the cut. It's been a wonderful Masters week thus far, and we've barely dipped our toe in. We still have Moving Day. We still have the final round. First, we have to cut the field way down, and we'll do that later today. But first, before we head into the weekend and hand everything off to Jim Nantz and CBS, I have a question for everyone, because I've seen a TON of chatter about this. Has ESPN defiled Augusta National? Have they officially ruined the moment? Have they destroyed The Masters, and, really, the sanctity of the event? I'd argue this has been the No. 1 topic on Golf Twitter this week, and, frankly, it's probably a fair question after some of the crap I've seen:Look, it's been a lot. I'll just say that. It's been a lot. I knew the second I saw Jason Kelce on the scene, this was going to go south for ESPN, and that's exactly what happened. The Par 3 contest was a doozy. I know that's usually the event where everyone sort of breathes one final time before the tournament starts, but still, it was a lot. Jason Kelce. Kevin Hart. Please, for the love of God, ESPN, stop forcing Jason Kelce on us. We're begging you. If you want to throw him the MNF booth and make him an analyst, that's fine. By all means. But STOP making us watch him do stuff like this. It's not funny. Nobody ever laughs. I promise you, we don't laugh. Now, is ESPN completely to blame here? No. Augusta National deserves some of it, too. You can't fart on that property without someone knowing about it. If you even kind of look like you're about to go pee in the woods, it's a one-way ticket outta there. Don't you dare let them even sniff a cell phone. My point is, Augusta National controls everything – so much so, that it's, frankly, exhausting. But they control everything. So, yes, they knew exactly what ESPN planned for this week. They knew exactly what was coming. They signed off on everything. Which means they allowed Jason Kelce and Kevin Hart to be insufferable on Wednesday. And they allowed Laura Rutledge to interview "The Miz" on her rotating panel on the back of the fairway yesterday. They did not, however, allow Pat McAfee on the property, which, in hindsight, seems silly given all the other nonsense they let in. Regardless, this is as much an ESPN problem as it is an Augusta National one. Fair is fair. Anyway, happy Friday, at The Masters. Don't annoy us today, ESPN. Please. 

Read moreESPN Defiles Augusta National With Embarrassing Masters Coverage

Adam Schefter Grilled Over Russini-Vrabel 'Scandal' And It Got Uncomfortable

The Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel (alleged) SCANDAL is now on Day 3, with no end in sight. The two spoke about it after the poolside pictures went viral. They both denied anything nefarious happening. And now, we haven't really heard a peep from anyone of importance since. Until, of course, 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia had Adam Schefter on their show Wednesday, and absolutely GRILLED ESPN's top insider about the whole thing. And I mean grilled. Poor Schefty. Or, I guess, not poor Schefty? I don't know. He chose to go on the show, so I assume he knew what was coming. Still, this is 10 straight minutes of absolute peppering, and 10 minutes of hemming and hawing from Schefter. Take a look! Thoughts? First impressions? I don't know. I think it's fine, if we're being honest. Again, what do we expect Adam Schefter to say here? At least he said … something? The Big Js are being real quiet on this one. Too quiet. They never shut up, and now all of a sudden nobody is really talking about it in the media? Seems fishy to me. Now, Schefter didn't really give us anything of substance. Like, at all.  "I didn't report it. I saw it like everybody else did. And uh, I guess my thought would be, I don't know what's right. I don't know what's wrong. Uh, I feel bad for the families involved. It's unfortunate, you know? Um, I know both individuals. "Um, and yeah, I guess my first thought would be they went to the families of the people involved and, you know, I just wish everybody the best and hope everything works out with everybody."Moving stuff, Adam. Poetic. Quite the wordsmith! Again, I'm not sure what I'd say here, either. Russini isn't an ESPN employee, so Adam certainly had runway to talk about this, and he sort of clammed up and kicked the can down the road every time these guys asked him about it. Obviously, Russini used to work at ESPN, so she and Schefter go way back. He probably doesn't want to break some sort of Big J code by dragging her, which I understand. But, let me just remind everyone here, that the Big Js LOVE to act holier-than-thou … when it's convenient for them. They have no problem speaking up when they have the chance to virtue-signal about something, as long as it fits their narrative. Remember the Liam Coen press conference incident back in January after the Jags got bounced from the playoffs? The sweet old lady reporter from some small Duval newspaper with a circulation of 10 told Liam Cohen how great he was after the season, and all the Big Js FREAKED out. They acted like she had just committed murder. They wanted her banished from the beat FOREVER. And now, three months later, when a fellow Big J is caught taking a swim with an NFL head coach at a romantic resort, they're all quiet? OK. Sure thing!PS: the tampering question in this interview was among the dumber questions in the history of time. I'm with Schefter on that one. Unfathomably stupid question. 

Read moreAdam Schefter Grilled Over Russini-Vrabel 'Scandal' And It Got Uncomfortable

NFL Prepares To Defend Its Antitrust Exemption Amid Justice Department Probe

The NFL is not surprised the Justice Department is opening a probe into its broadcast negotiating practices that, when including streaming services, could be in violation of its antitrust exemption under the Sports Broadcasting Act.That's one reason sources familiar with the NFL's position on the matter say the league, which is expected to cooperate with the DOJ investigation, will have at least a two-pronged approach to keeping and perhaps even solidifying its exemption.Some background: The NFL faces a probe that will, in part, try to determine if the league is pricing out fans from watching their games by moving some of the product to pay streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix and YouTube, which would violate conditions of the antitrust exemption, including protecting consumer access.Some NFL fans have begun to voice displeasure with the fact some games are simply not available over broadcast television because they've been moved to the streaming sites. The Sports Broadcast Act of 1961 only applies to broadcast television and courts have previously ruled it does not apply to cable, satellite or streaming services.So, the NFL has a huge problem.The potential consequences of this probe for the NFL include forfeiting the ability to sell games in a league-wide bundle to cable, satellite, and streaming platforms. The league makes an estimated $5-$6 billion per year selling those rights to ESPN, Amazon Prime, YouTube (red zone) and Netflix.The bigger potential consequence would be the NFL losing its entire antitrust exemption.That could force the NFL to completely change its business model because some teams might decide to negotiate their own TV deals, potentially creating a large disparity between big-market and small-market teams that currently doesn't exist under today's pooled TV rights.Competitive balance could be lost. Professional football could start to look more like Major League Baseball and the Dallas Cowboys might become the NFL version of the Los Angeles Dodgers.The NFL does not want that.So it is prepared to make its case to the DOJ or anyone else."It's funny, it's called the Sports Broadcasting Act, and I'm not sure there's a single content owner, league or otherwise, that hasn't done more to support broadcast television than what we do," NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder said last week in addressing the issue. "Again, every game is on broadcast in the home market, 88 percent [of games] is offered as a primary platform through broadcast. So we're very committed to broadcast. We have always been. I think we'll continue to be. We see it as a tremendous way to reach our fans. And our focus is on reach."But the NFL also wants to make the point that in moving to streaming it is serving other fans. New fans. And those fans, the league contends, are also consumers worthy of protection and service.  "We also have to be on the other platforms where we know our fans are spending their time," Schroeder said. "We look at it, and it's probably 8-to-10 years younger when we're on the streaming platform because we know it's a different type of audience."We are incredibly strong believers in the power of broadcast. We're also incredibly committed to making sure we're going to continue to evolve and be on the screens in places where our fans are spending their time. And we're happy to talk to whoever if they have questions about our model because we think our model speaks for itself about where our commitment is and how we distribute our games."That persuasion as to the value of streaming for segments of the population might be considered the NFL's carrot. The stick is league executive vice president and general counsel Ted Ullyot, who moved into the position last May, succeeding Jeff Pash.Ullyot, a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a member of the George W. Bush White House staff and chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, will lead the league's team amid the DOJ probe. And this: Part of his argument might be that the 65-year-old Sports Broadcasting Act is outdated as cable, satellite and streaming didn't even exist when it was written. So, Ullyot might contend the Act should be rewritten or eliminated altogether.Ullyot's 2025 selection as NFL general counsel was made, in part, with owners recognizing they had antitrust issues. In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled in favor of 2.45 million residential and business pay subscribers to Sunday Ticket on DirecTV in a class-action suit. The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages.A federal judge overturned the verdict when it was discovered witnesses for the subscribers used flawed methodologies, but the initial verdict was a wake-up call for the NFL and others.Then, last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB about whether antitrust exemptions should still be granted for coordinating their broadcast rights.Amid those court and legislative battles, some owners saw Ullyot as the man to have on their side."We’re going to be a target in antitrust, and in a lot of other ways," New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told the Sports Business Journal last year. "We’re going to need legal representation that knows how to go on the offensive and play defense to protect where we’re going."

Read moreNFL Prepares To Defend Its Antitrust Exemption Amid Justice Department Probe

Paul Skenes Says His 'Happy Face' And 'Sad Face' Are Basically The Same In New Interview

Pittsburgh Pirates superstar starting pitcher Paul Skenes is many things. He's the reigning Cy Young Award winner in the National League. He won Rookie of the Year in 2024, despite not making his debut that season until May 11th and pitching just 133 innings. He was the best pitcher on Team USA's World Baseball Classic team, helping pitch them to a win over the fearsome Dominican Republic lineup in the semifinals. Skenes is also famously dating former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, making him one of the few Major League Baseball players to achieve a level of fame and notoriety outside fans of the sport. RELATED: Paul Skenes Asked About Representing America, And The Miserable Lefty Sports Media Is Going To HATE His AnswerHe has many attributes and impressive accomplishments already. But there's one thing few would say Skenes possesses: a sense of humor and willingness to express any level of emotion. Well, thanks to a new interview with the 23-year-old star, we can finally see some of the personality he's so carefully hidden.Skenes accidentally created a meme template when winning Rookie of the Year in 2024, sitting on the couch with Dunne. While she immediately lit up and celebrated when his name was called, he remained completely emotionless. That's become the surrounding perception around him, that he's not one to show emotion or humor. But in a new interview with ESPN's Jeff Passan, he was asked about how he is on the mound, especially compared to some of his peers. "The demeanor each of you has on the mound," Passan said, "It's not like, diametrically opposed, but Tarik [Skubal], he's pretty damn fired up out there, but Paul, you're not." Passan paused briefly, then added, "I just got a look there though, and I'll be honest that scared the s*** out of me a little bit."Skenes immediately shot back, "Good," to which Passan laughed."Yeah, I think I do have thoughts and emotions and stuff like that, but I don't think I show it, partly because I don't want to show it, and partly because I'm just not good at showing it. Like, my happy face and my sad face are kinda the same face."So he does have a personality! Skenes isn't so different from many baseball players and pitchers in years past, but obviously the game has trended in a different direction in the modern era. Showing emotion, whether it's joy or anger, is much more common and expected now, and in some circles, encouraged. But go watch highlights of Sandy Koufax, and there's none of that. Skenes, in that measure at least, is a bit of a throwback. Still, it's good to see him show some sense of humor and personality. Despite what he claims, he's pretty good at it.

Read morePaul Skenes Says His 'Happy Face' And 'Sad Face' Are Basically The Same In New Interview

Gary Player Causes Liberal Meltdown For What He Reportedly Called A Female Masters Reporter

We've got DRAMA at The Masters, and the thing isn't even a day old yet. But, that's what happens when the bedwetters in the golf world lock onto something – like 90-year-old Gary Player calling a female reporter "good-looking."That's right. That's what the internet is all riled up about Thursday. If they hate Gary, they'd DESPISE my late grandfather. But, we'll get to that here in a bit. First? The context. Player was interviewed by Sky Sports during Wednesday's Par-3 content, and apparently made a VERY NASTY comment to reporter Anna Jackson before she fired off the first question. According to golfmagic.com, Player walked up, looked at the camera crew and gave them a "how are you guys?" before firing off this little gem:"No wonder you’re smiling working with this good-looking chick, eh."Fireworks!I mean, goodness gracious. Amazing. Anna, according to boots on the ground, powered through the moment like a pro. "Okay, well, Mr Player, what an introduction that is…" she continued. "You’re obviously one-third of the great honorary starters come Thursday morning. Here you are back at the Par 3, you look so good, you’re playing some good golf, how are you feeling?"Look, we live in 2026. You can't call a woman beautiful or make any sort of comment about their looks anymore without getting ripped to shreds. It's basically the death penalty nowadays. Gary Player, again, is 90. Ninety! Do you think Gary Player subscribes to those rules, libs? Of course not! He does not care. Anyone here who has had, or currently has, a grandfather knows exactly what happened here. This is how old dudes talk. My late grandfather was an absolute ANIMAL toward the end of his life. He said things – random things – that made my head spin. He was wild. I can't repeat half of it. God, I miss him. The absolute best. But they come from a simpler time, and they aren't about to get wrapped up in this nonsense that we have to deal with every single day in 2026. "Oh no, Gary Player called a female reporter … good-looking! And then he called her a ‘chick.’ How dare him!"Piss off. That's peanuts compared to some of the things that could've come out of a 90-year-old Gary Player's mouth. Let him live his life. Stop being so sensitive. PS: If a 90-year-old grandma said this to a 35-year-old cabana boy, we'd all be laughing about it. So, enough with the outrage. Gary gets a pass here, not that he even needs it. Now, back to Thursday, at The Masters.  

Read moreGary Player Causes Liberal Meltdown For What He Reportedly Called A Female Masters Reporter

NFL Faces Justice Department Probe After Fans Express Frustration With Streaming Pivot: Report

The reported investigation comes as Trump administration officials and lawmakers have warned about revisiting the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The law allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide TV deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access.

Read moreNFL Faces Justice Department Probe After Fans Express Frustration With Streaming Pivot: Report