Hello, sports media consumers, and welcome to the first official Wednesday Briefing.
What you got last week with The Coverage’s Better Late Than Never Column is a little bit of what you may get later in the week. But this is the main column.
So, let’s get stuck into what’s happening in the world of sports media.
Monday Night McAfee
Sports media reporter Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported that ESPN is in talks to bring former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee on an alt-cast for Monday Night Football. The sports network has already announced that McAfee would be on the Monday Night Countdown panel.
This is all in the early stages, as Marchand wrote in his article, and the NFL would have to sign off on the alt-cast. This is part of negotiations between ESPN and McAfee, which could see the former punter earn $60 to 65 million. It seems that McAfee could be ‘The Face that Runs the Place’ at the sports network.
Currently, brothers and former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning do an alt-cast called the ‘ManningCast’ for Monday Night Football. Peyton and his production company have a deal with ESPN through 2030, so the ManningCast will remain unchanged.
Since leaving the NFL, McAfee has worked at Barstool Sports, where he had a radio show on SiriusXM. He then left Barstool Sports and started Pat McAfee Inc (PMI), which produced four podcasts: The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, That’s Hockey Talk, Heartland Radio 2.0, and Good Bettor Bets.
McAfee also moved into professional wrestling, where he wrestled and commentated for the WWE. The former Colts punter would also work at Fox Sports, where he provided commentary for college football. Then ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ came knocking, with ESPN picking up The Pat McAfee Show and having him on College GameDay. His time there has not been without controversy, but that is an article for another time.
So, why does ESPN want Pat McAfee doing another alternate broadcast? Are they simply cashing in while the going is good and McAfee remains one of the most recognisable personalities in American sports media, or do they really see him as the face of the network as we head into the back end of the 2020s? Either way, ESPN appears to be betting heavily on McAfee’s ability to bring something different to its programming.
That Eels Pic
The Parramatta Eels came under scrutiny recently after posting photos of Jarryd Hayne on their social media, posing with current players Mitchell Moses and ‘The Fox’ Josh Addo-Carr. Channel Nine Sports Reporter Danny Weidler, who isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions, wrote in his Sunday column for the Sydney Morning Herald that it was a significant mistake by the club.
Hayne’s presence was controversial because of his criminal case and convictions, which were subsequently overturned on appeal.
Hayne was part of the 2009 Eels grand final reunion that weekend the Eels beat the Cowboys. The 2009 Eels grand final reunion was a nice idea. But since the Eels played the Storm in that grand final, perhaps the reunion would have been better suited to this season’s Magic Round game between the two teams. Then again, logistics may have gotten in the way.
Weidler is an example of what a good sports journalist should be: willing to ask uncomfortable questions and follow a story even when the answer might upset people. He has taken on former players such as Ben Te’o and Braith Anasta head-on (Anasta is still upset with Weidler) and will never back down when there is a question to be asked.
The reporter was right; the Eels made a massive mistake. The club also doubled down by turning off comments on the post when they got out of hand. By then, the damage was done. What was more interesting was that an Eels spokesperson provided Weidler with a statement that read:
“Last Saturday night’s post was an acknowledgement of members of the 2009 grand final team, who had gathered together at our home game against the Cowboys.”
I confirmed with Weidler that this was the full statement the club gave him. At the same time, it is all well and good to acknowledge the club’s past players, maybe not post the photo of the one controversial player at the reunion—just a thought.
Out of their comfort zone.
Once again, I am giving Weidler his flowers, but this time I am also including the man he goes head-to-head with on Sunday, Daily Telegraph Sports Reporter, Adam Pengilly.
The pair know each other quite well; they both are on the Wednesday edition of Triple M’s ‘The Journos’ podcast with Charlie White. The podcast is worth a listen if you want some good insight into the news and topics from two of the best in the business.
Both men are known primarily for their NRL reporting. That doesn’t mean they can’t cover other sports, of course. And this week, both stepped outside their usual patch.
Weidler and Pengilly both wrote about the Sydney Swans’ sexual assault allegations; both columns were an impressive read. Weidler’s experience covering the Bulldogs/Coffs Harbour story gives him a particular perspective on how sports organisations deal with allegations and culture.
Pengilly’s column focused more on the potential consequences for the Swans – supporters, finals attendance, and the club’s reputation.
Both men deserve plenty of credit for their work this week. I’ll be interested to see what they write next week.
Sin Bin Sing Along
I love a good parody song as much as the next bloke. ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic is the king of the parody song, and he has numerous that I enjoy listening to. Australian singer/songwriter Denis Carnahan is pretty bloody good too. I mean, who could forget the hit “That’s in Queensland.” Now a new name has joined those ranks: former Bulldogs enforcer James Graham.
Graham is a regular on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin with Gordon Tallis, Brent Read, and Ben Dobbin. On the August 16 edition of the Sin Bin, Graham and Dobbin had a huge argument about the Brisbane Broncos roster. Watch below.
Poor old Dobbin copped it from all angles, and it was especially interesting to hear Tallis stick up for his old team. ‘The Raging Bull’ has been one of the Broncos’ and coach Michael Maguire’s biggest critics, but even he couldn’t stomach the claims of an unbalanced roster.
On Last Sunday’s show, Graham presented his parody song called ‘Blame it on the Roster’ to the tune of The Jackson 5’s ‘Blame it on the Boogie.’ It was quite a funny song, and it was nice to see everyone enjoy it.
Without further ado, here is “Blame it on the Roster:’
Battlers for Bush Footy.
I want to finish this column by giving props to a young man who is working overtime to make sure people know what’s happening in the bush.
Tallon Smith is a young sports reporter who started up ‘Battlers for Bush Footy,’ a multiplatform project dedicated to covering Country Rugby League. Smith goes above and beyond to cover the game. Based in Albury, he travels to cover Group 9, Group 20, and even reaches some coastal areas to cover the sport.
Smith has done this while in university, and although he has had to take time for assignments, he still manages to get work done and ensure bush footy is covered. He tried to stay free for as long as he could, but he had to add a subscription to make it viable.
To help Tallon and his work, head over to Battlers for Bush Footy and subscribe. You can pay $5 per month, or you can get an annual subscription for $60.
That brings us to the end of the first edition of The Coverage’s Wednesday Briefing.
Until next time, take care.
Merce
