1. It was just over six months ago that ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski delivered the ultimate Woj Bomb and announced he was retiring from sports media.
Woj later revealed to SI’s Chris Mannix that he had enough of the 24/7 insider lifestyle. From Chris Mannix’s story:
“I didn’t want to spend one more day of my life waiting on someone’s MRI or hitting an agent at 1 a.m. about an ankle sprain,” he says. In May, Woj traveled to Rogers, Ark., for a memorial for Chris Mortensen, the longtime NFL insider who died in March from throat cancer. Mortensen spent more than three decades at ESPN. When Woj arrived in Bristol in 2017, Mortensen was among the first to welcome him. Many ESPNers made the trip to Arkansas. What Woj was struck by was how many did not. “It made me remember that the job isn’t everything,” Woj says. “In the end it’s just going to be your family and close friends. And it’s also, like, nobody gives a s---. Nobody remembers [breaking stories] in the end. It’s just vapor.”
In an interview this week, ESPN’s other mega insider Adam Schefter sounded like he’s going through his own inner conflict about living the life of the No. 1 insider in all of sports.
“I love my job,” Schefter told CNBC’s Alex Sherman. “I’m blessed and privileged. It’s beyond anything I would’ve imagined. But what do I do in the future? What do you want to do? What can you do? Do you want to walk away from something you spent 35 years building? Is that worth it to you? These are all mental machinations that I guess that I’m going through.”
Schefter, who has been with ESPN since 2009, added, “I guess I’ll keep doing this as long as I possibly can, but you do wonder what else is out there for a job that does have you in handcuffs, that does take over your life, that you are beholden to at all times. It’s just the way the job works. It’s relentless in nature. Again, I don’t want to complain about it. There are far more challenging ways to make a living.”
Schefter, like Woj was, is very, very well paid by ESPN. It’s clear, though, that no matter what your salary is, the insider lifestyle will wear you down.
Interestingly, Schefter also told Sherman that he would’ve liked the challenge of becoming an NBA insider, in addition to NFL insider, after Woj left. The caveat, though, is that Schefter just wanted the job to be about free agency and the drafts and nothing else.
“I think it would have been really cool to just be an insider for all sports. And hear me out there. So, now maybe you're just doing NBA free agency and NFL free agency and the NFL draft and the NBA draft, and you're not doing some of the other stuff, the mundane stuff that comes along with it the rest of the year. So you're focusing on the big, important news cycles with each–I thought about this.”
2. This week’s episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an interview with longtime ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper, who makes his first appearance on the show..
Kiper talks about what the NFL draft was like when he started with ESPN in 1984, when he knew the draft was going to become a big deal as a television product and when he realized he had become the name most associated with the draft.
In addition, Kiper reveals his best analysis of all time, the pick he would most want to have back and the most shocking draft moment.
Kiper also discusses what working the draft is like from a television perspective, what the truth is about his cell phone usage, the famous incident with Bill Tobin, who has contacted him to complain about his analysis, how Tony Kornheiser explained his habit of ripping Kiper and much more.
Following Kiper, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week's topics include the trend of ridiculous ballpark food, Spike Lee's Knicks fandom, the 25th anniversary of a landmark Sopranos scene and more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
3. TNT aired its final regular-season game Thursday night. Before the game tipped off, Ernie Johnson shared his thoughts about TNT’s 36-year run airing NBA games.
"It has been my pleasure to be one of your coworkers, one of your teammates, and a part of this family" ❤️
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 10, 2025
Ernie Johnson with a heartfelt speech to honor the journey of NBA on TNT. pic.twitter.com/NId2p3jJjr
And there was also this.
Inside the NBA, the Sopranos ending pic.twitter.com/D8uypkStKd
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 11, 2025
4. From the better-late-than-never department, legendary broadcaster Brent Musburger has FINALLY been given his due when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The former host of CBS’s iconic NFL Today studio show has been named the winner of the 2025 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television award. How it took so long for this happen is beyond me, but we will focus on the positive today and just tip our caps to Musburger on the much-deserved honor.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Brent Musburger has been chosen to receive the 2025 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award! 🎙️
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) April 10, 2025
Hall of Famer Dick Vermeil, a close friend and longtime broadcast partner, called Musburger to deliver the news.
Full story 👉… pic.twitter.com/FZDyILFdQA
5. Chris Vernon’s high-energy recap of the Masters has become a staple of golf’s top tournament. Here was Thursday’s edition.
2025 MASTERS UPDATES (supercut) pic.twitter.com/9OfjVBjlQa
— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) April 10, 2025
6. A Red Sox fan ended up with a foul ball on Thursday thanks to the help of a condiment (mayo, I think).
Gives "Catch of the Day" new meaning. pic.twitter.com/W3fp3y7Dbd
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2025
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: If you’re an old-school WWE fan, Peacock has a new documentary out today, WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle, that looks like a must-watch.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Adam Schefter Doesn’t Sound Like Someone Long for the Insider Job.
