1. I love baseball. I really do. Having the Yankees available to me on a day in, day out basis from now until October is one of my great pleasures in life.
While, ideally, I want baseball to thrive and succeed, I also love baseball because it is just an endless fountain of content thanks to its ability to constantly screw things up and embarrass itself.
We already know baseball is clueless about how to put together a schedule. We already know baseball’s streaming deals are a disaster.
And now we have one of the most pathetic displays of “customer service” that you will ever see.
On Opening Day on Thursday, MLB.tv was having major issues for subscribers and baseball fans were unable to watch games thanks to dreaded technical issues. I covered this in Friday’s Traina Thoughts.
How did Major League Baseball make this inconvenience up to subscribers who shelled out $150 for the package only to be shut out of Opening Day, which happens to be one of the few special regular-season games to fans?
If I told you MLB tried to take care of its customers by giving them $10, you might say, “O.K., that’s not massively generous, but at least I can buy dozen eggs or a get a drink at Starbucks (barely).”
But that’s not what the dopes at Major League Baseball decided to do. Instead, they offered customers a $10 discount at MLBshop.com.
Wait. That’s not the worst of it.
Not even close.
The dopes at Major League Baseball decided to offer customers a $10 discount at MLBshop.com ONLY ON PURCHASES OF $25 OR MORE!!!
In other words, MLB is saying, in order for us to take care of you for ruining your Opening Day, you have to give us more money. Just another slap in the face from MLB to its fans.
This sport will never cease to amaze in its constantly horrific public relations.
2. Emotions were running high on Monday’s Good Morning Football as Peter Schrager, who has been with the show since the start, said goodbye as he heads to ESPN.
.@PSchrags says goodbye to GMFB ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mwaVUGkt6e
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 31, 2025
3. The best thing I saw all weekend, besides all the Yankees' home runs, were the responses to this video of Florida walk-on Bennett Andersen, who scored just four points this season, and ESPN Gainesville reporter Talia Baia.
Caught up with Bennett “Buckets” Anderson after the game on what he looks forward to in the Elite 8!
— Talia Baia (@talia_baia) March 28, 2025
“Hopefully these guys take care of business so I can play again, hopefully I can get another bucket” pic.twitter.com/bo31tHqabg
4. This isn’t shocking with four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, but this year’s NCAA tournament has been all about favorites if you’re a money line player.
Favorites go 12-0 SU (7-5 ATS) in Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) March 30, 2025
ML parlays galore
Meanwhile, on Friday night, Ole Miss backers got one hell of a cover.
A brutal finish for Michigan State -3.5 backers 😳❌pic.twitter.com/9iKyyBagaz
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) March 29, 2025
5. I said this on SI Media With Jimmy Traina, but I kinda just slipped it in and didn’t expand because I know I’m in the minority on this one. I also don’t have the guts to write it in the column or tweet it because I don’t want to deal with the backlash. The podcast listeners are much nicer than the animals on Twitter.
Anyway, I stand by this take 100%.
Sports media, it’s time to retire Oz the Mentalist https://t.co/TwI7KbsF3w
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 30, 2025
6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast dropped Thursday. This week’s episode features a conversation with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch about all the latest sports media news.
Among some of the topics covered: Pat McAfee getting LeBron James in-studio for over an hour; impressive ratings for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament; J.J. Watt becoming CBS’s No. 2 NFL analyst; Stephen A. Smith and RGIII playing the media game; the one problem with Caitlin Clark’s national TV appearances; UConn’s communications director threatening a reporter for posting video of Dan Hurley ripping officials; how the WWE has handled John Cena’s heel turn and more.
Following Deitsch, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week’s topics include the NCAA tournament, MLB Opening Day, Licata’s day at a New York Rangers game, a must-watch wrestling show and much 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.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: It was 40 years ago today that the very first WrestleMania took place in Madison Square Garden. The MSG crowd was HOT.
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 Major League Baseball Slaps Fans in the Face With Another Horrific Public Relations Move.
