Welcome to the second installment of a weekly mailbag that I will be writing every Tuesday about the world of sports media (and anything else you want to chime in on). Please email me any questions you have to Jimmy.Traina@si.com or send them via Twitter.
What does the fox nfl pregame show look like in 5 years? Have to think Jimmy TB might be done after their next SB.
— A flem (@Aflem2325) April 2, 2023
Fox LOVES big names. See Tom Brady and Derek Jeter. So in five years, I think Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson will be retired and I think Aaron Rodgers will be part of the panel with Curt Menefee, Howie Long and Michael Strahan. The network will need to get a former coach on set with Johnson out. Maybe it will be Mike Tomlin or Sean McVay.
What do you think the impact of major sports stars and media organizations not having the blue checkmark will be?
— bluedog (@MLBFanBracket) April 2, 2023
Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Twitter isn’t real life, so we’ll all manage and survive. I do think that Elon Musk is so strange that the policy on the blue check mark will probably change a bunch of times. People should’ve been double-checking information before the new policy. Now they’ll just have to be more diligent. If an Adam Schefter account has a blue check mark but 48 followers, you’ll be able to figure out the trade that person is reporting isn’t true.
Has any famous announcer went out with more of a “it’s not about me but let’s make everything about me” than nantz?
— Patrick Webb (@webb_02) April 2, 2023
The guy has called the men’s tournament for 37 years. If he wants to make it about him, he can make it about him. I don’t feel he’s done that, though. It’s CBS executives who are giving Nantz a sendoff, and rightfully so.
With the season now here, what did you think about the first few MLB games, especially with the pitch clock now impacting real games?
— Christopher Vancheri (@CVancheri) April 3, 2023
I loved it. It couldn’t have worked out any better. Major League Baseball has eliminated all the down time, which has become a necessity. I was surprised, though, when I sent out this tweet Friday, how many people did not grasp what this is all about.
This isn’t about shortening the game. It’s about speeding up the pace of play. You’re still getting nine innings and 27 outs from each team. The game itself has been shortened. People want to make this more complicated than it is. The bottom line is simple: Pitchers can’t wander around the mound after every pitch, and batters can’t spend a ridiculous amount of time adjusting themselves in between every pitch. It’s a beautiful change to the game.
What are the details to date for Sunday Ticket on YouTube?
— Bill Tuller (@billtuller) April 2, 2023
No details yet. YouTube has an FAQ, but it hasn’t shared any information yet that we care about, such as pricing and whether we will be able to watch multiple games on one screen and whether we will be able to control which games we watch if we go multiview.
Why doesn’t long-time, loyal, dedicated and decorated employee James Traina have his own ‘Traina Thoughts’ compilation page on https://t.co/s7A9CLMV58? Having to search through Extra Mustard for each edition is a travesty. If you do have one, it ain’t easy to find.
— Lee Hughes (@TheRealJStrap) April 3, 2023
I hate to correct someone who is so complimentary, but I’ve always had a page with all my content, so bookmark this ASAP.
Jimmy, not sure if you watched Succession on HBO, but Logan Roy reminds more of Vince McMahon more than Rupert Murdoch. And I like to think the Shane/Stefanie/HHH all represent the dysfunctional Roy siblings in some way. What do you think?
— Corey Witt (@CoreyWitt) April 3, 2023
I think you’re 100% right. It’s pretty amazing that Stephanie has been MIA during the sale this week after leaving the company once Vince returned from his “retirement.”
All time favorite Yankees memory?
— Dj dREWster (@drewgoalie) April 2, 2023
You know how they say you never forget your first? So my favorite moment comes from the 1996 comeback World Series championship against the Braves. The Yankees were down 2–0 in the series, won Game 3 in Atlanta, and then, in Game 4, it looked to be over with the Yankees down 6–3 in the eighth inning, but then this happened.
Some email questions:
Any telecast involving the Cowboys or the Patriots almost always includes coverage of Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft laughing, drinking, and schmoozing in their owner’s boxes, basically acting like the fat cats they are. I rarely see other owners covered in the same way, why? I swear Jerry and Robert carry so much heft in TV negotiations that it’s written in the league’s contract to give them some face time. I find it annoying and predictable. —Tim K. Murray
I think your point about Jones and Kraft having a significant influence on TV negotiations with the networks is valid. I also think the Cowboys are America’s team and the Patriots have been the dominant NFL team for about a billion years, so it’s not that wild that networks give them airtime. Plus, Jones and Kraft love airtime and always make sure they’re at every game in their suites.
Thanks for starting a media outlet/reactions platform. I don't know if you have been getting reactions on the studio shows during the March Madness presentations. I was intrigued by the fun, insightful, and earned perspective of former coach Jay Wright with former player Candice Parker. Both are Final Four champions (twice) and I thought brought current and refreshing views about the games. —Thanks for listening, Bo.
Candace Parker is great on TNT’s Tuesday night pregame show, so it’s no surprise she’d be good on the NCAA tournament studio show. CBS executives and people in the industry are very high on Jay Wright, so his strong appearance in the studio also isn’t a surprise.
What rule would you most like to see changed in college basketball? —Molly
I’d cut the shot clock down, but the bigger issue for college basketball is the quality of play, not the rules. The tournament is exciting when you have close games and upsets, but the quality of play is beyond atrocious. Every game is filled with missed layups, missed free throws and a million three-pointers. The number of games that have a team going on a five-, six-, seven-minute scoring drought is astonishing.
It’s not amazing when you consider that every Russo show on SiriusXM is filled with approximately 3,829 malaprops. And each and every one is absolutely wonderful.
