The State of Sports Media, Summed Up by the Reaction to Tom Brady’s Tuck Rule TikTok
1. I have always said that I am not anti-clickbait. I’ve often admitted to using clickbait on Twitter to sell columns. I don’t always think clickbait is bad.
However, there’s a difference between clickbaiting and deliberately stripping a joke of context to make it into a news story.
Yesterday, in a TikTok video, which was a stitch with Justin Bieber, who asked his followers to “tell him something honest,” Tom Brady said, “The tuck rule game against the Raiders, might have been a fumble.”
First off: MIGHT HAVE BEEN. Not “was.”
Second, if you watch the video, in which Brady looks around to see whether anyone can hear him before dropping his “confession,” it’s so clear that the future Hall of Fame quarterback is kidding around.
So it was stunning to me, when I did a Google search for “Tom Brady Tuck Rule,” to see how many outlets slapped totally inaccurate headlines onto news posts about the video. In fairness, many sites did explain that Brady was “joking” or “trolling” in their headlines, but many others inaccurately sold Brady’s comment.
Let’s actually use logic here for one moment, even though that seems to be rarely used these days.
Tom Brady did an entire 30 for 30 special recently about the Tuck Rule with Charles Woodson. He never once admitted it might have been a fumble, stayed steadfast throughout that show that it was 100 percent an incompletion, and still, people think Brady would then “admit” it should have been called a fumble on a TikTok video stitch with Justin Bieber.
While it was cringeworthy to see outlets post that as Brady was actually admitting something, the GOAT also deserves some blame. He had to know everyone was going to run with this and it was going to become a thing because—I’m going to pull back the sports media curtain here—any headline you can get that has “Tom Brady” and “Tuck Rule” in it will generate page views.
Just like this column.
2. It's time for some Traina Thoughts investigative journalism. On his latest Green Light Podcast, Chris Long had a problem.
The former Super Bowl champion, and more important, SI Media Podcast regular, went to grab his beverage. However, Long grabbed the wrong can. He grabbed the can he was spitting his dip into, as you will see below.
I reached out to Long for an official comment on what the hell happened.
“This past Wednesday, my cohost was making a major announcement and I reached for my can of Liquid Death, attempting to hydrate. I was terrified to find that the can was partially full of Kodiak Wintergreen dip spit. Being a hero and a professional, I calmly and quietly exited the studio. I returned shortly thereafter and continued the show.”
Long added, “It was bad, but much better than if it was someone else’s dip spit. Within five minutes I had moved on to more important issues, like Ryan Tannehill.”
3. If you’ve been on the internet today, you know the Mets came back from a 7–1 deficit against the Phillies by scoring seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the game, 8–7. This compilation of how New York orchestrated the comeback highlights the greatness of SNY play-by-play man Gary Cohen.
4. Thank you to whoever at TNT came up with this idea for studio host Wayne Gretzky.
5. I love this casting. Ed O’Neill is so great in everything he does.
6. This week's Sports Illustrated Media Podcast features a conversation with Katie Nolan, who is part of MLB coverage on Apple TV+.
Nolan discusses how she got the job with Apple, what Apple is trying to accomplish with its broadcasts, understanding that traditional MLB fans may not get the telecast, how she prepares for each game and the time she stayed silent for several innings after reading backlash on social media.
Nolan also opens up about her time at ESPN, what he liked about working there, whether she thought ESPN knew how to use her and what she has learned about navigating the sports media business.
The podcast closes with our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment featuring Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York. This week, Jimmy and Sal read recent SI Media Podcast Apple reviews, discuss Kevin Harlan getting the top gig at Turner Sports, the NFL giving a game exclusively to ESPN+ and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: As we told you yesterday, today is the 21st anniversary of the airing of “Pine Barrens” on HBO. No matter how many times you’ve watched the episode, it’s always worth watching again.
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 Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
