SI Media Mailbag: Fox’s NFL Crews, How to Fix MLB, Overrated NFL Franchise and More
Welcome to the 19th installment of a weekly mailbag that I will be writing 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.
I’m giving all of you a virtual standing ovation. Truly fantastic questions this week. Thank you.
The Fox NFL broadcast situation remains fascinating. The network let Joe Buck and Troy Aikman leave for ESPN before last season, plugged in Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen as its No. 1 crew and then hired Tom Brady to become its lead analyst in 2024.
With Burkhardt and Olsen becoming the No. 1 crew, Fox elevated Joe Davis and Daryl “Moose” Johnston to its No. 2 crew with the expectation that Olsen would be moved down and work with Davis once Brady comes aboard next season.
Given that Fox has to wait one more season for Tommy, you can expect the status quo for this season, which means Davis and Johnston will remain as the No. 2 booth this season. The No. 2 booth is significant because it gets a playoff game.
In fact, sources tell me there will be little to no change at all with Fox’s NFL booths for the 2023 season. Here’s how Fox’s broadcast teams looked in ’22.
Burkhardt-Olsen
Davis-Johnston
Adam Amin–Mark Schlereth
Kenny Albert–Jonathan Vilma
Kevin Kugler–Mark Sanchez
Chris Myers–Robert Smith
One prediction not based on anything I’ve heard. I think Fox’s No. 1 booth next season will be Burkhardt, Brady and Olsen.
Given the rave reviews for Olsen last season, which was still only his third in the booth, you have to believe he’s going to get even better. I don’t see Fox demoting him, even for the GOAT.
For the non–Chris “Mad Dog” Russo fans out there, Andrew is paying homage to the Doggie with that “scenario” line since Russo uses that word just about every 30 seconds on his SiriusXM radio show.
When I was a kid, I was a Jets fan. After Bill Parcells left, my fandom went down the drain. I had NFL Sunday Ticket for 20 years and I always watched the best games of the day. That was more enjoyable to me than watching the Jets or Giants.
As for streaming, the next generation will be fine from the standpoint that it doesn’t watch television at all. All it knows is streaming. However, if it enjoys more than two or three sports, it will be screwed from a cost standpoint, because you’re gonna need to subscribe to a million different streaming services, which means, pay, pay, pay.
ESPN stopped differentiating its coverage from ABC's coverage years ago. Agree totally about how a different look for the ABC games would make them feel bigger and more special, but ESPN prefers the continuity.
Absolutely shorten the season, although 100 games is a tad over the top. I’d say 140 games would be ideal. I’d also get rearrange the divisions to feature natural rivals. The Yankees and Mets should be in the same division. The Cubs and White Sox should be in the same division. You get my drift.
I’d also get rid of interleague play and make the main focus of the schedule division games.
I’d also have every player, manager, coach and umpire mic’d up for every game.
I don’t know whether Jeremy is in New York, but I can assure you the Aaron Rodgers hype here is so over the top that the entire season is going to be a massive failure if the Jets don’t win the Super Bowl.
I’ve never understood all the coverage devoted to the Raiders. The team has had two winning seasons in the past 20 years. TWO!!! Here’s how the Raiders have fared in the past 20 seasons.
2022: 6–11
2021: 10–7
2020: 8–8
2019: 7–9
2018: 4–12
2017: 6–10
2016: 12–4
2015: 7–9
2014: 3–13
2013: 4–12
2012: 4–12
2011: 8–8
2010: 8–8
2009: 5–11
2008: 5–11
2007: 4–12
2006: 2–14
2005: 4–12
2004: 5–11
2003: 4–12
Why do we pay attention to this franchise?
Unless Rodgers gets injured, the Jets should make the playoffs.
The NFL Network has been in a cost-cutting mode for a long time, so it’s not surprising it would scale back on its bloated pregame show. The Michael Irvin situation is bizarre, and I wouldn’t expect him back. NFL GameDay still has Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci and Kurt Warner as panelists. I’m sure you’ll hear about a new name or two that will be joining the cast in the next couple of weeks.
One gazillion percent. I quit fantasy football six or seven years ago, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I discussed this topic with Sal Licata in this week’s “Traina Thoughts” segment on SI Media With Jimmy Traina.
This was a huge topic with Dog on last week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina.
I think Russo will sign a new deal with SiriusXM after the Super Bowl, but it will be with a reduced schedule, especially in the summer, and he’ll be able to work remotely more often. As I told him on the podcast, he will never give up the radio (and he agreed).
Yankees fans get me so frustrated when they call for Aaron Boone’s firing. Aaron Boone is irrelevant. The team is a mess because of Brian Cashman. Plain and simple. Boone is doing only what the Yankees’ analytics team tells him. If the Yankees move on from Boone, the next manager will get the same stupid data and orders from the dopey analytics department. The entire philosophy of the organization needs to change. That means the GM has to go. Forget about the manager.
Having said that, Boone isn’t going anywhere this year.
First off, Kyle Brandt and Peter Schrager both have open invitations to appear on SI Media With Jimmy Traina. Secondly, this is your lucky week because this week’s guest is Peter Schrager.
Not answering tweets is smart for one’s sanity, but I will ask Andrew Marchand about this the next time he’s on my podcast.
Haven’t heard anything other than the Marchand report that Evan Cohen was leaving SiriusXM for ESPN. While Marchand may not answer people’s tweets, he does not miss with his reports. If he says this is happening, it’s happening.
Mike is clearly an SI Media With Jimmy Traina listener if he’s asking about my bad back. I have a herniated disc, arthritis and bone marrow edema. Getting old sucks. But drugs are great. I should say, steroids and anti-inflammatories are great. They’ve taken care of a lot of the pain. But some sort of injection is in my near future.
As for sports documentaries I’d like to see made, off the top of my head, these are some topics I’d be interested in.
• The NFL leaves CBS for Fox in 1994.
• The Thanksgiving night when Elin Nordegren found out Tiger Woods was cheating on her by going through his phone while he was sleeping after allegedly taking Ambien and then chasing him out of the house with a golf club causing him to drive into a fire hydrant.
• The one-car crash that caused Tiger’s leg injury that the media decided not to cover.
• The real inside story of Vince McMahon.
I would’ve also listed Barry Bonds here, but HBO has a documentary about him in the works.
Bucco said actors, but listed characters, so I’ll go with characters:
5. Can’t pick between Dwight, Susie, Elaine, Leon
4. Jerry
3. Michael Scott
2. George
1. Larry
It’s a story that people are interested in because the amounts that Phil Mickelson allegedly wagered are wild. But in relation to the money he makes, it’s not that big of a deal. And, yes, way too much has been made of it. Mickelson’s betting on sports is not a big deal in any way, shape or form.
Personally, my top five would be 1. Eddie Murphy, 2. Eddie Murphy, 3. Eddie Murphy, 4. Eddie Murphy and 5. Eddie Murphy.
But I’ll try to play along.
5. Bill Burr
4. Will I get canceled if I say Louis C.K.?
3. George Carlin
2. Chris Rock
1. Eddie Murphy
Absolutely not. It’s literally called cheeseCAKE.
