Traina Thoughts Mailbag: NBC’s Sports Strategy, Jason Kelce at the Masters and More

It’s time for another Mailbag edition of Traina Thoughts. Thanks, as always, for your questions.

Thoughts on NBC's differentiating approaches toward MLB and NBA coverage, i.e., having rotating local game analysts from the participating teams (MLB) vs a more set lineup (NBA)?
— Jake Kline (@JakeAKline) April 9, 2026

Good question. I think one thing NBC has been consistent with regarding both sports is trying new things. For the NBA, NBC offered telecasts with an analyst on each bench, appropriately called, “On The Bench,” instead of at the traditional broadcast table.

With baseball, NBC is experimenting by using local analysts on each broadcast instead of a regular national analyst.

I think NBC probably saw the outcry from fans during last postseason about playoff games being hard to watch because the local broadcasters that call 130 to 150 games a year get booted during the biggest games of the season for national broadcasters and was influenced by that to try using only local analysts for the regular season.

I can’t fault NBC for handling both sports differently. In NBA games, there isn’t much time for analysts to shine. The NBA is a play-by-play person’s sport. So from that standpoint, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to use local analysts on each telecast.

Baseball is the opposite. Even with the pitch clock, there is still so much downtime that analysts get a lot of time to weigh in and share insight. If there is one sport where I can deal with a three-person booth, it’s baseball, so I understand NBC wanting to use an analyst from each team for its games.

NBC, though, made sure to have VERY strong lead play-by-play callers for each sport, and that’s the most important thing. Mike Tirico was a no-brainer as the network’s top NBA voice, while Jason Benetti was an excellent choice to lead NBC’s MLB coverage.

I feel like there isn’t a lot of buzz on the draft this year. Yes a ton of coverage as always but the average person can’t name more than 2-3 players. It feels like the QB class is next year. Thoughts on the draft? Thanks
— Will C. Smith (@wcsmith40) April 9, 2026

It doesn’t help when there is no intrigue at all about the No. 1 pick. Fernando Mendoza is going to the Raiders, so that takes a lot of juice out of the buildup to the draft.

In addition, quarterbacks usually move the needle more than any other position. This year’s draft severely lacks sexy quarterbacks.

Alabama’s Ty Simpson, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Miami’s Carson Beck aren’t getting the masses excited.

What are your thoughts on the potential MLB lockout after this year?
— Zach Kincade (@zak0485) April 9, 2026

The Dodgers’ payroll is $413 million.

The Guardians’ payroll is $89 million. The Marlins’ payroll is $82 million.

Baseball desperately needs a salary cap and salary floor. It seems the only way that will happen is via a lockout. It would be way more shocking if a lockout didn’t happen at this point.

When will MLB look at its archaic blackout rules now that MLB Media is producing games?
— Caleb Whisler (@whisler_caleb) April 9, 2026

I discussed this with Sal Licata in the “Traina Thoughts” segment on this week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina. I don’t think there’s a sports media topic I hear more about on a regular basis than MLB’s nonsensical blackout rules. Given where we are with streaming, it seems absurd that MLB still has to “protect” local broadcasts by blacking out certain games. Fans pay a lot of money for MLB.tv.

Has there ever been a wrestlemania in the modern era with less buzz and excitement than this year's event? How would you fix Wrestlemania?
— Matt (@Mchuck16) April 9, 2026

I think WWE has suffered from having the perfect storyline a couple of years ago with Cody Rhodes having to finish his story. Between the way the WWE built up Roman Reigns and the Bloodline to Cody returning to WWE, losing to Roman at WrestleMania 39 and then winning at WrestleMania 40 in one of the best main events ever, it was going to be impossible for the company to come up with a storyline to match that. And we’ve seen that the past couple of years.

Was the Pat McAfee appearance on SmackDown the worst wrestling angle since WCW in 2000?
— Jeremy Kasperson (@jeremykasperson) April 9, 2026

I know everyone is all up in arms over Pat McAfee being put in the current WrestleMania main event storyline, but I still think Cody Rhodes, after winning the Royal Rumble, telling The Rock that he was going to pass on his title shot against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, was the single dumbest things I’ve ever seen in wrestling.

In the pod on Masters betting you said “of every event I’m not into”.. other than the Olympics, what are the events you can’t get into?
— Stu Mitchell (@stumitchellQB7) April 9, 2026

NASCAR or any other car racing things, UFC and soccer.

Now onto some Instagram questions…

Yankee Stadium music in between every pitch is maddening, yes? – @joshfeller

I don’t understand why this has become a thing this season. The over-the-top and excessive noise at Yankee Stadium has been going on for years and years and years. God forbid you want to talk to whoever you are with in between innings. From what I’ve seen on social media, it seems things are even worse now, with music being played in between every pitch.

In addition, the introductions on Opening Day were ruined by some truly awful music playing the entire time over the announcements.

I say this all the time on SI Media With Jimmy Traina and in Traina Thoughts and I’ll say it again: If you are a legitimate sports fan who watches a lot of games, leagues, teams and networks don’t care about you. Their only interest is attracting the casual and fringe fan. There isn’t a legit fan who wants music blaring out in between every pitch of a baseball game.

The sport that will benefit the most and be hurt the most from streaming? – @drew-nature-dogs

I think baseball has already been hurt. Opening Night on Netflix was a disaster, nobody is watching games on AppleTV+ and I would guess viewership for Peacock-only games is nothing to write home about.

You know how I know the viewership for AppleTV+ and Peacock aren’t good? Because those numbers are not available. Same for the 25 Yankees game that air exclusively on Prime Video in New York.

If those numbers were decent, we would be bombarded with press releases. Instead, we get zero information.

As for the sport that will benefit the most from streaming, I would imagine it has to be UFC since it appeals to younger people who have probably cut the cord.

Has Jason Kelce ruined the Masters coverage? Doesn’t really bother me, but people seem to be upset? – @scottstagram81

People were beyond upset. In fairness to ESPN, Kelce didn’t appear on the regular Masters coverage. He only appeared on Wednesday’s Par 3 event. But from what I saw on social media, people were still livid. I fully understand golf fans not wanting to see a former NFL player on golf coverage, but what every sports fan has to understand is that as long as Jason Kelce is connected to Taylor Swift, Kelce is going to be shoved down everyone’s throats because executives think Swifties will tune in to see him.

You rightfully complain about rising sports streaming costs. SI doesn’t cover you for that? – @rasonjego

No.

Will there be any fallout for Diana Russini? – @schoolnikneil

If there is no more to the story than what we know right now, I think the fallout will be that football fans aren’t going to take her reporting seriously. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong. I’m just saying that’s the reality. Look at what happened when she tried to post a story on Wednesday. She got ratio’d and the comments were vicious.