You ask, we answer. The Post asks readers questions about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and gets our beat writers & columnists to answer them in a series of regularly published postbags. In today’s installation: sports media.
How uninspired is ESPN’s new Monday night football offer? Who should get the job? Is it the whole knee-jerk thing they have second thoughts about Drew Brees? – @graciopp
Let’s break a bit of Mailbag news with a big name that ESPN spoke for Monday nights that has not been reported. ESPN talks to Rams coach Sean McVay about being a “Monday Night Football” analyst, sources told The Post.
ESPN executives think McVay could be a standout in the booth, just like Jon Gruden. McVay is just 34, has been to a Super Bowl and is under contract, but an interview had been.
It did not happen, but it was left to chance that if McVay left coaching, ESPN would be interested in having him in the booth.
So in 2050 when McVay is 64, we look forward to reporting that McVay will be attending MNF’s TPTok presentation.
As for your question, ESPN had a $ 140 million deal waiting for Tony Romo, made his annual run at Peyton Manning, talked to Brees, thought about Philip Rivers, dreamed of a deal for Al Michaels and considered their top college team Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit before directing on Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese. I personally would have been with a two-man team because it’s simpler. I feel like Dan Orlovsky had a chance to really pop up as a game analyst. ESPN was down on gunfire, following the results of the rough crew of Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland, to join a second-year analyst.
Do Levy, Griese and Riddick feel like a group that would one day call the Super Bowl that ESPN / ABC wants the next round of contracts? No, not at all, but you should hear them before you judge.
They did a Monday Night game last year and we’ve heard them for years, but we need to hear them more together. It would have been better if ESPN had fully featured Riddick at Levy and Griese at the university last year.
They could be very solid, which, as I wrote last week, would be better than the sideshow the MNF booth has been in recent years.
What is the origin of the narrative that certain media want college football to be canceled? – @KeithKhorton
Commentators, such as Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt and Clay Travis, have used it against media members who have chosen to ask tough questions or leave doubts about playing sports.
I can not really speak for everyone in sports media, but the angle is completely illogical. In addition to most love sports, postponing and canceling games is likely to have a profound impact on jobs as places as large as ESPN and as small as a local paper can cut.
The people who ask tough questions of leaders actually make them better and it results in stronger decisions. Media cheerleaders and know-it-nots.
Local NBC sports stations cut NBA sideline reporters across the country last week. Does that indicate a possible phasing out of that position in the media landscape? – @Meghan_Ottolini
They are a risk in this economic climate because they are not essential. You need a play-by-player and an analyst on TV, but sideline reporters can be left behind.
Overall, I do not think sideline reporters will phase out. There’s one thing that could be made that without fans is more important than ever to help bring the game closer to the viewer.
In today’s sports media landscape, do you ever see another run of Mike Golic’s type of excellence and scope of decades? – Danny Samet
I do. The popularity of Golic is underestimated, in my opinion. He has connected. There may be argument as to whether he is a distinctive voice, but this is a Leno / Letterman debate.
While Letterman was often the choice of critics, Leno mostly had better ratings. I liked Letterman better, but Leno was an easier watch that often plays better nationally. Golic had the same quality during his run. It can happen again.
What is the status of negotiations between YouTube TV and Sinclair regarding the return of the YES Network to YT TV? Are they still talking or is it a non-starter? – August West
From what I’m told, it’s not close to happening. Could conversations resume in earnest? Yes, because that’s how these negotiations go. I would not hold your breath, however.
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