Awful Announcing

On this week’s episode of the?Awful Announcing Podcast, host Brandon Contes interviews FOX Sports MLB field reporter/The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal. With Opening Day upon us, Brandon and Ken discuss a wide range of topics, including their dislike of the golden at-bat rule, not being retained at MLB Network, Ken’s relationship with Rob Manfred, Shohei Ohtani's stardom, and more.

“I have fun and have always been of the opinion that local baseball broadcasters are different from national television broadcasters,” Don Orsillo told Al Daniel with Awful Announcing. “You are part of the fabric of the team and the fan base,” he said. “As a result, I have always felt comfortable sharing my personality. My philosophy on this has opened the door on both coasts. Baseball is fun and we are gonna have a good time. Join us!” Click below to learn how the former Boston Red Sox and current San Diego Padres announcer became beloved on both coasts.

Current NFL on Fox analyst Rob Gronkowski has drawn much attention for event-hosting during and after his playing career, from the Gronk Cruise to the recurring Gronk Beach party. The latter is produced in conjunction with events company Medium Rare, and has been previously held at the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft. And now, it’s coming to?WrestleMania 41?in Las Vegas this April as one of four “WrestleMania After Dark” late night?events WWE has teamed with Medium Rare for that weekend. “Gronk Beach: WrestleMania After Dark Edition” will take place on Sunday, April 20, starting at 10:30 p.m. local time. It will be at LIV Beach at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and will feature sets from Flo Rida, Valentino Khan, and DJ IRIE on its mainstage, plus appearances from WWE Superstars Damian Priest and Tiffany Stratton, and branded experiences and flavors from NüTRL, Bud Light and Seagram’s Escapes Spiked. Tickets start at $79.99, and will go on sale Friday at 1 p.m. ET through the WrestleMania After Dark?site.

With the regional sports network business in flux, one team is still without a linear television partner for the upcoming season. The Cleveland Guardians, who begin their season this Thursday against the Kansas City Royals, still have no agreement for their television broadcasts. The Guardians are?one of five MLB teams?whose broadcast rights are controlled by the league. As such, Guardians fans living in the Cleveland market can purchase a streaming package to watch games for $99.99 per season or $19.99 monthly. However, teams that have ceded broadcast rights to the league are also expected to have a linear television presence. So far, the Guardians have none. According to?a report by Joe Noga of cleveland.com, “The Guardians say they expect MLB to reach carriage agreements with their cable television partners consistent with where fans found games in 2024, but the timing of those agreements could come down to the wire as Thursday’s matchup against Kansas City approaches.” Last season, FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports) carried Guardians games. Diamond Sports Group (now Main Street Sports Group), the owner of the FanDuel RSNs, cut ties with the Guardians late last year after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. “As soon as we have finalized agreements, we will announce via email and social channels,” Curtis Danburg, Guardians Vice President, Communications & Community Impact, told cleveland.com.

It’s one thing to let a WWE superstar know how big of a fan you are. It’s another thing to prove it. And if there was ever any doubt that Adam Rank is a “mark” — his words, not ours — he put it to rest on Tuesday by cutting a WWE-caliber promo on one of the company’s biggest stars. Rank’s fiery promo came amid Seth Rollins’?three-episode run as "Good Morning Football" guest-host on NFL Network. As the show prepared for one of its “Spike O Meter” segments, it was interrupted by a wig-wearing Rank, who happened to be holding a WWE-branded microphone. “If you thought that we were going to go a week with Seth Rollins and you were not going to bring out the biggest mark in the building, a guy who watched Tyler Black face Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson in ‘no hate’ in 2008, you were mistaken,” Rank said.

On the latest episode, Awful Announcing’s Brendon Kleen and Ben Axelrod discuss the?lack of upsets in the NCAA Tournament?before being joined by Morning Consult’s Ellyn Briggs for a conversation about the latest trends in sports, culture, and media.

Check out my latest for Awful Announcing about how even without last year’s stars the numbers for women’s basketball will remain strong??

On this week’s episode of the?Awful Announcing Podcast, host Brandon Contes interviews National Football League (NFL) Network insider Ian Rapoport. Brandon and Ian discuss a wide range of topics, including Aaron Rodgers's search for a new team, Mike Mularkey’s admission of feeding Ian false information, Jordan Schultz's confrontation with Ian at Starbucks, and more.

On the latest episode, Awful Announcing’s Brendon Kleen and Ben Axelrod discuss: ? The?symbiotic relationship between National Football League (NFL) insiders and agents. ? Drafting the breakthrough sports media stars of the digital age. ? How exactly are we supposed to talk about?Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson?

The baseball-focused digital media outlet Jomboy Media has named a new CEO. The position, which has been vacant since 2022, will go to Courtney Hirsch, who will be promoted from her current role of chief operating officer, according to?a report by Deadline. Jomboy Media has been without a CEO since Andrew Patterson left the role several years ago. In addition to her promotion, Hirsch will be added to the company’s board of directors. “We’ve built a powerhouse brand that celebrates fun and connects fans, creators, and premium partners,” Hirsch told Deadline. “I’ve seen what makes this company and culture special. As CEO, my focus is on scaling our original IP, growing our strategic and corporate partnerships, and unlocking new opportunities that innovate within the creator economy.”