ESPN Is About to Make a Tragic Mistake: College Football Team Suspended from MLB Over Cheerleaders and Abby Labar!
Troy Aikman Did Not Deny Reported Talks with Joe Buck, Saying He Will Be a Free Agent After This Season as ESPN Faces a Major Decision.
ESPN carrying the bag on Stephen E. Don't @ Me w/ Dan Dakich
"I'm baffled by how the whole world has reacted to this guy and how ESPN has given this guy $20 million. I'm not mad about it. Good for him."
Nightcaps is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you might have missed while pretending to be at your desk. It runs from Monday to Friday.
On the hump and safely to a Big Thursday - which, during the fall, is basically the start of the weekend.
Congratulations, you made it! Football tonight, baseball playoffs this afternoon and tonight. More football tomorrow and the day after. And the day after that!
Who has it better than us now? We're halfway through October, which is pretty bad. It just means that we should appreciate this time more.
Welcome to Thursdays — where ESPN is about to make one of its dumbest decisions in years, which is saying something given its recent history.
Breaking up TROY AIKMAN and JOE BUCK would be a big mistake for ESPN Bobby Burke
what else I've got the Western Kentucky players celebrating with the Sam Houston State cheerleaders after destroying the Bearkats last night, Dodgers fans getting dragged through the mud today, and MLB Network's Abby Labar on the third Thursday of October.
Well, grab a headset and head over to the ESPN booth, because you could be next in line on Monday nights, for 'Cap Thursday!
I hate to start with a rival today, but ESPN has given me no choice.
Obviously, the big story in today's sports media world is the ongoing riff between Troy Aikman and Joe Buck. It started to trickle in a few days ago when a report said the two had an argument before Monday night's game in Los Angeles, all stemming from the fact that Buck recently extended his contract with ESPN.
Troy - Joe's old booth partner - nope.
Some poured cold water on the report that came from the sports front office.
SUPER BOWL LXI gets the coffee treatment as ESPN adds alternate broadcasts
This would be a stunning and foolish move
"There's probably a time and a place for all of that. I don't know that now is the time," Aikman said this morning when asked about the issue. I don't know if it's hard to understand what happened or not. I'll play through this season and be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens.
"I'm looking forward to whatever comes next this season, the Super Bowl and all that and where I land next."
Aikman did not deny the reported argument, implying that it happened.
Joe and Troy were together for nearly three decades. For ESPN to single them out would be shocking levels of stupid.
I wrote a few weeks ago that Tony Romo's departure from CBS (the "Departure") and Aikman's non-renewal at ESPN would be something to watch. It still is.
There's also this little video in the making that walks away following the reported argument. This photo, taken by a fan before Monday's game in Los Angeles, shows Buck and his wife having some kind of disagreement? ... on the ground during warm-up:
It might be nothing, but... it could be something.
My impression? I would be stunned if ESPN let Aikman go. dumbfounded The two made a deal when they joined ESPN a few years ago, and by all accounts (ratings!), it's been one of the company's few successes in the past decade.
As for potential landing spots for Aikman, ESPN shouldn't settle...
Amazon Prime owns Herbstreit's crack, but there is an out-of-contract clause that allows Prime to sign if it reaches a high-profile target. I think Troy Aikman fits the bill.
Many people also point to the vacated seat at CBS next to Jim Nantes. JJ Watt fills it this year, but I imagine it would be tempting to put Troy Aikman next to Jim Nantes.
Netflix is becoming a major player in the NFL. I don't know if they'll have enough games to land Aikman, but it's a place to watch.
Collinsworth isn't going anywhere at NBC.
There's also the possibility that Troy will leave the booth altogether and join an NFL front office. Remember, he worked with the Dolphins to hire GM John-Eric Sullivan last offseason. So far, given Miami's draft class this offseason, this hire looks great.
Bottom line? ESPN would be crazy to do that. But, as we've learned over the years, ESPN's stick company is generally crazy
good news For you McAfee haters, you don't have to worry about him joining the booth anytime soon:
Western Kentucky had a big night, Dodgers fans didn't send an email, and reader!
Can you imagine the absolute outrage if ESPN put Pat McAfee in the MNF booth? Internet Burn Part of me just wants to see this happen to collapse.
Unfortunately, it turns out to be a silly rumor, which almost never happens on the Internet!
Well, let's make this Thursday class a big football night! first? I've spent all day putting real US currency on the Sam Houston Bearcats last night. They were smoked by Western Kentucky and looked lifeless the entire game.
The Hilltoppers won 16-3 (a bad game to watch), and then sprinkled salt as the final buzzer sounded:
Unbelievable, what a move these Western Kentucky players made. It's one thing to beat the brakes on a team on its home court, but putting these moves on its cheerleaders when it's all said and done is next-level psychological warfare.
It's hard to come back from it as a program...
master Brutal - and I mean brutal - show for the Los Angeles faithful last night. No sugar. The internet has been ganging up on the Rays for The Trop's empty seats during these playoffs, so we'll have to be fair and give the Dodgers a shot here.