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McNabb’s Addition Headlines ESPN Radio’s New Schedule

Jason Barrett

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ESPN Radio are set to roll out a new fall weekend lineup with a heavy focus on the 2016 college football and NFL seasons. The network has announced the addition of two new programs, including a three-hour program titled McNabb & Custer”, featuring former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb and veteran Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Brian Custer. The new show will debut Sunday, September 11th at 10pm ET, or immediately following Sunday Night Baseball. The new weekend lineup will be in place until the end of the football season.

“Without question, the biggest names in sports talking football will be on ESPN Radio all weekend,” said David Roberts, vice president, ESPN Audio network content. “Fans can expect the most comprehensive information, from an array of diverse voices who will always be willing to provide a provocative, informed point of view on America’s number sport. We are looking forward to serving the sports fans anytime and anywhere across the audio platforms this fall.”

Louise Cornetta, ESPN Radio program director II, added: “The Fall means football. The goal is to give our fans the most comprehensive and entertaining coverage for College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays. The new weekend lineup will provide our listeners with something for everyone to enjoy.”

During the football season, espnW presents: The Trifecta with Spain, Jane & Kate will take a break, however each host – Sarah Spain, Jane McManus and Kate Fagan — will remain involved. A new program Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain, will feature Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and Spain, and will focus on the day’s NFL headlines while injecting playful banter between the two hosts who frequently appear together on The Dan Le Batard Show. McManus will co-host Sunday’s Operation Football alongside Randy Scott and Field Yates, and Fagan will continue hosting Will & Kate with Will Cain.

On Sundays, Domonique Foxworth, a former NFL cornerback and new contributor to The Undefeated, will team up with ESPN Chicago 1000’s Jonathan Hood on NFL Nation, wrapping up the day’s NFL action and featuring ESPN NFL Nation writers who were at the biggest games.

ESPN Radio’s Saturday schedule will focus on college football beginning with:

  • Dari & Mel, a year-round program hosted by SEC Network anchor Dari Nowkhah and ESPN NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr., kicking off the mornings at 7 a.m. for three hours.
  • Following that, a three-hour simulcast of television’s ESPN’s College GameDay (10 a.m. – Noon) and ESPN Radio’s College GameDay (Noon – 7 p.m.) will provide listeners with previews, news and analysis from around college football and lead into the College Football Game of the Week on most Saturdays. ESPN Radio’s College GameDay returns hosts Doug Kezirian, Brad Edwards and Trevor Matich, with Maria Taylor, Joey Galloway, Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich as weekly contributors.
  • Capping off the day, Will & Kate – hosted by Will Cain and Kate Fagan – will air 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.
  • Robin Lundberg will continue to host The Robin Lundberg Show on select Saturdays (11 p.m. – 1 a.m.) this fall.

Sundays on ESPN Radio will be NFL-centric, kicking off the day with Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain (7 – 9 a.m.) Additional highlights:

  • Fantasy Focus (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) returns, hosted by ESPN New York 98.7FM’s Dave Rothenberg, Mike Golic Jr. and Fantasy expert Eric Karabell, with weekly contributor Stephania Bell. Focus will offer listeners last-minute lineup suggestions, injury updates and analysis of who is having the best season at each position.
  • Max & The Coach, with Tom Waddle (1 – 4 p.m.), hosted by ESPN studio hosts Max Bretos and Jonathan Coachman with ESPN Chicago 1000 voice and ESPN NFL analyst Tom Waddle will keep listeners up-to-date on all of the early NFL games.
  • Operation Football (4 – 7 p.m.) – returns for its second year, hosted by ESPN anchor Randy Scott, Jane McManus and Field Yates, and will recap the earlier NFL games with live player and coach post-game interviews, updating the current ones and keeping tabs on the fantasy front.

The New Weekend Schedule:

DayTime (ET)Show
Saturdays6 a.m.The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap
 7 a.m.Dari & Mel
 10 a.m.ESPN College GameDay (TV Simulcast)
 NoonESPN Radio’s College GameDay
 7 p .m.College Football Game of the Week
 11 p.m.Will & Kate (or The Robin Lundberg Show on select Saturdays)
Sundays6 a.m.The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap
 7 a.m.Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain
 9 a.m.Fantasy Focus
 1 p.m.Max & The Coach with Tom Waddle
 4 p.m.Operation Football
 7 p.m.NFL Nation with Domonique Foxworth & Jonathan Hood
 10 p.m.McNabb & Custer

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Sports Radio News

Jason Puckett Launches PuckSports.com

“I am super motivated right now and I can’t wait. I have probably been busier now than I’ve ever been in the last 48 hours.”

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Logo for PuckSports.com

Jason Puckett, who decided to walk away from a contract offer from iHeartMedia’s KJR in Seattle after finding out his partner Jim Moore had been laid off, has launched a new venture – PuckSports.com. ‘Puck’ has a baseball opening day show posted on the Puck Sports YouTube page and also posted an introductory message about his new venture and what led to creating it.

“I wanted to talk to you guys, the listeners out there, the viewers out there, sorry for all of this,” an emotional Puckett said. “Sorry for what has happened and what has taken place. Thank you for all of the comments and the well-wishes and what you have said about myself and Jim.

“It has been a whirlwind of a last few days, for sure and I do want to say that I feel for the people that we used to work with. “I know it’s not easy to go through that, I have been on that side of it many, many times in this industry when someone is let go and you have to sit there and answer all the questions about them and for them…It’s unfortunate and it shouldn’t be that way, but the reality of this business is it’s like that.”

Puckett then told his fans that PuckSports.com and YouTube are where you will be finding his content along with Moore. “I am going to take what I have learned over the years and apply it to a new age of media,” he said and noted this was a direction he had been thinking about for a while.

As for what took place that led to his decision to not sign his contract and talk away, he said, “I just want to take you briefly back to last week. I don’t want to get too much in the weeds, I’m not here to lay any blame or point any fingers at anybody…there’s too many good people that I have worked with that I don’t want to drag into this. It was a process that was at times handled fine, handled perfectly, and at other times it got to a point where it just went on too long. But that’s corporate media and that’s what happens.”

Continuing on Puckett said, “…I had been without a contract since about January…when I was away from the station that was something that we and the station agreed upon…to see if we could get something done and we were all hopeful that we would…I was only supposed to be gone a couple of days…unfortunately as these things sometimes happen, it just went a little bit longer…We received the deal and it was what we wanted, but unfortunately with that news a few hours later came the news from corporate that Jim had lost his job. Obviously there was a mix of emotions with that from me.

“I wrestled with that and the decision and what I would do. It was hard for me to move forward…I couldn’t fight the perception more than anything that I had received a new deal while at the same time, my partner and good friend, guy I love to death, who I grew up reading…it was a hard reality…The loyalty I have, I couldn’t live with myself even though Jim knew what the truth was.”

Puckett said he was aware Moore was planning to step away from the radio show at the end of the year and was looking forward to the nine months they would have left to work with one another. Then, when iHeartMedia made the decision to make Moore a casualty of their latest round of layoffs, Puckett knew he needed to revisit the idea of starting his own venture.

He said, “It has kind of changed my timeline as far as what I wanted to do and where I felt I was at…I am super motivated right now and I can’t wait. I have probably been busier now than I’ve ever been in the last 48 hours.”

Puckett said several of the show’s regular guests would stay with the show and he thanked several sponsors who he said would remain supporters of the show with the new venture. ‘Puck’ noted that starting next week, “…We get underway in full force…I’m going to continue to try and make people laugh and entertain you and talk about sports…and all of the other things you have become accustomed to with this show.”

As he started to wrap up, Puckett said, “I’m jumping into the deep end of the pool and I am going to see if I can swim or sink.”

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Sports Radio News

Kirk Minihane: WEEI is “Going to be Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb in Afternoons”

“Maybe the two most sensitive c***s in the history of radio. That’s a show we are going to ruin.”

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Photos of Kirk Minihane and Rich Shertenlieb

As the speculation continues on where Boston sports talker Rich Shertenlieb will end up, one former WEEI host said he has the scoop on what is going to happen. Kirk Minihane, now with Barstool Sports, said, “What I heard was, initially, was they were moving Rich Keefe from nights to middays, moving Adam Jones from afternoons to middays and keeping Fauria there, and moving Andy Gresh to afternoons…But now it appears Rich Shertenlieb is going to do afternoons with Andy Gresh.”

On Wednesday, Boston Globe sports and sports media columnist Chad Finn put out a post on X, saying, “Didn’t think Rich Shertenlieb would end up at WEEI after leaving Sports Hub. I do now, most likely in afternoon drive. Audacy management has been telling people to expect changes.”

Minihane continued commenting on the matter, saying, “It’s going to be Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb in the afternoons, which is going to be so awful. Maybe the two most sensitive c***s in the history of radio. That’s a show we are going to ruin…we haven’t done that in a while, we are going to take that show down…Once that show starts, we are just going to blitz them with phone calls because Gresh can’t handle that.

“What they don’t understand, because they are so dumb, is that…Rich Shertenlieb has no fan base…no fan of [Toucher and Hardy] in the morning is going to be like ‘I’m not going to listen to Felger in the afternoons, I’ll now listen to Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb.’ It’s going to be dreadful.”

Recapping what he has heard the rest of the WEEI lineup will be, Minihane said, “…And then in middays you have Adam Jones, failed afternoons. Rich Keefe who has now failed middays, drivetime, nights and is now going to fail again in middays… and Christian Fauria who has never drawn a rating in his life.”

WEEI has not commented on any of the speculation. BSM will have more as the story unfolds.

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Former 670 The Score Host Tommy Williams Has Died

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Photo of Tommy Williams
Courtesy: Lakeshore Public Media

Tommy Williams, who was heard for a decade on 670 The Score, died on Wednesday at the age of 66.

Williams began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Gary, Indiana in 1982 at WLTH before moving on to The Score. In 2003, Williams became the PA Announcer for the Gary Southshore RailCats of the American Association where he had his signature call to get the attention of the fans, “People, People, People.”

A story in The Times of Northwest Indiana said, “The longtime RailCats public address announcer and Lakeshore Public Media sports journalist was known for broadcasting countless games, interviewing countless athletes and covering Region sports at all levels. The Gary native and co-host of “Prep Sports Report,” “Prep Football Report,” and “Lakeshore PBS Scoreboard” often signed off shows saying, “Gary, Indiana, you know I love you.”

“The cadence he had in his voice echoed across the Region in a way we may never see again. He was widely known and widely loved,” Tom Maloney, vice president of radio operations at Lakeshore Public Media told the paper.

“He’d want to be remembered as the voice of Lakeshore sports,” his Regionally Speaking co-host and producer Dee Dotson told The Times. “Most people will remember him for covering prep sports all the way up to semi-pros. He’ll be remembered for treating each of his subjects like they were world champions. His depth of knowledge of sports at all levels is commendable. He was a walking encyclopedia of stats.” 

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