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Louis Riddick Tells Will Cain ‘We’ll See’ On Monday Night Football

“He was on The Will Cain Show on ESPN Radio Thursday and he talked about what that role would mean to him.”

Ricky Keeler

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As the NFL offseason continues, one of the major questions yet to be answered away from the field is who will be the people that fill the vacancy in the Monday Night Football booth on ESPN for the 2020-21 season? 

One of the people that is favored to get one of those spots is former NFL player and front office executive, Louis Riddick. He was on The Will Cain Show on ESPN Radio Thursday and he talked about what that role would mean to him. 

“It’s the pinnacle of broadcasting, as far as football is concerned,” said Riddick about Monday Night Football. “To be able to call a live broadcast of a Monday Night Football game outside of a live broadcast of a Super Bowl is the very top level. It’s like going to the Super Bowl and winning it and winning it 16 straight weeks. That’s what it would feel like to me.”

One of the quotes that stood out in this interview that went on for over an hour was when Riddick was talking about playing for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Nick Saban and what he learned from that experience that he applies to his life today. 

“When I look back at it, it is the best thing that ever happened to me, said Riddick about playing for the two coaching greats. “One of my greatest achievements in professional sports, honest to God, is earning the respect of Saban and Belichick. It’s probably one of my greatest accomplishments.

“I know what it takes to be the absolute best from a mental toughness, work ethic and resiliency standpoint. That’s what I bring to my job now. In this world, I kind of approach it in my mind, I am [Michael] Jordan in this world. I’ll do things I promise you that you aren’t willing to do. I’m watching stuff to get ready to go on shows I promise you aren’t doing this. I know what’s going to happen and I think that’s what has helped catapult me in my career.”

Clearly, Riddick sounds like he is ready for the challenge. He has done multiple things for ESPN since joining the company in May 2013. He has called college football games, worked on NFL Draft coverage, and he was an analyst with Steve Levy and Brian Griese for last year’s MNF game between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. Now, in his mind, the ball is in ESPN’s court. 

“People at ESPN know that. They are re-configuring the Monday Night Football booth again. I don’t really need to say anything about it. Everyone else knows where I stand with that. They have to make their own decision. We will see what they do.” 

Whenever you listen to Louis Riddick, you tend to learn something new about the NFL each time. Time will tell when he gets that next big opening in whichever role he wanted, but it safe to say he will be prepared for it. 

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Ken Carman: ESPN Kept Florida State Out of CFP to Drive Them to SEC

Carman admitted his opinion was a conspiracy theory.

Jordan Bondurant

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Ken Carman
Courtesy: The University of Akron School of Communication

The final College Football Playoff rankings shook up the college football world on Sunday. Undefeated ACC champion Florida State was the first team left out of the 2023 CFP in favor of one-loss SEC champion Alabama. In Cleveland on 92.3 The Fan, host Ken Carman theorized that no matter what the Seminoles did against Louisville in the ACC title game, the playoff committee was always going to keep FSU out of the semifinals. And for good reason.

ESPN, which runs the ACC and SEC Network and owns the vast majority of college bowl games, is in cahoots with the CFP and the SEC to lure Florida State into the same conference as their in-state rivals at Florida.

It’s clear in Carman’s eyes that Florida State is a football-first school, and they deserve to be in a conference that sees the value in football over being a strong basketball conference.

“They left them out, and they wanted to do it cause they want the ACC to break up,” Ken Carman said. “They (the SEC) want them all, and they know Florida State.”

Co-host Anthony Lima said the quarterback situation at FSU was completely different than what Ohio State had in 2014 when Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes through the playoff and to a national championship in place of J. T. Barrett.

Lima said the Seminoles lacked the ability to successfully politick their way into the playoff, because they didn’t have a capable backup quarterback to answer the call against the likes of Michigan or Washington.

“How are you gonna politick?” he asked. “Nobody thinks you’re half as good of a team as you were when you had a star quarterback. That’s a big difference.”

“If they won by 40 against Louisville, they weren’t getting in,” Carman responded. “It was Alabama played the right team at the right time and beat the right team at the right time.”

“I think for a lot of Florida State fans and for a lot of general college football fans, 13-0’s better than 12-1. Don’t give a damn,” he later added. “They should be in and not you. But this is where ESPN gets exactly what they want. And this isn’t anti-ESPN. It’s just the truth of how I see it.

“It’s the beginning of the end of the ACC. Clemson will go with them. Throw in another couple if you want to. Maybe the Big Ten will grab a couple, even though I don’t know how many programs they would actually want. Maybe the Big 12, who is trying to position itself as THE basketball conference, goes and gets more. But hell, they already got 16 teams in the conference. How many more can you take?”

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95.3 The Score Sets New Weekday Lineup

The station is under new leadership as Program Director Jerry Petuck took over in October.

Jordan Bondurant

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Eugene, Oregon’s 95.3 The Score has tweaked its weekday programming lineup.

The station is under new leadership as Program Director Jerry Petuck took over the role last month.

The first change is starting at 7 AM PT. Listeners can wake up with BetQL Daily with Joe Ostrowski, Ed Egros, and Erin Hawksworth. Previously in the 7-9 window, the station aired Reiter Than You with Bill Reiter.

Jim Rome remains in the 9-noon window. Middays instead of the previous CBS Sports Radio afternoon show — Maggie & Perloff, which moved to mornings from noon-3, listeners will hear You Better You Bet with Nick Kostos from 12-2.

Local programming picks up starting at 2 p.m. with Duck Insider hosted by Oregon director of broadcasting Joey “Mac” McMurry.

Steve Tannen takes over afternoon drive in Eugene live from 3-6 before BetMGM Tonight from 6-7.

The rest of the evening and overnight will continue to air CBS Sports Radio. The Score will also continue to be home to NFL play-by-play and the minor league Eugene Emeralds.

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Brian Murphy: Paul McCaffrey Tried to Make ‘Radio Magic Every Single Segment’

“He was the most consistent, energetic, relentless pro that I, or any of you, would ever want in your life.”

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A photo of Paul McCaffrey and Brian Murphy

During a round of layoffs last week, longtime KNBR morning host Paul McCaffrey exited. His co-host Brian Murphy eulogized the pair’s 18-year morning show in his first appearance on the station since the cuts Monday morning.

While reminiscing about the pair’s original, Murphy said a former executive used to frequently point at the radio and say “magic comes out of that box”.

“Paulie Mac may have been the guy who understood that idea more than anyone I’ve ever met in the business,” Murphy said. “Paulie Mac strived every single segment, every single segment, to make magic come out of the box. And he succeeded wildly. He was the most consistent, energetic, relentless pro that I, or any of you, would ever want in your life. He taught this old newspaper guy that we were doing radio and radio mattered. And bits mattered. And getting people through the morning mattered.

“The show, the show, the show. It was always what was good for the show. Not what’s good for him, not what’s good for me, but what’s good for the show.”

Video of Murphy’s comments and reflection on his time with McCaffrey was posted by the station to social media. Former KNBR Program Director Kevin Graham chimed in, calling Murphy’s farewell a “fitting tribute”.

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