Sports TV News

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis Met Once Before Calling Games Together

“We had Cleveland-Baltimore; we took one walk together in Baltimore on the Saturday before the game. The next time together was in the booth.”

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2021

Ricky Keeler

This past season, a new broadcasting duos that premiered in the NFL was Ian Eagle and Charles Davis as the second team for the NFL On CBS. Eagle has been on CBS since 1998, but Davis was in his first season calling games for the network after being at FOX as an analyst since 2017. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not easy for the new pair to establish chemistry, but they found a way to make it work.

On the latest episode of the New York, New York with John Jastremski podcast, Eagle talked about forming chemistry with Davis during a pandemic. The two never had one in-person meeting during the year, but they decided to have a ZOOM call every week for five straight months. In fact, the trio of Eagle, Davis, and sideline reporter Evan Washburn only saw each other once in-person before their first game of the season together.

“I went into Week 1 thinking that it was going to work,” Eagle said. “We had Cleveland-Baltimore; we took one walk together in Baltimore on the Saturday before the game. The next time together was in the booth. It felt like we had been doing games for 10 years. It was easy. He’s a great teammate. It doesn’t always work that way. It really depends on the individual.”

Ian Eagle mentioned that although his role in the booth is very different from Davis’s, the duo have a similar idea of what a TV broadcast should sound like.

“I don’t want to ask him 12 questions on the air, I want to have a conversation. I know there are some out there that are like it’s your job to set him up. It’s your job to set him up but set him up in a way where you are conversing, not where it is pointed question, pointed question. That’s not a give-and-take, that’s not a partnership. You want it to feel like a couple of people that are at lunch or dinner and you are part of the conversation. That’s really important to me that it is both us and there is back and forth and Charles is a believer in that too.

In the early days of his career, Eagle knew the importance of good teamwork when he worked as the associate producer for Mike & The Mad Dog in 1992. Eagle said the duo were best friends at that time. He wanted to bring the energy he saw then to whatever he would do next.

“If you want to be excellent at this job, you better make the person next to you feel comfortable so they can do their best work. I’ve taken a lot of pride in that part of it, the dynamic between play-by-play and analyst. That was from the seeds of WFAN, seeing in the newsroom and watching it translate on the air.”

Ricky Keeler

Ricky Keeler is a reporter for BSM with a primary focus on sports media podcasts and national personalities. He is also an active podcaster with an interest in pursuing a career in sports media. You can find him on Twitter @Rickinator555 or reach him by email at [email protected].

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Sports TV News

Shannon Sharpe: Undisputed ‘Not Going to be Better Than Me & Stephen A’

“Stephen A. is that dude. If Stephen A. ever decides to leave and turn the reins over to me, you all know I’m that dude. I’m him. Now the problem y’all got is you got two hims to go up against.”

Published

8 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Both Photos Courtesy: Getty Images

Shannon Sharpe is enjoying this next chapter of his TV career being a recurring guest on ESPN’s First Take, and the Hall-of-Famer is thrilled to be a part of a ratings juggernaut.

Sharpe, who was a guest on The Stephen A. Smith Show on Monday, was very open about his experience at FOX and working with Skip Bayless on Undisputed. Sharpe and Bayless had a series of on-air arguments that eventually led to Shannon leaving the show after seven years.

Sharpe obviously has since moved on to ESPN, while FOX and Bayless have retooled Undisputed similarly to First Take. Bayless instead of just debating one co-host all the time now gets to go back and forth with Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and Richard Sherman.

But Sharpe did not hold back from talking trash to FOX, saying First Take won’t be beaten.

“Y’all not going to be better than me and Stephen A. That’s not going to happen,” Sharpe said. “I promise you, that is not going to happen. Ever. Ever.”

Shannon continued, adding that it doesn’t matter whether at the end of the day he stays or goes. First Take will always be the more successful show.

“Now, if Stephen A. says, ‘Shannon, I want to go in a different direction,’ you all are still not,” he said. “Because Stephen A. is that dude. If Stephen A. ever decides to leave and turn the reins over to me, you all know I’m that dude. I’m him. Now the problem y’all got is you got two hims to go up against.”

Given Stephen A.’s own comments about not wanting to stay in sports media forever, there has been speculation that the plan at ESPN is to hand the reins of First Take over to Sharpe whenever it is Smith is finished. Smith didn’t rule out the notion completely.

“That possibility is open,” he said.

Jordan Bondurant

Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett Sports Media. He’s a multimedia journalist and communicator who works at the Virginia State Corporation Commission in Richmond. Jordan also contributes occasional coverage of the Washington Capitals for the blog NoVa Caps. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, WRIC-TV 8News and Audacy Richmond. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.

Sports TV News

Sean McManus: Retirement ‘Textbook Example of Succession Planning at its Best’

“David’s ready. I’m ready. And the entire division is ready. So CBS will move forward.”

Published

8 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

The big news in sports television on Tuesday was the announcement that CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus would be retiring in 2024. McManus is ready to hand the reins over to a worthy successor in David Berson.

A lot can change in two years, and a Sports Business Journal article about the retirement announcement mentioned that at that time McManus couldn’t see himself doing anything else.

Now everything has aligned, and the path is clear for McManus to bow out at CBS.

“The timing is right for me personally and professionally, and the timing is right for the division,” McManus told John Ourand. “There’s nothing magic about this year as opposed to next year. I just felt it was the right time to do it.”

When McManus leaves, Berson will take over. The two have worked together since 2011. Sean said it just made the most sense.

“People talk about succession planning being important, but this is just a textbook example of succession planning at its best,” McManus said. “David’s ready. I’m ready. And the entire division is ready. So CBS will move forward.”

Berson expressed nothing but gratitude towards McManus for all he’s done to push CBS Sports and sports television in general forward.

“There are a few people, if any, that have had as much impact on the sports media landscape as Sean,” Berson said. “The folks here at CBS Sports are lucky and fortunate to be able to learn from Sean and be part of this incredible team.”

Jordan Bondurant

Sports TV News

Mike Francesa: Roger Goodell ‘Wants Everbody’s TV Dates’ For NFL

“Until somebody says, hey, you know what, I’m not interested and the can’t get somebody to buy it, they’re going to keep putting it out there.”

Published

17 hours ago

September 26, 2023

BSM Staff

Courtesy: Getty Images

Any television executive will tell you that there is no such thing as too much NFL football. In a time when very little brings Americans to their TV to watch live, the NFL is as reliable as it gets.

On his podcast this week, Mike Francesa was asked if he saw that changing any time soon. He said there is no evidence that the league is anywhere near over-saturation.

“The NFL has a product. They continue to get top dollar for their products,” he said. “Until they don’t, they will continue to dispense it like Pez.”

Thanks to the revenue that the league generates from its TV contracts, Francesa says there is no reason to think that the league isn’t considering trying to get more games on TV in exclusive windows.

“Goodell’s theory is, ‘You know what? I want everybody’s TV dates. I want the NBA’s Christmas dates. I want college football’s dates.’”

It isn’t as easy as putting more games on whenever they want. Congressional protections limit the NFL to expanding what days games are played until after high school and college football seasons end.

Amazon will host an exclusive game on Black Friday in 2023, a first for the league. Francesa said it is foolish to think it is the last time the NFL will consider expanding its offerings.

“Until somebody says, hey, you know what, I’m not interested and the can’t get somebody to buy it, they’re going to keep putting it out there.”