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Adam Silver, Nick Saban Welcome Stephen A. Smith Back to ESPN

“While he spent most of the day on a boat alongside Molly Qerim and Michael Irvin, Smith did receive his fair share of ribbing.”

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If you tuned in for First Take over the summer, chances are you didn’t see much of Stephen A. Smith. That changed on Monday as he returned to work after a lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery.

While he spent most of the day on a boat alongside Molly Qerim and Michael Irvin, Smith did receive his fair share of ribbing.

First Take producers lined up a series of celebrity messages welcoming Stephen A. Smith back to work. Among them was Nick Saban.

“I had my hip replaced and was back to work the next day,” the Alabama football coach said. “Now, they don’t make ‘em like they used to and some people just do anything to get a day off.”

Smith said that he could believe Saban returned to work a day after hip replacement surgery and that because Saban is the GOAT amongst college football coaches, Smith was willing to take the criticism.

The standout message came from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He questioned the double standard of what fans knew about Stephen A. Smith versus what Stephen A. Smith expects to hear from Silver’s players, coaches and teams.

“I know that you and the media expect complete transparency when it comes to the NBA, particularly when it comes to injuries, but I get it. ‘Shoulder surgery.’ That’s all we’re told,” Silver said in a video. “Definitely a different standard when it comes to the media.”

Smith admitted that he enjoyed the video message from the Commissioner.

“Adam Silver got me good on that one,” he said. But the ESPN star did feel the need to defend himself and explain why it took him so long to come back.

“First of all, I was owed time off. Let’s be clear about that! Second off, excuse me. Cuff torn, bicep, labrum, plus a bone spur? I’ve been going through rehab four days a week on my vacation! I didn’t go away.”

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Final ‘Good Morning Football’ Episode from New York Studio Airs Before Hiatus, Move to LA

After today, ‘Good Morning Football’ will take a brief hiatus, then move to LA. But outside of host Jamie Erdahl, who else will join the show on the West Coast?

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Good Morning Football

Today marks the last Good Morning Football episode to air from its New York studios on NFL Network. After today, the show will take a brief hiatus, then move across the country to Los Angeles. But which of the shows beloved cast members will move along with it?

We already know host Jamie Erdahl will be there once she gives birth to her child. The newest GMFB show member gave an emotional send-off to the show’s New York studios before announcing she was headed for maternity leave and would see everyone in LA.

Host Kyle Brandt delivered this message late last night, saying that viewers should tune in to he and his colleagues and that “he has a lot to say.”

Earlier this week, however, host Peter Schrager delivered his own goodbye message — one that may sound like a man who’s not ready to move his family across the country at a moment’s notice:

However, no hosts outside of Erdahl have given confirmation that they’re either staying or going.

The NFL’s move to take the show from New York to Los Angeles has been widely criticized by fans and media members alike. Bill Simmons wondered if the move wouldn’t spell just the end of GMFB but the NFL Network as a whole. It has some wondering if this is the end of football’s best show.

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ESPN Coverage of Men’s NIT Tournament Quarterfinals Up 33% vs. 2023

Viewership of the Men’s NIT Quarterfinals on ESPN were up 33 percent compared to last year and featured two games that averaged over one million viewers.

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Even the NIT is riding the recent hot streak of live sports viewership numbers. According to data provided by ESPN, the 2024 NIT Quarterfinals are up 33 percent compared to last year’s tournament. Perhaps more surprisingly, two NIT quarterfinal games topped one million viewers.

The network’s Georgia/Ohio State matchup averaged 1.03 million viewers, while the Cincinnati/Indiana State contest averaged 1.02 million viewers. These two games were the most-watched NIT games since 2017 — including title games. Both Georgia and Ohio State have rabid fanbases, while many thought Indiana State was unjustly left out of the March Madness tournament, which could be a reason why viewers tuned in.

Much of the focus this season has been on the women’s game, thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley. ESPN just had its most-watched women’s college basketball season since 2008-09 because of the increased interest in the women’s game. The men’s game, however, hasn’t been heralded as much this season for whatever reason, mostly because numbers seem to be holding steady compared to previous years. However, if the NIT is posting viewership wins, that should bode well for the NCAA Tournament’s incoming viewership totals.

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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