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Pat McAfee: Hard Knocks Is Allowed To Have Fun And Not Be So Serious

“There has been people, I guess around town that has been judging Hard Knocks because they thought the first week was infomercial fluff for the Detroit Lions.”

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Pat McAfee is far from the only person singing the praises of the new season of Hard Knocks. Episode one drew rave reviews from most fans and media pundits. On his show Tuesday, McAfee said a lot of the credit for that goes to Dan Campbell.

McAfee called him “the living embodiment of the sport of football” and said it is clear that his involvement gives this season of Hard Knocks potential to be the best we’ve ever seen.

“Behind the scenes, he’s a hard working guy that has love for his players, that wants to do something for a city that hasn’t had a winning season in a long, long, long time,” McAfee said of the coach. “The players all seem to be all the way bought in. It’s magical. It seems to be a recipe that seems to be created for for success for Hard Knocks majesticy. That is a real word.”

It hasn’t been universal praise though. Although he feels the exact opposite, McAfee says he has seen some backlash to all of the love that episode one received on social media. Some of it is coming from Detroit, where critics say the first episode didn’t show much that was meaningful.

“There has been people, I guess around town that has been judging Hard Knocks because they thought the first week was infomercial fluff for the Detroit Lions.”

Pat McAfee pushed back on the idea that nothing of importance was happening. Competing for a roster spot is hard, and every successful rep is a step closer to a guy achieving his dream. On top of that, football is wildly unpredictable. Any play can result in a season-altering injury.

That doesn’t mean everything needs to be presented with dramatic music and a somber tone McAfee said.

“I’m sorry we’re having entertainment! You’re allowed to have fun. Not everything has to be serious.”

The second episode of Hard Knocks will air Tuesday on HBO and HBO Max. A new deal with NFL Films will allow The Pat McAfee Show to use all of the video and audio the crew wants to from each episode. That means they will likely have plenty to say about the dramatic and the mundane moments on Wednesday, when Campbell is actually scheduled to sit down with McAfee on the show.

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Mad Dog: Gus Johnson ‘Bothered The Hell Out of Me’ Saturday

“For crying out loud, Michigan/Ohio State isn’t even better than North Carolina/Duke, who play twice a year. So let’s be careful with the hype machine.”

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A photo of Chris "Mad Dog" Russo
(Photo: SiriusXM)

FOX Sports college football voice Gus Johnson has made no bones about his affinity for Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. However, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has heard enough.

During his Mad Dog Unleashed program on SiriusXM, Russo shared that not only was Johnson obnoxious for the constant use of a nickname he bestowed up Harrison, but he was also misguided for calling Ohio State/Michigan the greatest rivalry in sports.

“Gus Johnson — the hype machine that he is — please, when you broadcast a ballgame, I don’t need to hear about Maserati Marv, number one. And number two, that’s not the greatest rivalry in sports history. Have you heard of the Yankees and the Red Sox? Giants and the Dodgers? How about Bears/Packers? Have you heard about that?

“For crying out loud, Michigan/Ohio State isn’t even better than North Carolina/Duke, who play twice a year. So let’s be careful with the hype machine. That bothered the hell out of me.”

When a caller pushed back on Russo’s opinion on the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, he continued by saying “That rivalry’s not Yankees/Red Sox. To compare college football to the Yankees and the Red Sox is ludicrous.”

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Nashville Predators Radio Voice Pete Weber Calling 2,000th Game Tuesday

“I always wanted to be there for the birth of a team. I feel like I’ve been a pretty fair midwife here.”

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A photo of Pete Weber
(Photo: Nashville Predators)

Nashville Predators radio voice Pete Weber is set to hit a career milestone Tuesday, as he’ll call his 2,000th game for the NHL franchise.

Weber told The Tennessean that he has relished the opportunity to be the voice of a team since its inception. He claimed he applied for and was a finalist for the radio play-by-play job when the Carolina Panthers were conceived, before ultimately landing with the Predators.

“I always wanted to be there for the birth of a team,” said Weber. “I feel like I’ve been a pretty fair midwife here.”

Despite missing time late last season due to a rare brain condition, Weber said he has no plans of retiring anytime soon.

“I have not thought about it, other than when I thought about how (former Philadelphia Phillies announcer) Harry Kalas was carried dead out of the broadcast booth in Washington,” Pete Weber said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s an interesting way to go. I don’t necessarily know that I want to do it like that. But it could happen. I’m not going to say no.”

Weber’s 2,000th game will come as the Nashville Predators play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 102.5 The Game is the flagship home of the Predators Radio Network.

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iHeartMedia Ending WEEI Simulcast in Cape Cod

A job opening for a sports talk co-host/producer/programming assistant that says its salary will “be funded by the savings that the market is acquiring from the expiring Audacy/WEEI & Red Sox contracts”.

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A photo of the WEEI 96.3 Cape Cod logo

iHeartMedia is preparing to drop its simulcast of WEEI on its 96.3 WEII-FM signal in Hyannis/Cape Cod.

According to a report from Radio Insight, iHeartMedia has posted a job opening for a sports talk co-host/producer/programming assistant that says its salary will “be funded by the savings that the market is acquiring from the expiring Audacy/WEEI & Red Sox contracts”.

It goes on to state that the contract between the company and Audacy was $300,000 annually and it paid the Red Sox $65,000 annually.

The job posting alleges 96.3 FM will continue to carry sports programming with a local show.

WEEI is currently simulcast on stations in Springfield and Worcester, MA; Providence; Portland, Maine; and on stations in New Hampshire and Vermont, as well. Earlier this year, the station’s offices in Warwick, Rhode Island closed as part of a cost-cutting measure.

WEII-FM is licensed to Dennis, MA and features a 25,000-watt Class B signal.

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