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Mark Jackson Never Thought He’d Do the NBA Finals for 15 Years

“Never would I have imagined that we’d be doing it at this point and have so many under our belt, but It’s a credit to the greatness of those two guys, the friendship that we have on-and-off the court.”
Ricky Keeler

Published

3 months ago

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Mark Jackson has been calling NBA Finals games on ABC with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy for 15 years. As with many iconic booths, people inside and outside the industry might ask what is the key to being successful for that many years in the booth.

Jackson was a guest on The Dave Pasch Podcast last week and he told Pasch that what people see and hear when they call a game is similar to what you would see with them when they aren’t at the arena.

“What you see and what you hear during the course of a game is the same thing as you’d see and hear over the course of dinner with all of us. We get along incredibly well and they are family for life.”

Jackson mentioned that when he learned that he was going to call the NBA Finals with Breen and Van Gundy, he thought it was incredible and the three of them along with Lisa Salters have a great relationship.

“When I got the opportunity to call NBA Finals with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy, it was an incredible thing to learn knowing the history of the game, knowing the history of incredible booths not just in basketball but in sports in general. Never would I have imagined that we’d be doing it at this point and have so many under our belt, but It’s a credit to the greatness of those two guys, the friendship that we have on-and-off the court. I’m honored to be in a booth with those guys along with Lisa Salters. It’s an incredible grouping.”

So, what is the key to their success? Jackson says it’s because none of the three of them have an ego and they don’t care if one person gets more attention or gets to say more than the other.

“Even though I would say I credit us knowing each other beforehand has a lot to do with it, I would then crazy as it sounds say that it has nothing to do with it. What I mean by that is there are people that have been in booths and known each other longer than we’ve known each other and known each other as much as we know each other. But, the thing is we have no ego. I’ve seen booths get torn apart because of egos, because somebody said something or somebody doesn’t have enough time, or somebody gets jealous of the attention.

“We could care less about who gets the attention. We are there to call the game and cover it and do the best that we possibly can do. There is nothing that Jeff Van Gundy or Mike Breen can say to me that I would take offense to because I know those guys love me and they know I love them. It’s a unique situation, a unique booth where family trumps all.”

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Alex Rodriguez: You Used To Be Able To Hang Out With Reporters And Know It Was Off the Record

“I would say that back then it was a little bit more of a camaraderie.”
Jordan Bondurant

Published

9 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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The way that MLB players interact with reporters has evolved and changed significantly over the years in Alex Rodriguez’s eyes.

In a media availability Tuesday ahead of the season premiere of the KayRod Cast, ESPN’s alternate feed of select games slated for Sunday Night Baseball featuring Rodriguez and Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay, A-Rod was asked for his biggest surprises as the media coverage has transitioned over the years.

“I would say that back then it was a little bit more of a camaraderie,” Rodriguez said. “You could actually go to a bar and have drinks with reporters, believe it or not, and talk about, you know — and everything was pretty much off the record.”

In today’s game, Rodriguez said you won’t find it being the case where reporters and players are friends away from their respective jobs.

“That ship has left, right? I think it’s just a lot more Twitter, get out there first. Fact check later, but shoot first,” he said. “As a result, I think it’s made players and everybody a little bit more aware.”

“I think in a long-worded answer, I think relationships that go back many years, I think, win in the long run, that trust,” A-Rod added.

The second season of the KayRod Cast starts on Sunday at 7 p.m. featuring the defending N.L. champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers.

Kay and Rodriguez will be live from ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York City. There are eight total editions of the KayRod Cast scheduled for the 2023 season.

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Elite 8 Sees Ratings Drop

“Much of the pandemonium, given the number of upsets in this year’s tournament, unsurprisingly impacted viewership as things advanced.”
Jordan Bondurant

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9 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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With the last two number one seeds bowing out of the 2023 NCAA tournament by the end of the Sweet 16, viewership for the Elite 8 expectedly dropped.

Over 11 million tuned in for the Miami/Texas regional final on CBS. Viewership for the two versus four seed matchup was down 17% compared to the Elite 8 game in the same window last year (UNC/Saint Peter’s). The broadcast was also the lowest rated and least-watched Elite 8 game in that window in seven years.

San Diego State/Creighton in the early game on Sunday drew 8.34 million viewers, which was down 12% year over year.

Almost 8 million watched UConn cruise past Gonzaga on TBS late Saturday night, while Florida Atlantic’s historic upset over Kansas State had a little more than 7 million watch. The Owls’ win over the Wildcats was only down 1% when looking at the numbers from the same window in 2022 (Villanova/Houston).

Much of the pandemonium, given the number of upsets in this year’s tournament, unsurprisingly impacted viewership as things advanced.

But the Final Four and the national championship are often the three most-watched college basketball games of the year, so there should be no shortage of eyeballs glued to Houston this weekend.

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Hawk Harrelson: ‘I Didn’t Retire, I Got Retired’

“I got fired is what it all boils down to.”
Jordan Bondurant

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9 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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Former Chicago White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson opened up about his departure from the team in 2018. In an appearance Tuesday on the Foul Territory podcast, Harrelson said his whole farewell that season was forced.

“I didn’t retire,” Harrelson said talking to former White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski and co-host Scott Braun. “I got retired.”

“I got fired is what it all boils down to,” he added.

Harrelson, who was the 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner given by the Baseball Hall of Fame, said he stand behind the claim that he was shown the door.

“I’m sure that they will deny that. But it’s what led up to that and everything else, that’s interesting,” Harrelson said.

The White Sox hired Jason Benetti in 2016 as Harrelson’s fill-in. Benetti continues to call games on NBC Sports Chicago full-time.

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