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Mike Francesa, Chris Russo Not Sold on Tom Brady’s Future As a TV Analyst

“It’s a special day! It’s a special day at First Take! Look at the crew I have in front of me.”

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Wednesday was bound to be one of the biggest in the history of First Take. Not only was Mike Francesa scheduled to join the show for a Mike & The Mad Dog reunion, but before the show even went on the air, Tom Brady announced his retirement. It made all the sense in the world that the show went thirty minutes before taking a break.

“It’s a special day! It’s a special day at First Take! Look at the crew I have in front of me,” Molly Qerim said as she introduced the panel that included Francesa alongside the regular Wednesday cast of Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

Before the debates began though, Adam Schefter joined the show to discuss Brady’s retirement. The New York native told Qerim that it was hard not to notice the history on the set.

“You’re in the company of royalty, Molly,” he said. “Stephen A, the greatest ever to do it on TV. Two of the guys that are the founding fathers of sports radio.”

“I wish Brady would have picked another day,” Francesa joked. 

While discussion of what Tom Brady meant to the NFL and the American sports landscape in general dominated the discussion, there was plenty of time for ribbing and reflection. Stephen A. Smith acknowledged what a fan he was of Mike & The Mad Dog when the show aired on WFAN. He called it an honor to be on with Francesa and Russo.

After spending the majority of the top segment talking about Brady, the show opened its second segment talking about the history of Mike & The Mad Dog. The show came back from commercial with a montage from the 30 for 30 film about the duo. It featured clips from their history and colleagues talking about their influence on New York and the sports talk format.

“I feel like I’m at my funeral,” Mike Francesa joked after the video.

Russo acknowledged that what people were seeing on the screen wasn’t always possible. Whether he was talking about what happened on air or behind the scenes, he acknowledged that there was a time when the two of them wouldn’t be able to get through a walk down memory lane.

“We don’t fight as much as we used to. Mike and I one time spent hours killing each other about who had the best bathroom facility between the Yankees or the Giants.” 

The conversation also included a brief discussion about Tom Brady’s future in sports television. Francesa explained why he wasn’t sold on Brady becoming a good analyst, an opinion also shared by Russo.

“It takes a certain personality and a certain mindset to be a good analyst,” Francesa explained. “I don’t think he’s going to be a great analyst. I don’t. I don’t think he is going to be bombastic. I don’t think he has an oversized personality outside of being Tom Brady. I think he will find things he likes more than announcing. I just don’t see that connection. Not every great player is going to be a great analyst, and I don’t think Brady is going to be great.”

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Holly Rowe Signs Long-Term Extension With ESPN

“I feel like I am living my best life and I am so grateful to ESPN for letting me keep doing this.”

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ESPN reporter Holly Rowe has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the company.

Rowe works as a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC’s coverage of college football — including the College Football Playoffs, the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and the Women’s College World Series, among other high-profile assignments.

“I feel like I am living my best life and I am so grateful to ESPN for letting me keep doing this,” Rowe told The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch.

Earlier this year, Rowe was named the 2023 Curt Gowdy Media Award winner from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for her electronic media work.

Rowe joined ESPN in 1998, and signed her last contract extension with the network in 2018 shortly before she announced she had undergone her final chemotherapy treatment in August of that year after a melanoma diagnosis in 2016.

According to Deitsch, Rowe’s contract was set to expire next month.

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Mike Florio: The NFL Will Have Games 7 Days a Week & Will Expand To Make it Happen

“So if you wanna increase the total number of games so you can have games Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, Saturday night, at some point you need more teams to get more games.”

Jordan Bondurant

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Could you picture NFL games on every night of the week from September to January? ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio thinks it’ll happen in his lifetime.

In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Florio said it’s inevitable that we’ll see the league play games every night.

“I think sooner than later we’re gonna have Tuesday Night Football, we’re gonna have Wednesday Night Football,” he said. “It’s gonna be hopefully in my lifetime a seven day a week, primetime event. There’s too much money to be made.”

“I would love to have football on every night of the week,” Florio added. “It would be nice to have a night or two off. Like Friday night and Saturday night would be nice, but I’d be fine with Tuesday and Wednesday.”

How does Florio think the NFL will get to the point of playing seven days a week during the season? Expansion. And the league has already expressed interest in establishing franchises in Europe.

“I think they’re gonna start moving that number from 32 to in time 34, 36, 38 eventually 40,” Florio said. “Quarterbacks is the key. Is there ever gonna be enough quarterbacks to have 40 NFL teams? But I think that would be the ultimate maximum number.”

Even McAfee added that an 18th NFL regular season game will be coming sooner rather than later. Florio said in order to justify the need for one more game, expansion is the answer.

“When it comes to the inventory, 18 games is the most they’re gonna get away with,” Florio said. “So if you wanna increase the total number of games so you can have games Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, Saturday night, at some point you need more teams to get more games.”

“If the money’s there to be made by the owners, they’ll deal with it,” he added.

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Nick Khan: We Hope Pat McAfee Wants To Do More With WWE

“The world is his oyster.”

Jordan Bondurant

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Pat McAfee continues to be on hiatus from his obligations to WWE. As the media star and father-to-be weighs options for the future of his daily sports show and other dealings, WWE’s CEO wants McAfee to keep wrestling in the mix.

Appearing on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, WWE CEO Nick Khan said with the company’s signature live event this weekend, WrestleMania, don’t expect McAfee to show up like he did in January at the Royal Rumble.

“We have no plans to have him there this weekend,” Khan said.

Co-host Andrew Marchand asked how WWE handles talks with McAfee, who is believed to be ending his relationship with FanDuel two years into a four-year $120 million contract. WWE has a relationship with NBCUniversal, with WWE Network and its massive library of content being absorbed into Peacock in 2021. McAfee has since been replaced at the SmackDown announce table by former WWE superstar Wade Barrett.

“The world is his oyster,” Khan said. “He’s 36 years old and look at his relevancy factor when you talk to young children, as I have two young children. When I talk to them it’s often McAfee, McAfee, McAfee. That’s what’s in the wheelhouse for them. So if you look at any of the traditional buyers, what do they want? They want a young, diverse audience. What does McAfee bring? He brings a young, diverse audience.”

Khan noted how McAfee tends to not get overly political or controversial with his show and how he’s developed relationships with athletes like Aaron Rodgers and gives them a platform to speak freely without condemnation.

“He’s not looking to annihilate anybody, or crucify them,” he said. “He’s looking to have good content, and his content has been terrific. He’ll determine ultimately where he wants his home to be. And our hope is that he does more with us.”

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