Sports Radio News

Rich Eisen: Aaron Rodgers Knows He Can Control What Hard Knocks Shows

“I am sure if Rodgers doesn’t want the camera here, or camera there, they don’t need the Jets to tell them not to do it.”

Published

3 months ago

July 17, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Courtesy: The Rich Eisen Show

The world will soon get its behind the scenes taste of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers preparing for his first season away from Green Bay on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Though the decision to profile Rodgers and the Jets didn’t come without some pushback from the team.

New York was among several other teams across the NFL that were actively trying to avoid having NFL Films cameras around their training camp. The Jets were ultimately voluntold they would be the team for the training camp portion of the series.

In an interview with KPIX at the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe last week, Rodgers said aside from actor Liev Schreiber narrating the series, there’s not much else about the show that he’s a fan of. He added that he will just embrace it considering the choice wasn’t his to make.

“They force it down our throats, and we gotta deal with it,” Rodgers said.

On The Rich Eisen Show on Friday, Eisen said it’s clear that Rodgers is the only reason the Jets were chosen over the Bears or Commanders.

“He understands why the Jets are on Hard Knocks,” Eisen said. “It’s cause of him. If it’s Zach Wilson, then they’re like, ‘Let’s see what Sam Howell’s up to in Washington, D.C.'”

Rich also acknowledged that Rodgers will have some pull in terms of access, and that’s totally fair.

“Rodgers knows everybody is trying to poke around him, and he knows the Jets will have his back,” he said. “Literally they are bending over backwards and appropriately so. Every egg has been placed in the number eight basket, and if he wants to take the us against them approach, us against the world mentality, win the games and you could take whatever mentality you want.”

“And I am sure if Rodgers doesn’t want the camera here, or camera there, they don’t need the Jets to tell them not to do it,” Eisen added. “NFL Films will just back off. They want Rodgers mic’d up for games, they want Rodgers as happy as anybody else in the Jets organization. And HBO knows what type of show they’re buying, and they may push back. But at the end of the day, they wanted I’m sure years ago Antonio Brown behind the scenes of him going absolutely nutty when things started to completely unravel with the Raiders. And that never made air.”

But while there may be some forced compliance with things from Rodgers, Eisen knows that if Aaron says don’t film or don’t show this, NFL Films will listen.

“I am sure there may be one moment or two, right, where Rodgers is like, ‘I’m uncomfortable with this,'” “Do you think NFL Films is gonna be like, ‘Tough noogies, Aaron, we’re rolling,’ of course not.”

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.

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Sports Radio News

John Kincade Celebrates 700th Show at 97.5 The Fanatic

“In radio, if you could find a show that’s faced more adversity in 700 shows, I’d like to buy them a beer.

Published

4 hours ago

October 4, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Courtesy: John Kincade

97.5 The Fanatic host John Kincade reached a milestone for his show on Tuesday – show number 700.

Kincade has been on the air at the Philadelphia station since 2020. He made sure to show love to everyone involved with the show for all they’ve done.

“Congratulations to the entire crew,” he said.

The road to 700 for Kincade in Philly hasn’t always been an easy one. One thing John has been dealing with has been a colon cancer diagnosis back in the spring that led to a brief time away from the show.

Still, Kincade was thankful for the listeners who’ve continued to tune in and get the show to this point.

“In radio, if you could find a show that’s faced more adversity in 700 shows, I’d like to buy them a beer. That is what I would say to you,” Kincade added. “We appreciate all of you being a part of us for 700 shows, and we hope you’re gonna be with us for the next 700.”

Jordan Bondurant

Sports Radio News

Paul Allen: I Don’t Know What We’ll Do if Taylor Swift Says Yes to Announcing With Us

Allen offered to let Swift announce a portion of the upcoming Vikings/Chiefs game with him on KFAN.

Published

4 hours ago

October 4, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Courtesy: Dan Myers

It’s been a few days since VP of programming for iHeart Twin Cities Greg Swedberg attempted to get Taylor Swift’s attention ahead of Sunday’s Chiefs/Vikings game in Minneapolis. But Swedberg’s offer for Swift to come to the KFAN FM 100.3 broadcast booth and potentially do some play-by-play with Paul Allen still stands.

Swedberg was a guest with Paul Allen on Tuesday. Allen, the radio voice of the Vikings, asked Swedberg what exactly the plan was for Swift if she happened to see him and say hello.

“I thought she could come in and give you a break on play-by-play,” Swedberg joked.

“That’d be sweet! That’d be great!” Allen responded.

Swedberg has known Taylor Swift since she was a teenager just breaking through on the country music scene. While he said he wouldn’t consider them close friends, they know each other as associates.

Allen asked what would happen if she did show up. She usually rolls pretty deep with security and the like, so the situation in the broadcast booth could be crazy. But Swedberg did say he realizes Swift likely isn’t going to come say hello or anything on Sunday. He acknowledged that it’s possible Taylor doesn’t even show up in Minnesota at all. He just wishes some people would let people enjoy things.

“It’s a bit. Pretty much everything we do here is a bit to a certain extent,” he said. “But, I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s possible.”

“We would make room, wouldn’t we?” Allen asked.

Paul asked Greg the possibility that Swift and Travis Kelce’s family could be situated in a suite near the broadcast booth. Swedberg said if that’s the case, it would make it hard for her to ignore stopping in to say hi.

“If she wants to come in, it’s a quick trip from that booth – I’ve made that little trip myself – into your booth,” Swedberg said.

“It’s an extreme longshot, but hey, you know somebody for 17 years you take a shot,” he added. “And she’s very conscious of PR, and it would be a great scene!”

Jordan Bondurant

Sports Radio News

Greg Hill: NFL, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift All Working Together for Publicity Stunt

“I don’t think Taylor Swift needs the publicity.”

Published

13 hours ago

October 3, 2023

BSM Staff

(Photo: WEEI)

Are Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and the NFL in cahoots to drive publicity for each other? That’s what WEEI morning host Greg Hill believes.

During The Greg Hill Show Tuesday, the Boston-based host led a discussion about whether or not Swift was more popular than the NFL. Co-host Courtney Cox argued that it’s undeniable she is more famous than the NFL on the global stage. Meanwhile, colleague Jermaine Wiggins argued the pop start isn’t even the most popular artist in America.

“The reason this came up is because of the massive fraud, charade that is being pulled on America by all of them,” Hill said. “And that’s Kelce, that’s her, and that’s the NFL. Who is it benefiting the most? I think Courtney is right. I don’t think Taylor Swift needs the publicity.”

Producer Chris Curtis claimed 2.5 million people in Brazil watched Super Bowl LVII, while only 2 million attempted to get tickets for Swift’s shows in the country. Cox argued that was an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Hill maintained the alleged relationship between Swift and Kelce is simply a ploy by the NFL to seek out a new potential fan base with Swift’s massive following.