LeBatard out at ESPN

Is he still gonna pay his producer out of his pocket?

 

I really would love to know how ESPN Radio is doing financially because I agree that there's nothing on there worth listening to. But somehow it has to be viable, right? I wonder if it's like the conference-specific networks, which seem to be viable even if nobody actually watches them. All that matters is that they're on accessible tiers of cable/satellite service.

 

This sucks. Highly Questionable is the best thing on ESPN by a country mile.

Guessing they offer it to Bomani Jones, which is the best possible alternative.

 

When’s “Junction Boys” on again?

 

Funny thing about ESPN now -- there isn't a single thing they do on the radio that I would ever consider listening to, but the podcast lineup is excellent.

 

With the money Spotify is throwing around in that space though, I'm kind of expecting people like Zach Lowe, Mina Kimes and Katie Nolan to consider that a viable option going forward too. (Maybe not Kimes - she seems like someone they've invested a lot in.) Spotify itself doesn't have a "writing" outlet, but I'm sure they could easily work something out with some of the other companies under their umbrella at this point. And ESPN has repeatedly dropped the ball when it comes to podcasts.

 

working @Dude corner

 

We had a disgruntled -- yet very funny -- college kid working the phones on the desk when Junction Boys aired and for weeks the guy would with pitch-perfect cadence deliver the line "We're gonna work now," about 50 times a night when he'd come in. Even with the repetition and overkill (which was perhaps an homage to the fact ESPN showed the trailer 1,000 times a day) it somehow made me laugh pretty much every time as he'd inevitably mumble it and answer the phone to take 60 inches of agate on a swim tournament.

MH you'll also appreciate that this was also the year the Angels beat the Twins in the ALCS and this kid just absolutely fucking loathed the Rally Monkey, and his rants about that horrid beast also never failed to entertain me.

 

Are you sure he didn’t go on to post here?

 

Another big salary purge by The Mouse. Probably not the last of this cycle - however you wish to frame a cycle.

Perhaps this is unfair and perhaps I haven't kept up with him as much as many of you have, but I still think of his numerous athlete apologist pieces for too many who were not exactly wronged by the world and that still ticks me off. Therefore, based on what I recall, I can't be too upset at this one.

 

Le Batard may have been a good print journalist, BUT ....

1. He didn't bring much in terms of Actual Journalism on his shows. Just blather.

2. His papa was freaking funny, especially in mimicking European accents. But his presence on Highly Questionable was, regrettably, reinforcing stereotypes of aged Latinx males (the "abuelo" archetype).

3. Stugotz was a FREAKING DISASTER when he did stuff other than the Le Batard talk show. Ruined the sideline analysis of the 2019 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament.