In a way, it’s amazing the NBA Slam Dunk Contest still exists. Longtime fans will tell you that there have been multiple moments over the decades when it felt like we’d run out of new and interesting ways to dunk a basketball. And in many ways, that rings true. Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson won Read more... The post Kendrick Perkins challenges NBA stars to fix ’embarrassing’ slam dunk contest appeared first on Awful Announcing.

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello spoke with the media on Monday, but started things off with a question of his own. “When did you first think I was taking this job?” the rookie manager asked the gaggle of reporters. “Do you remember that far back?” San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser was sitting next Read more... The post Tony Vitello still miffed about who leaked his interest in San Francisco Giants job to media appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Green Bay head coach and former sports media personality Doug Gottlieb had an epic meltdown in a postgame press conference.

Bill Simmons put on his conspiracy hat while watching NBC’s coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend and thinks he’s sussed out when Jayson Tatum will return to the Boston Celtics’ lineup. On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, he and Zach Lowe were discussing the basketball weekend that was when Simmons admitted that he Read more... The post Bill Simmons thinks NBC knows when Celtics star Jayson Tatum will return appeared first on Awful Announcing.

While the NBA’s “USA vs. The World” All-Star Game format drew rave reviews, it’s likely the lead-in and lead-out programming on NBC that helped lift the game to a 15-year viewership high. According to multiple reports, Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game averaged 8.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo, an 87% increase over last year’s Read more... The post Olympic lead-in, lead-out lifts NBA All-Star Game to 15-year high appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Back in 2021, former ESPN and Meadowlark Media executive John Skipper predicted that a paywalled Super Bowl was in our future. By 2024, with streaming services having already dipped their toes in NFL playoff one-offs and Prime Video acquiring Thursday Night Football, Skipper got even more specific, predicting that a streaming-only Super Bowl was less Read more... The post Andrew Marchand on potential for a streaming-only Super Bowl: ‘Conversation will be had’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

ESPN has helped broadcast the Masters from Augusta National Golf Club every year since 2008. The partnership is unique among sports media rights deals. The first and second rounds of the tournament air on ESPN, but CBS, which broadcasts the third and final rounds of the tournament, produces the coverage and uses its own broadcasters. Read more... The post Former ESPNer Kenny Mayne reveals he’s banned from Augusta National appeared first on Awful Announcing.

John Harbaugh was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 18 years. He learned to navigate the Baltimore sports media world pretty well over that time. Now the head coach of the New York Giants, Harbaugh knows he’s stepping it up a notch on that front, dealing with the New York media in all Read more... The post Giants coach John Harbaugh ready for New York media: ‘What doesn’t kill me doesn’t bother me’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Jameis Winston isn’t done playing football. In fact, he’s barely halfway through. The New York Giants backup quarterback appeared on Pardon My Take this week and told Big Cat and PFT Commenter he wants to play 12 more years in the NFL. That would take Winston through age 43 and give him a 24-year career Read more... The post It might be a while before Jameis Winston fully joins sports media appeared first on Awful Announcing.

When it comes to writers who understood the heart and soul of Philadelphia sports fandom, and to a larger extent the city itself, few could surpass Dan McQuade. The irreverent writer, who covered the city and many other topics for Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia Magazine, Deadspin, and Defector, passed away last month following a battle with Read more... The post The Simpsons’ Philly episode included Jason Kelce reference, Dan McQuade tribute appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Former President Barack Obama had jokes during an interview with NBC's Reggie Miller at the NBA All-Star Game.

If you asked 100 sports fans who they believed the face of ESPN was, it’s pretty safe to say that a fair number of people would respond with Stephen A. Smith. The First Take host is certainly paid like the face of the network. ESPN pays Smith $20 million a year to appear on First Take and Read more... The post Stephen A. Smith says he’s not ‘the face of ESPN’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

After many of the world’s top tennis players have spoken out about behind-the-scenes camera access at Grand Slam events, the All England Lawn Tennis Club has decided to keep cameras in the corridors at this year’s Wimbledon Championships but will take measures to give players more privacy. According to a report by Tom Kershaw in Read more... The post Wimbledon will keep cameras backstage despite backlash from players appeared first on Awful Announcing.

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania got caught checking his phone during the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and got clowned.

Bill Simmons loved the NBA All-Star Game. He just wanted Reggie Miller to stop talking. The Ringer founder spent most of Sunday night praising the league’s new USA vs. World format, calling it “a huge win for a league that needed a win this weekend” and giving it “two thumbs up” on his live podcast Read more... The post Bill Simmons wanted NBC to cut Reggie Miller’s mic: ‘Stop telling us how hard everyone is playing’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

The NBA continues to post strong viewership figures in the first year of its new media rights deals. According to data published by Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, the NBA has averaged 1.8 million viewers per game across NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Prime Video through regular-season play through the All-Star break. That figure is up Read more... The post NBA viewership entering All-Star break highest since 2018 appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Gus Johnson called out Ohio State's lack of basketball spending, joking that all of the money has gone to football coach Ryan Day.

John Harbaugh wasn’t just making conversation when he went on WFAN last month and floated the idea of hiring Rex Ryan as his defensive coordinator. The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor reported over the weekend that Harbaugh actually followed through and spoke with Ryan “at length” about the job before ultimately hiring Dennard Wilson. “I talked to Read more... The post John Harbaugh confirms he spoke to ESPN’s Rex Ryan ‘at length’ about Giants defensive coordinator job appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Major League Soccer will kick off its 2026 season this upcoming weekend. For the first time since the league signed its all-encompassing media rights deal with Apple for the 2023 season and beyond, all games will be available as part of a standard Apple TV subscription. The change comes as the league looks to modernize Read more... The post Don Garber: ‘Too premature’ to talk MLS media rights future beyond Apple deal appeared first on Awful Announcing.

MLB telecasts will not differentiate ball and strike animations in the on-screen strike-zone box with introduction of ABS.

Jerome Tang got fired in part because of how his postgame rant looked on national TV. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor announced Sunday night the school was parting ways with Tang and firing him for cause, citing language in Tang’s contract about bringing “embarrassment” to the university. When Taylor explained the decision during a Read more... The post Kansas State cites national media reaction to Jerome Tang’s tirade as factor in for-cause firing appeared first on Awful Announcing.

NBC producers Alexa Pritting and Matt Marvin detail how they covered Ilia Malinin's stunning collapse at the Milano Olympics.

Fox announced Sunday during the Daytona 500 broadcast that it’s reviving the SPEED name as a weekly video podcast called SPEED with Harvick and Buxton, hosted by NASCAR analyst Kevin Harvick and IndyCar play-by-play voice Will Buxton. The show debuts Feb. 23 and will release two episodes per week across FOX One and the digital Read more... The post Fox bringing back SPEED brand with new show hosted by Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton appeared first on Awful Announcing.

NBA All-Star Weekend was full of fans and pundits criticizing the league (especially when it comes to tanking) and questioning Saturday’s skills events, but the new All-Star Game format was actually…