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Emmanuel Acho Launches Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man

“As of Tuesday morning, the video has received nearly 871,000 views, over 30,000 likes, 14,000 retweets and over 1000 comments.”

Jacob Conley

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Emmanuel Acho is a rising star in the sports media and he took to Twitter Monday with a video addressing the current racial tensions in America called Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.  Acho’s tweet begins, “Dear white people, for days you’ve asked me what you can do to help. I’ve finally found an answer. Let your guard down and listen.”

In the nearly 10 minute segment that followed, Acho, a former standout linebacker at The University of Texas and current contributor to ESPN’s Morning show Get UP! (though it was announced in May that he will be leaving for FS1), addresses questions posed to him by his White friends.

“I fervently believe that if the White person is your problem, only the white person can be the solution,” Acho said. “So this is made for you my white brothers and sisters, so that you can increase your level of understanding, so you can increase your level of compassion and lead ultimately to change.”

Throughout the video, Acho addresses four questions: Why are Black People rioting instead of peaceful protests? Why does white privilege exist?, How come you can say the N-word and we can’t?, and How come Black people care more about white on Black crime than Black on Black crime?

To answer each question, Acho offers an explanation and then an example. For the issue of rioting, Acho says, “I don’t condone rioting and I’m sure you don’t either, because for the most part Black people who are looting and rioting destructively are destroying their own homes. But when you think about the five different stages of grief. You come up to one stage, anger. Sometimes emotions don’t know their actions. I remember my Mom when I was a child, she lost her sister. I just remember her yelling and screaming and throwing herself into a wall. Throwing yourself into a wall  is not going to change anything. You are actually harming yourself, but sometimes pain and hurt, it does not know how to express itself.”

Acho used similar methodology to answer the other three questions and it resonated with many people on Twitter. As of Tuesday morning, the video has received nearly 871,000 views, over 30,000 likes, 14,000 retweets and over 1000 comments. Many of those retweets came from Acho’s ESPN colleges like Jim Mora Jr. and Dan Orlovsky but they also came from Indy Car driver Pippa Mann and Kansas City Chiefs Defensive End Alex Okafor, among many others.

Acho says he hopes the video is the first of many as he looks to make Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man a recurring feature. He did not go into any detail about when the next video will be posted, but he does invite viewers to leave questions for him to answer, calling it a safe space where they can educate themselves.

“The only way we can solve this issue,” Acho concludes, “Is by exposure, education, compassion and empathy.”

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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Colorado Rockies & DirecTV Reach Agreement to Carry Games on TV

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination for their favorite local teams. We will continue to work with MLB…so fans can get their games.”

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Colorado Rockies

Breathe easy, Rockies fans — you will be able to watch your club on linear TV this year. At the buzzer, DirecTV and the Colorado Rockies agreed on terms to distribute the team’s games throughout its local service.

Starting today, DirecTV Choice subscribers across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Southern Idaho, Western Nebraska, and Northern New Mexico can now watch the Rockies on a special channel simply titled, “ROCKIES.” The games will be available on DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM via channel 683.

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination to get all their favorite local teams,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DIRECTV. “We will continue to work with MLB, the NBA, NHL, and other top leagues and their local franchises so the most avid fans can get the games they want while other customers have more choice over the content they want to pay to have in their homes.”

Reports just days ago out of Colorado said there were “no guarantees” the Rockies would not find a TV home in time for Opening Day following the sunsetting of AT&T SportsNet. The only other way to watch the team is to use its direct-to-consumer Rockies.tv streaming service, which fans say is too pricey for a team that lost 103 games last season. Luckily, the team was able to secure a TV home for 2024, though the future is still uncertain.

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Erin Andrews Reveals Infertility Journey in Emotional ‘Today Show’ Interview

FOX reporter Erin Andrews sat down with ‘The Today Show’s’ Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

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FOX reporter Erin Andrews shared her story of infertility and surrogacy with NBC’s Today Show. Last summer, Andrews and her husband welcomed a baby boy via surrogate after trying for a decade to get pregnant via IVF, during which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Today, she sat down with Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

Andrews says Welker’s announcement on the Today Show made her think a baby could be possible. “I remember Kristin Welker’s announcement on your show,” Andrews said last year, “and I actually watched that the morning Mac was born, because that just hit me.”

When they finally sat down, Welker asked Andrews why her journey resonated with the sports reporter so much:

“Because I see myself in you. Kristen, the video of you moderating debates after you’re waiting on bad news or maybe you just received it, that’s me. I can tell you every stand-up I’ve done at a football game where I’ve gotten the news that it didn’t work. I’d be talking about Tom Brady going for this record and my record is that I still was failing…I would have chest pains every time I was waiting for the call if it worked, and I knew it wouldn’t work.

Erin Andrews on ‘Today’

Andrews knew surrogacy was the only path to having a child. Although her family’s first attempt failed, her second attempt was a success, and she got to hear her child’s heartbeat for the very first time. The pair discuss the complex emotions that come with surrogacy, saying that bonds with their child could be affected because they didn’t carry their child. However, Welker assured Andrews that those feelings go away once you can talk to your child.

Once her son was born in June, who Andrews called, “a miracle,” she then talks about her child glowingly, talking about how he is just like mom — vocal. “He’s all me,” she says.

Andrews supports Baby Quest, a non-profit that grants money to families in need of IVF or surrogacy to have a baby but don’t have the funds to pursue these expensive treatments. Both Andrews and Welker acknowledged how difficult and unattainable their journies are for some families — and Andrews even used the NFL’s “My Cleats, My Cause” initiative to raise awareness for her cause.

“People don’t need to feel embarrassed that they have a surrogate or are looking for other help,” Andrews said.

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