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New Monday Night Football Crew Joins Adam Schefter Podcast

Ricky Keeler

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The NFL will officially be back Thursday night and the new ESPN booth of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick will be back in action on Monday night to call the second game of a doubleheader featuring the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos (10:15 p.m ET, ESPN). It will be their first game together as the official broadcasters of Monday Night Football

The trio did call last year’s week 1 game between the Broncos and Raiders.

On Monday, Levy, Griese, and Riddick appeared on The Adam Schefter Podcast for the first time as a trio. As Levy pointed out, the microscope should be on ESPN because of the amount of great games that appear to be on the schedule as of right now.

“I’ve heard executives at our place say that this is the best Monday Night Football schedule in over a decade. We are set up, by the people we have that you will see on television and behind the scenes especially, for success. We have been put in a position to succeed by a lot of smart people that work at the very top of our place.”

Levy feels that the transition to the booth won’t fully take effect for him until next week when the three of them have the sole game on the Monday night slate when the Las Vegas Raiders open their new stadium against the New Orleans Saints. 

During this opening weekend of the NFL, there will be an emphasis on what goes on from the players in terms of raising awareness for social justice and what teams decide to do. As Levy points out, it is a message you he hopes can tie into the game. 

“There will be opportunities I think in the broadcast and it might be once or twice a quarter to have an opinion and to tie that into the football on the field and the feelings of the players. Getting the players, coaches, GM’s, hopefully ownership and getting those messages out there and combining that with our own personal messages.

“The interesting part will be to manage that. I think there’s a part of the population that probably just wants to be entertained for those 3 hours on Monday night but there’s probably a greater majority I think that wants to know certainly what Louis has to say on the topic and Brian and I will not be able to stay silent. There’s a fine line there.”

Riddick did mention how ESPN has been a network willing to have those conversations about social justice and knows that he has the platform to be an inspiration to many people watching him every Monday night.

“It’s real. It’s traumatic. I would never try to run from it. I can’t run from it anyway because I am one of the people that has experienced forms of being treated unequal or unfairly at different points in my life. Having the platform that I have now I think it inspires people that are African-American or minorities to never give up hope that you can achieve something significant in your life. I take that very seriously.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of changes to broadcasts and many zoom meetings with players and coaches, Riddick mentioned how he embraces that challenge because it is something we are all doing in society.

“It’s going to be so unorthodox in many ways because it has to be. What a great opportunity to really put on display without making it about you, the broadcaster. To be a part of this in a year where there are so many eyes and so many varying opinions to accept and step up to the challenge of doing something. I want that challenge.”

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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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Erin Andrews

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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Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt to be Lead Fox Sports UFL Broadcast Team

Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt, and Brock Huard will make up the first XFL on FOX announce team, while Kevin Kugler, Devin Gardner, and Jake Butt are the #2 team.

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FOX is ready for the United Football League (UFL) season and recently announced its broadcast lineup for the upcoming season. Curt Menefee returns to the booth alongside Joel Klatt to make up the primary UFL commentary team. Joining Menefee and Klatt from the sidelines will be former NFL and University of Washington QB Brock Huard.

Menefee and Klatt will call the season-opening matchup between the defending two-time USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions and the reigning XFL Champion Arlington Renegades on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. The second team of Kevin Kugler and former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner will call the second game of the day when the St. Louis Battlehawks take on the Michigan Panthers at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt will man the sidelines for that game.

Former NFL and USC QB Mark Sanchez was also mentioned in the FOX news release but details of his involvement were not made clear.

The UFL season kicks off on FOX this weekend and continues over on ESPN. Both networks will split coverage of the league all season long.

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