Category: Media

Why the heck did Venu Sports get broken up by ESPN, Fox and WBD? Here’s what we know.

This is shocking. Here’s what we know.

Well, this is quite a mystery.

Last year, all the buzz was about how ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery were set to create a new joint streaming service called Venu Sports that would give viewers one place to watch all the sports.

It was given a price ($42.99 a month!) and then was inevitably challenged in court.

But just after one of those legal challenges was settled, there was this statement from the venture on Friday: “After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not launch the streaming service. In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels. We are proud of the work that has been done on Venu to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support through this transition period.”

Huh? This is coming out of nowhere.

As I mentioned, there was a lawsuit by Fubo that was withdrawn thanks to a settlement, which seemed to get Venu the green light to go. But there was possibly more legal trouble ahead, with DirecTV and Dish making noise. Maybe there were signals we haven’t heard publicly that the government might intervene due to antitrust concerns.

Whatever it is, it’s a shock.

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Panthers could be forced to participate in upcoming season of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’

The Panthers are one of four NFL teams that can be forced into filming for this summer’s edition of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

The Carolina Panthers might have to get ready for their close-up.

As pointed out by @NerdingonNFL over at Twitter/X on Tuesday, the Panthers are one of four teams that can be forced into participating in the upcoming season of HBO’s Hard Knocks. The Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans are the other three possible subjects.

From its debut all the way back in 2001, Hard Knocks goes behind the scenes to document the tireless offseason preparation of NFL teams. Cameras follow executives, coaches and players during the summer—usually for a portion of training camp and through the preseason—in capturing the drama and excitement that comes with the gig.

So, what makes the Panthers eligible?

Well, they meet each of the league’s three thresholds . . .

  1. A team can be forced to accommodate filming if they have not been the subject of the program in the last 10 years. The Panthers have never been the subject of the program.
  2. A team can be forced to film if they do not have a first-year head coach. Barring an unforeseen development, Dave Canales will be entering his second year as head coach.
  3. A team can be forced to film if they did not reach the playoffs in either of the two preceding seasons. The Panthers have not reached the playoffs since 2017.

An announcement for this summer’s subject is likely to come this spring.

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One more time: Bills’ James Cook ends 2024 with history vs. Patriots

One more time: Bills’ James Cook ends 2024 with history vs. Patriots

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots’ Week 18 contest to conclude the 2024 NFL regular season will not be a memorable game.

And now all eyes are on the Denver Broncos and the 2024 NFL postseason.

However, the Bills (13-4) lost a 23-16 final in the meaningless contest for them against the Patriots (4-13) in Week 18. Many starters took the day off such as quarterback Josh Allen.

In pursuit of team history, the Bills’ No. 1 running back did not sit… and Cook achieved that.

Cook rushed in a score in New England which gave him 16 rushing touchdowns this year. That puts him a tie for the most in a single season in team history (OJ Simpson).

On top of that, Cook rushed for 28 yards, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 (1,009).

Before looking ahead to a long awaited playoff run, take a look back one more time at Cook’s touchdown below:

Cowboys’ Micah Parsons makes very bold prediction about Panthers, Bryce Young for 2025

Cowboys star Micah Parsons made a pretty wild prediction about Bryce Young and the 2025 Panthers.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has been up close and personal with the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Bryce Young in each of the last two years. And apparently, he’s seeing something not many currently are.

The two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler talked about Young and the Panthers on the latest episode of his podcast, The Edge with Micah Parsons. Parsons discussed Young’s five-touchdown heater in Carolina’s 44-38 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the final game of their 2024 season, then proceeded to make a pretty bold prediction about their 2025 season . . .

As Parsons alludes to, Panthers head coach Dave Canales made the decision to bench Young following a disastrous two-game start to the campaign. The former No. 1 overall pick would then return to the starting lineup in Week 8, and he never looked back.

In his 10 games back under center, Young completed 197 of his 319 passing attempts (61.8 percent) for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also led the Panthers to a respectable 4-6 mark, doubling the team’s 2023 win total over that span.

One of those six losses came against Parsons’ Cowboys, back in Week 15. In fact, that 30-14 defeat gave us the worst showing from Young since his return.

But if Parsons can still see the good in the Panthers and Young, even through a four-turnover performance, then that’s saying something.

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Quinn offers injury updates on several important Commanders ahead of playoffs

Dan Quinn gave an update on several injured Commanders.

Several Washington Commanders are trending upward for the team’s playoff game in Tampa on Sunday.

On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn proclaimed the good news in dialog with the media.

“[C Tyler] Biadasz is doing good, coming back next on that,” Quinn said. “[CB] Marshon [Lattimore] was also doing well, ran today, so arrow was going up. [LB Jordan] Magee, I’m just kind of reframing some of the guys that missed last week’s game that we were hoping trending up. Same with [T] Cornelius Lucas.

Quinn is hopeful these players are on the practice field when the team begins preparation for the Buccaneers’ prime-time game.

When asked about an injury concern regarding Jayden Daniels, Quinn responded:

“I’m not concerned. I’m feeling good going into the weekend. I’m actually feeling good on the team’s health, so that’s a good thing when you get to this time of year.”

Offensive tackle Brandon Coleman went down in the game but did return to action against the Cowboys.

“Brandon is doing well. He had a good session today to get rolling,” he said. “So, as we’re going into it, I really think from a team health standpoint, we’ll have a better sense for Wednesday, but going into today and the meetings and our runs and rehab runs, all of that was a positive day for us.

When asked about kicker Austin Seibert, Quinn responded that there were no updates on Seibert, adding, “But we were certainly pleased with what we saw from [K] Zane [Gonzalez].”

The Fox Sports lawsuit involving Skip Bayless, Joy Taylor and others: What we know so far

Here’s what we know about the allegations.

There’s a new lawsuit filed last week with some serious allegations involving Fox Sports and defendants including executive vice president of content Charlie Dixon, former Undisputed personality Skip Bayless and FS1 host Joy Taylor.

If you’re wondering what it’s all about and the allegations, we have info from Front Office Sports, which first reported about the lawsuit. And Fox Sports has addressed it, although of course we haven’t heard from others named in it.

MORE SKIP BAYLESS: Remembering when he shocked everyone on his last day at Undisputed

So what’s going on? What is it addressing? Who is involved? We have those answers and more with everything we know so far about the lawsuit:

What are the details of the Fox Sports lawsuit?

It was filed by Noushin Faraji. She worked at Fox Sports from 2012 through last August. Here’s what she’s alleging, per Front Office Sports:

In the suit filed Friday in Los Angeles, Faraji alleges that Dixon, the head of content for FS1, grabbed her buttocks at a birthday party in West Hollywood. When she relayed the encounter to Taylor, the Fox host allegedly told her to “get over it,” according to the suit. …

After starting work on the Undisputed morning show starring Bayless, the suit alleges he began giving Faraji “lingering hugs and kisses on the cheek while putting his body against hers and pressing against her breasts.” The single mother alleges she repeatedly told Bayless she was not interested in him and did not “date at work.” She also claims she told Bayless she was suffering from ovarian cancer, after developing issues with her left ovary, in an effort to halt his advances.

Instead, Bayless became more aggressive over the years, according to the suit. He allegedly offered Faraji $1.5 million to have sex with him—and claimed he could “change” her life. The suit also claims Bayless accused Faraji of sleeping with Shannon Sharpe, his co-star on Undisputed.

Was there more about Skip Bayless in it?

Again, more allegations:

As the suit alleges: “Approximately one week later, Mr. Bayless made another advance at Ms. Faraji. Ms. Faraji responded: ‘Skip, stop, you have a wife.’ Mr. Bayless responded: ‘Aren’t you Muslim? Doesn’t your dad have three to four wives?’ Ms. Faraji responded that her father was dead, and when Mr. Bayless looked taken aback, she made an excuse to leave.”

Why is Joy Taylor named in it?

More from FOS:

Meanwhile, the suit alleges Taylor began “insulting Ms. Faraji on a personal and professional level” after their friendship ended. The suit also alleges that Taylor mocked the “English” pronunciation of Faraji, who is of Persian descent.

What has Fox Sports said?

The network gave a statement to USA TODAY Sports:

 “We take these allegations seriously and have no further comment at this time given this pending litigation.”

Have we heard from anyone else?

Shannon Sharpe, who left Undisputed in 2023, said this on Nightcap, via Awful Announcing:

“Ain’t got nothing to do with me,” Sharpe said of the lawsuit on Sunday night’s episode of Nightcap. “Guys, the news of the day, absolutely, it doesn’t. What y’all want me to say?”

“That ain’t got nothing to do with me. So there’s nothing to address,” Sharpe continued. “If you notice, everybody that’s posted it, they [mention] me. In the 42 pages, it don’t mention nothing about Shannon Sharpe doing anything. But y’all wanna get clicks, so y’all mention me.”

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What did Commanders’ Marcus Mariota say about win over Dallas?

What did Marcus Mariota say about his performance in the Commanders’ win over Dallas?

“It was awesome; it was awesome.”

That’s how Commanders’ quarterback Marcus Mariota began his postgame interaction with the media following the Commanders’ exciting 23-19 last-second win.

“We got a great group of guys and it was just fun to be out there in the play. Obviously, getting the win is huge, but our guys are unbelievable.”

After a Dallas punt, Washington began its final opportunity at its own 9-yard line, some 91 yards away from a winning touchdown, with 3:25 remaining on the game clock.

During the drive, Washington faced a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 49 with only 33 seconds remaining. Mariota ran a zone read to his left. The unblocked defensive end came forward, but Mariota found room and darted up the field. He was not caught until he had gained 33 yards to the Dallas 16.

“I really should have scored honestly (smiling), I mean, maybe a few years ago. They did a good job all game trying to contain the zone-read stuff. I just felt like I had an opportunity there; our guys did a great job blocking it, and I just made a play.”

Mariota found out at halftime that he would be taking over for Jayden Daniels in the second half. He said next week didn’t matter yet: “I think Coach Q does a great job keeping our guys focused on the present and finding ways to get better.”

He credited Dan Quinn and the other men on the staff for getting players to buy in. “I think when you have that type of mentality and that type of culture, guys just kind of fall into place, and you just focus on taking it one day at a time.”

The former second overall pick in 2015 (Oregon) said that, though it was late in the season, nothing was different, and the players were very confident.

Sunday, Mariota exhibited he still has enough in the tank as a player, leading Washington to second-half scoring drives of 70, 70, and 91 yards.

Mariota’s play in the second half was “awesome, it was awesome.”

Scott Van Pelt shared a powerful tribute to Stuart Scott on the 10th anniversary of his death

This was really moving.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information. 

ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott died of cancer 10 years ago on Saturday, and his friend and colleague Scott Van Pelt shared a moving tribute to the network’s legend while on air.

As he remembered where he was when he got the news of Scott’s passing, Van Pelt memorialized who Scott was and how he lives on through others.

“A decade later, he’s gone, but he’s not,” Van Pelt said of Scott, “because he’s like a light which doesn’t quite ever go out, and his spirit lives on in all of us at this place, and it always will.”

To make it even cooler, Van Pelt shared something he found in a recent college basketball game that reminded him of Scott’s memory.

This is more than worth the full watch. RIP, Stuart Scott.

Here’s the ESPN remembrance segment for Scott from Saturday’s SportsCenter as well.

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Commanders’ DC Joe Whitt Jr: ‘We need to win this football game’

Joe Whitt Jr. makes it clear why this game is important heading into the playoffs.

Joe Whitt had heard enough Thursday with the media.

Whitt was asked if momentum going into the playoffs was important to him. He responded that he knows winning is important, and positive vibes come with it, so he thinks it is important for us to do that.

However, the very next question asked how he balances winning with keeping players healthy and ready for the playoffs. Whitt even declared, “That is not my job; that is Dan’s job. He’s the one who handles that.”

Whitt proclaimed, “I am going to call it (defensive plays) to win it.” To which, the right hand was then raised slightly and coming down gently but pointedly to the table, Whitt declared slowly but confidently, “We need to win this football game.”

Whitt continued, “Period. That’s what it is; it’s a divisional game, it’s the Dallas Cowboys. We keep the sixth seed. We need to win this football game. So, everything else doesn’t really matter. From my standpoint, we are going to do everything we can to win this football game.”

Whitt was tired of the insinuation or assumption that the Commanders (Whitt in particular) would lay down in this final game to rest up for the playoff game the following weekend.

Yes, the Eagles will rest some players. However, as the number two seed, they can afford to do so because they know they will play their first-round playoff game at home at Lincoln Financial Field.

It’s also true that the Rams will rest several players. But again, the Rams know they will be playing a home playoff game next week.

On the other hand, Whitt is looking at it from the perspective of the sixth seed. He wants to win, keep the seed, and thus play for the Rams or Buccaneers. He thinks, “Why would I want to have to go to Philly in that weather a couple of weeks after they just lost to us in Landover?”

One strategy for one team is not necessarily the best strategy for another. Joe Whitt is right: The Commanders need to win this game on Sunday in Dallas.

Bill Belichick praises Commanders’ Daniels and Kingsbury

The legendary coach has high praise for Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury.

Bill Belichick knows something about NFL quarterbacks and offenses.

He made a career of being a defensive coordinator, and it provided him the opportunity to be a head coach in Cleveland and New England.

During a broadcast of his television show, “Coach,” with guest Michael Lombardi (ML), Belichick gave glowing praise for the Commanders 2024 season, particularly Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury.

Here is a portion of the dialog.

ML: “It just shows you the magic of a young quarterback who’s willing to do the time and work hard.”

BB: “Which we all know he is a hard-working kid.”

BB: “You have to give a lot of credit to Kliff Kingsbury. He’s done a good job with that offense, run the ball, a bit more patient with the running game, maybe than what he was in Arizona.”

BB: “And Daniels has made some plays on his own. He still throws the ball outside the numbers a lot, he still scrambles and can make plays with his legs. I think the teams that are playing him, have to figure out, ‘This isn’t just another quarterback, we gotta play him the right way’. ”

BB: “But so far, he has done a lot of damage in the National Football League.”

Here is a video clip of the segment.

Belichick began coaching in the NFL at the age of 23, was a member of the NY Giants defensive coaching staff from 1979-90, the Cleveland Browns head coach 1991-95, the New York Jets defensive coordinator 1997-99, and the New England Patriots head coach 2000-23.