Tag: Fox Sports

One NFL insider said he will ‘put my name’ on Jayden Daniels to the Commanders

Another NFL insider strongly believes the Commanders will pick Daniels.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter has insisted for a few weeks now that everything points to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels going No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft.

On Tuesday — two days before the first round of the draft — another well-connected NFL insider also believes Daniels is heading to Washington.

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports and “Good Morning Football” was a guest on the “Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday and said he’d put his name on Daniels at No. 2.

“I feel like the last few days things have settled a bit, and I don’t know if there have been conversations with Dan Quinn or with Kliff Kingsbury, but from all the intel that I’m gathering, it sounds like Daniels to the Commanders is a lot more likely than it might have been on Friday,” Schrager said.

Schefter said Washington fans could go ahead and buy their Daniels’ jerseys two weeks ago. While he hasn’t reported Daniels to Washington — because the Commanders have told no one of their intentions — the intel he received from numerous sources has led him to strongly believe it will be Daniels at No. 2.

It would be a surprise if the pick is anyone other than Daniels on Thursday night.

Could Friday night lights be coming to Rutgers football?

FOX Sports is expected to start broadcasting college football games on Friday nights.

It appears that Friday night lights could be coming to the Big Ten, with FOX reportedly set to begin rolling out college football games on the first night of the weekend.

The Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Mountain West, all media partners with FOX Sports, are expected to get in on the Friday night rotation.

The decision by FOX to extend their college football programming window to Friday night is certain to only further push conference expansion and re-alignment. More teams will be needed to fill the emerging time slots on Friday as well as create content for the likes of the Big Ten Network and the SEC Network.

As such, Friday’s decision to push into the unconventional Friday timeslot makes the network a go-to outlet for college football fans.

Friday night college football is expected to kick off next year.

“FOX is football, and our new Friday night package will make FOX the leader in America’s game throughout the weekend,” Michael Mulvihill, FOX’s President of Insight and Analytics, said according to FOX Sports.

“We’ve built our collegiate business by seizing opportunities in previously underutilized timeslots, first with ‘Big Noon Saturday’ and now on Friday nights. Our goal this fall is to have the No. 1 college football game on both Fridays and Saturdays and the top NFL game on Sundays”

The ambitious move could have ramifications for Rutgers.

[lawrence-related id=36132,36107]

Friday night could be a desirable spot to put Rutgers. The atmosphere for night games at Rutgers is well-known and the chance to tie in the nearby skyline in New York City is often a big selling point for networks to choose Rutgers.

Also, that New York City market on a Friday night, where Rutgers would be the only football game on, could be enticing for FOX.

[lawrence-related id=36103,36067]

Two years ago, Rutgers hosted (and lost) a Friday night game against Nebraska that aired on FS1. Barstool Sports and Kelsey Grammer attended what was the annual ‘Blackout Game.’

 

FOX Sports Joel Klatt ranks top NFL Draft QB prospects since 2012 season

Where does Bryce Young rank against other recent No. 1 overall QB prospects since 2012

When it comes to the NFL draft there is no such thing as a surefire selection, especially at the quarterback position. I mean shoot, look no further than this year’s Super Bowl which featured the San Fransisco 49ers and their Quarterback Brock Purdy who was Mr. Irrelevant just two seasons ago. Even as good as we’ve known Patrick Mahomes to be, nobody thought his career would look anything like this coming out of college as he fell to No. 10 in the draft.

The 2024 NFL draft is already being widely regarded as one of the most talented drafts in recent memory with several players already being considered generational talents such as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brock Bowers. However, it is the quarterbacks in this year’s class that have the attention of the NFL scouts.

UNC’s Drake Maye have been considered a generational prospect for the past two or three years now, LSU’s Jayden Daniels is coming off of a Heisman Trophy, Washington’s Michael Penix finished second in the Heisman race and led the Huskies to a national title appearance, Oregon’s Bo Nix just broke the NCAA record for most career starts in college football history and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy is coming off of a national title victory just to name a few.

However, USC’s Caleb Williams has been the apple of everyone’s eyes as the most heralded prospect in recent memory. Joel Klatt of FOX Sports ranked all of the Quarterback prospects since 2012 and he ranked Williams as No. 1. He had former Alabama quarterback [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] on the list as No. 5. So, despite as ugly as the Panthers season was, remember there is still a lot to love about Young’s game.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Lamar Jackson is ‘The Real MVP’

Baltimore Ravens QB1 Lamar Jackson has taken home the 2024 NFL MVP Award, polishing his all-pro career with yet another milestone.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has taken home the 2024 NFL MVP Award, polishing his all-pro career with yet another milestone.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NFL (@nfl)

NFL fans were dismayed after Jackson’s bad performance in the AFC championship and rightfully so. Still, Jackson led his team to the No. 1 seed in the AFC and was the leading rusher on a team that ranked No. 1 in rush yards per game. Jackson fell just one game away from his first-ever Super Bowl appearance, though the scorners remain in bliss by his shortcomings.

Ravens’ fans greatly want Jackson to win a Super Bowl championship and overcome the misnomers that he is incapable of winning big games. His 2-4 playoff record remains as the only blemish to his growing legacy. Hopefully, Jackson will use his MVP commemoration as motivation to fix the slight tendencies that are holding him back from greater glory.

ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. are forming a new streaming service for sports

Another streaming service is on the way.

ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery have reached an understanding on principal terms to form a new Joint Venture (JV) to build an innovative new platform to house a compelling streaming sports service. The platform brings together the companies’ portfolios of sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports services and sports rights – including content from all the major professional sports leagues and college sports. The formation of the pay service is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements amongst the parties. The offering, scheduled to launch in the fall of 2024, would be made available directly to consumers via a new app. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product, including with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max.

The platform would aggregate content to offer fans an extensive, dynamic lineup of sports content, aiming to provide a new and differentiated experience to serve sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle.

By subscribing to this focused, all-in-one premier sports service, fans would have access to the linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, as well as ESPN+.

Key Highlights:

ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery would form a new joint venture to develop, launch and operate a streaming sports bundle of linear networks and certain DTC sports content and services.

Each entity would own one-third of the JV, have equal board representation and license their sports content to the joint venture on a non-exclusive basis.

Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company said, “The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business. This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service. I’m grateful to Jimmy Pitaro and the team at ESPN, who are at the forefront of innovating on behalf of consumers to create new offerings with more choice and greater value.”

– via press release 

Sports fans had jokes after Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. essentially recreated cable with new streaming app

Hear me out: What if they call this idea … CABLE?

Three of the major rights holders in American sports — Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery — announced a massive streaming partnership on Tuesday. It’s a platform where viewers can access sports content from any of the ESPN, Fox and WBD/Turner linear properties and, well, choose what they want to watch.

You know, almost like cable! That’s because it’s exactly like cable.

Via CNBC:

Consumers would be able to subscribe directly via a new app. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product with the companies’ streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and Max.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

The product will be a skinnier bundle of linear networks than a standard cable offering, specifically tailored for sports fans. It will consist of all the broadcast and cable networks owned by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery that carry sports, along with ESPN+.

So, basically viewers can pay for a subscription to this bundle and access the live sports that the companies are broadcasting. When streaming services started, it seemed inevitable that someone would eventually just make cable all over again and try to present it as something different. That’s what Disney, Fox and WBD appear to be doing here — but for sports only. On top of that, NBC Universal and CBS/Paramount were not included in this partnership of competing media giants.

Still, the entire recreation of “Cable, but for Sports!” had fans making plenty of jokes about the idea. We’ll have to see how this entire venture unfolds and how it impacts the bidding for media rights in the future.

Gus Johnson delivered the best call for a stellar Caitlin Clark buzzer-beater

Caitlin Clark is unstoppable.

Iowa women’s basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark continues to stun the sports world with her continued excellence on the court.

While draining a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter of her team’s road game against Maryland on Saturday night, Fox Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson spoke for everyone at home who could only laugh and marvel in just how incredible Clark is.

It feels like Clark makes shots like this every time she hits the court, as she’s already one of the best pure scorers in the history of women’s basketball.

Johnson’s very apt call of yet another amazing Clark moment is worth a listen.

Clark’s highly anticipated return to March Madness only gets more exciting when you see highlights like this.

We’ll see how far the Hawkeyes can get this year once they return to postseason play this spring. At the least, we know we’ll get plenty more stunning shots from Clark on the court.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=14208502]

Tom Brady opened up on preparing to replace Greg Olsen as Fox’s lead NFL analyst next season

Tom Brady is replacing Greg Olsen in the lead role.

When Tom Brady announced his retirement back in February, it wasn’t long before we learned about his post-football future. The seven-time Super Bowl winner inked a 10-year, $375 million contract to take over as the lead NFL analyst for Fox in 2024 alongside Kevin Burkhardt.

There was just one awkward issue to that arrangement: Greg Olsen — Fox’s current No. 1 analyst — is arguably the best at his job out of all the analysts across NFL broadcasts. And despite going into the season knowing that a demotion was imminent, Olsen continued his excellent performance from the booth.

Brady knows that dynamic is less than ideal, but he still had great things to say about the longtime Panthers tight end.

In an appearance on Tuesday’s Pat McAfee Show, Brady — who appears to have four ovens in his kitchen — opened up about the preparation process for next season and complimented Olsen on his success in the role. He said:

“I think Greg’s done an incredible job. I have so much respect for him. How he approaches his job. He’s super prepared in what he does. I think he does an incredible job every time he’s on. I love listening to him. And I’m just gonna go in there and do the best I can do with my own perspective.”

Obviously, if Brady takes the job as seriously as Olsen has when it comes to preparation, he could be a successful analyst for Fox. But Olsen’s success in the booth has set the bar high for Brady — that’s for sure.

When Tom Brady is supposed to join Fox’s top NFL broadcast team

Here’s when the GOAT is supposed to join Fox’s NFL booth.

Hey, remember that time Tom Brady signed a reported $375 million deal over 10 years to join the top NFL booth with Fox Sports?

Yes, that was all the way back in 2022. And since then, there’s been no sign of the GOAT in the booth.

If you’re watching Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen — who are just terrific together — in the 2024 NFL playoffs, you may be wondering: When is Brady going to join the booth? And will he take over for Olsen or will it become a three-person booth?

All good questions. Right now, we have the answer to one: He’s slated to join the top Fox booth in the fall of 2024. With whom? That we don’t know yet. Stay tuned.

 

Dalton Knecht earns national, conference weekly honors

Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht earns national and conference weekly honors.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht was named a United States Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson Player of the Week on Tuesday.

The USBWA honors five players with the award every week of the college basketball season. Knecht was honored along with Lindenwood’s Keenon Cole, Omaha’s Frankie Fidler, New Orleans’ Jordan Johnson and Washington State’s Isaac Jones.

Knecht was also named Fox Sports National Guard of the Week and SEC Co-Player of the Week. He shared SEC weekly honors with Alabama’s Mark Sears.

Knecht, a graduate transfer form Northern Colorado where he was the 2022-23 Big Sky Conference scoring champion, averaged 32.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 assists in two games for the Vols last week.

He totaled 28 points in Tennessee’s loss to Mississippi State and scored 36 points in the Vols’ comeback victory at Georgia on Saturday.