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00:00Back here on Media Row, joined right now, Editor-in-Chief, Front Office Sports, Dan Roberts, Greg Sussman here.
00:08Big game, we'll start, who you got?
00:10I'm thinking Eagles, and not just because I want to see that as a fan, but the Eagles look real good to me.
00:16I mean, look at how they played in the NFC Championship game.
00:19They just made a statement, so I know the line is only like a point, 1.5 maybe?
00:24Yeah, 1.5.
00:25I think unless you're already a Chiefs fan, or if you hate the Eagles for some reason,
00:30I feel like the average NFL fan would probably like to see the Chiefs lose.
00:34I agree with you that they probably want to see the Chiefs lose,
00:37and if they do, and the Eagles win and you're correct, I saw the top story on FOS today,
00:41will the Eagles go to the White House?
00:43Yeah, interesting, right?
00:45So, obviously when they last won, they did not go.
00:48Right.
00:49What should we expect this time if you're correct and they do win?
00:52Well, first of all, let me just say in context, I mean, I don't think it has to be a political statement
00:57to say that we are about to have another four years of sports and politics being more closely connected
01:03than they were in the four years prior.
01:05You've got the biggest golf guy back in the White House, you know?
01:08He's got all kinds of sports friends, and so it affects things.
01:11As you said, Jeff Lurie last time said we're not doing the White House visit.
01:14Another good reason to ask that question two nights ago inside the stadium at Media Availability
01:20was that that day, so I guess Monday, the Florida Panthers visited the Trump White House.
01:24So, very relevant to wonder, and Lurie, it was us who asked him, and Lurie laughed,
01:29and then he took a beat, and then he laughed again kind of nervously, and he goes,
01:32I just want to win on Sunday.
01:34So, a little bit of a non-answer.
01:36I would think that there's no reason anything has changed.
01:39If Jeff Lurie didn't want bringing his team to a Trump White House in 2018,
01:43I'm not sure he'd want them doing it in 2025.
01:45But let's see. It's going to be interesting.
01:47But we cover this stuff in a very kind of straight down the line way because it's newsworthy, right?
01:52The politics and sports convergence.
01:54Absolutely, and speaking of all that, President Trump will be the first president that's at the Super Bowl.
01:58Yeah, while being president, which is surprising, isn't it?
02:01I mean, never before has a current president gone to a Super Bowl.
02:05Now, past presidents have gone.
02:06Of course.
02:07But that was a surprise to me that no sitting president has gone to the game.
02:10It is surprising because there's some obviously very famous sport fan presidents in our past.
02:15But yeah, President Trump in the house.
02:17Gail Benson's box on Sunday.
02:19Another person in a box on Sunday, Tom Brady.
02:22So, Tom Brady calling his first Super Bowl for Fox.
02:25And some of the controversy surrounding Brady has been he owns the Raiders 5%.
02:30He doesn't have the same availability that some of the other commentators get.
02:34So, where are you on this conflict of interest Brady thing?
02:37I think it's a conflict.
02:39Okay.
02:40And I don't know if that means it's enough of a conflict that he shouldn't be broadcasting.
02:44Right.
02:45But to those who say, and they shrug it off, and there's many people who say that, I disagree.
02:49I mean, first of all, at the very least, I thought they wouldn't let him call Raiders games, but he's allowed to call Raiders games.
02:54Then you've got Mark Davis coming out saying, oh, he'll be very involved.
02:57Diana Rossini broke the story saying her sources say that he's running the show over there.
03:02In other words, the new coach hiring process.
03:05So, how can that guy be calling games and doing color, and you say it's not a conflict?
03:10Now, if he decides that this isn't for me, and that's sort of a separate but related topic is, do you think he's any good at this?
03:17I do think he can now use the Raiders ownership as his out.
03:20He can say, you know what?
03:21It's been amazing doing this for a year.
03:23I certainly planned to be a broadcaster for the full 10 years.
03:26But I'm starting to have more burdens and responsibilities as a Raiders owner, and I want to focus on my responsibilities.
03:32He's all in and all in until he's not.
03:35Everyone said, well, his agent says he's going to do this 10 years.
03:38Of course they say that.
03:40Wait until suddenly he says, all right, I'm out.
03:42He has 375 million reasons to make sure that he's all in.
03:46Until he isn't.
03:47That's right. 100%.
03:48Dan Roberts, we are here on Radio Row.
03:51We were talking about it before we started, and it was just the influx of the betting companies.
03:55DraftKing.
03:56Look around.
03:57And FanDuel.
03:58It's everywhere.
03:59BetMGM as well.
04:00And we have been a part at SportsGrid of all that.
04:02We've been on the FanDuel set.
04:03We've been on the MGM set.
04:04And as you have covered the NFL through the years, how have you seen this growth in just a daily fantasy?
04:10It was dip in your waters, and it was every commercial.
04:13So now they are the official betting partners of the NFL, and you can't get away with it truly.
04:18We're on media night on Monday night asking legitimate betting questions.
04:23How have you seen that whole thing evolve?
04:25Well, first of all, great for you guys, right?
04:26Excellent for us.
04:27I mean, it's a good time to be in the business of betting, in the business of writing about covering, talking about betting.
04:32Not just lines and the obvious and the odds, but really the ecosystem.
04:36And by the way, for those at home, I mean, we're on Radio Row.
04:39You look around.
04:40You've got all these different setups.
04:41Everywhere you look is DraftKings FanDuel logos.
04:43I mean, they are sponsoring everything.
04:44Ross Tucker's setup is enormous.
04:46Kay Adams' giant set.
04:47And it's all DraftKings FanDuel.
04:49And to me, the progression has been fascinating.
04:51Back when I was at Fortune magazine in 2015, that was when DraftKings and FanDuel kind of exploded onto the scene.
04:56They were spending inordinate amounts of money on TV advertising.
04:59People were complaining.
05:00And it's like, you fast forward, not much has changed other than now they can proudly say, we're betting companies.
05:05At the time, they said, no, no.
05:06We're not betting operators.
05:07We're DFS, Daily Fantasy.
05:08But what was really smart about these companies is they saw the writing on the wall.
05:12They knew that at some point soon, PASPA, the federal ban on state-by-state sports betting, would be struck down.
05:17And they could just say, all right, floodgates open.
05:18We're betting companies.
05:19So the businesses have grown.
05:21They are the two market leaders.
05:22And it ain't close.
05:23You said bet MGM.
05:24Fine.
05:25They're a strong third.
05:26But it's a distant third.
05:27If you ask me, I don't know if companies like ESPN bet, Fanatics, can really get a foothold in this.
05:32I don't know how much longer they're going to try doing it.
05:34But it's just all very interesting.
05:35You ask about the NFL.
05:36I remember specifically a New York Times story.
05:38And it was when the NFL first made an official partnership with Sport Radar, or Sports Radar.
05:43And it was for betting data.
05:44And even that was like, whoa.
05:46Because the NFL had dragged its heels, protect the shield, integrity, more than any other league.
05:51And now, open season.
05:53And all good.
05:54We're talking about legal state-by-state sports betting.
05:56My one caveat, man, these leagues and teams are in so deep with these betting companies
06:01that it's inevitable that there's going to be some cracks.
06:04And some things are going to break.
06:05Look at the NBA.
06:06Multiple scandals with players betting on games.
06:08Shohei Otani's translator.
06:10Maybe not fair to mention that.
06:11It's a separate situation.
06:12But you're only going to see more instances of some issues.
06:16The top umpire in MLB this week coming out, right?
06:18Goodbye.
06:19It's a very tough line to try to walk.
06:25And it's going to continue to come out.
06:27It's going to continue to avalanche.
06:29I don't know the tipping point, but it's going to obviously continue.
06:32With FanDuel and DraftKings having so much market share and just having so much money,
06:36they can bring in so many different personalities.
06:38And really, every personality is sponsored by a sportsbook.
06:41For a while, Barkley and Kenny Smith, obviously, with FanDuel.
06:45That kind of leads to where they're headed next.
06:48Now, Charles Barkley, this is his favorite thing.
06:50Not to forget the NBA.
06:51He just likes to talk about his own free agency, right?
06:53Exactly.
06:54So, showing the money.
06:55Signs a lifetime contract with Turner, but he's negotiating with NBC.
06:58He's negotiating with ESPN.
06:59But his heart's at Turner.
07:00And it's the same playbook over and over and over.
07:03Media free agency is something that totally fascinates me.
07:08And our readers as well.
07:10Oh, nice.
07:11Tony Romo broke the dam with the $180 million contract.
07:14And then, obviously, Brady gets $375 million.
07:17But it's everyone.
07:19What do you think of who is the next big shooter drop in the NFL?
07:22I'll go there.
07:23The follow-up to that is how do you see, and it's a totally different question,
07:27but how do you see these NBA broadcaster free agencies shaping up?
07:32Yeah.
07:33Well, a couple things I'll say.
07:34And, by the way, in the case of Barkley, Shaq, Kenny,
07:36it's clear that they kind of just added some drama to the mix
07:39because they're trying to get a little more money.
07:41Definitely.
07:42In other words, all the official parties involved.
07:43NBA, TNT, ESPN announced, guess what?
07:46We're going to license Inside the NBA to ESPN.
07:49And if they announced, surely they felt good like these guys are on board.
07:52But then it came out, well, they're still negotiating.
07:54Barkley's still negotiating.
07:55That's because those guys were like, oh, can I get a little more money out of this?
07:59Why is it fair for TNT to just sell me to ESPN?
08:02So good on them.
08:03They're very savvy.
08:04But it's obviously going to happen.
08:05It's going to get done.
08:07You asked about the next big talents.
08:08RG3 is really terrific on TV, I think.
08:11He's interesting.
08:12He's engaging.
08:13He's hilarious on Twitter.
08:14He's uncut.
08:15And, obviously, we saw ESPN let him go.
08:17Well, who's going to pick him up?
08:18Right now, he's doing his own thing.
08:19He's got to get back on TV.
08:20I think he's really good.
08:21Jameis Winston, this week, is a correspondent for Fox Sports Digital.
08:26And I saw him Monday night inside the stadium interviewing Saquon.
08:29He's great.
08:30He's funny.
08:31People like him.
08:32He knows the game.
08:33By the way, he's also still a great quarterback.
08:35I mean, he had some terrific games this season.
08:37And after that, what do you saw on Monday night?
08:39And he had a lot of praise for what he was doing Monday night.
08:41He was engaging.
08:42He was cordial.
08:44You know he wants to go to the New York market now.
08:46100%.
08:47Play for the Giants.
08:48Play for the Jets.
08:49Now you're here.
08:50Well, not here, but like you're here.
08:51Right.
08:52And you get to stay.
08:53And you become involved.
08:54Set it up.
08:55Set it up.
08:56Totally.
08:57And, by the way, I mean, let's go back to Brady.
08:58It isn't the case that just because a player is a great player means they'll be a great
09:02broadcaster.
09:03Look at the various guys they've tried to do on Monday Night Football.
09:05I was going to say Jason Wynn.
09:07Respectfully, Breeze.
09:08Yep.
09:09There are guys who, they're nice guys.
09:10They're well-liked.
09:11They're great players.
09:12Doesn't mean they're going to be interesting and charismatic on TV.
09:13Jameis, RG3.
09:14Interesting and charismatic on TV.
09:16So, those guys deserve to be on there.
09:18Greg Olson.
09:19Really good at what he does.
09:20I don't know if Brady is.
09:21Final question for you, and it's totally taking a curveball, but it's going back to the NBA,
09:26and it's the Luka Doncic trade.
09:28So, this trade happens, and you're trying to understand why and the mechanics behind
09:32it.
09:33How much do you believe Mark Cuban and the Adelson's deal, not maybe getting what they
09:41wanted in terms of sports gambling in Dallas, affects the future and affects Luka Doncic?
09:46Well, you're right.
09:47I mean, Cuban, at least what he has said is, he sold his majority stake to get a casino
09:51built.
09:52In fact, he told FOS, you know, I look around at all the other teams, and what makes money
09:55now is real estate.
09:56Correct.
09:57You know, aligning the stadium.
09:59And I'm not a real estate guy.
10:00Fine.
10:01But there's a couple of conspiracy theories out there.
10:03Yep.
10:04One is, it's about the betting thing, right?
10:05They want to move the team to Vegas.
10:07It's not working out.
10:08They're not going to get what they want in Dallas.
10:09So, tank, and then move the team to Vegas.
10:11Yep.
10:12The other one is, you know, they see the writing on the wall.
10:15Luka's just not it.
10:16It may seem shocking to people, but look at the defense in the finals.
10:19Sure.
10:20Fire sale.
10:21Get everyone out.
10:22Rebuild the team completely.
10:23But one thing's for sure.
10:24Cuban was not involved.
10:25And if anyone needed that as a reminder, that it's not his team anymore, he told FOS.
10:28They didn't even tell him until right before.
10:30Now, he still owns part of the team.
10:32It's like 27%.
10:33He's not out completely.
10:34But he is not the guy making the decisions.
10:36And hard to look at the Luka thing and say, smart move, right now in the short term.
10:40Very, very hard.
10:41Dan Roberts, Front Office Sports.
10:42Go check it out.
10:43They are just fantastic when it comes to sports business and sports media.
10:46I read it every day.
10:47So, thank you so much.
10:48I appreciate it.
10:49Thank you, guys.
10:50All right.
10:51Stick with us.
10:52We'll be back right after this.