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Last Word On Sports Media Podcast — Sports
Last Word On Sports Media Podcast

The Last Word On Sports Media Podcast is a sports media analysis and commentary show hosted by veteran broadcaster T.J. Rives. It explores the business, television production, legal affairs, personalities, and behind-the-scenes decision-making that shape the American sports media ecosystem.
Broadcasters, public relations executives, and network producers who want to keep up with industry trends, ratings, and network movements along with fans who enjoy analyzing game calls, officiating decisions, camera coverage, broadcast rights, and network programming will enjoy this podcast featuring content beyond just the scores on the field.

Coverage of major TV networks (ESPN, NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC) and streaming platforms (Amazon Prime, Netflix), including broadcast booth reviews, ratings breakdowns, and production quality.

Off-Field & Media Controversies: Discussions on newsroom conflicts of interest, journalist ethics, legal injunctions, and off-field scandals affecting teams and media figures.

Officiating & Rules Analysis: Expert breakdowns of replay decisions, stadium clock discrepancies, and officiating transparency.

League & Business Affairs: Coverage of college football realignment, conference politics, player NIL/roster disputes, and financial crises like team or league bankruptcy filings.

T.J. Rives regularly brings on high-profile guests—such as former team executives, public relations strategists, sports media critics, and veteran broadcasters—who provide firsthand insider perspective. Rather than focusing purely on standard game recaps, the show evaluates how stories are reported, who is telling them, and the media dynamics at play. The podcast quickly reacts to emerging, real-time storylines—ranging from viral officiating audio leaks and network power outages to legal disputes—offering sharp analysis while news is actively unfolding.

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Latest Episodes:

Alabama-Texas Scores Ratings, NFL Week 1 + Lacrosse Documentary too! | Sports Media Watch Podcast Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

Football is back in a big way on the field and with the t.v. numbers. We'll have the latest from Bama-Texas to a dramatic first Sunday in the NFL , too. Plus, we've got a special interview with a documentary filmmaker on the origins and funding of the "Premier Lacrosse League" all as part of the latest "SportsMediaWatch.com Podcast."
Host T.J. Rives returns with Jon Lewis of Sports Media watch to go over just how good the numbers were for the Tide's narrow win on Fox over the Longhorns? Also, how did it compare to primetime matchups already this year? Jon, also has insight on the excellent start to the NFL season for drama on the field with last second finishes in Cincinnati, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston and Nashville. And, how did those ratings stack up for CBS and Fox?
Jon also has thoughts on the long anticipated debut of the new Monday Night Football crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on ESPN. It was weird to see and hear them on a new network. What were the guys thoughts on it all.
Then, a conversation with documentary filmmaker Michael Doneger on his new feature called "Fate of a Sport" detailing the rise of a new competitive league of professional lacrosse known as the "Premier Lacrosse League." It chronicles arguably the sport's biggest name in Paul Rabil organizing a new start up league for better money and benefits, etc. for the players. Doneger details it all to us. ESPN will air the documentary Thursday night and ABC will show it Sunday afternoon prior to the PLL wrap up to the season.
Finally, T.J. and Jon are back with more "Love it or Leave it?" They will cover subjects like the U.S. Open final results and ratings, the WNBA championship series and even, corn dogs as lunch item, etc.??
It's all on the latest "SportsMediaWatch.com Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
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Dan Pompei Chicago Sportswriting Legend | Tell Me A Story I Don't Know Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

A hall of fame influencer who happens to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Dan Pompei’s distinguished career was recognized in 2013 when his peers selected him with what was then known as The Dick McCann award. Not bad for a guy who had just turned 51. He is on the senior hall of fame selection committee making cases for players to be consider for enshrinement. Pompei continues to churn out important and impressive columns for The Athletic and is one of the most respected and revered writers on the pro football beat.
Pompei’s first break came in 1985 when the Chicago Sun-Times needed help covering the Super Bowl. What an experience that was for Pompei who headed to New Orleans where the Bears made more headlines during the lead up to Super Bowl 20 than they did in wiping out the New England Patriots.
During this episode Pompei recalls stories with Walter Payton, Jim McMahon and the man he said was the best to cover, Mike Ditka, the head coach who guided the Bears to their only Super Bowl victory.
Tell me a story I don’t know is now partnering with Sports Media Watch ( sportsmediawatch.com) so please follow on Twitter @paulsen_smw. Tell me a story I don't know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hotdog since 1893! (viennabeef.com). And by Dynamic manufacturing, honor the legacy, pioneer the future (dynamicmanufacutinginc.com). Hear full episodes and make sure to follow us and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Come talk with TJ on X:
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Dan Pompei Chicago Sportswriting Legend | Tell Me A Story I Don't Know Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

A hall of fame influencer who happens to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Dan Pompei’s distinguished career was recognized in 2013 when his peers selected him with what was then known as The Dick McCann award. Not bad for a guy who had just turned 51. He is on the senior hall of fame selection committee making cases for players to be consider for enshrinement. Pompei continues to churn out important and impressive columns for The Athletic and is one of the most respected and revered writers on the pro football beat.
From the glory of the Bears '85 Superbowl win with Payton, McMahon and "The Fridge" to the 35+ years since, Dan has witnessed a bunch. Hear more on Tuesday!
Tell me a story I don’t know is now partnering with Sports Media Watch ( sportsmediawatch.com) so please follow on Twitter @paulsen_smw. Tell me a story I don't know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hotdog since 1893! (viennabeef.com). And by Dynamic manufacturing, honor the legacy, pioneer the future (dynamicmanufacutinginc.com). Hear full episodes and make sure to follow us and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google and wherever you get your podcasts.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Follow, Like and Comment on the Show:
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Come talk with TJ on X:
@ItsTJRives

Scott Hanson "NFL RedZone" Host Conversation | Sports Media Watch Podcast Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

We are ready for Week One of the NFL this weekend in full and we're bringing you a special guest for a conversation, as Scott Hanson of "NFL RedZone" joins us, as part of the "SportsMediaWatch.com Podcast."
Host T.J. Rives and Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch get the chance to go over some of the behind the scenes parts that make the viewing experience on Sunday's on that channel for millions of fans so enjoyable.
Scott shares how RedZone has changed over it's 14 years? Just how many screens are Scott and his production team having to keep up with at times in their studio/control room? Plus how animated does he get, off the air and with his gestures and body language when is own Fantasy Football players start scoring, while Scott is working live?
Hear that plus a great story that Scott tells about halftime at last year's SuperBowl LVI in Los Angeles and how he almost missed the beginning of the second half of action with the Rams and the Bengals.
It's all part of a special edition of the "SportsMediaWatch.com Podcast" with Scott Hanson of "NFL RedZone" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
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Showtime Boxing's Barry Tompkins Conversation | Announcer Schedules Podcast Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

This week from Episode 14 of the Announcer Schedules Podcast, Mike Gill and Phil de Montmollin welcome Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins of Showtime to talk about his illustrious career that includes some of the biggest moments in boxing history, a part in Rocky IV and big-time college basketball, amongst a plethora of other assignments. Highlights from the conversation with the four-time Emmy winner include his origin story, an amazing account of the Arguello-Pryor fight in 1982, and what it was like behind-the-scenes for the production of Rocky IV.
Tompkins is now an amazing 82 years old, yet still one of the premier boxing announcers going. And, he'll be on the live play by play of Showtime's "ShoBox" series fights in Atlantic City on Friday night.
Hear the full conversation from the "Announcer Schedules Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to the Sports Media Watch feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
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Come talk with TJ on X:
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Barry Tompkins Conversation, NFL Kickoff, College Football, US Open, MLB | Announcer Schedules Podcast Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

This week on Episode 14 of the Announcer Schedules Podcast, Mike Gill and Phil de Montmollin welcome Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins of Showtime to talk about his illustrious career that includes some of the biggest moments in boxing history, a part in Rocky IV and big-time college basketball, amongst a plethora of other assignments. Highlights from the conversation with the four-time Emmy winner include his origin story, an amazing account of the Arguello-Pryor fight in 1982, and what it was like behind-the-scenes for the production of Rocky IV.
Throughout the show, a podcast-record 105 different announcers from past and present are mentioned with an array of topics discussed including:
NFL Week One Preview
A Review of College Football Week 1
Several CFB Fantastic Finishes
GameDay & Big Noon Kickoff Converge on Austin, Texas
US Open and Serena Williams
The versatility of Patrick McEnroe
The success of Mary Joe Fernandez
Chris Fowler on US Open & College Football
MLB on FOX
ESPN Radio Baseball
Latest from Philadelphia & Miami
Mike & Phil’s Excellent Adventures
Episode 14 announcer mentions: Barry Tompkins, Greg Gumbel, Quinn Buckner, Jim Nantz, Bill Walton, Roxy Bernstein, Bob Wischusen, John Forslund, Kevin Kugler, Larry Collmus, Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark, Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn, Tom McCarthy, Andrew Catalon, James Lofton, Spero Dedes, Jay Feely, Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver, Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink, Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake, Chris Myers, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi, Mark Sanchez, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, T.J. Rives, Gregg Murphy, Scott Franzke, Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry Lyles Jr., Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft, Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, Quint Kessenich, Anish Shroff, Steve Levy, Brock Osweiler, Lauren Sisler, Mark Neely, Sean McDonough, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden, Sloane Martin, Mike Golic Jr., Sean Kelley, Mick Hubert, Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George, Mike Couzens, Marc Kestecher, Max Starks, Ian Fitzsimmons, Jeff Culhane, Gene Deckerhoff, Chris Fowler, Holly Rowe, Patrick McEnroe, John McEnroe, Mary Joe Fernandez, John Saunders, Steve Physioc, Don Klein, Hank Greenwald, Tim McCarver, Len Berman, Larry Merchant, George Ofman, Tom Verducci, Cory Provus, Jorge Sedano, Dave LaMont, Bruce Warner, Adam Archuleta, AJ Ross, Ron Jaworski, Scott Hanson, Andrew Siciliano, Eric Collins, Devin Gardner
Hear it all on the latest "Announcer Schedules Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to the Sports Media Watch Podcast Feed for more great content like this on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
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Serena Says Goodbye? College Football Back Big, NFL Week One & more! | Sports Media Watch Podcast Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

A good bye to one of tennis' all time greats...or is it? Plus, College Football comes out of gates blazing and the NFL is up next to start. And we're ready to discuss it all from a Sports Media perspective on the "SportsMediaWatch.com Podcast"
Host T.J. Rives and Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch return to go over the elimination of Serena Williams from the 2022 U.S. Open tourney in New York. What kind of audience increase will the final tally show for ESPN's coverage? Why is former Australian tennis great of the 1970s Margaret Court so outraged over allegedly being snubbed by Serena and is it worth continued arguing online? And, could Serena maybe play on?
Next, the college football season kicked off in earnest on Labor Day weekend. What did we get out of Ohio State and Notre Dame + brand names like Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan and USC all winning easily? Also, why did Fox Sports choose not to have afternoon college football last Saturday? Jon wonders and believes it was a mistake to not have something there for Fox's audience.
Sticking with football, the NFL is big topic, including the upcoming week one slate that has the Rams hosting the Bills on NBC Thursday in the opener. T.J. and Jon discuss all the broadcasting assignments and matchups, including the Joe Buck/Troy Aikman highly anticipated debut on ESPN's Monday Night Football Monday night in Seattle.
Also, Jon has concerns for the Amazon Prime preseason game audience and does it spell trouble for the league in advance of them doing regular Thursday games in the regular season? Also, T.J. pays tribute for former K.C. Chiefs QB and broadcaster Len Dawson on his passing and how Dawson and Nick Buoniconti were legendary on HBO's "Inside the NFL" back in the 1980s for all the highlights every week.
Finally, there's some "Love it or Leave it?" on the WNBA Playoffs, LIV Golf sudden death playoff in Boston last weekend and more!
It's all on the latest "SportsMediaWatch.com" podcast and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Follow, Like and Comment on the Show:
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Come talk with TJ on X:
@ItsTJRives

Greg Gumbel CBS Sportscaster | Tell Me A Story I Don't Know Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

The last thing you can say about Greg Gumbel is he’s a wallflower. One of the elder statesmen of sports broadcasting isn’t shy when comes to offering an opinion whether it’s on his industry or The Rolling Stones. Yes, the Stones whom Gumbel argues is the best band ever, even better than the Beatles. I beg to differ.
But Gumbel is best known for his versatility. He’s been a play by play voice for many sports like the NFL, the NCAA tournament and the Olympics, plus one of the top studio hosts of this generation. And his brother happens to be Bryant, the host of Real Time Sports on HBO. In part of one this delightful and revealing podcast ( part two will drop next March when Gumbel continues his role as host of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament) Greg discuses the brothers’ upbringing in Chicago and why he believes he was first hired and WMAQ TV, the NBC affiliate in Chicago back in 1973.
Tell me a story I don’t know is now partnering with Sports Media Watch ( sportsmediawatch.com) so please follow on Twitter @paulsen_smw. Tell me a story I don't know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hotdog since 1893! (viennabeef.com). And by Dynamic manufacturing, honor the legacy, pioneer the future (dynamicmanufacutinginc.com). Hear full episodes and make sure to follow us and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google and wherever you get your podcasts.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Follow, Like and Comment on the Show:
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Come talk with TJ on X:
@ItsTJRives

Greg Gumbel CBS Sportscaster Tease | Tell Me A Story I Don't Know Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

The last thing you can say about Greg Gumbel is he’s a wallflower. One of the elder statesmen of sports broadcasting isn’t shy when comes to offering an opinion whether it’s on his industry or The Rolling Stones. Yes, the Stones whom Gumbel argues is the best band ever, even better than the Beatles. I beg to differ.
But Gumbel is best known for his versatility. He’s been a play by play voice for many sports from the NFL and the NCAA Tournament and also known for hosting the Olympics. Plus, his brother happens to be Bryant, the host of Real Time Sports on HBO.
Find out more of Greg's story, his start in Chicago, his stint at ESPN and eventually, landing at CBS, coming Tuesday!
Tell me a story I don’t know is now partnering with Sports Media Watch ( sportsmediawatch.com) so please follow on Twitter @paulsen_smw. Tell me a story I don't know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hotdog since 1893! (viennabeef.com). And by Dynamic manufacturing, honor the legacy, pioneer the future (dynamicmanufacutinginc.com). Hear full episodes and make sure to follow us and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google and wherever you get your podcasts.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Follow, Like and Comment on the Show:
Apple
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Come talk with TJ on X:
@ItsTJRives

Bret Beherns Sports Direcotr WCIA-TV Champaign, IL Conversation | Sports Media Watch Sep 04, 2022

Show notes

From our latest show, T.J. and Jon have a great conversation with Bret Beherns, Sports Director of WCIA-TV CBS 3, in Champaign, IL.
Bret has been the sports director of that station since 2015 and discusses the philosophy and challenges of doing smaller market local sports in the 2020s.
However, just as big is Bret's personal story of triumph over a near death work accident as a college student in 2006. Bret was hospitalized in the ICU for 13 days and treated for two total months with doctors and staff saving his life from his injuries. Bret's challenges would continue as his left leg had to be amputated below the knee.
Bret recounts the ordeal, but also how his now disability is a positive thing for him on a daily basis about the challenges of his facing a disability every morning when he gets out of bed and has to put on a prosthetic leg.
Bret also discusses with Jon about weighing a great family structure and support system in his local market vs.looking to move up to bigger markets, etc.?
Hear it all in this Q & A with Bret Beherns. on our Sports Media Watch podcast feed. And make sure you are following, subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.!!
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Follow, Like and Comment on the Show:
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Come talk with TJ on X:
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