1. These days, whenever I bring up anything related to an NFL pregame show on social media or in real life, I inevitably get one of two reactions: “I don’t watch those shows or “Why would you watch those shows?”
I understand this response because there is so much content out there, and there are so many places to get information that you don’t need to tune into CBS, Fox, NFL Network or ESPN at noon on Sundays to get the latest news.
Truth be told, I’m not a big pregame show guy, either. I like to watch CBS Sports Network’s That Other Pregame Show, which begins at 8 a.m. ET, for a little bit when I wake up and I’m getting ready for the day.
But on Sunday mornings, I’m usually running around, doing errands, checking in on the parents, getting breakfast and taking care of what needs to be taken care of since I’m going to be in a recliner from 1 p.m. to midnight and unavailable to do anything but eat and bet.
However, whenever I finally get settled in and fire up the TV for the day of football, I automatically put on Fox. I don’t even think about it. It’s just habit.
And I'm far from the only person who does this.
According to Fox, the network is on pace to have the most-watched NFL pregame show for the 30th consecutive season.
Fox gets helped by the fact that they air NFC games (for the most part), and most of the top television markets feature NFC teams.
These are the top-10 television markets, in order: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Philadelphia; Dallas–Fort Worth; Atlanta; Houston; Washington, D.C.; Boston; San Francisco.
However, I don't care how you spin it. To finish No. 1 in anything for 30 straight years is impressive. To do so in television, where habits have changed, cord cutting has increased year after year and people have a million options for content, that milestone is extremely impressive.
This past Sunday, 5,264,000 watched the Fox pregame show. Think about that. Games 2 and 3 of the World Series drew 8 million viewers. Fox’s NFL PREGAME show drew 65% of the viewers of World Series games.
That shows you the power of football.
It also shows you the importance of familiarity. I know that when I tune into a pregame show, it’s Fox because of Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson. The group has been together forever, and no matter how stale all pregame shows feels, their camaraderie feels comforting.
The cast has been tinkered with over the years. Michael Strahan has actually been there for 15 years already. Gronk has been a recent addition. And we can’t forget information man Jay Glazer.
I've said many, many times here and on the SI Media Podcast that every NFL pregame show feels the same. However, Fox stands out from the crowd because of its longtime panel.
And here they are on a 30-year winning streak. No matter how you feel about NFL pregame shows, Fox's dominance deserves a tip of your cap.
2. No matter how you feel about Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, cheating or even college football, I think we can agree on one thing: The eventual 30 for 30 on this wacky Connor Stalions guy and the sign-stealing scandal is going to be AMAZING.
NEW: @TheAthletic has obtained more photos of the goatee'd sunglasses person on the Central Michigan sideline at Michigan State.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2023
CMU is looking into whether this is Connor Stalions.
Story: https://t.co/79siEcZ89r pic.twitter.com/R5AyslTIWF
Central Michigan is investigating if the person on the right here is Connor Stalions on the CMU sideline at Michigan State earlier this season.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2023
AD Amy Folan: “We became aware of these photos late yesterday and we are in the process of determining the facts surrounding them." pic.twitter.com/ncazAghBbS
So Jim McElwain basically just admitted that the photo is indeed Connor Stalions 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZXyLxsLzXR
— Kevin ❌ (@KevinMcCune) November 1, 2023
3. Normally, I only like fights and arguments where I have a person to root for. There are no winners here because the caller was disrespectful and just a jerk, and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is totally unlikable. But it was amusing to hear Swinney lose it on this caller who questioned his salary.
Dabo Swinney went scorched earth on Tyler from Spartanburg during his radio call-in show on Monday.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 31, 2023
Here’s the question from Tyler and answer from Swinney via (@CFBKings)pic.twitter.com/oaqpbUipCp
4. Here is this week’s edition of the best weekly segment on sports television: ‘Bad Beats.’
Bad Beats
— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) October 31, 2023
Week 9 pic.twitter.com/U9kOJyWKag
5. Antonio Pierce has been named interim coach of the Raiders after the team fired Josh McDaniels last night. Pierce has to be the first head coach in NFL history who once interned for The Howard Stern Show and was a victim of a classic Sal and Richard prank call.
6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with legendary radio host Dan Patrick.
Topics discussed include Patrick’s setting a retirement date in four years, why he will call it a career at that time and what he’ll do after giving up his radio show. Among the other items covered with Patrick: why he disliked his last two years at ESPN, the state of radio, the art of interviewing, how he critiques all of his interviews, Pat McAfee backlash and McAfee’s weekly interviews with Aaron Rodgers. Patrick also explains what his new book, The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football, is all about and talks about turning down a chance to see the Rolling Stones in concert and the time he went to a Britney Spears concert by himself.
Following Patrick, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss Sal’s complete 180 regarding NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV, the Diamondbacks-Rangers World Series, Halloween, my night at a Billy Joel concert and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.
