I noticed that the ESPN website and smart tv portals had bumped High Noon off the list of shows that you can watch later. Apparently it's being "focus grouped" to determine who is actual audience for the show.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/espn-caught-in-strategic-limbo-in-disney-move-to-streaming.html

The show has already had a rocky start after being moved into the afternoon slot and being cut from an hour to a half hour. From Bomani's podcasts it seems like he's getting more elegiac about the future of the tv show and starting to pivot to the next stage of his career.

Where do you think ESPN heads next with its non-live sports programming? It seems like Rydholm made a bet that the future of the talking head stuff on the network would be young, smart, hip, and diverse. Since John Skipper got canned (and 45 got elected) the network has gotten a lot more conservative and a lot less ambitious. Jemele Hill and Michael Smith are gone; Bob Ley retired; Dan Lebatard is taking 6 weeks off in the middle of the football season.

At some point Kornheiser and Papi are too old to put on TV and you can only give Steven A. Smith so many jobs.

He took time off for a pre-wedding honeymoon, which they basically turned into a bit on the show, while he was gone. He then returned to a serious family emergency which had people speculating on who was sick...and folks spotting him at the hospital and taking pictures for Redit discussions. The show is as strong as ever, though.

I dunno. I get that there was a family emergency but a 5 week pre-wedding honeymoon in the middle of the busiest part of the sports calendar seems like both a flex and a sign that he's kind of checked out at this point.

I put the long vacation in the context of his speech during the summer when he rightfully called out the network for not doing anything after the "send them back" chants at the trump rally. He clearly doesn't like the direction the network is heading, had his "art of the conversation" show bomb, and is kind of just muddling along on Highly Questionable

The radio show is still very good and he's put on some of the most important rising talents that the has (Bo, Pablo, Mina, Dominique, Spain) but Dan is pretty clearly mailing it in and is looking to do something else to do at this point.

I've gathered over the years from listening as much as I have that he's is building towards an exit...but wanted to leave a foundation. He's talked about it...vaguely. The LeBatard and Friends Podcast network...where he's got all these folks (like you mentioned...Mina Kimes, Sara Spain, Marty Smith, his own pod, Stupodity, putting Mike Ryan out in the forefront) under one family, selling merch, etc.

ESPN is definitely riding Stephen A, sure MAGA has been appeased
a bit, but the High Noon situation is more about Bomani's act
sorta wearing off. He'll very obviously be fine, but if woulda
asked the average person 5 years ago we'd thought he'd be the
face of the network. There's just something about the act that
hasn't grown (this is not a shot)

Pablo is clearly just along for the ride and High Noon is Bo's show for all intents and purposes so he should take a good amount of the blame for the show not working.

I don't think anyone expected him to be the face of the network but II think he's a bit hamstrung in a "stick to sports" format. The longform interviews with rappers and the stuff he does with Spencer Hall on the sociology around college football is the type of stuff that someone should be trying to be making work on TV with him. It would probably make sense to do something with HBO or Netflix on a digital platform.

Put another way, if he's still doing a 2 man show 5 years from now where he's yelling with a white dude about whether Dallas cowboys will make the playoffs that will be mad disappointing.

Over a serious matter but still can't find what it was. Not related to ESPN but thought would ask here to see if anyone heard why.

he objected (vehemently) to the fact that he wasn't on TNF coverage and it was done right in his building...but, they brought in Tony Gonzalez. It was a big blow up and they told him to go home and chill.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/13/high-noon-sticks-out-espn-will-espn-stick-it-out-with-high-noon/

Interesting quotes

But ESPN has a coming decision to make about “High Noon.” Both hosts have contracts that expire in early spring, and the network is now testing the show in front of focus groups. Negotiations will soon heat up in earnest and observers both inside and outside ESPN are deeply curious about the outcome.


There are other potential options for Jones and Torre. FS1 is suddenly looking for a morning host to replace Cris Carter, which might suit Jones. And HBO, the anchor of the new WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, could have interest, as might CNN, under the same umbrella. The Athletic could also be a home for either to write and for Jones to host his podcast.

ESPN, meanwhile, is always seeking to balance audience flow and the ratio of commentary to highlights across an entire day of programming, as well as on other platforms across the company. Executives like to point out that “OTL” will continue to air Saturday mornings with daily branded segments on “SportsCenter,” and the company just launched a daily podcast, which aspires to an elevated conversation and is hosted by journalist Mina Kimes. ESPN executives both like and appreciate the voices of Jones and Torre in their current roles and the other work they’ve done — Torre wrote for years for ESPN the Magazine and Jones has written for the website, was a radio host and continues to host a podcast.

America has imported more warlord theocracy from Afghanistan than it has exported democracy.

I can't fool with the show, though. It's bad. LeBatard has said it about 5 times, that I can remember...Bomani is the best at the entire network of creating content. He doesn't need a partner, a producer or anything just give him a topic. I think he's great on the Right Time pod and the one on one interviews he does are dope.

>I can't fool with the show, though. It's bad. LeBatard has
>said it about 5 times, that I can remember...Bomani is the
>best at the entire network of creating content. He doesn't
>need a partner, a producer or anything just give him a topic.
>I think he's great on the Right Time pod and the one on one
>interviews he does are dope.

I like both of these cats individually and I was really hoping the show would be really good. Unfortunately, I just can't get into it the way that I had hoped.

From the few shows I've seen, Bomani and Pablo seem to come down on the same side of issues alot. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But unlike Mike and Jemele or even Tony and Mike, there isn't enough contrast between the two. When I watch the show, once one half of the duo speaks, it seems like the real discussion is over and the other half sometimes adds a different nuance but the follow up take is basically the same.

Also, while they're both exceedingly brilliant and intelligent, their personalities don't mesh well on TV. I personally favor Pablo more than Bomani but that being said I don't ever seeing myself tuning in just to hear Pablo talk.

Pablo to me is great on PTI and on the times he's been on Highly Questionable. His charisma isn't as a lead, but he's a great compliment to someone with a big personality, like LeBatard.

Bomani's personality to me doesn't come across on TV as much as it does on his podcast. Maybe he feels neutered by the standards on TV versus his podcast but his personality as well seems best suited to being a compliment to someone charismatic, at least on TV.

It would be disappointing for the show to fail. They both offer an intelligence and subtlety which isn't very common on any of the talking head shows. And seeing two POC let go, especially ones as smart as they are, isn't a good look for anyone.

But I could see the show ending as beneficial for the two of them. Maybe Pablo goes back to writing and carves out some type of space for his high-quality writing. Maybe Bomani goes to The Athletic or some other outlet where he can do more than 'stick to sports'.

High Noon was best with Bomani and Michael Smith. Domonique Foxworth was a great guest but he never paired up with Bomani, just Pablo. Mina Kimes was also great, but only appeared with Pablo.

About a month ago, Bomani had a couple of shows where he wasn't into it. Felt like something was up then.

listen to Mina's podcast when she has Nique on. They are both so damn smart and vibe really well.

>listen to Mina's podcast when she has Nique on. They are
>both so damn smart and vibe really well.

Well Mina and Nique did do a football podcast together for a period of time.

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with them and Clinton Yates, that used to come on Sunday mornings?

Who watches Sportscenter in 2019?

I agree that I would like to see Bo and Pablo in different roles.

That late night Sportscenter really does numbers. I think for the same reasons that Bill Simmons Podcast is so dominant (and to a lesser extent, Rusillo). Has the Generation X, suburban, white dad market on lock.

to watch any sports want to see highlights, it’s really not rocket science.

The talking heads spouting off random opinions formula is played out. You can get that at your local sports bar.

The Sports Reporters was an awesome show as was PTI initially. But then ESPN started grabbing random guys with no sports journalism background and started throwing them on tv yelling at each other and they ran that shit into the ground.

I’d rather hear actual players talk about the game and tell stories. The football/basketball/baseball shows with former players are the best. I love the Players Tribune Knuckheads stuff and could watch that all day but I’d rather it stay in podcast/YouTube mode because it keeps it raw.

*shrug* it's the only espn show I watch.

it might get cancelled, it was developed under the previous regime, that's how things go.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Don’t watch any of them cause at work.
I like Bomani pod a lot, his one with Preemo this week was great.

I wish Dan and the crew could go to HBO
and just do a show about whatever lol, no filter what so ever.

Like someone said above, Dan has created the lebatard & friends
network because so many people work with him on the show
and knowing Dan personality there’s no way he could just walk away
from all of them without having them them all up set up and taken care of first.

Know this about Bomani & Pablo but do we know if Dan’s people okay?

is that going to be enough ot keep it on?

idk.

but I think people read these reports about shows and stuff and view it through the lens of their own jobs, and the fact is in media there is no job/show security.

if somebody wants to keep you on, your numbers will be good enough. if they don't, your performance will never ever be good enough. it ain't about that.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

and that's all it takes.


we had a work retreat with everyone together for the first time in years, I landed back in michigan and our eic had been fired.

our numbers were great.



www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

That in anyway.

So we enjoy what we have/had and keep it moving.

I love Highly Questionable, but I also recognize that Papi is old, and Dan is generally on the right side of history when he leaves the realm of sports. At somepoint he'll want to have something that fits what he wants.

Bo is similar, dude will be straight wherever he goes, as long as he doesn't end up somewhere near Jason Whitlock.

like what is the point of this little dude

I think it does matter that there is a real live shoe leather reporter on the show. It plays well with the higher ups in the company and buys credibility among the people who write about the show in other outlets.

He's goofy and self consciously selling on the overbearing intellectual caricature but when the show is good he does push Bomani to make the best version of his arguments in a way that not many other folks on TV can do. The best example of that is the conversation they had about race and the sports analytics movement.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

https://twitter.com/Ourand_SBJ/status/1232114133589536769

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I tried to watch the show several times, but it was too much of a replication of PTI, but
lacking personality, and I’m not that huge of a PTI fan. The platform is focused more on debating and less on discussion. Also, the show has a very arrogant tone to it, especially in how they deliver their dialogue, thinking they know more than everyone else. It’s cut from that LeBatard or highly questionable cloth (another show that I dislike). Those shows that have absolute takes, and that no other takes matter. Too subjective.

I watch The Jump, Jalen and Jacoby, and I can stomach PTI. What makes Jalen and Jacoby work so well is that their show is a combination of debate and discussion. The communication is balanced. They are not barking at each other, and they are not just going along for the ride either.

I grew up listening to sports radio and still listen to sports radio, as well as watching the sports reporter on espn. The debates and discussions are and were more in depth, and not just aggressive 1-2 minute hot takes, and they didn’t and don’t take shots at each other.

Highly Questionable, Around the Horn, PTI, and High Noon are all the same thing, where they give these quick hot takes in a certain amount of time, and they all come on right after each other. Sooner or later the audience is going to get bored or disinterested , and that’s going to lead to shows getting cancelled or left out because of overcrowding of shows that all do the same thing.

>I tried to watch the show several times, but it was too much
>of a replication of PTI, but
>lacking personality, and I’m not that huge of a PTI fan. The
>platform is focused more on debating and less on discussion.
>Also, the show has a very arrogant tone to it, especially in
>how they deliver their dialogue, thinking they know more than
>everyone else. It’s cut from that LeBatard or highly
>questionable cloth (another show that I dislike). Those shows
>that have absolute takes, and that no other takes matter. Too
>subjective.
>
>I watch The Jump, Jalen and Jacoby, and I can stomach PTI.
>What makes Jalen and Jacoby work so well is that their show is
>a combination of debate and discussion. The communication is
>balanced. They are not barking at each other, and they are not
>just going along for the ride either.
>
>I grew up listening to sports radio and still listen to sports
>radio, as well as watching the sports reporter on espn. The
>debates and discussions are and were more in depth, and not
>just aggressive 1-2 minute hot takes, and they didn’t and
>don’t take shots at each other.
>
>Highly Questionable, Around the Horn, PTI, and High Noon are
>all the same thing, where they give these quick hot takes in a
>certain amount of time, and they all come on right after each
>other. Sooner or later the audience is going to get bored or
>disinterested , and that’s going to lead to shows getting
>cancelled or left out because of overcrowding of shows that
>all do the same thing.
>
>
>

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

There needs to be a better way to showcase Bomani's starpower.

Pablo Torre is a writer, point blank.

The show didn't feel cool and there was no chemistry between the two. The tone in the studio seemed uptight. The show sucked.

because its so one sided and he is so far above his colleagues in terms of knowledge.

plus his aggressive/assertive style makes the other person seem even smaller and more meek.

dude comes equipped to win arguments. his colleagues usually come equipped to fill space between commercials.

That's why the best episodes of his podcast The Right Time are when he has guests that can challenge him. The episodes with Dominique Foxworth and Howard Bryant come to mind.

the episode he did with Vinnie Goodwill, from Yahoo right after Kobe died was some of the best radio I've ever heard.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I really fux with him, but he's a dick, so no one is gonna work WELL with him (outside of LeBatard)

He was best on Around The Horn because he got to shoot his shots but it was just in tidbits so he didn't visibly rub people the wrong way (besides Plaschke).

On HQ, the only reason that he worked with LeBatard is that Dan was so jovial and chill that if he felt like Bo was cooking he'd just fall back and let him cook and then just laugh where appropriate.

Outside of those instances, I can't see Bomani NOT clashing with someone. BUT, maybe if that other person was also black, Bo might fall back some. But then, will the average viewer watch TWO black talking heads? With the way ESPN is going lately, probably not.

Around the Horn, because he used to come in and let it ring on the entire show...especially in the beginning.

They are both smart dudes and Dan didn't let his ego get in the way of letting Bomani breath.


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is his tendency of overreliance on the royal "we think" "we did" "we"


for stuff that only a small group of people actually think.

it undermined any point he was trying to make and came off as a bit lazy

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

At least if he’s gonna do the talking head thing. More entertainment, less being a know it all and wanting to win every argument. It’s fine to be like that on the radio show. I listen to nearly every episode unless he has a guest on Thursday I’m not interested in.

Also I’d like to see him take a crack at TV outside of the espn bubble. He has a lot more to offer than just sports chatter

Right Time is obviously dope too and he should stick with the podcasting format


But i wouldn't be mad at all at an Evening Jones tv format

Jones and jacoby actually works!

The show is way more interesting with Jacoby on here.

it's funny how bomani's thing went better when there was someone actually bouncing back

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

and the “trade crank” made think I was watching Sesame Street

She's been doing this for a long time and has an inside line. There are only a handful of media people working the NBA beat with her access. She's earned the right to give her opinion as much as she wants.

e.i. players/coaches/commentators to offer their “expert” opinion.

She often steps on other people’s points trying to get her’s in but that’s not how it should work but this PTH/AHN/High Noon mentality has fostered that. She looks at Windhorst quadruple chin having, never bounced a ball in his life ass sitting up and thinks if he can be an “expert” so can I.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

talk about football.

Stephen A should stick to basketball and Kellerman needs to go back to boxing.

last show January 4th. It’s been coming for so long. Chris Cote being fired was the last straw. You could tell Dan checked all the way out. Hopefully they got to Spotify, like Jemele did. I’m a little worried about how it might look. What intellectual property they get to keep. Will everyone go with Dan? How long before they can do certain segments or have regular guests on who are still employed by ESPN....like Kurkijan, Dominique, Mina, etc.

that it spawned of sports writers yelling their opinions is trash. The OG Sports Reporters are rolling over in their proverbial graves.

Stephen A and Max need to go to or scaled back to their original area of expertise.

Fire Dan Orlavsky outright. He’s terrible. I don’t know who Mike Greenberg is related to and why he has a show.

PTI is the exception, not the norm. And it works because of the impossible-to-replicate rapport of its two stars, not the format.

I always find it funny how egotistical these ESPN personalities are. Somewhere on the way up they've forgotten that ESPN exists because of the sports themselves, not people who talk about them.

That said, I think Stephen A is legitimately great. Far more cerebral than he lets on and has a vicious work ethic. He's made a shtick of going for the easiest and most obvious takes of late, but overall I think he's somehow the only guy I care about hearing from.

even got his own show and I'm trying to figure out how and why.

>PTI is the exception, not the norm. And it works because of
>the impossible-to-replicate rapport of its two stars, not the
>format.
>
>I always find it funny how egotistical these ESPN
>personalities are. Somewhere on the way up they've forgotten
>that ESPN exists because of the sports themselves, not people
>who talk about them.
>
>That said, I think Stephen A is legitimately great. Far more
>cerebral than he lets on and has a vicious work ethic. He's
>made a shtick of going for the easiest and most obvious takes
>of late, but overall I think he's somehow the only guy I care
>about hearing from.

I like Stephen A talking about NBA basketball. I don't like him talking about anything else. I like Max talking about boxing and nothing else.

i have a friend that works at ESPN and he said whatever you think you know about Stephen A just from hearing him on TV, throw it out. he might be better at the behind the scenes stuff than being entertaining on TV and he's ELITE at that. nothing but stellar things to say about SAS

for people on here, back in the summer...to catch his interview on LeBatard's South Beach Sessions. Dude talked in depth about his relationship with his pops, his mom dying, how hard the struggle was to get to ESPN...he was Stephen Smith...not the SAS caricature. It was a cool listen.

tries to pretend like he does

he'll do commentary live at a cricket match if ESPN flew him out there.

height of covid they didn't want to pay anyone to do anything else so they had Stephen A & Max doing everything and got comfortable with that lol

The Le Batard show is the best thing the network has going. Everything else is cookie cutter. I guess if you want to hear hours of "Are the Raiders for real" you'll be happy.

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that show is literally the antithesis to all those shows you seem to hate so much. I'm personally fine with most of the shows. They are what they are. First Take is the only one that I physically cannot stand to watch. If you don't like Greeny, you better avert your eyes...cuz he will now be getting MORE time, with the departure of LeBatard.

>last show January 4th. It’s been coming for so long.
>Chris Cote being fired was the last straw. You could tell Dan
>checked all the way out. Hopefully they got to Spotify, like
>Jemele did. I’m a little worried about how it might look.
>What intellectual property they get to keep. Will everyone go
>with Dan? How long before they can do certain segments or
>have regular guests on who are still employed by ESPN....like
>Kurkijan, Dominique, Mina, etc.

As far as the look, I think they'll get to keep that. I mean, they did that on their own anyway. Dan mentioned how ESPN didn't know they were going to do that to the set. Him and his brother just went in one weekend and put it up.

Now, as far as guest, yeah - that could be an issue. We know ESPN doesn't like to play nice in the sandbox. I'll miss if they can no longer have Bomani, Mina, Kurkijan, Amin, and Dominique on the show. However, they'll probably get to have more Adnan which I miss.


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about the people in Bristol not even knowing what his set looked like, until they were on tv.

Amin jetted from ESPN to roll with them, even though his contract isn't up until June. The show is chaotic now, while they figuring things out...but, Dan is no longer handcuffed, on Spotify. Dude sounds like he just got released from a long bid.

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Didn't want to make a new thread for an espn show but I've been watching the ESPN morning stuff a lot since I got laid off and this is my favorite sports show.

First Take is a little too tense and uptight these days. Greenberg, Ryan Clark and Kim keep it real light and fun. hell I even like Perkins on there.

Greeny doesn’t take himself too seriously and he always has a fun panel on there. He brings enough different folks on, that it stays fresh.

Didn't like Pablo on High Noon, but his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out is really good.