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Conan O'Brien believes the internet saved his career.
The 62-year-old comic recalled how his stint hosting 'The Tonight Show' - which he took over in June 2009 but left just seven months later when Jay Leno wanted to return to the timeslot - "blew up" and left him fearing he was "in real trouble" - only to realise he had a younger generation of people praising his skills online.
Speaking to Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler on their 'MeSsy' podcast, he said: "I've had multiple times in my career where things kind of blew up or went sideways.
"I had no regrets about giving ['The Tonight Show'] a shot. And when, for all these complicated reasons, it blew up, I was deeply upset. I thought, 'I'm in real trouble and this could be the end of my career [at 46].'
"But lo and behold, this thing called the internet rose up, and I got this huge groundswell of love and appreciation that I didn't expect.
"Because [when] you're doing a show like ['Late Night'], day in and day out, for 16 years, it's submarine duty.
"You don't get a chance to understand fully that there's a generation of people out there that have been watching, they're younger than me, and they all knew how to use the internet. So, they all got on social media and it was this big thing."
The 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend' podcaster thinks the fact he gets "very restless" and enjoys new challenges has helped him to maintain a lengthy career on the small screen.
He said: "The one thing that saved me is I'm very restless, and I'm willing to change it up. The idea of doing one thing for 35 years in television and getting a gold watch and leaving just sounded awful to me and still does.
"Although a gold watch would be great."
Conan hosted the Academy Awards this year and his stint was such a hit with viewers and organisers, he has been invited back to helm the ceremony again in 2026.
But Conan joked he only agreed to return so he could hear the rest of 'The Brutalist' star Adrien Brody's speech after the Best Actor winner was forced to cut it short after speaking for a record-breaking five minutes and 40 seconds.
He quipped: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.”
As well as Conan, executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will be involved for a third time, and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will produce once again.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and outcoming president Janet Yang said in a statement: “We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscar.
"This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way.
"Conan was the perfect host — skillfully guiding us through the evening with humour, warmth and reverence. It is an honour to be working with them again.”
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Mavericks' Mark Cuban sends strong message on Anthony Davis, but he should change his tune
The Dallas Mavericks still believe they can make it work with forward Anthony Davis. Entering Wednesday, the Mavericks (4-11) were 13th in the Western Conference and had lost eight of their past 10 games. Amid the slow start, a report surfaced that the team would explore trading Davis. However, minority owner Mark Cuban shut down that rumor. Mark Cuban says the Mavericks aren't trading Anthony Davis "We won't. We want to try to win," Cuban said Wednesday in an email when asked if the Mavericks would trade Davis, via The Athletic's Joe Vardon. A healthy Davis would help Dallas win more games. In 14 seasons, the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA Draft has made 10 All-Star Games and won a championship. In five games this season, the 32-year-old veteran has averaged 20.8 PPG on an above-average 52% shooting from the field and recorded 10.2 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game. The problem, though, is that Davis is injury-prone. He has played in 75 regular-season games or more three times in his career. Since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, the oft-injured Davis has played in just 14 games for the Mavericks. He hasn't played since Oct. 29 because of a left calf strain, which will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, per the team. Even when he has been playing, the Mavericks have still stunk. Dallas has a 2-3 record with Davis in the lineup. Davis was supposed to form a tandem with star guard Kyrie Irving that would keep the Mavericks in championship contention. That vision may not become a reality. Irving is still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in March. While he's making progress, it's unclear if/when the 33-year-old star will return this season. Cuban sending the email is his way of reestablishing his authority within the organization. He's acting as an "adviser" to majority owner Patrick Dumont, who fired general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. The unpopular former GM, of course, sent star guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis. Cuban helped the Mavericks make 18 playoff appearances and win one title before selling his majority stake in 2023. So, he certainly feels responsible for Dallas' lackluster product on the court. But the responsible thing would be admitting it may be time to trade Davis. The Mavericks aren't winning a title even if he stays healthy, which seems unlikely. And it would be wise to stockpile draft capital to build around rookie forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft.
Michael Penix Jr.'s partially torn ACL complicates Falcons' future
The Atlanta Falcons' once bright future has turned sour. On Wednesday, reports confirmed that second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partially torn ACL, requiring surgery that will have him out until mid-August 2026. Without a training camp or full preseason, Penix's status for the start of the 2026 season is in doubt. Michael Penix Jr.'s injury update complicates Falcons' future When controversially selecting Penix at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a contract worth $180 million ($100M guaranteed), Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot reasoned that it would provide stability once Cousins eventually moved on after years spent trying to find former longtime starter Matt Ryan's replacement. Instead, Atlanta is still without a legitimate franchise quarterback. And absent what's trending toward becoming a top-10 first-round pick after a misguided 2025 draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons won't have many good options to improve at the position this offseason. Penix's injury could put the team in a difficult spot next offseason, when Atlanta must decide whether to pick up his 2028 fifth-year option. The 2023 Heisman finalist may only qualify for the basic amount, which is projected to be $22.933M for the 2023 first-round quarterback class. That number would rise for the 2024 class, and that's a considerable amount for a player who hasn't proved to be worth that much. (h/t Over the Cap) In 12 career starts, Penix is 224-of-376 (59.6 percent) for 2,719 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Penix will need to show a lot next year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, to solidify himself as part of Atlanta's future plans. That doesn't bode well for him or the Falcons, who have several outstanding contract situations to resolve. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is on an expiring deal. He's been a huge disappointment, but the Falcons don't have a viable replacement behind him. Wideout Drake London is set to play on his fifth-year rookie option next season and would be a holdout candidate if he's unable to work out a long-term deal. Two-time second-team All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III is also set to play on an expiring deal and should request an extension before taking the field next year. Owner Arthur Blank must determine how much money is worth putting into a team that might be a season or two away from contending, possibly leading to difficult conversations. Players like London, Bates and running back Bijan Robinson, who will be in his fourth NFL season in 2026, would command massive returns on the trade market. As talented as the three are, they're being wasted in Atlanta, which has nothing to show for their contributions. With Penix set for a long recovery timeline, things are unlikely to improve much next season, setting the trio up for another year compiling meaningless stats. The Falcons will eventually have to make decisions on all of their young stars, including Penix. His season-ending injury gives them fewer data points to make an informed call while also stalling his development. A season that began with hope has slowly morphed into another nightmare for Atlanta. It could be a while before the Falcons wake.
Pelicans' Derik Queen lives up to 'Baby Jokic' nickname vs. Nuggets
New Orleans Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen earned the nickname "Baby Jokic" during his college career at Maryland. He showed why on Wednesday night. The Pelicans hosted the Denver Nuggets and center Nikola Jokic at Smoothie King Center. Queen held his own in his second game against the three-time league MVP. Derik Queen had career night against Nikola Jokic and Co. In Denver's 125-118 victory, Queen — the 13th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft — scored a season-high 30 points on outstanding 12-of-18 shooting from the field. The 20-year-old rookie also had nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Jokic, meanwhile, scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and had 12 assists and 11 rebounds. It was his third straight game with a triple-double, which is what fans have come to expect from one of the best players in the world. Queen, of course, has a long way to go to reach the heights that Jokic has in his career. He still may never do so. The 30-year-old veteran is at the pinnacle of the sport. The Nuggets standout has earned five first-team All-NBA selections and won a championship in 11 seasons with Denver. In a list published on Nov. 10, The Athletic ranked him as the NBA's fifth-best player since 2000, behind former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, former San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Lakers forward LeBron James. While he may never approach the same tier as Jokic, Wednesday night's performance should make the Pelicans feel they took the right guy in Queen. He's beginning to showcase the skills that had many scouts believe the 6-foot-9, 250-pound center could be a star. "Queen's deep repertoire of post moves, excellent touch with both hands and strong footwork make him one of the class's most reliable interior scorers, even without elite vertical athleticism," wrote Bleacher Report's NBA staff in its pre-draft scouting report. The Pelicans need Queen — who was averaging 10.4 points per game entering Wednesday — to stay on this trajectory. That would give New Orleans (2-13) a player it can keep building around. Plus, it would prove he's deserving of his moniker.
MLB’s new media deal may end up being a bad deal for consumers
Major League Baseball will have a new television deal heading into 2026, with NBC/Peacock getting the best portion of the pie. The network, which already hosts "Sunday Night Football," will now also host "Sunday Night Baseball" after spending 36 years on ESPN, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. NBC/Peacock will also play host to the first round of the playoffs. Marchand adds that the streaming platform Netflix will get the rights to broadcast the Home Run Derby, the Field of Dreams game and the standalone Opening Day game featured in prime time. NBC/Peacock is paying nearly $200 million per year (total of $600 million) for its broadcasting rights, while Netflix is paying $50 million (total of $150 million) for its portion. ESPN, meanwhile, was allowed to broadcast all out-of-market games for all 30 major league clubs, while also getting the right to broadcast in-market games for six teams. ESPN had opted out of its remaining three years of its deal with Major League Baseball back in March. How does MLB's new media deal affect baseball viewing moving forward? This new deal for Major League Baseball isn’t necessarily the best for consumers. Bringing three of the four major pro sports in the United States (baseball, football and basketball) under one umbrella (NBC/Peacock), Major League Baseball will now reach 42 million more people with this maneuver than it originally did. Peacock recently reached that many new subscribers this past October. However, with the U.S. population at 340.1 million people, that number is deceiving. Sports viewers don’t usually stream, with 17 percent of Americans not having streaming services, according to a Pew Research Center poll. There was a recent scandal between ESPN and YouTube TV, in which they were at odds over their deal, cutting off "Monday Night Football," college football and other sports like Formula 1 from 10 million viewers. After a two-week standoff, both sides finally agreed on a deal. NBC/Peacock had its own standoff with the streaming platform heading into October. However, both sides agreed at the final hour. The costs of streaming have gone up over the years, when the point was to be cheaper than cable. With Netflix costing $25 a month (premium), Peacock costing $14 a month ($140 a year) and the ESPN app costing $30 a month ($300 per year), fans' frustrations may continue to mount as the cost to watch sports rises.
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