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Mark Jackson is going from national TV broadcasts to a very different mode of media communication.
The former ESPN announcer Jackson announced this week that he is launching his own podcast. The podcast is (fittingly) called “The Mark Jackson Show,” and the first episode was released on Monday.
Jackson explained his decision to venture into podcasting, saying that he had to make an “adjustment” after being fired by ESPN. He also credited New York-area rappers Cam’Ron and Mase, whose “Come And Talk 2 Me” podcast network Jackson is now on, for reaching out to him with the vision.
The moment we’ve all been anticipating has finally arrived: Mark Jackson is launching his own podcast!
(
https://t.co/Aex9GEjKgA) pic.twitter.com/d817hxuPNi
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2024
Jackson, who played for the New York Knicks from 1987-92 and again from 2001-02, was let go by ESPN after nearly a decade as part of their lead NBA television crew. Longtime broadcast partner Jeff Van Gundy also got laid off by the network in the same round of cuts.
Also the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Jackson recently almost landed a new television gig with the Knicks, but it fell through for an unusual reason. Now Jackson is making sure that his voice still gets heard, albeit as a podcaster.
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Report: Giannis Antetokounmpo still mulling exit from Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have died down in recent weeks, but the two-time MVP hasn’t reached a decision on whether he wants to continue playing for the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Monday morning during an appearance on “Get Up.” “Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said. There have been past reports that Antetokounmpo might consider leaving Milwaukee to improve his chances of winning another NBA title. Speculation began to grow after the Bucks were eliminated in this first round of this year’s playoffs and star guard Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tear that’s expected to sideline him for all of next season. Bucks general manager Jon Horst responded by retooling the team’s roster this summer. He waived and stretched the $112.6M that Lillard had left on his contract for the next two years and used the new-found cap space to sign center Myles Turner away from the Pacers. Horst also added Gary Harris, Jericho Sims and Cole Anthony in free agency and re-signed several of the team’s own free agents, such as Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince. The aggressive move with Turner was viewed as an important step toward convincing Antetokounmpo that the Bucks could remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. Although there hasn’t been much trade talk over the last month, Charania insists that Antetokounmpo’s situation hasn’t been resolved. “There’s been some very real conversations over the last week or so,” Charania said. “The constant question that Giannis has, though, is can I win a championship with this roster? …He wants to win a second championship, so he’s asking that question over and over.” He added that there are “multiple teams waiting in the wings” to make offers if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out.
Saints quarterback has 'convincing lead' in training camp battle
The New Orleans Saints' three-way quarterback competition is narrowing before the team's first preseason contest against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Per Ross Jackson of Louisiana Sports, second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler has looked the best at training camp this summer, going 83-of-114 passing (72.8 percent) for eight touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and four interceptions. Rattler is beating out rookie Tyler Shough. The second-round pick has completed just 62 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions. 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and one Interception. Jackson believes first-year head coach Kellen Moore is priming Rattler as the favorite to start in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. "Over the team’s 10 practices, these three young passers have seen their chance to earn the starting role to begin the season in a rotation of first-team reps," Jackson wrote. "But there are decisions the Saints have made in the process that indicate a favorite. "After looking over individual performance stats, practice rep distribution and the team’s treatment of each quarterback throughout the important and highly-productive scrimmages on camp day 10, it’s become clear that Rattler is comfortably in the lead, for now." Jackson thinks Rattler can fend off his "convincing lead" for the starting job if he plays competently against the Chargers on Sunday. Rattler feels like the safe choice for Moore over Shough and Haener, at least to start the regular season. He appeared in seven games and started in six in 2024. Rattler played inconsistently as a rookie, throwing four touchdowns to five interceptions. However, he's had time to develop. Given his numbers in training camp, Rattler appears to be the most polished quarterback before the regular season. Shough could eventually develop into the Saints' best option, but the rookie's completion percentage against friendly competition at camp is low before he even faces live action in the preseason.
Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees
The Miami Marlins achieved a franchise first on Sunday. In doing so, they carved out an interesting place in MLB history. With a 7-3 victory over the Yankees, the Marlins swept New York for the first time in a series of three or more games. In doing so, the Marlins became the only team to have a winning record, including the postseason, against the Yankees. The Yankees now have a 22-21 record against the Marlins in the regular season. However, the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees in six games, giving the Fish a 25-24 record all-time. The Marlins' victory on Sunday meant more than a unique place in baseball history. That victory evened the Marlins' record at 55-55, the first time they have been at .500 or better since April 15 (8-8). The Marlins are 30-14 in their last 44 games, tying the 2003 championship team for the best stretch (last done from June 18-Aug. 9) in franchise history. The Marlins defied expectations at the trade deadline, holding on to pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. Their only trade involved sending outfielder Jesus Sanchez to Houston, acquiring pitcher Ryan Gusto and a pair of prospects. Expectations were that the Marlins were simply waiting for the offseason to trade those pitchers, as there may be a larger market. Instead, the generally inexperienced Marlins roster is growing and improving by the day. They have clawed back from a 24-40 start to the season to pull themselves into the NL wild-card conversation. Although a lot would need to go right for the Marlins to reach the playoffs this season, they could be a dangerous team over the rest of the season and beyond. The Yankees found that out the hard way.
Insider expands on how rookie Cam Ward is already a leader for Titans
A report from June detailed how veteran Tennessee Titans players were already "excited about the leadership qualities" that rookie quarterback Cam Ward put on display during springtime workouts. For a piece published on Monday, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler expanded on how Ward has seemingly embraced his role as the CEO of the team's offense during training camp. "Ward is already a team leader, drawing several rookies to arrive between 4:30 and 5 each morning to get ready for the day," Fowler said. "And on a recent off day, Ward unexpectedly popped into [Titans head coach Brian Callahan] at 4 p.m. to go over the next day's scripts. Ward needed to be able to explain the offense the next day, so he wanted to be prepared." While the Titans made Ward the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft back in April, Callahan wanted the first-year pro to "earn" the starting job via a competition that was meant to involve 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis through at least Tennessee's preseason opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 9. However, Ward is now the Titans' undisputed QB1 for their Week 1 matchup at the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7 after Levis needed season-ending shoulder surgery. Ward seems to be motivated by the fact that he isn't receiving the type of attention from national media personalities often given to quarterbacks drafted with first overall picks. Meanwhile, shows on networks such as ESPN dedicate daily segments to discussions about whether or not the Cleveland Browns should start rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the 144th overall selection from this year's draft. "During my two days visiting Tennessee, Ward performed exactly how you'd expect a talented but green rookie to perform," Fowler explained. "The first day, he showed deft creativity throwing on the move and threw a beautiful deep ball to (wide receiver) Calvin Ridley, who dropped it. On the second day, the entire offense struggled, and he did not respond well to exotic third-down blitz packages. This is part of the maturation." As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Ward second among the betting favorites at +350 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the 2025 season. To compare, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was at +275 odds at that time. Ward will hope that some extra prep work throughout August will have him ready to silence doubters when he faces the Broncos in Denver on the first Sunday of September.
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