Welcome to The Varsity, my twice-weekly private email on the money, power, and personalities that run the sports business. I’m coming to you today from my hometown of Washington, D.C., where it’s starting to feel a lot like 2012, when RG-3 was a rookie and the city’s NFL future seemed limitless… for about 12 weeks. The exploits of another rookie QB this year, Jayden Daniels, have local football fans feeling that same kind of optimism, at least for now…

I received a lot of encouraging feedback from my interview with ESPN’s Chris Berman for The Varsity, the podcast. (I know, I know… which genius came up with that name!) Most of the texts centered on his coinage of extraordinary nicknames, like Bert “Be Home” Blyleven or John “Tonight, Let It Be” Lowenstein. My favorite is the one he bestowed on the CBS Sports president: David “Missing” Berson—let’s hope that doesn’t become a Puck headline one day. On Wednesday’s podcast, look for WaPo’s Ben Strauss, who joins me to discuss the latest developments in our industry. As ever, this remains a Marchand-free safe space.

Let’s get to it…

ESPN, of course, pays around...