|
PREVIEW VERSION
|
|
|
|
Welcome back to The Varsity, my twice-weekly private email on
all the machinations of the sports media industry. Today, I’m coming at you from a snowy Washington, D.C. I’ve always loved how the whole town shuts down every time it snows a couple of inches. Northeasterners deride us for this wimpy behavior, but I still enjoy the snow days—especially since Marchand has been shoveling my driveway since before dawn. (Andrew, you better be using an eco-friendly deicer…!)
🎧 CFP’s billion-dollar blitz: CFP executive director Rich Clark was extremely forthcoming about the expanded college football playoffs on the latest episode of The Varsity podcast. He offered a privileged view into the Sugar Bowl rescheduling,
the dynamics with the NFL, and the profoundly complex logistics of staging a first-of-its-kind event across conferences, markets, and networks. On Wednesday, my Puck partner Eriq Gardner will join me for a deep dive into the Disney-Fubo merger, which was just announced this morning. [Listen Here]
Also, congratulations to Paige Leskin for winning the inaugural season of Puck’s fantasy football league. Paige defeated the Demure Girlbosses (the team helmed by Ali Hattamer and Julia Baldyga) in the championship game. My team, the Grinfuckers (co-managed with Phil Roth), finished fifth. Forward this email to Dylan Byers to ask him how his NeueHouse Chargers fared…
Now, on to business…
|
The Brady Meter: Week
18
Buccaneers 27, Saints 19
Grade: C+
|
Fox’s D.C. affiliate actually carried the Commanders’ last-second win over the
Trey Lance-led Cowboys in Dallas, so I wasn’t able to watch the GOAT yesterday. The Brady Meter’s network of contributors, however, signaled that the $37.5 million man showed...
|
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
|
PERFORMANCE UNLEASHED
With a distinct sporting personality, the Range Rover Sport is a
peerless performer.
EXPLORE
|
|
|
Can’t see the full story? You’re receiving the free version of
The Varsity at . For full access to Puck, and to each of my colleagues, subscribe today.
|
|
|
The showdown between MSG Networks and Altice is leaving fans of the
streaking Knicks out of luck and Jim Dolan running out of options. LightShed Partners’ Brandon Ross illuminates the issues and explains how an MSG Networks bankruptcy could play out, including a potential merger with YES.
|
|
|
New York has always been an oversaturated market for regional sports
networks—MSG, SNY, YES, etcetera—a consequence of the fact that most of its pro teams are owned individually. The Tsai family owns the Nets, Steve Cohen runs the Mets, the Steinbrenners control the Yankees, and Jon Ledecky has the Islanders. The one mammoth exception, of course, is Jim Dolan, who inherited the Knicks and Rangers, whose games populate his own MSG Network. Dolan, who is hardly a
stranger to litigation and confrontation, is now leading MSG into an existential battle, all while his Knicks are...
|
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
|
PERFORMANCE UNLEASHED
With a distinct sporting personality, the Range Rover Sport is a
peerless performer.
EXPLORE
|
|
|
Puck sports correspondent John Ourand and a rotating cast of industry insiders take you inside the executive
suites and owners boxes where the decisions that shape the entire sports business are made. You’ll hear interviews with players, network execs, and everyone in between. The Varsity is an extension of John’s private email for Puck by the same name. New episodes publish every Wednesday and Sunday.
|
|
|
Ace media reporter Dylan Byers lets readers into his notebook as he reports on the biggest stories (and egos) in
the industry.
|
|
|
Need help? Review our FAQ page or contact us for assistance. For brand partnerships, email ads@puck.news.
You received this email because you signed up to receive emails from Puck, or as part of your Puck account associated with . To stop receiving this newsletter and/or manage all your email preferences, click
here.
|
Puck is published by Heat Media LLC. 107 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006
|
|
|
|
