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Pat McAfee Enjoys Massive First Month On ESPN

October 4, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Pat McAfee’s jump from FanDuel to ESPN is paying serious dividends. Per a press release from ESPN, The Pat McAfee Show received 242 million viewers across all platforms in its first month on the network. The weekday show, which airs in the noon broadcast slot, is simulcast across ESPN, ESPN+, and YouTube. Furthermore, the single-day peak of McAfee’s first month was a live broadcast from Boulder on September 15. That show alone brought in 1.9 million viewers.

“To be rather transparent, I’m not sure any of us had any certainty of how this particular report was gonna be when this all started a month ago. We had hopes that a massive new audience provided by ESPN would give our show a chance and ESPN had hopes of us helping with the transition into the new multi platform generation of daily sports entertainment. I’m proud of my guys for their work and very thankful for ESPN’s belief in us because I do believe these numbers are telling us all that we’re off to a rather good start. We appreciate everything and everybody. We’re pumped about the continued possibilities on ESPN’s phenomenal platform. Cheers,” McAfee said in a statement.

Pat McAfee Finds Aaron Rodgers’ “Mr. Pfizer” Comment Hilarious

One of McAfee’s most regular guests during his first month at ESPN has been sidelined Jets QB Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers gave a fairly shocking interview this week. In it, he reiterated his belief that he could be ready to return to the Jets this season. “There’s nothing normal about how I’m attacking this rehab. The common practice is about six weeks in a boot, and I was in a shoe in 13 days. This is just my mindset. I believe in the power of intention, I believe in prayer. I believe in your mental status and the power of will, I believe in making room for the miraculous to happen,” Rodgers said. Achilles tears, such as the one Rodgers suffers, typically take six to nine months to heal. However, Rodgers believes he can do it in four.

Meanwhile, Rodgers also spoke of meeting Travis Kelce at the recent Chiefs-Jets game. He dubbed Kelce “Mr. Pfizer” due to Kelce’s recent appearance in a series of commercials encouraging people to get the new COVID-19 vaccine. Rodgers is perhaps the face of the anti-vax movement in the NFL. Additionally, he was reprimanded by the league after faking his vaccination status. However, McAfee found Rodgers’ comment to be the funniest thing he had ever heard.

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Malika Andrews Seeks Restraining Order Against Man Who Allegedly Targeted Other ESPN Employees

October 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Malika Andrews is someone who has been having an amazing career over at ESPN. In just a few short years, she has been able to advance her standing within the company. Overall, she is the host of NBA Today and she also gives her talent to a myriad of other broadcasts. Unfortunately, she is someone who has taken a lot of heat over the last few years. This is due to the fact that she is not afraid to bring up the troubling pasts of certain players and coaches. Although some argue it is her job, others seem to find it offensive.

Recently, however, Andrews has been dealing with an incredibly scary situation. According to TMZ, she has a stalker who has been making threats on social media. The alleged perpetrator is Ahmed Abubakar from New Jersey. As she claims, Abubaker began sending her messages on Twitter which eventually became way too much. He was even messaging her on Instagram in a threatening fashion. Consequently, she wants a restraining order against the man.

Malika Andrews Wants Protection

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 13: Malika Andrews, ESPN sideline reporter, during the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers games at Crypto.com Arena on January 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

As TMZ also reported, Abubakar has a history of going after on-air personalities from ESPN. For instance, he was doing the same kinds of things with the likes of Stephen A. Smith and even Molly Qerim. Furthermore, he reportedly went to Qerim’s house in Connecticut, which goes to show what kind of person Andrews is dealing with. She is currently stationed in Los Angeles, and her hope is that she can get Abubakar out of her life, forever.

This is an incredibly scary story, and we hope Andrews is able to get the legal precedent she wants. Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will always keep you informed.

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‘First Take’ Floated The Theory That Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Are Not Actually Dating

September 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

first take mad dog taylor swift travis kelce — ESPN

The biggest story in sports and pop culture right now involves Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his flirtation with Taylor Swift. Kelce has made clear that he is … let’s say a fan of the most famous person in the world right now, and there sure seems to be a lot of smoke around the two of them dating, most notably that Swift went to the Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears this week, sat with Kelce’s mom, celebrated when he scored, and left the game with him.

Kelce addressed the whole thing on the most recent episode of his podcast, but it appears that there is one person who thinks something smells funny here. That person is noted yeller Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, who took some time during his weekly First Take segment about stuff that made him mad to float his theory that all of this is about publicity.

“WHO TAKES THEIR GIRLFRIEND TWO MINUTES INTO A RELATIONSHIP TO VISIT MOMMY AND DADDY?!?!?!”

The Swifties are gonna do some damage to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo for this one. pic.twitter.com/j4NrqnYAnr

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) September 27, 2023

“LOOK AT THIS!” Russo said, as eloquently as ever before — and maybe I am just not hearing this correctly — just screaming out a bunch of letters in combinations no one has ever put together before. He then got back on track.

“SHE WANTS TO ENJOY HER SON,” Russo said. “AND WHO TAKES THEIR GIRLFRIEND, TWO MINUTES INTO A RELATIONSHIP, TO VISIT MOMMY AND DADDY? NOBODY DOES THAT! AND THEN WE’RE GONNA SHOW ‘EM WALKING OUT? AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, SHE’S A BIG KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FAN. SHE’S NEVER HEARD OF LENNY DAWSON.”

To be clear, he might have said someone other than Len Dawson and I just am once again not hearing him correctly, but really, that part is not important here. (Well, it is kinda important in that it’s crappy to pull the “I bet she has never heard of THIS athlete!” card.) (Also, Swift is a well-documented fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.) While Stephen A. Smith and Marcus Spears attempted to compose themselves, Molly Qerim prodded Russo a little bit.

“I can’t believe you’re mad about Travis and Taylor,” she said. “They found love.”

“FOUND LOVE?” Russo responded. “WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY? FOUND LOVE? ARE YOU NUTS? YOU CAN’T BELIEVE THAT. FOUND LOVE AFTER FIVE MINUTES? PLEASE. OH IT’S … FOUND LOVE? OH MY GOD, FOUND LOVE? YOU KNOW WHAT THEY FOUND? LET’S GET SOME PUBLICITY, THAT’S WHAT THEY FOUND.”

I am sure they talked about other things on First Take on Wednesday morning, but I am willing to wager that nothing else was this loud.

Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

September 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Angel Reese may be about to start a new beef. Recently, her college coach spoke on Reese’s reaction to ESPN projecting her to be drafted eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said.

Reese’s tumble to the second half of the first round was perhaps the biggest surprise of M.A. Voepel’s first WNBA mock draft of the year. Furthermore, Voepel chose to project Paige Bueckers as the second pick. Bueckers hasn’t played a full season since her freshman year and missed all of last season with an ACL tear. While the 2024 draft class is one of the strongest and deepest in years, it’s hard to see many teams passing on Reese. She was top-five in both points and rebounds per game last season.

Reese Ready For The WNBA

DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.

However, Reese isn’t going to be displaying any “senior-itis” this season. She fully intends to pursue another National Championship. Meanwhile, LSU is still hunting for their first SEC title since 2008 or their first conference tournament title since 2003. To aid Reese, Mulkey and the Tigers have built a bona fide superteam around her. Along with two top-ten freshmen, LSU added transfers Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey Van Lith from Louisville. The Tigers kick off their 2023-24 campaign in Vegas against Colorado.

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Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Among Players Being Watched By WNBA Teams For 2024 Draft

September 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The WNBA playoffs are in full swing. However, for many of the teams not participating, their attention has already turned to the draft. The 2024 WNBA draft has the potential to be one of the strongest in recent memory. However, there is an air of uncertainty to the draft. While stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are eligible, many top stars may opt to use their COVID waiver and play a fifth season in college.

“If the depth of the class turns out to be what it’s capable of being, having two first-round picks is exciting for what that can do for us,” LA Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “But we have to be thorough [with scouting], because this is probably the last class with so many unknowns.” Meanwhile, veteran Diana Taurasi, who has announced her intention to play a 20th WNBA season next year, sees the 2024 class as having a massive ceiling. “When you look at this [potential] draft class, what these kids have done the last few years, there’s some names that could change your team.”

ESPN Includes A Few Surprises In First WNBA Mock Draft

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 11: Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies shoots the ball during warm ups before the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Entertainment & Sports Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Alongside comments from around the WNBA, ESPN also released their first early mock draft for 2024. The draft considers all players as declaring for the draft and ranks the top-four teams by lottery odds. The number one pick, presumptively held by the Indiana Fever, remains a consensus across most mocks – Caitlin Clark. Clark is the reigning National Player of the Year and one of the most exciting players in college basketball. However, #2 is where the surprises begin. M.A. Voepel slots UConn’s Paige Bueckers at the spot despite Bueckers’ long injury history. Bueckers has been great when healthy. However, she has less than 50 games in her college career and also has three years of eligibility left.

Furthermore, perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that Voepel has Angel Reese falling to #8. Reese is perhaps the most recognizable player in the college game right now. Furthermore, she helped lead LSU to a national title last season and heads into her senior year with a newly formed superteam around her. Two other surprises are Cameron Brink at #3 and Hailey Van Lith at #5. Both players have exceptional skills – Brink as a defender and Van Lith as a perimeter shooter. However, both players have glaring holes in their game, ironically the other’s strengths. As mentioned, all this could change depending on eligibility decisions at the end of the season.

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Deion Sanders And Colorado Shatter Viewership Records With Rocky Mountain Showdown Win

September 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have yet another thing to celebrate. Their 43-35 comeback win against Colorado State last week shattered numerous viewership records for ESPN. Per a press release from the network, the game was the fifth-most watched game ever broadcast on the platform. Furthermore, it is also ESPN‘s most-watched late-night game and most-streamed game of all time. Additionally, it is ESPN and ABC‘s fourth-most watched regular-season game, excluding conference championships, in the last six seasons. The viewership peak was 11.1 million viewers, with the game average being 9.3 million.

However, it’s not all good news. Two-way star Travis Hunter was knocked out of the game after an illegal hit by Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn. Hunter is expected to miss several weeks due to a lacerated liver. However, Sanders has spoken out in defense of Blackburn after the player and his family began receiving death threats. “Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game. He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline. You could call it dirty, you could call it, ‘He was just playing the game of football.’ But whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats. This is still a young man trying to make it in life. He does not deserve a death threat over a game,” Sanders said.

Sanders And Colorado Prepare For Pac-12 Play

However, for Sanders and the Buffs, the real season is about to begin. While a 3-0 record and #19 ranking in the AP Poll is nice, it’s fair to say that Colorado has had a fairly favorable start to the season. They beat an overhyped TCU squad by three, crushed the ever-hapless Nebraska, and needed an 11-point comeback and double-overtime to beat a Colorado State team projected to finish 7th in the Mountain West. The team’s upcoming slate of games will be a true test of what the squad is capable of.

For Colorado, Pac-12 play begins with a trip to #10 Oregon. The Ducks are projected to finish fourth in the conference and even received a first-place vote in preseason media voting. However, Colorado will be Oregon’s first real test of the season as well after wins over Portland State, Texas Tech, and Hawai’i. After Oregon is a matchup against #5 USC, led by Heisman favorite Caleb Williams. Beyond that, the Buffs have four other (currently) ranked matchups in #22 UCLA, #14 Oregon State, #21 Washington State, and #11 Utah. In short – the next few weeks will be crucial for Sanders to prove that his new-look Colorado is the real deal.

Read More: Lil Wayne gets a custom Colorado jersey

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ESPN To Release Hip Hop 50 Documentary Narrated By Busta Rhymes

September 8, 2023 by newhiphopnews

ESPN will premiere The Crossover on September 12. The latest episode of E: 60 will look at the intertwined histories of hip-hop and sports. Per ESPN, “Sports and Hip Hop are two pillars of Black culture that empowered a community to be heard and celebrated against the backdrop of cultural oppression and political persecution. As the 50^th anniversary of the founding of Hip Hop is celebrated, a new ESPN special presentation examines the evolution of this defining culture and its relationship with sports. Soon, athletes and entertainers would step to the microphone and boldly become the sound of a new generation and an inspiration to their people. When the world looked to silence them, the culture found a way to speak louder than ever before. Muhammad Ali to Public Enemy, Jay-Z to Lebron James and beyond, the impact on sports has been indelible.”

Furthermore, the documentary will be narrated by Busta Rhymes. Rhymes is one of the most influential pillars of the hip-hop scene. This makes him the perfect voice for such a complex and nuanced documentary. The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sport will premiere at 7:30pm ET on September 12. Furthermore, it will be be available on demand via ESPN+ after airing.

ESPN Explores Sport And Hip Hop

“I knew I wanted to do something on it. But obviously, working for a sports platform, I thought, What angle can I approach to tell the story? And I thought I hadn’t seen anything on the connection of sports and hip hop. So that’s where the gist of it came from,” he said. “From there, I just started thinking about those connections. Then I started developing an idea and pitching it to the team,” director Julian Gooden said of The Crossover.

“I definitely feel like I learned a lot. I wouldn’t call myself an aficionado, but I grew up listening to hip hop. That’s what my connection to it was, living in the culture. We talk about the culture in the film a lot, and that’s the culture that I grew up listening to and watching. My heroes are Jay-Z and Diddy – these are the guys I looked up to, and that’s where my passion comes from. I want to tell stories that reflect the Black experience. This is a dream project because I lived it,” he continued.

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Pat McAfee Welcomed to ESPN With “First Take” Appearance

September 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Pat McAfee is set to make his ESPN debut on September 7 when The Pat McAfee Show officially moves to the media giant. McAfee’s exit from FanDuel was one of several major talent moves that ESPN orchestrated this summer. A round of talent layoffs followed by a $2 billion betting partnership allowed ESPN to land both McAfee as well as Shannon Sharpe from Fox. Ahead of his debut, McAfee joined Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on First Take to promote his new show.

The Pat McAfee Show will serve as the new follow-on from First Take during the weekday broadcasts. McAfee said he was “honored” to be following First Take in the schedule. “We’re here to celebrate sports for two hours here on ESPN. And three hours on YouTube and ESPN+,” McAfee explained when asked what fans could expect of the show. Furthermore, McAfee has some history with First Take. Molly Qerim used to co-host a 2am call-time show with McAfee while he was still active in the NFL.

Pat McAfee Officially Joins ESPN

ESPN announced that they had signed McAfee to a multi-year deal back in May. While McAfee already did color commentary for Thursday Night Football, the deal brought the full extent of his sizeable media empire to the network. “Pat is a proven talent,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the statement. “He and his team have built The Pat McAfee Show into one of the most engaging programs in sports and all of media. It’s a destination for athlete interviews and breaking news, and the centerpiece of a growing community of sports fans. We’re honored to bring Pat and the show to ESPN through a multifaceted, multiplatform approach.”

Furthermore, McAfee expressed his excitement about joining ESPN. “We are extremely honored that ESPN is blessing us with this opportunity to be a part of the next chapter of the ESPN family. We do not take that lightly and are going to work hard to make sure this is a success. All parties involved agree the time has come for a bunch of sports stooges in a Thunderdome in Indiana to sprinkle in some fun and celebration of sport as well.” However, McAfee assured fans that his show would remain largely the same, albeit with a little less profanity.

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Stephen A. Smith Will Not Face Punishment From ESPN For Alleged HIPAA Violation

August 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On August 21, Stephen A. Smith commented on Lonzo Ball’s meniscus injury during an episode of First Take on ESPN. Smith claimed that a source had told him that Ball was struggling to sit down and stand up. Ball responded, showing his ability to stand and sit up while asking Smith who his sources were. Smith, shockingly, responded on The Stephen A. Smith Show, revealing that Ball’s doctors had given him the information.

This was seemingly confirmation that Smith had committed a HIPAA violation. HIPAA is legislation that regulates how private medical information is used. In fact, in Smith’s case – the burning of his source revealed two such violations. The first was Ball’s medical team divulging private medical information to Smith. The second was Smith broadcasting that information on national television. However, according to ESPN, Smith won’t face reprimand for this serious breach of journalistic ethics.

ESPN Distances Themselves From Smith Controversy

Stephen A. Smith claims his sources are Lonzo Ball’s doctors

“Would you like me to tell you the names of the doctors that operated on you? I know the actual Doctor’s…..if I said it it’s because someone close to you told me.”

(h/t @shannonsharpeee)

pic.twitter.com/3PfUpSCx64

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 24, 2023

“We don’t have anything to add from the ESPN side here. His podcast is separate from his ESPN role,” an ESPN spokesperson told HotNewHipHop on August 24. From this, it’s clear that ESPN‘s view is that any comments Smith makes on The Stephen A. Smith Show are not to be conflated with his role at the network. Thusly, Smith seemingly admitting to violating HIPAA should not be reflected in his relationship with ESPN.

Except, the information was first revealed to the public on an ESPN product. The entire debacle originated with Smith making these claims on First Take, his primary role with ESPN. However, regardless of whether Smith violated HIPAA, decision to a) burn a source and b) double down when presented with information that debunked your claims, is just the latest drop in a bucket of major Ls that Smith has taken of late. Ball and Smith are yet to respond to either Smith’s comments or the allegations of violating medical legislation. This remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

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Stephen A. Smith Slams Reports “Confirming” Shannon Sharpe Joining “First Take”

August 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

It seemed as though the Shannon Sharpe saga was at an end on August 17. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that Sharpe would be joining ESPN a little over two months after leaving FS1 and Undisputed. According to Marchand, Sharpe would make twice-weekly appearances on First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith while also bringing Club Shay Shay to the network as well.

As also mentioned by Marchand, a return to ESPN would be something of a homecoming for Sharpe. It was his guest appearances on the show when Bayless anchored the broadcast between 2004 and early 2016 that would lead to the creation of Undisputed in late 2016. However, unfortunately for Marchand and The Post, they appear to have missed the mark on this report.

Stephen A. Smith Calls Post Report “A Bit Premature”

Addressing the recent @ShannonSharpe “news” pic.twitter.com/eVe266Ps9d

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) August 18, 2023

“I have a smile on my face. Beautiful smile on my face. You all know that it’s something that I want, it’s something that I have declared because I respect Shannon, I like him. I think he’d be a tremendous asset to the show, my show, First Take…But my point is that it would be great to have him,” Smith began while addressing The Post‘s “exclusive”. “Here’s the issue, we don’t. Sorry Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, it’s a bit premature. Shannon Sharpe is yet to sign on the dotted line to be a member of First Take. It has not happened yet. I’m still confident that it will happen, I still believe it will happen, I think it needs to happen. And I have doubt that I am going to exhaust every means I have available to me to make it happen.”

So yes, fans of “Unc” who were looking forward to him chewing the fat with Smith might need to wait just a little bit longer. It’s likely accurate to say that ESPN is the frontrunner for Sharpe’s services. However, Smith’s comments are the exact comment that Marchand originally said that ESPN declined to give. Given that Sharpe said he’ll be back for football season, it’s likely that his decision will be announced in the coming weeks. Despite that, for now at least, the Hall of Famer remains a free agent. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

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