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Michael Strahan: FOX Is ‘More Fun’ For Talking Football

“I just wanted to feel like I’m somewhere where I can actually talk sports and have personality doing it.”

Ricky Keeler

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With all the jobs Michael Strahan has, you can turn on the TV and usually see his face pop up on the screen just about any time of day, whether it is on FOX NFL Sunday breaking down the day’s action, hosting the game show $100,000 Pyramid or giving you the morning’s news every weekday on Good Morning America. However, the Hall-of-Famer didn’t always know he wanted to pursue a post-football career in media.

On the latest episode of Just Getting Started With Rich Eisen, Michael Strahan talked about his journey in the media. The former defensive lineman said that not only did he never seriously consider a career in media until his playing days were nearing an end, he didn’t really seek out a lot of relationships with reporters and hosts.

“I would restrict my media access when I was a player to be honest with you. I would just talk twice a week. That way I knew whenever I did say something, you were going to use it. It was important. I also knew by being in New York, I went on Best Damn Sports Show Period, I did a Super Bowl for ABC. I wasn’t really getting paid for these things, but it was fun.”

Strahan is aware that if he didn’t play his entire career with the New York Giants, he wouldn’t be as fortunate to have the opportunities he has such as LIVE! With Kelly and Michael back in 2012. It isn’t something he is apologizing for.

“As I played and I kept doing more of it, I started to understand more about the media. I understood more how it worked. As much as the media uses you after a game or during the week to get quotes, use your power to better yourself with them.” 

Michael Strahan explained why he made the decision to go to FOX after his playing career was over. He was not without options.  

“I worked for every network as a player, so I decided I wanted to go to FOX because FOX was probably the loosest. It was more fun and in a lot of ways, less football, more entertainment. That was important to me. I just wanted to feel like I’m somewhere where I can actually talk sports and have personality doing it.” 

These days, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan are co-workers at Good Morning America. It didn’t take working together though for Roberts to influence Strahan’s career. He told Rich Eisen that when he was still working for Live! With Kelly & Michael, it was a meeting on the red carpet with Roberts that made Strahan feel more at ease in his new role.

“At the Oscars, on the Red Carpet…I’m scared to death, Rich. This is Hollywood. These are big stars. I’m not supposed to be on that red carpet. I see Robin across the way, and I wave and I go over to see her. She looks at me and says how are you feeling, and I go Robin, I am scared. She goes hey, you got this, don’t worry, I came from sports too. You belong here. Completely changed my life with that one little thing. I saw Robin Roberts knowing she came where I came from and for her to say you belong here meant the world to me.” 

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Final ‘Good Morning Football’ Episode from New York Studio Airs Before Hiatus, Move to LA

After today, ‘Good Morning Football’ will take a brief hiatus, then move to LA. But outside of host Jamie Erdahl, who else will join the show on the West Coast?

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Good Morning Football

Today marks the last Good Morning Football episode to air from its New York studios on NFL Network. After today, the show will take a brief hiatus, then move across the country to Los Angeles. But which of the shows beloved cast members will move along with it?

We already know host Jamie Erdahl will be there once she gives birth to her child. The newest GMFB show member gave an emotional send-off to the show’s New York studios before announcing she was headed for maternity leave and would see everyone in LA.

Host Kyle Brandt delivered this message late last night, saying that viewers should tune in to he and his colleagues and that “he has a lot to say.”

As the show ended today, Brandt said, “I am not saying goodbye to any of you…Candidly, I have a lot of questions myself. Here’s what I know: I personally will be intensely involved in Good Morning Football moving forward. And I want to spend the rest of my career with the NFL. And Good Morning Football is not ending, it is expanding. And it’s exciting because it’s a bigger show and it’s more show…It’s all in and it’s all happening and yes, we will be covering the draft. GMFB is leaving home for college…it’s time to evolve. And we are flattered that you are wondering and maybe worried about what’s coming next with the show…I am very proud of what we have built here…it has been a dream job and I know we are going to make a fantastic show from Los Angeles…I’ll see you this summer.”

Earlier this week host Peter Schrager delivered his own goodbye message — one that may sound like a man who’s not ready to move his family across the country at a moment’s notice:

However, no hosts outside of Erdahl have given confirmation that they’re either staying or going.

The NFL’s move to take the show from New York to Los Angeles has been widely criticized by fans and media members alike. Bill Simmons wondered if the move wouldn’t spell just the end of GMFB but the NFL Network as a whole. It has some wondering if this is the end of football’s best show.

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ESPN Coverage of Men’s NIT Tournament Quarterfinals Up 33% vs. 2023

Viewership of the Men’s NIT Quarterfinals on ESPN were up 33 percent compared to last year and featured two games that averaged over one million viewers.

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Even the NIT is riding the recent hot streak of live sports viewership numbers. According to data provided by ESPN, the 2024 NIT Quarterfinals are up 33 percent compared to last year’s tournament. Perhaps more surprisingly, two NIT quarterfinal games topped one million viewers.

The network’s Georgia/Ohio State matchup averaged 1.03 million viewers, while the Cincinnati/Indiana State contest averaged 1.02 million viewers. These two games were the most-watched NIT games since 2017 — including title games. Both Georgia and Ohio State have rabid fanbases, while many thought Indiana State was unjustly left out of the March Madness tournament, which could be a reason why viewers tuned in.

Much of the focus this season has been on the women’s game, thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley. ESPN just had its most-watched women’s college basketball season since 2008-09 because of the increased interest in the women’s game. The men’s game, however, hasn’t been heralded as much this season for whatever reason, mostly because numbers seem to be holding steady compared to previous years. However, if the NIT is posting viewership wins, that should bode well for the NCAA Tournament’s incoming viewership totals.

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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