Last Word On Sports Media Podcast

As we close out April on this edition of the show, host T.J. Rives is back with Jon Lewis of SportsMediaWatch.com with several topics. This includes the upcoming NFL Draft to be televised from Las Vegas on ESPN/ABC and the NFL Network. How do the Draft ratings compare to other sports around the same time. The guys also discuss the absence of ESPN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit due to a m...

How can you go wrong when you have guests such as Kevin Harlan, Dave Revsine, Mike North, Hub Arkush and Dave Eanet? They make up the beats of season 4 part one and the stories they tell are priceless. From North remembering how he boldly told the owner of a Chicago radio frequency to turn it into an all sports station to Revsine trying to forget an untimely golf paring with one of the most infamo...

How can you go wrong when you have guests such as Kevin Harlan, Dave Revsine, Mike North, Hub Arkush and Dave Eanet? They make up the beats of season 4 part one and the stories they tell are priceless. Get ready for our look back coming Tuesday. Tell me a story I don’t know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hot dog and an institution since 1893 (viennabeef.com). By Dynamic M...

It's the latest edition of the show, as host T.J. Rives and Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch.com return to go over the latest news and ratings numbers in sports media and TV. The NBA playoffs have started up and have enjoyed tremendous ratings in their opening week/weekend. Jon has the insight on just how good and what's really driving the numbers up and up? The guys also discuss the the re-birth o...

He’s the only writer at the historic Chicago Tribune to be a beat writer for the Cubs, Bears and Bulls. Then again, Fred Mitchell has blazed a trail in many areas during an award winning career as a sports journalist and speaking of awards, there’s one named after him. The Fred Mitchell Award is given annually to the outstanding place kicker in FSC, divisions 2 and 3, the NAIA and NJCAA for excell...

He’s the only writer at the historic Chicago Tribune to be a beat writer for the Cubs, Bears and Bulls. Then again, Fred Mitchell has blazed a trail in many areas during an award winning career as a sports journalist and speaking of awards, there’s one named after him. And...that's for being a great college football kicker?! Hear that story and many others from one of the most versatile writers on...

It's our latest edition of the podcast, as host T.J. Rives is back with Jon Lewis of SportsMediaWatch.com to go over the topics, ratings and personalities in recent sports media. First, the guys discuss the conclusion of "The Masters" golf tournament on CBS this past weekend. Even though Tiger Woods made another remarkable return after yet another physical setback that could have ended his career,...

He never played in a major league playoff game yet has two World Series rings. Who could this be? Darrin Jackson, former big leaguer with the Chicago Cubs, Whitesox and several other teams and for the last 22 years, an analyst on Whitesox broadcasts. Jackson had a solid major league career punctuated by his excellent defense in the outfield. Jackson’s post playing career got a boost by Hall of fam...

He never played in a major league playoff game, yet has two World Series rings. Who could this be? Darrin Jackson, former big leaguer with the Chicago Cubs, Whitesox and several other teams and for the last 22 years, an analyst on Whitesox broadcasts. Get ready for his stories of playing and broadcasting in the bigs and in "the Windy City." Tell me a story I don’t know is proudly sponsored by Vien...

It's a brand new edition of the show, as host T.J. Rives is back with Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch.com to discuss everything from the end of March Madness, to the start of the MLB season on TV and Tiger Woods is back at Augusta National for The Masters. First, Jon has a breakdown of the ratings from this past weekend's Men's Final Four in New Orleans, where the Kansas Jayhawks took the title. W...

He went from NHL star to piranha. Jeremy Roenick’s career and life turned upside down when fired by NBC for sexual comments he made concerning one of his broadcast partners. Roenick, ever defiant, called it just a blip but he’s been off the air for two years now. Meanwhile, the former star of the Chicago Blackhawks and several other teams seems happy where he’s at despite being on the outside look...

He went from NHL star to piranha. Jeremy Roenick’s career and life turned upside down when fired by NBC for sexual comments he made concerning one of his broadcast partners. Roenick, ever defiant, called it just a blip but he’s been off the air for two years now. Meanwhile, the former star of the Chicago Blackhawks and several other teams seems happy where he’s at despite being on the outside look...

On our latest edition of the show, host T.J. Rives and Jon Lewis of SportsMediaWatch.com have got much to discuss from the Oscars and "the slap hear around Hollywood" from Will Smith, to the March Madness ratings for CBS/TBS being bolstered by....St. Peter's of New Jersey?? And, also Fox Sports promoting Kevin Burkhardt to their top NFL play by play spot. Get Jon's takes and ratings info on it all...

How would like to get up at 2:30 in the morning….for 51 years! That’s what the legendary Chicago radio news anchor Pat Cassidy did almost exclusively during his illustrious career. After retiring at the end of 2021 Cassidy admits his sleep patterns are still off. (You think?) But there’s no urge to return after signing off at WBBM Newsradio where he spent the last 22 years. Prior to that he was at...

How would like to get up at 2:30 in the morning….for 51 years! That’s what the legendary Chicago radio news anchor Pat Cassidy did almost exclusively during his illustrious career. After retiring at the end of 2021 Cassidy admits his sleep patterns are still off. (You think?) But there’s no urge to return after signing off at WBBM Newsradio where he spent the last 22 years. Hear the full conversat...

We're back with the latest edition of the podcast that brings you news, analysis and opinion in sports media and coverage and host T.J. Rives with Jon Lewis (aka "Paulsen") of Sportsmediawatch.com are ready to go. First, the guys discuss the always wild first weekend of the NCAA Men's Hoop Tourney. This included the usual drama and upsets, but also favorites like Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and UCLA win...

He arrived here in 1984. The Cubs proceeded to make their first post season since 1945. The Bulls drafted Michael Jordan and the Bears were on the cusp of winning Super Bowl. Dan Roan has timing. Some 38 years later, the long time WGN TV sports anchor and reporter will call it a career and what a career it has been. Roan was the guiding force through plenty of Chicago sports history, navigating wi...

He arrived here in 1984. The Cubs proceeded to make their first post season since 1945. The Bulls drafted Michael Jordan and the Bears were on the cusp of winning Super Bowl. Dan Roan has timing. Some 38 years later, the long time WGN TV sports anchor and reporter will call it a career and what a career it has been. Roan was the guiding force through plenty of Chicago sports history, navigating wi...

Many of us needed some kind of push to get started in the media business and Pat Foley is no exception. But the hall of fame voice of the Blackhawks got his from his dad and eventually to the organization that has employed him for 40 years! The late Bob Foley owned a Buick dealership. One of his loyal customer was Michael Wirtz, the son of Arthur who at that time owned the Blackhawks. The franchis...

There is plenty more appealing stories in part 2 of this interview including Foley being part of one of the most thrilling events in Chicago Stadium history, the great rivalries the Hawks had with the then Minnesota Northstars and one of the saddest days in the franchises’ existence. Tell me a story I don’t know is proudly sponsored by Vienna Beef, makers of Chicago’s hot dog and an institution si...

We're back with the latest edition of the show, as host T.J. Rives and Jon Lewis of SportsMediaWatch.com are back with their takes on College Hoops, NFL announcer musical chairs and whether Jon fills out multiple brackets for March Madness with different winners in the same games or not??? First, the guys are discussing the reports that ESPN lead college football announcer Kirk Herbstreit will bec...

Pat Foley has been the sound track of the Chicago Blackhawks since 1980 save for two years when he was banished by then owner Bill Wirtz. But when his son Rocky took over two years later, he brought back the iconic and extremely popular voice who will retire at seasons’ end. Foley already has been enshrined in the hockey hall of fame. His scintillating descriptions combined with a robust sense of...

We move into March and host T.J. Rives is back with Jon Lewis of SportsMediaWatch.com to go over the latest in skyrocketing bidding for NFL analysts and more. The guys discuss the start of the NASAR season with the ratings and comparisons to the last few years. Then, they turn to Troy Aikman leaving Fox Sports NFL coverage for the Monday Night Football booth of ESPN. Will Joe Buck leave Fox and fo...

Imagine sending out over 100 resume tapes then getting your first job without one! Such is story of Dave Revsine’s, host of the Big Ten Network, the single most perfect job he dreamed of. A resident of suburban Chicago, Revsine made his mark at ESPN where he was part of the launch of ESPN News. 11 years later he became the face of the Big Ten Network. In between he had the pleasure of working with...

Imagine sending out over 100 resume tapes then getting your first job without one! Such is story of Dave Revsine’s, host of the Big Ten Network, the single most perfect job he dreamed of. A resident of suburban Chicago, Revsine made his mark at ESPN where he was part of the launch of ESPN News. 11 years later he became the face of the Big Ten Network. Hear more on his story coming Tuesday. "Tell m...