![]() Rapoport strives to find some level of normalcy in his life by playing golf and attending his sons’ sporting events. Work-life balance in such a role is usually quite insurmountable in today’s dynamic, interminable breaking news environment. ![]() “Obviously, you want everything first, but really you’re competing against everyone that exists because anyone could get the story at any moment.” “It’s such a small world now and everyone is interconnected – and with Twitter, literally anyone could break a story and have it go viral,” Rapoport said. While some people may argue that he is in direct competition with others in his position, such as Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk and NBC Sports, the reality of the situation is that it is Rapoport vs. He hardly ever separates himself from the job, equipped with an unparalleled work ethic to ensure he can communicate messages accurately and in a timely manner. This is the craft through which Rapoport has cultivated a successful journalism career, ultimately distinguishing him as NFL Network’s goto insider. “And then I hear Rich Eisen go, ‘Ian, you have news,’ and I was able to break that the Texans have traded up to three to go get Will Anderson.”įrom our draft coverage: A bombshell! The #Texans trade all the way up to No. “I sit there with a camera in front of me that’s not always on air – this is during the Draft – and the producer gets in my ear and he goes, ‘Can you go on air with whatever you have?,’ and I just say, ‘Yes.’” Rapoport recalled. Once he got confirmation of the scenario, he began to visibly shake in excitement and captured the attention of the NFL Network team. He replied by asking, “Did the Texans trade up to three?,” as the team was not set to pick again until No. Rapoport has worked hard to attain all of them. His phone then lit up with a text message from a source that simply read, “Texans trading.” Receiving a message of this magnitude takes years of networking, credibility and immense trust from the people you cover. The third pick of the night was held by the Arizona Cardinals, but through previous intel, Rapoport knew there was a chance the team would trade it. Stroud by the Jacksonville Jaguars and Bryce Young by the Houston Texans – Ian Rapoport had the inclination that something was about to break at the event in Kansas City. After two quarterbacks were selected with the first two picks – C.J. The 2023 NFL Draft was a weekend filled with speculation, intrigue and musing among football fans and experts alike. But bring yourself back to reality and recognize that ESPN still has a business to run, as crass, cruel, and unnecessary as that may seem. Ultimately, the success of his show could create jobs down the line, not take them away.ĭo the optics stink? Sure. It was the best deal for McAfee and the company. The hiring of Pat McAfee amid mass layoffs, while unfortunate, are two separate issues. But they’re still going to be the Worldwide Leader, baby.Īnd part of carrying that moniker is signing high-profile, once-in-a-generation talent that will drive hundreds of thousands - millions? - of viewers to your network daily. Does ESPN need to be slightly more economical and also efficient? Hell yeah. ESPN is going to spend billions of dollars on the NBA, and that’s ok, too.ĮSPN can’t simply reduce its programming because The Walt Disney Company is going to be a bit more frugal going forward. He was right then and is still right today. The hiring of McAfee didn’t turn that number to 7,001.Įarlier this year, Demetri Ravanos wrote a column echoing a similar sentiment. Chances are, they decided which 7,000 jobs were going to be cut at about the same time, and those poor souls are working on borrowed time. Listen, The Walt Disney Company decided it was going to cut 7,000 jobs a long time ago. The idea that because McAfee is coming on board meant that an additional department was going to be affected by the layoffs is asinine. ![]() Does it suck that there are people inside the company that will lose their jobs over the course of the following days, weeks, and months? Yes, unequivocally, no questions asked.īut they’re not losing their jobs because the company is hiring Pat McAfee, and they likely wouldn’t have kept those jobs if he signed elsewhere. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.It’s a pretty simple equation: The Walt Disney Company would only do a deal with McAfee if it felt like it could get an ample return on its investment. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. ![]()
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