Sports Media Winners and Losers From the Start of Football Season
There were plenty of sports media happenings across college and the NFL.
**Winners**
* Mike Tomlin was the biggest hire of the offseason by NBC Sports. His short and pithy quotes made Football Night in America feel more engaging. Some speculate he may eventually take over the broadcast booth after Cris Collinsworth.
* ESPN's Monday Night Football welcomed Troy Aikman and Joe Buck back together at the mic. Their return paid off with Patrick Mahomes' impressive comeback during the Chiefs' 31-10 victory over the Broncos, making it ESPN's most-watched Week 1 game ever with 23.2 million viewers.
* The New York Giants were a media sensation, boasting young and photogenic players like Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo. Playing in the biggest TV market, they dominated the Cowboys on both sides of the ball on Sunday Night Football, leading to the most-watched game of Week 1 with 25.7 million viewers.
* John McClain, a veteran Houston Chronicle columnist, was among the first big names to be let go as the Pro Football Hall of Fame tried to reduce its 50-member voting committee to 28 after the Bill Belichick incident. McClain handled the situation gracefully.
**Losers**
* Tony Romo's future remains uncertain after CBS Sports placed him on indefinite leave following a civil OWI charge. J.J. Watt temporarily replaced him, but Romo's name was notably absent from CBS's broadcast teams for Weeks 2 and 3.
* Steve Sarkisian faced backlash after his treatment of ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe during a post-game interview. Despite young quarterback Arch Manning's apology, Sarkisian's coaching style remains under scrutiny.
* Oregon's disappointing 1-1 start after an upset loss to Oklahoma State has put their coach Dan Lanning on the defensive with the local media. ESPN also criticized Oregon for quarterback Dante Moore's poor footwork in a game against the Sooners.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
