1. During Wednesday’s Padres-Cubs playoff game on ABC, play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown read a promo for ESPN’s coverage of the NHL season opener next week.
Brown playfully tried to bring analyst Ben McDonald into the conversation by asking McDonald if the Panthers were going to repeat, but McDonald decided not to be a phony and said there was zero chance he’d watch the NHL’s opening night.
Brown and McDonald work together all year calling Orioles games, and it certainly seemed by the tone of Brown’s voice that he clearly knew McDonald wasn’t a hockey guy and that McDonald was just playing along with the bit. It wasn’t a premeditated attack on the NHL. It was an off-the-cuff comment.
"There is zero chance I'll be watching, I'm just gonna be honest with you." - ABC/ESPN MLB analyst Ben McDonald with a ringing endorsement of ESPN's NHL Opening Night coverage. pic.twitter.com/OaWXf68hsy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2025
This was newsworthy, though, because a broadcaster is always supposed to pretend that he or she watches everything that airs on the network that pays them. Plus, McDonald took things a step further by making it clear he has no interest whatsoever in the NHL, which was dicey since ESPN is partners with the NHL.
McDonald’s non-interest in the NHL didn’t sit well with ESPN’s John Buccigross, who got personal with his retort to McDonald on social media by pointing out McDonald never pitched in a postseason game in his nine years in the majors.
Zero is also how many postseason innings Ben McDonald pitched in his MLB career. https://t.co/LhynoYjQW9
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) October 1, 2025
I’m not sure what that has to do with anything, and I don’t even understand the retort. Ben McDonald doesn’t like hockey, but he wasn’t a great pitcher. O.K.?
I also don’t understand why Buccigross would care if McDonald doesn’t like hockey, but I’ve never understood why anyone would care about what sports other people watch.
I like baseball. I couldn’t care less if someone else doesn’t like baseball. I like wrestling. People mock me for that all the time. I don’t care.
But clearly, Buccigross cared that McDonald publicized the fact that he won’t be watching hockey when the season begins next week.
I’m going to make a radical statement right now, so I just want you guys to prepare yourselves.
Ready?
Here we go.
Ben McDonald is allowed to not like hockey.
2. A brand-new SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped this morning, and it features a conversation with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport talks about the life of an insider and whether the offseason is just as busy as the season, while also describing what his day-to-day schedule is like.
In addition, Rapoport explains where we stand on the NFL going to an 18-game schedule and a full-time international schedule, talks about his feelings regarding ESPN buying the NFL Network and the possibility of being colleagues with Adam Schefter. He also shares the full story of what happened at the NFL combine when another NFL reporter confronted him and got in his face in a Starbucks.
Following Rapoport, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss the Mets’ collapse, the Yankees over-reliance on analytics, a schedule change that Major League Baseball must implement, ESPN’s baseball broadcasters, Bad Bunny being announced as the Super Bowl halftime show and more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
3. These calls from ESPN’s Sean McDonough during Wednesday’s Tigers-Guardians game are so, so good. There’s an art to announcers yelling during calls. What McDonough does so well is build to the yell. He just doesn’t scream from start to finish, à la Fox’s Joe Davis. McDonough captures the emotion by getting louder as the play develops, which is not easy because it all happens in just a matter of a couple of seconds.
BRAYAN ROCCHIO‼️
— ESPN (@espn) October 1, 2025
Guardians take the lead in the 8th 🔥
Watch now on ESPN and the ESPN App ➡️ https://t.co/pNBHlo4Xy1 pic.twitter.com/l9Kn0Cwqwb
BO NAYLOR!!!
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
FIVE RUNS IN THE 8TH FOR THE @CLEGUARDIANS! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/w4n2yq0Grt
4. People can never have enough money, so now they’re going to mess with the NCAA tournament solely to get more TV money from having more games. And you can bet these extra games will end up on a streaming service.
Executives are inching closer to an agreement to expand the NCAA tournament to 76 teams with a 12-game “opening round” played at two sites starting in 2026-27.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 2, 2025
If it gets finalized, how will it work?
More in our weekly sports biz column for @On3Sports -https://t.co/nZ4ncpSX62
5. If you’re a cord-cutting sports fan, the new ESPN/Fox bundle app is now live for $39.99 a month. This is what you get if you subscribe:
ESPN
- NFL
- NBA
- NHL
- MLB
- WNBA
- WWE
- UFL
- SEC, ACC and Big 12 college football, as well as the College Football Playoff
- 40 NCAA championships including the NCAA women’s basketball championship
- La Liga, Bundesliga, NWSL, Liga MX, MLS, UEFA and FA Cup soccer
- Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open tennis
- The Masters, PGA Championship, PGA Tour, TGL and LPGA golf
- Little League World Series baseball and softball
- Premier Lacrosse League
FOX One
- NFL
- MLB
- 2026 FIFA World Cup 26
- Big Ten, Big 12 and Mountain West college football
- Big Ten, Big East, Big 12 and Mountain West college basketball
- NASCAR
- IndyCar
- NYRA horse racing (including the Belmont Stakes)
- UFL
- LIV Golf
- Westminster dog show
- Domestic and international soccer (Concacaf, CONMEBOL, FIFA, Liga MX, MLS and UEFA)
6. I love this take from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on PFF and grades for players.
Another byte that was interesting from Thursday, #Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo weighs in on PFF grades. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/PyjthUlXnZ
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) September 28, 2025
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 74th birthday to Sting. Despite having a great music career, when I hear the word “Sting,” this is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Promo Leads to NHL Guy Blasting MLB Guy.
