1. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported on Tuesday that Pat McAfee and ESPN are in the midst of negotiations that would see the former NFL punter sign a contract extension for $60 million a year.
Naturally, there was strong reaction to this news since that salary would be unprecedented for a sports media talking head. I know I’m supposed to have some strong take about McAfee possibly pulling in that absurd figure each year, but my honest reaction is just a shoulder shrug.
I don’t care if McAfee makes $30 million, $40 million, $50 million or $60 million (he currently makes $30 million a year). One, it’s not my money. Two, I believe everyone should try to make as much money as they possibly can. So, if McAfee does indeed ink a deal for $60 million a year, my only reaction would be, “Congrats.”
The part of this story that has caught my attention are the folks who are in up in arms that ESPN would pay McAfee that much money.
ESPN, and its parent company, Disney, are massive, major companies. Do you think they didn’t crunch every single number and look at every piece of data possible before landing on $60 million annually for McAfee? They’re not offering that salary if they can’t afford it and don’t think they can turn a profit on all all things McAfee.
And make no mistake. This isn’t a deal solely for McAfee’s afternoon talk show. This is about ALL things McAfee. His presence on social media is as big as it gets in the sports world. He is firmly entrenched on College GameDay and has become the biggest player on that show now that Lee Corso has retired. His relevance in the sports world is second to none thanks to the roster of guests that appear on his show. Players, coaches, commissioners, actors, singers, comedians and pretty much everyone else in the pop culture world want to be on McAfee’s show.
Marchand’s report states that if McAfee inks a new deal, he will add NFL coverage to his role, which makes sense. If you’re going to pay someone $60 million a year, and he’s a former NFL player, it would be malpractice not to use him on the biggest sport there is.
The biggest risk in giving McAfee $60 million is whether he will remain relatable to sports fans. One of the best things that McAfee has going for him is that he seems like your typical, regular Joe Blow sports fan. His appreciation for sports and athletes comes through on his show every day. His passion for games across every single sports is more than evident and that’s the biggest factor in keeping him relatable.
Look at Stephen A. Smith, making $20 million a year. He couldn’t be less relatable these days. He’s constantly fighting with athletes and media figures, he’s dabbling with politics, he’s walks around the arenas and courts as if he’s one of the players.
I don’t think McAfee will go down that route, but money does change people. He hasn’t changed while making $30 million a year. Will he change making $60 million a year? My guess would be no, and that will be a huge key in ESPN and McAfee both getting the most out of the new deal.
2. Good stuff here from former Chiefs center Mitch Morse, who told Julian Edelman that coach Andy Reid once named a pass play for 350-pound defensive lineman Dontari Poe “Bloated Tebow Pass.”
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3. If you watched Inside the NBA before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday, you know that Jamie Foxx nailed this impression of the cast.
Jamie Foxx does impressions of Shaq, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson after the New York Knicks’ Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) June 9, 2026
(🎥 iamjamiefoxx/IG) pic.twitter.com/C8bpJMa9ed
4. Very solid effort from the New York Post with its cover today ahead of Game 4 tonight.
Wemby’s dirty, ref-boosted Game 3 vs. Knicks makes him Public Enemy No. 1 in NYC: ‘He’s the series villain’ https://t.co/O2uQ7RrvM9 pic.twitter.com/R1bHJSTayZ
— New York Post (@nypost) June 10, 2026
5. Viewership for Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Saturday was down slightly from Game 1.
Game 1 on Wednesday drew 16.93 million viewers. Game 2 on drew 16.42 million viewers.
Meanwhile, the Stanley Cup is drawing big ratings for ABC. Saturday’s Hurricanes-Golden Knights game, which went to double overtime after Carolina scored three goals in a 39-second span in the third period, pulled five million viewers. That’s a huge number for the NHL, up 117% from Game 3 last season on TNT and up 51% from Game 3 in 2024 on ABC.
6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an interview with Sports Business Journal media reporter Austin Karp.
Karp talks about the NBA and ABC being set up for big ratings with the Spurs and Knicks in the Finals, the trio of Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler calling their first NBA Finals together and the Inside the NBA crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal working the NBA Finals pregame, halftime and postgame studio shows for the first time.
In addition, Karp discusses Pat McAfee being ESPN’s top star, the buzz surrounding the World Cup, a big problem with college football’s playoff schedule, whether Fox could lose the World Series and/or the NFL, the current debacle at 60 Minutes and much more.
Following Karp, Sal Licata from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include: the NBA Finals, my recent interview with Marv Albert, Sal getting a message from a Howard Stern Show wack packer, a fun rankings game, Sal’s lack of Bon Jovi knowledge and more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: The trailer dropped Wednesday morning for The Social Reckoning, the sequel to The Social Network. The cast, with Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White and Bill Burr, is stellar.
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.
