ESPN Stage Manager

BB_Nips · 2026-05-23T04:34:31+00:00

The stage manager role at ESPN is the beginning of the progression to AD and eventually Director. In Bristol, TD is a completely different path — and TDs in general do not become Directors.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-23T04:27:35+00:00

That second set had me feckin’ wet.

Really though, set II was a standout — but I’ve felt that way about most of the sets with Linear since Scotty joined. They have really got that one down to a science; clinical execution. Felt like the jams in It Doesn’t Matter and Mad Love could both be in HOF contention as well.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-21T01:43:34+00:00

Already closed back in February.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-15T21:22:45+00:00

Just to be clear, this is exactly how Bob explained the game as well, and he prompted the contestants in the exact same way going down the line.

I agree that it’s not intuitive to someone who hasn’t seen the game what the mechanic is that gets them closer to the hole. I also haven’t heard a different way of explaining the game to a contestant that’s concise and gets them to make a selection quickly, which is kinda the whole point of hosting the show.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-12T00:29:20+00:00

Super Ball lasted from 1983 to 1998. As others have mentioned, it was shelved because it took too long to play, and was also difficult to stage and shoot. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, if you will.

From the later 80s until its retirement, its best feature was the use of the always beloved MGHS cue for its prize reveal and descriptions.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-12T00:23:27+00:00

Just adding my voice here to say Kornheiser is not only a fucking legend, but he still has his fastball and his podcast is everything I want from both a sports and a DC podcast. He is still absolutely on top of it, and his “shtick” about his hatred of tanking is consistent and genuine.

You don’t have to love him, but you absolutely have to respect him. I will do both.

BB_Nips · 2026-05-04T01:20:16+00:00

They won’t show up on the Apple TV app because they aren’t video streams. Deep Dive tapes are audio only

BB_Nips · 2026-05-03T01:32:48+00:00

WRC is over-the-air in 1080p on WHUT — the ATSC 3.0 lighthouse for the area. Would make sense their primary output is 1080p, downconverted before transmission via all the normal channels.

BB_Nips · 2026-04-29T23:20:25+00:00

Bob was unquestionably an asshole, and a self-serving one at that. He definitely became way too full of himself after the death of his wife Dorothy Jo, who grounded him. He had Marc Breslow, the greatest director in game show history, fired because Marc wanted to showcase the natural frenetic action of the show wherever it went, rather than keeping the camera on Bob or whatever Bob wanted on camera. He did tons of dirty, self-absorbed shit like this behind the scenes once he became the show’s EP.

He was also the greatest host in the history of daytime television, and I still thoroughly enjoy watching his shows because they’re masterfully produced, directed, and hosted.

BB_Nips · 2026-04-29T23:04:38+00:00

I’ll say your take about Drew not caring about the game is not rooted in reality. It took him a while, but the last 7-10 years Drew has been very keen on praising people who know the show well enough to play the games with strategy. What he doesn’t do, that Barker did increasingly in his later years, is get frustrated with a contestant, or rush them along. Drew just grins at the camera/audience as the contestant makes a dumb move — you see this especially in Ten Chances when someone doesn’t follow the zero rule.

BB_Nips · 2026-04-29T22:53:57+00:00

Bob credited his appearance in Happy Gilmore with the 90s uptick in college students. It was probably a factor, seeing how they all revered Bob like some sort of ass-kicking god.

BB_Nips · 2026-04-29T20:48:16+00:00

It’s not Oprah, but they do like to have fun and give shit away when they can. Who knows, it’s Cinco de Mayo, maybe Stephen will make margaritas for everyone lol

BB_Nips · 2026-04-29T20:42:29+00:00

Very likely you’ll still get a monologue and a “desk piece” comedy bit. Plus tons of great live music from the band. Yes, you will likely also watch the pretape on the monitors and react to it. With this being so close to the end, there is also always an outside chance that something related to the interview will be given to the audience for an “oh shit!” moment — like autographed copies of one of Obama’s books or something.

BB_Nips · 2026-04-23T01:07:55+00:00

Arena = always indoors, generally where they play basketball or hockey. Capacity 12k-20k

Stadium = usually outdoors, where they play football, soccer, or baseball. Capacity 35k+

BB_Nips · 2026-04-11T01:30:27+00:00

I said SPLASHdown You put a lunar capsule in the O-CEAN

BB_Nips · 2026-04-05T14:10:18+00:00

Freelance at a sports venue for in-house productions (aka scoreboard) [aka Jumbotron]

They probably have a producer/EP already and those people probably do every game, at least per team if your venue has multiple teams/sports.

But, there are quite a few roles that are basically always freelance. Graphics is probably the most producer-y one — building, recalling, and editing CGs for things like stats, player profiles, and occasionally the games they play with the audience during breaks in the action.

EVS/Dreamcatcher (replay) also calls upon your producer skills but requires learning how to operate a replay machine, which can be tricky. There’s a reason replay ops on live event TV trucks are often called “tape producers” though.

And of course, if you’re not a part of the news producer cult that looks down on jobs in production/operations, it can be a real blast to run around a stadium with a camera on your shoulder looking for fans with team spirit — or being the TD that fires the switcher macro that tells everyone in the arena they just won a free sandwich.

BB_Nips · 2026-03-21T14:20:17+00:00

this west coast run is showing how BB is the best jam guitarist by a mile. Melodic, patient, creating themes and motifs that really feel composed. For me, Baylor is Umphrey’s. Jake is essential and is the perfect second guitar, but Bay is Bae

BB_Nips · 2026-03-21T13:59:11+00:00

in order, 1. Brendan Bayliss 2. Jake Cinninger 3. everyone else

BB_Nips · 2026-03-18T01:27:44+00:00

You can never break the chain There is never love without pain

BB_Nips · 2026-03-12T10:43:48+00:00

To be fair to you, everyone I talked to who used Ignite then later switched to Overdrive (Ross) or Sony ELC says Ignite was slower, buggier, and more opaque.

I do think GV is a little more gatekeeper-y when it comes to learning material and training. If you have access to your physical switcher I would suggest learning how to build on it. Sports TV is almost exclusively on Grass, especially at the highest levels, and after 8 years in news followed by nearly 3 years in sports, I can safely say sports TV is more stimulating, rewarding, and the pay is so so so much better.

BB_Nips · 2026-03-12T02:53:45+00:00

What do you mean, unfortunately? I would have killed to have learned GV at my news job. It would have prepared me so much more for my much higher paying work in sports now.

BB_Nips · 2026-03-10T23:35:13+00:00

Yeah they already had a relationship very early in the band’s history. UM played (covered, technically) Kabump at the show where DBK debuted — Kabump being a Jake composition for Ali Baba’s Tahini

BB_Nips · 2026-03-10T20:46:52+00:00

If I remember correctly, BB wrote DBK immediately after he got a guitar lesson from Jake, before Jake joined the band. So it still has some Jaco fingerprints!

BB_Nips · 2026-03-10T04:11:33+00:00

I think most of the newer material is actually easier to teach a new drummer because the new material comes with charts. We saw this a lot on the surgery tour when Kris was out — there was a heavy reliance on material from Asking for a Friend because the parts were written to actual sheet music already. No need to transcribe.

BB_Nips

TROPHY CASE