Bob Raissman: Fox gives Derek Jeter a spot landing spot for the next chapter of his baseball career

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The addition of Derek Jeter to Fox’s MLB studio show will not attract added eyeballs or significantly juice ratings for a production that’s turned into A Night at the Chuckle Hut starring David (Big Papi) Ortiz.
Did Fox really need to add Jeter to a studio lineup that, besides Ortiz, already includes Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, and Kevin Burkhardt? Answer: When it comes to star gazing the network suits, including the Foxies, just can’t help themselves.
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Why do you think Fox, in a futures deal that may start in 2024, signed Tom Brady, with no booth experience, to a 10-year, $375 million contract to be its No. 1 NFL analyst when the network already had Greg Olsen in the chair?
The appetite for collecting stars never subsides.
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Any downside to that “hobby” is manageable. For even if Jeter (he has done studio cameo spots) turns in mediocre, uninspired performances, he still brings the all-important buzz factor (even if it’s negative) to the proceedings.
Derek Jeter is joining Fox’s MLB studio show for the upcoming season. (Seth Wenig/AP)
Considering the electricity Jeter generated when Fox introduced him as a new member of its “family” during last Sunday’s Super Bowl pregame show, the former Yankees Captain is already paying dividends.
The appearance generated speculation. The cup runneth over. Will Jeter and Rodriguez, well-known adversaries who once comprised the left side of the Yankees’ infield, coexist behind the microphones? Will they challenge each other creating debate? Or will they be deferential, Vanilla Fellows? Or could this even turn into a competition, where Jeter and Rodriguez try out-analyzing each other?
As the rest of the cast is so outspoken — and frankly loud — will Jeter be able to, figuratively, elbow his way into the conversation? This was a problem for the entertaining Keith Hernandez when he was a panelist in Fox’s postseason MLB studio.
The art of spontaneity is not easy. That’s why Jeter, like A-Rod, could be heavily scripted in the studio setting. Jeter knows what this is all about. During his playing days he controlled the message. Jeter took a guarded approach, assiduously avoiding controversial topics. Jeter was not averse to granting a boss scribe some time, but rarely delivered anything memorable.
That’s why it is ironic he’s turning to TV, putting himself out there. For Jeter, the media was a necessary nuisance — something to put up with. Now, he’s decided to cross over the line and join the club. Or at least that’s the perception.
Jeter is using Fox to keep his name out there. TV is his vehicle to offer up his insights, baseball acumen and personality to corporations who advertise their products nationally, baseball owners, and others in management positions.
See, Jeter still has plenty of star power to sell and TV, in this case Fox, is a soft — very soft — place to land.
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DUCKING THE PRESS
A variety of Gasbags took the usually accessible Brian Cashman to task for sending Aaron Boone out to face the media and deliver the bad news about Frankie Montas’ surgery, which could be season-ending for the pitcher.
These are the same Bloviators who have given Knicks prez Leon (Sphinx) Rose a complete free pass for his habit of ducking the media. After the recent trade deadline, when NBA execs customarily meet with boss scribes, Rose was not made available to Knicks beat people.
Other than speaking to MSG Network propagandists, like Mike Breen, Rose, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, has not spoken to “independent media on the record” since 2021.
Even the reclusive James (Guitar Jimmy) Dolan, Rose’s boss, has recently made more media appearances, albeit to defend his controversial facial recognition policy.
DONE DEAL, OF COURSE
Prior to him signing a new three-year deal with SportsNet New York, there was a lot of fretting over the future of Keith Hernandez in the Mets TV booth.
It was a waste of anxiety. While Mex wanted more dough, where exactly was he going? Cleveland? San Francisco? Retirement? Hernandez had to know, no other network would cater to him, and put up with his “eccentricities,” the way SNY suits have for 17 years. It would be hard attaching a monetary value to this kind of Diva treatment.
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[ Bob Raissman: Keith Hernandez walking fine line between character and caricature in Mets booth ]
The only other baseball voice in town who also gets similar DT is YES’ Paul O’Neill. YES suits actually allowed him to work from his Ohio home the entire 2022 season while the other voices shlepped to the Stadium or took their act on the road.
ROMO IS FAN-TASTIC
To counter the heat Tony Romo is taking on social media and from main-line critics, CBS Sports has actually determined why the Eye’s No. 1 NFL analyst is still worth the $17 million per the network is paying him.
In an interview with SXM’s Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo, CBS Sports boss Sean McManus said Romo is “different” and “not your typical” analyst. McManus said an “enormous amount of people” have told him how much they like Romo’s work.
“He’s enthusiastic. He sometimes speaks more as a fan than even an analyst, which I think people like,” McManus said.
[ Bob Raissman: Tom Brady retires from football again with historic TV deal in back pocket ]
McManus explained that it’s not unusual for him to have one-on-one chats with a number of CBS Sports voices to offer his observations, including Romo.
“Can he [Romo] get better? We all can get better,” McManus said. “So do I sit down with Tony periodically? Of course. … The thought that…I sat down with Tony to tell him how he can get better is just inaccurate.”
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AROUND THE DIAL
Credit Fox’s Terry Bradshaw (he did it during the brief halftime report) for being first on Fox’s Super Bowl broadcast team to take NFL to task for the poor field conditions. Greg Olsen/Kevin Burkhardt didn’t put a real spotlight on all the slippage until the second half. … Dick Vitale, working last Saturday’s Duke-UVA tilt on ESPN, sounded terrific. Yet Vitale’s greatest asset is the enthusiasm he still projects. Even in troubled times, Vitale can put a smile on your face. … In the aftermath of a Super Bowl, all the lines run together creating brain fog. Yet ESPN’s Ryan Clark cut through, saying: “Patrick Mahomes is so good we are desensitized to how hard it is to win a Super Bowl.” … That Eddie The Picks Jockey “segment” courtesy of Norman Julius Esiason and Gregg Giannotti is turning into a nightmare. How long before ETPJ moves into their WFAN studio?
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DUDE OF THE WEEK: JAMES BRADBERRY
His game-changing penalty in the recent Super Bowl will be talked about as long as Gasbags roam the earth. Yet Bradberry’s eloquence in acknowledging his misplay speaks volumes to his character.
DWEEB OF THE WEEK: NFL TURF BRAINIACS
Blame whomever you want for the shoddy field conditions in Arizona during Supe LVII but the slippery turf, although underplayed in the first half by Fox’s announcers, had a significant, negative impact on the game for both teams.
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DOUBLE TALK
What Kevin Durant said: “Everybody who was in that gym, we grinded. I love those guys.”
What Kevin Durant meant to say: “I love those guys. But not enough to stay in Brooklyn.”

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