Four MLB Divisional Series are on tap today. Tonight at 6:30, the New York Yankees send Gerrit Cole to the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays. I have been critical of Cole’s tenure with the Yankees, especially his post season performances. But am I being too harsh? I break it down in the commentary. Dan On Sports is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Tough day for sportscasters Tony Romo is out at CBS. His OWI arrest in Milwaukee over the summer did him in. CBS made the announcement of Romo’s departure yesterday. Romo had pleaded no contest to the OWI charge last month. He and Jim Nance formed the Number One NFL broadcasting crew for the network. The reality is CBS wanted Romo gone before the OWI, as it tried to get out from under his $18M per year contract, which still had four years to run. When he broke in next to Nance, replacing Phil Simms, Romo was the hottest thing in sports broadcasting, until he wasn’t. In recent years, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s gift for predicting plays, once considered an asset, turned out to be a detriment. At times, Romo sounded ill-prepared. All the while, CBS, which jumped on the Romo bandwagon by giving him a 10-year, $180M contract, looked for an escape hatch. Over the summer, Romo gave them one, pulled over for allegedly drinking and driving, after leaving a celebrity golf tournament in Milwaukee. It was all CBS needed to cut ties. Romo was immediately suspended and did not return to the air. The two sides announced a mutual parting yesterday. If they love you in network television, they will find a way to keep you. If you become persona non grata, they will pull you faster than Chad Tracy yanks a starting pitcher. Romo lost his luster, and CBS pulled the plug. JJ Watt will stay Nance’s partner for the rest of the season, but look for a booth battle next year for the network’s number one analyst alongside Nance, with Fox’s Greg Olsen and ESPN’s Troy Aikman, becoming free agents. Then there is the story of 29-year-old Braiden Bell, hired on Thursday by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers as their new television voice. Within hours of his hiring, a local reporter unearthed tweets Bell posted as a teenager 14 years ago, that were racist and misogynist. He was fired hours after being hired, reminding one-and-all, what you post on social media even decades ago, can come back to haunt you. Meanwhile, Bell took to social media yesterday: Expect the Bell saga to be talked about at social media seminars for years. Thank you for subscribing! DAN This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danonsports.com/subscribe
