Top sports media moments of 2021

NEW YORK — Upon the arrival of 2022, what better time to take a look back at the Top 10 sports media moments of 2021 as compiled by, well, me. There were highlights and lowlights on a variety of fronts. So, here goes.

In honor of the Free World still turning upside down, the rankings will go from 10 to 1. Happy New Year. 10. Amateur athletes cash in on their name, image and likeness (NIL): This should energize the college sports media, giving it a whole new category to cover. Two dozen states agreed to allow college players to cash in on NIL through product endorsements, business ventures, and public appearances. Once the states agreed the NCAA, long opposed to the concept, caved and followed.

9. NHL hammers out new TV deals:

Figuring the grass, and the color of fresh money, is greener on the other side, Gary Bettman & Co. scurried away from NBC to cut seven-year deals with ESPN (March) and Turner (April). The deals are not totally sweet for local fans who, if they are not subscribers, won’t be able to access Rangers, Isles, and Devs games on ESPN+. 8. YES and SNY voices don’t travel with Yankees and Mets: COVID-19 restrictions limited travel for the broadcasters. On SNY, Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling worked most games from their Citi Field booth. YES’ crew, mostly Mike Kay, and David Cone, worked from the Stadium booth. Paul O’Neill analyzed the games from his home studio. More than a few eyeballs thought the quality of the telecasts (and radiocasts) suffered because the voices were not on the scene.

The commentators thought that accurately tracking a flyball was more important than health and safety. With COVID-19, and its variants, still on the move, look for the voices to follow the same plan in 2022.

7. Steve Somers retires from WFAN:

The veteran Gasbag, who was a FAN original, “retired” in November after working 34 years behind the FANCave microphone. While the tributes were well-earned and wellmeant, we were left believing Somers wasn’t exactly thrilled about leaving.

Guess new FAN management thought the “new” sound it currently presents is better than a voice with a unique style and quirky content. Somers took it all in stride. Yet, is there any truth to the rumor he is walking aimlessly around his apartment repeating the phrase: “Me here. You, not there.”

6. Bristol Brainiacs botch Maria Taylor/Rachel Nichols controversy:

For a year, ESPN management knew Nichols, a key player (“The Jump”) on their NBA coverage suggested Taylor, named host of “NBA Countdown” in July 2020, was promoted because she is Black. Knowing what was said, the Bristol Faculty still could not rectify the situation. It appeared that they did not try awfully hard. They basically sat on it, not even setting up a face-to-face with Nichols and Taylor.

In early July 2021, this backfired when the New York Times published a story that included Nichols’ comments about Taylor. Those comments were secretly taped by an ESPN employee during an off-air conversation Nichols was having with an agent. In the end, ESPN dumped Nichols.

5. Amazon signs deal with NFL to exclusively stream Thursday Night Football:

The deal, worth a whopping $1 billion per (11-year contract), will start in 2022. It was scheduled to start in 2023, but Fox agreed to dump TNF a year early. Ironically, the networks that have aired “TNF” wound up wanting no part of it.

4. Stephen A. Smith boots Max Kellerman off ‘First Take’:

At least SAS was honest about it. He stabbed his long-time partner in the heart rather than the back.

SAS shoveled dirt publicly, saying he and Kellerman lacked chemistry.

He said Kellerman was adversely impacting the ratings. By disposing of

Kellerman in September, Smith turned “First Take” into “My Take.”

The show revolves around him. Apparently, so does ESPN. SAS gloms more face-time at ESPN than any other talent. And his colleagues (Just check out “NBA Countdown”) defer (and sometimes genuflect) to him.

3. Marv Albert retires: Marveloso called it a day in July after TNT’s 2021 Eastern Conference Finals coverage, ending an incredible 55-year career, where he handled a variety (that’s an understatement) of assignments, including being the voice of a Blue Oyster Cult radio spot.

Albert, who inspired many young voices to pursue their own microphone dreams, will be missed by all who recognized his roles as voice of the Knicks, especially those rare championship years. And as voice of the NBA on NBC, Albert was the man who, accurately and passionately, captioned Michael Jordan’s greatest moments.

2. The Manning Cast: Just when you thought creativity was on its last legs, along come Peyton and Eli Manning with their football-comedy-variety show on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” Living on parallel paths helps the chemistry. Yet these guys are naturally funny. Their weird sense of timing helps too.

ESPN has a three-year deal with these guys. Considering the first-year results, whatever the network is paying is a bargain price.

1. The death of John Madden: A sad ending to 2021. Madden, he of the bus and sideline bluster, had three distinctly separate careers. And each one was more successful than the previous project.

He had incredible coaching success with Oakland. He created the blueprint for analyzing a football game on TV. Then there was the video game. His regular guy persona was the one common thread in all these endeavors. The Everyman in him always shined through.

That was the essence of John Madden. RIP.