Category: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Popular A’s Players could be Traded

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Oakland A’s slugger Matt Chapman could be on the trade block once the lockout is over along with many other key A’s players (AP file photo)

Popular A’s Players could be Traded

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–As the negotiations continue this week in Jupiter, Florida, between MLB and the MLPA, there are potential trades. These trades cannot happen until the Collective Bargaining Agreement is agreed on by both sides by the owners and players.

The negotiations continue this week in Jupiter, Florida and according to Commissioner Rob Manfred if by the 28th of this month they do not come to an agreement, games scheduled to begin on March 31 (Opening Day) season would be in jeopardy and MLB games would begin to be cancelled every day and taken off the schedule. If the lockout continues.

Some big names are still on the trading block, although not much is happening at this time. Perhaps the biggest name is that of World Champions Atlanta Braves, first baseman Freddy Freeman.

The Braves offered him a five year $135 million contract, but is reported he is looking for a six-year deal. Hard to see how the Atlanta Braves cannot resign him. There still time for the Braves to keep one of their most popular players since Hank Aaron in Atlanta.

As far as the A’s, these established players could be on the move, (not necessarily all of them)  Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montás and Lou Trivino. A fire sale?  It could happen, as the A’s are looking to trim payroll and hope to remain competitive with a load of prospects that they would receive in return.

#1 Most probable to leave Oakland: Matt Olson who could is in high demand. If the Atlanta Braves  cannot resign their All Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, Atlanta is a good place for him after all he was born there, 27 years ago.

Another place for Olson, the New York Yankees, who might not be able to keep Anthony Rizzo at first base. Matt Olson ended tied for #5 in home runs in the American League (2021) with 39. Olson has won two Gold Gloves and three Fielding Bible Awards, and was an All-Star in 2021.

Right after the 2021 season ended and prior to MLB lockout on December 2, the Yankees were first to show interest in the slugger, who could be a menace at Yankee Stadium, where the ball really flies to right field.

#2 Possibility: Matt Chapman, one of the best third basemen in the game who has won three Gold Gloves, the Yankees were rumored to seek his services, Chapman defensive reputation is such, that the Yankees brass believe they could even use him as their everyday shortstop.

Other teams include: Seattle, Tampa Bay, Colorado, LA Dodgers and Toronto. However, Chapman is an arbitration eligible player with two more years of control by the A’s. He is due to make a $9.5 millions this season.

#3 Chris Bassitt who enjoyed his best season in 2021 and was selected to the All Star game. Bassitt has been coveted by a handful of teams including the LA Angels, who are still in need of more starting pitching. Bassitt had a remarkable 2021 season.

He got hit in the head by a line drive in Chicago in the month of August, but completed  his best season to date, 12-4, 3.15 ERA in 27 games started, pitched 157 1/3 innings  and recorded 159 strikeouts. Good starting pitchers are not in great supply these days, so the possibility of Chris Bassitt leaving Oakland, in my opinion, is over 50%.

Other possible A’s to depart Oakland via trade: Pitchers Frankie Montás and Sean Manaea. After Bassitt, Frankie Montás was the best starter for the A’s. Sean Manaea is a good strong lefty with experience and he could easily fit on many teams either in the American or National League.

Reliever Lou Trivino is a possibly specially when closer Trevor Rosenthal who signed  a 1-year deal in 2021 for $11 million, required two surgeries and never threw a single pitch for the club, could be ready to pitch this season.

But the biggest news for the Oakland Athletics in this 2022 season remains the conclusion of their search for a new ballpark. The Oakland City Council recently voted 6-2 in favor to certify the environmental impact report for the A’s proposed stadium project at Howard Terminal.

A’s President Dave Kaval mentioned that was as positive step to keep the A’s in Oakland, but also reiterated he is working in parallel plans with Oakland and Las Vegas.

Only in Baseball: It was reported that Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto was offered a 13 year $350 million contract and rejected it. Born in República Dominicana, Soto, just 23 years old, is regarded by many in baseball as the best left handed hitter in the game, last season he ended with a .313 average 29 home runs and 95 runs batted in.

Finally regarding the current lockout: According to Associated Press MLB players would lose around $20.5 million daily for each regular-season day missed. The owners much more than that.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Angel pitcher Matt Harvey testified that he gave percocet to Skaggs

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Former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Matt Harvey testified that he gave percocet pills to former pitcher Tyler Skaggs in the Angels clubhouse during the 2019 season (photo from insidehook.com)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Former Los Angeles Angels Communications Director Eric Kay who is facing 20 to life for distributing opioids to former Angels pitcher the late Tyler Skaggs which were fentanyl laced and killed the Angels pitcher.

#2 You got to know both Skaggs and Kay while broadcasting Angels game for the Angels TV Network knowing both Skaggs and Kay did this whole story shock you knowing the clean cut characters on the surface of these two the Angel player and employee?

#3 You talked highly of former Angeles vice president of communications Tim Mead who at one time in this case was also being investigated but was found not to be involved with Kay.

#4 Although Kay is up for sentencing on June 28 with a minimum sentence of 20 years former Angels pitchers CJ Cron and Matt Harvey testified in court and that Harvey received the percocet laced pills from Kay. Harvey testified he had given the percocet pills to Skaggs in the clubhouse.

#5 Tim Mead left the Angels and later worked as president of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown but left the job. Was the reason for his leaving Cooperstown based on the Eric Kay opioids distribution story which blew up and there were questions about if Mead was involved which later Mead was not involved?

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaruy’s News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Beijing Winter Olympics NBC Ratings “Disaster”

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Eileen Gu picks up gold at the venue award ceremony during the 2022 Olympics for the women’s halfpipe at Zhangjiakou, China on Fri Feb 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

Beijing Winter Olympics NBC Ratings “Disaster”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The controversial Beijing Winter Olympics are history. NBC who paid $7.75 billion to carry the Olympics until 2032 for the United States, televised an Olympic with great political tone and corruption by the IOC (International Olympics Committee) who should have never awarded the 2022 Winter Olympic to China.

A diplomatic boycott by countries because of the Chinese communist government of human rights abuse on their Uyghurs Muslims minority as well as other allegations.

According to the Associated Press through Tuesday, an average of 12.2 million people watched the Olympics in prime-time on NBC, cable, or the Peacock streaming service, down 42 percent from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. The average for NBC alone was 10 million, a 47 percent drop, the Nielsen company said.

Norway, a country of 5.4 million people continued its domination in Winter Olympics. Norway not only broke the record for most gold medals in a single Olympics with 16 Gold medals, but also defeated the ROC – Russian Olympic Committee in the total medal count with 37. Nobody has won more medals in the Winter Olympics competition than Norway.

Top Five countries (Medals)

1-Norway 37

2-ROC 32 (Russia)

3-Germany 27

4-Canada 26

5-United States 25

IOC corruption: Kamila Valieva a Russian skater who was considered the best in the world and the first woman in history to land a quadruple jump (in Beijing last week) but was allowed to skate after she was found positive for enhancing performance drugs in December.

Interesting situation: The very successful American freestyle skater Eileen Gu, born in San Francisco, and competed for China, became the first action sports athlete to win three medals at a Winter Olympic Games. Obviously received much criticism from both countries.

 Olympians must be citizens of the country they represent, and China doesn’t allow for dual citizenship. So how are Americans with U.S. passports competing for Team China in Beijing?

That was the question from lots of US viewers.  Answer: (Rule 40-41) Any competitor in the Olympic games must be a national of the country which is entering such competition.

A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he/she might elect. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Congratulations to the great majority of the Olympic athletes that competed and well represented their respective countries.

NBC hoped to get a “bump” from their Superbowl coverage, but obviously that was not the case.

Thankfully the next Winter Olympics will be in Italy. Ciao!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Commissioner– If no deal by the 28th -The regular season is in Jeopardy

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Yankee Stadium under lock and key as the MLB Lockout continues since Dec 2, 2021 (image from the New York Post)

MLB Commissioner: If no deal by the 28th -The regular season is in Jeopardy

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It was on December 2, 2021, that Mr.Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball ordered a lockout on behalf of the owners. Until today’s announcement in New York by Mr.Manfred, two months and 18 days have passed-by and MLB (owners) and the MLBPA (players association) are not very close to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

According to reports, today’s meeting lasted 15 innings, sorry, 15 minutes I meant to say. Ironically, when they meet they are fast meetings; exactly what baseball is trying to do, make the games shorter!

Spring Training was to begin this week, and the first Spring Training games are scheduled in eight days. Obviously, that is not going to happen. One thing both sides agree (and it has never been an issue) players need four weeks of Spring Training.

The Office of the Commissioner did not give us the official delay of Spring Training if there is any, and now Manfred is ringing the alarm that if nothing happens by the 28th of this month, the regular season is in jeopardy.

Meantime, the economies of Arizona and Florida, which do very well during Spring Training with fans spending money in hotels, restaurants, baseball games, and all type of entertainment in these two states is suffering and will continue to suffer if they ever do anything in Spring Training.

For Arizona, it might be a bigger deal than Florida. After all, Florida announced recently they set a new record for tourism last year with 117 million domestic visitors.

Analysts say the new record was a combination of Florida’s successful less strict mandates for Covid and the weather which is always the biggest attraction in what today is the fourth most populous state in the country, only California, Texas, and New York have larger populations than the Sunshine State.

On Thursday MLB arrived to hear the Players Union latest proposal and this is what happened:

The MLBPA backed off its request for arbitration for all players within two plus years of service and requested that 80% of players go into the system. Also, the union requested an increase in its per-arbitration bonus pool asks from $100 million to $115 million. This was reported all happened inside those furious 15 minutes and, Adiós, Hasta la Vista!

By the time you are reading this on Friday morning, more than likely, Commissioner Manfred will make another announcement. It is truly a game they’re playing, by posturing and making statements to look good in the eyes of the most important people in this negotiation, the fans.

Although they are not at the table in the middle of these two groups the fans are the most powerful, just like a voter has a vote come to Election Day, the fans have the most powerful power of the purse, for nobody will force you to attend watch or listen to a game. Some fans have become more than frustrated; they are cynical like never before.

Keep in mind, that although we should always respect serious negotiations between Management and Labor, this is not your typical negotiation between boss and employee for minimum wages, this is at another level, it is basically by two very “well to do” sides on how to slice the pie.

Stay tuned for more because I am sure there are many acts to follow in this Circus.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez who does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: MLB and Union can’t make a connection on arbitration, revenue sharing and MLB minimum

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Negotiations over the weekend proved fruitless as MLB and the MLBPA could not agree on some of the big ticket items (photo by News Center 1)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury MLB and the Players Association met over the weekend and again neither side made an movements on agreeing about a the Major League minimum salary, arbitration and revenue sharing.

#2 Amaury, in a 130 page proposal that was presented to the MLB Players which the union looked over and did not come to an agreement on. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he would present a “good faith” proposal but it looks as if it fell on deaf ears.

#3 Amaury, the start of the 2022 spring training schedule looks like it will delayed and further regular season which starts on March 31st looks like it won’t start on time at this rate.

#4 The Union and MLB did agree on the Universal DH, creating a draft lottery system. The Union is asking for MLB to increase the MLB minimum salary from $615,000, $650,000, and $700.000 over three years to $750,000.

#5 Amaury, talk about those that this lockout and who it really effects, the parking lot attendants, the souvenir store employees, concession employees, hawkers, ushers, security, food service, front office middle management, grounds crews, these employees just might have to go out and look for an outside job until the lockout is settled.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez the Spanish radio voice of Oakland A’s baseball on 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Outspoken Celtics Center traded and then Waived

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Enes Kanter Freedom as he appeared on the cover of the New Yorker was vocal about China and it’s politics was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Houston Rockets later to be released by Houston and is now out of the NBA (photo by the New Yorker)

Outspoken Celtics Center traded and then Waived

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Enes Kanter Freedom is a good solid pro-basketball player, but we are living during days when free speech has become a liability and not something that should be cherish and respected. Kanter Freedom was traded to the Houston Rockets and soon immediately waived by the Rockets, ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

He has been a critic of China and their abuses of human rights (something that is also part of the narrative of the current Winter Olympics) in Beijing, China, which many are calling the “Genocide Olympics” where US imposed a diplomatic boycott).

The trade, which includes other players aside from Enes Freedom, could just be a coincidence? Or does it makes more sense to come to the simplest of conclusions that the very lucrative NBA associate with the Chinese market was the main reason he got this treatment.

Last month co-owner minority billionaire of the Golden State Warriors Chamath Palihapitiya during an interview said “nobody cares about the Uyghur genocide in China”, then later apologized after being widely slammed for his remarks. Who knows, maybe the NBA now considers Freedom toxic?

The trade was made between the Houston Rockets, going nowhere this year with a 15-40 record and the Boston Celtics positioned to be in the postseason with a 31-25 record. The trade was made official as Houston traded center Daniel Theis to Boston in exchange for guard Dennis Schroeder, center Bruno Fernando, and center Enes Kanter Freedom. Theis spent his first 3 years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics.

As a player (who recently became a Naturalized American citizens and added Freedom to his name) Enes Kanter Freedom, has become an outspoken critic of China and Turkey and has voiced his opinions on several other social issues.

He was not a superstar player and was not getting a lot play recently, but as any American citizen he is entitled to his opinion. He told the Boston Globe, how much he has learned as an American. Nobody knows if he will be picked up by another NBA team. I can only hope and pray we always honor and respect the First Amendment, a key component of our democracy. Where I was born such thing doesn’t exist.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Did politics play into the low ratings at the Beijing Olympics

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Performers at the opening ceremonies at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on Fri Feb 4, 2022 in Beijing (AP News photo)

On Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 If the barometer of comparing the 1988 Olympics in Calgary TV ratings which was a 20.1 million a record as the standard the 2022. The Beijing Winter Olympic ratings have come out with just a share of 16 million and is considered a low for the Olympics opening.

#2 The Beijing games are well below the 2018 Olympic games in South Korea by 43 percent. Thursday the Olympics came in with 7.7 million also comparing that with the Russian Olympics in 2014 with a 20.02 million rating.

#3 There are two factors at play that could be the reasons for low TV ratings with a large number of countries not sending diplomats to the Olympics in protest against the genocide of the Uyghurs people who are ethnic minority and who are located in the northwest part of China.

#4 The other issues are substandard living conditions for the athletes due to high Covid 19 restrictions the Chinese government is mandating Olympic athletes to stay in restricted housing only to come out when it’s time to compete.

#5 Olympic athletes have started using burner phones and lap top computers to avoid getting hacked or eve’s dropped on. TV crews have been ordered to do “closed loops” no shots of buildings, mountains, recognizable background shots.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Negotiations: Billionaires vs Millionaires, and for the rest, “Let them Eat Cake”

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Not much headway between MLB and the MLB Players Association as both sides remain deadlocked. With arms crossed MLB Players Association executive Tony Clark (file photo New York Times)

MLB Negotiations: Billionaires vs Millionaires, and for the rest, “Let them Eat Cake”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The negotiations between owners and players associations/MLPA in New York City, ended on Friday. Thursday MLB proposed that a Federal Mediator will be appointed, today the players rejected it. Everybody went home, have a nice weekend everybody, see you Monday!

Thousands of people depend on baseball during the season, from regular ushers at the parks, to independent contractors that sell merchandise inside the park, parking attendants, to people that work in the maintenance of the park from ground crew to electricians and just regular laborers, people that clean and many others.

Most people do not realize that most players do not play in their hometown, temporary housing has to be found, housekeepers, babysitters, schools for the kids, and the infrastructure for your temporary home during the season. A lot of logistics.

Team’s staff, personnel that is only hired during the season, not ‘year round’ is affected. Television and radio technicians that are employed also game by game, season by season, broadcasters who do not have necessarily have an ‘iron clad’ contract or get paid regardless if there are games or not are affected.

Not every technician and/or broadcaster is represented by a Union; some teams do not hire union people but free-lancers. Local revenues in television and radio broadcasts in baseball are seriously affected. In some markets some radio stations do not produce the games, but they sell time to the teams, who then hire their own people to broadcast the games or in some other cases, it is not “clear” who the broadcasters really work for.

When Billionaires fight against Millionaires and there is an impasse, there is a perception by the public at large that they do not care about the regular “humans” that have to work eight or more hours for a living.

Not to mention the huge economic impact on each city and most stadiums. Example: the thriving business community around San Francisco Giants Oracle Park, some of those business need the baseball season, they are just blocks and around the park and depend on each season for the foot traffic and customers.

Spring Training (economy) barring a miracle of a very quick agreement, Spring Training in Arizona and Florida will not start on time. It is scheduled for mid-February. I have been traveling to the Phoenix, Arizona area for decades, the 15 teams that train there each year bring tourism from all over the country, thousands of fans go to see their teams, and many take vacations.

I have met many fans throughout the years that are the famous “snowbirds” they travel down from Illinois, Minnesota and those cold States during this time of the year for the sunny and perfect weather of the Arizona desert (just try to buy a ticket for a Cubs game) in February and March.

Same happens in Florida where the other 15 teams trains each year, these cities economies are also affected. Spring Training has become so popular that you must reserve a hotel in December if you want to have a room, and some hotel chains they take your reservation six months in advance.

To what limit are the owners and players willing to go? Do they know they are risking the total destruction of the industry and the amount of damage that will inflict to communities across the country?

This Collective Bargaining Agreement is at a key moment for the health of this sport. This is not 1994 when the last strike took place. In fact social media came about in 1997, recently Facebook has broadcast live games, and You Tube is also coming soon.

It took four years after the 1994 strike for baseball fans to come back. In 1998 the McGwire vs. Sosa home-run race, brought back the interest for many fans, even the most cynical of fans “returned”.

This time baseball might be living right at the precipice and like the old 1965 hit song by Barry McGuire (not related to Mark McGwire) “The Eve of Destruction”. Let’s hope that is not the case.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary; Beijing Winter Olympics – US Athletes the Most Watched, by the Chinese Government–

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The Olympic rings as Biathletes skate above the rings in a practice run on Thu Feb 3, 2022 at Zhangjiakou, China (AP News photo)

Beijing Winter Olympics – US Athletes the Most Watched, by the Chinese Government–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The FBI warned the US Athletes participating in Beijing to take temporary cell phones (burner phones) and leaving their regular phones at home, because of the Chinese government surveillance, possible cyber attacks and other uses of their personal information for malicious intent.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, told the US Athletes against angering the “ruthless” Chinese government and to focus on competing in the games rather than speaking out. In other words “shut up and just compete”.

The US boycotted diplomatically these games, together with other nations. What this means is that no US dignitaries will be in attendance at Beijing for the Opening Ceremonies, no politicians and diplomats.

The United Nations and Amnesty International, as well as other worldwide organization in the free world accuse the communist government of China of human rights violations, especially of forced labor camps across China of Uyghurs, a much persecuted Muslim minority as well as Tibetan populations in that country and other types of abuses including torture and even death.

Recently famous Chinese Tennis star Peng Shuai spoke about being raped by a high Chinese government official. She was “missing” for days after her allegations, to this day many do not really know what is happening with Shuai. Although the Chinese government is expected to use her as propaganda during the games that just began.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has been consistently critical of the human rights abuses in China and even criticized the NBA for doing business with that country. There will be no public allowed for all events. This is basically a televised Olympic with very strict regulatory policies for all the athletes.

These Winter Olympics are called by many around the free world “The Genocide Olympics” as the tensions will be high, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin, threatening an invasion of Ukraine will be attending as a special invite of his friend and ally Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, the man in charge of China’s over 1.4 billion people.

Chinese laws are very vague on the crimes they can use to prosecute people’s free speech. The free speech in China is allowed speech as long as that speech is favorable to the government. Nothing remotely close to the laws of the United States.

The athletes attending from all over the world will be very much in lock-down inside their quarters, because of strict covid precautions and also because the communist always consider every visitor to their country a “potential spy”. Although that is not right, their system of government, like other communist countries live with that paranoia all the time.

Because the Olympics always have the potential for international conflict, the US delegation must be very discipline. We can only think like the stress of competition was not enough, they have to deal also with these other stressful situations which are more political than anything else.

The US delegation has 225 athletes, 115 men and 109 women plus one (1) non-binary athlete. There are 91 countries participating in these 2022 Winter Olympics.

NBC is the official carrier for the United States and CCTV for China, a country with an estimated 370 million televisions among their population. 200 countries around the world will have some kind of coverage.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Super Bowl LVI/That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Do Rams have advantage hosting Bengals in the Southland

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On the Super Bowl LVI/That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury, How much of an advantage does the Los Angeles Rams have hosting Super Bowl LVI on their home field at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles?

#2 The Rams had home field when they faced the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship and pulled it out with a win scoring 13 points to edge the 49ers 20-17 on Sunday.

#3 Amaury you’ve said time and time again that the Super Bowl is the biggest stage of all sports that the NFL is the richest league in North America how do you see the TV ratings for this Super Bowl LVI on Sun Feb 13th?

#4 The Cincinnati Bengals also just pulled out a squeaker with a 27-24 win in overtime over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals showed their where with all beating a team who was expected to be back in the Super Bowl in the Chiefs.

#5 Amaury, you’ve seen your share of Super Bowls the NFL, the City of Los Angeles, the Rams organization and the coaches and players have to be excited not only to be in the Super Bowl but TV revenue wise the number two TV market will be bringing in some bucks for the team and the league.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com