1. When Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt joined me on this week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina, I thought his opinion on ESPN buying NFL Network or his comments on what it’s like to work without Peter Schrager sitting next to him after so many years together would get picked up by some blogs and generate some discussion.
Instead, it was Brandt venting about people who brag about their television setups that has caused an uproar.
It all started innocently enough when I asked Brandt if he was a YouTubeTV subscriber because if he was, I wanted to know how he was holding up with the Disney carriage dispute.
“I get triggered by this, Jimmy, because you’re also touching on something else,” said Brandt, who was ready to unload.
“Set aside the YouTubeTV thing,” said Brandt. “I hate this thing online where people are, ‘rate my setup,’ and it’s them with 57 flat-screen TVs on some basement that’s 5,000 square feet, and they have the fridge next to their couch and they have their dog sitting there.
“I have a couch and a television. I don’t have a goddamn Dave & Buster’s in my house. You’re not going to rate my setup. My setup is the same one that my dad had in 1983. And I like my setup. I do RedZone, and occasionally I’ll jump to a game that I want to focus on, where I want to get more of the full story than a RedZone.
“I’m on my phone and I’m on my good old-fashioned 60-inch LG television watching Scott Hanson or whatever the crew [that] is doing the game. That is it. That’s my setup. Rate it if you want.”
Brandt added, “You know, I’ll listen to [Bill] Simmons and Cousin Sal, and they’re talking about, ‘Oh, I put this game in the octo, I put this game and I focused on this game,’ and I’m like, ‘You’re producing? You’re in the production truck?’ I don’t do it like that.”
Brandt’s words about TV setups struck a nerve with sports fans, with Barstool even telling everyone to “Boo This Man.”
I also received a steady stream of replies throughout Thursday on social media.
Deep down inside you wish you had a Dave and Busters in your house
— Derik from the Chat (@DerikChat) November 13, 2025
Pathetic. I only have 2 TVs but it’s a cost and space problem, if I had hella cash in the bank I’d def have a nice 4 or 5 tv setup
— weneeddez (@Dez88goat) November 13, 2025
1TV Kyle bragging about mediocrity. Sad!
— Phil in Syracuse ✝️🇻🇦 (@OGbossplaya) November 13, 2025
Awful take https://t.co/Zste3hSirG
— Mark in Philly (@MarkHenryJrNFL) November 13, 2025
While I triggered Brandt about his TV viewing situation, Brandt then triggered people who are personally offended that Brandt only has one TV, and then I got triggered by those people for ripping Brandt.
For starters, so many people said this was a terrible “take” by Brandt. This wasn’t a take. This was an explanation of how he watches football.
While I think it’s completely absurd that Brandt only has one television, and told him on the podcast that it was embarrassing that he only has one TV, I’m not personally offended by him watching games in a totally ridiculous manner. I just wish better for my friend.
Just look at this one reaction.
Good for you @KyleBrandt .. I worked my ass off to build my man cave .. don’t hate.. it’s my happy place on Saturday/Sunday
I don’t give an F what people think of it (other than close friends) but I’m damn proud of it so ….FOH
— The Burgh Cave (@BurghCave) November 14, 2025
The classic, “I don’t care what people think” while going off about what someone thinks. Get a grip, BurghCave. If Brandt wants to watch games in a totally barbaric way, that is his right. There’s no need to curse him out.
I texted Brandt on Friday morning to see if he had any reaction to the blowback he has received over this very important issue. This was his response:
“Hey, it’s gotta be nice to just have some giant room in your private home that affords you space for six television sets on the wall. And a spouse that’s totally into it. And kids that don’t trash it, or take it over. I don’t have any of that stuff.
And if I did, I would turn that space into a gym, or a bar, or a movie theater with one giant screen.”
In the meantime, I’m not buying six TV sets, because I already have 16 TV sets. It’s called Red Zone.”
I also need to say that despite his fondness for watching football games on his phone, Kyle was AWESOME on this week’s pod talking about a slew of topics, so you absolutely should listen or watch.
2. I love how OCD sports fan can be about the little things, and I love how much sports fans hate change.
A couple of weeks ago, in a group text I’m in with a few degenerates, they all started complaining about ESPN’s new NBA box scores. One of my friends even said the changes to the box scores made him not want to bet NBA games.
I had no idea what was going on because the only app I use for scores is The Score, but this sounded like serious business.
It turned out my friends were way ahead of their time, because ESPN’s lead NBA analyst Tim Legler complained about the new NBA box scores earlier this week.
Tim Legler ‘can’t stand’ new-look ESPN NBA box score layout https://t.co/geUkfeAH17 pic.twitter.com/bsLZNRf29u
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 13, 2025
Legler must have some pull because ESPN has now gone back to the old box scores.
Fans rejoice as ESPN reverts back to longstanding NBA box score format https://t.co/YvA9uhxfAV pic.twitter.com/y9zfEV0bly
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 13, 2025
3. This is brutal. The NFL is making a move to limit prop bets that can be offered by legalized sports books. The league is focusing on prop bets that can be determined by one single player.
This is such a complete and total overreaction to recent gambling scandals and is totally unnecessary, but I get the league wanting to do something for good optics.
The NFL sent a memo to team officials today, saying that in light of recent gambling scandals in other sports, the league has worked with lawmakers, regulators and sports betting partners in recent weeks to limit and, where possible, prohibit prop bets in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/qDF6KMHwln
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 13, 2025
4. Putting NBA games on linear television is paying off for NBC, with its Tuesday night doubleheader drawing very good numbers this season.
pic.twitter.com/qsfRwO6hgn
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) November 13, 2025
5. Taylor Lewan, from Bussin’ with the Boys, was on Get Up on Thursday. Lewan is covered in tattoos. So Adam Schefter decided to cover himself in fake tattoos. Morning TV is SO WACKY!
😂😂😂😂 @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/DCdKJ0Ir0W
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 13, 2025
6. If you’re an MLS fan, you will no longer have to pay to watch games on Apple TV starting in 2026.
A new era of MLS on Apple TV.
Starting in 2026, watch every MLS match—all part of an Apple TV subscription. pic.twitter.com/nWtExKQRzx
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) November 13, 2025
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: I watched Netflix’s new documentary on Eddie Murphy on Thursday. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a must-watch. Murphy appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this week to promote the doc and he was as hysterical as always.
Be sure tocatch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina onApple,Spotify orGoogle. You can also follow Jimmy onX andInstagram.