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YouTube released its first-ever weekly podcast chart, ranking the top-100 most-popular podcast playlists on the platform in the U.S. based on watch time, and five sports podcasts cracked the top 100. Pro Football HOFer Shannon Sharpe is on two of the shows, with “Club Shay Shay” ranking seventh and “Nightcap” -- which features Sharpe and former NFL WR Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson -- ranking 28th. The "Pat McAfee Show" ranks 12th, “Gil’s Arena” starring former NBAer Gilbert Arenas ranks 20th and Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” ranks 81st (YouTube).
Shannon Sharpe’s media deal with Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network is up. Sources tell Front Office Sports the Pro Football Hall of Famer has received multiple offers and is expected to sign a deal that would exceed $100 million. Sharpe partnered with The Volume in August 2023, several months after leaving FS1’s Undisputed, where he broke out opposite Skip Bayless. Club Shay Shay immediately took off to become one of the biggest podcasts in sports and entertainment, particularly on YouTube, where it’s a juggernaut. Nightcap with cohost Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson also has a considerable audience.
Chad Ochocinco says Kevin Durant wants to go to Miami
Chad Ochocinco Johnson threw flames on the speculation with recent comments he made on a podcast, when the former NFL receiver said that Durant talked to him about joining the Miami Heat. "What makes you think he'd want to go to Miami now?" Shannon Sharpe asked Johnson on the Nightcap podcast. "Because I talked to him," Johnson replied. "I talked to KD and I know KD is going to see this and KD can attest to this. You can talk about it tomorrow on First Take. KD and I had a lengthy conversation. Listen, I'm not into basketball and people like KD and LeBron and some of these other players that I know, they confide in me. And I asked if it was OK to talk about tonight on Nightcap and it just so happens, boom, it comes up. "And he said he would have no problem coming down to Miami, if it made sense."
Chad Johnson has a big tip for James Harden. The former NFL wideout known as “Chad Ochocinco” visited Harden’s Thirteen Houston restaurant over the weekend, leaving a plus-sized gratuity for his server. In a receipt posted to his Twitter account, Johnson added a $1,300 tip on top of his $107.17 bill.
Chad Johnson: I just talked to @Yg_Trece & all reports being made are false, we haven’t made a decision on our next destination yet, even though we’re communicating over chat while playing FIFA18 this is a serious decision & we’d like these so called sources to stop jumping the gun.
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"The Bachelor" is returning to television screens across America tonight and you'd be surprised about how much Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is vehemently opposed to the show and its concept. In a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Abdul-Jabbar criticized the contestants on the show for acting as characters rather than their true selves. He specifically called out contestant Chad Johnson for creating himself into an obnoxious character in order to garner nationwide attention and criticized what the show stands for.
The Drew League in Los Angeles kicked off its 40th anniversary season last week. Rapper The Game, who has a team in the league called Money Gang, as well as former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson were amongst those in a attendance for the opening week. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas played and scored 28 points in a win for his team, MHP, last week.
Pacers forward Danny Granger didn't want to talk about the comment he put on his Twitter page about NBA Commissioner David Stern on Friday. Granger was not happy that Stern blocked Thursday's trade that would have sent All-Star guard Chris Paul from New Orleans to the Los Angeles Lakers to team with fellow All-Star Kobe Bryant in a three-team deal that also included the Houston Rockets. "Due to the sabotaging of the LA/NO trade by david stern, and following in the footsteps of my athlete brethren Metta World Peace and Chad Ochocinco, I'm changing my last name to "Stern's Bi#&h" #effectiveimmediately," Granger wrote on his Twitter page.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest says he was inspired to change his name to Metta World Peace by Chad Ochocinco, assisted in selecting his new name by a mystery woman, and foiled in formally doing so -- until at least his next court date on Sept. 16 -- by a complete lack of knowledge about how to pay parking tickets. "It comes down to the parking tickets. I don't know how to pay a parking ticket. I've never paid a parking ticket in my life," Artest told Stephen A. Smith on 710 ESPNLA Wednesday night. "There's so much fine print," Artest continued. "I just get them and throw them in my glove compartment."
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The buzz surrounding Ron Artest's request to change his name to Metta World Peace has caught on so quickly within the past week that Ron Ron's noticed fans addressing him by his new name at the airport. While Artest ran a summer basketball camp, Artest's players broke out of their huddle shouting "World Peace." And just days before a possible NBA lockout, Artest stole the show on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption to explain his sudden name change. "I always like to be on the move as far as creatively, thinking about things and marketing," said Artest, who credited the idea for a name change to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. "I really wanted to be inspirational."
Say goodbye to Ron Artest and HELLOOOO to Metta World Peace ... Mr. Metta World Peace to you. Yes, Ron is going the way of Cassius Clay, Lew Alcindor and Chad Johnson. Ron's filed a petition in L.A. County Superior Court to change his name to -- World Peace. FYI, metta means loving, kindness, happiness and all that jazz.
Given Ochocinco's appeal and influence, advertisers should probably go after him more. He is most associated with Motorola, whose reported $400,000 deal with him included sponsorship of his Twitter page. Although there are many LeBron bashers out there, he did finish the regular season with the most popular jersey in the NBA and his place on this list proves that people still listen and react to him. Mike Vick is obviously a tremendously polarizing figure, so it's amazing to find him up so high on the list. He's currently losing to Peyton Hillis in the Madden cover vote, so he might want to use his Twitter influence to get some more votes. Although Stewart Cink was the golfer who originally pushed Twitter, it's 21-year-old Rory McIlroy leading the golfers. Tiger Woods' sphere of influence doesn't seem to have been affected by his scandal and his lack of winning. Connections to the Kardashians certainly seem to help. Lamar Odom is married to Khloe Kardashian and Reggie Bush was once with Kim Kardashian. NBA players have done some great work on Twitter — as Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard are all on this list.
Retired NBA forward and television host John Salley stepped in the no-NBA player zone of Basketball Wives for some odd reason. He will host of the highly anticipated VH1 Basketball Wives Season 2 reunion show, including former Orlando Magic dancer Royce Reed, mother to Dwight Howard’s young son, Shaunie O’Neal, ex-wife to Shaquille O’Neal, Evelyn Lozada, fiance to Chad Ochocinco, Jennifer Williams, estranged wife to Eric Williams and Tami Roman, ex-wife of Kenny Anderson. (It never ceases to amaze me that this show is called Basketball WIVES, not Basketball exes).
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