by When a parent experiences a significant life event, whether it be professional or personal, they frequently measure it by the amount of change in their children’s lives during that time.
Jon Meterparel is able to identify. When the Eagles play Fordham at Alumni Stadium on August 30, the veteran Boston sports media personality will start his 21st season as the play-by-play commentator for Boston College football.
“My son Ben was only a few weeks old when I got the job [in 2005] and had to fly off to Provo, Utah for the opener against [Brigham Young],” Meterparel recalled. He is currently a sophomore at Endicott. Every time I think about that, I’m struck by how quickly time has passed.
Even though twenty-one years may seem like a long time, he is still a relative rookie in comparison to his booth partner, former BC and NFL linebacker Pete Cronan, who is starting his 37th season.
Sideline reporter Scott Mutryn, in his 13th season, and engineer Steve Ciaccio, who previously collaborated with Meterparel on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Show, lend the show a pleasant familiarity that signals true camaraderie among those involved.
Although he laughs when he recalls his first lunch meeting with Cronan, when they were partnered together prior to the 2005 season, Meterparel affirms it is the fact.
“I didn’t know Pete at all when I got there,” he stated. When he entered, I said, “Hey Pete, Jon Meterparel,” and I joked, “What brings you here?” We met at the Stockyard [in Brighton]. He gave me a disbelieving look.
However, we immediately discovered each other’s sense of humor. Unlike some former sportsmen who could be tempted to take themselves too seriously, he has a true sensibility about him. It’s fantastic that he enjoys having a good time and playing about with me. I consider our relationship to be quite brotherly. On a broadcast, it’s easy to see when people don’t get along, and it should be clear that we do.
It should come as no surprise that Meterparel has particularly positive memories of the 2007 BC squad, led by Matt Ryan, who finished second in the national rankings. He claimed that team was loaded. If it hadn’t let certain things slip through their fingers, they might have won the national championship.
With veteran NFL coach Bill O. Brien starting his second season in Chestnut Hill, he says he’s loving the situation right now.
All of us hoped he would be hired [in February 2024], Meterparel stated. We all were ecstatic when it happened, even though I believe we all believed it was unlikely. He is a BC man even if he is not a BC graduate. He exudes a certain sensibility. There, his wife went. He is aware of the culture. He is aware of the challenges he has on campus, and he was aware of what he was getting into almost from the first day.
Additionally, he is a true Bostonian. asks about the experience of working at WEEI in the past and talks about how she spent her childhood reading the Globe constantly.
Does he inquire about the true nature of working with Gerry Callahan and John Dennis?
He inquires about the true nature of many people, Meterparel added, laughing.
How much is it going to cost?
When a big sport and a network or streaming service agree on a new rights agreement, there are two questions I try to always keep in mind.
How will fans be able to watch, especially those in this market?
Additionally, how much will it cost, and most likely how much more?
Regarding the new Major League Baseball rights contract, which has been the focus of a great deal of conjecture in recent days as well as some trustworthy reporting, especially by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the answers to those concerns remain unclear.
The fundamentals of an agreement are in place, according to Marchand’s report on Thursday, which will grant ESPN 30 exclusive MLB regular-season games during the week; Sunday Night Baseball will no longer be included in their package. (Sunday games are anticipated for NBC/Peacock.)
In addition to acquiring the local rights for five teams (the Red Sox are obviously not one of them), ESPN is anticipated to acquire MLB.tv and acquire the rights to all of MLB’s out-of-market games. ESPN is currently loading up on material for its direct-to-consumer app, which launched Thursday.
The cost is still unknown because MLB’s new rights agreements aren’t finalized. The worry that fans who want out-of-market games will have to pay $29.99 for the ESPN app and yet pay $149.99 for MLB.tv separately this year is understandable.
The cost of watching out-of-market games and if the price point is as outrageous as it may be will become clearer once the contract is finalized and the MLB rights are distributed.
Kudos to Caron
Tom Caron, the pride of Lewiston, Maine, just celebrated his 30th anniversary with NESN. He deserves a long-overdue thank you. One of the most sincere and poignant moments of the NESN/WEEI Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon this past week was Caron’s conversation with Brianna Wakefield, the daughter of the late Red Sox pitcher and NESN analyst Tim Wakefield and his late wife Stacy. Caron consistently captures the key moments perfectly.
Boston.com’s sports columnist is Chad Finn. For the last four years, he has been chosen as Boston’s Favorite Sports Writer by the Channel Media Market and Research Poll. In addition, he contributes to Globe Magazine and writes a weekly sports media column for the Globe.
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