On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Fox Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb got into a war of words on social media that quickly turned into personal jabs at their respective professional careers.
The interaction all started when Schefter reported that Sacramento State, currently an FCS program, had targeted Michael Vick to be the next head coach of the program, detailing that the school had over $50 million in their NIL collective as they eye a move to the FBS ranks.
Sacramento State is in discussions to hire former Pro-Bowl QB Mike Vick as its new head coach, per sources. Sacramento State plans to move up to FBS, is building a new stadium and has over $50 million in NIL. Sacramento State would build an experienced coaching staff around Vick…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2024
Schefter’s claim, which was largely debunked by The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, would have meant that Sacramento State had more than double the NIL collective of Ohio State. The Buckeyes notably spent $20 million on this year’s football roster.
Naturally, Gottlieb, who now works in college basketball as head coach of University of Wisconsin Green Bay, was quite skeptical about Schefter’s claim, replying to his post by questioning which agent he got this incorrect number from.
“Jeezus Shefty, edit what agents tell you… 0.0% chance Sac State has $50m in NIL,” wrote Gottlieb.
Jeezus Shefty, edit what agents tell you… 0.0% chance Sac State has $50m in NIL. https://t.co/8eoU0wwKPO
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) December 17, 2024
Schefter replied by first reaffirming his claim before criticizing Gottlieb professionally by pointing out the seven-game losing streak of his Green Bay Phoenix program.
“And Jeezus, Doug. A seven-game losing streak and last place in the Horizon League? Less time on social media and more time in the gym,” replied Schefter.
And Jeezus, Doug. A seven-game losing steak and last place in the Horizon League? Less time on social media and more time in the gym. pic.twitter.com/r58Fpwfvb8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2024
Both Schefter and Gottlieb went below the belt when it probably wasn’t necessary to do so. And on Tuesday’s edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio, Gottlieb admitted that his tone in his reply to Schefter was “pretty negative,” though he didn’t apologize for his stance.
“When you say they have $50 million, it felt like Adam Schefter was saying they had $50 million to spend on football players next year,” said Gottlieb. “If that were the case, that would give them the deepest pool of NIL money of any team in the country by about two and a half times (everyone else). So for those of us that are in the profession. In the profession as a men’s head basketball coach, I can tell you that number is preposterous. Simply somebody trying to inflate it.
“There is room for a calmer discussion where you just go, ‘Yeah, that number seems off.’ Instead, my response was something along the lines of ‘Jeezus Schefty, you need to edit when an agent sends you a text. There is a 0.0 percent chance Sac State has $50 million dollars in NIL.’ He first defended it and said that there is something called the Sac-12, which is raising money to get Sac State into the Pac-12. And they have reported to have $50 million in pledges. And then he came after me about my basketball program and said ‘Jeezus Doug, you have lost seven in a row and are in last place in the Horizon League.’ So he went top rope.
“I think Schefter generally does a much better job of, ‘Here’s what it is, here is what’s gonna happen.’ In that case, he was literally discussing something that either he didn’t have any desire to look into. He might have been doing someone a favor. It might have been helping encourage Mike Vick. Here’s why you take the job. But it’s not true. I completely understand my tone was pretty negative. I didn’t think I went as personal as he went.”
It can be argued who went lower in this social media beef. But the entire interaction could have been ignored had Gottlieb not addressed Schefter personally in the first place.
Gottlieb seems to realize this. But given his propensity to take shots at media members over the years, don’t expect this to be his last social media feud.
