Behind the Mic: CBS Sports’ Nick Faldo To Retire at End of 2022 Golf Season

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, CBS Sports’ Sir Nick Faldo to retire at end of 2022 golf season, NBC Sports gets set for 2022 NASCAR season with announced commentary team, and more.

CBS Sports’ Lead Golf Analyst Sir Nick Faldo to Retire; Trevor Immelman Elevated to Lead Golf Analyst Beginning in 2023

Sir Nick Faldo, CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst since 2007, has announced his decision to retire from broadcasting following the last event of CBS’ 2022 golf season. Faldo’s last broadcast on CBS will be Sunday, August 7 with the Wyndham Championship, the PGA TOUR’s regular-season finale.

Masters Champion and current International Presidents Cup Captain Trevor Immelman, who joined CBS Sports’ golf team in 2019, has been named CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst. Immelman’s new multi-year deal begins with the Network’s 2023 season, when he assumes his duties alongside Jim Nantz in the 18th tower for the Farmers Insurance Open.

Originally from South Africa, Immelman won 11 times worldwide throughout his career, and was named the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year in 2006. Two years later, in 2008, he won the Masters Tournament, becoming at the time only the second South African to win the Masters. He has also played on two President’s Cup teams (2005, 2007) and in 2019 was Vice Captain for the team. Later this year, he will serve as Captain for the International Team in the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. Immelman has also worked for the GOLF Channel, where he has been a lead analyst and a regular contributor to the network’s “Live From” coverage at The Players, and all four major championships.

NBC Sports Announces 2022 NASCAR Commentary Team

NBC Sports’ NASCAR commentary team will feature two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte serving as analysts alongside race announcer Rick Allen. This will be the fifth consecutive year for the team.

Auto racing icon Kyle Petty, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett and JTG Daugherty Racing team owner Brad Daugherty will anchor studio coverage with Marty Snider serving as pre- and post-race host. For the sixth consecutive year, the Peacock Pit Box will serve as the studio teams primary set location on pit road during the season.

NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood’s role will have a new focus this season, serving as a “CityView” reporter. Wood will conduct reports from within the host city or area, beginning from Nashville’s famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge to highlight the atmosphere and excitement around the race on Broadway in Music City.

An eight-year veteran on pit road with MRN, Kim Coon has joined NBC Sports’ NASCAR commentary team as a pit reporter for select races in 2022 and will make her on-air debut at Road America. Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Dillon Welch all return to report from the pits alongside Coon throughout the season.

Jason Garrett Joins Football Night in America

Jason Garrett will join Football Night in America as an analyst.

Garrett, the former NFL quarterback and Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys, will work with host Maria Taylor and analysts Tony Dungy and Chris Simms in Studio 1 at NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, CT. Co-host Jac Collinsworth and analyst Rodney Harrison will once again anchor FNIA’s coverage from the game site, while NFL Insider Mike Florio will continue to report on the news of the day.

As the Cowboys Head Coach for nine seasons, Garrett won three division titles, Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2016, and compiled an 85-67 (.559) regular-season record, the second-most wins for a Head Coach in team history. He began his coaching career as the Quarterbacks Coach for the Miami Dolphins under Nick Saban. He also served as the Offensive Coordinator for both the Cowboys and New York Giants.

Prior to becoming a coach, Garrett had a 14-year NFL playing career with the Cowboys, Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dolphins, and New Orleans Saints, predominantly as a backup quarterback. He was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Cowboys in 1992, 1993 and 1995, and was a member of the NFC Champion Giants in 2000.

Garrett is currently making his broadcasting debut as a game analyst alongside Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play) on NBC Sports’ coverage of the USFL. Click here for more information on Jason Garrett.

NBC Sports also announced Matt Casey as the lead producer of Football Night. Casey has worked on FNIA in various capacities for 14 years, most recently as co-producer. He also co-produced NBC Sports’ Super Bowl LVI pre-game show in February.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman Join Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football

Ryan Fitzpatrick will be joining Prime Video’s NFL pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage this coming season when the service presents exclusive coverage of Thursday Night Football.

Fitzpatrick boasts an impressive 17-season career in the National Football League and was the starting quarterback for nine different teams, the most in league history. All nine of Fitzpatrick’s NFL teams (Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Commanders) are featured on the 2022 TNF schedule. As a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, he also became the first NFL quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in three consecutive games.

In addition, Richard Sherman will also be joining the Thursday Night Football team.

Sherman’s outstanding 11-year NFL career followed his graduation from Stanford University and a selection in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2013, the same season he helped propel the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl victory. Sherman and the Seahawks reached the Super Bowl once again the following season, but ultimately lost an intense battle against the New England Patriots in the final seconds. The lockdown cornerback earned five All-Pro distinctions throughout his career and was twice nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his tireless work in the community. Sherman spent seven seasons in Seattle as a member of the Seahawks before joining the San Francisco 49ers. Last season he played with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The pair will now join Tony Gonzalez on the streamer’s wraparound coverage of each TNF game.

CBS Sports Elevates Jonathan Jones to Lead NFL Insider

Jonathan Jones has been elevated to lead NFL Insider across CBS Sports’ multiple platforms, providing year-round, in-depth reporting and analysis for the CBS Television Network’s NFL pregame show, THE NFL TODAY as well as CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports podcasts, CBSSports.com and CBS Sports Network.

Jones will team with James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cowher, Phil Simms and Nate Burleson on The NFL Today during the NFL season beginning in September and will continue to report on the latest NFL news and notes across all CBS Sports platforms throughout the year. Since joining CBS Sports in 2019, Jones has covered the NFL for CBS Sports Network’s That Other Pregame Show (TOPS) and CBS Sports HQ and has also contributed as a senior NFL reporter for CBSSports.com.

Prior to joining CBS Sports, Jones served as a national NFL writer for three years at Sports Illustrated. He covered the Carolina Panthers as a beat writer for the Charlotte Observer from 2012-16 and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2005. A native of Shelby, N.C., Jones earned his degree from the University of North Carolina where he also was the sports editor of the Daily Tar Heel.

VSiN Bolsters Management Team with Appointment of Len Mead as General Manager

Sports media executive Len Mead will join the VSiN team as General Manager. The only 24/7 sports betting network dedicated to providing real-time news and analysis across every major sport, VSiN will tap Mead’s media and sports betting expertise in an effort to further expand its audience, build its brand and solidify its position as the trusted authority in sports betting news, information, and analysis.

Mead’s 27-year career spans the sports media ecosystem, with extensive leadership roles at both national and regional sports networks and sports leagues, as well as in the sports betting industry. As General Manager, Mead will be involved in all aspects of VSiN’s operations, with a particular focus on further improving VSiN’s leading offering across all media platforms and accelerating efforts to be the leading innovator in sports betting news and information.

Mead joins VSiN from PointsBet, where he was VP of Content leading ground-breaking sports betting integrations across NBC Sports, Action Network, and multiple RSN’s for PointsBet’s challenger brand. Prior to PointsBet, Mead was VP of Media & Broadcasting Partnerships at the XFL where he helped develop and manage the unprecedented television access made available to fans inside the game with partners at ESPN and FOX.

At the NBC Sports Group’s Regional Sports Networks, Mead led content in Boston as the VP of Production & Programming where he increased original hours, grew all daypart ratings and was later named General Manager of NBCSNW (Portland, OR). Previously, Mead was the Director of Programming at New England Sports Network (NESN) where he helmed the network’s first original programming initiative. He began his career at ESPN where he spent eight years negotiating and managing league partnerships in Programming before shifting to new media as the Director of New Media Content in 2004.

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