Behind the Mic: ESPN Shifts Schilling to Sunday Night Baseball; Hershiser Set To Join Dodgers' SportsNet LA
ESPN will move Curt Schilling into the Sunday Night Baseball booth next season as part of a multi-year extension with the former MLB All-Star pitcher. Schilling will replace Orel Hershiser, who is expected to join Los Angeles Dodgers booth for the new TimeWarner Cable RSN, SportsNet LA (according to the Los Angeles Times). Schilling joins the Sunday Night Baseball team alongside play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and fellow analyst John Kruk. The trio will also be joined by reporter Buster Olney. Schilling will also continue to contribute to Baseball Tonight, where he has served as a studio analyst since 2010…
…Speaking of SportsNet LA, the new network – which is set to launch in 2014 – continues to rack up new talent. Hershiser, a Dodgers’ former Cy Young winner and World Series MVP, is the biggest name to be added thus far – joining Nomar Garciaparra as a commentator. The Dodgers are also adding Alanna Rizzo from MLB Network to their pre- and post-game shows. The hires are expected to be announced this week, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hershiser will take over an expanded version of Steve Lyons’ past role as a television broadcaster. Lyons and Eric Collins were not retained after their contracts expired at the end of the season…
…NBC Sports Group has inked Fox Sports race announcer Rick Allen and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton to multi-year agreements to serve as the lead race announcer and lead analyst, respectively, for NBC’s upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series coverage, beginning in 2015. Burton will transition out of full-time driving and into the role of NASCAR analyst in time for NBC Sports and NBCSN’s 2015 slate of NASCAR coverage. Burton will assume double duties throughout the 2014 season, racing a schedule of select Sprint Cup Series races while also contributing to NASCAR programming on NBCSN. When NBC Sports Group’s exclusive coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series racing begins in 2015, Burton will serve as a full-time analyst on NBC and NBCSN. Allen currently serves as Fox Sports’ race announcer for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series…
…Meanwhile NBC continues to unveil the faces viewers can expect to see in front of the camera during its 2013 Sochi Olympics coverage. Twelve-time Olympic broadcasting veteran Mary Carillo, Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth, and NBC Sports Group’s lead track and field analyst Ato Boldon will serve as correspondents. The trio joins previously announced correspondent Maria Sharapova, a Sochi native and four-time Grand Slam singles winner. In addition, Veteran action sports personality and former ESPN X Games host Sal Masekela will join NBC Olympics’ coverage as a sports desk reporter, presenting features for The Olympic Zone, NBC Sports Group’s 30-minute daily show for NBC affiliates. NBC Olympics have also announced Dan Patrick, Rebecca Lowe, and Lester Holt will serve as hosts for its Sochi coverage, joining previously announced hosts Bob Costas and Al Michaels.
…Five soccer professionals and national team players – Michael Ballack (Germany), Alexi Lalas (USA), Steve McManaman (England), Santiago Solari (Argentina) and Taylor Twellman (USA) – have been named analysts for ESPN’s 2014 FIFA World Cup team in Brazil. With a combined five FIFA World Cup tournament teams between them this group will be part of ESPN’s English-language presentation in the United States on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and WatchESPN throughout the month-long tournament, June 12 – July 13, 2014. Ballack, Lalas, McManaman and Solari will appear on pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, SportsCenter, ESPN FC, and FIFA World Cup-themed news and information programs. Twellman will primarily serve as a co-commentator. McManaman will also co-commentate on select matches…
…NBA TV has added former NBA executive and head coach Stu Jackson as a contributor on league-related topics including rules clarifications, discipline, and general league operations. His first in-studio appearance is scheduled for NBA GameTime on Friday, Dec. 13. In addition to serving as a resource for NBA TV, Jackson will also contribute across NBA Digital’s portfolio, including answering questions from fans via Twitter – @StuJackson32 – and providing insights on NBA.com. Jackson will also contribute monthly on the Hang Time podcast, co-hosting a segment alongside TNT analyst Reggie Miller and NBA.com’s Sekou Smith…
…SiriusXM announced today that World Golf Hall of Fame member Ben Crenshaw and legendary golf coach Hank Haney have joined the roster of hosts on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. The two-time Masters winner will host Crenshaw on Golf, a one-hour show airing every other week on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (starting Dec. 11), along with co-host Ed Clements. Haney, whose students have included Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, Charles Barkley, and Adam Levine and others, will host Hank Haney Golf Radio – an instructional-based show airing Saturday and Sunday mornings (starting January 3)…
…Ben Casselman will join the team of ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight Website, when it re-launches in early 2014. Casselman joins FiveThirtyEight as its Chief Economics Writer. He comes to the team from The Wall Street Journal, where he has covered energy, real estate and most recently served as a lead economics reporter. As FiveThirtyEight’s Chief Economics Writer, Casselman will perform original analysis of publicly available economic data, such as monthly reports on inflation and unemployment, to uncover trends not currently explored in mainstream coverage. Casselman will contribute a mix of news analysis, in-depth features and enterprise-level projects…
…Sportsman Channel has signed on former U.S. vice presidential candidate and governor Sarah Palin to host a new show – the first part of the network’s “Red, Wild & Blue America” programming plan – for the fast-growing outdoor lifestyle network. Titled “Amazing America with Sarah Palin,” the weekly series will premiere in April 2014 and explore original, interesting, and inspiring people, places and pastimes connected to America’s outdoors lifestyle.