It was a rumored before the holidays that Matt Winer had done his last ESPN broadcast (credit to Bill Simmons Twitter), and that he was heading to Turner Sports to do Basketball. Well today we found out that not only is that true, but he'll also be working MLB, Golf and NASCAR for the network....

Turner Sports announced today that they have signed veteran broadcaster Matt Winer to a multi-year agreement to serve as a studio host on NBA TV multiple nights a week and various Turner Sports properties which include Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the NBA, and professional golf. Winer will appear in studio for various programs on NBA TV throughout the regular season, including the network’s shoulder programming for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and coverage for the NBA Playoffs and NBA Draft. Winer, who is scheduled to start the week of January 18, will also contribute to NBA.com.

“We are very happy to welcome Matt to the Turner Sports family and look forward to his debut on NBA TV,” said Jeff Behnke, SVP and executive producer for Turner Sports. “Matt is the epitome of professionalism and we are excited to add his talents to our telecasts.”

“Turner Sports has given me a fantastic opportunity to grow as a broadcaster,” said Winer. “I look forward to focusing on their core sports and working with some of the most respected professionals in TV. I can't wait to get going in Atlanta.”

Previously, Winer spent more than eight years with ESPN serving as a SportsCenter anchor and studio host for numerous shows including NBA Fastbreak, NBA Coast-to-Coast, NBA Shootaround and coverage of MLB, NASCAR and the NFL. Winer was also the update anchor for ABC’s College Football Scoreboard.

It's great to see TNT/Turner Sports expanding their studio team(s) in this way. Winer has always done a great job on Basketball, and I think he'll work out in the other Sports just fine. It's also interesting to see ESPN lose another high profile anchor from their stable, and to finally get some competition. At this pace, they'll be left with Chris Berman, and a bunch of semi-talented ex-players, for their studio shows.

Peter Gammons had a little bit of time off for the holidays (much like myself), but is ready to head back to work. Gammons will make his MLB Network debut this Wednesday, January 6th, and the topic of discussion will be the 2010 HOF Class (which will also be on announced on Wednesday)....

Hall of Fame award-winning baseball writer Peter Gammons will make his debut on MLB Network with the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame Election announcement show on Wednesday, January 6. MLB Network’s Bob Costas, Harold Reynolds, Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci, Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal and National Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson will also be part of the 90-minute announcement show beginning live at 1:00 p.m. ET. Gammons, Costas, Reynolds, Vasgersian, Verducci, Heyman and Rosenthal will then recap of the 2010 Hall of Fame ballot results with the hour-long show Class of 2010 at 9:00 p.m. ET. This will be the first time that Gammons, a baseball journalist for 40 years, and Costas, a 30-year sports broadcasting veteran, will work together.

Also on Wednesday, Victor Rojas, Dan Plesac, Sean Casey and Jon Heyman will cover the latest updates and moves all 30 clubs are making and planning in preparation for the upcoming season with Hot Stove, MLB Network’s nightly studio show in the offseason, at 6:00 p.m. ET.

There couldn't be a better opportunity to use Peter Gammons in his first time on the network. The Hall of Fame is one of Gammons' specialties, and of course he's a HOFer himself. I'll try to give it a watch an let your know how he does. Not like it will be a hard transition.

Oh how quickly good news can change. A cheer was heard from Baseball fans around the globe two weeks ago when Chip Caray was dropped by TBS, but the cheers specifically coming from Atlanta will now be changing to groans. Chip Caray is heading back to Atlanta to call Braves games on FOX Sports South and Sport South. Via the Atlanta Journal Constitution....

Three weeks after parting ways with Turner Sports, Cary's been hired as Braves play-by-play man on Fox Sports South and SportSouth, a person familiar with the situation said Monday. An announcement was expected by the end of the day.

Caray, 44-year-old scion of a famous broadcasting family, will replace Jon Sciambi, who left after the season to accept a full-time job at ESPN.

Caray will work more than 100 games on Fox Sports South and SportSouth with veteran Braves analyst Joe Simpson -- more than twice as many Braves games as Caray worked last year for the Turner-owned Peachtree station.

Sorry Braves fans, but you're stuck with him. Maybe time back with his old team will help Caray gain an understanding of how to do his job again.

Chip Caray is back as Braves broadcaster (AJC)

At about 3pm, the news came down that Peter Gammons was leaving ESPN. At about 6pm, the rumors that he was joining the MLB Network started surfacing. And 30 minutes ago, came word from MLB-N that he is in fact making the switch. Here's the release....

MLB Network and MLB Advanced Media today announced that Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons has joined MLB Network and MLB.com as an on-air and online analyst. As part of a multi-year deal, Gammons will offer analysis and commentary on MLB Network for breaking news and special events like the Trade Deadline, First-Year Player Draft, Winter Meetings and Postseason. Gammons will also serve as a signature and regularly featured writer for MLB.com’s new columnist initiative, writing commentary on breaking news and posting several articles online each week.

“After 40 years covering baseball, the opportunity to move on to MLB Network is a great and daunting opportunity,” said Gammons. “My journalistic life has revolved around baseball, and to be involved with people whose network is devoted to baseball, and baseball only, is something I look forward to with excitement. We all wish pitchers and catchers reported tomorrow. One of the greatest things about baseball is that it is held to a higher standard than any other sport, which holds those of us who care about it to a higher standard. I hope I can contribute to that standard.”

“For generations, baseball has been the writers’ sport, from John Updike to Roger Angell to Tom Boswell,” said Gammons. “To be afforded the opportunity by MLB.com to write about breaking news, inside information, issues, players, people, history and the perspective of the game’s place in society from Jackie Robinson to our current generation of socially-conscious players like Torii Hunter, Carlos Pena, and C.C. Sabathia is a forum that makes this next chapter of my journalistic life exciting and rewarding.”

Gammons will be appearing on Hot Stove to start out, but you can expect him on just about every single offering MLB-N has to offer. For someone who loves Baseball as much as Gammons does, the network choice is an obvious move. However, you have to wonder what it took to wrestle him away from the "Leader". If you asked me at the start of this blog, who are the two people ESPN couldn't lose from their Baseball roster it would be Gammons and Harold Reynolds. Both are now with the budding MLB Network.

Update: Brooks from SbB also has received word that Gammons could be part-timing with NESN soon.

Update #2: And here is your official NESN press release....

NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that Hall of Fame baseball writer and longtime ESPN and Boston Globe baseball analyst/reporter Peter Gammons has entered into a multi-year agreement to join NESN as a regular studio analyst, reporter and online contributor.

“I’m a New Englander who wanted to be Jackie Jensen,” said Peter Gammons. “I started out at the Boston Globe and wrote about Jerry Remy when he was at Somerset High School. I was lucky enough to be there for the Munson-Fisk fight in 1973 and The Sixth Game and the ’78 playoff, and when my local cable company wouldn’t put NESN on our system I signed the override petitions.”

I don't know how often this happens in broadcasting, but Dick Enberg just stole someone's job. The Padres organization has decided to replace current play by play announcer Mark Neely with the legendary Dick Enberg. Via the SD Tribune....

“I’ve made this decision, basically, because I love the game,” he said yesterday at a Petco Park news conference. “And here’s an opportunity at this stage of my career that I didn’t think was possible. … What better opportunity for any announcer, or anyone who loves the game, than to be able to work in his own hometown.”

Enberg, who called games for the California Angels from 1969-78 and again in 1985, has lived in San Diego “half my adult life” and said he’s been a Padres fan all that time. Even though he hasn’t been working games, he said he’s been watching and following the sport, and while it’s easy to wonder (as I have) whether his absence will hurt, he doesn’t see it that way.

“I think that’s going to be the fun of it all,” he said. “The joy here is going to be I’ve got all this time to be able to prepare. … That’s going to be actually not a negative, but a positive, that I do have to come back up to speed.”

Enberg also addressed the thought that his mistake count has increased in recent years.

“Some people are saying, ’Well, wait a minute, Enberg’s gotten old, he’s got some age on him.’ I still think that I’ve got my fastball,” he said. “I may not locate it as well as I used to, but I think the experiences that I’ve had as a broadcaster will more than compensate for that. … I’m not going to embarrass anyone.”

I guess all you have to do is ask. I feel bad for Mark Neely, but whatever gets people to watch Padres games....absolutely has to be done.

Enberg is ready to talk baseball (SD Tribune)

Martin Tyler has been a fixture in the booth for the World Cup since 1978, so it comes as no surprise that ESPN had been targeting for the 2010 Cup in South Africa. Via ESPN PR....

Martin Tyler, one of the most accomplished and respected television play-by-play commentators in the United Kingdom for over 35 years, will join ESPN for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa. Tyler, who has called matches in every FIFA World Cup since 1978, will be the lead play-by-play voice for ESPN’s exclusive English-language coverage in the United States, which will be available on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN360.com and ABC. He will make his ESPN telecast debut Friday, June 11, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. ET, the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Voted the “FA Premier League Commentator of the Decade” in 2003 by fans and a panel of football experts, Tyler has been with the London-based Sky Sports network since its launch in 1991. His arrival at Sky Sports coincided with the formation of Premiership football and Sky’s acquisition of the league’s broadcast rights. Tyler has led Sky’s critically-acclaimed soccer commentary team, calling some of the Premier League’s best matches.

“Martin Tyler is one of the top English-language soccer commentators in the world; his experience, authentic style and in-depth knowledge of the game will help elevate ESPN’s presentation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, informing and entertaining our viewers in the United States,” said Jed Drake, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer, event production.

It's great that ESPN is finally understanding that they can't just throw their current announcers into something as big as overseas Soccer. Now with Tyler, American JP Dellacamera, Tommy Smyth and Andy Gray on board, ESPN has two great pairs they can put out for the World Cup. As long as they don't decided to bring the dreadful Dave O'Brien back. Here's a somewhat annoying remix of some famous Tyler calls, in case you want to get a taste of what he's like....



Martin Tyler to Call World Cup Games for ESPN! (SS Reporters)

Former MLB Manager, Bobby Valentine, has spent what seems like a lifetime coaching in Japan, but that could be changing soon. According to the NY Daily News, are return to the States is a "done deal", and that his employer will be ESPN....

Television industry and baseball sources say Valentine, completing his final season as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League, is on the verge of signing a lucrative multi-year deal with ESPN.

Valentine, no doubt carrying his bag of disguises, will likely make his debut at the network working in its "Baseball Tonight" studio during next month's playoffs.

"It's a done deal," one source said. "And it should be announced soon."

This would mark Valentine's second tour of duty in Bristol. In 2003, he replaced Buck Showalter in ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" studio.

Again, I don't know why they need to add yet ANOTHER analyst, but Valentine's hiring will sure make a splash for the Playoffs. I remember him having a few problems back in 2003, but he's done so much TV since then, that it shouldn't be a problem this go around.

Bobby Valentine close to making return to TV, nears deal with ESPN (NY Daily News)

Every offseason, ESPN seems to make offers to every recently retired NFLer an offer to appear on various shows throughout the subsequent season, and two more players have been added. Both, Derrick Brooks and Drew Bennett, have signed on to appear on First Take, and other shows throughout the 2009 season. Via ESPN PR....

Super Bowl champion linebacker Derrick Brooks is joining ESPN2’s First Take as an analyst for the 2009-10 NFL season where he will provide analysis on the popular sports-themed morning show (10 a.m. – 12 p.m., M-F) each week throughout the pro football season. Brooks will work primarily Thursdays and Fridays with analyst Lomas Brown, one of his former teammates, and will make his debut this week (Sept. 17-18).

Brooks: "While I still feel like I can play in the NFL, I'm excited to be a part of ESPN’s NFL coverage where I have a lot of former teammates. I look forward to the exposure this opportunity will bring as a share my knowledge and perspective of the game on First Take.”

Former standout wide receiver Drew Bennett has also joined ESPN2’s First Take as an analyst for the 2009-10 NFL season. Bennett will work a combination of Mondays and Tuesdays. His first day on-air was Monday.

Bennett: "I could not be more excited to be a part of the team at ESPN. This is the pinnacle of sports broadcasting, and I am looking forward to learning from and working with the best in the business."

“Derrick and Drew are accomplished, highly-respected players who will be great additions to our NFL coverage because they will relate to fans what goes on in the locker room and on the practice field leading up to and following each week’s NFL games,” said David Brofsky, ESPN senior coordinating producer, who oversees First Take.

Good lord. I don't even know how to describe how ridiculous the amount of ex-players ESPN has on its roster now. By my count, that's now thirteen on NFL coverage alone. Do you really need that many people, let alone former players?

You knew John Madden wouldn't be able to stay away from the game for long, but this is a rather quick move. Madden is now Roger Goodell's "special advisor", and will aide the Commish on things like player safety, and coaching development. Via ESPN....

John Madden is back in the NFL as an unpaid "special advisor" to commissioner Roger Goodell.

The league announced Thursday that Madden, who retired as a broadcaster earlier this year, would advise Goodell on "matters pertaining to the game, including competitive issues, coaching and personnel development, technological innovations, player safety, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

"When I retired from broadcasting, I didn't retire from my passion and interest in the game," Madden said in a statement. "This position enables me to continue that."

Madden will chair the Coaches Subcommittee to the Competition Committee, which reports in prior to the league's annual meetings. He will also participate in meetings of the General Managers Advisory Committee and talk weekly with Goodell or someone else on Goodell's staff.

"It was an offer we couldn't refuse," Goodell said in a statement.

The guy is really a Football genius, so as Goodell said, it was a no-brainer. Now we just wait until he officially changes the term Touchdowns, to Favredowns.

Madden joins NFL in advisory job (ESPN)

The NFL Network seems to be moving forward from their stressful start to 2009 (see: Cable, Comcast) and has been adding people slowly as the summer comes to an end. Michael Irvin is set to make his debut on the network, and according to Variety, Stacey Dales has also found a home there....

Irvin, a five-time Pro Bowl player and three-time Super Bowl champion, served as an analyst for ESPN for four years and was host of Spike network's reality skein "4th and Long," which aired earlier this year.

"NFL GameDay Morning" has been extended to four hours for the upcoming season that begins Sept. 13.

Irvin, who played 10 seasons with the Cowboys and will be a participant on the next cycle of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," will join Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp and Steve Mariucci in the studio.

Also, NFL Network announced Stacey Dales will be the new co-host of "NFL GameDay Morning," along with Spero Dedes. Dales comes from ESPN and ABC, where she covered college football and basketball and the NBA.

Two really good pickups if you ask me. Dales finally gets a chance to come off the sideline, and work in a studio, while Irvin heads back to television after some needed years in radio. I really think having his own show helped Irvin become a much better analyst/reporter, and these two hires certainly have my approval.

Irvin catches gig at NFL Network (Variety)

While some teams like the Redskins and Dolphins have banned their players from using Twitter, teams like the Jets have embraced its networking potential. At the current time, New York currently has eleven players using Twitter, and has even hired someone to help the team's players with their posts and accounts. Via the Associated Press....

The Jets have even hired someone responsible for assisting players with social networking.

"We now have more than 80,000 people following our various players and our organization," Higgins [Executive VP of Business Operations] said. "That means that at any given moment, we can reach 80,000 fans directly, rather than having to get a newspaper story to get a message out. I just don't see how you don't embrace such a powerful tool."

Sanchez was leading the Jets with 40,244 followers, followed by Rhodes, center Nick Mangold (6,548), tight end Dustin Keller (5,292) and Feely (5,127).

"It's a good way of not being mean to a fan where you're not able to stop and give them an autograph," Rhodes said, "but you can go online and see what's going on."

Higgins said the timing simply worked out for the Jets, whose new coach, Rex Ryan, is all for his players speaking their minds.

"He's the type of guy who says, 'Say what you're feeling, but make sure you back it up on the field,'" Keller said. "That kind of goes hand-in-hand with the Twitter thing. You have to be smart and it gives us an even better opportunity to get closer to fans."

Obviously using Twitter needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but for teams to completely ban their players from using it, is a terrible idea. As Higgins illustrated above, the Jets alone have 80K followers, and fans appreciate the direct communication. The NFL has already gotten behind Twitter, but it'll be interesting to see the success and trust of the teams that embrace the phenomenon.

Tweet this: Jets encourage players to use Twitter (AP)

Now that Brett Favre has officially turned down the Vikings, we can finally get back to the "Favre the Analyst" sweepstakes. It's been no secret that ESPN has been buddy-buddy with the ex-QB, and has pandered to his every whim and announcement, so the obvious choice is for him to sign on with the "Leader". While that makes the most sense, there are other networks that need him more, namely CBS. There are some issues though, and Michael Hiestand of USA Today, has laid them out for us....

•He might not have much to say. This seems unlikely. But there is precedent for something like that, such as Joe Montana's stint on NBC.

•He'd never do TV. Just like Bob Knight never would.

•Hamlet can still change his mind. You've offered to mount cameras on Favre's riding mower so he can talk from there and not drop by a studio. You've put him in clever promos. And then by, say Week 4, some NFL quarterbacks go down and vacancies pop up and … well, who knows what happens then?

•Would he matter? Occasionally, analysts who've never called football on TV — the late Bill Walsh, Tony Kornheiser and, this season, Jon Gruden— go directly to calling marquee games. That involves quickly learning TV's mechanics and could be risky. But otherwise, it could be a waste to sign such a star for obscure games going to, say, 7% of the U.S.

Which leaves NFL studio shows which, in TV terms, are a pretty big deal. The four pregame shows — on Fox, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network — each week collectively draw ratings that approach coverage of, say, a big college bowl game or final-round coverage of The Masters. And, unlike live event coverage where networks can't control whether you end up getting a good game, pregame shows are one of the few venues where networks compete directly for the same viewers with shows they control.

While I don't think he would have "nothing to say", I certainly think he's not cut out for calling live games. However, during an age of Sports Broadcasting in which networks hire big name former players for tryouts all the time just for the hell of it, there's really no risk in taking a flier on Favre. If he works....he works. If he doesn't....there's another crop of big names retiring this year.

While I'd personally like some time without Brett Favre taking up the screen every second, I completely understand why ESPN would try to grab him now. But there is one thing that could save us from Favre in an analysts chair. The seriousness of Tavaris Jackson's knee injury. It's basically a coin flip but I'd much rather deal with Favre the Player nonsense, over Favre the Analyst nonsense, every week. That's just me though.

Favre on TV? Seems like a no-brainer but ... (USA Today)

The MLB Network added yet another piece to their ever-growing puzzle of reporters and analysts today, by hiring FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. According to MLB-N PR, Rosenthal will continue to work for Fox Sports, both online and on-air....

MLB Network today announced that Ken Rosenthal has joined its roster of on-air talent. Rosenthal will join the cast of MLB Tonight beginning Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Rosenthal, who will continue his reporting for FoxSports.com and MLB on Fox, joins Sports Illustrated senior writers Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman as Baseball Insiders on the MLB Network team.

“Ken brings a wealth of on-air reporting experience and insight into the game and we’re excited to welcome him to MLB Network,” said Tony Petitti, president and CEO of MLB Network. “As we grow as a network, it’s important that we continue to bring fans the most up-to-date information from the best resources in the business.”

Rosenthal has served as lead field reporter for MLB on Fox since 2005. Prior to joining Fox Sports, Rosenthal worked as the national baseball writer for The Sporting News and as a sportswriter at the Baltimore Sun, where he was named Maryland Sportswriter of the Year five times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He is a voting member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I still think Ken Rosenthal is a hypocrite after his Outside the Lines tirade during the whole "Ibanez Steroid Speculation" thing, but this is another big get for the MLB Network. Unlike the NFL, Major League Baseball only has one or two connected national reporters. Tom Verducci is one of them, and Rosenthal is the other. Both are now employed by the MLB Network.

In other Rosenthal news, be sure to Twitter him questions during the All Star Game. The reporter will be answering them during his time in St. Louis.

Last year, Doug Collins was all set to coach the Chicago Bulls, when he suddenly decided to take his name out of consideration. Apparently this year he'll be doing the same thing to the 76ers. Doug Collins told the Associated Press yesterday that he had talked to the 6ers, and that there was mutual interest, but during the game he decided to complete contradict that statement....

TNT analyst Doug Collins apologized to Philadelphia 76ers president Ed Stefanski for mistakenly saying he spoke to the team about its open coaching job.

Collins had told The Associated Press on Tuesday night before Game 5 of the Rockets-Lakers series he had talked with the Sixers about their vacancy "like two or three times."

"Whatever they want to do, they know where I am if they want to call," he said.

Collins, a former NBA coach, then backtracked on his original comments during the game and denied speaking with Stefanski.

"I have not spoken to them. And I want them to understand that," Collins said on TV. "I feel very badly if there was a miscommunication there at all."

He added: "I apologize to Eddie Stefanski if they felt like I was putting something out there that was not true."

I can understand if used the term "mutual interest", but to say you've talked two or three times is not just a "miscommunication", it's a "misrepresentation". And a pretty egregious one at that.

Collins backs off talk on 76ers vacancy (AP)

Jeanne Zelasko tried all offseason to become the Dodgers play-by-player, but in the end, wasn't even invited to a tryout. Well the Dodgers have decided to bring her on, but there's a catch. Well three catches actually. She'll only be working one day a week, the broadcast is online, and it's part of the Dodgers' new venture to target women listeners. DodgersWIN (Women's Initiatives Network) will debut on May 20th, and Zelasko will be paired with former Dodger, Mark Sweeney, in the booth....

The Los Angeles Dodgers will debut their DodgersWIN broadcast on May 20, with former FOX baseball anchor Jeanne Zelasko handling the play-by-play duties alongside former Dodger Mark Sweeney, who will serve as the analyst. The program, believed to be the first of its kind in Major League Baseball, will continue for each Wednesday home game for the remainder of the season, with the live audio feed available for free at www.dodgers.com/win.

DodgersWIN is a network of initiatives to bring women closer to the game and to bring the game closer to their lifestyles. The program, created by Dodger Chief Executive Officer Jamie McCourt, is a fundamental component of the Dodgers' active participation in the community.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jeanne to the Dodger family," said McCourt. "Her track record and knowledge of the game speaks for itself, and as a mother, she'll be able to bring a unique perspective to our WIN broadcasts and help spread her love of baseball to fans around the world."

I honestly don't know how you would make a broadcast more appealing to women, but I guess it's worth a shot. The only rub is what direction do you take? If you are trying to attract women who don't watch Baseball regularly, you'll almost certainly alienate those who are well-versed in the Sport.

Dodgers WIN (Dodgers.com)

Bill Simmons has been openly campaigning for the Minnesota Timberwolves open GM spot, and according to some reports, upwards of 15,000 have emailed the Wolves ownership to bring him on. Simmons has even offered to work for free (as long as he can write about the experience in a book), but that doesn't seem to be swaying the powers that be at all. Via the Star Tribune....

Just a day after I believed the Wolves had narrowed their search to former Indiana GM David Kahn, Glen Taylor and Rob Moor apparently continue it anew with a candidate in town this week.

I heard it was a candidate from within the Northwest division, possibly Portland assistant GM Tom Penn, the Blazers’ salary-capologist.

The first guy I thought of was Rex Chapman in Denver, who was with the organization for a brief time about three years ago. But it’s probably not him because he was at Nuggets practice today and I’m guessing the guy was in town today.

Sorry, but I don’t think it’s Bill Simmons, either.

Michael Rand, also of the Tribune, said that the Timberwolves are reporting that the 15K number is actually only 1.5K, but there's definitely an interest from fans. I always thought Simmons would make a great GM, as long as he didn't overdo it with the transactions. And hell, they really couldn't do any worse, could they?

Under the Big Top: And the search goes on…looking west (again) to Portland? (Star Tribune)

All of us watched NBC's coverage of the Super Bowl, and I think most (if not all) of us can agree that Rodney Harrsion's performance as an analyst was less than stellar. Sure there was a great segment on the "David Tyree Catch" involving him, but for the most part he didn't really blow me away with his "analysis".

Well today comes the news, that not only Harrison is being considered by multiple networks, and could even replace the rumored to be fired Jerome Bettis at NBC. Via the Boston Herald....

Harrison represents a trickier case. He has not played a full season since 2004. He turns 37 in December and appears to be paying the inevitable price that comes with his take-no-prisoners style of play.

Because he’s feisty, fearless and opinionated, Harrison has drawn interest from the broadcast networks and could easily land a studio role. Anyone who saw him on the NFL Network during Super Bowl week knows he’s a natural in front of the camera. But Harrison has not yet publicly shut the door on another comeback, and for the time being he appears to be limiting his options to the Patriots, though the Atlanta resident’s hometown Falcons always could be in play.

Before we get into this, it needs to be noted that this rumor is coming from John Tomase. He who claimed the Pats were involved in walkthrough tapings of the Rams. So I would tread lightly when taking it as fact. However, this wouldn't necessarily be a bad move for NBC.

Yes, I've said that NBC need not hire anyone to replace Bettis. But, that was before we learned that Cris Collinsworth was heading to the booth to replace Madden. With just Costas, Tiki, Olbermann and Patrick (and the random appearances from Peter King), the set would seem rather empty. Harrison might be worth a tryout.

D-Day Looms For Rodney Harrison, Jason Taylor (Boston Herald)

There's a long list of commentators that end up in front office jobs, but it seems to happen in Hockey more often than any other Sport. Most recently, Barry Melrose took a turn in the coach's seat for the Lightning, and now NBC analyst Pierre McGuire is on the short list of candidates for the vacant GM spot with the Minnesota Wild. Via the Star Tribune....

With the help of a committee that includes former Wild CEO Jac Sperling, owner Craig Leipold has weeded down a list of nearly 30 applicants to a handful of men who bring vastly different perspectives to the job, multiple league and team sources say.

The short list includes Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Chuck Fletcher, TSN and NBC color analyst Pierre McGuire, longtime NHL GM and coach Pat Quinn, Nashville Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton and Wild acting GM Tom Lynn.

While other unidentified candidates possibly could emerge, sources say the two considered frontrunners have interviews lined up.

Fletcher, 41, is expected to be in town later this week, while it's believed McGuire, 47, will interview today.

Well that's certainly an interesting list of potential employees. I've always enjoyed McGuire's "Between The Glass" segments and insight, but it's rare that a move like this works out. No matter what the Sport is.

Interviews on tap for short list of Wild GM candidates (Star Tribune)

Deadspin broke the news on Saturday that Matt Millen would be joining up with ESPN, but today there's even more news on the move. According to USA Today, Matt Millen would not only be on NFL coverage, but he'll be working on some College games as well....

And rationally, you can say Millen is a promising broadcaster because, well, he's already been one: After retiring in 1991 after 12 seasons as a player, his years on CBS and Fox made him a potential successor to John Madden — although nobody really thought Madden would retire.

Instead, Millen will succeed Emmitt Smith, whose fame ultimately couldn't overcome his on-air miscues on Monday night pregame shows. And in also calling college games and making various studio show appearances, Millen won't be hidden away until he proves himself.

And if you buy the idea that the best way to overcome your problem is to shine a light on it rather than try to cover it up, Millen's ideal ESPN debut would come on its NFL Draft coverage Saturday. Wouldn't you love to know the draft prospects that Millen really loves?

ESPN has yet to make this rumored move a reality, but it's definitely a good one. There is the issue of credibility, but after a few months or so, people will probably forget about all of his terrible work with the Lions. Plus, who would you rather have, Millen or Emmitt Smith?

ESPN hires ex-Lions boss Millen as football analyst (USA Today)

Rumors abound! Adam Schefter went missing from the NFL Network sometime about a month ago, and there were rumors that he was holding out for a million dollar contract. Well today, several sources have confirmed to PFT, that ESPN is interested in the NFL reporter....

Several league and industry sources have told us that Adam Schefter, who still is under contract with NFL Network, will join ESPN later this year.

Schefter is still under contract with NFLN, but he has not appeared on the air since early March. Schefter told Neil Best of Newsday on March 23 that he remains under contract with NFL Network until the middle of August.

It remains to be seen whether and to what extent Schefter’s arrival affects the current NFL insider lineup at ESPN. At a minimum, it could make for a spirited-to-the-point-of-awkward in-house rivalry between Schefter, Chris Mortensen, John Clayton, Michael Smith, and the army of beat-writers-turned-bloggers who compete to break news.

UPDATE: We’ve heard it from yet another source. However, ESPN Bill Hofheimer told us via e-mail Wednesday night that he cannot confirm the report.

Schefter has built up an incredible set of contacts working for the NFL's cable channel, and a move to ESPN would be a huge get for the "Leader". They would then have a gaggle of NFL news breakers, and the only competition left would be Glazer at FOX. Oh and if there's one network that could get Schefter his million bucks, it would be ESPN.

The bad news for the NFL Network is that, not only will they be losing a stellar reporter, but Schefter will not be on Draft coverage this year. That guy was a rock star in predicting picks and trades last year.

Sources: Schefter To ESPN (Pro Football Talk)