Steve Phillips has gone into hiding after being dumped by ESPN for various "transgressions", but he could be making a return back into your lives real soon. No not on television, but rather as a voice for MLB 2K10. An early preview of the game has Gary Thorne as your play-by-play man, with John Kruk and Phillips the analysts. There is not word if it's too late to delete the former ESPNer from the game. Via Pasta Padre....

Included in the preview is talk about the My Player mode which appears to be primarily focused on clutch situations, the formula for pitching with the right stick being made more accessible, a defensive swing addition, and “hurry-up baseball” option which removes all the presentational elements. Also new is the “Batter’s Eye” which intends to provide the more talented hitters an advantage.

Just as in real life, standout hitters in MLB 2K10 can see certain pitches coming as the ball is released from the pitcher’s hand. You’ll get a quick text pop-up that says “fastball,” “breaking ball” or “changeup” depending on the pitch and the hitter.

Of note is the commentary which has added John Kruk while keeping Steve Phillips along with Gary Thorne. The decision to hold onto Phillips will be somewhat controversial considering the circumstances of his firing from ESPN and that he is currently without any employment or association with baseball. Given that he remains it comes as little surprise that 2K did not advertise the commentary team in the features list.

Well that's convenient. Obviously it would take countless hours to go back and delete him, AND to make the commentary easy to follow, but it will be hard not to hear him in the game and get a little sick to my stomach. More on this when the game comes out on March 2nd.

First MLB 2K10 Preview (Pasta Padre)

Inside the NFL was a huge get for Showtime, when HBO decided to drop it, and now they're deciding to branch out. The channel has decided to copy the formula for a NASCAR show, and our favorite terrorist joke making sideline reporter will be the host. According to John Ourand at SBD, Chris Myers will be your host and Brad Daugherty, Kyle Petty and Randy Pemberton will be along for the ride....

Showtime Sports has signed a multi-year deal with NASCAR to produce and televise premium television's first weekly highlights and analysis show dedicated to auto racing. Inside NASCAR will premiere on at 10 p.m. ET Feb. 10, 2010, on Showtime immediately following the season finale of Inside The NFL, and will consist of 38 one-hour episodes corresponding with the Sprint Cup Series' 38-week season.

"NASCAR is one of the most powerful sports brands in the country," said Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager, Showtime Sports, "and we are proud to team up with them on this compelling new series."

Inside NASCAR will feature narrated highlights and in-depth analysis from each week's Cup Series race, exclusive audio and video of never-before-seen aspects of race week and in-depth feature stories plus forecasts on upcoming races and opinions on America's No. 1 form of motorsports.

This is really a great move by CBS, who owns Showtime, as they try to get into the racing fray. An inside look at NASCAR really isn't anything new, but fans of the Sport eat that sort of thing up.

Showtime Sports launches 'Inside NASCAR' franchise (NASCAR)

In the age of viral marketing, and sports based reality shows, players try to do everything they can to get their name out there. The latest, and very interesting venture, comes from Steven Jackson. Jackson has decided to make a video about himself, that is exclusive to his own website. Via 12 Step Drop....

As far as self-made productions go, that actually looks pretty good. It's good to see Jackson busting his but this offseason, because the Rams are going to need every bit of him this fall.

Steven Jackson: The Movie (12 Step Drop)

How a player could remain unnamed, after revealing intimate details about the Sport he plays in is beyond me, but that's exactly what will be happening to the NFL. A player, referred to as "Player X", is set to reveal the scandalous detail about the league to ESPN The Magazine. Via Game On....

ESPN The Magazine is launching a column by an NFL star dubbed "Player X" who'll give readers his anonymous take on on athletes' extra-marital affairs, dalliances with groupies and other taboo topics, says editor-in-chief Gary Belsky.

In his first piece hitting newsstands Friday, the player admits that not only are many "negative" tales about pro athletes true, they're actually worse in some cases. The hedonistic lifestyles of some younger, single jocks are "no different" than the party-hearty worlds depicted in sports movies like Semi-Tough or HBO's Entourage, he says.

Player's X's teammates, coaches, agent and family don't know he's writing the column, Belsky says. It will be his call whether he wants to identify himself after penning 10-12 columns during the 2009 season. If the idea takes off, Belsky wants to recruit a Major League Baseball player to write a similar column.

So why the anonymous approach? The most interesting stories come from inside the locker room, answers Belsky. But many athletes will only talk about them on a confidential basis.

"I don't know if he's the Deep Throat of sports. But we hope he's going to be the ultimate guide to the life of a professional athlete," Belsky says.

Well, I'm for sure going to be reading that issue when it comes this week. It seems odd that a player would break the "locker room code" in this fashion, but it will definitely sell some copies.

"Player X" dishes on hedonistic world of pro athletes and groupies (Game On)

Twitter is taking up just about every single headline today, and that's not just because the site was down for half the day. ESPN is still making waves about their recent "Tweet Laws", but the newest network to use/not use the software appears to be NBC. The Peacock is actually considering an idea that will have their crew, tweeting during Sunday Night Football this season. Via the Albany Times-Union....

On a conference call today promoting NBC’s coverage of Sunday night’s Hall of Fame game (Bills-Titans), “Sunday Night Football” producer Fred Guardelli was asked about the possibility of his announcers tweeting during telecasts. Here’s his response:

“It is something that internally I’ve bandied about with the production team quite a bit. I do Twitter. I can’t tell you I do it a lot, but I do follow the people in pro football to see what they’re tweeting about.

“Twitter would probably be an excellent application for a sideline reporter because as long as they stayed within the bounds of what the NFL allows you to report, Andrea (Kremer) could probably provide a constant stream of information that you just can’t get on TV because the game is dictating how it will be covered. We’ve discussed it quite a bit and while we are not sure what we’re going to do at this point, I could see it having some value.”

While I don't necessarily see the benefits of having the booth tweet during the games, it could be something good for the studio hosts to try out. They could use it as a preview to the halftime show, and if the content is juicy enough, they might keep some people tuned in.

Is sideline tweeting in NBC’s future? (Albany Times-Union)

Baseball announcing has rarely ever deviated from the norm. You usually have two or three announcers in the booth, and an on-field reporter. That's the way it's been for years, and very few networks have tried something different. Well that's until ESPN airs its Monday Night Baseball game, between the Dodgers and Cardinals tomorrow night.

The "Leader" plans on dividing up its three man team of Shulman, Hershiser and Phillips, by putting the two analysts in the camera wells beside each dugout. Via USA Today....

ESPN will formally announce Monday that it will experiment Monday night on its Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis game (7 ET). ESPN will keep play-by-play announcer DanShulman in the booth, but analysts Orel Hershiser and Steve Phillips will be stationed in the camera wells beside each dugout.

Matt Sandulli, ESPN senior coordinating producer, says the Cardinals preferred ESPN use the camera well on the outfield side, rather than home plate side, of its dugout to reduce chances its analysts might somehow interact with players. Sandulli says that won't happen anyway — "we're not supposed to talk to players and wouldn't do it" — and hopes to get the Dodgers to allow access to the well on its dugout's home plate side.

TV sports commonly station reporters along sidelines, in pit road or on golf fairways. But putting main game announcers in separate locations rarely has been done, such as NBC's Pierre McGuire being rinkside on NHL games or ESPN having Paul Maguire chime in on football from a sideline camera cart. Says Sandulli: "There's lot of non-verbal communication in the booth. We joked that maybe (the analysts) will will send signals from dugout to dugout."

Sandulli says its possible that ESPN could send more baseball announcers out of the booth on future games, depending partly on whether Monday night's experiment delivers a "wow factor."

While my initial reaction is that this might become a bit distracting, the intrigue almost outweighs that. The Pierre McGuire idea has worked wonders for NBC Hockey, and the same could potentially work for Baseball. Besides, it's Monday Night Baseball, why not?

ESPN baseball announcing team goes separate ways (USA Today)

Mike and Mike have some promotions coming up that I wanted to point, and while I know most are stunts to gain viewers, a couple are actually pretty cool. The first being their yearly auction of themselves for the Jimmy V Foundation. Yes, you can bid on having the duo come to your house (basement if you're a blogger), and broadcast live! Last year's broadcasts was pretty fun, and of course, it goes to a good cause.

The second idea, is a little goofy, but the guests they have lined up are amazing. Mike and Mike will be going 80s for a day, and will feature interviews with the likes of Joe Montana, Larry Bird and Brett Michaels. Yes, Brett Michaels from Poison....

In the middle of the ‘80’s, Mike Golic was drafted into the NFL while Mike Greenberg was graduating high school. On Tuesday, July 7, ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m. ET M-F, simulcast on ESPN2) will celebrate that decade with a special “80’s Day” broadcast.

Guests will include former athletes including Larry Bird, Joe Montana, Bears QB Jim “Super Bowl Shuffle” McMahon, Dodgers OF Kirk Gibson, 49ers Hall-of-Fame WR Jerry Rice, Mike “Do you believe in miracles?” Eruzione, and Bret Michaels from the band Poison.

While it wasn’t that Kenny Rogers who sang “Lady” in 1981, “Ghostbusters” wasn’t about the 2004 Red Sox, and “9 to 5” was in theatres 29 years before Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness at those odds, the ‘80’s are still close to the hearts of Greeny & Golic, who will don 80’s apparel for the occasion.

Mike & Mike’s ‘80’s Day’ show will feature:

- ‘80’s-related guests
- ‘80’s-related topics (Miracle on Ice, ’86 World Series Game 6, Celtics-Lakers, Giants-49ers, Everett-Navratilova, sports movies, and “Hello To” USA Today, sports talk radio and NFL instant replay)
- Tri-hourly updates will look back at plays of the decade
- ‘80’s-style graphics on ESPN2 simulcast
- ‘80’s-related poll questions on ESPNRadio.com (voting taking place now)
- ‘80’s biggest scandals
- ‘80’s biggest flops

Themed radio shows can get a little lame, but I think with those interviews filling the spots in between the cheesiness, it will leave no time for Greeny and Golic to mess it up. Please to be wearing Bugle Boy jeans and/or any article of clothing from Body Glove.

You all know the "filler programming" I'm talking about. You know, the Mount Rushmores and Who's Now of summers past? Well this year's edition is pretty much along the same lines, but might actually have some promise. From June 20th to July 10th, Sports Center will be airing athlete vignettes about their favorite event to attend and/or play in, and are calling the extravaganza, "Fan Feast".

Kenny Mayne and Mike Greenberg will be your judges, and as far as athletes appearing, you'll have Kobe Bryant, Lisa Leslie and Jeff Gordon, to name a few. Here is the schedule....

Mon., June 29: Kobe Bryant – play cricket
Tue., June 30: Joe Mauer – be a quarterback at the Super Bowl
Wed., July 1: Candace Parker – attend the FIFA World Cup
Thur., July 2: Jeff Gordon – face Tony Hawk one-on-one in an X Games contest
Thur., July 2: Carl Crawford on 1:00 a.m. (10 p.m. PT) – to be a quarterback in the NFL
Fri., July 3: Blake Griffin – play football at the University of Oklahoma
Mon., July 6: Colt McCoy – attend the Masters
Tue., July 7: Trevor Hoffman – race in the Indy 500
Wed., July 8: Lisa Leslie – attend the US Open and watch a Williams sisters final
Thur., July 9: Dale Earnhardt Jr. – play in the NFL
Thur., July 9: Dick Vermeil – a front row seat at the Indy 500
Fri., July 10: Justin Morneau – play and win the Stanley Cup

Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 17

SportsCenter: Mike Greenberg’s essays on the top five to-do sports events (one each day) will be aired.

Monday, July 20 – Friday, July 24

SportsCenter: Kenny Mayne’s essays on the top five events sports fans "should see" will be aired.

The Dallas Cowboys have gone out on a limb, and promised a roster spot to whomever wins the Michael Irvin hosted "4th and Long", with a roster spot. Well that process begins tonight when the show kicks off on Spike at 10pm. Here's a little video on the participants, and a list of the celeb guest stars, if you're interested....

Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Spike TV are on a quest to give a football hopeful a shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster in the new series “4th and Long.” Premiering on Monday, May 18 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT), Spike TV will chronicle the rigorous training, heated competition, and compelling moments among 12 talented unsigned football players – individuals who either blew their first shot at making the NFL, or never had one to begin with. In a 10-week training camp, Irvin will offer his wealth of experience and guidance to mold them into NFL-caliber players. Each week a different contestant will be cut, with the eventual victor heading to training camp with football’s legendary franchise, the Dallas Cowboys.

The twelve players participating (6 wide receivers and 6 defensive backs) have impressive pedigrees including high-school All-Americans, Arena League MVP’s and starters at Division 1 college programs such as the University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of North Carolina and the University of Tennessee.

Former NFL All-Pro Bill Bates will coach the defensive backs and former Dallas special-teams coach, Joe Avezzano will oversee the wide receivers. Guest stars on “4th and Long” include Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Tony Dorsett, and Roger Staubach along with current and former Cowboy greats Drew Pearson, Daryl Johnston, Jay Novacek, Nate Newton, Darren Woodson, Terence Newman, and Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will also appear throughout the series.

I don't know about this one, but at least I've heard of a few of the guys involved. The show really just seems like a Hard Knocks ripoff, but with less people. And the big question is whether this is a guarateed roster spot, or just a chance to come to camp? Interesting idea, but it might not pan out for Spike.

The MLB Network has come up with yet another interesting idea. During the debut of Thursday Night Baseball, they will begin show a series of vignettes that will attempt to recreate great moments in Baseball History. The plan is to take the existing clips and edit them to show how the event would look with the camera angles of today.

Here's a look at the first one, which is of Bob Gibson's seventeen strikeouts during the 1968 World Series....

While I don't entirely understand the point of them, the Gibson one sure looks cool. There's a total of six, and they will debut one a night on Thursday night, over the next six weeks.

I can completely understand why a college would put together a website to try and get their kid an award like the Heisman, but when pro teams do it, I find it a little bit weird. Everyone knows that Lebron James is going to win the MVP Award this year, but Cleveland thought they could help out the star by creating a new website called....."LebronIsReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyGood.com". Here is the tagline....

Welcome to LeBronIsReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyGood.com! Please check out all the information that helps explain why LeBron James deserves the 2009 NBA MVP Award. Why six Reallys in the address? Because this is LeBron’s sixth season in the NBA! Enjoy the tour. Just mouse over each of the Reallys above and go directly to each of the six different areas that make the case REALLY clear who should be the 2009 NBA MVP… LeBron James!

I know it's all in good fun, but unless you're Shaquille O'Neal going up against a white point guard, I'm pretty sure you don't need an MVP website. Especially in the NBA where it's pretty obvious the criteria needed for an MVP. Either lead the league in scoring or be in the top three, have rebounds and assists nearing 7 per game, and lead your team to a high seed in the Playoffs.

Obviously this year is a bit of an anomaly, because there are technically three worth candidates, but only Lebron qualifies in all three facets. Seems pretty obvious that he's the leader in the clubhouse. Cleveland probably could have saved some money on GoDaddy fees.

Lebron James Is Really Good (LJIRRRRRRG)

TNT sent out a press release this afternoon saying that Sacramento Mayor, Kevin Johnson, will be on the program tonight, but there is also a small item that was buried deep within said release. Former NBA Head Coach (and Sprewell choking victim), PJ Carlesimo will join the network as an in-game analyst. Carlesimo will be working with Kevin Harlan tonight, and will be on the network's playoff coverage as well....

Following the pre-game show, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards at 8 p.m. ET. Marv Albert (play-by-play) will call the game with analysts Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller and David Aldridge reporting. The second game of the night will feature Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets hosting Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz at 10:30 p.m. ET. Calling the action will be former NBA head coach P.J. Carlesimo alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan with Marty Snider reporting. Carlesimo will also serve as a game analyst for TNT during the network’s ’40 Games in 40 Nights’ NBA Playoffs coverage. The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai with Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst) and Smith (analyst) will recap the games.

I can't remember the last time I saw Carlesimo on-air, but I don't remember him being that bad. He always seemed to have a surly disposition to me, but maybe a fun environment like TNT Basketball is what the former coach needs. We shall see.

I've grown tired of Mike & Mike's stunts in an attempt to get viewers, but this one actually caught my attention. Mike Greenberg is bringing in longtime trainer and ESPN Boxing analyst, Teddy Atlas, for a one-day crash course on the Sport. This of course will televised on the M&M simulcast, and will certainly be good for some few laughs. Via ESPN PR....

ESPN's Mike Greenberg has incorporated boxing into his work-out regime, and Teddy Atlas has made boxing his life. The two will meet at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., “Wellness Center,” and the co-host of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning will find out what the sport is all about from the renowned trainer and ESPN boxing analyst.

On Friday, March 6, at 7:40 a.m., Atlas will join Greenberg and co-host Mike Golic in studio to appraise “Greeny’s” pugilistic propensity, with fans able to see for themselves on the ESPN2 simulcast and ESPNRadio.com. Video of Greenberg's gym session (taped today, Wed., March 4) will also run during ESPN2 Friday Night Fights (8:30 p.m.).

Everyone pokes fun at the "metrosexual" nature of Greenberg, but I'm going to pass on that because it's too easy. Good for him trying something new, and hopefully he doesn't mess up the manicure he's scheduled to get the day before.

Dammit....I knew I couldn't pull it off.

All league specific channels have been looking to beef up their content as of late, and the latest do so is the Big Ten Network. The BTN is adding a town hallish show to their lineup, and the show will be hosted by former Big Ten running back, Eddie George. Via BTN PR....

In each episode of the eight-week series, George, the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back, hosts three Big Ten personalities in an open forum taped in front of a live studio audience at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. New episodes will air at 9 PM ET on Mondays, beginning March 23, and will re-air throughout the week.

“The exciting part of ‘The Big Ten Quad’ is its unpredictability. The show will capture natural conversations that would take place even if the cameras weren’t rolling,” Big Ten Network Vice President, Programming Mike Feller said. “Eddie will be a great fit as a host because he is a good conversationalist and he has a strong intellectual curiosity. He will be able to relate to a variety of guests with his experience in the Big Ten and professional sports.”

“The Big Ten is about true passion and tradition, but each athlete or coach has had their own unique experience. My role each week is to ask the right questions and let the conversation flow from there,” George said.

That's definitely an interesting idea, and those interested in Big Ten current events and history will probably enjoy the list of guests that they've lined up. Some of those included will be: Wisconsin Football Coach Bret Bielema, Ron Dayne, Gene Keady, Desmond Howard, Michael Redd and Jeff George.

Not a bad lineup of guests there. The show is set to debut on March 13th at 11pm.

I've made no secret that the first crush of my life was Alyssa Milano, and today comes the wonderful news that she's writing a book about her "experiences" in and around Major League Baseball. There's no word if she will be addressing all of her past relationships with some of the players, but if she does, the book will apparently also be much more than that. From Harper Collins via The Sporting Blog....

As it turned out, the Dodgers were just the beginning. More than simply a book about the Dodgers, Safe at Home offers a view from the bleachers unlike any other, as Alyssa gives a fan's perspective on the heart-ache, headache, and joy that make every baseball season worth following. From arguing about the importance of baseball history to appreciating the quiet months of the off-season to criticizing Major League Baseball's response to the steroid scandal, Alyssa intertwines her thoughts about the game with stories from her life, bringing an intelligent, wry, and entertaining female voice to the world of baseball writing.

Throughout all the shifts in Alyssa's life—the madness of growing up a child star, having to navigate life's most awkward phases in front of the cameras—baseball has been her one constant, a distraction that was always welcome. Whether you're already a fan or you need some convincing, Safe at Home makes a compelling case for why baseball is and always will be America's game. The end result is a unique and unexpected book that is equal parts memoir, manifesto, and love letter to our national pastime.

Well that sounds exciting, doesn't it? I personally think she would sell more copies if she addressed her dating of MLB players, but whatever works for her.

Yes, Even Alyssa Milano Is Writing A Book (The Sporting Blog)
Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic (Harper Collins)

Every network has a reality show or two these days, and now the MLB Network is getting into the game. The newly formed Baseball network will be following the Phillies Bullpen around in a new show called "The Pen". Via MLB....

MLB Productions has been in Phillies camp the past week shooting footage for the debut episode of "The Pen," an inside look at the Phillies' bullpen, which is scheduled to debut June 1 on MLB Network. It will be MLB Network's first original programming.

"I think it'll be pretty neat," righty reliever Clay Condrey said.

MLB Productions chose the Phils' bullpen for a couple of reasons: First, it had tremendous success in 2008. And second, it has diverse personalities.

Six weekly episodes are scheduled to run through the All-Star break. The series is expected to show how a bullpen works, as well as how individual pitchers work together and rely upon each other throughout the course of the season. The show also will visit with the pitchers off the field to give viewers a sense of their personalities and interests.

Camera crews are expected to be with the team a few times a month, so they won't be followed everywhere (this isn't "Big Brother" or "The Real World").

Not a bad idea, and as long as they keep it simple, it could be an interesting watch. I think the rule of thumb with reality TV these days, is to just the opposite of what the crazy MTV and VH1 shows are doing. Well at least when it comes to Sports.

The show debuts on June 1st, and I'll be sure to grab some clips for those of you in Philly who don't have the MLB Network.

Bullpen to have own reality show (MLB)

Deion Sanders has been mentoring current NFL players, and rookies coming into the league, for awhile now. The only difference is that now it will be televised. "Prime U" will be an hour long program that features Sanders teaching five prospects the ways of the league. Via the NFL-N....

Five prospects, one dream. “Under Armour Presents Prime U” debuts at 8 p.m. Five prospects, one dream. On Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, Under Armour Presents Prime U debuts on NFL Network, chronicling the journey of NFL hopefuls training under the tutelage of NFL Network analyst and eight-time Pro Bowler Deion Sanders.

Produced by NFL Films, the 60-minute Under Armour Presents Prime U goes inside Sanders’ training camp in Irving, TX for a look at how the legendary cornerback imparts his knowledge of the game and life as a professional football player to the next generation.

"Prime U isn't the normal training process that you get from a standard training facility," said Sanders. "It's not just about training physically, but also developing a healthy spiritual and psychological makeup. From family to finances, Prime U works to ensure that these young men have all the tools in place for a successful life and career in the NFL and beyond."

That actually sounds pretty interesting. Sanders' "Camp" was actually founded last year, and even succeeded in helping Pacman Jones back into the league. As far as this year's collection of players on the show, here's who I've gathered will be featured: Darius Butler (Connecticut), Emmanuel Cook (South Carolina), Lendy Holmes (Oklahoma), Captain Munnerlyn (South Carolina), and Lydell Sargeant (Penn State)

There's been a ton of weird things going on at the "Leader" the past couple of weeks, Mount Rushmore, Hannah Storm's outfits, and now this. ESPN is launching an all Chicago Sports based website. The site will be called ESPNChicago.com and will launch in April. Via the Tribune....

ESPN believes Chicago has big enough shoulders for another local sports outlet, as it will launch its first Web site devoted to local sports fans.

ESPNChicago.com will provide a “24/7 Chicago sports news operation” starting in April, said Marc Horine, a vice president with ESPN digital media.

Prospective advertisers previewed the site last week, and brewer MillerCoors will be the site’s charter advertiser. If the venture is successful, ESPN could roll out more city-specific sites across the country.

“We already have a user base with millions of people coming to [ESPN.com] looking for Chicago sports,” Horine said. “At its core, the mission is simple: to super-serve Chicago sports fans.”

In addition to sports news, the site will have social-networking aspects, a travel partnership and even a way to organize your local softball team.

I wonder why they went with Chicago, over the likes of New York and DC? Seems unlikely that this will succeed, but who knows....maybe Chicago is desperately in need of online Softball planning tools.

ESPN to launch new site devoted to Chicago sports (Chicago Tribune)

Michael Strahan has been all over the place as of late. Since Strahan announced his retirement and joined up with FOX, the former DE has been a correspondent for various programs and was even a guest star on the NBC show Chuck. Well according to the NY Daily News via The Big Picture, Strahan could be getting his own sitcom....

Michael Strahan will be on the tube, too. We hear the 6-foot-5 ex-Giant is in negotiations to star in a Fox sitcom, having gotten a taste of the laugh track on “Chuck.”

Hmmm, not sure how I feel about that one. Sure, Strahan is entertaining and occasionally funny, but the star of his own sitcom? That might be a bit of a stretch. Here's his performance on Chuck....you be the judge....



Meanwhile, back at the raunch (NY Daily News)
Michael Strahan to star in FOX sitcom? (The Big Picture)

So the details surrounding Joe Buck's new show on HBO are slowly starting to take shape, and Sports Business Daily has a few of the more interesting angles and ideas. According to SBD, the show will be 90 minutes in length, air quarterly and take on the town hall format that people responded to so well. Not only that, but Buck is even suggesting that they keep the name "Costas Now"....

HBO Sports Thursday announced the hiring of Fox' Joe Buck in the wake of Bob Costas' departure to MLB Network. Buck will host a sports talk show starting this May that will air on a quarterly basis and likely will utilize a town-hall format. HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg: "We will build a show around Joe that will showcase his personality and his talent and … there will be some comedic elements as well.” Buck added the show "will be different," but admitted some of the details were still undetermined. Buck: "We don't even have a name for it. I suggested to Ross that we keep 'Costas Now.'" Buck also said he "would like to bring in other elements" outside of just sports. Buck: "I don't think that keeping it straight sports all the time is something that really suits me best. ... This is going to be a unique look"

The biggest question, I have about the show, is if they are going to go straight Sports or make it more of a late night talk show format. Both could actually work, and while I think Joe Buck isn't the greatest PbPer, people might respond to him in as a talk show host. Obviously you have to find a balance between non-Sports and Sports, but I'm not totally discounting HBO and Buck actually pulling it off. I'll be sure to keep you updated as things progress.

HBO Sports Hires Buck To Host Show In Wake Of Costas Exit (Sports Business Daily - $)