Familiar Faces In New Places
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I've got two for you today...one radio, one boxing.
It appears via SbB and NY Daily News that Boomer Esiason will get a week long tryout on WFAN starting next week.
Esiason is based out of NYC, which is important since KC native "Big Sexy" Jason Whitlock turned down the station. I've heard Boomer on radio in DC before and he's not bad....there are obviously worse choices that could have been made. If you live in NYC let me know how it goes.
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In Boxing News it appears that longtime HBO analyst, and Scorecard Guru, Larry Merchant will be benched for good starting with the June 9th Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah fight. Larry will do two more fights (De La Hoya-Mayweather, Taylor-Spinks), and then give way to....get this.....
Ex-ESPN Around the Horn Host...Max Kellerman.
Kellerman is a boxing aficionado, and was a former host of ESPN's Friday Night Fights. The thinking is that he would be able to provide a younger perspective to the telecasts. If this is the case it appears that Max would come out on top after a contract dispute with ESPN led him to Fox Sports and then the cellars of HBO.
I could never stand Larry Merchant (and rarely agreed with him), but when he was involved you knew it was a big fight. At least HBO didn't hire someone who knew nothing about what he/she was covering (*ahem* ESPN).
Merchant Appears Destined For Final Rounds at HBO (Philly Daily News)
Boomer Esiason to try out for Imus Radio Spot Next Week (SbB)
Boomer to QB FAN Mornings for a Week (NY Daily News)
8 Comments:
Howard Lederman's unofficial scoring for that last round:
Kellerman 10
Merchant 8
Am I the only one who can't look Kellerman in the eyes without feeling a bit nauseous?
I could never stand Kellerman. He's one of those guys(like Jim Rome) who likes the sound of his voice more than the public does. And am I the only one who thinks he looks a hell of a lot like Imus' former producer Bernard McGuirk?
flubby wins the internets...
Max Kellerman knows his shit. Him leaving TWWL was the reason I stopped watching Around The Horn- Presented By Nissan. Why? He continually muted Woody Page and Jay Mariotti (and couldn't stand lispy voice of the other LA Times guy).
He did come off as an asshole on ATH-PBN and that shitfest on FSN, but he is one of two people I want to hear dissecting boxing, whether the fight at hand or the history (the other being Bert Sugar, of course).
I wonder how Merchant's going to fill up on the gin if he isn't broadcasting a fight and getting comp'ed? Fuck him.
Good move by HBO. Too bad boxing is fading away faster than Karen Carpenter in the '70s.
UGH, what a bummer. Even Though It Took Merchant A Long Time To Get Out What He Wanted To Say, he is still an icon and a reason I enjoy HBO boxing. He also wrote an incredibly funny book back in 1972 called National Football Lottery, which most people don't know about. He (and his 20 minute post-fight interviews) will be missed.
I often wondered why Larry Merchant never got one of those "GoldenPalace.com" tattoo endorsements put on his five...err...forehead. On a sidenote, it is a little known fact that Kellerman is only 2 or 3 generations removed from his Cyclop ancestors.
I think that this is a good development for boxing because new blood will replace the old. Merchant's voice was too boring for me.
Do you think Larry Merchant's next guest spot will be alongside his buddy Jim Lampley in the next season of Cops?