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)

The same players have been in the FOX NFL booths on Sundays, for the past few years, but with the addition and subtraction of some announcers, the NFL on FOX has had to make some changes. Gone are Brian Baldinger, J.C. Pearson, Tony Boselli and Matt Vasgersian. In are Chris Myers (from the sideline to the booth) John Lynch, Trent Green, and The Greatness that is Charles Davis. Here are your new teams for this season....

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Dick Stockton and Charles Davis
Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan
Ron Pitts and John Lynch
Chris Myers and Trent Green

While I think both Lynch and Green will do a good job, Stockton and Davis has to be the most hilarious pairing in the history of the NFL. I'm going to have way too much fun with that one.

Gar Ryness, better known as "Batting Stance Guy", is a cult hero among the blogs, and is known for recreating just about every MLB players baseball swing on Youtube. Well, Gar got a chance to put his talent on display for Letterman last night (no, not during Stupid Human Tricks), and here is a bit of his performance....

Just amazing. The fact that he brought up Hal Morris had me rolling on the ground. The good news doesn't stop there for Gar though. Fox has signed the Youtube sensation to appear on the 19 regional FOX networks the rest of the season. Congrats Gar!

BSG Online (Batting Stance Guy)

There was a rumored fight for John Lynch between the NFL Network and ESPN, but in the end it was the network that originally courted the former NFLer, that ended up with him. John Lynch will be going to FOX this Fall, while longtime analyst Brian Baldinger is being shown the door.

While the hire for FOX is definitely a high-profile get, you all know that I'm always wary about networks throwing former players into the booth right away. As far as Baldinger goes, he was always hit or miss. He'd either say something that was completely on point, or spend five minutes making zero sense. He was however, a staple on the network, and it will be interesting to see how the pairing are affected by his departure.

Update: I forgot to add that Newsday's Neil Best predicted this about three weeks ago. Bravo sir!

There were a handful of rumors that John Lynch would get scooped up once he officially (re)announced his retirement, and the winning network is FOX. Not only was he hired in about ten minutes, but they're wasting no time in throwing him to the wolves. Lynch will be on the call of Minnesota-Jacksonville game next Sunday, and will be paired with the consummate pro, Chris Rose.

Here are the rest of FOX's assignments for Week Twelve of the NFL season....

Carolina at Atlanta - Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick
Philadelphia at Baltimore - Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Meyers
San Francisco at Dallas - Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Tampa Bay at Detroit - Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli and Charissa Thompson
Minnesota at Jacksonville - Chris Rose, John Lynch and Krista Voda
Chicago at St. Louis - Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger and Laura Okmin
N.Y. Giants at Arizona - Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Washington at Seattle - Matt Vasgersian, JC Pearson and Nischelle Turner

Well that was quick wasn't it? I really thought this was going to drag out for at least a week, but Jay Glazer is breaking the news (well he is a co-worker, so not exactly "breaking") that Strahan will NOT be returning to the Giants next season. The retired defensive end has decided to stay retired and will continue his role with FOX as planned. Via Fox Sports....

The recently retired perennial Pro Bowler told FOXSports.com exclusively that he has decided to remain retired and has turned down the Giants' offer to lure him back to action.

"This has been one of the toughest nights of my life," Strahan said from Greece. "But after long deliberation and throwing around a million scenarios in my head for the past day, I think it's just best if I stay retired."

"I have gone back and forth on this because as a player you'll always want to play, you'll never lose that urge to be out there. But I could only do this if I could commit 100 percent, physically, mentally, emotionally and I can't do that. I've tried to convince myself and my body to give it one more year, but in the end I just don't think I could turn it on like I need to again."

"I really love my life now," he said. "It's great having nobody put a finger on me. You really put yourself through an awful lot in this league, more than people realize.

"I've got a great home at FOX now and I think it's where I belong. I wish I could've had different news for Giants fans but I've known for a while I'm done."

Strahan was also quoted in the article as saying that the money was right, but that he didn't want to put his body through the rigors of another season. While this is bad news for Giants fans, it's certainly good news for this site. After Emmitt Smith and Tony Kornheiser, I think Strahan is going to be one of the biggest soundbytes this entire season. I'm looking forward to it.

Strahan turns down Giants, will stay retired (FOX Sports)

It's really a shame that this Osi injury went down. No, not because he's a great player and I want to see him play this season but rather because I was looking forward to Strahan joining the NFL on FOX. I think he's perfect for television, and while five people on set is never a good idea, the addition was a great one for that network.

I speculated that the ex-Giant probably had a clause in his contract that would let him make a return and late last night, Vice President of Communications Dan Bell said the network wouldn't try to stop an "un-retirement". From SBD via Sporting News Today....

SPORTING NEWS TODAY's Dennis Dillon reports if former NFLer Michael Strahan re-joins the Giants, Strahan's contract with Fox Sports "will not impede the process." Fox officials yesterday "gave Strahan their blessing to return to the Giants without jeopardizing his job status." Fox VP/Communications Dan Bell: "If he does decide to go back and play for the Giants, he has our full support and his job will be waiting for him when he returns."

I guess that's the right decision, and obviously a good faith gesture by FOX, but now I'm rooting for Strahan to ignore the Giants and move ahead with his second career behind the mic. And no, not just because I'm a Skins fan. I genuinely think he'll be open and honest about teams and players and someone like that is definitely needed within the NFL these days.

As soon as Osi Umenyora went down with a knee injury on Saturday everyone in the Sports Media world began searching for Michael Strahan's cell number. And that was even before it was announced that the DE was lost for the year. Strahan, who was vacationing in Greece, told multiple sources that he'd listen to the Giants yesterday and the rumored amount to get him back in NYC appears to be a grand total of $8 million. Via TSB....

"If the Giants make a sincere overture, it's a good chance that Strahan would consider coming back," the source told the newspaper. "There are other things he has to take into consideration: the money and his contract with Fox. But if the Giants really want him, they have a shot. It's not out of the question."

Strahan, who is 37 and retired June 9, has a contract with Fox to be a television commentator. He didn't rule out a return to the Giants in an interview with NFL Network.

"I haven't heard from anybody else, so to say if I would or wouldn't is premature," Strahan told NFL Network. "So I'm enjoying my retired life right now."

While most of those in the know seem to think that the return is "doubtful", I'm thinking that Strahan will be back in Giant Blue very soon. His contract with FOX is for $2 million a year and I'm assuming that there has to be a clause built in that lets him return to the game if he wants to. Also, that $8 million mark is easily within reach for New York as they currently have $12 million on the cap to spare. That price would be a steal for a future HOFer who hasn't really lost that much of a step.

Obviously the contract amounts are just educated guesses, but in the wake of his highly publicized divorce, it seems like a no-brainer for him to sign with the Giants. Strahan was ordered to pay his ex-wife Jean over $15 million and is also on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support. That's not necessarily the best reason for a return, but it might very well make the decision to come back a little easier.

Strahan Could Return or Umenyiora Could Be Back By October or Neither Could Happen (The Sporting Blog)
Can't hurt Giants just to give Strahan a call (NY Daily News)

It still continues to amaze me that Baseball steroid users are sent into purgatory but with Football ones the transgression is almost forgotten entirely. But that's a discussion for another day. Shawne Merriman of your San Diego (Super)Chargers has just been hired by FSN to be an analyst for their Sunday Football show, Pro Football Preivew. Via the LA Times....

The Chargers linebacker will be an in-studio analyst for FSN's Pro Football Preview, which Fox says will be the first time a current player has served in a full-time capacity for any national pregame studio show for any sport.

The show will be taped in Los Angeles on Thursdays, and Merriman will be flown by private plane to and from San Diego so that he doesn't miss practices. He will be joined on the show by host Jay Glazer and analyst Eddie George.

"It is one thing to have somebody who played talk about what's going on each week, but to have somebody who is still playing takes our show to another level," Fox Senior Vice President Rick Jaffe said in a written statement. "The insight he will bring just raised the bar for every NFL pre-game show on television."

It's not really a new concept to have a player sit-in for a show or two during the season, but to have someone on every week on a national show, is a pretty big deal. I'm not the biggest Eddie George fan in the world, and I'm not sure how Glazer is as a host, but it might actually be worth checking out. Merriman might just be able to give some good middle of the season insight. Well unless he's cut of the Herm Edwards mold.

Chargers' Shawne Merriman will be in-studio analyst (LA Times)