For most of the Hall of Fame Game, I really wasn't missing John Madden. I thought Collinsworth worked great with Madden, and didn't really think about Madden until they aired the tribute piece at halftime. Throw some "booms" together with a random telestrator squiggle, and you've got a winner!

As I mentioned on Friday, I will be live blogging the first preseason game over at 12StepDrop tonight at 8pm. We decided we might try something a little different and embed the viewer here as well. It will have a fantasy slant, but if you are watching a Buffalo-Tennessee preseason game, chances are you play a little fantasy ...

If you haven't been by 12StepDrop yet, checkout the Chatter section. It filters out all the useless tweets by the players and shows you just their thoughts on camp and their teams. Just what the internet needs, more fantasy data.

See you back here at 8 ...

A month ago, it was announced that Chris Berman would be introducing Bills' Owner, Ralph Wilson, into the Hall of Fame. Well today, the NFL is releasing the news that Rich Eisen will be hosting the festivities, thus putting him on ESPN's broadcast of the inductions. Via USA Today....

Former SportsCenter anchor Rich Eisen, dropped by ESPN in 2003, will next month be back on the channel. But Eisen, now an NFL Network anchor, will just be making a single appearance — albeit one that will last several hours. He'll replace Chris Berman as the host of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremony on Aug. 9, which will air both on ESPN and NFLN. Longtime ceremony host Berman will have a new role as a presenter for inductee Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills.

Eisen, who says he has "no idea" who'll host next year, says it was "an absolute thrill" to get the assignment. And he's thinking what he could bring to a show that could last five hours: "Maybe I could be the first Hall MC to do wardrobe changes. But I don't think it would fit the day."

I had an irrational hatred of Eisen for years, but I have to admit, his time on the NFL Network has actually been good for him (and my impression of him). He's actually the perfect person to host the event, and should provide some levity in between grown men crying at the podium. Besides, would you rather have Berman do it, or Rich? Exactly.

Back on ESPN (USA Today)

Chris Berman is a pro at speaking at public, and has done HOF ceremonies before, so this was a natural choice for Bills' owner Ralph Wilson. Berman, a noted Bills fan, will introduce the longtime Bills owner before he is inducted into the hall of fame this August. Via the San Jose Mercury News....

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has picked ESPN football broadcaster Chris Berman to introduce him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in August.

In announcing his decision Thursday, Wilson said he and Berman have been friends for many years and noted that, "Chris really embodies the Bills fans."

The broadcaster nicknamed "Boomer" has had a soft spot for the Bills during his 30 years at ESPN, and is noted for coining the phrase, "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills."

Wilson, who founded the franchise in 1959, is one of six to be inducted on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio. The group includes former Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, who has selected former assistant coach Ted Cottrell to introduce him.

Well this seems like a match made in heaven, now doesn't it. Nobody circles the Hall of Fame like Chris Berman!

Berman to introduce Bills' Wilson at HOF induction (San Jose Mercury News)

I personally think that both Bert Blyleven and Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame, but unfortunately that's probably not going to happen for one of them. Well that person is Blyleven, and the current Twins announcer has something to say about it....

Again, I don't think Jack Morris pitched enough to qualify, but both Bly and Schil definitely deserve to be in. It must be gut wrenching to be on the cusp like that and never get in.

The MLB Network came up with a great idea a few weeks back, and decided to air the HOF Election Ceremony live for the first time ever. They even succeeded in creating a little bit of suspense around the announcement, and after it was announced that he made it into the Hall, Jim Rice came on for a brief interview....

Things are a bit slow going in the offseason, but programs of this nature keep me coming back to the new channel. As far as the nominations, both Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice deserve to be in the Hall, so good job by the writers in that regard. Especially when you consider it was Rice's last chance to get in. I also think Andre Dawson should be in, so hopefully he gets his due next year.

FSN sent me this very short clip of Lawrence Taylor's appearance on BDSSP recently and in thirteen seconds the man will blow your mind. John Salley decided to ask him what he would do if there wasn't "order" in his locker room and watch his response....

Good lord that was hard. We all know that LT is cut from a different cloth, but that was just wrong.

There seem to be about eighty different broadcasting Hall of Fames, but the "official" one is the on SVG (Sports Video Group) created in 2007. The "Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame" only has eleven members, but will be adding nine more this December. The are all walks of "Sports Production" life, but the class will be highlighted by Vin Scully, Curt Cowdy and Charlie Steinberg. Via the SBHoF press release....

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2008, formed in 2007 to honor sports TV industry innovators and leaders, announced its 2008 inductee class today in New York. Marvin Bader, Chet Forte, Curt Gowdy, Teddy Nathanson, Don Ohlmeyer, Val Pinchbeck, Vin Scully, Bob Seiderman, and Charlie Steinberg will be officially inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Dec. 16 in New York in a ceremony hosted by Jim Nantz, CBS Sports lead play-by-play announcer.

More than 80 industry leaders from national broadcast networks, cable sports networks, leagues, teams, and related organizations participated in the selection process this past summer. Honorees were elected in seven categories: management, production, technical operations, engineering, leagues and teams, manufacturers and vendors, and on-air talent.

Interesting choices, and I'm all for Gowdy, Steiner and Scully being on any Hall of Fame list, but don't you think they should have just got all of the obvious ones out of the way the first year? At this pace, the likes of Al Michaels and John Madden will be passed away for 20 years, before they get in.

Ohlmeyer, Scully, Gowdy Top 2008 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class (Global Newswire)

I sense that this video will be on every Sports blog by the end of the day, but it's a must see. It's very NSFW, but anytime you can get a clip of HOFer George Brett talking about s**ting his pants for three minutes....you should make the time to watch it....

I love the, "Who's the pitchers in this game?" outro that he throws in there at the end. There's nothing wrong with a grown man crapping his pants at all!

George Brett Would Like To Tell You About That Time He Pooped His Pants (Deadspin)

Okay, I'll admit it....I'm fascinated by Peter King. No, not because I think his writing is amazing, or that he has virtually the whole NFL in his cell phone. None of that. It's really the fact that he just doesn't care. He'll write an article that contradicts something he wrote a day ago and isn't even fazed. He's like Derek Jeter in that Gatorade commercial, "but for me the next article begins when the last one ends."

Well that brings us to some stellar research that reader PW put in regarding the relationship between Peter King and Tom Brady. In PK's latest article, he posted the following email exchange about Brady and Matt Cassel....

From Brian Maxwell, of Minneapolis: "I know it's early but if the Pats win the Super Bowl this year with Matt Cassel, does it reflect negatively on Tom Brady's legacy? I think if that happens, we can stop the "greatest of all-time" talk.''

PK: Not sure I've heard anyone call Brady the greatest of all-time. But you're right. Cassel has made one start. Brady has made 128, has won 79 percent of them, is 14-3 in the postseason, is 3-1 in Super Bowls. I understand your point -- that if the Patriots go far into January, then it takes some of the shine off Brady's star. But we're not even far into September.

Now it struck both PW and I, very odd that Peter King would say that he has , "never heard someone call Brady the greatest of all-time," when King himself has probably written those exact words about a million times in Brady's career. Let's take a look shall we....

October 5, 2004
Patriots QB Tom Brady is as cool as a man can be when the rush is on (Sports Illustrated)

"Playing like this is the biggest reason why the Patriots are poised to set the all-time record for consecutive wins Sunday against Miami. Tom Brady is simply an unflappable player, one of the greatest pressure players I've ever seen."

December 19, 2005
Brady, Pats are back; Bolts end Colts' perfection bid (Sports Illustrated)

"I was in the Brady-for-Sportsman crowd, probably as a leader of the pack. This morning, I'm not here to say he's better than Peyton Manning, worse than Peyton Manning, the same as Peyton Manning, because, let's face it, they're both all-timers."

October 23, 2007
Pats-Colts, Brady-Manning ... let the arguments begin (Sports Illustrated)

"Tony Kornheiser asked Ron Jaworski Monday night on ESPN who he thought is better right now -- Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Jaworski looked like he'd rather answer this question: "Which of your daughters is your favorite?'' The answer is simple. We're living in an era with three of the best 10 quarterbacks (Manning, Brady, Brett Favre) ever to play. We'll have years to debate what order you'd put them in, and more great ones will be added as time passes."

November. 6th 2007
Personnel chiefs Scott Pioli and Bill Polian are behind the success in New England and Indy (Sports Illustrated)

"Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are already among the alltime greats."

January 14, 2008
Observations from a nearly perfect NFL weekend (Sports Illustrated)

"Tom Brady was a ref's buried whistle and a stunning drop by Mr. Hands Wes Welker from being 28-for-28 the other night. Are we watching the best quarterback of all time in mid-career? Are we watching, maybe three of the best five or six of all time?"

And all of that research was done in the matter of about 10 minutes using Google. I can understand forgetting certain stances or predictions that you've written in over twenty years of Football reporting, but come on! He's devoted entire articles to that same "All-time Greatest" debate about twenty times since Brady's been in the league. The guy is either like Guy Pearce in "Memento" and he's working backwards and sideways, or he's just messing with everybody. Either way, he continues to blow my mind.

I'm not sure why we're getting a string of state of media addresses as of late, but I'm all for them. The latest ESPN Ombudsman article tackled ESPN cross promotion and synergy and yesterday we had the future of Sports Television. Well today the topic is the State of Broadcasting and the quotes come from recently re-retired ABC College Football announcer, Keith Jackson.

The LA Times posed the question of perhaps the legendary broadcaster calling the OSU-USC game for the weekend and this was his response....

"I don't belong," he said. "My time is gone. I knew it and walked away."

While Vin Scully, who is the same age, has re-signed for another year with the Dodgers and Chick Hearn went on with the Lakers until his death at 85, Jackson is content with his decision, happy to hunker down at home for Saturday's game.

"I'm going to have a glass of good wine and watch a good ballgame," he said.

After being a football announcer with ABC from 1966 to 2006, he doesn't miss it?

"I've brainwashed myself into believing that," he said. "I'm on to another life."

The first time Jackson retired, he was enticed into returning when a network executive removed the burden of his heavy travel schedule. And when Jackson retired again, there was a new enticement.

"ESPN talked to me," he said, "but it's a whole different profession now."

Jackson is talking about the radical changes produced by technology, from the dizzying array of channel options, to online videos, blogging by sideline reporters, fantasy football stats and the increasing demand for an interactive experience.

"It's oversaturation to me," he said. "I wonder if it won't dull the appetite for football. I have trouble just with all these replays. I can't tell the old stuff from the new stuff. Also, it seems like there is constant conversation by the announcers. Yak, yak, yak. I just don't think we need that much conversation and I have a hunch there are a whole lot of folks who feel that way. Vinny [Scully] once said that what we do is capture pictures and I agree with that. But maybe I'm just a grouchy old guy."

My thing is that there's room for all types of approaches in the booth from the classic, to the humorous, to the boisterous, but you have to know when to hit the pause button when thing get serious or the game is close. The biggest problem that I see, is a combination of what Jackson said and people trying way too hard to be funny, or off the wall. Subtle humor within the context of the game is always welcome, but when you start turning into the broadcast into a Sports Talk Radio show, that's when people hit mute.

It's sad to think that people like Jackson believe that the game and technology has passed them by, and that they "don't belong", but I guess it's just the natural progression of things. Hopefully he'll reconsider and can call a game next season for one network or another. I for one could use a "Whoa Nellie!" or two on Saturdays.

Whoa, Nellie: Keith Jackson enjoying retirement (LA Times)

Back in May, Vin Scully hinted at a retirement, or at least a reduced role for next season. The 80 year old stated that he wanted to spend more time with his wife, but today there are reports that he's definitely coming back for yet another season with the Dodgers. The LA Times is reporting that the longtime announcer will be back for his 60th season as the team's announcer and that his wife, Sandy, has given the plan her blessing....

Vin Scully will be back for his 60th season as voice of the Dodgers.

The Hall of Fame broadcaster said he received the blessing of his wife, Sandy, to postpone retirement. Scully, 80, is in the final season of a three-year contract.

Scully said he does not intend to re-sign for more than a year, adding, "I'm really weary talking about beyond this afternoon. . . . There's a beginning, a middle and an end for all of us. I know that I have a lot more yesterdays than I have tomorrows."

Because of the amount of time his wife will have to continue to spend alone, Scully said he felt he had to talk over his plans with her. He intends to keep the same work schedule, which includes games at home and as far east as Colorado. "She pays a terrific price," he said. "What it means is that Sandy is so selfless and unselfish and she would go through it again because she knows how much it means to me."

Well that's good news all-around isn't it? MLB and Dodger Fans get Scully for at least another year and he's still in good with the missus. I personally don't think Vin has lost that much off his fastball, and even if he does he should always have a spot in the Dodgers' booth.

Vin Scully says he'll be back next season (LA Times)
Dodgers Annoucner Vin Scully Hints At Retirement (Awful Announcing)

Darrell Green is by far my favorite Football player to ever play the game, but yesterday was all about Art Monk. I think this four minute standing ovation shows exactly how every Football fan feels about his entrance into the Hall....

Congrats Art....it's about damn time.

Well we now know where ESPN's allegiance is. The Baseball HOF Ceremony was relegated to ESPN Classic, but the NFL one on Sunday will be broadcast on ESPN Uno. We even get Chris Berman back as host!

ESPN will present live coverage of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008 induction ceremony Saturday, August 2, at 6 p.m. ET from Canton, Ohio. NFL Live’s Trey Wingo will host the three-hour primetime telecast with analyst Tom Jackson. ESPN’s Chris Berman, entering his 23rd year as host of Sunday NFL Countdown, will emcee the ceremony that honors the six members of this year’s class – Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman. The telecast – which will re-air Saturday night at 11 p.m. on ESPN Classic – will review each inductee’s career with speeches from the inductees and their presenters.

Correspondent Bob Holtzman will also provide reports for SportsCenter and other ESPN programs throughout the Hall of Fame weekend, including coverage of Sunday’s Redskins-Colts game.

Obviously as a Skins fan, it's going to be a great day for me, but when you add in the game the next night it's just an awesome weekend of all things Football. I should be around most of the weekend with vids if you want to stop by. Football is here people....let us rejoice!

(Via ESPN PR)

If the Marlins and Cubs just isn't doing it for you this Sunday afternoon you can head over to ESPN Classic. ESPN3 will be airing the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in its entirety starting at 1:30pm....

The 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be televised live Sunday on ESPN Classic from 1:30-4:30 p.m., ET. Rich “Goose” Gossage, Bowie Kuhn, Walter O’Malley, Dick Williams, Barney Dreyfuss and Billy Southworth will be inducted.

Brian Kenny and Tim Kurkjian will cover the ceremonies on ESPN Classic. ESPN2 will present an edited version of the induction ceremonies on Monday at 8 p.m., ET, followed by a roundtable special with Kenny, Gossage and Dick Williams at 9 p.m., ET.

Following the ceremonies, ESPN Classic will re-air two games featuring Gossage:

- 4:30-5:30- the 1978 World Series Game 6. Yankees vs. Dodgers. Gossage pitches the final two innings as the Yankees win the World Series.
- 5:30-6:30- the “Pine Tar” game. 1983 Yankees vs. Royals. George Brett’s two-run home run off of Gossage was denied by the umpires, setting off one of baseball’s most memorable moments.

I suggest actually watching the edited version on ESPN2 if you're not a fan of either player because the thing seriously drags on at times. Last year's induction of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken seemed like it was nine hours long....and I'm an O's fan. The Gossage speech should provide plenty of tears though, and I'm a sucker for grown men sobbing.

(Via ESPN PR)

It's been awhile since Michael Irvin has had a network to call his own, but after the August 4th HOF Induction Ceremony he very well could be calling the NFL Network home. Irvin will be working the event for the NFL-N and future projects are sure to follow....

NFL Network returns to Canton, Ohio for the 45th Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony honoring the Class of 2008. NFL Network’s broadcast team is headlined by 2007 inductee Michael Irvin, Fran Charles, Steve Mariucci, and Adam Schefter for seven hours of live, high-definition coverage on Saturday, August 2 beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

Irvin, who last year delivered a stirring Hall of Fame induction speech, joins NFL Network’s Hall of Fame team to offer a first-hand perspective of the emotions felt by inductees as they enter the fraternity of pro football legends.

“There’s no better example of true passion for the game and the honor felt by becoming a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame than the emotional induction speech given by Michael last year,” said NFL Network Executive Producer Eric Weinberger. “His respect for what the Hall of Fame stands for and the legends it celebrates resonates with every football fan. We welcome his insights and knowledge as part of our team from Canton.”

I said it then and I'll say it now, Irvin's speech last year was what it's all about. It was good to finally see a real side to the man and not the overacting analyst he portrayed on ESPN. Hopefully he brings more honesty to this broadcast and maybe he'll work out for the NFL Network. Lord knows they need to add something that's not Deion Sanders.

Irvin joins NFL Network's Hall of Fame coverage (NFL Network)

I've been asking and being asked all day today where Dr. Joe Morgan was during the opening HOF introductions during last night's All Star Game and for the life of I me I can't find any answers. Well HR Derby has a thought and it's as good as any....

Did Morgan develop another flareup of Ryne-itis, also known as Sandberg Syndrome, wherein those afflicted can’t be anywhere near the man who broke Morgan’s record for Second Basemen? As you’ll recall, Joe Morgan was conspiculously absent at Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction in 2005.

It’s not like Joe didn’t know how to get to Yankee Stadium … he was in the building the night before when he announced the 2008 Home Run Derby.

No, I think this is just another case of Joe Morgan not wanting to share ANY stage with Ryne Sandberg.

I can't believe that Morgan is still peeved about Sandberg coming out of retirement to beat is 2nd Basemen HR record, but then again this is Joe were talking about. He also had one of those stellar ESPN chats where he answered about four questions, but still didn't address it....

chris (NJ): Hi Joe, How great was last night? What was your Fav part of last night?

SportsNation Joe Morgan: We talked about Uggla making mistakes, but some guys made great plays under pressure. Cristian Guzman made a few plays with two outs and the winning run at third, and they were not easy plays. The throw McLouth made to home plate when Navarro was trying to score was great. Some of the defensive plays under pressure impressed me. I was also impressed with some of the pitchers on both sides, who struck out pretty good hitters in pressure situations.

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I also liked the aggressiveness the AL showed in stealing bases.

Very very interesting. It's a shame too because as a player he deserves to be there. It's time to stop being selfish and petty but that might be too much to ask of the good doctor.

Why wasn’t Joe Morgan at the All-Star Game last night? Oh right, Ryne Sandberg was there. (HR Derby)

Well this is an interesting piece of news. Dan Dierdorf is this years Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award winner and will receive a second spot in Pro Football's Canton Hall of Fame. Via Pro Football Weekly....

Dan Dierdorf will be entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, for a second time after being named the winner of the 2008 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

He began his broadcasting career in 1984 and is a three-time Emmy Award nominee as Outstanding Sports Analyst. He served as an analyst on "Monday Night Football" for more than a decade and has filled a role as game analyst on "The NFL on CBS" since 1999.

Dierdorf, a star offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals during his 13-year NFL career, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1996.

He will receive the Rozelle award on Friday, Aug. 1 at the Enshrinees Dinner in Canton.

I personally was never that big of a Dierdorf fan, but the guy definitely has a great body of work. Here are some of his accomplishments via Tom Hoffarth's FOTW...

*Immediately after retiring as a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals (the football team, not baseball) for 13 seasons, he started behind the mike in 1984 as the St. Louis Cardinals (football, not baseball) analyst on KMOX radio.
*He also did color commentary for the St. Louis Blues (yes, the NHL team).
*He was the sports director for KMOX TV in St. Louis.
*He did play by play on CBS Sports Radio NFL games in 1985. The next year, he switched to an analyst.
*He started on ABC's "MNF" in 1987, added to the Al Michaels-Frank Gifford team. He lasted 12 seasons, spending one of them with a Michaels-Boomer Esiason booth, but then left after 1998.
*He did Super Bowl XXII in 1988, XXV in '91 and XXIX in '95, each with Michaels and Gifford.
*He did boxing for ABC starting in 1989.
*He went to CBS to do NFL games in 1999 with Verne Lundquist. In 2000, he was paired with Dick Enberg. Since 2006, he's been with Greg Gumbel.
*He is referenced by George Carlin in his 1996 "Back in Town" album. Carlin is talking about capital punishment and wonders how a crucifixion would fly as a halftime show during a "MNF" game: "Wouldn't you like to hear Dan Dierdorf explain why the nails have to go in at a certain angle?"

I personally think Dan Dierdorf was one of the pioneers in making networks think they had to hire ex-players as analysts, but I'm sure most people in the business see that as a positive. Either way he's a Broadcasting Hall of Famer now.

Dierdorf is Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award winner (PFW)
Dan Dierdorf: Broadcast Hall of Famer (Farther Off The Wall)

I was wondering what Wade Boggs has been up to and thanks to ESPN we'll get to find out. He and other HOFers will be added to Baseball Tonight on certain dates through July.

ESPN’s Baseball Tonight – the only nightly national studio show devoted solely to MLB highlights, news and information – will feature Hall of Famers as guest analysts on select Sundays throughout the 2008 season beginning with 18-year MLB veteran Wade Boggs on Sunday, April 13. Boggs will appear on the 12:30 and 7 p.m. ET shows, leading into the Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell telecast featuring two of his former teams – the New York Yankees (1993-97) at Boston Red Sox (1982-1992) – at 8 p.m.

Additional Hall of Fame players to appear on Baseball Tonight will include Juan Marichal (May 11), Phil Niekro (May 25) and Rod Carew (July 13).

Boggs will be on with Karl Ravech, John Kruk, and Steve Phillips for the 12:30 show and he'll be with Chris Berman, Kruk, and Phillips for the 7pm edition. Seems like a fun idea and anything that keeps John Kruk from talking is alright by me (I kid, I kid). But seriously....great idea Baseball Tonight. Oh and I think it's time you renamed the home run segment after EY's "Souvenir City" catchphrase. Just one man's opinion.

Update: Buck Showalter is also back on the program now giving the network 40 different analysts to choose from.

(Via ESPN PR)

Finally found the video of Dickie V's interview with Jim Nantz and thought I would share it with you all....

It's really okay for grown men to cry, but when you start to blubber you might want to tone it down. That close up was pretty scary.

Vitale gets awkwardly emotional (Wildcat Blitz)