News & Notes: NBC Boxing; MLB on FOX

NBC Boxing
NBC will use a trifecta of legendary broadcasters for their next Prime Time Boxing Event. Marv Albert, Bob Costas and Al Michaels will work NBC's Premier Boxing Champions on NBC broadcast on Saturday night April 11th from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.  As in their last broadcast, Albert will have the blow by blow of each fight, while Michaels will host.  Costas will contribute to the broadcast narrating a special feature on the history of boxing in New York City.  

The card will feature Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) vs. Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs), and newly crowned WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) vs. Peter Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs).

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MLB on FOX
FOX Sports have announced their broadcasters for the 2015 coverage of MLB on FOX & FOX Sports 1.  Former Major League Raul Ibanez will join the network as an analyst.  Ibanez, last with the Royals, was a candidate for the Tampa Bay Rays managerial position.  He will join MLB Whiparound, MLB on FOX pregame and other FS1 properties.  Also joining will be Joe Davis (who debuted last September on MLB and College Football broadcasts) and Seattle Mariners radio broadcaster Aaron Goldsmtih.  Mark Sweeny will also contribute in the studio.

MLB on FOX's  will return lead team Joe Buck, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci, with Ken Rosenthal and Erin Andrews as reporters.

News & Notes: Costas sidelined; Francesca Show Moves

• Bob Costas will sit out Tuesday's prime time coverage of the Winter Games.  Costas has been going through persistent discomfort due to pink since Saturday.  The noticeable ailment forced the host to wear glasses to start the games as his left eye looked red and swollen.  Yesterday the right eye begin experiencing discomfort, forcing NBC's Olympic producer Jim Bell to go with Today Show host Matt Lauer. Costas is expected back for tomorrow's broadcast, but they are prepared to go with Lauer for two nights.
  
• The musical chairs of syndicated radio continues, with Newsday's Neil Best reporting WFAN's Mike Francesca Show will move to FOX Sports 1.  No official announcement or time has been announced, but it is anticipated the show will debut on FS1 during March's NCAA Tournament.   Francesca's radio show was fixture on the YES Network, up until this year when ESPN Radio host and New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay took over the spot earlier this month.
  
• Comcast Philadelphia have announced that former Phillies Matt Stairs and Jaime Moyer have joined thier broadcast for the 2014 season.  Both will replace Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews who were let go by Comcast earlier this year.  The new analysts will join play by play man Tom McCarthy who will be returning for his 7th season.
  
• NBCSN announced they will launch NASCAR America starting Monday, February 24.  NASCAR Amrerica will be the networks daily 30 minute programs in anticipation to NBC's increasing coverage of auto racing in the next two years.  NBC and NBCSN take over Formula 1 racing for 2014 and will co-host NASCAR coverage with FOX Sports.  Rick Allen will host NBC's studio in Bristol, Ct, while Turner's Marty Snider and Kelly Stavist will host from Charlotte, NC.  It will debut the day after FOX's coverage of the Daytona 500.

News and Notes

ESPN re-signs Dan Shulman to a multi-year extension.  Shulman is the main play by play announcer for ESPN's baseball coverage and college basketball, often pairing with Dick Vitale.  In his new agreement it appears he will scale back his NBA coverage.  Shulman's contract was to expire at the end of the year and was reportedly courted by FOX and NBC.

In an eye opening interview with USA Today, ESPN's NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy has all but accused the NBA of deliberately sabotaging negotiations between ESPN and his brother, former Orlando Magic head coach, Stan Van Gundy.  Van Gundy was close to joining ESPN's NBA Countdown pregame show with Bill Simmons, but ultimately the network ceased negotiations and selected Jalen Rose.

Also in the article, Viacom announced Armen Keteyian, former HBO Sports reporter and CBS Sideline reporter, will work on the new 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime.  The program appears to be pay channels answer to HBO's Real Sports anthology.

Former Boston Red Sox manager and former ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine will sit with Bob Costas on Costas Now on Tuesday, October 23.  Valentine will discuss his tumultuous lone season as Red Sox where he finished with a 69-93 record and then unceremoniously fired on October 4th.

Many outlets this week, including Awful Announcing and Deadspin, ripped into glaring errors on NFL telecasts this week.  The controversial ending between the Saints and Buccaneers saw the game end a nullified touchdown, due to an illegal touching penalty on Tampa Bay.  Many took issue with FOX's lapse in clarifying the referee's decision and almost immediately jettisoning from telecast.  Also, CBS's Jim Nantz inexplicably finished the Jets-Patriots telecast announcing the Jets with an upset win, though it was New England who actually won 26-23.  He later clumsily corrected his mistake.