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.

Simmons, Rose join ESPN's NBA Countdown

ESPN have revamped their NBA Countdown show, by including Grantland Editor-in-Chief Bill Simmons and College Basketball analyst Jalen Rose.  They are set to join incumbent hosts Michael Wilbon and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson.  Both personalities have seen a steady growth in their profiles within the last couple of years.  For Simmons, it is a natural transition, with his NBA knowledge and credentials bonafide by the best selling The Book of Basketball, his work in Grantland and his award winning production in the network's 30 for 30 Series.  He will appear on Wednesday and Friday editions on ESPN, and Sundays on ABC.  Rose will be a busy man this basketball season.  The former Fab Five guard was announced as the new analyst for ESPN's College Game Day in July, replacing the departing Hubert Davis who became an assistant at North Carolina.  He will be part of the NBA Countdowns Wednesday airings on ESPN and Sundays on ABC.

This change appears to be an answer and challenge to TNT's acclaimed and award winning 'Inside the NBA'. The hope is that the two outspoken and popular analysts will draw a more entertaining and livelier discussion, much like TNT's show with the usually on point and sometime hilarious chemistry of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Niel.  (Ok, no so much O'Niel, who's incredibly corny ramblings, incoherent mumbling and agenda ridden analysis has made him a mark for his legacy.)

The new hosts will replace the much maligned Chris Broussard and Jon Barry, who will transition into game events.  Barry will work as a game analyst and Broussard as a court side reporter.  It was widely speculated that Stan Van Gundy would join the ESPN show, but it appears his past differences with Commissioner Davis Stern, his former team, former star player and now, the network that nearly hired him has appeared to have made him unemployable within the league.

The new hosts and studio show, airing live from Los Angeles, will have its season premiere on Friday November 2nd, before ESPN's opening night doubleheader.