CBS Sports President Sean McManus said Tuesday that
former 49ers coach George Seifert, "whose role as a studio
analyst has steadily diminished, will be off the air for the
remainder of the regular season," according to Susan Slusser
of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Seifert was not part of CBS's
pregame show on Sunday, and was replaced by Mike Lombardi.
McManus said that CBS's Craig James and possibly former 49er
Randy Cross "will help out the show in the final two weeks,"
with Seifert returning "in some capacity" for the playoffs.
McManus said, "We wanted the show to be the best it could
be, so we wanted to try new combinations this year" (S.F.
EXAMINER, 12/16). McManus: "We decided the show was better
with Lombardi at the desk" (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 12/16).
MORE EYE BALLS: CBS Sports issued a press release
yesterday stating that the NFL's return to CBS has helped
the network see ratings improvements in 12 primetime shows
in "key" male demographics compared to last year (CBS).
JETS-FINS DO BOFFO NUMBERS: ESPN's Jets-Dolphins Sunday
night game earned a 10.86 cable rating, which was ESPN's
highest rating since December 3, 1995. The game was seen in
an average of 8.2 million HH (ESPN). USA TODAY's Rudy
Martzke reports that the game was the third-most watched
event on ESPN since it debuted in '79. The game ranks as
the fifth-most watched cable show in history, trailing only
"Larry King Live's" NAFTA debate on CNN in '93, Cowboys-
Vikings on TNT in '95, Lions-Dolphins on ESPN in '94 and
Bills-49ers on ESPN in '95. Meanwhile, ABC's Lions-49ers
Monday night earned an 11.9 rating, dropping "MNF"'s season
rating to 13.9, 6% below last year (USA TODAY, 12/16).
