People & Personalities

Irvin Wants To Host Own Radio Show

The Tennis Channel has signed deals with John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova to “handle booth duties at Roland-Garros during the French Open, which runs May 27-June 8.” The pair will provide “overall analysis at Tennis Channel’s French Open anchor desk throughout the tournament” and will also contribute to the network’s daily three-hour evening show, “Roland-Garros Tonight” (DAILY VARIETY, 2/23).

IRVIN: Former ESPN NFL analyst Michael Irvin said that the net would “not permit him to do a program for 790 The Ticket or Sirius Satellite Radio last season.” Irvin: “I want to do my own radio show. I enjoy radio more than anything. It’s an opportunity to talk to the fans. I see Boomer Esiason and Cris Collinsworth doing (television and radio), but ESPN wouldn’t allow that stuff.” Irvin said that ESPN “didn’t give him a specific reason for his ouster,” but a source said that the net “believed it could find somebody better and also feared the potential of another embarrassing incident” (Barry Jackson, MIAMI HERALD, 2/23).

PARCELLS: In N.Y., Pat Reichart cites a source as saying that Bill Parcells is “‘about 99.9[%]’ set to join [ESPN] as a studio analyst on the Monday Night Countdown pregame show.” ESPN “did not confirm the Parcells move.” ESPN VP/PR Josh Krulewitz said, “We are interested in (Parcells) returning to ESPN, and we have had some discussions.” Krulewitz also said former NFLer Emmitt Smith “is one of the people we are considering for a potential role” (N.Y. POST, 2/23).