People & Personalities: Jon Miller To Receive Ford Frick Award

Miller Lauded For Storytelling, Ability To Inform Viewers

In Baltimore, Dan Connolly reports ESPN and MLB Giants announcer Jon Miller "has been named the 2010 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions in baseball broadcasting." Meanwhile, N.Y. Daily News columnist Bill Madden "will receive the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing." Miller and Madden will be honored in Cooperstown, New York, during this year's Baseball HOF ceremony on July 25 (Baltimore SUN, 2/2). In S.F., Bruce Jenkins writes Miller has "always been bigger than one game, one city, one franchise." As a "fixture on ESPN's 'Sunday Night Baseball' and ESPN radio's voice of the postseason since 1998," Miller has been "baseball's voice of America" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/2). YAHOO SPORTS' Kevin Kaduk wrote Miller's "delivery is precise and he's great at telling a story." Miller "never makes himself the story and he's great at keeping us updated on the details we want to know" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/1).

ON THE SIDELINES: In Orlando, Matthew Simantov reported Magic C Dwight Howard will serve as an analyst for TNT's February 12 broadcast of the NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. Howard will join announcers Kevin Harlan and Kevin McHale and "help call the latter stages of the first half" of the game. Howard also will "serve as a commentator at halftime," when Clippers G Eric Gordon and Raptors G DeMar DeRozan "compete in the inaugural All-Star Slam Dunk-In contest." Heat G Dwyane Wade also will provide analysis earlier in the rookie game (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 2/1).

CREDIBILITY ISSUE? The GLOBE & MAIL's Bruce Dowbiggin noted CBS announcer Jim Nantz broadcasting Super Bowl XLIV has been "called into question after his appearance" alongside Colts QB Peyton Manning in a commercial for Sony televisions. Critics have said that Nantz' "credibility will be damaged," and Dowbiggin wrote that "assessment will come from the fans and his colleagues." Dowbiggin: "Perception matters as much as reality in such issues, and the money Nantz received from the commercial is not worth the hit to his integrity" (GLOBESPORTS.com, 2/1).

COURIER MAIL: SI.com's Jon Wertheim wrote Int'l Tennis HOFer Jim Courier's appearance on Australia's Channel Seven during the Australian Open made "one wish he worked more often in the U.S.," as he provided "good insight without the clichés." Meanwhile, ESPN's coverage was "quite good," and it was "much looser and more free-spirited than it is at the other Slams" (SI.com, 2/1). SI's Richard Deitsch wrote Courier's "on-court interviews with the players ... were fantastic," as he "did a great job of humanizing the players" (SI.com, 2/1). However, in Australia, Ben Langford wrote Courier "never fails to mention his accomplishment, winning the Australian Open," and there has never been "a commentator who so loves the sound of his own voice." Langford: "Every time Courier comes on camera, you lose a viewer. I switch off" (NTNEWS.com.au, 1/30).