In Austin, Gary Dinges reports ESPNU’s Lowell Galindo “will be the Longhorn Network’s main anchor.” Former Austin sports talk radio personality Kevin Dunn will serve as an anchor/reporter and Fox Sports' Samantha Steele “has signed on as a reporter.” Dunn has “done work for ESPN Radio and handled hosting duties for CBS College Sports,” while Steele has covered the Big 12 and the Pac-10 for Fox Sports. More than 30 of the Longhorn Network’s 50 employees "will come from” ESPN HQs in Bristol, Conn. The network said that “at least 10 are Texas graduates,” and “many others have ties" to the state of Texas (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 7/8). Galindo, who was born in Houston and grew up in San Antonio, said, "Coming home and getting to cover Texas is not something that I could see happening for me. It really is a dream come true, and that's not a line" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/8).
THE NEXT BIG THING: USA TODAY’s Michael McCarthy writes ESPN’s Michelle Beadle is emerging as one of the network’s “most popular on-air personalities since Erin Andrews.” The "SportsNation" co-host is “outspoken, irreverent and self-deprecating.” She called acquitted Casey Anthony a “crappy human being” on a recent podcast with ESPN's Linda Cohn and said Heat F LeBron James “seems to crumble in the face of really big pressure.” McCarthy: “No wonder ESPN used her to play up its ability to reach the hard-to-reach young male audience during its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. She’s not afraid to speak her mind” (USA TODAY, 7/8).
OVERCOMING HURDLES: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth notes a “rogue virus that settled into the nerves” of Fox announcer Joe Buck’s left vocal chord has left him "noticeably raspy." Buck said, “It’s getting better every week, but it’s been hard. It’s been a long first half of the year.” Fox has “tried to get him to cut back on his regional games this season with some built-in weeks off so that he’ll be stronger for the MLB stretch run and marquee assignments.” Buck: “Professionally, this has been my biggest test” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 7/8).
NAVY BLUES: Sports columnist John Feinstein on his blog noted he “resigned after 14 years as color commentator" of Navy football games on The Navy radio network. Feinstein, who wrote the book "A Civil War" about the annual Army-Navy game, has "wanted to do a documentary ... for years" on the rivalry. Feinstein claimed that he pitched the documentary idea to CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus, but was shot down. Feinstein then learned last week that CBS is “going to produce a two-hour documentary on the Army-Navy game that will air on Showtime soon after this year’s game is played.” CBS’ Pete Radovich “apparently pitched the idea to McManus who gave him the green light.” Feinstein wrote, “The reason I’m stepping down then isn’t because I’m throwing a hissy fit at being left out. ... To be at the games this fall and see CBS there with their cameras following players around; knowing they’re in the locker room with their cameras; encountering people from CBS all the time, is something I simply can’t face” (FEINSTEINONTHEBRINK.com, 7/6).
PLAYING IT BY EAR: Yankees radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling said that he “has not scripted any comments in advance” of his call for Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit. Sterling: “I prefer, like at the end of a World Series, to feel something. But I’ll do something very quick about what Jeter has accomplished. I’m not trying to think about it in advance -- trying not to.” Jeter enters Friday's game with 2,998 career hits (NEWSDAY, 7/8).
NOTES: The GLOBE & MAIL’s Bruce Dowbiggin notes Jeff Marek has “jumped to Rogers Sportsnet from CBC.” Marek said that the “multitude of platforms Rogers offers was too good to turn down” (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/8)....WKRC-CBS Sports Dir and former Bengals radio announcer Brad Johnansen will call the team's four preseason games for WKRC, alongside analyst Anthony Munoz. Johnansen spent "11 seasons on radio" with the team (CINCINNATI.com, 7/6)....NASCAR writer Dustin Long on Twitter Wednesday revealed "newspapers are eliminating" his job after this season (TWITTER.com, 7/6).
