People & Personalities: SI.com Lists Best, Worst NFL Broadcast Teams Of '11

SI.com's Chris Burke listed the "best and worst announcing jobs" of the '11 NFL season, and named NFL Network's Brad Nessler and Mike Maycock "the elite" team of the year. Burke wrote, "Man, were they good." Nessler is "energetic without being overly excitable, saving his best calls for the moments that necessitate them." His demeanor "turned out to be the perfect match for Mayock." Thanks to the duo's "talents and the relatively weak slate of Thursday games this year, by season’s end people were tuning into the NFL Network’s broadcasts as much for the announcing as the games." Burke named NBC's Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth "solid starters," and wrote, "Combine a knowledgeable analyst with one of the great play-by-play men of all-time, and you’re going to get a solid result more often than not." CBS' Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts have a "great dynamic going -- they're solid on the game call without being too serious about it." Burke also cited ESPN's Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden and wrote, "Gruden's insane, Jaws can be pedantic and Tirico loves to get off topic. But let's be honest about it: How often is this group boring?" (SI.com, 2/8). 

SAYING SORRY: Former San Diego-based XERPS-AM sports talk host Scott Kaplan, who was fired Monday for remarks made on air, addressed the incident and said, "I screwed up. I lost my job. I humiliated my family. I’ve got to take responsibility. I’ve got to accept the consequences.” In San Diego, Brent Schrotenboer noted the comments "at issue were made about Andrea Lloyd, a women’s basketball Hall of Famer and currently broadcaster for the Mountain West’s TV network." Kaplan said on his Jan. 25 show that Lloyd "was a 'monster,' a 'beast' and 'an animal.'" Kaplan said Wednesday, "I'm a San Diego State athletics supporter. I feel like the television network wasn’t doing a good job for our school, for our product, and it somehow turned into Andrea, and that’s, you know, stupid things were said." He added that he is “'very, very sorry about it' and this week he tried to reach out to Lloyd by phone and by mail to apologize to her" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/9).

IN THE BOOTH: In N.Y., Bob Raissman reported broadcaster Josh Lewin "is headed for Mets radio" on WFAN-AM. Lewin will replace Wayne Hagin, who "had teamed with Howie Rose since 2008." Lewin, who served as the Rangers TV play-by-play voice from '02-10, has a one-year deal with the Mets (N.Y. POST, 2/10). Lewin has called games for the Tigers, Cubs, Orioles and Fox Sports. He is the "co-host of a sports-talk radio show in Dallas" and is the Chargers' radio play-by-play announcer (NYTIMES.com, 2/10).

NEW ADDITION: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area announced that San Jose Mercury News reporter Andrew Baggarly has joined the net as its MLB Giants reporter. In his new role, Baggarly will provide coverage on CSNBayArea.com's GiantsTalk page, and for "SportsNet Central," "Chronicle Live," "Giants Pregame Live" and "Giants Postgame Live" (CSN).

LEGAL WOES: YES Network host Bob Lorenz was "arrested on drunk driving charges early Wednesday morning." Lorenz hosts Yankees and Nets pregame and postgame shows. YES Network VP/Communications Eric Handler "declined comment on the arrest" (CONNECTICUT POST, 2/9).