ESPN announced that it has signed sportscaster Dan Shulman to a multiyear extension. Shulman will continue to serve as play-by-play announcer for "Sunday Night Baseball," as well as the net's Saturday primetime men’s college basketball telecasts and ESPN Radio’s coverage of the MLB postseason. Shulman has been with ESPN since '95 (ESPN). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote Shulman is the "best play-by-play announcer at his network, and ESPN has wisely signed him." The move is “great news for viewers." The one change coming is that Shulman “will no longer do NBA games -- something he asked for in order to spend more time with his three teenage children in his native Toronto.” Sources said that Shulman will do “about 75 events or so for ESPN during a calendar year.” Deitsch noted whether Shulman and Orel Hershiser will call “Sunday Night Baseball” “with a third person in the wake of Terry Francona's departure to the Indians is still to be decided.” Shulman said that he “does not have preference between a two- or three-person booth” (SI.com, 10/22).
PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: In Tampa, Tom Jones wrote he is "more convinced than ever" following Saturday's South Carolina-Florida game that CBS' Gary Danielson "is the second-best college football analyst, behind ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit.” Danielson was “in top form Saturday, mixing hard-core football talk with humor” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 10/22)....The Thunder announced the hiring of Lesley McCaslin as their new courtside/web reporter and host for broadcasts on FS Oklahoma. McCaslin previously worked as an anchor and reporter for FS Southwest (Thunder)....Former MLBer Chris Duncan was “back on the air, albeit briefly, Monday,” following a three-week hiatus from St. Louis' WXOS-FM. Duncan said the cause was "a tumor in my head,” which has been removed. Duncan works with Randy Karraker and former NFLer D'Marco Farr on the "highest-rated local sports-talk show in the St. Louis market” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/23)....Former NFLer Channing Crowder has joined WQAM-AM in Miami “on a full-time basis.” Crowder “replaces Steve Goldstein as Adam Kuperstein’s co-host weekdays” from 1:00-3:00pm ET (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 10/20).
