With TNT's Charles Barkley saying he is not sure how much longer he wants to remain a TV studio analyst, ESPN's Michael Wilbon said, "“Charles likes challenges but I hope that there’s something else coming in the broadcast business that will challenge Charles because this business needs him.” Wilbon: "Post-John Madden is the most important single voice in sports broadcasting today.” ESPN's Tony Kornheiser added, “Without question, most popular, most important" ("PTI," ESPN, 11/6). ESPN's Dan Le Batard said, "He's making millions upon millions of dollars for laughing on television and ... busting with his boys. Why wouldn't you want to do that the remainder of your life?” ("Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable," ESPN2, 11/6).
ON THE EDIT ROOM FLOOR: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers during his weekly radio show on WAUK-AM Milwaukee admitted that he was “startled by his nearly 12-minute segment,” which aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” In Green Bay, Weston Hodkiewicz noted what Rodgers found “most disappointing was how the program chose to not include hardly any footage from his MACC Fund event in May that they’d followed him to.” Rodgers said, “I just felt like the editing of the piece could have been done in a way that was maybe a lot more respectful of myself. If I’m sensitive about anything throughout the whole process, they come to the MACC Fund event in May, which is very important to me and even more important considering the two boys that we lost this year to cancer” (GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.com, 11/6).
COMING TO YOU LIVE: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Etan Vlessing reported the CBC “has chosen former MTV Canada production head Mark McInnis and Chris Irwin to mastermind its 2014 Olympic Winter Games coverage.” McInnis comes over to the CBC “from rival broadcaster Bell Media, where he was vp of production for the Much/MTV group of cable channels.” He will produce “live event programming for the CBC's TV network to get Canadians ready for the 2014 Oympics.” Irwin, who “helped stickhandle the CBC's Olympic coverage between 1996 and 2008, will oversee live programming during the Sochi Games” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 11/6).
