Marv Albert has "called his last NFL game for CBS," as he is focusing his efforts on his growing basketball assignments, according to Matt Yoder of AWFUL ANNOUNCING. Albert said, "I started feeling this toward the end of last NFL season. I love everyone I work with. ... As much as I’ve enjoyed doing the NFL over the years I had to cut down. The NBA season and the addition of calling the NCAA Tournament kept extending what I was doing." Yoder notes although Albert is "considered by many as the voice of the NBA, his relationship with the NFL goes back many years." In addition to calling games for the NFL on CBS for three years, he worked "MNF" for "several years for Westwood One radio (calling multiple Super Bowls) and NFL games for NBC as well." Albert’s decision to step away from the NFL "will allow him to focus now on his basketball duties." In addition to his work with the NCAA Tournament and NBA, "plans are in place for Albert to call multiple regular season college basketball games for CBS." Albert said that there were "two more years remaining on his NFL contract with CBS, but that the network was understanding of his desire to cut back." Yoder notes doing so now "means a replacement can be named well before the start" of the '14 season. It remains to be seen "who the network will select to fill Albert’s position among their play by play ranks" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 5/29).
NEW DIEHL: Fox Sports yesterday announced that it has added recently-retired NFLer David Diehl as a game analyst (Fox). The N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Bob Raissman tweeted that the net will "likely pair" Diehl with play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman (TWITTER.com, 5/28).
