Fox Sports' Erin Andrews, who hosted FS1's "college football pregame show last year after high-profile college football assignments at ESPN, will no longer have a broadcasting role in the sport," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. The move comes after Andrews was "elevated to the No. 1 sideline spot" for Fox' NFL team. Andrews was a "major part of college football coverage at ESPN," and she moved to Fox two years ago with the net "looking for college football talent, a transaction that came with Fox heavily investing" in the sport. However, Fox "oversold the idea that Andrews would siphon college football viewers from ESPN." Andrews last year hosted FS1's "Fox College Saturday," but the NFL is "something that has been on her mind for a couple of years" (SI.com, 7/18). Meanwhile, in Albany, Pete Dougherty writes Fox "opted for flash over substance" in using Andrews to replace Pam Oliver on its No. 1 NFL team. Oliver was "solid in the role and meshed well with announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman." Meanwhile, Andrews has been a "popular target of critics since her move to Fox," and her "work at Tuesday night's baseball All-Star Game didn't help ease the complaints" (Albany TIMES UNION, 7/18).
CROSSING THE LINE: In Boston, Chad Finn writes WEEI-FM co-host Kirk Minihane is "genuinely talented, which is why it was so foolish" to make his remarks on Andrews on Wednesday. His rant was "beyond over-the-top and easily interpreted as misogynistic, and Minihane seemed to realize his mistake almost instantly when he said: 'I’m going to get in trouble for this.'" Somewhat "surprisingly, he did not get in trouble beyond having to write an apology on the station website." He had a "couple of days off scheduled already, so he is out for the remainder of the week." That is "for the best for everyone" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/18).
