Fox yesterday released its announcer pairings for the '14 NFL season. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman for the 13th consecutive year will comprise the net's top broadcast team. Erin Andrews will join them as a sideline reporter for the first time. The Kevin Burkhardt-John Lynch team moves up to the net's No. 2 pairing, with the Kenny Albert-Daryl Johnston-Tony Siragusa team returning intact for an eighth straight season (Fox).
|
TEAM
|
PLAY-BY-PLAY |
ANALYST(S) |
SIDELINE REPORTER |
|
1
|
Joe Buck |
Troy Aikman |
Erin Andrews |
|
2
|
Kevin Burkhardt |
John Lynch |
Pam Oliver |
|
3
|
Chris Myers |
Ronde Barber |
Jennifer Hale |
|
4
|
Thom Brennaman |
David Diehl |
Laura Okmin |
|
5
|
Kenny Albert |
Daryl Johnston |
Tony Siragusa |
|
6
|
Dick Stockton |
Donovan McNabb/Brady Quinn/Kirk Morrison |
Kristina Pink |
THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Matt Yoder noted the "most interesting development" could be Stockton working with the "rotating group of analysts" of Quinn, McNabb and Morrison. He will be paired with Morrison for the Rams-Vikings game in Week 1. The net plans for the Gus Johnson-Charles Davis team "to return to the NFL on Fox broadcast booth to announce a couple games amidst the busy college football schedule." Fox also plans for UFC announcer Mike Goldberg "to make the transition for a limited number of games." The lineup for the net's pregame show "remains the same" this season (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 8/6). USA TODAY's Chris Chase wrote McNabb has "proved incapable of speaking in television-appropriate soundbites during his brief time" as an analyst for FS1, because "every sentence becomes a paragraph." It "takes time for anyone to learn how to become a good analyst," but due to the three-man rotation McNabb is a part of, he "might not get that time." Chase: "Instead of hoping one analyst becomes good, Fox throws three against the wall to see who sticks. But how are McNabb, Quinn or Morrison supposed to improve if they're only doing one game every three weeks?" (USATODAY.com, 8/6).
