In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes the Rams' departure "has an impact on people who have covered their games." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas "has reported on the team since it arrived" in '95. Post-Dispatch sports editor Roger Hensley said that it is "'too early' to know what Thomas will do next, but there is a possibility he’ll continue to cover the NFL." Steve Savard "has been the team’s radio play-by-play broadcaster" since '00. He serves as KMOV-CBS' "lead male news anchor and assumes his Rams days are over." Savard: "I had 16 great years, fortunate to have 16 years calling Rams games as a second job" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/15).
MICHELLE, MA BELLE: Michelle Beadle has reached a new, multiyear agreement to remain at ESPN as a co-host on "SportsNation." Beadle will also join ESPN's Ramona Shelburne for a new national radio show, "Beadle & Shelburne," which will premiere Feb. 14, airing 12:00-2:00pm ET from ESPN Radio 710's L.A. studios (ESPN). Additionally, "SportsNation" will move to the 4:00pm ET slot, "essentially kicking off ESPN's afternoon talk slate." Beadle hosted "SportsNation" from '09-12 with Colin Cowherd before a two-year stint with NBC (HOLLYWOODREPOTER.com, 1/14).
COURSE OF ACTION: GOLF DIGEST's Geoff Shackelford notes Sean McDonough this weekend handles play-by-play announcer duties at the Latin America Amateur Championship for ESPN, for whom he has "covered" the British Open, among other tournaments. McDonough said, "The coverage of The Open last year helmed by Mike McQuade was as good as any I’ve been a part of. The complexity of it with all of the equipment and so many things simultaneously going on, plus the amount of time you’re on the air. I don’t think people realize what goes into it." Asked what one thing he would change about golf on TV, McDonough said he "would like to see leaderboards more often." He added, "Maybe because I’ve made friends with those who play but I’m invariably curious [how] they are doing" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 1/11).
THREE'S A CROWD: In Albany, Pete Dougherty writes while the recent promotions of ESPN baseball analysts Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza are "well-earned" for both of them, "let's hope Boone doesn't treat Mendoza as if three's a crowd, which he did in their one Sunday night collaboration last year." Analyst John Kruk "was better at giving Mendoza room to share her knowledge," whereas Boone "acted as if he was the primary analyst and Mendoza was secondary" (Albany TIMES UNION, 1/15).
MOVIN' ON UP: Chris Mannix, a longtime NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, on Thursday made official a long-rumored shift to Yahoo Sports' The Vertical. The new NBA-focused site led by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is scheduled to formally debut later this month (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
