On Long Island, Neil Best reported TNT's Craig Sager is feeling well enough after his bout with leukemia that he has "added previously unscheduled appearances on NBA TV this season and is gearing up" for the NCAA Tournament and the NBA postseason. Sager said, "I'm easing into it, and with March Madness coming up and the playoffs, I assume I'm back to full time" (NEWSDAY, 2/11). In Houston, David Barron noted Sager is in Toronto this weekend to cover the West All-Stars for TNT, so he will "continue his byplay" with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Sager's 9-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter "will work the All-Star Saturday events as ball kids" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/11).
CAREY ON? In Boston, Chad Finn notes rumors "are percolating that CBS will move on" from rules analyst Mike Carey, who during his two years with the net has "developed the unenviable reputation of being comically incorrect in his assessments." Finn writes he hopes CBS "keeps Carey around," as he is still "learning his craft." Finn: "He's not as wrong as the social-media chirpers and sports-media wise guys sometimes portray him" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/12). Carey said he is aware of the criticism, saying, "I don't live in a vacuum." But he added, "I think about how well I perform on each play, then what I try to do is analyze what I need to correct, and I try to correct it. No different than anything else I do" (MMQB.SI.com, 2/12).
STAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK: Former NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon will "try to be factual and avoid speculating" when it comes to being critical of some of his former competitors when he begins his role in Fox' broadcast booth this year. He said, "If I see something (during races) and I can analyze it in a way where I have a very good understanding or camera angles or enough information to say this is what happened, then I'm going to call it the way I see it. But I don't want to guess as to what they were thinking or doing, because I'll get called out on that" (USA TODAY, 2/12).
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY: ESPN's Molly Qerim is now the "female face of ESPN's mornings" with a presence on both "Mike & Mike" and "First Take." She said as a "woman who never played some of these sports that I am passionate about, it's very important" to provide a female perspective and voice. Qerim: "I feel like I have to work harder in terms of preparation, I think people right away are going to look at you and say, 'She doesn't know what she's talking about.' To get this opportunity, you want to represent the ladies right" (N.Y. POST, 2/12).
GETTING THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW: HBO has hired Stuart Miller, the former co-Exec Producer for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," to serve in the same capacity for Bill Simmons' "forthcoming talk show, set to bow later" in '16. "The Daily Show" writer Jason Ross will "serve as head writer" for the Simmons show, while Kim Gamble will be the show's co-Exec Producer (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/11).
