GOLFWEEK.com's Martin Kaufmann wrote David Feherty "seems underused" so far on NBC's PGA Tour telecasts, as he is "disappearing from telecasts for extended periods while the long-serving NBC crew members carry the conversation." Feherty also has "shifted into" his "'Masters mode' with NBC." Just as he would "adopt a more-reserved tone at Augusta National while with CBS, he seems to have done the same so far with NBC, perhaps in an effort to fit in with the more buttoned-down crew." Kaufmann: "It's too early to say, but this could be for the better, tamping down some of Feherty's verbal excesses while still allowing his wit and analytical skills to come through" (GOLFWEEK.com, 3/20).
STEP ON THE SCALE: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth talked to Fox NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon and asked the recently retired driver how he would rate his work four races into his TV career. On a scale of 1- to-10 on how up to speed he is with the live sports TV business, Gordon said he is "about a 7." He noted the Daytona 500 was a "huge learning curve and first time on air I was extremely nervous." Gordon: "Now that I got the reps in, we've gone to several races since then, I'm having a lot of fun, first and foremost. As far my nervousness ... that part has subsided quite a bit. But I'm also putting pressure on myself to do the best job I can" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/19).
THERE'S THE DOOR: In N.Y., Bob Raissman dubbed HBO's Bill Simmons his "Dweeb Of The Week" for his "continued obsession with ESPN." Simmons's latest "was a harsh Twitter critique" on Twitter of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic's interview with Louisville coach Rick Pitino. Raissman noted the "Mike & Mike" co-hosts were "not exactly pit bulls when it came to questioning" Pitino. But Simmons "needs to let go of the past and move on." He has "landed at HBO where the suits love provocative voices." Raissman: "Simmons should focus on the new gig and check his ESPN Whining Towel at the door" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/20).
TELL THE STORY: Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst Buck Martinez said being an announcer has "changed so much" since he started in '87. He said the advent and prevalence of social media makes him "work harder to bring something else to the conversation -- to tell people something that they can't just get from a Google search." Martinez: "You do that through research, by talking to the coaches and the players and by figuring out how to tell a story that's bigger than the numbers." He added, "People respond to emotional narratives -- that's one thing that doesn't change" (GLOBE & MAIL, 3/21).
LOVE IN THE AIR: In DC, Dan Steinberg reported longtime CSN Mid-Atlantic hockey analyst Craig Laughlin last week was honored by the net "for his 25 years of broadcasting, with radio interviews and celebrations." Friday's Capitals-Predators game included "archival footage and a video tribute" to Laughlin, as well as "VIP visits to the booth." Laughlin, who has "had a longer formal affiliation with the Caps than any player in franchise history," has kept "smiling and laughing after a quarter-century on the air." He said, "Some people are overboard serious, man. It's a [bleeping] game. These guys are millionaires. Have fun with it." He added of his job, "I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. It's the greatest job ever" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/18).
