THE BIG LEAD's Ryan Glasspiegel reported Michelle Beisner-Buck will "host feature stories" on ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" this season, a role formerly held by Rick Reilly. Beisner-Buck said that she will be "doing a variety of stories for the program." She said, "We'll have a good combination of lighter, smile stories, and then we'll have some of those grab a Kleenex and have a good cry kind of features." An ESPN spokesperson confirmed that Reilly, who delivered segments for the "MNF" pregame show since '13, is "no longer with the network" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 9/6).
IN WITH THE NEW: In Boston, Chad Finn writes both the Sunday and Monday versions of ESPN's "Countdown" will "be superior this season to recent editions." The "presumed improvement is not so much about who's in, but who's out." The entire "Countdown" panel from a year ago -- Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Mike Ditka, Cris Carter and Ray Lewis -- "is, mercifully, gone." Losing Lewis is the "definition of addition by subtraction." Lewis during his three years at the net "was ESPN's most disastrous, nonsensical analyst" since Emmitt Smith from '07-08 (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/8).
LET HIM LOOSE: Former NFLer Deuce McAllister will begin his first full season as the Saints' radio analyst after getting his "start in the radio booth late last season." McAllister said that he "entered this season better prepared after he observed training camp practices open to media and worked in the booth for each of the four preseason games." Saints play-by-play announcer Jim Henderson noted that McAllister still has "yet to master ... elements of a broadcast that have little to do with describing on-field action: 'Just throwing it to the sideline' for an on-field report, or 'maybe reading cues for a particular sponsor'" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 9/7).
HITTING THE AIRWAVES: ESPN Radio 710 L.A. on Tuesday will debut "The Jeff Fisher Show." Joining the Rams coach on the weekly show, which will be open to the public, will be J.B. Long and D'Marco Farr. It will air Mondays from 6:00-7:00pm PT following the premiere. Meanwhile, ESPN Radio 710 today will premiere the "All Access Show" hosted by Long and Farr. The pair will break down the Rams' weekly opponent and preview upcoming games. The weekly one-hour show will air Thursdays from 7:00-8:00pm during the football season (ESPN Radio).
