NBC's Mike Tirico will handle the play-by-play for four NFL games on NBC this fall, beginning with this week's Packers-Redskins game on "SNF." Tirico's appearances will provide Al Michaels with a midseason break. Tirico will join Cris Collinsworth in the booth for the Steelers-Colts Thanksgiving night game, the Chiefs-Broncos "SNF" game on Nov. 27 and the Giants-Eagles "TNF" game Dec. 22 (NBC). Collinsworth appeared on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," with Simmons saying he was convinced NBC airing two primetime games per week was the NFL's "quest to just kill Al Michaels." Simmons: "I don't know how he's going to do this." Collinsworth: "They're going to take care of my boy because we want him to be broadcasting at age 957." Collinsworth said broadcasting two games in a week "is not easy" and after studying four teams "you've got them so confused and twisted and screwed up in your head" ("The Bill Simmons Podcast," THERINGER.com, 11/15).
ACCESS DENIED: In DC, Matt Bonesteel notes when NBC "hired Tirico away from ESPN earlier this year, the assumption was that he would get some NFL play-by-play work during the weeks when NBC has two games." However, the NFL "put the kibosh on that assumption, citing a contractual agreement that called for the same broadcasters for both the Thursday night and Sunday night games" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 11/16).
