In Albany, Pete Dougherty notes at her first Masters last year, ESPN and CBS golf analyst Dottie Pepper was "out of her comfort zone." It "wasn't that she became the first woman to be a part of the live telecast at Augusta National, although that certainly was historically noteworthy." Pepper, whose reputation was "built on being a strong course reporter, was required to do her job from a tower at the 13th green." Pepper said, "There's a different flow. When I have done a tower, the first thing I was taught how to do was to get it down to the person on the ground, because they know more about what's going on, the feel of it, than anybody sitting in a tower. That was a little bit of an adjustment." Pepper said that the "rookie jitters have subsided." Pepper: "I feel so much more relaxed this year" (Albany TIMES UNION, 4/5).
STEELE RESOLVE: In Augusta, Doug Stutsman notes this year alone, ESPN's Sage Steele -- the lead host of "SportsCenter" on the Road -- has covered the Super Bowl, the World Series, the CFP and most recently the Final Four. Now, she can "check Augusta National and the Masters Tournament off her list." Steele: "I’m in awe. It’s also a little intimidating. This is an amazing place and everyone tried to prepare me for how it would feel" (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 4/6). Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Joey Morona writes ESPN's announcement that it will replace Steele with Michelle Beadle for "NBA Countdown" could be "totally about showcasing Beadle," but it is "not difficult to connect the dots and wonder if Steele was booted because of the controversy she's stirred in the past on social media." Steele's removal "raised eyebrows particularly because it was announced on the same day ESPN issued new guidelines limiting political discussion by news personalities on its platforms." ESPN has "not said publicly why Steele was replaced" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/6).
BACK AT IT: AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Alex Putterman noted on July 29 last year, MLB Net's Matt Yallof "suffered an ischemic stroke." His eyesight was "at risk and his prognosis for recovery was highly uncertain." But eight months after the stroke, Yallof has "made dramatic strides." He has "eased back to work" at MLB Net and this season will host "MLB Network Strike Zone," a baseball equivalent of "NFL RedZone," every Tuesday and Friday. Yallof: "In some ways I’m very pleased, and in some ways I thought I would be a little bit further along." He added, "The speech was where I would get emotional. And it's because of how I made my living" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 4/4).
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: In Buffalo, Jay Skurski writes under the header, "Rex Ryan's TV Act Will Soon Wear Thin." Skurski: "Is he truly going to speak his mind on ESPN? Or will he bite his tongue in hopes of landing another coaching gig down the road? I’d bet on the latter" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/6).
