In L.A., Tom Hoffarth noted former NBAer Bruce Bowen made his debut as Clippers TV analyst yesterday with Ralph Lawler during Game 1 of the Clippers Hawaii Classic. Bowen had one audition that featured him "calling" one quarter of a game off a monitor. Although he has "limited live game experience as an analyst ... Bowen’s brief run-through" with Lawler less than a month ago "more than impressed the team and execs" at FS West, Prime Ticket and FS San Diego. Meanwhile, Hoffarth noted Prime Ticket "decided not to renew the contract of longtime Lawler sidekick Michael Smith." They had been "paired the past 14 seasons, and Smith logged 19 seasons overall going back to radio" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/1). Salt Lake Tribune's Tony Jones tweeted, "Not liking Bruce Bowen on this broadcast over Michael Smith." Hollywood Outbreak's Greg Srisavasdi: "Ralph Lawler & Bruce Bowen's chemistry is working right off the jump. Actually will miss Mike Smith but Def loving this pairing" (TWITTER.com, 10/1).
HEAT CHECK: In Miami, Barry Jackson cited sources as saying that the Heat are "focusing on a handful of candidates" to replace Tony Fiorentino as their TV analyst beginning in '18-19. The sources said that former Heat players LaPhonso Ellis and Jim Jackson, and Heat radio analyst John Crotty, are "among those who have done audition practice games with play-by-play man Eric Reid" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/1).
MOVING ON: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar reported FS Midwest anchor Sara Dayley's contract is "not being renewed." She was "hired last fall primarily to replace Pat Parris as an anchor for studio programming" tied to the RSN's Blues and Cardinals telecasts. Dayley, daughter of former Cardinals P Ken Dayley, was "stronger on baseball than hockey." She "worked roughly a third of those Blues/Cardinals shows" that FS Midwest produced and made her final "appearance last Sunday." That "leaves Scott Warmann with the bulk of the studio work for the station" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/30).
NOTES: SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote FS1’s Shannon Sharpe has "become a thoughtful voice on NFL protests." Deitsch: "This topic is the best TV work he's done in my opinion" (SI.com, 10/1)....Yahoo Sports hockey writer Greg Wyshynski is leaving his post after nine years with the outlet (TWITTER.com, 9/29).
