Turner Sports yesterday officially dropped Vikings QB Warren
Moon from its NFL and NBA broadcast teams. Turner issued the
statement while Moon stands trial in TX for assaulting his wife,
Felicia. Turner said they notified Moon in January that they
would not pick up the option on his contract, according to the
Bob Raissman of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Steve Rosner, Moon's
marketing agent, said Turner's decision "was strictly business."
Rosner: "The NFL is currently considering banning active players
from working for networks involved in NFL coverage" (N.Y. DAILY
NEWS, 2/15). Turner Sports President Harvey Schiller said the
decision was based on Moon's playing status, but did say the
network is "going in a different direction." Schiller: "Warren
knew this was an experiment. It didn't work out. At the time
(of the assault charges), I told Warren we were concerned and
this was not the behavior we tolerated" (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY,
2/15). Moon is also at the end of a two-year deal with WFTC-TV
in Minneapolis for "The Warren Moon Show," a 30-minute weekly
program during the season. WFTC GM Rip Riodan was unavailable to
comment on the show's future (Curt Brown, Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE, 2/15).
MONTANA OPTS OUT: In a statement released by his
representatives at IMG, Joe Montana announced he will leave his
NFL analyst post at NBC Sports, saying the job "entailed too much
time away from my family, in part because of the cross country
travel." Montana plans to spend more time with his wife and
children (IMG). Phil Mushnick notes, "From the start, NBC's
hiring of Montana was not expected to be a long-term relationship
(N.Y. POST, 2/15).
