In Houston, David Barron noted former CBS and ESPN football analyst Craig James, who “placed fourth in the nine-man Republican Primary race for the U.S. Senate, will not return to ESPN this fall but said he has been contacted by other networks to gauge his interest in returning to TV” (CHRON.com, 6/21). In Ft. Worth, Mac Engel predicted James will be hired at “a regional network, like a Fox Sports Southwest.” Considering James' “political bend towards the right, Fox certainly makes sense in that regard.” James said he "loves sports" but he wants to stay involved in "fighting for public policy." James is “under the impression that his political bid now puts him on the political platform, too.” Engel: “Because talking about the BCS is virtually no different than talking about Iran” (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 6/21).
WINNING! USA TODAY’s Michael Hiestand noted actor Charlie Sheen will be alongside Fox’ Tim McCarver and Joe Buck for the net's broadcast of Yankees-Mets on Saturday. Sheen will “plug his sitcom, ‘Anger Management,’ which premieres June 28” (USA TODAY, 6/22). In California, Jim Carlisle writes the interview “figures to be more entertaining than the game” (VENTURA COUNTY STAR, 6/22).
MIC CHECK: In Boston, Chad Finn cites sources as saying that Gil Santos is “expected to be behind the microphone for his 36th season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Patriots.” His return is “an extraordinary development given his health problems over the winter.” Still to be determined is “whether Santos will work a full schedule,” and whether Santos’s longtime partner Gino Cappelletti “will return as well" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/22).
NO SLEEP 'TIL BROOKLYN: NEWSDAY is launching a Nets blog, and Roderick Boone wrote it will seek to be a "one-stop shop for everything Nets related.” With the Nets’ move to Brooklyn complete, "they're once again in play for us and it's time to get back into the game” (NEWSDAY.com, 6/21).
