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People & Personalities: Twins Broadcaster Blyleven In Hot Water Over Detroit Tweets

In Minneapolis, Phil Miller notes FS North Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven "stirred up trouble on Thursday" with a "pair of tweets that insulted" the city of Detroit. His tweets "had gone viral" before the game even started, and by the time the Twins’ 7-1 loss "was complete, the governor of Michigan had weighed in, Blyleven’s tweets had been deleted, his employers had criticized him, and the Hall of Fame pitcher had offered an apology over the air." Blyleven "tweeted a photo of the tarp on Comerica Field, with the Detroit skyline obscured by clouds in the background." Blyleven’s tweet said it is the "best I have seen downtown Detroit though! Thank you low clouds.” When some Twitter users "attacked him in reply, Blyleven tweeted again, saying, 'Guess all you that responded haven’t seen how ugly your downtown is'" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/10).

FATHER TIME IS UNDEFEATED: In Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt notes Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker cut back on his schedule last year, but he "readily admits it hurt more than he anticipated." Uecker said, "It was very, very hard." He added, "To cut back, I thought would be easy. But it was the worst thing I ever did. ... I missed like 30-40 games. This year, I'm cutting back about the same, but I know it's going to be hard again." Haudricourt writes there is a "time for everyone to cut back on work." Uecker: "I'm 81 years old and you know the end of the line is down the road. Hopefully, I've got a few more years. But I want to do things that I haven't done enough" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/10).

SWITCHING FIELDS: SOCCER AMERICA's Ridge Mahoney noted Fox soccer play-by-play announcer John Strong has "quickly moved onto the national stage from a modest beginning working high school events in Oregon." Strong and broadcast partner Alexi Lalas are "less than two months into their pairing ... and so far it seems to be working." For Strong, four years of working college games and events -- lacrosse, soccer, hockey, softball -- "led to a radio job" at KXL-AM in Portland, and after "calling a few games on radio and TV as a backup to regular announcer Andy McNamara during the Timbers’ days in the USL, he got the full-time gig on the eve of their first MLS season" in '11. Since his "move onto the national stage ... he’s taken steps to ensure he can prepare for any team and any matchup." Strong will "continue to work MLS, Europa League, and U.S. games until early June, when the Women’s World Cup takes center stage" (SOCCERAMERICA.com, 4/8).

LITTLE WOMAN: In Orlando, George Diaz profiled Fox NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little, who is "in her first year" with the net's Sprint Cup coverage after years with ESPN. But the "only thing different about the gig is that she has ditched the ESPN-issued firesuit in favor of comfortable work clothes and matching jewelry." Little said of the firesuit, "It's a sentimental thing I leave behind. It never bothered me. I thought it was very professional and made life easier on the road. You don't have to think about what you were wearing." But Diaz wrote Little "isn't on the air for the stereotypical eye-candy," as she "drops knowledge with authority" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/8). 

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: FS Arizona has hired Kate Longworth as a reporter for select D-backs games this season. Longworth previously was with CSN Bay Area, where she covered the A's, Raiders, Sharks and Earthquakes since '08. She also served as a weekend anchor for CSN's "SportsNet Central" news program (FS Arizona). 

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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