Bill Simmons yesterday announced via Twitter that he "has hired about a dozen more editorial staffers" for his new venture, The Ringer. VARIETY's Todd Spangler noted those include staff writers Katie Baker, Jason Concepcion, Allison Davis, Sam Donsky, Alison Herman, Jonathan Tjarks and Lindsay Zoladz; articles editor Molly McHugh; associate editor Sam Schube; researcher Megan Schuster; and Jason Gallagher, who will "head up social media and video." The Ringer yesterday also "debuted its first email newsletter." Simmons in an introductory note "revealed that discarded names for the publication included 'The Curve,' 'The Hot Hand,' 'Brainwreck,' 'Binge Mode' and 'The Leap'” (VARIETY.com, 3/14).
MAD ABOUT YOU: In Austin, Suzanne Halliburton noted a behind-the-scenes show about the NCAA Tournament, “March Madness Confidential,” will "feature five teams" this year, including Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oregon, Miami and Purdue. Production crews "were embedded with the five teams starting with Sunday’s selection show." The features on the teams "will be telecast on all networks broadcasting the tournament" -- CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV (STATESMAN.com, 3/14).
BUSINESS AS USUAL: FS Oklahoma Thunder TV reporter Lesley McCaslin, who is expecting a baby in June, said that she "has no problems in maintaining her workload with the team or from the pregnancy." McCaslin said that she is "hopeful that she won't miss any work with the team this season." In Oklahoma City, Mel Bracht notes McCaslin also "plans to return to work in September in her other role as a college football sideline reporter, covering Big 12 and Conference USA games" (OKLAHOMAN, 3/15).
CHANGE OF PACE: In Chicago, Mike Imrem wrote new White Sox TV play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti "sounded good" in his first broadcast over the weekend. Benetti was "subdued during his first call of a Sox home run but has plenty of time to come up with a signature scream of some sort." Longtime play-by-play voice Hawk Harrelson is "polarizing even among his own team's own fans." But a change of pace "would be good, and Benetti is that, divisive only in that a fan might prefer his style to Harrelson's or Harrelson's to his" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 3/16).
