The Nationals and Entercom yesterday announced a "five-year extension of their partnership" that will keep Virginia-based WJFK-FM as the "flagship home" for the team through '22. In DC, Scott Allen notes under the terms of the agreement, WJFK will "broadcast every regular season and postseason Nationals game, in addition to 10 spring training contests." Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are "entering their 13th season together as the Nationals' radio broadcast duo." Nationals President of Baseball Operations & GM Mike Rizzo said, "It's a great broadcast. I listen to it a lot. We listen to it in the clubhouse while the game is going on, and in the box we have the television broadcast on" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/8).
DON'T FIX WHAT'S NOT BROKEN: In Chicago, Shannon Ryan writes under the header, "Stop Messing With The Selection Sunday Show. Don't Eliminate The Drama." The hosts of the show on Sunday will "read through the 68 teams in the tournament before revealing the bracket," but "sometimes the old ways are the best ways." Announcing the NCAA Tournament teams without the bracket is like "bringing out the birthday cake without the song -- or the candles." At least the two-hour show "promises to include all the bracket information in the first hour with an hour of analysis to follow." But the "addition of a live audience seems unnecessary" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/8).
LEADING ROLE: In Seattle, Bob Condotta notes Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is "essentially taking over" Jon Gruden's old QB Camp show on ESPN. The new series featuring Wilson "will be called SportsCenter Special: QB2QB With Russell Wilson and will feature a similar format." Participants "will include" Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph, Ohio State's J.T. Barrett and Penn State RB Saquon Barkley. "QB2QB" will "premiere with all four 30-minute episodes airing" in primetime on Tuesday, April 17 on ESPN (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/8).
