Cowherd is expected to focus on his long-running TV/radio simulcast "The Herd"THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD
SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy reported FS1's Colin Cowherd has been "telling Fox executives and colleagues he expects to step down as co-host of 'Speak for Yourself' with Jason Whitlock sometime this year." Should he leave, the 54-year old Cowherd is "expected to focus on his long-running TV/radio simulcast, 'The Herd'"and "Fox NFL Kickoff." Sources said that FS1 is "looking to expand" the "Speak for Yourself" show from one to two hours, meaning it would run from 3:00-5:00pm ET (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/1).
COMING IN HOT: USA TODAY's Mike Hembree notes Dale Earnhardt Jr. will debut as a NASCAR booth analyst in June at Chicagoland Speedway, and he is "almost certain to take on star status for NBC quickly." Earnhardt has a "breadth of perspective rarely seen in his contemporaries," and if that "verve can be translated to live television, NBC will have a winner." In a recent production day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where a "crew of 30 gathered to record an NBC video marketing Junior’s switch from the cockpit to the broadcast booth, he moved with seeming ease from one scene to the next." Then to "add to the rush of the Year of Junior, he has a book scheduled to go on sale in October." Titled "Racing To The Finish: My Story," Earnhardt said that the book, co-written by ESPN’s Ryan McGee, "offers new details on his struggles with concussions, his recovery and his decision to stop racing" (USA TODAY, 5/2).
BOOTH BLUNDER: In Philadelphia, Rob Tornoe noted Phillies analyst Mike Schmidt was "forced to apologize after a joke he told at the expense of the #MeToo movement during a Phillies broadcast landed with a thud." Schmidt’s joke during a telecast Sunday was "prompted when reporter Gregg Murphy brought up a tweet" by Amanda McCarthy, wife of Braves P Brandon McCarthy. Amanda McCarthy "wrote that her husband 'can’t do the dishes' after dislocating his shoulder." Schmidt joked: “I’ve got a dishwasher at home myself … my wife. Me Too movement. Where does that fit in?” Schmidt in a statement yesterday said he "made a mistake while attempting to be humorous" (PHILLY.com, 5/1).
CAN'T PLEASE 'EM ALL: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth wrote the Rockies "should not have to defend anything about a decision made in concert with its regional sports channel to give reporter Jenny Cavnar a shot at doing play-by-play on a game last week." Still, the "anticipated social media trolling didn’t go away." But the Rockies’ Twitter account "did a nice job of holding up a mirror" on those who "decided to vent about a female voice on their TV sets." Hoffarth: "We respect them for standing up" (DAILYNEWS.com, 4/28).
NOTES: NBC Sports hockey analyst Jeremy Roenick "called the officiating during the Lightning's 4-2 win over the Bruins Monday night 'unacceptable' during the postgame studio show," just the latest instance in which he has "been critical of the officials' work throughout the playoffs" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/2)....ESPN named WNBA Connecticut Sun F Chiney Ogwumike a "full-time basketball analyst," making the 26-year-old "one of the youngest analysts at the network and one of few women in that role." Ogwumike, the host of "SportsCenter Africa," "credits her agent," Disrupt The Game's Allison Galer, for "helping her pursue the new line of work" (AP, 5/1)....The Professional Fighters League's broadcast team for this year's inaugural season will include Randy Couture, Bas Rutten, Yves Edwards, Caroline Pearce and Todd Harris. The season debuts June 7 on NBCSN and will be "streamed live globally on Facebook Watch" (DEADLINE.com, 5/1)....Longtime Houston sports radio host Adam Clanton said that he is "no longer" with iHeartMedia station KBME-AM, though he "declined to elaborate on details." He also has "done radio commentary on Rockets home games, including Sunday's second-round game against the Jazz, but his status on future Rockets broadcasts remains undetermined" (CHRON.com, 5/1).
