In South Bend, Eric Hansen reported JMI Sports, Notre Dame's new multimedia partner, will "not retain" football announcers Don Criqui and Allen Pinkett. Both Criqui and Pinkett graduated from Notre Dame and have been calling games together on the school's radio network since '06. Pinkett said JMI Sports "want someone more local ... because they want to do some packages during the week, and they wanted somebody who was there" (SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE, 6/17).
CHASE IS OFF THE CASE: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar reports Blues radio analyst Kelly Chase is "giving up his broadcasting duties." He will "become involved in private real estate and will remain connected to the team via a role in business and community development." Chase and play-by-play announcer Chris Kerber "entered the booth" together beginning with the '00-01 season. Chase has "scored with his no-holding-back approach on the air, calling things as he saw them." He "wasn’t afraid to criticize the Blues." A replacement for Chase is "expected to be announced in the next month" (STLTODAY.com, 6/19).
A WILEY MOVE: SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy cited sources as saying that ESPN's Marcellus Wiley is "on the verge of joining Fox Sports." Wiley is "expected to team up" with Jason Whitlock on FS1's "Speak for Yourself" after Colin Cowherd departs the show. The net also is "expected to double the show's length to two hours." FS1 potentially could move "Speak for Youself" to the 3:00-5:00pm ET window, which would "create an opening for Kristine Leahy's new show" between 5:00-6:00pm when it debuts this fall (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/17).
