In Denver, Ryan O'Halloran notes ESPN execs "traveled to Colorado earlier this year" to convince Peyton Manning to enter broadcasting and possibly replace Jason Witten in the "MNF" booth, but it "didn't work." Manning said, "I enjoyed talking to them. I had (a) great conversation. It wasn't the right time this year. Maybe it will never be" (DENVER POST, 5/31). NBC's Mike Florio believed ESPN and other networks "will continue to chase" Manning. Florio: "He is the white whale that every team is going to want to have, every network is going to want to have in place at some point. There’s a belief he’s going to be really good" ("PFT Live," NBCSN, 5/31).
STICKING TO HIS ROOTS: THE ATHLETIC's Maggie Hendricks noted ESPN's Jordan Cornette will "work this summer as the color analyst" for the WNBA Chicago Sky, along with "being named a regular co-host" of a new ESPN Radio show with Sarah Spain and Jason Goff. In his second year with the Sky, and despite "other parts of his career taking off, Cornette wanted to make sure he's still calling games" for the team. Cornette has called Notre Dame men's basketball games, co-hosted ESPN Radio's "Kap and Co." show and worked on Chicago-based WCIU-TV's morning show (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/29).
CALLED UP: In DC, Scott Allen noted longtime WJFK-FM personality and voice of Navy athletics Pete Medhurst made his "big league radio debut" during Tuesday's Nationals-Braves game. It was his first Nationals game alongside the team's original play-by-play man, Charlie Slowes. Slowes "handled the play-by-play for the first two innings" before "introducing Medhurst in the top of the third" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 5/30).
NEW BEGINNINGS: Former WEEI host Kirk Minihane is "joining Barstool Sports," which "shouldn't be much of a surprise." In between his stints with WEEI and Entercom, Minihane was a co-host with Barstool Founder Dave Portnoy on Barstool Radio "during this year's Super Bowl week" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 5/30). Meanwhile, former ESPN reporter Jay Crawford will join Cleveland-based WKYC-NBC this fall. Crawford will be involved in multiple newscasts for the station, and will help launch a 5:00pm ET newscast beginning in '20 (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 5/28).
