Fox is adding Tony Gonzalez to its "Thursday Night Football" pregame show this season, beginning in Week 4. Gonzalez, who will be inducted into the Pro Football HOF this weekend, joins Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long on the pregame show. Bradshaw and Long will split duties, alternating "TNF" appearances throughout the season, while Gonzalez and Strahan will appear on every edition with Strahan serving as host. Gonzalez, who appears regularly on Fox "NFL Kickoff," will remain in his role on the pregame show each Sunday during the season (Fox). In N.Y., Andrew Marchand cites sources as saying that Vince Wilfork "will not return as a contributor" to the Fox Sunday pregame show (N.Y. POST, 7/30).
FOR THE BRAND: In Indianapolis, Akeem Glaspie noted former NFLer Pat McAfee has signed a multiyear deal with ESPN and will work Thursday night college football games as a "color analyst." McAfee will be "calling games with former Colts teammate Matt Hasselbeck and host Adam Amin." In addition to working as color analyst, McAfee will also "make regular appearances" on ESPN's "Get Up." McAfee had previously "openly campaigned for a spot" in the "MNF" booth (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/30).
CAPITAL DEALINGS: In DC, Matt Bonesteel noted ESPN Radio 630 DC is bringing back host Andy Pollin "on a permanent basis along with Bram Weinstein, who left for ESPN television in '08 and "then returned" to DC radio in '16. Pollin will be ESPN 630′s "morning update anchor during the station’s broadcasts of ESPN’s 'Golic & Wingo Show.'" Pollin was a "longtime fixture at WTEM, helping launch his hometown’s first sports-talk station" in '92, but he left the station in '17 "when his contract was not renewed." Weinstein is also a DC native whose second tenure at WTEM "ended last year after an ownership change" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/27).
