In N.Y., Andrew Marchand reports Chris Simms "will be a weekly analyst" on all of NBC’s "Football Night in America" studio shows this season. Simms will "continue his halftime and postgame analysis on Notre Dame football" and will "add in-game analysis from the sideline during the games." He is "becoming one of the main faces of NBC’s football coverage" (N.Y. POST, 8/30).
FOR THE BRAND: In Pittsburgh, Joshua Axelrod notes Pat McAfee made his ESPN debut on Thursday night for the call of UCLA-Cincinnati and he "began his booth career by flexing his accent and language skills." His "eccentric style was exactly what some folks were looking for in an announcer." However, some viewers "were less enthused with his jokes and tangents" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/30).
NOT MOVING THE NEEDLE: In Phoenix, Bill Goodykoontz writes Pac-12 Networks play-by-play announcer Roxy Bernstein's call of Kent State-Arizona State on Thursday "was fine." Bernstein will "tell you what's going on just fine, but you won't remember much of what he said the minute the game is over." Meanwhile, Pac-12 Networks "evidently was able to attract enough advertisers for only three or four commercials, which it showed again and again and again and again" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/30).
STEELER SHUFFLE: In Pittsburgh, Adam Bittner notes Steelers RB James Conner will join KDKA-FM's Chris Mueller and Andrew Fillipponi for a "weekly show" that will air at 5:00pm ET on Mondays, beginning Sept. 9, the day after the Steelers' season opener against the Patriots. WXDX-FM's Mark Madden earlier this week tweeted that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s show with the station "will be discontinued." Neither KDKA nor Roethlisberger "has made any official announcements" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/30).
