Randy Johnson expresses gratitude for teams that gave him a chance in Hall of ...

Randy Johnson has always been known asa stoic man of few words, but he made sure that all six teams he played for during his 22 years in the majorsknew of his gratitude.

Johnson ticked off the teams and people who helped him throughout his pitching career, starting with the firstmajor league team that drafted him out of college,the Montreal Expos, to which he said he was "forever indebted."

MORE: The most memorable moments of Randy Johnson"s career

"My minor league career was not stellar.It took me four years in the minor leagues to finally get a call up in 1988 ... I relish that moment getting to pitch in Montreal," Johnson said.

It wasn"t until Johnson was traded to the Mariners in 1989 that his career really took off, a move that he called his "apprenticeshipfor the next 10 years."

Twomonths with the Astros in 1998, during which he went 10-1,set Johnson up for his first tenure with the Diamondbacks, which led him to winning three games in the World Series and becoming co-MVP with Curt Schilling after the team clinched the title.

"Individual accomplishments are great, but in 2001 we had a team that in spring training we were all on the same page and we never deviated or wavered from that," Johnson said. "And that led us tothe World Series against the greatest team of all time, the New York Yankees.

"Those are some very memorable moments there in Arizona. I"m so grateful for everyone I played with and the franchise."

Johnson also thanked the Yankees and the Giants for taking him on, especially while recovering from significant injuries.

Throughout the trades and injuries, Johnson"s main motivation were the baseball fans, whether they were cheering him on orjeering at him.

"If I was a visiting player coming in to pitch against your team, you motivated me by screaming at me," Johnson said. "If you were rooting for me, I wouldrun through a brick wall for you and throw as many pitches as I needed to throw to get that game and get us a victory."

Johnson also made sure to thank the Wounded Warriors Project, an organization he has worked closely with since his 2009 retirement from baseball,and the United States armed services.

Given the nickname "the Big Unit" for his 6-10 frame, Johnson boastsof a 303-166 career record.The five-time Cy Young Award winnerledthe league in strikeouts nine times and recorded 4,875 strikeouts, the most for anyleft-handedpitcher and thesecondmost ever. He"s the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game at age 40and defeated every major league team at least once.

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2015-07-26/baseball-hall-of-fame-2015-randy-johnson-speech-diamondbacks-mariners-mlb-expos-astros

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Bryan Caraway didn"t want Miesha Tate to corner him at UFC on FOX 16 | MMAjunkie

CHICAGO Bryan Caraway and Miesha Tate are in a situation almost no one can relate to.After all, not many relationships involve two professional fighters, let alone two who have competed in the UFC octagon on the same night.

Caraway (20-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC)both competed Saturday night at UFC on FOX 16. Not only did both pick up wins, but they worked each others corner during the event. With a title shot on the line for Tate, it seemed a risky move for her to go through the emotional rollercoaster of cornering her boyfriend earlier in the night.

But Tate had no plans to avoid the corner for Caraways win over former WEC champion Eddie Wineland (21-11-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC).

I was prepared to put it behind me either way, Tate told MMAjunkie at the post-fight press conference. Once he won, it was great. But I knew that, no matter what happened, I was going to separate my fight from his fight emotionally. Thats something we get a lot of practice with anyway, being a couple inside the gym. We have to separate things. Its something that I feel like Im really good at. Its not the first time we fought on the same card together. But it is the first time that we fought in the UFC together and cornered each other on the same night. It was a little more stressful than normal, but we were both super motivated. And I felt like I had a lot of positive energy.

Tate fought in the co-main event of the evening, facing Jessica Eye (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)in a No. 1 contender fight. The winner was to receive a shot at the winner of Ronda Rouseys UFC 190 title defense against Bethe Correia.

Tate pulled off an impressive victory, dropping Eye multiple times en route to a wide unanimous decision victory. UFC President Dana White confirmed that Tate was up next for a title shot following the bout.

The stakes of that fight had Caraway wanting Tate to take a pass on working his corner, but he knew better than to fight with Tate.

I actually didnt want her to corner me, Caraway said. I was worried. I didnt want her to have an adrenaline dump at all. Just from the crowd or seeing everything or if something happened during my fight. I didnt want her to worry. Even if she was mentally okay I didnt want that natural hormone to have that adrenaline dump and affect her in her fight. But she told me, Youve always been there for me and Im going to be there for you, no matter what. I wasnt going to argue with her. You dont argue with her.

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 16, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Bryan Caraway, Miesha Tate, UFC on FOX 16, Featured Videos, News, UFC, Videos

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Source: http://mmajunkie.com/2015/07/bryan-caraway-didnt-want-miesha-tate-to-corner-him-at-ufc-on-fox-16

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Bryan Caraway compares TJ Dillashaw to Lieutenant Dan

Bryan Caraway spoke with the media about his friendship with T.J. Dillashaw following his victory at UFC on FOX 16, comparing the bantamweight champion to a beloved character from Forrest Gump.

Bryan Caraway and T.J. Dillashaw go way back, dating back to their time togetheron TheUltimate Fighter. The duo of extremely talented fighters has also trained together with Team Alpha Male.

Caraway touched on their relationship following his unanimous decision victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC on Fox 16 on Saturday. Whendoing so, he revealed a nickname that him and his fellowtraining partners have for the reigning bantamweight champion.

Hes almost a psycho, Caraway said. As kind of a funny joke, Team Alpha Male started calling him Lieutenant Dan because hed snap. If he didnt have a training partner or someone wasnt there, hed just freak out. Id be like dude calm down. It was like his life depended on it. And I knew that great things were going to come out of him.

Lieutenant Dan refers to the comically irritable character from the critically-acclaimed film, Forrest Gump.On a more serious note, Caraway described how Dillashaws recent success and constant drive has inspired him to become a better fighter.

Now its awesome. Ive been an old dog in this sport for a long time. Ive been fighting for 12 years. To see somebody young and hungry come in after Ive already fought in the WCF, already fought in Showtime, already fought in Strike ForceTo see him come in with that kind of energy and see his hard work propel him past me to a world championship, he was a big motivation to me. Training with him when he was below me when I used to beat him up, to coming up and being a world champion now, I was like, thats the s I need to do."

Given his recent victory over Wineland, the No. 6 ranked fighter in the bantamweight class, Caraway could geta shot at his good friend and competitor in the near future.

Tags: Bryan Caraway TJ Dillashaw UFC UFC On FOX

Source: http://fansided.com/2015/07/25/bryan-caraway-compares-t-j-dillashaw-lieutenant-dan/

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ESPN host Colin Cowherd off-air following on-air Dominican Republic comments

Last updated17:58, July 25 2015

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ESPN has parted ways with radio host Colin Cowherd.

Radio host Colin Cowherd will no longer appear on ESPN following insensitive remarks he made about baseball players from Dominican Republic.

"Colin Cowherd"s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees," ESPN said in a statement. "Colin will no longer appear on ESPN."

Cowherd, who it was announced earlier is leaving ESPN to join Fox Sports, had said while hosting his national radio show The Herd on Thursday he did not believe baseball was complex and that a third of the sport was from the Dominican Republic.

He added that the Caribbean nation had "not been known, in my lifetime, as having, you know, world-class academic abilities".

His remarks were condemned by Major League Baseball and Players Association as "offensive".

Cowherd had been discussing whether a general manager in baseball had the ability to step down from an executive position to take over managerial duties, following Dan Jennings" move in that direction with the Miami Marlins in May.

"It"s baseball," Cowherd said. "You don"t think a general manager can manage? Like it"s impossible? The game is too complex?

"I"ve never bought into that, "Baseball"s just too complex." Really? A third of the sport is from the Dominican Republic."

Cowherd"s comments sparked an immediate reaction with Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, a Dominican Republic native, tweeting: "Dear Mr. @ESPN_Colin before i rip you a new one i would like for you to explain what u meant to say about baseball and dominicans, please."

On Friday, Major League Baseball said in a statement that it "condemns the remarks made by Colin Cowherd, which were inappropriate, offensive and completely inconsistent with the values of our game".

MLB added: "Mr. Cowherd owes our players of Dominican origin, and Dominican people generally, an apology."

Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said: "As a veteran of 15 MLB seasons, I can assure you that our sport is infinitely more complex than some in the media would have you believe.

"To suggest otherwise is ignorant, and to make an ignorant point by denigrating the intelligence of our Dominican members was not "clunky" -- it was offensive."

Cowherd issued an apology via Twitter on Friday: "I did not intend to offend anyone with my comments. I realise my choice of words was poor and not reflective of who I am. I am sorry."

-Reuters

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/70543759/ESPN-host-Colin-Cowherd-off-air-following-on-air-Dominican-Republic-comments

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Amy Poehler: Wet Hot American Summer prequel is "the right amount of dirty and ...

We are fast approaching thehalfway markof summer, but for some people, the season of sun wont officially begin until July 31, when Netflix will release Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Created by David Wain and Michael Showalter, the eight-episodeprequel to 2001s big-screen cult favorite Wet Hot American Summer welcomes backall of theoriginaladult cast membersyes, including Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Ruddand introduces a bevy ofnew characters played by famous folks like Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig and Jason Schwartzman. You can learn all about the return to Camp Firewood in the latest issue of EW, but right here, you can check out aQ&A with Poehler, who spoke to EW during our February visit to the WHAS: FDOC set. (While the movie was shot at Camp Towanda in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, the set was recreated at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu for the prequel.)Read on to see what the Parks and Recreation alum had to say about revisiting her Wet Hotrole of hard-edged thespian Susie, what to expect from Susie and Benin the coming season, and her interest in shootingeven more episodesdown the country road.

Its a little cold out there today. Did that remind you of the old days of shooting the movie?

Weve been in this cold warehouse and outside and it reminded me exactly of exactly when we shot [the movie in Pennsylvania], which was rainy and cold and we were all in shorts. The only difference was that then we were staying where we were shooting so you could actually go back to your bunk. There are so many different things about shooting now and then. One is that were all 15 years older. The other is that there were no cell phones when we shot the movie There was just one payphone and no one was on a laptop.

When people werent on their cell phones and laptops, what has been the vibe on set?

Its been really cool. Because the people that are shooting the series love the movie. It does have that vibe, that feeling of, Can we pull this off?, which I think can be important in comedy. Its so much better than it being this gigantic, luxurious, indulgent production. You can feel a scrappiness to it that was in the original film, which was good. And its just the right amount of dirty and weird.Its just been a lot of us laughing and talking about the past 15 years. Its very strange that you get to punctuate your life in that way, circle back around and be like, Look at these same people! Just like the shooting of the film, it feels really fun, and also no one is taking it too seriously, which is important. I mean, were saying ridiculous things.

Everyone talks about it feeling like a reunion.

Very class-reunion-y. Everyone is feeling super happy to be there. Everyone is lot older and little bit more relaxed. And everyone is a little less hungover. Maybe. I cant speak for everyone. [Theres] lot more sharing pictures of kids and dogs, a lot more of Where are we going to dinner? whereas 15 years ago, it was a lot of smoking and sneaking around and going into town to buy booze. And its really nice. Ive been lucky to work with David and Michael [Wain and Showalter, the shows creators] in various ways through the years, but I think that it was nice to be reminded: The legacy of that movie is in many ways the cast that was assembled, so it was nice to assemble them again.

What was it like to slipback into this character for the first time?

It was weird. The entire experience of Wet Hot from beginning to end almost feels like a bonus track. The fact that we got to do it, the fact that it was made, the fact that it was good, the fact that people continue to like it, and now were doing thist all feels like extra cool stuff. It was just really fun and silly to be back in the outfits When I turned the corner to the set and saw the replica, I was overwhelmed. I was like, Whoa. It was really cool. Really cool.

Michael Showalter said it took him a couple takes of a scene to get back into Coops skin. How about you?

I dont even know if Im even in it, to be honest with you. I dont think I gave the character of Susie much thought. [laughs]But when I was with Bradley today, it really came back. Today we were backstage, we had to dress up like raggedy Ann and Andy and do a dance routine and Bradley and I were just going over the steps. And it was like Oh, yeah, I remember this taking themselves really seriously and being really into the idea of American theater. Its really funny. Susie is a toughie. She just does not take s. There is a funny line we were shooting today where [a character] just screws up and she was like, We dont make mistakes here. Youre out! [laughs] That was fun. So I dont know if Im in the wig and the outfit help.

What did you and Bradley say when you first saweach other in costume today?

Whats been nice is Ive seen him over the past couple months and been like, Oh, Ill see you at Wet Hot. Honestly, Im just really excited everyone has made it back. Its so exciting and cool.We were in the trailer and we were just laughing and looking at old pictures of ourselves and Bradley was like, Dude, were hanging in there! Fifteen years later but were looking pretty good! And I was like, Thats true! Not bad. Things could be worse. Im wearing a wig, which I want a lot of people to know, because my hair is not as short or as blonde as it used to be. Theres a lot of men wearing wigs, but Im also wearing a wig. Honestly if given the chance, I will always go with wig.

I thought the feathered hair looked great.

Even though this takes places in the 80s, I feel like Susie is a little behind the times.

Did Bradley snap back into ittoo?

Yes, I have to say that Bradley seemed like he snapped right in. The man has excellent training. I saw his Broadway training at work. It was fun that we were makingjokes like, Heres how you do it on Broadway,and then I was like, Oh. Bradley actually is on Broadway. [laughs]He does know.

You were there for the cast live-readin 2012 at SF Sketchfest, whichwas the last time you were technically in the role. But what was it like to get a call from David saying that they were actually going to do moreWet Hot?Was it just, Sure, why not? Sounds fun!?

Totally. In between that time, David and Paul [Rudd]and I went and made a movie They Came Together. And during that time, David was like, I think were gonna do something with Wet Hot, and it was like, Oh my G*d That idea of getting everybody together again everybody was excited. I was certainly excited. And then when I heard it was for Netflix, I was like, Thats perfect. It was a perfect way to not only just logistically be able to get everybody, but alsofrom the point of view of being able to parcel it out in a way I dont think another feature would have been the way to go. And I think everybody is really excited to watch these episodes in a row, like how people watch television now.

So, what new sides of Susie will we see?

Were going to see that shes a sexual person. Maybe in the movie, you were like, Whats her deal? And then in the show, you realize, Ahh, shes not getting laid. And its bothering her. Shes like, Why doesnt my boyfriend like me? Her boyfriend, played by Bradley, is just not into it. And then enter Claude Dumet [a Broadway director played byJohn Slattery who comes to Camp Firewood to stage a staff musical]. Shes very impressed by his long list of credits.

If there isa season 2, wouldyou do it?

Oh, for sure. David and Michael and Netflix do it the way I like to do it, which is just fun and fast.

Related StoriesNetflixs first Wet Hot American Summer full trailer released Wet Hot American Summer: A first look at the Netflix prequelWet Hot American Summer creator David Wain says there could be more Netflix episodes

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/22/amy-poehler-wet-hot-american-summer-prequel

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Vine Star Carter Reynolds Attempts Statutory Rape in Video, Is Shamed By His ...

The popular Vine star, with over 4.3 million followers, appeared in a video that leaked online trying to pressure a visibly uncomfortable 16-year-old girl into having s*x with him.

I should have never have put the relationship out on social media, first of all, Carter Reynolds said to his YouNow audience back in December.

The popular Vine star, with over 4.3 million followers on the looping video site (and another 2.3 million on Twitter) was addressing rumors that were swirling about his relationship with fellow social media star Maggie Lindemann.

As he waited for more people to log in to see him make his announcement, he twisted his head from side to side, in a bored and arrogant gesture, eventually cracking it so hard he cried out. Bad stuff happens when you put your relationship out on social media, he continued, Especially when you like, uhhh, have a lot of followers.

Bad stuff indeed. On Monday night, a NSFW video, supposedly stolen from Reynoldss iCloud account, leaked of him pressuring Lindemann (who appears to be intoxicated) to have s*x, though she repeatedly says she doesnt want to.

The cringeworthy dialogue reads as follows:

Lindemann: This makes me so uncomfortable.Reynolds: Do it.Lindemann: Im really uncomfortable. She shuffles off to the side, drops her head down.Reynolds: Stop, stop. Just act like nothings there.Lindemann: Carter, thats a giant lie.Reynolds: [Laughs] Want me to turn the light off?Lindemann: I dont know if I can.Reynolds: Want me to turn the light off?Lindemann: I dont think I can.Reynolds: Oh my gosh, Maggie. Oh my gosh.

To make all of this worse, Reynolds is 19 and Lindeman is only 16, which in most states is below the age of consent. Reynolds lives in Los Angeles, where the age of consent is 18, meaning that if the act occurred in his home state, he was attempting statutory rape (namely, unlawful oral copulation and sexual intercourse with a minor).

Before Monday, the two teenagers had a fairly typical teen romance: boy teen star meets girl teen star, they date, they make cute videos, he allegedly sexts another girl, she gets angry, they get back together, they break up. Their Twitter followers and YouTube commentators watched all of this closely and intensely with the same fervor typically reserved for the Kardashians. But unlike that well-oiled family machine, which never seems to make a misstep, Reynolds has tarnished his reputation with this s*x scandal, which is a surprisingly familiar story for a lot of social media stars.

Reynolds reaction to the leak was a mixture of obvious panic and misguided attempts to remedy the situation. He started with denial (or at least, not explaining anything):

Then he went to stalling:

Making empty promises that he hoped would explain everything:

Not delivering on those promises:

Acting like hes the victim here:

To finally giving a lame excuse that explains nothing (because really, its quite straightforward), and that basically just reinforced the notion that Reynolds is totally unaware that a lot of likes on social media do not, in fact, make you a good person or give you permission to force a girl to have s*x with you, even if shes your girlfriend.

Though Reynolds was having a Twitter meltdown, he did receive his fair share of misguided support. The #WeLoveYouCarter went massively viral on Twitter Wednesday after Reynolds started it (he has since deleted his post begging for users to use the hashtag from his Twitter account):

But actually, the majority of the tweets with the hashtag seemed to be shocked and angry reactions that anyone could support him and that he would dare ask for such support.

On Wednesday night, Reynolds seemed to be in the depressed stage of his grief, tweeting out woe-is-me messages like:

The main source of his happiness, we can only assume, must be the adoration of his army of devoted Twitter followers, which even if it isnt totally lost, is irreparably damaged.

Perhaps hes finally learned that the hate he once expressed for his fans can go both ways.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/24/vine-star-carter-reynolds-attempts-statutory-rape-in-video-is-shamed-by-his-own-twitter-hashtag.html

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Behind the Mic: Bill Simmons Lands at HBO; Colin Cowherd Headed From ESPN to ...

Behind the Mic: Bill Simmons Lands at HBO; Colin Cowherd Headed From ESPN to Fox

Bill Simmons has officially landed at HBO. The former ESPN personality and Grantland founding Editor will now call HBO his exclusive television home, including weekly television series set to debut in 2016 on HBO, HBO GO, and HBO NOW that will feature feature stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes. Simmons will also have a production deal to produce content and assets for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features. In addition, Simmons will be consulting with HBO Sports, working closely with HBO Sports president Ken Hershman on non-boxing-related programming, including the development of shows and documentary films for the network.

According to SI.coms Richard Deitsch, Simmons HBO TV Deal does not cover his digital writing and he is likely to land another deal on that front. The sports columnist/TV host/NBA analyst/New York Times bestselling author/Emmy-Award-winning documentary film executive/podcaster previously served as an analyst on ESPNs NBA Countdown, founding editor Grantland.com, columnist of Sports Guy for the past 14 years for ESPN, executive producer of the 30 for 30 documentary series, and host of the podcast The B.S. Report, (the #1 sports podcast on iTunes last year). Simmons began writing for ESPN.com in 2001, and starting in 2002, was the lead columnist for ESPN The Magazine for seven years. He also served as a writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC from 2002 to 2004

In other ESPN departure news, Colin Cowherd will also be leaving the network and is set to join Fox Sports. Cowherd is likely to have a regular presence on Fox Sports 1 and has confirmed he will have a simultcast of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He is also rumored to be the positioned to host Foxs new 11 a.m NFL show that will lead into the NFL Sunday pregame. (The Big Lead, Washington Post)

Longtime ESPN personalities and NFL studio show hosts Suzy Kolber and Trey Wingo have reached new long-term extensions to remain with the company. During the upcoming NFL season, both will expand their roles as part of their new deals.

Kolber, who joined ESPN in 1993, has been a sideline reporter on Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, as well as a studio host. This season, she becomes the new full-time host of ESPNs Monday Night Countdown pregame show. The past year and a half, Kolber covered a majority of the games as her close friend and colleague Stuart Scott courageously battled cancer. Kolber will travel to the site of each weeks MNF game where she will appear alongside Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis and Steve Young. Kolber will continue to host weekday editions of ESPNs NFL Insiders, the daily pro football show featuring veteran reporters and league insiders, including Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen and Bill Polian. She will also continue to be part of ESPNs annual NFL Draft and Super Bowl week coverage.

Wingo, who joined ESPN in 1997, has been the face of NFL Live since it debuted in July 2003. He will continue to host the popular weekday afternoon news and information show, as well as the NFL PrimeTime highlights show on Mondays. A host on ESPNs annual NFL Draft telecast and Super Bowl week shows including conducting SportsCenters postgame interview with the Super Bowl MVP, Wingo will expand his role to include a new Sunday morning pregame show. This fall, ESPN is adding NFL Insiders: Sunday edition (10 a.m. ET) to its Sunday pro football lineup. Beginning September 13, Wingo will host the new one-hour show alongside Schefter, Mortensen and NFL Front Office Insider Louis Riddick. The program will have all the latest information on NFL game days and will lead into Sunday NFL Countdown

Analyst Joel Klatt joins play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson to become FOX Sports lead college football broadcast team this season. Klatt takes over for Charles Davis, who moves to the NFL on FOX. A standout quarterback who set 44 school records at Colorado from 2002 to 2005, Klatt teams with Johnson, who has served as FOX Sports lead college football play-by-play voice since joining the network in 2001, and sideline reporter Molly McGrath. Klatt has with FOX Sports since 2007 when he worked as a studio host for FOX Sports Southwests college football coverage. In 2009, he was assigned a package of games for FOX Sports Net, and in 2013, coinciding with the launch of FOX Sports 1, he moved to the national stage as a studio and game analyst for the network. Klatt has called Thursday and Friday college football games on FOX Sports 1 and worked in studio for college football pregame, halftime and postgame shows on FOX Sports 1 and FOX broadcast network. He has also covered the NFL, serving as the host of FOX Sports 1s FOX NFL KICKOFF. Additionally, Klatt has enhanced his presence as a respected NFL Draft analyst and has been a regular contributor to FOX Sports 1s flagship studio news programs AMERICAS PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE.

Having made his debut as a broadcaster in the booth for college football and NFL on FOX in 2014, former two-time Notre Dame All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist Brady Quinn, who set 36 school records while under center for the Fighting Irish, receives a full slate of college assignments this season and moves to the NFL booth once the collegiate season is complete. During the 2015 college season, Quinn teams with play by play announcer Joe Davis and sideline reporter Kris Budden.

Also returning to call games for FOX Sports this season is veteran college football and college basketball play-by-play broadcaster Tim Brando, who joined the network prior to the 2014 campaign.

Taking over for Klatt at the studio desk is Matt Leinart, a two-time All-American, national champion and Heisman Trophy winner (2004) at USC. Leinart becomes a permanent fixture on the FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME, halftime and postgame shows, joining former NCAA and NFL head coach Dave Wannstedt and host Rob Stone in the studio. Leinart made his debut with FOX Sports in 2014, serving as an analyst on the Friday night college football preview show, FOX SPORTS LIVE: COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF.

College football insiders Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel and Clay Travis, analyst Petros Papadakis and rules expert Mike Pereira will also contribute to FOX Sports college football coverage

Host Rece Davis joining ESPN College GameDay this fall (replacing longtime hos Crhis Fowler) sets in motion several changes to ESPNs college football studio coverage this fall with new roles for hosts Adnan Virk and Chris Cotter, as well as analysts Joey Galloway, Danny Kanell and Mark May. On College GameDay, Davis will be joined by familiar faces in analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack, as well as contributors Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi and Gene Wojciechowski each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN.

The ABC and ESPN studios will also see changes for 2015. John Saunders will continue to anchor Saturdays ABC studio coverage, along with second-year analyst Mack Brown and 10-year ESPN analyst Mark May, who will make the switch from ESPNs studio. ESPNs new studio trio features host Adnan Virk with analysts Joey Galloway and Danny Kanell, who will handle pre-game, halftime and post-game reporting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the season.

Analysts Butch Davis and Robert Smith will again team up to add to ESPN2s Saturday studio coverage with new host Chris Cotter. SEC Nation host and veteran play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore will return to Bristol, Conn., each Saturday night to host College Football Final Presented by AT&T following the conclusion of the days games. ESPNUs studio shows from Charlotte will be hosted by Matt Schick and Brendan Fitzgerald, along with analysts Charles Arbuckle and Kevin Carter

ESPN New York 98.7FM has signed veteran New York City broadcaster Michael Kay to a three-year contract extension that will keep the longtime radio voice with the station through 2018. The successful team of Kay, host of The Michael Kay Show, and partner Don LaGreca has been an afternoon drive mainstay in New York since 2002. The Michael Kay Show will continue to be simulcast on the YES Network, as it has been since February 2014

Premier Boxing Champions returns in primetime this Saturday, July 25 at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN, at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., as Kenny Albert makes his network TV boxing debut as blow-by-blow announcer, joined by analysts Sugar Ray Leonard and Steve Cunningham, with Kenny Rice reporting from ring-side

Three-time Super Bowl Champion and ESPN Analyst Mark Schlereth has launched his own podcast entitled The Stinkin Truth on PodcastOne. The weekly show will have his thoughts on the NFL, sports in general, and more (Radio Ink)

SiriusXM and Pro Football Focus have teamed up to create a new daily show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. Hosted by Pro Football Focus Fantasy Director and Managing Editor Mike Clay, Pro Football Focus on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio debuts this week and will air every weekday from 10:00 to 11:00 am ET on satellite radios (XM channel 87, Sirius channel 210) on the SiriusXM app and online at SiriusXM.com. The show will feature regular contributions from former Pro Bowl wide receiver, Emmy award-winning broadcaster and Pro Football Focus analyst Cris Collinsworth, as well as other experts from the PFF staff.

Source: http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2015/07/behind-the-mic-bill-simmons-lands-at-hbo-colin-cowherd-headed-from-espn-to-fox/

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