Behind the Mic: Fox Adds Greg Jennings in Time for Super Bowl Week, Jerry Remy Re-Ups With NESN

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including deals, departures, and new assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, Super Bowl XLV champion Greg Jennings has joined Fox Sports in time for Super Bowl Week, Jerry Remy has agreed to a new multi-year contract that will keep him as NESN’s primary Red Sox color analyst, former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez will host a new reality show on CNBC, British broadcaster Kate Abdo joins FOX Sports full-time, Ryan Whitney has joined NHL Network as an on-air analyst, Former U.S. Men’s National Team player and Seattle Sounders forward Hérculez Gómez has joined ESPN as a soccer analyst, and more. 

greg-jenningsSuper Bowl XLV champion Greg Jennings has joined Fox Sports as an NFL analyst, contributing to a number of FOX Sports studio shows. Jennings’ arrival is just in time for Super Bowl Week on FS1, a slate of ancillary programming originating live from Houston’s Discovery Green during the week leading up to the big game. Drafted in 2006 by the Green Bay Packers, Jennings was a two-time Pro Bowler, recorded three consecutive seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards from 2008-10, and finished his 10-year career with 571 receptions for 8,291 yards and 64 touchdowns. Following his retirement in July 2016, Jennings began making regular appearances on a variety of sports shows, including FS1’s UNDISPUTED…

…Color analyst Jerry Remy has agreed to a new multi-year contract that will see NESN’s primary Red Sox color analyst working 115 Red Sox games each season. Remy has been associated with the Red Sox organization for almost 40 years as a player, minor league coach, and the last 29 as a NESN broadcaster. During his 29 year broadcasting career he has worked over 3,900 Red Sox games. The Somerset, MA native enjoyed 11 years in the major leagues, including 8 with the Red Sox. The ever-popular Remy was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame as both a player and a broadcaster in 2006 and elected President of Red Sox Nation in 2007. He has been honored with four Emmy Awards and has twice been named the Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association…

…CNBC has announced a pilot order for “Back in the Game” (working title) with former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez to serve as host. The show, from executive producer Michael Strahan, will focus on former athletes in financial distress. One former athlete, guided by Rodriquez and a stable of influential mentors, will get a second chance to earn a job or build a business…

…British broadcaster Kate Abdo joins FOX Sports full-time as host for the network’s portfolio of soccer. Abdo serves as host for a multitude of soccer shows and events including Bundesliga, FA Cup, Europa League, 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Abdo assumes her new role today when Plymouth Argyle faces Liverpool in the FA Cup third round replay at Home Park at 2:30 PM ET on FS1. Two days later, Abdo hosts the return of Bundesliga as Freiburg takes on Bayern Munich on Friday, Jan. 20 at 2:00 PM on FS1. Abdo also played a key role in FOX Sports’ historic multi-platform presentation of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, serving as host of FS1’s Emmy-nominated, World Cup Tonight…

…Ryan Whitney has joined NHL Network as an on-air analyst, becoming the ninth former NHL player to join its on-air talent lineup. Whitney will appear across NHL Network’s studio programming and make his debut on NHL Tonight with Bill Lindsay and Jamison Coyle this Wednesday, January 25th live at 10:30 p.m. ET. Whitney collected 50 goals and 209 assists in his 481 career NHL games. Drafted fifth overall in 2002, the Boston, MA native spent three-plus seasons with the Penguins (2005-2009) before joining the Ducks (2009-2010), Oilers (2010-2013) and Panthers (2013-2014). In 2010, Whitney won a silver medal as part of Team USA at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. In addition to his work with NHL Network, Whitney will continue his role as co-host of Barstool Sports’ Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and his role as an analyst with Sportsnet…

…Former U.S. Men’s National Team player and Seattle Sounders forward Hérculez Gómez has joined ESPN as a soccer analyst – the same day he announced his retirement from professional soccer. The 17-year veteran of Mexico’s Liga MX and Major League Soccer – including last season with the MLS Cup champion Sounders – will be a studio analyst on ESPN’s English and Spanish-language networks. Gómez will primarily serve as a pundit on ESPN FC, ESPN’s daily soccer news, highlights and information program, as well as a studio analyst for the network’s coverage of Major League Soccer, U.S. Men’s National Team, and other international soccer competitions. On ESPN Deportes, he will appear on signature soccer studio programs Fuera de Juego and Futbol Picante

…Host Sage Steele and analyst Jalen Rose will form the NBA Countdown studio duo for pregame and halftime shows during ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase series. The series opens this Sunday, Jan. 29, with the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder. This marks the first time ESPN has featured a two-person NBA Countdown team for regular editions of the show. The Sunday editions of NBA Countdown will include several feature pieces on a variety of NBA topics, in addition to commentary from Steele and Rose…

…Keegan-Michael Key Key, Emmy-award winning actor, writer and creator, will take the stage as host of NFL Honors on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston. The two-hour primetime awards special recognizing the NFL’s best players, performances and plays from the 2016 season will air nationally at 8 PM ET/PT on FOX. Key is the co-creator and co-star of Comedy Central’s Emmy-nominated and Peabody-Award-winning “Key & Peele” with Jordan Peele. The series concluded its five season run in September 2015. Key can currently be seen in John Hamburg’s comedy Why Him? and starred in in Mike Birbiglia’s critically acclaimed Don’t Think Twice. He also co-starred and produced Warner Brothers’ Keanu, alongside Jordan Peele. Keegan recently wrapped production on Nick Stoller’s comedy series “Friends from College” that will premiere on Netflix later this year…

…FOX Sports has set its broadcast team for UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Pena on Fox, FS1 and Fox Deportes on Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00 PM ET). UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier works as analyst with former champion and current No. 1-ranked bantamweight Dominick Cruz at FOX Sports desk in Denver for Friday and Saturday’s coverage. Curt Menefee is desk host for the FOX shows, while Todd Grisham joins the desk crew as host on the FS1 programs along with additional analyst No. 7-ranked strawweight Michelle Waterson. Reporter Megan Olivi interviews fighters on-site…

…Legendary NHL play-by-play voice Jiggs McDonald will return to the broadcast booth tonight to celebrate his 50th year calling NHL action.  McDonald, a Foster Hewitt Memorial Award recipient from the Hockey Hall of Fame, will call tonight’s Islanders/Panthers game on MSG+ at 7pm and will appear on the pregame show at 6:30pm as well.

McDonald began calling games in 1967 as the voice of the expansion Los Angeles Kings. In 1980, McDonald joined the New York Islanders broadcast team as play-by-play announcer and spent 15 seasons with the Islanders, during which time the team won three Stanley Cups.

Ed Westfall, who spent all 15 years alongside McDonald as the Islanders’ color commentator, said: “For his fans, Jiggs’ unique talent could make a mundane game spectacular. Congratulations on a Golden Career. You have given all hockey fans much to cheer about.”

“For 21 years I called New York Islanders games with very sore feet. That’s what happens when you try to get around in a pair of shoes that are simply too big. Those shoes belonged to my Hall of Fame predecessor, Jiggs McDonald, the eternal voice of the Islanders,” said Howie Rose, former MSG Networks’ New York Islanders play-by-play announcer. “Today, with comfortably secured ankles, I am thrilled to salute Jiggs on 50 years of NHL broadcasting brilliance.”

McDonald will be honored with a ceremonial puck drop and will then take over play-by-play duties from current Islanders’ play-by-play announcer Brendan Burke.

Burke, who is in his first season with the Islanders, said of McDonald: “Jiggs is a hockey Hall of Famer, a legend in broadcasting and a great role model. This Islanders broadcast will be extremely special and I’m honored to have the chance to sit beside Jiggs as he makes his magic.”

The telecast will also include Burke interviewing McDonald as they travel together to Barclays Center via the Long Island Railroad, along with a retrospective on McDonald’s historic career.

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