NBC’s Bob Costas on NASCAR? It’s happening Sunday. In other news, the retiring Danica Patrick may be pursuing a media career, ESPN has aggressively defended its NFL concussion reporting, and a group of NFL owners is feeling out possible replacements for Roger Goodell.
Bob Costas Working NASCAR on Sunday
NBC Sports broadcaster
Bob Costas will anchor pre-race coverage leading into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale from Homestead, it was announced Thursday. It will be Costas’ first NASCAR assignment since NBC resumed airing races in 2015, and possibly ever. In addition to hosting pre-race coverage, Costas will conduct a live interview with incoming NBC broadcaster
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is running his final race. Regular NASCAR on NBC studio host
Krista Voda will co-host.
Costas is not the most unlikely person to anchor NBC’s NASCAR coverage. When it carried the first Homestead race back in 1999, pre-race coverage was anchored by Brian Williams. [NBC Sports PR 11.16]
Retiring Patrick Considering Media Career
NASCAR driver
Danica Patrick, who is retiring from racing next year, has held talks with NBC Sports about a possible on-air role, USA Today reported Friday. Patrick previously worked as a pit reporter on Fox Sports’ “Drivers Only” NASCAR coverage earlier this year. [USA Today
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ESPN Defends NFL Concussion Reporting
ESPN has strongly objected to an interview published this week implying that the network did not adequately cover the NFL concussion scandal. In the interview jointly published by
Vanity Fair and former ESPN ombudsman
The Poynter Institute, subject
Rebecca Carpenter — a filmmaker promoting her theatrical documentary on the crisis — suggested that ESPN’s massive NFL rights deal precluded “doing investigative reporting that exposes the catastrophic dangers of their cash cow.”
In an unusually aggressive response, ESPN defended its work on the subject both on Outside the Lines, on which Carpenter was recently a guest, and in letters to both Carpenter and to The Poynter Institute. Carpenter later apologized for the criticism, saying her perspective on media coverage had been limited. [Poynter 11.16]
Some NFL Owners Feeling Out Goodell Replacements
A “confidante” of an NFL owner recently reached out to NBA Commissioner
Adam Silver to gauge his interest in replacing
Roger Goodell and was promptly rebuffed, ESPN.com reported Friday. According to the same report, other owners have floated replacing Goodell with his predecessor
Paul Tagliabue or installing someone from the International Olympic Committee who could grow the game globally. Goodell is on the cusp of a new contract, but a disgruntled group of owners — led by Dallas Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones — wants to stall or, in a long shot, reverse the process. [ESPN.com
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