- Nick Charles: The Showtime boxing announcer is taking a leave of absence to treat bladder cancer. In addition to his work on Showtime, Charles also served as a sports anchor for CNN in the 1980s and 90s. Charles, in a statement: “Having bladder cancer is clearly the greatest challenge of my life … Now it’s time for a face-first assault. Like a fighter, just give me one round at a time and I’ll eventually win.”
- Jemele Hill: The ESPN writer made controversial statements regarding Vikings QB Brett Favre on ESPN2’s First Take on Wednesday. Hill said that fans in Green Bay should throw batteries at Favre when he returns as a member of the Vikings, and was subsequently spoken to by the producers of First Take. This is not the first time that an ESPN on-air personality has appeared to advocate violence towards an NFL player; last year, Cris Carter suggested that he would “put [a bullet] right in” then-Cowboy Terrell Owens.
- Shaquille O’Neal: The Cavaliers star has denied that he stole the idea for his reality show Shaq Vs. from former teammate Steve Nash. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, Nash told O’Neal in ’08 about a potential reality show that would feature him playing against athletes in their own sports. After O’Neal told his teammates that he would star in a similar show months later, Nash sought an entertainment lawyer — “which is why he now has an executive-producer credit and the compensation that comes with it.” Nash did not confirm the Republic‘s story, saying instead that he and O’Neal “collaborated on parts of the show.”
Netflix officially announces expanded NFL deal
The NFL has officially reached a new deal with Netflix that will see the streamer bookend the season.
