Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will call a basketball game involving their alma maters; Mike Tirico and Curt Menefee will move from the studio to the booth for NFL Network; longtime SI writer Paul Zimmerman passed away last week.
PTI Hosts to Call Basketball Game
ESPN Pardon the Interruption hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will serve as the game analysts on next Friday’s Binghamton-Northwestern college basketball game, ESPN announced earlier this week. Kornheiser is an alum of Binghamton and Wilbon of Northwestern. The duo will work alongside Will Flemming on the broadcast, which will air on ESPNEWS.
Kornheiser and Wilbon will also host Pardon the Interruption from the site of the game. [ESPN Front Row 11.6]
Tirico, Menefee, to Work PxP For NFL Network
NBC Football Night in America host Mike Tirico and FOX NFL Sunday host Curt Menefee will handle play-by-play on NFL Network’s Saturday NFL doubleheaders next month, it was announced this week.
Tirico worked the NFL Network package the past two seasons, serving as the primary voice for last year’s NBC simulcasts and working Saturday and holiday games on NFL Network the previous year. According to a New York Post report earlier this year, FOX was interested in having Tirico call its simulcast games this season, despite his ongoing association with NBC.
Prior to joining Fox NFL Sunday in 2006, Menefee regularly served as an NFL play-by-play voice for FOX.
Tirico will work alongside Kurt Warner on Browns-Broncos in Week 15 and Ravens-Chargers in Week 16. Menefee will work with Nate Burleson and Steve Mariucci on Texans-Jets in Week 15 and Washington-Tennessee in Week 16. [NFL Communications 11.6]
Fmr. SI Writer Zimmerman Dies
Former Sports Illustrated NFL writer Paul Zimmerman (“Dr. Z”) died last week at age 86. Zimmerman joined SI in 1979 and remained with the magazine until 2008, when he suffered debilitating strokes that ended his career. Prior to SI, he has a long run as a Jets beat writer for the New York Post from 1968-79. He was also a published author, with his last book — an autobiography that was delayed several years by his strokes — coming last year. [SI 11.1]
