The NFL is poised to expand its playoff field in its new CBA. Also: some familiar media names are heading into the Basketball Hall of Fame; Inside the NBA is getting the documentary treatment; ESPN has officially announced its Major League Baseball broadcast teams.
NFL poised to expand playoffs
NFL owners have agreed to a proposed collective bargaining agreement that would increase the number of playoff teams from 12 to 14, according to multiple reports. The expanded format would reduce the number of first round byes to one per conference, with the remaining teams playing on an expanded, six-game Wild Card weekend. It would go into effect this coming season.
The NFL Players Association must vote on the proposed CBA, which also includes the addition of a 17th regular season game per team. While the expanded regular season remains controversial, ESPN.com reported Wednesday that the expanded postseason has been “agreed to for a long time.”
The news comes on the heels of reports that Major League Baseball is considering an expansion of its playoff field from 10 to 14 teams. [ESPN.com 2.19]
Breen, Wilbon, “Inside,” heading to Basketball HOF
Lead ESPN/ABC NBA play-by-play voice Mike Breen and Pardon the Interruption co-host Michael Wilbon will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year as recipients of the Curt Gowdy Media Award. The news was announced last Friday. Breen has called more NBA Finals nationally than any other voice (14); Wilbon has covered every NBA Finals since 1987 for either ESPN or The Washington Post.
Also inducted on the media side will be former NBC and ESPN sideline reporter Jim Gray and the TNT NBA studio show Inside the NBA, recipients of the new Curt Gowdy Transformative Media and Insight Media awards, respectively. [NBA]
TNT to air four-part documentary about Inside the NBA
Turner Sports will air a four-part documentary series about its NBA studio show Inside the NBA during the Western Conference Finals, it announced last weekend. Titled “The Inside Story,” the series will examine the show’s impact and legacy in celebration of its 30th anniversary. It includes 100 interviews with current and former players, sports media contemporaries and celebrities. [Turner Sports]
ESPN makes Vasgersian/A-Rod Sunday night duo official
ESPN officially announced Thursday that its Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will be comprised of solely of Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez, marking the first time since 2008 that the series has used a two-person booth. Vasgersian and Rodriguez, entering their third season on SNB, will be joined by returning field reporter Buster Olney.
As previously noted, ESPN moved Jessica Mendoza out of the SNB booth and onto weekday games. She will work in a rotation with Eduardo Perez, Tim Kurkjian and Rick Sutcliffe alongside play-by-play voices Karl Ravech, Jon Sciambi, Dave Flemming and Dan Shulman.
In other baseball-related news, ESPN has extended college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson and hired ex-MLBers Doug Mientkiewicz, Javier Lopez, Gaby Sanchez and Adam Greenberg to analyze college games on ACC Network. [ESPN PR 2.17, 2.20 a, b]
