ESPN and NFL Network are reportedly likely to provide joint coverage of the NFL Draft. Also: the PGA Tour schedule changes are official; three ESPNers are reportedly contenders for Monday Night Football; plus the latest news on the NBA and MLB.
ESPN, NFL Network, likely to air joint Draft telecast
It is increasingly likely that ESPN and NFL Network will combine for a joint production of this month’s NFL Draft, NBC Sports reported Monday. ESPN would likely host coverage from its Bristol, Conn., studios, as NFL Network’s studios in California and New Jersey are shut down.
The joint production would not affect ABC’s scheduled draft simulcast, which will remain separate and — as last year — cater to non-sports fans. [NBC Sports 4.6]
PGA Tour officially announces schedule changes
The PGA Tour officially announced Monday a number of schedule changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Masters, which was to begin this week, will move to the week ending November 15 and serve as the final major of the year. The US Open will move to the week ending September 20 and the PGA Championship to the week ending August 9. The British Open, as Golfweek originally reported, has been canceled.
With the PGA Championship moving to August, the FedEx Cup playoffs has been pushed back a week. The Tour Championship is set for Labor Day weekend.
The PGA Tour schedule is officially set to resume at Colonial May 21, with the tournament director telling the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram an announcement on its status is expected in the coming days. [PGA Tour 4.6, Star-Telegram 4.6]
NYP: Levy, Riddick, Orlovsky, contenders for MNF job
According to the New York Post, ESPN has not decided on its Monday Night Football team next season, but incumbents Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland are aware that the network is looking for replacements. The Post says that Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky have emerged as top candidates for MNF, either in a two or three-man booth, but ESPN is still said to be considering its college football team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. [NYP 4.6]
Plus: NBA and MLB plans, Stanley Cup encores
In an interview with TNT’s Ernie Johnson Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league will not make any decisions on the future of the 2019-20 season until next month at the earliest. … Major League Baseball could begin a delayed season playing all of its games in Arizona, which has ten Spring Training parks and Chase Field, according to the Associated Press. The idea is in the early stages and emerged in talks between the league and the players union. … The NBC broadcast network will re-air the past 12 clinching Stanley Cup Final games over the next two weekends, which were supposed to be the first two weekends of the playoffs. [CBSSports.com 4.6, AP 4.6, NBC Sports PR 4.6]
