ESPN’s Dick Vitale is free to resume his broadcasting career after successful surgery, his doctor said Wednesday. Plus: NFL Network’s Good Morning Football is relocating to Los Angeles and adding a syndicated version; an update on the potential broadcasting future of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick; and more sports media news.
Vitale free to resume broadcasting career, says doctor
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale is free to resume broadcasting following successful surgery to repair his vocal cords, his doctor said in a video posted to social media Wednesday. The doctor, Steven Zeitels, said Vitale’s “left vocal cord is now tremendous” and that the surgical procedure had gone better than expected.
Vitale said he does not immediately plan to resume broadcasting and is “shooting for next season.” He has missed most of the past two seasons due to health issues. His diagnosis of vocal cord cancer last year was his third separate bout of cancer in just two years and continued a decade-plus struggle with vocal cord issues.
“Good Morning Football” moving to L.A., adding syndicated version
The NFL Network morning show “Good Morning Football” is relocating from New York to Los Angeles and will be offered via syndication to local over-the-air stations nationwide, according to multiple reports Wednesday. The show will continue to originate out of New York until March 29, after which point it will go on hiatus and relaunch from Los Angeles in the summer.
In conjunction with the move, the show will begin producing two additional hours of content each day for a syndicated version that will be distributed to over-the-air stations via Sony Pictures Television. Stations will have the choice between airing one or both hours.
Belichick, uninterested in studio role, pursued by Manning’s Omaha Productions
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has met with executives at CBS and NBC about an on-air role, but has “made it known” that he has no interest in being part of a weekly studio show, The Athletic reported Wednesday. The networks are also said to be “hesitant” to offer Belichick a role on studio coverage due to the expectation that he will return to the playing field.
Beyond a traditional network role, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions is said to be interested in Belichick for a potential “Manningcast”-style role.
Plus: Clark NIL, Tappen, The Soccer Tournament
— Fox Sports considered partnering making an NIL offer to Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark to convince her to return to the school for a fifth season, Puck reported this week.
— NHL Network has re-hired studio host Kathryn Tappen, who previously worked for the outlet from 2011-15. Tappen, who spent years on NBC’s NHL coverage, began her new tenure on Wednesday.
— ESPN announced this week that it has acquired rights to The Soccer Tournament, a soccer spinoff of The Basketball Tournament that will debut in June. Eight matches are slated for linear television and 27 for ESPN+.
