Robert Griffin III has reportedly found his landing spot after being laid off from ESPN. Plus: TNT will not yet send announcers to Winnipeg, Edmonton or Ottawa for Stanley Cup playoff games; Jay Bilas is getting another primetime NBA slot on ABC; ESPN has parted ways with an editor.
Griffin III expected to join Fox
Former ESPN football analyst Robert Griffin III is expected to join Fox Sports as its #2 college football game analyst, filling a vacancy left by Brock Huard, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Griffin, who was abruptly laid off from ESPN last summer, has yet to sign a deal. Laid off ESPN employees generally continue to be paid for the length of their contract, but that comes with restrictions on their ability to work for competing networks. Griffin did work the Christmas Day NFL doubleheader for Netflix as a studio analyst.
Per Marchand, Griffin is not expected to spend much time on the Fox Sports 1 studio shows.
TNT not yet sending announcers to Winnipeg, Edmonton, Ottawa
TNT Sports will not send game announcers to Stanley Cup playoff games in Winnipeg, Edmonton or Ottawa until next week at the earliest, Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported Wednesday. Announcers will instead call the games from TNT’s Atlanta studios, as was the case for last weekend’s Blues-Jets opener.
Per Rossi, TNT is citing the “logistical challenges” of sending crews to Canadian cities — save for Toronto and Montreal — and the company’s heavy slate of NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball games.
TNT plans to begin sending crews to those cities starting with potential series-deciding games — sweep-clinching Game 4s being the exception — which means the earliest possible on-site broadcast would be Maple Leafs-Senators Game 6 next Thursday.
ESPN’s Bilas gets primetime ABC NBA slot for second-straight week
ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas will again work a Saturday night NBA playoff game for ABC, calling Rockets-Warriors Game 3 alongside Mark Jones this weekend. It will be Bilas’ second NBA playoff assignment, following Timberwolves-Lakers Game 1 on ABC last week.
Last year, Bob Myers worked the two Saturday night first round games for ABC. Myers, who is reportedly being pursued by the Phoenix Suns, would seem to have moved down the depth chart this year.
Bilas, primarily associated with college basketball, used to moonlight on CBS NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage — including calling Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games — until CBS began partnering with TNT Sports in 2011. This year’s NBA playoff games are his first major postseason assignment (on domestic television) since.
ESPN editor out after investigation
ESPN has parted ways with digital editor Cristina Daglas following an HR investigation, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported Wednesday. Daglas had been with ESPN since 2014 and held her current role, which included oversight of ESPN.com, since 2021. According to FOS, She had been on administrative leave since January and in March sent her employer a cease-and-desist letter alleging harrassment and retaliation.
