NBC’s Mike Milbury has apologized and been pulled from Friday’s playoff broadcast after a controversial comment. Plus: Fox has dropped Thom Brennaman from its NFL coverage after his anti-gay slur; and news on ESPN’s college football broadcast plans and the NBA’s 2020-21 season.
Milbury apologizes, pulled from game
NBC Sports NHL analyst Mike Milbury has apologized for saying on-air that players in the league’s ‘bubble’ environment benefit from there being no women around to “disrupt your concentration.” In a statement released by NBC, Milbury said he was “trying to be irreverent and took it a step too far,” calling the comment a “regrettable mistake.”
The NHL called Milbury’s comment “insensitive and insulting” and NBC said it was “disappointed.” Milbury, who is calling games on-site in the NHL’s Toronto hub, was pulled from Friday’s Flyers-Canadiens Game 6.
This is the second time this season that NBC has had to discipline one of its NHL analysts. The network previously suspended and later fired Jeremy Roenick after he made suggestive comments about co-workers during a podcast appearance. [NBC, ESPN.com 8.21]
Brennaman dropped from Fox NFL coverage after comment
Fox Sports said Thursday that it has removed Thom Brennaman from its NFL coverage after the play-by-play voice was heard saying an anti-gay slur during a Cincinnati Reds broadcast Wednesday. Brennaman has been with Fox Sports since it acquired NFL rights in 1994 and was part of one of the network’s original six broadcast teams. He worked alongside Chris Spielman last season and has for years been Joe Buck’s primary fill-in on NFL games during the MLB Postseason.
Brennaman was previously suspended indefinitely by the Reds. [AP 8.21]
ESPN planning to have top CFB teams on-site, per report
ESPN plans to have its top four college football broadcast teams call games on-site if there are games this fall, while the remaining teams call games remotely, according to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic. ESPN has not yet announced its broadcast teams for the college football season; one of its top teams from last season — Steve Levy and Brian Griese — has shifted to NFL coverage. [Deitsch/Twitter 8.21]
Silver acknowledges NBA may push back Dec. 1 start of next season
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during Thursday’s NBA Draft Lottery broadcast that the league’s planned December 1 start to next season may be “a little bit early” and that the league is interested in pushing back the start “a little longer” to increase the possibility of fans being able to attend.
Multiple reports over the past several weeks have indicated that the league is willing to start next season after the new year, and potentially as late as March, if doing so buys enough time for developments against COVID-19 that could allow for fans in the stands. [ESPN.com 8.21]
