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Jordan Kent Takes Over As TV Voice Of Trail Blazers

“Despite his five years with the Blazers, northwest sports fans might also remember Kent from his time as a wide receiver with the Seahawks and in the Pac-10 with the Ducks.”

Brandon Contes

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It’s not uncommon to see a retired athlete launch their second career as a sports broadcaster. What’s rare is to see that athlete become a play-by-play voice instead of an analyst, even more unprecedented is doing it for a sport other than the one they played.

Earlier this week the Portland Trail Blazers announced Jordan Kent as their TV play-by-play voice on NBC Sports Northwest for the rapidly approaching 2020-21 NBA season. It will mark the fifth season Kent has spent with the Trail Blazers, previously hosting their pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Despite his five years with the Blazers, northwest sports fans might also remember Kent from his time as a wide receiver with the Seahawks and in the Pac-10 with the Ducks. In addition to football, Kent also lettered in basketball for the University of Oregon.

Kent stepped in as the Blazers play-by-play voice during the NBA restart, taking over for Kevin Calabro, who announced he was stepping down in July. Calabro had a more than two-decade long tenure as the voice of the Supersonics, before joining the Blazers in 2016. Now Kent will get the opportunity to be the Blazers TV voice on a more permanent basis.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to step into the Television Play-by-Play role,” Kent said in the press release. “I have some pretty big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of the great Kevin Calabro, but I’m up for the challenge and feel great support from the entire broadcast team and all of Rip City.”

Retired athletes working as play-by-play announcers or covering different sports isn’t completely without precedent. For sports fans my age, Ahmad Rashad is synonymous with basketball thanks to his long tenure hosting NBA Inside Stuff despite having a very successful career as an NFL running back. Pat Summerall was one of the best play-by-play voices in the history of football after he retired as a player. Steve Nash has covered soccer and former NBA center Brad Daugherty has long been a NASCAR analyst. But Kent is doing both, he’s a retired athlete turned play-by-play voice, in a different sport than the one he played professionally. 

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Neil Everett Exits ESPN After 23 Years

“ESPN changed my life, but now it’s time for me to change my life.”

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Courtesy: NBAE via Getty Images

Neil Everett’s SportsCenter days are over. Front Office Sports reports that the anchor has chosen to say goodbye to ESPN after 23 years at the network.

“ESPN changed my life, but now it’s time for me to change my life,” Everett said. “Time to write a new chapter.” 

The network reportedly offered Everett a new deal. Had he agreed to it, the anchor would have taken a salary reduction.

This is a significant moment for SportsCenter. Everett moving on means one of the show’s longest-tenured partnership comes to an end. He had worked with Stan Verrett since 2009.

Everett’s exit comes in the same week that it was revealed Chris Chelios would not return to the network’s NHL coverage next season. The Walt Disney Company is currently in the middle of trying to cut 7000 jobs to save $5.5 billion.

As for the future, Everett says he will seek to increase his TV role with the Portland Trail Blazers. He has been part of the team’s broadcast crew on NBC Sports Northwest for the last two years.

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Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica To Make FOX TV Debut on Belmont Coverage

“Everyone I’ve worked and interacted with at the company has been so helpful and open to someone who has spent his entire professional life elsewhere.”

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Courtesy: KFSM

As the college football season was winding down, fans found out one of the foundational members of the College Gameday staff would be leaving ESPN. Chris “The Bear” Fallica left the network and has been working for FOX since the new year. This weekend during the network’s coverage of The Belmont Stakes, he will finally make his TV debut for his employers.

“It’s been great. This will be my first TV appearance, so I’m excited,” Fallica said in an interview with FOXSports.com. “But we’ve been cranking out content on the digital side since January, and I’m very happy with how the USFL picks have been going (4-0 last week for those of you counting at home). Everyone I’ve worked and interacted with at the company has been so helpful and open to someone who has spent his entire professional life elsewhere.”

Fallica, who worked for ESPN for nearly three decades, is going to be a major presence in FOX’s gambling content both on air and online. Making picks is nothing new. He had been doing it on College GameDay for years prior to his exit. 

In addition to making football picks, horse racing is going to be a major part of what The Bear does for FOX. While this will be his TV debut on FOX, Fallica put the spotlight on one of his colleagues.

“It was a great decision to bring Tom [Durkin] back for this call. His voice is synonymous with the sport for a generation of racing fans, so it will be a treat to hear him call a race again.”

Durbin is coming out of retirement to call the race. This is the first year that the Belmont is airing on FOX as part of a rights deal with the New York Racing Association.

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FOX Reportedly Considering Replacing Reggie Bush on Big Noon Kickoff

“Marchand writes that the favorite to replace the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner is the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner. Mark Ingram II is expected to retire from the NFL and join FOX.”

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Courtesy: Getty Images

It looks like changes are coming to FOX’s college football coverage. Andrew Marchand reports that the network is considering replacing Reggie Bush on Big Noon Kickoff.

Bush and the network reportedly argued over money before the 2022 season. FOX kicked the tires on multiple options, including Desmond Howard and Robert Griffin III of ESPN. Eventually, it decided to bring Bush back on a one year deal. With that deal set to expire and the two sides again at an impasse, FOX is eyeing other options.

Marchand writes that the favorite to replace the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner is the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner. Mark Ingram II is expected to retire from the NFL and join FOX.

If Ingram does join the show, he would be the first analyst from outside of the conferences FOX carries. Ingram played his college football at Alabama. He has since amassed more than 8000 yards over 13 seasons in the NFL.

FOX declined to comment on the report. Marchand reports that with no deal finalized, there is an outside shot that Ingram returns to the NFL, Bush returns to FOX and there is no change at all. That, however, is considered a long shot.

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