tk13
08-31-2005, 01:13 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12518757.htm
CBS decides to let Marcus Allen become free agent
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Kansas City Star
Marcus Allen’s seven-year run at CBS’ “The NFL Today” is over.
Allen’s contract with CBS was not renewed for the upcoming 2005-06 season, a move that does not come as a great shock because Allen’s role with the network has been diminishing in recent years.
Allen, 45, began at CBS in 1998 as a studio analyst but in recent years had been bumped to the role of features reporter, which consisted mostly of pre-game fluff pieces.
CBS Sports communications vice president LeslieAnne Wade confirmed Tuesday that Allen would not be back this season.
“We consider Marcus Allen a great friend of CBS,” Wade said by phone from New York. “We wish him all the best.”
Allen’s agent, Ed Hookstratten, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But there has been speculation that Allen could wind up doing work this fall for Fox Sports or The NFL Network.
For some reason, Allen’s picture and bio remain on CBS’ “The NFL Today” Web site, which Wade said will be corrected soon.
***
In a lesson that can be best described as “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” the Fort Worth Star-Telegram took a bold measure in response to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach’s decision to restrict media access to his Red Raiders this season: The newspaper, in turn, has decided to scale back its coverage of the team.
The Star-Telegram announced in its sports section, “In response to a recently announced media policy for the 2005 football season at Texas Tech, the Star-Telegram will reduce its coverage of the Red Raiders this season to game stories only.
On Friday, Tech coach Mike Leach announced that media access for this season would be granted only to two players — quarterback Cody Hodges and defensive back Khalid Naziruddin. Whatever the reason for Leach’s decision, the Star-Telegram disagrees with this policy and feels it restricts our ability to adequately cover Texas Tech’s football team. If at any time Texas Tech changes its policy, the Star-Telegram will reconsider its decision to reduce coverage.”
Bravo.
And perhaps the newspaper’s decision will send a shot across of the bow of any other would-be control freaks posing as coaches.
***
Not that any of us read the magazine’s stories, but we hear that Playboy isn’t too high on the Chiefs’ chances this year. The magazine picks the Chiefs to finish third in the AFC West and out of the playoff picture.
Former Star football scribe Rick Gosselin freelances for the magazine and had this to say about the Chiefs: “Arrowhead Stadium gives the Chiefs one of the NFL’s best home-field advantages. Too bad they can’t play all 16 games there.”
Gosselin takes the Steelers, Colts, Raiders and Patriots as his division winners, and the Jags and Bengals (whoa!) as his wild-cards. He has Philadelphia over Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.
CBS decides to let Marcus Allen become free agent
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Kansas City Star
Marcus Allen’s seven-year run at CBS’ “The NFL Today” is over.
Allen’s contract with CBS was not renewed for the upcoming 2005-06 season, a move that does not come as a great shock because Allen’s role with the network has been diminishing in recent years.
Allen, 45, began at CBS in 1998 as a studio analyst but in recent years had been bumped to the role of features reporter, which consisted mostly of pre-game fluff pieces.
CBS Sports communications vice president LeslieAnne Wade confirmed Tuesday that Allen would not be back this season.
“We consider Marcus Allen a great friend of CBS,” Wade said by phone from New York. “We wish him all the best.”
Allen’s agent, Ed Hookstratten, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But there has been speculation that Allen could wind up doing work this fall for Fox Sports or The NFL Network.
For some reason, Allen’s picture and bio remain on CBS’ “The NFL Today” Web site, which Wade said will be corrected soon.
***
In a lesson that can be best described as “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” the Fort Worth Star-Telegram took a bold measure in response to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach’s decision to restrict media access to his Red Raiders this season: The newspaper, in turn, has decided to scale back its coverage of the team.
The Star-Telegram announced in its sports section, “In response to a recently announced media policy for the 2005 football season at Texas Tech, the Star-Telegram will reduce its coverage of the Red Raiders this season to game stories only.
On Friday, Tech coach Mike Leach announced that media access for this season would be granted only to two players — quarterback Cody Hodges and defensive back Khalid Naziruddin. Whatever the reason for Leach’s decision, the Star-Telegram disagrees with this policy and feels it restricts our ability to adequately cover Texas Tech’s football team. If at any time Texas Tech changes its policy, the Star-Telegram will reconsider its decision to reduce coverage.”
Bravo.
And perhaps the newspaper’s decision will send a shot across of the bow of any other would-be control freaks posing as coaches.
***
Not that any of us read the magazine’s stories, but we hear that Playboy isn’t too high on the Chiefs’ chances this year. The magazine picks the Chiefs to finish third in the AFC West and out of the playoff picture.
Former Star football scribe Rick Gosselin freelances for the magazine and had this to say about the Chiefs: “Arrowhead Stadium gives the Chiefs one of the NFL’s best home-field advantages. Too bad they can’t play all 16 games there.”
Gosselin takes the Steelers, Colts, Raiders and Patriots as his division winners, and the Jags and Bengals (whoa!) as his wild-cards. He has Philadelphia over Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.