'MNF' reduces roles for field reporters Kolber, Tafoya

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The Roundup: Back From Vacation Edition
Published 2/11/2008 by TheBigLead at The Big Lead
... Michelle Tafoya and Suzy Kolber will have their MNF roles greatly reduced next season - and this has nothing to do with Tafoya calling Paul Pierce ‘Bruce’ Sunday on National TV. (USA Today) ...

NFL review kicks off Monday morning again
Published 2/11/2008 by Dan Friedell at Sports Scope
... as the head coach of the 'Skins. Speaking of football, how do you like your TV coverage? Word is there's a re-org brewing at ESPN, with sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya on the way off the field and into a different role at the worldwide leader. What do you think of that? We're here all day to take your opinion. Just log in below to join the conversation. The football doesn't quit here at Sports Scope...we have a bunch of items off yesterday's ...

NBA On ABC Had A Rough Sunday
Published 2/11/2008 by Awful Announcing- at Awful Announcing
... I missed most of the NBA action this past weekend, but lucky for me a few people caught some pretty funny mistakes during ABC's broadcasts. The first one came during the first contest of the day between the Spurs and Celts. Recently demoted MNF sideline reporter Michele Tafoya had an interview with Paul Pierce at halftime, and completely botched his name heading to the break. Via USA Today... ...

RUMORS PERSIST THAT KORNHEISER DROVE DECISION ON SIDELINE REPORTERS
Published 2/11/2008 by Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com
... another Cosell.  But, all due respect, Tony ain’t Howie. (Then again, it could be worse; it could be Mike the Man-Girl and Mike the Meatball and Mike the Furniture-Rearranger, every single week.) Meanwhile, it is becoming more and more obvious that Tafoya and Kolber’s roles on the MNF coverage will be dramatically reduced.  Though the official network statement from Sunday implies that they’ll still have relevance, Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that the duo will be “ largely shelved .” For Kolber, the real question is whether she wants to mess with jumping from the ...

Say Goodbye to Dan Fouts, Kids
Published 2/11/2008 by Brian Cook at FanHouse
... Buried in a long piece about ESPN thinking maybe probably they should cut through clutter on the five- (sometimes six-, with a bonus celebrity) man Monday Night Football team is this nugget that should be of considerable relief to Pac-10 fans: ...

Monday Night Football Sideline Reporters Will Have Less of a Role Next Season
Published 2/11/2008 by Bill Jordan at The Biz of Football :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
...  The network believed that they were putting too much attention on these reporters, as reported by Michael Hiestand of the USA Today: ...

More ABC/ESPN Firings, Fouts And Brant's Contracts Not Renewed
Published 2/11/2008 by Awful Announcing- at Awful Announcing
... in the Pac 10 and I really thought they had made many improvements in that time. Fouts had always been an analyst acting as a Play by Play man, but the pair seemed to have worked that out over the past season. I guess that doesn't really matter when your contract is up though. Tim Brant still has work in the DC market to do, but Fouts looks to be in Joe Theismann-like limbo for next season. Maybe the two could form a team for FSN or something (please god no)? (Via USA Today)

ESPN rethinking the sideline reporter thing
Published 2/11/2008 by Neil Best at Watchdog
... Suzy Kolber and Michele Tayofa will be reduced. (Greatly reduced, most likely.) Pro Football Talk.com broke that story over the weekend, which led me to ask ESPN about it Sunday, which led to the following statement from the public relations department: "Michele and Suzy will still be assigned to our multi-platform Monday Night Football presentation, including the game, pre-game and post-game. Their precise roles are currently being determined." USA Today weighed in on the topic Monday morning.

Monday Roundup
Published 2/11/2008 by Anthony Hall at MVN Outsider
... ESPN plans to reduce the roles of their Monday Night Football sideline reporters, Michelle Tafoya and Suzy Kolber, during next season’s broadcasts. Personally, I was hoping The Worldwide Leader would take it a step further and replace the two with ...

Tim Brant, Dan Fouts Out at ABC Sports/ESPN
Published 2/12/2008 by Christopher Byrne at Eye On Sports Media
... Night Football Sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya is the fact that the contracts of Tim Brant and Dan Fouts have not been renewed for next year's college football coverage. Why they made this decision is beyond me, but these two gentlemen are a class act and are clearly superior to many of the other college broadcast teams on ESPN. Maybe it was just about money but who really knows? You can see this footnote in Michael Hiestand's USA Today column. ...

You’ll Be Able To Watch The Entire NCAA Tournament Online
Published 2/12/2008 by Alpha Wolf at The Red and White From State
... Via USA Today: CBS […] will offer March Madness on Demand online simulcasts of its TV coverage for all 63 tournament games — the tournament’s final seven weren’t online last year — and that it will no longer impose any online blackouts. Previously, online users could not access games airing on their local CBS stations.  ...