Long time NBA announcer Marv Albert has a new gig. He has signed a new contract with the YES Network to call games for the New Jersey Nets. Albert had called New York Knick games for MSG Network through last season when he was dropped. USA Today has the details.
YES Network officials say current Nets announcer Ian Eagle will continue to call games for the Nets when Marv is doing Monday Night Football for Westwood One Radio or NBA national games for TNT.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times (registration required)says while it’s nice that Marv has a new gig, does YES really need him? It also leaves Ian Eagle with just 30 games to call.
Andrew Marchand of the New York Post writes that it appears that NBA Commish David Stern went out of his way to push YES to hire Albert.
It does appear that Marv pushed hard to get this job and the odd man out is Eagle who has been quite loyal to the Nets since being hired 11 years ago as its radio play-by-play man. Still, Ian is handling the move with class although I am quite sure that he is not happy with losing games.
The national ratings for the weekend’s sporting events have been published. Once again, NASCAR is at the top of the heap. Michael Hiestand of USA Today looks at the numbers.
Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe wrote in his Sunday news and notes column that the Red Sox are considering buying a number of radio stations throughout the New England region to distribute games via a network similar to the way it distributes its games via its regional cable network, NESN. However, the network is still in the planning stages. WEEI, the flagship station for the Red Sox radio network, owns the radio rights through 2006.
