Rich Gannon is out at CBS after 16 seasons as an NFL TV game analyst, The Post has learned.
Gannon, the former MVP quarterback, will not have his contract renewed in the first move of NFL TV free agency. When contacted by The Post, a CBS spokeswoman confirmed the news.
CBS has not set Gannon’s replacement just yet. The two internal candidates figure to be Adam Archuleta and James Lofton.
Before last season, CBS started to tip its hand on the 55-year-old Gannon when it split him from his longtime partner, Kevin Harlan. While CBS doesn’t officially designate its depth chart, Harlan and Trent Green did the third best game most weeks, while Greg Gumbel and Gannon received the fourth most-watched matchup.
This NFL TV hot stove may not be as flashy compared to last season when CBS locked up Tony Romo in a 10-year, $180 million contract. NBC signed Drew Brees for after he retires as studio and potentially a “Sunday Night Football” game analyst. Fox anointed Greg Olsen its No. 2 game analyst with Kevin Burkhardt. Burkhardt and CBS’ Ian Eagle were kept off the market with new deals, which will likely result in less movement.
At the moment, ESPN is sticking with its “Monday Night Football” crew of Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese, while the biggest fish potentially on the market is Jim Nantz. CBS is working toward re-signing Nantz, who has been looking for a deal similar to Romo’s.
ESPN Push Back
CNBC reported that Disney has pushed back against the NFL asking price of a 100-percent increase for its next TV rights deal. We had heard a similar rumbling from sources at the end of last week. While it is a good story, it is also called “negotiating.”
The reason it is news is the NFL on TV is so powerful that it basically can name its price. However, Disney already plays almost double ($1.9B per year) than NBC, Fox and CBS.
For its money, ESPN receives an inferior schedule, one playoff game (always the least attractive) and no Super Bowls.
So even if it can add a Super Bowl or two and a few more MNF doubleheaders, it is pretty easy to see why ESPN would push back in negotiations.
Disney might have some points, because the NFL probably doesn’t have another network that will pay what ESPN/ABC will for Mondays. That said, the NFL is used to getting exactly what it wants when it wants.
Sid on Sports
Sid Rosenberg is bringing back his sports radio show on Sundays from noon-2 on WABC. Rosenberg, 54, hosts his morning show every day with Bernard McGuirk. On Sundays, he will push into WFAN and ESPN New York’s lane.
“There’s no one on Sundays as good as me at either station,” Rosenberg said
Clicker Books
Paul Knepper’s “The Knicks of the Nineties” is about the Knicks team that just missed being champions, but found a place in New York lore with Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy and Patrick Ewing. Papa Clicker says Knepper delivered just like those Knicks with a compelling tale earning a number worthy of an NBA Finals appearance … a 4.45 out of 5 clickers.
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