Today the NFL confirmed my Wednesday report that the league had hired Jay Glazer and Daryl Johnston as analysts for NFL Network studio shows.
Additionally, the league confirmed another of my earlier reports this week - per John Ourand of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL - that it is now employing former ESPN programming chief Mark Shapiro as a “consultant” for NFL Network game broadcasts and studio shows.
The latter piece of news probably didn’t make NFL Network studio host Rich Eisen’s day.
Shapiro was captaining the ESPN programming ship in 2003 when the network made the decision to not renew Eisen’s contract. Eisen would not have been dropped had Shapiro not signed off on the move.
That said, I was told today that Eisen was offered a substantial raise by the then-fledging NFL Network in 2003 as he was negotiating a new deal with ESPN - and that Bristol elected not to match that offer. So it wasn’t like Shapiro was actively booting Eisen out the door at the time.
Seven years later, Eisen’s contract with NFL Network is now approaching expiration and guess who may be intimately involved in deciding whether he’s re-signed?
Shapiro.
Thanks to that crazy coincidence, I was told today that Eisen is fearful for his job. Very fearful.
More from SBJ’s Ourand today on the Shapiro hire:
A league spokesperson confirmed that the network is tapping into Shapiro’s programming acumen to improve the look and feel of NFL Network’s game-day presentation, including its live games and studio shows. NFL Network President & CEO STEVE BORNSTEIN is a mentor of Shapiro’s and reached out to the former ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production.
Whether Eisen is part of the “look and feel” that needs to be “improved” remains to be seen. While not exactly a dynamic personality, he seems to fill his role with an easy enthusiasm. Hard to find fault with his performance over the years but often the future of television personalities, thanks to audience surveys and executive opinions, have little to do with a host’s actual on-air proficiency.
I’ve been told that the slick appeal of the recently-launched MLB Network has not been lost on the NFL and Bornstein. MLB’s superior on-air product is part of what prompted the league to bring Shapiro into the fold and consider sweeping on-air changes.
As for Shapiro’s approach, look for him to encourage the NFL to attempt bold strokes to try to wrest back the attention of those viewers who have strayed. In other words, go fishing for big name talent.
I’ve been told that the hiring of Glazer and Johnston and the futile pursuit of SI’s King is just the beginning. And knowing Shapiro’s track record, nothing would surprise me.
Including luring John Madden out of retirement.
6:28 pm on July 29th, 2010
I have never had any affiliation with ESPN, but as an outsider Shapiro is given way to much credit. He basically took 1 idea and created 2 shows (PTI and ATH) and had a lot of other half-baked ideas that didn’t work out. ESPN/DISNEY is notoriously cheap when it comes to talent; just look at the exodus of talent when the opportunity arises. I’m sure Eisen is not as worried as you think; He’s the face of the network. Glazer and Moose aren’t moving the dial.
Shapiro is labeled a wonderkind; ask the folks at Six Flags if that still rings true.
9:09 pm on July 29th, 2010
Great the best network on TV is now being taken over by a geek from ESPN! He worked for DAN SNYDER and you want to let him into the NFL! Please let him cross promote on some other lame channel.
Don’t give the guy credit for PTI, it’s two dc guys who worked with the great George Michaels and took the sportsmachine and full court press plus talk radio debate on a daily basis.
10:29 pm on July 29th, 2010
As noted, maybe Shapiro can work the same magic he did with Six Flags.
(NFLN would be off the air in 6 months.)
10:42 pm on July 29th, 2010
inside football is right. Shapiro was a one hit wonder. He doesn’t get credit for applying the same concept to two shows. What about his failures? Remember that god awful talk show with Chris Connolly? Jim Rome is Burning is just a 30 minute summary of Rome’s radio show. There’s nothing new there.
Eisen is not even remotely close to the broadcaster he was back in his ESPN days. He’s become refined and knowledgeable and is the face of the NFL Network. Then again no one ever accused Shapiro of making good decisions.
11:47 pm on July 29th, 2010
Eisen used to suck eggs. He has gotten better and has studied rather than acting like an aphoristic comedian.
11:59 pm on July 29th, 2010
I have some deep concerns here (as I carefully place my heroin down to type). When I said Hitler was a “scapegoat” and that the Russian Military, who was armed, had uniforms, tanks and guns, was more victimized than women, children, mostly old men - all Jewish - who were targeted for slaughter, what I meant to say was that it was very cowardly of the Jews to not arm those old women, about 2 million children, and any other Jewish civilians in several countries, so that they could then face trained, cowardly, Nazis. Rich Eisen is part of this historic problem. In my film “Scarface” I make it quite clear, and I predict, that the NFL Network would bring in Eisen (a “Jew”) and elevate him to a status due to the control of Israel, which controls my mind and my drugs. Tony Montana said, “Frank, you a piece of &*%&” but Frank was really “Eisen” and, as is clear from my other concern - that the leader of Iran is “not accurately, fully portrayed by the media” - the denial of The Holocaust by the Iranian Leader, as well as Hugo Chavez - two upstanding, well-meaning dictator scum - just goes to show you that this is all Eisen’s fault. Had he changed his name and, wait, the heroin just ran out. Can I continue this tomorrow? John Madden is an Israeli Bus Agent?
6:57 am on July 30th, 2010
So they want NFL Network to be ESPN-NFL? Great.
8:31 am on July 30th, 2010
Who cares???? These talking heads are interchangeable. If you’ve seen one guy drone on way too long about an NFL game you’ve seen ‘em all drone on way too long.
9:50 am on July 30th, 2010
Eisen just went on Dan Patrick’s show and denied this story.
Speaking of Eisen, the guy is scum. He threatened to sue Petros Papadakis for slander because Petros called out Eisen’s big-nosed wife Susie Schuster for having her dog on the field at a USC practice.
3:24 pm on July 30th, 2010
Typical Petros. Crying about Susie’s spilled milk, when Eisen’s banging some broad from ESPN on the counter top.
4:41 pm on July 30th, 2010
Maybe I’d watch NFL Network more if it wasn’t a pay channel.
12:32 pm on July 31st, 2010
Brooks like Eisen because he has a bigger forehead than him. I’m with James - just another guy reading a teleprompter. They start getting treated like celebrities and then they go Gary Miller and start peeing on people’s heads…
4:37 pm on July 31st, 2010
it’s funny how these guys get shit canned right before the season starts just like the players get cut.