Fox Could Pair Long, Bradshaw for BCS Bowl

Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw could end up working as game commentators in the same booth at one of the BCS bowl games in January. Such a possibility is under consideration, according to a source familiar with the discussions. And that’s just a hint at what will be a different college football season.

ABC and its sister ESPN networks will televise almost 300 regular-season and postseason games. But then Fox will step in to televise three of the four BCS bowl games to be played Jan. 1-3, plus the BCS championship game to be played at the new Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8.

It’s a strange deal, sort of what it would be like if CBS, NBC, Fox and ESPN televised the NFL all season, and then another network televised the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Fox in November 2004 acquired the rights to the Orange, Fiesta and Sugar bowls and the BCS championship game when it is played at one of those sites.

Fox has already started putting together its announcing teams for its four BCS bowl games this season. The network announced this week that former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez and TBS’ Charles Davis would be game commentators for the title game, joining play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman. This team will also work the Fiesta Bowl at Cardinals Stadium on Jan. 1.

Fox still has to come up with two other announcing teams for the other BCS bowls it will televise -- the Orange (Jan. 2) and the Sugar (Jan. 3).

One team might be Long and Bradshaw and a play-by-play announcer to be named later. Pat Haden, who is NBC’s color analyst for Notre Dame football, would be a logical choice to work as a commentator on one of the games. And Matt Vasgersian and Terry Donahue, who make up a new NFL announcing team for Fox, might also be in the BCS mix.

Recommended Viewing

What’s this, a heavyweight fight on television worth watching? The featured bout on Saturday night’s Staples Center card, James Toney vs. Samuel Peter, could be.

“It’s a pay-per-view fight that’s not on pay-per-view,” promoter Dan Goossen said.

The only problem is the Showtime telecast is on at 10 p.m., a delay of three hours for the West Coast.

NBC, after a two-week hiatus, returns to televising NASCAR Sunday when it shows the Sony HD 500 at 5 p.m. from California Speedway. Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach will call the race. Commentator Benny Parsons, who is undergoing treatment for lung cancer, will miss the race but is expected to be in the TNT booth at Richmond, Va., the following weekend.

“Eye of the Storm,” an excellent documentary about the Louisiana State football team and how it adapted after the state was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina a year ago, airs on FSN West Sunday at 6 p.m. Actor John Goodman narrates the film.

And Finally

Tennis on radio? That’s right. XM Satellite Radio, which has a daily highlights show at 7 a.m. PDT from the U.S. Open with Bud Collins on Channel 143, will have play-by-play of the men’s and women’s semifinals and finals. Collins will call the men’s matches with Murphy Jensen and the women’s matches with Virginia Wade.