Out of the list of American job rankings, I always wonder why "NFL TV analyst" isn't right up there with engineering or actuaries as the best jobs to have. You get to talk football for a living and the job market is a seemingly neverending stream of hires. In that respect, ESPN and CBS have announced new additions to the NFL media family for this coming season including a couple very innovative moves…
* At their media day event in Bristol, ESPN announced current Steelers safety Ryan Clark will be working for ESPN in a unique role as a current NFL player and analyst. Clark will appear on ESPN regularly throughout the season including being in Bristol during his bye week. You've likely seen the safety make numerous stops in the ESPN Car Wash in past years. He's very good on television and this groundbreaking partnership will be intriguing to watch throughout the season. A dedicated relationship with a current athlete is something no other network has at the moment and I'll be very interested to see how it evolves throughout the season.
* ESPN NFL producer Seth Markman also announced 2 additional hires to bring ESPN's NFL analyst count into the high 800s. Former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis and former Jaguars QB Mark Brunell are the newest faces on the Bristol campus.
This will be Bettis' second go round as a TV analyst. He worked for NBC's Football Night in America from 2006-2008 alongside Tiki Barber in what was a forgettable venture. Bettis has a popular persona, but time will tell whether he's improved in breaking down the league. Brunell was most recently in the headlines for filing for bankruptcy in 2011 and has worked for the Jags as their preseason game analyst this season.
* As for CBS, they've made new hires in accordance with the launch of "That Other Pregame Show" on CBS Sports Network. Yes, that is the real name. I know, I can't believe it wasn't a joke either. That Other Pregame Show will air Sunday mornings on CBSSN from 9 AM – 1 PM ET with the last hour going up against The NFL Today on CBS.
While several of the NFL on CBS personalities will appear, CBSSN has added outspoken former Ravens and Jets LB Bart Scott to the mix. This is the same Bart Scott that attempted a "media mutiny" while in New York and once threatened a reporter during a scuffle. Color me shocked that Scott would eventually find his way to the media so that someone could pay him and give him a platform to continue to speak his mind. Maybe some of Scott's co-workers will be kind enough to remind him of his antics now that he's on the other side of the camera.
* CBS has also hired former Oakland Raiders executive Amy Trask, who becomes the first female NFL analyst. It's a forward-thinking move from the folks at CBS and one that can hopefully lead to barriers being broken down. Trask had reportedly wanted to break into the TV business and now has her chance. Hopefully it will prove to all the networks that you don't have to be an ex-jock to talk about America's #1 sport.
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