Back on August 20th I passed along the information that ESPN was bringing back an incarnation of NFL Primetime. Well today the “Leader” released all of the details surrounding the new, er….old show, including the reunion of Berman and longtime co-host John Saunders!
In his 30th season covering the NFL for ESPN, lead studio host Chris Berman – joined by his longtime partner Tom Jackson – will team with veteran ESPN anchor John Saunders to co-host the Sunday 7 p.m. edition of SportsCenter throughout the NFL season, beginning September 7. The move reunites Berman and Jackson with Saunders, the trio that worked together during the first three years (1987-89) of NFL PrimeTime, cable television’s highest-rated sports studio show for 19 years (1987-2005). The pairing also reunites Berman with Saunders, who regularly co-anchored the 11 p.m. Sunday night SportsCenter together during the late 1980s and also teamed on ESPN’s Major League Baseball and ABC’s NHL Stanley Cup coverage.
While presenting all the day’s highlights, news and events from the world of sports, Sunday night editions of ESPN’s flagship program will bring an increased focus to all the day’s NFL action with highlights, discussion segments, analysis, coaches’ press conferences, interviews and post-game reports from ESPN correspondents covering games. The program will also preview the Sunday night primetime match-up.
Now I know all of that information isn’t really THAT exciting, and that ESPN will more than likely mess it up, but it was really just an excuse to post this video they attached to the release. What’s a Tuesday evening without a look back to the early 90s on the “Leader”? I give you Jimmy Johnson’s first year with the Cowboys, Bobby Hebert, and a creamsicle orange jersey wearing Vinny Testaverde in action, all while a normal Berman, a joyful John Saunders and the ever-steady Tom Jackson comment on the highlights….enjoy!
ESPN To Bring Back “Primetime” To Counter NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Kind Of) (Awful Announcing)
