The college football season kicked off with a bang on Thursday night, and the elation is gone after 24 hours thanks to Fox Sports Southwest hiring failed former ESPN commentator/Texas state Senate candidate Craig James for a studio analyst position, according to a report from Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
While James will just be in the studio as opposed to the broadcast booth (where his "talent" was really allowed to shine), his hiring is still cringe-worthy. Two weeks ago, when Jason Whitlock was brought back in to the ESPN fold, we wondered if James would be next. Well, he's back in the national consciousness, just on a smaller scale than Whitlock is.
I don't think it's a coincidence that this news broke two weeks after Mike Leach's lawsuit against James and ESPN was dismissed and the day the Big 12 began their football season. The reaction on Twitter has been fierce, and I don't think it's going away any time soon.
James' role (for now) will be confined to postgame shows following Saturday primetime games, along with segments on the Big 12 LIVE wrap-up show. If he appears in any capacity on Fox Sports 1, even if it's just as part of a simulcast from FS Southwest, the blowback on Fox is going to be vicious.
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About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.