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Linda Cohn set to anchor 5,000th 'SportsCenter'

 
Getty Images (2010)
Getty Images (2010)
Published Feb. 21, 2016

Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones offers up his Two Cents on the world of sports.

The World Wide Leader's leader

If it was up to Linda Cohn, she would have been an NHL goalie. But she figures she has the next-best job to get her sports fix: telling the country all the latest news in sports. And she has done that as much as anyone out there.

This morning Cohn will reach a milestone, hosting ESPN's SportsCenter for the 5,000th time, more than any ESPN anchor.

"I'm really excited about this,'' Cohn said. "I never thought when that number was thrown at me that that's how many I have done.''

She did the math during a recent conversation with longtime ESPN executive Norby Williamson. She has been at ESPN for more than 23 years, and SportsCenter has been her top priority and favorite gig. ESPN went back, dissected the schedule and determined that she would reach the milestone this morning.

After all this time of delivering highlights from thousands upon thousands of games, it still never get old for her.

"I am a sports fan first,'' Cohn, 56, said. "I'm someone that still follows my teams religiously, so I have a fresh feeling from that, and that's sort of like a legal drug for me.''

She adds, "By the way, I get paid for it.''

Cohn grew up on Long Island and remains a dedicated New York Rangers fan, but she is a fan of all sports all year long.

"I don't think there's ever a dog day (in sports) anymore,'' Cohn said. "There's always something new to talk about and give a fresh spin on.''

Cohn also is fanatical about her health, which is why this likely won't be her last significant milestone at ESPN.

"I don't plan on stopping any time soon,'' Cohn said.

Best list

With Linda Cohn hosting her 5,000th SportsCenter this morning, the most of anyone, the entertaining website Awful Announcing (awfulannouncing.com) ranked its top 25 SportsCenter anchors of all time. Cohn finished seventh. The top 10 was led by Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, followed by Scott Van Pelt, the late Stuart Scott, Rich Eisen, Bob Ley, Cohn, Kenny Mayne, Charley Steiner and John Buccigross. It's all just opinion, but I thought Van Pelt and Eisen were listed too high and Mayne far too low.

My top five: It's hard to argue with Olbermann and Patrick at the top. I'd follow that with Mayne at No. 3, Steiner at No. 4 and how about this for a surprise at No. 5: Lindsay Czarniak, who is just hitting her stride as a SportsCenter anchor.

Newest website

Bill Simmons, the former ESPN columnist now at HBO, announced plans for his new website last week. It will be called the Ringer, and it will debut in late spring or early summer. It will be home to all of Simmons' written material, as well as original material from staff writers. Simmons is assembling a staff of writers, editors and podcast producers, many of whom worked for him at Grantland, the website Simmons ran under the ESPN umbrella and that ESPN ended in October. Simmons' show on HBO is expected to launch this year.

Biggest surprise

Golf legend Greg Norman told the website Golf World that he was "totally broadsided'' by Fox's decision to remove him as lead analyst on the network's golf coverage. Norman has been replaced by Paul Azinger.

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Norman said he was stunned by the move because many at Fox and the USGA had told him that he was doing a good job. "I got nothing but compliments from the right people that knew what's going on,'' Norman said.

The biggest criticism leveled at Norman was that he wasn't strong enough in his commentary, but Norman said he got mixed messages. "I thought I was handcuffed, to tell you the truth,'' he said. "There was a lot of stuff I wanted to say, but the final comment they told me (was that) I was too unpredictable. I thought that's what they want you to do in that role."

Best day

Today is Hockey Day in America. Maybe it would have been smarter to have had it on Saturday instead of competing with one of the biggest sporting events of the year, the Daytona 500. Then again, maybe organizers figured there isn't much crossover between hockey and NASCAR fans.

Anyway, NBC is celebrating with a tripleheader. It carries the Penguins-Sabres game at 12:30 p.m. That is followed by the big event: an outdoor game in Minnesota between the Wild and defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks at 3:30 with the A team — Doc Emrick, Pierre McGuire and Eddie Olczyk — calling the action. The games wrap up with the Rangers and Red Wings at 7 on NBCSN.

Media tidbits

Fox Sports Florida has named replacements for analyst Tommy Hutton, whose contract was surprisingly not renewed, on Marlins games. Instead of naming one replacement, the network is dividing the role among three former major-leaguers: Al Leiter, Preston Wilson and former Ray Eduardo Perez. Leiter is expected to also do work for the Yankees' YES Network and ESPN. Perez also will continue his working relationship with ESPN.

You wonder if the revival of the story about Peyton Manning and alleged sexual misconduct at the University of Tennessee in the 1990s will scare any network away from going after him to be a broadcaster if he retires from football this year.

As part of its recognition of Black History Month, ESPN is doing an "SC Featured'' story today on Chubbtown, Ga., the home of University of Georgia running back Nick Chubb. The town was formed by his ancestors, who settled it during the Civil War. The feature was scheduled to debut during the 10 a.m. SportsCenter and repeat throughout the day.

NBC hockey announcer Doc Emrick will fulfill a lifelong dream by calling games of his favorite sports team: the Pittsburgh Pirates. Emrick will call at least one Pirates spring training game next month, and maybe one or two more. Dates have not been determined.

Three things that popped into my head

1 Thursday was the 14th anniversary of LeBron James, as a high school junior, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline "The Chosen One.'' Hard to believe it has been that long.

2 It's incredibly rare for an NHL coach to be ejected from a game, but it happened twice last week. Florida's Gerard Gallant was booted from a game, and then Winnipeg's Paul Maurice was thrown out of the game against the Lightning on Thursday. Both are good men, but if you can read lips, you can totally understand why they deserved to be run. Say the magic phrase once, you get your point across. Keep saying it and you get the exit.

3 The Magic likely will miss the NBA playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. It hasn't won a playoff series since 2010. And its future looks bleak. If you work in the ticket sales office, what's your pitch?

tom jones' two cents