Fox Sports’ Announcing Teams for the NFL

Got the latest press release from Fox Sports officially announcing the announcing teams for the NFL on Fox.

Nice to see Charissa Thompson graduating from the Big Ten Network going to do sideline work on the NFL. By the way, not to pat myself on the back, but I was one of the first blogs to champion Charissa’s work.

Anyway, here’s the release:

FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCES 2008 NFL ON FOX BROADCAST TEAMS

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver Return as Top Crew for 7^th Season

Super Bowl Champion Michael Strahan joins Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson for the 15^th Season of FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s Most-Watched Pregame Show

Former Baltimore Ravens Head Coach Brian Billick and New Sideline Reporters Laura Okmin, Nischelle Turner and Charissa Thompson Join the NFL on FOX

New York— FOX Sports officially announced today its broadcast teams for the upcoming NFL season. Leading the group again are six-time Emmy-Award winning play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman and reporter Pam Oliver, who return as the NFL on FOX’s lead broadcast team for the seventh straight season. The announcement was made today by FOX Sports president and executive producer Ed Goren. This season marks Buck’s 15^th with FOX Sports and Aikman’s eighth while sideline reporter Pam Oliver returns for her 14^th NFL on FOX season. The group calls their first game from Cleveland on Sept. 7 as the Browns play host to the defending NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys. For the second consecutive year, former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston teams with play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert and sideline analyst Tony Siragusa to comprise the NFL on FOX’s solid No. 2 broadcast team. They are in Philadelphia Week 1 as Steven Jackson and the St. Louis Rams take on Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.

Each week, the NFL on FOX broadcast day begins with the one-hour FOX NFL SUNDAY (12:00 PM ET), America’s most-watched NFL pregame show. FOX NFL SUNDAY, recipient of four Outstanding Studio Show Emmy Awards, adds reigning Super Bowl champ and future Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan as a studio analyst. Strahan, the NFL’s all-time single-season sack leader makes his debut on Sunday, Sept. 7 joining co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee, analysts Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, weathercaster Jillian Reynolds, and comic prognosticator Frank Caliendo. Strahan’s addition raises the number of Super Bowl rings on set each week to nine. Former NCAA & Super Bowl winning head coach Barry Switzer & Johnson team together each week for FOX NFL SUNDAY’s “Grumpy Old Coaches” segment.

FOX Sports also announced the hiring of former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick as a game analyst. Billick, who in only his second season at the helm led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV, coincidentally over Strahan’s Giants. He teams in a two-man booth with Thom Brennaman on the eight Sundays the NFL on FOX carries at least seven games, making his debut in Week 1 calling the Tampa Bay at New Orleans matchup. Billick also joins Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger on select Sundays to form a three-man booth.

In addition, FOX Sports adds three fresh faces to provide reports from the field as Laura Okmin, Nischelle Turner and Charissa Thompson join the NFL on FOX as sideline reporters. Okmin, who will join Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger, has been a BCS sideline reporter for the past two seasons, the host of FSN’s “Totally Football” and a feature reporter for FSN’s “Pro Football Preview” the past two years. Nischelle Turner, formerly of KTTV, a FOX affiliate in Los Angeles will join Matt Vasgersian and JC Pearson while “Best Damn Sports Show Period” co-host and sideline reporter for the BIG TEN NETWORK’s lead broadcast team Charissa Thompson will join Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing our new additions on camera,” said Goren. “Strahan’s chemistry with Terry, Howie, Jimmy and Curt throughout the summer has been tremendous and I’m excited to see it play out on set. With Billick we’ve added an analyst who I believe has as much potential as any I’ve seen in my career while the addition of Okmin, Turner and Thompson provide each of our game crews sideline access. In all, these additions will help continue FOX Sports’ reign as the No.1 NFL Network.”

The 2008 NFL on FOX campaign kicks off Sunday, Sept. 7 (12:00 PM ET) with doubleheader coverage of seven games, highlighted by the Cleveland Browns hosting Terrell Owens and the defending NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys. Week 1 action on FOX also features an NFC South rivalry when the Buccaneers head to New Orleans to battle the Saints as well a
s the NFL’s leading rusher LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers playing host to the Carolina Panthers.

Following are the NFL on FOX announcer pairings for 2008:

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver

Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa

Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, Laura Okmin

Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, Chris Myers

Matt Vasgersian, JC Pearson, Nischelle Turner

Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli, Charissa Thompson

Stockton, Pitts and Albert have the distinction of being the only members of the group to work NFL on FOX games full-time since FOX Sports’ inception in 1994. Oliver is in her 14^th season, followed by Rosen (13), Baldinger and Buck (11), Aikman and Johnston (8), Ryan (7), Glazer and Siragusa (5), Myers and Pearson (4), Vasgersian (3), Boselli (2), Billick, Brennaman, Okmin, Turner and Thompson (1).

Nice to see Fox increase its sideline reporters for this season. And Fox which at one time paled in comparison to CBS’ lineup has a stronger lineup for the 2008 season.