Despite being nearly a daily trending topic on Twitter and an increasing fan favorite during the NCAA Tournament, CBS has decided to say goodbye to play-by-play man Gus Johnson.
Via Richard Deitsch at SI.com:
SI.com has learned that CBS Sports recently parted ways with Gus Johnson, a play-by-play mainstay on its college basketball coverage for 16 years, after the two sides could not agree on a new deal. Johnson has also worked as a play-by-play voice for the network’s NFL coverage since 1998.
Reports are that Johnson is in talks with Fox about its college football coverage. With the Pac-12 just signing an enormous deal that will include games on Fox and ESPN, it could be the perfect landing spot. Meanwhile, CBS will likely keep the much more mundane Jim Nantz as its lead announcer for March Madness – once again baffling me as to how it continues to be “America’s Most Watched Network”.
Since we’re now relegated to a bloated, over-expanded, 68-team tournament without the joy of Gus Johnson’s one-of-a-kind laugh or his signature “Rise and Fire” call, I’ll leave you with some of his best moments behind the mic and hope that someone, somewhere is playing “One Shining Moment” in his honor.
