Gus Johnson will no longer be climbing the mountain at CBS. The eccentric play-by-play man is expected to finalize a deal that will take his talents to Fox. CBS reportedly had an opportunity to match the offer, but declined to do so.

While Johnson will continue to call NFL games, in addition to college football, it seems clear that Gus’s days of calling March Madness–unquestionably his signature event–are over.

A CBS source who wanted Johnson – a former Knick radio voice – back said that not only money, but politics was an issue. The source said some of CBS Sports’ college hoops voices were not thrilled with Johnson’s rise to March Madness’ most popular voice.

–NY Daily News.

Johnson’s emphatic, Sam Kinision School Of Broadcasting style has won over a lot of fans, and one could have made a case that Gus should have been calling the Final Four last month. Surely that ruffled the feathers of a certain lily-white announcer who might consider calling championship games his birthright.

Even sadder than the March Madness situation is that now Gus will never have a chance to call the Masters. Really, Gus Johnson and Augusta National just seem like a natural fit to me.

Now that the world has come to appreciate the bitter ways of western Pennsylvania sportswriter John Steigerwald, enjoy this bit of irony. The same guy who denounced adults wearing team jerseys can be found in this 1981 promo wearing the team of every Pittsburgh sports team, and a few other getups that aren’t.

That’s from back in the day before Steigerwald got his own radio show in the mid-1990s in Pittsburgh and realized he could make more money being abrasive than articulate. And I’m not opposed to that. But the hypocrisy here is palpable. I might be ready for a couple of Browns fans to follow this guy into a dark parking lot.

Via SB Nation.

Norm MacDonald is returning to TV in “Sports Show with Norm MacDonald,” which premiers tonight on that one channel with that Jewish guy and the sissy-looking dude that pretends to be a Republican. I’m sure it’s going to be great for the 10 or 15 episodes that it stays on the air, especially if Norm can actually stay out of the bag long enough to finish his tapings. This is why I always do my podcasts with a buzz: it’s easier to maintain and makes me more pleasant among others.

This falls under the category of News To Me, but it’s still interesting as we’ve almost now completely forgotten about the NCAA tournament. I can still hear the clang of the rim from Butler’s end of the floor, but I digress. Gus Johnson, who has voiced everything from college basketball to Madden to a Buffalo Wild Wings ad, actually trademarked one of his signature phrases. Why? So he could sell stuff, dummy.

Last fall, he trademarked his famous line “Rise And Fire” for use on athletic apparel and plans to launch a Web site some time before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament ends so that fans can buy can by hats, licensed by New Era, and T-shirts.

“The reason to trademark the phrase was to create a brand and a movement out of his signature call that can be instantly recognizable by his fans to inspire passion,” said Johnson’s marketing agent Christian Gesue. “Rise and Fire celebrates the moments of excitement and raw emotion that embodies athletic merit and achievement, in all forms, from all over the world.”

CNBC, via MMA Mania.

Gus Johnson is like the Santa Claus of good sports vibes, except that he doesn’t crawl down your chimney in the middle of the night. I’m pretty sure that Santa only gets away with that because he’s white.

This skit from “Saturday Night Live” supposedly is making fun of CBS’s selection show for the NCAA tournament, but I’m not sure that it does so. If you make fun of something in a very bland, unfunny way, aren’t you really just making fun of yourself? That’s generally how I feel about the neobeatniks running SNL these days. The show today is less about the comedy and more about the riff on whatever doesn’t jive with their sensibilities. Oh, and horrible characters. Honestly, Kenan Thompson shouldn’t be on TV. I liked him better when he was purple and hanging out with Ronald McDonald.

Former MLB superstar and current friend of Charlie Sheen Lenny Dykstra was interviewed and asked about Sheen’s recent batsh:t media blitz. And Lenny somehow manages to not fall out of his chair for the duration of the interview. Good work, Len.

Personally, I just love how Dykstra dresses like a color-blind 80-year-old. I guess that jacket was on sale.

Via NBC New York.