CBS has a somewhat uninspiring Week 6 schedule Sunday. The network can’t even ride the back of Peyton Manning. The Denver-Jacksonville game only will be compelling to those who take the Jaguars and the points.

Sports President David Berson figured it was a good week to try to something new. He decided it was time for a road trip for three of his NFL Today analysts.

Bill Cowher will be the third man in the booth for Pittsburgh-Jets; Boomer Esiason will be at Cincy-Cleveland and Shannon Sharpe will analyze the slaughter in Denver.

“When we looked at the slate of games, we thought why not try something different?” Berson said. “It gives us a chance explore new things with the show and have some fun.”

The former team connection will be an interesting component, especially with Cowher and the Steelers. Jim Nantz, who will call the game with Cowher and Phil Simms, is looking forward to it.

“He’s going to be a tremendous presence on the telecast,” Nantz said. “He’s a Steeler for life. We’re going to try to harness some of that Sunday.”

The analysts will be featured from their venues during the NFL Today Sunday. The road trip, though, also gives CBS the opportunity to showcase former Jet Bart Scott and former Raiders president Amy Trask, who have received high marks on The Other Pregame Show on CBS Sports Network, on Sunday’s noon ET show.

“Bart and Amy have strong opinions and good insights,” Berson said. “They have a good chemistry. We’re excited they are going to get some exposure.”

Paying tribute to one of my all-time favorites, L.C. Greenwood, who passed away Sunday.

I know most of the Steel Curtain defense is in the Hall of Fame, but there should be one more. Greenwood was a force at defensive end.

From his obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

At 6 feet 6 inches, Mr. Greenwood eventually played at 245 pounds and was a menace to opposing quarterbacks. If Mr. Greenwood didn’t sack quarterbacks, he often batted down their passes.

In the first of many clutch performances in big games, Mr. Greenwood batted down two passes in the Steelers’ first Super Bowl victory, against Minnesota in 1975. In the Super Bowl X victory against Dallas the following year, Mr. Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach four times in the 21-17 win.

“L.C. was a quiet guy, he didn’t attempt to position himself as the center of attention even though he played an integral part of that front four,” said former Steelers scout Bill Nunn, who also scouted Mr. Greenwood. “I used to call him and Jack Ham the quiet assassins because neither one of them would say a word, or put on a show for you. They both just went about their business quietly. But when they got on the field, as far as playing ability, playing aggressively, being tough, they were both in the same category as any of the Hall of Famers. He had a lot of qualities of the Hall of Famers and probably should be in there.”

Mr. Greenwood was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and 2006 but was not elected either year. There had been a movement in recent years to get him into the Hall of Fame via the seniors committee.

“The saddest thing is, he never got into the Hall of Fame,” Mr. Rooney said. “To me, it’s terribly sad. He deserves to be there.”

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For the latest in sports media and more, follow me on Twitter at Sherman_Report.

Wow. Even at the age of 93, Roger Angell still makes the rest of us look like clerks tying out a shipping order.

Angell, in the New Yorker, wrote about attending Mariano Rivera Day at Yankee Stadium. No quotes, no stats, no in-depth analysis.

Instead, we got the wonderful images of a late-season game at the ballpark.

From the piece.

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Mariano came on with one out in the eighth, and surrendered a single but no runs, and along the way gave us still again his eloquent entering run from deep center field; the leaning stare-in with upcocked mitt over his heart; the reposeful pre-pitch pause, with his hands at waist level; and then the burning, bending, famed-in-song-and-story cutter. All these, seen once again, have been as familiar to us as our dad’s light cough from the next room, or the dimples on the back of our once-three-year-old daughter’s hands, but, like those, must now only be recalled.

This looks cool. The last fight at old Comiskey Park was Sonny Liston-Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962, my third birthday. It also was a good night for Liston, who won in a knockout.

The rundown from ESPN:

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ESPN’s Friday Night Fights adds another chapter to Chicago’s rich boxing history with a show tonight at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox.

In the first major pro boxing card at a Chicago ballpark in more than 50 years, hometown favorite, Light Heavyweight contender, Andrzej Fonfara (23-2, 13 KOs) meets Gabriel Campillo (22-5-1, 8 KOs) in the FNF main event (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN/ESPN Deportes+).

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The telecast also will feature White Sox favorite Ron Kittle.

“I started following boxing years ago when Howard Cosell was doing all the big heavyweight bouts – Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and even Jerry Quarry,” said Kittle, who is looking forward to serving as the “sparring partner” in the weekly “Teddy Atlas Fight Plan” segment, “I’m just glad they didn’t ask me to fight!”

And the number is huge. An estimated 3.35 million viewers tuned into the overtime thriller. It is the most ever for a NHL game on NBC Sports Network.

The game peaked with 4.6 million viewers during overtime. Yes, it is a happy night for the NHL and NBC.

Want to take note of my favorites: Mike Lopresti. The long time Gannett and USA Today columnist was among those taking the buyout.

I have known Lopresti for more years than either of us care to admit. You always knew you were at a big game if Lopresti was there.

Lopresti is a pro’s pro, perhaps the ultimate compliment in this business. He shows up, works hard, and then delivers. Again, again, and again.

Earlier this week, he did it one last time for USA Today, tracing the changes that he has seen during 43 years of covering college sports.

Some samples:

Who knew that an NCAA basketball tournament with 25 teams would one day have room for 68? Or that Midnight Madness would one day be pushed back to September and March Madness would leak into April?

Television revenues for the tournament were $550,000 in 1970. Who knew that barely four decades later, that number would be off by $670 million or so?

And…

Who knew how the horizons for freshmen would change? How they went from ineligible to play in 1970 – the quaint theory being they needed time to become acclimated as college students – to the frenetic age of one-and-done?

And…

Mississippi had a dashing quarterback named Archie Manning. Who knew what his bloodlines would mean?

In 1970, Saturday meant a college football game on network television. Or maybe even two. Who knew that one day it’d be 25 on a gazillion channels?

In 1970, the Final Four was in Maryland’s Cole Field House, capacity 14,380. Who knew that the NCAA would decide one day that the last place it wanted to play its most important basketball games was a basketball arena?

Who knew AAU basketball coaches would turn into power brokers of uncertain repute, and the White House would one day call for a football playoff? Who knew that coaches would have salaries like movie stars, and the debate on recruiting rules would have to include what to do about Twitter and texting?

As always, good stuff from a pro’s pro.

Looks like Chris Broussard just made himself part of the story in the Jason Collins story.

During a special edition of Outside The Lines today, Broussard said homosexuality is “an open rebellion” to God.

Broussard said: “Personally I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or openly  pre-marital sex between heterosexuals – if you’re openly living that  type of lifestyle then the bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin – whatever it may be – not just homosexuality; adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex between heterosexuals, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t  think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.”

As I write this, Broussard has yet to weigh in on his Twitter feed, which has nearly 650,000 followers. However, he now is trending ahead of Collins on Twitter.

Some samples among the many, many tweets:

FYI to Chris Broussard: Plenty of homosexual scientists, doctors, lawyers, educators, soldiers, etc. All human beings & free to live equally

Who would have guessed that Tim Tebow has a brighter professional future than Chris Broussard?

My sources tell me Chris Broussard will be covering sports for the 700 club next week

Chris Broussard is going to go from Outside the Lines to Unemployment Lines.

Not so quick with the last tweet. Don’t for a minute think that Broussard’s comment will get him fired. He was expressing an honest view. As much as I disagree with Broussard, I agree with this tweet from Doug Gottlieb, a sentiment that was echoed by others.

BTW @Chris_Broussard should be allowed to speak his mind,share his faith–as long as no hate is involved #OTL— even though I disagree

Still, Mr. Broussard is in for an eventful few days.

Adjust your radio dials, Illinois fans. The Illini are moving to WSCR-AM 670.

WIND-AM 560 still will carry the football games in 2013. The switch then begins with basketball for the 2013-14 season and football in 2014.

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Here’s the official announcement:

University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced today that Learfield Sports’ Fighting Illini Sports Properties has secured WSCR 670 The Score as the newest radio affiliate on the statewide Illini Sports Network.  Thomas appeared live on the Mully & Hanley Show this morning, sharing news of the announcement with co-hosts Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley.

Terms of the new relationship with CBS Radio-owned 670 AM call for the station to carry Illini basketball starting with the 2013-14 athletic season and football in 2014.  The multi-year agreement encompasses football and men’s basketball.  Additionally, WSCR 670 The Score will broadcast Illinois’ coaches’ shows for men’s basketball and football concurrent with the respective schedule.  While a new alignment has been formed with 670 AM, long-time radio affiliate WIND-AM 560 will continue to carry football games and coaches’ shows throughout 2013 to listeners in the Chicago market.

The Illini Sports Network is overseen by Fighting Illini Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for University of Illinois Athletics and a property of Learfield Sports.  The collegiate marketer negotiated the affiliate relationship with the 50,000-watt, all sports clear channel station on behalf of the university.

“This is very exciting news for Fighting Illini fans throughout the Midwest,” Thomas said. “The signal strength and coverage area of WSCR 670 The Score is tremendous, giving our fans the very best ability to listen to Fighting Illini football and basketball. WSCR 670 The Score has an outstanding reputation as an all-sports station in the Chicago market, which is a great asset in spreading the Fighting Illini brand through the region. We appreciate our relationship with WIND-AM 560 over the past several years, and through the upcoming football season. It’s been a great partnership. We look forward to working with WSCR 670 The Score in any way possible as our agreement begins with the 2013-14 men’s basketball season.”

Rod Zimmerman, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio in Chicago added, “We’re extremely proud to carry the Fighting Illini in the coming years, and we look forward to delivering the game action and coaches’ shows to our listening audience in the Chicago area and beyond to help extend the brand over the airwaves.  We’re also pleased that we’re able to continue to clear DePaul Blue Demons’ games on WSCR when not conflicting with an Illini game.”

“WSCR has incredible reach not just in the Chicago market, but much of the U.S. and parts of Canada, and we’re pleased to be able to bring the Fighting Illini to its listening audience,” said Fighting Illini Sports Properties’ General Manager Chris Andrews.  “We wanted to tap into 670’s strong signal strength and reputation as an exceptional AM station to reach as many Illinois fans as possible.”