Fox Sports

Final call: Keith Jackson, shown with Fiesta Bowl partner Bob Griese, put down the mike for good last night after 34 years with ABC.For the longest time during last night's Fiesta Bowl, it seemed as though Keith Jackson just didn't want to play along.In the final telecast of a career that's spanned more than 40 years, Jackson was determined not to give the audience what it wanted, namely some of those folksy witticisms that have punctuated his work for the 34 years that he has worked the college football booth for ABC.No "big uglies," no "fummmmmbllle," and certainly no "Whoa, Nellie" -- three of his trademark phrases -- passed through Jackson's lips and analyst Bob Griese, sensing the passage of history, fairly pleaded for Jackson to yield to the moment.

Chris Davis was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the first week of the season, though he has cooled off over the past couple of games. Still, his historic four-game start to the season probably prompted casual sports fans across the country to ask themselves, “Who is this Chris Davis guy and where did he come from?” Well, everyone here in Baltimore knows that the Orioles acquired him from the Texans Rangers before the trade deadline in 2011. But Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has shared some interesting details from the deal . As it turns out, the Orioles more or less bought the slugging first baseman from the Rangers for $2 million.

Starting in April, former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles will co-host a new afternoon sports talk radio show on Fox Sports 1370 AM. Adam Gladstone , the former director of minor league operations for Ripken Baseball and ex-director of baseball operations for the York Revolution, will join Hoiles in discussion about the Orioles and other baseball news. The show will debut Monday and will air every weekday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., featuring interviews with baseball executives, phone calls from listeners, live remote broadcasts and behind-the-scenes looks at Orioles baseball.

What a pleasure it was to get the first team from Fox for the telecast of a Ravens game rather than the second or third crew from CBS as we usually do. OK, maybe seeing the Ravens bounce back so decisively against the New York Giants, 33-14, has a little something to do with all the holiday cheer I'm feeling. But I really believe it has a lot more to do with the authoritative play-by-play from Joe Buck and on-the-money analysis from Troy Aikman -- without a second of gas-bag, hot-air talk from either of them all day. And the guys in the booth were only part of the happy, holiday, TV package Fox Sports sent our way Sunday.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and Fox Sports Net have agreed to a 10-year-deal for the cable outlet to carry regular-season men's basketball games in a newly created Sunday night window, beginning with the 2001-02 season. The deal, of which financial terms were not disclosed, gives the network of regional sports channels the rights to 19 games per season. That will include 14 league games from December to March and five non-conference games in November and December. They will likely air in the 7 p.m. time slot.

BRISTOL, Conn. - It doesn't take much to grasp just how many options sit at a sports fan's fingertips these days. One glance at the weekend TV listings or into a packed sports bar showing a wide array of games does the trick. But most fans take for granted that they can find at least one live game to watch every night of the week. The sports fan's world hasn't been that way for long. Before cable TV was even a thought, the three broadcast networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) provided the only games on the dial.

Starting in April, former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles will co-host a new afternoon sports talk radio show on Fox Sports 1370 AM. Adam Gladstone, the former director of minor league operations for Ripken Baseball and ex-director of baseball operations for the York Revolution, will join Hoiles in discussion about the Orioles and other baseball news. The show will debut next Monday and will air every weekday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., featuring interviews with baseball executives, phone calls from listeners, live remote broadcasts and behind-the-scenes looks at Orioles baseball.

On Dec. 17, Fox Sports will celebrate the first anniversary of the biggest acquisition in sports broadcasting history, the lifting of NFL telecasts from CBS -- a rights holder for 38 years.That heist alone was enough to shake the industry to its foundation, but the new kids in town have hardly stopped there.Since football kicked off in September, Fox has made forays into professional hockey and now golf, with last week's announcement that it will sponsor and televise a new World Golf Tour that seeks to challenge the PGA.In the process, Fox has again defied conventional wisdom and left many wondering what's next.

Chris Davis was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the first week of the season, though he has cooled off over the past couple of games. Still, his historic four-game start to the season probably prompted casual sports fans across the country to ask themselves, “Who is this Chris Davis guy and where did he come from?” Well, everyone here in Baltimore knows that the Orioles acquired him from the Texans Rangers before the trade deadline in 2011. But Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has shared some interesting details from the deal . As it turns out, the Orioles more or less bought the slugging first baseman from the Rangers for $2 million.

Cal Ripken Jr. approached the Orioles about joining the club in an unspecified front-office capacity and was turned down by principal owner Peter G. Angelos, according to a story by FoxSports.com that cited several unnamed sources. On its website Friday night, Fox Sports reported that Ripken, the Hall of Fame infielder and arguably the organization's greatest player, met with Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, to discuss a potential job. But, in a separate conversation, Angelos denied the request, stating that "he did not want Ripken to receive credit once the team returned to prominence," according to three Fox Sports' sources.

Analyst Brian Billick and play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman delivered smart, smooth and informative coverage of the Ravens' victory over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday on Fox. The entire production - from Laura Okmin's sideline reports to the myriad and sharply focused angles from which the cameras closely followed key plays - was so vastly superior to what Ravens fans usually get with second- and third-string CBS Sports crews that the telecast felt...

I am waiting to hear from Fox Sports on what happened at the end of its telecast of the Baltimore Orioles 13-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers on backup catcher Taylor Teagarden's walk-off homerun. But until I do, let's talk about this like grown-ups, OK? After Teagarden, who had just been activated for Saturday's game, hit the homer and was duly mobbed by his teammates, he stood on the field for a post-game interview with the Fox announcers in the booth, Bill Ripken and Kenny Albert.

Cal Ripken Jr. approached the Orioles about joining the club in an unspecified front-office capacity and was turned down by principal owner Peter G. Angelos, according to a story by FoxSports.com that cited several unnamed sources. On its website Friday night, Fox Sports reported that Ripken, the Hall of Fame infielder and arguably the organization's greatest player, met with Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, to discuss a potential job. But, in a separate conversation, Angelos denied the request, stating that "he did not want Ripken to receive credit once the team returned to prominence," according to three Fox Sports' sources.

Starting in April, former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles will co-host a new afternoon sports talk radio show on Fox Sports 1370 AM. Adam Gladstone , the former director of minor league operations for Ripken Baseball and ex-director of baseball operations for the York Revolution, will join Hoiles in discussion about the Orioles and other baseball news. The show will debut Monday and will air every weekday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., featuring interviews with baseball executives, phone calls from listeners, live remote broadcasts and behind-the-scenes looks at Orioles baseball.

Starting in April, former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles will co-host a new afternoon sports talk radio show on Fox Sports 1370 AM. Adam Gladstone, the former director of minor league operations for Ripken Baseball and ex-director of baseball operations for the York Revolution, will join Hoiles in discussion about the Orioles and other baseball news. The show will debut next Monday and will air every weekday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., featuring interviews with baseball executives, phone calls from listeners, live remote broadcasts and behind-the-scenes looks at Orioles baseball.

On Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh sounded cautiously optimistic about the availability of Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Suggs himself sounded less than certain later that evening on Fox Sports 1370. Suggs said after Saturday's Tennessee Titans game that his sprained shoulder would not keep him out of the AFC championship game, but Monday night he said he might have to wear a brace or harness - similar to the one former Raven Peter Boulware used to wear - if he played.

BasketballLos Angeles Clippers -- Signed C Eric Riley.Portland Trail Blazers -- Placed G Negele Knight on waivers. Activated C James Edwards from the injured list.FootballBuffalo Bills -- Placed DL Ed Philion on IR. Activated QB Alex Van Pelt and DL Tim Tindale from the practice squad.MediaFox Sports -- Signed Jimmy Johnson to a three-year agreement to continue his role as a studio analyst on `Fox NFL Sunday.`

Reaching into the locker and taking the notebook out of the backpack as we go back to school with this week's sports media notes: * As of Monday, Baltimore will have one more all-sports radio station than it has professional teams. WVIE (1370 AM) joins ESPN 1300 and WNST (1570 AM) as the third sports yakker, coming online at 6 a.m. as a Fox Sports Radio affiliate. The station, formerly WLG and now to be known as Fox 1370 Sports Radio, will carry a mostly syndicated lineup, though it has hired former WBAL voice Jerry Coleman as its sports director and a talk show host.