We won't have Mike Carey to kick around anymore. Or anybody else at CBS for the time being.
Earlier this year, the Tiffany network parted ways with Carey after two years serving as the network's rules analyst. Carey struggled mightily in the gig, turning the respected official into a punchline for NFL fans. (My hands were not clean here.) Ending the marriage was best for all parties involved.
The New York Daily News, which broke the Carey news in June, reported at the time that it was "highly unlikely" CBS would seek out another another retired official to fill Carey's chair. At CBS' annual media lunch on Tuesday, CBS sports chairman Sean McManus confirmed that the post remains unfilled.
"We have not found anybody for that job right now," McManus said, according to Newsday. "We're not actively looking, but if we found somebody we would reinstitute that role."
If CBS goes into the season without a "rules czar", it won't be the end of the world. But as Mike Pereira has proven on FOX, a rules analyst can enhance a broadcast when armed with the ability to combine knowledge with a concise manner of communicating with the audience. Carey struggled on both counts. ESPN's Gerry Austin hasn't fared much better; Jon Gruden trolls the poor man on a regular basis during Monday Night Football telecasts.
We wish Carey well in whatever comes next in his life. And CBS is right to take its time in finding a replacement: Mike Pereiras don't grow on trees. That would be weird.
