BROADCASTING

Berman scaling on-air time at ESPN back back back

Longtime ESPN fixture Chris Berman is giving up his regular on-air NFL and baseball roles for a new job at the network.

Berman, who joined ESPN one month after it launched in 1979, will make occasional appearances on-air and will also serve as a spokesman for the network at some of its events. He will continue to host ESPN’s “NFL PrimeTime” highlights show from the field after the Super Bowl this year, as well as after the conference championship games, before stepping aside from his usual duties.

But he won’t disappear. Berman will also offer opinions and perspective on NFL events, and will continue appearing weekly on “Monday Night Countdown.” He will handle play-by-play duties for ESPN Radio during the baseball divisional playoffs, and participate in the annual ESPY Awards.

Best known for his work on ESPN’s anchor show “SportsCenter,” as well as hosting the NFL draft, his descriptions of game highlights, and for making game predictions as the “Swami,” Berman has won six national sportscaster of the year awards.

HOCKEY

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Troy Terry scored in the shootout, Tyler Parsons stopped four shots in the penalty-shot round, and the United States won its first world junior hockey title since 2010, defeating Canada 5-4 in the final at Montreal.

The win came a day after Terry scored three times in a shootout to give the Americans a semifinal win over Russia, which captured bronze with a 2-1 overtime win over Sweden earlier Thursday.

SOCCER

BRAZIL: Chapecoense, which lost most of its team in an air crash in November, will make its return later this month for a friendly match at home against defending league champion Palmeiras.

Coach Vagner Mancini is still signing players to replace the 19 that died on a Colombian hillside on Nov. 28.

BASEBALL

MAJOR LEAGUES: Reliever Gavin Floyd is staying with Toronto, agreeing to a minor league contract. The 33-year-old right-hander was 2-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 28 appearances for the Blue Jays last year.

TENNIS

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL: Angelique Kerber’s year got off to a disappointing start as the top-ranked German lost to sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Brisbane, Australia.

Svitolina was the only player to beat both No. 1-ranked women last year – Kerber and Serena Williams.

• Defending men’s champion Milos Raonic will face 14-time major champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Raonic had 12 aces in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Diego Schwartzman, while Nadal needed only 55 minutes to finish off a 6-1, 6-1 win over Mischa Zverev.

QATAR OPEN: Top-seeded Andy Murray struggled to pass Nicolas Almagro of Spain 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the quarterfinals on a windy and chilly night in Doha, while earlier defending champion Novak Djokovic beat Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3.

SHENZHEN OPEN: Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska lost in the quarterfinals, falling to Alison Riske 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 in China a year after beating the American in the final.

ASB CLASSIC: The event in Auckland, New Zealand, lost the last of its big-name contenders when former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki lost 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals to Germany’s Julia Goerges.

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