Six years after departing ESPN, Rich Eisen will be back on the Bristol airwaves.
But only for a day.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports that Eisen will serve as emcee at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on August 8 in Canton.
Eisen calls the assignment an “absolute thrill.”
He replaces ESPN’s Chris Berman, who’ll step aside from the podium this year because he’ll be stepping up to it in order to introduce Bills owner Ralph Wilson, one of the 2009 inductees.
ESPN tells us that it will cover the event in the same manner that it always has, including Eisen’s remarks. (NFL Network has excluded Berman’s performances from its past simulcast of the ceremony.)
Whether Eisen’s appearance will be a one-shot deal or a permanent gig remains to be seen. Though Eisen says he has “no idea” whether he’ll be asked to do it again in 2010, a source with knowledge of the situation claims that Berman already has been informed by the Hall of Fame that he’ll be back (back back?) next year.
Frankly, we think Eisen has a chance to give the Wally Pipp treatment to his former ESPN colleague. And we also think Eisen will take full advantage of his opportunity.