After Tony Gonzalez goes into the Hall of Fame this weekend, he is receiving a TV promotion, The Post has learned.
Gonzalez is being added to Fox’s Thursday NFL pregame show, according to sources. Fox executives are high on the 43-year-old Gonzalez, not only for what he brings on the air, but the level of interest and ideas he shows up to work with each week.
Fox took Gonzalez from CBS two years ago, where he began his post-playing TV career on “NFL Today.”
While Michael Strahan will be back as the host on Thursdays on Fox, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long will split the 11 weeks during the year, according to sources.
Last season, they were full-timers on Thursdays to go along with their NFL Sunday gigs.
Though Thursday felt bigger with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and a beefed-up game schedule on Fox, the studio show was a bit disjointed.
Strahan was a non-traditional host, even with all his morning show experience. For this season, the program will take place with the more normal desk format as its staple, as well as continuing to have spots outside of Fox’s Midtown studios.
On Sundays, Gonzalez will continue on “NFL Kickoff,” which is Fox’s pre-pregame program. After its premiere show at noon, “Fox NFL Sunday,” Jimmy Johnson leaves the Hollywood studios and jets home to Miami, which opens the chair for Gonzalez the rest of the day.
It is clear that Fox sees Gonzalez as a staple for the future with Strahan and Long on Fox NFL Sunday.
Johnson, 76, and Bradshaw, 70, are not going anywhere anytime soon. The Post previously reported Johnson signed a new two-year deal this offseason. Still, Fox is potentially bridging its next generation on Sundays.
A few years back, at ESPN, Chris Berman and Tom Jackson left over a two-season period, abruptly changing “NFL Countdown” and the ratings likely suffered in part because of the lack of familiarity with the main parts of the new team.
In this day and age of information, a TV group’s connection with its audience — a comfortable feeling that you are hanging out with old friends — is almost more important than the preciseness of the content.
With Gonzalez joining Strahan and Howie Long (who is only 59), Fox is potentially creating that relationship with Gonzalez, while Bradshaw and Johnson continue out in front.
For now, though, Fox is trying to build up Thursday night even more — and it is adding arguably the greatest tight end ever to do it.
Wilfork out: Meanwhile on Thursday night, Vince Wilfork will not return as a contributor to the Fox pregame show, according to sources.
Wilfork, who did a short comedy feature each week, is gone from Fox completely, but he could possibly be effective on TV if put in better circumstances than the trite segments from last year.
Quick clicks:
Tuesday night, HBO’s “Real Sports” will have a feature on John Sterling. … Late on ESPN’s Sunday Night broadcast, Alex Rodriguez, who was a Yankees advisor last year
, and Mets advisor Jessica Mendoza were discussing Noah Syndergaard. A-Rod was trying to put together the structure of a trade, but Mendoza wasn’t playing and they moved on. … Jennifer Lopez
for her fiancé, A-Rod, on air during Yanks-Red Sox. No one ate it, so the writers later did in the adjoining press box.
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