Cousin Sal is poised to join Fox Sports' new sports betting show, sources tell Sporting News.
The regular guest on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" (real name Sal Iacono) and writer/comedian on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is expected to round out the cast of the "Around the Horn"-type show devoted to sports wagering.
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Iacono hosts the "Against All Odds" podcast for Simmons' Ringer Podcast Network. He previously appeared as a gambling insider on ESPN. The actor/game show host has also appeared on "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "The Man Show." One of his first big breaks was appearing on the old Fox Sports Net's "Sports Geniuses" game show.
With Brent Musburger on the fence, and Charissa Thompson probably out of the picture, the planned FS1 show will likely include Iacono; Clay Travis of "Outkick the Coverage," odds-maker Todd Fuhrman and Rachel Bonnetta as host.
The half-hour, weekday show is expected to premiere this fall in the 5 to 6 p.m. ET time slot, along with a new interview-driven show by Kristine Leahy. Fox Sports declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Jason Whitlock and Colin Cowherd's "Speak for Yourself" sports talk show will likely expand to two hours and air from 3 to 5 p.m. ET rather than the current 5 to 6 p.m. ET. Fox could annouce as early as this week that ESPN's Marcellus Wiley is succeeding Cowherd as co-host.
Musburger, the legendary former ESPN and CBS announcer, was approached by Fox executives about appearing on the show. But he told Sporting News Sunday night that he's not interested unless Fox knocks his socks off with a concrete contract proposal.
"I'd ask, 'What are you offering me?'" Musburger said with a laugh. "It's the art of the deal — if you know what I mean."
Musburger's interest in the project waned after he landed the Raiders play-by-play radio gig, sources said. With Musburger now a long shot, Thompson decided to pull out of the project, sources said.
With the U.S. Supreme Court paving the way for legalized sports betting outside Nevada, nearly every sports TV network is developing some sort of new show devoted to sports wagering and staffing up talent-wise.
Chad Millman's new Action Network recently hired rising NBA media star Rob "Worldwide Wob" Perez.