Dan Fouts won’t be calling exhibition games for the Chargers this summer, but the team is hopeful he can return in 2019.
It was barely a week ago that Fouts told a San Diego radio show, “Don’t ever refer to me as a Los Angeles Charger,” but a team spokesman said Tuesday’s announcement that LaDainian Tomlinson would replace Fouts this summer was not related in any way to the Hall of Fame quarterback’s comments.
According to the spokesman, Fouts was unable to work this summer due to issues with his personal schedule. The plan for 2018 was to have a three-man booth with Fouts, Tomlinson and Dedes, the spokesman said, adding that the club hopes that will happen next summer.
Like Fouts, Tomlinson is a Chargers Hall of Famer, but one who has not been as critical of the team’s move from San Diego to Los Angeles. Last August, Fouts told a Los Angeles radio station it was “embarrassing, I think, for both the Chargers and the National Football League,” for the club to be playing games at tiny StubHub Stadium in Carson.
Tomlinson will work with Dedes on three summer broadcasts — Aug. 11, 18 and 30. Those games can be seen in San Diego on KFMB Channel 8 (and in Los Angeles on KABC Channel 7). The other exhibition game, Aug. 25, will be televised nationally on CBS.
The Chargers also announced Tuesday that another broadcaster with San Diego ties, El Cajon native Daniel Jeremiah, will be the team’s new radio color analyst. He replaces former Chargers center Nick Hardwick, who recently resigned, saying he was missing too many weekends with his family.
Jeremiah, a former NFL scout who has worked for NFL Network since 2012, played quarterback at El Cajon Christian High and Appalachian State. He will work with play-by-play voice Matt “Money” Smith and sideline reporter Shannon Farren.
In a third change, the Chargers said Mario Solis, a sports reporter and anchor at the NBC in Los Angeles, will handle Spanish language play-by-play duties. He replaces longtime voice Jorge Villanueva, who will switch over to analyst duties for his 25th season with the team.
[email protected]; Twitter: @sdutposner
UPDATES:
12:30 p.m.: This article was updated to include information provided by the Chargers.
