ESPN 710AM  is reshuffling their radio lineup starting next week when the Max and Marcellus show moves to the drive time slot of 3-7 p.m. and Mason and Ireland moves to noon-3 p.m.

Hosted by Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley, Max and Marcellus is moving to a later time slot in order to accommodate Wiley’s new job as co-host of ESPN’s SportsNation next year, according to Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News. The show is making the move to Los Angeles from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Wiley will replace Colin Cowherd, who is leaving the show on Dec. 31.

To fill the morning void, Mark Willard will get his own show from 10 a.m.-noon.

Fox Sports president Eric Shanks welcomed Erin Andrews to the fold this week by calling her “one of the hardest-working, most respected individuals in sports television.” LA Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth begs to disagree.

In a scorching piece that already has one blogger coming to the former ESPN reporter’s defense, Hoffarth criticizes Andrews for reading off notes on-camera and being a poor ad-libber. He opines that the 34-year-old’s “bafflingly spectacular” career arc has more to do with her looks, reality TV detours and public’s fascination with TMZ-fed scandal:

The Erin Andrews Effect, as sports media phenomena, is driving more female communications majors into taking as many shortcuts as possible to grab a coveted sideline reporting or studio host job instead of risking the time and challenge necessary to try play-by-play, game analysis, or even what’s still referred to as journalism at a magazine, newspaper or website. You’d think that by now, someone would have realized her actions speak louder than her nasally vapid words.

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Los Angeles Kings announcers Bob Miller and Jim Fox will call Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final Wednesday night, but only fans inside Staples Center will have the opportunity to hear the broadcast duo.

Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News points out the Kings are working out an arrangement where fans can hear Miller and Fox at the concession stand and in-house on the radio. The call of the game will eventually be on LAKings.com. If the Kings lose Game 4, Miller and Fox are expected to call the remaining games in the series.

Even though Kings fans are having the rare pleasure of listening to Doc Emrick call their games for a change, it would be great if NBC switched over to Miller and Fox for the final minutes if the team is on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup.

It’s that time of the year when local sports personalities cringe as Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth rolls out his annual “Best and Worst of the L.A. Sports Media.”

First up, the Top 10 anchors/reporters:

1. Curt Sandoval, KABC Channel 7 reporter/anchor

2. Jim Hill, KCBS Channel 2/KCAL Channel 9 anchor/reporter

3. Fred Roggin, KNBC Channel 4 anchor

4. Patrick O’Neal, FSW/Prime Ticket reporter/host

5. John Ireland, KCAL Channel 9/KCBS Channel 2 reporter/anchor

6. Gary Miller, KCAL Channel 9 anchor/reporter/ studio host

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Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth reports there will be changes to the “DodgerTalk” post-game show when the Los Angeles Dodgers move from KABC-AM (790) to KLAC-AM (570).

Management informed Josh Suchon and Joe Block they wouldn’t be returning as co-hosts and they are reportedly being replaced by former manager Kevin Kennedy.

“It was four of the best years of my life,” Suchon told Hoffarth. “I’ll always have special fondness for Ken Levine, Joe Block and all the Dodgers fans who kept us company after every game. But the show needs a new voice to keep it fresh, and I don’t blame 570 for wanting to take the show in a different direction. It’s time for me to embark on a new adventure and find a new challenge.”

Days before his tragic death at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League driver Dan Wheldon spoke to Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth.

The 33-year-old 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner died Sunday following a 15-car crash during Lap 11 of the race.

Wheldon, competing in just his third IndyCar race of the season, had the opportunity to take home $5 million if he managed to win.

Below is a portion of Hoffarth’s interview with Wheldon:

Q: Since the race is in Vegas, you’re pinned with 15-to-1 odds from MGM to win the race. Would you bet on yourself?

A: Well, no, it’s not legal for any driver to bet on himself in the series. But 15-to-1 … it’s one of those things that’s hard to judge. Honestly, do I think I have a shot? Absolutely. The team has given me a car that will be fine, no doubt. But you’ve seen the way races go — everything has to go right. I’ll tell you the truth: I’ll be going for it with everything in my power to finish the season with an exclamation point. I’m not going to underestimate how talented the field is either.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to terms with Clear Channel Communications, which makes KLAC 570-AM the new broadcast home of the baseball organization from 2012-2014.

Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News first reported last month the Dodgers had agreed in principal to a multilyear deal with the sports talk station.

After the jump is the release from the Dodgers:

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You couldn’t have scripted this any worse. With the Oakland Raiders-Buffalo Bills game yesterday having come down to the final seconds and the black-and-white dug in on their 15-yard line trying to hold a 35-31 lead, CBS2 suddenly cut away–per local LA market obligations–to the start of the Patriots-Chargers game. Or make that a bunch of commercials, then the Jim Nantz Foxboro, MA stadium welcome.

Los Angeles Daily News sports columnist Tom Hoffarth, like every other fan watching, could hardly believe it. Especially when a few minutes later, he learned that the Bills had scored to win the game 38-35. Writes Hoffarth:

A KCBS-Channel 2 spokesman suggested we contact a CBS spokesperson. The network referred us to an NFL spokesman. The NFL offered neither an apology nor an offer to revisit the policy to see if it can altered in future weeks.

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It was a bit of a surprise when news broke yesterday that John Ireland was replacing Spero Dedes as the Lakers’ play-by-play man for 710 AM ESPN Radio. Dedes had held the job for the past six seasons. But the Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth seems to have figured out what’s going on. He reports that Dedes has taken a job as the radio and TV play-by-play man for the New York Knicks–”a contract that will allow him to continue working for CBS on the NFL and college basketball.”

Lakers spokesman John Black told Hoffarth that prior to the Knicks deal, the Lakers had worked out a tentative verbal agreement with Dedes to handle the TV play-by-play this season, “but he had a change of heart.”

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The Master’s program information road show for the University of Syracuse’s prestigious Newhouse School stopped by Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Joining school officials at downtown’s Sports Museum were an impressive quartet of Fox Sports panelists: executive producer Ed Goren (Syracuse Class of 1966), NFL reporter Jay Glazer (pictured) and football analysts Michael Strahan and Curt Menefee.

LA Daily News reporter Tom Hoffarth was also there, filing a personable dispatch about the “Future of Sports Broadcasting” discussion. All the usual suspects were mentioned with regards to the crazy speed cycle that now affects the craft: ESPN, TMZ, Deadspin.com and so on. But not everyone is buying into the new rules. Writes Hoffarth:

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