When Corey McPherrin shifted from sports to hard news as new co-host of FOX32's morning news/talk show "Good Day Chicago" with Anna Davlantes last month, it left quite a vacancy in the FOX/News Corp.-owned station's sports department, especially with Bears' season starting up this weekend. As it turns out, WFLD didn't have to look far to find its new #1 sports anchor.

Vocalo.org's Rob Feder and the Trib's Phil Rosenthal report that Lou Canellis has been promoted to FOX32's new #1 sports anchor position. Canellis had been sports anchor on "GDC" weekday mornings and had been filling in on weekend newscasts prior to his promotion yesterday. The position had been open since McPherrin shifted to hard news and FOX bosses not renewing weekend sportscaster Jill Carlson's contract late last month.

Under terms of Lou's new contract via agent Steve Mandell, he'll anchor sports during WFLD's 9p newscast Sunday through Thursday. He'll also host "The Final Word" Sunday nights at 10p with former Bear Tom Waddle co-hosting. Canellis will also continue to host Bears-produced programming such as "Bears GameDay/GameNight Live", featuring radio voices Jeff Joniak & Tom Thayer of WBBM Newsradio 780, starting this Sunday. Lou will no longer host the team-produced "Bears Recap" & "Bears Blitz" or be featured on ChicagoBears.com. "Recap" & "Blitz" return to Comcast SportsNet's schedule this week.

It remains to be seen who will take over Carlson's weekend duties at FOX32. Feder previously reported that former CBS2 weekend sports anchor Howard Sudberry & ex-ABC7 sportscaster Jeff Blanzy had interviewed for the remaining vacancies, but at this point, those positions remain open.

Is there is a more annoying media presence than Lou Canellis?

He could make me miss John Kelley.

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If you ever saw him with his shirt off you would change your mind in a second.

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I hope this means HUGE is coming back.

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You know me like that.

Yes, and he works for Fox as well, but he is relegated to 6 hours on the weekend on Fox Sports Radio.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

I think I know who you're referring, Doc...Bill Simonson, who used to host "The Huge Show" in the early years of ESPN Radio 1000 with Canellis. Simonson looked like Alice Cooper after he got the crap beaten out of him after a White Sox/Cubs' game at the former Jimbo's many years ago. I believe he's currently hosting at a radio station in Grand Rapids, MI. I remember Simonson's face looked bruised, beaten and had some teeth knocked out at the time of his attack...

Nothing he does on tv could be worse than his stint on the Score talking about his hot Greek wife and his hairy chest. WTF was that?!

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

I always enjoyed vicariously clubbin' with Lou on ABC New Year's Eve with The 'Greco and Janet Davies.

I suppose that fleeting joy of mine is gone as well.

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You know me like that.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Lou Cannellus is worse than Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II

And like North, he has a Rasputin like quality that makes him almost impossible to be rid of.

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Is that the guy who did the great interview with Gayle Sayers, SHARK?

I think Huge's producer accidently hung up on Sayers, then Sayers called back and hung up on Huge. Priceless.

Did anyone see Canellis interviewing Mike Mulligan last Thursday before the Bears / Browns game? He'd ask Mulligan a question, tilt the mic towards him so he could answer, and Mulligan would take the mic from him. If it was someone who had never been interviewed before I guess I could see that happening, but how does someone who works in the media do something like that?

It was so awkward and it happened several times. Mulligan would finish answering and give the mic back to Canellis only to take it back when Canellis asked him another question. At one point Canellis just stood there with his head down staring at the ground as Mully went on and on while holding Canellis' mic.

Oh, and if Casper the Ghost and Frankenstein has a child it would look like Mulligan.

When you referred to one of these local morning shows as "hard news," the rest of your post instantly lost all credibility with me.

Maybe it was because Mulligan is like 6'5" and canellis is all of 5'5"

Mulli 6'2"ish lets not get crazy on the 6'5"

Lou 5'2"!!!!!

Isnt this Mandell guy Norths guy? lol so you know North had him pandering for him

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Steve Mandell, BigFan, represents a number of high-profile Chicago TV & radio personalities, along with Todd Musburger, brother of ESPN/ABC Sports' veteran Brent, along with Joel Weisman when he's not hosting "The Week in Review" on our "Window to the World"...

I don't think it was that, Hawkeye. I've seen people Lou's height interview NBA players who are much taller than Mully and the player didn't take the mic from the interviewer to compensate for the difference in height.

I don't know what he did that but it was awkward and funny to watch.

Mulley is a braindead ape. He probably thought the microphone was an ice cream cone.