Mike Strahan on 'Live! With Kelly' (ABC)

From the NFL to Fox sports to Live! With Kelly--Michael Strahan must have himself a really good publicist. Rumors abounded on TMZ yesterday that the New York Giants defensive end would finally fill the empty chair left vacant by the departure of Regis Philbin last November.

This morning, WABC, a syndicate of the network that produces the morning show, announced that the 6-foot-5 Fox Sports commentator would be offcially joining the 5-foot-3 human percolator on September 4.

Which leaves just one question: Out of all the 59 hosts that ABC has used as rotating guest hosts, why Mr. Strahan, a name that carries far less cachet than say, NY1's Pat Kiernan, Mario Lopez, Seth Meyers or Alec Baldwin?

According to one television insider, the choice of Mr. Strahan speaks more to his new television partner's status than it does to his own. "Kelly was able to host the show for so long because she had so much sway over the producers. While it's easier to book a celebrity guest host for one day than a permanent replacement, there is no doubt that many  pop-ins were bigger stars than Mr. Strahan."

So Ms. Ripa just likes watching the guy strip:
http://youtu.be/U2PF6HuUDjw

The thought being that now that Ms. Ripa is the bigger personality on the program, she doesn't want to be overshadowed by another Regis-like figure. Even though kids these days might think of  Mr. Philibin as that old guy who once hosted Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, in 2004 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for most hours in front of a television camera (15,188 of them, to be exact).

And while Mr. Strahan might not be the most obvious choice--though he was adorable when he filled in during a June taping--Ms. Ripa should have no fear about becoming the sidekick to a bigger star. In related news, Mr. Strahan will be keeping his gig on Fox NFL Sunday, meaning that Fox doesn't view ABC's morning show as competitive with its own brand.

Agreeableness all around! Now, how often do you see that in television or sports? ABC and Ms. Ripa have yet to make an official comment on Mr. Strahan's new position, but don't be surprised to find Mr. Strahan sitting in Mr. Philbin's old chair in two weeks.

The Kiernans traded sky living for stoop sitting.

Pat Kiernan might not be taking over Regis Philbin's spot at “Live! With Kelly,” but at least the cultishly-popular NY1 anchor can console himself with the $3.8 million that he just made on the sale of his Upper West Side penthouse, according to city records.

Even if Mr. Kiernan and wife Dawn did set a neighborhood record when they paid $2.05 million for their new house in Williamsburg, the couple will  have more than a little extra pocket change from the sale of the four-bedroom co-op at 215 West 75th Street.

The buyers, Mary Haviland and Thomas Neff, who list their current address as Lyme, Conn., paid only a little under the $3.95 ask for the apartment, which the Kiernans built out of a collection of maid's rooms and a superintendent's apartments that they bought in 2001.

Mr. Kiernan had, apparently, tired of looking down on the city from on high and wanted to be among the people on Bedford Avenue, living in a siding-clad townhouse that he admitted to The New York Times was not "a trophy property from the front."

The couple's 75th Street penthouse, on the other hand, has an impressive 800-square-feet of outdoor space and views that mimic the city backdrops of a nightly news broadcast. The house appears to have gone on the market in February, although the listing is no longer available.

Such a change, while cementing Mr. Kiernan's place in the hearts of New Yorkers, may have indicated to producers that he wasn't snooty enough for the likes of the show, given that previous host Regis Philbin considered a move to the Upper West Side slumming it.

kvelsey@observer.com

While Mr. Meyers is said to be able to continue doing "Weekend Update" on SNL if he gets the gig, Mr. Friedman speculates he'll have to step down as head writer given the demands of the Live schedule. Could this be a period of renewal at Saturday Night Live after the departures of Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, and (we think...) Jason Sudeikis? Or another "Saturday Night Dead" epoch?

Recently, former Jessica Simpson beau Nick Lachey—who has also done guest stints on Kelly! released a video of himself in the rapture of song, arguing his case for the job.

Not one to be shown up, Pat Kiernan teamed up with the Ice Theater of New York to submit his own entry: A take on Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," cleverly reworked for the lyrics "Sweet Kelly R." This is one Canadian who will not go down without a fight (in song):

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek