Jim Corno, 1947-2013: Profound impact on regional sports TV programming in Chicago and beyond

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No matter where you are, when you watch your favorite team on your regional sports network, you should think of Jim Corno.

Corno, the president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago who died Tuesday at the age of 66, was a true pioneer in local sports TV. When he joined SportsVision in Chicago in 1984, it was a struggling pay network that reached few homes. He transformed the station into a huge outlet that eventually became the template for regional sports networks throughout the country.

White Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf knew how much Corno meant to him. He summed up his impact on sports TV:

“How do you best remember someone like Jim Corno?  The average fan may not immediately recognize Jim’s name, but I think perhaps no one else in this city has done more over the past four decades to impact the Chicago sports landscape.

“No matter the situation, Jim always thought about the sports fan first.  Whether the game was baseball, basketball or hockey, Jim’s focus and obsession was always on how to improve the experience for the viewer sitting at home, watching and rooting for his or her favorite Chicago team.  Jim thought that way because Jim was that Chicago fan, sitting on his own couch or in the television studio celebrating the key victories and mourning the tough losses.

“Jim was a tremendous businessman and partner, with his prescient understanding of sports television often guiding our decisions and direction over the years.  Much more importantly, he was a proud Chicagoan, donating countless hours to important causes like the March of Dimes.  Jim was a terrific father, grandfather and husband, a mentor to many in the industry, a father-figure to staff at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and also a dear, close friend.  This is a deep personal loss to me and for many in the Chicago sports world.  We all will miss our friend.”

In an email, Blackhawks president John McDonough said, “Really sad day. He was the best consensus builder, unifier I’ve ever met….I loved the guy.”

*******

Jeff Nuich, Corno’s long-time PR man at CSN Chicago, wrote a moving tribute that assessed the totality of his career.

SportsVision started off as a pay-TV service featuring only live pro games featuring the White Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls and the now-defunct Sting, but Jim knew for his network to grow, he had to have it available to everyone on basic cable. Through tough negotiations with countless affiliates, he made it happen. Subscriber growth was small at the start – only 13,000 total, but it was his vision to make it grow. He wanted everyone who can possibly receive his network to be given the chance to watch it. Once he got them to watch it, he wanted to make sure they came back the next night.

With the massive popularity of local sports stars such as Michael Jordan, Denis Savard and Carlton Fisk airing on SportsVision throughout the year, it was Jim’s goal to begin programming his channel like a broadcast TV station. Again, he made that happen too. SportsVision became the first regional sports network in the country to go 24/7.

As SportsVision evolved into SportsChannel in the late 1980s, Jim also created another first for a regional sports network as “The SportsChannel Report” became the first all-local sports news show airing seven nights a week…not to mention he made a very smart move of bringing the ground-breaking “Sports Writers on TV” along for the ride as well.

Nuich also wrote about Corno’s personal side.

Here’s another anecdote about Jim’s character. Over the past few weeks, the Blackhawks were gracious enough to want to bring the Stanley Cup to Jim’s house so he can have the opportunity to not only see it one last time, but to share that special moment with his family.

Jim, however, had another idea.

Instead of having the Cup brought to his home, he and his family had the Cup brought to the Cancer Center at Edward Hospital in Naperville, where he had been receiving treatments for over the past year. He wanted to give the other cancer patients and caregivers on site that moment of happiness to their lives. That’s just one small example of the kind of man Jim Corno was to the very end.

*******

Indeed, Corno was a people person. Every year, he and Jeff made a point of going out to lunch with me. No agenda. Just to talk business and laugh at some old stories. I’m going to miss those lunches.

Corno had been ill for a while. Yet when I needed some assistance on a story during the summer, Nuich said, “Jim would be happy to talk to you.”

Jim’s voice was a bit thinner than I recalled, but you could sense the passion for the business still was there. As always, he was incredibly helpful in steering me in the right direction.

Like Reinsdorf said, Corno was a true friend to the sports fan in Chicago and beyond.

Thanks for everything, Jim.

 

Long overdue: Roger Angell wins Spink Award

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Finally, at the age of 93, Roger Angell is going to have his day at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Angell was named Tuesday as the 2014 recepient of the J.G. Spink Award, the highest honor for a baseball writer.

The long-time veteran of the New Yorker hardly is a typical on-deadline baseball writer. This marks the first time the Spink has gone to an essayist, if you will, like Angell.

While I detailed earlier the split within the BBWA over whether someone like Angell should win the award over a traditional baseball scribe or columnist (Furman Bisher and Mel Durslag were finalists this year), it would have been a huge oversight for him not to receive this recognition in Cooperstown.

Angell is the baseball writing equivalent of Sandy Koufax, a one-of-a-kind artist on the game. Fortunately, unlike Koufax, Angell’s career has spanned generations.

Angell’s writing blows me away now the same way it did more than 35 years ago when I discovered his work as a young kid who aspired to be a sportswriter. I still have memories of being held captive by his first book, “The Summer Game.” Angell’s writing on baseball truly inspired me, and I’m sure many others too.

New Yorker editor David Remnick did this post upon hearing the news.

He will receive the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, which has previously gone to the likes of Grantland Rice, Red Smith, Ring Lardner, and Damon Runyon. With respect to all the writers in the lifetime lineup card, Roger is the cleanup man.

Quite right. He belongs in that fraternity.

 

 

 

 

 

Another lineup change for ESPN: Hershiser out on Sunday nights; Schilling in

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ESPN suffered a big loss with Orel Hershiser deciding to leave the network. He will head back to his old team to join the Dodgers new regional TV network.

I thought Hershiser was terrific for ESPN. While it didn’t get as much play as his Sunday night work, he and Dan Shulman really shined on radio during the postseason.

ESPN moved quickly, replacing Hershiser with Curt Schilling on Sunday nights. He will join Shulman and John Kruk.

Sports Media Watch notes making a lineup change on Sunday nights is nothing new for ESPN.

The Shulman-Kruk-Schilling booth will be the sixth different “SNB” broadcast team in as many years.

Since 2008, the last year Jon Miller and Joe Morgan worked together in a two-man booth, Sunday Night Baseball has added and dropped Steve Phillips (2009), added Hershiser to replace Phillips (2010), dumped Miller and Morgan in favor of Shulman and Bobby Valentine (2011), replaced Valentine with Terry Francona (2012), replaced Francona with Kruk (2013), and now replaced Hershiser with Schilling (2014).

Obviously, there were some extenuating circumstances. Phillips had a messy public affair; Valentine and Francona departed to take managing jobs; and ESPN decided to end the Miller-Morgan run.

If they are good, I would expect Shulman-Schilling-Kruk should be in place for a while.

In an Associated Press story, Schilling said he knows the expectation level will be raised in his new assignment.

Curt Schilling knows criticism is coming. He expects it.

The former All-Star pitcher is replacing Orel Hershiser on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast crew next season as part of a multiyear contract extension, giving him a wider audience for his opinions.

“No matter how you phrase it, if you don’t compliment a player, that player’s team, that player’s fans think you hate him,” Schilling said Sunday. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people react with, ‘You hate so-and-so. You hate so-and-so.’ And it’s just amazing how — it’s a good thing. The passion is great. It’s amazing how much people read into the things that we say on a nightly basis.”

 

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An ESPN insider’s view of Ditka: ‘Still on top of game’; Doesn’t care what people think

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In keeping with the Mike Ditka day theme today at Sherman Report, I thought I would share my interview with Seth Markman. ESPN’s senior coordinating producer for its studio shows has had an up close view of working with Ditka on Sunday NFL Countdown since 2004.

Here’s my Q/A:

Why has Ditka lasted 20 years as a network TV analyst?

It’s because he really is an icon. There’s so much weight on every word he says. It’s rare to have a Hall of Fame player and a Super Bowl-winning coach. That just doesn’t happen. He can speak to anything that goes on in the game.

You have to travel with him to understand how beloved he is, not only in Chicago but around the country. It’s unlike anyone I’ve been around.

The bottom line is that he’s still good at what he does. He’s still on top of his game.

He seemed to downplay his preparation for the show.

I promise you, he prepares. He comes in with notes to every meeting. He really does study. He’s seen people come and go who don’t stay tuned to what’s happening on the field. He stays on top of everything. He works really hard.

How did you feel about the reaction after Ditka called Jonathan Martin “a baby?”

The only thing we’ve asked for him was to be honest. He’s definitely honest. He won’t try to shrink away from (controversial views) like others have. The one thing about Coach: He doesn’t care what people think. He never has, and never will.

Ditka is dropping hints that he is tired of the travel and that he might leave ESPN after the season. Has he said anything to you?

He has not. As long as he wants to do this, we want him. I recognize the wear and tear of the travel is getting to him. When the day comes, we’ll miss him. However, he’s still so much on top of his game, I hope he does a few more years.

You’ve worked with Ditka for a long time. What should people know about him?

He’s the most generous guy I’ve been around. Last year, a group of guys were taking Wounded Warriors to Monday night games. They were doing it out of their own pocket. We did a story on them. After the story, without ever saying anything to us, Ditka said, ‘I’m paying all their expenses for the rest of the year.’

I’ve seen that over and over again. It’s incredible how generous he is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My complete Q/A with Mike Ditka: Still fiery and outspoken, but realistic about how much longer he will be at ESPN

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It always seemed as if it would be a cold day in hell before the Bears retired Mike Ditka’s No. 89. Perhaps today is the today, considering it will be 12 degrees at kickoff for tonight’s Bears-Dallas game.

The Bears finally will put his number out of circulation, 47 years after he played his last game for them. Make no mistake, Ditka still is tough at 74. A little cold weather won’t bother him.

“I’ll have a topcoat on,” he said. “I’ll have a nice thick sweater and some corduroys. I’ll be fine.”

To mark the occasion, I did my Chicago Tribune column media column on Ditka, noting his long run as a network analyst and asking about his future. Here is the entire Q/A.

Did you ever think you would do it this long as an analyst? You started at NBC in 1993. You’re still doing it 20 years later.

No, I didn’t. I think the opportunity came up. It was a great opportunity. I enjoy it. I’m very appreciative. I think it’s coming to an end now. I’m getting a little too old for all this traveling.

Twenty years is an eternity in this business. What does it say for your staying power?

You would know more about that than me. It’s been one helluva a ride. I’ve been able to be in football as a player, assistant coach, head coach. To be able to be in broadcast industry and analyze games and talking about it…And people pay you to do it, that’s pretty good.

How would you describe your approach?

I don’t want to get into all the stats and this and that. Or rankings as to why people are successful or not successful. Players determine the outcome of the games. The coach’s decisions has something to do with it. Basically, the better the players, the better the team.

I don’t look at film like I used to when I first started out. I just watch the games. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what a team is trying to do. Why they set up play-action. If a team is playing a lot of man-to-man, you’re going to see a lot of crossing routes. It’s not too hard.

I’m not a genius. Far from it. I’m saying, it’s not that complicated. If you hit the other guy harder than he hits you, chances are you’ve got a chance to win.

You created waves by calling Jonathan Martin, “a baby.”

It’s who I am. My opinion isn’t going to change on that. You don’t want people like that on your football team. Period. I’m not politically correct. I’m not trying to be politically correct. It’s just what it is. Football is a tough sport. It’s a man’s sport. What happens in the lockerroom stays in the lockerroom. When something happens like that, you destroy the entire organization. You make everyone look bad. That’s not fair.

I think the fine on Tomlin was absurd. It’s embarrassing to me. The guy wouldn’t have ran five more yards without being tackled. Whether he tried doing that, I don’t know. I don’t think Mike Tomlin is that kind of guy. I’m not going to argue with the commissioner. If they think it is important to make an example out of somebody. You never can convince me he did it on purpose. You never can convince me that he hurt the game.

How do you enjoy working at ESPN?

It’s a different culture. They’re all younger than me. My perception of the game is a little bit different. But they’re all great guys. I love working with Boomer. We have fun.

What is your routine?

I fly in on Saturday. I go to a cigar club where I belong. I smoke cigars and watch all the college games. On Sunday, I wake up in the morning and go to ESPN. I do the show. When the show is over, I go to the cigar club and watch all the pro games. That’s what I do. It’s not too exciting.

You are 74. How much longer do you want to keep doing this?

I’m not getting any younger. The work being an analyst is not hard. The hard part is getting there. If I had a way to get there instantly or both, on a private plane or something, it would be different. Going through the airports kind of gets old. Most of these airlines are nice. They pick me up and give me a ride. Some of them don’t. When they don’t, I’ve got a long walk.

Would you miss not being in the spotlight?

I’ve been in the spotlight my whole life. It’s been a helluva ride. It started out in 1961 when I came here with Coach Halas. Coach Landry hired me as a player. Hired me as a coach. I came back and Coach Halas hired to coach the Bears. My one big regret is he never got to see us win the Super Bowl. That’s why he brought me back.

It’s been fun. Everything I’ve done, I’ve had a great time.

When will you make a decision?

After the season, I’ll know more about what I want to do. I’ve got a place in Florida. I want to spend more time there. I have some restaurants now. I spend a lot of time there.

Are you surprised that you’re still in such high demand for commercials?

That really is surprising to me. I have no idea why. I thought people wanted these young guys. Maybe they want the old guys too.

How do you feel about your number being retired?

It’s such a great honor. When you look at the players who have had their numbers retired, it’s pretty significant when you start talking about those guys. It doesn’t change the pleasure and joy that I’ve had about being a Bear player and a coach. Being part of the Halas Bears and then creating our little run in the 80s. It doesn’t change that. Even if they didn’t do anything, it wouldn’t change all that. It’s a wonderful honor. I’m going to enjoy it on Monday. Then I won’t think about it too much.

What is the state of your golf game?

My golf game sucks. I’ve got to get better at it. That’s what I’m killing me. I used to play pretty good. I can’t hit the ball out of my shadow anymore.

ESPN’s Heather Cox defends Winston interview; Harsh reaction on Twitter

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Heather Cox defended her postgame interview with Jameis Winston to Richard Deitsch at SI.com.

Deitsch writes:

Cox said that in the days prior to the broadcast, she and a group of ESPN colleagues (including management) discussed the possibility of a Winston postgame interview. They spoke about how the broadcast would handle questions, especially if Winston had yet to speak out publicly. “I certainly knew if we talked to him I needed to ask questions about the [alleged sexual assault] investigation,” Cox said. “I had thought through the way I wanted to handle it and presented the questions to our team. We all decided it was the correct way to handle it. It was not an issue of me going rogue and deciding last-minute that I would ambush him.

Cox said that ESPN asked and received permission from FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher and two football sports information directors regarding asking Winston questions about the investigation. Cox did not forward her questions, nor did FSU officials ask for any questions, according to Cox.

“They were fully aware that I was going to ask about the investigation,” Cox said. “I was never once asked not to ask about the investigation and if I had been asked not to ask those questions, I would have declined to do the interview because I would not have been able to do my job. I think a lot of people out there think I ambushed him (Winston) and went against Coach Fisher and the Florida State PR group, and that is not at all the case. They were fully aware of my intent to ask questions about the investigation.”

Then there was this:

Cox added that had she been afforded the opportunity to ask her final question, it was going to be about Winston’s upcoming month, including the Heisman Trophy show and other awards. She said she then planned to talk to Fisher and do nothing but a game-related interview with him. Cox said she wanted people to know that Winston did not turn around and walk away. “He was pulled away,” Cox said.

As opposed to others, I did not have a problem with Cox asking Winston about the investigation. She would have been vilified if she didn’t.

Cox got in three questions about the case, and Winston answered. For a postgame, on-the-field interview, that’s pretty good. And it should have been enough, given the setting minutes after a game.

However, where Cox got into trouble was when she attempted to ask a fourth question. She stepped over the line. At that point, it looked like she was badgering him.

As a result, Cox helped turn Winston into a sympathetic figure. She also became part of the story. It wasn’t her intention on either front.

The response on my Twitter feed yesterday was overwhelmingly against Cox.

Mike Ditka, media star at 74: On national TV stage since 1993; Will he leave ESPN after this season?

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My latest Chicago Tribune column is on Mike Ditka. With the Bears set to finally retire his No. 89 tonight, I talk to “Da Coach” about his long career as a football analyst for three different networks; still being in demand from advertisers; and the possibility he might leave ESPN after this season.

You also can access the column via my Twitter feed at Sherman_Report.

From the column:

********

Mike Ditka never fell out of view.

With the Bears retiring his No. 89 Monday night, it is worth noting that the totality of Ditka’s football career also includes a remarkable run as a network analyst. When he signed on with NBC in 1993 after being fired as coach of the Bears, he hardly envisioned he still would be talking about football on the national stage 20 years later.

“It is surprising,” Ditka said. “To be able to be in the broadcast industry, analyze games, talk football and then have people pay you to do it. … Well, that’s pretty good.”

With the exception of his three years as head coach of the Saints (1997-99), Ditka has been showcased on NBC, CBS, and ESPN since 2004. Locally, he also does a weekly show at 5 p.m. Thursdays on WMVP-AM 1000.

Indeed, at 74, Ditka is the oldest analyst working any of the NFL studio shows for the major networks. That’s no small feat in a business in which TV executives seem to change their mind every 15 minutes.

Even though he hasn’t coached the Bears in more than two decades, there’s still not a player on the current team, and few NFL players for that matter, who can match his marketing power. Ditka continues to be featured in several national and local ads. Agent Steve Mandell says he “turns down far more opportunities than he accepts.”

“I thought people wanted these young guys,” Ditka said. “Maybe they want the old guys too.”

Age, though, isn’t a friend, and it has him thinking of slowing down. He throws off some strong hints that the weekly travel grind to Bristol, Conn., to do ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” might force him to call it quits after the season.

“I’m not getting any younger,” Ditka said.

*******

I will have my entire Q/A with Ditka later today.

 

 

Did Heather Cox go too far in postgame interview with Jameis Winston?

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You be the judge. Jameis Winston answered three questions from Heather Cox about the investigation. On the fourth one, he walked away abruptly.

To be fair to Winston, he did answer Cox’s previous questions. He took accountability for putting himself in that situation. And remember, no charges were filed against him.

It seemed to me the fourth question was a bit of overkill given the timing. It occurred minutes after a big victory for Florida State. It wasn’t the time for a long in-depth interview with Winston.

One question too many in my view.