Keith Olbermann recalls how Stan Isaacs helped launch his career

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Tributes have poured in for long-time Newsday columnist Stan Isaacs, who died Tuesday night at the age of 83.

Keith Olbermann has ample reason to have fond memories of Isaacs. One of his columns literally launched Olbermann’s career.

On August 12, 1981, Isaacs, one of the first sports media columnists, wrote a column about a 22-year graduate of Cornell who had an unconventional approach in his early days on New York radio.

Isaacs wrote:

Olbermann does straight news and scores, but it is with his eye for the offbeat that he distinguishes himself from the run-of-the-mill sportscasters with pear-shaped tones and empty heads.

Olbermann said the column was reprinted as filler in the national edition of the Sunday Washington Post. CNN sports vice-president Rick Davis, a displaced Washingtonian, wanted to liven up the network’s sportscast. He saw Isaac’s column. Six weeks later, Olbermann made his debut for CNN.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

In an email, Olbermann added more about his relationship with Isaacs:

*******

Stan and I had lunch that day and he wanted to hear more of my sportscasts. At the end of it he said he was disappointed in only one thing. “You sound too much like…” here great disgust crept into his tone “…like an announcer.” He forgave me that.

Stan and I used to talk regularly about the amazing influence one mention in a column like that could have in those days. And he would always quote me on Fred Merkle.

About 10 years ago we were in the press box at Yankee stadium and he was reading aloud from the press guide. He came to the part in which the Yanks admitted they had no idea who their PA announcer had been before Bob Sheppard. “You’re this great researcher/baseball expert/television muckety-muck. Certainly you can find out this perplexing hole in history. I give you one year.”

I found it.

With Roger Ebert gone in the same week, the world is, sadly, a little more safe for mediocrity.
 

 

Selena Roberts breaks Auburn cheating story on her new site

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The notion that Auburn might not play by the rules hardly is new. I almost feel like Captain Renault saying he’s “shocked” to discover gambling at Rick’s.

However, what is new is the source of the latest allegations. They came from Selena Roberts in her website, Roopstigo.

Here’s the summary of the story from USA Today:

Selena Roberts, an Auburn alum, writes in a story on Roopstigo, a website she founded, that Auburn committed a variety of NCAA violations including payment of players and changing grades in 2012. Based on interaction with former Auburn safety Mike McNeil, one of four former Tigers who were arrested for an armed robbery in 2011, and “more than a dozen players” from the BCS title team including Neiko Thorpe, Darvin Adams and Mike Blanc, Roberts reports players had grades changed, were provided with money and “more than 40” tested positive for drugs after the title game.

The former New York Times and Sports Illustrated reporter founded the site last October. Her story alleging misconduct at Auburn is fairly good way to get Roopstigo’s name out there.

She definitely has their attention in Alabama. Denials were flying all over the place.

In a Q/A with Al.com, Roberts stood by her story.

AL.com: Mike Blanc is now denying some of the things he said to you. What’s your take on that?

Roberts: Well, I think I mentioned this to you before in an email. It takes a lot of courage to speak the truth and to go out and have some conviction about, you know, a subject that would very popular, obviously. A subject that, let’s face it, at Auburn, draws a lot of backlash. I think it’s unfortunate that he’s taking that stance, but given the pressure he’s under I can see how it happens.

AL.com: Do you think he changed his story after this story got so big today?

Roberts: I think any time athletes talk and have interviews, I think they’re used to, maybe a smaller market or something like that, I don’t know. I don’t know why he would change his stance, to be honest with you. I don’t know what goes on in his head.

 

 

 

Not talking: Tiger Woods snubs Sports Illustrated for cover story

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This week marks Tiger Woods’ 21st cover on Sports Illustrated. So it isn’t exactly a novelty for the old/new world No. 1 golfer.

Yet it still is Sports Illustrated. If the magazine is going to do a big cover piece, you figure you might make yourself available to spend a few minutes with the reporter. Right?

Well, in the no-surprise department, Woods snubbed SI’s Michael Rosenberg. In an email, Rosenberg wrote:

“Tiger did not talk to me. I knew he probably would not. His representatives were honest with me about that from the beginning. I told them I would love to talk to Tiger and get his voice in the story, but I did not beg for access. I told them my goal was not to defend or criticize Tiger, but to explain him.

“It’s no secret that Tiger Woods is one of the toughest subjects for a sportswriter because he is so guarded. But I felt strongly that there was a good story here, and I didn’t want to avoid it simply because he avoided me.

“I talked to many people who have interacted with Tiger. Most of them are not quoted in the piece, and many of them have no stake in Tiger’s career. They all informed my view of him. I hope readers will finish the story feeling like they understand Tiger better, and have a sense of how he recovered from his personal and professional nadir.”

******

Some things never change. I never had a one-on-one with Woods during my 12 years covering the PGA Tour. That was the case with virtually everyone out there.

Once, I spent three days in Southern California tracking his roots. I talked to his father, Earl, for two hours at his house; met with his first coaches; toured the courses where Woods hit his first shots.

I asked if I could get five minutes on the phone with Woods to talk about his early days. I thought it might be a topic he would enjoy discussing.

The answer? A definitive no.

That’s fine. However, where I have a problem is when Woods suddenly is available whenever he has something to promote.

There he is talking to Darren Rovell or popping up on CNN and CNBC. Woods is willing to chat when it suits his agenda.

I’m sure Woods’ handlers have advised, if not begged him to make himself more available. From a PR standpoint, it just makes sense.

But as I said, some things never change.

 

 

 

New 60 Minutes Sports: Lara Logan seems very enthralled with Chris Berman; makes him squirm about his wallet

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The latest edition of 60 Minutes Sports (Showtime, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET) features a Chris Berman profile by Lara Logan.

Judging from the clip below, it seems as if Logan was very much taken by Berman.

“Some guys are just funny,” Logan said. “He’s funny…He loves what he does. He cares about people.”

Hopefully, Logan will bring up the criticism that has been leveled at Berman in recent years.

Also, near the end of the video, check out Berman’s ridiculously overstuffed wallet, and how Logan makes him squirm.

Q/A with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson: Horrific injury shows need for sideline reporters

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Tracy Wolfson was about four feet from Kevin Ware when the unthinkable happened Sunday afternoon.

“I didn’t see the actual fall,” Wolfson said. “Everyone was watching the game. The fall isn’t what you’re looking at. I heard him when he hit the ground. I was probably one of the first people who realized what took place. I remember I picked up my mic (and told producer Mark Wolff), ‘He’s down and it’s bad.'”

In seconds, Wolfson, CBS’ sideline reporter for the Louisville-Duke game, went into scramble mode for what would be the most challenging assignment of her career. Ultimately, she was lauded for securing vital information about the horrific injury and an emotional post-game interview with Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Yet when I talked to Wolfson nearly 48 hours after Sunday’s game, you could sense the intensity of that situation still had a grip on her. She still hasn’t watched a replay of the telecast.

“You’re running on adrenaline when it’s going on,” Wolfson said. “It didn’t sink in for me until I got to the airport. I looked at Jim (Nantz). We let out a big sigh. It was a feeling of, ‘Oh my God, what just happened?'”

Here’s my Q/A with Wolfson on how she handled Sunday; how it validated the role of sideline reporters; how she hopes to see Ware during the Final Four in Atlanta; and how the Michigan grad intends to be impartial at the Final Four.

What was Sunday like for you? Did you ever have a comparable experience?

No, it was so unprecedented. You don’t expect to be in a situation like that. Sports is supposed to be lighthearted and fun. Then all of the sudden, you’re facing a news story like that. It’s almost like when the lights went out in the Super Bowl.

I remember I put my hands to my face. I knew I had a few seconds to catch my breath. You saw how devastating it was and you don’t want to get in the way. Then I realized, ‘OK, now I’m part of the story.’

Your job is to get as much information as you can get while trying to be respectful to the team and the coach. You have to find the right balance.

How did you and CBS achieve that balance?

CBS decided not to do any on-cameras interviews with the coaches at halftime like we normally do. Let’s just talk to (Pitino) off-camera. Let him regroup with his team and then see what he wants to say. If he didn’t want to say anything, that’s OK too.

He wound up giving us an inside look at what Kevin Ware said to his teammates and a reminder that his mom lives in Atlanta.

Louisville (sports information director Kenny Klein) was tremendous. There was no panic in him whatsoever. He gave us the information we needed.

How did you mentally prepare for the post-game interview with Pitino?

I wasn’t supposed to do the interview. Normally, (Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg) do the interview with the winning coach during the celebration. I interview the loser.

With three minutes to go, the producer said, ‘Tracy, we’re going to try to get this live before we go to 60 Minutes.’ The only possible way was for me to do it.

It was another delicate situation. You have to ask the right questions. I didn’t want to neglect what the team did. That was the one thing on my mind. You need to ask about Kevin Ware and the incident, but I wanted to get in one question about the team and how well they played despite everything that was going on.

Were you surprised at how graphic Pitino was in talking about the injury?

It did catch me by surprise, I have to admit. We saw the emotion. Maybe for him the best way to keep going was to give the facts. Sometimes, it brings you back to reality. It caught a lot of people by surprise, but they wanted to hear that.

A few days have passed. Are you still replaying what happened in your mind?

I’ve got to be honest. There’s a little bit like a sadness. Not that you don’t get to grieve, but I didn’t have time to actually process what went on. It was trying for everyone involved to not only balance it, but to feel for this kid. It takes a lot out of you. You don’t really have time to think.

What I’ve been doing is following him and seeing his progress and things he tweets out. It brought a smile to my face knowing that he’s going to try to be in Atlanta. I really hope we get a chance to sit down with him to see he’s OK.

You have heard people question the need for sideline reporters. Did your work Sunday provide a sense of validation?

I used the example earlier of what happened at the Super Bowl. I truly believe that is the need for a reporter.

I work with Jim and (Verne Lundquist). They are two of the best storytellers in the business. If you have a game without an incident, you don’t necessarily need someone.

It is in those situations (like Sunday) where you need someone. I’m OK being that person who only steps into that role when it is necessary.  I’m not someone who needs to be on the air six times a game because you have a reporter there and you have to put them on. We’re all a team and I add to the broadcast. I try to give to the viewer something they can’t necessarily get. In those situations (like Sunday), that’s a perfect example.

CBS doesn’t use sideline reporters for regular-season NFL games. You work as a sideline reporter for CBS’ college football games. How do you feel about that?

I’m biased. Of course, I believe there’s a need for sideline reporters.  It’s my job. I want to work. I see the difference between college football and the NFL. Any relevant information, injury reports. In the NFL, a lot of that stuff goes directly to the booth. But you did see in the Super Bowl where you need them.

There’s nothing wrong with having a sideline reporter present and just utilized pregame, halftime interview or report, postgame. It doesn’t mean they have to do those out-of-the-box stories during the game.

But you have access down there. You can see things that you don’t necessarily get from a PR person. In college you can hear things. You have relationships where you can get information.

It’s great to hear from a coach. It always brings to life the emotions, especially in tight games or when upsets are happening. I think that access is huge.

There’s nothing wrong with having someone down there and not doing a typical sideline reporter job that we’ve all known in the past that gets so criticized. The No. 1 thing is to have someone that can do that job and is knowledgeable is about sports. Also, (that person) can adjust on the fly to have to cover a blackout or a horrific injury like we saw Sunday.

The most visible element for the sideline reporter is to interview a coach after the first half. How do basketball coaches compare to football coaches when it comes to the halftime interview?

It’s always challenging. It depends on the situation and the coach. If his team is getting blown out by 20 points, he’s not going to be happy. It’s a delicate balance. You don’t want to put them in a bad position with your questions, but you want to get the best out of them.

You’re a 1997 grad of Michigan. How is it going to be having the Wolverines in the Final Four?

I’ll definitely know a lot of people in the stands. However, I won’t be wearing maize and blue. This is the Final Four. Once they tip off, it’s just another game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie Bernstein to become ‘public face’ of Campus Insiders

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Bonnie Bernstein is set to launch the next phase of her career.

She is going to become the “public face” of Campus Insiders, a digital college sports network. Bernstein also will be the network’s vice-president of content and brand development. She will be based out of Chicago, recording her shows from Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios.

Also coming on board is IMG, which will participate on several levels.

I’ll have more later on. Here’s the official announcement.

******

Campus Insiders, the online destination for college sports fans, today announced the addition of acclaimed sports journalist Bonnie Bernstein as the public face of the digital sports network and Vice President of Content and Brand Development.

Bernstein will host a daily show providing opinion on the news of the day, studio analysis and debate, and reports from an unprecedented network of campus-based “Insiders,” offering reports and news from college campuses around the country. Launching at the start of the 2013 college football season, Bernstein’s programming will also feature unique interactive components to engage CI viewers. Content will stream on CampusInsiders.com and will be distributed via social media and a strategic alliance of third-party digital destinations. Bernstein’s show is projected to be viewed 100 million times annually.

As VP of Content and Brand Development, Bernstein will utilize her keen eye for talent and her creative vision to develop original programming for Campus Insiders.  She will also work closely with the network’s marketing team to develop the Campus Insiders brand and secure corporate sponsorships.  Campus Insiders is produced by Silver Chalice and IMG College.

“I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship, and this is an incredible opportunity to branch out beyond my broadcast work,” said Bernstein. “I’m looking forward to wearing new hats as I help bring shows from concept to market and build a brand powered by tremendous resources. The unequivocal goal is to make Campus Insiders a destination for college sports fans.“

“Sports fans all over the country recognize and connect with Bonnie Bernstein.  We’re fortunate to have both her on-air talents and her passion for programming and content at our disposal,” said Crowley Sullivan, GM of Campus Insiders. “We fully expect Bonnie to act as a guiding force for Campus Insiders as we continue to grow.”

Bernstein is recognized by the American Sportscasters Association as one of the most accomplished female journalists in the industry. She has hosted a variety of ESPN shows, including NFL Live, Outside the Lines, Jim Rome is Burning and First Take, as well as a daily NFL show on ESPN Radio in New York. Bernstein is the only female fill-in host for The Dan Patrick Show. She spent eight years at CBS Sports as the lead reporter for the NFL and NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships.

Bernstein’s show will originate from HARPO Studios in Chicago. CBS Sports basketball analyst Seth Davis and CollegeFootballNews.com founder Pete Fiutak are also featured on the CI talent roster.

To extend the reach of Campus Insiders, Silver Chalice has enlisted the participation of IMG, a global leader in sports, media, and entertainment. IMG will help provide access to on-air talent, contribute sales and marketing support, and provide access to universities, helping increase exposure for the schools and their sports teams.

About Campus Insiders
Campus Insiders will serves college sports fans by creating timely, relevant, and behind the scenes content, programming, products and destinations, and live events that go beyond the standard and give fans a unique, inside perspective, all delivered through the strength of a smart technology experience.

About First Round Media
First Round Media, LLC creates digital product experiences and video properties for digital distribution. The Company develops infrastructure, digital assets, and operations designed to create a leading digital platform for producing and distributing, audio-visual, college sports-themed content (including game highlights).  First Round Media’s first property is Campus Insiders, which showcases exclusive video content, national and local coverage, and in-depth analysis for college football and basketball.

First Round Media is a division of Silver Chalice New Media. The Silver Chalice team operates offices out of Boulder and Chicago, with additional satellite sales offices in New York and Los Angeles.  Silver Chalice is an equal opportunity employer.

 

Outrageous behavior: How does Mike Rice still have a job at Rutgers?

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If you thought Bob Knight was bad…Well, he has nothing on Mike Rice.

ESPN just released video and a story by Don Van Natta Jr. about the outrageous behavior of the Rutgers basketball coach at practice. Appalling is the only appropriate word here.

From the story:

“Outside the Lines” has obtained several-dozen hours of Rutgers men’s basketball practices from 2010-2012 that show dozens of incidents in which head coach Mike Rice hurls basketballs from close range at his players’ heads, legs and feet; shoves and grabs his players; feigns punching them; kicks them; and screams obscenities and homophobic slurs.

About 30 minutes of the video was viewed in December by athletic director Tim Pernetti, who suspended Rice for three games that month and fined him $50,000. But the incidents in the videos obtained by “Outside the Lines” appear to go beyond Pernetti’s description at the time of “inappropriate behavior and language” between Rice and his players. When he announced the suspension on Dec. 13, Pernetti offered few specifics after conducting a week-long investigation.

In addition to Rice’s physical actions seen in the practices, Rice calls Rutgers players “fa–ots,” “mother—-ers,” “pu–ies,” “sissy b-tches,” and “c—-,” among other epithets.

Eric Murdock, an ex-NBA player and a former director of player development for the Scarlet Knights, told “Outside the Lines” that Rice’s “outrageous” behavior had caused at least three players to transfer from the team, including forward Gilvydas Biruta, who transferred to Rhode Island prior to last season.

“He would throw his cap at me and he would call me many names,” said Biruta, who was born in Lithuania but played high school basketball in New Jersey. “The adjectives were creative. They were mean words.” Biruta said Rice’s insults were often not about his game but about him personally. “If you’re going to criticize me as a basketball player, I’m OK with that,” he said, “but he would criticize me as a person.”

If this guy still has a job tomorrow at Rutgers, I’d be surprised.

Mike Francesa signs long-term deal with WFAN

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Forget about any talk about Mike Francesa riding into the sunset. The 59-year old plans to be around for a while after signing what is termed “a long-term” deal with WFAN today.

Newsday’s Neil Best says the contract runs through 2017.

From CBS Sports Radio:

Sports Radio WFAN (660AM/101.9FM) announced today it has signed a long term agreement with Mike Francesa, keeping the venerable personality as host of PM drive (weekdays, 1:00-6:30PM, ET) on the award-winning station for several years to come.  Francesa joined WFAN in 1987, the same year the station launched as the country’s first all-sports station, and boasts more listeners than any other local sports radio host.

As part of the agreement, Francesa will also bring his long running Sunday morning “The NFL Now” show to CBS Sports Radio beginning this fall.  The program is broadcast live on WFAN from 9:00AM-12:00Noon, ET and will be available to more than 250 affiliate radio stations nationwide.

“Mike has earned his place in radio history as a great broadcaster and we’re thrilled to continue our relationship with sports radio’s most celebrated host,” said Dan Mason, President and CEO, CBS RADIO.  “WFAN and Mike Francesa are synonymous with the absolute best in sports programming excellence.  These two powerful brands have endured the test of time, and remain a very relevant force in the industry nearly three decades after they first went on the air.”

Added Mark Chernoff, Vice President, Sports Programming, CBS RADIO and WFAN Program Director, “Mike represents the heart and soul of WFAN, and we’re proud he will continue to make the station his long-term broadcast home.  Like no one else, Mike can take a story to the next level and involve his listeners in thought provoking ways with topical and opinionated conversation.  He has set the standard for what represents an entertaining and informative radio program.”

“I’m very proud of what we have accomplished at WFAN,” says Francesa.  “I am also honored and thankful to CBS RADIO for its continued commitment, and most of all to the listeners for their enduring loyalty.”

Francesa has anchored afternoons on WFAN for more than 25 years.  He has been recognized with two NAB Marconi Radio Awards, and was voted top sports personality by radio industry publications Talkers and Radio Ink. In addition, he was the recipient of the inaugural Cynopsis: Sports Media Award for Best Radio Program in 2012.

 

Most watched NCAA tournament since 1994: CBS-Turner model pays off big

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It is hard to think of a partnership that has worked out better than CBS-Turner Sports for the NCAA tournament. Making all the games available, allowing the fans to pick and choose, has proved to be a windfall.

Through Sunday, this year’s tournament is generating its highest ratings since 1994. The telecasts are averaging 9,701,000 total viewers-to-date, up 11% from last year’s 8,717,000 viewers.

And this is occurring despite the lack of a super team or any true superstar players, the supposed prerequisites these days. Yet people are watching.

The ratings speak to the power of saturation coverage.

Making the games available on multiple platforms means you’re never stuck watching a bad game. It sucks in the fans who want to monitor their teams in the various pools. It also doesn’t hurt that the NCAA tournament, once again, delivered the anything-is-possible upsets that has become the signature for this event.

Ultimately, it all leads to fans forming a deeper connection to the tournament and the teams.

“We set a high standard for the ratings, and we’ve outpaced it,” said CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus. “The partnership is working well from every standpoint.”

Will it continue for the Final Four? There will be three high-profile programs in Atlanta (Louisville, Michigan and Syracuse) and one Cinderella (Wichita State). Viewers will tune in to see the on-going saga with Louisville and injured player Kevin Ware. Michigan-Syracuse has plenty of storylines.

Again, it isn’t the sexiest Final Four, and much of the ratings will depend on the quality of games. However, given the momentum, if CBS gets some cliffhangers, the numbers should be good.

 

New Yorker cover spoofs aging, sagging Yankees

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Wow. Who would have thought The New Yorker would provide bulletin board material for the Yankees? However, based on the players on their disabled list and what we saw yesterday, the magazine could be right. It could be a bleak summer in the Bronx.

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