Chicago news: WBBM leading candidate to land Cubs games on radio

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My latest Chicago Tribune column is on how a WGN tradition dating back to 1925 could be ending for Cubs radio.

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

Here is an excerpt from the column.

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WBBM-AM 780 has emerged as the leading candidate to become the new radio home of the Cubs.

The CBS-owned outlet is using all of its local stations in a synergistic bid to land the rights to the Cubs, beginning with the 2015 season, according to team and industry sources. If the team goes with WBBM, it would end its long relationship with WGN-AM 720, which dates back to 1925.

The Cubs wouldn’t comment on the situation. However a team source said, “We believe there is a very good market for Cubs rights.”

It was WGN’s decision to put the Cubs’ rights on the market after it exercised an option to reopen its contract with the team last fall. Broadcast sources say WGN is losing significant money on the Cubs broadcasts, with listeners and advertisers tuning out a ballclub that has lost 197 games in the last two years. The station still will air Cubs games in 2014.

Rod Zimmerman, senior vice president and market manager of CBS Radio Chicago, and WGN President Jimmy de Castro both were out of town and unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Reportedly, the Cubs have one of most lucrative radio deals in baseball, valued at an estimated $10 million per year. Despite the rough times, there is an expectation the Cubs still will be able to maintain that revenue level, and perhaps even improve it.

“They are looking for someone to write a big check and someone will,” a local radio insider said.

CBS could be in the best position to add to its sports inventory. The station already airs Bears games on its AM outlet along with a simulcast on its FM station, WCFS-FM 105.9. CBS also has White Sox games on its sports talk outlet, WSCR-AM 670.

Behind scenes with ABC for Chicago-Miami game; ‘Do you think Yannick Noah would be a good interview?’

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Pleased to announced that I am joining the crew at Awful Announcing as a contributing writer. If you follow sports media, you already know about the interesting and entertaining content produced by Matt Yoder and his crew. Many thanks to Bloguin CEO Ben Koo for making this happen. I am looking forward to drafting behind them, so to speak.

From time to time, I will be doing original content for Awful Announcing. My first piece is a  a behind-the-scenes look at ABC’s production of the Chicago-Miami game Sunday.

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I enjoyed spending time with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters, producer Tim Corrigan, director Jimmy Moore and the rest of the crew. A highlight was watching how Salters’ memorable interview with Joakim Noah’s father, Yannick, unfolded in the truck.

From the story:

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Word, though, filters in to the truck that Joakim Noah’s father, tennis great Yannick Noah, is at the game. Corrigan asks Salters, “Lisa, would he be a good interview?”

“Let me find out,” Salters said.

Little did they know how good it would be.

As the first quarter closes out, Van Gundy notes about Augustin, “That’s a season saving signing for Chicago.”

Breen, without missing a beat, says, “Oh, nice alliteration there.”

Second quarter: “We might do Augustin coming out of the break,” Corrigan said. “Nobody knows who he is.”

It doesn’t happen. Instead, Salters finds Yannick Noah in the stands. Using a double screen, Moore is able to show Yannick watching his son. Yannick then cuts off Salters in mid sentence and jumps out of his chair while watching his son make a terrific defensive stop followed by a hustle play resulting in a foul on the offensive end. Yannick’s animated reaction makes for great television, a sure SportsCenter moment.

“I think that’s the best 2-box we’ve ever done,” Moore said.

During a break, Breen tells Salters, “To back off and let him go was a great decision.”

Corrigan says, “You’ve got to get a little lucky now and then.”

Inspiring: Stuart Scott isn’t about to let cancer beat him

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Powerful story by Richard Sandomir of the New York Times on Stuart Scott’s battle with cancer.

Also, be sure to click on the link to see the pictures of him working out. Really inspiring.

Sandomir writes:

Inside the mixed martial arts studio, Stuart Scott lifted the black T-shirt that read, “Everyday I Fight.” Beneath was a footlong scar that bisected the ESPN anchor’s washboard abs.

“It’s a sign of life,” he said, though it is the spot where cancer surgeons have opened his abdomen three times to remove parts of him.

Scott’s fight continues. He has had 58 infusions of chemotherapy. He recently switched to a pill. But the drugs have not fully arrested the cancer that struck first in 2007, when his appendix was removed. It returned four years later. And it came back again last year. Each recurrence seems more dire, and yet after each, Scott has returned to his high-profile work at ESPN, ensuring that his private fight also has become a public one.

Friends, family, colleagues and strangers ask how he is faring. Yet Scott, 48, says he does not want to know his prognosis.

“I never ask what stage I’m in,” he said recently over lunch, with his girlfriend, Christin, sitting beside him. “I haven’t wanted to know. It won’t change anything to me. All I know is that it would cause more worry and a higher degree of freakout. Stage 1, 2 or 8, it doesn’t matter. I’m trying to fight it the best I can.”

 

Brandon Phillips isn’t talking to media; Cincy reporters noted his stats declined

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It appears as if Brandon Phillips is in a bit of a snit over the way he has been treated by the media in Cincinnati.

It seems as if the reporters had the audacity to report that Phillips had a poor second half for the Reds last year, and that his stats have been declining.

John Fay at Cincinnati.com contends Phillips has engaged in some “revisionist history.” He writes:

“I don’t have nothing to say to those cats,” Phillips said to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com about the Cincinnati media. “They know what the deal is. They just talk about how I was falling off and declining. How the (expletive) am I declining? I had 100 … ribbies (RBI) last year. And I did that with one … hand. And I won a Gold Glove? So how the (expletive) am I declining? Come on, man.”

Phillips isn’t talking to me, C. Trent Rosecrans, Mark Sheldon and Hal McCoy because he says we wrote that he struggled in the second half without mentioning he was playing hurt.

Phillips can talk or not talk. That doesn’t matter to me. There will be 24 players on the roster who will talk. But the notion that we didn’t write about his injury is blatantly false.

It was mentioned over and over again.

Later, Fay writes:

We checked the archives. Phillips’ struggles were never mentioned on Cincinnati.com without a reference to the fact that he was hit on the left wrist on June 1 in Pittsburgh by Tony Watson. I’m sure that’s true with the other local media outlets as well.

Phillips was hitting .296 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .481 slugging percentage when he was hit by the pitch. He hit .241/.288/.349 after returning.

It’s to Phillips’ credit that he played through the pain.

But it’s also fair to mention (as long as you put in the caveat that he played hurt) that his offensive numbers have declined. Phillips is an anti-sabermetrics guy, so I won’t go all advanced stat to make my point. But his average has gone from .300 to .281 to .261 over the last three years. His doubles have gone from 38 to 30 to 24. He stole five bases in eight attempts last year. In 2012, he stole 15 in 17 tries.

Yep, those dang numbers.

Fay concludes:

Phillips seems to thrive on anything negative, or that he perceives as negative, that’s written or said about him. It seems to motivate him. He’s crushed St. Louis pitching since he became Enemy No. 1 in Cardinal territory.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a big year this year. Whether he’ll want to talk about it or not is hard to say.

So in essence Phillips now has called more attention to his stats decline by not talking. Good move, Brandon.

 

Posted in MLB

Smoltz-Vasgersian to team up for Fox Sports baseball; likely No. 2 team

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The release doesn’t say John Smoltz and Matt Vasgersian will be the new No. 2 team for Fox on baseball, but Smoltz’s presence would suggest that’s the case.

Many people felt Fox should have gone with the former Braves pitcher for the No. 1 team with Joe Buck. Instead, the network tabbed Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci.

Smoltz has shined as an analyst for MLB Network and TBS. He and Vasgersian will make a good team.

The official rundown from Fox Sports:

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FOX Sports added to its already deep MLB lineup, today announcing that former Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz and nationally renowned broadcaster Matt Vasgersian team up to call MLB games on the FOX Broadcast Network and FOX Sports 1. The announcement was made by John Entz, Executive Vice President, Production & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. Smoltz and Vasgersian join the game roster that already includes Joe Buck, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci, reporters Erin Andrews and Ken Rosenthal, and play-by-play announcers Kenny Albert and Thom Brennaman.

“We are thrilled to add Matt and John to our arsenal of MLB on FOX broadcasters,” Entz said. “Both are very well respected within the game, and each has a style that resonates with viewers.”

A familiar face to sports fans, Vasgersian has called MLB and NFL on FOX telecasts and hosted FOX Sports’ national pregame show from the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, N.J. He continues to work in the booth and studio for MLB Network, and along with recently announced MLB on FOX lead game analyst Harold Reynolds, has been part of the multi-Emmy Award winning program MLB Tonight. Vasgersian has also worked on NBC Sports’ Olympics broadcast team, most recently having called ski jumping at the Sochi Games, a role he also held in Vancouver (2010) and Torino (2006). Before joining FOX Sports and MLB Network, Vasgersian served as the television play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers.

Smoltz pitched more than two decades in the Major Leagues, primarily with the Atlanta Braves, earning eight All-Star selections and winning the Cy Young Award in 1996. After undergoing Tommy John surgery, Smoltz made the switch from starter to reliever, spending four seasons in the bullpen before resuming his starting role. Smoltz is the only player in MLB history with more than 200 career wins and 150 career saves, and is one of just two players to have recorded a 20-win season and a 50-save season. Smoltz also continues to work as a game and studio analyst for MLB Network and previously spent time in the booth for TBS during the network’s regular and postseason games. Smoltz made his television broadcasting debut in August 2008, and served as an analyst for 45 games during the 2010 season on Peachtree TV.

Posted in MLB

So long for a while: Lakers demise not good for networks

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Question: Name the only NBA team with a 21-42 record that still would be featured in national Sunday afternoon game?

Answer: The Lakers. Of course.

Yep, Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown were on hand yesterday for the Oklahoma City-Lakers game Sunday on ABC. Now Kevin Durant always is a good TV draw, and there’s still something special about being in LA. Memories of Magic, West, Kobe, etc…

However, while the Lakers put on a good show in pulling off an unlikely victory Sunday, their 48-point loss to the Clippers last week said more about the state of the league’s long-time marquee franchise. The Lakers surely are fading from view, and could be irrelevant for an extended stretch if Kobe Bryant can’t mount a comeback.

That’s not a good thing for the networks. The Lakers have been ratings gold for a long time.

“From a ratings standpoint, it’s tough,” said Tim Corrigan, the senior coordinating producers for the NBA on ESPN. “You’re not used to flipping on the Lakers and not knowing who is on the court. Now we need to explain who everyone is.”

It isn’t just the Lakers. For the time ever, the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and 76ers all will have losing records this year. Gone are a lot of potential big-market games. Last week, it was announced that the national Sunday game on April 13 would be switched from Bulls-Knicks to Thunder-Pacers.

So instead of doing a game between the No. 1 (New York) and No. 3 (Chicago) U.S. TV markets, ABC now gets No. 26 (Indianapolis) and No. 41 (Oklahoma City).

That game could be a preview of the NBA Finals. However, from a ratings standpoint, it isn’t the same as doing a game featuring two of the nation’s three largest markets, and the built-in viewership that comes with fans of the Knicks and Bulls.

“No question,” Corrigan said.

For now, ESPN/ABC and TNT are riding on the LeBron James train. The ratings have been so high for the Heat games, it has offset the fall of the traditional big-name teams. Corrigan expects ESPN to do a big number for the Heat-Pacers game in Indy on March 26.

ESPN/ABC play-by-play voice Mike Breen is trying to put a positive spin on the situation. He contends the demise of the Lakers creates opportunities for other teams and stars to step into the spotlight.

“The league always is better when the Lakers are good; the Celtics are good; the Knicks are good,” Breen said. “However, I think it is a lot different than what we saw five years ago. There are so many more teams that are competitive. What’s happening in Portland is a good story. Paul George not only is a fantastic player, but he’s also a high character guy.

“It’s always good to have the big-market teams in there, but there are some incredible young players out there who are fun to watch.”

Breen is right. Just the same, ESPN/ABC and TNT will be rooting hard for LeBron and company to make a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in NBA

Arnie: Golf Channel planning three-part documentary on ‘The King’ beginning Masters Sunday

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This seems like a good way to cap off your Masters this year.

Here is the official rundown from the Golf Channel.

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Golf Channel’s primetime television event, Arnie, begins with the questions: “How do you tell a story of a life that’s larger than life? How do you find a way to put together all the memories, all the accomplishments, all the impact? And do what a story is supposed to do? And ensure it lasts forever? Someday – even decades – maybe centuries from now, they’ll hear the name Arnold Palmer and they’ll want to know everything.”

Arnie showcases how the golfing legend revolutionized and transcended the game to become one of the most beloved figures in sports history. Arnie, a three-night television event, will air on consecutive nights at 10 p.m. ET from Sunday, April 13, following Golf Channel’s Live From the Masters, through Tuesday, April 15.

Golf Channel spent the last year traveling with Palmer, collecting interviews from more than 100 people, sifting through hundreds of hours of archived film – including hours of Palmer family video that has never been seen before – and shooting in locations around the world to create television’s definitive story of the most influential man to ever pick up a golf club.

“Mr. Palmer is an American icon, but what makes him so special is that he is absolutely genuine, especially through his ability to truly connect with everyone he meets,” said Mike McCarley, president of Golf Channel. “To document the full impact of his life and legacy would be virtually impossible; however this project is an ambitious attempt to capture the influence he has in golf and sports as part of popular culture.”

Arnie spans Palmer’s entire life to the present, from his early childhood through his amateur and professional golf careers, his various off-the-course enterprises and the legacy he has left in his wake. Throughout this project, golf’s iconic legends, family, business partners, colorful personalities and two U.S. Presidents recount the great stories that created the cultural phenomenon around the man affectionately known as “The King.”

“… that’s the secret to life, you know, to have something to look forward to every day and every minute. And it’s the next shot he’s thinking about and that’s something we can all really remember about our lives is on the golf course. You’ve already made the ones you made, you can’t undo them, take the next shot, make it work, that’s the way Palmer made us feel.” – President Bill Clinton

Arnie was produced by 13-time Emmy Award winner and former NBC Sports feature producer Israel DeHerrera, whose work has been seen on broadcasts of Super Bowls, Olympics and golf’s major championships; and written by Peabody Award recipient and 18-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Cohen, associated with acclaimed sports documentaries for HBO, as well as for NBC, ESPN, NFL and MLB. Additionally, five-time Emmy Award winner Mason Seay is associate producer. Seay’s late father, Ed, was Palmer’s course design business partner for more than 30 years.

“Instead of just telling an incredible story, we wanted to capture special moments to showcase what Mr. Palmer has meant to the game of golf and why he has been so beloved for more than 60 years,” DeHerrera said.

The three parts of Arnie feature:

“Arnie & His Army” – Sunday, April 13 at 10 p.m. ET following Live From the Masters – This first episode recalls the people who influenced Palmer and instilled the values of integrity and human kindness that helped make him the man he has become both on and off the golf course, with special tribute to his parents Deacon and Doris. This retrospective ranges from stories of Deacon teaching him how to grip a golf club to his early days on the PGA TOUR with his first wife, Winnie, as they raised a family together to those who helped build Palmer into a worldwide brand. And this brand was built around a man who never fails to acknowledge his fans or sign an autograph, an autograph famed for always being legible. Palmer believes if you are going to take the time to sign, make it right, which is a philosophy he has ingrained in other sports superstars. The first hour also delves into Palmer’s influence on sports marketing. Before Michael Jordan and Nike there was Arnold on his tractor touting the benefits of Pennzoil motor oil. He was the first athlete who had any kind of significant influence on popular culture, an influence that continues to this day. In fact, his range of influence has been unrivaled – evidenced in part by the fact that he could perform as a spokesperson for Pennzoil while, concurrently, serving as an ambassador for the luxury Rolex brand.

“The first time I saw Arnold Palmer was at the Ohio Amateur in 1955 and it was pouring rain and I looked outside and there was this guy out on the range hitting these screaming long irons, and I asked the pro, ‘Who is that?’ and he said ‘That’s Arnold Palmer.’ And I said, ‘Oh, that’s Arnold Palmer.’” – Jack Nicklaus

“Arnie & His Majors” – Monday, April 14 at 10 p.m. ET – The second episode remembers Palmer’s competitive career, his go-for-broke style and his ups and downs at golf’s major championships. Covered are his amateur victories, including the U.S. Amateur in 1954, which he calls his most important win ever; his four Masters titles in a span of only seven years; the thrills of his U.S. Open victories and how winning the Open Championship in 1961 at Royal Birkdale changed that major championship forever in the minds of American players. Also explored is Palmer’s challenging history with the PGA Championship – the only major he never won.

“Some people have forgotten about his career a little bit, and they just know he’s ‘The King,” they don’t realize, that this guy was amazing, he played like a Seve Ballesteros, Lanny Wadkins, myself, and Phil Mickelson all wrapped up into one. There wasn’t a flag stick he wouldn’t go at; there wasn’t a drive he didn’t try to squeeze out there in a tight area. My dad told me if you want to be the best, you’ve got to be willing to do what other guys aren’t willing to do, and that was Arnold Palmer.” – Johnny Miller

“Arnie & His Legacy” – Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET – The concluding hour delves into the legacy of Arnold Palmer and his influence on popular culture, which stretches way beyond the links. Despite his last win on the PGA TOUR coming 40 years ago, according to “The Golf Digest 50” money list, Arnold Palmer had his best-year ever in earnings in 2013 and was the third-highest earner off of the golf course, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. This placed Palmer second behind Michael Jordan on Forbes’ list of highest-paid retired athletes in 2013. The Arnold Palmer brand has launched a wide range of businesses, including a lifestyle designer label in the Asian marketplace with more than 400 retail outlets, a self-titled iced tea-lemonade beverage, golf course design and management firms, and even a cable television network by co-founding Golf Channel nearly 20 years ago. And his long-standing relevance in popular culture continues to have an impact, evident by the fact that he was just as likely to have his photo taken with Hollywood starlet Esther Williams as a 17-year-old in 1947 as he was with supermodel Kate Upton as an 83-year-old in 2013. He has always had the ear of golfing U.S. Presidents starting with his special friendship with President Dwight Eisenhower and the admiration of Hollywood icons like Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. And Palmer has reached the echelons of the rich and famous without compromising his core values throughout his life, which are on display with his many charitable endeavors that have raised millions of dollars for charities, including the world-renowned Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando and hosting the PGA TOUR’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at his Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge.

 

Weekend wrap: Charles Barkley doesn’t like ESPN; Why Yankees featured more than Red Sox on Fox games this year

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Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports media…

Charles Barkley: Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing writes that Barkley says he never will work at ESPN. Until, of course, he does. From an interview with Dan Patrick.

On whether ESPN has ever offered him a job…

“They call me every year, but I would never go there.  Number one they work their guys too hard, but also I think they manufacture stories.  They manufacture controversies.”

On Dan Patrick joking that he could channel Skip Bayless…

“The next sound you’ll hear is me killing myself.”

Fox Sport 1: John Ourand of Sports Business Daily reports Fox Sports execs like the trends for the new network, although there’s still a long, long way to go.

Six months later, though, it’s clear that Fox Sports 1 isn’t ESPN — not by a long shot. It’s not even ESPN2 yet.

But its audience is bigger and better than its predecessor Speed, and Fox Sports executives say that they are encouraged by the viewership trends they’ve seen during the last month as it has started to produce live NASCAR races on the channel for the first time.

“Our first goal was to do better with Fox Sports 1 than we were doing with Speed,” said Bill Wanger, Fox Sports Media Group’s executive vice president of programming, research and content strategy. “We achieved that.”

Dodger TV woes: Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes about Dodgers’ fans frustrations with cable providers not carrying the new Dodgers TV network.

Roger Arrieta, a graphic designer from West Covina, launched one on his DodgersBeat.com blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts, punctuated by a design he created showing a fan with an L.A. cap covered in a blindfold under the heading: “Dodger Fans Held Hostage.”

 “It’s like we’re all being held hostage by billion-dollar companies, and as fans, we know it is what it is, we’re going to see our bills go higher, but why can’t they just get it done?” said Arrieta, a 41-year-old who saw what he could accomplish with his “Save the Dodgers” social media movement several years ago, when former owner Frank McCourt went into bankruptcy.

Baseball on Fox: Steve Lepore of Awful Announcing looks at Fox’s baseball schedule for 2014. Which teams are on too much, and not enough?

Fox stipulated in their new deal that they could grab more games featuring the 15 teams who have RSNs owned by Fox than the ones they don’t. That proved true to form when the schedule got announced, as there are 88 games featuring teams that do play on Fox networks (which include YES, as they have a majority stake in the Yankees channel), and 44 on non-Fox RSNs like Comcast, ROOT and Time Warner Cable.

APSE contest: The complete list of the newspaper, digital and writing winners in the annual contest.

Six media groups won “Grand Slam” honors in the annual Associated Press Sports Editors’ writing and sections contest that ended Wednesday.

The Boston Globe and Washington Post, competing in the over-175,000 circulation division, earned top-10 recognition for their daily, Sunday and special sections to augment a top-10 website award previously announced in the Class A website division (over 2 million monthly unique visitors).

Grammar police: Michael Bradley, writing for the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana, talks about the myriad of grammar woes in today’s media.

Before just about every class I teach at esteemed universities in the Philadelphia area, I provide a few reminders of grammatical rules for students, few (if any) of whom have any idea of what the regulations are. Even college seniors, many of whom graduated from top-flight high schools, have little idea what appositives and split infinitives are. And don’t even mention a gerund, lest the young folks’ eyes begin to spin wildly.

Jarrett Payton: Robert Feder reports Walter’s son now is a part of new afternoon team on sports talk radio in Chicago.

Jarrett Payton, former NFL running back and son of Bears legend Walter Payton, has been hired as afternoon co-host at Tribune Broadcasting sports/talk WGWG LP 87.7, station officials confirmed Monday.

Starting Wednesday, he’ll join Harry Teinowitz and Spike Manton from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on The Game 87.7 FM.

“I think Jarrett is way more than sports royalty in this town,” said Todd Manley, vice president of creative content at The Game. “He’s the sort of creative, inventive mind that will help us define the future of this brand.”

 

Very cool: Frank Thomas with Babe Ruth’s actual Called Shot bat at Cooperstown

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Chuck Garfien had a surprise for me during Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Sports Talk Live Thursday. While discussing my new book, Babe Ruth’s Called: The Myth and Mystery Behind Baseball’s Greatest Home Run, he showed a clip of Frank Thomas’ recent visit to Coopertown.

Lo and behold, there was the new Hall of Famer looking at Ruth’s actual bat from the Called Shot. Then donning white gloves, he swung another one of Ruth’s bats. It had notches in it from Ruth recording his homers. Very cool.

Here is the link to the video.

Also, while on the publicity front, here is a link to my interview with Corey McPherrin at Fox 32 this week.

And many thanks to Ron Kaplan of the Baseball Bookshelf for doing a podcast on my book.

In the intro, Kaplan writes:

Forgive me if I can’t cite a specific source, but I ‘m guessing more books have been written about Babe Ruth than any other athlete. Stand to reason; Ruth made his major league debut 100 years ago as a phenom for the Boston Red Sox, so there’s been a lot of time to digest what he’s meant to the national pastime, especially in the aftermath of the Black Sox scandal when he was given almost total credit for “saving the game.”

Remember, Ruth played at a time when there was no television, and even radio was in its early years of sports coverage. So the responsibility fell to the writers, hence so many articles and books, even now.

In Babe Ruth’s Called Shot: The Myth and Mystery of Baseball’s Greatest Home Run, Ed Sherman, a longtime sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune and the host of ShermanReport.com, a national website on sports media, focuses on perhaps the one “defining moment” in a superlative career.

 

 

How John Wooden, Curt Gowdy played roles in a reluctant Dick Vitale launching broadcast career at ESPN

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Earlier this week, I did a USA Today story on 70-plus announcers/analysts who still are thriving in the business. Naturally a main focus was on Dick Vitale, 74 going on 17.

While talking to Vitale, he told a great tale on how he reluctantly got into broadcasting after being fired from the Detroit Pistons. It turns out a couple legends helped plant the seeds.

Here is video of that first ESPN game, DePaul-Wisconsin in 1979.

Here’s Dickie V on how he wound up behind the microphone.

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The last game I coached (for Detroit) was in Lexington. We were playing Michigan (in the NCAA Sweet 16). We had a good team.

We’re at practice and there are three guys in the stands. Two of them are Curt Gowdy and John Wooden. I’m saying, “What is this?”

The third guy comes over and says, “I’m Scotty Connal, the head of production for NBC. We’re doing your game tomorrow.”

After practice, they all came down to listen to me give a talk to my team. Wooden and Gowdy, two Hall of Famers. Are you kidding me?

OK, then a couple of years later, after I get fired from the Pistons, I get a call. He says, “You won’t remember me, but I was with Curt Gowdy and John Wooden (in Lexington). When we left the arena that day, Curt and John said, ‘That guy has personality. You might want to give him a chance to do TV.'”

He said, “I want to give you a chance to do our first basketball game for ESPN.”

I said, “No, I’m going back to coaching in college. I made a mistake going to the NBA. I was on the fast track. I teaching sixth grade and seven years later, I’m coaching in the NBA. I belong in college basketball.”

Now all of the sudden, nobody’s calling me (with offers to coach). I’m depressed. I’m hanging around the house watching General Hospital. I’m driving my wife crazy.

(Lorraine) gets in my cage. “You’re not the first guy to get fired and you won’t be the last guy.”

Luckily, Scotty calls me back. My wife says, “Do the game. Go have fun.” She just wanted to get me out of the house.

My first game, I have no idea what’s happening. I’m walking the streets of Chicago. I had no idea about production meetings. I arrive about 1:15 before the game and they’re going crazy. This is ESPN’s first college basketball game.

They say, “Where have you been?” I say, “Scotty said, ‘All I have to do is talk about basketball.’ What else do you want me to do?'”

If you had told me when I came here 35 years ago, 12 Hall of Fames, 10 books, Cosby show…I pinch myself about the life I’ve been given. It has exceeded every dream.