Sports on the air

Remote Patrol

Can I get a witness from the congregation?

By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 12, 2003

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It won't begin airing until February, but ESPN's reality series Dream Job will launch its 29-city search for a SportsCenter anchor Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles.

And yes, ESPN will be coming to Tampa. A venue and time has not been announced, but the date - Oct. 4 - has. The auditions are open to anyone 18 and older.

Local winners advance to the semifinals (the televisied portion of the competition) and will go through an elimination process. Stuart Scott is the host, with a panel of judges and viewers deciding the eventual winner.

Go south, Fin fans

Remember when the Tampa Bay area used to be Dolphins country? Well, no more.

Of the four NFL games broadcast here last weekend, the Dolphins loss to the Texans rated last with a 9.0.

The Bucs were obviously No. 1 (with a 39.4), the Rams-Giants game was second (20.2) and even a boring Falcons-Cowboys matchup posted an 11.7.

You can draw two conclusions - the Bucs success has strongly tilted the area's interest to the NFC, and Fox could air pee wee football and still beat out CBS's offering.

Boxing back, and it's free

Because of the success of its Saturday boxing series this year, NBC is bringing it back Saturday as 2000 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez takes on David Murillo, and undefeated 1996 U.S. Olympian David Diaz battles Jauquin Gallardo.

Telemundo will broadcast the boxing from 3:30-4:30 p.m., leading into the NBC Boxing Series.

Another day, another curse special

Just when Red Sox fans should start feeling good about their team (if that really truly ever happens), HBO presents Sports will explore the dreaded Curse of the Bambino at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

In it, historian Glenn Stout disputes the widely held belief that Harry Frazee sold Ruth to finance the Broadway play No No Nanette, saying the play didn't surface until five years after the sale. Instead, he says Ruth was sold because of his selfish behavior and unwillingness to follow team rules.

Proving again that Ruth was ahead of his time.

Quote of the week

"Let's not forget that when Steve Young was traded from Tampa Bay to San Francisco, he was a 53 percent completion quarterback and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. ( Jake) Plummer has great talent around him now and I expect him to rise." - Fox's Terry Bradshaw, before Plummer completed 48 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and three interceptions ... against Cincinnati.

Tonight's games: Pinellas

Baseball

AL: Radke, Twins tie for lead in Central

Ceremonies mark 9/11: 'It's a sad day'

NL: Maddux lasts 32/3 innings in loss to Phils

College football

If Clarett wants CFL it's his call to make

UF misses no beat with shuffling line

Golf

Two 65s lead PGA's Deere Classic

In brief

Jones likely to lose heavyweight title

Motorsports

A legend in the making

China, Bahrain hot, Canada not for F1

NFL

Bengals coach forces Dillon to talk

NHL

Retirement looms for Bure

Outdoors

Angler evolution

Daily fishing report

Preps

Eagles feel like winning

Friday night football by the numbers

Game of the week

Player spotlight: Tyler Gross

The maxims: East Bay vs. Wharton

Tonights games: Hillsborough

Sports on the air

Remote Patrol

Guerrero's looks offset fumbles

Rays

Halladay hurries to stop Raysfor No. 20

Rays see hope for Brazelton rebound

Up next: Yankees

Bucs

This is one towel they'll never throw in

Speed of live game shocking for Smith

Lightning

No letdown, Lightning brass warns

Players lose breath, more in fitness test