Sports

Shooting from the lip

By TOM JONES
Published June 4, 2007

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The good news was Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final was on TV in Tampa Bay. The bad news was Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final was on TV in Tampa Bay. Meantime, Reggie Miller had a great weekend. So did a too-little-used reporter from BayNews 9. Tim McCarver? Not so much. Times staff writer Tom Jones offers the ups and downs of a weekend of televised sports.

Best broadcaster of the weekend

Reggie Miller, who should be on TNT all the time based on his weekend work during the NBA playoffs, had the perfect line in describing LeBron James' incredible 48-point performance in Cleveland's Game 5 victory against the Pistons: "Overnight, he became the face of the NBA."

It's true. James is now the star of the league, surpassing Kobe Bryant, and that's probably good news for the league seeing as how LeBron, for now, doesn't have the baggage Kobe does.

By the way, Miller also had the best line during halftime of Game 6 between the Pistons and Cavs when saying LeBron can't do it all himself: "It's all up to Tito and Jermaine right now." (That's a Jackson 5 reference for those who are not up on their pop culture.)

 

Roughest weekend

Fox's Tim McCarver didn't have his best day calling Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game. He said in order to get out Boston's David Ortiz, you have to pitch him inside. When Ortiz came up a second time, a graphic sponsored by Burger King showed the best way to get Ortiz out is to pitch him high and outside. McCarver was adamant that the graphic was wrong. To which partner Joe Buck cracked, "We'll have to see if they have it your way the next time it shows up."

Later, after Yankees starter Mike Mussina gave up a homer to cut New York's lead to one, McCarver said it was a good idea to leave him in to pitch to Jason Varitek because Mussina has a great changeup and Varitek is a fastball hitter. Varitek hit the next pitch for a homer to tie the score. McCarver's philosophy was sound. It just wasn't his day.

Oh, and this might be nitpicking, but McCarver said this Yankees team is different from the 1978 team that came from 14 games back to pass the Red Sox and, eventually, win the World Series because the 1978 group was "tough" (that's true) and "a tight, close-knit group." What? The 1978 Yankees with Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Sparky Lyle, Billy Martin (who was fired that season) and owner George Steinbrenner was one of the most dysfunctional teams ever. They even earned the nickname "The Bronx Zoo."

Best thing to watch on TV this week

He's politically incorrect. He's head-strong and opinionated. He might say anything, and I mean anything. That's why I'll be sure to be watching the second intermission of tonight's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final when Canadian legend Don Cherry makes his U.S. television debut. For the past 25 years, Cherry has been dropping bombs on Canadian television with his outlandish hockey commentary, and tonight he brings it to the United States.

"A lot of people have written that what I say up here I would never get away with it down in the States, " Cherry said. He's right. That's why you should watch.

 

Best move

Give credit to Channel 8 for running a crawl at 8 p.m. telling hockey fans where they could find Game 3 of the final.

Strongest quote

With the bottom falling out on Lou Piniella with the Cubs, here's what Chicago Tribune baseball writer Paul Sullivan had to say on ESPN's Baseball Tonight:

"I think Lou is probably wondering what he was thinking to come here. ... He has got the talent, he just doesn't got the team that has the baseball-like hue right now. They look like they haven't even played baseball sometimes. I think he's a little frustrated right now."

 

Best local shoutout

On Fox's baseball pregame, analyst Eric Karros gave his "Hero of the Week" to former Seminole High standout Casey Kotchman, who is hitting at about a .450 clip the past few weeks while playing an outstanding first base for the Angels.

 

Two points about hockey

Two things jumped out from Saturday's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. One, there was a controversial call as Ottawa was awarded a goal that appeared to be kicked in by Daniel Alfredsson. I've been railing on this for years. Here's how to eliminate this controversy: Allow players to kick the puck into the goal! You're allowed to pass with your feet, why not score? I still don't understand why this is not allowed, especially as the league continues to look for increased scoring.

Second, Ottawa scored when it won a draw in the Anaheim zone when Anaheim only had four skaters on the ice - and it wasn't a power play. The Ducks simply didn't put enough players on the ice. I have covered the NHL since 1992. I've been watching hockey since, oh, 1972. And I've never, ever seen something like that.

Worst use of light

It was great that Catch 47 stepped up and aired Saturday night's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final because Channel 8 was showing a telethon. But the only person who might have thoroughly enjoyed the game was Corey Hart. (I'll wait while you get the "I wear my sunglasses at night" joke.) I don't know if it was an NBC issue or something in the transmission to Catch 47, but you needed sunglasses to watch that game. Seriously, the ice was so white that it, well, whited out the faceoff circles and, at times, the puck and the players. I think I might have eye damage.

 

Something to keep in mind

Don't use ink to write down the San Antonio Spurs as champions just yet. Sure, they'll be heavy favorites to beat LeBron's Cavs, but something to chew on: The teams played twice this season and Cleveland won both.

 

Best point

ESPN's Outside the Lines had a solid piece on the proliferation of 24-hour sports-talk radio. The best quote came from Michael Holley, a sports radio personality in Boston. "It's not about how deep your sports knowledge is, " Holley said. "It's what you're willing to say."

By the way, did you realize there are 527 all-sports radio stations in this country?

Longtime political consultant James Carville, who hosts a weekly sports show on XM radio said, "It's part of American culture now, like McDonald's or Wal-Mart."

 

Best interview

Sometimes, the little things surprise you. While the ESPNs and Foxes and ABCs and so forth are breaking out major coverage of the NBA and baseball and whatever, sometimes you can find a little gem by flipping around the local stations.

That happened Saturday night when, in the midst of watching the NHL and NBA playoffs, I stumbled onto BayNews 9 and caught an interesting interview between The Sports Connection's Roxanne Wilder (a vastly under-used talent at BayNews 9/Catch 47) and Devil Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman. It wasn't Watergate or even blowing the lid off steroids. It was simply about baseball's upcoming draft, but it was good insight into the Rays' approach. Wilder asked great questions and Friedman gave great answers. Add it up and what do you have? Great sports TV made greater because it was a surprise.

 

Number of the weekend

When Barry Bonds dropped a flyball on Saturday, it was only the 23rd fly he has dropped in his 22-year major-league career.

Best list and laugh

During Saturday's coverage of the French Open, NBC analyst John McEnroe listed his five greatest male players of all time.

1. Rod Laver.

2 (tie) Roger Federer.

2 (tie) Pete Sampras.

4. Bjorn Borg.

5. Andre Agassi.

Broadcast partner Mary Carillo said, "I'm surprised (Ivan) Lendl is not on your list."

McEnroe laughed and said, "You're surprised by that?"

Lendl rallied from two sets down to beat McEnroe in the 1984 French Open and deny Johnny Mac the one Grand Slam tournament he never won.

[Last modified June 4, 2007, 10:53:26]

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