Cheap Seats
Attention, Spokane Chiefs management …
When the Pittsburgh Penguins play at home and a fight breaks out on the ice, the local TV affiliate airing the game flashes a logo that reads, “Arby’s Beef of the Game.”
On second thought, no way could Arby’s afford that many spots here.
Hey, Foster Brooks is back
Sports talk radio may have hit a new low when San Diego station XTRA pulled a questionable April Fools-type prank in the middle of November without labeling it a prank.
Hosts Steve Hartman and Bill Werndl claimed to be interviewing ABC’s Dan Dierdorf on Monday, when actually it was a professional impersonator who sounded as if he were intoxicated.
“What really burned me up,” Dierdorf said, “was that people were led to believe that I was drunk only a few hours before I was to go on the air (to call that night’s Chargers game against the Detroit Lions).”
The 25-minute interview had some odd moments - the impersonator at one point complained that play-by-play announcer Al Michaels had bad breath and said he looked trim because he wore a girdle - but mostly it came across as believable.
Jack Evans, the station’s director of programming, said, “I don’t see how anybody who listened to all of the interview could have taken it seriously.”
Callers who followed sure seemed to, as they lambasted Dierdorf and complained that he was drunk. Even then, Hartman and Werndl never came forth with the truth. In fact, they went out of their way to sound as if they were defending Dierdorf, continually thanking him for being a good sport and coming on their show.
“Hey, I know as announcers on ‘Monday Night Football’ that we’re targets, that we’re criticized and lampooned,” said Dierdorf. “I have a sense of humor and I’ve pulled my fair share of pranks, but what about common decency?”
You mean Dan Dierdorf doesn’t do games drunk? So what’s his excuse?
Tweakin’ ‘Nique
The recent selection of the 50 greatest players in NBA history triggered a good deal of debate on the nation’s radio call-in shows. When told one caller had phoned to say that Dominique Wilkins should’ve been on the list, NBA scouting guru Marty Blake cracked, “Must’ve been Dominique calling.”
They can handle it
Bowling Green has lost one fumble in 10 football games this fall. The NCAA season record is two, set by six teams, most recently being, yes, Bowling Green in 1993. Senior tailback Courtney Davis, a backup three years ago, has carried the ball 478 times in his career and has never lost a fumble.
The NCAA doesn’t keep that sort of record, so whether Davis is the best ever is anybody’s guess. The 5-foot-7, 190-pound Davis is not flashy, but he is dependable. An example of how important that is to Coach Gary Blackney: The Falcons’ lost fumble occurred in the season opener against Alabama. The culprit, junior Damien Platt, didn’t get another carry until seven games later.
The last word …
“Boomer Esiason threw for 522 yards? Had to be 22 yards, and 500 after the catch.”
- Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo