Fox Uses ‘Albert Belle,’ ‘Promotion’ In Same Breath

Fox is after baseball’s bad boy, Albert Belle, and why not? They’re not promoting choir boys over there.

So, as long as Belle doesn’t blow off Fox, too, the network will feature him in at least one advertising campaign for its coverage of major league baseball this season.

“I’m trying to promote this to today’s person,” Fox Sports executive vice president Tracy Dolgin said. “And that person isn’t looking for an angel, as you see with Dennis Rodman or Charles Barkley. I wouldn’t classify them as heroes, but I would classify them as reasons to watch the sport. My job is not to make heroes, but … personalities.”

Fox just finished shooting most of its ads in spring training, and now begins the process of cutting and editing. There’s a little more at stake this year because along with games on Fox, the network will be showing weekly games on its cable station, fX, and on Fox Sports Net.

“If Mickey Mantle was playing today, he wouldn’t be sold like he was then,” Dolgin said. “He wouldn’t be sold as an altar boy - ‘Oh, gee willickers, Mick.’ “Today, Mickey Mantle’s whole life would be on the table - a fun guy. His partying would be legendary, and you would promote him much differently, and people would still look up to him.”

One of baseball’s biggest mistakes in recent years was trying to promote the game like it was still 1950, if it was promoted at all.

“The kids today aren’t looking for someone who is perfect, or for someone with no flaws,” Dolgin said. “They’re looking for people that they can relate to who are bigger-than-life. This is not ‘Meet the Cleavers.”’ And besides, to ignore Albert Belle and Frank Thomas together in Chicago is to ignore a major story in baseball this year, Dolgin said.

He also believes the time is right to sell baseball to a new generation.

“In 20-20 hindsight, I wonder if America was ready for these ads last year, with their minds still on the labor situation,” Dolgin said. “Were people ready to laugh and have fun with baseball? I would say some were and some weren’t.”

But Dolgin said he is willing to go on the record as saying “this is year that baseball grows faster than it has ever grown.” One reason, interleague play has instilled the same kind of debate among fans the designated hitter once did.

Out takes

NBC and NBA Entertainment have teamed to put together what promises to be one of the weekend’s viewing highlights, a half hour special on the great Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain rivalry on Sunday. Bob Costas has the two in the studio together for interviews.

Entitled “Giants of the Game: Russell and Chamberlain,” it will serve, if nothing else, to remind a newer generation of fans that the NBA did not begin with Michael Jordan.

In keeping, Ahmad Rashad, who also predates Jordan, is the host.