Sports

FOX eliminates item of interest

It’s becoming hard to tell. Who has the problem? Them or us?

Saturday, FOX had a dare-to-dream, Cy Young vs. Cy Young matchup. And FOX promoted it as if it were “American Idol.” Tim Lincecum, off a two-hitter, vs. Roy Halladay, off a no-hitter.

But early in the game, at the end of every half-inning, FOX failed to post the linescore — the score, with each team’s hits and errors. FOX only put up the score.

On this night, the one game when a linescore would be of extra interest, it was eliminated. Them or us? But that’s OK, a CBS in-game promo, yesterday, noted that Alec Baldwin will make “a surprise visit” to David Letterman’s show tonight.

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Given David Wells‘ past infamies and misadventures it kills me to write this, but the TBS pregame and postgame panelist/analyst has carried both studio shows. He has been relaxed, relevant and irreverent. His opinions have been logical and applicable — and have mostly played out the way he guessed they would.

During Friday night’s pregame, Wells interviewed Kid Rock, whose new song has been used as TBS’ postseason theme music, and whose presence apparently was supposed to satisfy TV’s relentless quest to market young men by marrying sports to the latest, hottest forms of entertainment.

The session promised to be awkward, forced, except Wells made it baseball-relevant, asking Kid Rock questions about growing up in Detroit, playing ball and rooting for the Tigers. Wells made something out of something else.

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Although not yet ready for prime time, TBS’ John Smoltz is getting there. Friday, Game 1 at 5-5, Yankees on first and third, none out, Rangers reliever Derek Holland had Marcus Thames at 1-2.

Smoltz: “Ron [Darling], ya gotta think he’s gotta throw something at his feet, down in the dirt, see if he can get a strikeout here.”

Next pitch, Holland throws one in the dirt, at Thames’ feet.

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Count reader Andrew Mayer among those who have thoroughly enjoyed TBS’ playoffs coverage. He writes: “Yes sir, em I happi TBS telz me wut base ball game wee r wutchin wiff does letters that roll bye on th buttum ov da screen wilst th game is playin oder wize id niver know. Tanks TBS, fer shur.”

YES! Francesa knows end to Cablevision saga

Yesterday, Mike Francesa said he would shortly address the Cablevision-FOX dispute.

The last time Fran-say-so applied his inside expertise to such a hassle was March of 2002, when he guaranteed that YES would be cleared on Cablevision systems by the time the Yankees played their opener. YES was cleared on Cablevision for the Yankees opener, all right, the 2003 opener.

Still, reader “Howard” writes that I should get off Francesa’s back for making so many strong and wrong prognostications: “Unless I’m incorrect, didn’t he pick the Pirates and Royals not to make the playoffs?”

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The only problem with Joe Morgan serving as an ESPN Radio analyst on the Rangers-Yankees series is that he has conditioned many not to believe a word he says.

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With Lions linebacker Zack Follett immobilized and about to be wheeled to an ambulance, yesterday, Giants radio analyst Carl Banks, on WFAN, delivered the obligatory “This puts everything in perspective” speech. Not likely. If it does, it’ll be the first time.

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After Giants punter Matt Dodge‘s early first quarter fumble, neither Dick Stockton nor Charles Davis, working the game for FOX, seemed to know that Dodge has had nothing but troubles thus far, which explained the quick, loud booing. Otherwise, Davis saw and spoke the game’s particulars very well.

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HGH doc Anthony Galea, Canadian physician to Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, to name a few, was indicted Thursday by a U.S. grand jury. ESPN’s Brent “Give ‘Roids A Chance” Musburger has been eliminated from the jury pool.

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NCAA Builds Character Game of the Week: Jacksonville University’s 86-7 win over 0-7 Valparaiso. The winners actually threw 33 passes — three more than the losers. With its starting quarterback still in the game, Jacksonville threw a 25-yard completion, leading to a TD that made it 73-7. Head coach: Ex-NFL QB Kerwin Bell. What a champ!

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Postseason lookalikes: Reader David Meehan‘s wife submits Giants closer Brian Wilson‘s new, dark and uneven beard with the beards and mustaches made on Wooly Willy, using the magnetic wand and metal shavings.

Too many wordy analysts

Lead ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who worked Ohio State-Wisconsin, has the plan down cold — he does not stop talking. And while FOX yesterday spared us here the filibustering of Daryl Johnston, CBS filled the void with Dan Dierdorf on Jets-Broncos. All make good points, but those are lost in a vat of words.

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When FOX had the BCS bowl games, the ESPN football “experts” endlessly mocked it. Now that ESPN has the BCS, it’s embraced by ESPNers as supercalafragilistic!

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Cablevision victims: The Frank Caliendo, as Charles Bark ley, and Aries Spears, as Shaquille O’Neal, routine on yesterday’s FOX NFL pregame was brilliant, find-online hilarious.

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When Jets radio play-by-player Bob Wischusen speaks football — which he often did, yesterday — instead of shouting football — which he also often did, yesterday, he’s a good listen.

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FOX, yesterday during Lions-Giants, ran the same Jeep commercial on consecutive breaks, three minutes apart. … Why does FOX’s Terry Bradshaw address teams as if, moments from kickoff, players are gathered around a TV, listening to him? And Bradshaw’s face-to-camera essays at times seem more designed to make a big splash — his Steelers should cut Ben Roethlisberger spew — than a good point.

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As Manhattan reader Carol Hopkins writes: “Even God is on our side!” Two Sundays ago, on WABC Radio’s “Religion On The Line,” Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and Deacon Kevin McCormack, principal of Brooklyn’s Xaverian H.S., lamented that they, as well as their flocks, are stuck with John Sterling. Really.