• Celtic revival
• Rising Stars, Falling Stars: Who’s hot and not in sports media?

Gorman trumpets arrival of latest Celtics’ renaissance

In his nearly three decades as Boston Celtics television play-by-play man, Mike Gorman has seen more rebuilding projects than the folks from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” This season, the Green is off to one of the best starts in team history, and once again, Gorman is front and center.

“I have never seen excitement like this so early,” says Gorman, a Dorchester, MA native who calls Celtics action regionally on Comcast SportsNet. “Did you see Gilbert Arenas’s blog after the opening game of the season? He said it was as incredible a building as he has ever been in, and that he was not ready for that type of atmosphere.”

A veteran of the New England media scene since his early days at WPRO in Providence, Gorman believes that the current Celtics are taking a cue from their successful local brethren. He states, “They have picked up the ball from the Pats and Sox and they are running with it. They are capitalizing on the success of those two teams and the organization is very conscious of that.

“This is as good an ownership as I’ve been around. They have shown a willingness to spend money and when Danny (Ainge) has come to them saying he needed something, they have never said no. They also never gave any indication that Danny’s or Doc’s (Rivers) job was in jeopardy.”

Indeed, C’s owner Wyc Grousbeck and company have been patient almost to a fault with Ainge and Rivers. The fruits of this heretofore-questionable support now taste pretty sweet. “The ownership has given Danny a chance to do his thing,” says Gorman, whose “Gorman Points” blog and mailbag can be seen at www.comcastsportsnet.com.

“He told me three or four years ago that he was going to collect some chips. Either those young players would develop, or he would trade them for established talent.

“If they had gotten the first or second draft pick, I think they would have taken Kevin Durant or Greg Oden and blended them in with Al Jefferson and the other young players. When that did not happen, Danny did a good job of putting another plan into effect. He had players that were desirable to other teams. He was never backed into a corner. Danny would have preferred to get Oden or Durant, but this option turned out even better.”

Playing the lead in this Celtic revival is Kevin Garnett. Gorman is as impressed with KG’s presence as he is with his performance. “After getting Ray Allen on draft night, Danny went back to Garnett and asked, ‘How do we look now?’

“Garnett is an old soul. I didn’t know what to expect personality-wise. A lot of people have said that it would have been better to get Garnett when he was younger. I think we got him at the perfect time. He is motivated to win a title and Danny knew that.”

The versatility and leadership of Garnett conjures up visions of past Celtic stars. Says Gorman, “I was fascinated talking to Garnett. He is inclusive. It is we, not I. He is extremely sensitive as well. He told me that in his entire career, he has never felt so appreciated. He wants to give back.

“We have a 7’1” guy who is our best rebounder, best passer, best defender and a great scorer. Only Larry Bird and Dave Cowens come to mind in that way. In college basketball, the coach’s personality dominates the team. In the NBA, your best player’s personality dominates the team.”

The Celtics’ fast start has fans licking their chops in anticipation of a playoff bonanza, but Gorman says that the journey might be as fun as the ultimate destination. “These guys are into the process of getting to where they want to be. There are in no hurry to get to May and June. They want to enjoy every practice and game. This is probably the best team that Ray Allen, Garnett and Paul Pierce have been on and they are going to make the Garden a tough place to play again.”

Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen are powerful offensive forces, but Gorman focuses more on their defense and team philosophy. “The goal of really good players is to make the other guys around them better. With KG and Ray, guys like (Brian) Scalabrine and (Kendrick) Perkins can focus on their strengths.

“This team is so much better defensively. (Assistant coach) Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for coaching defense. I asked Tommy (Heinsohn) about the defense and he said that it is so much easier when the best player (Garnett) buys in.

“The top 8 players on this team can all play defense and they have all bought into this. I spoke to (WEEI midday host) Dale Arnold and he said, ‘Let’s see how things are 30 games into the season.’ I told him that he has not been around Kevin Garnett too much.”

One guy who is benefiting from being around Kevin Garnett is Paul Pierce. In the past, Gorman has stated that Pierce is not built to be a vocal leader. With Garnett’s arrival, the Celtics captain can focus on playing, not public speaking.

“Sometimes, you love your job, but there is one part of it that you don’t like,” Gorman relates. “That’s how I see Pierce. With Garnett, Paul does not have to do that anymore. Paul tried to be the vocal leader, but it is not in his nature to stand up and speak in the locker room. Ray Allen is a great leader, but he is not very demonstrative. Garnett would give me a glare if he heard me say this, but ultimately, he will be the defining guy on this team.”

With success, comes pressure. Gorman recognizes that the great start has raised the bar for this team as the season progresses. “Doc welcomes the expectations. It’s great to develop players, but you look up and you’re 100 games under .500. Doc would rather hear people say that the Celtics should reach the Conference Finals as opposed to saying they might be an 8th seed and get knocked out in the first round.”

“If this team loses a few games, they are not going to question themselves and turn it into a long losing streak. That’s what happened with the young players last year. People have asked how many games I think this team will win this season. I tell them that the number for me is 72. If Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo can play 72 games, they will be great.”

History shows that past Celtics teams put a strong emphasis on the point guard, whether it was Bob Cousy feeding Bill Russell inside, Jo Jo White whipping down the court to start the fastbreak or the late Dennis Johnson firing a laser to Larry Bird for an easy layup. This year’s quarterback is Rajon Rondo, a veritable babe among the seasoned vets.

“Rondo is going to be fine,” says Gorman. “He is scoring, but that’s not even an issue. He is a strong defender and very smart with the ball. People ask if he can make shots. This team has three Hall of Famers. With KG and Ray, the Celtics are pushing the ball up the floor. If they get an early shot, they take it, but if not, these great players can get their touches and make teams defend.

“Doc wants to play 8 guys, 9 at the most in key games. One of the Big 3 (Pierce, Allen, Garnett) will always be on the floor, maybe even two of them. Rondo can tape his fingers together and the team will be fine.”

Fine would be an understatement in describing the talent, class and consistency of Gorman’s work. The man whose career began at WNBH in New Bedford, MA has won five Emmy Awards and was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gorman perfectly balances his role as narrator, pace setter and straight man for the explosive personality of Heinsohn, his longtime partner. Gorman and Heinsohn are recognized as the longest running broadcast team in television sports history.

“I try be non-intrusive, hopefully adding to the viewing experience without interrupting it,” says Gorman, who has also called Connecticut Sun WNBA hoops. “A little humor every now and then helps, and knowing when to be quiet is all important. Play-by-play announcers who think they are the show are all too common these days.

“There are too many guys who are just trying to get on “SportsCenter.” Play-by-play is supposed to be spontaneous, not planned. With the possible exception of Keith Jackson on college football, I can't think of ever tuning into a game just to hear the play-by-play guy.”

In addition to his legendary status as Celtics announcer, Gorman has also worked the Olympics for NBC. The 1992 Summer Games hold special meaning. “I got to spend a month in Barcelona with my wife Teri and our daughter Kristen (age 7 at the time). That was the year of the original basketball Dream Team with whom we spent a lot of time. As a family we still retell stories and adventures we had that month.”

With those memories safely tucked away, Gorman, in his 27th season of Celtics play-by-play, is now experiencing a new dream. “I was spoiled to walk right in with the 1980s Celtics. Those teams were very rare and now to have it happen again, I am ecstatic. People say that Allen and Garnett are old, but come on, we are not talking about Roger Clemens here. These guys have all come together at the perfect time.”

Rising Stars

Troy Aikman, Fox: Kudos to Aikman for giving credit to Bill Parcells for his role in revitalizing the Dallas Cowboys. Most of the mainstream media ignores the Tuna factor in Dallas because Parcells never bowed down to the press. Aikman’s assertion that Parcells’ keen eye for talent stacked this roster was long overdue.

Frank Deford, HBO: If you haven’t seen Deford’s latest “Real Sports” story about an organ recipient and the family of a young donor who committed suicide, you might have missed the most heart wrenching feature story of the year. It is worth seeing, and seeing again.

Andrea Kremer, NBC: Kremer continues to set the pace in sideline reporting on “Sunday Night Football.” She made the impossible a reality, actually getting detailed information on injuries to Patriots players during the game vs. the Eagles. Al Michaels should have brought back his old “Do you believe in miracles?” call.

Falling Stars

Cris Carter, HBO: Carter is one of the most entertaining studio analysts on “Inside the NFL,” but he did a mild flip-flop recently. Earlier in the season, Carter said that the Patriots could go undefeated. Recently, he stated that the Steelers would be the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. So, which one is it, Cris?

USA Today: Tuesday’s sports headline at USAToday.com read, “After close call vs. Eagles, Patriots are imperfect 11-0.” Huh? I had no idea that a three-point win relegated a team to imperfection. I guess we better revisit the 1972 Dolphins supposed perfect season. On October 22, 1972, they beat the lowly Bills (4-8-1 season record) by only one point in Miami. Cancel that champagne order, boys.

Roger Goodell: The NFL commissioner has proven himself to be a heavy-handed despot when it comes to players toting guns or coaches taping opponents’ signals, but his inaction in getting the NFL Network on basic cable packages is embarrassing. Goodell wields enough power to get the greedy cable companies (Hello, Comcast and your $7.95 a month fee) to surrender a few bucks and allow fans to see his product without sacrificing college for their children.

He has been panned for defending African American sports personalities and criticizing African American sports personalities. He has been chastised for being too outspoken and too reticent. Television maestro Bryant Gumbel spent 15 years (1982-97) as the cohost of NBC’s “Today” show, but his today centers around sports.

Since 1995, he has been the host of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” The Emmy-winning machine continues to set the pace in intelligent and enlightening sports talk and features.

Part of the fascination with “Real Sports” is Gumbel himself, who is as inscrutable as he is talented. Since bursting onto the national scene in 1975 as host of NBC’s NFL, MLB and NCAA basketball coverage, Gumbel has been a lightning rod for everyone from David Letterman to Dave Chappelle. Through all the public furor, Gumbel remains an intensely private man, eschewing personal interviews and the showbiz spotlight.

On Thanksgiving night, Gumbel begins his second season as play-by-play man for the NFL Network. Last week, Gumbel, who rarely agrees to one-on-one interviews, spoke candidly to Media Blitz about his life, career and sports in general.

“People who know me know that I rarely talk about what I do,” says the 59 year-old Gumbel. “I was raised that way. My dad (the late Richard Gumbel) was a judge. He was smarter that I am and a better person than I am. I’m just a guy on TV. I prefer to be a quiet person. I have friends who enjoy the limelight. I’d rather play golf everyday.”

Gumbel’s resistance to delve into his personal life is in stark contrast to his open discussion of his latest television chef-d’oeuvre. “I have never enjoyed or been more proud of a show ever.” The show he speaks of is “Real Sports,” Gumbel’s media Nirvana if you will. The HBO program combines the sobering reality of news with the gleeful escape of sports. Gumbel appears to be every bit the proud parent when his correspondents join him in studio after another groundbreaking feature.

“Sports are games, but they have a serious side, says Gumbel. “I laugh because for the reporters, the most intense thing we do is the interview after the story. They have no idea what I am going to ask them. I am just as curious as the viewer. We never rehearse the interview. On the rare occasion that we have to do a second take, I’ll change my questions. “Real Sports” is more of a dream job than “Today” ever was. I interviewed a zillion authors and ingénues. After a while it becomes the same.”

So, after a career that began at KNBC in Los Angeles in 1972, what attracts Gumbel to a potential subject? “There is a common thread in stories that interest me,” he states. “There is no massive principle, but what it comes down to is whether that story makes someone say, ‘Hmm, I didn’t know that.’ Television at its finest shows viewers something that they have not seen, tells them something they did not know, and takes them somewhere they have not been.”

Unlike most of today’s derivative media personalities and programs, for Gumbel, it comes down to originality. “You have to think about how much the viewer can learn from a story. Does it have a good central character? Some stories are better in video than in print. Others are great stories, but just not good for TV.”

“Real Sports” has made good TV a habit. The program has garnered 15 Sports Emmy Awards and the 2006 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for broadcast journalism, the first such award for a sports program. Like the sports it covers, “Real Sports” comes down to teamwork.

Says Gumbel, “We have excellent production assistants on the show. They scour the small type in various periodicals looking for stories. There is also a great camaraderie among the correspondents and producers. It is not uncommon for one of our producers to show a story to his or her peers to get feedback. This is quite rare, but a regular part of our program. We want to look good in the eyes of our peers.”

“Real Sports” features such gifted correspondents as Frank Deford, Bernard Goldberg, James Brown, Andrea Kremer, Jon Frankel and Mary Carillo, all of whom seem perfect for their various assignments. Does the program develop stories to fit the reporter?

“It’s a great question,” says Gumbel, who also hits the field to cover various stories. “When a story comes up, we see who is available. Maybe Frank (Deford) or Bernie (Goldberg) is around, but maybe not. It would be nice to have the luxury of tailoring a story to a correspondent, but we don’t have that.”

One of the most remarkable dichotomies of Gumbel is his stance on television. This is a man who has lived in the medium since his early 20s, yet remains somewhat distanced from it. He explains, “I’ve never seen “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” “CSI,” or “American Idol.” I don’t watch TV. I watch sports because it has the things I like, drama and human interaction.”

Much of the criticism that Gumbel has engendered is due to his utter fearlessness and honesty. Today’s media is far too concerned with being liked by rich and powerful athletes. As silent as Gumbel may be in life, he shows no such reserve in his work.

In 1989, a memo criticizing some of his “Today” show colleagues was leaked to the public. While hosting the CBS “Early Show,” Gumbel’s disgust with a guest mistakenly went out over the airwaves. Gumbel again courted controversy in February of 2006 when, in his “Real Sports” commentary, he said of the Winter Olympics, “Count me among those who don't care about them and won't watch them … So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the winter games look like a GOP convention.”

In August of 2006, Gumbel, directing his comments to new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, offered these stinging words about NFL Players Union president and former Raiders’ lineman Gene Upshaw.

“Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch.”

At the time, then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated, “What Gumbel said about Gene Upshaw and our owners is about as irresponsible as anything I've heard in a long time.”

The fact is that Gumbel was correct in his assessment of Upshaw. More than a year later, he stands by his words. “I know Gene to only say hello,” says Gumbel. “It was not a personal stab and I was not out to get him. There was no sabotage here. I just think he is a bad choice for the job he is doing.

“He gets a pass, but he is doing a bad job for his constituents. I have no personal vendetta against Gene. You would have been shocked at the number of calls of support I got from players. They thanked me. The problems of the NFL Players’ Association were hidden. Now, they are on the front burner. I hope that one day, the Players Association realizes that they can easily do better without Gene Upshaw.”

Despite an openness to take on sports’ giants, Gumbel does not tread casually into such dangerous territory. “I agonized over saying what I said about Gene, and whether I was saying more than I should. I don’t want to say something that can hurt someone personally. That is not proper.”

On a recent edition of “Real Sports,” correspondent James Brown interviewed Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. In the interview, McNabb stated that he feels that African-American quarterbacks are judged differently than their white counterparts. The statement incurred the wrath of media types everywhere.

Fox’s Terry Bradshaw dismissed McNabb’s feelings saying that McNabb needed some love. Barry Switzer, also a Fox analyst, implied that McNabb was degrading black quarterbacks who struggled before him. Gumbel’s response to the criticism is pointed.

“That bothers the hell out of me,” he states. “Look, we are all free to criticize the play of Donovan McNabb or how he deals with the media. We are not qualified to say what he feels about prejudice. I don’t care for George Bush and I am free to say that I don’t like his politics. I am not free to say what George Bush feels. You cannot go there. People like to sit there and judge.

“After McNabb’s comments, people said that a guy like Rex Grossman has gotten more criticism. ‘McNabb played the race card,’ they said. Well, there are many people who feel victimized by race a thousand times and say nothing. It is silly to think that you are in a position to critique someone’s feelings. It would be like me criticizing a woman who was raped. Do I in any way know what she felt?”

Gumbel has been the subject of parody by African American comedians, mostly for his professorial look and fastidious nature, but the outward conservatism belies the racial activist within. Gumbel has been honored by the United Negro College Fund, the Congress of Racial Equality, the NAACP and the African-American Institute. He has been a champion for racial equality and has never hidden behind his cushy and lucrative broadcast gigs. He recognizes that race is a factor in sports and embraces discourse on it.

“Race comes up a lot and money exacerbates things,” says Gumbel, who was born in New Orleans, raised in Chicago and graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME. “People see a black athlete making a lot of money and say, ‘I’m making $25.00 an hour at the plant. I don’t want to hear you bitch.’ The divide has grown.

“Many people are jealous, and many rich athletes are completely out of touch. I got a lot of flack for saying that I don’t watch the Winter Olympics because there are few black athletes. McNabb addressed the controversy. Most people are afraid to say the word race.”

While many media pundits make judgments based on race, others judge athletes based on their media friendliness. “That is 1000% right,” says Gumbel. “We define people as good or bad based on how they treat us. If an athlete is mean, we assume he goes home and beats his wife. Unless we stay with these guys in a number of different environments, we really don’t know. If an athlete is approachable, he’s great. If an athlete does not speak to the media, he’s an a---ole.”

A good example of one current athlete who has been judged and misjudged by the media is Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss. Gumbel profiled Moss in his rookie season with Minnesota and again when he joined the Raiders two years ago. Between mooning fans in Green Bay and publicly stating that he used marijuana, Moss became an easy target for critics.

In a recent “Real Sports” commentary, Gumbel said of Moss, “He’s happy. He’s productive. He’s professional and despite reports of his premature burial, he’s suddenly seen as a good guy.

“The Randy turnaround says a lot about the man. But the public’s view of him says even more about the perspective of fans and media people alike. In a world where every and anybody wants to have a say, and pretend they’re an image-maker, it’s a reminder of a plain and simple football truth that applies to both players and coaches. That if you lose, fans and media types can’t help you…and if you win, they can’t hurt you.”

Gumbel further expounds on the fickle nature of critics. “We complain about guys giving cookie cutter answers to questions, and then there is outrage when someone speaks his mind. Vijay Singh took a lot of heat when (in 2003) he said that Annika Sorenstam should have to qualify to play in men’s competitions. A guy like Derek Jeter says nothing, so we’ll never know how he feels.”

While Gumbel recognizes that PGA superstar Tiger Woods makes himself available to the media, he wishes that the substance of this availability would be a bit more substantial. “I do find it sad that in an era where athletes are our most recognizable and admired role models, we come upon a presidential election and we have no idea whom they support.

“Kurt Warner spoke publicly about a religious issue (stem cell research) in Missouri. I may not agree with him, but at least he is involved. It’s hard to find a single athlete who’ll say one word about who should be president. I admire people who show that they are part of the world in which they live as opposed to those who don’t realize and don’t care about the influence they wield.”

Speaking of issues, Gumbel’s views on the celebrated Spygate scandal and the Patriots supposed running up the score are pointed. He states, “I compare Spygate to Watergate. With Watergate, a lot of people said, ‘Oh well, every president probably did it. Nixon was the one who got caught.’ Belichick got caught and this will stay with him forever.

“Belichick is not friendly to the media. If he were more approachable, he might be given a pass. I’m surprised that Roger Goodell stopped investigating. It is not consistent with what he has been doing with other rules violations. As for running up the score, I am not sure if there is any truth to that or if it even matters. I do have concern that in retaliation, someone might beat the crap out of Tom Brady on the field.”

A recent “Real Sports” featured a gruesomely graphic story on the abuse and violence inherent in dog fighting rings similar to the one that has put Falcons’ quarterback Michael Vick in prison. While Gumbel believes that Vick should be punished, he also believes that there is some overkill.

“I was going to do a commentary about this,” he states. “I think people are now piling on Michael Vick. He lost millions of dollars, his reputation and his livelihood. He has to piss in a cup with regularity and was in home confinement. He is paying the price for what he did. No one loves dogs more than I do. My dogs Archie and Cujo hate Michael Vick and would like to see him punished, but there is a limit.”

Gumbel continues to blaze an important and unique trail in his work. Those who persist in criticizing his personal and professional life are missing the larger picture. In a media lot littered with wannabes and boot lickers, Gumbel stands, all to often alone, as an example of defiant, yet refined, passion. He angers a lot of people and is conversely riled by the unaware.

“I guess ignorance in action gets me angry,” says Gumbel. “People who say stupid things on the air and then wonder why they catch flack for it. Talk radio is the worst thing to happen to sports. I get aggravated at people who use horrible grammar and terrible English. They seem proud of not knowing what a word means. Why be proud of something you don’t know?

“There is an inherent ignorance in their approach and response. It’s all about being louder than the next guy. I was raised by a conservative dad. He always said that the loudest guy is the weakest guy.”

“I was supposed to Letterman and Conan in the next couple of weeks, but I’m not sure what's going to happen with all of that because of the strike,” says Caliendo, who will continue his always terrific picks segments on Fox’s “NFL Sunday” pregame show.

“The strike did cut our episodes down to five instead of the eight that (TBS) ordered, so we have been greatly affected.” Last Monday, about 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike largely over issues related to new media fees.

Despite the strike, “Frank TV” promises to be a huge success, mainly because of the incredible talents of its star. Says Caliendo, “The show is a sketch show based on my standup.

“I’ll be setting up sketches with some background for the audience and sometimes making an observation about an actor, and then showing how that observation can be applied in a situation. For example, Al Pacino always yells in movies, so it would be great to see what he would do if he had to play a librarian.”

“Frank TV” premieres Tuesday, November 20, at 11:00 p.m. on TBS. On Friday, November 16 at 10:00 p.m., TBS will air a one-hour stand-up special “Frank Caliendo: All Over The Place” from Las Vegas.

A veteran standup comic, Caliendo joined the cast of Fox’s “MADtv” in 2001 and has appeared on Comedy Central, “The View” and a host of late night talk shows. Still, it is his work on Fox’s NFL pregame fare that has catapulted the 33 year-old comedian to comedic fame. His John Madden impression, among others, has become a classic. Caliendo will continue his Fox work through the 2008 season.

“Fox has brought me to another level in the entertainment industry,” explains Caliendo. “Just being associated with guys like Terry (Bradshaw), Howie (Long) and Jimmy (Johnson) has made my name grow.”

Whether it’s a pro like Caliendo or your buddy at the local tavern, the ability to do impressions continues to amuse and amaze audiences. So, is it a natural gift, the result of a good ear, or a product of endless practice?

Caliendo responds, “Some of it is natural and there's a lot of practice that goes into it as well. There's no set process. For me, it’s lots of observation and just reacting and mimicking. When I look at someone, it’s almost like I'm looking in a mirror and doing the same thing the other person is doing. I hear things and see things that the average person might miss. My brain just breaks people down.”

The process of breaking down a voice may or may not lead to success. “It’s always different,” says Caliendo, who was born in Chicago and raised in Milwaukee. “The keys are the pitch of the voice, cadence and the person's dialect. If you get one of those, people probably might start to recognize it. If you get two, lots of people will probably get it, and if you hit all three, that's when you have a dead on impression.”

Caliendo learned from an impressive host of comedic influences. “I loved Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman,” he relates. “I'm a huge Jim Carrey fan, but I loved Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters the most as a kid. I love the tangents they went on. That was my style of humor, and I just used the impressions the same way they did kooky characters.”

Caliendo’s most “dead on” impression is John Madden, the famed NBC “Sunday Night Football” broadcaster. It is right up there in the pantheon of great impressions with Billy Crystal’s Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dana Carvey’s George Bush, Sr.

A friend of mine, Phil Tag, told me that I should do it years and years ago. I stupidly said, ‘Where will that get me?’ I did work on it and got it. I try to do it less on TV nowadays, but people in TV, like David Letterman, ask me to do it more and more. It’s still fun for me and people recognize me because of it, so I think that's pretty cool.”

The best part of Caliendo’s Madden impression is his relentless references to a certain Packers’ quarterback with whom the real Madden is enamored. “Brett Favre is the most fun to say. I don't know what it is. Maybe it’s because he says it so much in real life, but it’s just the perfect sounding name for Madden to say.”

TBS promoted the heck out of “Frank TV” during its MLB postseason with quick promos and a tour de force of impressions. It is clear that John Madden is not the lone horse in Caliendo’s sports stable. He states, “I do Bill Walton, Marv Albert, Charles Barkley and Jim Rome. Sports has always been a big part of my life.

“My dad was a minor league infielder with the White Sox in the 1960s and I loved playing sports as a kid. We won the AAU National 14 and under Baseball Championships in 1988. I just never had the arm to go on to the next level. I was going to play in college (at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), but decided that it would be better for me to study instead.”

Late night shows like “MADtv” allow Caliendo to push the comedic envelope. His work on Fox is a bit more limited. “It’s fairly strict,” says Caliendo, who grew up a Brewers, Packers and Bears fan.

“We're on Sunday mornings, so we have to be careful. We can make fun of the studio guys pretty much any way we want. We just don't like to mess with their families, other than Terry's ex-wives. It’s silly humor, not meant in a mean way at all.”

Like it or not, we live in a society of racial tension. One of Caliendo’s latest impressions is of ex-NBA star and TNT analyst Charles Barkley. Given these seemingly sensitive times in which we live, is Caliendo afraid of backlash from doing an impression of someone from a different ethnic or racial background?

“I’m scared to death,” he replies. “But I don't do it to be negative. I did Barkley on the show, and I did JB (ex-Fox and current CBS NFL studio host James Brown). Some people get mad, but JB liked it and even gave me the permission to do it.

“I think of people as being equal, even though I understand there's history that limits what I would ever do. I’m very careful. It’s not a race thing when I do a character who isn't white. It’s about that specific person. They do Jesse Jackson with Darrell Hammond over at SNL (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”) and nobody says anything. It’s really about being respectful.”

When “Frank TV” premieres on November 20 at 11:00 p.m. on TBS, viewers can look forward to hilarious impressions and comedic takes on some of Caliendo’s favorite characters including Pacino, Robin Williams, President Bush and Barkley. TBS will continue to pump up the program using show segments. Check out clips at frankcaliendo.com and TBS.com.

Says Caliendo, “They'll probably use some stuff from the show because there is no new stuff being shot for promos. They're going to do some sneak peaks pretty soon, which should be cool. I'll be all over the radio in the next couple weeks.”

Sunday’s Patriots-Colts game on CBS received as much hype as any regular season game in history. It did not disappoint on any front. The two teams slugged it out, while CBS did justice to the game with outstanding coverage.

Jim Nantz was adept at setting up partner Phil Simms, while also asserting his own views. Simms was right on, and expressed appropriate disagreement with several bad calls from the officials. Those were the voices of the game, but what of the pregame?

In the days leading up to the battle of the undefeateds, there were quotes aplenty. In the aftermath of New England’s 24-20 win, let’s use a little hindsight to analyze a few of them.

“We got a good break with the two teams being undefeated going in and I can’t remember anyone at CBS Sports being more pumped up for a regular season football game.” - Sean McManus, CBS Sports and News President.

Amen Sean! The Patriots and Colts gave the 94% of the nation that could watch the game a real treat. It wasn’t ballet. The game was, at times, ugly with the Patriots logging enough penalties to make Terry O’Reilly and Dave Semenko blush, but it was a classic heavyweight bout.

“History has showed us that (the Patriots and Colts) are both willing to do something different. So I can’t wait to find out and can’t wait to watch on Sunday.” - Phil Simms, CBS game analyst

Once again, Simms was on the mark. Pats QB Tom Brady admitted in his postgame press conference that the Colts did things that the Patriots were not expecting. One example: Joseph Addai was the main guy running and receiving, while Dallas Clark, a notorious Patriots killer, was somewhat invisible.

“I think these two teams are a little bit different from the standpoint of how the teams were built. Indianapolis built their team through the draft, and New England, a lot of their skill positions were filled through free agency.” - Bill Cowher, CBS “NFL Today” studio analyst

You have to give the erstwhile Pittsburgh Chin Boy credit. For Indianapolis, draftees Peyton Manning and Addai were huge. As for New England, how incredibly large was the play of free agent signees Wes Welker, Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth?

“Dungy and Manning have the mental edge. They’ve been the underdog to these guys last three times they played them and they beat them. I don’t care if they have their whole contingent or not. I really believe somewhere along the way, it is going to come down to good versus evil.” – Mike Ditka, ESPN “NFL Countdown” studio analyst

It is clear that Ditka is sitting way too close to those big screen TV’s he’s been hawking. Good versus evil? When Ditka traded his entire draft for Ricky Williams a few years ago, he must have thrown in his cerebellum as an extra in the deal.

“It is hard to believe that the Colts have an advantage when they walk in as almost a touchdown underdog in their own building. But I think that might be the edge. They are used to being in this position when they play this football team. A lot of talk about respect and admiration, if the Patriots could beat you 60-0 today, that would happen.” – Tom Jackson, ESPN “NFL Countdown” studio analyst

So much for Tom Jackson, pigskin psychologist. A few years back, Jackson stated that the Patriots players hated Bill Belichick. Let me make a more accurate statement. Jackson hates Bill Belichick. His disdain for the New England coach is so apparent.

Jackson puts Colts’ coach Tony Dungy on some exalted pedestal, while Belichick is Simon Bar- Sinister. His gushing over Dungy is embarrassing. It’s almost to the point where Jackson should excuse himself from any discussion of the Patriots.

“I don’t care if you run the ball or pass the ball, if you don’t have an offensive line you can’t do either. It starts right there with the offensive line.”- Cowher

Both lines were keys to the game. When Brady and Manning were hurried or pressured, they looked amazingly average and, at times, downright bad. You can throw Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas or John Elway back there. Without the big honchos up front, they will awkwardly morph into Steve Bono, Gary Hogeboom and Norris Weese.

“(The Patriots) look forward to the battle and they’re willing to battle from start to finish. You’ve got to prove as the opposition that you are willing to fight that long. All of this really feeds into what they love. They like the turmoil. They like the action.” - Simms

Maybe Simms is pulling a Belichick and has been videotaping the Patriots. He has his finger firmly on the pulse of this team. Talk about a game that required 60 minutes of play. The Patriots never stopped from, as Simms stated, “start to finish.”

“All of us in the media took that opportunity to attach what happened in the “Spygate” episode and say that this stained their three championships. Maybe it is not verbalized in the sacred setting of the locker room, but I think they have all internalized it. I think they are inflicting that punishment on a weekly basis with that right at their very core.” - Jim Nantz, CBS game announcer

This is why Nantz is in the upper echelon of broadcasters. No play-by-play man mixes calls and commentary more seamlessly. I don’t believe that Bill Belichick harps on “spygate” at practice, but when Tom Jackson implies that sign stealing makes it tough for him to teach his child about right and wrong, that stings.

When HBO’s Cris Collinsworth questions a dynasty and pleas for stronger penalties against Belichick, that stings. We all saw how Belichick’s players rallied around him amid the controversy. There is some lingering anger and it shows on the field.

“Because you have two of the most potent offenses in the National Football League, their defenses are going to have to match that and slow each team’s offense down to some extent.” - Simms

There is no question that defense was the story in this game. The New England defense was not stellar early, but they did keep the Colts out of the end zone. If not, the game could have been over in the first quarter. The Colts defense, meanwhile, kept Brady on edge all game long. He did not have time to survey the field and had to get rid of the ball more quickly than he would have liked.

“Peyton Manning is going to have to play keep-away from Tom Brady. Usually teams play keep away from Peyton Manning, but they’re going to have to run the football, be good on third downs and keep that offense off the field.” - Dan Marino, CBS “NFL Today” and HBO “Inside the NFL” studio analyst

The Colts did just that for most of the game. In the first half, CBS caught more shots of Brady sighing on the sidelines that playing in the game. The Colts looked like the pre-Moss Patriots, running the ball and employing a short passing game to move the chains and keep the big play Pats off the field. Addai looked like a morph of Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig, catching the ball as well as running it.

“They (New England) are unstoppable. This is the best offense the NFL has ever seen.” - Boomer Esiason, CBS “NFL Today” studio analyst

New England earned this hyperbole with their offensive firepower in the first eight games of the season, but Esiason needs to reel it in a bit. The Colts showed what an angry and aggressive defense can do to the so-called “best offense the NFL has ever seen.” The Pats may yet earn that moniker, but no one gets that title in half a season.

“When they get the running game going with (Laurence) Maroney, they are going to be impossible to beat.” - Deion Sanders, NFL Network “Gameday” studio analyst

“Prime Time” was right on with that one. The Patriots had basically no ground game against the Colts, although they did try to get it going, almost to a fault. When Indy went up 20-10, New England had to go to the air to play catch up. Like Sanders said, if the Laurence Maroney show is still to come, it could get downright frightening.

“Moss is one of the best receivers in traffic because he focuses on the football.” - Sanders

Let’s just say it now. Most people were dead wrong about Randy Moss. If not for him, the Patriots would most definitely have lost against the Colts on Sunday. Moss went over the middle on numerous occasions. He took hits, held onto the ball and picked up the tough yards when the ground game proved futile.

He also turned a host of not so great Brady passes into receptions. Who knows what the future holds? Moss may still prove his critics right, but right now, he is the NFL’s leading receiver and, moreover, a receiver who leads.

“I think the only person that can stop New England's offense is the guy whose game plan stopped the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ in Super Bowl XXXVI and also the guy whose game plan sits in Canton, Ohio for stopping the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.

“That would be Bill Belichick. If this team goes on and wins another championship, I think you have to mention Belichick and Tom Brady in the conversation for best ever at what they do.” - Howie Long, Fox “NFL Sunday” studio analyst

Long is not one to dole out such superlatives, so it warrants attention. Having played on some unique Raider teams, Long can perhaps identify with what the Patriots are experiencing more than any other NFL studio analyst.

His Silver and Black clubs were despised by other teams and fans, had a maverick owner, a violently protective fan base, a stingy and punishing defense, a bevy of wily veterans, a vertical passing game and great offensive and defensive balance. Sound familiar?

“The reason they are the best is because Bill Belichick is an outstanding coach. He coaches new players, young players, rookies, free agents and then on top of that, he coaches his coaches. He lost Charlie Weis, he lost Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini. What does he do? He grooms young coaches to take their place.” - Jimmy Johnson, Fox “NFL Sunday” studio analyst

Enter Josh McDaniels et al. Johnson has tipped back more than a few offseason pina coladas with Belichick, so heed his words. Belichick’s supposed “running it up” is more accurately translated as playing a full 60 minutes of football regardless of the score. That, in the end, might be the greatest quality he has as a coach, and it showed in the Colts game.

“They’ve won with one star on the offense who was not as good as he is now in Tom Brady. Add Randy Moss to a team that has had one of the top three defenses as far as points allowed in football. The sky is the limit for this team. This is a team that I can sit here and say, ‘This is a team that can go undefeated’.” - Cris Carter, HBO “Inside the NFL” studio analyst

Carter’s effusive praise is a “time will tell” proposition, but Sunday’s tough win against Indianapolis might be even more ominous that the Patriots’ prior blowout wins.

Hanging fifty on an opponent is impressive, but to go into Indianapolis and take the Colts’ best shots for a full game and still have the strength to score two fourth quarter touchdowns and win is scary.

Factor in that that New England played its sloppiest game of the season and still took down a 7-0 club, and things get even more frightening. Let a whole set of new quotes begin.

Red Sox title punches Schilling’s ticket to Hall

A few days of thought often adds perspective to a major event. When the Red Sox clinched their second World Championship in four years last Sunday, many emotions surfaced. Trying to impose one theme on a team of so many heroes is difficult.

The media tries to simplify things. Sign Lowell. Put Papelbon on every magazine cover and TV show this side of Popular Mechanics and “The View.” Ortiz did Conan. Ramirez did Leno. So, what is the crux? What is the root of this giant Red Sox redwood? Two words: Curt Schilling.

Schilling is the ultimate dichotomy. Off the field, he can be downright annoying, like that neighbor who insists on trying out the new chainsaw on Sunday at 6am. Schilling’s chainsaw is his mouth.

He is the epitome of checkbook journalism with his paid guest appearances on Boston’s Sportsradio WEEI. Granted, the money goes to Schilling’s many charitable endeavors, but those endeavors are seldom the topic of conversation. Schilling consistently shoots his mouth off on WEEI, making it his own personal pulpit.

Earlier this year, Curt Schilling’s comments on Barry Bonds only served to confirm that he can be one the biggest horse’s ass in sports. His remarks so angered Bonds that the ex-Giants slugger implied that he might even pursue a lawsuit against Schilling.

Questioning the validity of Bonds’ home run record given the cloud of steroid use was vintage Schilling. If a network would televise it, Schilling would hold a press conference questioning the validity of Tuesday coming after Monday.

Schilling was similarly arrogant in the aftermath of a Red Sox-Devil Rays brawl in 2005. Following the brawl, Schilling trashed then-Tampa Bay manger Lou Piniella, implying that the game had passed him by.

Schilling’s former teammate and current ESPN analyst John Kruk told Media Blitz, “That’s Curt. He’s going to say whatever he feels like saying because he thinks he’s always right. He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.

“The thing here is that Curt is not right. Piniella has never left the game. How can he be out of touch? Curt needs to stop talking so much and concentrate on what he needs to do to come back and pitch.” At the time of Schilling’s anti-Piniella rant, he was in the midst of an injury-plagued season that saw him win just 8 games.

Kruk said that he and Schilling were “not really close” as teammates with the Phillies. “I played with guys in Philly who liked to fight, but we never looked for a fight. Curt is just adding fuel to the fire. I don’t know why he would want to continue this. I mean, it seems like Curt has ample opportunities to hear himself on radio, TV and in the newspaper.”

Schilling was equally vociferous when he played in Philadelphia, but Kruk said that veteran leadership ruled. “I know Boston has Jason Varitek, but we had (catcher) Darren Daulton, the best leader I ever saw. When Curt would talk too much, Darren would take him aside and tell him that we were not about that. When you’re young, you listen.”

Kruk said that Schilling’s affinity for the spotlight has rubbed some former teammates the wrong way. He stated, “When people become successful, they don’t necessarily become smarter.

“I’m not around the Red Sox, but I’ve talked to people who played with Curt and they do resent that he talks so much. Curt says a lot of things he shouldn’t say. In fact, a former Phillies teammate still wants a piece of him.”

This year, Schilling showed up to Red Sox Spring Training visibly heavier. Maybe that indeed wasn’t blood on his sock in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. Given the girth that Schilling displayed in Fort Myers, it might have been ketchup.

In addition, he publicly campaigned for a new one year, $13 million contract from the team. Schilling used his media forum to issue the Red Sox a not so subtle ultimatum.

So, where’s that dichotomy, you ask? It’s simple. Despite the aforementioned faults, Curtis Montague Schilling is quite simply the best big game pitcher of our generation. Forget Roger Clemens. Forget the one-inning heroics of Mariano Rivera or Dennis Eckersley. Forget Andy Pettitte, Josh Beckett, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux or John Smoltz.

There was one more quote from Kruk in that 2005 interview. He stated, “Of all the pitchers of the last 10 or 15 years, Curt would be the guy I’d want to pitch a big game.” Amen

With an 11-2 postseason record, Schilling has punched his ticket to Cooperstown. His penchant for whining is surpassed only by his penchant for winning. Any Hall of Fame that does not eventually include Schilling should be the victim of the nearest wrecking ball.

Give me your Whitey Fords, Jim Palmers, Catfish Hunters, Steve Carltons, Nolan Ryans, Bob Gibsons, Juan Marichals, Fergie Jenkins and Don Suttons. I’ll toss them back and take Schilling in October. The ego that fuels his maddening desire to be heard is the same ego that fuels his unquenchable thirst for the ball when elimination is a near certainty.

In the panaplea of the contemporary Boston sports scene, the media has continually searched for the next Larry Bird, the next Ted Williams, the next Bill Russell, the next Bobby Orr. Schilling might just be that guy. He combines the intensity of Bird, the attitude of Williams, the pride of Russell and the fearlessness of Orr.

In the end, the Hall of Fame is about numbers. Schilling has 216 wins, more than enough to enter the doorways of Cooperstown, doorways that, in the past few years, have allowed the great, but hardly legendary likes of Tony Perez, Gary Carter and Bruce Sutter to pass.

He has pitched at a high level for 20 seasons and has a .597 winning percentage (216-146). His lifetime ERA is a dandy 3.46 and he has 3,116 strikeouts.

In the postseason, Schilling goes from impressive to immortal. His 11-2 overall mark is highlighted by a 3-1 record and a 0.93 ERA in the Division Series, a 4-0 mark in the League Championship Series and a 3-1 record with an ERA of 2.06 in four World Series.

He was the MVP of the 1993 NLCS with the Phillies and has a career postseason ERA of 2.23 with 25 walks and 120 strikeouts in 133.1 innings.

Schilling has won two titles with the Red Sox (2004 and 2007) and one with the Diamondbacks (2001). He would have won another with Philly in 1993 if closer Mitch Williams hadn’t given up more runs than cheap panty hose.

Beyond the numbers, in sports, it’s all about winning. A couple of years ago, CBS NFL analyst insultingly compared Peyton Manning to Dan Marino. The gist was that for all his stats, Manning, like Marino before him, had yet to win a Super Bowl. It was a crass comment, given that Marino was seated on the same panel as Esiason.

Some writers and reporters still hold the lack of a title against Marino, even though the astute likes of HBO’s Bryant Gumbel correctly assert that Marino was the best passer who ever lived.

The championship issue has to work both ways. Schilling most likely won’t get to that magical 300-win plateau. He won’t have 4000 strikeouts or an ERA under 3.00, but he is the ultimate winner. He also won’t desecrate the game by playing half a season or eschewing road games like certain Hall of Famer Roger Clemens.

Clemens’ disregard for the spirit of the sport is worse than any statistical shortcomings that Schilling may have. With a postseason record that is nothing short of sparkling and solid regular season numbers to back it up, Curt Schilling is a true Hall of Famer.

A week of thought does indeed put things into perspective. I’ve bashed the vociferous Schilling many times in the past, but I am turning in my Louisville Slugger. Schilling has shut me up.

The truth is clear. The Boston Red Sox B.C. (Before Curt): No World Titles in 86 years. The Boston Red Sox A.D. (After Dinner with Theo Epstein and Schilling on Thanksgiving 2003): Two World Titles in 4 years.

Schilling has taken the ball, the responsibility, and yes, the microphone. He has led a franchise with more snakebites than the late Steve Irwin to the brink of a dynasty. He is loud, proud and should be allowed into Cooperstown to join his fellow legends.

• Orsillo on the ‘Rocks
• Flip-flop Theismann

Orsillo gives Boston the “Rockie” Mountain lowdown
Ex-ESPN analyst Theismann changes his tune on Randy Moss

At 38 years old, sportscaster Don Orsillo has attained some impressive titles, from lead Red Sox play-by-play man on the New England Sports Network (NESN), to national announcer for TBS’s 2007 MLB Division Series.

This week, Orsillo has a new moniker, New England’s resident Colorado Rockies expert. Orsillo called the Colorado-Philadelphia Division series for TBS. Before that, he was at the microphone for the Rockies’ one game playoff win vs. San Diego.

As Colorado gets set to invade Fenway Park for Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday (Fox, 8pm), Orsillo has been besieged by the New England media looking for the straight scoop on what Colorado fans are calling “Rocktober.”

“Colorado was so on fire and their offense was so tough to deal with,” recalls Orsillo, who teamed with Joe Simpson in the Rockies-Phils series.

“Game 1 was the key. Philly was so fired up having beaten the Mets for the division title, then they lost the first two at home. Philly’s pitching and some managerial moves by Charlie Manuel were very suspect.”

This was Orsillo’s first foray into national play-by-play. “It was awesome,” he states. “It all came together when they approached me in August.

“At first, I thought I’d be doing an American League series, most likely Anaheim vs. Cleveland. At that time, it looked like the Yankees would not make the playoffs, but things shifted.

“TBS didn’t want a Red Sox announcer doing a Yankees series. They thought Yankee fans would not like that. It was the same with Cleveland or Anaheim fans. At the national level, they fear any perception of possible bias.”

Orsillo and Dick Stockton were the absolute best of a so-so lot of announcers and analysts on TBS. He deserves to be called back by TBS in 2008. “I had a great time,” says Orsillo. “TBS has an 8-year deal. I don’t know if I’ll be doing any games beyond this season, but I hope to talk to them later this year.”

One thing that is a certainty for Orsillo is the magnitude of what the Rockies have accomplished down the stretch and in the playoffs winning 21 of 22 games.

“The Rockies are amazing,” he gushes. “I knew nothing about them when they came to Boston for interleague play this year, but they beat Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett, and took two out of three games.

“I don’t put a lot of stock in what they did in June. They’re like the Twins, stockpiling young talent that has come through. As late as September 15, they were 6.5 games out with three teams ahead of them.

“The only thing I can compare it to is Morgan Magic, when Joe Morgan took over the Red Sox in 1988 and the team went on that great streak (12 straight wins and 19 out of 20).”

Orsillo says that the positive for Colorado is a mixture of young and veteran talent, but the team’s quick work of Philly and Arizona may have been a little too efficient for their own good.

“Their pitching staff has some young talent like Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jimenez. Josh Fogg and Jeff Francis are solid. Todd Helton is a leader and Troy Tulowitzki is playing beyond his years, but I really think the layoff will hurt them.

“It was similar to the Tigers last year. Colorado has won 21 of 22. When you are on a streak like that, you want to play the next day.”

In doing the games for TBS, Orsillo had a crash course in the travails of life at Coors Field. He states, “The air is ridiculously thin there. It was so tough for them to sign free agents, especially pitchers. The baseball becomes harder at that altitude.

“They started putting the baseballs in a humidor and it has totally offset the thin air. That is as loud a crowd as I have ever heard, especially for that one game playoff against San Diego.”

Red Sox fans remain somewhat in the dark as to Colorado’s strengths, one of which is the team’s manager. “Their offense is very good,” Orsillo explains.

“With Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe and others, they can put up big run totals. This year, they broke the Red Sox (2006) record for fewest errors in a season.

“Clint Hurdle is an interesting manager and person. I met him when I was calling games for AA Binghamton and he was managing the Norfolk Tides in the Mets’ system. He has a saying, ‘Go eat!’ He tells his pitchers not to nibble, just go out there and eat.”

While Boston fans and media may not be totally familiar with the Rockies, Orsillo says the Red Sox brass certainly is. “I know that during the last two weeks of the season, the team sent guys to scout prospective postseason opponents. They have extensive information on Colorado. There will be no surprises.”

With seven holdovers from the 2004 championship squad, the Red Sox have a decided edge in World Series experience, but does that translate to the field? “It does,” answers Orsillo, who will have pregame and postgame duties for NESN during the World Series.

“Tim Wakefield was talking to me about this the other night. If you looked into the eyes of guys like Grady Sizemore during that Game 7 vs. Cleveland, their reaction to the pressure was different. Cleveland’s youth caught up to them.

“Eric Wedge is a friend and he told me that the youth of his team would be a factor. As it was in 2004, the Red Sox pitching will be the key. Colorado’s pitching simply does not match up with Boston’s. I like the Red Sox in six games.”

Randy reverse

Former ESPN “Monday Night Football” (MNF) analyst Joe Theismann is singing a different tune about Randy Moss these days.

In the October 17 edition of “Patriots Football Weekly,” NBCSports.com columnist Tom Curran quotes Theismann as saying, “I think Randy Moss is more reliable (than Terrell Owens). Randy doesn’t drop the ball.

“The two best pair of hands I ever saw were Deion Sanders’ and Randy Moss’. Comparing Randy and T.O. is like comparing night and day.”

This unending praise is a far cry from what Theismann said of Moss in a 2005 speaking engagement when Moss was still with the Vikings.

“I would trade Randy Moss,” Theismann stated. “He is a jerk. He doesn’t go over the middle. He is not physical and he won’t block. Joe Gibbs said that to play this game, you need character, intelligence and ability. Randy Moss only has the third.”

Theismann also related the 2005 thoughts of Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick on Moss. Theismann said, “I could sit for hours and listen to men like Bill Belichick. He has been able to keep a core group of unselfish players together.

“Bill Belichick told me that it would never even cross his mind to acquire a selfish player like Randy Moss.” Hmm, I’d say the turnarounds of Theismann and Belichick would rival any athletic move that even Moss himself could make.

• Johnson waxes
• Terry’s troubles
• Simms the seer

ESPN’s Johnson no expert on team leadership

I have no issues with former athletes overtaking the broadcast industry. Indeed, there are some observations that only an ex-player can make. I do, however, take issue with ex-players who seem to forget their own shortcomings when critiquing today’s athletes.

Case in point, ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” analyst Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson has, more than once this year, spoken about how many teams are lacking unselfish leaders. This past weekend, Johnson again took that path in discussing the differences between Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.

Johnson stated, “(Owens) loves the attention. He’s starving for the attention. Everything is about him. I’ve never once seen Randy Moss say, ‘Oh, it’s about me. I want to go to the Pro Bowl. I want to do this here.’ He’s (Moss) talking about winning championships.

“He went to the New England Patriots to try to win a championship. Terrell didn’t go to the Dallas Cowboys to win a championship. He went there to get money. It is all about him. You cannot do that.”

Excuse me while I cough up my esophagus. Keyshawn Johnson was one of the single most selfish players to ever slip on a jock strap. He says that Owens thinks it’s all about him, yet it was Johnson who wrote a book called “Just Give Me The Damn Ball!” Are you kidding me?

Back in 2003, The Buccaneers dumped Johnson because he was constantly undermining coach Jon Gruden and putting himself ahead of the team.

On Sunday, Johnson stated, “(Owens is) dropping way too many footballs. His natural athletic ability does not take over games at the end of games. If you look, Randy Moss makes big catches at the end of the football game. I need that from my wide receiver. Third down, I need that. In the red zone at the end of the game, I need that.

“In all of Terrell Owens career, I’ve seen him make one big catch against the Green Bay Packers at the end of the game.”

Johnson saw nothing. He was too busy trashing Jets’ teammate Wayne Chrebet and calling out coaches on the sidelines. Maybe Johnson should have been watching Super Bowl XXXIX when Owens caught 9 passes for 122 yards essentially playing on one leg.

He dominated the Patriots defense even though the Eagles lost the game. Owens took Randall Gay to school, gave him lunch money and bought his books.

This is not the first time that Keyshawn has made an ass of himself on television. Back in 2003, after the Bucs deactivated Johnson, he appeared on Fox “NFL Sunday.” Then host James Brown tried to take Keyshawn off the hook, saying that the Buccaneers made Keyshawn “look like a major malcontent.”

In reality, Keyshawn Johnson made Keyshawn Johnson look like a major malcontent. The Bucs made him disappear. When asked what he did after being deactivated, Keyshawn first said that he called Jon Gruden, then retracted that saying he called then-GM Rich McKay. He finally stated that he called the team’s assistant GM. Hey, Keyshawn, which one was it?

The only member of the Fox on-air team who pressed Keyshawn for answers was Jimmy Johnson. When Keyshawn said that he was committed to the Bucs, Johnson asked him why he failed to show up for off-season and Monday workouts.

The issue of former athletes being critical of current players came up earlier this season when ex-Giant Tiki Barber ripped Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin. Barber has a right to tap into his knowledge of the Giants, just as the Giants have a right to be ticked off at Barber for airing locker room dirty laundry.

Fox analyst Troy Aikman took issue with Barber’s comments saying, “I’m a true believer in that a team needs great character in addition to great talent in order to achieve success. When you look at the Giants and see all of the talent they’ve had over the last several years, you almost have to say, ‘Why hasn’t this team been able to accomplish more?’

“Then you look at some of the public comments made recently by Barber about Eli Manning. I don’t think you have to look much further than that to say, ‘You know, maybe now I understand why this team has underachieved.’”

Fox’s Jimmy Johnson was equally critical of Barber. “If it hadn’t been for Tom Coughlin, Tiki Barber might not have even been playing these last couple of years,” said Johnson.

“(Tiki) dropped the ball so many times that there’s a good chance he’d be over on the sidelines. But I guess now that he’s in the broadcast business, he has gotten a lot smarter and forgot about all those fumbles.”

Aikman and Johnson aside, Barber was a team leader in New York and never had any of the character flaws that Keyshawn Johnson possessed. He has a lot more integrity in the leadership department.

Keyshawn Johnson has every right to discuss pass routes and play calling, but when the subject turns to leadership, he should best step aside and let more credible analysts take the floor.

Bradshaw’s bombs

What’s eating Fox's Terry Bradshaw? Several weeks ago, he ignorantly trashed Donovan McNabb for statements McNabb made about being an African-American quarterback in the NFL. Bradshaw dismissed McNabb’s thoughtful statements as a cry for more love.

Two weeks ago, Raiders quarterback Daunte Culpepper had a great day against his former team, the Dolphins. Miami jettisoned Culpepper due to the quarterback’s lingering knee problems.

After scoring a touchdown, Culpepper pointed to his knee and triumphantly motioned to the Miami crowd as if to tell them that his knee was fine.

In response, Bradshaw said to Culpepper, “You should keep your mouth shut, go sit on the bench, show some class and be thankful you’ve been given another chance. That’s what wins people back to your side, and that’s what shuts your detractors up.”

What was Bradshaw talking about? In what way does Culpepper have to win anyone back? He got hurt and has battled back from it. The only detractor I see is Bradshaw himself. Culpepper’s touchdown celebration was harmless and joyous. It was hardly classless.

Bradshaw is being incredibly hypocritical given his longtime infatuation with Brett Favre, a guy who celebrates every touchdown pass as if it were a Super Bowl winner.

Favre has also made a habit of getting in the face of opposing defensive linemen. Bradshaw has done everything but give Favre a hot oil massage, yet he criticizes Culpepper for showing similar emotion.

The odd rants continued this week as Bradshaw commented on Vinny Testaverde’s return to the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Bradshaw stated, “Just how thin is the National Football League as far as quality quarterbacks are concerned, that we have to go and get a guy out of a wheelchair, put him on a team and he stands a chance to start today?”

First of all, the “wheelchair” line is a bit insulting to a host of people and groups. Second, Bradshaw is showing his ignorance. Testaverde, most recently a New England Patriot, is no kid, but he is still one of the best-conditioned and smartest quarterbacks in the league.

You don’t make a Bill Belichick roster if you’re dead weight. Bradshaw’s unkind remarks were further buried when Testaverde completed 20 of 33 passes for 206 yards highlighted by a 65-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.

Hmm, I wonder if Bradshaw will pull out that “wheelchair” line in five years when Brett Favre hits 43. Doubt it.

Phil’s forecast

In the aftermath of the NFL’s first Clash of the Titans, New England at Dallas, it’s interesting to break down the pregame thoughts of CBS’ game analyst Phil Simms.

Leading into the contest, Simms stated, “(New England) will be even more determined, more focused and more ready for this game because they know the environment. They know the team they are going to play is a well-rounded team. And, they know it will take their best to win. All that is right up New England’s alley.”

How true. There is no substitute for big game experience and you could tell right away which team seemed more used to the atmosphere. Many of Dallas’s players were dancing and strutting following mere tackles.

Conversely, the Patriots, save for a couple of celebrations by Vince Wilfork and Rodney Harrison, looked like they had been in important games previously.

Simms continued, “New England is a team where winning is important to them, but they also love to battle. I have always said that in athletics always be afraid of the person who loves to battle. They have proven ever since Bill Belichick has been there that they can fight for a long time.”

Simms taps into a part of the Patriots that is often overlooked. This team is incredibly tough. Smart, tested, proud and prepared are often-used terms to define the Patriots, but they are as down and dirty a bunch as any.

Simms also stated, “A lot of teams have wanted a piece of New England over the years and they enjoy that fight, but somewhere in the second half they end up asking is this fight ever going to end?”

Simms predicted the outcome perfectly. When Dallas jumped ahead of New England 24-21, the Patriots responded like a boxer who tastes his own blood. They went ballistic. From there on, it was a 24-6 drubbing with Dallas clearly out of gas at the end of the game. Credit Simms for accurately forecasting the game’s storyline.

• TBS is not OK
• McDonough musings

TBS announcers a postseason disappointment
Sean McDonough’s voice missed in baseball playoffs

TBS bobbled the ball, gave up a game-winning home run and struck out with the bases loaded. While Major League Baseball’s Division Series have given us some memorable moments, the broadcast teams describing those moments have been disappointing.

In each of the four series, TBS’s talent, with the exception of play-by-play announcers Don Orsillo and Dick Stockton, have lacked depth and rhythm. Orsillo, paired with Joe Simpson, and Stockton, teamed with Ron Darling, have been the saving graces for their respective broadcasts.

Most especially, the Red Sox-Angels team of Ted Robinson and Steve Stone seem to be better suited to the quiet confines of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show than the exciting drama of playoff baseball in Boston and LA. I half expected Stone to nod off a few times during the coverage.

Neither man gave viewers any new insights and Stone’s monotone voice was barely audible. When he was heard, Stone offered a host of meaningless thoughts.

In the third inning of Game 2, Stone said, “Mike Lowell has the all-time record defensively at third base.” Exactly what record is that, Steve? Fielding percentage? Assists? Best goatee? Give us some help here.

Robinson seems like a nice man and his broadcasting resume includes the Olympics, but in the heat of playoff baseball, that and a quarter will get you a gumball. His voice is a cross between Mr. Rogers and the Scarecrow from the “Wizard of Oz.” Shame on Robinson for taking two great characters and turning them into one disappointing play-by-play man.

The fact is that most Boston and LA fans know more about the Red Sox and Angels than Ted Robinson and Steve Stone. TBS’s broadcast teams have fallen victim to an age-old error on the part of programmers, specifically, hiring generic talent for important games.

Why wasn’t Orsillo, Boston’s local TV announcer on NESN, calling the Red Sox series? Was wasn’t Stone, a longtime Cubs analyst, doing the Chicago-Arizona series? Why was Ron Darling of SportsNet NY doing the Cubs-D’Backs series while Chip Caray, a former Cubs announcer, calls the Yanks-Indians matchup?

Former Padre Tony Gwynn and ex-D’Backs manager Bob Brenly are longtime NL West guys. Don’t you think they’d be better suited to a series involving the D’Backs or Rockies as opposed to the Indians and Yankees?

These men could have provided great insight from seasons of experience in those cities. Maybe TBS feared that the announcers would be biased toward their local teams or cities. That’s silly.

Stone resigned from his post as Cubs analyst in 2004 because he was tired of hearing that he was too critical of the home team. All of these guys are professionals and there is precedence for using local announcers in postseason games, ironically involving one of TBS’s 2007 announcers.

In 1975, Dick Stockton, then the Red Sox play-by-play man on Channel 38 in Boston, joined Curt Gowdy et al for NBC’s coverage of the World Series between Boston and Cincinnati.

It was Stockton who provided the national guys with information and insight into all things Red Sox. It was Stockton who gave the memorable call of Carlton Fisk’s game-winning home run in Game 6 of that series. Great announcers like Stockton rise above any perceived local bias.

The Division Series gave TBS a chance to make its mark on a national stage. Instead, they seemingly pulled broadcasters’ names out of a hat and assigned them to games. The result is predominantly bland and detached television that has failed to appropriately capture the fine moments that the players have provided.

Missing McDonough

Despite TBS’s shortcomings, I was glued to the set watching Game 2 of the Red Sox-Angels series in Boston last Friday, but during a break, I flipped to the Utah-Louisville college football tilt on ESPN and heard the familiarly superb tones of play-by-play man Sean McDonough.

It raised a question. Why isn’t McDonough doing any baseball locally or nationally?

McDonough was born and bred to be a baseball announcer. The son of the late great sportswriter and commentator Will McDonough, he grew up with the sport as a backdrop.

“I have vivid childhood memories of being at Spring Training in Winter Haven sitting in the booth watching (legendary Red Sox announcers) Ned Martin and Ken Coleman call the games,” says the 45 year-old McDonough, who does college football and basketball for ESPN. “Al Walker the broadcast engineer would make sure I had plenty of popcorn and hot dogs.”

McDonough attended Syracuse University (Class of 1984). After three years of minor league baseball play-by-play with the Syracuse Chiefs and several other regional and national broadcasting gigs, he attained his dream job in baseball.

“I was only 25 years old when I got the Red Sox play-by-play job with NESN in 1988,” explains McDonough. “My dad told me not to worry if I didn’t get it because I was so young. I looked at Ken Coleman and Ned Martin who had been doing it for thirty years and realized that jobs like this don’t open up too often.”

McDonough would eventually team with current NESN analyst Jerry Remy as arguably the best Boston sports broadcasting tandem ever. “We had a great time,” says McDonough.

“You can’t fake that type of chemistry. A woman once wrote a letter complaining about our “inane banter,” so we started running an Inane Banter Warning whenever Jerry and I got off on a tangent. We are still good friends.”

Following the Red Sox 2004 championship season, McDonough was abruptly fired from NESN. He recalls, “They never had a conversation with me about why I was fired. I got the call in December of 2004. I had an option year left on my contract and figured I’d be back. I heard it was because I was making more money than Don Orsillo, but they never came to me and negotiated.

“That’s the only thing that angered me. If NESN thought I was making too much money, but there should have been some back and forth, some negotiation.”

As a former lead baseball announcer for CBS, McDonough delivered superb calls of two of baseball’s most memorable moments. “I had no idea that Joe Carter was going to hit a home run (in Game 6) to win the World Series in 1993,” he explains.

“There’s no advance notice. Those calls tend to be the best. You just do it. I also called Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS when Francisco Cabrera won the game for Atlanta. As Sid Bream slid into home, my voice fell apart and I thought I botched the call. The next day, CBS sent me a bunch of great reviews. You have to go with the moment.”

McDonough remains on an elite list of the best baseball play-by-play announcers in the business, and one of the most philanthropic. In 2002, he established the Sean McDonough Foundation (seanmcdonoughfoundation.org), which raises funds and distributes them to children’s charities throughout Massachusetts.

In 5 years, McDonough and friends have raised upwards of $2 million for 86 different Massachusetts charities.

Despite a busy schedule, McDonough does not rule out a return to baseball. “It would have to be the right situation,” he states. “I talked to the Arizona Diamondbacks last winter about doing some games for them, but I would have had to move to do it.

“I had the baseball job I wanted in Boston. The next move would have to be perfect.” As a baseball fan, here’s hoping that next move comes quickly

• Jay’s day
• Terry’s time

Rothman guides new era of Monday Night magic
Terry Francona earns his stripes as game’s best manager

As the Patriots get set to invade Cincinnati Monday night at 8:30 p.m., so to do the cameras and cavalcade that is ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” (MNF). Producer Jay Rothman says that this particular game has no shortage of storylines.

“It’s all right there for you,” says the 45 year-old Rothman. “Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, I hope we get a shootout. This game is an easy sell. The personalities make people watch.”

As a lead-in to the game, ESPN will feature Jamie Foxx, star of the film “The Kingdom,” in a pregame parody that caused some waves in New England this week. The Boston Herald wrote that the espionage theme is tied to the recent spying issue that resulted in fines for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Says Rothman, “Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve had to do some damage control on this. The idea was actually conceived in the summertime. We worked with (“The Kingdom” director) Peter Berg on the concept. It was shot between weeks one and two of this season.

“Basically, Jamie Foxx breaks into a vault and finds photos of some players in this game. When the spying stuff went down with the Pats, I seriously looked at this again and thought about not running it. The Herald piece was way off and they ran a correction. It has nothing to do with the Patriots spying issue.”

Rothman is the keeper of one of sports most legendary properties. MNF has become part of Americana, first on ABC and now on sister network ESPN. “We are not shy about going into the vault,” says Rothman, who previously produced ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football.”

“First off, Hank Williams, Jr. is “Monday Night Football.” This off-season, we did extensive focus groups comparing our game with other networks. Hank resonated more than anything else.”

According to Rothman, the move to ESPN has not dampened MNF’s impact. “Current players don’t differentiate between broadcast and cable. ESPN is older than most of the players in the NFL. The combination of ESPN and MNF resonates with them. It is a bigger deal to be on Monday night than any other night.”

Indeed, ESPN’s SportsCenter and a host of related catch phrases and MNF’s deep history with Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, et al are a powerful combination. Rothman says that it remains a numbers game.

“38% of people who watch ESPN are hardcore sports fans. 62% of ESPN’s viewers are casual sports fans. However, with ESPN’s NFL coverage, it is 50% hardcore and 50% casual fans.

“(NBC Sunday Night announcers) Al Michaels and John Madden may appeal to the hardcore fan more than our show, but we also have to play a bit to those casual fans. We do this through news, analysis, fun features and having celebrities visit the booth. The way I see it, we do a Super Bowl every Monday night.”

For the Pats-Bengals tilt, Cincy defensive end Justin Smith will be "Wired" for sound. The New England-Cincinnati game and pregame show will highlight new music from Bruce Springsteen and Matchbox Twenty.

Inevitably, there will be comparisons between NBC’s Sunday Night fare and ESPN’s Monday Night game. The NBC plate is loaded with star power from Madden and Michaels to Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Peter King, Tiki Barber, etc. NBC also has the advantage of flex-scheduling, the ability to change its schedule to show a meaningful late season game.

The latter option was not available to ESPN. Says Rothman, “It’s impossible to switch a game to Monday night. With hotels, tickets and all that, it would be problematic from a logistical standpoint. In that way, not getting flex-scheduling was a non-issue.”

ESPN counters NBC’s talent with technique. One strategy is the use of two sideline reporters, Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber.

“It allows us to cover both teams extensively,” says Rothman whose 19-year football producing career includes both ABC’s and ESPN’s lead college football game, Major League Baseball and the NHL.

“They are the eyes and ears of the game, they can smell it and hear it. If an injury happens on one side of the field, we don’t have to lose time running a reporter over there. Michele and Suzy work very hard before and during the game.

“They are most compelling when they react to a moment. They create a sense of immediacy and urgency. Look at CBS, they touted last year that they were going without any sideline reporters, yet in the Super Bowl, they had one on each sideline.”

Tafoya and Kolber’s impact is not always seen. Rothman explains, “They constantly feed info to the booth. Last week, during a break, Michele told us that due to the noise in the Superdome, they had to turn the volume up in Vince Young’s helmet. Michele was not on air with this, but she provided the information to us.”

If there is a wild card in ESPN’s booth team it’s sportswriter and “Pardon the Interruption” cohost Tony Kornheiser. Kornheiser is neither an announcer, nor a former player. Rothman took note of the comments of NBC “Sunday Night Football” producer Fred Gaudelli in a recent edition of Media Blitz.

Gaudelli stated, “I was at ABC for Dennis Miller’s second season on “Monday Night Football” and he brought more than Kornheiser. I just don’t see what he brings to the broadcast and if he has a place. He is not negative or positive. He’s just there.”

Rothman, who worked with Gaudelli at ESPN, responds, “It is a disservice and a cheap shot to Tony to compare him to Dennis Miller. Saying that Dennis added more value is garbage. The people doing the game couldn’t understand Dennis. Tony is extremely articulate and experienced as a reporter.”

“We were the only NFL television group to be nominated for an Emmy and our Emmy reel was dominated by Tony. He has a great way of elevating a big moment in the game.

“There are some fixable mechanics issues such as when to elaborate on a moment in the game or when to let Jaws run with the X’s and O’s analysis.” In response to Rothman, Gaudelli would only offer, “Jay, thou dost protest too much.”

Jaws, of course, is Ron Jaworski, easily the breakthrough performer in this 2007 NFL media season. Jaworski has impeccably applied his immense skills as a studio analyst to the broadcast booth. In short, Ron Jaworski is the most in-depth and intelligent NFL analyst in the business, period.

Rothman agrees stating, “He is a great team player and breaks the game down like no one else. He called me the other day to tell me that he had just charted every Brady pass and every Moss catch. Jaws can laugh at himself and he fires up everyone around him. The respect he has around the league is incredible.”

Regarding the Pats-Bengals matchup, Jaworski states, “(New England) can run the football inside. The offensive line has the athletic ability to run the football outside and clear the way for the running backs the Patriots have. They have also been protecting Tom Brady very well. That’s why Brady is off to such a fantastic start.”

The emergence of Jaworski, Kornheiser and play-by-play man Mike Tirico has come at the expense of longtime ESPN Sunday Night booth mates Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann. Rothman worked with that trio for five years.

“I love those guys and I’d do anything for them, but anyone who understands the business knows that change can be good sometimes. It is personally tough, but I had to move on. They handed me a new playbook and I have to run with it.”

Monday’s game will present challenges to both teams. Can the Bengals stop the balanced New England attack? Can New England go into hostile territory and remain undefeated?

For Rothman the challenge is ongoing. “Covering a football game is easy. The challenge for us is to find a balance in playing to that total audience, casual and hardcore. We’ve won our night’s ratings outright two times in three weeks.

“At the end of the day, I want a rich, balanced telecast with all the bells and whistles. It’s my job to pull out the right tools at the right time. “

Viva Francona

He lacks Tony LaRussa’s hair, Tommy Lasorda’s wit and Joe Torre’s Kleenex bill, but Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona deserves some props for what he is, quite simply the best manager in baseball. I’m writing this before the playoffs because what the Red Sox do over the next few weeks is immaterial as it pertains to Francona’s feats.

Since joining the club in 2004, Francona has ended an eternal curse, mastered the heretofore-brutal Boston media, shrewdly combined youth and experience on the field, created chemistry with a $100 million roster and kept some of the most unique personalities in the game happy and healthy.

Francona’s greatest strength is his handling of the media. Make no mistake. Boston is the toughest place to manage in all of sports. With a media horde that prefers hangings to harmony and a fan base that can be as lethal as they are loyal, every day is a season unto itself. In Boston, one loss is Armageddon.

Francona has been nothing short of exemplary in his weekly radio stints on Sportsradio WEEI and other outlets. He plays the media like Clapton plays the ax. There are no outbursts, dumb statements or public humiliations. He protects his players, takes the blame and effortlessly sidesteps the many silly questions he is posed.

Moreover, Francona has been professional in victory and levelheaded in defeat. His postgame chats with NESN’s Tina Cervasio are models of consistency and his press conferences reveal the game's nuances without sharing family secrets.

While Patriots coach Bill Belichick treats the media like IRS agents, Francona kills them with cooperation. He massages their needy egos, but in the end, gives them nothing more than what he wants to give them.

While Celtics mentor Doc Rivers tends to tell the media his entire life story on a nightly basis, Francona knows when to clam up or toss in an interview-ending cliché. He is stern, and unafraid to scoff justifiably at the oftentimes-inane queries he faces.

So, here’s some long overdue credit to Terry Francona, a superb leader who truly puts the man in manager.

• McNabb on the money
• Speeding Sports

Fox analysts show ignorance toward McNabb
TV and radio veteran Ed Berliner starts sports website

Things can get ugly when certain middle-aged white men attempt to analyze race related comments made by an African-American. Such was the case this past Sunday when Fox “NFL Sunday” analysts Terry Bradshaw and Barry Switzer opined on Donovan McNabb’s recent comments.

McNabb told James Brown on HBO’s “RealSports” that African-American quarterbacks are criticized differently than their white counterparts. In response, Bradshaw stated, “Psychologically speaking, it seems to me that Donovan is one of those kids that’s reaching out for some love.”

Bradshaw went on to talk about how McNabb was largely unwanted as a talented high school recruit, booed by Philly fans when he was drafted and criticized for not winning a Super Bowl despite tremendous success as an Eagle. Hmm, sounds like McNabb has a point, doesn’t it, Terry?

Bradshaw continued, “(McNabb) gets hurt with a groin injury, goes on the bench, then he gets hurt with a knee injury and Jeff Garcia plays so well. Now we hear this thing about the black quarterback. I’m just wondering if we’re not hearing from Donovan McNabb that he’s saying, ‘I want out of Philadelphia. I don’t trust anybody.’”

Well, thanks for that diagnosis Dr. Terry. I understand that Bradshaw has battled depression for years, but when it comes to psychology, he has experience as a patient, not as a professional. This is a classic example of the media creating a story and putting words in a player’s mouth.

McNabb never said he needs more love from the Philadelphia fans, and he never said that he wants out of Philly. Of course, those with an IQ similar to Bradshaw’s (i.e., a mason jar, a butter churn and chewing tobacco) will take Terry’s comments and run with them, further painting the portrait of McNabb as a disgruntled player.

Speaking of IQ’s similar to Terry Bradshaw’s, I give you Barry Switzer. In response to McNabb’s comments, Switzer stated, “I thought that we were long past this but I look at it this way. I played a black quarterback in 1972, before Donovan was ever born.

“He thinks that maybe he’s being criticized with what he’s going through today. It didn’t compare to what my guys had to go through.”

Exactly who is the “we” that Switzer is referring to when he says that we are long past this? How does he even begin to know what it feels like to be an African-American quarterback? Maybe he has some tertiary knowledge based on players he has coached, but he has never coached McNabb.

Moreover, Switzer’s comments make it sound as if McNabb is being disrespectful to those who came before him. On the contrary, McNabb is a part and a product of past struggles, and there is a real difference in the histories of white and African-American quarterbacks.

I take McNabb at his word for one simple reason. He is an African-American quarterback and I am not. As for Bradshaw and Switzer, their ignorant analysis and opinions served not to refute McNabb’s points, but rather to give them even more credence.

Berliner’s bullet

Former Fox, ESPN, CBS, WFAN and CN8 sportscaster Ed Berliner is back with a speeding bullet. Speeding Bullet Network (speedingbulletnetwork.com) is Berliner’s new website providing regional sports content in a fast-paced, opinionated style.

“Newspapers are struggling and radio is struggling,” says Berliner. “TV is scared to death of the Internet. They don’t know how to use it and they don’t know how to make money on it.

“Most television station or network websites just push people to watch their shows. The Internet is becoming the new broadcast hub. In truth, the Internet is another TV and radio channel.”

As a media lifer, Berliner recognized the immense amount of sports content available and that led to a question.

“How do I get all this information in one spot? We won’t have highlights because you can get that anywhere. Look at any station in Boston. They all run the same highlights, especially with the NFL’s ban on sideline cameramen. We want to show targeted regional information in a national and international forum.”

The genesis of Speeding Bullet Network lies in the desire of the fan. Says Berliner, “Sports fans want things that start an argument. The idea is to get differing regional perspectives in one place. A Cowboys fan in Boston can log on and hear or see a reporter from Dallas talking about the Cowboys. It is a platform.

“Reporters who come on as contributors will be pushing viewers back to their sites or stations. I am in talks with 15-20 websites to provide video and audio exclusively to us. It will be a constant promotional site between Speeding Bullet and our contributors. It’s all about creating traffic.”

Berliner’s enterprise is ever growing with big plans for the near future. “I am actively talking about including an instructional piece to the puzzle, where lessons in golf, hockey and other sports will be available on our site.

“We are expecting NASCAR to do some things next year. I’ve also spoken to a couple of ex-NFL players about creating content that prepares high school athletes for college and college athletes for the NFL draft. It’s all about seeing it and hearing it, not just reading it.”

The site will also provide opportunities for original concepts. “People with original programming ideas will have a forum,” explains Berliner. “These days, you have to hijack a station to get new ideas considered. If you can create content and edit it to five minutes, we’ll run it.”

Keeping with the theme of fan-friendliness, Speeding Bullet will include a vital interactive component. “We call it Vox Populi, or the Vlog,” says Berliner.

“Fans can send us one minute of video or audio and we’ll post it. They can rant, rave, scream, holler and opine. There is no centralized place where sports fans can go right now. Our site will allow Red Sox and Yankee fans to go at it online.”

Berliner calls Speeding Bullet “a web site run by media professionals for media professionals, a content service that reporters and commentators can use 24/7, via voice or video.”

More to the point, it is an exciting business venture for a long time media pro. “This is my baby and it has taken a lot longer than I thought to get to this point, more than two years. Safety NetAccess and its owner Sean Gorman have been instrumental in the fabulous design and look of the website. They do amazing work.”

Speedingbulletnetwork.com is currently in test mode with the official launch scheduled for October 8. Berliner has put much work into it, but is poised for even greater labor pains from his baby.

“We’ve been working at this 24/7,” he explains. “I’ve had so many outlets say that they love the idea, but we need to grow and show them what we can do. We’ll hit bumps and make mistakes, but the Internet is constantly a work in progress. I don’t expect to get much sleep for the next six months.”

So what drives a seasoned radio and TV guy to the still vastly unknown world of cyberspace? “In the next 5 years, sports fans’ viewing habits are going to change drastically,” Berliner responds. “TV is losing numbers in droves and people are not buying newspapers.”

Berliner spent three years at CN8 in Boston before leaving abruptly in June of 2006. His award-winning “Sports Pulse” show helped launch the television and radio careers of then-unheralded writers such as Shira Springer, Mike Reiss and others

“Compared to the Internet, a network like CN8 reaches two people,” says Berliner. “I am happy to say that many of my former CN8 guests are going to be working on Speeding Bullet Network.

“It’s refreshing to work with good media people from New England and around the country, not those who suffer from a lack of professionalism.”

• Belichick's bane
• McDonough's Mission

Belichick's punishment an end and a beginning
Get involved with the McDonough Foundation online auction

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has handed down his punishment to Bill Belichick and the Patriots. It was harsh, too harsh in my opinion, but in line with Sheriff, I mean, Commissioner Goodell's quest to change the NFL from midnight in Amsterdam to Mr. Rogers' Land of Make Believe.

In a move that can only be described as Nixonian, a Patriots staffer was caught videotaping the Jets sideline during the first quarter of last Sunday's game. Quartergate has resulted in a $500,000 fine for Belichick and a $250,000 fine for the Patriots. New England will also lose a first round draft pick if they make the postseason or a second and third if they don't.

The punishments should put an end to the cheating chatter, depending on geography. Nationally, this is a story with legs, arms and a torso. It's the kind of story that Belichick's enemies will hold and feed. Mark my words. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl come February, there will be more than a few people who say they do not deserve the title because of Quartergate.

Listening to SIRIUS satellite radio it's clear that most fans around the country were hoping not only for a suspension, but a public hanging for Belichick. Typical.

Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer said that fellow coaches and GM's around the NFL are outraged that Belichick was not suspended for his deeds. Glazer also disagreed with Belichick's claim that the taping did not give New England a competitive while the game was in progress.

Obviously, the Pats would have benefited from the tape in future games with the Jets, but what Belichick said in his statement was absolutely true. No matter, Belichick is cooked. He will never live this down nationally no matter how many more Super Bowls he wins.

Locally, it will be another story altogether. The Patriots have cultivated a truly symbiotic relationship with the regional media. They make their players available and they have been at the forefront of multimedia accessibility and information. Granted, Belichick would choose scurvy over a press conference, but the franchise as a whole is very accommodating.

The Kraft family is a model of media friendliness, and other franchises have followed suit, including the owners of the Red Sox. Case in point is the following quote. "I'm here to get my fair share of money. My main priority is to stay healthy and be able to make money, not to go out and try and hurry up and win a championship this year (at the risk of injury).

"It's not like I'm hurrying up and going back to the closer's role because we have a good team this year and I'm going to blow (my arm) out and try and win as many games as we can (at any cost). No, it's not going to happen."

The above quote was from Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon in a May Boston Herald column by Rob Bradford. The quote was largely dismissed by the local media and now is not even a footnote.

Can you even begin to imagine what the media reaction around here would have been if Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez or any Red Sox foe had uttered those words?

Can you even begin to imagine the utter outrage that would have flowed from the lips of the likes of WEEI gabber Steve Buckley, a staunch Nomar basher, or FSN's Greg Dickerson, who routinely questioned the honesty and integrity of Martinez?

Subsequently, on FSN's "Friendly's Scoop with Jonathan Papelbon," Dickerson did everything but give Papelbon a shiatsu massage. He allowed Papelbon to "clarify" his comments and nearly had a full-blown panic attack as he defended the young pitcher.

What Papelbon said was absolutely heinous within the realm of team sports, but it doesn't matter because he is always quick to chat with Tina Cervasio on NESN after the game and has a sponsored segment on FSN.

It will be the same for Belichick. He is a regular guest on WEEI and his players regularly appear on that station, 890 ESPN Boston, FSN, WBZ and other stations.

Boston is known as perhaps the toughest media city in sports, but for the likes of Papelbon and Belichick, it's a walk in the park. Maybe, in this case, Boston has it right. Belichick screwed up, apologized and will pay the price. That should be the final act of this play. Nationally, however, the drama for Belichick has just begun.

Awesome Auction

ESPN football play-by-play man and local broadcasting legend Sean McDonough will be hosting his 6th Annual Sean McDonough Charitable Foundation fundraising events. "Our Celebrity Golf Classic is Monday (September 17) at the Oaks Course at the International in Bolton," explains McDonough.

"We have the Samuel Adams Celebrity Draw Party and Auction the night before at the Boston Harbor Hotel. It is at the Draw Party that we do our auction, and unfortunately this year our party will be going on at the same time as the Red Sox-Yankees and Patriots-Chargers games, so we are losing some of our bidders to those games."

Because of the scheduling issues, fans can bid for a host of excellent items online at seanmcdonoughfoundation.org. Says McDonough, "A number of people asked if they could receive the auction booklet via email and bid on-line because they know that we always have some great stuff, so we decided we would take bids on our website and open it up to the public."

"We have raised $1.56 million dollars which we have distributed to 86 children's charities throughout Massachusetts in the past five years. All of the money raised goes directly to charity. We have no employees, no executive directors, secretaries, just a volunteer army trying to help the most needy children in our state."

Among the items up for bid is a golf outing with PGA pro Brad Faxon, dinner with Matt Damon, a day inside the ropes at a PGA event with David Feherty, trips to the 2008 ESPY Awards, two rounds of golf at Oakmont and much more.

Fans can bid online until 3pm this Sunday. The highest online bids will serve as the opening bids on all live and silent auction items at the Samuel Adams Celebrity Draw Party and Auctions on Sunday.

"I'd encourage you to go to the website and look around," says McDonough. "I think you'll be very impressed by what you see. Some of the auction items are incredible. You will be helping literally thousands of kids who could really use our help."

• Gaudelli's gridiron
• Miserable Meadowlands

Gaudelli leads "Sunday Night Football" team to success
Jets show no class as Pennington fights through injury

The under card is completed. Bring on the main event. NBC's second season of "Sunday Night Football" rides into Gillette Stadium this Sunday for a prime time grudge match between the Chargers and Patriots, both successful in their season openers.

"Sunday Night Football" producer Fred Gaudelli brings a selective bag of technological tricks. "I try to focus on things that will provide clarity and make the viewers' experience better," says Gaudelli, who spent eleven seasons as producer of ESPN "Sunday Night Football" and five more producing ABC's "Monday Night Football."

"Last year, we acquired a microscope and applied it to our taped replays. We called it NBSee It and it allows the viewer to get a closer look at a play. Using surveillance technology, we can enhance pictures without losing quality."

Technology aside, the success of "Sunday Night Football" is about the people. Says Gaudelli, "John Madden and Al Michaels are as good as it gets. They can easily move from discussing the best cheese steak in Philadelphia to the cover 2 zone.

"(Sideline reporter) Andrea Kremer's appetite for news is insatiable and she gives us a great safety blanket on the sidelines. Andrea had to make an adjustment last year from longer feature stories to working live and within a shorter time frame. People respect her work, but they know if she is calling, it's like hearing that Mike Wallace is here to see you."

Flex scheduling will again help NBC's cause. Beginning in November, the best and most important NFL games will be moved to Sunday night. "It could not have gone better last year," says the 47 year-old Gaudelli.

"People know that NBC will be doing a showcase game later in the season. When you have a meaningless game, it's kind of depressing and can kill your ratings. We might not have the best game of the week, but we are assured of having a meaningful game."

NBC doesn't have to wait until November for a meaningful game in 2007. This week's Chargers-Pats tilt is drenched with playoff implications and memories. Says Gaudelli, "The NFL did a huge favor for us scheduling this game when they did.

"San Diego couldn't put the Patriots away in the playoffs last year and Tom Brady, as always, made the plays he had to make. You have two teams with legitimate Super Bowl shots.

"The Chargers will show us this year if the NFL is about the coaches or the players. San Diego takes a backseat to no one in terms of talent, but can they overcome the loss of their head coach and two coordinators?"

As for the Pats, Gaudelli sees a shift, "New England stepped out of their philosophy and went deep into free agency. Everyone knows Bill Belichick is a top coach. This game could decide home field advantage.

"I remember when the Patriots beat the Colts in a season opener a few years ago. Tony Dungy told me that that loss put them behind the eight ball for the rest of the season."

Gaudelli has been through the prime time wars and is not shy to comment on news of the day. NBC analyst Tiki Barber has come under fire for criticizing his former Giant quarterback Eli Manning. Gaudelli says it might be a necessary evil.

"When a guy retires, he has to talk about the team he played for. I actually found Tiki's comments interesting and Eli's response interesting. When you move from football to broadcasting, you have to be honest. How critical you are is up to you."

Last season, Gaudelli said that Tony Kornheiser would have "a short-lived tenure" on ESPN's "Monday Night Football." He remains unimpressed stating, "I still think that Tony Kornheiser is very niche. If he were not a sportswriter, I think the media would be more critical of him. Writers protect one another.

"I was at ABC for Dennis Miller's second season on "Monday Night Football" and he brought more than Kornheiser. I just don't see what he brings to the broadcast and if he has a place. He is not negative or positive. He's just there."

Gaudelli is also frank in his assessment of a former ESPN booth analyst. "I'm sorry for the way it ended for Joe Theismann. It was messy and ESPN was so disingenuous. When someone tells you that you did a great job, but they are replacing you, they are not being completely honest."

Last year, NBC's "Sunday Night Football" finished in the top 6 prime time shows and was far superior to ESPN's broadcast in on-air talent and technical presentation. NBC provides the best NFL game broadcast in the business, but Gaudelli wants more.

He states, "Roone Arledge used to say, 'Give them something they can't see anywhere else.' I'm not scouring Fox, ESPN or CBS to see what they're doing, but I want our show to be distinctive.

"I view last season as a good start. We are every bit as formidable as the old "Monday Night Football" on ABC. People know that the big game is now on Sunday night, not Monday night."

J-E-R-K-S

Fans often use the word arrogant to describe today's professional athletes. Funny, that same word can be used to describe many of today's fans. High ticket prices and fan-based blogs have truly given contemporary fans a false sense of worth.

In yesterday's Patriots at Jets game, we saw the lowest common denominator of fans and, no surprise, it happened at the Meadowlands. When Jets quarterback Chad Pennington suffered an injury in the third quarter, an eruption of applause emanated from the Jets faithful.

The valiant Pennington fell numerous times and pulled himself up, finally hopping off the field on one leg.

At first, I thought the applause was for Pennington's tenacity, but when backup quarterback Kellen Clemens, ran onto the field, the applause grew louder. Jets fans were actually rejoicing in what, at the time, appeared to be a serious injury to Pennington. It was gross.

New York fans like to view themselves as something special, but much of their fan base is quite sadistic. Remember the New York Ranger fan who took a swipe at several Bruins players with a hockey stick back in 1979.

The action incited then-Bruins Mike Milbury, Terry O'Reilly and Peter McNab to go into the Madison Square Garden stands and pummel the perpetrators. Too bad that trio wasn't at the Meadowlands yesterday.

How do you think the heroic Pennington feels about his hometown crowd now? The guy has led the Jets, a hopeless organization since Joe Namath slapped on his last spla