Here’s Hoping New Sports Talk Station Turns Down the Volume

ATLANTA, Georgia -- I don’t know if low key works anymore in sports radio, but it certainly would be nice if Atlanta’s newest sports station Dave FM 92.9 would take that approach when it goes on the air this fall.

Yes, if you haven’t heard there will be a third sports talk station to go along with 790/The Zone and 680 The/Fan (simulcast on 93.7). Actually if you add to the mix Fans 2 and 3, which air on AM stations 1230 and 1340 respectively, there will be five sports station in the nation’s eighth largest media market. And don’t look now but six is a possibility.

What’s precipitating this most recent move is the advent of 24-hour CBS Sports radio network, which, we assume, will provide a large chunk of national programming. Obviously there will be major emphasis on local sports too.
Although I am not a huge sports talk fan, I do like ESPN Radio and some of what they do, particularly shows like Mike (Greenburg) and Mike (Golic) in the Morning and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. The former offers great guests, solid opinions usually delivered in an intelligent manner. OK, so they do act silly now and then, but that’s part of the M&M shtick and helps them attract listeners. Cowherd is another who brings good guests and solid thoughts. He will turn up the volume now and then, but he is a reasoned individual, and his opinions make you want to listen.

Maddog Russo on Sirius/XM has such a great knowledge
of all sports his shtick doesn't get in the way 

I could go on and on critiquing sports talk show hosts—Mad Dog Russo on Sirius/XM is a raving maniac at times, but is highly respected for his overall knowledge of sports. Rarely can someone speak about the full spectrum of sports as well as The Mad Dog. And John Feinstein, the noted author, is also doing a gig on Sirius/XM with Bruce Murray. Like him or not—and he can be rather snarky—he know his stuff and has been around the block numerous times.

What irks me is that most talk radio hosts use an “in your face” approach. It’s almost like their day wouldn’t be complete if they couldn’t punch somebody in the mouth over whether today’s Olympic basketball team is better or worse than the original Dream Team. OK, valid discussion, but we don’t need to put on the gloves to talk about it. Imagine Bob Costas discussing that topic. It would be very analytical, he would have an opinion, but most of all he would present in a way that would be largely low-key and respectful of the audience.

Not everyone has the interviewing skill of a Bob Costas. In fact as far as sports interviewers go, Costas is at the top and you have to drop several rungs to find No. 2. But there is no reason, sports talk hosts can’t turn down the volume a bit and not act like every show is a Fox Sports Radio slugfest. And believe me Fox Sports is not the only network or station that does things that way. Yes, we all know it's done to draw in listeners. It's a show. Even if the hosts don't agree with what they are saying their "take" is designed to rile up listeners.

Unfortuantley many of those loudmouths are actually very smart, but camoflauge their abilities under the cloak of bombast.

So, back to Atlanta’s new entry into the sports radio business. Here’s hoping that what we hear is a new level of sophistication. Certainly CBS nationally has the resources to do it right and if the local station does the same, a fourth sports radio outlet might be a nice addition to the Atlanta market. Whether there are enough sponsors for four stations is another question for another time. BTW, that sixth station? NBC is also launching a radio network. Details coming soon.

Quick takes…a favorable schedule and the solid additions of starter Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson will assure that the Braves are in this race to the finish—be it wild card or division title. It is hard to imagine that the Nationals will remain as hot as they have been over the past few weeks, thwarting, at least up until the past few days, a Braves attempt to gain ground…Sad to hear about Montee Ball, a great running back for the Wisconsin Badgers, who was beaten up in an unprovoked attack on Wednesday (July 31). Doctors think he might have a concussion and his status for this season remains uncertain. What is certain is that the thugs who did this need to be taken off the streets pronto…Football is definitely in the air with the Falcons opening their pre-season against Baltimore August 9.

The Readers Write…Our blog on the Paterno scandal (Removing Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much, July 22, 2012) generated several interesting comments. Here are a few from

"Now all we have to do is find out when the NCAA first knew about the Sandusky mess. For some reason I kind of doubt this story snuck up on the NCAA." Washington, DC

"Very nice piece...I would have favored a bigger fine with less impact on scholarships. I don't have a problem with the 4 year ban on post season play, in light of the ban handed out at USC." Atlanta

“I too have to question why the NCAA sanctions for two reasons. One, with JoePa being dead and University President Graham Spanier and some other top-level officials being ousted, who are you punishing? Second, I believe this goes outside the realm of active players being involved such as grade tampering, illegal payments, and other direct violations. Though I knew Joe Paterno would be held culpable by not reporting Sandusky's child abuse acts to authorities instead of his athletic director, and the Freeh report affirmed that." Atlanta

"We're a PSU family and I agree with all the penalties. Only disagreement was when the head of the NCAA spoke about their mission of maintaining integrity and academics - why then do they allow Kentucky to run their basketball program with kids who are there for one year and out?" Harrisburg, PA

"One quibble. I don't think the athletes are at the heart of college sports. It is a game played for fans and alums, at least at major schools. You can argue it was pressure from these two groups behind the desire to win at all costs. I think the penalties sent the right message to the right people. I know there may be eligibility issues, but at least the younger players can transfer. Just my thoughts." Atlanta

"I don't think PSU victories dating back to 1998 needed to be vacated as part of NCAA sanctions. It's as if the players never bled, sweated, worked hard on and off the field, did the right thing, represented the school well, or...graduated. Do you know who NOW is the last winning quarterback on record? Yep. Mike McQueary. Can you spell i.r.o.n.y?!? Coach Bill O'Brien has a massive Mt. Nittany to climb. Saddens me on all counts. Still, victims' healing has to stay paramount. How much more can the Big Ten add to the punishment, though?" Elizabethtown, PA

"Too lenient." Atlanta

Here’s Hoping New Sports Talk Station Turns Down the Volume

ATLANTA, Georgia--I don’t know if low key works anymore in sports radio, but it certainly would be nice if Atlanta’s newest sports station Dave FM 92.9 would take that approach when it goes on the air this fall.

Yes, if you haven’t heard there will be a third sports talk station to go along with 790/The Zone and 680 The/Fan (simulcast on 93.7). Actually if you add to the mix Fans 2 and 3, which air on AM stations 1230 and 1340 respectively, there will be five sports station in the nation’s eighth largest media market. And don’t look now but six is a possibility.

What’s precipitating this most recent move is the advent of 24-hour CBS Sports radio network, which, we assume, will provide a large chunk of national programming. Obviously there will be major emphasis on local sports too.

Although I am not a huge sports talk fan, I do like ESPN Radio and some of what they do, particularly shows like Mike (Greenberg) and Mike (Golic) in the Morning and The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

The former offers great guests, solid opinions usually delivered in an intelligent manner. OK, so they do act silly now and then, but that’s part of the M&M shtick and helps them attract listeners. Cowherd is another who brings good guests and solid thoughts. He will turn up the volume now and then, but he is a reasoned individual, and his opinions make you want to listen.

Sometimes a raving maniac, Maddog Russo's
superior knowledge of all sports supercedes the sthick

I could go on and on critiquing sports talk show hosts—Mad Dog Russo on Sirius/XM is a raving maniac at times, but is highly respected for his overall knowledge of sports. Rarely can someone speak about the full spectrum of sports as well as The Mad Dog. And John Feinstein, the noted author, is also doing a gig on Sirius/XM with Bruce Murray. Like him or not—and he can be rather snarky—he know his stuff and has been around the block numerous times.

What irks me is that most talk radio hosts use an “in your face” approach. It’s almost like their day wouldn’t be complete if they couldn’t punch somebody in the mouth over whether today’s Olympic basketball team was better or worse than the original dream team. Ok, valid discussion, but we don’t need to put on the gloves to talk about it. Imagine Bob Costas discussing that topic. It would be very analytical, he would have an opinion, but most of all he would present in a way that would be largely low-key and respectful of the audience.

Now not everyone has the interviewing skill of a Bob Costas. In fact as far as sports interviewers go, Costas is at the top and you have to drop several rungs to find No. 2. But there is no reason, sports talk hosts can’t turn down the volume a bit and not act like every show is a Fox Sports Radio slugfest. And believe me Fox Sports is not the only network or station that does things that way. Unfortuantley many of those loudmouths are actually very smart, but camoflauge their abilities under the cloak of bombast.

So, back to Atlanta’s new entry into the sports radio business. Here’s hoping that what we hear is a new level of sophistication. Certainly CBS nationally has the resources to do it right and if the local station does the same, a fourth sports radio outlet might be a nice addition to the Atlanta market. Whether there are enough sponsors for four station is another question for another time. BTW, that sixth station? NBC is also launching a radio network. Details coming soon.

Quick takes…a favorable schedule and the solid additions of starter Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson will assure that the Braves are in this race to the finish—be it wild card or division title. It is hard to imagine that the Nationals will remain as hot as they have been over the past few weeks, thwarting, at least up until the past few days, a Braves attempt to gain ground…Sad to hear about Montee Ball, a great running back for the Wisconsin Badgers, who was beaten up in an unprovoked attack on Wednesday (July 31). Doctors think he might have a concussion and his status for this season remains uncertain. What is certain is that the thugs who did this need to be taken off the streets pronto…Football is definitely in the air with the Falcons opening their pre-season against Baltimore August 9.

The Readers Write…Our blog on the Paterno scandal (Removing Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much, July 22, 2012) generated several interesting comments. As expected they run the gamut from those supporting the decisions to those wh think it wasn't enough:

"Now all we have to do is find out when the NCAA first knew about the Sandusky mess. For some reason I kind of doubt this story snuck up on the NCAA." Washington, DC

"Very nice piece...I would have favored a bigger fine with less impact on scholarships. I don't have a problem with the 4 year ban on post season play, in light of the ban handed out at USC." Atlanta

“I too have to question why the NCAA sanctions for two reasons. One, with JoePa being dead and University President Graham Spanier and some other top-level officials being ousted, who are you punishing? Second, I believe this goes outside the realm of active players being involved such as grade tampering, illegal payments, and other direct violations. Though I knew Joe Paterno would be held culpable by not reporting Sandusky's child abuse acts to authorities instead of his athletic director, and the Freeh report affirmed that." Atlanta

"We're a PSU family and I agree with all the penalties. Only disagreement was when the head of the NCAA spoke about their mission of maintaining integrity and academics - why then do they allow Kentucky to run their basketball program with kids who are there for one year and out?""One quibble. I don't think the athletes are at the heart of college sports. It is a game played for fans and alums, at least at major schools. You can argue it was pressure from these two groups behind the desire to win at all costs. I think the penalties sent the right message to the right people. I know there may be eligibility issues, but at least the younger players can transfer. Just my thoughts." Harrisburgh, PA

"I don't think PSU victories dating back to 1998 needed to be vacated as part of NCAA sanctions. It's as if the players never bled, sweated, worked hard on and off the field, did the right thing, represented the school well, or...graduated. Do you know who NOW is the last winning quarterback on record? Yep. Mike McQueary. Can you spell i.r.o.n.y?!? Coach Bill O'Brien has a massive Mt. Nittany to climb. Saddens me on all counts. Still, victims' healing has to stay paramount. How much more can the Big Ten add to the punishment, though?" Elizabethtown, PA

 "Too lenient." Atlanta

Removing the Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much

ATLANTA, Georgia—On Sunday morning, after much deliberation, Penn State University removed the statue of Joe Paterno. On Monday the NCAA announced major penalties against the university—penalties which involve fines, loss of scholarships and bowl appearances. Whether or not either decision was proper will remain a subject of controversy.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Photo
as Paterno statue goes down

Whenever questions arise such as those related to the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno tragedy, it’s always a good idea to listen someone with an insight into the psyche of big-time college sports and someone who knew the individual involved.

To me that man is Bobby Bowden. I had a chance to chat with Bobby earlier this year on a flight to New York, had interviewed him numerous times in the past and always found him to be knowledgeable, articulate and a straight shooter. He was consistently cordial to the media and appreciative of what we did. In addition if there is anyone who could relate to Paterno’s position as an iconic figure and the face of a major state university, it would be Bowden, who roamed the sidelines at Florida State for 44 years and is now the winningest coach (377 wins to Paterno’s 297) of all time. Paterno lost 112 victories dating back to 1998 as part of the NCAA sanctions.

With all this in mind, it was interesting to hear Bowden’s comments on the Penn State mess made during an interview with Cory Giger on 1450 ESPN  Radio in State College Pennsylvania and later relayed in a story in USA Today. They came before the recent news regarding the statue and the sanctions, but he did address the former and we can pretty well guess how he felt about the latter.

Bowden began by saying, “It's really sad, and now the facts are out, there's no more dodging the issue.“ He said that “I hate that it came out like it did. It's sad because it could have been stopped. It never should have happened after the first incident.

"We were pretty close as coaches and everyone has such great respect for Joe," Bowden added. "Still, you must look at it as a man who made a mistake --not a little-itty mistake, but a very serious mistake.

"To cover it up, that's a tough one," said Bowden.

Regarding the statue, Bowden noted, "When it comes to fields, statues, and names on trophies, everytime somebody looks at them, it might bring up a bad picture."

It’s obvious that Bobby thought the statue should go and even though he didn’t express an opinion on sanctions, it would be surprising if he does not feel they are too strong, especially as they relate to the athletes, No one was ever more supportive of his players than Bobby Bowden and to see the NCAA penalize a group of players and coaches and fans who had nothing to do with the crime is grossly unfair. I can live with fining the university for the administration’s failings, I can’t see penalizing current players, which the loss of scholarships and the bowl game prohibition will do. I suspect Bobby might feel the same.

Quick takes…congrats to director Bob Bryant and all involved in the BB&T Atlanta Open. The move to Atlanta Station was a huge success despite some rain delays. Sunday’s finale with Andy Roddick coming off a slow start to win the title was great theater. Roddick, along with 12 other BB&T participants, is on his way to London. The Atlanta Opening will return to Atlanta next year. If you missed it check my story in the July 1 issue of the Atlanta Business Chronicle on how Mayor Reed helped move the event to the city…So many developments with the Braves. The most painful of which was watching Jair Jurjjens disintegrate again today. He just has not regained his form, nor his confidence after being injured last year…The Braves also let a golden opportunity slip away. After an epic win on Friday, coming from a 9-0 deficit, they won again Saturday and had the Nats on the ropes until losing the final two. The schedule is easier now in the next two weeks—with home and away series against Miami and two other sets at home against Philly and Houston.

Ferry Makes Waves in First Week with Hawks

ATLANTA, Georgia--Experts say when you first take a job, you have about ninety days to make an impression. For Danny Ferry the process took a little over a week.

Ferry looked squarely at his biggest problem, the lack of cap room, and unloaded the biggest obstacle in his way by sending Joe Johnson to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Johan Petro, Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams and a signed-and-traded DeShawn Stevenson. The Hawks also received a lottery-protected first-round draft pick via the Houston Rockets that turns into a second-round selection if Atlanta doesn’t use it by 2017. No sooner had that deal been completed when Marvin Williams was traded to the Utah Jazz for guard Devin Harris.

Both moves were good from a cap standpoint, but they also served to unload players not living up to expectations on the court.

Johnson went from averaging over 25.2 points in his second year in Atlanta to averaging 18.8 in 2011-2012. He also failed miserably as a finisher. Counted on as a take charge guy at game’s end, Johnson came up short far too many times.

As far as Williams goes, he never lived up to his potential as a No. 2 draft pick. Marvin had streaks, but overall he wasn’t close to being the player the Hawks bargained for when they took him over Chris Paul in the 2005 draft.

Despite all the hoopla over Danny Ferry’s first moves, the “proof in the pudding” will likely not come until the 2013 season when Atlanta can take advantage of that cap room to make some major free agent acquisitions. Some have speculated Atlanta will try to follow the Heat formula of building a core of three key players—perhaps Josh Smith, if they can keep him; maybe Dwight Howard, if he becomes a free agent in 2013; and maybe Paul, also free-agent eligible after next year.

Whether that scenario comes about remains to be seen. Even with those three, however, there would be a potential downside, particularly in the case of Howard. But that’s putting the cart first. Let’s just be satisfied that the Hawks finally have a solid basketball guy at the helm and one who very quickly showed that he was in charge.

Tiger’s Back, Will Sponsors Return Too?

No matter how you slice it, having Tiger Woods back is the best thing that could happen to golf. Regardless of what you think of Tiger he has apparently regained his focus and is once again the most electrifying player on tour.

Should his play continue, and he’s able to add a major to his current string of victories, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of those sponsors who jumped ship think about coming back. As it is he still has a number of marquee names backing him including, according to his website: EA Sports, NetJets, Nike Golf, TAG Heuer, Tatweer: The Tiger Woods Dubai, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and Upper Deck.  The sponsors who dropped Tiger from advertisements and ended endorsement contracts were Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and Gillette. In a world where business interests often beget forgiveness, don’t be surprised if a few of the companies that jumped ship return to the fold. The bigger question is whether or not Tiger will want them back since, undoubtedly, a plethora of others will be waiting in the wings.

Erin Go Bragh

As this is being written we just returned from a week in Ireland where they say if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. That was the case for the entire week we were there as sunny skies and warm weather gave way to clouds, rain and wind in a matter of minutes.

What an enchanting country, though, from the old world charm of Dublin to the scenic Cliffs of Moher to the Silicon Valley feel of Galway. As with most parts of the world, Ireland is a country that relishes sports. With an emphasis on local rivalries, the Irish have a very personal rooting interest in their parish teams, many of whose players are neighbors and friends. The Irish love their Gaelic football, rugby, hurling, and soccer and cricket to a lesser extent. Even American collegiate football will be played in Ireland again this fall as Notre Dame tangles with Navy at the new Aviva Stadium on Sept. 1. Aviva, with a capacity of 57.200, opened in 2010.

(Big news from the Tour Championship at East Lake, where medium and small businesses can now take advantage of joint hospitality opportunities. No blog this week, but see below for my story which appeared in the June 8-14 Atlanta Business Chronicle print edition.)

Golf’s Tour Championship a winner for charity

By Gary McKillips
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Page 14A • June 8-14, 2012 www.atlantabusinesschronicle.com

Crowning golf’s FedEx Cup winner is only one purpose of the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola, held each fall at the East Lake Golf Club. The other is charity.

In 2011, the tournament raised $2.25 million for charity, primarily benefiting the East Lake Foundation, which supports housing, education and wellness programs in the East Lake community. This year, as the result of an agreement with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, tournament officials hope to encourage sponsorships among midsized and small companies and continue the revitalization that has made the East Lake community a national model for urban development.

Building in the green: Officials hope to build upon

prior success, lifting charitable funds raised to

more than $3 million.

Doug Hertz, president and CEO of United Distributors, a board member of the East Lake Community Foundation and on the executive committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, sees the joint Chamber-Tour Championship effort as a win-win for business and the community. “The Tour Championship is a real feather in the cap of Atlanta,” Hertz said. “Big businesses such as [The] Coca-Cola [Co.] and Southern Co. have stepped up as sponsors. Now we hope by partnering with the chamber we can communicate the value and the opportunities available to midsized and small businesses as well.” Added Hertz, “We think that once we get a small group of companies interested, in a few years this will be sold out.”

Organizers say they do not give out exact sponsorship sales numbers, but “typical sponsorships for PGA Tour events are in the mid-to-upper seven figures.”

For this year, officials want to build upon last year, lifting charitable funds raised to more than $3 million, and double what they did in so-called “shared hospitality.”

“The shared hospitality concept means that even medium and small companies can partner with other similar-sized firms for on-site hospitality tents, which come with food, refreshments and amenities such as big screen televisions,” said Todd Rhinehart, executive director of the Tour Championship.“For an investment of $2,500 to $10,000 small and medium-sized firms can provide their clients and customers with great entertainment, gain significant exposure, and receive the satisfaction of contributing to a worthwhile cause.”

A 501(c)(6) organization, the Tour Championship has raised more than $13.25 million for charity. The PGA Tour has raised more than $1 billion since 1938.  According to Lillian Giornelli, chair of  the board of directors of the East Lake Community Foundation, the initial funding for the project came from the Family Foundation of Tom Cousins and a variety of other individuals, foundations and businesses as well as the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Atlanta Public School System. “As a result,”Giornelli said,” East Lake was turned from an underserved, crime-ridden area into a community which boasts high levels of employment, exceptional education with the Drew K-8 Charter School, and an excellent overall quality of life.”

But Giornelli says there is still much work to be done. “From a capital investment standpoint much is done, but from a social capital standpoint, the work continues every day. We help the families in the community with supportive services such as work-force development and entrepreneurship, academically focused after-school programs, college preparatory programming and we are even considering a high school.”

While the emphasis is on the East Lake community throughout most of the year, it’s golf that will be center stage when the 30 top players in the world vie for the Fed Ex cup Sept. 20-23. The FedEx Cup goes to the golfer with the most points accumulated throughout the year in PGA tournament events. Those expected to be in the 2012 field at East Lake are Masters winner Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, last year’s Tour Championship victor Bill Haas and Luke Donald, among others.

John Smoltz…Starting and Closing

No bombshells, but new book reveals a few secrets about Braves' future Hall of Famer

 While many athletes are content with one successful career in professional sports, very few are willing or talented enough to go for two. But then not every athlete is John Smoltz. No, he’s not going to become another Deion Sanders and slip on a Falcons' uniform. Nor will he attempt to impress Larry Drew with his three-point shot. But, about five years from now, don’t be surprised if you see the affable Smoltzie teeing off at a PGA Champions Tour event. The Champions Tour pits mostly of the PGA stars of the past (Hale Irwin, Fred Funk, J.C. Snead to mention just a few) in series of events throughout the year for some big prize money. It’s not for sissies, but Smoltzie seems up for the challenge. Of course that won’t be the first time John Smoltz has made a change and delivered. In late 2001, after a stellar career as a starting pitcher, he became the Braves' closer and for the next three years was one of the most dominant in the game.                                                    

John Smoltz spoke to the Atlanta Press Club last Monday, promoting his new book, Starting and Closing, which is more about him than about baseball—though the two will be forever intertwined. He reaffirmed statements he had made earlier about taking his scratch golf game to the next level, but he also sprung a few other surprises on the audience of more than 100.

Frosty Relationship

For one, he discussed his frosty relationship with Braves General Manager (now president) John Schuerholz. He said he was brought in under Bobby Cox regime as general manager and the change to Schuerolz altered the negotiating dynamic. As he says in the book, “It’s safe to say we didn’t talk very much, but it’s not like we despised each other. Really, for the most part, our relationship was non-existent if we were not negotiating contract; he did his thing and I did mine. “

Schuerholz was also instrumental in setting up Smoltz with sports psychologist Jack Llewellyn, a story which the pitcher said was “blown way out of proportion.” Smoltz admits to seeing Llewellyn a few times and that the psychologist did help him by suggesting he create a highlight tape of his best moments that could be referred to when he was having problems. Smoltz said the technique worked and “helped him get the wheels back on track.” But despite all the press it received, there wasn’t anything more to the story than that.

After Atlanta 

Smoltz did not finish his career in Atlanta as he had hoped. After turning 40, he was peddled to Boston, where he said, “…it’s safe to say that I found myself disoriented and out of my comfort zone in so many ways…” His numbers reflected his discomfort. He made eight starts with the Red Sox in 2009, going 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA. The final chapter in his career came with the St. Louis Cardinals. After being released by Boston he was picked up by the Cardinals for their stretch run, one which resulted in one more playoff appearance for John Smoltz. Smoltzie did well striking out five in two-innings of relief, but the Cardinals fell in three to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  “Losing is certainly a bummer," said Smoltz in his new book, "but there was enormous satisfaction in simply proving I still had it. I had been able to deliver in the moment again…”

Today Smoltz is a busy as ever. He has started a school, The Kings Ridge Christian School, plays tennis and racquetball in addition to golf and also does commentary for the MLB Network.

The Perfect Pitcher

At the conclusion of last week’s Press Club session I asked Smoltz to identify the main ingredient he would be looking for in the ideal pitching prospect. He said simply “heart. A lot of guys have talent,” noted Smoltzie, “but you gotta want to be the guy. You’ve got to be the guy who’s willing to lay it on the line.”

In other words you''ve got to be a guy like John Smoltz.

Quick takes…There’s a lot of humor in Smoltz book as well. Check out the story about Greg Maddux inability to remember names, and what Smoltzie did to liven up the clubhouse…The Celtics are looking older by the day…I think the rash of injuries toward the end of the season in the NBA is the result of the shortened season and the number of injuries in baseball, particularly muscle pulls, are the result of poor conditioning. Players will loosen up before games and spend hours working on technique (batting cage, etc.), but stretching and strengthening of muscles is taken much more casually. Just my view.

Causing a Furor

Last year the American Sportscasters Association (ASA) issued their list of the top 50 sportscasters of all time-- http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/top50sportscasters.html. Unfortunately, as member of the organization’s advisory board, I was part of the decision-making process. Fortunately the names of individual voters were not revealed since the list caused quite a furor on talk radio shows across the country. Here in Atlanta I remember Chris Domino of 680 the Fan calling the list something like “idiotic.” Such is talk radio. But now as I look at the list, I still believe we were right in most cases, but there were some errors and omissions.

I was thinking about this list driving home from Turner Field the past two nights. Thanks to the miracle of Sirius/XM radio—and it is a miracle to those of us who relish hearing sports events from around the country—I was listening to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks from Dodger Stadium. The announcer was the incomparable Vin Scully. The next night, it was the San Francisco Giants against the world champion Cardinals with Jon Miller at the Giant’s mike. After listening to both it was easy to determine that the Scully choice as the No. 1 sportscaster of all time is irrefutable. But the ASA’s pick of Jon Miller in the No. 19 spot, was way off base. Miller is an incredible talent and probably deserving of a top 10 ranking, albeit against some very stiff competition.

Vin Scully--the best sports broadcaster ever

At 84, Scully still comes to each game as he has for the past 63 years with facts and anecdotes like no other broadcaster. He was a Red Barber protégé’. He moved with the Dodgers to L.A. in 1958 and covered all the great Dodger players on both coasts from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax to Kirk Gibson. He also called football and golf. When he missed a few games at the opening of this season with a cold, he made headlines in every part of the nation.

Jon Miller has many of the characteristics of Scully—melodic voice, an uncanny ability to describe the details of a play, and the knack of moving flawlessly between radio to television. Miller was with the Baltimore Orioles but due to a dispute with ownership, left for the West Coast. California’s gain.

While Scully and Miller are outstanding there are other Hall of Fame announcers still on the air, including Bob Uecker, voice of the Brewers; Marty Brenneman of the Reds; and Milo Hamilton, once a Braves broadcaster, now in his last season with the Houston Astros. None are in the top ten on the ASA list, but there’s a good argument they all should be. In fact Uecker was not even among the top 50 and Joe Buck was. Although Joe is a budding Hall of Famer he hasn’t been around long enough to earn his stripes. His father, Jack, the Cardinals play-by-play voice, is another legend, who justifiably ranks 11^th of all-time.

One of the problems with the ASA list is that it includes broadcasters from all sports. Hence, those who call baseball—the sport most conducive to radio listening—can’t all be toward the top. At No. 6 is Howard Cosell, who turned broadcasting into an issues-oriented pursuit and changed the field forever. Bob Costas comes in at No. 6, but if you created a category of the best sports interviewer of all-time he would head the list.

Then, of course, you have make room for the old-timers such as Graham McNamee, a journalist turned broadcaster in the very early days of radio; Marty Glickman, a voice for New York sports for four decades and a former Olympian; Jack Whitaker, a brilliant essayist for golf and horse-racing on CBS; Russ Hodges of “The Giants Win the Pennant…” fame; Bob Elson of the Chicago White Sox, known as “The Commander” for his experience in the U.S. Navy; and Clem McCarthy, who once called the wrong winner of the Kentucky Derby. You also had to leave room for specialists such as Bud Collins, the great tennis commentator.

Fortunately some of the greats still ply their trade and you can judge for yourself who’s among the best.

As for as the list, maybe that’s why lists are created—to cause discussion and controversy. The ASA list certainly did that.

Quick Take…Dusty Baker, manager of the Cincinnati Reds was in Atlanta this week. He also appeared on Dan Patrick’s FOX radio show this morning. One of the most genuine guys in the business, Dusty talked about coming to Atlanta as a kid just out of Del Campo High School near Sacramento. An African-American, Dusty had no use for the South in the 1960s but with Hank Aaron's support, he managed not only to adapt, but to thrive and went on to have an outstanding 16 year career, which included a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1981…Also Dusty was the on-deck man when Aaron hit his historic 715^th home run. When he came to the plate Baker doubled, but he said by that time no one cared. In fact, after the ovation for Hank,  Dusty said he  “heard the clanking of seats” as most of the fans headed for the exits.