By David Scott
Boston Sports Media

• With one more loss by the Red Sox, all WEEI 850 AM programming will begin broadcasting from the upper deck of the Tobin Bridge to save listeners the trouble of having to call the station before they leap.

• It struck Shots as a bit odd when we first read the message board post at www.patsfans.com. The post was in response to the poster – “Tunescribe’s” – disappointment in a lack of Patriots coverage in Monday’s Globe.
So, Tunescribe sent an email to the editor, as we were all encouraged to do a few weeks back.

Here’s the media consumer’s email to Globe SpEd, Joe Sullivan:

“Subject: WHERE IS YOUR PATRIOTS COVERAGE?!!!!!
Your lack of thorough New England Patriots coverage is an embarrassment, and is the primary reason I have stopped purchasing the Boston Globe. I now get my Patriots news from the Herald and Providence Journal. Why not re-name your sports section Red Sox Daily? It would be much more appropriate.
Yours in sincere disappointment,
(Name Omitted)”

To which, Sullivan kindly and promptly replied:
“Re: WHERE IS YOUR PATRIOTS COVERAGE?!!!!! In a message dated 9/12/05 10:15:14 AM, jtsullivan@globe.com writes: I’m sorry we disappointed you. The Patriots didn’t play yesterday (Sunday), it was a day for the Red Sox and the Saints plus the US Open. If you think the Pro Jo and Herald has more coverage on the Patriots, you’re mistaken. We’ve have (sic) many more pages than either paper since training camp opened in August.”

Shots contacted Sullivan via email to first, confirm that it was indeed his own response and second, to see if he cared to comment further.
We noted in our email to Sullivan: “The question that keeps entering my mind is: There was no NASCAR (on Tuesday), but we had NASCAR Coverage (Wednesday); no Div. 1A football was played on Tuesday – but we still got a notebook (in Wed.’s paper); do you see, at least, where the confusion could come in for readers?”

Sullivan, again, responded promptly and courteously, this time to Shots with the following: “Yes, that was my response. I try to answer any reader who might have question about the Globe’s sports section. Thank you for confirming its accuracy. That’s all I have to say.”

While we are inclined to commend Sullivan for his personal responses and availability, we are also cautiously frightened by the explanation Sullivan gave to “Tunescribe.”

On a certain level, this is the kind of media minutiae that Shots often gets bogged down in; and the same kind that leads to 3,500 word ramblings that not even a true Shots Loyalists will read. But on a different level, it’s exactly what I’ve been venting about for the past two years and it continues to fall on deaf ears. I’m not crying wolf, folks. I’m observing the industry and watching the trends.

“Tunescribe,” plain and simple, shouldn’t be leaving the Globe (or its family of info providers) to find his Pats coverage. And Sullivan should be doing everything he can to encourage ‘Tune and his ilk to find other ways to “use” the Globe.

He should be directed to the web coverage. He should be led by the neck to a Pats Podcast hosted by the Globe (see: Globe Business podcasts if you need tutelage). He should be informed that although there wasn’t a print story there was web coverage by Mike Reiss in his phenomenal “Reiss’s Pieces.” (We interrupt this diatribe for a Globe website programming note: Reiss’s always worthwhile mailbag is moving from Wednesday to Tuesday beginning next week. We’re here to inform!)

Sully, you don’t need to feel slighted that a reader is finding more coverage elsewhere – you need to recruit that reader to your business’s other tentacles and get him hooked by another means!

But Sullivan, like so many of his ink-stained brethren, think that everything needs to be fixed within their own pages, on their own terms. That’s not only short-sighted, it’s a bad, irresponsible and dangerous business practice in today’s media climate. Tunescribe might never come back to the Globe’s print edition to find out how Sullivan rectifies the situation. At the very least he should have been nudged in the direction of the sister-department, Boston.com. It would have made Eric Wilbur and the boys quite happy, I’ll bet you. And it would have shown that Sullivan truly grasps the warp speed evolution now being foisted, both technologically and strategically, on his medium(s).

Which leads us to these three developments from the week that will ALL have ramifications within the greater sports media world at large.

1. Yahoo! Inc. announced the hiring of a full-time war correspondent who will, according to Bloomberg, “report from armed conflicts around the world.”
It is the first time Yahoo! has found the need to have a dedicated journalist report on news stories. Called “Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone,” the move marks Yahoo!’s initial plunge into the “news world” and will surely be followed by other Yahoo! ‘exclusive’ news deliverers in the coming months.

It’s similar to the approach the company used on the sports side (under fellow Umie Sam Silverstein’s guidance) when it brought on Shot’s amigo Dan Wetzel, a couple of years back, as its “national sports columnist.”

That was followed with NASCAR hirings as well as an NFL writer and other “celebrity” contributors. It has worked – in combo with the site’s fantasy operations and of course, it’s search engine – to the point where Yahoo! Sports competes (and beats) ESPN in key categories and indicators. The numbers never lie, folks. (Even if Shots is sometimes skeptical at certain subsets of that data!)

2. The Associated Press, according to this NYT story by Katharine Q. Seelye will launch a “younger audience service” (over numerous platforms including podcasts and blogs) aimed at the coveted 18 to 34 year-olds. Over 100 papers (and their websites) have signed up for the service thus far.

This will be worth keeping an eye on for several reasons, but chiefly because it shows that major media corporations, like AP, are realizing the need to reach this demographic in different ways than they reached even the kids’ parents – never mind their grandparents. It leads nicely to the launch of. . .

3. . . . . “Totally Patriots” which starts this Sunday, hosted by perky (and younged-up) Kerry Connolly (formerly of CBS4 WBZ-TV) and airing every Sunday at 11 a.m. on ABC5, WCVB-TV.

The show is aimed at giving an entry point for young Pats fans to both interact and get to know their home team athletes and associated personalities. It’s another example of the progressive, aggressive nature of Bob Kraftand his production wing, this time headed up by the show’s executive producer, Matt Smith. There will also be cheerleader inclusion; fantasy football (those two are only related in an adolescent’s mind – or Shots’ of course); and plenty of “get to know me”-type segments. And, as Shots tells anyone when they ask about our thoughts on such stellar children magazines as (past employer/current freelance provider) Sports Illustrated for Kids: “Sports naturally incorporates geography, math, science – and so much more.”

We’re guessing that Red Sox Kid Nation will start up a similar kid-friendly type of programming for either the web or TV or both.

• Someone alert the Track Gals to spread the word: Hide your daughters in Las Vegas this weekend – Our Favorite Frat Boy, WWZN 1510 AM’s Ryen Russillo, Ruttillo, Rudillo is broadcasting from the MGM Grand for Friday afternoon’s “The Diehards.”

The crew is down there for an HBO pay-per-view junket promoting this weekend’s fights; but there’s always time in Sin City to try out more Will Ferrell lines, right?

We kid, we joke, we pile on.

But we care. And that’s the point.

• Three Scott’s Shots cheers for Google’s new blog search Beta. Hip, hip, hooray (repeat twice more).

• It’s Called Bruins.

And It’s Called “Opening Night is Sold Out,” meaning with 18 more sell-outs the B’s will match the (announced attendance) sell-outs from the last season the team played their sport.

It’s Called Winning, that will make that happen. (Not to mention the kids-under-12-come-free campaign that will run through Thanksgiving and cover about 10 regular season games – mostly night-time contests, unfortunately for the little kiddies.)

(Shots must confess – we got a huge tongue-lashing about our hockey coverage/consideration by a local Person of Hockey Influence this week and we’re trying to become more hockey-centric. Look for this initiative to continue in forthcoming Shots and/or PodShots (which returns this Wednesday!) And who says we don’t aim to please?)

• Yes, that was Shots getting a WNBA fix last night just after 10 p.m. and lucking into a fantastic finish in Game 2 on ESPN2 (the Sox were floundering). We’re not afraid to admit that it was both compelling and captivating and we’re further not ashamed of the fact that we espied the close, personal friend of our guy, Jeff Ruland – the Alphabet Man, Tommy Abatemarco, a key assistant for the Sacramento franchise. Newly-coifed Doris Burke was tremendous as always and the Connecticut Sun rose from the Mohegan Sun night. . . (Once again, our gender equity requirements are met with little to no fanfare. Haters.). . . Not to be outdone by its little brother, was the ESPN presentation of the Utah-TCU tussle. Sneaky, surprising, scintillating Thursday night viewing and Utah’s winning streak is ended!. . . ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was lobbying for weekend Sox tickets, hoping to break his Fenway virginity while he’s in town for the BC-FSU game. Dr. Chuck? You out there? I’m sure Corso and Fowler are looking for ducats as well and I think Herbstreit mention Erin Andrews too. They might need a box for all the ESPiNners that will be invading Chestnut Hill! Let’s also be sure NESN gets camera shots of everyone – especially Andrews.

• Shots joins Our Boss Bruce in praise of Herald Howard Steroid Bryant’s Wednesday nugget about the Black Aces and its newest member, Dontrelle Willis. But the two lingering questions for us, were: “What does Dontrelle think of the whole thing?” and “Could HE name the other members of this exclusive club?”

We ask that Bryant follow-up with a call over to the Marlins and a future addendum in Boston Uncommon. Thanks ‘Roid Ranger, signed, Your Pal, Shots.

• Fox Sports New England’s marketing and communications director, Skip Perham was good enough (or is it cruel enough?) to send along a promo CD titled “The Confessional.” A part of the new “Keep It Real” campaign, the DVD includes 14 ad spots that will run in conjunction with FSN’s newest (casino-sponsored) New England Sports Tonight (presented by the Yellow Boxers) marketing initiative (as a replacement for the well-conceived, tolerably executed, “Odd Couple” theme of last year.)

Using a combination of a Reality TV motif crossed with a “This is SportsCenter” feel, the spoofs place the network’s personalities in a pseudo secluded “confessional closet” where “cast members” go to vent about their fellow cast members. Included on the sometimes humorous (Felgie, Holley Barry the Camera Guy, The Interns, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork), sometimes grotesque (Pete Meat Sheppard’s close-up and the way-too-close, flapping neck of Terrible Tommy Heinsohn) spots offer up some good attempts at garnering attention for the marquee local show on FSN New England.

Directed and produced by Jason Levine and Michael Silvia, the spots continue FSN’s marketing dominance over any of the vanilla campaigns currently run by their all-too-conservative competitor, the NESN/Globe/Red Sox honchos. Announcer Boy eating spicy salsa and Neumie talking about pitchers breaking panes of glass isn’t exactly pushing the envelope in “brand campaigning.”

Lastly, despite giving Sean McAdam the dead-on moniker of the “Baritone,” the true highlight of all the spots was the cameo appearance by Olympia Dukakis lookalike, Attracta, the FSN receptionist. Whether she was acting or not we’ll never know, but she is Emmy worthy regardless.

• The runaway winner in the BSMW Pulse Taker poll from last week was, no surprise, Bill The Sports Guy Simmons, ESPN.com with 33.9% of the 254 votes (86). Sean McDonough made a late surge to second (44), followed by Bob Ryan (36) and Mike (not Michael for radio purposes) Felger.

• Dan Ventura’s high school sports blog for the Herald has the immediate potential to be the most-viewed sports blog in greater Boston – the high school population numbers alone, dictate that. (Not to mention the fact that about 7 of 10 high school sports dedicated fans are web-savvy on many levels.)

If I’m a Boston-area business looking to market to 13-18 year olds, I’m going to Ace Ventura’s blog right about now and figuring out which boxes of ad space I’m coveting for Thanksgiving football rivalry time, tournament time and, of course, national signing days (for regional signees).

Get the point, Yellow Box Business folk? Go sell the crap out of every blog space you can. Make package deals, make sponsorships available, but do it now before everyone else (read: the Globies) figures it out.

• Some first week speed bumps as well as early signs of promise sprang forth during the first four days of ESPN Radio Boston’s (ERB’s) Mike Felger afternoon show, The Drive.

The Monday debut was less-than-stellar and included the unfortunate, dropped phone call from Bob Kraft – the show’s first official guest – who said he was hearing another radio station in the background. Perhaps that was because even Krafty was still listening to WEEI? (The choice of Kraft as the first guest was a peculiar one, knowing that he’s never a great, quick, sound byte that radio requires. Kraft likes to talk slowly and deliberately and that combination over a shaky cell phone makes for risky radio.)

But Felger also came on strong by saying, point blank, that local teams like the Celtics and Bruins need to “prove themselves to be relevant” before Felger will dedicate air time to them. The BU alum even took a swipe at BC when he ranked their relevance “below the (New England soccer) Revolution.” Ouch! Hear that Meter Man? Thems is fightin’ words, right Meterparel?

The Monday debut finished strong as Monday Night Blitz co-host, Russ Francis, questioned the vision of enigmatic slippery fingered Pats tight end Daniel Graham, saying that Graham’s father, Tom (who Francis knew from Oregon), had “awful eyesight.”

Throughout the week, “The Drive” was able to land marquee ESPN talent as call-in guests and on Tuesday also had Basketball Bob Ryan, who, it needs to be noted, has done a 23-year (!) stint with Loren & Wally (yes they’re still alive!), which represents his only, regular gig on local radio. That’s just shocking, considering Ryan’s widespread appeal nationwide on other sports talkers. But we digress. . .

“The Drive’s” cache of being able to land ESPN talent like Chris Mortensen will go a long way in filling guest spots.

By far, the smoothest and most entertaining minutes came on Wednesday when Scott’s Shots fave (as you know) Mike Reiss shared studio space with Felger-Underwood and the solid, feeling-his-way, Kevin Winter.

Felger was also smart in plugging the fact that ESPN Radio is home to the major league baseball playoffs, meaning local listeners will not be hamstrung into listening to the sometimes grating “Joe and Jerry” of WEEI flagship fame.

Felger said on Monday the show’s mission statement was this: “Don’t take ourselves too seriously.” And by Thursday afternoon, Felger announced, just after 5 p.m., that he is “enjoying the crap out of” the new gig.

That will likely last until the first rating book – still, Week One was promising, if not perfect.

• Boston-based Mark St. Amant from www.thesportsrag.com (an ‘Onion’ for sports) shared TV time with Josh Elliott (and the awful Peter Something from Entertainment Weekly,) on Wednesday’s “Classic Now” on ESPN Classic. (Peter Something is the same guy who wastes our time on “Cold Pizza” frequently.) The show continues to flounder as does it’s opposite piece of programming at ESPN2, “Quite Frankly” with Stephen Angry. Toss in ESPN Hollywood and there, folks, is the Triple Crown of BAD evening programming offered up by the Disney dolts. . . At the very least, “Quite Frankly” had the good sense to include former Vermont head coach, Tom Brennan, in a discussion of college athletics on Thursday night. Brennan, according to one Catamount source, is still in the running for a position on ESPN college basketball coverage this upcoming season. Let’s hope they have the good sense to feature Brennan prominently – his presence in New York for the Stephen A show is a good sign that ESPN talks are ongoing. . . Meantime, Hartford Courant scribe, Ken Davis had this interesting piece on a recent New England Basketball Roundtable that coincided with Jim Calhoun’s Hall of Fame induction, and included Brennan along with George Blaney, Dee Rowe, Bob Cousy and BC’s Al Skinner.

• Here’s this week’s favorite line from my favorite job posting at the re-designed www.journalismjobs.com, for a columnist’s position at the Fresno Bee: “If you’re ready to follow in the footsteps of previous Bee writers John Branch, John Canzano, Eric Prisbell and Adrian Wojnarowski, please e-mail no more than three clips (or Internet links) to sports editor Robert Zizzo at rzizzo@fresnobee.com. The Bee is an EOE.”

Notably absent from the list is the ‘Daily Word’, ESPN’s Boston-bred Andy Katz, who also shone at the Bee in the late-90s. Shots is partial, however, to our guy, Woj, and it is in his honor that Shots will apply for the job. Once I get three worthwhile clips, that is.

• Riding With the Blue Moth by Bill Hancock arrived in the “Shots Book Review Mail Slot” this week and we can’t omit mentioning its admirable author, its spirit and its worthiness.

Hancock, who Shots has gotten to know a little bit through Hancock’s stellar NCAA work with the Final Four, is the dad of Will Hancock, one of the 2001 Oklahoma State basketball team’s 10 plane crash victims. Will, according to everyone who knew him, was that rare breed of Sports Information Directors who had both personality and aptitude to spare. His tragic death touched many people in the business and was a huge loss.

Following Will’s death, Bill made a “pilgrimage” of over 2,700 miles on his bike – going from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific and the result is “Riding with the Blue Moth.”

Shots has it on the “To Read” shelf, but for now we thought it was important enough for you to head over to the website and put the 252-pager on your Fall Reading list. The book’s foreword, incidentally, is written by CBS’s Jim Nantz, who calls the book “. . . pure inspiration. . . a snapshot of the American culture. . . (a) deeply personal and uplifting account of how this family responded to a tragic loss. It will make you want to hug your children and to cherish every moment.”

Strong words about a strong book written by a strong man. Shots hides nothing when we wish Hancock the very best with this project.

• “I like it, I love it. I want more of it.” Tug McGraw’s kid tells me this and I’m thinking: Why on Earth is ABC putting us through this?

The halftime highlight package (which must be lyricized by a bunch of ABC interns) is just awful. Give us the highlights, that’s fine. But lose the soundtrack.

• Shots was informed this week of a new podcast started by Shots’ Politico Fave, Barack Obama . I wonder if we could do a quid pro quo podcast? My people will be in touch B. . .Speaking of politicos and all things not sports, remember that Carl Kassel makes his triumphant return to Chapel Hill this weekend for NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. . .” We believe Charlie Pierce will also be in tow for the road show and we’re guessing Pierce gets in at least one or two shots at Tobacco Toker Dean Smith. And won’t Roy Blount Jr. be happy to be in a southern state where they find his drawl endearing!

• The Track Gals have been having a rough go of it in the spelling department with a Bob Craft spelling error last week and the continued incorrect spelling of Emilee Dennis’s name. They’re still our favorite lady tandem in the biz, but the little things do annoy sometimes.

• Don’t forget Dave Doyle’s World and its weekly football picks entry. Shots is quite proud that he has yet to completely embarass himself through two weeks of picks. And, unlike other game pickers, all my choices are made by myself – no intern or desk jockey gets to choose MY losers!

• We bid you a joyous weekend on this, Neil Young’s favorite moon – the Harvest variety. (New Neil available this coming week and we like what we’ve heard so far. A lot better than that Greendale crap he pulled on us a couple of summers back). . .

Come a little bit closer/Hear what I have to say/Just like children sleepin'/We could dream this night away./But there's a full moon risin'/Let's go dancin' in the light/We know where the music's playin'/Let's go out and feel the night./Because I'm still in love with you/ I want to see you dance again/Because I'm still in love with you/On this harvest moon./ When we were strangers/I watched you from afar/When we were lovers/I loved you with all my heart./ But now it's gettin' late/ And the moon is climbin' high/ I want to celebrate/ See it shinin' in your eye./ Because I'm still in love with you/ I want to see you dance again/ Because I'm still in love with you/ On this harvest moon.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shots@bostonsportsmediadotcom