By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

• Not sure if Green Boxer, Chris Snow was joking when he blogged this on Sunday: “Apologies for the lack of humor in these dispatches. I’m keeping it serious, given that Gordon is on blogging probation for signing one of his dispatches with the salutation ‘Layta’ at the winter meetings.”

Knowing a few things about the Globe, I’m guessing he’s serious. Can any editorial person in a position of power possibly be that clueless?

Guess so.

• Good intentions, awful execution: The Globe has been doing book reviews on its Page 2 Sunday sports for a few months now. Bob Duffy does the writing in most instances and as reviews go, the word content is passable. Reviews are reviews are reviews. . .

But the subject matter is out-dated, to say the least. The most recent example came this past Sunday with a review of May 2005’s release, Sunday Money by Jeff MacGregor.

The book admittedly had buzz – nine months ago.

In fact, a check of the last five Duffy reviews finds a book from November 2004, one from September 2005, another from June 2005, a fourth from January 2005 and the NASCAR book.

How about getting some review copies for the new stuff. Like this one from Scott Gray or how about this recently relevant tome from a Shots’ confidant?

We just saw the bludgeoning given to the deserving John Feinstein last Sunday at the Mothership. Can’t the baby sister Globe get on that same review copy mailing list?

Either give us new releases or give us nothing. And don’t be afraid to do two reviews in the space you’re now using for one. Or one big review, as is, and two thumb up or thumb down recommendations. Jazz it up a bit – graphically even.

I know, I know – so simple when you think about it. But you don’t have the time. I do. That’s why I’m here.

• The CBS4 sports department pushed the technological envelope a bit on Thursday night by having a Spring Training Webcast at 6:45 p.m.

We like that the Lobellers are merging media more and more, but we don’t like being discriminated against for using a Macintosh, and more specifically, a Mac-friendly browser (Safari). The video player only supported Netscape and Internet Explorer. Shots did get the audio, which was mostly fine and included a blunt-as-always Mike Timlin.

Babbling Bob Lobel, who was at his babbling worst on Wednesday night’s 11 p.m. newscast, when the sprinklers stole 99 percent of his attention, was paired with Dan Roche to answer viewer email and showed good “interactivity” on the 4Webcast. Roche called something a “horse’s bum,” showing his good FCC upbringing, even in cyberspace.

It’d be worth a sponsor’s looksie, I’d venture to guess. Might be a nice post-game spot for Yankees games and expanded playoffs coverage.

. . .The rest of the original programming out of The Fort was mostly unremarkable. The Dick’s golf shirts being sported by Gary Tanguay and Greg Dickerson have gone from bad (putrid colors) to worse (shiny fabrics) over at FSN’s Diamondhead spot. Same crew of talking heads with varying degrees of sunburn. Tony Massarotti continues to shine as one of the region’s best print-turned-electornic faces and voices. For our money Mazz has a lot more national appeal for a show like “Around the Horn” than say, a dolt like Woody Wood Man. . . Meanwhile, NESN has brought the big guns with a giant, ESPN-on-the-road-type, set (and set-up) from the Sox’ spring training facility. Tom Caron has been the steady, composed anchor we’ve come to know and enjoy and the regular parade of Globies to the NESN road desk has been constant. . . And truth be told, Youk’s Tito imitation was pretty hilarious last night (Thursday).

Everyone’s getting the same interviews in different rotations and for the most part, no one’s saying anything of merit. NECN’s Chris Collins was chummy with Keith Foulke on Wednesday night and had a slightly awkward moment when he brought up the Johnny from Burger King affair. But yet-to-be-rattled Foulkie let it roll off his striped Nike shirt. See if that’s happening in July after blown save No. 8!. . . Over at CN8, Easy Ed Berliner played Big Red to the his Little Red partner, Kevin Winter from ESPN Radio Boston. Earlier in the week, FlorEda was sharing mucho screen time with mlb.com contributor Mike Petraglia from a bench at the park. Winter, Mike Felger’s sidekick on The Drive, went baseball-capped for his “Pulse” time, likely so he could avoid the summer he was encountering. (Sorry, folks, seasonal jokes always get me.).

Bottom line for the local Spring Training coverage we’ve been able to catch: Everyone’s there playing defense against everyone else. If something happens, they’ll be there. If not – they’re making the bosses think the work’s brutal and the hours are long.

March One Manny’s arrival will now keep, and eventually increase, the masses who are going to various lengths to provide over-coverage of the over-covered. It will peak on Wednesday – if Manny speaks – and then most everyone (except the newspaper/web guys) will come home and wait for Opening Day.

• On that note, sort of, Shots is scheduled for a debut spot with NECN’s Mike Giardi on “Sports Latenight” this coming Sunday. If your weekend needs that one, special capper to set your upcoming week in motion, look no further than Channel 6 on many cable systems.

• ESPN’s done lost its damn mind. Turns out it’s from the makers of “Iron Chef,” of course, but without the superior foreign commentary.

At the very least, The Sklar brothers are guaranteed material for the foreseeable future.

• Old friend, and local Legacy, Duke Castiglione is taking a considerable step up the national ladder.

Castiglione won’t be re-upping with his New York’s CBS2 commitments (after almost six years there) and instead will be getting a heavier workload from the good folks in Bristol, ESPN.

Already loaded with March “sideline” reporting assignments for the Disney baseball division, Joe’s Kid will also find himself with more college football, Third-Man-In duties for the ESPNers, as well. There is also talk of some SportsCenter reporting, something that would be natural for a New York-based guy with easy access to “breaking news” at Shea and Evil Empire Stadium. (He was, you’ll note, the Media Man Who Pissed Off the Big Unit – in other words, he’s got a little oomph behind the pretty face.)

Duke had been mentioned as a possible Lobel replacement by this space a few weeks back and we still believe there was at least some interest on the part of Duke’s former co-workers, who now call Soldiers’ Field Road their office-home. ESPN’s commitment to Castiglione proves that if those WBZ bosses weren’t thinking about the Duke of New York, they should have been. He’s got national skills and a local name – two components that are unusual in this, or any market.

Maybe next time around, after Lobel completely loses it.

• Don’t look now but Boston University could be a No. 3-seed in the America East tourney – Dennis Wolff consistently proves what a tremendous coach he is. But we hardly care in this warped town. . . Our favorite Hebrew Vol, Sharon’s Bruce Pearl, (scroll down in article) sweat through a suit the other night like no man has ever sweat before. “I sweat sweet,” he said. “It’s not a stinky sweat at all.” On SportsCenter on Thursday he even used the word schvitz, believed to be an SC first. Unless Cosell said it once.

• Let’s be sure to watch the maneuverings for control over The Sporting News and/or its components.

Once it goes by the wayside – and you’ve got to figure the magazine will not be salvaged – you’re really down to SI and ESPN as the mainstay sports titles. How TSN has made it this far is nothing short of staggering. The fact that it has diminished so in value (one estimate said it’s gone from a $100 million property to a $37 million operation) only confirms what had been assumed for the last decade: It’s a two horse race for the sports glossies.

For those scoring at home, the final death march went like this: IN the late 1990s, Inside Sports was swallowed by SPORT (actually “Incorporated”); SPORT then folded at the turn of the century; now TSN’s print unit will likely be shuttered.

Sad, on many levels, but also part of the natural evolution of any industry.

• The sleeper best concert of the winter took place in Hingham last Saturday night when Jake Armerding and his father tore up the stage at a Hingham coffeehouse show. The Old Man has talent only just now beginning to emerge from the 28-year-old son – but even that is high praise for Jake. Taylor, the elder, is that amazing. Mandolins just work for me – I know they don’t work for everyone.

What’s that? Steve Morse called and he wants me to stop being musical? Okay – my bad.

• Proof positive that good things happen to good people: Herald college hoops contributor Jeff Goodman has been added to FOXsports.com’s roster as a national college hoops writer. According to Goodman, he will be able to maintain his Herald work, highlighted by this city’s only devoted, ACC hoops notebook of note.

Having written for scout.com, Goodman gained entry into foxsports.com after the somewhat overlooked (by me, anyway) buyout of scout.com by Fox and its emerging “Fox Interactive Media” division.

• Ummm, someone’s got sex appeal to match her silver medal:

• USA (aka NBC2) had Gary Bettman in-studio before the final, preliminary round game for Team Uninterested in Showing Any emotion.

As expected, Ray Ferraro Granato (Tammy’s hubby, in forming the First Couple of NBC Sports) and Bill Clement made the sweater clad commish feel as comfy as if he were in front of the blazing fire back at the chateau – with the family.

By not inquiring, in some way, about the Rick Tocchet situation, NBC failed in the most miserable of ways. Business partner or not, there needs to be some level of honesty between the Network and the Viewer.

In fairness, Bob Costas did press Wayne Gretzky on the matter a bit, in his Wednesday night sit-down with Gretzky on NBC, during the “Lampley Latenight.” Gretzky seemed adverse to even saying the word “gambling.” And, as Costas pointed out, he did look a bit shot.

. . .Hockey voice Mike Emrick shrank during the course of the Olympic pucks tourney. Odd phenomenon, that.

• Not just separated at birth, Adam Morrison IS Rick Danko (rest his soul).

• Some Shots programming information for the next week to ten days:

The Shots March Madness Road Trip to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball tournament, in Albany, NY, will commence next weekend (March 4-6). The postings from our luxury suite at the regal Albany Crowne Plaza will begin appearing in the early morning hours of Sunday the fifth and will continue three straight days (at any time, mind you), culminating in a championship night extravaganza. Or at least a posting before tip and after post-game on Monday night.

You won’t need to be well-versed in metro New York college hoops, but you will need to enjoy and appreciate the month that is March and the sport that is college basketball.

• Also, in the near future, I will be doing what is sure to be one of many lengthy pleas for Dick Vitale to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. I’m an unabashed fan of Vitale, but I also have eyes of my own and I see the NBA-bias that exists off of Route 91 in western Mass.

I’d like for the piece, once it runs, to open some serious dialogue about Vitale and his Hall worthiness. I’m not a huge Hall-of-any-kind debate guy, but this one has had some added significance after a recent piece I was able to do on Vitale for the forthcoming New Jersey Monthly magazine.

So look for that in the coming days as well.

• Next week will be a regularly scheduled Shots and will include plans to out-Deadspin the Deadspin Guy during his schedule Boston visit surrounding this.

Enjoy the end of the Laff-a-‘lympics – we’ll miss you Mary Carillo.

No we won’t.

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