By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

• The Jerry Trupiano Saga continues to unfold, with Brad Blank – Trupiano’s agent – confirming to Shots late Thursday afternoon that there has still been no contact made by the Red Sox to inform the 14-year Sox radio voice of his future with the organization.

Even in the wake of a Herald gossip page story and a less-gossippy follow-up Wednesday afternoon here at Shots, none of the involved “suits” have deemed it necessary to have a face-to-face with Trupiano.

Shots’ two messages to Sox broadcast partner, Entercom’s Jason Wolfe, from earlier in the week have not been returned, but we have been told to expect some hard-hitting investigation into Operation Dump Troop by the Globe’s Susan Bickelhaupt, in her always riveting (sarcasm drips right about here), Friday, must-read, Sports “Media” space. Of course, since the 17 Percenters are implicitly involved in the whole business operation of Red Sox, Inc., we should take any (or all) of her words with a large grain of sea salt.

At this point, it appears a near-certainty that Sunday’s finale at Fenway will be Troop’s Swan Song. If it goes by unmentioned by the Sox, shame on them. An organization that prides itself on doing the classy thing (witness Johnny Pesky’s night this week), should be stand-up enough to allow its “Nation Members” a proper chance to say goodbye and “Thanks” to a long-time voice, who was part of many the franchise’s most memorable radio broadcasts.

As Blank pointed out to Shots on Wednesday, the Sox have no legal obligation to do anything. They can let the contract expire (Feb. 1, 2007, according to Blank) and go about their business. Happens in corporate America all the time. No fancy send-off, barely a thank you and the quiet hiring of your replacement. Business ain’t fun folks. Sorry.

But this is supposed to be a bit more than just business. Fourteen years at anything, is a long time. How many people do you personally know who have had the same job for a run like that? And if you think of one, you can be sure that person hasn’t been talking to thousands of your, ahem, “Nation’s” members for well over 2000 games.

Trupiano may not have the cache of Joe Castiglione or the roots of Jerry Remy, but he does have a heart, a brain and, by all accounts, the characteristics we’d all want in our employees.

It’s not our call on whether Trupiano deserves a new deal, but we can pass some judgment on how the matter has been handled: Poorly, at best.

. . . I think, in looking back over my notes from http: Wednesday’s chat with Trupiano, there’s a good chance that Troop himself was in denial about the rumors of his non-renewal (which have been out there virtually all season).

Maybe it was the way the Track Gals splashed it across their space that set Troop off, or maybe it was the poorly-planted item about Trupiano going back to St. Louis that tipped the scales. Or maybe – no definitely – it could be the impersonal way that Troop (and his representative) feel the situation has been handled.

. . . Speaking of that representative, Blank, it is worth noting that he was (is) the agent for Bob Neumeier, who previously had some, shall we say, animated discussions in trying to get a new deal for Neumie at Entercom’s WEEI (the mid-day spot that eventually went to Michael Holley). Many, at the time, thought Blank may have done his client a disservice by playing hardball with the 50,000 Watt Bully.

Blank, however, is quick to point out the extensive use of Neumie by NBC Sports (and now nbcsports.com) and his versatilty for the GE Peeps. “He’s part of NBC’s Football Night in America and that’s a pretty serious operation they’re running with that show,” said Blank, who also let slip that Neumie’s NESN gig (as the Globe’s “Sports Plus” host) is, by no means, a permanent deal and Blank hinted that perhaps Neumie’s plate (and wallet) is full enough with his NBC duties.

. . .Blank recently added to his stable of clients, a rising talent at the NFL Network, in Adam Schefter, a reporter for “NFL Total Access.”. . . Blank was also raving about one of his White House Press Crops all-stars, CNN’s Ed Henry, a Siena Saint, which automatically gives him cred. with Shots. Love that Saint Bernard mascot with teh dangling pink tongue.

. . . Some Shots’ community members were wondering why the onus is put on the Red Sox in making them appear to be the “bad guys.” Entercom, after all, is supposed to making the decisions.

But only the naïve or uninitiated would dare to think that professional teams are not directly involved with the hiring of talent for local TV and Radio packages.

Let’s face it, the Sox make the pick and Entercom dutifully nods their head.

. . . The only mention we could find from Thursday’s papers about the Trupiano matter was in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette from Bill Ballou.

• NESN has quietly gone ahead and done a web re-design with a strong emphasis on video content and a beefed-up presence for the Talented Mr. Wilbur (Eric Wilbur)

We had some loading problems at the homepage on Thursday afternoon (maybe because we’re Mac heathens), but the improvements to the site are numerous on the surface. The unfortunate Boston.com leftovers (dull sponsor links at the bottome of the scroll, for instance) and a dearth of original content are to be expected at this point. We’ll have to keep track of how the NESN/Boston.commers add meat to the bones of what is now present.

. . . Monday’s marathon Red Sox programming is being topped off at 9 p.m. that evening by the Orginal NESN Entertainment production of “Papi’s Greatest Hits.”

We’re guessing ONE is the local net’s answer to ESPN Original Entertainment, and will likely be a tag we see more of as Joel Feld continues to forge ahead with in-house productions.

Might be a good time to re-suggest the “NESN WWF Vintage Series” we’d be happy to host for you, Mr. Feld.

• Last week’s questioning of the Globe’s approach and/or motive behind its minority coaches’ package resonated with more than a few readers.

On particularly valued corresponder took umbrage with Shots’ complete lack of historical reference. The writer, who will remain nameless, admonished me and included the following reasoning:

“Would it hurt to be fair?

About two and a half years ago, the Boston Globe sports department employed the following: Jim Greenidge, Joe Burris, Michael Holley and Michael Smith – African-Americans, all. . .

There wasn’t a sports department in America that had a better minority thing going than (the Globe) had.”

Greenidge, sadly, passed away; Burris left for DC; Holley left, came back and left again; and Smith left.

Jerome Solomon came, and left and now Christopher Gasper has been bumped up to the sports desk full-time.

So, as the author is illustrating, it’s not like the Globe doesn’t try to be diverse on its Sports desk. They just haven’t been so great at retaining the minority writers they bring in.

That could be caused by a number of factors (we’re betting Solomon will tell you one of them is the inherent racism found in Boston), but the point is still well taken. I applaud the Globe retroactively to when they were doing right by its minority readershi.

However, the story about the lack of minority football coaches in the region (that served as my leaping off point) was published last week with current 2006 statistics as its basis. Likewise, my critique of the Globe throwing rocks from its glass lobby was based on current, 2006 statistics as well – the ones that show a lily white sports in the midst of some very obvious growing (or stagnating) pains.

. . .A bit of fun-poking at the expense of Solomon, by his compadre at the Houston Chronicle can be found here, along with a Reid Laymance mention.

Solomon has been back writing in Houston for over a week now.

He doesn’t appear (Search: Jerome Solomon) to have yet taken on the Page 2-esque role that he left the Globe for, but he’s probably working up to that position and, in the meantime, contributing wherever he is needed (mostly on the lowly Texans beat).

• We’re hooked on the NFLN’s Replay campaign. We’re stupid like that.

• ESPN Mobile might be dead, but not the concept and not by a long shot.

It appears ESPN will dummy-up and piggyback with a company that knows mobile communications and it will probably work just fine. But they had to fail before they could succeed. It’s similar to what is happening with the newspapers now: who ever dummies up in that sector and gets smart about things, will partner up with the big search engines and drive newspaper traffic through the Yahoo!s and Googles of the world.

• Malcolm Moran is no longer at USA Today, which slipped by me. I hope it’s not too late to offer congratulations.

• There are far worse causes to get behind than this one.

• Monday’s Herald sports was one hell of a read and anchored by George Kimball’s golf coverage form Ireland. Kimball is all-underrated in this town and it’s a treat to have him in print again.

• Forthwith, my first true criticism of Deadspin since I was directed to its wonderful existence, during its infancy:

The weekend thing isn’t working.

Perfect example: Sunday at about 1:45, ESPN had, in its top story scroll, a piece about the see this especially the part where smaller sites are gaining. And from that same day and that same site, we got this encouraging news.

• There’s been nothing better than this whole Jason Whitlock episode.

• Shaughnasty being Shaughnasty borrowing from Shaughnasty:

“. . . Geraldo Rivera should have walked off after the Capone vault fiasco. . .” 06.24.05

“It was the modern-day equal of Geraldo Rivera cracking open Al Capone’s vault to find. . . nothing. . .” 09.28.06

The Geraldo/Al Capone thing is 20 years old, ensuring that a good 25 percent of Dan’s readership has no freaking clue what he’s referring to.

I guess we all get obsessed with certain events and we all repeat ourselves after a while – it just seems to happen more often with Danny Boy.

• This doesn’t suck very much, and it’s more follow-up than we saw anywhere in Boston, on a story that intially had alegs.

Nice work by CSTV’s Elliot Olshansky on that bit of reporting.

• My UFC expert alerted me to this Boston story angle on a local fella Joe Lauzon

We only mention it, because we seem to recall Ron Borges starting to dabble (weakly) in UFC affairs. Nice local angle right here for you, Ronny B – no charge, courtesy of Shots.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. And can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmedDOTcom

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David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. And can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmedDOTcom