By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

• Shots spent a few days this week chasing down an intriguing possibility from Entercom’s Sports Leader, WEEI 850 AM, concerning its long-term business partner, the Red Sox.

‘EEI – and specifically the Golden Child and Talk Station Guru, Jason Wolfe – have been toying with the idea of hiring a full-time Red Sox beat person (or persons) to provide both written word on the woeful WEEI web and spoken word on the air (and feasibly, if they ever decide to enter the podcast world, on the web as well).

It’s a model that has been used successfully by the Gold Standard of sports talk radio stations, WFAN 660 AM in New York – first with Suzyn Waldman on the Yankees beat, and now with Sweeny Murti. But it’s worked at The FAN because they have talented people, the proper web resources and an ability to both inform AND entertain. ‘EEI’s talent roster is about an eighth of the FAN’s and informing and entertaining are hardly central to ‘EEI’s core mission. They’d much rather encourage inane banter from mornoic callers. More likely, ‘EEI’s mouths prefer to misinform and barely amuse (especially during football season on the dreadful Big Show with the laughing hyena cast of meatheads dominates).

. . .Shots has been informed by a handful of local newspaper people that the names being thrown around for the potential position(s) are all current, regular, WEEI contributors and include both the Herald’s Steve Buckley and Tony Massarotti, as well as the Providence Journal’s Sean McAdam.

However, it is also believed that the original plan to add a radio beat guy was initiated as a contingency in case Entercom lost the Red Sox radio rights all together (which they didn’t). Still, with the shift of the games from WEEI to sister station (and current makeover specimen) WRKO 680 AM, the move could still make sense for ‘EEI to keep its Red Sox presence and attachments. A final decision isn’t expected until perhaps after spring training.

(Shots has long ago given up on trying to contact the poobahs at Entercom after too many ignored emails and unreturned phone calls. When the local spokespeople/executives start acting professionally with this space, we’ll be happy to seek comment from them. Until then, we’re left to speculate and critique without the benefit of Entercom company spin. So be it.)

Presumably, since ‘EEI is looking at writers for the possible position(s), there would be some type of a web element to any coverage the reporter would provide. The award-winning ‘EEI has a decidedly non award-worthy website (despite its touted feature of being able to do keyword searches for audio clips), so whatever web element they have planned is going to start with a distinct disadvantage, namely: A middle-schooler seems to have designed the web page.

. . . With Mazz’s recent promotion to general columnist fopr the Yellow Boxers, the move makes very little sense for him (unless he’s hearing the footsteps of another round of Herald layoffs and gets panicky). McAdam would likely be forced to give up his ESPN work (keeping in mind the affiliation of competitor, ESPN Radio Boston 890 AM, with the Worldwide Leader), so the monetary figures would need to be able to offset both his ProJo salary and his ESPN earnings. That could be a lot more money than stingy Entercom wants to spend (and could ultimately eliminate all of the “name” candidates).

That leaves, from the names we’ve been told, Buckley, who could be the perfect candidate for the position. But would he be enough of a bulldog on the beat and would he bring enough eyes to the website?

Perhaps a John Wallach-type would be more affordbale and logical for the Wolfe Man.

The other major question facing Entercom is whether or not they want to get into the business of reporting on the news in a traditional manner. (Especially at a time when ‘RKO is cutting its news division.) Such a move would assume that listeners are able to discern opinion from reporting and further assume that there’s even a need for such reporting from what is mostly an entertainment station.

We tend to think that A) the typical WEEI listener can barely discern who the heck is speaking, never mind what they’re intentions are and, B) that hiring one reporter doesn’t suddenly make you a news operation.

It could very well backfire in a big way and you’d have to think there are better ways for the Entercommers to spend their cash (bettering the website, for one; hiring some fresh blood for another).

• We expect nothing less from the tabloided TV folks, but this was beneath even them. On Wednesday night CBS4 Boston was pubbing, on its nightly newscast, its website video of Bill Belichick “snapping” at a reporter. Belichick did, indeed, take offense to the question on Vinny Testaverde, which Shots has learned came from Albert Breer of the MetroWest Daily News, but the video posted at CBS4’s site didn’t bother to include the question, or to identify the person being “snapped” at.

What a disgrace to try and use another media member as a tease to drive traffic to the website. And it was hardly a full-on assault by Belichick. It was Bill being Bill. Do you think if Belichick had gone off on Stammering Steve Burton, CBS4 would have been so gung-ho to share the video? It tells you all you need to know about the TV world and their desparation for eyeballs.

• Monday morning of this week, Orestes Destrade, on XM Radio’s Channel 175, was WAY out in front on the true (or perceived to be true) number for the Daisuke Matsuzaka negotiating rights. During the “Baseball This Morning” show with Buck Martinez, Mark Patrick and Destrade, the ex-Seibu Lion, said:

“From my reliable sources it is the Boston Red Sox [who have the highest bid, but the bid] is not 38 million, it is not 45 million, it is guaranteed over 50 million. . .”

An ex-Big Leaguer and Cuban native, Destrade reportedly maintains good connections from his playing days overseas and was also able to also use the information on Cold Pizza for ESPN, where he continues to be a rising star for his on-point baseball analysis. He’s got an interesting backstory, as well.

Destrade also had this to say about the perceived pressure Matsuzaka will face in Boston because of the hefty price tag for his services:

“This one is tricky…$50 plus million [for the bid] then you figure he’s going to get no less than three years for $36 [million] – I would imagine Scott Boras will try to push for four years for 12 million [per season] that’s 48 [million]; now you’re looking at a 100 million dollar man. I’m concerned about that. It could be a recipe for disaster. He is a stellar pitcher and in regular circumstances I think he would have a fantastic major league career. But that is a lot of pressure to go to Boston…with a 100 million label tagged to you.”

The morning show airs weekdays 6 a.m.-9 a.m. ET on MLB Home Plate, XM 175.

. . . And we did catch the tail end of that David Ortiz in-studio interview on XM. Some very precious stuff from Big Papi. Had an old-school, radio hour feel to it, too.

. . . Great. The Track Gals have a new duo to fawn over with the potential arrival of “Rockets” with Matsuzaka.

• Herald contributor and FoxSports.com college hoops maven, Jeff Goodman’s National Prep Showcase takes place this weekend if you’re in the mood for elite level boys’ high school basketball. It is held in Worcester at Assumption College and will feature 16 of the Top 100 players in the country, including Kansas State-bound Michael Beasley (Rivals #1 player) and the No. 2 junior in the nation, American Christian (Pa.) guard, Tyreke Evans.

• My boy in the Ocean State Tilber tipped me off to this from Sean Brennan at the NY Daily News. It’s simply outstanding.

• The “Donny and Ronny” show was in full effect on Monday night’s NESNU broadcast of the Vermont upset of Boston College. Don Orsillo and Ronny Perry are teamed again for some college hoops action, and once you realize it’s not actually Sean McDonough on the call (the same process we had to go through with teh Sox for a while), it’s a pairing that works well together. Perry’s always been a national level talent, but has never strayed far from his base – something we’ve always admired in the guy. Sort of makes him one of our New England treasures.

• Once in a while, even a blind squirrel (i.e., the NHL) gets a nut. Wanna bet every one of the top 10 most-viewed will be fights?

• More than a few folks had a problem with ESPN’s over-reaction to this week’s Bobby Knight “incident.” And that was rightful indignation (even extending to ombudsman and newfound Friend of Shots, George Solomon, who appeared on the network during the day to bemoan SportsCenter’s attention to the chin-up Knight gave).

But to be honest, the more egregious and insulting abuse of coverage was having reporter Colleen Dominguez at the ABC “Dancing With the Stars” set, interviewing judges and riding Emmitt’s jockstrap. It was corporate cross-promotion of the shadiest sort. A real reporter like Dominguez (or weeks ago, Jeremy Schaap on the LeBrons), “reporting” on a non-story, for the sole purpose of promoting a brand and keeping the corporate side happy.

It was hard to tell at times, on ESPN’s 6 p.m.SportsCenter, if the “Judgment Day” they were building up all week was for Ohio State/Michigan on Saturday or Emmitt/Mario on Wednesday.

• It’s college hoops season and I know it, because Bill Raftery was talking about “kisses” and “puppies” and “Valentines” on Wednesday night. (Alongside his Big Monday tablemates, Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas (who gave a lawyerly, verbal beatdown to Doug Gottlieb during Tuesday’s over-saturation of Knightgate Part XXIX). The trio was in midseason form, more than we can say for Rick Majerus, who was a bit shaky on the Gonzaga-Rice midnight game on Tuesday.

. . . The 3:30 kick for the Game of the Century I is at ABC5, and so too, is the 8 p.m. Cal at USC game, which could serve as quite a nice nightcap.

• The Sox are already being lumped in with the Yankees and Seattle at www.major.jp. Despite the language barrier, it’s worth cruising around the site a bit to get a feel for what we can expect if/when Matsuzaka signs.

However, this is a deal that helps Major League Baseball (the entity) the most and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Sox pursuit wasn’t aided in some way, shape or form by the Bud Selig people. Money may not have exchanged hands, but you can be sure guarantees and handshakes were made. It behooves the league to have rivals for the already-established Japanese players and the chance to, in earnest, bring the league’s marquee rivalry (Yanks/Sox) to Asia is nothing short of a grand slam for the ENTIRE league, from a marketing perspective.

• We’ve been told Adam Reilly at the Phoenix has chops and will evolve into his new position at the potentially monstrous Media Log. So far, a week or so in, we’re having a hard time believing it. Too many links, not enough sass and frass.

(Shots did lobby heavily for that space, so some of this may be sour grapes of having it sit idle for so long after Mark Jurkowitz left. As always, we’ll give the space time to find its footing and we’ll keep watching.)

• Congrats to Basketball Bob Ryan on his latest award, The Dick Schaap Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism. Previous winners include NBC’s Bob Costas, the New York Times’ Dave Anderson, ABC Sports’ Jim McKay and Sports Illustrated’s Frank Deford.

Ryan fits nicely with those giants of the biz.

• The Pats apparently stopped keeping track of scores after the bye week if a season ticket holder email survey sent out this week, is any indication. Scores from Buffalo, Minny, Indy and the Jets had not been updated in an email sent on Wednesday.

The survey, by the way, was asking how the Gillette Stadium experience could be made better. Perhaps they should focus on the emails and, then the stadium? (The separate, “Special Access” newsletter, was updated, however. Therefore, the first question on the survey should have been: “How seriously do you think we are taking this survey when we can’t even update the damn scores?”)

Shots filled in his “Other Comments” box with a lengthy tirade against the entrance policies and procedures currently in effect at the Kraft Dome. It’s crying “Wolf” at this point, but we like to be consistent when we’re dead-on right about something.

• Perhaps the greatest full-page ad we’ve ever seen ran in Sunday’s New York Times. It’s selling, if you’re interested, a line of gear tagged “10//2” and includes biking gear. But that’s secondary.

The full text of the ad, set against a yellow backdrop, is as follows (from Lance Armstrong’s official site):

Check out the following no-kidding email thread between Lance and Nike’s Scott MacEachern - suffice to say, thanks New York!

>>>> From: Lance Armstrong
>>>> To: Scott M. (Nike)

>>>> Sent: Nov 5, 2006 2:48 PM

>>>> Subject: Idea
>>>>
>>>> What do you say we buy a full-page ad & say thanks to all the ny’ers for coming out and supporting? I couldn’t have done it without them. ???

>>> From: Scott M. (Nike)

>>> To: Lance Armstrong

>>> Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:18 PM

>>> Subject: Re: Idea
>>>
>>> Checking on it. What would you want to say?

>> From: Lance Armstrong

>> To: Scott M. (Nike)

>> Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:22 PM

>> Subject: Re: Re: Idea
>>
>> Was thinking that we should thank the city for being so supportive of ALL the runners. For a big city to show that is unreal. It would be the only reason I would come back. They were AMAZING.

> From: Scott M. (Nike)

> To: Lance Armstrong

> Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:29 PM

> Subject: Re: Re: Re: Idea
>
> I think we can do it. I’ll let you know for sure. BTW, how do you feel?

From: Lance Armstrong

To: Scott M. (Nike)

Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:32 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Idea

I’m dead. Hardest physical thing I’ve ever done. Try your best to make this happen. 
No way I would have crossed the finish line without the cheering. I owe them.

MacEachern was the brains behind the Livestrong bracelets, according to this USA Today piece from last year.

• We heard from longtime Friend of Shots, Joltin’ Jimmy Young, who recently left his sales job at NECN to hook on with the Boston Globe Media Group where his email tag says he’s a “Senior Account Executive Corporate Division.” He’s selling, in other words.

Young, who has always had one of the region’s smoothest and easiest deliveries, will still do some on-air work for NECN (including the Saturday after Thanksgiving over Christmas Eve and Day. It will be Young’s first re-appearance on the local air at NECN in 11 months, prompting Young to jokingly surmise: “There should be some good opportunity for good bloopers!”

Young was scheduled to tune up for those fill-ins, this past Tuesday on a guest spot with old pal, Mike Adams at WEEI’s “Planet Mikey”. We didn’t manage to catch it, but we’re guessing the old buddies yukked it up a bit. Maybe Adams even got a haircut, just like the old days.

Good to see him back in the loop a bit – Young’s got a level-headedness about him that the market could use a lot more of.

Sort of the anti-Shots, if you will.

• The Boston Sports Guy predicts the future for Doc and it might have been premature. But still effective.

. . . And while we’re over there, let’s welcome Jemele Hill and her strong first piece for the re-invented Page 2. (Despite some mis-guided thoughts on the Celtics and Kevin McHale.)

(The aforementioned Reilly from The Phoenix excerpted Hill at length. He needs to stick to matters of Boston media before he starts dabbling on national happenings. Master your domain, then move on.

• Sorry to hear Ted Sarandis’s unsuccessful bid for Governor’s Council. Hopefully, Ted Nation is still “looking out for us,” as his slogan promised. And if he is, we’ll see him Wednesday night in Providence for an old-fashioned New England basketball throwdown at The Dunk between BC and PC.

Ted’s thank you note was a bit ominous, after the part where he writes, “I plan to do some creative things on tednation.us going forward. . .” he adds, “. . . Again, thank you very much for your support, and a word to the wise—it might be time to start looking at some real estate in warmer climates such as Florida. Best wishes, Ted.”

Is Ted nation going North of Cuba? We’ll investigate.

• Unless it’s necessary (breaking news, incredible stupidity by a local TV host, etc.), we’ll be taking the Thanksgiving Holiday off and we’ll plan on re-joining you with a regular Friday post for December 1.

Enjoy your turkey, hug your family and lay claim to the comfy chair of your choice in full view of the widescreen.

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

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