By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

Talks continue between John Dennis and Gerry Callahan and the Entercom folks, according to a source with knowledge of the proceedings. Details are being worked out, Shots has been told, to keep the duo at Entercom with a return coming as soon as Monday at 6 a.m.

The sides are, at the very least, at a stage where the length of the deal has already been discussed in detail. D&C are believed to be seeking a five-year deal and Entercom’s president and CEO David Field is agreeable to that term. Total compensation, incentives and bonuses are the next hurdles that need to be ironed out.

Field has come into Boston from his Philadelphia lair at the 11th hour to make a final push to get Dennis and Callahan back in the fold for the start of Patriots Monday and the Sox stretch run. Meanwhile, the latest “mystery guest” to the D&C negotiating table lurks in the shadows and is affording the morning drive duo the option of, at least, having a legit fallback plan should the Entercom entrance remain blocked.

But an executive at a rival Boston station told Shots on Saturday that word is already circulating with indications that D&C will be retained and return to the airwaves Monday morning. Said another insider, “Field’s involved now - this isn’t (Julie) Kahn or (Jason) Wolfe anymore. It’s getting done now or never.”

. . . We’re being told that Boomer Esiason would have been able to do the Monday Morning drive show call-in with D&C because of an agreement that allows him to be absent on Mondays from his new show at WFAN. But we haven’t been able to confirm that. We’d guess that Boomer is able to do the morning ‘FAN show from the site of the Monday Night game which he’ll be doing for radio. Either way, Boomer keeps his gig and ‘EEI gets another element for its late-day Pats programming.

The re-launched morning show (if and when) will find an able replacement guest - there’s plenty out there, even at this late date.

. . . Denials have come to Shots from both sides (and outsiders) about FM stations 98.5 and 104.1 being in the running for D&C. “But it is on the FM side and they do have the money.”

We’ve given up trying to figure out who else is in play on this thing. Too much spin being spun to believe anyone, really.

Bottom line remains that both sides need each other and if they’re in the same church they might as well agree on a pew and get this distraction resolved.

. . . Yeah, 94 degrees, slight breeze and water temps on the Shanty’s shores in the upper 60s and I’m chasing the fortunes of millionaires - and millionaires-to-be (D&C could very well be approaching 5 year, $5 million for each side). What’s wrong with this picture? Where’s my beach chair?

. . . Stay tuned. We’re expecting a resolution by the end of football tomorrow.