By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

Time once again for Shots to show off our sunny disposition in another star-studded edition of “What I Don’t Mind” in matters of Sports Media (both Boston and non-).

I don’t mind. . .

. . . that the next level of newspaper wars has been escalated to the point where the Globe and Herald are getting on equal footing.

Spearheaded by Blackberry blogger Rob Bradford and joined by Michael Silverman, the Herald’s baseball team competed very evenly with the Globe’s conglomeration at “Extra Bases”.

It’s good to see the papers utilizing the web and being committed to 24 hour sports news coverage. It signifies an important progression in the region’s media wars.

. . . witnessing a major metropolitan sports editor putting in some hours on the beat to cover a sports he loves.

That’s what Joe Sullivan of the Globe did this past Saturday when he took game story duties for his page’s Gonzaga-UConn coverage for Sunday’s paper. He certainly could have had another Julian Benbow-alike (who did the second game) for the first half of the doubleheader, but Sully evidently wanted to be out and among the people at a sport he loves. Better yet, he finished his Game 1 story in time to come out and take in the ridiculous second half between struggling Providence College and unpredictable Boston College.

I don’t mind. . .

. . . visiting New York City, I just can’t be expected to stay there very long.

. . . predicting that this next Don Yaeger book will be a keeper.

. . . that Shots and Senator Robert Hedlund had some good yuks on-air at WATD 95.9 FM for Monday Night Talk just before the Pats/Ravens game. We actually enjoyed some discourse and discussion on sports media (and other topics) and best yet, we had the experience of DC correspondent Rick Hohensee. After the homeless man’s current campaign comes up just shy, Hohensee will be my nominee for Commissioner of Basbeall. On Monday night alone, dude went from Jeff Ruland talk to computer programming language with the greatest of ease.

An evil genius perhaps, but a genius no less. (Not Hedlund – he’s simply brilliant in his role as ringmaster. Shots doesn’t usually get to hang with senator-types, but if they’re all like Heds, we’re in good hands.)

. . . that two Friends of the Program (meaning Shots Loyalists) are involved in this Friday’s 9:30 p.m. episode of Mark Cuban’s “Inside MMA” episode. WMUA, Collegian and Umie legend Jeff “Seals and” Crofts (behind the scenes) and ex-Globie, Dave Doyle of Yahoo! (on-air expert) will take part in the production.

. . . the efforts of all the folks who gave a whole lot of high schoolers a heck of a memory last weekend.

Maybe the most visible group was the trio of Mike Lynch (play-by-play), Scott Zolak (color analyst) and Gary Tanguay (sideline reporter and studio host). A Kraft Sports Production undertaking, the threesome broadcast all six high school Super Bowls beginning at 9:30 a.m. (on Comcast) and didn’t sign off (from WSBK TV38) until nearly 14 hours later.

“I am not sure if that has ever been done,” said Matt Smith, Executive Producer of KSP. “At least locally, I have never heard of anything like a 14-hour sports broadcast called by the same on-air talent. It was amazing.”

Zolak, especially, continues to show versatility and multimedia chops at every turn of his blossoming post-player career.

I don’t mind. . .

. . . any time Bill Raftery is doing a game.

. . . AT ALL when the Big Show on WEEI 850 AM is made up of a different panel than the torture session of Thursday when Steve Buckley and Larry Johnson joined The Big O and The Bigger Meat for an afternoon of idiocy. Nails on a chalk board combined with screeching train brakes would be easier and more soothing on the eardrums.

Unfortunately Mike Felger’s weak-signalled alternative at 890 AM included Bob Halloran, who now seems to have digressed regressed (thanks BGalvin, Commenter) significantly after showing signs of early radio promise.

I don’t mind. . .

. . . seeing old UMass fans when John Calipari gets anywhere within four hours of the state of Massachusetts. Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden – the site of some of Cal’s most impressive wins – brought back many familiar faces and wonderful memories of the days when Baby Shots was polluting the Campus Center Basement with words of smarm and snark so similar to these.

. . . a sure-to-emerge trend of even more quarterback protection after the Bears-Redskins Triage Unit affair on Thursday. The NFL Network looked more like Gray’s Anatomy with all the crutches and wheelchairs being shown from the back-of-the-house at FedEx Field.

I don’t mind. . .

. . . Sean Grande on Celtics radio broadcasts - he’s very strong, in fact - but I go back and forth between Enjoying Cedric Maxwell and wondering Why Cedric Maxwell?

. . . that Bob Ryan is getting a better feel for his blog. Mulitple entry offerings are hitting the spot nicely.

. . . any mention (and photo) of Amanda Peet being in our backyard. Hull has some wonderful vistas for movie purposes, ya know?

I don’t mind. . .

. . . saying that the emerging TVs in NYC cabs start to wear on you after the fifth block of snarled traffic. I counted.

. . . telling you that a Shots Follower chimed in after last week’s Comcast Sports Network fantasy draft column and opined, “Slow week, eh?”

Indeed. Slow times, in fact.

With that in mind, forgive us if we’re a bit negligent in our Shots duties for the foreseeable future (exceptions being breaking and important news). Lots of work piling up in the Shanty and as much as this endeavor pays off in therapeutic manners, it’s the other projects in my life that actually feed the dog and fill the fridge with designer winter beers.

I’d understand if you decline the open invite to check us out more reguylarly at CSTV.com (links below).

But I don’t mind if you do. . .

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmediaDOTcom.
His work – and weekly college hoops report card – for CSTV.com can be found at the Hang Time blog on Mondays and The Glass Sneaker throughout the week. You can also listen for the weekly Professor’s Podcast, also at CSTV.com in iTunes at The Daily Buzz.