Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509060010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Well, the opening of the ``Fox NFL Sunday'' studio show is hilarious, as Bart and Homer Simpson visit the studio. The ``Joe Chair'' at NBC will have both occupants - Gibbs and Montana - on a one-hour ``NFL Live.'' ESPN's studio show begins at 11:45 a.m. ``Sharpe.'' TNT's show is going indoors with an old ``Hog.''
The NFL pregame wars resume with some new faces. ESPN used to start earlier than the other networks with a one-hour show. Then Fox took NFC rights from CBS and went to an hour-long studio effort. So, ESPN is going 15 minutes more, starting at 11:45 a.m. For opening Sunday, NBC will double its usual half-hour show.
The pregame gets more crowded every year. Fox returns with James Brown, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson. Reporter Pam Oliver has moved from ESPN, and another ex-ESPN anchor, Eric Clemons, is back as a reporter.
NBC has Greg Gumbel, Ahmad Rashad, Mike Ditka and Gibbs or Montana on ``NFL Live'' after Week 1. The former Redskins coach will work 12 weeks, the ex-quarterback six. Will McDonough is back as the top guy with the ``inside'' news, where Jim Gray also is solid. Yes, it's a crowded situation when there are only 22 minutes to fill.
On ESPN, former All-Pro receiver Sterling Sharpe replaces Phil Simms, who moved to NBC and is now paired with Dick Enberg and Paul Maguire on a new No.1 game-calling team. Sharpe's preseason work has been weak. Chris Berman leads the ESPN studio, where Joe Theismann and Tom Jackson return with reporter Chris Mortensen. Theismann leaves the studio in November for game analysis.
At TNT, the old ``Stadium Show'' moves into the studio for an hour (7-8 p.m.) with a new host, Vince Cellini, and rookie analyst, former Redskins' offensive lineman Mark May. In addition to the ex-Hog, the Turner Sports show has another Washington connection in reporter Kevin Kiley, who is strong on opinion and analysis.
Then, finally, you get to kickoff.
JAGS WIN: In the first upset of the NFL season, Sunday's Houston-Jacksonville game got 70 percent of the calls in the first ``Name the Game'' tele-vote on WSLS (Channel 10). So, that's the 1 p.m. game, and not NBC's top regional, Cleveland-New England. The vote was 2,031-872.
The Sept.10 choice, with voting already under way via toll-free number, should be interesting. Voters will choose between two 1 p.m. offerings, Oakland-Washington and Miami-New England. It's a referendum on the Redskins and their sunken fortunes. The 4 p.m. national doubleheader game next Sunday on NBC is Denver-Dallas
THE STREAK: Home Team Sports will have comprehensive coverage of Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken's bid for Lou Gehrig's major-league record for consecutive games played. The Orioles' regional cable network will air the expected record-tying game Tuesday night as well as the 2,131st game of Ripken's streak Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., from Camden Yards. The network also will be at Oriole Park for all postgame festivities
ESPN is scheduled to air the Wednesday game on national cable, too, but viewers with access to both networks probably would do better to watch the HTS telecast because of its Orioles' connections, superior camera angles, and superb broadcasters most familiar with Ripken.
HTS has produced a one-hour special, ``Hats Off to Cal,'' which will air Sunday at 9 p.m. Jim Palmer hosts the show, which will be replayed Monday at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
ESPN will air another of its Emmy-winning ``Outside the Lines'' series Tuesday at 7:30. ``A Rip of Games,'' hosted by Bob Ley live at Camden Yards, is a look at the All-Star shortstop's career.
PAY FOR IT: Some area cable systems will begin offering ABC regional college football games via pay-per-view today. The games are selected from the leftovers after the network's local affiliate, WSET (Channel 13), is assigned its regional telecast.
Booth Communications-Salem will offer two games, when available, this season. Cox Communications of Roanoke will again offer one. Both systems have Michigan-Illinois available today at 3:30 p.m. Salem adds LSU-Texas A&M, too. Most PPV games will be at 3:30, but some will air at noon.
The per-game charge is $9.95, with a 13-week season ``ticket'' available for $69.95. The Roanoke system will take orders into the game. Salem subscribers must order by 5 p.m. Fridays.
IN THE RING: The local subscriber numbers for the Aug.19 ring return of Mike Tyson definitely was a tale of two cities. While Cox had 1,135 buys of the pay-per-view telecast in Roanoke City/County and Vinton, only 135 Booth subscribers in Salem paid for the 89-second show. The Cox number is a PPV record for a boxing show on the Roanoke system
ON THE ROAD: In a move that should make ESPN's ``College GameDay'' even more lively than it already has been, the studio show will spend most Saturdays on college campuses to wrap around ESPN games with a one-hour preview and then scoreboards.
The show makes its season debut today at 11:30 a.m. at the network's Bristol, Conn., studios, where it will spend only three weekends. Next week, hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Craig James will work from Knoxville, site of the Georgia-Tennessee game. Trips to Colorado, Ohio State or Penn State, and Florida State are scheduled through early October.
AROUND THE DIAL: It's been the best summer of listening to Salem baseball, thanks to smooth and informed Avalanche play-by-play voice Mark Neely. ... ESPN2 begins its increased commitment to auto racing Sunday with the debut of ``RPM 2Night,'' a weekly 8 p.m. half-hour show with highlights of the weekend's racing from various circuits. ... Next Friday's regional offering from The Baseball Network on NBC will be Baltimore-Cleveland (8 p.m., WSLS). To display the regionalization of the lame duck network, consider Friday night's schedule. Roanoke viewers saw Seattle-Baltimore. In Richmond and Bristol, it was Chicago-Atlanta. In Bluefield, it was Pittsburgh-Cincinnati. ... The Old Dominion Athletic Conference's football preview telecast will air today at 6:30 p.m. on cable's Home Team Sports and Sunday at 8 p.m. on WJPR/WFXR (Channels 21/27).
by CNB