Sunday, May 07, 2000
SPORTS ON TV-RADIO
PB Stadium will lure Lapham back
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Dave Lapham will meet again with Clear Channel's local brass Monday. He'll likely tell them that he will remain the Bengals radio analyst.
“I think I'll probably do the games another year,” he said. “The tiebreaker is Paul Brown Stadium opening. I want to be part of that.”
The games move from WBOB-AM and WUBE-FM to WCKY (HOMER) and WOFX-FM as a result of the Clear Channel-AMFM merger.
Lapham has an offer from Fox Sports to do a six-game package like he did last year. But no full-time offer.
“I talked to them (Friday),” Lapham said. “There's been no movement. Everyone's still under contract.”
Bengals general manager Mike Brown will only allow Lapham to do the games if he agrees to do them all. His old contract allowed him to skip four games to do network work. That clause will not be in the new contract.
Lapham will still be able to the Big 12 college package, the Cotton Bowl and a NFL game on the Bengals bye week.
“That made me feel a little better,” Lapham said.
Brad Johansen will be the play-by-play man, barring a major upset.
Clear Channel pushed to get Paul Keels, the former Bengals and UC play-by-play man. But Keels would have had to miss one game because of an Ohio State basketball conflict. Brown would not relent.
Seems to me Keels, one of the best play-by-play men workin, for 19 games is pretty good deal.
PICK ON TV: With Jahansen doing the Bengals on radio, someone will have to do play-by-play on the preseason television package on Channel 12. Look for Jeff Piecoro to get that gig.
FOX REGIONAL: Fox Sports Net will launch its Regional Sports Report Jul y 31. The 30-minute show will air at 11 p.m. It follows FSN's National Sports R eport, which airs at 10 p.m.
The concept is a good one. There's a huge void to fill in local/regional sports news since the local stations give you about three minutes a night.
But the plan is for the news for this region to come out of Chicago. Re gional Sport Report will use correspondents and reporters here.
For it to go over well here, Fox Sports Net has provide lots of Cincinnati coverage. A Midwest region approach won't work. An Ohio approach barely will.
A RANT: Carol from Oakley called in to light up HOMER afternoon guy Marc Amazon.
“He's gone steadily downhill with his woman bashing and talk of breasts. Be done with it. He needs to clean it up.”
Agreed. WBOB cleaned up its act and its ratings are better than ever.
Got a rant or rave? Call 768-8445 and leave a voice mail. Keep it reasonably short, keep it to radio/TV sports and leave your name and where you live.
ENOUGH ALREADY: Chris Berman is going heavy on his nicknames for NHL playoffs. New Jersey's Scott “Adam's Family” Gomez, Colorado's Adam “Grateful“ Deadmash and the like.
The nicknames were funny in 1989. Now, they're just distracting.
LAST DERBY: Saturday's broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was the last for ABC under the current contract. NBC will have the entire Triple Crown racing series next year.
If not for Monday Night Football and the Bowl Championship Series, you could pretty much shut down ABC Sports.
Sports Stories
Cardinals 3, Reds 1
Box, run
McGwire misses game for personal reasons
Cards got pitching; Reds seek it
Harnisch out 3-to-4 weeks
Larkin not ready to return
Much more to Cardinals than McGwire
Gwynn will miss Reds series
MINOR LEAGUE REPORT
