By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

ANALYSIS

While his agent, his employer (Entercom) and undoubtedly his lackeys who ride his coattails are rejoicing over the news of Glenn Ordway’s re-signing with WEEI 850 AM, the move is far from the “landscape” altering event Ordway’s agent George Tobia would like us to believe.

Instead, it means there will more of the same juvenile, inane and insulting sports talk radio that Boston listeners have been subjected to for much of Ordway’s lengthy tenure. The only saving grace may be that since Entercom opened the purse strings for Ordway that they may be cash-poor to retain the collection of meatheads that populate the WEEI studio during afternoon drive time. But even that is a longshot because the Pete Sheppards, Fred Smerlases, Steve DeOssies, Butchie Stearns and Brian Daubachs of the world know better than to bite the hand that feeds them, less they be exposed as the frauds they are. Those elephants would work for peanuts because no other circus would be foolish enough to pay them.

As for those who continue to think Ordway was able to get a deal on par with what John Dennis and Gerry Callahan finagled last year from Entercom, I’d ask you to look no further than the Entercom stock price. On Monday, it was trading near a buck-and-a-half and has plunged to as low as half-a-buck over the past 52-weeks. There is no way a sane-thinking business person could ever suggest that Ordway didn’t have to take some kind of “hometown discount” because of the current fiscal crisis facing the nation. Ordway and Tobia read the tea leaves and knew there was no sense in playing hardball with a media company dangling by its frayed wires and they decided to get the most they could without ever seriously risking Ordway’s Big Chair spot.

In fact, there’s probably even some respect that needs to be paid to both Ordway and WEEI for not milking the re-signing as a way to temporarily boost ratings (although with the fill-ins available, that would have been a risky proposition). [Interestingly, Shots is told that Dale Arnold was the fallback plan to take over for Ordway if he bolted.] The D&C saga last year had a whole lot of contrived elements and anything of similar odor would have been frowned upon - even by the dolts who continue to fawn over Ordway and his assemblage of blabberers - especially with layoffs and cost-cutting affecting even the most rundown of regular WEEI listeners.

Shots is also told by well-placed Entercom and media sources that the reported $1 million per year is more of a “max-obtainable” figure than what Ordway’s base pay will be. While he will continues to hit ratings incentives, the insiders say, it will be difficult for Ordway to reach other performance-based thresholds, especially any that pertain to TV and/or the Web.

Still, whatever the lofty six-figure amount of money Ordway will be paid, it will, without question, make him the country’s highest-paid babysitter. If Ordway were ever able to silence his peanut gallery for good, then - and only then - would he achieve the “legendary status” of which Jason Wolfe gushed about.

• As for the TV component, we’re just not seeing how four hours of watching feeding time at the zoo is going to play for Comcast SportsNet or anyone else. (We strongly doubt snafu-suffering NESN is a serious player in the “Big Show on TV” sweepstakes and if there has to be any investment at all made by the McGrail/Feld group, it’s a non-starter.)

The WFAN simulcast that is so often cited worked because Mike and the Mad Dog were intelligent, entertaining and informative. None of those words come to mind when thinking of Ordway’s posse. A couple of options that may work would be a one-hour live-simulcast (maybe in the 5 to 6 hour) when the day’s premier guests could be featured and/or a one hour “Best of” re-cap later in the evening. (Heaven help the producer who has to mine for 50 minutes of gold from that show on a daily basis).

Similarly, we’re not seeing how well a web video simulcast would work unless there are in-studio guests that will be featured.

• Some housekeeping to tend to. . .

No, the return of Shots over the past week is not an indication that I’m back in full service operation of Scott’s Shots or it subsidiaries. I had promised at least one more 2008 post and I delivered it. (Wow, am I starting to explain myself in Simmons’s tone? Yikes.)

Then, NESN made a major mistake during the course of broadcasting an unexpected national story (BC’s upset of No. 1 UNC). I couldn’t just stand by and not delve into that a bit.

[As a minor follow-up to our earlier reporting on the incident, a national Fox SportsNet spokesperson had not heard of the situation, even after NESN had posted its Monday, "blame-FOX," non-explanation.

Shots' early afternoon phone call was, according to the spokesperson, "the first I'm hearing about it." As of the close of business Monday, FOX Sports Net was still looking into the matter.]

. . . Big ups to the Herald Dave Wedge’s better half, (Jessica Heslam), who did a nice job of cobbling together a NESN flub sidebar for the Monday print edition of the Herald. The sidebar drew heavily on Heslam’s prompt Sunday night post and included official comment from a NESN spinster.

. . . I will say it’s been nice to realize that some of you really do miss having us around. Okay, not “some.” But at least “one” of the crowd. Keep the clean comments coming and thanks for being there. I’d forgotten how passionate some of us are.

That said, some random observations:

• The ESPN.com re-design is solid. Nothing more. Put it this way, the one thing that I needed (Monday’s PTI episode) was no where to be found from the home page. Come on, People. You have a great product with PTI and you consistently under-promote it. Ride those two the way that Cardinal rode his pardner on Saturday night.

• Enough with college football already. Saturation point passed about a month ago with that whole traveshamockery.

. . . Then again, the Texas-OSU finish was compelling - except for you know, the non-compelling part where it didn’t mean a damn thing.

• Mariotti? One trick pony and he used his lone trick in the first column for AOL. I’ll never understand the recylcing that occurs in the business, but I do acknowledge there’s no stopping it. Lots of guys owing lots of other guys favors from wars gone by. Never gonna change in coaching and never gonna change in sports journalism.

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

Scott’s first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009 and is now available for pre-order.

It already re-aired at 1 this afternoon, however, NESN plans to re-broadcast the Boston College upset of North Carolina again tonight at 8.

As you know by now, NESN cut to commercials with 1:17 left in the game only to return with the contest already decided. NESN claims the problem was on Fox Sports Net’s end.

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NESN To Re-Air BC’s Upset of UNC

WEEI has issued a press release announcing Glenn Ordway’s new contract, and it’s a piece of work. The quotes from Julie Kahn and Jason Wolfe are especially nauseating.

Emphasis Mine:

Glenn Ordway Re-Signs Contract with WEEI

BOSTON (January 5, 2009) – Entercom New England today announced that it has re-signed WEEI Sports Radio host Glenn Ordway to a new multi-year contract. Ordway is host of WEEI’s The Big Show, a perennial powerhouse among talk radio programming.

The Big Show has ranked number one among men 25-54 in every ratings book since the spring of 2003, and has also ranked number one with adults 25-54 in every ratings book but three over the same period of time. The show originally aired from 3 PM – 6 PM, but shifted to 2 PM – 6 PM in September of 1999 where it remains.

Ordway has been a presence on the Boston sports broadcasting scene for over two decades. Prior to joining WEEI as Program Director in June of 1995, he was a commentator for Boston Celtics radio broadcasts for thirteen consecutive years, including five as play-by-play man. The Big Show was among the new programs he created upon joining ‘EEI and he has hosted it since its inception. At the same time, he also created the ever-popular Whiner Line, which has become the highest rated fifteen minutes in Boston radio today among both men and adults 25-54.

Today, Ordway’s influence transcends the airwaves. He has hosted The Whiney Awards to honor the top callers to the Whiner Line for the past six years. The event began as a small gathering of 150 people at Davio’s in Boston and grew to upwards of 3,000 attendees at the Wang Theatre in 2008. The event benefits a different non-profit organization each year.

Ordway’s extensive charitable initiatives have helped raised millions for numerous local non-profits, including The Jimmy Fund, Champions for Children, The Rodman Ride for Kids, The Genesis Fund, and The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, to name a few. In 2005, he was honored by the Jimmy Fund as the recipient of the annual “Jimmy Award”, an honor bestowed upon a media member who goes over and above to support and raise funds for the organization.

Ordway has also been nominated for three Marconi Awards (2006, 2007, 2008), which are widely regarded as the most prestigious awards in the radio industry.

“Glenn is a very special part of the WEEI “Magic”; having been one of the architects of the station and the only nationally recognized Major Market Personality by the Marconi Awards in the Boston market, three times in recent years,” said Julie Kahn, Entercom New England Market Manager. “His show is a must listen to destination for breaking sports news in America’s best sports market.”

“Glenn and I have been together since the beginning. He has played an enormous role in helping grow WEEI to the legendary status we currently enjoy, and I’m thrilled to be able to continue to work with him for the foreseeable future,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom New England’s VP of AM Programming and Operations. “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the very best broadcasters in the business in the seventeen years I’ve been at WEEI, and Glenn is at the top of that list.”

“We have had a phenomenal run with The Big Show on WEEI and I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to extend that run for years to come on America’s number one sports station,” said Ordway.

While I know that the very purpose of a press release is self-promotion and touting yourself, I’m wondering in what universe has a sports radio station achieved “legendary status.”

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WEEI Breaks Own Record For Most Self-Congratulatory Press Release

The Boston College Eagles stunned the number one ranked North Carolina Tar Heels last night, but thanks to a glitch at NESN with just over a minute to go, and the game very much still in doubt, all viewers in the Boston area saw was a series of commercials, before the feed was brought back with just seconds left in the contest.

David Scott has a full report on the incident, and the Herald’s Messenger Blog has a brief mention as well.

In the hostile environment of Chapel Hill, Boston College won the game, 85-78 in the opener of ACC play, handing the Tar Heels their first defeat of the season. Mark Murphy and Julian Benbow report on the huge win for the Eagles, while Bob Ryan sees potential in this team and believes that this could be a great jumping-off point for them. Mike Petraglia has a quick report for WEEI.com, and Gary from Chapel Hill never saw this coming.

Celtics

The Celtics continue to stumble a bit after their record-setting start to the season. Last night they fell to the Knicks, 100-88 down in Madison Square Garden. A calf injury to Kevin Garnett might have been part of the reason for the performance, but an aggressive Knicks defense on Rajon Rondo was a big factor as well.

Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics are not ready to panic following their latest setback. Frank Dell’Apa looks at the defense on Rondo as the key for the Knicks. Paul Flannery chimes in with his observations.

Murphy has a feature on Rajon Rondo, who continues to grow and mature on and off the court. Tim Weisberg says that there would be a steep cost to adding Stephon Marbury. Bill Doyle says that a real test is coming for the Celtics this Friday when they meet the Cavs. Ron Chimelis says that the idea of Marbury in green isn’t all that crazy.

Dell’Apa’s notebook has Garnett giving the OK to a pursuit of Marbury. Bulpett’s notebook has the Celtics looking at adding more than just Marbury.

Patriots

Speculation which began last Wednesday about the Patriots deciding to place the franchise tag on Matt Cassel has really heated up in the last couple of days, with Mike Reiss and John Tomase repeating the rumors this morning. Glen Farley also has a look at the reports.

A report in the ProJo says that Josh McDaniels is suddenly the favorite in Denver, and that Scott Pioli might be staying put here. Bill Burt says that if Pioli leaves the Patriots for a job elsewhere, you can expect that Nick Caserio will be named as his replacement with New England.

Alan Siegel has the Eagle-Tribune naming Zak DeOssie as their sportsman of the year.

Bruins

Stephen Harris looks at how the presence of Zdeno Chara has been huge for the Bruins this season. Fluto Shinzawa examines the contributions that the Bruins have gotten from their youngsters.

Misc

Mark Blaudschun and Steve Conroy report that BC football coach Jeff Jagodzinski appears to be on his way out at BC after talking with the New York Jets.

Jessica Heslam has Glenn Ordway getting a new contract from WEEI, and possibly bringing The Big Show to a TV near you.

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BC Upsets #1 UNC, No One Sees It

By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

UPDATE: NESN has posted an “explanation” of its broadcast blunder as well as information on two scheduled re-broadcasts set for today at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. (The 1 p.m. re-broadcast is oddly void of a regular game clock, using only a score graphic in the lower right-hand corner. This was not the case in the original broadcast, so it seems even in trying to correct their error, NESN fell short.)

The posting at its website states, “NESN experienced a transmission problem at the end of last night’s Boston College basketball game that originated with the feed we received from Fox Sports Net. We apologize to all of our college basketball fans and will look into this problem to ensure that it does not occur again.”

Shots has left a phone message for a FOX Sports Net’s Director of Corporate Communications to get the FSN side of the story, but as some readers have already pointed out, the NESN explanation falls short when you consider that Fox College Sports Atlantic was able to stay with the game in its entirety (Channel 262 on some Comcast line-ups, including Shots’). NESN also does nothing to explain why there was no scroll or alert given to viewers when the snafu occurred. Shots is still awaiting reply from NESN spokesman Gary Roy on the incident. An email was sent to Roy last night at 8 p.m.

A Boston College athletics department spokesman had no comment on the matter when reached by Shots via email.

If a college basketball upset of mammoth proportions unfolds in Chapel Hill with BC dumping No. 1 and undefeated North Carolina, but the Boston market is deprived of seeing the end of said game, does the game really happen at all?

NESN viewers were left to ponder that very question after a gargantuan glitch prohibited anyone watching Sunday night’s game on the regional network from seeing BC put the finishing touches on its biggest regular season win in many a moon. The game was part of the ACC Sunday night hoops package and did remain on-air, in its entirety on FOX College Sports Atlantic (Channel 262 on some Comcast systems).

The final minute-plus of the game - which was still very much in doubt and hovering near a one or two possession game - was completely missed by NESN and viewers were not brought back to the contest until the teams were exchanging handshakes.

An email from Shots to NESN spokesperson Gary Roy on Sunday night seeking clarification on the bungle was not immediately returned.

The broadcast was doomed from the start as it was slated to start at 5:30 p.m., but NESN joined the game later after using a Program Alert scroll to inform viewers to stay tuned for the BC-UNC contest. Although NESN didn’t miss much of the start of the game, the first four minutes of game action were delivered without audio from Ron Thulin and Dan Bonner (and with no explanation).

While that issue was resolved by the first media timeout, it did nothing to prevent the switch from end-of-game action at 7:40 p.m. to an extended roll of NESN commercials, most of them in-house, hockey promos - talk about Instigators! BC fans were outraged for sure.

NESN offered no scroll explanation at all, no apology and no mention whatsoever at the network’s all-fluff website of the infuriating, embarrassing and unforgivable screw-up. Then, to add insult to injury, good soldier Heidi Watney prefaced the BC highlights on Sunday night’s “SportsDesk Lights Out” by bragging about, “a game seen right here on NESN.” More accurately, Watney should have said, “a game not seen in its entirety right here on NESN.”

Boston viewers will remember a similar snafu during the MLB playoffs on TBS in October. While this BC boo-boo is no where near as impactful, it is a stark reminder of just how little BC matters in this market. The ACC and BC Athletic Director Gene DiFilippo need to demand an explanation from the Red Sox broadcast arm and there needs to be compensation made - perhaps in the form of a re-broadcast of the game on NESN.

Beyond that, NESN has to develop a better system for alerting viewers of technical issues they are experiencing. Before the NESN apologists can get their excuses/spin out for this one, let’s all remember that the game remained live and uninterrupted on another regional’s delivery of the game.

• The gaffe was immediately noted (of course) on the BSM message board and at Jessica Helsam’s Boston Herald blog, The Messenger delivers what sounds like a sad tale of hoops watching in the Heslam household. The Eagle in Atlanta also entertained some irate BC folks in its comments section. Expect more of the same on Monday as people talk about the upset around the water cooler.

Happy New Year, Joel Feld (and Sean McGrail). Way to get ‘09 off to a rocking start at NESN.

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

Scott’s first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009 and is now available for pre-order.

Ok, here’s Part II of the megalinks.

I’ll provide you with the Weekend Viewing Picks since I was unable to do so in Part I.

The NFL Wildcard Weekend takes our viewing weekend attention as NBC has a doubleheader on Saturday with Atlanta taking on Arizona and Indianapolis renewing its rivalry with San Diego. All of the pregame shows, announcing assignments and postgame shows can be seen in the NFL Viewing Picks for Wild Card Weekend.

The Bruins have a Saturday matinee at the Garden against Buffalo. NESN has the game at 1 p.m.

And the Celtics have their 5th straight Saturday off, but they’ll play the Knicks at MSG, Sunday night at 6. Mike Gorman, Donny Marshall and Greg Dickerson will be on hand for Comcast SportsNet.

Conference play gets ramped up this weekend in college basketball. Lots of decent games including Pittsburgh at Georgetown on ESPN, Saturday at noon and Boston College at North Carolina on FSN, Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The College Basketball Viewing Picks have the entire national schedule.

There’s also one college bowl game, the International Bowl in Toronto involving Buffalo and UConn on ESPN, Saturday at noon.

And there will be two competing high school all-star football games, the All-American Bowl on NBC, Saturday at 1 p.m. and the All-America Game on ESPN, Sunday night at 8.

Now let’s get back to your links.

National

First, the excellent Baseball Toaster blog run by Bob Timmerman chronicles his troubles accessing the MLB Network through Time Warner Cable.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that fans can no longer depend on corporations to save their NFL teams from being blacked out on TV.

Chistopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog has his top sports media story of 2008. And Chris also lists the top mainstream media blog.

The Big Lead finds an error in Thursday night’s Fox’s Orange Bowl coverage. And in a related note, College Game Balls found an error in ESPN’s coverage of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Multichannel News reports that ESPN will be teaming up with 20 college football fan sites to syndicate content.

The Puck The Media blog has the overnight ratings for the NHL Winter Classic. And PTM has the remaining national TV schedule for the NHL in the US and Canada. The blog says it took just two hours for the MLB Network to surpass the NHL Network.

Midwest

Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News says the MLB Network chose a “perfect” time to launch.

Michael Zuidema from the Grand Rapids Press writes that the NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field hit a home run.

The Associated Press reports that the Vikings have received an extension to sell out Sunday’s NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Eagles.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders with three sports radio stations in town, which one will survive? And Dan says the ratings for the Rams this season were the second lowest since the team landed in St. Louis in 1995.

West

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Padres have offered its TV play-by-play job to the voice of the Tulsa Drillers.

John Maffei of the North County Times says a local sports radio station has lost its mind.

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times wonders who are all of the announcers calling bowl games. Diane writes that TNT is remaining silent on Charles Barkley’s arrest.

A story that has been burning up the sports blogosphere on Friday was Tom Hoffarth’s report in his Farther Off the Wall blog that ESPN/ABC’s Lisa Salters was snubbed by Penn State coach Joe Paterno before Thursday’s Rose Bowl game. Tom also talked to ESPN/ABC’s Brent Musberger about the dreaded “R” word in his LA Daily News column. Here’s more of Tom’s interview with Brent. Tom has his extensive media news and notes. Tom also reviews his week in blogging. And Tom notes that a former Dodger public relations officer is now leading the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes that the Fox BCS team is on top of all the action.

That’s going to do it for the megalinks. Have a good weekend and I’ll be back next week.

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First Friday Megalinks of 2009, Part II

Ken from the Fang’s Bites blog with the megalinks again. I hope your New Year’s went well.

I’ll do the Friday megalinks in two parts today. Over the last two days, I’ve been following the launch of the MLB Network which has apparently caused some confusion among analog cable subscribers who thought they were getting the channel.

Just to let you know, I’ll do the Weekend Viewing Picks in the Part II of the Megalinks.

But in the interim, here are the NFL Viewing Picks for Wild Card Weekend (like there are a lot of choices).

And here are the College Basketball Viewing Picks.

Here are the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand grades the NFL TV networks’ performance for this season.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball reports on the confusion over the MLB Network launch.

Mark Newman of MLB.com liveblogged the MLB Network launch last night.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell responds to reader reaction to his post on imposing a salary cap in baseball. Darren says the NHL Winter Classic was a hit again this year. And Darren says Madoff memorabilia is hard to come by.

The Sports Media Watch finishes its look at 2008 by reviewing the ratings for the Olympics. Paulsen’s story of the year was the economic downturn affecting sports. The SMW reviews its predictions from last year. Now we get the SMW’s predictions for this year. The blog wonders if TNT should discipline Charles Barkley after his arrest this week. And the SMW says the NHL Winter Classic drew higher overnight ratings from last year.

The Big Lead says Mike Patrick might have gone overboard with an analogy during the Capital One Bowl yesterday.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Bruce Allen reports that WBZ Radio has laid off sports anchor Tom Cuddy.

Neil Best of Newsday writes about the MLB Network launch. Neil says while MLB Network did well last night, it’s better to judge the channel when the regular season begins in April. Neil writes that Chris Carlin did his final stint on WFAN today. And Neil wonders how coaches and managers will fare in 2009.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick blames the media for enabling Charles Barkley’s behavior. That’s a pretty broad brush. The Post’s NBA writer Peter Vescey feels Barkley is out of control.

Justin Terranova from the Post talks with Fox Sports’ Charles Davis and Barry Switzer about the BCS National Championship Game. And Justin has five questions for Fox Sports’ Brian Billick.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Fox Sports’ Barry Switzer spent a lot of time defending his former Oklahoma Sooners team.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun says TV could bring some good karma to the Ravens this weekend.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes about ESPN’s Dick Vitale’s return to the NBA after 24 years.

Dave Darling from the Orlando Sentinel gives us the top sports media stories of 2008.

Kyle Hightower of the Sentinel writes that Magic fans will have to upgrade to digital cable to get Fox Sports Florida as Bright House cable recently added the channel to its lineup.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also talks with Fox Sports’ Barry Switzer.

David Barron in the Houston Chronicle says a new sports radio station made headway in the ratings.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News tells us that Bill Cowher has signed an extension with CBS Sports. Barry says former Texas Ranger broadcaster Victor Rojas will be the answer to a trivia question. And Barry notes that 60 Minutes will interview Texas Tech coach Mike Leach on Sunday.

The Daily Oklahoman’s Mel Bracht talks with Fox Sports’ Charles Davis who will call the Florida-Oklahoma BCS National Championship Game next week.

That will do it for Part I of the Megalinks. Part II coming up tonight.

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The First Friday Megalinks of 2009, Part I

A couple of items from the BSMW Network:

John Molori talks to Pat Kirwin of NFL.com, including quite a bit about the Patriots.

Stephon Marbury to the Celtics? Why Not?

Elsewhere, Bill Simmons looks at the NFL playoffs this week.

Tom E. Curran picks the Chargers and Giants in the Super Bowl.

In Mike Florio vs the Boston Herald, it’s hard to know who to root for.

Tony Massarotti responds to criticism that he hates the Patriots by saying Bill Belichick should’ve won coach of the year.

John Chandler examines whether Boston College’s 12-2 record is for real.

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Mid-Day Quick Links

You’ve probably heard or read it by now, Marc Stein on ESPN.com is reporting that should exiled Knicks guard Stephon Marbury get the buyout he is seeking from the team that his top choice of a new employer would be your Boston Celtics. Not only that, according to the sources, the Celtics would also be interested in such a marriage.

After you recover from the involuntary shudder that just passed through your body, take a few moments and consider what might actually happen should this come to pass.

Marbury would bring a considerable offensive punch to the Celtics bench. If you haven’t noticed, that’s something that that unit could use…a guy who can create and score on his own without the aid of the big three. Think about it…Tony Allen can drive to the hoop, but isn’t a consistant shooter. Eddie House is a consistant shooter, but can’t drive to the hoop. Leon Powe and Glen Davis are certainly useful pieces, but are also each limited offensively at this time. Powe is strictly an inside guy, and while Davis has shown improvement in his shooting, he too isn’t a consistent offensive threat.

People lament the loss of James Posey, mostly for his defense, but also because he could hit the big shot when needed. Marbury certainly isn’t going to bring the defense, but the guy can score. He seems aware that if he comes here, it’s going to be as a reserve. If he can come off the bench and bring his offensive game and be at least respectable on defense, he’s going to add something to the club. Having veterans such as Garnett, Pierce and Allen around will also hopefully encourage him to keep himself in check.

There is still a need for another big man on the bench. P.J. Brown’s recent pronouncement that he is definitely retired, means that Danny Ainge will need to look elswhere for that body. The name of Joe Smith keeps floating around, and if something could be worked out in that regard, he would be a perfect fit, giving the Celtics most of what Brown supplied last year, with perhaps a bit more offense. Like Marbury, Smith also played with Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, giving him history with KG.

I would take a flyer on Marbury to start with, and see what kind of offensive spark he can add to the second unit. If it doesn’t work out, the Celtics will have a much easier time cutting ties with him than the Knicks are having.

Bruce Allen

If ever you’ve listened to afternoon sports updates at :15 and :45 past the hour on WBZ radio, you’ve heard the voice of Tom Cuddy providing the latest sports news, usually followed by a Paul Harvey-like anecdote somehow tied to the world of sports.

You won’t be hearing those stories any longer, as Cuddy has been laid off by WBZ as part of the latest round of cutbacks at the station.

Cuddy had been with the station since 1985,  prior to that, Cuddy worked at WRSV Radio in New Hampshire from 1973 to 1976, WSLE Radio in New Hampshire from 1976 to 1977, and WXKS (Kiss 108) in Boston from 1982 to 1985.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Cuddy attended Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury and went on to Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

He also had a brief stint on WBZ-TV as a weekend sports anchor. He has also formed his own freelance radio service.

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WBZ Lays off Tom Cuddy

Our top Boston sports media story of 2008 is John Tomase’s accusation that the Patriots taped the Rams walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. The story was picked up by the national outlets immediately and caused a maelstrom of media coverage around the team that lasted nearly halfway into the year.

The report was ultimately proven to be false, and the Herald issued an apology to the Patriots for the incident.

The damage was done, however. For nearly 5 months the Patriots and their fans had to deal with the nationwide assumption that the tape existed and that the Patriots had cheated to win their first Super Bowl championship. It’s hard to emphasize just how huge this story was nationally. All the major outlets took this report as fact, and ran with it…for months. You couldn’t turn around without hearing a reference somewhere to how the Patriots taped the Rams walkthrough prior to their first Super Bowl title.

The Herald retracted the story and issued the above apology only after former Patriots employee Matt Walsh debunked Tomase’s story. The paper then tried to capitalize on the publicity around the apology, proudly touting their “unprecedented” front page mea culpa.

One would think that the Herald would tread lightly regarding the Patriots for a while after this incident. Instead, after talking about the bond between a newspaper and its readers, and their dedication to maintaining that bond, on May 15th, Tony Massarotti, then still with the Herald, wrote a column belittling and blasting sports fans, and Patriots fans in particular - the very people responsible for the fact that he is gainfully employed.

By the way, did we mention that the Herald later hired notorious Patriots hater Ron Borges? (Though I have to say, he’s been on good behaviour thus far.)

Tomase remains on the Patriots beat to this day.

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Top Stories 2008: TomaseGate, Herald Declares War on Patriots

Seemed almost like a throwaway line in the show, but on ShowTime’s Inside the NFL this week, Mike Lombardi, former GM of the Raiders and Browns (where he worked with Bill Belichick) and currently of the National Football Post, had this to say on the future of Matt Cassel:

(Could Matt Cassel play for the Jets):

LOMBARDI: The Patriots are way too smart, and I’ve talked to people in the organization. They are going to franchise Matt Cassel. He’s an asset and they can control their ability to trade him if they franchise him.

What’s unclear is whether Lombardi was told directly by someone in the Patriots organization that Cassel will be franchise, or if that was his impression after speaking with someone inside the team. Still, he seems very certain that this is going to happen.

Cassel being franchised certainly wouldn’t be a surprise, but hear Lombardi say he talked to people inside the team and that this is what they’re going to do is a bit newsworthy.

Link: Inside the NFL.

Post from: Patriots Daily

Lombardi: Patriots Will Franchise Cassel

In his 36-year NFL career, Pat Kirwan has hired Pete Carroll, been fired by Bill Parcells and spent countless hours with the likes of Al Davis, Bill Belichick and Dan Marino.

The cohost of SIRIUS satellite radio’s “Moving the Chains” and a contributor to both NFL.com and CBS Sports’ “NFL Today,” Kirwan is well versed on the business of running a franchise in today’s NFL. From 1989-97, he worked for the New York Jets as a defensive assistant and, eventually, the team’s director of player administration and salary cap manager.

Kirwan is never at a loss for insight on a host of NFL business issues, including how the Giants have dealt with the Plaxico Burress shooting incident. Says Kirwan, “Maybe it would have been a better plan to put him on indefinite suspension. Now, they’ve shown their hand as to what they will do.

“If you’re going to release him, you have to replace that talent with talent. His production has surpassed the issues, but when I saw him in training camp this summer on that exercise bike, I knew this was a guy who did not want to play. He says he was injured, but did not show up to have it worked on all spring. They still gave him the big contract.”

Kirwan says that management needs to weigh all options in making a decision regarding Burress. “The Mara family and Tom Coughlin have to evaluate their roster. If they feel they have the young talent to replace Burress, they might have some leverage. Maybe they could offer him a chance to stay, but at a reduced contract. If he refuses, they might be forced to release him. They also have to look at the free agent pool.”

Before joining the Jets, Kirwan served as an area scout for the Cardinals and Buccaneers. He has seen a major economic shift that affects whether a franchise stays with a troubled player. “It all started with the increase in guaranteed money,” says Kirwan. “Prior to the early 1990s collective bargaining agreement, there was no guaranteed money. Now, even rookies are getting 60% to 70% of their money guaranteed. Teams have lost their parachute because of the investments they are making in these players.”

When deciding whether to take on a player with some baggage, Kirwan says it is essential to know your coach and your quarterback. “Bill Belichick knew the culture of his locker room. He knew he had a quarterback that was not going to be bullied. That’s why they went after Randy Moss.

“Eli Manning flourished when Jeremy Shockey was out of the picture in New York. Shockey was a politician in the huddle and could be malicious on the sidelines. In New England, the best players are character guys, so you can take a risk here and there. Belichick is undervalued in his ability to communicate with players.

“He runs that tape of who (screwed) up in games and everyone gets a turn to have their balls busted. The players enjoy that.”

Kirwan is a strong proponent of New England’s business model in terms of personnel. He states, “Bill has signed key veterans for 50 cents on the dollar. They can bail on him and it doesn’t matter. Rodney Harrison did not sign with the Patriots for All-Pro money. Bill Parcells also takes more risks than people think. We haven’t heard a negative thing from Ricky Williams all year.”

Speaking of negative, that word does not even begin to describe the situation in Detroit. Kirwan says that the Lions organization has already made a key business blunder. “When they fired Matt Millen, they should have given $1 million each to (former NFL GM and personnel wizard) Ron Wolf and (ex-NFL coach) Dan Reeves as consultants. This is what most companies do.

“Wolf could have evaluated the scouting and player personnel end of things and Reeves could have attended practice and evaluated the players and coaches. Look, Dan Reeves worked with Houston. I know he helped them get (Gary) Kubiak as head coach.”

“Now, the Ford family is doing it, and nothing in their past hirings indicate they are qualified. You have to break the cycle of behavior or you’ll repeat it. What they should have done is ask New England for permission to talk to Scott Pioli. They need a guy who has done it at the highest level. Say, ‘Scott, what is wrong with this team? Tell us how to spend our money.’”

Kirwan’s business model in rebuilding a franchise is one that goes from top to bottom. He relates, “You have to evaluate everyone from the trainers to the doctors to the equipment guys. In 1997 when Bill (Parcells) came to the Jets, I knew I was qualified, but I also knew that Bill would let me go. We are good friends now, but he did not have time to teach me his way of doing things.”

The Patriots corporate brain trust will have a major issue facing them this off-season, namely, what to do with one Mr. Matt Cassel.

“You have to ask yourself about Tom Brady’s health, the fact that he is over 30, and that you have his replacement in Cassel. Are you willing to pay for that?” asks Kirwan, who cohosts his SIRIUS radio show with ex-Chicago Bears defender Tim Ryan.

“Once they decided to go with Matt in Week 1, they should have signed him to a three-year deal at maybe $2 million a year. They obviously knew he was going to be good, why not sign him? You have to sign players before THEY know they’re good. Matt had no idea that he’d be this good.”

Kirwan gives a glimpse into how the rest of the NFL, and prospective suitors, have followed Cassel’s progress. “After a couple of games, he was seen as a good backup which means he is worth about $2 million per year.

“After his first 400-yard passing game, GM’s said that he was looking at Matt Schaub money (6 years, $48 million from the Texans). After the second 400-yard game, they were comparing him to Aaron Rodgers (6 years, $65 million from Green Bay).”

“If you lay the franchise tag on him and try to trade him, Matt controls the trade. Let’s say the Lions call and New England wants a second round pick in exchange. That’s great, but if Matt doesn’t want to sign a long-term deal with Detroit, the deal’s off. No team is going to take Cassel short term. Also, if the college quarterback talent pool is weak, Matt has more leverage.”

Kirwan offers a possible solution to keep Cassel in New England. “I would go to Matt and offer him a two-year deal for say $10 million, and back end the deal with incentives should he start. After two years, if Brady’s health is an issue, you can keep Matt and let Brady go.”

While Kirwan praises the New England ownership, he is candid in discussing another NFL owner. Specifically, will Al Davis ever bring in a qualified football person to help rebuild the Raiders?

“I know Al on a personal level,” explains Kirwan who has spent time with Davis the past two summers. “At no time did I feel comfortable asking him that question. He is going to fly this ship by himself until the end. He had personnel guys like Ron Wolf and Bruce Allen, and coaches like Lane Kiffin, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden, but he wore them out.

“Al might be the greatest owner/coach ever, but he has never built a system of trust with anyone. His legacy is such that it cannot be carried on.”

Kirwan sees a potentially similar situation developing in Dallas. “Jerry Jones is impulsive and likes to do things the fast way,” says Kirwan. “He counts on his personality to work with players. Jerry has had the opportunity to observe Al and he has to know that if he is not careful, that could be him. He now has the added pressure of turning that new stadium into a profit. Who knows how much he has leveraged himself on that?”

Kirwan was part of the Jets front office that hired Pete Carroll as head coach in 1994, and was consulted when Bob Kraft considered and eventually hired Carroll in 1997. He relates, “I told Bob that Pete was my best friend. Bob told me he wanted to hire Belichick instead of Pete, but Belichick was too close to Parcells at the time.

“Pete always tells me that several owners have asked him to return to the NFL. I respond, ‘Look knucklehead, you have the best job in the world. Stay put.’ I could see Pete returning to the NFL, but it would have to be on the west coast for the right owner.”

And just what makes such an owner? “Look, Bob Kraft came to New England after Parcells was already there, then brought in Pete Carroll and it was a disaster. Bob learned that lesson. I’ll leave you with this. (Eagles’ owner) Jeff Lurie realizes how to operate a team. He lets the football people run it and gets out of the way.”

John Molori writes for Patriots Football Weekly, Boston Baseball Magazine and is a contributor to the “Papa Joe Chevalier Show” at KLAV AM 1230 in Las Vegas and papajoetalk.com. He hosts the “J-Team Radio Show” at AM 980 WCAP and jteamradio.com. Email John at MoloriMedia@aol.com.

We’ll let David Scott carry the load this morning, as he takes some time from his book to present to us The 2008 Shotties - NESN and Globe Rift Widening; Ordway Losing Bargaining Power Daily.

Some new stuff in there, the latest on Glenn Ordway’s future at WEEI and Bob Ryan commenting on the cancellation of his Globe 10.0 at NESN, combined with a look back at many of the top stories of 2008 in Boston sports media.

He goes into two of what were my remaining three top stories this year - the launch of WEEI.com, the Herald’s questionable moves and judgement regarding personnel and their handling of Spygate, and has a number of other observations, notes and shots.

Regrettably, I’m going to have to punt this morning and hand the coverage to Bruinslinks.com and CelticsLinks.com for last night’s Bruins win (9 in a row) and Celtics loss (3 out of 4).

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Shots Wraps up 2008

We'll let David Scott carry the load this morning, as he takes some time from his book to present to us The 2008 Shotties - NESN and Globe Rift Widening; Ordway Losing Bargaining Power Daily.

Some new stuff in there, the latest on Glenn Ordway's future at WEEI and Bob Ryan commenting on the cancellation of his Globe 10.0 at NESN, combined with a look back at many of the top stories of 2008 in Boston sports media.

He goes into two of what were my remaining three top stories this year - the launch of WEEI.com, the Herald's questionable moves and judgement regarding personnel and their handling of Spygate, and has a number of other observations, notes and shots.

Regrettably, I'm going to have to punt this morning and hand the coverage to Bruinslinks.com and CelticsLinks.com for last night's Bruins win (9 in a row) and Celtics loss (3 out of 4).

Post from: Boston Sports Media Watch If you're reading this somewhere else other than your RSS reader, then this content is stolen!

Shots Wraps up 2008

By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

In truth I can’t really afford to be coming out of my “book nook” for any amount of time, but two ongoing stories in Boston sports media need some assessing and Shots realizes it’s our official duty to analyze both (and some bonus topics for the new year).

To spice things up a bit, we’ll present those two stories (Globe v. NESN; Ordway v. Entercom) within the 2008 Shotties, given sporadically since 1990 for outstanding achievement in the realm of Boston sports media (and slightly beyond). As always, we welcome your intelligent comments and insight - buffoons need not apply. Have a happy new year and we’ll do our best to come back strong in the Spring time after we put our baby to bed.

The Shotties: A look back at the calendar year of 2008 in Boston sports media.

The Shotty for Least Stable Sports Media Relationship
TIE
A. The Boston Globe and NESN
B. Glenn Ordway and Entercom

The quiet cancellation of NESN’s “Globe 10.0″ in late December and the curious, semi-sign-off of Glenn Ordway were significant on many levels. By this time next year, we will likely look at both “events” as monumental days in the shaping of Boston Sports Media 2.0; hat’s how big the players in these two soap operas are and that’s how impactful the two stories will be on 2009.

First, the Globe’s battle with NESN:

A. Even before the Christmas Eve bombshell about the 17 Percenters looking to dump their Red Sox stake, the rift between the Boston Globe sports department and the Red Sox sports department (NESN) was widening - almost by the day. [For more confounding and confusing looks at the Globe's woes, we'd ask you to check here and here (for the astonishing Barclay's report).

The end of "Globe 10.0" got neatly buried in this Boston Globe's space-wasting, so-called "Media Column", with a two sentence explanation, saying "NESN announced. . . it will cease production of its original programming of "Globe 10.0" by the end of the year. The half-hour show, hosted by columnist Bob Ryan and featuring Globe writers, premiered on the network in June 2007."

Incredibly(!), NESN neglected to post the announcement on its own, pathetic press room page (and the network's oh-so-professional PR arm has long since stopped sending releases of any kind to Shots).

The move, initiated by NESN's higher-ups and delivered (awkwardly and clumsily, according to multiple sources) by Joel Feld, the network's executive vice president of programming and executive producer, was yet another sign of an eroding relationship between the Red Sox broadcast unit and the New York Times Company (dba here in Boston as the Boston Globe). It's a deterioration that was first made public when NESN severed its ties with the Globe on Boston.com, where its on-line presence had lived, and began its own mediocre site at NESN.com.

By dumping the Globe-branded thrice-weekly, half-hour show Feld and and Silent Sean McGrail further bruised egos on Morrissey Boulevard. The tension, Shots is told, has been escalated by the more frequent appearances by Globe personnel on Comcast SportsNet, NESN's direct competitor. We are told it also didn't sit well with Globe folks that both WEEI (Mike Adams) and Boston Herald (Steve Buckley) contributors were being used by NESN.

It's never been a secret that the paper's writers have had discomfort with the NYT Co.'s partial ownership of the Local Nine, but the mistrust and mis-communication between both sides has boiled over in recent months and the end of "10.0" can be seen as the water roiling over onto the stovetop.

For his part, when Shots spoke with Bob Ryan a couple of weeks back, Basketball Bob took the diplomatic approach to the 18 month run he was given. He said the powers-that-be informed him and his producer, Alan Miller, of the show's termination during the course of the week of Dec. 8.

Quite simply, Ryan was told, the move was purely financial. The show debuted in the summer of 2007 with Verizon as the presenting sponsor. That deal with Verizon expired in May, and neither NESN nor the Globe was able to lock down a sponsor to offset the costs of the largely in-studio production. [Ratings for the show were never spectacular, said one NESN insider, but on the days it served as the lead-in to Sox pre-games, it showed promise.]

Neither entity ever put the marketing muscle behind the project that was deserved to give it a legit shot in a difficult time slot (against local news and PTI on ESPN).

Ryan had evolved into a more-than-capable host within about six months of his debut. He - and Miller - used “PTI” and “Around the Horn” as their inspirations and created an enjoyable and informative 30 minute show that deserved a better fate. Ryan’s rapport with Charlie Pierce, Christopher L. Gasper and Lou Merloni began to take on regional similarities to the magic Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon create with “PTI” and the show really hit its stride over the past 10 months.

The much ballyhooed virtual set was never utilized to its full potential (although it is getting new life with “The Insitigators,” where three bartenders stand behind a counter and appear ready to serve drinks. Why are they standing? Why?) Whether it was technical snafus or a lack of commitment to the set, NESN certainly never gave the show all the resources it needed to succeed. They could have created a cornerstone original program, instead they played footsies with it and never gave it a real shot at succeeding.

The upshot is that Ryan will slide back into a 3 times weekly general columnist for the paper and told us he will continue to update his blog for Boston.com.

“I let the column slide,” Ryan admitted. “I haven’t been able to focus as much on the writing and I look forward to getting back to that.

“Listen, I’m a big boy about this,” he said. “This is why I always say that i would never have TV or Radio be my primary gig.”

But the blame does not lie with Ryan on this one, it lies with penny-pinching NESN and its continued curious decisions (vanilla “SportsDesk” anchor John Chandler and overmatched newbie Cole Wright come immediately to mind when thinking of other NESN missteps in ‘08).

NESN wants everyone to think its New England’s version of ESPN, but the truth is, it’s a far cry from anything that is being done in Bristol.

And now, to The Big O. . .

B. If it wasn’t for bad timing, Glenn Ordway wouldn’t have no timing at all. With his contract expiring at Entercom, Ordway finds himself in a precarious place as the host of WEEI 850 AM’s afternoon drive, “Big Show.” Long-praised as the cornerstone of the ‘EEI Empire, Ordway and his representative are reportedly locked in delicate, drawn out and precarious negotiation with Entercom Emperors.

The problem is, Ordway has virtually no leverage. Sure, there are still Beantown rumors about an all-sports entrant on the FM dial hoping to nab the Big O and build a station around him. There has even been murmurs of a satellite gig for Ordway, but I think we can all agree he is a regional talent at best. Ordway’s lone, best option is to remain in the big chair with the Big Meatheads he babysits five times a week and get paid handsomely for doing just that.

Time and again, the people Shots has polled on the topic continue to point out that Ordway has no chance of getting what one insider termed “Dennis and Callahan money” in the current marketplace.

So Ordway has to decide whether he can take a “pay cut” from what he might have been able to land had the economy not gone in the dumper and whether his ego will allow for him to be, what he would probably term, “slightly underpaid.” If he’s banking on playing satellite radio or other terrestrial radio off of Entercom, he might as well give up now. No one can justify overspending for a “name” in this economic climate and Entercom has a very realistic replacement waiting in the wings at WEEI.com in Mike Felger.

Ordway is going to need to eat some humble pie and that’s never been a big part of the big fella’s diet. Still, Ordway never struck us as a dumb man and he surely knows what is at stake for the final chapter of his broadcasting career. Will he get STOOPID money? No. But he will have no problem maintaining a lifestyle befitting the King of Boston Sports Talk Radio.

The Tom Ellis Shotty for Overstaying Their Welcome:

Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti, WBCN 104.1 FM, The Patriots Rock Radio Network

The only thing sadder in local broadcasting than Tom Ellis’s NECN farewell last Saturday night is the fact that the earnest Ellis doesn’t realize how far removed he is from his glory days at the anchor desk.

Gil and Gino appear to be similarly delusional about their broadcasting chops.

WBCN and the Patriots (read: The Krafts) need to begin transitioning out of Gil and Gino and into more capable play-calling and color commentating. It’s no longer a matter of IF the Krafts need to initiate a change in the radio booth, it’s a question HOW they handle it. Even with the deep appreciation Shots has for the history of the duo, it’s painfully obvious that they are doing a disservice to the listeners, not to mention advertisers and the organization.

Look for the names of Mike Lynch (PBP), (hopefully) Sean McDonough (PBP), Gary Tanguay (PBP), Scott Zolak (color) and cerebral Tim Fox (color) to circulate WHEN the change is made. It would make sense if the Pats and ‘BCN do it quietly over the off-season.

(By the way, Tanguay’s turn on Celtics games as PBP man in Mike Gorman’s absence probably wasn’t the best audition tape for a potential booth job with the Pats. Tanguay is steady and suitable for studio work - not so much for PBP.)

[One note on the Tom Ellis farewell: NECN mainstay sports guy Jimmy Young tried to soften the shakiness of Ellis's farewell, and Young's knowledge of the market and Ellis's place in it, was sincere.

But the simple fact of the matter is that the Locals (or regionals) don't have room for the Tom Ellises, the Bob Lobels and the Joyce Kulhawiks. That list will surely grow in 2009, as WCVB looks to get younger and leaner, the way its competitors already have.]

The Shotty for the Worst Kept Sports Media Secret

An easy call, as this has to be the not-so-hush-hush departure of Jessamy Tang from almost-also-ran ESPN 890. Tang, it turns out, was well into in her second trimester of pregnancy when she quietly announced to the 890 staff in late Fall that she would be leaving the station all together. Apparently, employees had no clue of the baby bump.

Launched in the Fall of 2005, ESPN 890 has made very little - if any - headway in denting WEEI’s armor but Tang had weathered some storms, some departures and kept investors and ESPN interested enough to let her continue to putter with a weak signal and barely any marketing dollars.

Now, it will be the full-time function of WallerSutton’s WS2K Media to oversee 890, removing Tang and her J Sports from the equation.

Schrafft Building moles tell Shots that Route 81’s CEO, Ira Rosenblatt who will be the “new” Jessamy. You would have to think this is sink or swim time for the station and it’s a heck of a time to be trying to do either in these rough waters of the Second Great Depression.

Safe money says that 2009 will finally be the year that 890 admits it is nothing more than a tin can and string operation that embarrasses the national ESPN brand with each passing week.

The Shotty for the Biggest Waste of Weekly TV Air Time during Patriots Season

Awarded to any of the awful pre- or postgame offerings from WBZTV Channel 4 where Stammering Steve Burton and Steve “DeAwful” DeOssie are paired together. It’s car crash TV at its worst with every potential utterance a frontal assault on the English language. Add in the station’s insistence on using a constantly shaky handi-cam from the company-owned restaurant/bar in Foxborough and the end result was 16 weeks of unwatchable local football coverage.

The Shotty for Most Pleasant Surprise of 2008

WEEI.com

By any sensible standard, the initial months of the website built by Tim Murphy and Rob Bradford were a success for Entercom and even the hiccups have been forgivable. Do not underestimate what the “acquisition” of Curt Schilling meant and you can be sure that 2009 will have even more innovation and exploration by the MurphFord combo.

While I was quoted in the above-linked Phoenix story by Adam Reilly, I think it’s probably worth including some of my (long-winded replies) to Reilly’s questions that didn’t make his article. His questions are marked by “AR” and my responses are after “DS”:

AR: What do you think WEEI.com has done right?
DS: Let’s look at it this way: In less than half a year they have assembled a diverse and provocative line-up that includes Rob Bradford, Alex Speier, Curt Schilling, Will Leitch, Mike Felger and, incredibly, “Fitzy” (I don’t see his appeal, but I’m probably not supposed to).

That doesn’t even mention the in-the-trenches crew they’ve cultivated (Joe Haggerty on hockey was a GREAT freelance hire as was Paul Flannery on the Celts and more than I ever imagined, Mike Petraglia as a jack of all trades).

The web site has been able to inform, entertain and extend the WEEI brand into a space - The Web - that it desperately needed a presence in. They’ve had some some hiccups (design/layout/navigation is still a mess) and I still question that initial hire of Ron Borges, but if you’re asking for a grade on what they’ve done in a short period of time, in a marketplace that is trembling with fear, I’d say it’s a solid B-Plus. Even that should probably be grade-curved up because they’re doing it all under the direction of Entercom’s notoriously fickle regime. The Big E is making cuts all over, but they have been solidly behind the venture at WEEI.com and they need to be commended for that.

And don’t forget, Murphy and Bradford have consistently pointed to January/February as when they will be fully up and running with bells, whistles and maybe even a few more “big name” additions. You can’t give a true judgment until at least 9 or more likely 12 months. They started with virtually nothing as a foundation and now have a very sturdy base (including some eye-catching story art to tease the content).

AR: Where, if anywhere, do you think they’ve been less impressive?
DS: It’s not really “less impressive,” but some of the execution has been lacking because they don’t really have a full-time “Big Picture” guy. Rob and Alex are writing and editing a good deal and that takes time away (understandably so) from thinking about how to package and present stories and use WEEI’s multi-media resources. Instead of bringing on more out-front folks that don’t quite fit**, I’d like to see them bring in a dedicated content configurer who could focus on gaining eyeballs and increasing the site’s visibility. [NOTE: The addition of Christopher Price is an encouraging sign that could help in the area of big picture planning as Price will have editing duties.]

**Just as an aside, I haven’t seen the Leitch presence pay off. I emailed with Will early on about finding his groove within the context of both Boston and WEEI and he admitted then it would be a process. Mailbags have been weak and the columns haven’t quite knocked my socks off. The thing(s) he did with Flannery fell way short and he’s almost too timid as the “Outsider” - like he doesn’t want to offend the good people of Boston? Please. These people deserve to be offended with their boorish behavior.

I am leaning toward his shortcomings in this market being a result of WEEI’s Meathead Factor. There’s just too many Pete Sheppard worshippers that don’t understand the innate genius of Will and he may be trying to cater to them too much.

ALSO, From what I can gather, a good deal of the radio guys aren’t very receptive to being “used” on the web without compensation. Pretty ludicrous from a crew that should just be happy to be employed at all.

AR: And how much of a threat do you think they pose to the Globe and the Herald?
DS: They’ve already done loops around the woeful Boston Herald’s sports-web presence. That wasn’t even a contest. And, to their credit, they’ve certainly pushed the Globe on several fronts (live-blogging, for instance) but for now Boston.com’s reach and established name are too big and too entrenched to allow for a start-up like WEEI.com to truly register. If Entercom stays the course and lets Bradford manage his personnel and find a nuts-and-bolts overseer, it will be the Globe and WEEI.com duking it out for the No. 1 spot in the region’s sports infotainment delivery.

The Shotty for Most Frustrating Re-Design of a Sports Section

The Boston Globe (specifically Sunday notes columns)

Amid all the turmoil and comings and goings that Joe Sullivan has had to deal with for the Globies, it’s the static, glacially evolving sports page that may be the most egregious error of the past year. Instead of figuring out more and better ways to integrate the print product into the electronic copy, Sullivan’s crew continues to tiptoe around making bold changes and instead settles for inconsistent and incomplete moves. The print needs to drive the web and the web needs to drive the print and right now, that synergy is still lacking.

As for the debacle that is the Sunday notes columns, Sulivan allowed for some new designs and elements, but not all of them are treated equally across sports and the result is hard to follow, sloppily laid out notebooks that frustrate more than they inform. I’d like to see them blow up the notes entirely and figure out a way to make them relevant and newsworthy again. As you’d assume, I’ve got tons of ideas, but no one’s asked me for them. Yet.

The insistence on giving Stan Grossfeld space for his Sunday photo play of “What they were thinking?” is a Sully stubbornness at its worst. Each Sunday we ask, “What are YOU thinking by continuing with this feature?”

On the web side, there seems to have been a reluctance to embrace the Cover It Live software for live-blogging, something WEEI.com continues to experiment (successfully) with.

Sully is probably looking at one more major defection in the next calendar year (Rookie of the Year Marc Spears has drawn national interest, according to industry sources), but after he deals with that, he needs to get everyone on staff thinking about one thing and one thing only: Making the Globe sports page come alive on the web every hour of every day.

The Shotty for the Region’s Most Complete Media Talent

Mike Reiss, Boston.com/Boston Globe

Retire this award and call it “The Reissy.” We’ve long been unabashed and unyielding advocates for the work of Reiss, but this past year he took everything up a notch to a point where larger, more significant, national job opportunities are surely in the offing for the Umie stalwart. His blog skills are legendary, but he has spread his wings more on TV reporting for NESN and offering astute, measured and reasonable commentary on any number of outlets (chiefly for undeserving WBZTV and the passable WCVB “Patriots All-Acccess”).

The best part? Reiss still remains one of the most liked, most humble and most respected media members in the entire region - no easy task with the piranhas that populate the local scene.

• And finally, some quick Shotties in various categories:

Best New Blood in the Market
Adam Kilgore, Boston Globe - His baseball coverage has already been fantastic, but we’re actually looking forward to having him spice up the college hoops coverage in the region, especially with Boston as a host site in March. Sully can’t hog all the college hoops for himself.

Worst Old Blood in the Market
Pete Sheppard, WEEI - Sheppard will have to accept this on behalf of his fellow unqualified morons who he shares studio space with daily. It really is a group honor for the Meat Men, who continue to exemplify the very worst elements of sports coverage in the region and indeed, the country. When Sheppard appeared at the “VIP table” of a recent Phantom Gourmet episode with one of Eddie Andelman’s annoying offspring, we were left to wonder what exactly the VIP stood for? Very Ignorant or Virtually Incompetent Person?

Oh, and of course, Butch Stearns.

You’ll Be Missed Shotty
Take your pick here. The market lost Jeff Horrigan from the Herald when he abandoned the business and the city. Likable Laura Behnke, who shone for NECN and Comcast SportsNet headed west. The talented and capable folks over at CN8, where Shots always enjoyed playing TV dude, got discarded. Jeff Goldberg also got bumped at the Hartford Courant and Steven Krasner at the crumbling ProJo sports desk. Those are some tough losses to overcome for any market, but especially one that values quality people doing quality work.

Maybe the biggest loss of all was the little man from down South Coast way, Danny Pires. I still find myself wanting to hit Dan with a wise-ass email or phone call and long to read and hear his wise-ass response. Rest peacefully, DP.

You Won’t Be Missed Shotty
Hazel Mae, NESN - The power of a very good agent at IMG helped Hazel land a job with the January 1-launching MLB network but we stand by our assessment that Mae is far from a national talent. She will need a strong producer and good behind-the-scenes folks to make her a marquee talent for Tony Petitti’s gang.

Let’s also throw Babbling Bob Lobel into this category, although he will never fully go away, no matter how much we wish for it. And of course, despite a re-appearance this week, we say a hearty farewell to Mustard and Johnson.

And, for other reasons entirely, Bob Gamere.

Lastly, this is probably a good place to put the former Boston Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. What? He hasn’t gone anywhere? Oh. My bad. All those hissy fits and Shawshank rebellions during 2008 had me thinking Simmons just had to get out from under the wrath of the Mouse Ears.

Guess it was all just artistic differences. Maybe in Ought-Nine, Simmons can just appreciate how good he has it and focus on the writing that he can still do so well.

Most Questionable Moves by One Newspaper
The Boston Herald - From the (mis)handling of the John Tomase affair and the (mis)hiring of Ron Borges, the Wingo Wayers did some very tabloidy things over the course of 2008, but the payoffs have not been substantial and the paper continues to lag far behind in Web presence. They are the little train that could and we always like rooting for the underdog, but the Herald needs to start making some serious hay on the web side and spicing up its back page if it wants to have relevance in this town. The Herald hired Borges to be his provocative, bombastic self and instead they’ve been given Timid Ron - and they still have never addressed Borges’s boxing connections, despite still using him for coverage of fights put on by his former employer, Oscar De La Hoya. Readers deserved explanation when Borges was hired and they still deserve one today.

Funniest Oversight by a Local Media Organization.
The Tiny Member photo, Boston Globe.

Some other favorites from 2008 in Shots’ coverage:

Callahan v. Simers

Kimball v. Halloran

Sad exit from ProJo for Sean McAdam

Wilbon takes on Kimbo

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

Scott’s first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009 and is now available for pre-order.

Got a nice note from Christopher Price of the Boston Metro this afternoon, letting me know that starting next month, he’ll be leaving the Metro and joining WEEI.com as the Patriots writer for the site.

Price will also serve as assistant editor for WEEI.com.

Price has covered the Patriots for the Metro since 2001, and his weekly “10 Things We Learned Yesterday” column became a must-read for Patriots fans following each game. Price is also the author of The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower.

This is another nice hire for WEEI.com, which continues to collect competent writers and reporters who cover the teams thoroughly and without an axe to grind. (Which made the Ron Borges hire so strange to begin with.) Good luck to Chris!

Post from: Boston Sports Media Watch If you're reading this somewhere else other than your RSS reader, email or bostonsportsmedia.com, then this content is stolen!

Price is Right for WEEI.com

By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

In truth I can't really afford to be coming out of my “book nook” for any amount of time, but two ongoing stories in Boston sports media need some assessing and Shots realizes it's our official duty to analyze both (and some bonus topics for the new year).

To spice things up a bit, we'll present those two stories (Globe v. NESN; Ordway v. Entercom) within the 2008 Shotties, given sporadically since 1990 for outstanding achievement in the realm of Boston sports media (and slightly beyond). As always, we welcome your intelligent comments and insight - buffoons need not apply. Have a happy new year and we'll do our best to come back strong in the Spring time after we put our baby to bed.

The Shotties: A look back at the calendar year of 2008 in Boston sports media.

The Shotty for Least Stable Sports Media Relationship
TIE
A. The Boston Globe and NESN
B. Glenn Ordway and Entercom

The quiet cancellation of NESN's “Globe 10.0? in late December and the curious, semi-sign-off of Glenn Ordway were significant on many levels. By this time next year, we will likely look at both “events” as monumental days in the shaping of Boston Sports Media 2.0; hat's how big the players in these two soap operas are and that's how impactful the two stories will be on 2009.

First, the Globe's battle with NESN:

A. Even before the Christmas Eve bombshell about the 17 Percenters looking to dump their Red Sox stake, the rift between the Boston Globe sports department and the Red Sox sports department (NESN) was widening - almost by the day. [For more confounding and confusing looks at the Globe's woes, we'd ask you to check here and here (for the astonishing Barclay's report).

The end of "Globe 10.0" got neatly buried in this Boston Globe's space-wasting, so-called "Media Column", with a two sentence explanation, saying "NESN announced. . . it will cease production of its original programming of "Globe 10.0" by the end of the year. The half-hour show, hosted by columnist Bob Ryan and featuring Globe writers, premiered on the network in June 2007."

Incredibly(!), NESN neglected to post the announcement on its own, pathetic press room page (and the network's oh-so-professional PR arm has long since stopped sending releases of any kind to Shots).

The move, initiated by NESN's higher-ups and delivered (awkwardly and clumsily, according to multiple sources) by Joel Feld, the network's executive vice president of programming and executive producer, was yet another sign of an eroding relationship between the Red Sox broadcast unit and the New York Times Company (dba here in Boston as the Boston Globe). It's a deterioration that was first made public when NESN sev