Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh are expected to be named as the broadcasting team for NBC`s coverage of Notre Dame home football games that starts this fall.
To a network boss, it makes sense to have your No. 1 announcing crew associated with one of your top products. But it was Walsh who provided the impetus for the decision.
When NBC`s five-year, $38-million deal with the university was announced, Walsh approached NBC Sports executive producer Terry O`Neil and told him: ”I don`t know what you have in mind for me on the NFL schedule next year, but I`d sure love to do those Notre Dame games.”
Walsh`s intentions surprised O`Neil, who already had decided to shy away from any broadcasters with Notre Dame connections, such as Don Criqui and Paul Hornung.
”There`s a mystique (about Notre Dame) for guys at (Walsh`s) level of the business,” O`Neil said. ”Even as a visiting coach, there`s an aura about the place. If you went to school there (as O`Neil did), it`s a little less.
”But I was stunned by Bill`s interest. And Enberg felt the same way.”
On the six weekends they do the Irish games, Enberg and Walsh won`t have a National Football League assignment.
While a sideline reporter and a studio host have yet to be chosen, O`Neil said impartiality will rule, although he didn`t suffer from lack of interest from broadcasters with Irish connections for the Notre Dame roles.
”We got calls from either former coaches or Notre Dame-connected types of some kind,” he said. ”We just uniformly turned them all down. We said we wouldn`t have any credibility with the visiting teams if we were to hire anyone with current or former ties to Notre Dame.”
– The National Basketball Association has launched a new promotional campaign, ditching its nine-year-old ”NBA Action . . . It`s FANtastic!” spots in favor of ”I love this game.” The campaign, created by Goodby, Berlin & Silverstein, consists of four 30-second spots, including one featuring Jim Durham and Johnny Kerr calling the end of the Bulls` last-second win over the Mavericks last season.
”The idea came from the advertising agency,” said an NBA spokesperson. Durham`s tag line, however, didn`t come from the WGN-Ch. 9 telecast. ”They had him dub that line over the spot,” said the spokesperson.
As for the spots themselves, which will run through June 2 on NBC prime-time, late-night and Sunday morning shows, ”we decided to take the long-term view and promote the game of basketball in general, rather than emphasizing the NBA,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik.
The NBA also has teamed up with CBS/Fox Video Sports on a home video,
”NBA Comic Relief: The Great Blooper Caper,” to aid Comic Relief, the non-profit organization that aids the homeless.
– Steve Olken hosts the weekly ”Sox Sunday,” a potpourri of game highlights, interviews and features, 30 minutes before every Sunday White Sox broadcast on WMAQ Radio.
– Best lines of the weekend: NBC`s Bob Costas on the rumors swirling around his network`s analysts: ”I`m here to deny that I`m a candidate for the play- by-play job with the Albany Patroons.” (Pat Riley later admitted he had talked to Knicks President Dave Checketts about replacing John MacLeod, saying, ”We`re thinking about it.”) . . . NBC`s Mike Fratello on a suggestion Charles Barkley may be suffering from a headache Saturday as the Bulls led 97-77: ”He`s got a headache-a 20-point headache.” . . . NBC`s Riley on the demise of the Celtics franchise: ”It`s a dinosaur looking for a museum.” . . . ABC`s Al Michaels on trainer Nick Zito cheering Kentucky Derby winner Strike the Gold down the stretch: ”He`ll have laryngitis tonight, but he can afford some cough drops.”
– Best shots: Celtics forward Larry Bird suffering a cheekbone injury when he fell during Sunday`s playoff game. . . . Bulls forward Horace Grant accidentally elbowing teammate Bill Cartwright on a rebound. . . . Strike the Gold co-owner B. Giles Brophy crying after his horse won the Derby.
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– Best features: CBS` Pat O`Brien on Willie Mays` 60th birthday. . . . CBS`
hefty Dan Jiggetts trying to find motorcycle racing equipment to fit him. . . . NBC`s Peter Vecsey and Bob Ferry probing the Celtics` rebuilding plans. . . . ABC`s Jim McKay on jockey Chris McCarron`s work to aid disabled riders. – Nice hustle: SportsChannel having former De Paul coach Ray Meyer comment after its live coverage Saturday morning of the Notre Dame press conference introducing MacLeod as its new basketball coach. . . . SportsChannel America televising the Stanley Cup-record 16th overtime game Friday night. ”The guys in the control room loved it,” said an SCA spokesman.
– Best interview: Isiah Thomas telling Riley (hey, he had a busy weekend):
”If all I`m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I`ve done a bad job with the rest of my life.”
– Toughest interviews: ABC`s Mark Jones talking to New York-New Jersey Knights linebacker Ron Sancho, who was wanted on the field at the time. . . . CBS` Tim Ryan trying to talk to Orlando Canizales after the IBF bantamweight champ retained his title while Canizales` 7-month-old daughter was wailing in his arms.