Wisely and well, NBC decided to let the marquee matchup of this year`s NBA Finals tell its own story.
Seldom have announcers and cameras at a major sports event been less intrusive than they were during Sunday`s opening game.
The only additions made by the network were a remote camera attached to the Stadium scoreboard (which gave a unique perspective to the opening tipoff) and an added sideline reporter (in this case Steve Jones).
A few other observations of Sunday`s telecast:
– Mike Fratello again demonstrated why broadcast partner Marv Albert refers to him as ”Czar of the Telestrator” by showing who the Lakers` double-teaming of Michael Jordan was leaving other Bulls open for easy baskets.
– Bad idea: Trying to cram the ”NBA Showtime” cast into a small first-balcony area for the pregame show. ”The Andrews Sisters never sat this close,” joked Bob Costas.
– Bad idea II: Moving the other Sunday games to 6 p.m. starts. While NBC officials claim not to have influenced the NBA`s decision, the change certainly benefits the network`s never-ending search for counter-programming to CBS` monster ”60 Minutes.” Merely coincidental? Doubtful.
– Good shots: Reactions by the Bulls` Scottie Pippen and Lakers coach Mike Dunleavy to Pippen`s last-second shot.
– Bad shot: Fan poking fun at Lakers fan Jack Nicholson by dressing up as
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”The Joker.”
All in all, a wonderful presentation of an exciting game. It doesn`t get any better than this, does it, Marv?
”Wasn`t that great?” said Albert afterward. ”It was a wonderful game. I love games at the Stadium because the crowd is so into it. (But) they all won`t be like this. This and the fifth Pacers-Celtics (playoff) game were classics.”
– Then there are the stories you hate to do, like this Jim Durham contract thing. Especially now. A nice guy caught in a nasty fight, Durham may be getting bad advice, as one TV executive suggests, or he may be being taken advantage of, as his agent suggests. But it`s one of those battles that doesn`t seem to have a winner.
Darcy Bouzeos, Durham`s agent, said the Bulls came to the popular broadcaster Feb. 18-not six months ago-to talk contract. ”We did not ask to renegotiate,” Bouzeos added. ”They`re trying to paint a picture that we`re trying to jump on the (postseason) bandwagon. That`s not the case. What`s their hurry?”
While contract figures have been bandied about-including one of a a 200 percent increase she wanted for Durham-Bouzeos said it was the Bulls who have tried ”to turn this into a money issue, but there have been no good-faith negotiations.” She said she had two meetings with Bulls officials lasting a total of 55 minutes and the Bulls offered a contract ”well below market value” for someone of Durham`s experience.
”Fifty-five minutes for 18 years of service doesn`t make a lot of sense,” said Bouzeos.
In an effort to change that, she said she sent a letter to station bosses Jim Corno of SportsChannel and Dennis FitzSimons of WGN-Ch. 9 requesting a meeting. ”I usually negotiate with the people who are paying the salaries,” said Bouzeos. ”Nobody responded. A month later, Jim gets a letter saying he`s on radio next year. Why didn`t they (Corno and FitzSimons) get involved?”
They didn`t get involved, said Corno, because they weren`t asked. And even if they were, Corno said Bulls Vice President Steve Schanwald was the
”point man” for all negotiations. Corno said Schanwald offered Durham a 40 percent increase for next year above his current salary (rated by an NBA official as the third-highest in the league behind L.A.`s Chick Hearn and New York`s Albert) but that number was ”flatly rejected.”
”The offer was made in good faith with every intention of having him back,” said Corno. ”But there was such discrepancy in what they were asking for and what we could pay. And as much as I like Jim Durham, I`ve got guidelines.”
FitzSimons agreed with Corno that ”the demands made were out of the ballpark, and so far out of the ballpark that we weren`t going to do it. The gap was so wide that you have to tell someone to test the market.”
According to FitzSimons, Durham has ”been getting some bad advice.”
Maybe it`s time for all parties concerned-from Durham and Bouzeos to Schanwald and Corno and FitzSimons-to step back, take a deep breath and start over again.
– Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner-through the aid of Southern Cal baseball coach Rod Dedeaux-is featured on the opening for ESPN`s coverage of the College World Series. Costner`s agent originally turned down the cable network`s request, but ESPN officials appealed to Dedeaux, who served as technical adviser on ”Field of Dreams,” for help. . . . ESPN will telecast the Great Midwest Conference`s inaugural game, featuring De Paul at Memphis State Nov. 29. It also marks the dedication of Memphis` 22,000-seat Great American Pyramid. . . . Not surprisingly, Bob Costas will replace Bryant Gumbel as prime-time host of NBC`s Summer Olympic coverage next summer. Network officials didn`t want to pull Gumbel off the ”Today” show for eight weeks as happened in 1988, at the same time the morning program`s ratings dropped. And besides, Costas has emerged as NBC`s No. 1 sports personality. . . . CBS has tabbed seven-year network veteran James Brown as its midday host for a 30-minute Winter Olympics update.