HBO's Mary Carillo reported on the state of sports talk
radio, focusing on Philadelphia's WIP-AM, on "Real Sports."
Carillo: "Never known for enlightening its listeners, sports
talk radio in America may very well be sinking to new
depths. And if the dumbing-down of sports radio seems
impossible, you probably haven't been to Philadelphia."
Flyers Chair Ed Snider, who founded WIP but sold it in '92,
and whose team recently won a lawsuit against the station
after an erroneous report on Eric Lindros: "I created my own
Frankenstein." WIP host Angelo Cataldi, who teams with Al
Morganti to form the station's morning team: "A lot of
people are still trying to do journalism on radio. And
they're not getting the ratings" (HBO, 5/19).
OTHER NOTES: Corrie Bird, the daughter of Pacers coach
Larry Bird, appears on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" today in
part two of an extension of a Sports Illustrated-inspired
"Sports Stars Paternity Scandal" program (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES,
5/20). Also appearing on the program is Bird's ex-wife,
Jan, and Celeste Rowan, who has three children by Celtics G
Greg Minor (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/20)....The Women's Pro Fastpitch
softball league will host its first-ever All-Star Game on
July 14, which will be the first of eight games to appear on
ESPN2. Olympian Dot Richardson, WPF's newest spokesperson,
will provide color commentary (WPF)....ESPN Video released
the five-volume series, "NASCAR -- The Fifty," a definitive
history of NASCAR's 50 years seen on ESPN (ESPN).
