Beginning his Friday column by stating, "This column
has grown far too negative about the state of sports," the
N.Y. POST's Phil Mushnick writes, "Quietly ... CBS' Greg
Gumbel and Phil Simms have become one of the best duos ever
to work NFL broadcasts" (N.Y. POST, 1/14)....In UT, Scott
Pierce wrote that Steve Young "says he doesn't want the job
on a regular basis, but he performed admirably as a studio
analyst for ABC [last] weekend" (DESERET NEWS, 1/13).
IS FRANCESA BEING FAIR? In DC, Leonard Shapiro writes
that WFAN's Mike Francesa has "slipped into a full defensive
crouch mode these days as he endures mounting criticism of
his friendship" with Bill Parcells, and his "reporting -- or
nonreporting -- on recent events involving a team in turmoil
since Parcells" resigned as coach. Francesa: "I think it's
a conflict only if you don't disclose the relationship. I
think everyone understands our relationship. If you don't
hide it, what's the conflict?" Shapiro writes that the
"listening public's interest would almost certainly be best
served if Francesa simply recused himself on all matters
concerning Parcells, or any other newsmaker 'friend' he's
close to on a personal basis" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/14).
NAMES: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that USA Today
columnist Christine Brennan has signed with ABC News as a
regular sports contributor (USA TODAY, 1/14). ...Penguins
coach Herb Brooks "cursed and pushed" Avalanche TV announcer
John Kelly following last night's game after Kelly said
during the UPN broadcast that Pens RW Matthew Barnaby, down
on the ice after taking a hit by Avalanche D Alexei Gusarov,
"has a tendency to embellish" (GAZETTE, 1/14).
THIS IS THE STORY OF JOHNNY ROCKER: SI's Jeff Pearlman,
on his story on Braves P John Rocker: "I don't have a
journalist's love for getting people in trouble. But I knew
what I had to do. If you're going to do a portrait of John
Rocker, you're doing a portrait of John Rocker." In
Chicago, Ed Sherman writes that Pearlman says that he "used
a tape recorder or was taking notes during his entire talk
with Rocker. A couple of times Rocker went off the record
on subjects Pearlman didn't write about for the story. We
can only imagine" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/14). In N.Y., Bob
Raissman reviews Peter Gammons' interview with Rocker on
ESPN and notes that it was "conducted in a very sympathetic
nature." Raissman: "If Gammons' agenda was to get Rocker to
tell his side of the story -- no matter how twisted the
pitcher's explanations sounded -- then he succeeded. That
said, there were a few times when follow-up was needed."
Gammons: "I wish I was really good at this. I'm not" (N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 1/14).
