Media Notes

Writer Feels Racial Stereotypes Still Exist Among College Basketball Analysts

In Minneapolis, Patrick Reusse writes longstanding stereotypes among college basketball analysts that a "white kid was hard-working and smart, while a black player was always athletic ... still exist." ESPN's Jay Bilas in February "turned to fawning over [Univ. of North Carolina F] Tyler Hansbrough to a point that was sickening," and CBS' Dick Enberg during the Louisville-North Carolina NCAA tournament regional final was "raving so incessantly over Hansbrough that you wanted someone to splash him with cold water and cool him down." Reusse: "Hansbrough, the most prominent white player in the country, was doing amazing things because of 'effort' like no one had ever seen before on a basketball floor" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/8).

FOUL MOUTH: In Orlando, Josh Robbins reports AFL Predators coach Jay Gruden will "receive a warning from the [AFL] after his foul language on the sidelines of Sunday's game against Chicago was broadcast on ESPN2." Gruden wore a microphone for the broadcast and "some of his cursing made it on the air despite a five-second delay designed to catch profanity" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/8).

PLAYOFF FEVER: FSN Pittsburgh will "drop scheduled broadcasts" of Wednesday's Cubs-Pirates and Friday's Reds-Pirates to televise the first two games of the Senators-Penguins Stanley Cup playoff series. The net will pick up the Saturday Reds-Pirates game at 7:00pm ET (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/8)....CSN Bay Area will carry all Sharks-Flames playoff series games, "bumping the Giants and A's to [Bay Area] Plus" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 4/8).