In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin writes since joining Turner Sports as an NBA analyst in '05, Basketball HOFer Reggie Miller has "analyzed everything in his on-air path, friends and foes alike." Miller has "razzed" colleague Charles Barkley for "not being as tough as his reputation." He also has "chided fellow TNT analyst Kenny Smith for sprouting a belly." Active NBAers "have heard from him, too." Miller said, "I've never been one to hold my tongue." TNT's Kevin Harlan said that Miller "excels at being a student of the moment." Harlan: "He knows body language and can see expressions that none of us (who haven't played) could ever pick up on" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/10).
WHAT A TANGLED WEBB: In Chicago, Rick Morrissey wrote under the header, "ESPN's Brent Musburger Need Not Apologize For Anything." Morrissey: "What part of Musburger's comments required an apology? The part where he said a beauty contest winner was beautiful?" What seems to "bother people most" about Musburger's on-air comments regarding Katherine Webb, girlfriend of Alabama QB A.J. McCarron, is "the fact that Musburger is 73." For someone to "have those thoughts is creepy, we've been told." Morrissey writes, "To sum up: Sexism is bad, ageism is just fine" (SUNTIMES.com, 1/9).
FANTASY VS. REALITY: The GLOBE & MAIL's Steve Ladurantaye reported the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission has "cleared the way for a speciality station dedicated solely to filling the seemingly insatiable demand for sports statistics." Fight Media "can now develop a channel it will call The League -- Fantasy Sports TV, and make it available as a speciality channel." The company "had to agree that only 10 per cent of its programming could be live sporting events" (THEGLOBEANDMAIL.com, 1/9).
