SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted Steve Spurrier, who last week resigned from his coaching position at the Univ. of South Carolina, "appeared in multiple segments" Saturday on ESPN's "College GameDay," including a Tom Rinaldi tribute to him in the first hour and "an overly deferential Q&A with the current cast including questions on why he left in midseason and whether he’d get back into coaching." Spurrier was "engaging enough," but "by no means looked like a can’t-miss prospect" to join the show on a full-time basis. Spurrier at times "looked a little confused by the mechanics of the show." ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer for "College GameDay" Lee Fitting said, "From our perspective and people may call ‘BS’ on me: By no means is this an audition. This is a chance to have someone in the news this week and a legend in the college game be a part of our show" (SI.com, 10/18).
STEALING THE SHOW: In DC, Thom Loverro wrote Saturday's nationally televised Premiere Boxing Champions card was "boxing larceny." In a bout between Anthony Peterson and Mike Oliver, the latter "went down on his knees, waited for the 10 count and walked away with a paycheck and boos from the sparse crowd." A later fight between Prichard Colon and Terrel Williams was "a nationally televised embarrassment" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/18).
DEAD AIR FOR DEM BUMS: In L.A., Chris Erskine wrote the Dodgers "have to fix" the "TV fiasco" that is the lack of carriage for RSN Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA. The franchise is being paid $8.3B for TV rights, yet "after two years much of the market doesn't get the local telecasts." Erskine: "That's the essence of it, right? Fake the money and run?" If the Dodgers "don't settle this intransigent TV standoff by next season -- probably the last for Vin Scully, your biggest star -- there may be a pox on this franchise that may take decades to overcome" (L.A. TIMES, 10/18).
TURTLE TERRITORY: ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt yesterday tweeted that he will host his midnight edition of "SportsCenter" live from Xfinity Center on Nov. 17 "after the Maryland/Georgetown game" (TWITTER.com, 10/18). Van Pelt, a Maryland alum, said, "I kind of told the head guy here before our show ever started, on November 17th either I'm not doing a show, or we're going to do the show there. Because I will be in that building that night" (247SPORTS.com, 10/18).
