In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes after driver Dan Wheldon’s death in the Izod IndyCar World Championships, ESPN/ABC’s Marty Reid’s “deft handling of last Sunday's race, with the ESPN team of producers and technicians scrambling to fill the hours between the accident and the announcement of his death, set the right tone of the broadcast as the tension built.” Reid “followed the lead of telecast producer Jamie Shiftan to make sure nothing inaccurate trickled out.” Reid said, "The first thing that happens in those situations, you remind everyone ... don't speculate and don't assume. ... The one thing I'm most proud of the entire 2-hour broadcast is we didn't have one fact that turned out to be incorrect. That's far and away the most important thing because in this day and age, all of that was out on YouTube and the Internet the moment after it happened" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/21).
BIDDING FAREWELL: The Pistons announced that reporter Eli Zaret “has been let go” from the team’s television crew. In Detroit, Perry Farrell noted “no reason was given for his departure.” Zaret “spent five seasons as the team's sideline reporter” on FS Detroit (FREEP.com, 10/20). Also in Detroit, Vincent Goodwill reports Pistons Exec VP/Broadcasting Pete Skorich, who “had been with the franchise for 30 years,” parted ways with Palace Sports and Entertainment “a couple of weeks ago.” Goodwill: “It was then that Zaret saw the writing on the wall” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/20).
HERE TO ENTERTAIN: In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley wrote when watching ESPN "College GameDay" co-host Lee Corso “perform, and it is performance, you realize there isn’t anyone who seems to be having more fun more talking about college football.” Corso said, "I keep telling the guys at ‘GameDay.’ We are in the entertainment business and football is our vehicle. We got to entertain ’em on Saturday or you’re not going to make it." Corso suffered a stroke a stroke two years ago, and its effect “can still be heard in his speech.” But his “energy, the jester with the gestures, is one of the reasons "GameDay" is such a popular fixture at college campuses” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 10/21).
NOTES: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes ESPN and Jon Gruden Monday night “celebrated Gruden’s new, five-year contract to continue destroying ‘Monday Night Football’ telecasts by allowing Gruden to destroy another ‘Monday Night Football’ telecast.” Gruden not only “has what ESPN finds most attractive in its top analysts -- the eager ability to talk all game -- he has the bonus skill of talking lots of nonsense” (N. Y. POST, 10/21)....BTN on Thursday announced it hired Tom Dienhart as a senior writer for BTN.com, covering football and men’s basketball. Dienhart was Rivals/Yahoo Sports’ senior national college football writer since ’08 (BTN).
