In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes the Mets are “blessed with double-shock power” with WFAN radio announcer Howie Rose and SportsNet N.Y. TV announcer Gary Cohen, as fans “would be hard-pressed to find two better play-by-play voices today in baseball.” Cohen and Rose “received much-deserved praise” in the wake of Mets P Johan Santana’s no-hitter Friday night, but the “reality is their performances weren’t much different than they are every night.” Still, their play-by-play was “entertainingly dangerous, like sparks of electricity exiting a downed power line.” Even after Santana made it happen, both broadcasters said that they “purposely didn’t get carried away during the game because they did not believe ‘it’ could happen” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/5). Rose said of calling Friday’s game, "The only thing I disciplined myself to do was try to stay under control. I just thought, describe, describe, describe, the scene on the mound, the scene in the stands. The call ... I thought about my stamping it with the date and the time. The great Vin Scully stamped Sandy Koufax's, but no one will ever be as lyrical as Vin Scully. That's his." (SI.com, 6/4).
INDEPENDENT PARTY: In Boston, Greg Bedard noted NFL Network has “often been criticized because it is owned by the league and therefore its independent decision-making has been questioned.” But two developments last week “suggest the network is flexing its autonomous muscles.” First, the net “picked up a one-year option on the contract of analyst Warren Sapp.” Two league sources in April said that Sapp was “unlikely to have his contract renewed" following comments made on Twitter and on TV concerning former Saints TE Jeremy Shockey and the Saints bounty scandal. Bedard wrote NFL Net and NFL.com “definitely showed they are not house organs when they ran a full transcript" of comments from suspended Saints LB Jonathan Vilma (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/3).
PINCH HITTER: In Tampa, Tom Jones noted Rays TV analyst Brian Anderson was off this past weekend, so Todd Kalas joined Dewayne Staats in the Sun Sports booth for the series against the Orioles. It was “no surprise that the broadcasts were knowledgeable and enjoyable.” Kalas is a “pro and has no problem making the transition from sideline reporter to working in the booth.” The reason is that Kalas “knows what he knows and knows what he doesn't know.” He is not a former player, so his analysis “is based on extensive homework and reporting.” The experience allowed Kalas a chance to "show his stuff and perhaps work his way into a booth, if not here, then with another team if that's what he wants to do” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/3).
CORRECTION: Yesterday's issue of THE DAILY incorrectly stated that Fox earned a 2.6 overnight rating for its MLB primetime coverage on Saturday when it in fact earned a 2.8 overnight. THE DAILY regrets the error.
