He Found the Local Air Waves to Be Anything but Tubular

In television critic Norman Chad’s new collection of essays, “Confessions of a TV Sports Junkie,” he offers insight into the burgeoning culture of all-sports radio.

Writes Chad:

“I was pushing 80 on the Pacific Coast Highway, the top popped down on my Jaguar XJR-S, with the ocean to my left, the mountains up ahead and California dreamin’ all around me. . . . I felt alive and alert and a thirst to all the wonders the open road could bring. And, at that moment on this endless summer’s day, the only thing missing were good tunes, so I flipped on the radio looking for the Beach Boys or the Boss or maybe even some Juice Newton.

“I got Stu in Torrance talking about a possible Eric Lindros trade.

“Yes, it’s all-sports radio, and they’re chatting up hockey in July !!! I nearly drove into a coral reef .

“For all you think-tankers searching for signs of malaise across the mainland, you need look no farther than your AM dial. All-sports radio, once just a small nuisance, has risen to cultural menace.”

Add radio: “Who exactly are these people?” Chad asks of the callers. “This much I’ll say: The next time there’s a serial killer on the loose, homicide cops could do worse than tuning into sports radio for likely suspects. (If sports radio existed 15 years ago, Travis Bickle would’ve spent his downtime trying to smoke Billy Martin.)”

Paradise in eye of beholder: Before last Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneer-Washington Redskin game, coaches Sam Wyche and Richie Petitbon exchanged this repartee:

“We have a little paradise down here,” Tampa Bay’s Wyche said. “We have the best grass field (in the NFL). At this moment, I’m barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt.”

To which the Redskins’ Petitbon replied: “Yeah, but Sam dressed that way when he was in Cincinnati.”

Trivia time: When Don Drysdale set a record--since broken by the Orel Hershiser in 1988--by pitching 58 1/3 scoreless innings consecutively in 1968, whose record did he break?

Nine years ago today: It was on this date in 1984 that Ram running back Eric Dickerson gained 215 yards, passing O.J. Simpson’s single-season rushing record of 2,003 yards. Dickerson, who retired this season, finished the ’84 season with an NFL record 2,105 yards.

Desperate times: The Rams might be overestimating the value of Jim Everett if they think they can get a high draft pick for him after this season.

One NFL general manager, who might be looking for a quarterback next year, told the Sporting News’ Chris Mortensen that he has carefully looked at Everett.

“Everything you’ve heard about him is true,” the general manager said. “He’s got happy feet. He can’t stand to sit in the pocket, step up in the pocket, take the heat. That’s a terrible sign for a quarterback. . . . His receivers aren’t great, but they’re not as bad as people are making them out to be. I’d have to pass on him, unless I got desperate.”

Trivia answer: Walter Johnson, who pitched 56 scoreless innings in 1913.

Quotebook: Sportscaster Jim Nantz on Dallas Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson: “The only time Jimmy didn’t run up the score was 27 years ago, when he took the SAT.”