Murray Admirers Not Limited to Print

Jim Murray probably would have been embarrassed by all the media coverage he’s gotten this week. And it hasn’t come only from his brethren in the newspaper business. The broadcasters also have treated him with awe.

Channel 4’s Fred Roggin had one of the best tributes we saw. In it, a fairly recent clip of Murray had him describing his job by saying, “I try not to bore people, basically.”

That was Murray.

It’s hard to imagine a more humble superstar, a more humble person. And that humility, along with his tremendous talent, made for the huge media outpouring. He had many friends in both the print and electronic media. Anyone who ever came in contact with him liked him. It was impossible not to.

Vic “The Brick” Jacobs of XTRA 1150 devoted his whole show on Monday to Murray and Lee Hamilton of XTRA 690 has had Murray tributes all week.

Murray’s death also was big news nationally. ESPN’s tribute was outstanding.

On New York radio station WFAN, Murray’s column on his late wife, Gerry, was read on the air by Mike Francesa of “Mike and the Mad Dog” fame.

And the tributes haven’t stopped.

Tonight at 7, Fox Sports West 2 does its part by replaying a one-hour interview Murray did for the “Big Show” on April 1.

It was Murray’s last in-depth television interview.

The unfortunate part is that Murray deserved better.

We took another look at it, and John Ireland had to carry the interview. Partner Steve Mason, strictly a radio entertainer, has repeatedly shown he is not a TV interviewer. He may not even know the meaning of the word “preparation” and lacks the sophistication to handle someone of Murray’s stature.

For the interview, Murray was dressed in coat and tie with a sweater vest, while Mason, as usual, wore faded jeans and faded shirt, with the shirt untucked.

The “Big Show,” which is on XTRA 1150 weekday mornings, didn’t work on television, and Fox Sports West 2 dropped it at the end of July.

But the Murray interview does provide insight into this incredible man and is worth watching.

CLIPPERS MAKE CHANGES

The Clippers are changing radio stations and radio announcers. The team has found a new station, XTRA 1150--a good move--and is looking for a new announcer--a perplexing move.

Well-liked Rory Markus, who did the play-by-play on radio whenever Ralph Lawler moved over to do television, has been dismissed. He said Joe Safety, the team’s director of communications, called him on a cellular phone from Ohio to give him the news.

“He called me on July 31, and my contract expired on Aug. 1,” Markus said. “It came as a surprise to me. I knew not many people were listening, but I treated every game as if it were a playoff game.”

Markus was the team’s public-address announcer for three years and did the radio the last four.

Safety said the team is simply going in a different direction.

It may take more than a new station and a new announcer to do that.

BOXING BEAT

The fight in the ring between heavyweights Ed “The Hammer” Mahone of Los Angeles and Al Williams of Las Vegas, part of a Channel 9 card Saturday at 8 p.m., will be hard-pressed to top the free-for-all that broke out Wednesday during a news conference to promote the fight. Members of both camps, along with the fighters, went at it pretty good, breaking tables and overturning chairs at the All Star Cafe in Las Vegas.

The Mahone-Williams fight leads off the Forum-promoted card at the Tropicana Hotel, and the co-main event has Juan Manuel Marquez, whom promoter John Jackson calls the best featherweight in the world, facing Enrique Jupiter. Between the two main events will be a women’s four-rounder. Besides being televised by Channel 9, the card is being shown nationally as a pay-per-view event on satellite systems via USSB. . . . USA network’s 17-year run of “Tuesday Night Fights” comes to an end with a two-hour special next Tuesday at 9 p.m. Announcers Al Albert and Sean O’Grady will look back at the series and three four-rounders, one featuring Eric “Butterbean” Esch, will be part of the show.

BASEBALL DISPUTE

ESPN planned to move its final three Sunday night baseball telecasts to ESPN2 to make room for the NFL. But baseball this week told ESPN it couldn’t do that, and took the games back. One of the three was a San Francisco Giant-Dodger game scheduled for Sept. 6. The game now will not be televised unless Channel 5 or Fox Sports West 2 picks it up.

The local outlets might be hesitant to do that because of possible future litigation between ESPN and major league baseball. ESPN claims baseball’s action violates its contract. A Dodger spokesman said a decision will be made next week.

SHORT WAVES

Attention, kids: “Topspin,” a new youth-oriented tennis show, makes its debut on CBS Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Venus and Serena Williams host the first show. . . . Attention, hockey fans: The Kings and Mighty Ducks announced their TV schedules this week. Fox Sports West will televise 55 regular-season King games, Channel 9 will do 12, and the Fox network four. Fox Sports West 2 will televise 40 Duck games, with Channel 9 doing 20. . . . Fox Sports West this fall will begin carrying a new Fox Sports Net show, “Ultimate Fan League,” and a search is under way for knowledgeable sports fans. Those interested can call (888) 448-3835 or visit https://www.foxulf@aol.com . . . Jon Kelley, a Chicago sportscaster, has been hired as an anchor for “Fox Sports News.” Tom Kirkland recently left to do local TV in Salt Lake City.

IN CLOSING

We can all learn from the way Jim Murray lived his life, but broadcasters in general and radio talk-show hosts in particular should take note. It was humility that contributed to Murray’s greatness, not bravado and brashness.

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for Aug. 14-15, including sports on cable networks:

SATURDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Pro football: Exhibition, San Francisco at Seattle 2 6.8 Golf: PGA Championship 2 5.4 Baseball: Atlanta at Dodgers 11 4.1 Pro basketball: WNBA, Houston at New York 4 0.9 Soccer: MLS, New York/New Jersey at Miami 7 0.9

Over-the-air Share Pro football: Exhibition, San Francisco at Seattle 16 Golf: PGA Championship 14 Baseball: Atlanta at Dodgers 12 Pro basketball: WNBA, Houston at New York 3 Soccer: MLS, New York/New Jersey at Miami 3

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Cable Network Rating Share Pro football: Exhibition, St. Louis at San Diego FSW2 1.4 3 Golf: PGA Championship TBS 1.2 4 Auto racing: NASCAR Winston Cup Happy Hour ESPN2 1.0 3 Auto racing: CART Texaco/Havoline 200 qualifying ESPN2 0.9 2 Auto racing: NASCAR Busch Series Pepsi 400 ESPN 0.6 2 Horse racing: Pacific Classic at Del Mar ESPN 0.5 1 Tennis: Patrick Rafter vs. Yevgeny Kafelnikov ESPN 0.5 1 Tennis: Pete Sampras vs. Magnus Larsson ESPN2 0.5 1 Baseball: Chicago Cubs at Houston WGN 0.4 1 Golf: U.S. Women’s Amateur ESPN 0.3 1 Baseball: Pittsburgh at St. Louis FX 0.1 0 Auto racing: NASCAR Craftsman Trucks TNN 0.1 0 Horse racing: Harness, Kentucky Standardbred ESPN2 0.1 0 SUNDAY Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Pro football: Exhibition, Oakland at Green Bay 11 7.5 17 Golf: PGA Championship 2 6.2 15 Tennis: Martina Hingis vs. Lindsay Davenport 4 2.0 5 Auto racing: IRL Radisson 200 7 1.5 4 Pro basketball: WNBA, Detroit at Sparks 9 1.1 2 Soccer: MLS, Dallas at Colorado 34 0.4 1 Cable Network Rating Share Auto racing: NASCAR Winston Cup Pepsi 400 ESPN 2.3 7 Golf: PGA Championship TBS 1.7 5 Auto racing: CART Texaco/Havoline 200 ESPN 1.6 4 Tennis: Pete Sampras vs. Patrick Rafter ESPN 1.1 3 Baseball: Baltimore at Cleveland ESPN 1.3 3 Baseball: Chicago Cubs at Houston WGN 0.6 1 Auto racing: SCCA Trans Am Texaco/Havoline 200 TNN 0.3 1 Golf: U.S. Women’s Amateur ESPN2 0.2 0

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WEEKDAY RATINGS: Pro football: Exhibition, New England vs. Dallas at Mexico City, Monday, 7.6, 13.

Note: Each rating point represents 50,092 L.A. households. Cable ratings reflect the entire market, even though cable is in only 63% of L.A. households.