Pro Bowl Is Dierdorf’s Aloha to ABC

Dan Dierdorf is leaving the “Monday Night Football” booth. His last ABC broadcast will be Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

Dierdorf announced Thursday that his representatives had informed him there was no substantial offer to extend his contract.

In a prepared statement, Dierdorf thanked ABC for “12 wonderful years,” and said how much he enjoyed working with Al Michaels, whom he called the best play-by-play announcer in the business, and Frank Gifford. He also noted that he thinks Boomer Esiason “is going to be a real star.”

So who is going to replace Dierdorf? Probably no one.

There have been rumors that ESPN’s Sterling Sharpe was in line to move into Dierdorf’s spot, but sources indicate ABC will go with a two-man booth unless a big name becomes available. John Elway already has been mentioned.

With the more talkative Esiason replacing Gifford last season, there was less room for three announcers.

We liked that Dierdorf had opinions and, right or wrong, wasn’t afraid to express them. This is one viewer who is going to miss him.

CRITIQUING MR. ROBERTS

The Southern California Sports Broadcasters Assn. will hold its annual awards luncheon at Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake on Monday to honor those the group has selected as the best in L.A.

Members first voted to select the finalists, and a list recently came our way. In the category of best radio play-by-play announcers, the finalists were Vin Scully, Chick Hearn and Chris Roberts.

Chris Roberts? It pains us to say this because Roberts is such a good guy, but what in the world is Roberts doing on the list with two legends?

Even Roberts, UCLA’s radio voice, is apparently a little taken aback. During some recent public appearances he has quipped, “My wife says she loves me, but she says she would vote for Scully or Hearn.”

Humble and polite, Roberts really is Mr. Nice Guy. If you’re a UCLA alumnus and need somebody to emcee your banquet, Roberts is your guy. He’ll show up early, stay late, and charm all the guests.

Roberts could easily qualify for the broadcasters’ “High Five” award, which this year is going to The Times’ Mal Florence. Or the “Good Guy” award, which Dr. Frank Jobe will receive.

As a broadcaster, however, Roberts has deficiencies. He’s enthusiastic, but sometimes that enthusiasm gets in the way of describing the action. Also, his critics, except those who bleed Bruin blue, say he is too soft on UCLA. When Steve Lavin lost his composure and embarrassed himself at Washington on Sunday, all Roberts said, over and over, was that “Lavin is hot.”

Critics who appreciate proper grammar find his style irritating. “Baron Davis drives through the lane, put it up,” is a typical Roberts description, rather than “Baron Davis drives through the lane and puts it up.”

In an effort to be succinct, his tenses are off. It would seem Roberts, with a little work, could correct the grammar. As far as providing more detailed descriptions during basketball broadcasts, Roberts, who works alone, might be better off with a commentator. USC has a good one in Jim Heffner. Someone who comes to mind for UCLA is Ann Meyers Drysdale, who was the Bruin commentator for two seasons in the early ‘90s.

THE NBA, IT’S FINALLY HERE

The Lakers are everywhere. They’ll be on Fox Sports West and TNT tonight, although TNT is blacked out in L.A. The Fox Sports West appearance is the first of 20. The Lakers will be on NBC Sunday, the first of a league-high 11 appearances, and they’ll be on Channel 9 and TBS (no blackout here) from San Antonio on Monday. . . . Meanwhile, the Clippers’ opener against Phoenix tonight is not being televised. The Clippers make their TV debut Sunday when they play the Chicago Bulls on Fox Sports West 2, which has 20 Clipper games on its schedule. . . . DirecTV is welcoming fans back to the NBA by offering its NBA League Pass package free to all subscribers today through Thursday. After that, the package can be purchased for $69.

GOLF ENJOYING SPOTLIGHT

The NBA lockout may be one reason golf has been getting solid ratings, although David Duval’s 59 at the Hope may be the main reason. . . . This weekend’s AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is the second of 24 golf events CBS has on its schedule. CBS next will be at Torrey Pines for the Buick Invitational, then at Riviera for the Nissan Open. . . . One thing new for CBS during its West Coast golf swing is a highlights show following Letterman on Thursdays and Fridays, with Gary McCord and David Feherty the co-hosts. “It’s really more features and Gary and David doing their thing than it is a highlights show,” golf producer Lance Barrow said.

CBS announced Thursday that McCord, Peter Kostis and Bobby Clampett have signed new multiyear agreements. McCord’s new deal doesn’t mean he’ll be working the Masters any time soon. Quite the opposite. He had a clause put in his three-year contract that he won’t work the Masters. “That takes the onus off CBS,” he said. “They don’t even have to ask.” McCord was banned from the Masters in 1994 after he said, among other things, that the greens had been “bikini waxed.” . . . CBS golf host Jim Nantz this week was named national sportscaster of the year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Assn. Either Bob Costas or Chris Berman had won the award since 1987.

SHORT WAVES

Fox Sports Net’s one-hour weekly sports magazine show, “Goin’ Deep,” takes an in-depth look at the IOC scandal Sunday at 9 p.m. Correspondents Diana Nyad and Bruce Jenner will file reports, and a round-table discussion will include Nyad, Jenner, Chris Myers, the show’s host, and IOC Vice President Anita DeFrantz. . . . Attention, Al Davis fans: Your hero will be featured on NFL Films’ “Greatest Moments” on ESPN Sunday at 9:30 p.m. The reason is it is black history month and Davis is one NFL owner who has given opportunities to minorities. . . . Viewers of ABC’s taped one-hour “Battle of the Gridiron” festivities Sunday at 11:30 a.m., a prelude to the 3 p.m. Pro Bowl, will see if William Simmons, 57, a program analyst from Fort Wayne, Ind., is able to kick a 40-yard field goal and win $1 million. The odds favor Simmons. The contestants in Hershey’s Million Dollar Kick the last two years were successful.

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for Jan. 30-31, including sports on cable networks:

SATURDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Pro basketball: Exhibition, Lakers at Clippers 9 5.6 9 Figure skating: European Championships 7 4.6 9 Golf: Phoenix Open 2 3.2 9 Golf: Senior Skins Game 7 2.3 6 Softball: Pepsi All-Star game 4 2.3 6 College football: All-Star skills challenge 11 2.2 7 Skiing: Sprint U.S. Freestyle World Cup 4 1.7 5 Hockey: Kings at Buffalo 9 1.7 3 College basketball: Connecticut at St. John’s 2 1.4 4

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Cable Network Rating Share Boxing: Ahmad Abdin vs. Michael Grant HBO 1.8 4 Tennis: Australian Open (men’s final) ESPN 0.9 2 College basketball: Duke at North Carolina State ESPN2 0.3 1 College basketball: California at Arizona FSW 0.3 1 Soccer: Women, U.S. vs. Portugal ESPN 0.3 1 Hockey: New York Rangers at Detroit ESPN2 0.3 1

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SUNDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Super Bowl: Atlanta vs. Denver 11 40.0 66 Super Bowl: Pregame (last 4 1/2 hours) 11 26.7 34 Super Bowl: Pregame (first 3 hours) 11 5.1 12 Golf: Senior Skins Game 7 3.4 8 College basketball: UCLA at Washington 7 3.4 7 Soccer: Guadalajara vs. Pachuca 34 3.3 7 Golf: Phoenix Open 2 3.1 7 College basketball: Indiana at Penn State 2 1.7 4

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Cable Network Rating Share Bowling: Don Carter Classic (tape) ESPN 0.7 2 Horse racing: Hutcheson Stakes ESPN 0.8 2 Horse racing: Santa Catalina Stakes FSW 0.2 0 Prep basketball: Compton vs. Artesia (tape) FSW2 0.2 0

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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.