Thompson Talks Way Into Job

Finding a replacement for Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin’s sidekick wasn’t nearly the ordeal it was to find a replacement for Bill Werndl as Steve Hartman’s partner.

Have so many people ever auditioned for one job?

It has been one guest co-host after another sitting beside Hartman the last 15 weeks on XTRA Sports (690 and 1150). Werndl, the other “Loose Cannon” for 6 1/2 years, abruptly quit on Feb. 27, saying he didn’t want to move from San Diego to Los Angeles.

The move was required after San Diego’s XTRA (690) and L.A.’s KXTA (1150) merged into one L.A. super station. Werndl chose to stay in San Diego and join a new all-sports station.

That started the string of guest co-hosts. Most were auditioning, although some came in just for the fun of it -- such as San Diego Union sportswriter Jay Posner, who will be the 32nd and final guest co-host today.

Mychal Thompson becomes Hartman’s permanent co-host on Monday. Thompson, a former Laker, signed a three-year contract with XTRA this week.

It took a while to sign a permanent co-host because the station’s new program director, Don Martin, took some time to settle in. He was hired six weeks ago, then a week later married Robin Bertolucci and honeymooned in Kauai.

Bertolucci is the program director at KFI. She was formerly the program director at KFI and XTRA, both Clear Channel stations. Bertolucci gave up her role at XTRA so that Martin, who was at Denver’s KOA, could join her in L.A.

Thompson, who has done sports talk in Portland, had his tryout May 14-15 after having been recommended by a board operator.

He made quite an impression on Martin -- and also on Hartman.

“He wasn’t just another former athlete who thought all he had to do was show up,” Hartman said. “He arrived two hours early and was totally prepared. He knows more than basketball. He has a real passion for all sports.

“There was a rhythm and a chemistry between us immediately. We’ve definitely got the right guy, and this is something he wants to do, not just something he’ll squeeze in on the side.”

Laker Deal Near

Thompson is also the leading candidate to become the Lakers’ new radio commentator, and he said Thursday that only a few details remain to be worked out.

Keith Harris, the Lakers’ director of broadcasting, would say only that the team has talked with Thompson. But Thompson said he hoped to sign on with the team by the middle of next week.

Thompson, who was contacted three weeks ago, says he doesn’t know what the holdup has been.

“It’s not like they’re signing Karl Malone,” he said. “It’s just me.”

Maybe the Lakers, when they decided to scrap the simulcasts and go with separate announcing teams for television and radio, didn’t realize four announcers would cost more than two, even though that’s basic economics.

It’s believed the Lakers were paying $500,000 to Chick Hearn -- a real bargain, by the way -- and about half that to Stu Lantz. They got Paul Sunderland last year for around $300,000.

The tab for four announcers figures to be at least $1 million. And it’s apparent that the Lakers need every dollar they can find to sign a couple of free agents.

So getting a radio team in place hasn’t been easy.

However, a source said Thursday that the radio play-by-play announcer would be Joel Meyers, as expected. The source said an agreement had been reached, but an announcement had to wait until after the NBA Finals. Meyers is still under contract to the San Antonio Spurs as the team’s television play-by-play announcer.

Lantz said he had signed to return as the Lakers’ TV commentator next season, but Sunderland remains unsigned. However, Sunderland has been offered a two-year contract, and his agent, Martin Mandel of San Francisco, said Thursday he planned to be in L.A. next week to close out the deal.

Short Waves

Steve Lavin says he’s close to signing a deal with ESPN as a college basketball commentator. An ESPN spokesman said only that there had been negotiations.

The 7.2 L.A. rating for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night is not a record for hockey. Bob Miller did some digging around his garage in Woodland Hills and found that Game 4 of the 1993 Stanley Cup finals between the Kings and Montreal Canadiens got a 10.5 on Prime Ticket and a 2.6 on ESPN. The five-game series averaged a 7.6 on Prime Ticket and a 2.1 on ESPN. Before that series, the highest hockey rating in L.A. was a 3.2 for the final game of a second-round playoff series between the Kings and Edmonton Oilers in 1991.

Miller said he’d like to send a message to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman before the next television contract is negotiated. He’s upset because local broadcasters Fox Sports Net and Channel 9 aren’t allowed to televise the Stanley Cup finals alongside the national carriers.

“Local broadcasters shouldn’t be shut out from the later rounds of the playoffs,” he said. “It’s the same way in the NBA, and I think it’s atrocious. Fans are expected to be loyal to the local announcers all season, then they don’t get to see them.”

For Game 2 of the NBA Finals on ABC tonight, new Cleveland Cavalier Coach Paul Silas will join Mike Tirico and Sean Elliott for analysis on the “NBA Shootaround” pregame show and the halftime show. Jason Kidd will be interviewed by Jim Gray on the pregame show and Jimmy Kimmel will be part of the halftime show.

Fox has more than just a routine baseball game-of-the-week Saturday at 10 a.m. when it televises the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs from Wrigley Field. The Yankees’ Roger Clemens again tries for victory No. 300, this time going against Kerry Wood. Then there’s the Sammy Sosa saga.

“This is the biggest regular-season game I have ever broadcast,” Fox commentator Tim McCarver said.

In Closing

Reality golf may be here to stay. The Golf Channel televised the first Best Western People vs. the Pros on Monday from Lake Las Vegas, and it was intriguing. Although John Daly beat his amateur opponent, 5 and 4, amateur Andy Kineer, 50, of Las Vegas beat Lee Trevino, 5 and 4.

Tony Tortorici, the Golf Channel’s executive producer, said, “We were definitely pleased, especially considering no one knew what to expect going in. We were thrilled one of the amateurs was able to get it accomplished.”

Tortorici said he would sit down in a month or so with the event’s producer, Terry Jastrow, to see about bringing the event back next year.