Delayed Show Offers Old News

It has been said there is nothing more stale than day-old news. In these days of instant access, it can be said there is nothing more stale than hour-old news.

At 10:10 a.m. Thursday, KSPN (710) broke in on the “Dan Patrick Show” to carry the news conference announcing that Rick Neuheisel would be fired as Washington’s football coach. Listeners heard Athletic Director Barbara Hedges making the announcement.

At about the same time on KMPC (1540), James Brown, on his national Sporting News network show, was replaying a Neuheisel interview he had done the day before. He was also speculating on whether Neuheisel would be fired or not.

It seemed as though Brown was not aware of Hedges’ announcement.

But that was not the case. Brown’s show is carried on a three-hour delay, 10 a.m.-noon, in Los Angeles. He was caught in a three-hour time warp.

It’s just another example of delayed programming not working on talk radio.

A big advantage radio has over print media is that it is live. Airing a show delayed negates that advantage. A live local show in Brown’s spot would work better.

Powerful Interview

Oakland Raider center Barret Robbins has finally talked about what happened to him at the Super Bowl in San Diego. ESPN’s Andrea Kremer sat down with Robbins at his home in Pleasanton, Calif., on Wednesday afternoon and 20 minutes of the interview aired that night on “Outside the Lines.”

ESPN showed a portion of it on “SportsCenter” Thursday night and hopes, time permitting, to air it again on the 8 a.m. edition of “SportsCenter” Sunday.

Robbins disappeared just before the Super Bowl for nearly 24 hours, then was suspended from the team and hospitalized.

Kremer asked him all the right questions, showing why she is regarded as one of the best interviewers in sports television. And Robbins appeared sincere in answering the questions.

Robbins said he left the team hotel after the 11 p.m. curfew on the Friday before the game and wandered aimlessly. He said he has since been treated for alcoholism and a bipolar disorder, which he described as manic-depression.

He said the disorder had never been diagnosed before, although he had experienced a couple of episodes. But nothing like the one in San Diego. He said he is now sober and on medication and hopes to again play for the Raiders, although he knows he has to prove himself.

Kremer’s best question may have been asking Robbins to describe what it is like to have a bipolar episode.

“It’s like driving on the freeway,” Robbins said, “only the steering wheel doesn’t work, the gas pedal doesn’t work, the brakes don’t work and the gears don’t work. Yet you stay on course, but you have no control.”

Fondly Remembered

If a person is judged on how many friends he had, Dennis Minishian was truly a success. Minishian, who worked as a city attorney by day and a sports statistician by night, died after suffering a second heart attack June 4. He would have been 62 on June 26. He attended a sporting event almost every night, working with the announcers. He also was the student-manager on John Wooden’s first UCLA national championship team in 1963-64.

About 100 people attended Minishian’s graveside service at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Tuesday afternoon. In the crowd were Wooden, former Bruin Lynn Shackelford, Laker announcers Paul Sunderland and Stu Lantz and King announcers Bob Miller and Nick Nickson. Just about every sports team in L.A., plus UCLA and USC, was represented.

Miller, who delivered the eulogy, said behind-the-scenes people such as Minishian can make an announcer look good, and Minishian was the best at what he did.

Short Waves

Do you think ABC wishes the Lakers were in the NBA Finals? ABC is averaging a 6.3 rating for the Finals after getting a 6.6 for Game 4. Last year, Game 4 of the Laker-New Jersey Finals on NBC got a 10.8 and the four-game average was 10.2. The ratings this year are down 38%.... ABC’s Mike Tirico asked Commissioner David Stern about the rating on Wednesday night’s pregame show. Stern eyed Tirico’s microphone and said, “Are you at ABC asking me about ratings?” Tirico, to his credit, stood his ground. “I’m a journalist,” he said. “I have to ask you the truth.” Stern said the ratings are fine.... The halftime skit in which Jimmy Kimmel blocked the shot of a kid supposedly trying for $1 million was silly and didn’t work. The halftime entertainment has been a bust as well.

Kobe Bryant, among other things, will talk about the improved relationship with his parents at halftime of tonight’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals on ABC.... The Laker season will be recapped in a half-hour special, “A Break in the Reign,” Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net and 10:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net 2.... ESPN’s “SportsCenter” will have a segment from the Santa Monica Pier all next week. Suzy Kolber will anchor the segment that will focus on L.A. events and issues.

NBC got a 9.5 national rating for its 1 1/2 hours of Belmont coverage Saturday, and a 10.7 for 3-4 p.m. The 10.7 made the Belmont the No. 1-rated program on television last week.... The NASCAR Pocono 500 on Fox on Sunday had a 5.3 rating, the highest ever for that race.... Fox has the NFL Europe’s World Bowl on Saturday at 9 a.m., and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will do a live interview at halftime.

Because of the Mighty Ducks’ playoff run, Top Rank, the Arrowhead Pond and Channel 9 had to do some shuffling. A boxing card originally scheduled for May 31 had to be rescheduled. It will take place Saturday night and will be shown, delayed, at 10:30 on Channel 9. Guest analyst Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez joins Tom Kelly.... The Chargers have hired former UCLA player Ron Pitts and former UCLA commentator Billy Ray Smith to work their exhibition season telecasts. Dan Rowe, a former Minnesota Viking announcer, will be the team’s new radio play-by-play announcer, paired with Hank Bauer.

The Tennis Channel became available on Cox Cable in Orange County and Palos Verdes this week and soon will be available on Time Warner Cable in Orange County and L.A.... Former Channel 5 sportscaster Ed Arnold will be honored at a Humanitarians Against Hunger dinner next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Marconi Auto Museum in Tustin. Details: (714) 771-1343.

Radio Daze

Joe McDonnell proved to be a trouper this week. His mother, Josie, 81, died Monday night at Granada Hills Community Hospital of congestive heart failure and he still did the “McDonnell Douglas Show” on KSPN Tuesday and Wednesday.... There seems to be less nonsense and more straight sports with that show these days. McDonnell and Doug Krikorian had popular former King Luc Robitaille on Monday, analyzing that night’s Game 7, and they had Jerry Tarkanian on Wednesday talking about the NCAA and Neuheisel. Tarkanian knows a few things about the NCAA and its infractions committee.

KSPN’s Dave Stone, recovering from an aneurysm in his aorta, is expected back next week.... XTRA (690, 1150) is close to hiring Marcus Allen as a regular contributor during football season.... XTRA program director Don Martin likes former USC commentator Mike Lamb, a finalist among the Steve Hartman sidekick tryouts. Lamb has been tabbed to fill in for a vacationing Lee Hamilton the week of June 30.

In Closing

Does ESPN have to assign Chris Berman to every event that ESPN and ABC televise? Berman, working the U.S. Open Thursday and today for ESPN, is as out of place on golf as he was on hockey.

Since NBC has all of the weekend coverage, Berman will be done with the Open after today.