Carroll Draws Gumbel Back to the USC Beat

Sometimes, life does go in circles.

In 1974 and ‘75, Bryant Gumbel, then a sports anchor and reporter for Channel 4, was the host of the weekly, half-hour “John McKay Show.”

It was a good break for a young sportscaster. Ross Porter, Channel 4’s main sports anchor at the time, had to give up the McKay show because he was announcing NFL games for NBC.

It wasn’t a difficult show to do. McKay would show up at the Channel 4 studios on Sundays to talk about the previous day’s game.

“There wasn’t a lot of production value,” Gumbel recalled. “It was basically John and me and a camera.”

Gumbel was back interviewing another USC football coach last week. He spent four days in Los Angeles working on a feature on Pete Carroll that will air on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Although Gumbel is the host of the show, he doesn’t do many of the interviews. He asked to do this one.

“It was something I pushed for,” he said. “It just clicked my trigger. We haven’t done many college football stories, and I thought this one was something worth doing.”

“Real Sports” is known for its investigative reporting. Often, a “Real Sports” crew sends people running.

Not in this case. The piece on Carroll is a flattering one. How could it not be?

And Carroll was flattered that Gumbel chose to do it.

“I felt really fortunate that we got to spend time together,” Carroll told The Times’ Gary Klein. “He is one of the icons in the business. I had never been around him and didn’t know what to expect. But I found him to be really engaging and energized and insightful.

“It was really fun to do.”

Good News

Some professional sports teams have been exploring the possibility of establishing their own regional sports networks.

The Memphis Grizzlies were thinking of it right up until they signed a six-year agreement with FSN Southwest the night of their season opener.

The New York Mets, in a legal battle with MSG Network, want to start a network with Time Warner and Comcast cable in New York.

The Lakers at one point were toying with the idea of their own network, according to Frank Mariani, the team’s executive vice president who handles broadcasting deals.

But the Lakers are locked up with Channel 9 and FSN West. They made a long-term deal with FSN West in May, and Wednesday they announced a new agreement with Channel 9 that runs through the 2011-2012 season.

And that’s good news for a lot of Laker fans.

If the Lakers had started their own network, distribution might have been limited, particularly if it was carried only on cable.

Channel 9 reaches all of L.A.’s 5.4 million television households.

FSN West reaches 4.4 million cable and satellite homes in the L.A. market. Cable reaches 3.6 million L.A. households.

A Race to the Finish

This is NASCAR’s big weekend. Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will determine the Nextel Cup champion. Under NASCAR’s new format, five drivers are still in contention.

“This is basically a Super Bowl with five teams on the same field at the same time,” said Bill Weber, NBC host and pit reporter. “The difference between winning the championship and not winning could be one guy dropping a lug nut during a pit stop.”

Analyst Wally Dallenbach said, “You’re not going to know who’s the champion until the checkered flag is dropped.”

NASCAR went to a new format this year, the top 10 drivers after the first 26 races competing for the championship over the final 10 races. It’s called the Chase for the Championship.

Dick Glover, NASCAR vice president for broadcasting, said the new format has been a roaring success.

“There were two objectives,” he said. “One was to determine the champion the best way possible on the track. The other was to create interest in the sport during a crowded sports calendar. We have accomplished those objectives.”

One indication of increased interest is that national television ratings for the last nine races were up 10% from last year.

Short Waves

ESPN and the LPGA have agreed on a contract extension beginning next year and running through 2009. ESPN2 will carry up to 10 tournaments a year. Most LPGA coverage is on ESPN.... TNT will televise the Grand Slam of Golf Tuesday and Wednesday. Competing will be Grand Slam winners Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson and Todd Hamilton.

NBC offers taped coverage of the Ironman Triathlon on Saturday at 1 p.m. The field for the event held Oct. 16 in Hawaii included 1,728 athletes from 45 countries and all 50 states.... Fred Hickman, formerly with CNN and most recently with New York’s YES Network, has been hired by ESPN as an anchor for “SportsCenter.”

FSN West is touting a feature on USC fullback Lee Webb to be shown Thanksgiving night on “Southern California Sports Report.” Webb is a foster child who overcame hardships to star at Crenshaw High and earn a scholarship to USC.... ABC profiles Kansas City Chief Coach Dick Vermeil at halftime Monday night. He sheds a few tears, but at least he doesn’t shed a towel.