No football this week, All pressure building to next, Lots of anticipation growing to a week from Sunday!

A bit late to share now, yet I loved Bob Costas’ coverage of post season baseball. He blends storytelling and rhythmic play-by-play. Costas’ play-by-play, helped by his preparedness for interviews and sharing of pertinent commentary keeps viewers engaged. A marvelous raconteur, Bob captures the course within the gossip. There’s a lot of love in the game buried within the man. His expressiveness is rich and hardly matched. The richness within the game remains unlike many others.

I don’t know how much Howie Rose learned from his idols. A Mets fans, he admired the Oklahoman, Bob Murphy. I’m sure he loved Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner too. He’s now pretty much the team’s radio voice himself,

Rose grew up in Queens as a youngster and was an all-around sports fan, a bright guy and pretty well read. Still, I can tell you one thing for sure. He did women’s college basketball as well, covering the top Queens College team. On-air, jobs were tough to get. Rose also covered the New York City Police Football Team, against the one in Atlanta. The man who missed his calling was Barry Kipnis.

Mike Patrick also shared this with me, “Just saw that Todd Blackledge was hired by NBC to be the lead analyst for their new Big 10 football package. As one of his long time partners at ESPN, I considered him the best college analyst we ever had and as decent and kind as any friend  I ever had. NBC struck gold.”

Just saw that Todd Blackledge was  hired by NBC to be the lead analyst for their new Big 10 football package. As one of his long time partners at ESPN , I considered him the best college analyst we ever had
And as decent and kind as any friend  I ever had. NBC struck gold.”

Dick Ebersol is praised by all. He’s enjoying Hawaii now. Why not? He’s earned it. Al Michaels says that Ebersol holds his own with sports management’s greats. Dick and Bob Costas has a mutually beneficial relationship.  When I asked Tom Hammond about his own idols. He told that one is Ebersol and two Dick Enberg. Dick was never an announcer himself. But in recent years you might have seen quotes from Ebersol, which were hardly praiseworthy of Mike Tirico or Tony Romo.

We all do nutty things. Frank Thomas, the former outfielder, and Kevin Ray, TV announcer for the Suns voiced erectile-dysfunction issues. Imagine Mel Allen reading this stuff in the 1950s.

Difference between winning and losing: Conquerors years ago. Big East down to nothing now

11) Georgetown 1-11 (1984 title)

10) DePaul 3-9 (Final 4 – 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984)

9)  Butler 3-9 (Final 4 – 2010, 2020)

8)  St. John’s 4-8 (1985)

7)  Villanova 4-7  (1985, 2016, and 2018)

Jack Kaiser, (Mr. Kaiser as he was reverentially called at St. John’s ), the athletic director for generations was also the ultimate gentleman for years in Queens. If he would have had to live through yet another mediocre  year, he would have pulled his hair out.

Rich Chvotkin is in his 49th season at Georgetown. He started at the school in 1974. His habit of screaming endlessly in joy after wins is silly. It runs old. But the 10 game losing streak was a killer. He sat himself doen at the announce table after Richard Nixon was forced to resign. By training, he’s a psychologist. He’s funny

Joe Davis is refreshed but not that refreshed? He’s calm – but not too calm. Costas now tells more tales than Joe or father Jack Buck did. The new Fox voice spins a story here or there comfortably and creatively. It’s something baseball badly needs.

Another week before the Super Bowl!