Reality check: 'Dream Job' has promise Reality check: 'Dream Job' has promise

[bubba9497]

Reality check: 'Dream Job' has promise Reality check: 'Dream Job' has promise

February 20, 2004

BY JOHN JACKSON SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Advertisement

http://www.suntimes.com/output/jackson/cst-spt-jax20.html

With few exceptions, reality TV hasn't been a positive addition to American pop culture. It mostly aims for the lowest common denominator of good taste and shows that some people will do just about anything to get on TV.

But ESPN's "Dream Job,'' an ''American Idol'' for aspiring sportscasters, is one reality show that might be worth watching.

The concept is simple: ESPN held tryouts last year in 29 cities to select 12 finalists from among 10,000 hopefuls. Beginning with the premiere episode at 9 p.m. Sunday, the contestants will be asked to perform common sportscasting tasks on live TV before a studio audience in New York. A panel of judges will eliminate at least one each week until a winner is determined.

The hourlong show will air for six consecutive Sundays before a two-hour finale at 8 p.m. on March 28. The winner will receive a one-year ''SportsCenter'' contract, which must just thrill the talking heads wallowing on ESPNews.

''We haven't figured out what the assignment will be,'' said Al Jaffe, ESPN's vice president of talent negotiation and production recruitment. ''We'll wait and see who wins and what their strengths are. If that person is best at anchoring, you'll see them anchoring on 'SportsCenter.' If they're best at interviewing, you'll probably see them interviewing on 'SportsCenter.'''

As you might suspect, the field of finalists includes folks from a variety of backgrounds. The youngest is 21, the oldest 40. There are two lawyers, two actors, a marketing executive, a computer programmer, a retail manager and an automotive supplies salesman.

There also are three full-time college students, including two from this area. Maggie Haskins of Chicago, one of two women, is a senior at Brown, and Mike Hall of Glen Ellyn is a senior at Missouri.

''I wanted to go into sports journalism, so this seemed a natural for me,'' Haskins said. ''I'm nervous. I don't know what to anticipate, but it's also going to be really exciting.''

Because professional TV experience was a no-no, Hall might be the most experienced, even though he's just 21. He's a broadcast journalism major at Missouri and a student reporter for the local NBC affiliate.

''My expectations are nothing and everything,'' he said. ''I've got nothing to lose. ... If I get kicked off, I'll just go back to school.''

Stuart Scott will host ''Dream Job,'' and the panel of judges has Jaffe; Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN's ''Pardon the Interruption''; Kit Hoover, co-host of ESPN2's ''Cold Pizza''; and Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington.

GROWING PAINS: NASCAR remains the fastest-growing major sports property on TV. Sunday's Daytona 500 on NBC earned a 10.6 rating and a 24 share, making it the second-highest-rated Daytona 500 in the 26 years the race has been shown live from start to finish.

But despite the ratings success the sport has experienced since its historic $2.8 billion deal with Fox and NBC/TNT began in 2001, NASCAR still has not reached the big time as far as advertisers are concerned.

''This was a sport that went from [mainly] cable to 70 percent broadcast network homes,'' NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol told USA Today. ''Getting Madison Avenue educated to accept the price for network homes took longer than expected.

''But now the advertisers are paying for this rating. We're working in the direction of profit. Our sales were wildly successful for Daytona.''

Fox and NBC/TNT are losing money on the deal to this point, but Fox Sports chairman David Hill is hopeful things will turn around. ''You can only look at a contract over the duration,'' Hill said. ''We're cautiously optimistic we'll be doing fine by the end of this contract.''

MOVING ON: A little more than a week after leaving ESPN, Max Kellerman has signed on with Fox Sports Net to host an unnamed 30-minute talk and interview show described as a cross between ''The O'Reilly Factor'' and ''The Daily Show.''

''I've been very fortunate to have had tremendous opportunities in the past,'' said Kellerman, who says he left ESPN and ''Around the Horn'' mainly because the new job allows him to live in New York and be more than a traffic cop.

FINE TUNING: ESPN and CBS have decided not to drop upcoming college basketball games involving suspension-riddled St. John's. ESPN will air the St. John's-Connecticut game Monday, and CBS will stay with the March 6 St. John's-Notre Dame game. ... A condensed, taped version of the Fox Sports Net Sports Awards will air at 9 p.m. Sunday. The event was held Feb. 9 at the Palmer House Hilton, and Esteban Loiaza of the White Sox, Joe Borowski of the Cubs, Marty Booker of the Bears, Jamal Crawford of the Bulls, Jesse Marsch of the Fire and former Cub Ryne Sandberg were among those honored. ... FSN will go live to Harry Caray's Restaurant at halftime of the Bulls-Wizards game Thursday for festivities surrounding the destruction of the infamous Bartman ball. The game is likely to be in the third quarter when the ball is actually destroyed, but FSN will have complete coverage during the postgame show. ... ESPN2 will televise Alex Rodriguez's first game with his new team when the New York Yankees play the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on March 30 in Japan. The game will be shown live at 4 a.m.

[Leonard Washington]

i can't wait to hear lavar say X sucks.

[BD]

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=50534

No way I would've made it past that panel. I can't stand that Kit woman, though I really like Kornheiser.

BD