Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 7, 1990 TAG: 9004070297
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The network is televising the Masters this weekend for the 35th time. CBS is coming off a ninth straight success with the NCAA Tournament, with another seven-year run ahead. And the network is about to embark on a four-year baseball odyssey.
Instead, the network finds itself in precisely the situation it sought to alleviate.
It is overshadowed by the presence of Brent Musburger.
Jim Nantz, who obviously is one of Musburger's heirs apparent, was walking the Augusta National golf course Wednesday, talking to golfers to prepare for his role as Masters host.
"Everyone's asking about Brent," Nantz said. "Not just you guys [the media], everyone. I met Arnold Palmer for the first time today. One of the first things he said to me was, `What happened with Brent?' "
When Nantz replaced Musburger as telecast host of the Masters in Butler Cabin last year, it may have been the beginning of the end for the highest-paid sportscaster. That was Musburger's first loss of a CBS assignment he wanted, and was followed by the U.S. Open tennis host role and then college football play-by-play.
Musburger was finishing a five-year, $9.5 million contract, and Monday, the day after everyone learned Musburger's axing was no April Fool's joke, CBS News announced it was cutting 50 positions. To give Musburger a raise to more than Dan Rather's $2.3 million annually, while cutting other positions, could have been a corporate disaster.
However, as Musburger said Thursday night on ABC's "PrimeTime Live" - the first stop on his tour of talk shows to present his side of the stunning saga, zinging CBS Sports President Neal Pilson and executive producer Ted Shaker - money wasn't an issue.
Listen to an industry source familiar with the principals and negotiations.
"Six to eight weeks ago, someone at CBS told me Brent's negotiations were very difficult," the source said. "It was strictly an issue of control. When you make demands on who has the power . . . This was all about who's in charge. Pilson and Shaker said, `We're the bosses. We want control.' "
When the end of Musburger's 22 years at CBS came Sunday, his roles were: "NFL Today" studio anchor, NBA Finals host and NBA playoffs play-by-play, principal baseball play-by-play, announced anchor for the 1992 and '94 Winter Olympics and college basketball play-by-play, including the NCAA Final Four.
"After losing the Masters and the other things, Brent wanted it in his contract that if he were to be removed from anything else, he could take a hike," the source said.
Criticism of Musburger was mushrooming, among viewers as well as print media. With many, it wasn't so much his work - generally superb, it says here - but his omnipresence. Musburger's signature was on virtually all of CBS Sports' work, and those events, with the addition of the World Series, two Winter Olympics and an NCAA Tournament renewal, were growing in number and stature.
So, Musburger's persona was heading toward "Howiewood." He is more tolerable than the curmudgeonly Howard Cosell, and he certainly is less self-serving. But Musburger's ego got into a battle with the egos of Shaker and Pilson, and that was a fight even a figure the stature of Musburger couldn't win.
No one can deny Musburger worked hard.
"He is, simply, the best. Period. End of story," said ESPN's Chris Berman, speaking of Musburger's studio work. As a play-by-play man, Musburger - once he toned down his hyping about five years ago - was most often understated, deferring to his analyst to piece together his bits of game-calling.
Rarely - since Cosell's exit from ABC telecasts - does a viewer watch or not watch a sports telecast because of who's doing the game. Besides, Musburger didn't fit that situation because he called only about 25 games per year.
But Musburger's problem with his audience has been a lack of warmth. Bob Costas has it. Berman has it. Bryant Gumbel, formerly at NBC Sports and now on "Today," doesn't. And Al Michaels doesn't, but that doesn't mean he isn't excellent on the air.
Nantz, 30, would seem to be the front-runner to take over much of Musburger's former work load. Although Nantz is smooth and polished and has TV presence, "The NFL Today" is no easy gig. The halftime cut-in from as many as six different games presents an anchor with a heavy burden.
"CBS has to be very careful with Nantz," the source said. "He's very talented, but he's still learning. If you put him in `The NFL Today' and he flops, his career is history. And that would be a shame. . . . Maybe Greg Gumbel, simply from experience, is more prepared to do that show. That's going to be a tough call for Shaker and Pilson."
When CBS Sports announced Musburger's firing, the network said it wanted to make room for some of its younger on-air talents at the network, such as Nantz, Greg Gumbel and James Brown. Sure. Then, Shaker turns around and inquires about the availability of Michaels, who is unhappy at ABC, for CBS baseball work.
CBS couldn't get Michaels immediately, so Jack Buck will move up from a backup role to work with Tim McCarver. That sounds like a very good baseball team to me, but CBS has made only a one-year commitment to that pairing. No one will be surprised if Michaels - who would like to get out of an ABC contract that runs through 1993 and whose brother David works in production at CBS Sports - calls that network's 1991 baseball opener.
With the NBA moving to NBC next season, Dick Stockton should succeed Musburger beside Billy Packer on college basketball. Stockton knows college hoops better than he knows the pro game.
As for Musburger, he certainly won't lack for offers. Ted Turner is interested in Musburger, who would give TBS instant credibility in sports. TNT has a half-season of Sunday night NFL now and the NBA, and will get some of the Winter Olympics from CBS. WTBS has the Goodwill Games, Southeastern Conference football and Braves baseball.
When Musburger re-upped with CBS last time, he was wooed by ABC - where he could replace Michaels on "Monday Night Football" - and also seriously considered moving back to Chicago to work Cubs baseball and Bears football on WGN radio and TV. Musburger says he doesn't have to make $2 million to be happy. At ABC, TBS or WGN, he won't.
"A lot of people said they were surprised this story was on the front page of so many newspapers, that the news about Brent was played up so big," Nantz said. "I wasn't. It's been a shocking story, a story of monumental proportions."
As Brent Musburger might say, you are looking live at TV's hottest soap opera.
by CNB