ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602120061
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: ON THE AIR
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
Twenty years ago, when Eli Gold was broadcasting about a vehicle running around an oval, he was always talking about a Zamboni.
``I couldn't have imagined doing auto racing, much less doing it as long as I have,'' said Gold, who begins his new duties as The Nashville Network's NASCAR anchor this year. ``It's kind of strange, and there's a story I always tell about that.
``When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, I was a big New York Yankees fan. Here was a team with Northern traditions, even its nickname says that, and fans were hanging on every word of Mel Allen, who's from Bessemer, Ala., and Red Barber, who was from Tallahassee, Fla. Two guys who couldn't be more southern doing radio for a team as northern as any. Now, I'm a Brooklyn guy doing a sport rooted in the South. Who knew?''
As the NASCAR year begins with Sunday's Busch Clash for Winston Cup cars (noon, WDBJ), Gold starts his TNN work tonight at 6 p.m., hosting the one-hour ``RaceTalk,'' a weekly call-in show that moves to TNN from the Prime Network (with local affiliate Home Team Sports). Jeff Gordon is Gold's first guest on a show that will run through the Winston Cup season, ending in November.
``It's not a new show, it's just moved,'' said Gold of the show that's privately produced. ``Going to TNN gives us a bigger sphere for an audience. We're going from Prime's affiliates, with about 40 million viewers on a Thursday night - and some stations tape-delayed it - to 63 million and a Saturday 6 p.m. firm time slot on TNN.''
Gold will be the anchor on TNN's NASCAR telecasts, which include 10 Winston Cup races, eight Craftsman Truck events and 11 Busch Grand National stops. When he isn't doing TV work for TNN, he'll do NASCAR shows for the Motor Racing Network in a reduced role.
He's no longer in the MRN anchor booth with Barney Hall. Allen Bestwick is the replacement there. Gold's first MRN work will come in the pits at Daytona next week. He also remains the voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide for football and basketball. ``When I talked with TNN, Alabama games were non-negotiable,'' he said. ``That's religion down here.''
He also knows he probably wouldn't have moved from Brooklyn to Birmingham and become a three-time Alabama Sportscaster of the Year had he not moved to Roanoke to call two seasons of hockey two decades ago.
``When I auditioned with NASCAR, I didn't even have a racing tape,'' Gold said. ``I sent them a hockey tape, from the Roanoke Valley Rebels, I think.''
LIKE MAGIC: Magic Johnson has the weekend off for the NBA All-Star Game, but the impact of his recent return to the league has brought smiles for more than the recycled passing wizardry seen in those highlight clips.
With the NBA breaking for its All-Star Game on Sunday on NBC at the Alamodome (6 p.m., WSLS), Johnson's two appearances with the Lakers on cable's TNT last week brought even better ratings than expected. Both were records.
Magic's first game back, against Golden State on Jan.30, brought a 4.4 rating, a record for a late-night cable NBA telecast. That compares to TNT's pre-Magic season average, a 1.9. Last Friday night, the numbers for the Lakers-Chicago game went through the roof of the Forum.
The Bulls' victory did a 7.1 rating, or nearly 4.75 million homes. That's a TNT record for an NBA game, topping Michael Jordan's 55-point return to Madison Square Garden last March 28. Turner Sports reports that NBA telecast ratings on TNT were up 36 percent before Magic's return. Now, they're up 57 percent. Johnson hasn't appeared on TBS' NBA package, but those ratings are up 40 percent. NBC's pro hoops ratings are up 25 percent.
Turner Sports spokesman Greg Hughes said neither network has any plans to add Lakers' telecasts, as TNT did last week. The club is scheduled for three more TNT dates, but none on TBS. NBC's weekend schedule has three regular-season Lakers' dates remaining.
TNT continues its All-Star weekend live coverage tonight at 7 with at least a three-hour show including the Rookies' All-Star Game, and Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shooting competitions.
AROUND THE DIAL: Fox's NHL coverage sends the New York Rangers-New Jersey game into the region today (3 p.m., WJPR/WFXR). The weekly coverage then breaks until March 31, when the enhanced puck ``FoxTrax'' system is due to return. ... On Super Bowl Sunday, former Washington Redskins' coach Joe Gibbs was warmed by more than his Pro Football Hall of Fame election the previous day. Gibbs had fought laryngitis all week and his weak voice was obvious on NBC's pregame show. He had more than Mike Ditka sitting next to him. Gibbs also was armed with a Thermos pot, hot tea, lemons and honey under the anchor desk. His voice made it through the day, too. ... At the Sporting Goods Association ``Supershow'' in Atlanta this week, NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol announced the network would be adding four hours to its Atlanta Olympic Games plans, bringing the total to 172 from July 19-Aug.4. He also said that when NBC begins its run of five straight Olympics at Sydney, Australia in 2000, that the network would have two cable partners and viewers will have 500-plus Olympic hours available. ... In response to a reader's call this week: Super Bowl XXX was viewed by an estimated 138.5 million U.S. TV viewers on NBC. The O.J. Simpson verdict, with several networks airing live from Los Angeles, had an estimated 75-80 million viewers.
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Gold.by CNB