On the Air
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
September 21, 2007

Jaworski, Kolber Feel Right At Home

Philadelphia's Ron Jaworski and Suzy Kolber of the ESPN “Monday Night Football” team were thrilled to return home for the Redskins-Eagles game.

“As soon as I looked at the schedule and saw Lincoln Financial Field for Week 2, I was excited,” Jaworski said before Monday's “Chalk Talk” luncheon hosted by ESPN at Bookbinder's restaurant (That excitement probably ended when Charles Barkley highjacked the booth for 20 minutes, and the Eagles could only muster one touchdown).

Dresher's Kolber, who moved to the Monday night show last year after sideline reporting for “Sunday Night Football” for the network, said: “It is always great to be back in Philadelphia. I've known Ron since I was 8 years old, and to now be working with him on "Monday Night Football' is amazing.

"Monday Night Football' was always my favorite television show as a kid. I would set up my IHOP plastic football helmets and quiz my mother about the players. I still have the helmets.”

Kolber, who added NASCAR duties to her resume this season, will be back in the area to host “NASCAR Countdown” from Dover International Speedway at 1 p.m. Sunday on ABC.

Then she'll join Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico (and hopefully not Barkley again) for the Titans-Saints game Monday night in New Orleans.

National news

Tirico begins his second day as host of “The Mike Tirico Show” on ESPN Radio 1-3 p.m. He fills the hole in the schedule from the departure of Dan Patrick.

Stephen A. Smith and Mike Missanelli's ESPN New York City show is now nationally syndicated on ESPN Radio weekdays from 3-4 p.m.

Smith and Missanelli co-host the 2- 4 p.m. shift on ESPN 1050-AM in New York.

Emmy winners

Lance Crawford and Marc Zumoff of Comcast SportsNet and Jade McCarthy of NBC10 won individual awards at the Mid-Atlantic Emmys Saturday.

Crawford deservedly won for Reporter-Sports and consistent Zumoff won for Sports Analyst/Play by Play. McCarthy won for Sports-News Single Story or Series with two of her entries, “Touring Philadelphia with the Stanley Cup” and “Breeding Greatness.”

Some of the other Philadelphia sportscasters who were nominated but did not win were Neil Hartman, John Boruk and Derrick Gunn of Comcast SportsNet, Beasley Reece and Steve Bucci (formerly of CBS3), and Bill Vargus of Fox29.

Maybe next year in the national category, New England's head coach Bill Belichick will be nominated for his show “Cheaters” or “America's Funniest Home Videos.”

Good move

It's nice to have another local sports talk show during mid-days. Sports Talk 950-AM replaced the syndicated “Jim Rome Show” with Harry Mayes and Jamie Yannacone from noon-3 p.m.

E-MAIL: laura.nachman@verizon.net