On the Air by Laura Nachman   Since the Super Bowl will be on ABC, Sunday's NFC Championship game between the Eagles and Tampa Bay will be the final game of the year for the Fox "A-Team" of Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman. With increased ratings and generally good reviews, Aikman said he was pleased with their performance this year. Collinsworth, who moved from the Fox pre-game show to the booth this year, was a little more dramatic, stating "I was putting my career on the line following the best team in the history of the game (Pat Summerall and John Madden)." But Collinsworth added that he felt the three-man booth was the way to go. "I am not the all-knowing authority. It was good to have someone else to bounce ideas off." Just like when they were players, "we want our best game to be our last game," said Aikman, who said that it was difficult for viewers to distinguish between him and fellow analyst Daryl Johnston, when they worked with Dick Stockton last year. "Since we both played at the same time for the same team, the audience only heard one voice. Cris and I played at different times and had different experiences." Collinsworth acknowledged that the reason that they didn't do the Eagles-Falcons game last week, was because the network wanted them on the Sunday game, which is higher rated. Coverage begins tonight WTXF, which is airing the game, begins its coverage tonight with a "Kickoff Countdown Special" at 10:30 p.m. and an "Eagles Game Day Live Championship Special" tomorrow at 7 p.m. For game day, "Eagles Game Day Live" airs at noon. By the way, former "Game Day Live" contributor Sarah Caldwell, who also did some weather and traffic for WTXF, is now the weekend sports anchor for WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Caldwell, 29, was hired by former KYW-TV executive producer Margaret Cronan, now news director for WBAL. Caldwell's "female" role on the show has been filled by news anchor Dawn Stensland, who matches Don Tollefson in the enthusiasm department, which according to one's taste is great or terrible. A little of both Fox is combining sports and entertainment (didn't Howard Cosell try this once?), as it will air a two-hour primetime special tomorrow night at 9 p.m. from the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Besides the regular pre-game show lineup of Terry Bradshaw, James Brown, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Jillian Barberie and Jimmy Kimmel. Ja Rule, Ashanti and Cedric the Entertainer will perform. This will be Kimmel's last game for Fox, as he moves to ABC to host a late night talk show. Mohr dropping sports Jay Mohr, whose attempt at combining sports and entertainment flopped this spring on ESPN's "Mohr Sports," is dropping the sports and will host a talent show for comedians called "The Last Comic Standing" for NBC in the spring. Tampa Bay ties KYW weekday sports anchor Beasley Reece has Tampa Bay ties as he finished his NFL career with the Buccaneers in 1984, then began his television career there at WTOG from 1985-1988 then again in 1997 before coming to Philadelphia. But Reece has no trouble picking sides. "My life isn't defined by something I did almost two decades ago," he said. "Most people see life through a very narrow lens. Through that lens, I'm supposed to be an ex-ballplayer hanging on to old battle lines. I'm a newsman in Philadelphia who wants to see the Eagles beat Tampa Bay and win the Super Bowl." All-righty then! Laura Nachman covers television and radio sports for the Courier Times. She can be reached at bradyresident@aol.com. January 17, 2003 7:31 AM