Stan Isaacs didn’t take himself too seriously, which is an excellent trait for a sportswriter, and one reason he has been celebrated in a series of tributes since dying Tuesday at 83.

The guy was an original, including in the field of sports media criticism, although when he became the first person to do it full time in the New York area in 1978 the simple column title “TV Sports’’ sufficed.

Isaacs... » more

MSG is premiering a series Monday called “The Lineup: Best Sports Movies,’’ taking it one sport at a time in eight nights, thus highlighting an age-old verity: There are baseball and boxing movies, and there is everything else.

For example, Monday’s five baseball finalists, all from the fertile period 1984-92, include “Field of Dreams,’’ “The Natural,’’ “Bull Durham,’’ “Major League’’ and... » more

For most Americans old enough to remember it -- or who saw the recent ESPN documentary --  the story of the 1983 NCAA Tournament forever will be the upset of Houston by Seaford High’s own Jim Valvano and North Carolina State in Albuquerque.

But CBS’ Jim Nantz experienced that event from the opposite perspective, as a recent Houston alum who watched in horror as the final play unfolded.

“I... » more

Jon Rothstein said he feels “like a CPA on April 13 or 14,’’ which is natural for a college hoops expert this time of year.

But the current NCAAs have been particularly taxing because CBS has aggressively scheduled media appearances that have showcased his formidable trove of knowledge.

“For most people this is a three- or four-week process,’’ he said. “For me, it’s 365 days a year.’’

Rothstein,... » more

Bobby Valentine is close to finalizing a deal with SNY to work 10-15 games as a Mets studio analyst this season, probably including the April 1 opener, said a person familiar with the talks.

Valentine was named athletic director at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., last month but evidently would like to keep his hand in sports broadcasting.

NBC Sports Radio announced Tuesday... » more

Stony Brook football and basketball play-by-play man Mike Solano's appearance on "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," which was taped in October, concluded Friday with the airing of a show in which he declined to take a stab at a $100,000 question and instead went home with $58,600.   Not bad!   Solano, 30, answered nine questions correctly on the Thursday episode, then qualified... » more

Assuming the Knicks resist the temptation to suit him up, Patrick Ewing is set to join MSG’s postgame coverage of Wednesday’s game against the Magic and again March 31 against the Celtics.

Ewing, 50, has been an assistant coach with the Wizards, Rockets and Magic and has said he someday would like a shot with the Knicks. For now, though, dabbling in media work must suffice.

“The Garden... » more

Regis Philbin turns 82 a week after the launch of Fox Sports 1 Aug. 17, so when he initially heard the network was interested in him doing a show once a month, the schedule sounded about right.

“But after that, it came out to this,’’ he said, referring to “Rush Hour,’’ a live talk show scheduled to appear – daily!

Is he concerned about the grind? “I will let you know about that,’’ he... » more

Jack Curran already was a New York coaching fixture by the time I covered his Archbishop Molloy teams during the Kenny Anderson era in the late 1980s, but he went on for another quarter century before dying Thursday at 82.

Along the way he touched multiple generations at the Queens school, some of whom went on to success as pros in basketball or baseball, many more of whom did so in other... » more

The reality of being a Nets play-by-play man hit home for Ian Eagle several years into his term when he would run into people who would praise him for his work on WFAN and ask him what he was doing these days.

“Oh, I’m a pediatrician,’’ he jokingly recalled saying. “I’ve changed careers entirely. So I realized the Nets games were not resonating. That’s not the case anymore. People know we’re... » more