The non-prep rant

Since I shuttered the Shortstop Grill a while back, Prep-dog has not had an opportunity to bark about pro or college sports. Now I will, thanks to the non-prep rant.

Today the dog is growling about TV talking heads, such as KTLA News' Elizabeth Espinoza. If you were up at 5:30 a.m., as Prep-dog was, and saw Espinoza on KTLA, it was an embarrassment.

Doing a report from Dodger Stadium heading into today's opener with the Giants, Espinoza wore a Dodger jersey and cap. At one point she made a reference to "refs" - unaware they are known as "umpires" in baseball. She also opined that she hoped the Dodgers would improve upon "our "82-80 score" of last year. This prompted one of the talking heads to say "82-80 score - what are you talking about?" At this point a producer must have whispered in Espinoza's ear: "82-80 was their record last season, ya chucklehead, not their score." Espinoza then corrected herself.

Another news reader called the San Francisco team "the hated Giants." Oh really, hated by whom?

Such boosterism is not peculiar to L.A. On Sunday during a segment on 60 Minutes about baseball stat geek Bill James, one of those elderly 60 Minutes reporters was wearing a Red Sox cap. Ugh.

I realize many talking heads are not journalists, Jim Hill being an exception. But is it too much to ask these dunderheads to not wear team gear while doing reports, to not use "we" as if they had a mouse in their pocket and to know something about what they're reporting to millions? When I hear talk of an "82-80 score" I think it's coming from courtside at a Laker game, not Dodger Stadium.

Jeez, get a grip.

- John Murphy
berdooman@aol.com