SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. Nov. 11, 1994 -- The Chronicle sports sections may be no more than a collection of dated wire copy, but members of the Sporting Green staff are still offering their unique perspectives to Bay Area sports fans.
With the newspaper strike, local television stations have picked up the option on the Chronicle's free agents, and are letting the writers get to the other side of the camera.
KGO, KRON and KTVU are all using sportswriters to augment to their coverage.
Channel 7 made the biggest commitment, adding both 49ers beat writer Ira Miller and columnist Glenn Dickey to their coverage. Miller was seen on the regular Monday night 49er wrapup show, with tight end Brent Jones, and Dickey is offering columns three times a week on the 10 p.m. sportscast.
Also appearing last week were columnists Joan Ryan, who was on Channel 4's ""Daybreak'' morning show , and C.W. Nevius, who was part of a group of reporters on KTVU's,. ""Mornings on 2.''
Naturally, the first thing everyone wants to know is: how are the ink-stained types doing? We turned the tables, and let KRON's Gary Radnich, who gets plenty of attention from the critics, a chance to evaluate the novices.
""I think Dan (Lovett) and Martin (Wyatt) gave Ira too big a buildup,'' Radnich said. ""They kept saying "The King is here, the King of the 49er report card.' Ira had no place to go.''
Meanwhile, Lovett had nothing but praise. He noted that during the video highlights, Miller ""made a couple of interesting observations we might not have seen.''
Radnich thought Dickey was fine, although he had a suggestion, since the commentaries are taped.
""If you're gonna tape 'em, bring a change of clothes,'' Radnich says. ""That what I noticed, same suit both times. I think all of you guys are better playing off somebody than just you on a camera. But I won't truely appreciate Glenn until he calls for the firing of both Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker.''
As for Ryan, she may have the toughest assignment of all. Because ""Daybreak'' is on so early, she has to leave the house at 5:30 a.m.
""Joan's appearance,'' Radnich says, ""is just an excuse for (producer) Dennis O'Donnell to get out of producing my show for his own thing. And that's the truth.''