Columnist Tim Graham: Las Vegas television leaves plenty to be desired

TIM GRAHAM is a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter. His media column appears Wednesdays. He can be reached on the Internet at [email protected]

Las Vegas is a great sports town. Despite the fact our city doesn't offer the four major sports, it still thrives.

It's in the only state with legalized sports betting; it's the boxing capital of the world; it's a collegiate focal point; it's now an auto racing stronghold; it's home to several of the sporting world's elite.

All that glitter considered, fans should feel cheated when it comes to the Las Vegas media, especially television.

The dog days are a perfect time to analyze each station's capabilities. When quality stories are hard to find, one easily can assess talent and creativity.

KTNV Channel 13 is the best of the three. It offers a good mix of local and national coverage with timely -- and often biting -- commentary. It's content is weighted with auto racing, a subject the other stations ignore.

Sports director Ron Futrell sometimes comes off as too laid back, but that also is his charm. Viewers get the impression Futrell enjoys what he does. In fact, it doesn't even look like work.

Backup Mario Diaz still indicates a need for more air time, but he is evolving. The best-dressed newsman in town eventually could find work at the national level, possibly as a correspondent, due to his on-the-spot skills.

While KLAS Channel 8 possesses the best sports anchor tandem in Dave McCann and Chris Maathuis, its coverage is seriously hindered by its all-out promotion of UNLV. Its biased Rebel stories resemble infomercials.

McCann is the most talented of the local anchors with his silken delivery and spry wit. The Blue & White Network saw these characteristics when it hired him to be the play-by-play voice of Brigham Young this season. Unfortunately, McCann's Cougar background often bleeds through into his sportscasts, with an inordinate number of BYU angles.

Maathuis, hired after the departure of former sports director Scott Higgins, has turned into quite a find. Maathuis is far better than the average second-stringer and does an effective job hosting "Sports Zone" on Sunday nights.

KVBC Channel 3 can't boast competent sportscasts or anchors. Andrew Smith and sidekick Brian Lippai put together segments that come off as a flimsy "SportsCenter Jr.," with national news taking precedence over local news (unless, of course, it's about Andre Agassi, who happens to be friends with station owner Jim Rogers' son, Perry).

Smith's game show host delivery is hard to handle. It's laden with hyperbole and cliches, making his sportscasts seem like auditions for "Tic, Tac, Dough."

Smith is the clever one who during a baseball highlight of a Cal Ripken at-bat chimed, "Bloop me, bloop me, Betty Boop me." Pass the remote.

As a whole, Las Vegas sportscasts are lacking. They seldom offer as much local news and knowledgeable commentary as they should. Across the board, they need help -- some more than others.

Hit the bricks

Overnight sports radio voice J.T. the Brick moved his show from Sports Fan Radio Network's Las Vegas studios to San Francisco this week. The "Brick House" still can be heard on SFRN's flagship station, KSFN 1140-AM, from 10 p.m.-3 a.m.

The Brick took his show to the Bay Area to capitalize on an opportunity with the Oakland Raiders. He will host the Raiders' pregame and postgame radio shows.

* STATIC: ESPN2 offers extensive coverage of the Little League World Series, starting Tuesday and running through Aug. 28. ABC carries the championship game live Aug. 29 at 12:30 p.m. ... According to ESPN, Nielsen Media Research has reported the all-sports network is the No. 1 out-of-home cable station. Forty-seven percent of all males and 34 percent of all viewers over 12 who watch TV away from home -- bars, hotels, colleges, work -- tune in to ESPN. ... HBO's impeccable "Inside the NFL" returns for its 22nd season Sept. 3 at 11 p.m. ... HBO debuts its in-depth documentary, "Babe Ruth," Sunday at 8 p.m. ... The Nashville Network televises NASCAR's Pepsi 400 live Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. The Daytona International Speedway race originally was scheduled to air July 4 on CBS, but was postponed due to fires that ravaged the area. ... CBS renewed its agreement to air the legendary Army-Navy football rivalry through 2008.

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