James should be back on Jazz telecasts

If you've noticed that David James hasn't been doing the Jazz studio shows on weekend nights of late and you're worried about it, don't be. It's not that big a deal.

There's not some big dispute between KUTV-Ch. 2 and the Jazz. It's not because all the Jazz games are now on FSN. There's not some big problem at Ch. 2.

Well, no more so than there is at any other TV station in the current economy.

There's a big, long, complicated explanation, but what it boils down to is logistics. Remember, last season KUTV had three sports anchors; with the departure of Dan Sheldon, the station has just two — James and Dave Fox. And Ch. 2 and Ch. 14 are in the midst of re-negotiating their relationship.

KUTV vice president and general manager Steve Carlston said that James being absent from some Jazz telecasts is not a permanent situation. "We're working through that," he said. "David will be back on Jazz games on weekends."

Not this month, however. Even if all the logistics are worked out next week, James will be on BYU-Utah duty on Nov. 28. Which is exactly what happened last year, too.

ROME IS BURNING: James and his radio partner, Pat Kinahan, will be hosting the nationally syndicated "Jim Rome Show" on Monday.

Yes, it's true that James and Rome have known each other since college, when James hired Rome to work with him at the UCSB radio station.

"We didn't room together, though. Don't want to embellish the resume," James said. "Everybody thinks we roomed together."

They've remained friends, "but I've never wanted to lean on that," James said.

KFNZ AM-1320 program director Scott Garrard pitched the idea of "DJ and PK" filling in as guest hosts to the Jim Rome staff, and the rest will soon be history.

"It's the classic — it's not what you know, it's who you know," James said.

James and Kinahan will do their regular 6-10 a.m. local show on Monday, then fill in for Rome from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

GOOD SOCCER NEWS: There are three really good reasons to be glad that Sunday's MLS Cup matchup between Real Salt Lake and the L.A. Galaxy is on ESPN and not Fox Soccer Channel.

First, it will be in a lot more homes. Second, ESPN telecasts in HD; FSC does not.

And, third, we won't have to listen to FSC's laughably bad play-by-play announcer, Max Bretos. He's never good, but he was just plain awful during last week's RSL-Fire Eastern Conference final.

When Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco opened the shootout, Bretos told viewers that "For the first time tonight, the ball feels what it's like to be in the inside netting of the goal."

I couldn't make something that ridiculous up if I tried.

NEVER AGAIN: After seeing Joe Cravens attempt to use the telestrator on The mtn.'s coverage of the BYU-Bradley game last week, I'm willing to beg.

Please, Joe, never, ever telestrate again. Random circles on the screen don't help us and make you look, well, not good.

e-mail: pierce@desnews.com