Jeanne Zelasko continues to insist Rays play in Tampa

Shooting from the Lip
Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Worst host
That's it. From now on I’m calling Fox baseball host Jeanne Zelasko by another name. Let's call her Jean Zelasko. Or just J. Zelasko. Or how about Peggy?

As long as Peggy is going to keep calling the Rays by the wrong name -- as she does week after week after week -- then maybe we should just call her by the wrong name. Peggy did it again Saturday, calling the team the "Tampa'' Rays five times in the pregame and postgame shows. This is something I've written about four or five times already, and I'm not the only one who notices. My e-mail was flooded Saturday by readers complaining about Peggy relocating the team.

For most of this season I've thought she was just being lazy. But I'm starting to wonder if she's just incompetent. After the Rays clinched a playoff spot Saturday, Zelasko said, "A congratulation to Tampa the city.'' This is plain inexcusable because she does this every week. At some point, doesn't someone at Fox say something to her so she stops embarrassing herself? Please?

Best analysis
Once we got past Jeanne Zelasko's geographically challenged comments, Fox pregame analysts Kevin Kennedy and Eric Karros had good insight and high praise for the Rays. First Karros said, "I think  … the manager, Joe Maddon, impacts this team more than any other club in baseball.''

Then Kennedy showed he really paid attention, reminding everyone of spring training when Rays prospect Elliot Johnson bowled over Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli, breaking Cervelli's wrist and drawing the ire of Yankees skipper Joe Girardi.

"I think it goes back to spring training with Joe Maddon backing up his guy … and saying, 'Hey, we play to win in spring training.' I talked to a lot of people, and they absolutely agree with that. That was the turning point, right there in spring training.''

Worst announcer
The unfortunate part about the Rays clinching a playoff spot Saturday was that longtime Rays TV announcer Dewayne Staats didn't get to make the call because the game was nationally televised on Fox. We were stuck listening to Fox's Mike Joy, who should be called Mike Joyless. Joy could not have been less dramatic if he tried. He called the entire game as if it were a spring training, split-squad game.
After Evan Longoria caught the final out, I couldn't tell if someone turned off Joy's microphone or Joy fell asleep. Too bad Rays fans were robbed of a thrilling final call.

Best letting up
After the Miami game, I criticized the Gators for kicking a late field goal. So it's only right that I point out they didn't run up the score, even though they could have, against Tennessee. On their final drive, they ran the ball up the gut even though they could've tacked on a field goal. But still, what is quarterback Tim Tebow doing in the game with three minutes left and the Gators leading by 24?

CBS's Gary Danielson thought the same thing. "I don't agree with this, I have to say,'' Danielson said as Tebow scrambled. "I don't care about the running up the score. It doesn't matter to me. But I just don't understand my quarterback getting hit in a game that's over.''

And even though coach Urban Meyer says Tebow was still in because his backup was hurt, Florida has only two quarterbacks?

Worst game
Florida State-Wake Forest on Saturday night might have been the worst college football game ever played. This could've been the game that turned Florida State's fortunes around, but it only reminded us of how far the Seminoles have slipped. "What's different about this Florida State team?'' ESPN2 analyst Bob Davie asked. "So far, nothing.''

Best coverage
Too bad that most of us around here were consumed by the Rays and Bucs all weekend because the coverage of America's victory in the Ryder Cup was outstanding. NBC, as expected, had its A game, showing once again it covers golf better than any network. And ESPN's coverage was thorough and thoroughly engrossing. ESPN also gets a pat on the back for its outstanding all-day coverage of the final game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

Best analogy
CBS's Gary Danielson is a pleasure to listen to each week, and he is maybe a half-notch better than Todd Blackledge and Kirk Herbstreit, both with ESPN/ABC, as the best of the college football analysts. His best line from Saturday's Florida-Tennessee game: "The anticipation of (Florida QB Tim) Tebow playing -- it's like a Mike Tyson fight when he was knocking out those guys in his prime. You gotta watch it. You can't take your eyes off this guy.''

Most forgotten event
The Davis Cup used to be as much a part of the sports landscape as any event. This weekend, if you didn't know the semis were being played, you wouldn't have known it at all. They were completely lost, at least in the United States, among baseball, pro and college football, NASCAR and the Ryder Cup. In case you missed it, and you probably did, the United States-Spain semi was played in what has to be the coolest stadium in the world, Las Ventas, which hosts bullfights. Oh, and the U.S. lost when Rafael Nadal beat Andy Roddick in singles.

Final thought
We tend to get caught up in the Rays, but Mike Lupica made a great point on ESPN's Sports Reporters: "There's nothing not to like about the Rays. There are so many parts about this that are like the ’69 Mets. But the Cubs winning the World Series -- when they win the World Series … is the last big thing in sports.''

Comments

[joe]

Why just pick on jeanne? EVERYONE at ESPN says the Rays play in Tampa, from the Sportscenter anchors to
Kornheiser/Wilbon to [insert name]. I wrote ESPN about this a couple of years ago, but no response, no change.
And when Fox broadcast another Rays game earlier last week with Magrane as co-announcer, the primary announcer (don't remember who) also refered to playing in Tampa, with no comment from Magrane.
Obviously the problem is due to all area teams having to be named "Tampa Bay" for community unity -- which will never happen -- and all the other teams actually playing in Tampa. And TV "personalities" who have no interest in anything outside of NY, Boston, or Chicago.

[Insecure St. Pete resident]

Waaaaah they don't say Bay!!!! Sure it doesn't mean the team will be taken out of St. Pete (please please don't take another team out - then again, take them like the Lightning and we can whine about it forever, only when they win of course) but still, that ONE word on an insignificant show from a bimbo reporter just RUINS my life!!!

Anytime someone says "Tampa 2" or "Tampa's Defense" during a Bucs game, I wet my pants. Sure they don't play in St. Pete but that's OUR team as well - Tampa Bay. Remember when we cried up a storm when we didn't get a parade in 2003?? Oh well, at least we got Rick Baker in!

Remember: Every time the Bay is left out, an angel loses its wings and babies are turned into yogurt. This recession is NOTHING compared to the ultimate travesty - referring to any team here as solely TAMPA and not TAMPA BAY!

Couldn't agree more with Mr. Jones. Peggy wasn't hired to comment on the recession, she was hired to host Fox's major league baseball show. You would think that job should have a pre-requisite of baseball knowledge. She looks ignorant by constantly saying a team's name incorrectly. It has nothing to do with St. Pete insecurity, it has to do accurate reporting. She's paid a lot of money the least she can do is get the names of the teams correct.

"And out in California the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Dallas Rangers 4-3." How does that sound?

[St. Pete Resident]

Personally, I want as much attention OFF St. Petersburg as possible.

This place is a total embarrassment.

Uhurus, south side decapitations, manatee huggers, stadium opponents, hemp braiders, anyone that shops at Hot Topic, yogurt babies...they all suck.