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By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, May 30, 2008
Browns left tackle Joe Thomas doesn't remember who came to him with the idea of hosting a fishing show on SportsTime Ohio, but why should he care?
He's a 23-year-old kid in a candy store.
Recall if you will that this 6-foot-6, 315-pound mass of football player literally hung a ''Gone Fishin' '' sign on NFL Draft day in 2007 when he was the No. 3 pick so that he could cast some lines with his father. He has taken that love of the outdoors and parlayed it into a co-hosting gig on Outdoors Ohio with D'Arcy Egan & Joe Thomas.
''It's great. I get paid to do two hobbies,'' Thomas said, laughing. ''It's a lot of fun, and I know that people who grew up fishing wish it was something that they could do with their life. It has been a lot of fun getting involved in that part of fishing in front of the camera and learning a little bit more about that, but also going out and having fun.''
No matter whose idea it was, it proved a shrewd move pairing Thomas with Egan, a fixture as the outdoors writer for the Plain Dealer. It gives the show more celebrity cachet and, during the offseason, keeps at least one member of the Browns in the public eye.
Thomas said that so far they have filmed half of their next season, which was interrupted by Browns organized team activities the past few weeks, and will resume this weekend. He said he's having fun now, but Thomas was noncommittal when asked if he would pursue broadcasting when he retires.
''Maybe; we'll see down the road,'' he said with a smile.
Hockey rates in Detroit
The NHL might have reason to be optimistic that the sport has life, given that it nearly imploded a few years back because of a labor disagreement. Its 2.8 rating from Wednesday night is an 87 percent increase over last year and was the highest rated Stanley Cup Game 3 on NBC in six years. More incredibly, it beat the NBA Eastern Conference finals game between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the Detroit market. Guess there really is a reason they also call Motown ''Hockeytown.''
The NBA still bested the NHL overall with a 5.3 overnight rating, proof there's still a way for the NHL to go.
No worries
NBA Commissioner David Stern says he doesn't worry about TV ratings. Perhaps that's because he doesn't have to. TNT reports that its NBA ratings continue to roll like the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers.
The playoffs on that cable network are up 16 percent overall, and the Western Conference finals, for which the channel owns the rights, are up 37 percent. So what's the big difference? As mentioned in this space last week: star power spread evenly across the league.
There is one factor I neglected to mention: the price of gasoline. At four bucks a gallon, I would be scanning the video screen, too.
Given that 90 percent of network television shows are on summer hiatus, there isn't a lot to choose in that vast wasteland. Looks like folks are opting for a little regulated violence via the NBA and, apparently, the NHL.
Speaking of viewings
Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals tips off at 8:30 tonight on ESPN. Should the Celtics not finish the job, Game 7 would be 8:30 Sunday night. . . . The Gladiators' game against the Dallas Desperados will broadcast at 7 p.m. Saturday on FSN. . . . The Red Wings battle the Penguins at 8 p.m. Saturday on NBC (WKYC Channel 3) and again Monday on the same channel at the same time. . . . For you gearheads: NASCAR's Best Buy 400 airs at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on FOX (WJW Channel 8). At least we know those guys can afford fuel.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/
Browns left tackle Joe Thomas doesn't remember who came to him with the idea of hosting a fishing show on SportsTime Ohio, but why should he care?
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