Fascinating recollections on the start of sideline reportage from the guy who was there at its birth, Jim Lampley. The former Chapel Hillian recalls that ABC Sports held a proto-America Idol cattle call of sorts for the first sideline gig in 1974.
“The idea was to have a new person on a college football telecast, someone who’d provide program material that would help differentiate college football from pro football, illuminate the unique lore and social interaction of college football,” Lampley says.
After a great start at a Tenn.-UCLA game in Knoxville, Lampley says he quickly figured out what he was doing was “not vital.” And now as some nets are dropping the sideline reporter slot, Lampley does not seem the least bit surprised, noting that the “cosmetic” value of the reporters has decreased with the explosion of viewing choices, the Net among them, although Lampley does not mention that huge development.
Bonus Observation: ACC football is doomed. I can tell from this blog post from the now Charlotte-based Sporting News advising the league to forget about trying to compete with the SEC broadcast footprint, and instead spend the next decade or so hiring better, more exciting coaches. Ahem. The ACC might be a Big East-style afterthought in 10 years at the current pace. Oh, and two more words: David Cutcliffe.
