Sportscaster respects Boise
In the booth: Ron Franklin

By Mel Bracht

Published: December 22, 2006

ESPN sportscaster Ron Franklin has developed a healthy respect for the Boise State football team after broadcasting two Broncos games this season.

Franklin says if Oklahoma doesn't have that same respect, it might be in for a surprise in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. Franklin will call the game for ESPN Radio, teaming with Ed Cunningham and Heather Cox.

"If the Sooners are not focused, if they look at Boise the way a lot of people look at Boise, it could be a lot more troublesome than Oklahoma thinks,” said Franklin, who broadcast Boise State's 40-28 victory over New Mexico State for ESPN and 38-7 rout of Nevada for ESPN2.

"Granted, they have not played a representative schedule as has Oklahoma, my yard stick on them is they are really well coached, and they don't beat themselves.

"Ian Johnson is one really, really good running back. They just run him and run him. Jared Zabransky is a veteran quarterback. Their receivers are not burners, but they're more than adequate. Defensively, middle linebacker Kory Hall is kind of the heart and soul of that defense.”

Franklin said Boise State proved its worth with a 42-14 victory over Oregon State.

"You get in trouble when you start comparing scores, but Oregon State did beat Southern Cal. We saw Oregon State two weeks in Hawaii, and I'll tell you something, Hawaii is not a bad football team, and they roughed up Hawaii. That game was not as close as the score indicated. If Boise is good enough to hammer these guys, they might be a little surprise for people. If the Sooners are not focused, and I mean really focused, they could get surprised.”

Franklin, however, is not going out on the limb and predict a Boise State victory.

"I think Oklahoma will be more than ready, particularly with (Adrian) Peterson returning,” he said. "I think that will be enough of a boost to an already good running game.”

Franklin is used to broadcasting OU bowl games. He called three of their recent national championship games — 2000, 2003 and 2004 — for ESPN Radio.

An Austin, Texas, resident who worked from 1967-71 for Tulsa TV station KVOO-2, Franklin said he enjoys calling OU games.

"I always get excited to do them,” he said.

His longtime statistician, Elven Lindblad, lives in Tulsa.

Calling the game on radio also is a kick for Franklin, who broadcast Houston Oilers games for 12 years and University of Texas games for six years on radio.

"I have to admit to you — I don't say this around my bosses — I'm a dinosaur. I would much rather do radio than television. There is something about it that you really have to create in a different sort of way — for the fans at home to sit there and see the picture that you're painting.”

ESPN network will provide extensive coverage of Texas Tech men's college basketball coach Bob Knight as he attempts to tie and break Dean Smith's NCAA Division I victories record of 879. Knight has 878 career victories.

Texas Tech's next three games will be on ESPN2 (Cox 28), including a game against visiting Bucknell at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Other coverage includes a retrospective of Knight's career on "Outside the Lines,” 8:30 a.m. Sunday, and rebroadcasts of Knight's three national championship games on ESPN Classic (Cox 255) after he breaks the record.

ESPN has acquired national TV rights to the Arena Football League and will have a minority stake in the 19-team indoor league.

The network will have a regular Monday night slot in which it will televise 14 games from March through June. The ArenaBowl title game in New Orleans will be July 29 on ABC. In all, 26 games — 17 regular-season and nine postseason — will be televised on ESPN/ABC outlets.

NBC had a small equity stake in the league through a contract that expired after the 2006 season, and the network chose not to renew for the AFL's 21st season.

Dallas Cowboys star safety Roy Williams, who was named the most recent recipient of Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year award, will be featured in a report on "Football Night in America,” 3:30 p.m. Monday on KFOR-4 (Cox 3), before the Eagles-Cowboys telecast.

Williams' most notable charity is the Roy Willams Safety Net Foundation, which helps ensure that low-income single mothers raising children in the Dallas area are provided with support, guidance and assistance in an effort to enhance their quality of life.

Since joining the Cowboys, the former OU star has been involved in virtually all of the team's community outreach programs, assisting children with cancer, the homeless and the elderly.

•KWTV NEWS 9 (Cox 10) will air a 30-minute "Fiesta Bowl Preview Show” at 7 p.m. Monday.

•FSN Southwest (Cox 37) will air the Texas Class 5A Division I and Division II championship games from the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. with the Division II final, Cedar Hill (15-0) vs. Cypress Falls (12-3). At 7 p.m., defending champion Southlake Carroll (15-0) faces Austin Westlake (12-2) in the Division I final.

•ABC's new broadcast team of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Michele Tafoya will make its debut Monday with the Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat game at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

•The 1996 Green Bay Packers are profiled on "America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions,” 7:30 tonight on the NFL Network (Cox 256). Mike Holmgren reminisces about his unique introduction to Packers fans, and Brett Favre explains how watching TV before the Super Bowl contributed to one of the game's biggest plays.

•On Sunday, ESPN Classic will feature eight perfect games in a "300 Games Bowling Marathon,” 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., then will air the movie "Kingpin,” starring Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid, at 7 p.m.

Philadelophia Eagles-New York Giants was the top-rated telecast last week in Oklahoma City and nationally.

1. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, NFL, Sunday, KOKH-25, 12.3.

• 2. Kansas City at San Diego, NFL, Sunday, KFOR-4, 10.0.

• 3. Washington at New Orleans, NFL, Sunday, KOKH-25, 7.8.

• 4. Cincinnati at Indianapolis, NFL, Monday, ESPN, 7.2.

• 5. Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee, college basketball, Monday, ESPN2, 6.1.

Ratings are a percentage of homes

in the Oklahoma City TV market.

What to watch

• Pro football fans will be treated to two games Christmas Day: Philadelphia (8-6) at Dallas (9-5) at 4 p.m. on KFOR-4 (Cox 3) and New York Jets (8-6) at Miami (6-8) at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN (Cox 29).

•The NFL Network (Cox 252) airs its second Saturday game — Kansas City (7-7) at Oakland (2-12) at 7 p.m. Saturday. Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, who lost his voice last Saturday in his NFL Network debut, will be the analyst.

•KWTV-9 (Cox 10) has the Sunday doubleheader with New England (10-4) at Jacksonville (8-6) at noon and Cincinnati (8-6) at Denver (8-6) at 3:15 p.m.

•KOKH-25 (Cox 12) will air New Orleans (9-5) at N.Y. Giants (7-7) at noon.

• Tulsa plays Utah in the Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas, at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN (Cox 29). (Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe).

•Big 12 teams move into action Thursday with three bowls — Independence: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama, 3:30 p.m., ESPN (Cox 29) (Gary Thorne, Andre Ware and Todd Harris); Holiday: Texas A&M vs. California, 7 p.m., ESPN (Cox 29); Texas: Kansas State vs. Rutgers, 7 p.m. NFL Network (Cox 252).

•KWTV-9 has a strong Saturday doubleheader with Boston College at No. 11 Kansas at 1 p.m. (Don Criqui and Bill Raftery) and No. 5 Ohio State at No. 3 Florida at 3 p.m. (Greg Gumbel and Billy Packer).

•In other Big 12 telecasts Saturday, Texas plays at Tennessee at 11 a.m. on ESPN (Dave O'Brien and Jay Bilas) and Texas Tech hosts Bucknell at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 (Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla).

•The Hornets host San Antonio at 7 p.m. Saturday on Cox 7 and travel to Seattle at 9 p.m. Tuesday on Cox 7.

•Other NBA games include L.A. Clippers at Dallas at 7:30 tonight on FSNSW (Cox 37) and in a traditional Christmas Day game, L.A. Lakers at Miami at 1:30 p.m. on KOCO-5 (Cox 8).