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Cagey
Like A Fox
ESPN
Classic's 'Magic-Bird' Tops The Competition
 By
Randy Williams
Magic vs Bird. ESPN vs Fox. Earvin Johnson won the battle 20 years
ago in Salt Lake City but ESPN Classic takes the title in 1999
with its fine effort in "The Story of the Game," celebrating
the top-rated telecast in college hoops history.
ESPN does a terrific job, re-airing the entire 1979
NCAA Final and splicing the show with comments and anecdotes from
key players, coaches, sports journalists and, of course, the two
combatants. An added bonus is the chance to listen to then-NBC analysts
Al McGuire and Billy Packer, teamed with play-by-play man Dick Enberg.
That's not to say that Fox's effort is a poor one. "Magic
vs. Bird: The Game That Changed the Game," is well done by
Fox Sports Net Films, in conjunction with Black Canyon Productions
and Magic Johnson Entertainment.
The program, which airs Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on Fox Sports Net,
is highlighted by a Chris Myers interview of Johnson and Bird;
a home movie of Magic the child dribbling a ball while carrying
the family's groceries; and high-school video of Larry Legend dominating
his opponent.
In the interview, Johnson admits he was "scared" to
face Bird while the future star of the Celtics, when asked if
the game was officiated poorly, said "Well sure it was,"
drawing laughs from Johnson and Myers. It's quite fun to sit and
listen to these two great athletes, side by side, recalling the
first time they met as rivals.
Unfortunately, Fox's one-hour program doesn't get to the game itself
until about 12 minutes remain in the show. Yes, the contest didn't
meet the hype but I just expected a better look at the game itself.
Still, this doesn't mean that "Magic vs. Bird" isn't worth
watching; it just isn't as good as ESPN's tribute.
The two-hour ESPN Classic show, scheduled for Friday from 9-11 p.m.,
includes a brief look at what the Bird-Magic rivalry became in the
NBA; an admission from Indiana coach Bobby Knight that "I
was not as attuned to what (Bird's) needs as an individual were
as I should've been" before he left IU; and Magic's comment
about his pregame feelings on Mr. Bird.
"I did not like Larry Bird. He didn't like me. Not because
something happened but because we were both going after the same
thing."
Perhaps the most interesting and humorous part of the ESPN Classic
program is the revelation that the Michigan State squad had absolutely
no idea Indiana State's Bird was white until seeing him on
a Sports Illustrated cover.
Greg Kelser, a first-team All-America in 1979, said "We just
thought that 'Hey this guy's doing all this damage and wreaking
all this havoc on the other schools in the Midwest...he's gotta
be a brother...When we found out that he was a white kid, we
were stunned, we were amazed."
Of course, those of us at AQB were most impressed by the work
of Messrs. McGuire and Packer. Packer seemed just as insightful
in 1979 as he is today, noting that Johnson "is a great rebounder
and never has to make the outlet pass because he's such an excellent
open court player."
McGuire, meanwhile, showed some of the zaniness that defines his
work as a CBS broadcaster, talking about how the officials had made
bad calls against both MSU and ISU - "When they've been
incompetent, they've been consistently incompetent."
Thankfully, ESPN and Fox are consistently good. However, ESPN
is a slight notch above its rival on Magic-Bird.
Notes:
Fox Sports Net tentatively plans to re-broadcast "Between
the Madness," its inside look at the 1997-98 basketball
season at Jerry Tarkanian's Fresno State, at 7 p.m. Sunday, just
prior to "Magic vs. Bird." Click
here for AQB's review.
Photo courtesy of Fox Sports.com
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