Ruling Clears Way for ESPN to Show ’84 Olympic Series

Despite objections from Olympic documentary producer Bud Greenspan, the way was cleared Thursday for ESPN to go ahead with its 175-hour series on the 1984 Summer Games. The series begins Saturday and continues through July 14.

Greenspan, who is making the official film of the Los Angeles Games, claimed the series infringes on his territory because it is more than just a rebroadcast of ABC-TV’s coverage. Greenspan asked the California Supreme Court to bar the series, but the court unanimously denied a hearing on Greenspan’s request.

Of the ESPN series’ 175 hours, 97 will be original or non-repeat programming and 78 repeat programming. The non-repeat programming includes 52 hours of prime-time specials, beginning at 4:30 p.m. PDT, and 45 hours of games that were never televised last year. Twenty-four games will be shown in their entirety. The prime-time specials, most of which are 3 1/2 hours in length, focus on one or two sports.

ESPN, which in 1983 obtained the rebroadcast rights to the Games for $200,000, hired Don Ohlmeyer’s production company, Ohlmeyer Communications, to put together the series, called “Spirit of Excellence: The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.”

“No one has ever embarked on a production of this nature,” Ohlmeyer said. “Not only will viewers be able to recapture the excitement of the ’84 Games, but they will see coverage that has never before been shown on American television.”

Besides providing the United States with 180 hours of Olympic coverage, ABC also supplied the nations of the world with about 1,300 hours of coverage without commentary. Each nation selected from this what it wanted.

It is from this 1,300 hours--about 5,000 separate tapes--that a staff of 30 Ohlmeyer employees selected what would be shown. “The work force at the outset worked 18 hours a day,” production manager Liz Overmyer said.

The next step was to select announcers and expert commentators. In all, 37 were hired--12 play-by-play announcers and 25 expert commentators. The commentators include Evelyn Ashford, Jeff Blatnick, Bart Conner, Mitch Gaylord, Paul Gonzales, Greg Louganis, Edwin Moses, Chris Mullin, John Naber, Mary Lou Retton, Rafer Johnson and David Wolper, who produced the opening and closing ceremonies.

Of the 25 expert commentators, 18 won gold medals.

Linda Jonsson, vice president of Ohlmeyer Communications and the producer of the Olympic series, said: “The commentary is done as if the event were actually taking place, with the exception that we don’t try to use phony suspense, like, ‘Will Mary Lou get a 10 on the next vault?’ ”

ESPN commentator Bob Ley, who will do more play-by-play than any other announcer, said: “I try to be spontaneous. Of course, I know who won the gold in basketball, but we have never before seen much of the action. All my conclusions are drawn on what the viewer is seeing.”

Conner, who will be ESPN’s commentator on women’s gymnastics and will also appear in taped interviews regarding his involvement in the men’s competition, was in Los Angeles recently to promote his book, “Winning the Gold.” Asked about broadcasting aspirations, he said: “I can’t see myself being much more than a gymnastics commentator, and the problem with that is there just isn’t a lot of gymnastics on TV.”

Conner said he’s actually more interested in acting than broadcasting. He has appeared on several TV shows, including “Highway to Heaven” and “Different Strokes,” and he has a leading role in a movie, “Looking Good,” that is scheduled to be released in August.

Turncoat: Past and present Dodgers were honored this week during a fund-raising luncheon at the Bonaventure Hotel for the Hollenbeck Youth Center, formed by the Hollenbeck Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Vin Scully, one of the speakers, said: “This occasion is particularly special for me. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but I was not born in the Dodger broadcast booth. I was a New York street kid who went around with torn jeans and my shirttail out.

“The New York Police Dept.’s Police Athletic League took me to my first baseball game. It was at the Polo Grounds (former home of the New York Giants). I became one of the all-time Giant fans. It wasn’t until I was hired by the Dodgers (in 1951) that I changed my allegiance. Ah yes, confession is good for the soul.”

Said Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese: “You learn something every day. I never knew Vin was a Giant fan. Shame on you, Vin.”

Golf follies: Dick Shaw of Castaic was among readers who complained about CBS cutting away from the final round of last weekend’s Atlanta tournament with five holes to play.

“The excuse was that Dan Rather had to get on with the news,” Shaw wrote. “Instead, we were treated to a rerun of ‘Anything for Money,’ a dumb show if I’ve ever seen one. I realize there was a rain delay, but to me it was like watching a Laker playoff game and have them pull the plug in the middle of the fourth quarter. . . . “

A CBS spokesman said the decision was made to go to the news because of the hostage situation and Sunday’s Air India disaster. The spokesman said the network was not set up to cut away from the golf in the East and remain with it in the West. It was an all-or-nothing situation.

So Westerners were cut off, too, for no justifiable reason. It’s another example of New York television executives thinking nobody exists east of the Mississippi River. At least nobody very important.

Notes With the Clippers having switched from Channel 11 to Channel 5, it is likely that TV announcers Al Alberts and Ted Green will be replaced. Channel 5 Sports Director Hec Highton said he plans to hire new announcers, but any change would have to be approved by the Clippers. . . . Add Clippers: Regarding a rumor that radio play-by-play announcer Eddie Doucette will be replaced by Ralph Lawlor, who was the team’s play-by-play announcer in San Diego, Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer said: “Such talk is very premature. I have yet to sit down and talk with Eddie. I was not displeased with his work.” Scheer said the status of both Doucette and Green, who was also the radio commentator last season, has not been determined.

CBS announced its football broadcasting teams this week. Of note is that Tom Brookshier, who had fallen into disfavor a couple of years ago when he said on the air the Louisville basketball team had a collective IQ of 40, has been promoted. He’ll replace Frank Glieber, who died of a heart attack last month, and will work with Dick Vermeil. Also, it was announced that former St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf, hired as a commentator, will be used as a play-by-play announcer. And Channel 2’s Jim Hill has been retained. He’ll again work with John Dockery.

Former Channel 7 sportscaster Eddie Alexander, who served one year of a two-year jail sentence for fraud, has been given another reprieve on whether his probation should be revoked. His case was to be heard recently, but it was delayed until Sept. 16. Alexander, who owes creditors $531,599, was given his first reprieve April 8 when his attorney won a delay because Alexander was unemployed and unable to make restitution. The Oakland radio station that had hired Alexander went into bankruptcy and had to lay him off. But the station has been purchased, and its new owner has rehired Alexander.

Where-they-are-now dept.: Former NBC sportscaster Byron Day is appearing on the “SCORE: Sportswatch” program, which is televised nightly, Wednesday through Sunday, from 5 to 9 on the Financial News Network. The show features guests, calls from viewers, reports and scores. Other sportscasters on the show are Bill Brown, Todd Donoho and John Loesing. . . . ESPN has dropped its morning “Business Times” shows and gone back to all sports. . . . ESPN has announced it will televise the UCLA-BYU football game at Logan, Utah., Sept. 7. . . . There are many sports camps with athletes and coaches. Now, Roy Englebrecht of Orange County is offering a sportscasters camp July 7-11 at UC Santa Barbara, featuring Chick Hearn, Bob Miller, Tom Kelly and Geoff Witcher.