The number one broadcasting team for ABC's new NBA package will be Bill Walton and Brad Nessler.

Walton moves over from the top team on NBC, which televised the NBA games the last 12 seasons. Marv Albert signed with TNT, and it looks like Steve "Snapper" Jones gets left out in this broadcasting version of musical chairs.

Nessler and Walton will also do the ESPN Wednesday night games. ESPN's Mike Tirico was named the Friday night play-by-play announcer for the network, and he'll also host the ABC studio show.

Tom Tolbert, who only was hired by NBC in February after Jayson Williams allegedly shot his limousine driver in his home, will be the analyst for the Friday night games and will be an ABC studio host with Tirico.

I do not understand why Tolbert is suddenly this hot property. He only got the job on NBC because Williams self-destructed, and now he is this network star.

Former Sixers' president Pat Croce was not mentioned as being part of the ABC basketball coverage. However, ex-Sixer Charles Barkley's broadcasting career is flourishing. The star of TNT's NBA studio show just signed a new deal with TNT where besides his gig doing basketball he'll be a co-host with Arthel Neville once a week on CNN's daily show "Talk Back Live" at 3 p.m. during basketball season.

The popular "Inside the NBA" with Barkley, Emmy-winner Ernie Johnson Jr. and Kenny Smith will be expanded, as they'll also do a pre-game show before the Thursday night doubleheaders. TNT's coverage tips off with the Sixers vs. the Magic, Oct. 29, followed by the Lakers and Spurs.

The Sixers will be on ABC, the new broadcast network home of the NBA, for four of their 15 games this season. They'll battle Dallas in January, New Jersey in February, the Los Angeles Lakers in March and Sacramento in April. The Sixers will also be on TNT eight times, and ESPN and ESPN2 seven times.

Harry's day

Representatives from all the local stations will travel to Cooperstown this weekend to cover Phillies' announcer Harry Kalas' induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sports directors Gary Papa of WPVI, Vai Sikahema of WCAU, Beasley Reece of KYW and Don Tollefson of WTXF are set to file reports on Saturday and Sunday.

WPHL, which has been short-staffed in the sports department for months since Jenna Wolfe left, is sending fill-in Blaine Applegate. Matt Yallof represents Comcast SportsNet, and Bruce Casella gets the assignment for CN8. Also, Comcast SportsNet will air the one-hour special "Harry in the Hall" tomorrow at 9 p.m.

If you can't make the trip up to New York, the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be televised on ESPN Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Besides Kalas, former player Ozzie Smith and baseball writer Joe Falls will be honored.

Expect a large Philadelphia contingent to be in the crowd. Many former Phillies are making the trip, and Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton will be on the dais.

After a four-game break, Kalas returns to the booth on Tuesday as the Phillies host the Giants.

A look at the Cowboys

"Hard Knocks: Training Camp with The Dallas Cowboys" debuts on HBO Wednesday night at 11 p.m. (I thought the Cowboys have been getting "hard knocks" for a few years now). NFL Films of Marlton, N.J., is producing the second season of the reality series that focused on the Baltimore Ravens last season.

Eagles schedule

All four of the Eagles' exhibition games will be on television, beginning with the Green Bay Packers at home on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m. on WPHL. Game two is against the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, Aug. 17, at 8 p.m. on CBS. Speaking of CBS, KYW's Beasley Reece will be returning to sideline reporting for the network's AFC slate this season.

Game three is against the 2001 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. on Fox, then the final game is against the New York Jets, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. on WPHL. The games on WPHL are produced by the team's Eagles' Television Network.

New NFL show

WBCB 1490-AM will air a new NFL and fantasy football show Friday nights from 6 - 7 p.m. hosted by Pat Callahan of Southampton and Terry Meehan of Jamison.

WIP ratings

WIP may be tops with sports fans, but it's in the middle of the pack in the overall radio ratings. In the spring Arbitrons for ages 12-plus, WIP placed 14th out of 30 stations with a 2.9 rating, down from last year's 3.2. That means 2.9 percent of the listening audience at any given time was tuned into WIP. However, judging from the abundance of commercials for gentlemen's clubs, male sexual enhancement drugs and hair-loss treatments, it's obvious that WIP is targeting male listeners.

I caught a neat conversation on WIP 610-AM hosted by Paul Jolovitz. Listeners talked about the top players for uniform numbers. For instance, Jim Otto and Robert Parish were some of the names mentioned for No. 00. Jackie Robinson and Paul Warfield were named for No. 42, and Jerry Rice and Kellen Winslow were listed for No. 80.

The Iverson factor

Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly on Allen Iverson: "If he doesn't knock it off, he's going to be Jayson Williams. It's the same thing with these guys ... you don't need a gun. Hire guys with guns, you don't need one."

Laura Nachman writes about television and radio sports for the Courier Times. Write her in care of the Courier Times, 8400 Route 13, Levittown, PA 19057, fax 215-949-4177 or e-mail [email protected].

July 26, 2002