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Posted on Fri, May. 02, 2008

Sound bite we relish now is one of silence

By RAY BUCK

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

We've been under a "sound bite watch" for more than week now.

Blah... blah... blah... has reached a new level even for sports talk radio and the SportsCenter era.

At least Josh Howard's marijuana remarks on The Michael Irvin Show (ESPN/103.3 FM) a week ago carried some clout -- enough, in fact, to catch Michael Irvin off-guard with such a free-wheeling confessional over the airwaves.

(Too bad for Avery Johnson that Howard's game didn't carry the same kind of clout against the Hornets.)

By the weekend, we were off and running with the sights and incessant sounds of the NFL Draft. All conjecture, all the time.

Whatever you can guess, I can guess louder.

We were entertained by mocks, revamped mocks and re-revamped mocks over the two-day draft, although most of us were numb to the names by Sunday noon.

What I learned most was that the NFL Network has closed the gap on ESPN for draft-day coverage. Neither one was perfect, but channel-changing was an option this time (remember, ESPN has been doing the NFL Draft for as long as Tom Landry coached the Cowboys -- 21 years).

Only ESPN provided locals with a national reporter (Ed Werder) at Valley Ranch. However, Adam Schefter -- like Werder, a former newspaper guy -- was a solid sideline contributor for the NFL Network.

While ESPN seemed surprised by Houston's first-round selection of Virginia Tech OL Duane Brown, Schefter was flat-out telling his audience -- just before the pick -- that "[Brown] will be the sleeper of the first round right here... [the Texans] have sweated it out."

NFL Networker Deion Sanders was right-on with the Felix Jones pick by Dallas, saying, "The last time I checked, two halves make a whole," referring to a tag-team running game of Marion Barber and the Arkansas rookie.

Marshall Faulk, who has become much more assertive for the NFL Network, explained that the Cowboys got themselves a "better Jones," i.e., Felix is no Julius.

By Monday, ESPN fantasy guru Nate Ravitz was already projecting Felix Jones as a "flex-option pick" for the more sophisticated leagues.

"I actually like Felix Jones better as a fantasy player," said Ravitz, "than a real-life player."

Yep, we've come a long way with our sports analysis.

But one thing hasn't changed: The real tough question is still the hardest to answer.

Barely three minutes after the Mavs' first-round exit Tuesday night, Derek Harper was telling his KTXA/21 audience to be prepared that "something has to change" involving Avery Johnson.

"Avery may want out of here at this particular point," Harper added.

Sure enough, fewer than 18 hours later, Mark Cuban made the change.

It's been a lot to absorb, and I think sometimes we need a chance to pause and reflect, if even momentarily.

That's why the sound bite that I missed most this week was one that I used to hear as a kid: "Good night, David. Good night, Chet."