After providing analysis for six high school hockey games the past two days, it would seem safe to assume Tom Reid had his fill of the sport for the week.
It also would be incorrect.
Reid, 53, a former North Stars defenseman, worked all four games of the Class A boys' tournament Wednesday and the first two games of the Class AA tournament Thursday for KMSP-TV, Channel 9. Then he caught a plane for Colorado Springs, where he and Frank Mazzocco will call the Gophers' WCHA playoff series against Colorado College for Midwest Sports Channel. The series, which begins at 8:35 tonight, is a best two-of-three.
'I enjoy it,' Reid said of his busy schedule. 'I'm in the printing and packaging business also, so that's a full-time venture for me. I don't like to be away from the office, but I'm around people who understand.'
Reid and Mazzocco have paired on Gophers hockey telecasts for several seasons and worked together on four of the high school games this week.
Reid said the key to doing so many games in such a short time is preparation.
'The fact I'm doing eight games in a row means I can't remember every name or number,' he said. 'But I have developed a system where I can get at that information quickly.'
In addition to TV duties and his job as a sales representative at Olympic, a printing and packaging business in Golden Valley, Reid serves on the NHL alumni board of directors and owns Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub near the Wild's new arena in downtown St. Paul.
Reid, whose 11-year playing career ended in 1978, said he watches plenty of NHL games and has season tickets to the Wild. Although he served as analyst on North Stars' TV and radio broadcasts for several years, Reid hasn't pursued a job with the Wild, which begins play next fall.
'At this point there hasn't been much conversation,' he said. 'If opportunities arise, I will entertain them, but I don't know what their plans are.'
If the Wild offers him a broadcasting job, Reid isn't certain he would want to return to the hectic travel pace an NHL schedule demands.
'That is one of the reasons doing college has been so good,' he said. 'I can still work at the business without having to take too much time off.'
A good time
ESPN college basketball analysts Digger Phelps and Dick Vitale spent much of Wednesday and Thursday in the studio working together on the network's coverage of the conference tournaments.
Phelps said getting to spend time with Vitale make the long hours worth it.
'[Wednesday] was the day I look forward to all year long,' Phelps said. 'I can't wait until Vitale finally shows up in the studio because I get the treat no one else gets. No. 1, he is a great guy. No. 2, he is the funniest guy to be around. ... Things just happen. We laugh. We just have a great time together.'
The pairings for the NCAA men's tournament, which will begin next Thursday, will be revealed first on CBS' half-hour selection show at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg host the show, which will be on WCCO-TV, Channel 4.
Chris Fowler will host ESPN's 90-minute men's selection special, which also will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. ESPN will carry the pairings for the NCAA women's tournament at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Fine-tuning
- KFXN Radio (690 AM), a k a The Score, will carry first-round games of the NCAA men's tournament during the day next Thursday and Friday.
- Although the Twins' home opener against Tampa Bay on April 3 is not scheduled to be televised, there is a good possibility it will be added to MSC's schedule. The game, which begins at 7:05 p.m., has the misfortune of being on the same night as the championship game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
- Disney Dayton, one of three members of the K102 (KEEY, 102.1 FM) morning show who was recently replaced, has surfaced as Bob Yates' sidekick on KFAN's morning program. Both stations are owned by AM FM Inc. Matt Belda, who had been at KFAN for about six months, was let go.
