Sitting in the shade, hoping for a breeze and flipping through the sports media notebook before using it as a coaster for a tall, cool drink:
*Since Scott Garceau's retirement from nightly sports anchoring duties, you might have noticed WMAR sometimes has its news anchor reading the sports report. This is just a temporary thing, said Bill Hooper, Channel 2's vice president and general manager, while the station seeks someone to work with Rob Carlin.
"We're looking at all our options for replacing Scott," Hooper said. Garceau was with WMAR for 28 years.
In the meantime, that means Carlin doing most of the sportscasting - "Rob will be our lead guy," Hooper said - with gaps filled by having news anchors or freelancers deliver sports content.
And you might even see a familiar face.
"Scott could be jumping back in on some of that stuff," Hooper said.
*The first of ESPN 1300's Ravens players' radio programs is set for this season, afternoon host Anita Marks said. Just-retired Jonathan Ogden and cornerback Chris McAlister will each do eight shows on Wednesday nights from 6 to 8, with Marks as co-host. Three more weeknight shows are still in the works, she said.
*For those inclined to engage in a bit of schadenfreude over recent problems with misbehavior by Penn State football players - such as those who contact The Sun sports department and refer to the school as State Pen - you don't want to miss Outside the Lines on Sunday (9:30 a.m., ESPN). The report, titled "Penn State: Concerns in Happy Valley," apparently reports a difference in how misdeeds are viewed inside the football program and outside it.
According to highlights from ESPN, coach Joe Paterno said: "I just think people got to understand that bringing in young kids, 18, 19, 20, you know, they're not perfect. They're not angels. They're very aggressive kids, or they wouldn't be guys who can compete in front of 110,000 people."
However, Paul Clark, a Penn State professor and vice chairman of the Faculty Senate Athletics Committee, said: "Penn State's a great university in a lot of respects - outstanding faculty, exceptional students, a great tradition. But this is really a black mark. It diminishes all of us."
*Speaking of college football, Maryland fans might be glad to hear the Terps' opener with Delaware on Aug. 30 is being televised by ESPN - except that it's on ESPNU. As in, U don't have that channel.
