Ebersol

File Joe Montana's new gig with NBC Sports away under the heading, "Nice work if you can get it."The recently retired, awaiting-Hall-of-Fame-induction quarterback yesterday signed a sweetheart of a multiyear deal with the Peacock network, in which he'll only have to work about 10 weeks a year, get paid a reported $750,000 a season and get shuttled into New York from San Francisco when he has to work.Best of all, Montana, who will fill in on the "NFL Live" set when Joe Gibbs' racing duties call him away, won't have to do any of that nasty analysis from the booth, but will work from the safety and security of the pre-game studio, where there's more time to form an opinion and fewer opinions are needed.

Bands played. Cheerleaders led the Westminster players on the field. And 3,000 Owls' fans cheered loudly.It was the beginning of a new football era at Westminster High last night and the Owls didn't disappoint anybody in coach Tim Ebersole's debut.With a massive offensive line led by 305-pound tackle Jim Stull opening huge holes for senior running backs Eric Jones and Juan Camacho, Westminster controlled the ball most of the night and rambled to a 33-12 victory over Woodlawn in the opening game of the season for both teams.

NEW YORK -- NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol took a few puffs on an expensive cigar the other day while greeting reporters, but he was hardly in a celebratory mood, at least not where baseball is concerned.Ebersol, whose network would be telecasting its first regular-season baseball game in five years tomorrow night if not for the strike, seemed resigned to the notion that the national pastime might be done for the year."I think there's a chance there'll be baseball this year, but I wouldn't be shocked if the next baseball game was next spring," said Ebersol.

The search for a new head football coach began at the start of the year.And now, more than five months, 26 applicants and nine interviews later, the Westminster High administration is confident and excited with its selection of Tim Ebersole.The Carroll County Board of Education approved the selection Wednesday and the school formally announced its choice with a press conference yesterday afternoon.Ebersole, 33, who was not at the press conference, was equally excited."It's been a goal for me to be a head football coach for some time and this is a great opportunity," he said.