No surprises if this is Lynch's San Diego finale

By: JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Thursday, December 20, 2007 10:45 PM PST ∞

John Lynch isn't tipping his hand.

If Monday's game in Qualcomm Stadium is indeed the last in San Diego for the Broncos' All-Pro safety after a 15-year NFL career, the former Torrey Pines High standout football and baseball player is keeping it to himself.

But just in case he's ready to announce his retirement, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" crew is going to be prepared.

"We're going to discuss it with John when we meet with the Broncos on Sunday," said Ron Jaworski, who will call the Broncos-Chargers game at 5 p.m. along with Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser, Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya. "We already have some packages on John prepared. And if he hints he's done, we'll use them.

"John has had a phenomenal career.

"In my opinion, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He's that great a football player ---- and I don't throw that around loosely."

Jaworski expects Monday's Christmas Eve game to be a ratings winner even though the Chargers have clinched a playoff berth and the Broncos are out of contention.

"Christmas Eve is a family event," Jaworski said. "Families gather and the TV is on.

"The Chargers still have something to play for (playoff seeding), and there is star power.

"The Broncos have had a disappointing season, but still have great players like Lynch, Champ Bailey and Jay Cutler.

"Clearly, San Diego is on the upswing. The Chargers have found their level.

"You want to be playing your best at the end of the season, and the Chargers have raised the bar.

"Anytime you have a coaching change, bring in new coordinators, it takes time to jell.

"The chemistry in the meeting room is different. It takes some time for the players and coaches to get on the same page."

To illustrate his point, Jaworski pointed to the Chargers defense and coordinator Ted Cottrell.

Cottrell called few blitzes early in the season.

Now the Chargers rank ninth in the NFL in sacks.

"Obviously, it took Ted some time to realize what he had. Now, he's turning them loose," Jaworski said.

Offensively, Jaworski said he has watched about 75 percent of the Chargers' games on tape. As a former NFL quarterback, Jaworski has focused on Chargers QB Philip Rivers.

"Overall, his body of work has been inconsistent," Jaworski said.

"I know he has been banged up, but he has been on the field, so I must critically evaluate him. And I evaluate on what it takes to be a Super Bowl quarterback.

"To win a championship, the quarterback has to be very, very good.

"Right now, there is too much ebb and flow in his game. Everyone wants his team's quarterback to be an instant Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.

"Rivers' performance has been a bit puzzling, but it takes time to develop a top-notch NFL quarterback."

More Monday night

- Monday's Broncos-Chargers game can be seen on ESPN, but will also be on Channel 10 (ABC) in San Diego.

- Last Monday's Bears-Vikings game on ESPN posted a 9.5 rating and was seen by 11.293 million people, making ESPN the most-watched TV network that night, the fourth time this year that has happened. ESPN's 16 NFL games account for eight of the 10 biggest household audiences for any basic cable TV program in 2007.

- After working Monday's Broncos-Chargers game, Tafoya will travel to Los Angeles and be courtside for ABC's coverage of the Suns-Lakers game on Christmas Day.

Let's go bowling

Thursday's Poinsettia Bowl was the first of 32 college football bowl games, with ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 carrying 23.

ESPN owns five bowls and draws great ratings for even the worst matchups.

Fox will televise five bowl games, including the Bowl Championship Series championship game ---- LSU vs. Ohio State ---- on Jan. 7.

CBS and The NFL Network both have two games.

Inside the ropes

Boxing isn't dead, it just needs talented, entertaining fighters to attract viewers on TV.

Witness the Dec. 8 bout between unbeaten welterweights Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton on HBO.

The pay-per-view bout drew 850,000 buys and generated $47 million in revenue.

HBO's Mark Taffet said the bout was the biggest PPV bout not to include Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield or Oscar De La Hoya.

Mayweather's split-decision victory over De La Hoya in May generated a record 2.4 million PPV buys and $134 in revenue.

Another Mayweather-De La Hoya bout could surpass that record.

Down, but not out

Dick Vitale, perhaps the biggest name in broadcasting today, had surgery on his left vocal cord Tuesday in Boston.

The 68-year-old Vitale, who is in his 29th year with ESPN, is expected to be back on the air in February.

Vitale, who will continue to provide commentary on ESPN.com and dickvitaleonline.com, can't say a word for three weeks.

Vitale, who called ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979, had never missed an ESPN game assignment prior to encountering throat problems over the last six weeks and submitting to the surgery.

Tee it up

- Golfers stuck at home and looking for something other than football and basketball on TV this weekend are in luck. ABC has the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The event features Natalie Gulbis from the LPGA Tour, Fred Funk from the Champions Tour and Camilo Villegas from the PGA Tour playing for $1 million in prize money. Sunday at 9 a.m. ESPN2 has People vs. the Pros with pro players Chris DiMarco and Tom Watson taking on amateurs. Christmas Day at 1 p.m., CBS has a replay of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Alma Mater, a competition that features a coach and celebrity from big-name universities in a competition. Chuck Long and Marshall Faulk will represent San Diego State.

Ted Tollner and Marcus Allen represent USC.

Other big names in the event include Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Frank Beamer, Chan Gailey, Tom Penders, Eric Dickerson, Dell Curry and Billy Packer. The event was held in May on the Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.

- The Golf Channel will have more than 50 hours of "Tiger Week " coverage, starting Monday from 3-9 p.m. On Christmas Day, from 3-10 p.m., there are one-hour highlight specials from each of Woods' seven straight PGA Tour victories, which spanned parts of the 2006 and '07 seasons.

- The Golf Channel and the European Tour have reached an agreement that will keep the tour on the channel through 2014. The 2008 European Tour features 52 events in 25 countries. Most of the events air live in the morning on the Golf Channel.

Local notes

- San Diego State basketball ---- women's and men's ---- is in the spotlight this weekend. Tonight at 8, the SDSU women (9-1), host No. 2 Connecticut (8-0) on the mtn. Saturday at noon, the SDSU men (9-2), are at No. 19 Arizona (8-2) in a game that will be carried on FSN. Arizona boasts former La Costa Canyon High star Chase Budinger, rated among the best players in the nation.

- Last Sunday's Lions-Chargers game on CBS drew a 28.7 rating and a 55 share of the audience in San Diego. In Detroit, the same game did a 19.0 rating and a 29 share.

Around the dial

- ABC/ESPN has a Christmas Day NBA triple-header, highlighted by the Suns-Lakers games at 2:10 p.m. on ABC. The early game at 11:30 a.m. matches the Heat and Cavaliers on ABC. The 5 p.m. game on ESPN matches the SuperSonics and Trail Blazers.

- Stuart Scott, who had to leave ESPN's Nov. 26 NFL game to have an emergency appendectomy that revealed a malignancy, returns to the air tonight for the network's NBA double-header. He'll also work ABC's Christmas Day NBA studio show. Scott will begin chemotherapy treatments this winter, according to ESPN.

John Maffei's TV/Radio Column appears every Friday. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.