John Kentera calls it "the biggest wake-up call of my life."

On the morning of Oct. 3, the man known as "Coach," worked his Saturday morning baseball show with Bob Scanlan on 1090 AM.

Kentera wasn't feeling well and went home to rest before departing for Petco Park to work on the Padres pregame show.

But Kentera ---- who has made his living being a talker ---- became a listener.

He told his wife, Kelly, he was going to the ballpark, and if something happened he would call the paramedics.

That's all Kelly needed to hear.

She dragged him to Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas.

They arrived at 1:15 p.m. By 2:45, he was in surgery.

Doctors found he had a heart attack about 5 a.m. and there was a fully clogged artery in his heart. A pair of stents were inserted.

Off the air since Oct. 3, Kentera is set to return Tuesday, working his new 7-10 p.m. slot. Station officials plan a welcome-back party that night at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, an event that is open to the public.

"My doctor ---- Martin Charlat ---- has been great," Kentera said. "He told me that 60 percent of what happened was stress related. So I need to make some changes."

Those changes have already started.

Checking in at 6-foot-7, 316 pounds before the heart attack, he has already lost 10 pounds through exercise and a better diet.

"I wasn't a fast-food junky, but it's tough to eat healthy on the go," Kentera said. "No more six-egg, sausage-and-cheese omelets for me. I was never a fatso, but I was heavy.

"I have a better appreciation for eating healthy. I'm walking 60-to-90 minutes a day and exercising."

Kentera, whom I have called a close friend for many years, has always been the hardest working man at 1090. Part of that was management trying to take advantage of his on-air popularity.

Part of it was his inability to say no when asked to work a show or give up doing shows he loves.

During baseball season, he did a regular 2-4 p.m. talk show because management felt it couldn't afford not to have him on regularly.

For Padres home games, the 51-year-old Kentera would head down to Petco Park, work the clubhouse, talk to players, scouts and management people.

Then it was off to work the Padres pregame show from 6-7 p.m.

He watched the game from the press box, taking meticulous notes because he had to work the postgame show.

On paper, his workday was 12 hours. Because he actually prepares for his shows, that was more like 15 hours.

"I was averaging 15-20 shows a week in baseball season," Kentera said. "I loved it, but it was killing me.

"I'd start working about 11 a.m., get home about 11:45 p.m. and I'd be up writing down notes until after 1 a.m. because I believe preparation is the biggest thing.

"And while I love what I do, there were some things in my life that I didn't like, but that I didn't have any control of. And it was eating away at me."

There is no question something will have to change.

XTRA 1090 executives John Lynch and Jack Evans are willing to make changes, but aren't prepared to make them public now.

It's obvious by Tuesday's back-to-work party that they value him as an employee.

His contract is up at the end of the year. But if anyone doubted his popularity in the San Diego sports community look at the list of people who called him during his time off the air ---- Kevin Towers, Bruce Bochy, Buddy Black, Sandy Alderson, Grady Fuson, Paul DePodesta and Rick Renteria of the Padres, broadcast associates Ted Leitner, Andy Masur, Randy Jones and Scanlan, former big-league outfielder Dave Roberts, USD's Ron Caragher and Bill Grier and Bill Johnston of the Chargers.

Kentera loves his work. He loves dealing with the public and attending events, whether it's a high school game or a pro event.

He's scheduled to work the final USD football game of the 2009 season with Jack Cronin on Nov. 21.

He won't work with Masur on USD men's basketball as he has done in the past.

He will work with Steve Quis on Channel 4's telecasts of the CIF San Diego Section Division I and II football championships on Dec. 11.

"A good part of me is doing great," Kentera said. "The best part is there was no heart damage.

"The bad thing is that this has been draining mentally, very tough mentally."

Kentera said he got a boost from former San Pasqual High athletic director Art Warren at a recent Torrey Pines-San Pasqual football game.

Warren has worked his way back from a heart attack.

"Art was an athlete (playing baseball at Escondido High, Palomar College and the old USIU, winning an NAIA national championship there)," Kentera said. "He reassured me things would be all right.

"I think my background as an athlete and coach helped me get through this.

"Athletes and coaches have a certain toughness, a drive.

"Brad Cesmat (a former broadcast partner) told me to read Tony Dungy's new book 'Uncommon.' It forced me to take a look at myself, look at what's important. I would recommend it to everyone. I've had tremendous support from my family, friends, management at the station and listeners.

"Now it's time to get back to work, but I need to take care of myself so I can take care of my family."

College football

There are 26 college football games on TV Saturday, 14 involving top-25 teams.

But only three of those 14 involve two top-25 teams ---- No. 15 Iowa at No. 10 Ohio State at 12:30 p.m. on CBS and No. 25 Stanford at No. 11 USC at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

The best game of the day, however, is No. 16 Utah ---- with former Oceanside High great Jordan Wynn quarterbacking the Utes ---- at No. 4 TCU at 4:30 p.m. on CBS College Sports.

It's too bad that most people in San Diego don't get Fox Sports Prime Ticket, so watching USC is out. And you have to have digital cable with the sports tier to see Utah-TCU.

Ironically, ESPN's "College GameDay" will originate from TCU event though the network isn't carrying the game.

In addition, the UCLA-Washington State game at 2 p.m. is on Fox College Sports, which no one gets.

Hoop scoop

-- ESPN has 25 1/2 consecutive hours of college basketball, starting at 9 p.m. Monday with Cal State Fullerton at UCLA. San Diego State-Saint Mary's follows at 11 p.m.

The marathon includes 17 men's games and two women's. The best of the games are Gonzaga at No. 2 Michigan State at 5 p.m. Tuesday and Memphis at No. 1 Kansas at 7 p.m. Other games involving nationally ranked teams are Clemson-Liberty at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Temple-Georgetown at 1 p.m. Tuesday and Arkansas-Louisville at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

The "Tip-Off Marathon" includes games in five U.S. time zones ---- Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific and Hawaii ---- from 14 states and the District of Columbia.

ESPN will use a two sets of studio analysts ---- Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and Hubert Davis as well as Doug Gottlieb and Jay Williams.

-- On the women's side, No. 9 Tennessee takes on Texas Tech at 4 p.m. Tuesday on ESPNU and No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 14 Texas at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

-- Stu Lantz, one of the true gentlemen in sports, has missed just two Lakers games in his 23-year broadcasting career ---- one for his mother's funeral, one for his daughter's graduation. Lantz, who played eight seasons in the NBA, including time with the old San Diego Clippers, had surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee on Monday, but was behind the mike for Thursday's Lakers game against the Suns.

Leitner on the move

Ted Leitner will have a busy few days.

Saturday, he calls a San Diego State men's basketball-football doubleheader.

The basketball game against UC San Diego in Viejas Arena tips off at 2 p.m. The football game against Wyoming at Qualcomm Stadium kicks off at 7 p.m.

He may have more problems leaving the arena than getting into the stadium as the basketball game may outdraw the football game.

On Monday, Leitner has a late night as the Aztecs basketball team is in Moraga for an 11 p.m. game against Saint Mary's. Before that, however, he'll tape San Diego State's weekly highlight show for Channel 4 at 2 p.m. He catches a 4:40 p.m. flight to Oakland, then drives to Saint Mary's.

"I've done a 10 a.m. football game, but I've never done an 11 p.m. basketball game," Leitner said. "I haven't done anything at 11 p.m. since I stopped doing the news at Channel 8."

Just a reminder, Leitner is on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award ballot. Fans can go online at www.baseballhall.org and vote for Leitner starting Dec. 1. Since 1978, the Frick Award has been presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting Jerry Coleman was the Frick winner in 2005.

Leitner certainly deserves support for this national award. And why he isn't in the Padres Hall of Fame along with Bob Chandler is one of life's great mysteries.

Local notes

-- In a change of pace for local fans, Fox has Sunday's Eagles-Chargers game. Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick call the action with Nischelle Turner working the sidelines. Billick is familiar with Qualcomm Stadium, having worked as an assistant coach at San Diego State. The game goes to just 8 percent of the country. Most of the country, including all of Southern California other than San Diego, gets the Cowboys-Packers.

-- Andy Masur is back as voice of USD men's basketball on XTRA Sports 1090. The Toreros tipoff the season against Stanford at 7 p.m. Friday.

-- San Diego's 1700 will carry Friday night's Valley League high school football game between No. 6 Ramona and No. 1 Oceanside. Ted Mendenhall and Josh Massieh will call the action with Jordan Carruth working the sidelines. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

-- The Wyoming-San Diego State football game will be shown on the mtn. at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Ratings game

-- Last Sunday's Chargers-Giants game from the New Jersey Meadowlands posted a 31.5 rating on CBS with a 59 share of the audience. Nationally, the game did a 14 rating with 10.8 million viewers. That's down 17 percent from a similar game last year that involved the Cowboys and Giants.

-- Need proof the Cowboys are a national draw? Sunday night's Cowboys-Eagles game on NBC did a 14.3 rating with 11-million viewers ---- up 20 percent from last year's Patriots-Colts game at the same time of year.

-- The Steelers-Broncos "Monday Night Football" game on ESPN posted an 11.5 rating with 11.358-million viewers, winning the night for ESPN.

-- CBS' SEC college football package is averaging a 4.0 rating while games on ABC are averaging 3.9. This marks the first time since 1996 that CBS has a better rating than ABC this late in the season.

Around the dial

-- Sunday night's NFL game on NBC is the Colts-Patriots, a game the network is billing the "Rivalry of the Decade." I'm not so sure about that, but it figures to be a great game. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m.

-- ESPN2 has the MLS Western Conference playoff final ---- Houston Dynamo at L.A. Galaxy ---- live at 8 p.m. Friday. The Eastern Conference final ---- Real Salt Lake at Chicago Fire ---- is 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the Fox Soccer Channel.

-- NBC and NBC Universal will have 14 hours of coverage from Skate America from Lake Placid, N.Y., part of the ISU Grand Prix Figure Skating Series.

-- MLB Network's "Studio 42 with Bob Costas" will have an interview with longtime Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell at 5 p.m. Tuesday.