Donnie Basketball and Davis are up; Vitale is down

Donnie Walsh may tear down the wall standing between the Knicks and the press. AP

1. Donnie Walsh, press liberator

It will lack the historical significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall but Walsh strongly indicated last week that Madison Square Garden's Soviet-like attempts at controlling the flow of information from Knicks Land will come to an end. "Basically we're going to sit down and try to make a media policy that is more open, more accessible but at the same time protects [the media] and protects the players and whoever else is on line to be part of it," Walsh said. Newsday reported that Walsh "promised to seek input from reporters, and likely will reach out to editors, too." Indeed, freedom seems on the horizon for those poor, tired, huddled masses otherwise known as the Knicks beat reporters. We wish them well in this brave new world.

2. Rece Davis, studio host, ESPN

The perpetually smooth host helped Bob Knight find his comfort zone early. And unlike colleagues Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps -- who acted as if they were in the audience of The Ed Sullivan Show the day the Beatles played -- Davis didn't blubber and squeal over Knight's presence. There's a word that comes to mind: pro.

3. Bernard Goldberg, correspondent, HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel"

The former CBS reporter, current Fox commentator and the author of the fabulously-titled book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, has consistently tackled the meatier features on the program, from dog-fighting (which is up for a Sports Emmy this year) to the deadly business of camel racing in the United Arab Emirates. His piece last month on Lenny Dykstra was fabulous television, a snapshot of a character worthy of Broadway.

"In my entire career I have never gotten as much reaction to a piece," Goldberg said. "I think this was the perfect television magazine piece in that he was an oddball character. If Bill Bradley, whose father was a banker, left the sport and became a successful businessman, there is no story there. But here is a guy who makes Yogi Berra sound like Albert Einstein and he's an immensely successful businessman."

A majority of the ideas on Real Sports originate from producers, though Goldberg says he gets involved at a deeper level than most on-air sports reporters since he previously worked as a producer during his 28-year run at CBS News. "I know if I am being bull------- by the producer," Goldberg says. "And I know how to put together a piece, even though it's not what I do now. I'm motivated by fear of embarrassment. I mean, I'm totally sick in that way."

4. John Ourand, staff writer, Sports Business Journal

Few pieces have generated more chatter within the sports television world than Ourand's comprehensive examination of ESPN's cross-promotion efforts. Among the highlights: the revelation of an anti-ESPN PowerPoint presentation that has been making the rounds among leagues and ad buyers the past six months. USA Today sports reporter Michael Hiestand hinted in this piece that Fox was behind the presentation. That should make for a tense summer softball game between the two entities.

5. Ron Darling, baseball analyst, SNY and TBS

Baseball fans in New York have come to appreciate Darling, a thoughtful former pitcher-turned-Mets broadcaster who treats viewers with respect by being honest. When Darling is not working for SNY (SportsNet New York) -- his primary employer -- he can be heard nationally on TBS. Darling will split analyst duties with Buck Martinez this year alongside Chip Caray, who addressed the avalanche of criticism he received from last year's sub-par playoff performance in this piece by Newsday's Neil Best.

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