Mike Bianchi:
Pingalore’s fun attitude will be missed.
WKMG-Channel 6’s decision not to renew the contract of popular sports director David “Ping”
Pingalore seems to be yet another case of sports being de-emphasized on local TV newscasts.
“There has been a shift on how valuable and how popular sports is on local TV newscasts,” WKMG general manager Jeff Hoffman told me on Friday. “The last station I was at [in Virginia] didn’t even have a sportscaster. The sports landscape has changed. There are so many other options now where people can get their sports scores and news.”
Maybe so, but I’m still going to miss Ping’s wacky, one-of-a-kind way of delivering the sports scores and news. One of the things I love about Ping is he understands that sports are fun and games, not life and death. He is an entertainer more than a sportscaster. He doesn’t care if you make fun of him
because he makes fun of himself.
“You have to find a way to be different,” Ping says. “… You have to be bold, you have to have fun, you have to be entertaining and informative at the same time. That’s called creativity.”
Even though Ping and I have had some goodnatured spats over the years because his reporting isn’t always completely accurate, he is one of the few local TV guys who is connected enough to actually break stories. He played golf with Arnie when he was alive. He had a sit-down interview with Tiger when he lived here.
Ping was the first to report that former Gators coach Urban Meyer had accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State. And, believe it or not, I’ve always insisted Ping changed the course of Orlando Magic history when he was the first to report that Dwight
Howard had gone to team management in order to get Stan Van Gundy fired.
The following day, as Van Gundy was in the midst of confirming Ping’s story in front of a gathering of reporters, Dwight unknowingly wandered into the media scrum and jokingly interrupted Van Gundy’s shocking bombshell. It turned into the most surreal reporter-athlete-coach exchange I’ve ever experienced. I believe that day persuaded Magic management to ultimately fire Van Gundy and so embarrassed Dwight that he eventually decided to leave Orlando. Ping. Sometimes he made you mad, sometimes he made you laugh, sometimes he made you cringe. But he always made you watch. He will be missed. He already is.
SHORT STUFF: Breaking news: My sources tell me that Dwight Howard was actually traded to Charlotte for a used vacuum cleaner and an old washing machine. … After seeing what the Bulls got in return for Jimmy Butler, why couldn’t the Magic have given up their No. 6 pick and a couple of players in an attempt to lure him to Orlando? I’d rather build around a sure thing in Butler right now than the potential of Jonathan Isaac in three years. …Phil Jackson is getting lampooned nationally for reportedly dozing off during the workout of an unnamed draft prospect. What’s the big deal? The Magic have put thousands of Orlandoans to sleep over the last five years as we have futilely tried to stay up and watch their somniferous brand of basketball. …
Jim Philips — host of the iconic “Philips Phile’’ on Real Radio 104.1 — is retiring after 30 years as an Orlando radio institution. I’m guessing another Jim might just replace him. … LaVar Ball said son Lonzo
Ball will lead the Lakers to the playoffs next season. This might be the dumbest prediction since I wrote in 2009 that Dwight would be a greater champion than
LeBron. But, then again, what do I always say? “Doctors bury their mistakes; sports columnist only print ours.” … Can you believe it? In two straight games, Orlando City — in the blink of an eye — scores equalizing goals in the final seconds of stoppage time. I guess you can say the Lions are just fast on the draw. …
How much you want to bet that Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire plays quarterback in the Florida Gators’ opener against Michigan? He might not start, but he’ll definitely play. … Apopka High legend and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has announced that when he dies he will donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. What a welcome change to see Sapp in the news for actually doing something good. … And now that Cavaliers GM
David Griffin is gone, who’s going to make LeBron’s coffee in the morning? …
LAST WORD: My sources tell me that Dwight Howard was actually traded to Charlotte for a can of Vienna sausages and a barely used leaf blower.