NESN shows Fresno turmoil

New England Sports Network (NESN) will air a special sports documentary by Fox Sports Net Thanksgiving night, but it’s safe to say this holiday special won’t become traditional family viewing material in the same vein as “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“Between the Madness” is a behind-the-scenes look at the 1997-98 Fresno State men’s basketball season. Film crews were given unrestricted access to Jerry Tarkanian’s Bulldogs team during the season and shot over 500 hours of footage in 150 days.

The end result is a two-hour look at how a season of promise and excitement degenerated into one of turmoil which resulted from drug abuse, alcoholism, robberies, criminal assault, academic problems and suspensions.

Massachusettes native Chris Herren, a former college teammate of Maine native and University of Maine star guard Andy Bedard, figures prominently in the film. Herren transferred from Boston College in 1996, one year before Bedard and Maine teammate Nate Fox elected to transfer from B.C.

Herren revealed an alcohol problem early last season and left the Fresno State team to battle his addiction.

NESN; a regional cable service owned by the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins and Viacom/WSBK-TV; is a Fox Sports affiliate through 1999.

Think Giants fans might be fuming once they see the weekend TV listings?

Last week, the Fox Network turned down requests by local affiliates to air the New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles games because, according to one local station owner, “they said it would be such a bad game.”

Instead, local viewers saw Minnesota down Green Bay in a good game with playoff implications.

So with the Giants playing at San Francisco on Monday Night Football this week, which game is Fox feeding Maine affiliates at 4 p.m. Sunday? Why it’s Philadelphia at Green Bay. Evidently, that means a probable 49-0 Packer whacking of the Eagles is preferable to last week’s 20-0 Giants shutout. Good thing Minnesota doesn’t play the Eagles. They’d put that game in primetime.

Bangor radio station WABI begins its winter coverage of Husson College sports next week with the first of 24 men’s and women’s basketball broadcasts.

The action tips off with the first of 11 women’s games (UM-Fort Kent at Husson) Friday, Dec. 4.