Shillin' with Mike and Don

To the station's credit, after Seldon stumbled to defeat in the first round, Channel 6 aired negative reaction from fans. Of course, there was no actual coverage of the fight: Video of the event wasn't released for broadcast to those who hadn't paid.

Splichal wonders why WTVJ (owned by NBC, which in turn is a division of corporate giant General Electric) would put itself in such a dubious position. "They fly that helicopter around, so it's certainly a viable organization financially," he observes. "To demean the institution for a few thousand dollars is tacky."

At the end of the telecast that included Minervini's story about the $1000 tickets, WTVJ's Geri Helfman added her own unscripted comment. "I hope they get their money's worth," said the anchor. And as if on cue, a message appeared across the lower part of viewers' TV screens: "Geri's hair by: Ugo Di Roma Salon.