Courtesy North County Times

(July 18, 2008) Having two play-by-play men in the booth didn't work last season, when San Diego State paired Ted Leitner and Lee Hamilton for the radio broadcasts of its football games.

Leitner and Hamilton are two of the best play-by-play men in the business, but they didn't work well together. While Hamilton grew into the color analyst role, he had a hard time on the air dealing with the fact he wasn't the lead man.

So Hamilton is out.

But instead of finding a bona-fide color analyst, officials at Clear Channel Communications and San Diego State apparently are determined to go with two play-by-play men again.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Chris Ello will join Leitner on Aztecs broadcasts on KOGO (600) this fall.

Ello fits two major criteria. He's a former San Diego State athlete, and he works for Clear Channel, serving as the midday host on XTRA Sports 1360.

But he played baseball at SDSU, not football. I imagine he went to Aztecs football games as a student, but I'm not sure if he knows if footballs are pumped or stuffed.

It seems to be the same old thing when San Diego State looks for a football analyst. Not that the Aztecs had a wealth of options.

Mark Halda, the No. 1 choice and a man who has worked well with Leitner, is back in coaching at Palomar College and wasn't available.

John Kentera is a top-notch color analyst and tireless worker, but he's employed by XX Sports Radio 1090.

Mike Costa, the third wheel on 1360's morning show with Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth, has played football, but instead of working in the booth with Leitner, he'll roam the sidelines on Aztecs broadcasts.

There are many other candidates, but no one was satisfactory to both Clear Channel and San Diego State.

Tom Nettles ---- who was a star receiver for the Aztecs, played in the Canadian Football League, worked with Leitner in the 1970s and worked for the Golf Channel ---- is back in town. But he was never considered. Nettles would have been a great choice, because he knows the game and works hard.

Part of the problem with Ello is his work ethic. There are days when his radio talk show is great because he works at it, prepares. When he gets a good guest, he asks good questions.

But there are days when he gets lazy, reads lists and puts his audience to sleep.

Ello did a great job for many years as the voice of the San Diego Gulls minor-league hockey team. I've worked with Ello, and know he's capable of good work.

But he'll need to immerse himself in this job ---- go to practice, learn names, offenses, defenses and opponents.

Ello is likable, but there's more to working a radio broadcast than being a cool guy and knowing the secret handshake.  For this to work with Leitner, Ello needs to give his best effort.