Insiders believe that Tafoya and Mike Anselmo, her old boss at KFAN who is the new guy at WCCO-AM, are haggling over money. Money's tight right now in the media biz, so Tafoya's prospective new colleagues are fearful that paying for a big ticket item like her might spark another round of job cuts at the station, which, like many in broadcasting, did not have a good first quarter.

It's unclear what kind of coin WCCO would have to pay for the woman nicknamed Limo by her former KFANnies. With some WCCOers thinking that salary cuts are coming, Tafoya is surely not likely to earn the kind of money Anselmo would have been willing to pay someone who left him for big things. As you may know, Tafoya left here for ESPN and most lately "Monday Night Football," where she prowled the sidelines as one of that game's finest reporters.

Tafoya would bring WCCO listeners a colorful personality and well-rounded sports reporter with contacts on the national levels, who can also talk about family matters as a wife and mother.

In response to the vague phone message I left about finding a replacement for Rice, Anselmo said: "Can't talk about it yet because it's not done."

Of course, if Tafoya doesn't get it, WCCO could hire someone cheaper who might not threaten the ranks.