'DREAM' NOT SO IMPOSSIBLE CALABASAS NATIVE IS FINALIST IN ESPN CONTEST TONIGHT.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth Staff Writer

For tonight's final two-hour live episode of ESPN's reality show ``Dream Job,'' where one aspiring ``SportsCenter'' anchor picked by the viewers is handed a one-year contract to work at the all-sports network, USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has made Calabasas native Aaron Levine the even-money favorite to win against the three other candidates who made it this far.

Which is probably the last thing the senior at Stanford needed to think about this weekend.

``That's flattering, but I still consider myself the underdog, especially if I'm fortunate to get to the final two,'' said Levine, who turned 22 Saturday, from his New York hotel room where he was prepping on the sports news of the day from his laptop computer while watching the day's NCAA Tournament games.

``America has 100 percent of the decision and I still have to have a good performance.''

Based on his on-camera composure, writing, reporting and answering sports questions in front of the four-person panel of judges and the ESPN audience the past five Sundays, Levine's goal of becoming an anchor at the network within seven years of his college graduation could come much faster than he anticipated.

This ``American Idol'' for sportscasters started with about 10,000 applicants from a 29-city casting call between September and December, 2003.

Levine, who first tried out at the Santa Monica stop, didn't show enough to the talent scouts to warrant a callback. A month later while back at Stanford, he heard about another audition at a San Francisco TV station. Even though he was doing the radio play-by-play for the Cardinal women's volleyball game that afternoon, he took a blanket and pillow, drove up and parked on the sidewalk at 4 a.m. and was the fourth person in line.

``For some reason I was much more relaxed,'' said Levine, one of the 40 from that group of 400 invited back.

From there, he was one of five then sent to a two-day regional audition in November at a Beverly Hills hotel. That group was cut to 35, then to a final 11 that was sent off to New York for a live, six-episode elimination process starting in February.

``It felt like the NCAA Tournament,'' said Levine, who happened to already have taken off this quarter from his studies as a history major so he could begin the process of sending audition tapes to small-market TV stations to set up possible jobs after his June graduation. If he doesn't win tonight, he starts classes Tuesday back at Stanford to complete his last 16 units.

The final 12 contestants (one who won a wild-card spot through a promotional contest was added) ranged from a Texas attorney, an auto supply salesman from Pennsylvania, a computer programmer from Nigeria to a Brooklyn comedian. From the 10 men and two women, the judges and online voters got it down to the final four - three of whom, like Levine, are college seniors studying to become sportscasters. That might be no accident, proving to the other wannabes that it isn't a job you can have by just walking in off the street with good looks or a little shtick.

Rather than eat snails, build a mud hut or belt out a version of an Elvis Presley song, these finalists competed against each other in practical sportscasting skills.

Tonight's test involves doing a ``Pardon The Interruption'' debate with co-host (and judge) Tony Kornheiser, plus a mock ``SportsCenter'' with Linda Cohn and Karl Ravech. Whoever wins goes on to the 8 p.m. ``SportsCenter'' with a chance to increase his $70,000 salary in $5,000 increments - or drop by $10,000 - by answering quiz questions.

The winner also has to start work immediately, appearing on Monday's ``SportsCenter'' at 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

``The whole process has been unbelievable,'' said Levine, who was given $1,000 by one of the show's sponsors to buy a new wardrobe for tonight's episode. On Friday, the four finalists got a tour of the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., which Levine said was ``everything I expected it to be and more. Talk about a surreal experience.''

Those who have followed Levine's focused pursuit of a journalism career - which have included internships at Fox Sports Net, the ``NFL on Fox'' Sunday show and KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, a broadcasting class at New York University and spending several summers writing for The Daily News sports department - aren't surprised by his success on the show, which will help Levine regardless because of the national exposure he's received.

``He's a natural talent, probably one of the most energetic broadcasters I've ever heard,'' said Chris Drake, the former sports director at Stanford's KZSU student radio station.

Al Jaffe, one of the show's judges who also is ESPN's chief talent recruiter, said Levine's strengths are his smooth delivery and ad-libbing ability, adding: ``if you close your eyes, he sounds a lot like Jim Lampley.''

Levine's parents, Stanley and Sue Ann, made the trip to New York this weekend after nervously watching him from their Calabasas home with dozens of relatives and friends the past month.

``This is a goal of his that he really wants,'' Sue Ann said. ``It's exciting for the whole family to see him go after his dream.''

Tom Hoffarth, [phone]

thomas.hoffarth(at)dailynews.com

``DREAM JOB''

What: Final round of ESPN reality series where winner is awarded a one-year contract to be an anchor.

Time: Today, 6 p.m.

TV: ESPN.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) An ESPN camera crew follows Aaron Levine, a finalist in the network's ``Dream Job''contest, as he plays a round at Westlake Village Golf Course.

(2) Aaron Levine found time to play golf this week when he was not preparing for the final of ESPN's ``Dream Job'' contest.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

``DREAM JOB'' (see text)