SHUSTER SHOWS HOW TO ACT.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH Media

There is, probably in a drawer somewhere here buried under a mess of paper clips and take-out menus, a list of guidelines about media etiquette during a champagne locker room celebration.

Such as, No. 1: Don't join in, you self-absorbed idiot.

Historically, those who make important decisions in the visual medium have observed a far less strict interpretation of that first suggestion. Meaning, if you're granted access to the cliche' shin-dig with a microphone and camera, and it comes down to asking a meaningful question or getting soaked, do whatever plays better for the viewer looking for the vicarious thrill.

Lately, it's the female reporter's turn to get jiggy with it. The wet T-shirt possibilities are priceless.

But the way Fox Sports Net reporter Suzy Shuster handled things during the Angels' American League Division Series clincher over the New York Yankees last Saturday vs. what a look-at-me counterpart for a Minneapolis TV station did when the Twins clinched the AL Central title a few weeks ago is worth noting.

Shuster, on the Angels' beat for three years now, did her usually sharp postgame interviews - avoiding all the standard, ``How does it feel?'' questions, for one. But just before signing off, she was doused with a can of Bud Light by Angels reliever Troy Percival.

And everyone back at the ``Southern California Regional Sports Report'' had a laugh as she was shown wringing the beer out of her ponytail.

``I'm not upset, I thought it was funny,'' Shuster said this week when asked about it. ``At least what I hope I did was an example of the right way. I'm not the story.''

Compare that to what happened when the Twins clinched in late September. Anne Hutchinson, a reporter hired as eye-candy for WCCO Channel 4, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, appeared on camera proudly dumping a beer on Twins infielder Denny Hocking. She then lit up a victory cigar. It made for a great visual.

As a result of complaints from newspaper media writers, Hutchinson eventually was suspended for a week. That punishment is over, but blondie hasn't been seen covering the Twins-Angels ALCS this week.

Recently, Fox's Lisa Guerrero caught some media flack for holding up a champagne bottle for the camera during a Lakers' locker room splash fest. Was what she did wrong? It was probably harmless, but it pushed the line separating player from reporter another few feet.

Now, the way former Angels infielder and current TV analyst Rex Hudler participated in the team's locker room party after it clinched the AL wild-card spot in Texas two weeks ago went light years beyond proper form, but it was darn entertaining. So why does he get a pass?

And how could Hutchinson, a relative novice at the station trying to get some attention, be blamed for having some innocent fun?

Bottom line is there's a fine line, and Shuster, above all, reacted just fine to it.

Without playing dumb to the camera, Shuster's strength is developing a working relationship with the Angels players, and they actually ``afford me a great amount of respect,'' she said. ``A lot of them were protective of me in that locker room, and I would have escaped if not for Percival, who I've known for years. If anyone was going to douse me, it had to be him.''

We cringed when we saw it. But the more we thought about it, the more this idea makes more sense: so that we don't keep blurring this line, let's do away with televising locker room parties all together. The recent practice of bringing players back out on the field or court or rink for adulation and interviews was starting to become more the norm, but somehow it's forgotten again.

Another one of these boys-will-be-boys bottle-spraying parties will break out again soon for either the Twins or Angels. Please, somebody, do it right by not doing it at all.

--Ain't that rich: Hutchinson, interviewed in the October issue of Mpls. St. Paul magazine, said this about the fact she does look stunning on camera:

``I'm not just some Lisa Guerrero. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about, but sometimes I wonder if my guy friends hear a word that comes out of her mouth. I don't want to be thought of in that way. I take more pride in credibility.''

--Knowing your audience: Since surveys show Hispanics account for 13 percent of the total NBA fan base - the largest percentage for any major U.S. sports league - it makes dollars and sense for the NBA to work a deal with Spanish-language Telemundo for a 15-game TV package this season.

The weekly Sunday schedule starts Nov. 10 (New Orleans at New York) and includes the Clippers three times (Nov. 24, Jan. 5 and Jan. 12) but the Lakers just once (Dec. 22 at Toronto).

Telemundo, owned by NBC (which just lost the TV rights to the NBA), reaches 90 percent of the country's Hispanic viewers.

Meanwhile, HBO Latino, the cable network's 24-hour Spanish-language channel, officially announced this week it will do a new monthly series with Oscar De La Hoya to showcase up-and-coming fighters, starting in January.

De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions has a stable of young fighters to fill cards for the live original shows.

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