Part of the fun of listening to sports radio or watching sportscasters on TV is being drawn into the conversation.

You have your own fan bias and opinions, and you may agree or be against what the professional broadcasters are spewing forth. Sometimes, you may even wish you had a brick at the ready next to your recliner to throw at the TV when some sports talker states the obvious or makes a mistake.

For a number of Wisconsinites, the opportunity to see if they have what it takes to help lead and shape the conversation themselves has returned.

Welcome to second season of Time Warner Cable Sports 32 "Talking the Talk," where an average person can win a chance to be on the other side of the camera and see if they are ready to truly talk about sports.

"A lot of people could do this job," veteran sportscaster Dennis Krause said. "It keeps you humble."

Krause knows that broadcasting can be difficult, and he is one of a few in this market that truly makes it look easy. He has been impressed with the ability level of the people trying out for the show.

Krause, who hosts the "Sports 32 Roundtable" and a number of other programs on Time Warner Cable Wisconsin's Sports 32, knows the ins and outs of covering sports in the Badger State. You may have heard him on the radio on Packers game days hosting the pre-game show, or contributing during home Milwaukee Bucks games. He's put in the work and earned the respect among colleagues and the athletes and coaches he covers.

In "Talking the Talk," any person who thinks they have what it takes can join Krause on his roundtable to talk about sports.

"The biggest (thing) is they sit on the set and talk sports with Dennis," Senior Manager Tom Kurtz said. "We make them feel relaxed and feel that they can do their best."

Video submissions are sent in, and Kurtz and his staff choose the finalists. The 24 participants get to come on the set and do a few segments with Krause and those are placed on Time Warner Cable's Wisconsin On Demand Channel 411. Kurtz edits the segments into the reality-TV inspired "Talking The Talk" show hosted by Lisa Manna. The second of three shows will air on July 25. On Aug. 1, the top finalists will be announced.

Each time one of the finalists' videos is viewed during the Aug. 1-14 voting period, it counts as a vote for that person to get a chance at the roundtable. The winner will be announced on Aug. 15 and appear on "Sports 32 Roundtable" in late August.

"We have a variety of contestants," Krause said. "From students ... teachers, a chef ... the (variety in) backgrounds and ages is impressive."

FROM NEWSPAPER NEWSROOM TO TV: Less than four minutes into the show, video footage from "The Post-Crescent" – a daily newspaper in Appleton – was featured in the latest episode of HBO's "Newsroom." The show about a nightly newscast on a fictional cable news station used the clip from the newspaper's website that was taken during a protest while Gov. Scott Walker visited the paper for an interview with the editorial board.

"A company that secures footage for HBO contacted The Post-Crescent because the video clip and circumstances of the protest fit well with the plot of the episode," the paper reported Monday on its website here.

Kudos to my former colleagues at The P-C for sharing part of their local coverage on a national stage.