Asking and answering:

As they prepare for their seasons, how much will the Dolphins and University of Miami allow fans and media to follow and chronicle practices -- either in person or through blogs or Twitter?

There is mixed news.

On the Dolphins front, 19 full practices will be open to the public, beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, and those and five others will be open to the media. The NFL does not require teams to open practices to fans, so credit the Dolphins for not closing them. The league does require all practices be open to the media through the second preseason game.

But the Dolphins are requiring reporters to turn off electronic devices once the individual portion of practice ends. That means reporters cannot Twitter or blog during team drills unless they leave the practice-field grounds and return to an area where they cannot see the field. That delays the flow of information, but fans will still get updates through newspaper websites, including this one.

Like past years, the Dolphins also have told reporters they cannot report what they witness in practice if it's ``anything deemed to competitive.'' That includes game strategy, formations, substitutions, what positions players worked at and the number of repetitions players had at certain positions. But fans who attend the open practices can see any of that and naturally can share that information with whomever they choose.

So as in past years, expect the Dolphins to be cautious about what they show in open practices.

Fans at Dolphins practices cannot bring electronic devices except still cameras (with no bigger than eight-inch lens), cellphones and I-pods. Though fans can use cellphones during practice, the Dolphins announced they will prohibit fans from electronic transmission of data during practice (blogging, tweeting and texting). So, for example, you cannot send your buddy Elroy a text message saying, ``Pat White overthrew a pass that hit Tony Sparano in the clavicle.''

That fan policy would seem highly difficult to enforce, and the Dolphins declined to say how they will try to do it.

As for UM, coach Randy Shannon struck a deal with reporters in spring practice: They could watch practice and report what they saw (except trick plays). In exchange, Shannon would not be asked to speak to the media after every practice.

But that deal has not been offered for practices leading up to the opener. So all practices will be closed to both the media (except the scintillating stretching drills) and to the fans, except the first one -- at 8 a.m. Aug. 8 at Cobb Stadium on campus. That session will be open to season-ticket holders and reporters.

AROUND THE DIAL

• Why is WFOR bringing back error-prone, Salt Lake City-based announcer Craig Bolerjack -- who is not exactly an expert on the team -- for Dolphins preseason games instead of finding someone local?

``He's employed by CBS, we don't feel he's unqualified, and he's been doing it for many years,'' WFOR representative Lee Zimmerman said. But there are qualified local options, including Dick Stockton and Mark Jones. Bolerjack, Bob Griese and Nat Moore return for WFOR's preseason package. Fox will carry Miami's third preseason game, at Tampa, nationally at 8 p.m. Aug. 27.

• Why hasn't Tiki Barber been the TV star that TV executives expected?

As one network executive said, Barber doesn't come off as either particularly likable or especially insightful -- a deadly combination for a network analyst. Plus, the executive said, NBC gave him major assignments on the Today Show before he was ready.

Barber lost his gig as a studio analyst on NBC's Football Night in America and instead will be a reporter on the show, appearing from the site of one of the top afternoon games. With one year left on his contract, nobody would be surprised if NBC doesn't bring him back in 2010.

• Why is ESPN's Chris Mortensen traveling 6,400 miles by bus over the next month? Can't he get a flight?

Mortensen is visiting 20 NFL camps in 24 days and says a bus trip is a good way to see the country. The tour begins Saturday in Dallas and ends Aug. 23 in Miami.

• So what's this about the Panthers allowing fans to sit in the radio booth with Randy Moller this season?

Fans who pay $2,500 will get to sit with Moller, appear on air for one minute during an intermission, give Moller a favorite movie line or catch phrase to use on broadcasts (790 listeners can do this for free); get four lower-bowl tickets, a jersey, compact disc of the broadcast, VIP parking, a pre-game dinner and autographs from a favorite Panthers player.

But no, they will not be allowed to interject commentary.

With Bill Lindsay moving to television to replace Denis Potvin, the Panthers will have Moller work alone.

• Why is the U.S. Olympic Committee starting an Olympic-sports network, when NBC's channel (Universal Sports) clearly would suffice?

Don't blame NBC. It tried to work with the USOC, but the USOC instead opted to launch its own channel, in conjunction with Comcast.

NBC's Universal Sports, available locally if you own a digital converter box, carries all or parts of Olympic-style sports events outside of the Olympics, including next month's World Track and Field Championships. The USOC's channel will carry features, interviews and lower-profile Olympic sports -- a sure recipe for infinitesimal ratings.