Blago trial rerun falls short on drama

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Former Governor Rod Blagojevich addresses reporters following his corruption retrial hearing Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago. | John J. Kim~Sun-Times

Updated: June 14, 2011 12:40AM

Except for “King of Queens, which I’m disturbingly addicted to watching every night at 10 p.m., I’m not a big rerun person.

Which means you’ll rarely catch me viewing a TV show or movie twice, no matter how good it was. And minus a few classics, I don’t reread books, even if I’ve got only a vague recollection of how the protagonist prevails.

So it’s no surprise I’m paying minimal attention to the second trial of our former governor. No, we don’t know for sure how this redo will conclude. But much to Blagojevich’s dismay, no doubt, until a verdict is announced, this once Must See plot has been relegated to “in other news.” Right or wrong, the countdown to Oprah’s final show is getting more hype than the corruption trial in the Dirksen Federal Building.

I suppose people still care. We should. Prosecutors are spending mega-tax dollars trying to bust this guy a second time around. But like any second-rate circus act, the novelty has worn off. We’ve got less drama, fewer surprises. And even Kevin James would have a hard time coming up with any new material about potty mouths or puffy hair. Notice, too, “b----ing” isn’t used once in this column.

Still, I decided to make a few random phone calls around the Fox Valley to see if anyone was still interested in this trial that only last summer was making international headlines and the opening monologues of every late night talk show.

First, I caught up with Naperville resident Kim Neppl, who is active in a local book club and ready to offer her critique of this courtroom sequel.

“I don’t have much interest,” she said. “After all, we already know the story line.”

Her apathy mirrors that of Elgin’s new mayor,

“We’ve gone through this before,” Dave Kaptain said. “It’s lost its luster.”

Next, I checked in with Will Radostits of Naperville, a sophomore studying for finals at the University of Iowa.

Being out of state makes it harder to catch the news, admitted Radostits, who was featured last August in columns about his controversial pickup baseball team.

Still, his interest in Blago’s trials and tribulations has waned. And right now he’s more focused on finishing up his school year, going to work when he gets home and getting his renegade team up and running again.

(FYI: Although a generous businessman offered to sponsor the team, these boys of summer have decided to keep their games “spontaneous” — and thus, a thorn in the side of the Naperville Park District.)

Then there’s Denise Elsbree. Unlike Blagojevich, the director of daytime services for Communities in Schools in Aurora is more interested in feeding the hungry than her ego. Normally, she’d be paying at least cursory attention to the trial. But Elsbree, who is handling volunteers for the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry fundraiser on Saturday, hasn’t even had time to turn on the TV.

“I guess you could say there’s things more important out there.”

Indeed.

Sheila White’s got way too much on her plate, too — keeping up with the seniors in the four houses she operates in Kane County as alternatives to nursing homes. “I really think (the second trial) it such a waste of time and energy,” she said.

Besides, “don’t you think Blagojevich has learned his lesson by now?”

Likewise, Diane Ladley is busy planning her “Historic Ghost Tours” that will take place this evening in Naperville, Aurora and Elgin. It is, after all, Friday the 13th, which makes it a big night for local hauntings.

But Ladley, a fan of National Public Radio, still listens to enough about the trial to offer her most expert opinion on Blagojevich.

“No matter how many times you hear the tapes,” she said, “he really doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.”