Ellen McNamara has finished treading water at KSTP, now jumping into the deep in Kansas City

Ellen McNamara promises she'll be seen again in the metro if we attract a specific big rasslin' event, and, oh, yeah she'll return for her sister Elizabeth's wedding.

McNamara has taken a main anchor job with Kansas City, Mo.'s KCTV5 after three years of being on KSTP-TV's "B-Team," she said with a laugh.

"KSTP offered me a new contract but I felt I was treading water," said McNamara. "I felt this was a great opportunity. When the timing is there, you've got to jump on it. [My dad] encouraged me to take this job."

And who's her dad?

Bob McNamara, the no-nonsense TV journalist who retired after 40 years, 30 of which were spent at CBS News. By the way, her dad, who now lives in Arizona and attended high school in Wisconsin, has become a lot more playful.

"You should interview him. He's like a golf marshal now. He gets paid in free golf now. Going from someone who was Mr. Hardcore, Mr. Stickler, Mr. Sailor's Mouth, it's interesting to see him in the customer service aspect of working on a golf course now," said McNamara.

"We've always been a CBS family, so for me working at a CBS affiliate feels like home," said McNamara, who was working for an ABC affiliate here. "They [CBS] have a great national product right now. I love that morning show right now, I think it's great."

Agreed. "CBS This Morning" often sucks me in for two hours with "The Eye Opener" at 7 a.m.

I experienced my own eye-opener when McNamara started talking about her love of wrestling.

"This is, like, ridiculous," McNamara said, but "I told somebody I would come back not for a Vikings game but if WrestleMania lands at the new Vikings stadium. I think they are talking about it in 2017."

Blame this passion of the diminutive McNamara's on her older brother, Michael. "No it doesn't [seem consistent with my personality]. A lot of people are surprised by that," said McNamara. "If someone wants to judge me, that's totally fine. My Lord, if you want to do some good people-watching, go to a WWE match."

McNamara is moving to Kansas with her husband, who works for his family's East Coast-based insulation business. "He travels quite a bit but he's able to live wherever we want to, as long as there's an airport," she said. "I'm fortunate that's the case."

So that was the hangup

That was no staged-for-TV prank Friday when something was causing Fox 9 meteorologist Steve Frazier discomfort near his shoulder blades and he reached down his suit coat to pull out a clothing hanger on-air.

"It was for real," wrote Twitter's @FrazierFox9. "If I [had] known this crazy outcome, I would've pulled a hanger out of my ass a long time ago."

The Weather Channel loved it: http://tinyurl.com/lvfs2f6.

No sour grape here

Fruit of the Loom's Purple Grape was present Friday when his dad was honored for his great works in the community and at the U.

I was at the reception for Dr. Frank Wilderson, a retired U administrator and its first black veep, who was being honored by Turning Point, an organization that helps people with substance abuse and related problems, when Wayne Wilderson arrived with his significant other photographer, Bonni Allen.

Wayne, who lives in Los Angeles, is known as, among other characters, the Purple Grape, the Chevy Guy and currently one of the doting pet owners in the spate of PetSmart commercials. He's also acted on lots of TV shows, including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Two and Half Men," but was required only to be himself in my startribune.com/video.

Neither of Wayne's 59-years-married parents — his mother is Dr. Idalorraine Wilderson — have seen the PetSmart spot.

Mrs. Dr. Wilderson is probably sorry she introduced me to retired Hennepin County Medical Center urologist Dr. Carl Smith, who keeps it real. When I stupidly averred that a urologist mainly dealt with male patients, Smith reminded me of "all those pads commercials."

Whoopi Goldberg, I did not lose poise while being put in my place.

Not quite letter perfect

Have not heard back from KARE 11 news director Jane Helmke about whether anything has hit the fan as a result of a Wild playoff game graphic with a coarse scatological reference that resulted from a typo.

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Buzz." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count. Attachments are not opened.