Fang's Bites

Some Rare Sunday Linkage

It used to be that I would be able to provide linkage all seven days of the week, but my schedule has been crazy lately especially on the weekends. My apologies for not being able to provide more weekend content.

But as I’m free right now, let’s not dilly-dally any longer and here are some links for you on this Sunday.

Christoper S. Stewart of the Wall Street Journal looks at NBC’s massive undertaking to provide online content for NBCOlympics.com.

Eddie Kim of Variety says it’ll be consumers, not the television networks who will decide how second screen usage in sports viewing will evolve.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable writes that NBC’s owned-and-operated will be sending reporters to cover the 2012 Olympics in London.

At The Sherman Report, Ed Sherman says ESPN Radio and Big Ten Network failed in covering the Louis Freeh report on Penn State and Joe Paterno.

Ed hears from fired San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan who landed on his feet in Louisville.

The excellent ESPN.com college basketball writer Dana O’Neill has a response to those who feel female sportscasters must be hot in order to be on television, knowledge in sports be damned. Thanks to Trenni Kusnierek of WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee for the link.

The Associated Press has announced its Olympic coverage plans.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Ronnie Ramos looks at some of the more interesting ideas in sports and social media.

Sports Video Group has looks at the Olympic venues that we’ll be seeing over the 16 days of competition starting on July 27. Actually a couple of days earlier if you count the Soccer Tournament. Here’s Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Joe Favorito looks at the return of the New York Cosmos.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe notes that despite a .500 season, NESN still drew viewers in the first half of the 2012 campaign.

Chad also has the Boston radio ratings for the Spring Arbitron book.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes about baseball stadia increasingly putting out the welcome mat for soccer exhibition games to generate new revenue.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says the Freeh Report on Penn State shows that football was above the law.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that the local NBC affiliate has a conflict with the Olympics and the New York Giants preseason opening game.

Pete has NFL Network’s extensive preseason game schedule.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says Giants fans will have to do a little searching for the team’s preseason games in August.

Ken has the Olympic Basketball Tournament viewing schedule.

Greg Connors of the Buffalo News looks forward to hearing the dulcet tones of Peter Alliss on the Open Championship this week.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner recaps the local reaction to the release of the Penn State report.

Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if the future of talk radio lies with sports rather than politics.

Stephen F. Holder of the Times writes that the Buccaneers will adhere to the new NFL TV blackouts bucking what the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans had already announced.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Sentinel writes that the MLB All-Star Game received its lowest local ratings since 2005.

Back to Ed Sherman, he has an article in today’s Chicago Tribune on NBC’s new thinking about presenting every Olympic event live online.

Eric Zorn of the Tribune remembers a blind sportscaster who did his job so well, many listeners had no idea he was sightless. Thanks to Ed Sherman for the link.

The Reno Gazette-Journal talks with ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that reports of Heather Cox replacing Erin Andrews on the sidelines for Saturday Night Football may be premature.

Sports Media Watch has a look at Fox’s primetime MLB ratings over its eight week span.

SMW says Detroit leads all local markets in the MLB ratings.

Paul M. Banks at the Sports Bank wonders if it’s time for Matt Millen to leave ESPN.

Media Rantz looks at the NFL teams deciding not to adhere to the new TV blackout rules.

EPL Talk has the schedule for some of exhibition soccer games on TV over the next few weeks.

And that’s going to complete our links for today. I hope to have another post for you later. I hope time will allow me to do so. It’ll be good, I promise.

Jonesing For Tuesday Linkage

Ok, maybe you’re not jonesing for the linkage, but at least you can read them at your leisure. Sometimes I think way too long about the title of the post and this is the case today. Anyway, let’s get to the links.

Joel Schectman of the Wall Street Journal reports that NBC and Google are preparing for possible hacking or denial of service attacks of online Olympic streams next month.

Lindsay Rubino at Broadcasting & Cable writes that NBC with U.S. Olympic Trials coverage in Track & Field, Swimming and Gymnastics won primetime on Sunday.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says ESPN and ESPN2 are seeing huge ratings gains from Wimbledon.

Mike writes that NBC Sports Group has expanded its commitment to its Fight Night.

Anthony Crupi at Adweek says Fox Sports has sold out its ad inventory for the MLB All-Star Game.

Crupi says NBC scored with the U.S. Olympic Trials over the last week and a half.

Wayne Friedman of MediaPost says if Sunday is any indication, NBC should do really well with the Olympics later this month.

George Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter notes that BBC’s sports broadcasts of EURO 2012 and Wimbledon are leaving rival ITV in the ratings dust.

Nat Ives from Advertising Age notes that NBC and Sports Illustrated are teaming up for a monthly show.

Sam Marmudi of Marketwatch.com says NBC is getting ready for an Olympic takeover.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! writes that MLB’s antiquated blackout policy is hurting the sport.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com says the media could be allowed to see the college football playoff selection process.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans from the Tampa Bay Times writes that Erin Andrews is another example of ESPN losing another big name star.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks about why it’s important for Fox to have Erin Andrews make her debut next week at the MLB All-Star Game.

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group says ESPN plans to change its production model of the X Games as it expands globally.

Darren Rovell bids farewell to CNBC.

At the ESPN PR Front Row blog, Mike Humes says the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest brings back memories for college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.

Timothy Burke of Deadspin notes that Texas Rangers TV voice Dave Barnett who had a strange on-air moment last month, will be taking a medical leave for the rest of the season.

Andy Smith of the Providence Journal writes that almost a million people watched the America’s Cup World Series races on NBC over the weekend.

To Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, who looks at the on-going MLB TV rights negotiations. Some interesting news from Richard in the article.

Newsday’s Neil Best discusses MLB All-Star voting with Commissioner Bud Selig and Fox’s Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

Bob’s Blitz has video of some of the WFAN gang with CBS Radio bigwigs ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange last week.

The Albany Times-Union’s Pete Dougherty says the PGA’s AT&T National on CBS set a six year ratings high.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record reports that NESN National is available to local Verizon Fios subscribers.

Ken says NBA TV is gearing up for Summer League games.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Bog has ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian predicting good things for the Nationals.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times reviews the weekend in sports television.

Shannon Owens of the Orlando Sentinel recaps Erin Andrews’ appearance on the Dan Patrick Show today.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says Samantha Steele of the Longhorn Network could be the beneficiary of Erin Andrews’ departure from ESPN.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman talks about Dave Barnett’s decision to take a medical leave from calling the Texas Rangers.

Gregg Tunnicliff of the Flint (MI) Journal talks with a long-time racing commentator.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has MLB Commissioner Bud Selig not having a problem with the sudden surge of fan voting from the Bay Area for the All-Star Game.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says the Pac-12 Network is set to launch in 40 million homes next month.

Michael Gehiken of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the eased NFL blackout rules probably won’t affect the Chargers this coming season.

Sports Media Watch has some ratings news on the U.S. Olympic Trials and Baseball Night in America.

SMW notes that Wimbledon as an all-cable event is performing on par with last year.

Jason Lisk at The Big Lead is happy to note that ESPN blowhard Skip Bayless is wrong about racial profiling American white players in the NBA Draft.

Matt Yoder has some thoughts on ESPN’s EURO 2012 coverage.

Joe Favorito wonders if brands can make their Olympic sponsorship gambles pay off despite not having a name athlete to cling to.

And we’ll wrap up with Dave Kohl at The Broadcast Booth who looks back at WFAN’s 25 years in operation.

And we’re done.

Former Red Sox Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield Joins NESN As Studio Analyst

Announced by NESN at the same time the Erin Andrews-to-Fox story broke, we learn that retired Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will now become a studio analyst for the network. Wakefield retired during Spring Training this year after a stellar career with the Red Sox.

He had spanned 16 years in Boston starting in 1995 to 2011. He amassed 200 wins, 186 of which were with the Red Sox.

Wakefield’s first stint as analyst comes tonight during NESN’s pregame show. Here’s the NESN announcement.

TIM WAKEFIELD JOINS NESN AS RED SOX STUDIO ANALYST

June 29, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will join the network as a Red Sox studio analyst. Wakefield’s first appearance will be tomorrow, Saturday, June 30^th at 9:00 PM when he joins Tom Caron and Hall of Famer Jim Rice for one-hour of pre-game coverage before the Red Sox take on the Mariners in Seattle.

“Tim Wakefield has been an integral part of the fabric of the Red Sox and the New England community for the past 17 years,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “We are extremely happy to add Tim to our all-star lineup of studio analysts and believe that he will bring a unique perspective to our coverage with his knowledge of the team and the rest of the league.”

Wakefield retired at the end of last season after a 19-year MLB career, spending 17 years as a popular member of the Red Sox (1995-2012). He ended his career with 200 wins, 186 of them with the Red Sox, which ranks third behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens on the Red Sox all-time career win list. He was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1995, an All-Star in 2009, and a two time World Series Champion. He was also a champion off the field as one of the most charitable players in the league. He was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, and honored as the 2010 recipient of this prestigious award. His partnership with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston allowed him to spend time with patients. He has also been active with New England’s Pitching in for Kids organization, the Touch ‘Em All Foundation and the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, Florida.

That’s all.

Your Tuesday Linkage

Let’s do some Tuesday links.

We’ll start with Matt Hayes of AOL Sporting News and he writes that the BCS is looking for a $5 billion TV deal over a decade for its new college football playoff.

In the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Michael Bradley says the new college football playoff still can be improved.

Eric Fisher and John Ourand of Sports Business Journal write that the Washington Nationals and MASN continue to be at odds over what the team’s TV rights are worth.

Maury Brown in Baseball Prospectus goes inside the Nats/MASN TV rights dispute.

Mark Buteau and Alex Duff of Bloomberg report that NBC has signed a long-term extension to lock in the Tour de France.

Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter says CBC and CTV are dropping their joint bidfor the 2014/2016 Olympic Games.

Charlie Warzel of Adweek says the PGA and Turner Sports are parting ways as the golf association will handle its digital rights in-house and no longer outsource it to Turner.

Tim Baysinger from Broadcasting & Cable writes that Ion will provide the WWE with a third night of programming.

In Multichannel News, Tim has an article about NFL Network’s NFL AM show.

Media Life Magazine notes that a Spanish language ad ran during ABC’s NBA Finals broadcasts.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says CBS’ Jim Nantz is now pimping his own wine label. Surprised it’s not called “Hello, Friends.”

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has the amazing video of Mike Tyson on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption giving a preview of his new one-man Broadway play.

Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy notes that the KHL has officially announced plans to play in the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn while trashing New York’s Madison Square Garden in the process.

The ESPN Front Row blog fires a shot at the new upstarts CBS Sports Radio and NBC Sports Radio Network on behalf of ESPN Radio.

Ben Lee at Digital Spy UK says Wimbledon’s primetime coverage on BBC2 drew over a million viewers.

Tara Pringle Jefferson at Loop 21 has six questions for ESPN’s Sage Steele.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says NBA Draft prospect Anthony Davis has trademarked his unibrow.

Darren wonders if US Olympic 100 meter sprinter Justin Gatlin can be marketable once again after sitting out a four year ban for steroids.

Sports Video Group notes that NESN has signedanother content sharing agreement with a third New England TV station, this time in Vermont.

All Access interviews a radio industry analyst who feels the new CBS Sports Radio will do well for the parent company.

Ian Bethune at Sox & Dawgs has the funny video of NESN’s Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy entertaining the viewers during a Red Sox rain delay last night.

Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston writes about the Red Sox being in no rush to replace their late public address announcer Carl Beane.

Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reports that a positive FCC ruling for Tennis Channel in its carriage dispute against Comcast could lead to more viewers for the network and make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Bob’s Blitz has WFAN’s schedule for Sunday when it celebrates 25 years as the Nation’s first sports radio station.

Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday notes that E! will air a special on New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.

Neil Best of Newsday looks at ESPN’s start-to-finish coverage of Wimbledon.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has MLB Network’s live game schedule through the end of July.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call profiles a former local sports anchor who’s making his mark in Detroit.

Laura Nachman says a part-timer at Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is now part of the regional sports network’s starting team.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that Washingtonian magazine readers aren’t enamored with the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times chastises readers who complained about weather alerts about Tropical Storm Debby that cut into sports action.

At the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson looks at anti-Heat media comments almost a week after the team won the NBA Championship.

Marc Weiszer of the Athens (GA) Banner-Herald writes that ESPN is producing a documentary on the 2008 SEC Tournament game between Alabama and Mississippi State that was interrupted by a tornado that ripped through Atlanta.

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports that the Hornets will have the soon-to-be Fox Sports New Orleans to call their home. Fox Sports NO will replace Cox Sports which is getting out of the pro sports business.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says NFL Network will air clips of a Brett Favre interview all week long.

Danny Ecker of Crain’s Chicago Business says the local Comcast SportsNet affiliate will launch a new trivia game show.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has a clip of Frank Deford’s appearance on last night’s Colbert Report.

Simon Houpt and Steve Ladurantaye of the Toronto Globe and Mail look at CBC and CTV ending their joint bid for the 2014/16 Olympics after two prices were rejected.

Ann Dempsey from the Toronto Star also has a story on the CBC/CTV disbanding.

Bill Harris in the Toronto Sun says Olympic viewing in Canada after this year is up in the air.

Monika Warzecha of Toronto Life wonders if Canadians will be stuck watching NBC for the 2014/16 Olympics.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes TSN did well in showing the NHL Draft and EURO 2012.

Sports Media Watch has some various ratings news and notes.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest says NBC and Shazam have teamed up to provide interactive coverage of the London Olympics.

And that’s going do it for our linkage.

NESN & WJAR-TV Form New Partnership

Just as NESN and WBZ-TV formed a partnership last month, NESN and Providence television station, WJAR have formed a strategic partnership. It means that NESN’s Don Orsillo, Jerry Remy and/or Jenny Dell will make appearances (probably via tape) on WJAR’s noon and 6 p.m. newscasts.

In addition, WJAR sports director Frank Carpano will make appearances on NESN’s pregame show and the channel’s meteorologist Mark Searles will be seen giving weather forecasts.

Check out what NESN is saying about the whole thing below.

NESN AND WJAR/NBC 10 ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

May 22, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, and WJAR/NBC 10, the top-rated broadcast station in Providence, Rhode Island, announced today that they have entered into a content sharing partnership associated with NESN’s Red Sox and Bruins coverage. The partnership, which is similar to NESN’s content sharing deal with WBZ-TV in Boston, will utilize NESN’s Providence DMA signal. The Providence DMA ranks as the 53^rd largest TV market in the country and includes all of Rhode Island as well as Bristol County, Massachusetts. Several regularly scheduled game-day activities targeted at fans in the Providence market will debut over two nights on Tuesday, May 29^th and Wednesday, May 30^th, including:

1. NESN Live Shots for WJAR/NBC 10 Newscasts
   NESN will provide live pre-game reports from Fenway Park and all NESN road telecasts to NBC 10 News at 6 and NBC 10 News at Noon. The live shots, which will primarily feature NESN’s Don Orsillo, Jerry Remy or Jenny Dell, will take place throughout the baseball season.
2. WJAR/NBC 10 Sports Anchors on NESN
   WJAR sports director and 10-time Rhode Island Sportscaster of the Year Frank Carpano will appear as a guest on NESN’s Boston Red Sox pre-game shows, joining NESN host Tom Caron and Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice, Peter Gammons, and NESN’s newest analyst, former MLB slugger Matt Stairs.
3. Storm Team 10 Weather Updates on NESN

Storm Team 10, led by meteorologist Mark Searles, will deliver Providence area weather updates to NESN viewers in Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts during NESN’s Red Sox pre and post-game shows.

“WJAR has been a leader in providing the Providence market with the best news and sports coverage for decades,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO. “We are proud to partner with WJAR and excited to provide Rhode Island sports fans with more localized coverage through this exceptional affiliation.”

“We are proud and honored to partner with NESN, the region’s top-rated sports network,” said Vic Vetters, WJAR / NBC 10 General Manager.  “Red Sox and Bruins sports fans in Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts are loyal and serious when it comes to sports coverage. Bringing WJAR together with NESN, two powerhouse media organizations, is the perfect fit and we’re excited to bring viewers even more local weather and sports content during the Red Sox and Bruins seasons.”

There you have it.

Let’s Get Some Linkage Out

I’ve accumulated a lot of links. They’re slowing down my browser so let’s clear them so I can let my computer get back some memory. Lots of stuff going on.

Let’s start with ESPN stuff as it dominated the news today with its network upfront presentation to advertisers and also confirmed personnel moves.

First, Sports Media Watch talks about Scott Van Pelt reupping with ESPN.

The ESPN Front Row blog has a Q&A podcast with Van Pelt in which he explains why he decided to remain with the Bristolians.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today recaps today’s ESPN upfront presentation in New York.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today notes that with Michelle Beadle leaving ESPN, the network is now focusing on keeping Erin Andrews in the fold.

The Hollywood Reporter goes over some ESPN upfront news including its plans to bring back the 30 for 30 documentary series.

Stuart Levin from Variety also has a story on the new set of 30 for 30 docs.

Jeannie Poggi of Advertising Age also reviews ESPN’s upfronts.

Alex Weprin from TVNewser says ESPN and ABC News will co-produce an interview series to be fronted by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

Mike Shields from Adweek says ESPN.com will now partner to sell ads.

ESPN’s Vice President of College Sports Programming, Burke Magnus responds to a Dan Wetzel/Yahoo Sports article on the new ACC TV contract.

Chad Scott at ChuckOliver.net explains how third tier media rights work in college sports.

Andy Fixmer and Alex Sherman at Bloomberg report on how ESPN may expand its WatchESPN app to Apple TV platforms.

Andy Fixmer of Bloomberg says CBS is ready to take the coveted 18-49 ratings title from perennial winner Fox with the airing of Super Bowl XLVII next season.

The great SportsbyBrooks tweets that Erik Kuselias’ move to NBC Sports Network from Golf Channel’s Morning Drive is being considered a demotion by network higher-ups. I had a feeling this was the case. Do you consider this tweet inane, Mike Francesa?

Ed Sherman from The Sherman Report enjoyed watching Survival Sunday on the Fox Sports platforms, but wondered why the most important English Premier League game was on another network.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has four different calls of the same moment when Manchester City won the EPL title on Sunday.

John Ourand from Sports Business Journal writes about a now-defunct Twitter account that got under the skin of several sports network executives.

Earlier today, WFAN’s Mike Francesa ranted on how much he hates Twitter.

If you want to see Mike’s veins popping out during this rant, you can see it here on the YES Network website.

And while Francesa seemingly hates Twitter, Media Rantz points out that Francesa has an app where he does something similar to Twitter.

Bruce Jenkins from Sports Illustrated says Tennis Channel failed to serve the WTA Tour’s Madrid Open like it did with the ATP’s side of the same tournament.

Phil Allaway at Front Stretch looks at ESPN’s coverage of this past weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Race.

BBC Sport has announced it will have 24 live HD streams dedicated to the Olympics this summer.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says NBCUniversal has set the Olympics programming lineup for Bravo, CNBC and MSNBC.

John Eggerton at Multichannel News notes that a Federal Appeals Court has upheld an FCC ruling that Time Warner Cable did not discriminate against MASN when it refused to put the regional sports network on its North Carolina systems.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the college conference realignment game won’t be settled for at least another decade.

Matt Boutwell of Maine Sports Media looks at a case I wrote about three years ago, about the mysterious tweeter, BrianAdExec.

NESN goes behind the scenes with Jenny Dell and the network’s production team on what goes on during a typical Red Sox gameday.

Rich Elliot of the Connecticut Post has SNY’s president talking about the regional sports network’s plans to air UConn Women’s basketball next season.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with NBC Sports’ Mike Emrick about calling his old team, the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Eastern Conference Final.

In the New York Times, Jay Schreiber talks about the last time the Devils and the New York Rangers met in the Eastern Conference Final and how he had to monitor the series without smartphones back then.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports on ESPN’s plans to bring back 30 for 30.

Jerry Barmash from Fishbowl NY writes that MSG Network will provide of wraparound coverage of the NHL Eastern Conference Final.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says YES Network will air a Yankeeography on David Wells this week.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record notes that MSG Network will begin airing the WNBA’s New York Liberty starting this weekend.

Bob Fernandez of the Philadelphia Inquirer says two local global conglomerates including Comcast expect to make some big money from the London Olympics.

Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com Sports goes behind-the-scenes with ESPN’s MLS production.

Jeff Barker from the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles and the Washington Nationals are waiting word from MLB on a decision on how much MASN should pay the Nats.

Over to Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog who writes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is making a change in its DC NFL team beat reporter.

Dan talks about former Post columnist Howard Bryant ranting against Washington Nationals ownership.

Mike Finger at the Houston Chronicle says the Longhorn Network may offer more Texas football games in another attempt to get carriage from state cable providers.

Mel Bracht in The Oklahoman writes that the Oklahoma City Thunder on TNT set another local ratings record.

In Chicago Sports Media Watch, Paul M. Banks goes over some hate mail.

Scott D. Pierce at the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Utahans should be able to see the Running Utes thanks to wider distribution of the Pac-12 Networks than the soon-to-be defunct the mtn.

Tuesday night, KNBC-TV did a story on the busy postseason in Los Angeles, but aired the wrong graphic for the Kings and showed the Sacramento Kings instead of the LA Kings. C’mon, man!

Martin Miller of the Los Angeles Times says ESPN upfront presentation showed the network was ready for some football.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media is telling everyone that a New York Rangers-Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Final might not mean boffo ratings as some NHL observers are saying.

Jay Koot of Busted Coverage is disgusted by Erik Kuselias’ engagement to Morning Drive news reader Holly Sonders.

And that’s where we’ll end the links tonight.

Even More Overdue Sports Media Thoughts

My apologies for the lack of updates on Wednesday. I was away from a computer for most of the day and unable to update the site as much as I would have liked. I hope Thursday won’t be as crazy as I have a few things to post for you.

I do have some sports media thoughts for you. As usual, they’re in bullet form.

• With Wednesday’s news that ESPN expanded and extended its rights deal with the Atlantic Coast Conference, it means that the Alleged Worlwide Leader has a virtual lock on most of the so-called “FBS” or Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. If ESPN signs the Big East later this year, it will have made a clean sweep in the category. While ESPN does a good job in airing college sports, the fact that it controls so much inventory is disturbing.

  Yes, CBS has a piece of the SEC, Conference USA and most of the Mountain West. Fox has the Big 12, Conference USA, Pac-12 and part of the Big Ten through its partnership with the Big Ten Network. NBC has Notre Dame, the CAA, Ivy League and Mountain West.

  But if you’re a college conference, you need to do business with ESPN. It’s all about exposure and money and not particularly in that order. While ESPN doesn’t have a monopoly in college sports, it certainly has a majority.

  And while it can be argued that no one put a gun to the conference presidents and commissioners, the fact that ESPN has so much influence through its long-term contracts has to be scrutinized. ESPN has a lot of control in college sports and it’s to the point where it can influence matchups and tell conferences when and where to play. While TV has always had a hand in scheduling, ESPN’s control has gone beyond that.

• Why was #greenythedance such a big deal and why did ESPN show highlights of this overblown bet from Mike and Mike in the Morning all over the place? Didn’t care and did want to help the network promote it. A big non-story.
• Haven’t been too impressed with Jenny Dell on NESN. The new Red Sox field reporter is trying to fill the shoes of Heidi Watney. In her live spots, Jenny has not really stood out. It’s early and she still has time to improve.

We’re done.

NESN Announces Replacements For Jerry Remy Through 5/9

Red Sox fans have had to make due without popular NESN analyst Jerry Remy for the past few days. He’s been suffering from a sinus infection that forced him to miss the Chicago White Sox series. He started missing games last week in Minnesota and while he did work the rest of the Twins series, when he reached Chicago, NESN sent him home to recover.

Now, NESN has decided to give Jerry the rest of this week off and most of next week to recover. So over the next six games, Dennis Eckersley and Peter Gammons will fill in for the Remdawg. Last week, NESN has had to tap Roy Smalley from Fox Sports North, Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Gammons and various other guest analysts.

This is similar to what happened two years ago when Remy had cancer and NESN filled his slot with other analysts, mostly Eckersley. Here’s the NESN blurb on the replacement schedule.

NESN and their Red Sox color analyst Jerry Remy have decided to have him take the next week off to give him the best chance to fully recover from a sinus infection that has caused him to miss several games recently.  Remy expects to return to the NESN booth on Thursday, May 10^th when the Red Sox return from a quick three-day road trip to Kansas City to begin a four-game series against Cleveland.

During Remy’s absence, Dennis Eckersley and Peter Gammons will split the color analyst duties according to the following schedule:

Friday, May 4 – 7:00 PM vs. Baltimore – Dennis Eckersley
Saturday, May 5 – 1:00 PM vs. Baltimore – Peter Gammons
Sunday, May 6 – 1:30 PM vs. Baltimore – Peter Gammons
Monday, May 7 – 8:00 PM at Kansas City – Dennis Eckersley
Tuesday, May 8 – 8:00 PM at Kansas City – Dennis Eckersley
Wednesday, May 9 – 8:00 PM at Kansas City – Dennis Eckersley

That will do it. And I hope Jerry gets well soon.

Game 7 of Bruins-Caps Sets All-Time Ratings Record on NESN

The records just keep falling for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs both nationally and locally. While Game 7 ended sadly for the Boston Bruins, viewers in New England watched in droves. NESN saw an average 19.6 household rating for last night’s Game 7 between the B’s and the Washington Capitals. It’s the highest-rated Bruins game ever on the regional sports network. And it’s NESN’s 6th highest-rated event ever. The game also saw a 31 share.

The previous high for a Bruins game was last year’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between the B’s and Montreal which ended at a 17.7/28.

Overall, the four games of the Caps-Bruins series on NESN averaged a 13.6, the highest-rated postseason series outpacing last year’s series with the Habs (11.9).

And the regular season on NESN averaged 4.7 which again is a record. So coming off a Stanley Cup Championship season, the Bruins gave NESN all types of record numbers. Needless to say, NESN will be looking forward to the 2012-13 season as the B’s are expected to contend for the Cup again.

Here’s the NESN announcement.

NESN’S GAME 7 COVERAGE SETS NEW RECORD WITH A 19.6 RATING

Completes Highest Rated Bruins Season in Network History

APRIL 26, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, set a new single-game ratings record for Bruins hockey last night when Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at TD Garden received a 19.6 average household rating in the Boston DMA. The game ranks as the 6^th highest rated event in NESN history, and earned an impressive 31 share. The peak rating was a 25.5 during the 10 – 10:15 PM quarter hour, which equaled a 39 share.

NESN’s previous best-ever single-game hockey rating was last season’s Bruins Game 7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal victory over the Montreal Canadiens on April 27, 2011 when the network garnered a 17.7 HH rating and a 28 share.

NESN’s Game 7 ratings in most of the key demographic categories also set new network records, including a 22.1 in Men 25-54, 19.8 in Men 18-49, and 17.4 in Adults 25-54.

Top Rated Playoff Series in NESN History

NESN also set a new record for the highest rated playoff series in network history. NESN televised four of the seven games against the Capitals and garnered a 13.6 average household rating. The previous best playoff series was last season’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Canadiens which averaged an 11.9 HH rating.

Best Season Ratings in NESN History

Bruins regular season ratings also set a NESN record during the 2011/12 campaign with a 4.7 average household rating in the Boston DMA. The 4.7 season rating is a 52% increase over the 2010/11 season, when NESN set the network’s previous season record with a 3.1 HH rating. NESN’s Bruins ratings have increased an astounding 115% over the last two seasons.

That is all.

Let’s Do Some Thursday Linkage

Why not do some links while I can?

We begin with USA Today and the national NFL TV schedule for this upcoming season.

Carolyn Giardana with the Hollywood Reporter writes that NBC will utilize Avid Technology systems to develop video feeds for the London Summer Olympics.

George Winslow at Broadcasting & Cable says NESN has selected Sony to manage its video content.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that NBC is utilizing the “TV Everywhere” initiative to stream the Olympics live to mobiles, tablets and computers.

Mike talks with MLB Network President and CEO Tony Petitti about the new “Strike Zone” feature and what the network has in store for the next 12 months.

MediaRantz looks at the reaction from sports broadcasters upon learning that American Bandstand and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host Dick Clark had died.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that a baseball panel will settle a dispute between the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals over how much MASN should pay the Nats for their media rights. The Nats’ rights are undervalued compared to what other teams are currently being paid.

A.J. Perez of Fox Sports talks with sports documentarian Sean Pamphilon whose audio of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is front-and-center of the New Orleans Saints Bountygate scandal.

Ed Sherman at the Sherman Report feels sportswriters are unappreciated by the Pulitzer Prize committee. I agree.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing gets together with Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch, Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand, Dan Patrick Show Executive Producer Paul Pabst to hold the first ever NFL Media Fantasy Draft. Great stuff from AA.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid says the NFL wants ESPN and the NFL Network to stop spoiling draft picks.

Andrew Gauthier of TVSpy notes that a long-time sports anchor in Sioux City, IA is moving a seat to the right to become his TV station’s news anchor.

Gavin O’Malley at MediaPost says even though it’s not an Olympics rightsholder, Fox is making a commitment to cover the Olympics online.

David Goetzl of MediaPost writes that in this increasingly DVR timeshifting world, viewers still want to see their sports live and not delayed.

Timothy Burke at Deadspin noticed that a Miami TV station showed the wrong logo when reporting on the Florida Panthers win over the New Jersey Devils the other night.

Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo’s Puck Daddy finds that Hockey Night in Canada’s PJ Stock is endorsing Depends adult diapers in Canada????

The great Judy Battista of the New York Times talks with the NFL schedule maker Howard Katz who can’t please everyone.

Steven Silver at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post blog wonders if national announcers are biased against the city as some fans perceive.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com profiles one Baltimore sports radio host who has changed stations, but vows to continue doing what he’s been doing.

Chris Korman of the Baltimore Sun says the Washington Nationals are looking to get more money from the Baltimore Orioles majority-owned MASN.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with Capitals TV voice Joe Beninati about the team’s series with the Boston Bruins.

Chuck Carroll at CBS Washington looks at Britt McHenry’s decision to stay at WJLA-TV instead of taking a job with Fox Sports San Diego. Britt was also a candidate to replace Heidi Watney on NESN and Kim Jones on YES.

Tom Jones in the Tampa Bay Times talks with hockey charlatan Pierre McGuire about the perceived increased disrespect in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman says ESPN’s Skippy Bayless was ripping the Oklahoma City Thunder this week.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that NFL Network has another Top 100 show.

Howard Sinker of the Minneapolis Star Tribune gave ESPN a try to get a different perspective on the Minnesota Twins.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says Utah Jazz broadcasters Craig Bolerjack and Matt Harpring make no bones about rooting for their team, but don’t call them homers.

Rob Katowski of the Las Vegas Review-Journal says a proposed merger between the Mountain West and Conference USA could still happen as long as the two leagues agree on sharing TV rights.

Tim Sullivan with the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the impasse between Fox Sports San Diego and Time Warner Cable is preventing Padres fans from seeing their team.

Sports Media Watch says ESPN has a tapped a man no one has ever heard of to host The ESPY’s.

SMW notes that former Portland Trail Blazer and NBA analyst Steve “Snapper” Jones has been plagued by massive health issues.

SMW has some ratings news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says Game 2 of the Florida Panthers-New Jersey Devils series did very well for NBC Sports Network last Sunday.

Steven Morocco and John Morgan of MMA Junkie write that UFC wants a similar TV deal in the UK as it has with Fox in the States.

EPL Talk looks at Fox going all out for the English Premier League’s final day of the season next month.

Guyism notes that twice this week, MASN Nationals reporter Kristina Akra got soaked with Gatorade.

And that’s going to do it. Found more links than I thought I would and that’s very good for you.

Bruins Set Another Ratings Record on NESN

Last night’s Game 1 Boston Bruins victory over the Washington Capitals in overtime set yet another ratings record on NESN.

The opening game in the Bruins’ defense of last year’s Stanley Cup received an 11.6 household rating which is the highest rating ever for a Game 1 of a playoff series on NESN. Last night’s 1-0 win on a goal by Chris Kelly also received a 19.3 share.

According to NESN, the 11.6 is the 7th highest rating for a Bruins playoff game on the regional sports network.

NESN’s coverage of the Bruins 1-0 overtime win over the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game #1 set a new first game of a playoff series ratings record for NESN with a 11.6 average household rating in the Boston DMA and a 19.3 share. The 11.6 rating is also the 7^th highest Bruins playoff rating in NESN history.

NESN’s coverage of the Bruins-Capitals series continues on Saturday (4/14) with one hour of pre-game coverage from TD Garden beginning at 2 pm with Bruins Face-Off LIVE. Dale Arnold, Gord Kluzak, Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley and Naoko Funayama will team up for NESN’s pre and post-game coverage. NESN will also deliver complete post-game coverage immediately after the game on NESNplus with Bruins Overtime LIVE. Fans can visit NESN.com/NESNplus for the NESNplus channel in their area.

That’s all.

NESN & WBZ-TV Announce New Strategic Partnership

NESN and CBS Boston have announced a on-air partnership that will affect both parties.

Starting Friday, NESN’s Red Sox announcing team involving Don Orsillo, Jerry Remy and Jenny Dell will be seen on WBZ-TV on the station’s local newscasts for pregame appearances for all games, road and away.

WBZ’s sports staff including Dan Roche will become regular guests on NESN’s Red Sox pregame shows. In addition, WBZ will provide weather reports on NESN’s Red Sox pre and postgame shows as well as during rain delays. And WBZ’s weather forecasts will be incorporated year round into NESN Daily’s highlight shows.

We have the joint press release from NESN and WBZ-TV.

NESN AND WBZ-TV ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

WBZ AccuWeather to be the “Official Forecast of NESN’s Red Sox Coverage!”

April 12, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, and WBZ-TV, the top-rated Boston broadcast station in primetime, announced today that they have entered into a partnership that will connect the two market leaders in a unique content sharing relationship associated with NESN’s Red Sox and Bruins coverage. The partnership, thought to be the first-of-its-kind in the country between a regional sports network and a broadcast station in the same market, will launch on Friday, April 13 for NESN’s exclusive coverage of the Red Sox home opener and will feature a number of regularly scheduled game-day activities, including:

1. NESN Live Shots for WBZ-TV Newscasts
   NESN will provide live pre-game reports from Fenway Park and all NESN road telecasts for WBZ-TV’s 6:00 PM and Noon newscasts. The live shots, which will primarily feature NESN’s Don Orsillo, Jerry Remy or Jenny Dell, will take place throughout the baseball season beginning tomorrow for the home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
2. WBZ-TV Sports Anchors on NESN
   WBZ-TV sports anchor Dan Roche will appear as a regular guest on NESN’s Boston Red Sox pre-game shows, joining NESN host Tom Caron and Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice, Peter Gammons, and NESN’s newest analyst, former MLB slugger Matt Stairs.
3. WBZ-TV Weather Updates on NESN

·         WBZ-TV News’ team of AccuWeather meteorologists, led by meteorologist Todd Gutner, will provide the “Official Forecast of NESN’s Red Sox Coverage.”

·         WBZ-TV’s AccuWeather team will provide NESN with weather updates for NESN’s pre and post-game shows.

·         WBZ-TV’s AccuWeather team will provide NESN in-game weather updates during rain delays.

·         WBZ-TV’s AccuWeather updates will also be provided year-round to NESN Daily, NESN’s nightly sports news program, which airs at 10:00 PM on non-game days or immediately following NESN’s post-game coverage on Red Sox and Bruins game days.

“This unique partnership brings together two of the strongest and most popular media companies in New England in a way that we think complements the strengths of each organization,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO. “WBZ-TV has a long-standing history as a local leader in the Boston market and we are looking forward to working closely with them.”

“We are delighted to partner with NESN, the region’s top-rated sports network, and combine the significant resources of our two powerhouse media organizations to bring viewers even more comprehensive and compelling weather and sports content during Red Sox and Bruins seasons,” said Ed Piette, President and General Manager of CBS Boston’s WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV.

That concludes this post.

NESN’s Boston Bruins Playoff Coverage Plans

We have press releases from three regional sports networks on their plans for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs so I’ll post them one at a time.

Beginning with the New England Sports Network or NESN, it will carry as many as five games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Fans in the designated Boston Bruins viewing area will be able to watch NESN’s coverage of the game while NBC Sports Network will be blacked out locally.

Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley and Naoko Funayama will be the game crew at TD Garden and the Verizon Center in downtown DC.

Dale Arnold will be the studio host and he’ll be joined by rotating analysts Gord Kluzak, Barry Pedersen and Mark Mowers throughout the series.

NBC is scheduled to air two games of the series.

Here’s the NESN press release.

NESN ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR BOSTON BRUINS FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF COVERAGE

April 10, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, will deliver regionally exclusive coverage of up to five games during the Bruins first round playoff series against the Washington Capitals that begins Thursday, April 12. NESN will also expand Bruins pre-game coverage to include at least one hour of coverage before every game as well as complete post-game coverage after every game.

NESN’s popular duo of Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley will call every NESN televised playoff game with Naoko Funayama serving as rink-side reporter. Dale Arnold will host NESN’s studio programs with Gord Kluzak, Barry Pederson and Mark Mowers providing analysis. NESN’s pre and post-game coverage for Bruins home games will originate from the network’s TD Garden studio with coverage of the games in Washington coming from NESN’s studios in Watertown, MA.

NESN’s 2012 Bruins Playoff Coverage Schedule

Thursday, April 12
6:00pm — The Instigators LIVE
6:30pm — Big Bad Bruins LIVE
7:00pm — Bruins Face-Off LIVE
7:30pm — Capitals at Bruins, Game 1
10:00pm — Bruins Overtime LIVE

Saturday, April 14
2:00pm — Bruins Face-Off LIVE
5:30pm — Bruins Overtime LIVE (NESNplus)

Monday, April 16
6:30pm — Big Bad Bruins LIVE
7:00pm — Bruins Face-Off LIVE
7:30pm — Bruins at Washington, Game 3
10:00pm — Bruins Overtime LIVE

Thursday, April 19
6:30pm — Bruins Face-Off LIVE
7:30pm — Bruins at Washington, Game 4
10:00pm — Bruins Overtime LIVE

Saturday, April 21*
2:00pm — Bruins Face-Off LIVE
5:30pm — Bruins Overtime LIVE

Sunday, April 22*
TBD

Wednesday, April 25*
TBD

*  = If Necessary

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s press release on the same series is coming up next.

Boston Bruins Set Another Ratings Record on NESN

For the completed 2011-12 Boston Bruins regular season, NESN saw record ratings for the second consecutive year. NESN says the B’s 71 game season on the network averaged a 4.7 household rating in Boston which is a staggering 52% increase from last year’s successful Stanley Cup campaign that averaged a 3.1.

NESN notes that of the 25 most watched Bruins games in the RSN’s over quarter century history, 23 of them were of this past season. Just six games fell below last year’s average season rating.

So Boston has become a hockey town once again. NESN will carry as many as five games of the upcoming Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Washington. As many as two will be picked up by NBC exclusively.

Here’s the NESN press release.

NESN SETS NEW FULL SEASON BRUINS RATINGS RECORD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON

4.7 Average Household Rating Up 52% Over Record-Setting 2010-11 Season

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, set a new Bruins regular season ratings record during the 2011/12 campaign by garnering a 4.7 average household rating in the Boston DMA. The 4.7 season rating is a 52% increase over the 2010/11 season, when NESN set the network’s previous season record with a 3.1 HH rating. NESN’s Bruins ratings have increased an astounding 115% over the last two seasons.

“The impact that the Boston Bruins are having here in New England is undeniable, as the team’s popularity continues to rise and all of NESN’s Bruins programs continue to set new ratings records,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “The excitement around the Bruins will only get more intense as the Bruins get ready to take on the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs to defend their 2011 Stanley Cup Championship.”

NESN’s Bruins ratings showed an incredible level of consistency throughout the season, as 23 of the network’s 25 top-rated Bruins regular season games of all-time were played during the 2011/12 season, including the six highest rated hockey games in NESN history. The consistent support shown by Bruins fans was also illustrated by the fact that only six of NESN’s 71 Bruins games failed to garner at least a 3.1 household rating (last season’s record-setting average rating).

Bruins Fans Watch More Than Just NESN’s Game Coverage
All of NESN’s Bruins-related studio programs also experienced substantial ratings gains this season. Bruins Face-Off LIVE (1.1 HH, up 96%) and Bruins Overtime LIVE (1.9 HH, up 55%) both earned their best-ever regular season average household rating. Big Bad Bruins (+177%) and The Instigators LIVE (+10%) both improved after making the switch from tape delay to a live program format.

That’s is all.

Attempting A Friday Megalink Post

This week has been hellish for me and I apologize for not being able to post as much as I would like. I’ve been away from my computer for most of the day and by the time I get home, I’m tired and don’t want to update the blog.

Well, with me already done my errands for today, I’ll give you some linkage that has been seriously lacking this week.

Of course, there’s the Weekend Viewing Picks which you can peruse.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says Jim Rome is hoping to make a splash as he prepares to launch his new daily show on CBS Sports Network.

Reid Cherner of USA Today’s Game On! blog says perpetually angry ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb is throwing his hat into the Kansas State coaching ring.

The Associated Press was on hand to witness Root Sports Northwest’s production of the Seattle Mariners-Oakland A’s regular season openers in Japan without actually traveling to the Far East.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim has more thoughts on the numerous conflicts of interest in tennis broadcasting.

Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand has Fox Sports’ statement on its carriage dispute with Time Warner Cable over Fox Sports San Diego.

John profiles legendary sports television producer Don Ohlmeyer.

Around the Rings has the press release regarding the European Broadcasting Union obtaining the rights to the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

ESPN Ombudsman Jason Fry of the Poynter Institute says college basketball analyst Bob Knight should not be allowed to live by his own rules when he’s on TV.

Scott Soshnick and Steven Church of Bloomberg Businessweek says the Los Angeles Dodgers sale was sparked by media rights.

Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter says former Sony Pictures head Peter Gruber who’s part of the new Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group could bring a new attitude towards marketing the team.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable has Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott calling rights fees for college football are undervalued.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says NESN National is being launched in Indianapolis.

Tim Nudd at Adweek says Chrysler is unveiling four new follow ups to its “Halftime in America” Super Bowl spots during various events this weekend including the NCAA Final Four and Mad Men.

Adweek’s Mike Shields writes ESPN.com is partaking in Facebook’s Open Graph, but with some restrictions.

Jason Del Ray at Advertising Age notes that CBS/Turner brought in its highest sales revenue ever for March Madness Live.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says March Madness has been enhanced by social media and the digital experience.

The Brothers Yoder at Awful Announcing cast the upcoming Anchorman sequel using ESPN’ers. This is good.

Ben Koo at AA is not a huge fan of the overhead shots employed by CBS/Turner for the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid says the Los Angeles Times feels there’s one person who could spoil the new ownership for the Dodgers.

Ahmed Yussuf at EPL Talk gives a first-hand account of following the English Premier League from Australia.

Sports Media Watch says last weekend’s rain-shortened NASCAR on Fox event did not do well in the ratings.

Joe Favorito asks if ‘The Hunger Games” could give archery a boost in time for this summer’s Olympics.

Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead reports that Joe Posnanski is leaving Sports Illustrated.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says the potential Fox cable sports network may not knock down ESPN, but could give it a run for its money.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks about two rival Hollywood agencies representing Tim Tebow simultaneously.

Bob’s Blitz says WFAN’s Craig Carton browbeat former Tiger Woods swing coach Hank Haney to the point where he hung up.

Brandon Costa of Sports Video Group says CBS returns to New Orleans where it began its Final Four journey 30 years ago.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says ESPN MLB analyst Curt Schilling is facing hypocrisy calls after he criticized his former Red Sox team this week.

Chad adds some thoughts on Schilling and on NESN’s Jenny Dell that didn’t make his column.

Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch writes in SB Nation that a Tiger Woods in contention is good for The Masters^® and its TV partners.

Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times reviews this year’s edition of the MLB At-Bat app.

Richard Sandomir from the Times examines the Dodgers sale.

Anthony Riemer of Newsday looks at Jeremy Lin’s lunch with the sacked ESPN.com editor who unwittingly made a racial slur last month.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels Fox Sports’ Jimmy Johnson should not be advocating violence. I don’t think he did, Phil, but continue to hate everything, ok?

Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for former Tennessee and current Sirius XM analyst Bruce Pearl on the Final Four.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty has the ESPN MAC football schedule.

Pete has CBS excited about this year’s Final Four.

Jane Kwiatkowski of the Buffalo News says this is a tough time for the local TV sportscast.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call looks at a local PBS documentary on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Laura Nachman says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is ready for Phillies baseball.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the Fox sitcom “Raising Hope” gave another of many Capitals references.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with MLB Network’s Mitch “Wildi Thing” Williams.

South

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle writes that the Houston Open should be helped by a lot of interesting storylines.

David says Jim Rome is getting ready for his CBS Sports Network closeup.

David writes that Texans running back Arian Foster is taking his show to the team’s radio flagship station.

In The Oklahoman, Mel Bracht has ESPN’s MLB analysts predicting the upcoming season.

Mel says there will be plenty of baseball available in the Oklahoma City market.

Mel reports a local radio station has flipped to being a full-time ESPN Radio affiliate.

Mel writes that a local radio sports director has been laid off thanks to Clear Channel.

Midwest

Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer says New Orleans has provided CBS with plenty of Final Four excitement.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says a local TV station plans to ride the Kentucky train for as long as possible.

John says a couple of long-time local radio veterans got the ax due to Clear Channel cost cutting.

John writes that a radio documentary on late Cincinnati Reds voice Waite Hoyt airs this weekend.

The Indianapolis Star says Butler coach Brad Stevens will be a guest analyst for CBS on the Final Four.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers have extended their radio rights deal with their long-time flagship station.

Bob says a local sportscaster is back to work after a long illness.

Bob tells us that Marquette coach Buzz Williams will also be a guest analyst on CBS this weekend.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that CBS loves New Orleans at Final Four time.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says 20 Cardinals games won’t be seen by AT&T U-Verse subscribers this season.

Dan writes that the defending champions Cardinals will be in the national spotlight quite a few times this season.

West

Jay Posner at the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Fox Sports San Diego is not optimistic of getting a deal with two cable providers in time for Padres opening day.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star has ESPN’s MLB analysts praising Magic Johnson’s presence with the Dodgers.

Jim was surprised that Kentucky-Louisville wasn’t the nightcap for the Final Four.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Lakers fans are enjoying having guest analysts on radio broadcasts this season.

Tom talks with Jim Rome about his CBS Sports Network show.

Tom has more on Rome in his blog.

Canada

The usually uninformed Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says CBC Sports appears to be rudderless as it heads into a new NHL negotiation.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has the viewership numbers for Canadian sports television from last week.

And that will conclude the megalinks.

Jenny Dell Makes NESN Debut

After an offseason search that led to region-wide speculation and a hiring that was reported with the fervor of a Presidential Cabinet appointment, Jenny Dell will make her long awaited NESN debut and be introduced during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

She replaces Heidi Watney who left after last season to join Time Warner Cable’s Southern California regional sports network.

We have the NESN press blurb.

NESN’s new Red Sox Reporter Jenny Dell (@JennyDellNESN) will be officially introduced by Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy during NESN’s coverage of the Boston Red Sox – Philadelphia Phillies spring training game on Saturday, March 24th. NESN’s game coverage begins at 1:30 PM from JetBlue Park at Fenway South.

That is all.

College Basketball Viewing Picks For 02/25 & 02/26, All Times Eastern

Men’s Schedule Courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

Saturday, February 25

College GameDay live from Storrs, CT — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN, 11 a.m./ESPN, 8 p.m.

11 a.m.
Robert Morris at Quinnipiac — ESPNU

noon
Virginia Tech at Duke — ACC Network
Vanderbilt at Kentucky — CBS
Northeastern at Delaware — Comcast SportsNet New England/CSS/The Comcast Network
Notre Dame at St. John’s — ESPN2

Women’s: DePaul at Louisville — Big East Network: MASN/SNY

1 p.m.
Boston College at Wake Forest — Fox Sports Net: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports West/NESN
LaSalle at Fordham — YES

1:30 p.m.
Iowa State at Kansas State — Big 12 Network
Oklahoma at Baylor — Big 12 Network
Drake at Wichita State — Fox College Sports Central/Comcast SportsNet Chicago Plus/Fox Sports Midwest
LSU at Mississippi — SEC Network

2 p.m.
St. Louis at URI — A-10 Network: Comcast SportsNet New England/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Cox Sports RI
UCLA at Arizona — CBS
Villanova at Georgetown — CBS
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State — ESPN2
Boise State at Wyoming — the mtn.

2:30 p.m.
Maryland at Georgia Tech — ACC Network
NC State at Clemson — ACC Network

3 p.m.
St. Francis at Sacred Heart — Fox College Sports Atlantic

4 p.m.
Texas at Texas Tech — Big 12 Network
Missouri at Kansas — CBS
Lafayette at American — CBS Sports Network
Drexel at Old Dominion — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Comcast SportsNet New England/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
North Carolina at Virginia — ESPN
Creighton at Indiana State — ESPN2
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech — ESPN Plus
Memphis at Marshall — Fox Sports Net (national)
Air Force at UNLV — NBC Sports Network
Arkansas at Auburn — SEC Network
Florida at Georgia — SEC Network

5 p.m.
Rutgers at Seton Hall — ESPNU
Houston Baptist at North Dakota — Fox College Sports Central

6 p.m.
Purdue at Michigan — Big Ten Network
Portland at BYU — BYU TV
UMass at Dayton — CBS Sports Network
Mississippi State at Alabama — ESPN
George Mason at Virginia Commonwealth — ESPN2

Women’s: Oklahoma at Texas — Fox Sports Net (national)

7 p.m.
Temple at St. Joseph’s — ESPNU
New Mexico at TCU — the mtn.

8 p.m.
Nebraska at Michigan State — Big Ten Network
UTEP at Central Florida — CBS Sports Network
Richmond at Xavier — ESPN2
Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky — Fox College Sports Atlantic
USC at Arizona State — Fox College Sports Central/Fox Sports Prime Ticket/Fox Sports Arizona
Washington at Washington State — Fox College Sports Pacific/Root Sports Northwest
Tennessee at South Carolina — Fox Sports Net: Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southwest/Sun Sports

Women’s: Texas Tech at Texas A&M — Fox Sports Net (national)

9 p.m.
Syracuse at UConn — ESPN
Northwestern at Penn State — ESPNU

10 p.m.
Colorado State at San Diego State — the mtn.
Nevada at Fresno State — WAC Sports Network

11 p.m.
Cal Poly at UC-Santa Barbara — ESPNU

Sunday, February 26

noon
Cincinnati at South Florida — Big East Network: Altitude/Cox Sports Television/MASN/SNY
Maine at Stony Brook — CBS Sports Network

Women’s: Indiana at Purdue — Big Ten Network

1 p.m.
Indiana at Minnesota — ESPN

Women’s: Boston College at Miami — Fox Sports Net: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports South/NESN/Sun Sports Plus
Women’s: Central Florida at Houston — Fox Sports Net (national)

1:30 p.m.
Women’s: Kentucky at Mississippi State — ESPNU

2 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Louisville — CBS

Women’s: Minnesota at Penn State — Big Ten Network
Women’s: UMass at Xavier — CBS Sports Network

3 p.m.
Women’s: Duke at North Carolina — ESPN2
Women’s: Washington State at Washington — Fox Sports Net (national)

3:30 p.m.
Women’s: Old Dominion at James Madison — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Women’s: Florida at Tennessee — ESPNU
Women’s: Mississippi at Auburn — Fox Sports Net: Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports Southwest Plus/SportSouth/Sun Sports Plus

4 p.m.
Wisconsin at Ohio State — CBS

Women’s: Ohio State at Nebraska — Big Ten Network

5 p.m.
Women’s: LSU at Georgia — ESPN2

5:30 p.m.
Cal at Colorado — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
Iowa at Illinois — Big Ten Network
Florida State at Miami (FL) — ESPNU

7:30 p.m.
Oregon at Oregon State — Fox Sports Net

8 p.m.
Akron at Ohio — ESPNU

Wringing Out Some Friday Megalinks

Let’s do your media megalinks since last week you did not get any.

Hard to believe that college baseball, college lacrosse and NASCAR seasons are starting up, but they are and they’re included in the Weekend Viewing Picks along with the regular Golf, NBA, NHL, Skiing, Soccer, Tennis and Entertainment recommendations.

To your links now.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says Jeremy Lin will make his nationwide broadcast network debut this weekend.

Tim Baysinger from Broadcasting & Cable notes that Floyd Mayweather’s next pay per view fight has been set by HBO for the spring.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News writes that Jeremy Lin continues to drive the MSG Network ratings engine.

Mike Shields of Adweek looks at CBS/Turner Sports’ plans to charge to view the NCAA Tournament online.

Ted Johnson of Variety talks with Ken Solomon of Tennis Channel on his ongoing battle to get a better footing with Comcast.

Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says the Jeremy Lin media coverage is over the top.

Sports Media Watch notes the increased viewership for the NHL on NBC Sports Network.

SMW says Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have lent their voices to a Disney XD cartoon series.

Andy Hall at ESPN Front Row PR blog celebrates the 5th anniversary of NASCAR’s return to the network.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell speaks with Jeremy Lin’s agent.

Andrew Bucholtz writing his first article for Awful Announcing looks at the reaction to Jeremy Lin in Canada.

Mat Yoder at AA says the ratings for last weekend’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am show fans are still interested in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Joe Favorito explores the steady growth of college lacrosse.

Mark J. Miller of Brandchannel says NASCAR fans don’t like it when drivers juggle sponsor logos throughout the Sprint Cup season.

The Big Lead has ESPN’s Erin Andrews out and about during New York’s Fashion Week.

Chris Chase at Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner notes that ESPN has been coaching Jon Gruden to use his words judiciously.

Harrison Mooney of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy says Jeremy Lin’s drawing power might indirectly benefit the New York Rangers, Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils which have been missing from Time Warner Cable systems in addition to the Knicks.

David B. Wilkerson at MarketWatch wonders if the MSG/Time Warner Cable feud will eventually push sports into a premium tier.

East and Mid-Atlantic

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn gets some advice for new NESN Red Sox field reporter Jenny Dell from MSG’s Tina Cervasio.

At SB Nation Boston, Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch pays tribute to Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan who announced he’s retiring after the London Olympics.

Surviving Grady has a podcast with Jen Royle.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at the new charge for viewing the NCAA Tournament online.

Richard writes about the increased ratings for Knicks games since Jeremy Lin arrived on the scene.

Phil Mushnick at the New York Post is in rare form today even for him.

Brett Cyrgalis of the Post has five questions for CBS college basketball analyst Bill Raftery.

The Post’s David Seifman reports that the New York City Council is pressuring MSG Network and Time Warner Cable to work out a deal.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News writes that ESPN bumped tonight’s Hornets-Knicks game not realizing it would be another opportunity to showcase Jeremy Lin.

Jerry Barmash from Fishbowl NY has reaction from various NYC sports anchors to the death of former Mets catcher Gary Carter.

Mike Silva at the Sports Media Watchdog feels hockey coverage in New York is woefully inadequate.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that a local sports TV reporter received a New York Emmy nomination.

Pete lists his top studio analysts.

DCRTV’s Dave Hughes has the latest in Baltimore-Washington DC sports media news in Press Box.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has a clip of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon as cartoon characters.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner says talks with sports business writer Evan Weiner about the NFL’s antiquated blackout rules.

South

Barry Jackson at the Miami Herald has some thoughts on Shaquille O’Neal’s rookie season at TNT and ESPN’s decision to remove Ron Jaworski from Monday Night Football.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says the Astros plan to bring in former players to their radio booth to celebrate the team’s 50th season.

Mel Bracht at the Daily Oklahoman notes the first network appearance of Jeremy Lin is this Sunday.

Midwest

The Detroit Free Press notes that all of the Tigers games will be on TV this season.

Bob Wolfey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Dick Enberg told a captive audience at Marquette University about the art of the pause and when to use it in broadcasting.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business has his weekly winners and losers in sports business and media.

To the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin where Paul Christian writes that Fox Sports North will be all over the Minnesota Twins this season.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals have mostly put the kybosh on late afternoon games at Busch Stadium this season.

Dan says a local sports radio host is recovering after undergoing heart bypass surgery.

West

Jay Posner at the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the new Fox Sports San Diego is set to launch next month.

Jay writes the San Diego Padres stand to double their rights fees from Fox as compared to Cox a year ago.

John Maffei at the North County Times says the official announcement between Fox Sports San Diego carrying the Padres is due any time now.

At the Ventura County Star, Jim Carlisle says NBC and the NHL have become very good partners.

Jim feels ESPN should not have jettisoned Ron Jaworski from Monday Night Football.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times notes that ESPN college football analyst Ed Cunningham is up for a Best Documentary Oscar.

Bill Shakin of the Times says Frank McCourt’s legal problems are holding up Fox’s announcement with the Padres.

Tom Hoffarth from the Los Angeles Daily News recaps a lecture from three noted network broadcasters discussing TV coverage of the Olympics.

And that’s going to conclude the megalinks for today.

College Basketball Viewing Picks For 02/18 & 02/19/2011, All Times Eastern

Men’s Schedule Courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

Saturday, February 18

College GameDay live from Ann Arbor, Michigan — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN, 11 a.m./ESPN, 8 p.m.

BracketBusters
Drexel at Cleveland State — ESPNU, 11 a.m.
Wichita State at Davidson — ESPN2, noon
Buffalo at South Dakota State — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
Akron at Oral Roberts — ESPN2, 2 p.m.
Drake at New Mexico State — ESPNU, 3 p.m.
Nevada at Iona — ESPN2, 4 p.m.
Old Dominion at Missouri State — ESPNU, 5 p.m.
St. Mary’s at Murray State — ESPN, 6 p.m.
UNC-Asheville at Ohio — ESPN3, 7 p.m.
Texas-Arlington at Weber State — ESPN3, 8 p.m.
Long Beach State at Creighton — ESPN2, 10 p.m.

11:30 a.m.
Bryant at St. Francis (NY) — Fox College Sports Atlantic/MSG Network

noon
Louisville at DePaul — Big East Network: Cox Sports Television/CSS/MASN/SNY
Marquette at UConn — ESPN

1 p.m.
Florida State at North Carolina State — ACC Network
Maryland at Virginia — ACC Network
UCLA at St. John’s — CBS
UNLV at New Mexico — CBS
UTEP at Memphis — Fox Sports Net (national)
Wake Forest at Miami (FL) — Fox Sports Net (regional): Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports South/NESN

Women’s: Boise State at TCU — the mtn.

1:30 p.m.
Kansas State at Baylor — Big 12 Network
Oklahoma at Iowa State — Big 12 Network
LSU at South Carolina — SEC Network
Tennessee at Alabama — SEC Network

2 p.m.
Duquense at Temple — A-10 Network: CSS/The Comcast Network
Missouri at Texas A&M — ESPN

Women’s: Marquette at Syracuse — Big East Network: MASN/SNY
Women’s: Xavier at St. Bonaventure — CBS Sports Network

2:30 p.m.
Women’s:  Bryant at St. Francis (PA) — Fox College Sports Atlantic

3 p.m.
Arizona at Washington — Fox Sports Net (national)
Georgia Tech at Virgina Tech — Fox Sports Net (regional): Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports South/NESN/Sun Sports

Women’s: South Carolina at Alabama — SEC Network

4 p.m.
Seton Hall at Cincinnati — Big East Network: Fox Sports Ohio/MASN/SNY
Texas at Oklahoma State — Big 12 Network
Lafayette at Lehigh — CBS Sports Network
St. Joseph’s at George Washington — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Clemson at North Carolina — ESPN
San Diego State at Air Force — NBC Sports Network
Mississippi at Kentucky — SEC Network
TCU at Boise State — the mtn.

5 p.m.
Illinois at Nebraska — Big Ten Network
Colorado at Utah — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
LaSalle at UMass — CBS Sports Network
Florida at Arkansas — ESPN2

Women’s: Western Kentucky at South Alabama — Fox College Sports Central

6:30 p.m.
Women’s: New Mexico at UNLV — the mtn.

7 p.m.
Georgetown at Providence — Big East Network: Cox Sports RI/Cox Sports Television/MASN/SNY
Northwestern at Minnesota — Big Ten Network
BYU at Santa Clara — ESPNU

Women’s: Texas at Kansas State — Fox Sports Net (national)

8 p.m.
Texas Tech at Kansas — Big 12 Network
Dayton at Xavier — CBS Sports Network
Western Kentucky at South Alabama — Fox College Sports Atlantic
Mississippi State at Auburn — Fox Sports Net (regional): Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southwest

9 p.m.
Ohio State at Michigan — ESPN
Notre Dame at Villanova — ESPNU
Wyoming at Colorado State — the mtn.

Sunday, February 19

noon
Women’s: Michigan at Indiana — Big Ten Network
Women’s: Maryland-Baltimore County at Hartford — CBS Sports Network
Women’s: Georgia State at George Mason — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/CSS

1 p.m.
Michigan State at Purdue — CBS
Syracuse at Rutgers — ESPN
Vanderbilt at Georgia — Fox Sports Net (regional): Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southwest/Sun Sports

Women’s: Rice at SMU — Fox Sports Net (national)

1:30 p.m.
Women’s: North Carolina State at North Carolina — ESPNU

2 p.m.
Women’s: Wisconsin at Nebraska — Big Ten Network
Women’s: Tennessee at Mississippi — SEC Network

3 p.m.
Women’s: VCU at Old Dominion — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Plus
Women’s: Duke at Maryland — ESPN2
Women’s: UCLA at USC — Fox Sports Net (national)
Women’s: South Carolina at Alabama — Fox Sports Net (regional): Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South

3:30 p.m.
Women’s: Georgia at Florida — ESPN2
Women’s: Florida State at Miami — Fox Sports Net (regional): Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports South/NESN/Sun Sports

4 p.m.
Penn State at Wisconsin — Big Ten Network

5 p.m.
Women’s: Purdue at Michigan State — ESPN2
Women’s: Washington at Arizona — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
Indiana at Iowa — Big Ten Network
Duke at Boston College — ESPNU

7 p.m.
South Florida at Pittsburgh — ESPN2
Oregon at Stanford — Fox Sports Net (national)

Tuesday Night Linkage

I owe you linkage. I’m in a bad stretch so linkage is scarce. I try to give you breaking news when I can.

Let’s start with Michael Hiestand of USA Today who reports that MLB on Fox will go eight straight weeks in primetime during the upcoming 2012 season.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King says it’s time for him to step down as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Matt Pepin of Boston.com announces that legendary writer Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe plans to retire after the London Summer Olympics. Ryan will be missed, but I have a feeling we’ll still be seeing him around.

At Sports Business Journal, John Ourand looks at how sports talk radio is thriving while other formats  in the medium are failing.

John talks with a DC-based sports radio show on how it focuses on doing its program the old fashioned way.

SBJ lists some of the markets where sports radio wars are hot and heavy.

And SBJ has a look at sports talk radio by the numbers.

Dave Kindred at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center has hope for the future of sports journalism.

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing has the MSG Network and TSN calls of the Jeremy Lin three pointer to beat Toronto to guide the New York Knicks to their 6th straight win.

Kelly Dwyer at Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie blog says Jason Whitlock is backtracking after his racist Jeremy Lin tweet from last Friday.

Edmund Lee of Capital New York goes inside the “hard-working” descriptions for Jeremy Lin.

Advertising Age notes that NBC is utilizing Google and ComScore to measure how people watch this year’s London Olympics.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel News looks at a new internet streaming TV service that will challenge copyright laws, but has the support of rich investors and one particular media mogul.

Tim Nudd of Adweek talks about Ford creating a fake Sports Illustrated swimsuit model for an ad in this year’s issue.

Tim looks at Samsung’s Super Bowl ad which poked fun Apple groupies.

Timothy Burke at Deadspin has the awkward video of CNBC’s Darren Rovell asking SI Swimsuit Issue Cover Girl Kate Upton to be his Valentine.

Darren says SI had to put Kate Upton on the cover or suffer the consequences.

Jason Brough at Pro Hockey Talk has New York Rangers fans angry over the MSG/Time Warner Cable dispute.

Tom Lorenzo at SportsGrid says Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will grant his first post-relapse interview to … Glenn Beck TV?

Larry Mahoney of the Bangor (ME) Daily News says Maine native Ricky Craven will be a NASCAR analyst for ESPN this season.

NESN has a behind-the-scenes video with its Boston Bruins rinkside reporter Naoko Funayama on her gameday preparation.

NESN also has Friends of Fang’s Bites Jen Royle and ABC6′s Courtney Fallon talking about their dream dates as they attended a charity event in Boston last weekend. Former NESN Red Sox reporter Heidi Watney was also there.

Over to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times who says NBC is hoping the London Olympics will outpace the ad sales for the Vancouver Winter Games which ended up at a loss for the network.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says WFAN has made it official that Josh Lewin replaces Wayne Hagin on Mets broadcasts this year.

Bob’s Blitz looks at the overhyped CBS Radio mobile app for WFAN’s Mike Francesa who once proclaimed it to be a “Twitta Killa.”

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union writes that despite not having Time Warner Cable subscribers watching, MSG Network’s ratings for Knicks games featuring Jeremy Lin are red hot.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record states that MSG will simulcast Knicks games in Spanish.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies are hoping to cash in when their TV rights go up for bid after this season.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has samples of Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis’ takes on the print media.

Jose Lambiet of the Miami Herald notes that local sports radio talk host Sid Rosenberg owes a lot of money to an illegal offshore gambling site.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Hall of Fame Astros announcer Milo Hamilton is expected to announce his retirement on Wednesday.

David speculates on who could replace Hamilton in 2013.

Steve Campbell of the Chronicle writes that Hamilton’s retirement is just one of the many changes expected for the ‘Stros.

Mel Bracht at the Daily Oklahoman looks at the local ratings.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says local viewers watched golf over the weekend.

Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News notes one of the finalists for this year’s MLB Fan Cave inhabitants.

John Daly at The Daly Planet feels NBC SportsTalk should bring NASCAR into the mix.

John also looks at ESPN’s NASCAR announcing lineup.

Sports Media Watch gives us last week’s sports television ratings.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the NHL on NBC Sports Network drew decently last Sunday.

Steve looks inside the numbers of Sunday’s NHL on NBC Sports Network game.

Dave Kohl of the Broadcast Booth looks at Sid Rosenberg’s alleged gambling debts.

And we’ll end it there for now.

College Basketball Viewing Picks for 02/11 & 02/12/12, All Times Eastern

Men’s Schedule Courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

Saturday, February 11

College GameDay live from Nashville, TN — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN,11 a.m./ESPN, 8 p.m.

11 a.m.
Butler at Cleveland State — ESPN2
Ball State at Kent State — ESPNU

noon
DePaul at Notre Dame — Big East Network: Cox Sports Television/MASN/SNY
James Madison at Towson — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/The Comcast Network
Louisville at West Virginia — ESPN
IPFW at Oakland — Fox College Sports Atlantic/Fox Sports Detroit

Women’s: Navy at Army — CBS Sports Network

1 p.m.
Miami at Florida State — ACC Network
Virginia at North Carolina — ACC Network
UConn at Syracuse — CBS
Arkansas-Little Rock at Middle Tennessee — ESPN2
Nebraska at Penn State — ESPNU
Dayton at Fordham — YES

1:30 p.m.
Baylor at Missouri — Big 12 Network
Georgia at Mississippi State — SEC Network
South Carolina at Arkansas — SEC Network

2 p.m.
Virginia Commonwealth at Old Dominion — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Comcast SportsNet New England/CSS/The Comcast Network
Kansas State at Texas — ESPN
Western Kentucky at Troy — Fox College Sports Central
Utah at Arizona — Fox Sports Net (national)

2:30 p.m.
Navy at Army — CBS Sports Network

3 p.m.
New Mexico State at Utah State — ESPN2
Cincinnati at Marquette — ESPNU

3:30 p.m.
Wyoming at New Mexico — the mtn.

4 p.m.
Duquense at St. Bonaventure — A-10: CSS/The Comcast Network
Oklahoma at Kansas — Big 12 Network
Texas A&M at Iowa State — Big 12 Network
Maryland at Duke — ESPN
Cal at UCLA — Fox Sports Net (national)
Clemson at Wake Forest — Fox Sports Net: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports Arizona Plus/Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South/NESN
San Diego State at UNLV — NBC Sports Network
Tennessee at Florida — SEC Network

Women’s: Georgetown at UConn — Big East Network: Comcast SportsNet New England/MASN/SNY

4:30 p.m.
Women’s: Charlotte at Duquense — CBS Sports Network

5 p.m.
Wichita State at Creighton — ESPN2
George Washington at Richmond — ESPNU

6 p.m.
Pepperdine at BYU — BYU TV/Fox Sports West
Michigan State at Ohio State — ESPN

Women’s: Texas A&M at Baylor — Fox Sports Net (national)
Women’s: Air Force at Boise State — the mtn.

6:30 p.m.
Colorado at Arizona State — Fox College Sports Pacific/Root Sports Rocky Mountain/Fox Sports Arizona

Women’s: TCU at Colorado State — CBS Sports Network

7 p.m.
Alabama at LSU — ESPN2
Harvard at Princeton — ESPNU
Auburn at Mississippi — Fox Sports Net: Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southwest/Sun Sports

8 p.m.
Western Illinois at Oral Roberts — Fox College Sports Central

8:30 p.m.
Colorado State at TCU — the mtn.

9 p.m.
Boise State at Air Force — CBS Sports Network
Kentucky at Vanderbilt — ESPN
Xavier at Temple — ESPN2

11 p.m.
Women’s: USC at Cal — Fox Sports Net (national)

Sunday, February 12

noon
Pittsburgh at Seton Hall — Big East Network: Altitude/Bright House/Cox Sports Television/CSS/MASN/SNY
Stony Brook at Vermont — CBS Sports Network

1 p.m.
Illinois at Michigan — CBS
St. John’s at Georgetown — ESPN
Wisconsin-Green Bay at Detroit — Fox Sports Pacific/Fox Sports Detroit

Women’s: Penn State at Northwestern — Big Ten Network
Women’s: Duke at Florida State — Fox Sports Net: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports South/NESN/Sun Sports
Women’s: Kansas at Kansas State — Fox Sports Net (national)

2 p.m.
Women’s: Southern Mississippi at SMU — CBS Sports Network

2:30 p.m.
Play for Kay
ESPN2 Coverage Map
Women’s: Arkansas at Auburn — ESPN2
Women’s: Iowa State at Texas Tech — ESPN2
Women’s: Marquette at DePaul — ESPN2
Women’s: Miami at Maryland — ESPN2

3 p.m.
Bradley at Missouri State — Fox Sports Central/Fox Sports Midwest/Comcast SportsNet Chicago

Women’s: Michigan State at Iowa — Big Ten Network
Women’s: UCLA at Stanford — Fox Sports Net (national)

3:30 p.m.
Women’s: West Virginia at Notre Dame — ESPNU
Women’s: Mississippi at Mississippi State — Fox Sports Net: Fox Sports Southwest Plus/SportSouth/Sun Sports

4:30 p.m.
St. Francis (NY) at Long Island University — Fox Sports Atlantic/MSG Network

5 p.m.
Play for Kay
ESPN2 Coverage Map
Women’s: Florida at South Carolina — ESPN2
Women’s: Purdue at Ohio State — ESPN2
Women’s: St. John’s at Rutgers — ESPN2
Women’s: Wake Forest at North Carolina State — ESPN2

5:30 p.m.
Washington at Oregon State — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
Northwestern at Purdue — Big Ten Network
Boston College at Virginia Tech — ESPNU

7:30 p.m.
Stanford at USC — Fox Sports Net (national)

8 p.m.
Evansville at Drake — ESPNU

College Basketball Viewing Picks for 02/04 & 02/05/2012, All Times Eastern

Men’s Schedule courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

Saturday, February 4

College GameDay live from Columbia, MO — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN, 11 a.m./ESPN, 8 p.m.

11 a.m.
South Florida at Georgetown — ESPNU

noon
LaSalle at St. Joseph – A-10 Network: CSS/The Comcast Network
Seton Hall at UConn — Big East Network: Bright House/MASN/SNY
Syracuse at St. John’s — ESPN
Detroit at Butler — ESPN2

1 p.m.
Virginia at Florida State — ACC Network
Wake Forest at North Carolina State — ACC Network
Marquette at Notre Dame — CBS
Vanderbilt at Florida — CBS
Boston College at Georgia Tech — ESPNU
Xavier at Memphis — Fox Sports Net (national)

Women’s: St. Joseph’s at Richmond — CBS Sports Network

1:30 p.m.
Baylor at Oklahoma State — Big 12 Network
Arkansas at LSU — SEC Network

2 p.m.
Delaware at James Madison — CSS/The Comcast Network
Ohio State at Wisconsin — ESPN
Temple at URI — ESPN2

Women’s: Providence at Villanova — Big East Network: Comcast SportsNet New England/SNY

3 p.m.
Penn State at Iowa — ESPNU
Arizona at Stanford — Fox Sports Net (national)

Women’s: San Diego State at TCU — CBS Sports Network

4 p.m.
Rutgers at Louisville — Big East Network: Bright House/MASN/SNY
Texas A&M at Kansas State — Big 12 Network
Clemson at Virginia Tech — Fox Sports Net: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Plus/Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South/NESN
New Mexico at Boise State — NBC Sports Network
Auburn at Mississippi State — SEC Network
UNLV at Wyoming — the mtn.

5 p.m.
Air Force at Colorado State — CBS Sports Network
Old Dominion at George Mason — ESPNU
UCLA at Washington State — Fox College Sports Atlantic/Root Sports Northwest
Creighton at Northern Iowa — Fox College Sports Central/Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Midwest

Women’s: Central Florida at Memphis — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
Kentucky at South Carolina — ESPN
Iowa at Oklahoma — ESPN2

7 p.m.
DePaul at Cincinnati — Big East Network: Bright House/MASN/SNY
Indiana at Purdue — Big Ten Network
Northeastern at VCU — Comcast SportsNet New England/CSS/The Comcast Network
Richmond at Duquense — ESPNU
Texas Tech at Texas — Longhorn Network

Women’s: Wyoming at UNLV — the mtn.

8 p.m.
Mississippi at Alabama — ESPN2
South Alabama at Western Kentucky — Fox College Sports Atlantic
Georgia at Tennessee — Fox Sports Net: Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports North Plus/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southwest

8:30 p.m.
Portland State at Northern Arizona — Fox College Sports Pacific

9 p.m.
Kansas at Missouri — ESPN
Cal-Santa Barbara at Cal State-Fullerton — ESPNU
Oregon at Cal — Fox College Sports Central/Root Sports Northwest

10 p.m.
BYU at Portland — BYU TV
Indiana State at Wichita State — ESPN2
TCU at San Diego State — the mtn.

11 p.m.
USC at Washington — Fox Sports Net (national)

Sunday, February 5

11 a.m.
Women’s: Dayton at Xavier — ESPNU

noon
West Virginia at Providence — Big East Network: Altitude/Bright House/Cox Sports RI/Cox Sports Television/CSS/MASN/SNY

Women’s: UTEP at Rice — Fox Sports Net (national)

1 p.m.
Minnesota at Nebraska — Big Ten Network
Michigan at Michigan State — CBS

Women’s: DePaul at Notre Dame — ESPNU
Women’s: Wake Forest at Boston College — Fox Sports Net (regional): Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports Fox Sports Florida/Fox Sports South/NESN

2 p.m.
Villanova at Pittsburgh — ESPN

Women’s: Missouri at Texas Tech — Fox Sports Net (national)
Women’s: Auburn at Tennessee — SEC Network

3 p.m.
Northwestern at Illinois — Big Ten Network
Miami (FL) at Duke — ESPNU

Women’s: Georgia at Alabama — Fox Sports Net (regional): Fox Sports Florida/SportSouth

4 p.m.
Women’s: Washington at USC — Fox Sports Net (national)

Cranking Out Your Tuesday Links

Since late last night, I’ve been culling linkage for today. Let’s get to them.

Terry Lefton and Daniel Kaplan at Sports Business Journal discuss how Indianapolis hotels are gouging customers for Super Bowl Week.

Anick Jesdanun of the Associated Press reviews NBC’s online presentation of the Super Bowl for this Sunday.

Sergio Non of USA Today looks at the UFC on Fox rating from Saturday.

Michael Learmonth of Advertising Age says USA Today’s Super Bowl Ad Meter wrecked Super Bowl ads for good.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch provides his thoughts on The Big Lead’s profile of ESPN Radio hack Colin Cowherd.

Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter has an appreciation for The Beautiful Game.

Tim Nudd of Adweek looks at the highly successful “This is SportsCenter” ad campaign.

Wayne Friedman of MediaPost says NBC is copping $4 million per Super Bowl ad.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine writes that a survey shows that a majority of readers feel Super Bowl XLVI will set a viewership record.

Toni gives us a media buyer’s primer on the Super Bowl.

Diego Vasquez of Media Life says advertisers want to get buzz about Super Bowl commercials weeks before the Big Game.

The Daily says it appears Madonna’s set list for the Super Bowl halftime show has been leaked.

Peter Schrager of Esquire lists 10 current NFL players who could make a second career on TV.

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid notes that Jerry Seinfeld and the Soup Nazi will appear in a Super Bowl ad.

Frances Martel of Mediaite reviews the ESPN2 show, “Dan Le Batard is Extremely Crazy Highly Questionable.”

Robert Littal of Black Sports Online has details of the Mexican TV reporter who made an impression during Super Bowl Media Day.

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group looks at ESPN taking over Pan Am Plaza in downtown Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.

Karen Hogan of SVG writes that sports has entered into reality TV in a big way.

Summer Harlow of the University of Texas Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas writes about CBSSports.com’s firing of Adam Jacobi over his premature report on Joe Paterno’s death.

Karen Rosen of TV Guide talks with ESPN’s Hannah Storm about her NFL special tonight.

All Access says a new ESPN Deportes Radio affiliate will launch tomorrow in Chicago.

Mark Miller of Examiner.com says Gary Thorne makes his Pro Bowling announcing debut this Sunday on ESPN.

Larry Mahoney of the Bangor (ME) Daily News speaks with former MLB’er Matt Stairs who joins NESN as a studio analyst for the 2012 season.

Michael Hayes of the Clinton (CT) Patch says ESPN will report from the geological center in between Gillette and Met Life Stadiums on Sunday.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times has an interesting story on a small Connecticut NPR station which has a sports talk show that is not your typical run-of-the-mill program.

Judy Battista of the Times notes that the NFL will address head safety in one its in-house ads during the Super Bowl.

David Hinckley of the New York Daily News says rivals WFAN and ESPN Radio New York are squaring off in their Giants Super Bowl coverage.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes the release of ESPN’s Bracketbusters schedule.

Stacy Jones of the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger says Super Bowl advertisers are hoping to hook viewers from their computers and mobile devices as well as through their TV’s.

Neal Zoren of the Delaware County Daily Times notes Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia’s countdown of the worst sports villains of all-time.

Long-time New Orleans sports anchor Jim Henderson is retiring from WWL-TV, however, he’ll remain as Voice of the Saints.

Dave Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune gets reaction Henderson on his retirement.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle discusses the busy Super Bowl week and the ads.

Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer speaks with ESPN’s Erin Andrews about sports, life and her hosting the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Annual Awards Banquet this week.

Tim Evans of the Indianapolis Star says Radio Row at the Super Bowl is the perfect place for star gazing this week.

Emily Hatton of the Indy Star gives us an inside look at ESPN’s Pan Am Plaza set.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has NBC’s Bob Costas calling for a revote if National League MVP Ryan Braun of the Brewers loses his appeal for testing positive for steroids last year.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says ESPN College GameDay visits the Missouri campus this weekend.

Brian Gomez of the Colorado Springs Gazette says ESPN may pull the Winter X Games out of Aspen after an 11 year relationship.

Jason Blevins of the Denver Post writes that ESPN has been airing this year’s Winter X in 3-D.

Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News says longtime UCLA voice Chris Roberts was honored by his peers as was Daily News sports media writer Tom Hoffarth.

And Tom writes an appreciation for being honored last night.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has videos of the Big Ten Network going behind the scenes with Gus Johnson.

Josh Tinley of Midwest Sports Fans explains how the Super Bowl got its name and why every game has Roman numerals.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes the NHL All-Star Game did really well for CBC.

And that will do it for now.

The Mighty Monday Links

I don’t know why they’re mighty, but they’re here. Let’s get to them.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy looks at Super Bowl Media Day which will be covered from all angles on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Preston Bounds from Sports Business Daily lists the top 11 most marketable NFL players. Your humble blogger is quoted in the story.

At the Poynter Institute, Kelly McBride takes both the New York Times and Yale Daily News to task for their handling of the Patrick Witt alleged sexual assault story.

Michael O’Connell of the Hollywood Reporter writes that the NFL Pro Bowl gave NBC a Sunday primetime win over weak competition.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek notes that marketers and star players are for the most part, a winning combination.

Tim Nudd from Adweek looks at the advertiser rundown for Sunday’s Super Bowl on NBC.

Tim loves the extended Honda Ferris Bueller-themed Super Bowl ad.

Back to Crupi who delves into the April launch of Univision Deportes.

Adweek talks with Jim Rome about his move from ESPN to CBS.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times says social media campaigns can enhance and also detract from the Super Bowl viewing experience.

The Nielsen Wire blog looks at the spending trends for Super Bowl ads over the last five years.

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group notes that NFL Network is gearing up for a very busy Super Bowl Week.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin breaks down ESPN SportsCenter’s coverage from last week.

At All Things Digital, Peter Kafka says it’s ESPN that’s weighing down your cable bill.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes that NESN has made additions to its Red Sox broadcast team.

Here’s a rarity, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post giving praise and today he’s dishing it out to Knicks radio voice Spero Dedes.

Bob’s Blitz has caught WFAN’s Mike Francesa in a lie regarding his Super Bowl XLVII prediction.

From the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty notes that former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian has signed with SiriusXM to co-host some radio shows.

Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times looks back at the weekend in sports television.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer ombudsman Ted Diadun discusses the reassignment of Browns beat writer Tony Grossi after a private tweet about Browns owner Randy Lerner went public.

The Waiting for Next Year blog looks at the Plain-Dealer decision.

Also from the Plain-Dealer, Bill Lubinger writes about how local TV rights money is playing a huge role in baseball free agency signings.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post notes that MLB Network has plucked Root Sports’ Alana Rizzo for a national gig.

Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News has the sports calendar for this week.

Friend of Fang’s Bites Jackie Pepper is heading to the Super Bowl.

John Daly of the Daly Planet looks at NASCAR taking over operation of its website from Turner Sports.

John also looks at the future of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series on ESPN.

Sports Media Watch has the overnight ratings of the NHL All-Star Game and Australian Open finals.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing says UFC on Fox’s ratings may have gone down from its November debut, but they’re still good in the desired demographic.

That will do it.

NESN Officially Announces Jenny Dell As Red Sox Field Reporter

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe broke the news last week and ESPN helped to confirm the story by deleting all of her videos from its website. Now, NESN has made the announcement official by unveiling that Jenny Dell, a UMass grad, will be the new on-field reporter for Red Sox games, replacing Heidi Watney who left after last season. Heidi will become the Lakers sideline reporter for Time Warner new regional sports network.

Dell who has been seen mostly on ESPN.com and on the X Games, will join in February.

NESN also announces that former designated hitter/first baseman and outfielder Matt Stairs will be a part-time studio analyst for the 2012 season.

Here’s the press release.

NESN ADDS JENNY DELL AND MATT STAIRS TO RED SOX BROADCAST TEAM

January 30, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that Jenny Dell will join the network as its Red Sox field reporter and Matt Stairs will join as a Red Sox studio analyst. Dell and Stairs will join NESN’s popular and talented Red Sox broadcast team that includes play-by-play voice Don Orsillo, color commentator Jerry Remy, studio host Tom Caron, and the network’s trio of Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice and Peter Gammons, who all serve as studio analysts.

Jenny Dell

Dell comes to NESN from ESPN where she served in several different roles, including on-air reporter. The University of Massachusetts graduate has reported from the last two Super Bowls and delivered AccuScore reports for ESPN.com. She also has experience behind the camera, working since 2008 at several different high profile events and programs for ESPN, including Major League Baseball (MLB), Monday Night Football, National Basketball Association (NBA) and NASCAR coverage. Dell, a Connecticut native, will begin working for NESN in February.

“Jenny is smart, resourceful and displays a professional approach to reporting,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO. “Her ability to connect with viewers makes her the ideal choice to join Don and Jerry as part of our Red Sox coverage this season.”

Matt Stairs

Stairs retired in 2011 after a 19-year MLB career with a record 12 teams, including one year with the Red Sox (1995). He finished with a .262 career batting average while slugging 265 home runs and 899 RBIs. He holds the major league record for pinch-hit home runs in a career with 23. A native of Frederickson, New Brunswick, Canada, Stairs played for Canada in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He currently resides in Bangor, Maine, where he serves as an assistant coach for the local high school hockey team.

“Matt brings incredible passion for the game of baseball and a great sense of humor,” said McGrail. “He adds a unique perspective since he has played with or against most of the current major league players, including one year with Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego.”

Red Sox on NESN

On February 19th NESN begins 46 days of live coverage from the Red Sox new Spring Training home JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers, Florida. In addition, this Thursday, February 2nd at 10:00 pm, NESN will broadcast the Red Sox Town Hall, which is being held on February 1st in Worcester, Massachusetts. NESN’s Tom Caron will host new Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine and Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington for an interactive conversation in front of approximately 800 fans at Worcester Technical High School.  Fans not at the event can submit questions in advance at NESN.com/TownHall or via Twitter by sending a tweet to @NESN and including the hashtag #TownHall.

That’s it.

Doing Some Friday Megalinks

With a rainy day in Southern New England, it’s time to provide you with some media links. Lots of them on a Friday.

You can check out the Weekend Viewing Picks for the sports and entertainment programming suggestions.

Now to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks with NBC’s Al Michaels about calling his 8th Super Bowl and 2nd for NBC.

Mike Ozanian from Forbes says NFL TV rightsholders will be able to reap financial benefits while non-rightsholders end up holding the bag.

Sam Mamudi of Marketwatch.com says you can follow along the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter results in real time thanks to a new Facebook app.

Michael O’Connell from the Hollywood Reporter has a sneak peek at some of the Super Bowls ads.

Kelly McBride of the ESPN Poynter Review Project looks at why ESPN made so much of Tim Tebow.

Alex Klein at Romanesko looks into why the Yale Daily News sat on a story for several months and how it took the New York Times to report on former quarterback Patrick Witt’s alleged sexual assault on campus. You may remember that Witt was a candidate to become a Rhodes Scholar but then skipped his interview. Now we know why.

Todd Spangler at Multichannel News says ESPN will let viewers see additional highlights and material from the Winter X Games via the Shazam mobile app.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel writes that NBC Sports Network goes into the NHL All-Star Weekend with increased ratings for the games.

Austin Karp of Sports Business Daily also has a story on the increased NHL ratings for NBC Sports Network.

Gabriel Beltrone from Adweek says Coke will have a Super Bowl microsite where its famous polar bears will react to the game and ads in real time.

David Gianatasio of Adweek writes one local Super Bowl spot will urge you to pee during its commercial.

E.J. Schultz at Advertising Age has Anheuser-Busch’s Super Bowl plans.

Matt Hardigree at Jalopnik says he’s solved the mystery behind the advertiser behind the Ferris Bueller-themed Super Bowl spot.

Adam Jacobi, the college football writer at CBSSports.com, who put the link to Onward State’s erroneous tweet about Joe Paterno’s death last Saturday has been fired. Jacobi says he understands the decision and has apologized to the Paterno family for his mistake.

Brandon Costa of Sports Video Group says NBC will take a lighter approach for Sunday’s NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Harry A. Jessell at TV NewsCheck notes that while the national TV ratings for the NFL are good, go inside the local numbers and they’re even better.

ESPN PR man Bill Hofheimer gives you an inside look at the network’s Super Bowl studios in Indianapolis.

Sports Media Watch says college basketball ratings are up on both ESPN and ESPN2.

SMW has some news and notes on some various people in the sports media.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing goes into some of the on-screen typos on TV this week.

Jeff Pearlman gets vindication from Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

Steven Crist from the Daily Racing Form feels returning the Breeders Cup to NBC can only help horse racing.

All Access says a Hartford, CT FM station has flipped to all-sports.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says NESN has selected the replacement for Heidi Watney on its Red Sox broadcasts.

Chad says of all of the local TV outlets, Comcast SportsNet New England will have the largest contingent covering the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Johnny Diaz from the Globe says Boston DirecTV subscribers will see the Super Bowl after all.

Bill Doyle from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette talks with NBC’s Rodney Harrison about Super Bowl XLII and how some present New England Patriots still remaining from the game want revenge.

Stuart Elliot at the New York Times says some Super Bowl advertisers are returning buyers.

Richard Sandomir of the Times has Joe Namath’s reaction to the HBO/NFL Films documentary on his career that premieres tomorrow.

Richard adds that Namath is right now estranged from his former team, the New York Jets.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says the Namath documentary for the most part is good.

Justin Terranova of the Post speaks with NBC NHL charlatan Pierre McGuire.

Mike Silva at Sports Media Watchdog wonders why Kim Jones left YES.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union says a local sports talk show will broadcast live from the Super Bowl next week.

Pete talks with the host of that talk show who also wears other hats in the Albany market.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says NYC residents will be able to hear the local and national radio calls of the Super Bowl next Sunday.

The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News notes the firing of a CBSSports.com writer for falsely reporting Joe Paterno’s death.

DCRTV’s Dave Hughes at Press Row has media notes from the Baltimore-DC area.

South

The Tallahassee (FL) Democrat writes that a local sports talk show host who left his former station this week will be back on the air at another station later this year.

Billy Cox of the Sarasota (FL) Herald Tribune says ESPN’s Dick Vitale will be the subject of a profile produced by ….. ESPN!

Josh Bowe of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Fox Sports Southwest will stream Lone Star Conference football games and a highlight show over the internet.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle talks with a retiring local sports anchor who looks back at the 2011 Texans rather fondly.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman reviews the HBO/NFL Films documentary on Joe Namath.

Mel says ESPNU will be all over National Signing Day.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer talks with former Bengal Artrell Hawkins who is now co-hosting Fox Sports Radio’s national morning show.

Jeff Moss of the Detroit Sports Rag looks into the new program director and on-air host of a local sports radio station.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Wisconsin sports teams did well in the national TV ratings last year.

Dan McGrath of the Chicago News Cooperative notes the 20 year anniversary of sports talk radio in the Windy City.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says new Minnesota Twins radio voice Cory Provus has big shoes to fill.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks with Bob Costas about returning to host his familiar town hall format next week.

West

Thomas Harding of MLB.com says Root Sports Rocky Mountain’s Alana Rizzo is leaving the network’s Colorado Rockies broadcast team and heading for MLB Network.

John Maffei at the North County Times says HBO’s documentary on Joe Namath is on par with previous efforts.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star also reviews the documentary.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with Kings radio analyst Daryl Evans and also lists his best/worst LA broadcast analysts.

Tom has more on Evans in his blog.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says it’s time to play the NHL All-Star Game outdoors.

And that will do it.

Some Late Monday Night Linkage

I’ll do some links that I’ve gathered over the day. You deserve some.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today discusses the monster ratings for Championship Sunday in the NFL.

Michael says with NBC reacquiring the rights to the Breeders Cup, ESPN has gotten out of the horse racing business.

And Michael discusses Jim Rome’s CBS debut before the AFC Championship.

Stuart Miller of Multichannel News says league-owned networks are looking to fill time through imaginative programming.

John Ourand at Sports Business Journal notes that the dispute between MSG Network and Time Warner Cable could threaten the Buffalo Sabres’ number one spot in the local NHL ratings.

John says carriage talks for Time Warner’s new regional sports network featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and for the Pac-12 Network are about to begin in California.

Michael Smith of SBJ says Turner Sports will be running the Fan Fest and other events at the NCAA Final Four this year.

Some stories on how the media handled or did not handle the premature reports of Joe Paterno’s death.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says there are lessons to be learned from the way the Paterno story was reported on Saturday.

Craig Silverman of the Poynter Institute tells us how the Associated Press did not fall into the trap of reporting Paterno’s death.

Davis Shaver on Onward State, the online publication that made the erroneous report, explains the events on Saturday.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable notes that local TV stations in the Penn State vicinity showed restraint on the Paterno story.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times looks into how the Paterno story burned online news sources.

Now to other links.

John Daly of the Daly Planet delves into how Danica Patrick will influence NASCAR this season.

Barry Janoff of The Big Lead writes about Danica’s GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ad.

Sam Laird of Mashable notes that Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis will be the first to have a social media command center.

Sam informs advertisers what the typical NFL fan looks like.

Now some remembrances of the late Andy Musser who along with the late Harry Kalas, the late Richie Ashburn and Chris Wheeler, formed one of the best local broadcast teams whey they called the Philadelphia Phillies from the 1970′s into the 1990′s. Musser died Sunday at the age of 74. Musser was a consummate professional who called the Phillies, the Eagles, the 76ers and Villanova basketball. He did all of them well. A man who was content to be the number two broadcaster on the Phillies behind Kalas, he would call games on both radio and TV for the team.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has an obituary of Musser.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says a memorial service will be held at the end of the month for Musser.

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says Musser was a true gentleman.

And I hope to have more stories about Musser in Tuesday’s links.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has video of a Baltimore news anchor trying to prop up a depressed Ravens fan base.

Dan has another video of a Ravens fan kicking out an entire viewing party after the failed field goal by Billy Cundiff on Sunday.

Glen Davis of SportsGrid has the clip of the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs giving Skip Bayless a verbal beatdown.

Bob’s Blitz notes that Boomer Esiason and Jillian Michaels will co-host this year’s “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials.”

Patrick Burns of Deadspin did some excellent work to break down SportsCenter’s coverage on ESPN over an 11 day span earlier this month.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times notes how Gary Carter’s daughter is chronicling her father’s struggles with a brain tumor.

Matt Flegenheimer of the Times writes about how New York Knicks fans are actually going to games in the wake of the Time Warner Cable-MSG Network dispute.

Back to Brian Stelter of the Times who profiles NFL Films.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post wonders why CBS won’t bring up Ray Lewis’ stabby past.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette notes the big ratings for NFL Conference Championship Sunday.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the ESPN Family of Networks college lacrosse schedule.

Ken says YES will air Jorge Posada’s retirement from the Yankees on Tuesday.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says ESPN will air a half-dozen Spring Training MLB games in March.

At the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik says CBS got the job done during the AFC Championship.

David says the local ratings for the AFC Championship may have set a record.

David writes that the AFC Championship definitely set a social media record.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes about Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s new show.

Tom Jones from the Tampa Bay Times looks back at a tumultuous weekend in sports television.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle writes about the NFL Conference Championship Games’ ratings.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer has Thom Brennaman threatening promising to call Reds games on the radio with his dad, Marty.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post reviews the HBO Sports documentary on Joe Namath.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News discusses the Breeders Cup going primetime on NBC later this year.

Bill Shakin of the Los Angeles Times goes over the process of the Dodgers sale that began in earnest on Monday.

Sports Media Watch says the NBA’s move to becoming a mostly cable television league has paid off.

SMW has some various news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the Boston Bruins had a mixed bag over the weekend on NESN.

Dave Kohl at the Broadcast Booth says live sports continues to rack in the ratings.

Joe Favorito looks at the growth of squash, Twitter trouble and how to use the social media service properly.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing wonders how CBS’ Jim Nantz could confuse two Baltimore Ravens’ wide receivers.

And that will do it for your late night linkage.

Churning Out Some MLK Day Linkage

Let’s do some linkage on this MLK Day, a holiday for some of you.

We’ll begin with a story from an unusual source, Newsweek/The Daily Beast. Nick Summers of Newsweek writes about how ESPN’s subscriber fees could force cable providers to place the network on pay tiers.

Michael Hiestand at USA Today reports that CBS wants Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow as a guest analyst for The NFL Today before Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.

Hiestand delves into the overnight ratings for NFL Divisional Playoffs Sunday.

Mike McCarthy at USA Today notes that several TV analysts and national radio hosts ripped the officiating in yesterday’s New York Giants-Green Bay Packers NFL Divisional Playoff Game.

Ben Grossman at Broadcasting & Cable says filmmaker Peter Berg who’s “On Freddie Roach” series premieres on HBO this week, wants to produce a similar series on Washington State head football coach Mike Leach.

Michael Malone from B&C tells us that Sunbeam-owned TV stations in Boston and Miami were pulled from DirecTV forcing viewers to scramble to find ways to watch yesterday’s NFL action and the Golden Globe Awards.

Alex Weprin at TVNewser says Current TV host Keith Olbermann went to visit MLB Network, which housed his former MSNBC offices and found some interesting mementos.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid has video of a Chicago Blackhawks fan professing his love for Comcast SportsNet reporter Sarah Kustok.

Brandon Costa from Sports Video Group looks at how the College of Charleston produces its own basketball telecasts for ESPN3 and local TV affiliates.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell doesn’t like how colleges and universities are restricting their student-athletes from using social media.

The Tennis Times has a video giving us an inside look at the Australian Open Media Day.

Dan Lamothe of the Springfield Republican’s Red Sox Monster blog notes that former NESN Red Sox reporter Heidi Watney returns to New England next month for a charity auction.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at the Tim Tebow TV phenomenon.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post is not a fan of Daryl “Moose” Johnston.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union notes that the Dial Global/Westwood One broadcasts of the NFL Conference Games will be heard locally.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says a local talk show host is heading to Motown.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun actually praises CBS’ production of the Houston-Baltimore game.

The Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins conducted the first interview with former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno since the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke.

Sally also answered readers questions on the interview and how she got Paterno to speak with her.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with ESPN tennis analyst Darren Cahill about the Australian Open.

The Tampa Bay Times’ Tom Jones reviews the weekend in sports television.

Also from the Times, Eric Deggans wonders why news anchors were doing promos for a local Monster Truck event.

One more from the Times, Laura Keeley says Florida State fans lined up to be part of ESPN’s College GameDay’s appearance on campus on Saturday.

At the Houston Chronicle, David Barron isn’t a fan of the two minute commercial CBS gave to Subway during The NFL Today postgame show yesterday.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman reports that ESPN has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit put forth by former play-by-play man Ron Franklin.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the NFL insiders were reporting on possible Packers coaching news yesterday.

In Crain’s Chicago Business, Ed Sherman looks at the 20th anniversary of sports talk radio in the Windy City with several local personalities.

To the Denver Post where Dusty Saunders talks with CBS’ Jim Nantz about the demise of the Broncos and Tim Tebow on Saturday.

Dawn C. Chmielewski of the Los Angeles Times looks at how ESPN is trying to push 3-D on the unwanting American people.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with ESPN Radio LA host Marcellus Wiley about his acute memory loss and also has his 20th annual bests and worsts in SoCal sports talk radio.

Tom has more with Marcellus in his blog.

Tom also has his SoCal sports calendar for the week.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail notes how slow motion has revolutionized sports television.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing is echoing what I’ve been saying the last couple of weeks, and that he’s becoming a fan of Joe Buck.

Sports Media Watch also looks at the ratings of the New York Football Giants and Green Bay Packers on Fox.

The Wiz of Odds looks into ESPN allegedly taking credit for a story originally reported by someone outside of the network. Thanks to The Big Lead for the link.

Joe Favorito wonders what’s next for Tim Tebow both as a player and as a marketer.

And that will conclude our linkage for today.

Some Tuesday Morning Sports Media Thoughts

I haven’t written a sports media thoughts post in quite some time. I owe you one do let’s do this without further delay. As always, they come in bullet form.

• Last night’s BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and LSU was another dull affair, just like their first game in the regular season. ESPN did its best to step up for the game. Brent Musburger seemed to be in hype mode more than usual. Kirk Herbstreit was on his game as analyst. As Alabama’s defense was in lockdown mode, not allowing LSU past mid-field until midway of the 4th quarter, Brent and Kirk were quick to point out the differences in approach by coaches Nick Saban and Les Miles.Production of the game was also championship-worthy. Replays were sharp and close calls were resolved through ESPN showing the correct angles.However, ESPN overused last year’s BCS National Championship Game coaches, Gene Chizik of Auburn and Chip Kelly of Oregon. Both were dull and in need of personality transfusions. ESPN barely used their own analysts for College GameDay.Because the game was so dull, Musburger could not make a tie-in to sponsor Allstate as he did last year for Tostitos. He did overuse “Honey Badger.” What last night’s game did was to assist the skeptics’ screams for a college football playoff or at least a Plus One game. Overall, I give ESPN a B+ for the game.
• Still no word on whether NESN is any closer to a replacement for Heidi Watney as Red Sox field reporter. Of the candidates NESN has conducted interviews and those I’ve been able to confirm through several sources include Erin Hawksworth of Fox Seattle, Courtney Fallon of ABC6 in Providence, and Britt McHenry from WJLA-TV in Washington. I told you last month that Friend of Fang’s Bites Jen Royle was interviewed and is not believed to be a candidate at this time. If anything happens, I’ll certainly let you know.
• You have to believe that CBS is happy to be riding the Tim Tebow wave as it heads to Foxboro, MA this weekend as Denver takes on the New England Patriots in the NFL Divisional Playoff round. The only game during Wild Card Weekend to see massive gains over last year was Sunday’s Pittsburgh-Denver game, garnering an amazing 25.9/43 overnight number for CBS. This would mark the 5th straight week CBS and its number one team, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will have called the Broncos and Tebow. No matter how you feel about Tebow, he draws ratings and makes people watch. I don’t expect Saturday night’s game to draw near the Wild Card ratings because Saturday is not a big TV night, however, if Denver-New England is close going down to the wire, expect big numbers.
• Here’s looking forward to ESPN2/Tennis Channel’s coverage of the Australian Open starting Sunday night. Coverage will begin every night at 7 p.m. ET. Finals will take place in the wee hours of the morning at 3:30 a.m. on the East Coast, but it will lead to some very good tennis. The 16 hour time difference between Melbourne and the US Eastern time zone means for some disjointed viewing, but it’s always fun to see the summer weather from the Southern Hemisphere. Here’s looking forward to hearing from Chris Fowler, Cliff Drysdale, Pam Shriver, Patrick McEnroe, Darren Cahill, Bill Macatee, Martina Navratilova and Justin Gimelstob for two weeks.

And that’s going to it for the thoughts this morning.

Boston Bruins Set Another Ratings Record on NESN

Saturday’s Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins set another regular ratings record for NESN. The game on Saturday received an 8.9 rating with a 23 share, meaning almost one-quarter of all Boston television households was watching the Bruins.

The previous record was a 8.4 for the Bruins shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres back in November of 2011. And the previous record share for a Bruins game was a 16 which was against Philadelphia last month.

So you see that Boston loves its Bruins and is back watching hockey again which is a great thing. We have the press release from NESN below.

NESN BREAKS REGULAR SEASON BRUINS GAME RATINGS RECORD

Stanley Cup Rematch vs. Canucks Scores 8.9 HH Rating & 23 Share

JANUARY 9, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, set another regular season Boston Bruins ratings record on Saturday afternoon (1/7/12) with an 8.9 average household rating in the Boston DMA (341,088 total in-home viewers) for the Bruins Stanley Cup rematch with the Vancouver Canucks. NESN’s previous best household rating for a regular season Bruins game was set on November 23, 2011 when NESN garnered an 8.4 HH rating for the Bruins 4-3 shootout win at Buffalo.

The Vancouver game earned an astounding 23 share in the Boston DMA, also setting a new NESN record for a regular season Bruins game. Share is the percentage of all households with a television in use that are watching a program. This means nearly 1 in 4 homes with a television set on was watching the Bruins game on NESN. The network’s previous record share was a 16 for the Bruins 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on December 17, 2011.

Just as impressive as NESN’s household rating on Saturday was the game’s ratings among key demographic categories. NESN earned an 8.0 rating (33 share) for Adults 25-54 and 11.1 rating (40 share) for Men 25-54.

NESN’s current season Bruins average is now up to a 5.2 household rating, up 86% over last season after the same number of games (34).

That’s it.