Return Of The Linkage

I didn’t do links all weekend. It’s rare when that happens, but as I went to a Tweet Up of Red Sox fans at Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill in Boston on Saturday and then did a long day of posting on Sunday. Twelve posts in all! Sunday is turning out to be a very busy day on the blog with the NFL pregame show quotage and recapping Mad Men episodes.

Ok, let’s get to the linkage.

We begin with Michael Hiestand of USA Today who looks at TBS’ announcing assignments for the League Division Series.

Mike McCarthy of the nation’s newspaper talks with WNBA star Diana Taurasi who was one of the athletes who posed nude for ESPN The Magazine’s Body issue.

USA Today’s Game On blog has the cover featuring Taurasi. Very impressive. Never saw her in that way.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that ad sales for Fox and TBS for the MLB Postseason are going well.

Nyay Bushan of the Reporter writes that India’s official broadcaster of the Commonwealth Games is helping to debut HDTV in the Asian sub-continent.

Ben Grossman of Broadcasting & Cable reports that the Dan Patrick Show will be syndicated on TV across the country via Fox Sports Net affiliates starting later this month. 

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable says the MLB Postseason looks good for Fox Deportes as well.

From Sports Business Journal, John Ourand and Tripp Mickle write about the NHL which is in a position of strength as it heads into the bidding for a new US TV contract.

John and Tripp handicap the NHL TV bidding among potentially interested parties.

John teams with Michael Smith on a feature chronicling how Raycom managed to stay in business with the new ACC rights deal and team up with ESPN in the process.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell looks at the marketing winner and loser in the Ryder Cup.

Richard Sandomir from the New York Times mentions that actor Robert Wuhl who’s a big sports fan will be hosting a sports-oriented talk show for Westwood One starting in January.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says NBC misreported what was said on the golf course during the Ryder Cup.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette has the NHL Network regular season schedule. Many of those games will be produced by regional sports networks.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun says CBS’ Phil Simms didn’t have the best of days during yesterday’s Baltimore-Pittsburgh game.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner looks at TBS’ announcing crews for the MLB Postseason.

Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald talks about ESPN’s Monday Night Football still being a ratings blockbuster.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times reviews the weekend in sports television.

Jerry Garcia at the San Antonio Express-News talks about the Dish Network/Fox dispute.

Mel Bracht in the Daily Oklahoman discusses the ESPN on ABC production of Saturday’s Texas-Oklahoma game.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer talks with Hall of Fame Reds voice Marty Brennaman who’s calling his first postseason action in 15 years.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune says the Sunday Night Football game between the Bears and New York Giants was a big ratings winner locally.

Dale Bowman of the Chicago Sun-Times tells Cubs fans to savor Bob Brenly for as long as possible.

Tom Hoffarth in the Los Angeles Daily News has the sports calendar for SoCal.

Roy MacGregor of the Toronto Globe and Mail feels CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is stuck in a time warp.

Bruce Dowbiggin in the Globe and Mail says CBC has no plans on what to do with HNIC after Don Cherry retires.

The Big Lead has video of Tampa Bay Rays analyst Kevin Kennedy apparently dropping an “F” bomb.

Bob’s Blitz shows us how Fox Sports’ NFL sideline reporter Nischelle Turner got hit with an errant punt just after halftime of yesterday’s Seahawks-Rams game.

Bob also has a clip of FSN Big 12 football sideline reporter Jim Knox getting knocked down while following the Colorado Buffaloes mascot just before the game with Georgia.

This isn’t the first time Jim has gone viral as evidenced by this famous video from 2008.

Joe Favorito talks about the growth of the color pink in sports.

And we’ll end the links there. I’ve been working on this off and on since 10 a.m. I need to do some work.

Golf Channel’s Live From The Ryder Cup Continues Monday

As the Ryder Cup continues on Monday, so does Golf Channel’s coverage of the event. While it doesn’t have rights to the Ryder Cup (that could change in two years), Golf Channel can cover it once it’s over. The play is expected to finish around 11:30 a.m. Eastern time and once all is said and done, Live From The Ryder Cup will begin.

Golf Channel’s Live From the Ryder Cup News Coverage Extends to Monday

Immediately following the conclusion of the Ryder Cup singles matches on Monday (estimated to be around 11:30 a.m. ET, depending on weather), Golf Channel’s Live From the Ryder Cup news program will recap all of the action with interviews, expert analysis and highlights in a two-hour special from Wales and the network’s Orlando studios.

Monday night at 6 p.m. ET, Golf Central will be extended to an hour to recap all of the Ryder Cup action.

Live From the Ryder Cup Airtimes

Monday               11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET (estimated)

                                6-7 p.m. ET (Golf Central)

That does it. One more press release coming up.

Ryder Cup Schedule For Monday

With more rain in Wales and a delay on Sunday, the Ryder Cup will have its first ever Monday finish. This is what happens when you play golf into October, you have the chance for inclement weather.

These are the plans for Monday with USA Network airing the full coverage starting at 4 a.m. East.

UPDATED PROGRAMMING NOTE: FINAL DAY OF RYDER CUP COVERAGE AIRS LIVE ON USA NETWORK MONDAY AT 4 A.M. ET/1 A.M. PT

NEW YORK – October 3, 2010 – UPDATED PROGRAMMING NOTE: Following is the updated programming schedule for Monday’s final day of Ryder Cup coverage featuring 12 singles matches:

 

MONDAY

USA NETWORK LIVE 4 a.m. – conclusion of play ET/1 a.m. – conclusion of play PT

Of course, this will be included in the Primetime and Late Night Viewing Picks for Monday.

Giving You The Friday Megalinks

Ok, let’s do the Friday megalinks. Getting a late start as I’ve been all over the place today, but better late than never.

Check out the Weekend Viewing Picks for information on the sports and entertainment programs for the first weekend in October.

Now to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks about ESPN creating a new brand that will target women and could eventually become a dedicated TV channel. This was already scoffed at on Twitter. We’ll see how this evolves. Asides from ESPN Mobile, the Alleged Worldwide Leader’s ill-fated cell phone brand, when the network commits to an idea, it will usually work so we’ll see.

Eleanor Barkhorn from The Atlantic shares her thoughts, pro and con, on the new ESPN women’s brand. 

A Girl’s Perspective on a Boy’s Game blog has some thoughts on ESPNW.

Dylan Stableford at The Wrap notes there are many women who aren’t in love with ESPNW.

Marcus Vanderberg at SportsNewser has more on the new ESPN venture.

Joe Posanaski of Sports Illustrated has a very good tribute to Los Angeles Dodgers voice Vin Scully.

Noah Davis of SportsNewser says the Boston Globe will put all of its web content content except sports and breaking news behind a pay wall. 

Dave Kindred at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center looks into the history of one of his favorite leads and finds it doesn’t quite measure up to its legend.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse notes that weather delays at the Ryder Cup will force NBC to go live with its coverage on Saturday instead of planned taped coverage.

Fanhouse’s Brett McMurphy has a facetious look at the first televised college football game.

Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports says the Ryder Cup has to move to an earlier date to avoid inclement weather.

Spencer E. Ante of the Wall Street Journal notes NFL games are about to be seen on tablets.

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter notes that Fox has pulled 19 of its channels including several sports regional networks off Dish Network over, what else? A carriage dispute.

Andrea Morabito from Broadcasting & Cable says in addition, MSG Network and MSG Plus were pulled from Dish over a pricing dispute.

John Consoli of Mediaweek looks at Fox making Game 3 of this year’s World Series an extra early start.

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports says LeBron James can’t call racism over criticism over “The Decision” when he’s never taken a stand in his life.

The Huffington Post has TNT’s Charles Barkley ripping James for his comments. 

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says US Ryder Cup team outfitter Sun Mountain Sports is getting heat over its non-waterproof raincoats.

And we have more in this video featuring Darren on CNBC.

Ryder Cup Programming Schedule Changes

Due to the heavy rains in Wales today, the Ryder Cup has had to adjust its schedule. In addition, it means instead of ridiculous tape delays, it means we’ll have live golf all weekend, provided we don’t have more weather delays. ESPN will kick off coverage on Saturday, hand off to NBC which will go to the conclusion. And on Sunday, NBC will be live all day. Here’s the revised schedule as provided by NBC.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: RYDER CUP WEATHER DELAY CHANGES

NEW YORK – October 1, 2010 – PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to weather delays at the 2010 Ryder Cup from Wales, following is the updated programming schedule for Saturday and Sunday:

SATURDAY

ESPN LIVE 2:30-8 a.m. ET/11:30 p.m.(Friday)-5 a.m. PT

NBC LIVE 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET/5 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT

SUNDAY

NBC LIVE 4 a.m. – conclusion of play ET/1 a.m. – conclusion of play PT

Much better. And really how it should be to begin with.

UPDATE, 1:00 p.m.: NBC has sent an addendum to its press release with the schedule for Monday and USA Network returns to its roots with some Ryder Cup golf.

MONDAY, if necessary

USA NETWORK LIVE 2 a.m. – conclusion of play ET/11 p.m. (Sunday) – conclusion of play PT

Now you’re up to date.

Bringing In The Thursday Links

Another late start on the linkage today mostly due to shuffling between two offices and trying to catch up on press releases. Let’s get started.

Mike McCarthy at USA Today has LeBron James blaming race for the negative reaction to his ESPN produced “The Decision” earlier this year.

Mike notes that there won’t be a repeat meeting between Golf Channel’s Jim Gray and US Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin this weekend.

John Eggerton at Broadcasting & Cable writes that JetBlue Airlines is adding NFL Sunday Ticket free of charge to its DirecTV lineup.

Jon Lafayette of B&C says Fox is moving up the start time for World Series Game 3 to make it more “family friendly”.

Mike Shields of Mediaweek says Sports Illustrated is tapping some big names for a new web video series. 

Julian Clover of Broadband TV News reports that ESPN is in talks to buy a French TV network.

Noah Davis at SportsNewser tells us that NBA TV is throwing the heavy hitters at the Miami Heat’s first preseason game.

The Big Lead has the video of Fox/NFL Network analyst Jim Mora, Jr. snapping at Perpetually Angry ESPN Radio host Doug Gottlieb today. Oh this is good.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks with the CEO of adidas on reviving the Reebok brand. 

Darren says moving athletes from one city to another has become a huge business. 

All Access says Mike North’s Fox Sports Radio show can now be heard in his hometown of Chicago.

TMZ reports Playboy offered to have Ines Sainz pose nude. Apparently this has been rejected.

The Boston Globe has announced it will go behind a pay wall for its printed content, but keep a free site open to all for its breaking news coverage. We’ll see how this works.

Neil Best of Newsday applauds the parties who made it possible for World Series Game 3 to start earlier.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record notes that Army makes an appearance on CBS College Sports’ hockey coverage this season.

Jeremy Schilling in New Jersey Newsroom tries to come up with a viable solution for NBC’s tape delayed coverage of the Ryder Cup.

Dave Mackall of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says ESPNU will take the Pitt-Duquense basketball game in December. 

In the Washington Examiner, Jim Williams says the Ravens and the DC NFL Team once again pulled in the local ratings.

Jim says golf fans will need some true dedication to last through ESPN’s coverage of the Ryder Cup on Friday.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says the NFL is cracking down on restaurants and sports bars that violated the silly TV blackout rules on Sunday.

Tom feels the World Series needs to play some day games.

Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says the Dish Network/Fox carriage dispute could leave Miami Heat fans without a way to watch Fox Sports Florida.

The Albany (GA) Herald says Fox Sports South will air extended coverage of this Sunday’s tribute to retiring Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. 

Business First of Louisville says the local NBC affiliate will have to move this Saturday’s SEC Network broadcast of Kentucky vs. Ole Miss to an alternate channel due to the Ryder Cup.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer tells Reds fans they’ll have to watch TBS for coverage of their team in the National League Division Series.

Chicago Sun-Times reports the mother of Comcast SportsNet Chicago anchor Sarah Kustok was found shot to death. So sad. 

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business has NBC’s Al Michaels waxing poetic about the City of Broad Shoulders.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Monday night’s Packers-Bears game brought in the viewers.

For some reason, Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune thought it would be a good idea to talk with ESPN MLB all-around charlatan Joe Morgan. 

Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic says ESPN2 will be airing a local high school football rivalry to a national audience. 

Bob Young of the Republic says Dish Network subscribers could lose Fox Sports West on Friday causing them to miss Saturday’s Arizona State game.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Chevrolet stepped up to the plate to help World Series Game 3 move to an earlier time.

Ken Goe of The Oregonian says ESPN’s Erin Andrews reminded him of the start time for College Gameday this Saturday.

John Feeley of Awful Announcing notes that Stephen A. Smith announced that Stephen A. Smith is taping a talk show pilot for Showtime starring Stephen A. Smith.

Sports Media Watch has some ratings news and notes.

That will do it for now.

Finally Getting To The Wednesday Linkage

Been a bit busy at work so the linkage is coming to you later than usual. I try to finish it late morning or early afternoon, but there have been a few issues that needed taking care of. They’re done now so let’s provide the links.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that Fox will be using a cablecam during its coverage of the National League Championship Series and World Series next month.

Sports Illustrated’s college football writer Stewart Mandel talks with ESPN’s Brent Musburger on the latest edition of his podcast.

ESPN’s public relations department was quick to let us know yesterday that SportsCenter had one of its “firsts”, having an all-female anchor team hand off to another all-female anchor team, Hannah Storm and Linda Cohn tossed it over to Chris McKendry and Sage Steele from the morning edition to the midday edition.

John Ourand and Michael Smith of Sports Business Journal tell us that the PGA Tour is talking with General Electric about taking over sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour as part of a wide range deal.

Sports Business Daily talks about ESPN’s tremendous ratings for Monday Night Football. 

Milton Kent of Fanhouse praises Ken Burns’ sequel to his extensive PBS “Baseball” documentary.

Jon Weinbach of Fanhouse wonders if an infusion of cash from Fox Sports West will help the Los Angeles Dodgers. Weinbach writes that owner Frank McCourt has held only preliminary discussions with Fox over the renewal of TV rights. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the UFL has to figure out what it wants to be.

Mike Barnes at the Hollywood Reporter says one of ABC Sports’ technical pioneers passed away earlier this month.

Jon Lafayette from Broadcasting & Cable notes that ESPN’s research showed that marketers who bought multi-platform ads fared better than those who bought just ads for TV.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News explores ESPN’s high ratings for Monday Night Football.

Mike writes that NBA TV will have the first look at LeBron James and his Miami Heat in October.

Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press talks with NBC’s Johnny Miller who will be analyzing the Ryder Cup this weekend. 

Noah Davis at SportsNewser explains why the new TV deal between the Texas Rangers and Fox Sports Southwest makes fiscal sense for both sides. 

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says the Albany Devils have hired a play-by-play man.

Pete looks at the Week 5 college football TV schedule for the Capital Region as well as the NFL Week 4 TV schedule.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette has learned that CBS College Sports will be the new home of the ECAC and Hockey East conferences.

Ken McMillan at the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record says CBS College Sports will air an Army-Navy basketball doubleheader in January.

Evan Weiner in the New Jersey Newsroom says Cablevision is fighting with Fox over local stations in New York and Philadelphia and that could affect the Giants and Eagles fans respectively.  

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun talks about the TV ratings for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post says the new movie on the superhorse Secretariat has DC ties.

Dan Steinberg of the Post’s DC Sports Bog says Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will be doing pregame shows for both the Capitals and Wizards this season.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner notes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is rebranding its nightly sports highlight show.

The Greensboro (NC) News & Record says ESPN and Time Warner Cable came to an agreement over this Saturday’s East Carolina-North Carolina game which will be carried on ESPN3.com and the provider does not have agreement to pick up the internet service.  

Scott Hawkins from the Biloxi-Gulfport (MS) Sun-Herald says Cable One has recently added NFL Network.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike spent much of their show Tuesday talking about the Rays’ attendance problems.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel crows about the new Amway Center.

Gil Lebreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram asks wouldn’t it be better if the Texas Rangers pooled their $1.6 billion in rights fees from Fox Sports Southwest with the rest of baseball? Ask that to the Yankees or Red Sox, Gil?

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Kiesewetter lobbies for Reds fans to get the late announcer Joe Nuxhall nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award.

John says Fox Sports Ohio plans plenty of Reds postseason coverage even though the regional sports network won’t be carrying the games.

Anthony Schoette of the Indianapolis Business Journal says local ratings for the Cincinnati Reds are up from last year. 

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski may have poured the accolades on too thick during Monday Night Football.

Ed looks at the local ratings for Packers-Bears.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune also talks about the ratings for the Pack and Bears.

Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal says the Cardinals are generating ratings heat in the desert.

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic says two local golfers return to Golf Channel’s Big Break series tonight.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says the international attention on the Ryder Cup will put Wales in everyone’s sights.

Alex Belth writing for Deadspin gives us an inside look working for Ken Burns on the original “Baseball” documentary. 

Maury Brown at the Biz of Baseball says “The Tenth Inning” could use an “Eleventh Inning.”

Shane Bacon over at Press Coverage gets on NBC for tape delaying the Ryder Cup on Saturday.

Baseball Prospectus reprints an article from the great Jonah Keri remembering the last days of the Montreal Expos. It was six years ago today the team played its final home game against the Florida Marlins before moving to Washington. You know how sad that last game was? It wasn’t even aired live in Montreal. I watched it on MLB.com through Florida’s feed. I still have a pit in my stomach thinking about the Expos.

Sports Media Watch has the weekend overnight ratings.

SMW says Sunday Night Football’s ratings hit a season low for NBC, but it still won the night handily.

SMW notes that NASCAR’s ratings are reaching the depths of despair.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest says the regular fan can play football at Wrigley Field for a nominal fee.

I think we’re done here.

Bringing You Tuesday Links

I give you some linkage on this Tuesday. Finished some paperwork and now it’s time for the links on this date.

First, Michael Hiestand of USA Today looks at NBC going with tape delayed coverage of the Ryder Cup all day Saturday. Ten hours of taped golf. That’s just great. I can see people looking at Justin.TV for BBC’s coverage.

Michael has the weekend TV ratings including some very bad news for NASCAR and the PGA Tour Championship. 

We have a couple of articles from Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated. First, Richard discusses ESPN’s plans to go all-LeBron James, all the time during Miami Heat training camp.

Next, Richard talks with “The Tenth Inning” director Ken Burns about doing the sequel to the comprehensive “Baseball” documentary. 

Alex Belth of SI reviews “The Tenth Inning.”

Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times also reviews “The Tenth Inning” for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center. 

In Sports Business Journal, Eric Fisher looks at Fantasy Sports Ventures rebranding itself to Big Lead Sports. Fang’s Bites is part of the Fantasy Sports Ventures blogging network.

Brian Lowry of Fox Sports praises Fox’s Howie Long for trashing the proposed 18 game NFL season.

A.J. Perez of Fanhouse writes about Versus going into this NHL season and preparing for contract talks with the league.

SportsbyBrooks reports that ESPN will hire Cleveland Plain Dealer NBA beat writer Brian Windhorst and one other reporter to cover LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Alex Weprin at SportsNewser says the NFL is launching a site geared at women.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says Michael Vick’s jersey has become a hot seller once again.

Darren discussed this on the Dan Patrick Show today, how the Seattle Seahawks have become an enabler of gluttony with their free food deals and promotions.

Andrew Wallenstein of the Hollywood Reporter says the combined Comcast/NBC is getting ready to bid for the 2014/2016 Olympics.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that NFL RedZone is readily available throughout the new Meadowlands Stadium.

In Pro Football Weekly, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reviews NFL Week 3 on TV. 

At the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman says Giants coach Tom Coughlin has a pass from the media for his troubles this season while the New York Jets problems have received the lion’s share of coverage.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says football topped the weekend ratings while golf bottomed out.

Pete criticizes NBC for tape delaying the Ryder Cup on Saturday.

In the Schenectady Gazette, Ken Schott has the NBA TV preseason schedule.

Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about the local ESPN Radio affiliate shutting down local programming as of Monday. 

Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also looks at the ESPN Radio format flip.

Dan Steinberg in the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says it took just three games for DC NFL analysts to turn on coach Mike Shanahan.

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald looks at the increased media presence at the Miami Heat’s Media Day.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News explores the Texas Rangers’ new rights deal with Fox Sports Southwest. 

Tim Colishaw of the Morning News says the new deal gives the Rangers some more leverage.

David Martindale of the Fort Worth Star Telegram talks with two time NBA MVP Steve Nash about his directorial debut for tonight’s ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Terry Fox.

In the Houston Chronicle, David Barron also looks at the new lucrative deal signed by the Rangers with Fox Sports Southwest.

David also notes the big ratings for the Cowboys-Texans game.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says the Bengals got an astounding audience share on Sunday.

John says it’ll be a tough viewing choice tonight between the Reds and Ken Burns’ The Tenth Inning.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says it’s the Jon Gruden Show on Monday Night Football.

Robert Feder notes that the Chicago Sun-Times has a new sports media columnist.

Speaking of whom, new Chicago Sun-Times sports media columnist Dale Bowman speaks with Windy City sports radio host Dan McNeil.

Dan Caesar in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks about another week of tremendous ratings for the Rams in the Gateway City.

Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star says next week, the Pac 10/12 Conference athletic directors will meet to talk about how to divvy up TV rights money with two new members coming into the league. 

Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic reviews the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Terry Fox. 

Bill also talks with Steve Nash about the 30 for 30 doc.

The Phoenix Business Journal says Oregon-Arizona State did very well in the ratings for Fox Sports Arizona. 

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says ESPN Radio has found a new home.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks forward to the second season of HBO’s Eastbound and Down.

Tom writes about the Ryder Cup TV coverage.

James Day of the Statesman Journal (OR) writes about where College Gameday will be parked on Saturday.  

Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star talks with former Montreal Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque about his participation in CBC’s Battle of the Blades.

The Toronto Sun says CBC is distancing itself from a reporter who Tweeted his opinion about Montreal fans who booed goaltender Cary Price.

Sports Media Watch has news about three longtime ESPN executives leaving Bristol, CT.

SMW says Red Sox-Yankees on Fox did not draw ratings as normal.

SMW notes the final round of the PGA Tour Championship took a huge ratings fall.

SMW says Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford did not do well for NBC.

SMW says Boise State is not quite yet a ratings draw.

Emmett Jones of Sports Business Digest asks if approval of the NFL 18 game schedule is just a formality.

That will do it for today.

Two Golf Channel Announcements

We have a couple of Golf Channel press releases. One involving Ryder Cup coverage and the other focusing on the new season of Big Break which premieres on Wednesday. Let’s give you the Ryder Cup release first since coverage begins on Tuesday.

Golf Channel has the Ryder Cup Covered

Nearly 20 Hours of News Coverage from Celtic Manor Resort

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2010) – Beginning Tuesday, Golf Channel will take viewers inside the ropes at Celtic Manor Resort with nearly 20 hours of live news reports, inside analysis and features to deliver wrap-around news coverage of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Originating from a set overlooking the 18^th hole at Celtic Manor in Wales and from the network’s Orlando studios, coverage will begin Tuesday at noon ET with pre-tournament news conferences followed by the latest news on Golf Central at 6 p.m. ET.  News conferences will continue Wednesday at noon ET, followed by two-hour preview shows Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. Once tournament play begins, Live From the Ryder Cup will deliver player interviews, highlights and analysis from Golf Channel’s panel of reporters and expert analysts after tournament coverage Friday-Sunday.

The Live From the Ryder Cup team reporting from Celtic Manor will include Kelly Tilghman, Frank Nobilo, Rich Lerner, Steve Sands, Alex Miceli, Tim Rosaforte, Ken Schofield, Mark Rolfing and Randall Mell. Lerner will cover the European Team throughout the week, with Sands reporting on the activities of the U.S. Team. Joining the broadcast team from the network’s studios in Orlando will be Kraig Kann, Todd Lewis, Whit Watson, Tom Abbott, Brandel Chamblee and Charlie Rymer. PGA TOUR Professional Notah Begay, who made his on-air debut as a member of the network’s Live From the Masters broadcast team in April, returns as a studio analyst beginning Wednesday.

GolfChannel.com’s team of writers, as well as the on-air team, will contribute to the network’s popular blogs – Shag Bag and Punch Shots – with entries and posts throughout the week, along with daily columns, features and breaking news. Lerner, Tilghman, Rex Hoggard and Jay Coffin also will post twitter updates throughout the week, which will be re-posted on Golf Channel’s twitter feed. 

Scheduled Live From the Ryder Cup features include:

• Shot re-creations at Celtic Manor: Following each round of play Friday-Sunday, Frank Nobilo will break down the key moments at Celtic Manor.  Charlie Rymer and Brandel Chamblee also will examine the key shots using the network’s virtual simulator in-studio.

• Corey Pavin One-on-One: U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Corey Pavin sits down with Steve Sands for a one-on-one interview to discuss his experience as captain leading into the Ryder Cup.

• Colin Montgomerie One-on-One – Rich Lerner sits down with European Ryder Cup team captain Colin Montgomerie to discuss the state of his game, his Ryder Cup experiences as a player and what the captaincy means to him.

• U.S. Ryder Cup rookie Jeff Overton – Tim Rosaforte sits down with U.S. Ryder Cup rookie Jeff Overton to discuss his Indiana roots and his excitement in competing in his first Ryder Cup.

• 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger’s Winning Formula – Rich Lerner takes an in-depth look at 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Paul Azinger’s leadership in guiding Team U.S.A. to victory.

• Tony Jacklin’s Lasting Ryder Cup Influence – Rich Lerner takes a look at how Tony Jacklin transformed the image and confidence of the once beleaguered European Ryder Cup team – both as a player and a captain – ultimately leading the Europeans to their first victory in 28 years as a captain in 1985.

• 1999 Ryder Cup Comeback – Golf Channel will take a look back to the historic U.S. team comeback in Brookline to win the 1999 Ryder Cup.

Live >From the Ryder Cup TV Times (all times ET)

Tuesday, Sept. 28:          12-3 p.m. (News Conferences)

                                                6-6:30 p.m. (Golf Central)

Wednesday, Sept. 29:    12-3 p.m. (News Conferences)

                                                7-9 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 30:         6-8 p.m.

                                               

Friday, Oct. 1:                    1-2 p.m.

                                                6-8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 2                6-8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 3                   1-2 p.m.

                                                6-8 p.m.

The other Golf Channel press release comes after the jump.
Golf Channel premieres its new season of Big Break Dominican Republic on Wednesday and this time, we have a mixture of men and women. In fact, the teams are separated by men and women. We have the release previewing the show.

Most Valuable Prize in Series History Up for Grabs on Big Break Dominican Republic

Tournament Exemptions and $100,000 on the Line

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2010) – The most valuable prize in the history of Big Break will be up for grabs when Golf Channel’s popular series tees up its 14^th season Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.  Big Break Dominican Republic will feature an all-star cast of the most captivating and polarizing personalities in series history competing for redemption, the opportunity to earn a sponsor’s exemption to either the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA TOUR or the 2011 Kia Classic on the LPGA Tour, and a lion’s share of the $100,000 purse.

Featuring teams of six men vs. six women, Big Break Dominican Republic will include a new series format, new challenges and twists. The teams will compete against one another in a variety of golf challenges per episode, with the ultimate goal of knocking the other out of contention. The winning team at the conclusion of the 10-episode series will share the $100,000 cash prize, with $50,000 going to the most valuable player (MVP), who will be crowned Big Break Dominican Republic Champion.

In addition to the tournament exemptions and the cash prize, the Big Break champion also will receive an endorsement contract, which includes $10,000 in cash; a $10,000 shopping spree  and an all-expenses paid return trip for two in La Romana, Dominican Republic – host site for the series. Each member of the winning team also will receive a four-night getaway to the Dominican Republic.

The contestants on Big Break Dominican Republic include:

Andrew Giuliani (24, New York, N.Y.) – Son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Andrew is an aspiring professional attempting to make a name in golf. A contestant on Big Break Disney Golf in 2009, Giuliani was eliminated on the eighth episode of the series and developed an on-camera rivalry with fellow competitor Blake Moore, also a competitor and teammate on Big Break Dominican Republic.

David Mobley (45, Charlotte, N.C.) — A dominant force on the Long Drive circuit for the past 15 years, David Mobley competed on Big Break Michigan in 2008, teamed with Long Drive champion Sally Dee. On paper, the team appeared to be the favorites, but they were eliminated in the series’ eighth episode, and Mobley became known as one of the biggest villains in Big Break history.

Blake Moore (26, Denver, Colo.) – A feisty competitor with a tenacity for perfection, Moore was a competitor on Big Break Disney Golf in 2009. He was eliminated in the seventh episode of the series, when his temper got the best of him. His experience on the series was a wake-up call. Moore has since made changes to improve himself on and off the golf course.

Anthony Rodriguez (37, San Antonio, Texas) – Once hailed to become the next Latin star on the PGA TOUR, Rodriguez competed in Big Break Mesquite in 2006. The third contestant eliminated on the series, Rodriguez faced enormous criticism from blogs and chat rooms for his temper and poor sportsmanship. He lost sponsors and his confidence, and ultimately quit the game he loves to return to San Antonio to support his family. Now at peace with his experience on Big Break, Rodriguez is taking full advantage of his second chance at redemption.

Brian Skatell (37, Greensburg, Penn.) – A very confident player, Skatell is a self-described perfectionist and prides himself on his meticulous work ethic. A contestant on Big Break Prince Edward Island in 2008, Skatell survived more than halfway through the series, an achievement considering Skatell had a lengthy hospital stay six months prior, undergoing exploratory surgery that caused him to be more than 30 pounds underweight when the series was filmed. He believes he has more to prove on his return to Big Break Dominican Republic. 

William “Football” Thompson (24, Bracey, Va.) – A fan favorite from Big Break Prince Edward Island, Thompson is the definition of country, and he knows it. Equally at home hunting deer as much as hunting birdies on the golf course, his friends call him “Football.” Thompson was the second contestant eliminated on Big Break Prince Edward Island. On this go-around, he plans to give everything he has to keep his dream alive of teeing it up on the PGA TOUR.

Lori Atsedes (46, Orlando, Fla.) – Atsedes is proud of everything she has accomplished in her long career. She has 26 professional tour wins, is the all-time career money leader on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and was a five-year member of the LPGA Tour. When it comes to her experience as a contestant on Big Break Ka’anapali in 2008, however, the topic of conversation often centered around her on-camera feud with Christina Lecuyer, which overshadowed her play on the course. It left her with a feeling of unfinished business.

 Sara Brown (24, Tucson, Ariz.) – Like the rest of the contestants on Big Break Dominican Republic, Brown has unfinished business. Unlike many of her fellow competitors, Brown’s Big Break experience is still fresh in her mind. She competed on the most recent season of Big Break – Big Break Sandals Resorts – finishing in the top three.

Christina Lecuyer (27, Conway, Ark.) – When Big Break fans last saw Lecuyer in 2008, she was a first-year professional that found herself in the finals of her first LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, and was a contestant on Big Break Ka’anapali. Fast forward to 2010, and the wear and tear of traveling finally got the best of her. She quit playing golf full time.  On Big Break Dominican Republic, she will test herself to see if her dream of playing on the LPGA Tour is still alive.

Brenda McLarnon (27, Charleston, S.C.) – A competitor on Big Break Prince Edward Island, McLarnon was 100 percent into golf.  The Ireland native was a four-year competitor on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and lived out of her car, paycheck-to-paycheck, while trying to achieve her goal of playing on the LPGA Tour. Then she fell in love.  Engaged to be married just four days before the season premiere, McLarnon’s goals and off the golf course have changed, but the dream to play on the LPGA Tour rages on.

Blair O’Neal (29, Scottsdale, Ariz.) – Prior to her appearance on Big Break Prince Edward Island, O’Neal was better known for her modeling career than her golf game. She also was in the middle of an extended leave from golf. She finished runner-up on the series, and the golf world took notice. Since then, she has hosted shows for Golf Channel, including InFuze My Game on GolfChannel.com and the premiere episode of Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf. Now, she is back to playing full time on the Cactus Tour. She is more focused than ever and has some unfinished business on Big Break Dominican Republic.  

Elena Robles (26, Redondo Beach, Calif.) – The first competitor eliminated on Big Break Sandals Resorts, Robles is excited for her second opportunity on Big Break Dominican Republic. Her experience on the series, albeit brief, was another chapter in the story about how she has returned to the game after quitting in 2008, citing burnout.

            Filmed on location in June at the world-famous Casa de Campo Resort, Big Break Dominican Republic will unfold on two Pete Dye-designed courses at Casa de Campo: the Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore. Teeth of the Dog is the number-one-ranked course in the Caribbean and 42^nd in the world by Golf Magazine. Dye Fore is a picturesque and challenging course overlooking the Caribbean Sea that measures more than 7,700 yards.

Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott and Stephanie Sparks will return as co-hosts to add insight during the 10-episode series.

That is it.

ESPN & Sirius XM Radio Announce Ryder Cup Coverage Plans

Starting on Friday, golf teams from the US and Europe square off in match play at the Twenty Ten Course in Wales in the renewal of the Ryder Cup. Now the matches will be played mostly in the morning here in the United States. ESPN may no longer have live PGA Tour events, but it does have the bigger events in the sport like The Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the Ryder Cup.

ESPN’s coverage will be live starting at 2:30 a.m. Friday. There will be a re-air later in the day, but if you want to stay up late or get up early to watch, ESPN will be the place for you on Friday. NBC has weekend coverage, but we’ll talk about that later in the week.

Here’s the ESPN press release outlining its coverage on Friday.

ESPN to Present Ryder Cup Day 1 Matches Live

Coverage Team Includes Two Former Ryder Cup Captains Azinger and Strange

Unprecedented live coverage from the United Kingdom Begins at 2:30 A.M. ET, Includes over 32 Hours Scheduled

For the first time from a European venue, ESPN will present Ryder Cup Day 1 matches live from 2:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 1. The 38^th Ryder Cup, the biennial competition between teams from Europe and the United States, will take place from The Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales.

ESPN’s coverage of the Ryder Cup begins Thursday, Sept. 30, with exclusive coverage of the Opening Ceremonies within the 11 a.m. ET SportsCenter followed by the SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup preview show at 2 p.m. ESPN networks will also re-air coverage from all three days beginning with a Friday encore of Day 1 matches from 1-10 p.m. on ESPN2.  Live coverage from Wales will conclude with SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup, including coverage of the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday, Oct. 3, from 1-2 p.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN’s coverage will be anchored by Mike Tirico and 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger. ESPN’s commentating team also includes two-time U.S. Open champions Curtis Strange, who was the Ryder Cup Captain in 2002 and played in the event five times, and Andy North, who also played in the Ryder Cup. In addition, Judy Rankin, Bill Kratzert and Peter Alliss, an eight-time Ryder Cup member, will serve as analysts. Scott Van Pelt will host SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup highlight shows, Tom Rinaldi will provide essays and interviews, and Rick Reilly will contribute commentaries and essays.

Corey Pavin captains the defending U.S. squad featuring three of the world’s top four players in Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker alongside major champions Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink.  Colin Montgomerie leads the European team which includes 2010 major champions Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open) and Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship). Former PGA and two-time Open Champion Padraig Harrington and top golfers Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter round out the team. The U.S. won the 2008 Ryder Cup 16½ – 11½ to end a streak of three consecutive victories for Team Europe.

                                                                                                                                                     

ESPN’s production will include features on Tiger Woods’ selection to the team; the 2008 Ryder Cup, won by the United States team that was captained by Azinger; and the pressure for Corey Pavin and first time players. 

ESPN.com’s editorial coverage of the Ryder Cup will include Jason Sobel’s daily live blog, as well as insight and analysis from columnists Bob Harig and Gene Wojciechowski each day of the competition from Wales. 

ESPN’s Ryder Cup TV schedule:

Date	Day	Time (ET)	Network	Program
9/30	Thu.	2:00 – 3:00 p.m.	ESPN	SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup (Preview)
10/1	Fri.	2:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.	ESPN	Ryder Cup Day 1 Matches (Live)
10/1	Fri.	1:00 – 10:00 p.m.	ESPN2	Ryder Cup Day 1 Matches (Reair)
10/2	Sat.	7:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.	ESPN Classic	Ryder Cup Day 2 Matches (Reair)
10/3	Sun.	12:00 – 1:00 a.m.	ESPN2	SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup (Day 2 Highlights)
10/3	Sun.	1:00 – 2:00 p.m.	ESPN2	SportsCenter at the Ryder Cup (Closing Ceremonies & Day 3 Highlights)
10/4	Mon.	5:00- 10:00 p.m.	ESPN Classic	Ryder Cup Day 3 Matches (Reair)

And for good measure, Sirius XM listeners will also have extensive coverage through PGA Tour Radio. The press release comes after the jump.

For some reason, Sirius XM will reflect the network TV coverage all three days of the competition.

SIRIUS XM RADIO ANNOUNCES BROADCAST COVERAGE OF 2010 RYDER CUP

Hole-by-hole coverage airs October 1-3 from The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales

NEW YORK – September 27, 2010 – SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that it will offer listeners nationwide the radio coverage of the 2010 Ryder Cup this Friday, October 1, through Sunday, October 3, on XM channel 146 and on SIRIUS channel 209 for subscribers with the “Best of XM” programming package.

SIRIUS XM will provide listeners with hole-by-hole coverage live from The Celtic Manor Resort in the City of Newport, Wales, as well as updates and analysis straight from the course from SIRIUS XM’s Matt Adams.

SIRIUS XM’s coverage will air Friday (2:30 am – 2:00 pm ET, live), Saturday (8:00 am – 6:00 pm ET, tape-delay) and Sunday (7:00 am – 1:00 pm ET, live). Live on-course coverage will be immediately followed by a wrap-up of the day’s action along with highlights, analysis, and player interviews on Ryder Cup Replay, hosted by Earl Forcey and Matt Adams.  Following Ryder Cup Replay, SIRIUS XM will rebroadcast the play-by-play for listeners through the afternoon drive time and evening hours.

The Ryder Cup, the biennial match between teams comprised of the 12 best players from the U.S. and Europe, is one of golf’s most celebrated events.  Led this year by captains Corey Pavin on the U.S. side and Colin Montgomerie on the European side, the teams will compete in foursomes and four-ball matches on Friday and Saturday, and 12 head-to-head individual matches on Sunday.

The Americans are defending the Ryder Cup which they won two years ago with an upset victory over the Europeans at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.  That was the first U.S. Ryder Cup victory in nine years.  Representing Team USA in the 38^th Ryder Cup this week will be 2010 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton, Matt Kuchar, Stewart Cink, Rickie Fowler and Zach Johnson.

Team Europe features two of this season’s major champions – U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell and PGA Champion Martin Kaymer – as well as Luke Donald, Ross Fisher, Peter Hanson, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Rory McIlroy, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

In the days leading up to the event SIRIUS XM’s hosts will provide golf fans with daily talk and analysis.

Tuesday evening (5:00 pm ET), PGA TOUR member and SIRIUS XM host Chris DiMarco, who competed as a member of the U.S. team in the 2004 and 2006 Ryder Cup events, will host a new edition of his weekly talk show, oPINionated.

On Wednesday (10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET), Earl Forcey and Matt Adams will host the SIRIUS XM Ryder Cup Preview Show, featuring player profiles and in-depth analysis of the three-day competition.

During the week, listeners can also tune in to Fairways of Life with Matt Adams (7:00-9:00 am ET), Teed Off with Brian Katrek (9:00 am – 11:00 am ET), and Making the Turn with Peter Kessler (11:00 am- Noon ET).

All shows air on XM channel 146 and on SIRIUS channel 209 for subscribers with the “Best of XM” programming package.

For more information on SIRIUS XM’s golf coverage, visit www.xmradio.com/pgatour.

That is all.

A Thursday Linkfest

As I stayed up very late as news broke about the HBO 24/7 series on the NHL, I’m dragging, but I do it so you have fresh content when you wake up. And besides, the post has been getting quite a bit of mileage this morning with Puck Daddy, The Pensblog, and at NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk. Much appreciated for the linkage back to Fang’s Bites. Been a long night, but the reward is great.

Let’s get to the sports media links.

It’s been just over two months since we’ve last heard from him, but ESPN Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer weighs in with another Masters Degree thesis on the spiking of the Arash Markazi on LeBron James’ night out in Las Vegas, Jay Mariotti and 30 for 30. Not a particularly strong effort despite the heavy word count (over 4,000!).

Milton Kent of Fanhouse notes that an NBCSports.com writer beat a Ken Jennings-like champion on Jeopardy. Google “Ken Jennings” if you don’t remember who he is. I’m too tired to do it this morning.

Milton looks at a group of Historically Black Colleges and Universities banding together to form their own cable TV network to get their sports programming aired.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times says the 30 for 30 documentary on the Steinbrenner family tried to do too much.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says the Philadelphia Phillies are red hot on the field and on TV.

Mike says ESPN’s Monday Night Football game between New Orleans and San Francisco received cable TV’s 2nd largest audience of 2010. 

Staci D. Kramer at paidContent says ESPN is unveiling two new Apple apps that will be for Insider subscribers.

Nick Bromberg from Yahoo’s From The Marbles blog looks at the dwindling ratings for NASCAR.

Eric Wilbur of the Boston Globe blasts last weekend’s NESN Daily for being an informerical for Red Sox owner John Henry.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir notes that the monument for the late George Steinbrenner at the new Yankee Stadium is gigantic compared to let’s say, Babe Ruth’s?

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner says the Ravens and DC NFL team garnered big ratings in their respective local markets.

Tim Baier of Time Warner’s News 14 Carolina channel notes that a new Charlotte sports radio station is trying to stress the positive instead of taking negative phone calls.

Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says the Dolphins will cover the infield dirt at the Stadium Formerly Known as Joe Robbie for Sunday night’s home opener against the Jets.

Tom D’Angelo at the Palm Beach (FL) Post notes that ESPN will be all over Miami Heat training camp. 

From the St. Petersburg Times, Rick Stroud says this Sunday’s Steelers-Buccaneers game is in danger of being blacked out.

Barry Horn at the Dallas Morning News says Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth were critical of the Cowboys on Inside the NFL.

Ryan Autillo of the Toledo (OH) Blade chronicles ESPN Radio hack Colon Cowherd’s visit to the University of Michigan campus. 

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer talks with ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hoge about his new book.

John asks Hoge why he chose to live in the Cincinnati area after he retired from the NFL.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business talks with legendary Windy City sports personality Chet Coppock.

Ed says a new magazine cover featuring US Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin’s wife is definitely going to stir the loins for next week’s match in Wales.

In a related note, Lisa Pavin defends her posing for the cover with just a sheet and crucifix to Robert Lusetich of Fox Sports.

Speaking of the Ryder Cup, Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the NBC Sports golf crew talking about the US pairings for the event.

Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel says HBO Sports’ Real Sports unveiled the man behind the Milwaukee Bucks’ mascot, Bango on Tuesday.

Tom Fox of the Idaho Press-Tribune says Boise will be the 95th location for the flying of a Washington State flag at a College Gameday site.

Usually I avoid Woody Paige of the Denver Post like the plague, but today, he has a brilliant column on how he almost committed suicide several years ago. The column comes in the wake of the unfortunate death of Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley who killed himself over the weekend. Thanks to The Big Lead for the link.

Yvonne Zacharias of the Vancouver Sun talks with Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash about his directing an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Canadian inspiration Terry Fox.

The Big Lead notes that TV reporter Barbie is here. Oh great.

Joe Favorito says Hartford has a “Whale” of a chance to get the NHL to return.

Jared Smith of Awful Announcing noticed that Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski was secretly auditioning for the blog during Monday Night Football.

And we’re going to stop there for now. Back with any breaking news later.

NBC Airs Coverage of the BMW Championship

The third leg of what the PGA Tour calls the FedEx Cup takes place this week outside Chicago with the BMW Championship. NBC has coverage on Saturday and Sunday. Here’s your press release from NBC which I culled from its media website. We also have the coverage plans of the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup. Looks like tape delayed coverage of the Ryder Cup from South Wales in the UK.

NBC SPORTS CONTINUES FedEx CUP COVERAGE WITH BMW CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY

NEW YORK – September 9, 2010 – NBC Sports continues its coverage of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup with third- and final-round coverage of the penultimate FedEx Cup event, the BMW Championship from Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Ill., this Saturday, Noon-3 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 2-6 p.m. ET.

Host Dan Hicks and analyst Johnny Miller, in their 11th season together as NBC Sports’ lead golf team, anchor coverage from the 18th-hole tower, and are joined by tower reporters Gary Koch and Brad Faxon; on-course reporters Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing and Dottie Pepper; and interviewer/essayist Jimmy Roberts.

Only the Top 70 players in FedEx Cup points, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and current FedEx Cup points leader Matt Kuchar, will compete this weekend for a chance to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs. The Top 30 players in FedEx Cup points after the BMW Championship will move on to THE TOUR Championship, September 23-26. For current FedExCup standings, click here: http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?02395

HICKS ON THE BMW: “This week’s tournament offers some incredible intrigue because the BMW has the biggest attrition rate of the FedEx Cup playoffs. What sometimes gets lost on people is that if you make the Top 30, not only do you get a chance to win the championship and the $10 million prize, but you also get so many other benefits, like qualifying for all the majors.”

HICKS ON TIGER: “Tiger’s game is getting better and he has won five times at Cog Hill. He has a high comfort level there. But he is going to have to finish very strong to move on to East Lake. It makes for some interesting golf. It’s coming down to the wire.”

Click here for more golf coverage from NBC: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22939546/

NBC SPORTS’ FedEx CUP SCHEDULE: The BMW Championship is the second of three consecutive FedExCup Playoff events broadcast by NBC Sports. Last week, NBC Sports presented the Deutsche Bank Championship from TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The final FedExCup event and the culmination of the 2010 PGA TOUR season, THE TOUR Championship, is broadcast by NBC Sports the weekend of September 25-26 in Atlanta from East Lake Golf Club. For more information on the FedEx Cup, click here: http://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/playoffs-primer/index.html (all times ET):

BMW Championship – Lemont, Ill.
Saturday, September 11, 12-3 p.m.
Sunday, September 12, 2–6 p.m.

The Tour Championship – Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday, September 25, 12-3 p.m.
Sunday, September 26, 1:30–6 p.m.

THE RYDER CUP: NBC Sports will broadcast 16 hours of coverage of the 2010 Ryder Cup from The Twenty Ten Course at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales on Saturday and Sunday, October 2-3. For more information on the 2010 Ryder Cup, click here: http://www.rydercup.com/2010/usa/

2010 Ryder Cup – Newport, South Wales
Saturday, October 2, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, October 3, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

And that will do it for this post.

A Tuesday Linkfest

Let’s give you some linkage. I’m still working on my Amazing Race Asia Episode 2 recap. I think I’m halfway through. I hope to be done when Thursday rolls around.

Here are some leaks in the meantime.

Stephanie Kang of the Wall Street Journal tells us that the NHL is going to be launching a new online pay per view service for this upcoming season.

Newsday’s Neil Best feels ESPN treated the Yankee Stadium farewell with dignity. In his blog, Neil says Mike Francesa now has one member of his new show in place. Neil feels that YES will do all it can to keep the 5.5 hour Mike Francesa simulcast on its airwaves. Neil has a blog entry about the ratings for Francesa’s TV show, Mike’d Up. Finally, Neil says it’s wrong for credentialed media members to take dirt from Yankee Stadium, but Neil says he did not see anyone from the media take any dirt.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says there was a familiar feeling to the Yankee Stadium farewell, but there was also something missing.

In his blog, the great Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan liked the way ESPN’s Jon Miller handled the last inning of the Orioles-Yankees game on Sunday.

Mark Remme of MLB.com says this Saturday’s Yankees-Red Sox game has been moved from 7:05 p.m. to late afternoon to accomodate Fox.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball talks with Rocky Mountain News baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal says the Rays are a big hit on TV.

Somehow I missed this from last week. USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that women in sports broadcasting are mostly seen as sideline reporters, not studio hosts or play-by-play voices.

Darren Rovell of CNBC says sports is practically TiVo-proof. Darren also says high end ticket brokers could take a hit as the financial crunch gets worse.

Long-time Chicago Sun-Times media columnist Robert Feder (he’s been linked to from Fang’s Bites several times) is accepting a buyout.

To Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News, he writes that Tony Kornheiser is no Howard Cosell not matter how hard he tries to sound like him.

Martin Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Times writes that General Motors is taking a pass on Super Bowl advertising.

Laura Nachman has a message from Philly sports radio host Jody McDonald who’s recovering from quadruple heart bypass surgery.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with former ESPN Radio/Fox Sports Radio/Sporting News Radio host Tony Bruno who’s making a comeback in LA. And Tom gets the reaction of the man Tony is replacing.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says another sports radio station in the Gateway City launches on New Year’s Day.

George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal says Browns fans are out in force on the sports talk shows these days.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says ESPN Radio’s Mike Golic was upfront about his son’s arrest at Notre Dame over the weekend.

Over to the Sports Media Watch, apparently the Ryder Cup did well in the ratings last weekend. In the meantime, SMW says NASCAR’s apparently running into red lights in the ratings.

The Centre (PA) Daily Times says the Penn State-Purdue game on October 4 will be aired either on ESPN or ESPN2.

John Dempsey of Variety says MSG Network has purchased six documentaries from ESPN.

Ron Leonardi of the Erie (PA) Times-News talks with ESPN soccer announcer and former Erie Blades minor league hockey play-by-play man JP Dellacamera.

Tierney Plumb of the Washington (DC) Business Journal says Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic has gained the rights to televise the Marine Corp Marathon next month.

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog says CBS Sports has an opening.

That will do it for now.

The First Day of Autumn Links

It’s officially Fall in the US today. I still hope to have some nice days before it gets really cold in the next couple of months, but as the mornings are chilly when I get up, it’s a sign that the seasons are indeed changing.

Let’s get to your links.

David Scott of the Boston Sports Media Watch touches on a bunch of subjects today including Bob Costas’ appearance at Farm Aid this weekend, the latest at the Boston Herald, problems with the Patriots Rock Radio Network and WEEI winning a Marconi Award.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says the Ryder Cup was quite appealing to watch.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says Nike is getting out of the competitive Olympic swimsuit market (and touches upon a couple of things that were mentioned in our interview).

From the Sports Business Journal, John Ourand says NBA TV is making a push for a wider distribution.

Also from the SBJ, Eric Fisher and John Ourand write that the MLB Network will team up with ESPN to air the World Baseball Classic in 2009.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says the New York media enabled MLB and ESPN to put the last Yankee Stadium game at night. That’s a real stretch, Phil.

And Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News seemed to hate everything about the Yankee Stadium Closing Ceremonies.

In a review of the TV sports weekend, Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times wondered when Fox’s Jeanne Zelasko will get the name of the Rays right.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron has the text and .pdf file of an apology MLB El Presidente Del Mundo Bud Selig made to Astros fans.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball also looks at the full page apology MLB took in the Houston Chronicle regarding the Astros “home” series in Milwaukee last week.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun goes over some of the notable quotes from the Sunday NFL pregame shows.

Dusty Saunders of the Rocky Mountain News enjoyed a rare visit by Joe Buck and the Fox Sports crew to Denver.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel goes over the Cowboys-Packers game from several points of view.

Apparently, an NBC Sports crew member was injured following the Cowboys-Packers game last night.

We’re loving the fact that the Dallas Morning News’ Barry Horn is still in the honeymoon phase of blogging. Today, he gives a review of NBC’s production of Sunday Night Football. And Barry doesn’t quite understand the last concession at the Ryder Cup.

Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says ESPN’s College Gameday will be live from the University of Georgia this Saturday.

Friend of Fang’s Bites, Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog looks at where College Gameday could set up for this Saturday’s live show.

Awful Announcing has the video of ESPN Radio host Mike Golic addressing his son’s arrest at Notre Dame over the weekend.

A few things from Laura Nachman. She talks about sports radio station WIP celebrating its 20th anniversary. Laura adds some names who have worked at the station over the years. And here are some more names. Finally, Laura says the U.S. Sports Film Festival is coming to Philly next month.

If you missed the piece on the late Lymon Bostock that aired on ESPN’s Outside the Lines yesterday, Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the embedded the video at his blog.

Shahnaz Mahmud of Adweek says as sports leagues offer live internet streaming of their games and big events, the rules for marketers and advertisers change.

Randy Whitehouse of the Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal is not a fan of NESN’s Don Orsillo.

Andrew Goldman of New York magazine writes about the relationship between the lovely and hot Alexis Stewart and her mother, Martha as the new show, “Whatever, Martha” premiered on Fine Living last week. The show is pretty funny.

Those are your links for now.

The Last Friday Megalinks of the Summer

As we speed into the Fall season (it begins on Monday), this is our last official Megalink session of the Summer. Yes, our mindset of Summer is gone, but officially, Fall begins on Monday. We have a lot of good links for you today so let’s get cracking, but first, we have our Weekend Viewing Picks.

The Ryder Cup dominates both ESPN and NBC this weekend. ESPN is providing coverage today through 6 p.m. Then NBC takes over the coverage from the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville with the Foursome and Fourball matches on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. Then the individual match play begins Sunday at noon. The US hopes to break the European three match winning streak. In addition to NBC’s coverage, ESPN will have extensive coverage of the Ryder Cup with live SportsCenters from Valhalla at midnight on ESPN2. Live streaming coverage can also be seen at Ryder Cup Live. You can also see Friend of Fang’s Bites, Beau “The guy I ripped last October” Estes, doing the highlights for Ryder Cup Live throughout the weekend.

The NFL is in Week 3 and CBS has the doubleheader for the second consecutive week. The highlight of the afternoon will be Pittsburgh at Philadelphia at 4:15 p.m. Fox has regional coverage including a game which really should have a national showcase, New Orleans at Denver at 4:05 p.m. NBC’s Sunday Night Football has the game of the day with a battle of undefeated teams, Dallas at Green Bay. The entire viewing schedule with announcing assignments, coverage maps, DirecTV and Sirius Satellite Radio channel assignments can be seen in the NFL Viewing Picks.

For college football, ESPN’s College Gameday will be live from Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium at 10 a.m. Notre Dame-Michigan State on ABC and Florida-Tennessee on CBS highlight the viewing at 3:30 p.m. Then in primetime, ESPN has LSU-Auburn at 7:45 p.m. and ABC returns with Georgia-Arizona State at 8 p.m. The full national TV schedule along with Big Ten Network, ABC and ESPN coverage maps is in the College Football Viewing Picks.

The baseball playoff picture may get a bit clearer this weekend. With the Chicago Cubs just two games away from clinching the NL Central and the Mets battling the Phillies in the NL East, Fox has coverage of three games on Saturday. Cards-Cubs will be the feature game, going to most of the country. Again, the network has some funky announcing teams for Saturday. The regional splits and announcing assignments are here.

WGN has the White Sox hoping to get closer to the AL Central crown against Kansas City on Saturday at 7 p.m. And the following day, if the Cubs haven’t clinched the NL Central, WGN hopes to have the celebration during its coverage of the Cards-Cubs at 2 p.m.

Also on Sunday, TBS has the Red Sox at Toronto at 1 p.m. Before that, TBS has a special edition of MLB on Deck at 12:30 p.m. as Ernie Johnson, Jr., Cal Ripken, Jr., Dennis Eckersley, Jr., and Harold Reynolds, Jr. all preview the upcoming playoffs.

Then ESPN will conclude its Sunday Night Baseball coverage for 2008 with the final game ever at Yankee Stadium. ESPN2 will have pregame ceremonies starting at 7 p.m., then turn it over to ESPN at 8. The game between the Orioles and Yankees will be secondary. Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford are expected to visit the booth with Jon Miller and Joe “I’m the Greatest” Morgan. First pitch is scheduled around 9:05 p.m. I can already hear the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick complaining.

NASCAR has the Camping World RV 400 on ABC at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Did you know that the Davis Cup is in the semifinal round and the US has a chance to advance to the finals against Spain? You do now and Versus has same day coverage at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

And Fox Sports brings the AVP tour to its airwaves for the very first time. It will carry the women’s championship of the Manhattan Beach Open and hopes to have Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in the match. Depending on the NFL game in your area, you can see the match Sunday at either 2:30 or 4:30 p.m.

Now let’s get to your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks about future Hall of Fame Braves pitcher John Smoltz joining TBS for the MLB playoffs.

The always lovely Daryn Kagan has the story of a man who’s walking every round of the PGA Tour this season despite a serious physical challenge.

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media says he’s happy to see Dave Rowe back in the broadcast booth after getting a new lease on life.

Maury Brown in the Biz of Baseball recaps an interview that MLB El Presidente del Mundo Bud Selig did with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Glen Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable says subscribers to AT&T and Verizon Wireless can watch the Ryder Cup on their cell phones.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell of the Boston Globe discusses NBC’s coverage of the Ryder Cup from Valhalla.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has the news of WEEI somehow winning a prestigious Marconi Award. Prestigious and WEEI do not mix.

The great Neil Best of Newsday talks about ESPN preparing to give Yankee Stadium a proper sendoff. Neil also has a story on baseball home run ball hog Zack Hample who has yet to meet a microphone he doesn’t like. In his blog, Neil wonders if WFAN’s Boomer Esiason took a shot at former co-worker Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

Speaking of Russo, the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick bashes both him and his former partner Mike Francesa.

Justin Terranova from the Post talks with NBC’s Johnny Miller and Roger Maltbie about the Ryder Cup. And Justin has five questions for the YES Network’s David Cone.

Over to the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman says Yankee Stadium owes a lot to Boss George Steinbrenner.

This is the first time for Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News in the Friday megalinks. He writes that Matthew Barnaby will replace Barry Melrose as the NHL analyst for ESPN.

To the Baltimore Sun where Ray Frager writes about the Ryder Cup and Johnny Miller’s thoughts about the US’ chances this weekend.

From the DC/Baltimore Examiner, Jim Williams writes that NBC’s Johnny Miller is never afraid to speak his mind.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times has his sports viewing best bets for the weekend.

West

Bob Diddlebock of the Denver Examiner says it should be no surprise that the local CBS affiliate has chosen to blow away “Face the Nation” for a local NFL pregame show.

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News writes that UCLA fans spent last Saturday ripping Versus.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune talks with ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser. Jay also has last week’s ratings for San Diego.

John Maffei in the North County Times says the San Diego Chargers are primetime players this season.

In the Ventura County Star, Jim Carlisle writes about the Ryder Cup coverage on ESPN and NBC.

Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times wonders what Howard Cosell would think of Monday Night Football today.

Tom Hoffarth in today’s Los Angeles Daily News catches up with ESPN’s Linda Cohn whose new book chronicles her rise at the Worldwide Leader and her divorce from her husband. In his blog, Tom has some more notes on Linda. And Tom has some extensive media notes as well.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News has his Morning Buzz On the Air column.

Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says the city’s losing teams are taking a toll on the local sports radio talk shows.

South

Doug Nye of The State goes over his ten favorite baseball movies. That might be an idea for Videos of the Week!

Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald says ESPN’s Monday Night Football could use some further tweaking.

Dave Darling of the Orlando Sentinel writes that ESPN’s coverage of this weekend’s Ryder Cup completes the Al Michaels for Oswald the Rabbit trade.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron says the area’s sports reporters were pressed into news duty for Hurricane Ike coverage.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says hard work paid off for the new TV broadcast team for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Mel has a preview of the Ryder Cup. You can look at Mel’s media notes. And the Ryder Cup is among Mel’s weekend viewing picks.

Midwest

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has NBC’s John Madden singing the praises of Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press wonders if Sarah Palin can make the transition from sports anchor to politics, who else from the sports TV world can make the transition.

Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald says the swap of White Sox radio and TV analysts for next season does not come without some risk.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin tells us that there will be plenty of Ryder Cup coverage on your TV this weekend.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel will be all over ESPN’s multiple platforms on Tuesday. And Dan has the St. Louis Blues’ TV schedule.

That will do it.

Thursday Linkage or Getting Close to The Weekend

It’s getting close to the weekend and I’m always glad that the weekend is close. Let’s do your links.

Awful Announcing has a great story on Hank Williams comparing ABC’s Monday Night Football to ESPN’s Monday Night Football and Hank says there’s no comparison.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun says Monday’s Eagles-Cowboys game broke last year’s Patriots-Ravens record for the most watched program on cable.

Geoff Colvin of Fortune Magazine talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about a bunch of subjects including the future of TV rights to the league.

Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser says the location for the set for ESPN’s College Gameday has been finalized at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Rick Kaipust of the Omaha World-Herald says the University of Nebraska has benefitted from three pay-per-view football broadcasts this season.

Brian Christopherson from the Lincoln (NE) Journal Star also looks at the success of the pay per view broadcasts for Nebraska.

Don Reid of the Coldwater (MI) Daily Reporter says the town’s board of public utilities has approved the Big Ten Network for carriage.

Newsday’s Neil Best gets answers from network public relations people to questions he could not answer in his live chat yesterday.

Maury Brown in the Biz of Baseball has the TBS roster of announcers for the MLB Postseason and it includes NESN’s Don Orsillo and Dennis Eckersley.

Jim Williams of the DC Examiner says MASN plans an all-HD channel and it’s hoped that the SEC will be part of that programming.

Joe Favorito looks at a vote for the Best Minor League Baseball promotion.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has ESPN’s coverage schedule from the Ryder Cup this weekend.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune looks at the Ryder Cup.

The great Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog warns fans that the NCAA could make some changes to its men’s basketball tournament due to the credit crunch.

Laura Nachman says the Phillies are grabbing great ratings in Philly.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley recaps an appearance at Marquette University by Sports Illustrated’s Frank Deford.

Evan Weiner of the New York Sun talks about owners not just buying teams, but stakes in regional sports networks and other entertainment properties.

Chris Soghoian of CNET says ESPN is playing favorites with Internet Service Providers.

The Gloucester County (NJ) Times reports that ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning will broadcast live from the Battleship New Jersey this Friday.

That will do it for now.