Fang's Bites

TSN/TSN2 2012-13 NHL Regular Season Schedule

NHL ON TSN BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Schedule subject to change without notice

TSN’s 2012 NHL Conference Quarterfinal Playoff Schedule

TSN has four series including the blood rivalry between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Let’s take a look at what we have for TSN.

NHL Playoffs on TSN and TSN2:
First Round Coverage Features Four Key Series

 TSN and TSN2 deliver First Round coverage of Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, St. Louis-San Jose, Florida-New Jersey and Phoenix-Chicago series
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins take on rival Flyers to headline TSN and TSN2’s 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS coverage beginning Wednesday, April 11

– Games also available live nationally on TSN Mobile TV –

Toronto, ON (April 8, 2012) – Two months of unscripted hockey drama begins Wednesday on TSN, as Canada’s Sports Leader today confirmed its complete broadcast schedule for the First Round of the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS.

Headlining TSN and TSN2’s First Round playoff coverage are some of the NHL’s biggest stars including Sidney Crosby, Art Ross Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin, Claude Giroux, Joe Thornton, Patrick Kane, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Martin Brodeur, as the networks team up to deliver complete coverage of the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, St. Louis-San Jose, Florida-New Jersey and Phoenix-Chicago series.

Games are available live nationally on TSN, TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV.

TSN’s coverage of the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS gets underway on Wednesday, April 11 – opening night of the NHL Playoffs – with Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m. ET (see TSN and TSN2 NHL Playoffs Broadcast Schedule below).

TSN and TSN2’s live coverage of the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS runs throughout the first three rounds.

The networks’ extensive coverage of the NHL post-season features veteran play-by-play announcers Gord Miller and Chris Cuthbert and game analysts Ray Ferraro and Mike Johnson.

NHL ON TSN host James Duthie is in the TSN Studio for pre-game shows and intermissions, alongside Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger, analysts Aaron Ward and Marc Crawford, and former NHL referee Kerry Fraser.

TSN’s flagship sports news program SPORTSCENTRE covers every playoff series with highlights and news, plus daily in-depth analysis from TSN’s hockey experts. Canadian teams will be front and centre on SPORTSCENTRE, with pre- and post-game reports from Farhan Lalji, covering the Canucks-Kings series, and Brent Wallace, covering the Senators-Rangers series. In addition, Ryan Rishaug will provide complete coverage of the Penguins-Flyers series as a rinkside reporter.

THAT’S HOCKEY with Gino Reda and THAT’S HOCKEY 2NITE with Steve Kouleas have extensive post-season coverage, while TSN THE REPORTERS WITH DAVE HODGE and OFF THE RECORD WITH MICHAEL LANDSBERG continue to examine the league’s hot-button issues. OTR also features a weekly appearance from future Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano during the playoffs.

TSN.ca

Canada’s leading sports website has the country’s favourite pastime covered from all angles, as TSN.ca features all the latest news, scores, stats, schedules and interviews during the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS. The website boasts an NHL Playoff Video hub, giving fans a one-stop-shop for highlights, analysis, news and reports for every series.

Social media is also centre stage on TSN.ca with in-game live blogs and official Twitter feeds from teams and players, plus blogs and tweets from TSN’s hockey experts and Insiders.

Throughout the post-season, fans can battle their friends for bragging rights in the TSN Playoff Hockey Challenge by creating the ultimate playoff fantasy hockey team or test their skill with the TSN Predictor: Playoff Edition, which gives fans the chance to build the highest consecutive point streak during the post-season for prizes.

Fans can visit TSN.ca and download the TSN Mobile app and the TSN iPad app for all the latest scores, stats, and news from the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS.

TSN Radio

Bell Media sports radio stations TEAM 1040 in Vancouver and TEAM 1200 in Ottawa are the official radio voices of the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators, and have live game coverage of the Canucks and Senators’ playoff series throughout the 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS.

TSN Radio in Montreal (AM 990) and Winnipeg (AM 1290), and TEAM 1410 in Vancouver will carry selected out-of market 2012 STANLEY CUP^® PLAYOFFS radio broadcasts and, along with TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, will feature all encompassing coverage and expert analysis from TSN’s hockey Insiders and experts in the post-season.

TSN and TSN2’s NHL Playoffs Broadcast Schedule – Round 1

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh – Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 2: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh – Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 3: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia – Sunday, April 15 at 3 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 4: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia – Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 5: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh – Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 6: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia – Sunday, April 22 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 7: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh – Tuesday, April 24 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

# 2 St. Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks

Game 1: San Jose @ St. Louis – Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 2: San Jose @ St. Louis – Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 3: St. Louis @ San Jose – Monday, April 16 at 10 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 4: St. Louis @ San Jose – Thursday, April 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 5: San Jose @ St. Louis – Saturday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 6: St. Louis @ San Jose – Monday, April 23 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 7: San Jose @ St. Louis – Wednesday, April 25 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

#3 Florida Panthers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils

Game 1: New Jersey @ Florida – Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m. ET on TSN2

Game 2: New Jersey @ Florida – Sunday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 3: Florida @ New Jersey – Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 4: Florida @ New Jersey – Thursday April 19 at 7 p.m. ET on TSN2

*Game 5: New Jersey @ Florida – Saturday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TSN2

*Game 6: Florida @ New Jersey – Tuesday, April 24 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 7: New Jersey @ Florida – Thursday, April 26 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Game 1: Chicago @ Phoenix – Thursday, April 12 at 10 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 2: Chicago @ Phoenix – Saturday, April 14 at 10 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 3: Phoenix @ Chicago – Tuesday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET on TSN

Game 4: Phoenix @ Chicago – Thursday, April 19 at 8 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 5: Chicago @ Phoenix – Saturday, April 21 at 10 p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 6: Phoenix @ Chicago – Monday, April 23 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

*Game 7: Chicago @ Phoenix – Wednesday, April 25 at TBD p.m. ET on TSN

*If necessary

And the NBC Sports Group’s press release is next.

2011-12 NHL on TSN/TSN2 Schedule

Now we have the last of our NHL National TV schedule posts. This will be the longest as we combine the schedules from TSN and TSN2 into one post. We have TSN’s press release which talks about the 151 combined games on the two networks.

Hockey Lives Here: TSN and TSN2 Hit the Ice with 151 NHL Regular Season Games

– TSN’s schedule includes 73 match-ups featuring at least one Canadian team –
– Additional 74 NHL games available exclusively on TSN2 –
– All NHL games available live nationally on TSN Mobile TV –

Toronto, ON (August 18, 2011) – The NHL’s biggest stars are lacing ‘em up on Canada’s Sports Leader, as TSN and TSN2 deliver the nation’s favourite pastime to fans from coast to coast with its 151-game 2011-12 NHL ON TSN broadcast schedule – the most games ever for TSN platforms.

All TSN and TSN2 NHL games are available live on TSN Mobile TV.

The national broadcast package is part of TSN and TSN2’s multi-year, multimedia rights agreement with the NHL. A total of 77 regular season games will air on TSN, with 73 games featuring at least one Canadian team. TSN retains English-language exclusivity of WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOCKEY with a total of 30 games including four double-headers, during which there are no other national or local NHL telecasts. TSN also tees up the regular season with pre-season action featuring Canadian clubs.

TSN2’s regular season schedule features an additional 74 exclusive live NHL games.

“With the Canucks’ Stanley Cup run and the Jets’ return to Winnipeg, Canadians can’t wait for the puck to drop on the new NHL season. This year we’ll be giving fans more NHL coverage than ever before with 151 games on TSN and TSN2,” said Stewart Johnston, President, TSN. “In addition to live games, Canadian hockey fans also receive all-encompassing coverage of their favourite NHL teams on all of TSN’s broadcast, digital, online and mobile platforms.”

Regular season coverage on TSN gets underway on Friday, Oct. 7 with an NHL Premiere game from Europe, as the NY Rangers take on the LA Kings at 1 p.m. ET in Stockholm, Sweden. TSN2 also has NHL coverage from overseas at 1 p.m. ET, with the Anaheim Ducks facing off against the Buffalo Sabres in Helsinki, Finland.

TSN returns to North America with a trio of games the following week featuring match-ups with Minnesota @ Ottawa (October 11), Winnipeg @ Chicago (October 13), plus Vancouver @ Philadelphia during the network’s marquee WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOCKEY (October 12). (See schedule below.)

Highlights of the NHL ON TSN schedule include four all-Canadian match-ups featuring Winnipeg @ Toronto (October 19), Vancouver @ Calgary (November 1), Winnipeg @ Montreal (January 4) and Ottawa @ Montreal (March 14). Headlining the NHL ON TSN’s Canadian team coverage during the regular season is 17 Toronto games along with 15 Montreal games, 10 games for Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and five games for Winnipeg.

Additional highlights of the NHL ON TSN regular season schedule include:
• 17 double-headers on TSN/TSN2
• 14 Original Six match-ups
• 16 games featuring Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks
• 14 games featuring Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals
• 12 games featuring Tim Thomas and the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins
• 11 games featuring Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins
• Dany Heatley’s return to Ottawa with the Minnesota Wild on October 11

In addition to its package of regular season games, TSN has live coverage of the first three rounds of the STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS, exclusive Canadian coverage of the NHL DRAFT LOTTERY and the NHL ENTRY DRAFT.

TSN’s NHL coverage will be complemented with extensive daily NHL news coverage on TSN.ca along with daily hockey news shows THAT’S HOCKEY, and THAT’S HOCKEY 2NITE and reports on SPORTSCENTRE, OFF THE RECORD WITH MICHAEL LANDSBERG and THE REPORTERS WITH DAVE HODGE.

TSN will confirm its schedule for regional Montreal Canadiens games in the coming weeks.

Now the TSN schedule.

2011-12 NHL ON TSN SCHEDULE

DAY	DATE	VISITOR	HOME	EASTERN TIME	LOCAL TIME
Fri.	10/7	N.Y. Rangers	Los Angeles	1:00 PM	7:00 PM
Sat.	10/8	N.Y. Rangers	Anaheim	1:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	10/11	Minnesota	Ottawa	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	10/12	Vancouver	Philadelphia	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	10/13	Winnipeg	Chicago	8:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	10/18	Buffalo	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	10/18	N.Y. Rangers	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	10/19	Winnipeg	Toronto	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	10/20	Toronto	Boston	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	10/20	N.Y. Rangers	Calgary	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	10/25	Ottawa	Carolina	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	10/26	Philadelphia	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	10/27	Toronto	N.Y. Rangers	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	10/27	Washington	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	11/1	Ottawa	Boston	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	11/1	Vancouver	Calgary	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	11/2	Toronto	New Jersey	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	11/9	N.Y. Rangers	Ottawa	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	11/10	Toronto	St. Louis	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	11/16	Carolina	Montreal	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	11/23	Calgary	Detroit	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	11/29	Nashville	Calgary	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	11/30	Boston	Toronto	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	11/30	Minnesota	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	12/7	Washington	Ottawa	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	12/7	Carolina	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	12/9	Colorado	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	12/14	Boston	Ottawa	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	12/15	Philadelphia	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	12/16	Toronto	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	12/20	Buffalo	Ottawa	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	12/21	Montreal	Chicago	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Wed.	12/21	Detroit	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	12/22	Detroit	Calgary	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	12/23	Toronto	N.Y. Islanders	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	12/28	Vancouver	San Jose	10:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	1/4	Winnipeg	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	1/11	New Jersey	Edmonton	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	1/12	Montreal	Boston	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	1/13	Toronto	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	1/18	Washington	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	1/19	Minnesota	Toronto	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	1/23	San Jose	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	1/25	Detroit	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	1/31	Toronto	Pittsburgh	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	1/31	Chicago	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/1	Pittsburgh	Toronto	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	2/2	Chicago	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	2/3	Chicago	Calgary	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/8	Edmonton	Detroit	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	2/8	Calgary	San Jose	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	2/9	Toronto	Philadelphia	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/15	Boston	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Thu.	2/16	Calgary	Dallas	8:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	2/17	Boston	Winnipeg	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/22	Washington	Ottawa	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Thu.	2/23	San Jose	Toronto	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	2/24	Montreal	Washington	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	2/27	St. Louis	Calgary	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/29	Toronto	Chicago	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	3/2	Chicago	Ottawa	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	3/2	Dallas	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	3/7	Toronto	Pittsburgh	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	3/12	Montreal	Buffalo	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	3/12	San Jose	Edmonton	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	3/13	San Jose	Calgary	9:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	3/14	Ottawa	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	3/21	Vancouver	Chicago	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	3/26	Los Angeles	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	3/28	N.Y. Rangers	Winnipeg	7:00 PM	6:00 PM
Thu.	3/29	Philadelphia	Toronto	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	3/30	Montreal	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Fri.	3/30	Dallas	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	4/3	Anaheim	Vancouver	10:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	4/4	Tampa Bay	Montreal	7:30 PM	7:30 PM

2011-12 NHL ON TSN2 SCHEDULE

DAY	DATE	VISITOR	HOME	EASTERN TIME	LOCAL TIME
Fri.	10/7	Anaheim	Buffalo	1:00 PM	8:00 PM
Sat.	10/8	Buffalo	Los Angeles	2:00 PM	8:00 PM
Mon.	10/10	Tampa Bay	Washington	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	10/11	Florida	Pittsburgh	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	10/12	Boston	Carolina	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	10/18	Pittsburgh	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	10/25	Tampa Bay	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	10/31	San Jose	N.Y. Rangers	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	11/1	Anaheim	Washington	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	11/8	Carolina	New Jersey	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	11/9	Philadelphia	Tampa Bay	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	11/15	Colorado	Pittsburgh	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	11/22	Los Angeles	St. Louis	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Mon.	11/28	Tampa Bay	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	11/29	Pittsburgh	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	11/30	Tampa Bay	Detroit	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	12/5	Phoenix	Chicago	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	12/6	Detroit	St. Louis	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Wed.	12/7	Philadelphia	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	12/12	New Jersey	Tampa Bay	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	12/13	San Jose	Colorado	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	12/14	Chicago	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	12/20	Chicago	Pittsburgh	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	12/21	Philadelphia	Dallas	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	12/27	St. Louis	Detroit	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	12/28	N.Y. Rangers	Washington	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sun.	1/8	Detroit	Chicago	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	1/10	San Jose	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Wed.	1/11	Pittsburgh	Washington	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sat.	1/14	Chicago	Detroit	12:30 PM	12:30 PM
Mon.	1/16	Dallas	St. Louis	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Tue.	1/17	Nashville	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	1/18	Buffalo	Chicago	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Mon.	1/23	St. Louis	Detroit	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	1/31	Washington	Tampa Bay	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	2/1	N.Y. Rangers	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sun.	2/5	Boston	Washington	12:30 PM	12:30 PM
Mon.	2/6	Detroit	Phoenix	8:00 PM	6:00 PM
Tue.	2/7	Los Angeles	Tampa Bay	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	2/8	Boston	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sun.	2/12	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Sun.	2/12	Philadelphia	Detroit	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	2/13	San Jose	Washington	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	2/14	Anaheim	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Sun.	2/19	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Sun.	2/19	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Mon.	2/20	Washington	Carolina	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	2/21	Detroit	Chicago	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	2/22	Los Angeles	Colorado	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	2/27	New Jersey	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	2/28	Los Angeles	Minnesota	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Wed.	2/29	Pittsburgh	Dallas	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Sun.	3/4	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Sun.	3/4	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Tue.	3/6	Minnesota	Colorado	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Sun.	3/11	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Sun.	3/11	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Mon.	3/12	Anaheim	Colorado	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	3/13	Carolina	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	3/14	Colorado	Buffalo	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Mon.	3/19	New Jersey	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	3/20	Phoenix	Dallas	8:00 PM	7:00 PM
Wed.	3/21	Detroit	N.Y. Rangers	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sun.	3/25	Nashville	Chicago	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Mon.	3/26	Tampa Bay	Philadelphia	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Tue.	3/27	Tampa Bay	Boston	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sun.	4/1	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Mon.	4/2	Washington	Tampa Bay	7:00 PM	7:00 PM
Tue.	4/3	Pittsburgh	Boston	7:30 PM	7:30 PM
Wed.	4/4	Detroit	St. Louis	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Thu.	4/5	Columbus	Colorado	9:00 PM	7:00 PM
Fri.	4/6	Phoenix	St. Louis	7:30 PM	6:30 PM
Sat.	4/7	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD
Sat.	4/7	TBD	TBD	12:30 PM	TBD

 

And that will do it.

Finally, Our Tuesday Links

Thanks to the server host getting a Denial of Service attack last night, Fang’s Bites has been down for most of the day. Not happy for not being able to blog for most of the day, although I’m back up for now. I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ll give you linkage now and hope you’ll be able to continue to visit throughout the night. And I’ll try to catch up with press releases tonight.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that former CBS bitter curmudgeon college basketball analyst Billy Packer agrees with ESPN’s Jay Bilas in bashing VCU’s selection to the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN’s corporate blog, Front Row has launched before its official midnight unveiling.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal notes that Turner Sports accomplished its mission by getting fans to find truTV for the NCAA Tournament.

Tom Van Riper of Forbes notes that three DirecTV-owned FSN regional sports networks will be re-branded as of April 1.

Fox Sports’ Brian Lowry says two programs this week won’t forget what the NCAA Tournament is really about.

Royce Young of CBSSports.com notes that ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose was arrested earlier this month on DUI charges, something the Mothership is looking into.

Carolyn Giardina of the Hollywood Reporter explains why tonight’s Blackhawks-Bruins game is being transmitted via satellite to CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Todd Spangler from Multichannel News writes that Time Warner Cable has received cease and desist letters over its iPad app.

Paige Albiniak at Broadcasting & Cable reports that March Madness ate into syndicated TV’s ratings.

To the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center reviews Frontline’s documentary on March Madness.

Marcus Vanderberg from SportsNewser writes that MLB Extra Innings will be free to all for the first week and a half of the season.

Andrew Gauthier at TVSpy notes that a TV live truck got mobbed during the VCU Final Four celebration on Sunday.

At SportsGrid, Dan Fogarty notes that Jay Bilas continues to pound the case that he was right in his VCU assumption.

Joe Favorito says the Cleveland Baseball Team is totally embracing social media.

Joe looks at the ever-shrinking television newscast in the biggest market in the country.

Newsday’s Neil Best has Fox’s Tim McCarver saying that the Wilpon family will have to sell the New York Mets over their off the field troubles.

Neil talks with ESPN’s Bobby Valentine over his new gig.

Keith Groller at the Allentown (PA) Morning Call recaps an appearance by ESPN/ABC’s Matt Millen.

Neal Shaffer of Bmore Media reviews Jen Royle’s tumultuous year after joining MASN and CBS Radio.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks about the total audience that has viewed at least a portion of the NCAA Tournament.

Tom Jones at the St. Petersburg Times notes that the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg drew decent ratings on Sunday.

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News says a local sports radio personality is switching stations.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle says CBS is bringing back a classic version of “One Shining Moment” next week.

David also has a preview of tomorrow’s Real Sports on HBO.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Friend of Fang’s Bites Trenni Kusnierek will be joining a local radio station. She had hinted to me that she would be doing something locally after leaving MLB Network. Congrats to her on her new gig.

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic notes that Phoenix Suns voice and longtime network announcer Gary Bender is retiring at the end of the season.

Tom Hoffarth from the Los Angeles Daily News gets predictions on the Dodgers from a couple of network MLB analysts.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times says Fox is testing out a new camera during tonight’s Dodgers-Angels game on Fox Sports West.

NHL.com has posted some of the best calls of Edmonton Oilers voice Rod Phillips as he’s calling his final games with the tea.

Sports Media Watch notes that UConn steered ESPN to its highest NCAA Women’s Tournament ratings in eleven years.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that Sunday Night Baseball is back on TSN2 this season.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media wonders if CBS could brand the Final Four to draw viewers.

Emmett Jones of Sports Business Journal looks at ESPN Front Row.

And we’re done.

Providing Your Tuesday Links

Horrible day here in the Northeast. Snowing hard. And I’m at home which is never a bad thing. Flipping between the Dan Patrick Show, NFL Network and the Weather Channel to get the latest on Super Bowl Media Day and the crazy weather that has gripped most of the nation and is affecting 100 million people. That’s when you know you have a big storm.

Anyway, to the links.

First, long-time baseball blogger for ESPN.com, Rob Neyer has left the behemoth to become the  baseball editor for SB Nation. Best of luck to Rob.

At Sports Business Journal, John Ourand writes that Fox Sports Media Group is looking at FX to carry sports programming.

Daniel Kaplan from the SBJ notes that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not the highest paid executive in the league’s offices.

Finally from the SBJ, Fred Dreier reports that the MLS’ New England Revolution is going to credential bloggers starting this season.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media breaks news that Versus will air the 2011 IIHF World Hockey Championships in the spring.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated talks with NFL Network’s Mike Mayock and discusses the tenure of ESPN Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer.

To Milton Kent of Fanhouse who is uneasy with former Florida coach Urban Meyer who will continue to work for the school to raise money while working for ESPN.

Milton talks about CBS refusing to air an ad for the NFL Players Association.

Lindsay Powers from the Hollywood Reporter also looks into CBS’ refusal to air the ad.

The Hollywood Reporter cites a new poll which shows that the Super Bowl may be headed towards a viewership record.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News writes about Versus’ record ratings for the NHL All-Star Game.

Toni Fitzgerald in Media Life Magazine looks at the advertisers which bought time on the Super Bowl.

Diego Vasquez from Media Life discusses buying ads on the Super Bowl.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell warns us about counterfeit jerseys.

Melissa Jacobs of espnW has some secrets on how to survive Super Bowl Week.

Darren looks at Rob Neyer’s decision to leave ESPN.com for SB Nation.

At Examiner.com, Evan Weiner gets on sportswriters feeling they’re mostly apologists.

Noah Davis at SportsNewser says Sports Illustrated’s Peter King had to write a clarification after misunderstanding NFL Commish Roger Goodell’s statements on Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Glenn Davis in SportsGrid has outtakes from PETA’s rejected Super Bowl ad. I’m think Ashley Madison, Go Daddy and PETA say they’re ads have been rejected just to get publicity. I don’t think they were actually rejected.

SportsGrid has spotted the infamous Ines Sainz at Super Bowl Media Day.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News feels Ben Roethlisberger won’t be able to avoid questions about his sordid past at Super Bowl Media Day today.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has this year’s BracketBusters schedule.

Jim Williams looks at Urban Meyer joining ESPN for its college football coverage.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says Meyer is looking forward to joining ESPN.

Rachel George from the Orlando Sentinel has Meyer saying that Florida is not off-limits to his analysis.

George Diaz from the Sentinel feels Meyer and ESPN are a strange fit.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says it’s entertainment reporters that make Super Bowl Media Day the circus that it is.

Gary West from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says ESPN received a Texas-sized welcome to the Metroplex yesterday.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the Cincinnati and Dayton basketball teams get pushed to Standard Definition by Fox Sports Ohio.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at the Pro Bowl’s local ratings.

Bob talks with NFL Films founder Ed Sabol.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business is surprised by the Pro Bowl’s ratings.

Ed says HBO’s Bill Maher is touting the NFL’s economic model.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the radio color analyst for Missouri football is retiring after 16 years.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times projects how we’ll be watching the NFL in 2020.

We get some ratings news and notes from the Sports Media Watch.

SMW notes that ESPN has finally reached 100 million households.

SMW says the corporate synergy between Comcast and NBC has already begun.

Back to Steve Lepore and Puck The Media, Steve has an interview with the host of TSN2′s That’s Hockey2Nite.

I think we’ll end it there for today.

CTV/TSN/TSN2′s 2010 NFL Programming & Schedule

We have this release from the fine people at the Canadian TV combo of CTV and TSN/TSN2. They have half of the NFL contract for Canada which includes Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football. CTV gets to show early Sunday afternoon games from CBS and Fox, TSN has the primetime packages. We have the press release which has the schedules for the three networks.

CTV, TSN & TSN2 Hit the Gridiron with Extensive Coverage of the 2010 NFL Season

– CTV delivers marquee NFL match-ups to viewers across Canada every Sunday at 1 p.m. ET –
– TSN has exclusive Canadian coverage of SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL and MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, plus the 2010-11 NFL season opener on Thursday, Sept. 9 –
– TSN2 has major NFL action with one national game every Sunday at 1 p.m. ET –

Toronto, ON (September 8, 2010) – From kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 9 in New Orleans to the final whistle at SUPER BOWL XLV in February in Arlington, CTV, TSN and TSN2 will bring Canadian fans the best match-ups the NFL has to offer as the networks today confirmed plans for their most comprehensive schedule yet for the 2010-11 NFL season.

Together, CTV, TSN and TSN2 boast the biggest – and most prestigious – NFL schedule in Canada, with exclusive Canadian coverage of the Sunday early-afternoon game package (1 p.m. ET), SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, every NFL playoff game and the coveted SUPER BOWL. New for this season is TSN2’s schedule of games complementing CTV’s package of early afternoon match-ups with a marquee national game – giving viewers in most Canadian markets a choice between two different NFL games every Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. In addition, TSN has exclusive Canadian coverage of the NFL DRAFT and special gridiron-themed segments on SPORTSCENTRE and TSN.ca.

The 2010-11 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TSN with the highly-anticipated NFL Kickoff Game from the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA, featuring a rematch of last season’s thrilling NFC Championship game between the eventual SUPER BOWL XLIV champion New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings.

On CTV and TSN2, the new NFL season kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. ET with a full slate of marquee NFL match-ups. This weekend’s games on CTV and TSN2 are as follows:

• Cincinnati @ New England – airing on CTV HD West, CTV British Columbia, CTV Saskatchewan, CTV Winnipeg, CTV Northern Ontario, CTV Ottawa, CTV Montreal and CTV Atlantic
• Miami @ Buffalo – airing on CTV HD East, CTV Toronto and CTV Southwestern Ontario
• Carolina @ New York Giants – airing on CTV Alberta and TSN2

CTV and TSN2 will announce their remaining schedules of NFL games on a week-by-week basis. All regular season NFL match-ups on CTV and TSN2 will be immediately followed by a special post-game edition of SPORTSCENTRE with anchor Jay Onrait.

In addition to CTV’s NFL regular season Sunday early-afternoon game package (1 p.m. ET), the network also features every NFL Playoff game and the SUPER BOWL – the single most-watched sporting event in North America. Last year, CTV and RDS attracted a record combined audience of 6.7 million viewers for SUPER BOWL XLIV in Canada, as game MVP Drew Brees led his New Orleans Saints to an impressive victory over the Indianapolis Colts and NFL MVP Peyton Manning.

TSN will televise 34 NFL games this season, delivering back-to-back nights of appointment television with exclusive Canadian coverage of SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL and MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. On Sunday, Sept. 12, SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL showcases Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys visiting Donovan McNabb and the new-look Washington Redskins at 8:15 p.m. ET, while MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL features doubleheader action on Monday, Sept. 13 with Baltimore @ New York Jets at 7 p.m. ET, immediately followed by San Diego @ Kansas City at 10:15 p.m. ET. All games on TSN are available in High Definition.

TSN’s jam-packed NFL lineup also features the popular preview/wrap-up shows SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN, FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA, NFL PRIMETIME and MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, as well as the NFL DRAFT and special gridiron-themed segments on SPORTSCENTRE and TSN.ca.

NFL on TSN Broadcast Campaign:

Sundays

• SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN – 11 a.m. ET
TSN gets viewers primed for Sunday afternoon NFL action with the two-hour preview show SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN, every Sunday at 11 a.m. ET leading into CTV and TSN2’s 1 p.m. ET game coverage. Host Chris Berman is joined on the program by analysts and former NFLers Keyshawn Johnson, Cris Carter and Tom Jackson, former head coach Mike Ditka, Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Emmy Award-winning show previews the upcoming week in the NFL and provides analysis, team news, weekly features and timely updates.

• FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA – 7 p.m. ET
Leading into TSN’s weekly coverage of SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA. The one-hour preview show airs every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET and features highlights, interviews and game analysis from some of the most respected NFL journalists and former players.

• SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – immediately following FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is back for another season on TSN with coverage of all regular season Sunday night games. The broadcast team includes Al Michaels handling play-by-play duties alongside game analyst Cris Collinsworth, and Andrea Kremer reporting from the sidelines. Action gets underway on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Washington Redskins in a classic NFC East match-up.

Mondays
• NFL PRIMETIME – 4 p.m. ET
NFL PRIMETIME returns to TSN’s Monday afternoon lineup at 4 p.m. ET for the 2010-11 season. Trey Wingo hosts the one-hour program from the site of each week’s MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game and is joined by analysts Merrill Hoge and Trent Dilfer in studio. NFL PRIMETIME offers a recap of all the NFL action from the weekend as well as a preview of the MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL contest.

• MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN – 7 p.m. ET
The MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN preview show returns to TSN beginning Monday, Sept. 13, featuring host Chris Berman in the ESPN studios alongside Mike Ditka, Cris Carter, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Chris Mortensen. Complementing the in-studio coverage is host Stuart Scott, who will be on location in the MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL host city with analysts Matt Millen and Steve Young, and reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya. The show, which leads into TSN’s coverage of MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, also provides viewers with interviews, highlights and up-to-the-minute news from around the NFL.

• MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – immediately following MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN
The most-watched series in U.S. cable television history, MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL returns to TSN for an exciting fifth season on Monday, Sept. 13 with a doubleheader featuring Baltimore @ New York Jets at 7 p.m. ET immediately followed by San Diego @ Kansas City at 10:15 p.m. ET. TSN’s MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL broadcast schedule features exclusive Canadian coverage of all 17 regular season Monday night match-ups. ESPN’s Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and former SUPER BOWL-winning coach Jon Gruden will call the action from the broadcast booth with Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines.

NFL on SPORTSCENTRE
SPORTSCENTRE boasts a massive lineup of football coverage each week during the NFL season featuring extensive news and highlights from every NFL game, as well as weekly NFL segments, providing fans with more NFL analysis and insight than ever. On Mondays, Jesse Palmer returns with his popular Monday Morning Quarterback segment, where the former NFL pivot provides analysis and commentary on the weekend’s games. On Thursdays, TSN football analyst Chris Schultz is back for another expert season of Risky Business, as the Big Man offers his four weekly picks against the spread. And on Saturdays, the always entertaining Chris Berman returns to SPORTSCENTRE with his 2-Minute Drill, where the ESPN football host gives viewers his predictions for head-to-head match-ups for the upcoming week in the NFL.

NFL on TSN.ca
Fans can enjoy highlights of their favourite NFL teams on TSN.ca with the TSN Video Player, along with on-demand viewings of Jesse Palmer’s Monday Morning Quarterback segments. Fans can also sound off on the latest hot topics around the NFL in the weekly Audibles forum available on TSN.ca. Fans can also follow the NFL on TSN with the TSN iPhone app featuring the latest news and up-to-the-minute scores and stats from around the league.

Schultz’s popular TSN.ca column, Schultz Against the World, returns for another season and fans are invited to go head-to-head against TSN’s NFL expert by picking the winners of each game. The Big Man’s column is complemented by a weekly video that wraps up his picks for the week.

Palmer’s weekly column is also back this season on TSN.ca with his thoughts from the week-that-was in the NFL. In addition to all of the up-to-the-minute stats, scores, news and information from each and every NFL game, TSN.ca has a comprehensive season preview that includes team-by-team breakdowns, pre-season power rankings, a fantasy football primer, and Schultz’s predictions and pre-season SUPER BOWL pick for the upcoming NFL season.

TSN/TSN2′s schedule comes after the jump.
As promised, this is the schedule for TSN/TSN2.

The 2010-11 NFL on TSN broadcast schedule is as follows:

September
• Thursday, Sept. 9 – Minnesota @ New Orleans at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 12 – Dallas @ Washington at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Sept. 13 – Baltimore @ New York Jets at 7 p.m. ET
• Monday, Sept. 13 – San Diego @ Kansas City at 10:15 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 19 – New York Giants @ Indianapolis at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Sept. 20 – New Orleans @ San Francisco at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 26 – New York Jets @ Miami at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Sept. 27 – Green Bay @ Chicago at 8:30 p.m. ET

October
• Sunday, Oct. 3 – Chicago @ New York Giants at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Oct. 4 – New England @ Miami at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Oct. 10 – Philadelphia @ San Francisco at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Oct. 11 – Minnesota @ New York Jets at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Oct. 17 – Indianapolis @ Washington at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Oct. 18 – Tennessee @ Jacksonville at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Oct. 24 – Minnesota @ Green Bay at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Oct. 25 – New York Giants @ Dallas at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Oct. 31 – Pittsburgh @ New Orleans at 8:15 p.m. ET

November
• Monday, Nov. 1 – Houston @ Indianapolis at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Nov. 7 – Dallas @ Green Bay at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Nov. 8 – Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Nov. 14 – New England @ Pittsburgh at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Nov. 15 – Philadelphia @ Washington at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Nov. 21 – New York Giants @ Philadelphia at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Nov. 22 – Denver @ San Diego at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Nov. 28 – San Diego @ Indianapolis at 8:15 p.m. ET*
• Monday, Nov. 29 – San Francisco @ Arizona at 8:30 p.m. ET

December
• Sunday, Dec. 5 – Pittsburgh @ Baltimore at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Dec. 6 – New York Jets @ New England at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Dec. 12 – Philadelphia @ Dallas at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Dec. 13 – Baltimore @ Houston at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Dec. 19 – Green Bay @ New England at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Dec. 20 – Chicago @ Minnesota at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Dec. 26 – San Diego @ Cincinnati at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Monday, Dec. 27 – New Orleans @ Atlanta at 8:30 p.m. ET
*On TSN2

We’re done here.

Our Mid-Week Linkage

Another day, another scorcher. It’s hot. But you know that. It’s summer. It gets hot. Nothing more need be said about it.

Let’s get to linkage.

Robert Klemko of USA Today has the ratings of some of the weekend TV events.

Even before ESPN announced that LeBron James would make an announcement on where he was going on Thursday on ESPN, Fox Sports’ Brian Lowry announced that he’s sick of the LeBron madness.

Jim Litke of the Associated Press says our long national nightmare with LeBron James will be over soon. 

On The DL’s Dan Levy talks with Stephen A. “A is for Acrimonious” Smith about the LeBron story.

You can follow by reading the transcript at the Sporting News’ Sporting Blog.

Jon Friedman of MarketWatch says ESPN is the big winner in the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes.

Bill Cromwell of Media Life Magazine looks at the Thursday one hour special devoted to LeBron James’ announcement.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life says Wimbledon took a big hit in the ratings this year.

Toni mentions that World Cup sponsors seemed to have won over ambush marketers who tried to latch on to the event.

The Nielsen Wire blog notes that official World Cup sponsors have scored with TV ads in both the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse talks with new Fox Sports NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira.

Mike Florio in Pro Football Talk says NFL Commish Roger Goodell has given his blessing to Pereira that he can point out officials’ mistakes on Fox. 

Anthony Crupi in Mediaweek says Fox has hired a new man to head up its Cable Sports ad sales.

Eriq Gardner in the Hollywood Reporter talks about ESPN winning its round in court against Don King. 

CNBC’s Darren Rovell noticed that Wimbledon men’s finalist Tomas Berdych did not use a racket that he was paid to endorse.

TMZ reports that the Erin Andrews stalker, Michael David Barrett won’t have to foot ESPN’s bill for extra security for Erin. 

Ed Daigneault in the Waterbury (CT) Republican-American feels the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network seems to emphasizing more entertainment than sports.

Marc Berman of the New York Post looks at the LeBron James Show on ESPN.

Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times says James will use ESPN instead of social networks to make his announcement.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News says James is reaching a whole new level of absurdity.

Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union says a local sports talk show is filling out a week of guest hosts.

Pete also asks readers which YES announcers are expendable.

Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that starting this fall, West Virginia football and basketball games will be heard in the Steel City. 

Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says Dwayne Wade’s child custody issues will not prevent him from re-signing with the Miami Heat.

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that ESPN is LeBron James’ sidekick. 

LeBron James beat reporter Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer says James caught everyone including the NBA flat-footed with his ESPN announcement and social networking.  

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says the new Pete Rose movie debuts today.

Lynne Marek in Crain’s Detroit Business notes that the Big Ten Network has become a cash cow. 

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tells us not to expect any changes to the MLB video replay policy.

Crain’s Chicago Business’ Ed Sherman says the Bears are premiering a new series on rookie minicamp on its website.

Ed says the White Sox’s attendance has been going up thanks to its recent winning ways.

And Ed notes that it’s not looking good for the Bulls to land Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade or LeBron James.

Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is also fed up of reading and watching news about LeBron. 

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says there are many ways to monitor where LeBron will end up next.

Tom talks about the All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival.

Tom also discusses the Pete Rose film which premieres at the aforementioned film festival tonight.

The San Francisco Chronicle picks up an Associated Press article from Frazier Moore who says there’s good 3-D TV and there’s also bad 3-D TV. 

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star has the TV ratings in Canada.

The Canwest News Service says the NFL Network was happy with the debut of Canadian Football last week. 

The Winnepeg Free Press picks up a Canadian Press story on CBC’s good ratings for the World Cup quarterfinals.

Channel Canada says TSN and TSN 2 received record ratings for their coverage of NHL Free Agent Frenzy and the CFL season opener.

The Sports Media Watch continues its look at the state of the networks and today, it’s CBS and Fox.

SMW says the NASCAR Nationwide Series got a ratings bump last Friday.

SMW notes the lower ratings for Wimbledon this year.

Sox & Dawgs has NESN video of Red Sox utility man Bill Hall talking to teammates during batting practice.

Phil Kurz of Broadcast Engineering talks with a broadcast engineer on 2010 being a bellweather year for 3-D TV. 

EPL Talk speculates on what the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will look like both on TV and social networking.

Ryan Ballangee in Waggle Room would love to see a golf version of DirecTV’s NFL Red Zone Channel.

Plenty of linkage today. Good stuff. More later.

Time For The Friday Not-so-Mega Links

Let’s give you the Friday megalinks while I can. Not as many links as the usual Friday, but the Memorial Day weekend has a lot to do with that. I’ll give you what I can.

Getting ready for the three day weekend and you can find the sports and the entertainment viewing for Saturday and Sunday right here.

On to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand and Michael McCarthy debate the pros and cons of holding Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey.

William Cooper of Sports Business Daily says the first ad promoting the US World Cup bid for the 2018 or 2022 games will air Saturday. 

Neil Hayes writing for NBC Sports.com says the Stanley Cup Finals could be a ratings boon for the NHL. Don’t forget NBC is a rightsholder for the NHL.

Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post announces that he’s leaving to join NFL Network and NFL.com full-time.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that sports apparel brand Crons is entering the nutrition game.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse says Danica Patrick may have lost some fans in IndyCar.

The Sports Media Watch says Thursday’s thrilling Game 5 between the Lakers and Suns got its highest ratings of the NBA Western Conference Finals, but they’re still down from last year.

SMW also has news and notes on various sports TV personalities.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media discovers that Dan Patrick will not host NBC’s coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals from the beginning.

Steve also has NHL Network’s coverage plans for the Stanley Cup Finals.

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy tells NHL fans what they can do to help increase the ratings for the Stanley Cup Finals. 

World Cup Buzz critiques ESPN’s practice run for the World Cup.

World Cup Buzz shows us ESPN’s World Cup murals.

Deadspin has the video of YES reporter Kimberly Jones having her pork chop eaten by an overzealous and extremely creepy Yankees fan in Minnesota.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest asks if an outdoors cold weather Super Bowl makes sense.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe profiles ESPN/ABC main NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.

Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News wants the New Jersey Super Bowl talk to stop now.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post puts his vitriol aside for one day and remembers a former New York Football Giant who fought bravely for his country in Iwo Jima during World War II.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union wonders if ESPN/ABC should focus on Danica Patrick during this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Peter Van Allen of the Philadelphia Business Journal says the Flyers have brought record ratings to the local Comcast SportsNet affiliate.  

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says Nationals fans as well as baseball fans across the country will have their eyes focused on the Junior College World Series and potential 1st round draft pick Bryce Harper tonight.

Jim notes that it will be a hockey weekend on NBC.

South

Adam Fisher of the Naples (FL) Daily News says Dick Vitale was a big hit as the keynote speaker for a local event.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says all signs point to the Astros and Rockets leaving Fox Sports and signing with Comcast or another entity for their TV rights.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press writes that soccer games can draw ratings as the numbers show us.

Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star wonders when the local blackouts of the Indianapolis 500 will end. 

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Fox Sports is putting out an all points bulletin for younger male viewers for NASCAR.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has CBC’s Don Cherry being bullish on the Flyers-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Finals.

Ed says the Blackhawks are the big winners in sports business this week.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin looks at ESPN/ABC’s coverage of this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Dan Caesar in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals might be making changes to their TV and radio deals for next season.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News writes that BYU fans will be able to watch the women’s softball team in action this weekend on the ESPN family of networks.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune tells Padres fans that Dick Enberg prefers to call games straight down the middle.

To John Maffei of the North County Times who tells us that the Padres, Cox 4 and a local sports radio station have agreed to pull a spot that depended on bathroom humor.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes that Danica Patrick may be losing her status as IndyCar sweetheart.

And Jim has some sports media news and notes today.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News speculates on where Erin Andrews may land after her ESPN contract expires later this year.

Tom also has his extensive media news and notes in his blog.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if CBC will broach the subject of match fixing during the World Cup. Dowbiggin apparently thinks every soccer game is fixed based on this extremely biased column.

TSN announces that TSN2 will carry an early afternoon NFL game during the regular season.

As mentioned, not as many links on this Friday as many writers took the weekend off. Can’t say I blame them.

2010 NHL First Round Playoff Schedule

Let’s go over the schedules and times for the eight NHL playoff series that will entail the first round. 

Here are the series, matchups and times for the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

Game 1 – Montreal at Washington, Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m. – Versus/TSN
Game 2 – Montreal at Washington, Saturday, April 17, 7 p.m. – Versus/TSN
Game 3 – Washington at Montreal, Monday, April 19, 7 p.m. – TSN
Game 4 – Washington at Montreal, Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m. – TSN
*Game 5 – Montreal at Washington, Friday, April 23, 7 p.m. – Versus/TSN
*Game 6 – Washington at Montreal, Monday, April 26, 7 pm. – Versus/TSN
*Game 7 – Montreal at Washington, Wednesday, April 28, TBA – TSN

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1 – Philadelphia at New Jersey, Wednesday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. – TSN
Game 2 – Philadelphia at New Jersey, Friday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. – TSN
Game 3 – New Jersey at Philadelphia, Sunday, April 18, 6 p.m. – TSN
Game 4 – New Jersey at Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 20, 7:30 p.m. – TSN2
*Game 5 – Philadelphia at New Jersey, Thursday, April 22, 7 p.m. – TSN
*Game 6 – New Jersey at Philadelphia, Sunday, April 25, TBA – TSN
*Game 7 – Philadelphia at New Jersey, Tuesday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. – TSN

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs.  #6 Boston Bruins

Game 1 – Boston at Buffalo, Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m. – CBC
Game 2 – Boston at Buffalo, Saturday, April 17, 1 p.m. – NBC/CBC
Game 3 – Buffalo at Boston, Monday, April 19, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 4 – Buffalo at Boston, Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
*Game 5 – Boston at Buffalo, Friday, April 23, 7 p.m. – CBC
*Game 6 – Buffalo at Boston, Sunday, April 25, 7 p.m. – CBC
*Game 7 – Boston at Buffalo, Tuesday, April 27, 7 p.m. – CBC

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

Game 1 – Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 14, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 2 – Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Friday, April 16, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 3 – Pittsburgh at Ottawa, Sunday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 4 – Pittsburgh at Ottawa, Tuesday, April 20, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
*Game 5 – Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Thursday, April 22, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
*Game 6 – Pittsburgh at Ottawa, Saturday, April 24, 7 p.m. – Versus/CBC
*Game 7 – Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Tuesday, April 27, 7 p.m. – CBC

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche

Game 1 – Colorado at San Jose, Wednesday, April 14, 10:30 p.m. – Versus (joined in progress)/CBC
Game 2 – Colorado at San Jose, Friday, April 16, 10:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/CBC
Game 3 – San Jose at Colorado, Sunday, April 18, 9:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/CBC
Game 4 – San Jose at Colorado, Tuesday, April 20, 10 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/CBC
*Game 5 – Colorado at San Jose, Thursday, April 22, 10:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/CBC
*Game 6 – San Jose at Colorado, Saturday, April 24, TBA – CBC
*Game 7 – Colorado at San Jose, Monday, April 26, TBA – CBC

#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Nashville Predators

Game 1 – Nashville at Chicago, Friday, April 16, 8:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/TSN2
Game 2 – Nashville at Chicago, Sunday, April 18, 8:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/TSN
Game 3 – Chicago at Nashville, Tuesday, April 20, 9 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/TSN
Game 4 – Chicago at Nashville, Thursday, April 22, 8:30 p.m. – Versus (JIP)/TSN2
*Game 5 – Nashville at Chicago, Saturday, April 24, 3 p.m. – NBC/TSN
*Game 6 – Chicago at Nashville, Monday, April 26, TBA – TSN
*Game 7 – Nashville at Chicago, Wednesday, April 28, TBA – TSN

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings

Game 1 – Los Angeles at Vancouver, Thursday, April 15, 10 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 2 – Los Angeles at Vancouver, Saturday, April 17, 10 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 3 – Vancouver at Los Angeles, Monday, April 19, 10 p.m. – Versus/CBC
Game 4 – Vancouver at Los Angeles, Wednesday, April 21, 10 p.m. – Versus/CBC
*Game 5 – Los Angeles at Vancouver, Friday, April 23, 10 p.m. – CBC
*Game 6 – Vancouver at Los Angeles, Sunday, April 25, TBA – Versus/CBC
*Game 7 – Los Angeles at Vancouver, Tuesday, April 27, TBA – CBC

#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

Game 1 – Detroit at Phoenix, Wednesday, April 14, 10 p.m. – Versus/TSN
Game 2 – Detroit at Phoenix, Friday, April 16, 10 p.m. – Versus/TSN
Game 3 – Phoenix at Detroit, Sunday, April 18, 3 p.m. – NBC/TSN
Game 4 – Phoenix at Detroit, Tuesday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. – TSN
*Game 5 – Detroit at Phoenix, Friday, April 23, 10 p.m. – Versus/TSN
*Game 6 – Phoenix at Detroit, Sunday, April 25, 2 p.m. – NBC/TSN
*Game 7 – Detroit at Phoenix, Tuesday, April 27, TBA – TSN

* – If Necessary

Local networks will be listed in the Daily Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks plus the Weekend Viewing Picks.

MLB Spring Training TV Schedules: American League East

This is the first of six posts on the Spring Training TV schedules for all 30 MLB teams. I’ll go by division instead of by team as 30 posts would be too much and not every team is televising a full schedule.

This will be broken down by division so we begin with the American League East, followed by the Central, and the West. The same for the National League.

So here are the Spring Training games for teams in the American League East. All times are Eastern.

Baltimore Orioles (MASN)
Sunday, March 7 – Boston Red Sox vs. Orioles at Sarasota, FL, 1 p.m.
Thursday, March 25 – New York Yankees vs. Orioles at Sarasota, FL, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 29 – New York Yankees vs. Orioles at Sarasota, FL, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 31 – Boston Red Sox vs. Orioles at Sarasota, FL, 1 p.m.

Boston Red Sox (NESN)
Wednesday, March 3 – Boston College vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 13 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 14- Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 17 – New York Mets vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 20 – Houston Astros vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 – Minnesota Twins vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 29 – Tampa Bay Rays vs. Red Sox at Fort Myers, FL, 1 p.m.

New York Yankees (YES, unless indicated)
Wednesday, March 3 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Friday, March 5 – Tampa Bay Rays vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 6 – Toronto Blue Jays vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m. (WWOR)
Monday, March 8 – Philadelphia Phillies vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, March 9 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs.Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Thursday, March 11 – Atlanta Braves vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 13 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m. (WWOR)
Thursday, March 18 – Tampa Bay Rays vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 19 – Detroit Tigers vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 – Detroit Tigers vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 22 – Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Clearwater, FL, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 – Detroit Tigers vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, March 30 – Toronto Blue Jays vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 31 – Minnesota Twins vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Friday, April 2 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.
Saturday, April 3 – Yankees Future Stars vs. Yankees at Tampa, FL, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay Rays (Sun Sports)
Friday, March 19 – New York Yankees vs. Rays at Port Charlotte, FL, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 25 – Minnesota Twins vs. Rays at Port Charlotte, FL, 1 p.m.
Thursday, April 1 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Rays at Port Charlotte, FL, 1 p.m.

Toronto Blue Jays (TSN2)
Saturday, April 3 – Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros at Kissimee, FL, 2 p.m.

Monday’s Linkfest

Time to do some linkage on this back-to-work Monday. Sunday was a busy day, today is already shaping up to be a busy day so let’s give you the links as we have them.

First, Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media breaks news that Fox Sports is shaking up its top NFL production crew and also splitting up a long-time team. Chris has been working on this story for quite some time and give him credit for breaking it.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell suggests that jockey Calvin Borel choose a third horse so he can get his personal Triple Crown, having won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on two different horses.

The Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand who broke the NFL TV deal story yesterday comes back with a story on Versus being pleased with its ratings for the Indy Racing League although they’re very small.

Jon Show of the SBJ writes that Tiger Woods’ return to golf has led to higher ratings for the PGA Tour’s TV partners.

Newsday’s Neil Best has the news that Tony Kornheiser is out on Monday Night Football. says the Fox’s and MLB’s decision to move up World Series start times is a step in the right direction.

Phil Mushnick from the New York Post says Yankees fans deserve someone better than John Sterling to call their games on the radio.

Laura Nachman writes that an Atlantic City TV sports anchor is the victim of station budget cutbacks.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner gives thumbs up to NBC’s coverage of the Preakness.

Christina Bellantoni of the Washington Times says ESPN was streamed over the White House live feed for ten minutes last week.

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

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says big cable is the winner in the upcoming NFL Network deal with Comcast.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business continues his talk with Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post talks with Nuggets radio voice Jerry Schemmel about the team’s playoff run.

The Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth explains why KCAL tape delayed Saturday’s Dodgers-Marlins game.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News has the winners of the Northern California Sports Emmys. John talks about a new sports radio station in the Bay Area that launches today.

Chris Zelkovich from the Toronto Star says Rogers Cable has agreed to carry TSN2 in time for this week’s Blue Jays series against the Red Sox.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that NHL Commish Gary Bettman uses his Sirius XM show to put forth his agenda.

Alex Weprin and Claire Atkinson of Broadcasting & Cable say ESPN is trying to broaden its audience to reach advertisers.

The lovely Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine looks at the ratings increase for the Preakness Stakes.

The Sports Media Watch says the Celtics’ loss in its series with the Orlando Magic spells bad news for TNT.

That’s going to conclude this post for now. Every time I try to do links, news breaks. Yesterday, it was the NFL TV deals, today we have the World Series games starting earlier and Jon Gruden replacing Tony Kornheiser in the Monday Night Football booth and I’m keeping an eye on the network upfronts this week. This is going to a crazy week, I just know it. Back later.