Drew Brees Talks “Bountygate” with David Letterman on CBS

On tonight’s Late Show with David Letterman, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees talks about “Bountygate” and the effects the scandal has had on his team.

The show airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

QUARTERBACK DREW BREES SPEAKS OUT ABOUT THE “BOUNTYGATE” ACCUSATIONS SURROUNDING HIS TEAM, THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, WHEN HE VISITS CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Click Here to Watch a Preview of Brees’ Interview on Tonight’s LATE SHOW

Quarterback Drew Brees addresses the “Bountygate” controversy surrounding his team, the New Orleans Saints, when he visits the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, June 28.  Letterman and Brees discussed the “Bountygate” accusations at length:

LETTERMAN: “There’s quite a lot of stuff going on in New Orleans… the Bountygate?  What is the status of that?”
BREES:  “…You know, that’s just an extremely unfortunate deal.”
LETTERMAN: “On which side of it?”
BREES: “All sides – it’s certainly not a positive thing.  I mean, just the whole process itself and the investigation I feel like has been, you know, extremely unfair.  Unfortunately, it seems like it’s been more of a media campaign then it is actually finding the truth to the matter.”

LETTERMAN: “Was there truth to the matter?”
BREES:  “Well, I don’t know because, you know, I think our position as players has been we just want to see the facts of the investigation and just put the truth out there and let us move on.”

*     *     *

LETTERMAN: “Now, at any time during the supposed period of time this was going on, were you aware of it?  Did you know that this was happening?”
BREES:  “No, absolutely not, and that’s not something that I believe our team would be engaged in, and I think for all of us, it was a shock when we were accused of that, because that’s a pretty heinous accusation.  So the entire time for a lot of us, it’s been, you know, show us the proof, put forth the facts and, if indeed it is proved that there was a pay-to-injure program in place, then, yes, there should be punishment enforced, but unfortunately to this point, there’s been no hard evidence to show that that was indeed taking place.”

*     *     *

BREES:  “I mean, I’ll be honest with you, and I think I can speak for all fans in America for that matter, we are tired of hearing about it.  We don’t want to talk about it anymore. Put forth the facts, the truth, and if indeed there was a pay-to-injure scheme, then people will get punished, and if there’s not, then let’s exonerate these men because, at this point, it seems like it’s a smear campaign. We’re dragging them through the mud, we’re ruining their reputations and careers with no true evidence.”

LETTERMAN: “Does this experience take the shine off the Super Bowl victory a little bit, or is it not in that time frame?”
BREES: “No, I don’t think it does.  I mean, they’re talking about the 2009 season, which was our championship season, but, no… it’s not something that was affecting, I think, our success.”

LETTERMAN: “Sounds to me like you’re fed up, and I can get you a deal with the Jets.  If you’re fed up, I can get you a deal with the Jets.
BREES: “I think – they have enough quarterbacks at this point.”
LETTERMAN: “…Oh, that’s right. What could one more hurt, for God’s sakes?”

Brees’ entire interview, in which he also discusses the importance of concussion testing as well as his involvement with the World Food Programme, can be seen on the LATE SHOW tonight (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Also visiting the LATE SHOW tonight is actress Blake Lively.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers. 

RATING: TV-PG (Rating may change on day of broadcast due to specific subject matter.)

That is all.

Breaking Out Some Wednesday Linkage

Time for some Wednesday links. Won’t be a full set as I’ll be monitoring NBC’s Olympic conference call.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio discusses Chris Berman heading to the Monday Night Football booth for two games.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing says national nightmare Berman in the booth is not what NFL fans want.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner says it isn’t Berman who we should be worried about.

Matt writes about ESPN replacing Craig James on Thursday Night college football.

Michael Smith in Sports Business Daily writes that the PGA has a new sponsor for its developmental tour.

Scott Foxborough at the Hollywood Reporter notes the huge increase for EURO 2012′s ratings on ESPN from the last event four years ago.

George Winslow of Broadcasting & Cable says MLB Network has upgraded its production control room for its signature MLB Tonight show.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the Sportsman Channel is gaining ground for its HD network.

Patrick Hipes of Deadline notes the TV bidding for the new college football playoff system to begin with the 2014 season will be worth beaucoup bucks.

Ed Sherman of The Sherman Report talks with the former owner of WFAN and how it was a risk to start an all-sports radio station 25 years ago.

Ed says no matter what you think of him, Don Imus’ move to WFAN helped save the sports radio format and sent it flying to new heights.

Ed says ESPN’s public relations blog fired salvos on behalf of ESPN Radio at CBS and NBC.

Jason Dachman from Sports Video Group says Fox Sports Net has developed an MLB app for second screens.

In GoLocalProv, former WBZ-TV anchor Bob Lobel gives one of the greatest moments in his career when he brought Boston legends Bobby Orr, Larry Bird and Ted Williams together for one show. I watched that when it happened. It was a great show.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY talks with WFAN 20/20 Sports update man John Minko.

Jerry also talks with another WFAN original, Steve Somers who schmoozes S-P-O-R-T-S every night.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union writes about Chris Berman and Trent Dilfer being teamed for two Monday Night Football games.

At the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg says Nationals’ ratings on MASN are way up from last season.

Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald reviews LeBron James’ appearance on Late Show with David Letterman last night.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic talks about the strange removal of Daron Sutton from Diamondbacks broadcasts.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com says the Diamondbacks have suspended Sutton for “insubordination” and won’t say anything more.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that the Pac-12 won the most NCAA Championships this academic year.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if it’s soccer time to shine in Canada and the U.S.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at CBC and CTV dropping their joint bid for the 2014/16 Olympics.

Sports Media Watch looks into the move to put Chris Berman into the Monday Night Football booth.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says bitter little hedgehog Danny Sheridan is buying Twitter followers.

Dave Kohl in The Broadcast Booth talks about multiple national sports radio networks.

And that’s going to do it today. Had to cut the links short because today will be quite busy. Leaving the afternoon free for the NBC Olympics announcements.

NY Mets Pitcher Johan Santana To Appear On Late Show With David Letterman

The man who pitched the Mets’ first-ever no-hitter in the team’s history, Johan Santana, will make an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight. He’ll provide the Top Ten list.

And Dave will also have Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti among his guests.

Take a look.

THIS JUST IN…
…from CBS Entertainment

NEW YORK METS PITCHER JOHAN SANTANA, WHO THREW THE FIRST NO-HITTER IN THE TEAM’S HISTORY FRIDAY, WILL PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’ “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN” TONIGHT

NEW  YORK, June 4 – New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana, who threw the first no-hitter in the team’s history Friday night, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Monday, June 4 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Santana will present the Top Ten List via satellite from the Mets’ home stadium, Citi Field, where the team finishes their series against the St. Louis Cardinals today. Santana threw 134 pitches over nine innings with eight strikeouts and no hits allowed against the Cardinals in the Mets’ 8-0 win Friday night, ending the franchise’s no-hitter drought that had lasted 51 seasons and 8,019 games.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW tonight are comedian Joan Rivers, Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti and musical guests Silversun Pickups.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

That’s all.

UPDATE, 5:05 p.m.: We find from Adam Rubin from ESPN New York that the appearance has been canceled.

Johan Santana canceling top-10 appearance on Late Show. No time to tape before accompanying team to DC.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) June 4, 2012

There you have it.

Angels Pitcher Jered Weaver Presents The Top Ten on Late Show with David Letterman Tonight

CBS Entertainment informs us that that Jered Weaver who no-hit the Minnesota Twins last week, will make an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Entertainment

ANAHEIM ANGELS PITCHER JERED WEAVER, WHO PITCHED A NO-HITTER LAST WEEK AGAINST THE MINNESOTA TWINS, TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, MAY 8

NEW YORK, May 7 – Anaheim Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, who pitched a no-hitter for the team last week against the Minnesota Twins, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, May 8 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Weaver will present the Top Ten List from Target Field in Minneapolis, where the Angels are facing the Twins in another series this week.

On Wednesday, May 2 in Anaheim, Weaver struck out nine and walked one batter in the Angels’ 9-0 defeat of the Twins. It was the second no-hitter in the major leagues in less than two weeks, the second Angels no-hitter in less than a year and the tenth for the Angels franchise.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW on Tuesday, May 8 are Emmy Award-winning actor Jim Parsons from the hit CBS comedy series THE BIG BANG THEORY, journalist and talk show host Mika Brzezinski and musical guest Macy Gray.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

That’s all.

Perfect Game Pitcher Philip Humber To Give Top Ten List on Letterman

Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber who threw MLB’s 21st perfect game on Saturday against Seattle, gets an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS this evening at 11:35 ET.

He’ll do the Top Ten list.

PITCHER PHILIP HUMBER, WHO THREW A PERFECT GAME FOR THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX ON SATURDAY, TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” MONDAY, APRIL 23

Chicago White Sox star Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game for the team on Saturday, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Monday, April 23 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Humber will present the Top Ten via satellite from the Oakland Coliseum, where the White Sox will face the Oakland Athletics Monday night.

Humber’s achievement, which helped lead the White Sox to a 4-0 victory Saturday over the Seattle Mariners, was the 21^st perfect game in Major League Baseball history and the first in almost two years, since Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw one against the Florida Marlins on May 29, 2010. Humber struck out nine and threw 96 pitches in his first career complete game to become the third White Sox pitcher in baseball history to throw a perfect game. He joins Mark Buehrle’s gem against Tampa Bay on July 23, 2009 (Buehrle also presented the LATE SHOW Top Ten on July 27, 2009 after his perfect game), and Charles Robertson against Detroit on April 30, 1922.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW Monday, April 23 are “How I Met Your Mother” star Jason Segel, author Zach Wahls and musical guests Fun.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

That’s all.

Masters Champion Bubba Watson To Appear on Late Show with David Letterman

Announced today by CBS, the Late Show with David Letterman will have this year’s Masters champion, Bubba Watson as a guest on Tuesday.

THIS JUST IN…
…from CBS Entertainment

2012 MASTERS CHAMPION BUBBA WATSON TO VISIT CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, APRIL 10

NEW YORK, April 9, 2012 – 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson talks about winning his first major championship Sunday at Augusta in thrilling fashion when he visits the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, April 10 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT). Florida native Watson closed with a four-under-par 68, finishing 10-under-par to tie with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, forcing a sudden-death playoff. After both finishing the first playoff at the 18^th hole at par, on the second playoff hole on the 10^th green, both golfers drove their tee shots toward the woods to the right of the hole, landing Watson, a self-taught golfer, deep in the woods. After a dramatic shot out of the woods to land his ball onto the green within a few feet of the 10^th hole, Watson clinched victory by making par after a bogey by Oosthuizen, earning the lefty his first green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW on Tuesday, April 10 are actor Sean Hayes and musician Shooter Jennings.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

That is all.

Our Tuesday Links

Let’s provide some links now.

John Ourand and John Lombardo of Sports Business Journal write that local NBA TV ratings are up thus far.

Eric Fisher of SBJ writes that sports arenas have an issue with providing more bandwidth as fans demand wifi access.

Paul White at USA Today says the newly-renamed Miami Marlins are ready for their reality TV closeup.

Mike McCarthy at USA Today says Los Angeles Lakers radio voice John Ireland was busted by Jay Leno’s Show of Hacks for putting on makeup during a game.

Michael O’Connell at the Hollywood Reporter says thanks to the Daytona 500, Fox won Monday night’s ratings over strong network competition.

John Eggerton from Broadcasting & Cable reports on a sports fan lobbying group that’s asking the FCC to end the NFL’s archaic blackout policy.

Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life Magazine says despite lower ratings from last year, the NBA is pleased with the numbers for the All-Star Game.

Mihir Bose of the London (UK) Evening Standard looks at the upcoming bidding for the English Premier League TV rights by talking with an ESPN Europe executive. It’s expected that incumbents Sky Sports and ESPN will have to fend off a heated bid by Al-Jazeera.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid says Dan Patrick almost got into a heated exchange with David Letterman last night.

Sports Video Group says ESPNsoccernet has launched a new mobile app.

At Her Campus, Annie Wang talks with a close friend of Jeremy Lin’s on he views Linsanity in Communist China.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says reviews the upcoming ESPN documentary on the 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson’s announcement that he was HIV positive.

Newsday’s Neil Best notes that today ends a long streak for Jeremy Lin.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union says a local radio station will air a handful of Red Sox exhibition games.

Pete says this year’s MAAC Tournament will be online except for the finals.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says the NBA’s pay per view League Pass package is free for this week.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman notes that Oklahoma City was the 2nd highest rated local market for the NBA All-Star Game.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says rain delay coverage of the Daytona 500 on Sunday scored well in Suds City.

And Bob says Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver is given good odds to win this season’s Dancing with the Stars competition.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Fox Sports San Diego has tapped a news anchor to become its first-ever Padres studio host.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times talks with ESPN college football analyst Ed Cunningham about winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says Twitter scooped TV in breaking NHL trades yesterday.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog kept track of which Canadian networks RDS, Rogers Sportsnet or TSN broke the trades yesterday.

Ben Koo at Awful Announcing says ESPN ignored the NHL Trade Deadline yesterday.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead explains why ESPN chose to ignore the deadline.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media declares Rogers Sportsnet the winner in NHL Trade Deadline Day coverage.

In Tennis Space, former player Mark Petchey tells how he became a TV analyst.

Barry Petchesky of Deadspin gets an internal ESPN e-mail about Twitter.

Sports Media Watch looks at the Daytona 500′s ratings.

And that’s going to do it for now.

Biff Henderson Kisses The Super Bowl Trophy

If you’re a regular viewer of Late Show with David Letterman, you’ll know that Dave sends out stage manager Biff Henderson to do interview segments from various events including Super Bowl XLVI. As the Vince Lombardi Trophy was being carried by Hall of Famer Raymond Berry to the podium where the New York Giants were waiting, you may have seen Biff touching then kissing the trophy. It was a very fleeting moment, but if you were sharp-eyed, you caught it.

Just to help you out, Biff is standing next to Giants tight end Bear Pascoe, #86. It was so funny and I’m sure it will be featured on Late Show with David Letterman on CBS on Monday night. Classic.

Great stuff. I’m sure the NFL will make sure another late night personality doesn’t get that close again.

Abby Wambach & Hope Solo of US Women’s Soccer Team To Appear On Letterman

Two key members of the US Women’s National Team will be guests on the Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday. Striker Abby Wambach and goaltender Hope Solo will talk with Dave about the month-long competition in Germany which ended on Sunday. While the end result wasn’t desired, the reception for both of them should be very warm at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.

Dave has been a fan of the women’s soccer team as he had Mia Hamm and several members of the 1999 squad on the show shortly after they won the Final against Communist China. In fact, he made that team a regular feature on the show throughout the summer.

We have details of the program from CBS Entertainment.

U.S. WOMEN’S SOCCER STARS HOPE SOLO AND ABBY WAMBACH TO VISIT CBS’S “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, JULY 19

U.S. Women’s soccer stars Hope Solo and Abby Wambach talk about Sunday’s riveting final in the Women’s World Cup against Japan when they visit the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, July 19 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The U.S. women’s team ended their incredible run in the FIFA World Cup, after being upset by Japan in Sunday’s final.  The Japanese team won their first World Cup title, 3-1 on penalty kicks, after coming from behind twice in a 2-2 tie.

Also featured on the LATE SHOW, Tuesday, July 19 are actor Steve Carell, star of the new film “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” and a performance by the Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS website:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

On Twitter:  @late_show

That’s all.

Madden ’12 Cover Athlete Peyton Hillis On Late Show with David Letterman

Coming up tonight on the CBS Television Network, Cleveland Browns running Peyton Hillis will make an appearance to present the Top Ten list on the Late Show with David Letterman. Hillis was announced yesterday as the cover athlete of the Madden ’12 NFL video game. Today, he’s in New York to shoot the cover and to make a few publicity appearances including one at the Late Show. We have details plus what else will be on tonight’s show.

THIS JUST IN…
…from CBS Entertainment

CLEVELAND BROWNS STAR PEYTON HILLIS, THE COVER ATHLETE FOR THE “MADDEN NFL 12” VIDEO GAME, TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’S “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” THURSDAY, APRIL 28

NEW YORK, April 28 – Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, the cover athlete for the new “Madden NFL 12” video game, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, April 28 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Selected by fans in a special online vote, Hillis was announced Wednesday as the latest NFL star to grace the cover of the new edition of the popular EA Sports video game.  The “Madden NFL 12” video game will be released August 30.

Also featured on the LATE SHOW tonight will be self-help guru Dr. Phil McGraw, actor Chris Hemsworth and a performance from the new Broadway musical “Catch Me If You Can.”

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS website:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

That’s it.

CBS/Turner Announce Coverage Plans for 2011 NCAA Final Four

Just received this from the CBS/Turner collaborative regarding this Saturday’s Final Four^®. This is the first year that Turner will have a hand in the coverage and an extensive pregame show will be aired on truTV before CBS’ coverage starts at 4 p.m. Eastern. Then the games will air, Butler-VCU at 6:09 p.m. then Kentucky-UConn at 8:49 p.m. or 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will team up to call the Final Four^®. Tracy Wolfson will work the sidelines.

Greg Gumbel will host from Reliant Stadium in Houston. He’ll be joined by Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Seth Davis and Kenny “The Jet” Smith.

We also have several features you’ll see on the Final Four Show which includes David Letterman which is always good to see. Your coverage plans in complete detail are below.

CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS’ “ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR” TRAVELS TO HOUSTON FOR CBS SPORTS’ 30^th CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF NCAA^® MEN’S FINAL FOUR ON SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Connecticut, Kentucky, Butler and VCU Vie for College Basketball’s National Championship

Connecticut, Kentucky, Butler and VCU are on the road to Houston as CBS Sports and Turner Sports provide exclusive coverage of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and Final Four.  For the 30^th consecutive year, CBS Sports will broadcast live the national semi-final games on Saturday, April 2 (6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and the National Championship game on Monday, April 4 (9:00 PM, ET-conclusion) from Reliant Stadium.

Saturday’s Final Four features Butler versus VCU, with tip-off scheduled for 6:09 PM, ET. Forty minutes after the game concludes, Connecticut takes on Kentucky to determine the final participant in Monday night’s Championship game. Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr call the games along with Tracy Wolfson serving as reporter. Nantz will be covering his 26^th Final Four and National Championship, Kellogg will be working his third, and Kerr joins Nantz and Kellogg to call his first Final Four and National Championship.

On Saturday, April 2 (3:00-4:00 PM, ET) “Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off” starts the day’s coverage on truTV. Leading in to the semi-final games, THE FINAL FOUR SHOW (4:00-6:00 PM, ET) on CBS with Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Seth Davis features tournament highlights, analysis of the four participating teams and interviews with coaches and players. Included in the broadcast are features on:

* Matt Howard, Butler – Senior forward Matt Howard embodies Butler basketball.  The three-time Academic All-America has been a leader in the Bulldogs Final Four runs the past two years. The values he exhibits on the court and within the Butler community were instilled in him growing up in rural Connersville, Indiana as the eighth of 10 children.  The Final Four Show visits with Howard and those closest to him as he prepares for the culmination of his storied collegiate career. Alanna Campbell produces.

* Kemba Walker, Connecticut - A first-team All-America and native of the Bronx, N.Y., Kemba Walker is the heart and soul of the Connecticut Huskies.  Walker has led his team to nine straight wins since the end of the regular-season, including five wins in five days to capture the Big East Conference Championship. The Final Four Show sits down with Walker and his mother, Andrea, and learns something special about this NCAA Tournament star. Jeff St. Arromand produces.

* Kentucky - It was only two years ago that Kentucky didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, and after reaching the Elite Eight last season, five Kentucky players left for the NBA, all first-round picks.  Other teams might have had to rebuild, but head coach John Calipari has the Wildcats in their first Final Four since 1998, thanks to the leadership of senior Josh Harrelson, juniors DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller, along with a talented trio of freshmen.  Sarah Rinaldi produces.

* VCU Confidential – From the first-ever FIRST FOUR to their first-ever Final Four, the VCU Rams are enjoying a historic tournament run. The feature captures Head Coach Shaka Smart and his team behind-the-scenes as the Rams prepare to take on Butler, and a chance to advance to the National Championship game. 

* A Coaching Bond - While working together at Florida to build the Gators’ program into a national powerhouse, Head Coach Billy Donovan and his assistants, John Pelphrey and Anthony Grant, forged a bond as colleagues and close friends. Their relationship grew stronger as they supported each other while coping with shared grief through a series of personal tragedies. Sarah Rinaldi produces.

* John Wooden - Known as “The Wizard of Westwood,” legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden stands as one of the most revered and successful college basketball coaches in history. Wooden led his Bruins to 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years. Wooden was more than just a coach, as he projected a unique vision and perspective on life that transcended sports. As a special tribute to Coach Wooden, who passed away last June, this feature looks back at some of the timeless inspirational wisdom he passed on. Charlie Bloom produces.

* David Letterman Breaks down the Bracket with Bill Raftery - As anyone who filled out a bracket this tournament knows, there probably weren’t too many people who successfully chose the Final Four teams. David Letterman puts his unique spin on March Madness, and is joined by CBS Sports’ Bill Raftery. Deb Gelman produces.

Bob Dekas, coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ NCAA basketball coverage, produces the 2011 Final Four and Bob Fishman directs. Eric Mann produces the pre- and post-game and halftime programs, and Bob Matina directs. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS 2011 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Sat., April 2

truTV: 3:00-4:00 PM – NCAA Tip-Off

CBS: 4:00-6:00 PM – THE FINAL FOUR SHOW

CBS: 6:00-11:00 PM – NCAA MEN’S FINAL FOUR, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

truTV: 11:30 PM-12:30 AM – Inside March Madness

Mon., April 4

truTV: 8:00-9:00 PM – NCAA Tip-Off

CBS: 9:00-11:30 PM – MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

truTV: 12:00-1:00 AM – Inside March Madness

And we’ll end it there.

Finally Getting To The Linkage

Being surprised earlier today by a sudden trip to a jobsite threw me off today so I’m late getting to the linkage, but it’ll be here. Let’s go.

First, Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute pens the first column as the ESPN Ombudsman. She and two other Poynter Institute faculty will write monthly columns, sometimes more, as the Ombudsman.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today looks at Louisville coach Rick Pitino getting his second guest analyst gig in two weeks, this time for ESPN.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today writes about Tiger Woods’ new pricey iPhone app.

Eammon Brennan of ESPN.com says more people are watching the NCAA Tournament than ever.

Julie Jargon from the Wall Street Journal says ESPN Insider content will be available at Starbucks in-store digital wireless network throughout the country.

Tim Baysinger from Broadcasting & Cable says New York’s WWOR is set with a new 21 game Yankees schedule.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News looks at the Sport Emmy Award nominations.

Kurt Badenhausen from Forbes writes about MLB’s most valuable franchises with the teams you’d expect at 1-2.

Also from Forbes, Michael Humphrey says the NFL could learn a thing or two from March Madness on Demand.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser says CBS/Turner is bringing in guest analysts for all three of its platforms for the NCAA Tournament.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid talks about Buzz Bissinger going off on Jimmer Fredette.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life writes that Sunday night was a big night for the NCAA Tournament on cable.

Tim Nudd from Adweek examines ESPN’s new MLB Opening Day promo.

Alex Colon from PC Magazine notes that ESPN Radio will now be available on Slacker Radio mobile apps.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says a number of MLB ballparks will be serving Food Network-sponsored concessions.

Darren looks at the top MLB team jersey sales.

And Darren points out that a coach who gets hot during the NCAA Tournament can make it very difficult for a smaller school to keep him.

Dan Lewandowski of Speed.com looks at Versus’ broadcast team for IndyCar races this season.

Boston Sports Media Watch’s Bruce Allen has some suggestions for sports writers who don’t quite know how to use Twitter correctly.

Kimberly Primicerio of the Meriden (CT) Record-Journal talks about ESPN’s commitment to expand its World Headquarters in the Constitution State.

Newsday’s Bobby Cassidy points out that the courageous Nick Charles who’s been fighting cancer, will call the first fight on HBO’s Boxing After Dark card on Saturday.

Newsday’s Neil Best has the WWOR-TV Yankees schedule for this season.

At Fishbowl NY, Jerry Barmash talks with a WFAN part-timer who’s hosting an internet sports talk show.

Jerry talks with a WCBS-TV anchor who’s hosting an NCAA Tournament wrap-up show that’s been airing on CBS-owned stations.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union says Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Pete has MLB Network’s live game schedule for April.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times notes that ESPN’s Jon Gruden got his second Sports Emmy nomination in as many years.

Eric Deggans from the Times wonders if the NFL lockout could get into the way of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ chances to be in HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer.

Charles Hollis from the Birmingham (AL) News likes having Charles Barkley on the NCAA Tournament.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says ESPN2 HD viewers missed out on much of Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Tournament game involving the Sooners.

Mel says the NCAA Tournament is dominating the sports TV ratings.

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer says fans will get to see a different side of the Reds on Sunday both in person and on TV.

John has more on the live Reds event.

John notes that two announcers with Cincinnati ties are up for Sports Emmys.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says a lineup change at the local ESPN Radio affiliate is only temporary.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says ESPN’s MLB analysts pin some high hopes on the Brewers.

Bob says CBS/Turner continues to bring in current college coaches to its March Madness coverage.

Eric Morken from the Alexandria (MN) Echo Press says Twins fans won’t be able to watch games on over the air TV anymore.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail examines the MLS ratings in Canada.

The Lost Letterman blog grades the TNT additions to the CBS/Turner NCAA Tournament staff.

Sports Media Watch says the NHL on NBC really got beat up on Sunday.

SMW says thanks to the NCAA Tournament, truTV had its most watched week.

I’ll end it there for now. I hope to do some night linkage later.

Some Tuesday Linkage

Not sure how much I’ll be able to get done today so I’ll do as many links as I can. I expect to get interrupted in the middle so don’t be surprised if there are just a few links here.

Brian Lowry at Fox Sports says you’re now in control of what you watch at the NCAA Tournament.

Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated says you had better get used to the NCAA Tournament’s FIRST FOUR^® from now on.

Paul Bond of the Hollywood Reporter looks at the effects of an NFL lockout on TV both in terms of ratings and ad revenue.

Brian Steinberg of Advertising Age tries to see where the ad dollars would go if the NFL lockout went long.

Diane Mermigas of MediaPost writes that the NFL lockout could mean a boom in alternative programming.

To All Things Digital where Peter Kafka has ESPN scoffing at reports of cord cutting.

At Women’s Wear Daily, we find that ESPN The Magazine will be doing an all-encompassing “Style” issue. There was the “Body” issue. Now there’s the “Style” issue. (scroll down)

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid has ESPN’s Jay Bilas harping on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s makeup.

Glenn has video of David Letterman busting on CBS/Turner’s Charles Barkley.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Versus scored with the Mountain West Championship Game on Saturday.

Diego Vasquez from Media Life discovers why the NCAA Tournament is red hot this year.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser says beloved Indiana Pacers radio analyst Bob “Slick” Leonard is recovering from a heart attack.

Greg Bishop of the New York Times talks with CBS’ Gus Johnson about his popularity especially during March Madness.

The Times put together some of Gus’ best calls from both the NCAA Tournament and from his time with MSG Network.

Richard Sandomir of the Times looks at the Brave New World with CBS and Turner airing the NCAA Tournament.

Newsday’s Neil Best says fans who are used to submitting their NCAA Tournament brackets for online contests can still do so at least for this year.

Neil adds that CBS/Turner would rather have you submit your brackets starting on Tuesday instead of Thursday.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the College Basketball Invitational Tournament TV schedule.

Pete says truTV won’t be in HD in time for the NCAA Tournament in the Capital Region.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record looks at Marist College’s schedule in the NCAA Women’s Tournament on the ESPN family of networks.

Conor Orr of the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger says CBS College Sports is tapping Rutgers coach Mike Rice as a guest analyst.

Evan Weiner from the New Jersey Newsroom asks where’s the fan outrage with the NFL lockout?

Mke Vorkunov of NJ Newsroom goes behind the scenes with ESPN at the Big East Tournament.

Paul Farhi of the Washington Post says sports teams and leagues are now in the business of making their own news.

Dan Steinberg of the WaPo’s DC Sports Bog explains why the local NFL team forced the Post to take its name off the paper’s blogs.

And Dan writes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will be using DC NFL team QB Donovan McNabb as an NCAA Tournament analyst this week.

Chuck Carlton from the Dallas Morning News says Fox and the Big 12 are close to a lucrative cable rights contract.

Jake Trotter of the Daily Oklahoman writes that the new Big 12 deal would triple the value of its current contract with Fox Sports.

Kyle Nagel of the Dayton Daily News discusses truTV’s role in the NCAA Tournament.

Chris Easterling of the Massillon (OH) Independent says the local airwaves are filled with sports radio talk shows.

Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press says ESPN is filming the Michigan high school basketball team that is coping with the death of one of its players.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says truTV will be in HD on one local cable system.

Bob says another major cable provider might add truTV in HD as well.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says it’s no coincidence that the NCAA sent Purdue and Notre Dame to Chicago to help Tournament ticket sales.

David Hanners of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that NBA referee Bill Spooner is suing an Associated Press reporter for tweeting about alleged makeup calls during a game involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times says the NFL’s TV partners, particular the over the air networks, might have big programming holes to fill in case of a lockout.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News says a big Big 12 rights deal might bode well for Pac 12 football.

Matt Sarzyniak who does the great Matt’s College Sports on TV site, looks at the Big 12 and Fox getting together for some big money.

Paulsen of Sports Media Watch notes that the ratings for the NBA on ABC went down due to not showcasing one of the league’s Big 3 on Sunday.

SMW says the NHL on NBC was also down from a year ago.

And SMW says the NCAA Tournament Selection Show sunk to an all-time low.

Ben Koo at Awful Announcing has the video of when the Perpetually Angry Doug Gottlieb’s phone went off live on SportsCenter.

Emmett Jones from Sports Business Digest says MLB Network has picked up a major cable provider.

And that will do it for now. Got the entire set of links in. I’m happy.

Thursday’s Linkage

Let’s do some links for you on this Thursday. I hope to be able to do a bit more in the later part of the week unlike previous weeks where the links stop on Wednesday. Plenty of stuff to go over.

Michael Hiestand has a couple of articles on CBS/Turner changing the way we’ll watch the NCAA Tournament starting in March. First, he says times will be staggered and games will be spread out more so we can watch games from noon until midnight in the first three rounds of the tourney.

Mike says cable will change the way we’ll be viewing the tournament from now on.

Sports Illustrrated’s Richard Deitsch has the starting times and networks for the first week of the NCAA Tournament.

Sports Business Daily also goes over CBS/Turner’s plans for the NCAA Tournament.

This has nothing to do with sports, but more with the power of social media and establishing a brand. Douglas Alden Warshaw writes in Fortune about Conan O’Brien’s fast rise on Twitter and how he uses social media to engage with his audience.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable writes that the Chevy Camaro Super Bowl ad is now the most-watched TV commercial ever.

Mike Stern of Media Life Magazine says while the Super Bowl became the most watched TV program in US history, it may also be the most listened to program as well.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek reports that ESPN is selling ads faster than any other network.

Jonathan Berr from Daily Finance notes that Comcast is not willing to allow its SportsNet Philadelphia to go on satellite without a huge fight.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell tries to find out how much the Super Bowl flyover cost taxpayers.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir says several fans are now suing the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL over not being able to see the games after local fire marshals deemed their seating unsafe.

Bobby Cassidy of Newsday says CBS will air portions of Showtime’s Fight Camp 360 series to promote the Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley fight.

Neil Best of Newsday writes that SNY is the crown jewel of the New York Mets owners’ empire.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette has the start times for the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record is happy that two 50,000 watt heritage radio stations have regained the rights to baseball teams in their respective local markets.

Matt Palmer at Press Box notes that Orioles radio announcers Joe Angel and Fred Manfra will be moving with the team to its new home at WBAL.

DCRTV‘s Dave Hughes writes in Press Box about the O’s decision to leave CBS Radio’s FM sports station to return to WBAL.

The lovely Jen Royle of MASN says while the Orioles have left CBS Radio, Baltimore where she works full-time, she’ll figure out her next move soon.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the Capitals’ Vice President of Communication is leaving his post and will be missed in local circles.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says it’s time to get ready for NASCAR.

Gary Smits of the Florida Times-Union praises the PGA Tour and Golf Channel for getting behind some marquee groupings during the early rounds of golf tournaments to help ratings and on-site attendance.

Gary notes that former CBS Sports pioneering golf producer Frank Chirkinian will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.

Jeff Shain of the Orlando Sentinel says Chirkinian’s stamp on televised golf is still being felt today.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says there’s a future for 3-D TV, just not in sports. I totally agree.

Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News says after a slow start due to the weather, area businesses did see an economic impact from the Super Bowl.

Mitchell Schnurman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the Metroplex failed to get the job done during Super Bowl Week.

John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Fox Sports Ohio will carry a handful of Reds exhibition games.

The Detroit News says all but one of the Tigers regular season games will be seen on local TV.

Jacob Newkirk of the Evansville (IN) Courier-Press isn’t happy that most of the St. Louis Cardinals schedule will be on cable.

The Milwaukee Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley says Vince Lombardi, or Dan Lauria playing Vince Lombardi assisted David Letterman on a Top 10 list.

Sharon Roznik of the Fond du Lac (WI) Reporter says the son of the late ESPN reporter Adrian Karsten is telling high school students about his alcoholism and how he almost met the same fate as his father.

Carrie Muskrat of MLB.com has the Chicago Cubs releasing its 2011 TV schedule.

The White Sox have released their broadcast schedules as well.

To Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business who says the Cubs will have almost all of their Spring Training games aired on radio, TV or the the internet.

The Belleville (IL) News-Democrat talks about the Cardinals TV announcing team for this season.

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Fox Sports Midwest will carry 152 regular season games.

The Phoenix Business Journal notes that the Suns’ TV ratings are up from last season while the Coyotes’ are down, the Cardinals beat them all.

Larry Bohannan of The Desert (CA) Sun reports that the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship will move to Golf Channel this year after being split between ESPN2 and CBS.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News wishes the Pac 10 would get rid of its current archaic TV contracts and begin anew. Right now.

Sports Media Watch talks about the ratings for the Super Bowl postgame shows on ESPN and NFL Network and other events.

SMW wonders with the NBC Sports takeover of Comcast’s sports properties, does it mean that viewers of Comcast SportsNet’s NBA properties in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, the Bay Area and Portland could hear the old NBA on NBC theme once again? As if you needed a reminder, here it is, the best theme in all of sports.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media speaks with Versus’ Brian Engblom about his new role as the on-ice analyst.

Mike Vitello of Awful Announcing explains how the NFL really dropped the ball regarding Super Bowl XLV and social interaction.

And that’s where we will end it for today.

Some Quick Wednesday Linkage

Ok, this may turn out to be a busy day for me so I’m going to try to sneak some links in. You may see this in multiple parts so here goes.

We’ll begin with Tom Weir in USA Today’s Game On blog discussing Tucker Carlson of Fox News wanting Michael Vick executed?

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says ESPN is not anticipating too much of a ratings hit as it takes over the BCS from Fox this season.

Kimberly Nordyke of the Hollywood Reporter notes that the Monday Night Football finale was the most watched program on cable this year.

We continue with more links.

This is a shameless plug, but how many of these do I make in a year? Head on over to BallHyped and vote for me for Sports Blog of the Year. I have no shot to win, but make my results respectable. I greatly appreciate it. You can vote for as many as three so if you feel there’s another blog that’s just as deserving, vote for that one too.

Sports Business Daily says some weak matchups could hurt the BCS’ ratings on ESPN.

Andrea Morabito of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Sunday Night Football on Tuesday night did very well in the ratings.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the 2010 Monday Night Football finale helped ESPN to set a ratings record.

Mike says the Outdoor Channel is set to premiere some new series including four picked up from ESPN’s now-canceled Outdoors block.

From Fox Sports, Brian Lowry says in 2010, sports and sports media had their fill of scandal.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell speaks with the CEO of New Era about sponsoring the Pinstripe Bowl and its sponsorship deal with the NFL.

Darren talks about the Coors Light NFL coaches ads which end their run after this season. 

Jon Bershad of SportsGrid has Los Angeles sportswriter Kevin Ding accusing an ESPNews anchor of lifting his material verbatim. Uh oh.

We continue with SportsGrid’s Top Sports Media Gaffes of 2010 and #4 is the Karen Owen Duke Sex List. Who could forget that?

And #3 is Ines Sainz and the alleged harassment by the New York Jets.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times talks about the weather which could wreak havoc on the NHL Winter Classic.

Also from the Times, George Vescey says while Mike Singletary is no longer coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the David Letterman sketch featuring a faux Singletary will continue.

Newsday’s Neil Best has Kenny Albert’s adventure getting from St. Louis to Newark, NJ in the midst of this weekend’s Great Blizzard.

Neil says his appearance along with three other sports media critics on SNY last week did respectively well in the sports cable ratings in New York.

I’ve been interrupted again. I’ve been trying to start the links up again since lunch time and I just can’t get it done. Too many starts and stops. I hope to finish up tonight.

Amar’e Stoudamire To Present Top 10 on Late Show with David Letterman

New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudamire will make an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight and we have highlights.

NEW YORK KNICKS STAR AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE PRESENTS THE “TOP TEN REASONS AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE IS EXCITED TO PLAY BASKETBALL IN NEW YORK” ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” FRIDAY, OCT. 29

Also Visiting Friday’s LATE SHOW Are Emmy Award-Winning Actor Michael J. Fox and Olympic Snowboarding Gold Medalist Shaun White

(Click Here to Watch a Preview of Stoudemire’s Top Ten List on Tonight’s LATE SHOW)

Amar’e Stoudemire, the newest member of the New York Knicks, presents the “Top Ten Reasons Amar’e Stoudemire Is Excited to Play Basketball in New York” on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN tonight, Friday, Oct. 29. 

Among the items Stoudemire presents include number 7:  “I really enjoy traffic”; number 6:  “There’s no better workout than running for your life in Central Park”; and number 5:  “If I played in Miami, I’d never get to touch the damn ball.”  Stoudemire’s entire Top Ten List can be seen on the LATE SHOW tonight (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

 Stoudemire, a five-time NBA All-Star, joined the Knicks as power forward in July 2010.  He and the team have their 2010-2011 home opener at Madison Square Garden Saturday, Oct. 30 against the Portland Trailblazers.

Also on the LATE SHOW Friday, Oct. 29, Emmy Award-winning actor Michael J. Fox, who guest stars on the hit CBS drama “The Good Wife” on Tuesday, Nov. 9, reveals how he almost lost out on the iconic role of Marty McFly in “Back to the Future”; and Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White talks about his newest video game, “Shaun White Skateboarding,” which will be released this week.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

I’m always happy to post press releases from Dave. Hopefully Conan O’Brien too. From Leno’s Show of Hacks, not so much.

Wimbledon Marathon Man John Isner To Appear on Late Show with David Letteman

John Isner who certainly made a name for himself last week with his long match with Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon gets some fruits of his labor tonight appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS to present the Top Ten.

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Entertainment

JOHN ISNER, WINNER OF THE LONGEST TENNIS MATCH IN HISTORY, WILL PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” MONDAY, JUNE 28

NEW YORK, June 28, 2010 — John Isner, the American who won the longest tennis match in history last Thursday at Wimbledon, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Monday, June 28 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  In the epic 11-hour, five-minute match that spanned three days, Isner finally defeated Nicolas Mahut of France with score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3) and a remarkable fifth-set 70-68. 

Ironically, Isner was eliminated from Wimbledon the following day when he lost the shortest men’s match so far at the tournament, falling to unseeded Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands, 6-0 6-3, 6-2 on Friday.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW on Monday, June 28, are actress Kristen Stewart from the highly anticipated new film, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”; Gary Faulkner, the American who traveled to Pakistan to hunt down Osama Bin Laden; and musical guests Tokyo Police Club. 

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

That’s it.

A’s Pitcher Dallas Braden To Present Top Ten List on David Letterman

To those who get the riches also get the spoils. When you do a big thing in sports, the Late Show with David Letterman will come a’callin’. That certainly is the case with Dallas Braden, the Oakland A’s pitcher who threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Mother’s Day.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS STAR AND PERFECT GAME PITCHER DALLAS BRADEN TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, MAY 11

            NEW YORK, May 10, 2010 – Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden, who pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on Sunday, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, May 11 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.  Braden led the A’s to a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, throwing 109 pitches, including 77 strikes, and striking out six batters to give MLB its first perfect game since Mark Buehrle did it for the Chicago White Sox in July 2009.  Braden’s feat also gave the A’s its first perfect game since Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish” Hunter’s classic against the Minnesota Twins in May 1968.  

            Braden becomes the sixth pitcher to visit the LATE SHOW after throwing a perfect game. Hurlers Kenny Rogers (8/1/94), David Wells (5/18/98), David Cone (7/21/99), Randy Johnson (5/19/04) and Buehrle (7/27/09) all visited the CBS broadcast after their historic pitching performances.

            Also visiting the LATE SHOW on Tuesday, May 11 are actress Queen Latifiah, actor and comedian Will Forte and musical guests MGMT. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

One more press release post. I know I said one more last time, but I really mean one more.

Saints QB Drew Brees To Present The Top Ten On Letterman

Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees who made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman after the Big Game returns to the show to present the Top Ten tonight. Here’s the press release and the occasion.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QUARTERBACK AND  SUPER BOWL XLIV MVP DREW BREES, NEWLY-SELECTED COVER ATHLETE FOR THE “MADDEN NFL 11″ VIDEO GAME, WILL PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” THURSDAY, APRIL 22

NEW YORK, April 22 – Super Bowl XLIV MVP and New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, the newly-selected cover athlete for the “Madden NFL 11″ video game, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, April 22 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Brees was selected by fans in a special online vote to become the latest NFL star to grace the cover of the new edition of the popular EA Sports video game, it was announced earlier today. “Madden NFL 11″ hits stores August 10.

Also featured on the LATE SHOW tonight will be actor and comedian David Spade, star of the CBS comedy series “Rules of Engagement”; EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who will be making a special Earth Day visit to the broadcast; and musical guests Broken Social Scene.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS website:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

Enjoy the Late Show.

Butler Coach Brad Stevens To Appear with David Letterman Tonight

Butler coach Brad Stevens who certainly came to national prominence during the NCAA Tournament gets his first late night TV appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman this evening. Too bad it couldn’t be as the winning coach.

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Entertainment

BUTLER UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH BRAD STEVENS

TO APPEAR ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,”TUESDAY, APRIL 6

NEW YORK, April 6 – Coach Brad Stevens, whose Butler University Bulldogs were edged out by the Duke Blue Devils in last night’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship final, talks about his team’s dream season via satellite from Butler in Indianapolis, on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, April 6 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  After an amazing run during this year’s Tournament, Stevens and the Bulldogs played for their first national title in the school’s history, losing to Duke by a mere two points, 61-59, the closest margin of victory in an NCAA final since 1989.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.  Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site:  http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

I’ll have more as the night moves along.

Going To Sunday Linkage

Doing some Sunday links as we moved ahead one hour this morning.

Starting with Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News who says Manny Pacquaio’s convincing win over Joshua Clottey last night still gives hope for a massive payday with Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Mike writes that Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari is using social networking to help promote DirecTV’s March Mega Madness NCAA Tournament pay per view package.

Condolences to MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann who lost his beloved father, Theodore, yesterday after a long illness. Olbermann shares his thoughts on his Baseball Nerd blog.

Andy Hutchins in the Sporting News’ Sporting Blog has the video of Dick Vitale stealing a dance from Erin Andrews.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News surprisingly praises ESPN’s Dick Vitale for his work on Selection Sunday, then strangely goes after ESPN’s Jay Bilas. I don’t understand Raissman sometimes. No, make that all of the time.

Phil Mushnick in the New York Post suggests college basketball reduce the number of timeouts so he can go to bed early.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner talks with DC sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak about her new role as NASCAR host for TNT.

And Jim previews tonight’s NCAA Tournament Selection Shows on CBS and ESPN.

Gary Clancy of the Spartansburg (SC) Herald Journal says Wofford College is getting its first taste of the national spotlight thanks to a feature today by CBS Sports. 

The Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune has five questions for Dick Vitale. 

Bill Vilona in the Pensacola (FL) News Journal says the NCAA is pulling a money grab in expanding the men’s basketball tournament.

Chris Vognar of the Dallas Morning News reviews tonight’s 30 for 30 documentary on Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks. 

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer explains how David Letterman got into spoofing a Bearcats basketball analyst last week.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wants to know who MLB Player X is.

John Maffei of the North County Times says a popular San Diego sports radio morning team is off the air due to a contract dispute.

To the Los Angeles Daily News and Tom Hoffarth who gives you some sports stories from non-sports sources.

Artie Gigantino of the San Francisco Chronicle says basketball fans are in store for a great NCAA Tournament.

The Sports Media Watch has its weekend ratings predictions.

SMW has some ratings news and notes.

Chris Bryne of the Eye on Sports Media states that CBS will be streaming its NCAA Tournament Selection Show online and on cell phones today.

Maury Brown in Sports Bash talks about International Autism Awareness Month which is fast approaching.

And we’ll end the linkage there for today.

Time for Some Quick Tuesday Linkage

I’ll give you some quick links as I’ve been out of the office for much of the day once again. I wonder when work will ease up for me. These last two weeks have been insane.

Here’s the official announcement from Nielsen that Super Bowl XLIV was the most watched Big Game of all time.

Nielsen also states that the Doritos Super Bowl ad in which two men are are attacked in a gym for stealing a bag of chips was the most watched ad of all time.

John Ourand in Sports Business Daily has bad news for DirecTV subscribers who’ve been hoping for a resolution in its dispute with Versus.

SBD also rounds up several stories and quotes on CBS’ reaction to its monster record ratings for the Super Bowl. 

The SBD also recaps the now-famous Letterman/Oprah/Leno Super Bowl promo from the viewpoints of both Dave and Big Jaw Leno.

Michael Hiestand in USA Today has a look at the weekend ratings from events other than the Super Bowl.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated grades CBS’ pregame, game and postgame productions.

Paul Bond of the Hollywood Reporter says TiVo users replayed some of the Super Bowl’s biggest plays rather than the ads.

Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable says Major League Baseball has set this year’s price for its out-of-market broadband MLB.TV service.

Glen Dickson of B&C writes that NBC Universal is producing the 2010 Winter Olympics entirely in HD.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News previews Darren Rovell’s special on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue on CNBC.

Mike adds that Danica Patrick’s closed wheel racing debut paid off in the ratings for Speed. 

Katy Bachman of Mediaweek reports that the strategy to rename the Miami Dolphins stadium just in time for the Super Bowl paid off for Sun Life.

Mike Shields from Mediaweek writes that the SportsFanLive site has launched an Olympic Twitter page.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at the record audience for Super Bowl XLIV and also gets reaction from actor Alan Alda who starred in the M*A*S*H season finale which was the previous viewership recordholder.

The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman says quarterbacks receive too much attention. Really, Bob?

Keith Groller from the Allentown (PA) Morning Call looks at the record viewership for Super Bowl XLIV.

Laura Nachman has her bests and worsts for Super Bowl XLIV.

Sarah Talalay in the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Indianapolis Colts championship gear that never saw the light of day during the Super Bowl was immediately sent to Haiti as part of the earthquake relief effort.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle gives his impression of the Super Bowl ads.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says Drew Brees and other members of the New Orleans Saints are about to become ad agency darlings.

Christopher Byrne of Eye on Sports Media has noticed that NBC has cut its staff for the Vancouver Winter Olympics as compared to the 2006 Games in Turin.

I’m going to end it now. I’ll have more later.

Final Grade of Super Bowl XLIV Ads

Here are my final grades of Super Bowl Ads.

Grade A
Snickers (Betty White)
Doritos (Kid Slaps Date)
Budweiser (Human Bridge)
Hyundai Sonata (Brett Favre)
Flo.TV (Change Out Of That Skirt, Jason)
Coca-Cola (Sleepwalker)
NFL (Thank you, fans)
Budweiser (Steer wants to be a Clydesdale)

Grade B
Electronic Arts (Dante’s Inferno) – B+
Bud Light (House of Cans)
Bud Light (Asteroid Party)
Coca Cola (Simpsons)
Bud Light (Lost spoof)
Dodge/Chrysler (Man’s Last Stand)
Intel Core Processor (Hurt Robot)
Flo.TV (My Generation)
Motorola Blur (Megan Fox)
Volkswagen (Punch Club)
HomeAway.com (Vacation/The Griswolds)
E-Trade (Talking Baby)
Google (Paris, France)
Kia Sorrento Crossover
NFL (Arcade Fire/Primetime Draft)
Honda Accord Crosstour
Denny’s (Free Grand Slam Breakfast)
Audi A3 TDI (Green Police)
E-Trade (Crying Babies)
Chevrolet 
Cars.com – B-
Flo TV – B-

Grade C
Hyundai Sonata
Boost Mobile (Super Bowl Shuffle spoof)
Doritos (Dog Revenge)
Universal Pictures (Robin Hood)
Go Daddy.com (Danica Patrick Massage)
Monster.com (Gopher Fiddling)
Universal Pictures (The Wolfman)
Skechers (Shape Up)
Paramount Pictures (Shutter Island)
Teleflora.com (Talking Flowers)
Dr. Pepper Cherry (KISS)
Universal Studios: Harry Potter
Denny’s (Free Grand Slam Breakfast)
Michelob Ultra (Lance Armstrong)
kgb (Sumo Wrestler)
Round Up
Budweiser Select 55
Hyundai Sonta (Hand Made)
Go Daddy.com (News Anchors)
Denny’s (Free Grand Slam Breakfast)
Campbell’s Chunky Soup
Pace Picante Sauce

Grade D
Focus On The Family (Tim Tebow)
Bud Light (Singing)
Bridgestone (Save The Whale)
CareerBuilder.com (Casual Friday)
Dockers (I Wear No Pants)
Papa John’s/NFL
truTV (Full NFL Contact)
Walt Disney Pictures (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time)
Bridgestone
Taco Bell (Charles Barkley/$5 Box)
Bud Light (Book Club)

Grade F
Doritos (Eating Doritos in a Casket)
Dove Men+ Care
U.S. Census
Emerald Nuts/Pop Secret (Water Tricks)
Doritos

But the best of them all was not an ad, but a CBS promo for the Late Show with David Letterman featuring Dave, Oprah Winfrey and Jay “Big Jaw” Leno. Confirmed by Oprah herself on Twitter tonight, the promo was a complete surprise. Bill Carter of the New York Times, the quintessential chronicler of the Late Night TV wars, tells us how it all came together last week.

Overall, there was a strange theme of people in their underwear in the ads. Seeing Betty White in a Super Bowl was tremendous and that was the best after the Dave/Oprah/Leno promo.

Actually, One More Press Release Post

I think I can fit five releases here for you. All are miscellaneous press releases and don’t relate to one particular sport. Let’s get to them.

Starting with the Late Show with David Letterman, tennis star Andre Agassi makes an appearance on Wednesday to talk about his tell-all autobiography which has certainly been making waves.

TENNIS STAR ANDRE AGASSI TO VISIT CBS’ “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11

Agassi’s Much Buzzed-About Autobiography, Open, Hits Stores Today

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 – Tennis star Andre Agassi will visit the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Wednesday, Nov. 11 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Agassi is promoting his much talked-about autobiography, Open, in stores today, in which he discloses major revelations about his personal and professional life, including his drug use during his playing career. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

Next, ESPN announces that it and ESPNews will go all out to cover this Saturday’s Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight. It used to be a regular occurrence for ESPN to cover the big boxing bouts, but lately, it’s just been lip service. Nice to see the network giving some credence to this fight.

• Kenny and Rafael will report throughout Saturday, Nov. 14, the day of the fight, on SportsCenter and ESPNEWS, with Motto on ESPN Deportes’SportsCenter. Rafael will score the bout round by round on ESPNEWS, followed by 30-45 minutes of post-fight interviews, analysis, highlights and press conferences.

The ESPN family of network tells us what’s on tap for motorsports this week.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Live from Phoenix on ABC

Only two races remain in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and this weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 15. ESPN’s live, flag-to-flag coverage of the race airs on ABC beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race’s green flag is at 3:30 p.m.

Also from Phoenix, ESPN2 airs coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Friday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m., as well as practice earlier that day at 2 p.m. In addition, coverage of final practice airs Saturday at 3 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham in the ESPN pit studio.

NHRA Championships to be Decided in Season Finale at Pomona

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series concludes its Countdown to 1 playoffs and season this weekend as the series visits Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., for the NHRA Finals. ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action, with qualifying airing Saturday, Nov. 14, at 10:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations action airs Sunday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.

The season concludes where it began with an event traditionally laced with drama. The historic racetrack typically enjoys seasonably cool temperatures that translate into perfect racing conditions and a spectacular, no-holds-barred battle for the prestigious NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. Final standings in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle world titles will be determined in the season’s final day.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, Dave Rieff and John Kernan report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Live from Phoenix on ESPN2

ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend as the series races at Phoenix International Raceway. The live, flag-to-flag telecast airs Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. ET, with the green flag at 4:45 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham in the ESPN pit studio.

Evernham, Craven, Said on NASCAR Now Roundtable

NASCAR on ESPN analysts Ray Evernham, Ricky Craven and Boris Said will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on Monday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Friday of this week at 5 p.m. Massaro will be joined by Said for the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceeway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at 10 p.m. Sunday. Nicole Manske and Angelique Chengelis will report from the speedway for both programs. .

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

Golf Channel announces that the famous TPC Sawgrass course, the one with the island green on the 17th hole will be part of its Amateur Tour National Championships in 2010.

TPC Sawgrass to Headline 2010 GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour National Championships

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 9, 2009 – The PGA TOUR’s famed TPC Sawgrass – home to the iconic “17^th Island Green” and THE PLAYERS Championship each year on the PGA TOUR – will headline the roster of courses hosting the 2010 GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour National Championships, Sept. 21-29, 2010, in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fla.

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course and neighboring Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, in addition to St. Johns Country Club and World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course, will welcome the more than 1,200 expected participants for the concluding event for the 2010 GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour season. The Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa will serve as host resort and tournament headquarters.

“With the Florida coastline, historic St. Augustine and the World Golf Hall of Fame serving as backdrops, we look forward to providing a first-class experience for our Amateur Tour members and their families at the 2010 National Championships,” said Gene Pizzolato, GOLF CHANNEL chief revenue and marketing officer and COO, GOLF CHANNEL New Media Ventures.

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most recognized courses in the world, featuring its signature 17^th hole, a 132-yard par-3 with water surrounding the green. Dye’s Valley Course also will be the site of the recently announced Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open on the Nationwide Tour, scheduled for October, 2010. Located just north of St. Augustine, St. Johns Country Club is one of the top-rated courses in the area and hosted the first stage of the 2009 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in October. World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course, designed by Hall of Fame members Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, offers views of the World Golf Hall of Fame from several holes and is distinguished by memorable par-3’s, preserved woodlands and wetlands.

“TPC Sawgrass is delighted that many of the top amateur golfers in the U.S. will have the unique opportunity to test their skills at the home of THE PLAYERS Championship,” said John Hugghins, the PGA TOUR’s senior vice president of TPC Operations. “We are privileged to serve as one of the host sites of this prestigious GOLF CHANNEL event, and look forward to providing competitors and their families with a truly memorable experience, on and off the course.”

The 2010 GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour season is underway at courses nationwide, with local tournaments currently taking place throughout the country. For complete information, visit www.GolfChannel.com/amateurtour.

TONY PONTURO AND FRAN KIRMSER ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO BRING THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY COACH VINCE LOMBARDI TO BROADWAY

“Lombardi,” based on the bestseller “When Pride Still Mattered” by Pulitzer Prize winning author David Maraniss, to tell the life story of Vince Lombardi, one of America’s Most Quoted and Legendary Personalities

New York, November 9, 2009 – Tony Ponturo, one of the most influential figures in sports and entertainment in the last 20 years and current head of Ponturo Management Group LLC., the New York based sports and entertainment management, investment and marketing company and the current producer of Broadway’s Memphis, and Fran Kirmser, a fixture in the arts and producer of the Tony Award Winning Musical Hair, today announced they have joined forces to bring the life story of Vince Lombardi to the stage in a dramatic production.

Lombardi, a new play written by playwright and Oscar winner (for the creation of the life story of radio legend Norman Corwin and member of the noted Steppenwolf Theater Company of Chicago) Eric Simonson, is based on the best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered by Pulitzer Prize winning author (currently at work on the biography of President Barak Obama) David Maraniss. This original work will bring the audience into the life and times of one of America’s most inspirational and mercurial personalities, Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi.

“Sometimes we need to go back in our history, to learn lessons for today. Vince Lombardi’s name is on the Super Bowl trophy, but many young people do not know the story of this man.” Ponturo said. “In a time where people continue to look for the shortcuts to success, Vince Lombardi’s story teaches that hard work, discipline, respect and time are the elements needed to succeed. “’Lombardi’ expects to entertain those who love the stage with the classic tale of triumph by a very diverse and sometimes misunderstood soul, while also bringing in those who enjoy sports but never thought that such drama could be played out on the stage.”

Ponturo will team up with Kirmser, who backs projects in both non-profit and commercial realms, such as the work of great American playwright August Wilson. “Vince Lombardi — his inspiration, passion and ability to get people to achieve what they thought they couldn’t achieve — is more relevant now, in these challenged times, than ever before,” Kirmser said. “Sport produces great human drama, and there is no better dramatic character from sport to bring to life in theater than a man who overcame great obstacles to become a success and is always identified as one of America’s most inspirational leaders.”

Ponturo and Kirmser met while collaborating on the production of Hair, Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical.

“Vince Lombardi was not just a great coach, he was one of the most compelling individuals in American popular culture in the 20^th Century. I am very pleased to bring the essence of my work and his life to Broadway in this play,” Maraniss added.

The play, with a multi-character cast, is scheduled in debut on Broadway in the fall of 2010. For more information on Lombardi log onto www.lombardibroadway.com

And that will do it for tonight.

Three Yankees on David Letterman Tonight

For Yankee haters like myself, this segment should be avoided like the plague, but then you can click back to see the other parts of the show.

DEREK JETER, JORGE POSADA AND ANDY PETTITTE CELEBRATE THE NEW YORK YANKEES’ VICTORY IN THE 2009 WORLD SERIES WHEN THEY VISIT CBS’S “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, THURSDAY, NOV. 5

Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte celebrate the New York Yankees’ victory in the 2009 World Series when they visit the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN tonight, Thursday, Nov. 5 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

On Wednesday night, the Bronx Bombers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-to-3 at the new Yankee Stadium to take Game 6 and win their first World Series victory in nine years and 27th title in franchise history, more than any other team in Major League Baseball. Yankees Captain Jeter, catcher Posada and Game 6-winning pitcher Andy Pettitte notched their fifth World Series titles as teammates, along with closer Mariano Rivera (who, last night, marked the fourth time he got the final out in a World Series) – all four were lynchpins of the Yankees’ four Series titles in five years: 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW tonight are comedian Bill Maher and country music superstar Keith Urban.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS website: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

I post this because I don’t let my personal feelings get in the way of reporting sports media news.

Some Press Releases on A Monday Night

Let’s give you a few releases that can be read for tonight. That was an awkward sentence.

Anyway, New York City Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi appears on the Late Show with David Letterman to do the Top Ten tonight.

NEW YORK CITY MARATHON WINNER MEB KEFLEZIGHI TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’S “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” MONDAY, NOV. 2

Keflezighi Is First American Man to Win Prestigious Race Since 1982

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 – Meb Keflezighi, the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since 1982, speeds over to the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN to present the Top Ten List on the broadcast tonight, Monday, Nov. 2 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist, took the men’s title in the prestigious race in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 15 seconds, capturing his first major marathon title and ending a 27-year drought for the U.S. in the event.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW tonight are Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of the CBS comedy series “The New Adventures of Old Christine”; chef Guy Fieri; and country music superstar Carrie Underwood. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS website: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

Tie Domi and his figure skating partner, Christine Hough-Sweeney are the next to be eliminated from CBC’s Battle of the Blades.

CHRISTINE HOUGH-SWEENEY AND TIE DOMI ARE

THE NEXT TO BE ICED ON CBC-TV’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES

Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer back for another week

Christine Hough-Sweeney and hometown favourite Tie Domi were the fifth pair iced, as the results were revealed during tonight’s broadcast on BATTLE OF THE BLADES. Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer are the fifth pair to be saved, joining the two remaining pairs for a chance to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice.

The two pairs with the fewest votes in the fifth week of competition were Hough-Sweeney and Domi, who performed to These Boots Are Made for Walking, and Dubreuil and Richer, who skated to Blues in the Night. Both pairs performed again before regular judges Sandra Bezic, Dick Button and guest judges Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband Bret Hedican, recently retired from the NHL, for a final chance to remain on the show.

For their efforts, Hough-Sweeney and Domi’s Canadian charity, Diabetes Hope Foundation, will receive a $25,000 donation. Diabetes Hope Foundation is the only Canadian organization of its kind helping children and adolescents with diabetes to achieve success in all areas of their lives.

The three pairs returning to compete on Sunday, November 8 are: Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux, Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer, Jamie Salé and Craig Simpson. Each of these pairs will perform twice during Sunday’s show. The first routine will be to Canadian hits and the second will be a repeat of their best previous performance.

Katarina Witt, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time figure skating World Champion, will preside as a guest judge for the sixth week of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, Sunday, November 8 and Monday, November 9. Witt has experience with a show of her own involving figure skaters paired with celebrities, so her remarks will provide a unique perspective, alongside those from regular judges Bezic and Button. All three will also determine who of the bottom two ranking pairs—as determined by viewer votes—gets iced on Monday’s skate-off show.

Viewers can learn more about the competitors at www.cbc.ca/battle, the official online portal for the series and the source for everything about BATTLE OF THE BLADES. In addition to videos and behind-the-scene photos, the site offers viewers the opportunity to become fans of their favourite pair and track each participant’s activity as they strive to be the final pair remaining at the end of the series.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the brainchild of Kevin Albrecht with development by Sandra Bezic. BATTLE OF THE BLADES executive producers are John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Kevin Albrecht. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.

I suggested to Hockey Night in Canada Radio host Jeff Marek that he ask a certain question when Tie appears on his Sirius Satellite Radio show tomorrow, but I think Jeff wants to keep his job and remain alive.

And this is what’s on this week on Golf Channel.

COMING UP ON GOLF CHANNEL… Nov. 2 – 8, 2009

Big Break Hits Main Street U.S.A.

Coverage of the 2009 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony;

Palmer Makes Guest Appearance on The Golf Fix Season Finale

Original Programming Premieres and Highlights

(All times eastern)

Big Break Disney Golf

Time: Tuesday 10 – 11 p.m.

Hosts: Vince Cellini, Stephanie Sparks

The nine remaining contestants on Big Break Disney Golf will venture inside the Magic Kingdom to compete on Main Street U.S.A. for immunity and the opportunity to win $5,000 in a unique version of the Flop Wall Challenge. The challenges then move to Oak Trail Course at Walt Disney World Resort, where all facets of the competitors’ games will be tested as they battle to avoid elimination. Tuesday’s new episode will re-air Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Time: Monday 10 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Host: Rich Lerner

The World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will honor the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, two-time Masters Champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Christy O’Connor and Lanny Wadkins as the class of 2009. Taking place at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., the two-hour special will include presenters Arnold Palmer, Jim Nantz, Christy O’Connor Jr., and a pre-recorded message from Seve Ballesteros.

Top 10: Bouncebacks

Time: Tuesday 9-9:30 p.m.

Host: Lauren Thompson

Host Lauren Thompson will count down the top 10 comebacks in golf, proving that no lead is insurmountable, no mistake too costly and, against all odds, recovery is possible. The countdown will include Team U.S.A.’s comeback to win the 1999 Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods’ 30 on the back nine of the opening round of the 1997 Masters after opening with a 40 and Ben Hogan’s triumphant return to the 1950 U.S. Open following a near-fatal car crash. The show will feature interviews with Padraig Harrington, Patty Sheehan, Ben Crenshaw, Frank Nobilo, Roger Maltbie and Jimmy Roberts.

News and Talk Show Programming Highlights

Golf Central

Live Airings: Monday – Sunday 6-6:30 p.m. (Live)

Tuesday (Monday Night) 1-1:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Sunday 11:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Thursday 10:30-11 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 9:30-10 p.m.

Monday – Wednesday, Golf Central will recap all of the top storylines from the Viking Classic, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and preview Tiger Woods’ return to golf at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Following live tournament coverage Thursday – Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, Golf Central will deliver the all of the golf news and highlights from the various tours. Scott Walker will report for Golf Central from the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

TWO-TIME NASCAR CHAMPION TONY STEWART TO PRESENT THIRD ANNUAL ‘STEWIE AWARDS’ LIVE ON SIRIUS XM RADIO DEC. 3

Stewart and co-host Matt Yocum return to honor the best, boldest and funniest moments from the 2009 NASCAR season

“The Stewies” will be presented live from the Rio Las Vegas during NASCAR Champions Week

NEW YORK – October 29, 2009 - SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart will host the third annual ‘Stewie Awards,’ the acclaimed awards show that honors the most memorable moments of the NASCAR season.

The ‘Stewies,’ which first debuted in 2007 and features Stewart’s entertaining and irreverent take on the best, boldest and funniest moments from the recently concluded season, will be awarded during a live broadcast hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, December 3 (10:00 pm – midnight ET / 7:00 – 9:00 pm PT). The live broadcast will air on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, available to listeners nationwide on SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 with the “Best of SIRIUS” programming package.

The two-hour event will feature live interviews with the 2009 champion and other drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Las Vegas, plus other special guests.

“We had so much fun doing this show the last two years that we decided the season just wouldn’t be complete without handing out a few more Stewies,” said Stewart. “Matt and I are thrilled to team up with SIRIUS XM for another event and to be able to do it in one of the most exciting cities in the world will be awesome. They say, ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ Not in this case. SIRIUS and XM listeners around the country can tune in live to check it all out.”

Stewart and Yocum will announce the nominees in the award categories in the coming weeks. Following the announcement of the nominees, fans around the country can determine the winners by casting their votes online at www.sirius.com/stewieawards.

The 2009 ‘Stewies’ categories will include:

Ø “Feels Like The First Time” Award – Recognizing the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.

Ø Best Original Drama – Honoring the year’s most exciting race moment

Ø Best Original Comedy – Honoring the year’s most entertaining “incident”

Ø Best Vocal Performance – Honoring the year’s most memorable quote

Ø Smokey Yunick Award (Best Engineering and Special Effects) – Acknowledging the year’s most creative – and illegal – modifications to a race car

Ø Bonehead Move of the Year Award

Ø ‘I Got Dumped’ Award – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable on-track bumping

Ø Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – Acknowledging the year’s most spectacular crash

Ø Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication

Ø Golden Stewie Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum and honoring a legendary driver from the Golden Era of racing

Ø “Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award

Stewart and Yocum hosted their critically-acclaimed show, Tony Stewart Live, on SIRIUS XM Radio from 2007 through 2008. Prior to the 2009 NASCAR season, Stewart announced he would be partnering with Haas Automation to form a new Sprint Cup team, Stewart-Haas Racing, where he would be an owner and driver. Stewart-Haas Racing’s inaugural season on the track has been a tremendous success, with Stewart earning four wins and 15 top-five finishes. He and teammate Ryan Newman both qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, where Stewart is currently fourth in the standings.

Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion (2002, 2005) and one of only 14 drivers in the history of NASCAR to win multiple Cup Series titles, has 37 Sprint Cup wins, 10 poles, 144 top-fives and 229 top-10s in 388 career starts.

That does it.

Press Release Potpourri

Here are various releases that have come in and I’ll just post them. Let’s get this done.

First, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will appear on Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

CINCINNATI BENGALS WIDE RECEIVER CHAD OCHOCINCO TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” THURSDAY, OCT. 29

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 – Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, Oct. 29 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Ochocinco’s memoir, Ocho Cinco: What Football and Life Have Thrown My Way, which he co-wrote with sports writer Jason Cole, was released Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW on Thursday, Oct. 29 are actor Tom Hanks and alternative music stars Weezer, who will be performing the first of two consecutive nights on the broadcast. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

ESPN2 will air the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championship on Sunday.

Tennis: WTA Sony Ericsson Championship Live Sunday

The top women’s tennis player in the world for 2009 will be crowned live on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com Sunday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m., culminating the eight-player, round-robin Sony Ericsson Championship in Doha, Qatar. Cliff Drysdale and Pam Shriver will call the action, which will pit the champions of the two fields of four players each currently competing.

Four of the eight players have been No.1 in their career, three are Grand Slam champions, and four have been to at least one major final. Two of the field made their Top 10 debuts this season and are at the championships for the first time:

• the White group (the competitors have been divided into two groups named for the colors of the Qatari flag) comprises No. 1 seed Dinara Safina, No. 4 seed Caroline Wozniacki, No. 6 seed Victoria Azarenka and No. 8 seed Jelena Jankovic.

• the Maroon Group is made up of No. 2 seed Serena Williams, No. 3 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova (the only player who arrives on a winning streak after her triumph at Beijing), No. 5 seed Elena Dementieva and No. 7 seed Venus Williams.

CBC announces the latest couple iced from Battle of the Blades.

JODEYNE HIGGINS AND KEN DANEYKO ARE THE NEXT TO BE ICED ON CBC-TV’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES

Christine Hough-Sweeney and Tie Domi back for another week

Jodeyne Higgins and Ken Daneyko, after a heartfelt and soulful performance, were the fourth pair iced, as the results were revealed during tonight’s broadcast on BATTLE OF THE BLADES. Christine Hough-Sweeney and Tie Domi are the fourth pair to be saved, joining the three remaining pairs for a chance to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice.

The two pairs with the fewest votes in the fourth week of competition were Higgins and Daneyko, who skated to James Brown’s I Got You, and Hough-Sweeney and Domi, who performed their routine to Robin Thicke’s Superman. Both pairs performed again before regular judges Sandra Bezic, Dick Button and guest judge Lanny McDonald for a final chance to remain on the show. McDonald is renowned for his years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames.

For their efforts, Higgins and Daneyko’s Canadian charity, Foundation Fighting Blindness, will receive a $25,000 donation. Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national charity organization that funds research into the causes, treatments and ultimately the cure for all retinal disease. Its annual Ride for Sight event is Canada’s largest motorcycle charity fundraiser in support of the Foundation.

The four pairs returning to compete on Sunday, November 1 are: Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux, Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer, Christine Hough-Sweeney and Tie Domi, Jamie Salé and Craig Simpson. All will perform to songs inspired by movies and musicals.

Olympic gold medalist and figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband Bret Hedican, who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, will reside as guest judges for the fifth week of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2. Yamaguchi and Hedican will draw from their knowledge of both sports to provide a combined score alongside regular judges Bezic and Button. All four will also determine who of the bottom two ranking pairs—as determined by viewer votes—gets iced on Monday’s skate-off show.

Viewers can learn more about the competitors at www.cbc.ca/battle, the official online portal for the series and the source for everything about BATTLE OF THE BLADES. In addition to videos and behind-the-scene photos, the site offers viewers the opportunity to become fans of their favourite pair and track each participant’s activity as they strive to be the final pair remaining at the end of the series.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the brainchild of Kevin Albrecht with development by Sandra Bezic. BATTLE OF THE BLADES executive producers are John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Kevin Albrecht. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.

This what ESPN is airing for motorsports on its various networks.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Live from Talladega on ABC

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup only has four races to go and this weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on NASCAR’s longest track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, for 500 miles on Sunday, Nov. 1. ESPN’s live, flag-to-flag coverage of the AMP Energy 500 airs on ABC beginning with NASCAR Countdown at noon ET. The race’s green flag is at 1:19 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham in the ESPN pit studio.

Evernham, LaJoie, Craven on NASCAR Now Roundtable

NASCAR on ESPN analysts Ray Evernham, Randy LaJoie and Ricky Craven will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on Monday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m., and Saturday at 1 a.m. (late Friday night). Massaro will be joined by LaJoie for the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at 10 p.m. Sunday. Nicole Manske and Marty Smith will report from the speedway for both programs.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

Countdown to 1 Continues in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues its Countdown to 1 playoffs as the series visits The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action from the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, with qualifying airing Saturday, Oct. 31, at 11 p.m. ET. Eliminations action airs Sunday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., with a re-air Monday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

As the next-to-last event that will decide the season’s NHRA Full Throttle world championships, plenty is at stake in Las Vegas. Every run will be important because a slip at this point could be worse than snake eyes at the other Strip’s craps tables. The venue is the same as in the spring, but the weather may be different, making for high drama at an event where previous world champions have been crowned.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, Dave Rieff and John Kernan report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

The Big Ten Network goes over the championships it will air in November.

Big Ten Fall Championships to Air on Big Ten Network in November

Coverage to include cross country, field hockey and men’s soccer

CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network will once again provide coverage of all three Big Ten fall championships, including live broadcasts during the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament and Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament and delayed coverage of the Big Ten Cross Country Championships.

The Big Ten Network will be in East Lansing for the semifinals and final of the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The games will air live at 12 PM and 2 PM ET on Friday, Nov. 6, as will the final on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Noon ET. Four Big Ten teams appear in national polls, including No. 8 Michigan State, which just clinched its first outright Big Ten Championship, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Indiana and No. 20 Northwestern. Iowa has won the last three Big Ten Field Hockey Tournaments despite not holding the top seed in any of those events.

The Big Ten Network also will televise live the semifinals and finals of the Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament, hosted by Indiana University. Semifinal coverage will air live at 2 PM and 4:30 PM ET on Friday, Nov. 13. The final will be carried live at 2 PM ET on Sunday, Nov. 15. Northwestern currently leads all Big Ten teams at No. 12 nationally, while Michigan State will be out to defend its 2008 title.

In addition, the network will offer delayed coverage at 1 PM ET on Sunday, Nov. 15, of the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, which take place on Sunday, Nov. 1, and will be hosted by Penn State University. The Big Ten has two men’s teams ranked in the top 20, No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 18 Indiana. On the women’s side, five Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25, paced by No. 13 Illinois. The Badgers will be looking for their 11^th straight conference title on the men’s side, while the Golden Gophers will be aiming for their third straight conference crown on the women’s side.

Entering this week’s action, the Big Ten has multiple teams ranked among the top 20 nationally in fall sports, including in men’s cross country (No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 18 Indiana), women’s cross country (No. 13 Illinois, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 18 Penn State), field hockey (No. 8 Michigan State, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Indiana and No. 20 Northwestern), football (No. 4 Iowa, No. 12 Penn State and No. 17 Ohio State), men’s soccer (No. 12 Northwestern), women’s soccer (No. 15 Ohio State) and volleyball (No. 1 Penn State, No. 6 Illinois, No. 7 Minnesota and No. 13 Michigan).

2009 Big Ten Fall Sports Championships/Tournaments on Big Ten Network

Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament

Friday, Nov. 6 at Michigan State 12:00pm ET Semifinal #1 (LIVE)

Friday, Nov. 6 at Michigan State 2:00pm ET Semifinal #2 (LIVE)

Sunday, Nov. 8 at Michigan State 12:00pm ET Championship Game (LIVE)

Big Ten Men’s Soccer Championship

Friday, Nov. 13 at Indiana 2:00pm ET Semifinal #1 (LIVE)

Friday, Nov. 13 at Indiana 4:30pm ET Semifinal #2 (LIVE)

Sunday, Nov. 15 at Indiana 2:00pm ET Championship Game (LIVE)

Big Ten Cross Country Championship

Sunday, Nov. 1 at Penn State 10:45am ET Championship (Delay: 11/15, 1 PM ET)

Yardbarker and FoxSports.com have deepened their commitment to each other.

FOXSPORTS.COM ON MSN & YARDBARKER REACH SALES & CONTENT COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

FOXSports.com on MSN, the third most-visited sports Web site with approximately 14.5 million average monthly users and Yardbarker, the largest network of sports blogs on the web, have reached a multi-year sales and content agreement, it was announced today by Jeff Husvar, Senior Vice President & General Manager of FOXSports.com on MSN.

FOXSports.com on MSN is working with Yardbarker to collaborate on ad sales efforts and represent inventory across the Yardbarker Network and give Yardbarker the ability to leverage a large national sales team.

The new agreement also deepens the content partnership currently in-place between FOXSports.com on MSN and Yardbarker. FOXSports.com on MSN now has access to the Yardbarker’s unique voices and its array of independent blog content, athlete blogs and a variety of content that complements FOXSports.com on MSN’s big event coverage. The agreement also includes headline distribution across FOXSports.com on MSN and the Yardbarker Network, as well as editorial cooperation around event coverage.

“This agreement gives FOXSports.com on MSN access to Yardbarker’s unique content and younger demographic, which really helps us broaden our reach,” said Husvar. “It also allows us to build a wider selection of sales packages to better meet the needs of and attract a wider variety of advertisers.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with FoxSports.com and MSN,” said Yardbarker CEO Peter Vlastelica. “The talented bloggers in the Yardbarker Network deserve a larger audience and better access to premium advertisers, and this partnership will bring them both. Sports media is shifting toward conversation and authenticity, and its’ a credit to FoxSports.com on MSN that they’ve identified this partnership as an opportunity to move their business in that direction.”

In addition to Yardbarker content integration across FOXSports.com on MSN, Yardbarker content will receive promotion across the MSN network from time to time, while FOXSports.com on MSN content and Microsoft’s Bing search engine will be integrated across the Yardbarker Network.

That’ll do us for now.

Clearing Out Tuesday’s Press Releases

Let’s finish up the press releases so I can go to bed.

From CBS, ten members of the New York Rangers will help David Letterman with the Top Ten List on Wednesday.

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Entertainment

TEN MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK RANGERS PRESENT THE

TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,”

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 — Ten members of the New York Rangers will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Wednesday, Sept. 30 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The 2009-2010 National Hockey League regular season kicks off Thursday, Oct. 1, with the Rangers playing their first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Oct. 2.

Also featured on the Wednesday, Sept. 30 LATE SHOW is an interview with pop superstar Madonna and a performance by musical guest Harry Connick Jr. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Official CBS Web site: http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

Besides the NFL and the SEC, here’s what else is in store for CBS Sports this weekend.

CBS SPORTS AND PGA OF AMERICA FOSTER LOVE OF GOLF WITH ENCORE PRESENTATION OF REALITY-BASED SHOW ON SATURDAY

CBS Sports presents a one-hour encore presentation of the PGA of America special PLAY GOLF AMERICA: GET GOLF READY on Saturday, Oct. 3 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; aired on 5/3/09). Hosted by CBS Sports’ Bill Macatee, the show follows a group of six amateur would-be golfers, who come from all walks of life, as they begin to discover a love and passion for the game of golf. The novice golfers begin with lessons at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. where they are given instructions from some of America’s top instructors including Top 50 Instructor and PGA of America Director of Instruction T.J. Tomasi, 2008 PGA Teacher of the Year Martin Hall, and top female instructor and the second woman to play in a PGA Tour event Suzy Whaley, as well as many other top flight instructors. CBS Sports’ Chris Svendsen serves as the coordinating producer.

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR COWBOYS UP WITH PRO BULL RIDING’S “GODADDY.com INVITATIONAL” ON SUNDAY

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR presents professional bull riding’s GoDADDY.com INVITATIONAL on Sunday, Oct. 4 (5:00-6:00 PM; 3:00-4:00 PM in late NFL markets; taped 10/2-3) from the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore. The GoDADDY.com INVITATIONAL is the 29th stop on the Built Ford Tough Series. With only two more events on the “Road to Vegas” left after Portland, the championship round will go a long way in setting up the world standings for the 2009 PBR World Finals in what has been one of the closest races for a world title in the 16-year history of the PBR. Craig Hummer, Ty Murray and Leah Garcia call the action for CBS Sports. CBS Sports’ Ross Schneiderman serves as coordinating producer.

Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

Golf Channel will be busy this week.

GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

Oct. 1 – 4, 2009

Turning Stone Resort Championship

Dates: 10/1 – 10/4

Venue: Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort, Verona, N.Y.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 4 – 6 p.m. (Live)

Friday 4 – 6 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 4 – 6 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 4 – 6 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Talent:

Rich Lerner (Play by Play)

Brandel Chamblee (Analyst)

Peter Oosterhuis (Tower)

Matt Gogel (On Course)

Andrew Magee (On Course)

Inga Hammond (Interviews)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Notes: The Turning Stone Resort Championship is the first of five events in the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series that will air exclusively on GOLF CHANNEL… Mutual of Omaha Putting Line powered by Aimpoint, a graphics technology that predicts the break of a putt and suggests where a player must aim to hole out, will be used during the telecast will be used on holes 16 and 18.

Navistar LPGA Classic

Dates: 10/1 – 10/4

Venue: The Senator Course, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Prattville, Ala.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. (Tape Delayed)

Friday 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. (Tape Delayed)

Saturday 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. (Tape Delayed)

Sunday 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. (Tape Delayed)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Talent:

Brian Hammons (Play by Play)

Beth Daniel (Analyst)

Kay Cockerill (Tower)

Charlie Rymer (Tower)

Val Skinner (On Course)

Todd Lewis (Interviews)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Notes: The top five players on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will compete in the Navistar LPGA Classic… Big Break Ka’anapali winner and current LPGA player Kim Welch will be wired for sound during Thursday’s opening round and featured as the “Spotlight Player” of the day.

Soboba Classic

Date: 10/1 – 10/4

Venue: The Country Club at Soboba Springs, San Jacinto, Calif.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Talent:

Jerry Foltz (Play by Play)

Curt Byrum (Analyst)

Phil Parkin (Tower)

Jason Buha (On Course)

Stephanie Sparks (Interviews)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Notes: A strong field has gathered this week for the inaugural Soboba Classic. The $1 million event has attracted 66 of the Top-70 money winners on Tour. The only exceptions are Michael Sim, Mathias Gronberg and Darron Stiles, who are all competing on the PGA TOUR this week. The other missing player is Steven Alker… The top-25 money winners at the conclusion of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C. (Oct. 22-25) will be awarded PGA TOUR cards for 2010.

Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship

Dates: 10/1 – 10/4

Venue: East Course, Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore, Md.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 1 – 3:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday 1 – 3:30 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Notes: The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, the Champions Tour final major of the year, will be televised by GOLF CHANNEL and NBC. GOLF CHANNEL will provide live coverage on Thursday and Friday, while NBC will televise the weekend’s play. Dave Marr will serve as the play-by-play commentator during GOLF CHANNEL’s coverage and will be joined by NBC Sports talent… The tournament will be aired in HD.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Dates: 10/1 – 10/4

Venue: Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland

Carnoustie and Kingsbarn Golf Course, Fife, Scotland

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL Broadcast Notes: GOLF CHANNEL will broadcast the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in HD… GOLF CHANNEL’s Tom Abbott will play in the amateur portion of the pro-am event.

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!

CBC TELEVISON’S BATTLE OF THE BLADES DEBUTS OCT. 4

Sandra Bezic and Dick Button headline judging panel

Canadian figure skating and hockey icons take to the ice in a live competition of artistry and athleticism as CBC Television’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES premieres on Sunday, October 4, at 8 p.m. ET.

Ten charities chosen by the competitors will be the beneficiaries of donations, announced weekly, as pairs are eliminated from the competition on the Monday night result show. At the completion of the seven week series, the winning pair will make a combined donation of $100,000 to their chosen charities. The benefactors include Make-A-Wish Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Alberta Cancer Foundation, MA Foundation, The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Diabetes Hope Foundation, Wounded Warriors, The Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre Society, Bloorview Kids Rehab and World Vision Canada.

Bringing together a top-notch group of judges, choreographers and coaches, CBC Television’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES has assembled an all-star cast to ensure that the athletes and viewers are treated to the very best in this ground breaking competition. Each Sunday night, the pairs perform a routine to a specific musical theme and viewers will cast their votes by mobile phone text message, internet (www.cbc.ca/battle) or telephone. The two pairs with the fewest votes return for the Monday night live results show to perform their routines again. The judges will determine which pair goes home and which advances to the next round. Throughout the series a special guest judge, announced each week, will join Sandra Bezic and Dick Button.

Sandra Bezic is widely regarded as one of the most influential people in skating. She is an Olympian and has been a coach, choreographer, producer, on-air analyst, and author in her storied career. Her award winning choreographic work has guided numerous Olympic and World Champions. Bezic has been the driving creative force behind ground breaking live skating tours and more than 30 television specials, winning an Emmy for outstanding choreography and two Gemini’s as a producer. She has also served as a figure skating analyst for NBC for more than 20 years.

Widely considered one of the premier figure skaters of all time, Dick Button steps into his role as judge on BATTLE OF THE BLADES armed with his signature tough, but thoughtful, commentary. During a seven year period he dominated the sport like no other, winning two Olympic gold medals (1948, 1952), five consecutive World Championships (1948-52) and seven U.S. National titles. Button’s career as a figure skating analyst is equally remarkable and has earned him legendary status. He made his television debut with CBS at the 1960 Olympic Winter Games. In 1981 Button became the first winner of an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Analyst.” Button is a member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and Olympic Hall of Fame.

Internationally renowned choreographers for the cast of BATTLE OF THE BLADES include: Renee Roca a three-time U.S. Champion ice dancer and respected choreographer who’s worked with Olympic Champions, Skating With Celebrities and Katarina Witt’s German production of Stars Auf Eis ; former U.S. National Ice Dance Champion, three-time World Bronze dance medallist and Emmy Award-winning Michael Seibert; Torontonian David Wilson who is widely sought after choreographer by Olympic and World competitors; and Evgeny Platov, who is a two-time Olympic Champion and four-time World Ice Dance Champion skating first for the U.S.S.R, then for the Unified Team and Russia.

The coaches include former Olympians; Doug Ladret who along with his skating partner, Christine Hough-Sweeney, was a Canadian Pair Champion and World and Olympic team member; Patrice Lauzon, a five-time Canadian Ice Dance Champion and two-time World Silver medallist with his partner and now wife, Marie-France Dubreuil; Paul Martini, Canadian Sports Hall of Famer and seven-time World Professional Skating Champion with partner Barbara Underhill; Olympic and World Champion David Pelletier who with his partner Jamie Salé were recently inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame; rounding out the coaches are Rockey Marval, married to Brasseur and former U.S. National Champion and lastly, Sean Rice, who with his wife/partner Jodeyne Higgins has performed around the world.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the brainchild of Kevin Albrecht with development by Sandra Bezic. BATTLE OF THE BLADES executive producers are John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Kevin Albrecht. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.

Finally, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia has a documentary on the old Spectrum. And thanks to the great people at CSN Philly for sending Fang’s Bites this release.

COMCAST SPORTSNET TO AIR SPECIALLY PRODUCED ONE-HOUR DOCUMENTARY ON THE SPECTRUM: “BUILDING A MEMORY” TO DEBUT ON OCTOBER 5

Philadelphia, PA (September 29, 2009) – Comcast SportsNet, the leader in regional sports, celebrates the history of the Spectrum, the legendary arena slated to close at the end of October, with “Building A Memory.” The hour-long documentary is the result of over 200 hours of interviews and is told by the people that called the Spectrum home. “Building A Memory” will debut on Comcast SportsNet on Monday, October 5 at 9 p.m.

When Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider declared, “This will be the final year of the Spectrum,” Comcast SportsNet immediately began culling through file footage to document the 42-year history of the Spectrum and compiling a “must interview” list.

Some of the memorable names interviewed for “Building A Memory” include Snider, former Flyers players Bob Clarke, Bernie Parent, Tim Kerr, and General Manager Keith Allen; former 76ers Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, and Gerald Henderson; college basketball legends Mike Krzyzweski, and Christian Laettner; plus music promoter Larry Magid and entertainer Billy Joel.

“Building A Memory” was produced by Comcast SportsNet’s Emmy-Award winning Executive Producer Brad Nau. According to Nau, “The story is told by the people involved – the performers, the athletes, the fans, and the employees – who share their thoughts about the Spectrum.”

“The Spectrum is a very special place for so many millions of people,” said Snider. “’Building A Memory’ highlights the great events, the terrific people and the wonderful memories that the Spectrum created for me and everyone who has ever attended an event there over the past 42 years. I’d also like to commend Brad Nau who gave so tirelessly of his time to produce this great show.”

The Spectrum opened on September 30, 1967, with the Quaker City Jazz Festival. After nearly 40 seasons of Philadelphia Flyers hockey and Philadelphia 76ers basketball, the Spectrum gave way to the Wachovia Center in l996. The two teams moved to their new home, paving the way for a minor league hockey team, the Philadelphia Phantoms, and a new indoor soccer team, the Philadelphia Kixx, to call the Spectrum “home.”

Pearl Jam will have the distinction of being the final act to play the Spectrum when they perform four shows at the end of October as part of the Final Farewell Concert Series at the Spectrum. In addition to Pearl Jam’s final four shows at the Spectrum, the Final Farewell Concert Series also features Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Maxwell, Leonard Cohen, and Daryl Hall and John Oates performing with Todd Rundgren and the Hooters.

“Building A Memory” will air on Comcast SportsNet on Monday, October 5 at 9 p.m.; Wednesday, October 7 at 9 p.m.; Friday, October 9 at 4 p.m.; Tuesday, October 13 at 9 p.m.; and Thursday, October 15 at 4 p.m. The program will also air on The Comcast Network on Monday, October 12 at 10:30 p.m.; Tuesday, October 13 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, October 15 at 10 p.m.; and Wednesday, October 21 at 10 p.m.

And that’s it for now.

Some Press Releases For You on A Saturday

Here are some press releases that hit the Fang’s Bites inbox either yesterday or early Friday evening. Because I did the Megalinks relatively early, I just didn’t feel like blogging last night. Then I got bogged down today doing family stuff so while I have a respite, let me post these releases and then I have to get ready for another big thing around 9 tonight.

First, MLB Network will re-air the Mark Buehrle perfect game from earlier this week on Sunday morning so get your DVR’s ready.

MLB NETWORK TO RE-AIR CHICAGO WHITE SOX P MARK BUEHRLE’S PERFECT GAME ON SUNDAY, JULY 26 AT 10:00 A.M. ET

July 24, 2009 – MLB Network will re-air Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle’s perfect game on Sunday, July 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Buehrle threw the 18^th perfect game in Major League Baseball history at Comiskey Park on Thursday, July 23, 2009. A 15-second promo including highlights from the game is attached.

Following the re-airing, MLB Network will begin its coverage of the 2009 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. EDT with MLB Tonight: Hall of Fame Edition, a pre-ceremony show from MLB Network’s studios in Secaucus, N.J. Hosted by Greg Amsinger and MLB Network Baseball Insiders and Hall of Fame voters Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal, the pre-ceremony show will feature profiles on Gordon, Henderson and Rice. Live coverage of the ceremony, including each inductee’s acceptance speech, will begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT and will feature on-site reporting from MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds and Victor Rojas. MLB.com will simulcast MLB Network’s coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

As the release states, here’s the promo:

Mark is also going to be on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday doing the Top Ten List.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX STAR AND PERFECT GAME PITCHER MARK BUEHRLE PRESENTS THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” MONDAY, JULY 27

NEW YORK, July 24 — Chicago White Sox star Mark Buehrle, who pitched a perfect game on Thursday, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Monday, July 27 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Buehrle faced 27 batters and threw 76 strikes out of 116 pitches in the White Sox 5-0 victory Thursday over the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming only the 18^th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to pitch a perfect game and also throwing the second no-hitter of his career. Also on hand to help present the Top Ten List with Buehrle will be teammates Josh Fields, who hit a grand slam in Thursday’s game, and center fielder DeWayne Wise, who robbed the Rays’ Gabe Kapler of a leadoff home run in the ninth inning to get the assist in Buehrle’s perfect game.

Also featured on the LATE SHOW Monday will be interviews with actor Eric Bana, musician Dave Matthews and musical guests Dave Matthews Band, who will perform the first of two nights on the broadcast (they’ll also visit the show on Friday, July 31). The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Maria Pope, Jude Brennan and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

ESPN provides us with quotage from a press conference that the network’s NASCAR production and announcing crew did at the Indy Motor Speedway in advance on Sunday’s Brickyard 400.

Quotes From ESPN News Conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

ESPN will have live, high definition coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET, the first of 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races to be televised on ESPN and ABC to close out the 2009 season. Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president, motorsports, event production, and four former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions who are members of the telecast team – Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree, Rusty Wallace and Ray Evernham – participated in a news conference Friday at the speedway. Some highlight quotes:

RICH FEINBERG
On the subject of ESPN starting its portion of the Sprint Cup schedule at Indianapolis:

“It’s extremely special. ESPN and ABC’s relationship with this track is, I believe, the second-longest relationship in a broadcast entity that it has with any sports property. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing in the world like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This place changes peoples ‘s lives, and it’s a privilege to start our coverage here at this track knowing that the event and whatever unfolds, however it takes place, is going to change somebody’s life. It changed my life, as well. I came here in 1986 as (Indy 500 pit reporter) Jack Arute’s water boy.”

RAY EVERNHAM
On the subject of winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 as crew chief for Jeff Gordon:

“The sharpest memory I have is how emotional, how draining it was. We pushed the car out onto the track and when I turned away from the car, it hit me all at once where we were and what we were getting ready to do. We had been so focused on the car with practice and qualifying and all of a sudden we were getting ready to start the race. I got all choked up. When we won the thing (in 1994 with Jeff Gordon), I have pictures in Victory Lane and I just have this blank look on my face. The biggest memory is how much emotion caught up with me when I realized where we were. For me, it’s a place I’ve always loved. I started out wanting to go Indy car racing. I wanted to race in the Indy 500. A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and those guys were my heroes.”

ANDY PETREE
On the subject of the first Brickyard 400, in which he was crew chief for Dale Earnhardt:

“We never thought we’d ever be invited to come here. This is a very special open-wheel facility – one race a year. We never thought that we would actually race here, and when we got to race here it was really special. We felt like, as a sport, we had really come somewhere.”

RUSTY WALLACE
On the subject of drivers learning to control their emotions:

“It’s pretty hard to control emotions here at this particular racetrack because this place is overwhelming. When I was a driver, I would come to this particular track and I was just (eaten) up with emotions. It was a race that I had circled on my calendar. We’re only here for three days, but I felt like I was here for two weeks. I felt like it was a race that is so important. It’s incredible. When I’m sitting on the line, getting ready to start the race, I am all jacked up, but I’m a little nervous, too. And I’m dying for it to start. Everything going on around me becomes numb. It becomes a different sound. I’m not hearing people. I’m just real focused on what I’m doing. It would be easy to over-think the track, to over-plan, to over-do a lot of things you normally don’t do. I guess the key thing that I would try to do is to keep my routine going on that I had done every single week that got me to that point. It’s hard to stay focused because this is such a special event and a lot of things go through your mind that doesn’t normally go through your mind at different events.”

DALE JARRETT
On drivers controlling their emotions:

“Looking at this race, as a driver you have to understand your position throughout a whole season and putting things in perspective and trying to win a championship. This is one of 36. Or one of 26 in trying to get yourself situated in the Chase. It is an enormous race, and you are going to hear us talk about how big it is and how special it is to be here. You’re going to hear all these drivers talk about how special it is to try and win or to be here and race at Indy. Everybody wants to kiss the bricks. Everybody wants that trophy. If you’re in those first six positions (in the Chase), I think you’re pretty safe and you can kind of throw caution to the wind a little bit and run your race. You can take a few more risks because you’re pretty much locked into the Chase unless things just go terribly bad. Those guys from seventh back to 14th have to look at this race totally different. So, they have to keep their emotions in check a lot more. If it’s a bump that makers them mad. Or if it’s a bad pit stop that gets them upset. Is it a mistake they make on the track? You have to really keep that in check and this is a tough place to do that because the racing is so tight.”

On the subject of double-file restarts in the Brickyard 400:

DALE JARRETT: “We’ve seen it be exciting so far. But this has the chance of being the most exciting and changing the race. If the leader comes in on that last pit stop and he happens to get beat by one person, which means by the time he gets out of Turn 1 and out of Turn 2 going down the back straightaway he may be back to fifth or sixth before he can get in line. We’re going to see some pretty drastic measures if we get late-race cautions here because that patience starts going away. And these guys are going to get extremely aggressive. The ones on the outside are going to really have to squeeze these guys on the inside. You’re going to see guys rubbing against each other, really pinning guys down, which can create situations. So, I think we’re going to see the most exciting restarts we have seen in this situation. You hear a lot of these drivers saying how the double-file restarts have caused some ill will between them. I think after Sunday we might hear a lot more about it.”

RUSTY WALLACE: “That is probably going to be one of the biggest stories throughout the race, those double-file restarts. When you’re a lapped car and you’re on the inside, you feel like you have to give way to the guy on the outside. Really, the guy up front is the only guy who can get a lap back at that point. But you’re going to have all of these guys going through Turn 1 and Turn 3 feeling like: ‘Hey man, I don’t have to give way to anybody. I’m racing all of these guys.’ Third place, fourth place, fifth place – they’re all going to bomb into Turn 1 and probably somebody is going to wreck if they do it right and if they have a lot of nerve and don’t give up. Nobody is going to be giving way.”

In the latest gimmick to raise NASCAR’s anemic ratings, ESPN will not use a play-by-play announcer for the Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway next month.

ESPN’s Champions Take Over Booth at Michigan Nationwide Series Race

Backseat Drivers To Call Action Without Play by Play Announcer

ESPN’s live coverage of the Aug. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway will have a new and different approach as the telecast will prominently feature five former NASCAR champions and will be done without a traditional “play by play” announcer.

ESPN’s “Backseat Drivers” telecast will engage NASCAR fans with the authenticity and experience of analysts Tim Brewer, Ray Evernham, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Rusty Wallace. With Brewer contributing reports and analysis from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, Evernham, Jarrett, Petree and Wallace will call the race from the booth.

“Our goal is to give viewers a different presentation, one filled with discussion, observations, and stories from some of the most respected champions NASCAR has crowned, and their unique unfiltered perspective on an event,” said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president, motorsports.

“This is an opportunity for our viewers to have the experience of sitting around watching a race with these champions from their couch at home, and without the traditional approach to sportscasting.“

Jarrett and Wallace were NASCAR Sprint Cup champion drivers in 1999 and 1989, respectively. Petree won the 1993 and 1994 championships as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, while Brewer won the 1978 title as crew chief for Cale Yarborough and the 1981 title with Darrell Waltrip. Evernham won the 1995, 1997 and 1998 titles as crew chief for Jeff Gordon.

In addition to the five champions, the telecast will include pit reporters Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, while Allen Bestwick will host. The race airs Saturday, Aug. 15, at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

And Golf Channel says its website saw record hits last month.

GOLF CHANNEL POSTS RECORD WEB TRAFFIC; SURPASSES 2 MILLION MONTHLY USERS

GolfChannel.com Remains #1 Golf Web Site in 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 24, 2009) – GOLF CHANNEL announced today that its online arm, GolfChannel.com, experienced record traffic numbers last month, cementing it as the #1 golf site on the Web. GolfChannel.com exceeded 2 million unique users for the first time during the month of June (sources: comScore, 2,632,000; and Nielsen, 2,090,000). According to comScore, GolfChannel.com also has been the #1 golf Web site for four of the past six months of 2009, beating out other golf centric Web sites including, PGATOUR.com, PGA.com and Golf.com.

GolfChannel.com’s most popular content in June included the site’s wide array of news articles written by a dedicated editorial team, live updates and analysis, customizable leaderboard and over 2,500 instructional videos. The impressive traffic numbers also are a reflection of GolfChannel.com’s extensive U.S. Open coverage last month which included breaking news reports, inside analysis, compelling features such as the popular “Shag Bag” blog, and live on-site reporting from Bethpage Black by Rex Hoggard, Jay Coffin, Randall Mell and David Allen.

“We are seeing a tremendous amount of growth both on the GOLF CHANNEL network with our new original programming line-up and now with our expanded online offerings on GolfChannel.com,” said Gene Pizzolato, GOLF CHANNEL chief revenue and marketing officer, who also has recently assumed new duties as chief operating officer for GOLF CHANNEL New Media Ventures. “It is extremely important to us to continue to set ourselves apart from the other network and golf Web sites with new, exciting content that appeals to golfers of all skill levels who are looking for news on all of the major tours, tips on improving their game, and getting insight on the latest equipment and golf destinations.”

Press Releases I Forgot to Post

I got engrossed in the All-Star Game last night (by the way, if anyone has screengrabs of the hot chick behind home plate, send them over, I’ll post them) that I forgot to post some press releases that came into the Fang’s Bites inbox during the day. So here’s what I missed.

The ratings for the Home Run Derby gave ESPN very good numbers on Monday.

Home Run Derby Wins the Night for ESPN; Third Best Rating of 2009

Hometown Audience in St. Louis the Highest HR Derby Market Rating Ever – 18.9

Last night, the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby on ESPN from St. Louis’ Busch Stadium averaged a 6.0 rating, the highest rating in all of television for the night, representing 5,855,000 households (and 8,250,000 viewers – P2+). ESPN “won the night” as the most-watched among all networks, broadcast or cable, with a larger audience in prime time among viewers. The network also led among all key male and adult demos – Men 18-34, Men 18-49, Men 25-54, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. Based on the household audience, it is ESPN’s second-most watched Home Run Derby ever, behind only last year’s competition at Yankee Stadium (6,184,000 homes, based on a 6.4 rating).

The rating is ESPN’s third best of 2009, exceeded only by two NBA Western Conference Final telecasts in May (Los Angeles vs. Denver – 6.5 for Game 5 and 6.9 for Game 4). In addition, the Derby is cable’s most-watched program in the month of July to date.

The Home Run Derby also delivered a 2.0 rating for Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, its best MLB rating ever (the network has received ratings since May 2008 and has televised 32 Sunday Night Baseball games in that time).

In St. Louis, the metered market rating was 18.9, the highest for any metered market in the 12 years ESPN has televised the event live. The previous high was in 2002, when Milwaukee, the host city, averaged a 15.9. It was the highest cable rating in St. Louis for 2009, and the highest-rated sports telecast in the market this year (excluding NFL).

In addition, the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game, which aired on ESPN immediately following the Home Run Derby, earned a 2.7 rating, up 8 percent from 2.5 in 2008. It averaged 2,647,000 households and 3,613,000 viewers, both up 9 percent from a year ago (2,436,000 and 3,303,000, respectively).

Next, the famous Batting Stance Guy whose videos on YouTube have gotten him fame appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday.

FSN’S BATTING STANCE GUY MAKES LETTERMAN DEBUT

BASEBALL PLAYER IMPRESSIONS ARE A BIG HIT WITH DAVE AND AUDIENCE

In celebration of this week’s MLB All-Star Game, FSN’s Batting Stance Guy appeared as a guest on Monday night’s Late Night with David Letterman and hit a home run with Dave and the audience. Batting Stance Guy, otherwise known as Gar Ryness, entertained with spot-on and wickedly funny impressions of some current and past MLB All Stars. Letterman clearly enjoyed the performance, as he turned over a full segment (9+ minutes) to Batting Stance Guy.

Earlier this year, FSN and Ryness entered into an agreement in which FSN would showcase exclusive Batting Stance Guy content on FSN regional networks during the 2009 MLB season. Batting Stance Guy made his FSN debut last week on FOX Sports North with “Guess the Stance”: http://tinyurl.com/ksaph5. The feature will be rolled out across all FSN networks after the All-Star break.

Batting Stance Guy’s videos have become an internet sensation, with more than two million views on YouTube and other video sharing sites. More information can be found at battingstanceguy.com.

FSN is the nation’s leading provider of local sports. Through its 19 owned-and-operated regional networks, FSN serves as the TV home to more than half of all MLB, NHL, and NBA teams. FSN produces close to 5,000 live local events each year, including more than 2,400 in high definition, making FSN the most prolific producers of HD Sports programming in the country. In addition to its thousands of home team games and a wide variety of locally produced sports programs, FSN televises national sports events and programs, including Pac-10 and ACC basketball and Pac-10 and Big 12 football.

Fox Sports is starting up a new fantasy sports program.

FOXSPORTS.COM ON MSN AND OPEN SPORTS NETWORK INTRODUCE NEXT GENERATION IN FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMES

Exclusive Offerings Provide Dynamic New Options

For First Time Users & Hardcore Players Alike

New York & Los Angeles – FOXSports.com on MSN, one of the world’s most popular sports web sites, has partnered with fantasy sports pioneer OPEN Sports Network to introduce two exclusive next-generation fantasy games, FOX Fantasy LIVE and FOX Fantasy Quick Challenge. These exciting new fantasy products, along with FOX Fantasy, a new and improved commissioner game, are being unveiled today by Jeff Husvar, Senior Vice President & General Manager of FOXSports.com. Unlike its competitor’s offerings, gamers can play FOXSports.com’s games absolutely free, they’re highly customizable and there’s a game for every skill and interest level.

“This season we set out to provide a selection of fantasy football games that appeal to gamers of every degree,” said Husvar. “We teamed-up with OPEN Sports Network, industry leaders in fantasy football, to go beyond a fully developed commissioner game and design a series of exclusive next-generation games for FOXSports.com that are among the best and most innovative available.”

FOXSports.com’s selection of games this season makes the site a one-stop shop for serious fantasy gamers and casual players alike. FOX Fantasy Football is a traditional commissioner game that is comparable in quality and scope to anything offered by fantasy sports purveyors, and it is completely free. Popular no-cost features include live scoring, complete customization, insider fantasy editorial content, all options for which competitors may charge. Players are being accepted immediately, and it is being promoted through a variety of outlets, beginning with FOX Sports’ broadcast of the 2009 MLB All-Star Game tonight. Registration, draft and league creation for FOX Fantasy runs now through Sept. 10.

“When we started OPENSports.com, our goal was to develop the world’s best Commissioner service coupled with sophisticated and truly revolutionary weekly games and contests,” said Mike Levy, OPEN Sports’ Chairman and CEO. “While we’re delivering exciting new features in our commissioner service, we’re extremely excited about the peer-to-peer challenge and real-time player substitution aspects of our weekly contests. We are very proud to partner with FOXSports.com in what we believe will be the industry’s best suite of fantasy sports products.”

As of July 1, 2009, FOXSports.com is housed under the FOX Sports umbrella, with Husvar and the digital division reporting to FOX Sports Chairman, David Hill.

“Now that FOXSports.com and FOX Sports are working more closely that ever before, we want our fantasy games to the best and most innovative available,” said Hill. “Mike Levy and the people at OPEN Sports are simply the best fantasy game architects in the world, and I’m confident that folks who play our games will enjoy them thoroughly.”

FOX Fantasy LIVE is the most unique game on the fantasy sports landscape and is completely unlike anything offered today. It is the super-fast version of the FOX Fantasy Football commissioner game in which players are challenged to create a roster, add and drop players and run a team as the games are played on Sunday with unlimited real-time substitutions. Users compete against an entire pool of users and can play for free or for great prizes.

FOX Fantasy Quick Challenge is a suite of three games that allows users to play in head-to-head or group match-ups, and each game has a free or pay option. These games are “quick” given that users play one Sunday at a time, and are not committed for an entire season.

Registration for FOX LIVE and FOX Quick Challenge launches in August. Game play for Quick Challenge begins on or about Sept. 10, while play for LIVE begins on Sunday, Sept. 13.

All of the games were created by a collaborative team of over 40 product professionals, including designers, engineers and product managers from Open Sports and FOXSports.com located in California and Florida.

And one good thing ESPN does is raise money for cancer research through the V Foundation. A recent celebrity golf tournament brought in almost $1 million.