Fang's Bites

USA-Canada World Baseball Classic Game Becomes Most Watched Non-Postseason Event in MLB Network History

There was a reason why MLB gave the exclusive English language rights to the World Baseball Classic to MLB Network. It knew it would bring eyeballs to the channel in what normally is a dormant month. With the USA and Canada playing in an elimination game on Sunday to see who would advance to the 2nd round, MLB Network saw its best viewership for a non-postseason matchup.

According to MLB Network, it averaged 760,000 viewers for the game which saw the United States winning 9-4 to get to the next round in Miami. During the last few innings, USA-Canada was peaked at an average of 1.25 million viewers. In addition, thanks to the World Baseball Classic, this past weekend was the most viewed ever on MLBN averaging 252,000 thousand people tuning in.

Team USA’s games during the weekend also did well. Its game against Mexico averaged 673,000 viewers on Friday while Saturday’s contest vs. Italy garnered 576,000.

Here’s the MLB Network press release.

USA VS. CANADA WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC ELIMINATION GAME IS MOST-WATCHED NON-POSTSEASON GAME TELECAST IN MLB NETWORK HISTORY

World Baseball Classic Games Deliver MLB Network’s Most-Viewed Weekend Ever

Team USA’s win over Canada on Sunday in the Pool D elimination game of the 2013 World Baseball Classic was the most-watched non-Postseason game ever on MLB Network, averaging 760,000 viewers, up 26% from the previous high, a New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game on October 2, 2012. The USA vs. Canada game peaked with 1.25 million viewers during the final innings, from 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. ET, which included the USA’s four-run rally in the ninth inning.

The strength of 15 World Baseball Classic game telecasts helped MLB Network to its most-watched weekend ever, drawing an average of 252,000 viewers* from Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10.

MLB Network’s two other 2013 World Baseball Classic game telecasts featuring Team USA are among the top five most-watched non-Postseason game telecasts in the network’s history. Friday’s Mexico vs. USA matchup averaged 673,000 viewers, the network’s second-most viewed non-Postseason game telecast, while Saturday’s USA vs. Italy game drew an average of 576,000 viewers. The Dominican Republic’s defeat of Puerto Rico on Sunday averaged 513,000 viewers, the most-viewed non-USA game telecast of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

* All figures per Nielsen; weekend viewership includes Friday-Saturday from 6a-6a and Sunday from 6a-3a

That will do it.

World Baseball Classic To Air Exclusively on MLB Network

All 39 games of the World Baseball Classic, the sport’s answer to soccer’s World Cup, basketball’s FIBA World Championships and Hockey’s IIHF World Championships, will air on MLB Network. Four years ago, the games were split between MLB Network which was brand spanking new at the time and ESPN. Now MLB Network will air the entire WBC while ESPN Deportes will have the Spanish language rights.

MLB Network has assigned the announcers for each round and in a very good move, it has sent all of its crews to the various sites in Asia, the Caribbean, and of course, the United States.

For the first round, Miami Marlins announcer Rich Waltz will be joined by Toronto Blue Jays voice Buck Martinez in Japan, JB Long and Joe Magrane will be in the great country of Taiwan, MASN’s Gary Thorne and Fox Sports West’s Jose Mota are assigned to Puerto Rico and two crews led by Matt Yallof and Matt Vasgersian will call games in the United States.

Then to the second round, Waltz and Martinez will remain in Japan while the games in the US will be played in Miami with Matt Vasgersian on the play-by-play, Heidi Watney will be the on-field reporter. The analysts joining Matt will be John Smoltz, Tom Verducci and Harold Reynolds, but not all at once.

Then in the Championship Round, Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci call the semifinals. Bob Costas joins Kaat and Verducci for the final.

Games will be streamed online. Subscribers to Bright House Cable, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable will be able to watch the games at the World Baseball Classic website and through Apple devices on the WBCBaseball app. Subscribers will have to authenticate.

Here’s the press release.

2013 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC BEGINS THIS FRIDAY ON MLB NETWORK

Costas, Kaat, Magrane, Reynolds, Smoltz, Vasgersian, Verducci & Yallof Among Game Announcers
World Baseball Classic Today Studio Show Premieres This Saturday, March 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Joey Cora to Serve as Guest Studio Analyst from March 7-9

Secaucus, N.J., February 27, 2013 – MLB Network’s exclusive English-language telecast of the 2013 World Baseball Classic in the United States begins this Friday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET and continues with all 39 games of the tournament through the Championship on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Bob Costas, Jim Kaat, Joe Magrane, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci and Matt Yallof are among the group of announcers scheduled to call the tournament, produced by MLB Network in the United States and by MLB International abroad. The complete list of announcers is outlined below.

In addition to televising all 39 games, MLB Network will extensively cover the World Baseball Classic in its studio programming, including World Baseball Classic Today, which debuts this Saturday, March 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Former Major League infielder and coach of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox Joey Cora will serve as a guest analyst on the program from March 7-9. The tournament’s Championship Round will include on-site coverage with Intentional Talk live before each game and live pre- and postgame coverage on MLB Tonight on the field from AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The announcers for the World Baseball Classic on MLB Network are:

First Round

Pool A: Brazil, China, Cuba, Japan/March 2-6

• Rich Waltz and Buck Martinez – Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome, Fukuoka, Japan

Pool B: Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Netherlands / March 1-5

• JB Long and Joe Magrane – Taipei Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Taichung, Taiwan

Pool C: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela/March 7-10

• Gary Thorne and Jose Mota – Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Pool D: Canada, Italy, Mexico, United States/March 7-10

• Matt Yallof and Jeff Nelson – Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Phoenix
• Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Sam Ryan — Chase Field, Phoenix

Second Round

Pool 1/Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan/March 7-12

• Rich Waltz and Buck Martinez

Pool 2/Marlins Park, Miami/March 12-16

• March 12-13: Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz and Heidi Watney
• March 14: Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci and Heidi Watney
• March 15: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds and Heidi Watney
• March 16: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds, Tom Verducci and Heidi Watney

Championship Round

Semi-finals/AT&T Park, San Francisco/March 17-18

• Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci

Championship/AT&T Park, San Francisco/March 19

• Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci

As part of its coverage of the world’s premier international baseball tournament, MLB Network’s live game telecasts will be available on an authenticated basis online and on Apple devices. At no additional cost, Bright House Networks, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable subscribers who receive MLB Network as part of their TV subscription will have access to all 39 games on computers at WorldBaseballClassic.com/Watch by logging in with their TV service provider information. Once users have authenticated online and created an MLB user profile, they can watch the tournament on Apple devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch) via the WBCBaseball app, available on the Apple App Store. In addition to streaming all 39 games live, authenticated users will be able to view highlights and archived World Baseball Classic games from earlier in the tournament. The live streaming will be available beginning with the first game between Australia and Taiwan this Friday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET.

MLB Network is the exclusive English-language telecast partner in the United States for both the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments. MLB Network televised 16 games of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, just after the network’s launch.

That’s all.

Bloomberg’s Sportfolio Looks At The Business of Baseball

Sportfolio, Bloomberg’s show on sports business, host Rick Horrow looks at the business of baseball as he talks with Major League Baseball Executive Vice President for Business Tim Brosnan about the World Baseball Classic. Plus Bloomberg’s Deidre Bolton interviews defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer.

And Rick also veers onto the NASCAR track by looking at its ratings and what it hopes to accomplish in 2013. Sportfolio airs at 9:30 ET and PT tonight on Bloomberg.

“Sportfolio” on Bloomberg TV Takes Fans Out For The Business of Baseball This Week

The Wednesday night, MLB VP For Business Tim Brosnan Talks World Baseball Classic, and San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer Talks World Championship Business, while NASCAR fans also get a look at the circuits’ new “Gen 6” car as well

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Feb. 26, 2013 – Baseball got an early jump on spring training this year, as the third World Baseball Classic will take center stage starting next week at stadia from Asia to the Caribbean and across the United States, so this week’s “Sportfolio” on Bloomberg TV will go deep into the business of baseball.

First, MLB Executive Vice President for Business Tim Brosnan joins host Rick Horrow to discuss bottom line issues for the World Baseball Classic. The tournament enjoyed gains in attendance, TV ratings, and sponsorships from its debut in 2006 to its return in 2009: will the upswing continue in this year’s edition? Brosnan analyses the financial and marketing benefits and challenges of MLB’s most ambitious international initiative. Then the show goes from global baseball to the battles of the Bay Area, as San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer sits down with Bloomberg TV’s Deirdre Bolton (host of “Money Moves”) to discuss the business plan that’s brought his team two World Series titles in the last three seasons. The Giants have achieved success with a top 10 payroll and a strong attendance base at AT & T Park, but face a direct challenge from a Dodgers team with a new television deal that has enabled it to double its salary budget. Baer frankly explains his thoughts on the relationship of spending to winning in today’s environment, and how his organization maximizes revenue and resources in the absence of a “blockbuster” media contract.

The show will also veer to the race track, taking a look at some new plans designed to help give NASCAR another positive jump start. Ratings for the 2013 Daytona 500 Sprint Cup race rose 30% over 2012, which is good news for the series’ manufacturers as well as its drivers and sponsors. NASCAR unveiled its new “Gen 6″ car at the Great American Race, with a new design that more clearly brands the vehicles as Fords, Chevys, and Toyotas. Jamie Allison, head of Ford North America Motorsports, tells Rick Horrow why the makeover will result in more showroom interest in Ford cars, and why Ford’s investment in racing is such a powerful driver of sales.

This week’s show debuts Wednesday night at 9:30 PM and 12:30 AM ET Thursday on Bloomberg TV (DirecTV 353, check your local cable systems for the channel near you). The show reaches more than 270 million households through first-run and syndicated airings.

That’s all.

Breaking Out Some Sunday Linkage

I haven’t done Sunday links in a very long while. It seems as if part of my weekends have been planned for me behind my back for almost three years straight. Finally glad to be able to do links on a weekend.

Charlie White at Mashable talks about NASCAR taking down fan videos of the horrific crash that injured 28 fans at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona yesterday.

John McQuaid from Forbes says NASCAR has a YouTube problem.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable says Dish Network may not be allowed to advertise on Fox over its Hopper device, but it’s finding a way to be seen on today’s Daytona 500.

The Sherman Report’s Ed Sherman has some videos displaying Joe Garagiola on TV at various times in his career.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says the Big East had to go back to ESPN after rejecting a huge megabucks offer from the network two years ago.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with SNY’s Bob Ojeda who steps out of the studios to analyze Mets Spring Training games.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post hates Twitter.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the entire World Baseball Classic TV schedule.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner looks at the new season of The Haney Project on Golf Channel.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle looks at the local sports radio ratings and the Houston Rockets’ TV numbers.

Mel Bracht from The Oklahoman talks with Sooner State native Stacey King who is now the Chicago Bulls TV analyst.

Paul M. Banks at the Chicago Sports Media Watch has NASCAR pundits choosing their winners for the Daytona 500.

MediaRantz has yet another mistimed headline at ESPN.com.

That’s it for the linkage for now. I could be back later if news breaks.

1st Ever Fang’s Bites MLB TV Awards

With baseball ending its season with the World Series, it’s time to do the 1st Ever Fang’s Bites MLB TV Awards. This follows the 1st Ever Fang’s Bites Tennis TV Awards, the 1st Annual NHL TV Awards, the College Football TV Awards and the NFL TV Awards. I hope to do a College Basketball TV and Radio Awards down the line as well.

Let’s do this. Some of the choices may be obvious, others may not. Some may surprise you, others may not, but again, remember, this is just the Best and Worst, it’s not a competition, so please, no betting.

Starting with the top:

The Vin Scully Award for Best Play-by-Play: Named after the best play-by-play voice in baseball, bar none, this year’s award goes to Dan Shulman of ESPN and ESPN Radio. He’s no nonsense and really, one of the best multisport announcers as he also calls college basketball and the NBA quite well. Dan doesn’t yell, he doesn’t depend on catchphrases, he just does his job which is welcomed. He really should be ESPN’s number one announcer ahead of Jon Miller who seems to have slipped some this year.

Honorable Mention: Dave O’Brien, ESPN

Best Game Analyst: This is slim pickings as you have Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Rick Sutcliffe, Eric Karros and others as candidates. I’m going to choose Orel Hershiser of ESPN out of default. He doesn’t offend me as the other analysts and he does a pretty decent job. With Steve Phillips out of the picture at ESPN, I expect Orel to get more assignments whether on Monday Night or Wednesday Night Baseball on ESPN.

Honorable Mentions: Ron Darling, TBS and Jim Kaat, MLB Network

Best Debut: With the advent of league-owned TV networks such as NFL Network, NBA TV and NHL Network, it was only a matter of time for Major League Baseball to start one of its own and finally on New Year’s Day, MLB Network debuted, although not as smoothly as hoped. But once it got the glitches out of its system, MLB Network made splashes through big hires, coverage of breaking stories, live game coverage, going head-to-head with ESPN, and using its power to pick up live games whenever possible. In just 10 short months, MLB Network has become the Network of Record for Major League Baseball coverage, wresting the title from ESPN. Whether it be its signature show, MLB Tonight or being able to do live cut-ins at a moment’s notice, MLB Network has become a welcome addition to baseball fans.

Best Studio Show: MLB Tonight. The show is able to do live extended cut-ins unlike its ESPN counterpart, Baseball Tonight. There are cases as during a no-hitter when ESPN can cut-in, but those are only in special circumstances. Plus, whether the show is hosted by Victor Rojas or Matt Vasgersian, it moves quite well, although being on the air live for 6 hours can sometimes lead to some unfortunate comments, but for the most part, MLB Tonight has risen to the occasion to become the best studio show.

Honorable Mention: Inside MLB, TBS

Best Studio Host: In the past, it was Karl Ravech of ESPN, but he’s been overtaken by Victor Rojas of MLB Network. Victor is the answer to a nice trivia question. Who was the first person to be seen when MLB Network debuted and that answer is Victor Rojas. The former radio announcer to the Texas Rangers joined MLB Network and made a very good transition to studio host. While Matt Vasgersian and Greg Amsinger do most of the hosting for MLB Tonight, Victor is the best host the network has and should have been given a bigger role for MLB Network’s World Series coverage. And not only is he an excellent host, he’s also one of the funnier people on Twitter so follow him and also read his blog at MLB.com.

Honorable Mention: Karl Ravech, ESPN and Ernie Johnson, TBS

Best Studio Analyst: This is a tie between Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams of MLB Network. HR is a known commodity from his work at ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. But Mitch came over from Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and he’s fast becoming a star as a regular on MLB Tonight. HR explains baseball very well and can spot trends. Mitch can give perspective as a pitcher and is very funny. His one liners can break up the studio at a moment’s notice. Both HR and Mitch should be paired together during the 10-midnight hours of MLB Tonight.

Honorable Mention: Al Leiter, MLB Network

Best Game Coverage: Say what you will about its announcing crews, MLB on Fox does a very good job in its production of the games. Director Bill Webb does do a lot of crowd cutaways, but he and producer Pete Macheska do a bang-up job in finding right facts, pictures and replays to cover the stories that pop up during the 9 innings of a game. Very impressed by their work.

Honorable Mention: Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN

Most Valuable Network: Yeah, MLB Network. Yes, ESPN has Sunday and Wednesday Night games. Fox has coverage of the All-Star Game, LCS and World Series. TBS has Sunday afternoon games on the entire LDS, but in just less than a full season, MLB Network has shown it can juggle programming, add games, use the vast MLB historical archive and develop programming that can rival or surpass any of the league-owned channels. Color me impressed with MLB Network.

Best Move: MLB Network hiring Bob Costas away from HBO Sports to do play-by-play of the sport he loves and to host a regular interview show. It was only natural that Costas join MLB Network. I remember asking an MLB spokesman last year if the network was going to hire Costas and telling him it would be a natural fit. Sure enough, Costas came on board in February this year and made an immediate impact on the Alex Rodriguez steroids story. Hopefully, Bob will call more than just five or six games for MLB Network next season.

Honorable Mention: Fox hires Ozzie Guillen for the World Series

Worst Play-by-Play: Earlier this week during the Sports Media Weekly podcast, Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner gave praise to Chip Caray of TBS for his work during the MLB Postseason. From what I can tell, Jim is the only sports media writer to give Chip some love. I cannot. While I won’t take shots like some others have, I found Chip to be very annoying. His constant “FISTED” references plus miscalling plays early in the postseason led fans to go nuclear on Twitter and Facebook. Chip has done good work for the Cubs and the Braves, but he’s not worthy of being a number one announcer and shouldering the responsibility of leading a major broadcast. I hope TBS reconsiders and uses another announcer for next year. His work gave some fans a new appreciation for Joe Buck.

Worst Game Analyst: In a sport that has so many candidates, there’s only one who “wins” this award hands down. And it goes to Joe Morgan of ESPN. Morgan is dry, humorless, unwilling to see any team better than the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds, no manager better than Sparky Anderson, no middle infielder better than him and adds nothing to the game. In an effort to spice up the Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts, ESPN brought in Steve Phillips to add another voice. It really didn’t work as Morgan continued to bore people at home. Why ESPN chose him to be its number 1 analyst and continues to use him in this capacity is beyond me. One of the worst analysts in sports television, period.

Dishonorable Mention: Rick Sutcliffe, ESPN and Tim McCarver, ESPN

Worst Game Coverage: World Baseball Classic, MLB Network. During March, MLB Network relied on the world feed for the games it was airing from Puerto Rico and Mexico. It resulted in pictures never matching what the announcers were saying and there were times when complete plays were missed. Replays were often the same angle that we had just seen on TV and some of the production was disjointed. For what was supposed to be a showcase for baseball on the world stage, viewers deserved better.

Dishonorable Mention: None

Worst Studio Host: Greg Amsinger, MLB Network. When I read he was hired, I thought it was would be as a backup to Matt Vasgersian and Victor Rojas, but for some reason, the former CBS College Sports host was given a prominent role during World Series coverage. He really doesn’t deserve it. Greg sounds like he smokes 60 packs of cigarettes a day. He raises his voice unnecessarily and he tries too hard to be funny. Leave the humor at home. I ask MLB Network to put Greg on its Quick Pitch show instead of MLB Tonight.

Dishonorable Mention: Chris Rose, Fox Sports

Worst Studio Analyst: Orestes Destrade, ESPN. What is that? Seriously. Why is he even on my TV?

Worst Way to End a Career: I don’t need to rehash the Steve Phillips affair. You all know what happened. But I have a feeling we won’t be seeing the end of Steve.

Worst Disappearing Act: TBS Hot Corner. I can go ad nauseum on how much I enjoyed TBS’ online coverage of the MLB Postseason when it began in 2007, but Hot Corner has gone from online studio show in 2007 to in-game reports last year, to virtually nothing this year. While we can see alternate angles, I wish TBS would go back to the online studio show it shared with MLB.com two years ago. And I would love to go back and forth with Beau Estes of Turner Sports once again. Please TBS, bring back the online show and a Friend of Fang’s Bites, Heather Catlin.

That concludes our first ever MLB TV Awards. We’ll back same time, next year with the 2nd Annual Awards.

Various Press Releases

Here are some press releases that have come in over the day. This is going to be ESPN-heavy so be prepared.

First, ESPN is moving Saturday’s heavyweight championship boxing title bout from ESPN2 to the lesser viewed ESPN Classic.

ESPN Media Advisory: Live Klitschko-Gomez Fight Moved to ESPN Classic

Saturday’s live telecast of the Vitali Klitschko-Juan Carlos Gomez WBC heavyweight title fight has been moved to ESPN Classic and will now air at 6-7 p.m. ET on March 21. Additionally, for fans without ESPN Classic, a tape-delayed version of the fight will be on ESPN2 at 7-8 p.m. ET. The bout will also be presented live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, from 6-7 p.m.

Next, ESPN says interest in the World Baseball Classic is growing.

ESPN’s World Baseball Classic Audience Continues to Grow

ESPN Platforms to Showcase Semifinals and Final from L.A. Beginning March 21

New SNB Team – Miller, Morgan & Phillips – to Debut

ESPN’s World Baseball Classic coverage is demonstrating consistent audience growth across multimedia platforms. Through the second round to date, ESPN’s telecasts are averaging 1,675,000 viewers (up 53 percent), 1,264,000 household impressions (up 36 percent) and a 1.3 average rating (up 30 percent). At this time in 2006, ESPN’s telecasts were averaging 1,098,000 viewers, 930,000 households and a 1.0 rating.

The World Baseball Classic has also led to significant audience growth for additional ESPN outlets:

ESPN Deportes

• ESPN Deportes’ live World Baseball Classic telecasts are averaging a 1.9 Hispanic household rating, 82,000 Hispanic households and 115,000 Hispanic viewers;
• The United States vs. Puerto Rico game (March 14) is the network’s highest-rated World Baseball Classic telecast to date delivering a 3.4 Hispanic rating, 148,000 Hispanic households and 211,000 Hispanic viewers;
• The USA/Puerto Rico telecast is ESPN Deportes’ highest-rated, non-soccer event ever;
• World Baseball Classic telecasts account for the network’s top 13 highest-rated, non-soccer events.

ESPNdeportes.com

• The World Baseball Classic has helped ESPNdeportes.com deliver 68.8 million page views for March 2009.

ESPN.com

• There have been 3.1 million views of World Baseball Classic-related video.

Semifinals and Final Across ESPN Platforms

ESPN will showcase the World Baseball Classic semifinals (Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22) – including Team USA facing the Korea/Japan winner on Sunday – and final (March 23) across the following platforms: ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International. ESPN’s coverage of the semifinal and final will mark the debut of the new Sunday Night Baseball commentator team of Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips. Pedro Gomez will also report during ESPN’s telecasts, along with SportsCenter. Jon Sciambi will handle the call for ESPN Radio with analyst Dave Campbell.

ESPN Deportes will include a commentator team of Ernesto Jerez (play-by-play), analysts Juan Marichal and Candy Maldonado and reporters Guillermo Celis and Carolina Guillen. Eduardo Ortega (Saturday/Monday) and Jaime Jarin (Sunday) will call the games for ESPN Deportes Radio, teaming with analyst Renato Bermudez.

ESPN International will distribute the games in Africa, Asia (via ESS), Australia, China, Europe (via ESPN America), Guam (U.S. feed), Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, New Zealand and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

ESPN’s SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight and ESPNEWS – along with ESPN.com and ESPNdeportes.com – will also provide comprehensive highlights, news and information.

Date	Time (ET)	Teams	Networks
Sat., March 21	9 p.m.	Semifinal 1: Korea vs. Venezuela	ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV
Sun., March 22	8 p.m.	Semifinal 2: Japan vs. United States	ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV
Mon., March 23	9:30 p.m.	Final: Semifinal #1 winner vs. Semifinal #2 winner	ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV

The Alleged Worldwide Leader tells us that there were more than five million entries for ESPN.com’s Tournament Challenge Bracket game.

MORE THAN FIVE MILLION ENTRIES FOR MEN’S TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE BRACKET GAME ON ESPN.COM

Fans Agree with President Obama, “National Bracket” Picks North Carolina as Champs; Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, North Carolina in Final Four

Fans submitted more than five million entries to ESPN.com’s 14th annual Men’s Tournament Challenge, surpassing last year’s record of 3.65 million entries by 37 percent. At the peak period, fans registered nearly 3,900 entries per minute (nearly 65 entries per second).

The Women’s Tournament Challenge will be accepting entries until tip-off of the first game on Saturday, March 21.

The Men’s Tournament Challenge “National Bracket” – reflecting the percentage of people picking each match-up throughout the Men’s Tournament – showed that more fans picked Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, North Carolina to reach the Final Four than any other teams. In those predicted games (Louisville vs. Memphis, Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina):

• Louisville was picked to defeat Memphis 62.9 percent of the time;
• North Carolina was picked to defeat Pittsburgh 58.3 percent of the time;
• Fans picked North Carolina to defeat Louisville in the national championship game 60.0 percent of the time.
  

The growth in the Tournament Challenge entries has been spurred by multiple factors, including the newly redesigned ESPN.com front page (which allowed users to submit their brackets directly from the main engagement area of the site) and buzz surrounding the bracket submitted by President Barack Obama. Fans could also submit (and can follow) their ESPN Tournament Challenge entries via mobile devices.

Bracket groups featuring fans playing with ESPN personalities also helped drive entries, with groups for Mike and Mike in the Morning (90,713 entries), Around The Horn (49,362), Pardon The Interruption (41,687), The Herd with Colin Cowherd (29,210), ESPN First Take (27,030), Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report (19,598) and several other ESPN programs.

In addition to President Obama’s bracket, Miami Heat star (and former Marquette star) Dwyane Wade and Hollywood heavyweight Samuel L. Jackson squared off in the first-ever SportsCenter Bracket Challenge (the SportsCenter Bracket Challenge group has 14,055 entries from others as well).

An analysis of early round picks by the five million entries finds:

• 1.8% of entries picked Stephen F Austin to defeat Syracuse;
• 38.6% of entries picked Western Kentucky to defeat Illinois;
• 98.5% of entries picked Connecticut to defeat Chattanooga;
• 41.8% of entries picked BYU to defeat Texas A&M;
• 0.42% of entries picked Morehead St. to defeat top-seeded Louisville;
• 50.6% of entries picked Tennessee to defeat Oklahoma St.;
• 47.8% of entries picked USC to defeat Boston College;
• 28.1% of entries picked Virginia Commonwealth to defeat UCLA;
• 98.5% of entries picked North Carolina to defeat Radford;
• 55.1% of entries picked Utah to defeat Arizona;
• 91.2% of entries picked Xavier to defeat Portland State;
• 20.1% of entries picked Wisconsin to defeat Florida St.

At the end of the Tournament the Men’s Tournament Challenge entrant with the most points wins $10,000. Runner up is a random drawing $5,000 Best Buy gift card. The Women’s Tournament Challenge winner will receive a $3,000 Best Buy gift card and a $1100 Best Buy random drawing. Entries for the Men’s Tournament Challenge game were accepted until just prior to the tip-off of the Tournament’s first game today. The Women’s Tournament Challenge will accept registration until just prior to tip-off of the first game on Saturday, March 21st.

Additionally, for the first time, this year’s downloadable bracket on ESPN.com is a special Adobe(r) Acrobat(r) 9 interactive PDF file* – the Ultimate Tourney Guide*. It is an interactive document that can be saved to your computer and delivers live updates, news, information and more straight to your desktop. The downloadable Ultimate Tourney Guide includes:

• Tournament Challenge Bracket;
• Tournament news
• Team Preview Videos
• Polls
• A chance to sign up and win an LCD TV being given away by Adobe.

Adobe Acrobat 9 enables the creation of electronic documents including interactive PDFs that allow users to actively engage with information in the documents. Adobe Acrobat 9 supports the inclusion of dynamic content directly into PDF files, including Adobe Flash(r) videos, news feeds, polls, and other live updating content.

*The Ultimate Tourney Guide will feature your personal bracket picks once input to Tournament Challenge.

NCAA Div. I Men’s College Hockey Championships, Frozen Four to Receive Extensive Live Coverage on ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN, ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com

ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN and ESPN360.com will combine for expanded live coverage of all 15 games from the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships, March 27-April 11. ESPNU will telecast eight regional games exclusively, while ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband service, also will offer live coverage of regional semifinals and finals. The Frozen Four, live from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, will be presented in high definition on ESPN and ESPN2, while ESPN360.com also will provide extensive live coverage.

Coverage of the tournament begins Sunday, March 22, at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the NCAA Hockey Selection Show on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com, hosted by John Buccigross, who will be joined by analysts Barry Melrose and former University of Michigan hockey standout Sean Ritchlin.

ESPNU will provide extensive coverage of the tournament, from the regional semifinals Friday, March 27, through the regional finals Sunday, March 29. Also, on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m., the network will present the Hobey Baker Award live in high definition from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The presentation honors college ice hockey’s top men’s player and will be hosted by Clay Matvick and Ben Holden.

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com will showcase the Frozen Four, live from Washington, DC, with the national semifinal games Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com. The national championship will be telecast on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. on ESPN HD and ESPN360.com.

The Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level reporter) calling all the action from Washington, DC, and John Buccigross will host the intermissions. At regional semifinals and finals, commentators include Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), Damian DiGuilian (analyst) and Ken Hodge (ice-level reporter) in the East Regional, Bridgeport, Conn.; Matvick and Jim Paradise in the West Regional, Minneapolis; Buccigross and Melrose in the Northeast Regional, Manchester, N.H.; with Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin calling the action in the Midwest Regional, Grand Rapids, Mich. Also during coverage of the regional round, the ESPNU studio will be anchored by Lowell Galindo and Bob Norton.

ESPN360.com is available at no cost to millions of U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel. Users accessing ESPN360.com from an on-campus “.edu” or “.mil” network domain in the United States receive free, seamless access to the NCAA Div. I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships and hundreds of other live college and professional sporting events each month. ESPN360.com is also available via affiliated ISPs nationwide, including AT&T, Verizon, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Charter, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications and many more.

Schedule (all times Eastern)

NCAA Selection Show

Sun., Mar 22 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com

NCAA Div. I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships

Fri., Mar 27. 3 p.m. East Regional Semifinal #1, Bridgeport, CT, ESPNU HD
5:30 p.m., West Regional Semifinal #1, Minneapolis, ESPN2 HD
6:30 p.m., East Regional Semifinal #2, Bridgeport, ESPNU HD
9 p.m., West Regional Semifinal #2, Minneapolis, ESPNU HD

Sat., Mar 28, 2 p.m., Northeast Regional Semifinal #1, Manchester, NH, ESPN2

4 p.m., Midwest Regional Semifinal #1, Grand Rapids, MI, ESPNU
5:30 p.m., Northeast Regional Semifinal #2, Manchester, ESPN2

6:30 p.m., East Final, Bridgeport, ESPNU HD
7:30 p.m., Midwest Regional Semifinal #2, Grand Rapids, ESPN Classic
9 p.m., West Final, Minneapolis, ESPNU HD
Sun., Mar 29, 5:30 p.m., Northeast Final, Manchester, ESPNU
8 p.m., Midwest Final, Grand Rapids, ESPNU

Frozen Four
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Thur., Apr 9, 5 p.m., National Semifinal #1, ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com
8:30 p.m., National Semifinal #2, ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com
Fri., Apr 10, 7 p.m., Hobey Baker Award, ESPNU HD
Sat., Apr 11, 7 p.m., NCAA Championship Finals, ESPN HD/ESPN360.com

Let’s move to NBA TV which let’s us know about its programming schedule for the next few days.

NBA TV Tips Off Four Days of Exciting NBA Matchups Including Two Appearances by NBA Champion Boston Celtics

NBA TV will air four consecutive nights of NBA matchups from Fri., March 20 – Mon., March 23. The airwaves will heat up on Fri., March 20 as NBA TV showcases a Noche Latina match-up between the Boston Celtics @ San Antonio ‘Los Spurs’ with tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics will also be featured on the network on Sat., March 21 as they face the Memphis Grizzlies, with the game tipping off at 8 p.m. ET. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers take on Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets on Sun., March 22 at 6 p.m. ET. On Mon., March 23 the Philadelphia 76ers face the Portland Trail Blazers with game coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Sister network TNT will feature a special Tuesday night doubleheader on Tues., March 24 beginning at 8 p.m. ET with the Detroit Pistons @ Chicago Bulls followed by the Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz. NBA TV will air its next Fan Night matchup on Tues., March 31 allowing the voting window to be extended on NBA.com until Wed., March 25. Fans will vote between:

Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls @ Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks @ Philadelphia 76ers
Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz @ Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Hornets @ Sacramento Kings

NBA TV’s Euroleague Game of the Week coverage continues featuring Tau Ceramica vs. Olympiakos. The game will air on Sat., March 21 at 1 p.m. ET and is part of the network’s weekly Euroleague matchup that airs every Saturday throughout the regular season.

NBA TV’s coverage of the NBA D-League continues on Wed., March 25 featuring the Sioux Falls Skyforce @ Bakersfield Jam. Coverage will begin at 4 p.m. ET with D-League Central, a weekly studio show featuring an update on the news, transactions and D-League action, followed by tip-off of the game at 4:30 p.m. ET. NBA TV will air a D-League match-up every Wednesday.

NBA TV’s weekly programming will feature its three signature nights, including:

Fan Night (Tues. March 24): The Beat is a weekly roundtable show featuring NBA beat writers from newspapers across the country who will join host Marc Fein and TNT Insider David Aldridge to cover hot topics and NBA news.

Fan Night voting is currently open on NBA.com for fans to decide the next NBA matchup they most want to see televised on NBA TV on Tues., March 31. Voting will remain open until Wed., March 25 with the fans’ selection being announced that night on NBA TV.

· Premiere Night (Wed., March 25): Premiere Night will feature Last Night at the Spectrum at 7 p.m. ET. After opening in 1967, the Spectrum was home to countless memories for the Philadelphia 76ers – four trips to the NBA Finals including the 1983 Championship win. Recently, the team honored this rich chapter in its history by playing its final game at the Spectrum, which is scheduled to be torn down later this year. During this show, viewers will hear from present and past 76ers, including a special, exclusive walk through the empty building by Hall of Famer Julius Erving. As the current Sixers fight for playoff position, the memories come flooding back to the days when the Spectrum was one of the most venerable arenas in the NBA.

At 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA Roundtable: Rookies will examine what it means to be a rookie in the league. Four of the NBA Draft’s top ten picks got together during NBA All-Star 2009 to share stories of their rookie years including Memphis Grizzlies guard OJ Mayo, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, L.A. Clippers guard Eric Gordon and New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez. Topics include their most embarrassing moments, dealing with veterans, hitting the ‘rookie wall’ and being counted upon to lead their teams to success.

· Legends Night (Thurs., March 26): Thursday nights on NBA TV will continue to showcase the rich heritage of the NBA during Legends Night. This week, Legends Night will feature specials on past NBA MVP winners including Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.

The Golf Channel says for the first time will produce its outside studio shows in HD at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament.

GOLF CHANNEL News and Talk Shows Produced in HD for First Time at Bay Hill

ORLANDO, Fla., March 19, 2009 – For the first time outside of its Orlando, Fla., studios, GOLF CHANNEL will produce and televise its signature news and talk shows in high definition as part of the network’s coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.

Studio G, GOLF CHANNEL’s on-site studio, will be home base for the news and talk shows. Golf Central (Monday – Sunday), Golf Central Pre Game (Thursday – Sunday), The Approach with Callaway Golf (Tuesday) and the Grey Goose 19^th Hole (Wednesday) all will commence from Bay Hill Club & Lodge.

Monday’s Golf Central (6 p.m. ET), will feature tournament host and GOLF CHANNEL co-founder Arnold Palmer, who will join hosts Inga Hammond and Rich Lerner. Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, Palmer also will be a special guest on The Approach, when he will give his tournament predictions. Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, Vince Cellini and Golf World senior writer John Hawkins will host the 19^th Hole, with featured guests scheduled to appear.

The network also will deliver live tournament coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. ET, and will re-air in prime time 8:30 p.m. ET.

Peter Jacobsen will join the broadcast team as a special on-course tower reporter for both GOLF CHANNEL’s opening rounds and NBC Sports’ weekend action. Kelly Tilghman and Brandel Chamblee will serve as play-by-play host and lead analyst for the telecast. Gary Koch and Jacobsen will call the action from an on-course tower, with Bob Murphy, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing and Dottie Pepper reporting from the course. Scott Walker will conduct post-round interviews.

GOLF CHANNEL Programming Schedule from Bay Hill Club & Lodge

Golf Central, Monday – Sunday, 6 and 11:30 p.m. ET

Golf Central Pre Game, Thursday – Friday, 2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, 12 p.m. ET

The Approach, Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET

19^th Hole, Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET

Arnold Palmer Invitational, Thursday – Friday, 3 p.m. ET (Live), 8:30 p.m. ET (replay)

SIRIUS XM RADIO TO BROADCAST AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES RACES LIVE NATIONWIDE

Season begins March 21; SIRIUS and XM listeners will hear every race

NEW YORK – March 19, 2009 – SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that it will offer live coverage of 2009 American Le Mans Series races to SIRIUS and XM subscribers nationwide.

SIRIUS XM will air every 2009 American Le Mans Series race on both the SIRIUS and XM platforms starting this Saturday, March 21, with the season’s first event, the 57^th Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by “Fresh from Florida,” from Sebring International Speedway in Sebring, FL. Coverage will run from 10:00 am to noon ET and again from 9:00 pm ET to the finish on SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 242. Listeners will hear on track action plus pre- and post-race coverage.

The American Le Mans Series is North America’s premier sports car series, featuring high-tech cars from the most prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world – including Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari and Panoz – competing in a combination of endurance and sprint races on road racing tracks as well as street circuits in major urban markets. Races feature exotic, open-top prototypes and sophisticated production-based Grand Touring (GT) cars all competing on the track at the same time.

American Le Mans Series races aired on XM Radio last season. This year marks the first year the races will be available to both SIRIUS and XM subscribers.

“This season, SIRIUS XM will deliver American Le Mans Series races to more than 19 million subscribers around the country, allowing more listeners than ever before to experience this unique and entertaining form of auto racing,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM Radio’s President and Chief Content Officer. “The American Le Mans Series is a key part of our extensive motorsports coverage and another reason why SIRIUS XM is a ‘must have’ for racing fans.”

In addition to American Le Mans Series coverage, SIRIUS XM Radio broadcasts every NASCAR race and every Formula 1 race, giving motorsports fans around the country access to world class racing on oval tracks, road course tracks and street circuits.

SIRIUS XM’s motorsports schedule is a feature of the extensive European sports programming the satellite radio broadcaster offers. Listeners can also hear world class soccer from the English Premier League, Champions League and Scottish Premier League, plus World Cup skiing events from around the globe.

There you go. Those were the press releases that were in my inbox today.

Just A Few Thursday Links

I’m rushing to finish a project before noon, 11, actually, so I really can’t provide extensive links.

I’ll start with myself today. I have a column at Digital Sports Daily on what else? The NCAA Tournament.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun wants to know what’s the big deal about Suzy Kolber’s hair in HD? Ray says the NCAA Tournament can be heard on the radio in Charm City.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says a WGN-TV sports anchor decided not to retire this year out of love.

Adam Rose of the Los Angeles Times says the March Madness Sports Illustrated’s cover is out.

Joe Favorito wonders if two other college basketball tournaments that are being played other than the NCAA and NIT have any specific value to the schools playing in them.

38 Cliches again takes MLB Network to task for using the world feed for the World Baseball Classic instead of its own production crew. I’ll agree with this. The production of the world feed has been quite poor and it’s missed key plays.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball says the Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez will be part of DirecTV’s promotional campaign for its CricketTicket pay per view package.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says NBC has renewed with Microsoft for its Silverlight technology to drive its online video streamining for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mike writes that Gol TV has renewed its rights to show Spain’s top soccer league.

I have to end it there. I’ll be back later.

From MLB Network

A quick announcement from MLB Network….

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

MLB NETWORK TO RE-AIR LAST NIGHT’S EXTRA-INNINGS VICTORY BY THE NETHERLANDS OVER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

Beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET this morning, MLB Network will air an encore presentation of last night’s thrilling 2-1 extra innings victory by The Netherlands over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. With the loser facing elimination in the World Baseball Classic, the game remained scoreless heading into extra innings. In the top of the 11^th inning, Jose Reyes scored the first run of the game for the Dominicans on a fielding error by Eugene Kingsdale in right field. But The Netherlands came storming back in the bottom of the inning, as Kingsdale redeemed himself by driving in the tying run, and then scoring the winning run on a fielding error by Dominican first baseman Willy Aybar. The game also included memorable pitching performances by Ubaldo Jimenez, who started the game for the Dominican team and struck out a World Baseball Classic record 10 batters in only four innings of work, and three-time Cy Young award winner Pedro Martinez, who pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Jimenez. The bullpen of The Netherlands also came up big, with Alexander Smit, Rob Cordemas, Dennis Neuman, Diegomar Markwell and Leon Boyd combining to pitch seven innings of relief, allowing only two hits and no earned runs.

I’m doing Primetime and Late Night Viewing Picks. Back later.

Thursday Morning Linkage

I have quite a few things to link to this morning. Let’s get to them without further delay.

First, David Scott of Boston Sports Media Watch looks at the sudden closing of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting which boasts Artie Lange of the Howard Stern Show as an alum.

My great friend, LC over at the 38Cliches blog thinks the MLB Network is a piece of crap. I think it’s doing a very good job, but I don’t have to agree with every link I put up. I’ll link to LC as long as he runs his blog.

Dan Lemothe from Red Sox Monster has an interview with Red Sox public address announcer and the very creepy Carl Beane. Thanks to The Big Lead.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says get ready to eat a lot when you go to the ballpark.

Newsday’s Neil Best has some unsolicited advice for Alex Rodriguez. Neil writes that A-Rod is singlehandedly keeping newspapers in business. Neil looks at YES’ and SNY’s ratings in the afternoon time slot. Neil writes that an interview with New York Islanders owner Charles Wang will air on MSG Plus tonight.

Justin Terranova of the New York Post says the first day of the Big East Tournament will not be on TV.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the announcing teams for the MAAC and America East Tournaments.

Bill Fleischman of the Philadelphia Daily News talks with new Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia General Manager Brian Monahan.

The Baltimore Sun’s Ray Frager says Tuesday’s Maryland-Wake Forest game did not score well in the ratings. Ray says one local sports radio show went overboard with the racial overtones.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times talks with Versus president Jamie Davis about the Indy Racing League which premieres on the channel in April.

Roger van der Horst of the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer laments the fact that he won’t be able to watch Braves game as MLB has deemed North Carolina as Orioles and Nationals territory. And Roger likes that ESPN is picking up a heavyweight championship fight later this month.

Bill Vilona of the Pensacola (AL) News Journal says Alabama’s Spring Football game has attracted ESPN.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says ESPN’s Keyshawn Johnson had some more comments on former Cowboys’ WR Terrell Owens.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business writes that the Wall Street Journal is expanding its spots coverage. And Ed profiles Chicago sports personality Chet Coppock.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says the Dodgers are offering Spring Training games for free on its website. Tom writes about the passing of Mike Lockert, the Voice of the Notre Dame hockey, who was also a SoCal native.

John Ryan from the San Jose Mercury News writes that the Sharks set a TV ratings record on Tuesday.

Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says MLB is putting a lot into the World Baseball Classic.

Michael Grange of the Toronto Globe and Mail says TSN and Rogers Sportsnet tried to do a lot with so little news during their NHL Trade Deadline shows.

Mike Shields of the Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS is nearly sold out for the NCAA Tournament.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says WFAN’s Mike Francesa plans some changes for his YES simulcast.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life Magazine says tonight’s Illinois-Penn State game on ESPN is a highlight for primetime viewing.

The Sports Media Watch says the NFL Draft is moving closer and closer to being a primetime event. And SMW has the ESPN/ABC NBA playoff schedule.

Joe Favorito looks at how indoor soccer’s New Jersey Ironmen are trying to make inroads in the community and make a name for themselves in a crowded sports market.

Christopher Byrne of the great Eye on Sports Media blog has a look at how banks try to get bangs for their bucks through sports advertising.

FSN will carry the Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships starting today.

And those are the links for today.

It’s the Mid-Week Links

Let’s do some linkage as it’s still early on NHL Trade Deadline day. Usually the trades don’t start happening until sometime after noon, then it’s a flurry to the finish, although Ottawa and Columbus made the first trade of the day just before 10 a.m., forward Antoine Vermette goes to the Blue Jackets for goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second round pick.

Heading to USA Today’s Michael Hiestand, he writes that former Kansas City coach Herman Edwards is looking forward to being an ESPN NFL analyst for a long time.

Ken Davidoff and Neil Best of Newsday have your World Baseball Classic viewing guide. Neil says the WBC will carry on even if Alex Rodriguez sits out. Neil says WFAN’s Mike Francesa is out sick today showcasing the reason why he wants to get an on-air partner soon. And Neil writes that YES set a ratings record yesterday during which Derek Jeter played against his beloved Yankees.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell likes the Minnesota Timberwolves’ plan to allow those who have lost their jobs to return their season tickets.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record says most of the MAAC Tournament will be available on TV, but all of the games can be seen online for a fee.

The Reading (PA) Eagle says the Reading Phillies have named a new radio announcer.

Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the NHL’s US TV Partners have failed its fans yet again during Trade Deadline Day. I agree.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun notices that he gets the most reaction on his blog to posts about local sports talk radio hosts. And Ray has a fictitious phone conversation between a team executive and a radio station.

Jim Williams of the DC Examiner says there’s been plenty of rip jobs against former Nationals GM Jim Bowden. And Jim writes that MLB Network will carry Ken Griffey’s return to the Seattle Mariners tonight.

Speaking of the MLB Network, the Big Lead has the video of MLB Tonight host Matt Vasgersian throwing an “F” bomb live on the air. Oops.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has an update on Michael Irvin’s reality show on Spike. Barry notes the changing opinions of John Tortorella on the New York Rangers’ pissant Sean Avery.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley has former CBS and NBC college basketball analyst Billy Packer seeing the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson showdown in the NCAA Tournament as pivotal for the sport.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News says a local sports radio host recently celebrated 25 years on the air.

Stephen Brunt of the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if anyone thinks like Don Cherry these days.

Tim Arsenault of the Halifax (Canada) Chronicle Herald says NHL Trade Deadline makes for Must See TV.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the Scouting Combine brought plenty of viewers to the NFL Network.

Awful Announcing has a preview of Season 2 of FSN’s Emmy Award winning “Sport Science”.

CBS’ Jim Nantz has signed an endorsement deal with Furnitureland South.

Johnathan Starling at the EPL Talk blog has today’s US TV schedule for the English Premier League.

That’s going to do it for now.

Just A Few Late Night Links

I’ll provide a few links tonight just before closing my eyes for the night.

The Sports Media Watch says the Match Play Championship’s ratings fell from last year as expected. The SMW has the weekend ratings.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media doesn’t like NBC’s choice for NHL Game of the Week on March 15.

Keith Thibeault of Sports Media Journal says CBS is pulling out all of the stops for its March Madness on Demand feature this year.

A.J. Daulerio at Deadspin writes that ESPN The Weekend wasn’t fun for one particular ESPN staffer.

John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant says many UConn fans won’t be able to watch the Huskies play in the Big East Tournament quarter or semifinals because they will be carried on ESPNU and the channel is not on most of Comcast’s systems in the Constitution State.

Stu Hackel of the New York Times writes that NHL Network is producing its own Trade Deadline special preventing viewers in the US from seeing TSN’s coverage from Canada.

John Kieswetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer notices that Fox Sports Ohio and the Reds have not announced their HDTV schedule as of yet.

Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post reviews Golf Channel’s show on improving Charles Barkley’s swing.

Bob Molinaro of the Virginian-Pilot looks back at the 30th anniversary of the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson, Indiana State-Michigan State NCAA basketball championship game with CBS’ Seth Davis.

Roger van der Horst of the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer wonders why Tuesday night’s Carolina Hurricanes-Washington Capitals game was not picked up by Fox Sports Carolinas.

Gentry Estes of the Mobile (AL) Press-Register writes that ESPN will be picking up the Crimson Tide’s Spring Football game on April 18.

Jonathan Okanes of the Oakland Tribune says A’s fans will have complete access to their team as Comcast SportsNet California becomes available on digital basic as of Wednesday.

I have a column at Digital Sports Daily previewing the World Baseball Classic and online coverage of Wednesday’s NHL Trading Deadline.

David Tanklefsky of Broadcasting & Cable says MLB Network is ready to air the WBC.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says ESPN, sports leagues and theater owners plan to sue the FCC over its decision to allow unlicensed devices to use the “white spaces” digital spectrum.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News looks at the comments made by Mary Carillo, John McEnroe and Billie Jean King during HBO’s coverage of the Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup.

Tennis Channel will cover the inaugural WTA MPS Group Championships in April.

Over to MLS and DC United which will have 15 games on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic this season.

I found more than a few links. I’ll be back Wednesday with your mid-week links.