Fang's Bites

A Couple of Mid-Week Sports Media Thoughts

I haven’t done a sports media thoughts post in quite some time. You’re owed some, so lets not waste any time. Two thoughts today with a promise I’ll provide more with some regularity down the road. They’re in bullet form as always.

• Bizarre story that broke on Tuesday through Boston Sports Media Watch that Red Sox Radio Network host and fill-in announcer Jon Rish is leaving later this month. It’s a sad story that Rish has to leave a dream job over a proposed 30% pay cut by flagship station WEEI. As Rish told the Boston Globe’s Chad Finn, he could see the writing on the wall and started preparing for the future. Rish has four children and wants to plan for the future so he’s getting out of the radio business and becoming a software developer.

  It’s too bad that Rish had to make that decision, but with WEEI in dire straights, I can understand his thinking. As someone who has worked in radio and seen all types of cost cutting through personnel, salaries, benefits and other measures, it’s the rank and file who suffer, not the executives. Rish leaves just as the season begins, but as I wrote on Tuesday, the behind-the-scenes jockeying by management can be taxing on the workers, no matter what the job is. Rish says he had to think of his family and he’s at peace with his decision. Not many people have the opportunity to leave radio on their own terms. It seems Rish has done exactly that. Here’s wishing him nothing but the best as he goes on a new career path.

• The NCAA Tournament is over and as CBS/Turner Sports crow over a successful three week period that brought the highest viewership in almost two decades, there are some items upon which the CBS/Turner consortium can improve.

  First, cut down on the clutter in the studio. Charles Barkley told the New York Daily News that he’s overexposed during the Tournament and would like to cut his workload especially during the Second Round games. I wholeheartedly endorse this. In fact, let’s jettison Chuck out of the Tournament altogether. The Charles Barkley-Kenny Smith experiment on the NCAA Tournament just isn’t working. Keep Ernie Johnson, Jr. in the Atlanta studio and have him work with coaches and Steve Smith. In New York, reunite Greg Gumbel with Greg Anthony and Seth Davis. That trio works well together.

  Do not, do not, do not, do not bring Doug Gottlieb back to the studio. If he has to have a role, keep him on game analysis. It’s the lesser of two evils for the American people. If the viewing public has to be subjected to Gottlieb, then keep him at game sites where he can do less damage.

  If TBS is going to air the Final Four in 2014 as reported, let’s hope Turner won’t place Reggie Miller at courtside with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. And I wouldn’t mind having Craig Sager and Rachel Nichols as reporters if Turner plans to put its stamp on the event.

  And why not bring Bill Walton over from Dial Global as a studio analyst?

That’s it.

The Fang’s Bites College Basketball TV Awards: NCAA Tournament Edition

Last month, I gave you my College Basketball TV Awards for the 2012-13 regular season. As promised, I’ll provide you with the NCAA Tournament Edition featuring my picks for Final Four, Regional Final and First Week levels. Those not worthy and there will be a couple, will get the infamous Carton of Chinese Cigarettes handed out from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Communist China.

I’ll provide the awards first for play-by-play, then game analysts, reporters and finally the studio.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Final Four Level

Marv Albert, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan – Marv is Marvelous. The man is a Hall of Fame announcer and during the Michigan-Kansas game, was able to pick up on the Wolverines’ comeback late in the second half and his call of Trey Burke’s three pointer to tie the game was perfectly understated.

Ian Eagle showed his versatility in calling NCAA Tournament games on both TV and radio. Does both well and allows the action to come to him. Ian had a very good call of the Davidson-Marquette game that went down to the wire.

Kevin Harlan was outstanding especially as Ohio State’s Aaron Craft hit a jumper with :02 in its Sweet Sixteen game against Arizona.

Regional Final Level

Brian Anderson, Verne Lundquist, Jim Nantz – Having this trio in the Tournament shows some very good depth on the CBS/Turner Consortium. Brian Anderson is a rising star. Calls games on Big Ten Network during the winters, then moves to his best sport, baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers and TBS Sunday Afternoon games. Could easily be on a Regional Final team down the line.

What can you say about Uncle Verne Lundquist that hasn’t already been said? He and Bill Raftery form one of the fun broadcast teams and you know that Verne plays the perfect straight man to Raft. He’s perfect at the Regional Final level.

Jim Nantz is perfect here. He would go higher except that he calls only one to two regular season games a season, yet he’s on the “A” team that goes to the Final Four. Nantz calls a good game, but I think there are several announcers who are better.

First Week Level

Tim Brando – Tim is good, but sometimes falls back on cliches. He’s perfect on the ACC Tournament on the Raycom-produced ACC Network. A nice fit with long-time partner Mike Gminski.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Spero Dedes – Dedes provided some real lackluster and sleep-inducing calls. When Harvard upset New Mexico, Dedes failed to rise to the occasion and when the game ended, he gave us quite a forgettable call. His partner, Doug Gottlieb overpowered him at times.

ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr, Bill Raftery – Clark Kellogg knows his stuff and provides good analysis of the action. He’s able to spot trends and finds the right words. He also stepped up during the Louisville-Duke game when Kevin Ware broke his leg in a horrific sequence. And as Jim Nantz tried to collect himself in the minutes following the injury, Kellogg did his best to describe the emotions on the court.

When Steve Kerr found out that he was going to call the NCAA Tournament three years ago, he found work with Fox Sports to call Sunday night Pac-10 games and quickly got re-immersed in the college game. It was that preparation that puts him on the Final Four Level. And teamed with Marv Albert for the first two weeks of the Tournament, Kerr provides some really good tidbits especially during Michigan-Kansas.

Bill Raftery is the Mayor of College Basketball. Perfectly teamed with Uncle Verne Lundquist, Raft provides great anecdotes, one-liners and always knows when to use his signature “ONIONS!” call. I’d love for Raft to call a Final Four on TV, but you can always hear him on radio for the event.

Regional Final Level

Len Elmore and Jim Spanarkel – Len was the last ESPN exclusive holdover to remain on the Tournament after Turner came on board. Jay Bilas wasn’t kept and while Bill Raftery also works for ESPN, he does games for CBS during the regular season, pulling a rare network double. Elmore when Reggie Miller doesn’t step all over him, provides some salient points. He really could work solo with Kevin Harlan and doesn’t need Miller along side.

Jim Spanarkel works very well with Ian Eagle. It’s hard to believe that they’ve worked 17 previous tournaments together and they’re a very good team. Spanarkel was on top of trends especially when Marquette was coming back on Davidson in the second round.

First Week Level

Dan Bonner and Mike Gminski – Both ACC Network veterans, Bonner and Gminski are perfect analysts for the first weekend of games.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb and Reggie Miller – Gottlieb will harp on points to where you want him to shut up. Reggie Miller must have pictures on a network executive somewhere as he’s a terrible analyst. I understand calling NCAA Tournament games was a dream for Gottlieb, but CBS/Turner should pull the plug on him working games next year. As for Miller, he’s basketball’s version of Marcelo Balboa, a person who makes statements just to hear himself talk and makes ridiculous points.

REPORTERS

Final Four Level

Jamie Maggio, Rachel Nichols, Craig Sager

Regional Final Level

Lewis Johnson, Marty Snider, Tracy “The Wolf” Wolfson

First Week Level

Allie LaForce, Otis Livingston

STUDIO HOSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Regional Final Level

Matt Winer

STUDIO ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Anthony

Regional Final Level

Seth Davis and Steve Smith

First Week Level

Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith – I understand why Barkley and Smith are there, but they’re much better on the NBA than college basketball. Charles’ candor on the NBA works against him on the Tournament as in the case where he harped against the Big Ten.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb — Who else? Failed joke aside, Gottlieb has not differentiated himself from the pack. He overpowers people on the set. He comes off as abrasive as sandpaper.

So there you have the Awards for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Doug Gottlieb Apologizes for the White Man’s Perspective

It occurred early in CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. As host Greg Gumbel introduced Doug Gottlieb to the studio joining Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Gottlieb tried to make a diversity joke and it backfired.

You can clearly see Anthony, Barkley and Smith glaring at Gottlieb and forcing laughter. It did catch them off-guard. And while I don’t believe Gottlieb meant anything malicious towards the four African-American men on the set, the joke sank like a 500 pound boulder in water. Had Gottlieb been more likable, he might have gotten some laughs.

For its part, CBS has issued a statement from Gottlieb:

“It was not a smart thing to say and I apologize.”

Barkley did come to Gottlieb’s defense later in the evening on TBS, but that was after reaction went negative to the comments.

Former ESPN colleague Mark May called for Gottlieb to be fired, but I don’t think CBS needs to go that far.

Certainly an interesting start to the second week of the NCAA Tournament and one in which CBS would probably want a mulligan.

The Fang’s Bites College Basketball TV Awards

It’s been a while since I’ve written a College Basketball TV Awards post. It’s been so long, that I’ve lost the archive for it. That transition from Blogger to WordPress a few years back did it. This is mostly for the regular season. I’ll do a bonus TV Awards for the NCAA Tournament after the Elite Eight.

Anyway, let’s provide you with the best and the worst in college basketball.

Best Play-by-Play – Sean McDonough, ESPN. Sean had a very good year working with Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery in closing out the Big East Conference as we know it. From the start of the season in Maui to the last Big East Tournament in New York on ESPN, McDonough called some great games. He also had to overcome a rare condition that made him sensitive to noise, but once that was all said and done, McDonough, Bilas and Raftery have been working well together and holding them together is McDonough who knows when to keep it light and when to keep it serious. Sean is our winner for Best Play-by-Play this season

Honorable mentions: Andrew Catalon (CBS Sports Network), Ian Eagle (CBS), Dave Flemming (ESPN), Dave Pasch (ESPN), Dan Shulman (ESPN)

Best Game Analyst – Fran Fraschilla, ESPN. He may not work Duke-North Carolina or the other glamor conferences, however, Fran knows the nuances of basketball. He mainly works the Big 12 and was rightly returned to Big Monday games. He meshed well with his old partner, Ron Franklin when they used to work Big Monday and did well with Brent Musburger this season. Fraschilla is also utilized by ESPN on international games and he knows the in’s and out’s of what could be very ugly basketball, but he knows all of the players. Giving Fran some love here. He deserves it.

Honorable mentions: Jay Bilas (ESPN), Doris Burke (ESPN), Mike Gminski (ACC Network), Clark Kellogg (CBS), Shon Morris (Big Ten Network), Bill Raftery (CBS/ESPN), Stan Van Gundy (NBC Sports Network), Bill Walton (ESPN)

Best Reporter – Holly Rowe, ESPN. She’s usually on the Big 12 broadcasts with Brent Musburger and Fran Fraschilla, Holly finds some nuggets that other sideline reporters don’t. Yes, she has a reputation of being tough and unwilling to budge, but you want that in a reporter. And she can also call play-by-play as she’s been doing for the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

Honorable mentions: Shelley Smith (ESPN), Stephanie White (Big Ten Network)

Best Studio Host – Rece Davis, ESPN. Ever since taking over as main college basketball host for Chris Fowler in 2006, Davis has shined in this role. He hosts the basketball version of College GameDay and while it pales in comparison to its football brethren, Davis still keeps the show together. Davis does well in his role as traffic cop handing off to various analysts including Digger Phelps. Very good host and easily could host the football version of GameDay in a heartbeat.

Honorable mentions: Dave Revsine (Big Ten Network), John Saunders (ESPN), Adam Zucker (CBS Sports Network)

Best Studio Analyst – Bruce Pearl, ESPN. In his first year, Pearl has become a very good analyst. He’s shown some humor. He’s provided some decent thoughts on teams and plays. Yes, Pearl has a checkered past, but he has shown he knows the game. There’s no doubt he’s using the ESPN platform to rehabilitate his reputation and far as his analysis is concerned, it’s been solid. And let’s hope Pearl has learned his lesson should he ever get back into coaching.

Honorable mentions: Seth Greenberg (ESPN), Jim Jackson (Big Ten Network), Wally Szczerbiak (CBS Sports Network)

Best Studio Show – Inside College Basketball, CBS Sports Network. This solid show is usually aired after CBSSN’s college basketball games. We get highlights of the games, no silly debates, solid analysis and some decent humor. CBS Sports Network needs some better distribution because not everyone can see the network. Next season, take a moment to watch the show. It’s quite good.

Honorable mentions: College Basketball Live (ESPN2/ESPNU), Katz Korner (ESPNU)

Best Move – Bill Walton on Pac-12 games, ESPN. In its infinite wisdom, ESPN signed Bill Walton for Pac-12 games, returning Big Red to national television after a prolonged absence. Viewers were treated to various insights, rants and exchanges with regular partners Dave Flemming and Dave Pasch. There was one night in which Walton was teamed with Brent Musburger and it was pure TV gold. It all climaxed with Walton on the Pac-12 Tournament for both the Pac-12 Networks and the ESPN family. It was tremendous. Here’s hoping ESPN will sign Walton for another season.

Honorable mentions: Fox Sports signing the New Big East, Teaming Bruce Pearl and Seth Greenberg in the studio (ESPN)

Most Valuable Network – ESPN. ESPN has contracts all of the major conferences. It has the most inventory. And it has most of the conference championship games. This won’t change for a while.

Worst Analyst – Doug Gottlieb, CBS. The Tiffany Network brought Gottlieb in from ESPN and mostly teamed him in the studio with Seth Davis. Gottlieb comes off as angry, a know-it-all, abrasive, argumentative and overbearing. During his feigned debate segments with Davis, Gottlieb has overpowered him and also looked smug. In addition, Gottlieb points at the American people and doesn’t stop from letting us know that his opinion is the correct one. Horrible analyst.

Worst Move – CBS adds Gottlieb to the Studio. See above.

I’m saving some material for the NCAA Tournament Edition. That’s coming next week.

Some Quick Monday Sports Media Thoughts

Haven’t done a sports media thoughts post in a while. Figured you’re owed one. Let’s do this in bullet form, of course.

• ESPN’s 30 for 30 series has been good since it started, but Sunday’s “Survive and Advance” documentary on the 1983 North Carolina State NCAA Championship team elevated it to something very special. Directed by Jonathan Hock and executive produced by the team’s point guard, Derek Whittenburg, the documentary chronicled the miracle NC State team that entered the ACC Tournament with 10 losses and needed to beat Wake Forest, North Carolina and Virginia to get to the NCAA Tournament and did. And then continued its run to the Final Four where it beat Georgia to advance to the National Championship Game against Phi Slamma Jama, Houston.

  There were interviews with several members of the team including Thurl Bailey, Whittenburg, Terry Gannon who is now a broadcaster for ESPN and NBC, Cozell McQueen and others. The only ones missing were Jim Valvano who died of cancer in 1993 and Lorenzo Charles who scored the winning basket who died in a bus accident in 2011. Director Hock captured the feeling of the magical run. As usual in the 30 for 30 films, no narrator, just sound bites and archival footage, but it works extremely well in this case.

  While the team comes off very well, the star of the documentary is Gannon who is very funny and weaves some great tales. His best story was his telling of taking a charge from Houston’s Clyde Drexler in the National Championship Game.

  The 30 for 30′s have been very good, but “Survive and Advance” is truly the best of the series to date. It’s not just a very good sports documentary, but one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in any category. There are a lot of things where ESPN has fallen short, but 30 for 30 is the network’s star. It’s quality television and if you have an opportunity to watch the re-airs later this week, by all means do so. You won’t be sorry.

• College basketball’s Championship Week gave us the opportunity to see some great basketball in the conference tournaments. It also allowed us to hear Bill Walton throughout the Pac-12 Tournament. Now, I don’t have the Pac-12 Network as DirecTV continues to keep it off its lineup, but thanks to the ESPN Family of Networks, viewers were able to hear some gems from the Big Red. Yes, Walton can go off on tangents, but they are so entertaining that I watched all three games that I normally may not have viewed. It’s hard to imagine that Walton had retired a few years ago due to chronic back pain and even considered suicide. Thankfully, Walton reconsidered and underwent a procedure to correct the pain. His return to the airwaves is the viewer’s gain.

  Kudos go to Dave Pasch for being a very good straight man and for also being patient when Walton went on his rants.

  I gathered quotage from Thursday’s quarterfinals, Friday’s semifinals and Saturday’s final. It’s good reading. You’ll definitely get a laugh.

• CBS’ NCAA Tournament Selection Show returned for the 32nd consecutive year on Sunday. The network has the selections down to a science, first the number one overall seed, the picks for each region, reaction shots from selected schools, an interview with the Selection Committee Chairman and analysis. One addition this year was the Perpetually Angry Doug Gottlieb.

  Already in a crowded studio with Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and Seth Davis, Gottlieb shoehorned his opinions and overpowered Anthony and Davis to the point where they had to interrupt the ESPN retread. I understand Gottlieb is fulfilling a dream by calling NCAA Tournament games, but the studio is not his strength. Gottlieb’s performance on Sunday is on par with Joe Montana’s horrendous performance in the NFL on NBC studio back in 1995. While Gottlieb did not look like a deer caught in the headlights like Montana did, he did not come off well. He looked angry. He pointed at the American people and he tried to cram too many opinions while trying to stir things up with Davis. It was not good television. I am afraid of what will happen when Gottlieb joins the CBS/Turner studio for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight with Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.

• Lastly, we expect an announcement on the SEC TV network next month. Conference commissioner Mike Slive told Yahoo’s Pat Forde that the league will make an official unveiling of the network sometime next month. The SEC already makes megabucks from CBS and ESPN in contracts that led other conferences to follow and lead to massive upheaval ending long standing rivalries. It’s expected that ESPN will partner in an SEC cable network similar to how Fox Sports partners with the Big Ten for its network.

  When the infrastructure is in place, the SEC will make a boatload of money and follow in the footsteps of the Big Ten Network in becoming a cash cow. And viewers who were getting used to watching the over the air SEC Network which replaced Raycom in syndicating third tier games, now will have to transition to seeing those events on cable.

  More upheaval is exactly what sports fan want.

We’re done. Enjoy your Monday.

CBS/ Turner Unveil 2013 NCAA Tournament Announcing Teams

Announced today by the CBS/Turner Sports consortium for the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the 75th incarnation of college basketball’s national championship, will be the men and women who will be in front of the camera this year. As usual, Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will work the Final Four™ from Atlanta.

Some changes from last year, first Doug Gottlieb who came to CBS from ESPN late last year will call 2nd and 3rd round games with Spero Dedes replacing Bob Wenzel. Lesley Visser becomes a special contributor to the studio shows, leaving the sidelines. Rachel Nichols of Turner Sports takes her place on the team of Uncle Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. And Allie LaForce, co-host of CBS Sports Network’s Lead Off with the aforementioned Gottlieb will work the sidelines as well with Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel.

Your regional final teams will be Nantz/Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson, Marv Albert/Steve Kerr /Craig Sager, Lundquist/Raftery/Nichols and Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson.

Calling the one half of the First Four™ games in Dayton, OH will be Albert and Kerr on March 19.

And the studio will be manned by hosts Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson in New York with Matt Winer in Atlanta. Studio analysts will be Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Seth Davis, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Steve Smith. Doug Gottlieb joins the New York crew for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

Here’s the CBS/Turner announcement.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports Return All-Star Line-up of Broadcast Teams for Coverage of 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship

?Turner Sports and CBS Sports today announces its lineup of broadcast teams for the third year of combined coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Once again, CBS Sports and Turner Sports provide live, full national coverage of the tournament’s 67 games across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – as well as across multiple platforms including NCAA March Madness Live®.

The tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20 with the NCAA FIRST FOUR™ on truTV Presented by Northwestern Mutual. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr will be courtside calling the action from Dayton, Ohio on March 19, with Craig Sager reporting. Wednesday’s FIRST FOUR broadcast team, which will also call the second and third round games from the Dayton site, will be announced on Selection Sunday.

For the third consecutive year Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr and reporter Tracy Wolfson will team up for the Final Four® and National Championship game live from Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, April 6 and Monday, April 8.

Joining this year’s announcer line-up are Doug Gottlieb, who will serve as a game and studio analyst, and courtside reporters Rachel Nichols and Allie LaForce.

Following are the announcer pairings for the second and third rounds (Thursday, March 21-Sunday, March 24):

Play-By-Play / Analyst // Reporter
*Regional Announce Teams

Jim Nantz / Clark Kellogg // Tracy Wolfson*
Marv Albert / Steve Kerr // Craig Sager*
Verne Lundquist / Bill Raftery // Rachel Nichols*
Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Len Elmore // Lewis Johnson*
Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Allie LaForce
Brian Anderson / Dan Bonner // Marty Snider
Tim Brando / Mike Gminski // Otis Livingston
Spero Dedes / Doug Gottlieb // Jaime Maggio

Studio Coverage

For the third consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will utilize two studios, based in New York and Atlanta, to cover all the tournament action. Studio coverage again will be anchored by Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson with Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony and Kenny Smith providing analysis throughout the tournament from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Matt Winer anchors the coverage from Turner Studios in Atlanta and will be joined by Seth Davis and Steve Smith. In addition, Lesley Visser will serve as a contributor.

During the Regional Semi-finals and Finals, Gottlieb will join the New York studio team. Gumbel will remain in New York alongside Barkley, Anthony, Gottlieb and Kenny Smith, while Johnson will shift to the Atlanta studio to join Davis and Steve Smith.

Studio coverage for the FIRST FOUR originates from Atlanta and will feature Johnson, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Steve Smith on Tuesday with Winer, Davis and Steve Smith providing analysis on Wednesday.

There you have it.

Wringing Out Some Thursday Linkage

This has been a rather bizarre 24 hour period trying to follow this Manti Te’o story.

I’m going to provide some linkage for you.

Timothy Burke and Jack Dickey at Deadspin provide some information on what the media missed on the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend story.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says it’s time for the sports media to stop putting athletes on pedestals.

TMZ is on the case of the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend. You know what it did with Tiger Woods.

Jackie Pepper talks with a Notre Dame player who acknowledges that the team knew that Manti Te’o's girlfriend was a lie all along.

In Outkick the Coverage, Clay Travis chronicles how Manti Te’o's fake girlfriend broke the internets last night.

Ed Sherman in The Sherman Report praises Deadspin’s story on Manti Te’o, but with one caveat.

Jim Romenesko has statements from the South Bend Tribune’s executive editor in response to readers’ questions in regards to its story on Te’o back in October.

Todd Spangler of Broadcasting & Cable says the Oprah Winfrey Network will stream tonight’s interview with Lance Armstrong as will several cable and satellite providers.

Juliet Macur of the New York Times has several questions that Oprah should have asked Lance Armstrong.

Newsday’s Neil Best says the New York Islanders pending move to Brooklyn hasn’t affected the team’s broadcasters. Yet.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says YES generates the ratings.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with CBS Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb.

Sports Media Watch notes that Fox scored with Seattle-Atlanta.

SMW says last Saturday’s Packers-49ers game was the lowest-rated NFL Divisional Playoff game on Fox in four years.

SMW tells us that last Saturday’s Ravens-Broncos scored for CBS, but was still down from last year’s comparable NFL playoff game.

That will conclude the linkage for now.

CBS Sports Radio To Be All Over Super Bowl XLVII

With the launch of CBS Sports Radio last week, one of the events made for the network is the Super Bowl. And with CBS being a rightsholder both on TV and through radio (albeit through Dial Global Sports), CBS Sports Radio does have some added access for the Big Game this year.

All of its weekday shows, except for Farrell on the Bench and Damon Amendolara will be live from New Orleans, providing listeners a flavor of what’s happening on Radio Row from the Super Bowl.

Noted shows like TBD (Brandon Tierney, Tiki Barber and Dana Jacobson), John Feinstein, Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb will have their programs originating from the Big Easy and you’ll hear guests throughout the week who will give their opinion about the Super Bowl or plug products.

Some 75 hours will be produced from New Orleans on CBS Sports Radio and also includes selected weekend shows.

Here’s the CBS Sports Radio release.

CBS SPORTS RADIO TAKES THE SHOW ON THE ROAD BROADCASTING NEARLY 75 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING FROM SUPER BOWL XLVII IN NEW ORLEANS

Live Coverage From Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney, Dana Jacobson, John Feinstein, Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb

CBS Sports Radio, the newly created national radio network available on more than 250 stations across the country with in excess of 10 million listeners, is going on the road with a wide range of programming originating from New Orleans in anticipation of the CBS Television Network’s exclusive broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, February 3.

Beginning on Monday, Jan. 28 (6:00AM, ET) with the morning show featuring Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson, CBS Sports Radio will present a daily all-access look at the world’s biggest sporting event with expert analysis and commentary, an array of athlete and celebrity interviews, conversations with Hall of Famers, present and former coaches, and newsmakers, as well as extensive fan interaction and listener exchanges.

Broadcasts continue with John Feinstein (9:00AM-12:00Noon, ET), Jim Rome (12:00Noon-3:00PM, ET) and Doug Gottlieb (3:00-6:00PM) live from Radio Row at the Super Bowl XLVII media center.  All CBS Sports Radio programs will originate from CBS’s dedicated broadcast position alongside select CBS Sports Network shows, a number of CBS RADIO’s all-sports radio stations including WFAN-AM/FM (New York), WSCR-AM (Chicago), KRLD-FM (Dallas), WBZ-FM (Boston), and WIP-FM (Philadelphia), among other Top 25 outlets, as well as CBSSports.com.

Additionally, a variety of shows will broadcast from New Orleans live on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3, including programs hosted by CBS Sports Radio hosts Tierney and John Kincade.

“All of our shows are off to a great start and we are eagerly anticipating being on site for the world’s biggest sporting event,” said Eric Spitz, Director, Programming, CBS Sports Radio. “What makes radio so captivating is its ability to react in real time to the day’s news and events, and get up close and personal with callers and guests. And nothing matches the excitement and spectacle of the Super Bowl. With this winning combination, we intend to capture the enthusiasm of Super Bowl week and give our listeners the feeling they are in the center of the action.”

That’s it for this post.

The Big Dozen Sports Media Stories of 2012

Time for the look back at the Year in Sports Media in 2012. Lots of great stuff. The year has been very interesting and we have seen a lot of things.

Just doing a Top Ten is never enough for the Year in Review. It’s always an even dozen with some honorable mentions mixed in.

Let’s go over what were the Sports Media Stories of 2012.

12. Embrace Debate Leads To Rob Parker Suspension

One of the silliest stories in 2012 was ESPN’s commitment to debate programming. Two shows were revamped to accommodate more debate among ESPN personalities, First Take and Numbers Never Lie. Due to outrageous statements made on First Take, mostly by Skip Bayless, the show received lots of attention and increased ratings. But the pressure to stand out may have caught up with Rob Parker who questioned whether DC NFL Team quarterback Robert Griffin III’s authenticity.

It led to Parker’s suspension and allegedly more oversight over the shows. We’ll see if it leads to some more control and fewer outrageous statements.

11. Steve Sabol (1942-2012)

One of the pioneers in sports television passed away in 2012. Steve Sabol’s impact on the National Football League’s popularity through NFL Films cannot be measured. With his father Ed, the Sabols brought fans closer to the game by thinking outside the box. Games weren’t just regular contests, they became movies with Hollywood production values and full orchestrations. Instead of showing games from high in the stadium, NFL Films went to field level and made extreme closeups of the players. In addition, Ed and Steve introduced slow motion photography to sports.

In 2011, Ed Sabol was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It would behoove voters to induct Steve sometime soon to join his dad.

10. Big Media Taps Into New Media

2012 saw Turner Sports purchased the much-criticized and now-improving Bleacher Report, USA Today buying Big Lead Sports and NBC Sports aligned itself with Yahoo! Sports. This is more than getting pageviews and improving comScores, this is about expanding portfolios and attracting younger audiences. According to comScore, Yahoo! has been the most popular sports news site for several years outpacing ESPN.com. Bleacher Report may get criticized for its multiple and questionable slideshows, but its hiring of some respected editors and writers have increased the quality of the site to the point where Turner Sports purchased the site for beaucoup bucks. And I have to make this disclaimer, Fang’s Bites is an independently-owned blog that is affiliated with USA Today Media Group. We will see more purchases in 2013.

9. NASCAR Renews with Fox

Fox Sports was the first of NASCAR’s TV partners to renew its ties with the sport taking the first half of the Sprint Cup season. For an estimated pricetag of over $2.4 billion through 2022, Fox remains with NASCAR in a relationship that dates back to 2002. Fox is expected to put some of its races on its new all-sports channel, but we’ll get to that later. And expect live on-streaming in this new contract. However, NASCAR’s ratings are a question-mark, but bidding for the second half in 2013 is expected to bring even more money. It’s all going to be quite an interesting year for NASCAR.

8. NBC Steals English Premier League and Formula One From Fox

October turned out to be a good month for NBC Sports Group as far as acquisitions were concerned. It first obtained the rights to Formula 1 as Fox gave just a nominal bid. Then a couple of weeks later, it emerged as the frontrunner to the English Premier League and then won out over a concerted combined bid from ESPN/Fox. While NBC Sports Network won’t be known as a college sports destination or for MLB, perhaps it can become an international sports channel with the EPL, Formula 1 and Olympic Sports. NBC Sports Network will have some sports to watch year-round with the English Premier League, Formula 1, MLS and the NHL (when it finally returns).

7. NFL Network Picks Up Its Last Two Holdouts

Since 2010, NFL Network has been gaining momentum in picking up carriage agreements with the major cable providers. It finally was able to sign deals in 2012 with its last two remaining holdouts, first Cablevision in August and then the very last one, Time Warner Cable in September. Thanks to the increased audience, NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package had record ratings for its new 13 game schedule. It was a struggle for NFL Network to get all eight major cable and satellite providers on board, but after eight years, it finally got it done.

6. MLB New TV Contracts For A Lot of $$$

It started in August when ESPN renewed rights for its three nights of baseball games, a return to postseason and an increased amount of games for a total of $5.6 billion over eight years. Then in October, MLB announced deals with Fox and Turner for a combined $6.8 billion through 2021, providing them with TV Everywhere rights, postseason deals and a package of regular season games. For Fox, it allows the network to put games on its anticipated all-sports cable channel, but again, more on that later.

5. CBS & NBC Announce New Sports Radio Networks

2012 brought two new national networks to the sports talk radio scene. Within two days of each other, NBC Sports Radio and CBS Sports Radio were announced by both companies and with respective partners Dial Global and Cumulus Radio. NBC Sports Radio has been airing limited weekend programming since September, however, CBS Sports Radio chose to wait until this month to begin full operation with a 24/7 lineup. Both have a long way to go to match the firepower and the reputation of ESPN Radio that has been on the scene since the early 1990′s, however, CBS has hired familiar names like Jim Rome, Doug Gottlieb, John Feinstein, Scott Ferrall and Dana Jacobson. NBC will wait until the NCAA Final Four to finalize its weekday lineup. No matter the case, ESPN Radio finds itself with some formidable competition to join Yahoo! Sports Radio and Fox Sports Radio for listeners.

4. ESPN Free Agency

We had some big names leave the ESPN nest, Erin Andrews, Steve Berthiaume, Michelle Beadle, Cindy Brunson, Doug Gottlieb, Dana Jacobson, Michael Yam to name a few, but many stayed including Scott Van Pelt. This seemed to be quite the year for free agency for ESPN. In some cases, the network chose not to renew and wave goodbye to those departing, others decided not to return for other opportunities while in others, ESPN went out of its way to make sure its desired talent stayed. For the first time, ESPN was transparent in making statements about its free agency signings or departures. In the past, it had issued terse statements when media inquiries were made.

3. Fox Spending Spree

As the year-end was approaching, Fox Sports through its parent, News Corp., went on a spending spree unlike any other in sports media. It not only set up an all-sports cable channel for operation in 2013 (again, more on this later), but it bought into the YES Network which will eventually lead into a majority share of the New York Yankees regional sports network and fully purchased Sports Time Ohio for the Cleveland MLB Team. In addition, Fox is reportedly close to signing a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for its media rights. News Corp. had money to spend with the company splitting off its publishing holdings into a separate company and of course, the proverbial fiscal cliff where tax credits were about to change. Will we see more of Fox’s financial muscle in 2013? I think that’s a safe bet.

2. The Emergence of Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2

While NBC Sports Network was attempting to bid for major sports properties, Fox Sports was quietly forming its cable sports strategy for 2013 and beyond. We began hearing rumblings about Fox rebranding Speed into an all-sports channel that would be named “Fox Sports 1″ then at the end of the year, the company’s Fuel channel would also be rebranded as “Fox Sports 2″.

In its new contracts with MLB, NASCAR, the Pac-12, UFC and other sports properties it signed in 2012, Fox had a provision to put games and events on Fox Sports 1. As part of its new contract with Major League Baseball, Fox Sports can place 40 regular season games on cable as well as several postseason games. We should expect a number of NASCAR Sprint Cup races on FS1 and most likely see some UFC events as well.

The strategy is in place. Let’s see how it’s enacted in 2013 and beyond.

1. NBC’s Olympics Both Fail and Succeed

Up until the London Olympics begin in late July, NBCUniversal had been downplaying both ratings and financial expectations stating that it expected to lose money and the ratings for a tape delayed event would not be as good as in 2008 when events were carried live from Communist China. Somewhere along the way, something happened. NBC broke even financially on the Olympics and they became the most watched event in US television history. That was the successful part.

The failure was the tape delayed aspect when many viewers wanted to watch events live. The #NBCFAIL hashtag on Twitter quickly spread like wildfire during the first weekend of the Olympics. In addition, online streaming was sluggish and haggard. But even with the delays and streaming problems, Americans still watched in droves. When the games were said and done, NBCUniversal could pat itself on the back.

Honorable Mentions:

Struggles of new regional sports networks to gain carriage agreements.
NHL Does Well; But Shoots Itself in the Foot with the Lockout
Tim Tebow Overload
ESPN Continues Dominance in College Sports

CBS Sports Network’s “Lead Off” Premieres Tonight

I had the opportunity to meet the fine people at CBS Sports public relations during my visit to New York. Thanks to Dan Sabeen for the invitation.

One program we discussed was tonight’s premiere of CBS Sports Network’s “Lead Off” that premieres at midnight (Tuesday, to be exact). Doug Gottlieb and Allie LaForce will co-host. This will not only discuss what happened during the day, but also talk about the sports issues coming up in the next 24 hours, thus the title “Lead Off” … You get it now, don’t you?

Here’s the blurb from CBS Sports in regards to “Lead Off” on CBS Sports Network.

THIS JUST IN…
…from CBS Sports Network

LEAD OFF, CBS Sports Network’s new live, hour-long late night show premieres tonight, Monday, Oct. 22, at 12:00 MIDNIGHT, ET. Co-hosts Doug Gottlieb and AllieLaForce drive the conversation for LEAD OFF with commentary and debate on the top sports news focusing on the next day’s conversation.

The show features a mix of live guests, highlights, energetic debate and commentary from Gottlieb and LaForce, as well as others, that advances the storylines fans will be discussing in the morning.

That’s all. Watch the show, otherwise CBS Sports PR will get on my case for not promoting it.

Some Sunday Linkage

I have some time on this NFL Sunday to provide some rare weekend linkage. Let’s get to it.

Chris Chase at USA Today’s Game On blog notes that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has confirmed that he’s dating ESPN College GameDay’s Samantha Steele.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News talks about the Pac-12 Networks being made available to Apple mobile devices as long as they’re subscribers of participating cable and satellite providers.

Ed Sherman of The Sherman Report reviews this week’s 30 for 30 documentary which has a Chicago slant.

Sports Media Watch says expect Fox to be a player for the rights to the second half of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season if ESPN and Turner falter in their negotiations next year.

SportsRantz says Jen Royle is owed an apology by Toronto Blue Jays fans after she correctly reported that John Farrell was a target of the Red Sox for its managerial opening.

Brandon Costa of Sports Video Group says Fox Sports is ready to launch its New Orleans channel with the rights to the Hornets in hand.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead notes that actress Natalie Portman turned heads at the Baylor-Texas game last night.

Stephen Douglas of The Big Lead has video evidence of Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Ryan Lochte being dumber than you and me.

Tom Ley at Deadspin notes that ESPN’s Rick Reilly got fooled by web satire once again.

Once again, Phil Mushnick at the New York Post finds something to hate.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog recaps President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s comments on DC NFL team QB Robert Griffin III on Fox NFL Sunday.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with Doug Gottlieb about his new CBS Sports Network late night show.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times rates the commissioners‘ of MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL.

Nice to have Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News back in Fang’s Bites. He wonders where are the Cowboys fans as the team’s TV ratings have fallen like a rock this season.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle bids farewell to Big Tex, the huge statue that adorned the Texas State Fair outside Dallas that burned down on Friday and the voice of Big Tex.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman reviews Fox Sports Net’s production of last night’s Oklahoma blowout of Kansas.

The Oklahoman notes that ESPN’s College GameDay will be at the Notre Dame-Oklahoma game in Norman next Saturday.

The Cincinnati Enquirier’s John Kiesewetter talks with NBC’s Al Michaels who got his big break in the Queen City.

John has some outtakes with Al that didn’t make the newspaper story.

Joe Reedy of the Enquirer talks with Cris Collinsworth who will have a heavy heart working with Al Michaels tonight.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco has his work cut out for him in negotiating a new TV contract for the conference.

At TimeOut Chicago, Robert Feder discusses Jenny McCarthy joining the Sun-Times as a columnist, the Tribune going behind the dreaded paywall, and Bob Brenly’s replacement as Cubs analyst.

At the Los Angeles Daily News, Tom Hoffarth recalls the 31st Anniversary of “Blue Monday” for the Dodgers with Vin Scully.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog enjoys the MLB International productions over TBS and Fox in the postseason.

And that will do it.

Bringing Back The Friday Megalinks

It’s been too long since I’ve done a links post and why not do this with a Friday megalink post.

Your Weekend Viewing Picks have all of my sports and entertainment suggestions.

Now to your linkage.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today talks with Fox’s Erin Andrews about her being put under a bigger microscope now that she has higher profile gigs.

John Ourand & Michael Botta from Sports Business Daily handicap the bidding for the US rights to the English Premier League.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that the EPL bidding is going to a second round.

At Sports on Earth, Will Leitch makes no bones about being a Joe Buck apologist.

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy looks at the ratings for three KHL airings on ESPN2.

To The Godfather, Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina who notes that in Hot Clicks, ESPN’s Samantha Steele is taken. Sorry, fanboys.

Jim Romenesko notices that ESPN.com is trying to play eye doctor.

Jane McManus of espnW looks at MLB’s new dress policy for reporters.

Sports Rantz explores the revamping of the 6 p.m. ET SportsCenter that could lead to more appearances for Lindsay Czarniak.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks with CBS’ Doug Gottlieb about his first job in broadcasting.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Ronnie Ramos says reporters should throw objectivity out the window when it comes to social media.

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group says YES Network is finding a TV-friendly environment at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

David Goetzl of MediaPost says ESPN is trying to expand the SportsCenter brand beyond television.,

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid has today’s New York Post cover involving the Yankees.

Kristi Dosh as ESPN.com says GoDaddy’s hiring of a new ad agency could lead to the dropping of spokesperson Danica Patrick.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell says it’s good that the Chicago White Sox listened to their fans and dropped ticket prices for next season.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has the worst sports tweets of 2012 to date.

Leah Goldman of the Business Insider’s Sports Page has what you need to know about ESPN’s Samantha Steele.

Joe Favorito looks at the Battle for the Big Apple, NBA style.

Dave Kohl of The Broadcast Booth takes a look at Joe Buck’s rare NFL/MLB doubleheader on Sunday.

Bob’s Blitz talks about CBS Sports Radio giving writer John Feinstein a daily show when the network launches in 2013.

East and Mid-Atlantic

The Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal and Maine Hockey Journal have formed a partnership on local sports coverage.

At the Boston Globe, Chad Finn reviews Comcast SportNet New England’s NFL Pregame Live show.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette talks with a former WEEI morning show personality.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says Time Inc. has tapped a Sports Illustrated web editor to head its entire sports portfolio.

In the New York Post, Phil Mushnick wants everyone to be like him.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY notes that the Yankees and Giants top the local TV ratings.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union compares and contrasts Fox and TBS in the MLB Postseason.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call notes that a local sports talk show host is no longer employed at his radio station.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com has Baltimore Ravens voice and local sports anchor Gerry Sandusky explaining why he won’t change his name.

Also in Press Box, Dave says the Washington Nationals are seeking a bigger rights fee from MASN.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the City Paper will not mention the DC NFL team by its regular name.

Dan says Fox was filming a spot regarding DC NFL team QB Robert Griffin III this week.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the Nationals’ brand is seeing more attention after its regular season success.

South

Rick Stroud at the Tampa Bay Times says Sunday’s game involving the Saints and Bucs did sell out in time.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle has some college football announcer pairings and a few local news and notes.

In his media notebook, Mel Bracht at The Oklahoman looks at Bill Simmons making the dangerous move to television.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says Time Warner Cable picks up three local high school football games this weekend.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has ESPN college basketball analyst Dan Dakich handicapping the Big Ten.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs, WGN and Comcast SportsNet will quickly decide on a replacement for Bob Brenly who left and took his talents to the Southwest.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch wonders why the Sun-Times would hire Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy to be a columnist.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that the local Fox TV station had to juggle severe warning alerts while airing the Cardinals in the NLCS.

West

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the Diamondbacks have named their new TV broadcasting team.

John Maffei of the North County Times writes on a former San Diego Charger who’s deciding whether he wants to play in the CFL or pursue broadcasting full-time.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star explores the cast changes to ESPN’s NBA Countdown pregame show.

In his media notebook, Jim says the Pac-12 Network can be found online for subscribers of participating cable and satellite providers.

Jim has his Weekend Viewing Picks.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News is fed up of cable carriage disputes.

Tom has some stuff that didn’t make it into his column.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail talks with former NHL coach and TV analyst Mike Keenan on how to survive the lockout.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog has some of the local sports radio ratings.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog says MLB got a rare ratings win over the CFL last Friday.

And that will conclude the megalinks. Enjoy the sports weekend.

CBS Sports Network Announces Co-Host of Doug Gottlieb’s Late Night Show

CBS Sports Network’s late night show, Lead Off, to be hosted by Doug Gottlieb now will have a co-host. Allie LaForce steps to the big time from Cleveland to become Gottlieb’s co-hort on the show.

CBS Sports Network previously announced Lead Off as a vehicle for Gottlieb as part of luring him from ESPN. The show will be seen at midnight ET and will begin next Monday.

Here’s the press release from CBS Sports Network.

CBS SPORTS NETWORK’S NEW LATE NIGHT SHOW “LEAD OFF” DEBUTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 22

Courtesy AllieLaForce.net

ALLIE LaFORCE TO CO-HOST “LEAD OFF” WITH DOUG GOTTLIEB

CBS Sports Network’s new live, late night show, LEAD OFF, which will air weekdays from 12:00-1:00 AM, ET, debuts Monday, Oct. 22.  The show has added Allie LaForce as co-host, teaming with Doug Gottlieb. LEAD OFF will feature commentary and debate on the top stories and news with a focus on the next day’s conversation.

Gottlieb and LaForce will lead off together this week as contributors on ROME, which airs on CBS Sports Network from 6:00-6:30 PM, ET.

LaForce previously worked for Fox 8 News in Cleveland, Ohio as a sports anchor, as well as a color analyst and sideline reporter for the regional sports network SportsTime Ohio.  She also has been a studio host covering the Mid-American Conference and various high school championships.

LaForce graduated magna cum laude from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She was a member of the Ohio University women’s basketball team for two years, before leaving to start her broadcasting career. In 2005, LaForce was named Miss Teen USA, the first winner from the state of Ohio.

LEAD OFF will provide perspective on the sports news of the day, advancing the storylines fans will be discussing in the morning.  The show will serve as the first opportunity for sports fans to discuss and debate, ‘What’s next?’, while featuring a mix of live guests, highlights, energetic debate and commentary from Gottlieb, LaForce and others, reacting to the biggest stories and events of the day, with a targeted focus on the hot topics and tomorrow’s headlines.

LEAD OFF will be produced by dick clark productions, and originate from CBS Sports Network’s Orange County, California-based studio.

Follow us on Twitter: @CBSSportsGang

That’s going to do it.

Doug Gottlieb Joins CBS

CBS has officially announced the signing of Doug Gottlieb into the company. He’ll join the upstart CBS Sports Radio which will begin in January. He’ll host the 3-6 p.m. ET slot.

In addition, he’ll join CBS Sports as a college basketball analyst on games and in the studio. He’ll have a role on the NCAA Tournament.

Doug will host a weekday show on the CBS Sports Network and will also be a college basketball analyst.

Gottlieb will also contribute to CBSSports.com.

So the Perpetually Angry Gottlieb will be one of the stars for CBS as it goes into a new generation of analysts. Lots of platforms where he’ll be utilized.

Here’s the CBS announcement.

CBS SIGNS DOUG GOTTLIEB TO MULTI-PLATFORM DEAL ACROSS THE COMPANY’S SPORTS PROPERTIES

FORMER ESPN PERSONALITY TO HOST AFTERNOONS ON NEWLY CREATED CBS SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
GOTTLIEB NAMED ANALYST FOR CBS SPORTS’ COLLEGE BASKETBALL,
HOST OF DAILY SHOW ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK AND CBSSPORTS.COM CONTRIBUTOR

Multi-faceted sportscaster Doug Gottlieb of ESPN has signed a multi-year deal with CBS and will contribute across CBS Sports properties, it was announced today by Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports, and Dan Mason, President and CEO, CBS RADIO.

Among the platforms that Gottlieb will be featured on are:

• CBS SPORTS RADIO – Gottlieb will host afternoons (3:00-6:00 PM, ET) on CBS Sports Radio, the newly created 24-hour, seven-day-a-week network featuring national programming from premier entities CBS RADIO and CBS Sports. He will debut on Jan. 2, 2013, the same day CBS Sports Radio launches.

Reaching an audience of close to 10 million listeners, CBS Sports Radio will be heard across nearly 90 CBS RADIO and Cumulus Media radio stations and affiliates in the U.S., including nine of the nation’s Top 10 markets.

• CBS SPORTS – Gottlieb will serve as studio and game analyst for CBS Sports’ coverage of regular-season college basketball and the Network’s joint coverage with Turner Sports of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
• CBS SPORTS NETWORK – Gottlieb will host a new show airing weekdays on CBS Sports Network beginning this fall and will be an analyst for regular-season college basketball.
• CBSSPORTS.COM – Gottlieb will be an exclusive contributor to CBSSports.com, including columns, podcasts and College Basketball 360.

“This is the first of many prominent personalities we will be adding to the CBS Sports Radio lineup,” said Mason. “Doug is well-versed in today’s sports landscape and for years has entertained audiences with his unique blend of wit, honesty and outspokenness – traits essential for creating great radio programming. We are thrilled to provide this exciting show to our new and soon-to-be announced affiliates across the country.”

“With his ability to host both radio and television shows plus his studio and courtside analysis on college basketball, Doug is a triple threat, and the perfect fit across CBS Sports’ many platforms,” said McManus. “Doug brings a wide fan base and a fresh take on sports, and we are excited to develop a unique show with him on CBS Sports Network.”

“CBS has among its portfolio the most powerful assets in all of sports and is home to arguably the greatest championship event – the NCAA Tournament,” said Gottlieb. “Thinking about the reach of CBS Sports Radio and the continued growth of CBS Sports Network, coupled with quality online reporting and the overall distinguished reputation of CBS Sports, this was an easy choice to make, and an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”

“Listeners of my radio show will enjoy a fast, highly opinionated program that will challenge and engage sports fans nationwide.  And I’m looking forward to developing a new television program, following in the steps of my former colleague and friend Jim Rome,” added Gottlieb.

Previously, Gottlieb was a college basketball analyst on ESPN and host of The Doug Gottlieb Show on ESPN Radio. Before joining ESPN, Gottlieb co-hosted a midday sports talk show at WWLS-AM in Oklahoma City, Okla. Gottlieb was a college basketball point guard at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. He graduated with a marketing degree from Oklahoma State in 2000, holding every assists record at OSU and in the Big 12 Conference. Gottlieb is tenth all-time in assists in NCAA history.

More later.

Some Olympic Media Links

I owe you some linkage and I gathered so many over the last few days that I’m slowing down by browser with so many tabs. I have to clear them so my browser can run properly.

So many things to go over. Let’s do this.

First at SportsGrid, Jordan Rabinowitz at SportsGrid notes that NBC actually spoiled itself by running a Today Show promo about Missy Franklin winning the gold medal in her 100 meter backstroke race just minutes before it aired!

Cork Gaines of the Business Insider has video of that Today promo. It’s in proper context too.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today live blogs Monday night’s NBC primetime telecast.

Michael explains NBC’s policy of holding the glamor Olympic events for primetime.

Will Oremus at Slate reviews the very strange story of NBC getting a UK reporter’s Twitter account suspended because he was critical of the network’s tape delay shenanigans and for tweeting a public e-mail address of a network producer.

Sam Masters of The Independent in the UK says that reporter is a colleague at his newspaper.

Ty Duffy of The Big Lead has NBC’s statement on the matter through Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch.

Sports Business Daily Global looks at the global Olympic TV ratings.

Sports Business Daily notes the three-day average rating for NBC for the first weekend of the 2012 Olympics.

John Ourand at SBD’s Olympic site says NBC is utilizing its Comcast SportsNet affiliates to help promote the Games.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has an interview with NBC Olympics rowing analyst Yasmin Farooq.

Matt writes that NBC’s tape delay policy continues to anger some viewers.

Steve Lepore of SB Nation says despite the tape delays, NBC has nothing to apologize for.

Jeff Jarvis at Buzz Machine is intrigued by the Twitter hashtag #nbcfail which has been popping up since the Olympics began.

ESPN’s Julie Foudy is saddened by US Women’s Soccer National Team goaltender Hope Solo’s Twitter attacks on former teammate Brandi Chastain who has been working for NBC during the Olympics.

John Clarke at Forbes SportsMoney says NBC reaped in the ratings for the Opening Ceremony last Friday, but took a beating on Twitter.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says while every Olympic event is being streamed online by NBC, not everyone can see them.

Richard says NBC may have thought putting events online would have eased complaints about tape delays, but they haven’t.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report looks at how newspapers are covering the 2012 Olympics with fewer resources at their disposal in the present day.

Ed says problems with online streaming at NBCOlympics.com should be expected.

By the way, I tried to watch the streaming of Missy Franklin in the 100 meter backstroke on Monday and this is how it looked on my iPad through the NBC Olympics Live Extra app. Actual image.

It should be much clearer than that, but I’m getting that type of quality especially when an event of high interest is on. NBC has to correct that.

Sports Media Watch says Olympic Daytime and Late Night are doing well for NBC.

SMW says the Olympics are off to a fast start on NBC.

A few links that aren’t Olympic-related.

The Big Lead reports that the Perpetually Angry Doug Gottlieb is expected to leave ESPN for CBS and a formal announcement will be made later this week.

SportsRantz got up early on Monday and took notes on the first hour of the premiere edition of NFL AM.

Dave Kohl at The Broadcast Booth says a new policy on making injuries public could hurt Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporters.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette can’t believe the latest in bad home run calls by Yankees radio voice John Sterling.

Sports Media Watch says it appears ESPN has snatched the rights to the new “Champions Bowl” that will pit teams from the SEC and Big 12.

And that’s is where we will end the linkage for now.