Fang's Bites

NFL Viewing Picks for Week 9, 11/02/08

NFL Gameday Morning -NFL Network, 10 a.m.
Fox NFL Sunday – Fox, noon

1 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Baltimore at Cleveland – Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon
Houston at Minnesota – Dick Enberg/Randy Cross
Jacksonville at Cincinnati – Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker
New York Jets at Buffalo – Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

Fox Coverage Map
Arizona at St. Louis – Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick
Detroit at Chicago – Sam Rosen/Tim Ryan/Chris Myers
Green Bay at Tennessee – Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Sirgausa
Tampa Bay at Kansas City – Ron Pitts/Tony Boselli/Charissa Thompson!!!

4:05 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Miami at Denver – Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

4:15 p.m.
Fox Coverage Map
Atlanta at Oakland – Matt Vasgersian/JC Pearson/Nischelle Turner
Dallas at New York Giants – Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Philadelphia at Seattle – Dick Stockton/Brian Baldinger/Laura Okmin

7 p.m.
Football Night in America – NBC

8:15 p.m.
New England at Indianapolis – NBC, Al Michaels/John Madden/Andrea Kremer

11:30 p.m.
NFL Gameday Final – NFL Network

DirecTV Channel Assignments
Sirius Satellite Radio Channel Assignments
XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

College Football Viewing Picks for 11/01/08, All Times Eastern

College Gameday, live from Lubbock, TX – ESPN, 10 a.m.

noon
Central Michigan at Indiana- Big Ten Network
Michigan at Purdue – Big Ten Network

Wisconsin at Michigan State – ESPN
Northwestern at Minnesota – ESPN2
Air Force at Army – ESPNU

Miami at Virginia – Raycom

Brown at Penn – Versus

12:30 p.m.
Kansas State at Kansas – FSN
Auburn at Ole Miss – Raycom

2 p.m.
San Diego State at Wyoming – the mtn.

2:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame – NBC

3 p.m.
College Football Countdown – ABC
College Football Today – CBS

3:30 p.m.
ABC/ESPN Coverage Map
Florida State at Georgia Tech – ABC/ESPN
Iowa at Illinois – ABC/ESPN
Iowa State at Oklahoma State – ABC
Oregon at California – ABC

Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville, FL – CBS
Temple at Navy – CBS College Sports

Clemson at Boston College – ESPNU

6 p.m.
BYU at Colorado State – the mtn.

6:30 p.m.
Washington at USC – FSN

7 p.m.
College Football Scoreboard – ESPN
Tennessee at South Carolina – ESPN2
Louisville at Syracuse – ESPNU

8 p.m.
Texas at Texas Tech – ABC

TCU at UNLV – CBS College Sports

Nebraska at Oklahoma – ESPN

9:30 p.m.
Utah at New Mexico – the mtn.

10:15/10:30 p.m.
Arizona State at Oregon State – FSN (10:15 p.m.)
South Carolina at Delaware State – ESPNU (10:30 p.m.), same day coverage

Please Stand By

I’m in the midst of this really horrible work stretch which not only has cut into blogging, but also prevented me from doing Amazing Race 13 and Amazing Race Asia 3 episode recaps. It’s basically been throughout this month and I hope it eases up after this weekend. Maybe it was extra week of extended daylight, who knows?

You may have noticed I haven’t provided links over the last couple of days and the Friday megalinks will definitely be affected by this. I’m hoping to get them up during the evening hours so again, I ask you to bear with me as I fight through this stretch.

I hope to able to provide you with a regular blogging schedule next week.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Football
South Florida at Cincinnati – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

NBA
Houston at Dallas – TNT, 8 p.m.
New Orleans at Phoenix – TNT, 10:30 p.m.
Inside the NBA – TNT, 1 a.m.

NHL
Atlanta at New York Rangers – SportSouth/MSG Network, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Philadelphia – MSG Plus/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Buffalo – Sun Sports/MSG Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Florida – NHL Network (Canada & US)/Fox Sports Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Nashville – Fox Sports Tennessee, 8 p.m.
Montreal at Minnesota – RDS/KSTC, 8 p.m.
Carolina at St. Louis – Fox Sports Carolinas/Fox Sports Midwest, 8:30 p.m.
Boston at Calgary – NESN/CITY TV, 9 p.m.
Columbus at Colorado – Fox Sports Ohio/Altitude, 9 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Phoenix – FSN Pittsburgh/Fox Sports Arizona, 10 p.m.
NHL On The Fly – NHL Network, 10 p.m.
Vancouver at Los Angeles – Fox Sports West, 10:30 p.m.
Detroit at San Jose – Fox Sports Detroit/Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 10:30 p.m.

Entertainment
Survivor: Gabon – CBS, 8 p.m.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – CBS, 9 p.m.
Kitchen Nightmares – Fox, 9 p.m.
30 Rock – NBC, 9:30 p.m.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – FX, 10 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

Some Press Release Information

I have a few more press releases for you on this Thursday.

First, ESPN’s Chris Berman will interview both Barack Obama and John McCain at halftime of the Steelers-Washington game on the eve of Election Day.

John McCain and Barack Obama on ESPN’s Monday Night Football

Chris Berman to Interview Presidential Candidates on Eve of Election for Halftime of Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins Game November 3

On the eve of the presidential election, ESPN’s Monday Night Football game November 3 will originate from the nation’s capital when the Pittsburgh Steelers meet the Washington Redskins. Before the polls open the next day, ESPN’s audience will hear from the candidates when Chris Berman interviews both major party presidential nominees, Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama, during halftime of the MNF game.

The candidates will be on the campaign trail and have agreed to participate one-on-one, pending last-minute schedule changes, via satellite with Berman from the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn. The conversations will be taped earlier in the day and will air at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET. The Steelers-Redskins game will kickoff at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN HD with the Spanish-language telecast on ESPN Deportes.

“We worked with our partners at the NFL to schedule a Monday Night Football game in Washington on this special night, and this presents a unique opportunity for John McCain and Barack Obama to reflect upon the last few months and address a large primetime audience on the final day of the campaigns,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football is the most-watched series in cable television history. Now in its third season on ESPN, Monday Night Football has registered nine of the top 10 all-time biggest household audiences in cable history, led by this year’s Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys telecast (Sept. 15), which attracted cable’s largest audience ever (13.0 million homes and 18.6 million viewers).

The Big Ten Network will televise three fall conference championships in November.

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

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

CHICAGO – When Big Ten champions are crowned this fall, the Big Ten Network will be there to provide television coverage. The network will televise live the semifinals and finals of the upcoming Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament, Men’s Soccer Championship and Women’s Soccer Tournament and will also cover the Big Ten Cross Country Championships.

Coverage begins at 10 PM ET on Sunday during Big Ten Tonight with highlights and reaction from the 2008 Cross Country Championships, hosted by the University of Michigan. The Big Ten has four men’s teams ranked in the top 20 led by No. 6 Wisconsin. On the women’s side, four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 10 and seven are ranked in the top 25, paced by No. 7 Minnesota.

The Big Ten Network will be in Bloomington for the semifinals and final of the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The games will air live at 10 AM ET and 12:15 PM ET on Friday, Nov. 7, as will Sunday’s final at noon ET. Four Big Ten teams are in the top 20 and defending tournament champion and No. 9 Iowa figures to be challenged by No. 8 Penn State, No. 10 Michigan State and No. 18 Ohio State.

Immediately following the field hockey semifinals, the action continues in Iowa City with the semifinals of the Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament. Those games will air live at 2 PM ET and 4:30 PM ET. Sunday’s championship game will be live at 3 PM ET. Last season, Penn State won the Big Ten title, but Purdue captured the tournament title. This year, the Nittany Lions are the Big Ten’s highest-ranked team at No. 21 with Minnesota following closely behind at No. 25.

The Big Ten Network will televise live the semifinals and finals of the Big Ten Men’s Soccer Championship, hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Semifinal coverage begins at noon ET and 2:30 PM ET on Friday, Nov. 14. Sunday’s final will be carried live at 1 PM ET. Ohio State will be out to defend its 2007 title and will be joined by four teams currently appearing in the national polls, including No. 6 Northwestern, No. 17 Indiana, No. 18 Michigan and No. 25 Michigan State.

Entering this week’s action, the Big Ten has 31 nationally ranked programs in the fall season, including top-10 teams in men’s cross country (No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 9 Michigan), women’s cross country (No. 7 Minnesota, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 10 Illinois), field hockey (No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Iowa and No. 10 Michigan State), football (No. 3 Penn State), men’s soccer (No. 6 Northwestern) and volleyball (No. 1 Penn State).

2008 Big Ten Network Fall Sports Championships

Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament

Friday, Nov. 7 at Indiana 10:00am ET Semifinal #1 (LIVE)

Friday, Nov. 7 at Indiana 12:15pm ET Semifinal #2 (LIVE)

Sunday, Nov. 9 at Indiana 12:00pm ET Championship Game (LIVE)

Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament

Friday, Nov. 7 at Iowa 2:00pm ET Semifinal #1 (LIVE)

Friday, Nov. 7 at Iowa 4:30pm ET Semifinal #2 (LIVE)

Sunday, Nov. 9 at Iowa 3:00pm ET Championship Game (LIVE)

Big Ten Men’s Soccer Championship

Friday, Nov. 14 at Wisconsin 12:00pm ET Semifinal #1 (LIVE)

Friday, Nov. 14 at Wisconsin 2:30pm ET Semifinal #2 (LIVE)

Sunday, Nov. 16 at Wisconsin 1:00pm ET Championship Game (LIVE)

The NFL has a statement on Pennsylvannia US Senator Arlen Specter’s letter to the league seeking further free TV coverage of NFL Network games.

Statement from an NFL Spokesman:

We received a letter from Senator Specter’s staff last night.

Senator Specter knows that our television policy regarding the eight primetime games on NFL Network this season will be identical to the broadcast pattern we have followed for more than 20 years with our ESPN primetime games.

That same television policy makes the NFL the only league that has all of its regular season and playoff games on free TV, including our limited number of cable games that also are televised on free TV in participating team markets.

The goal of our NFL Network games is to show them to a national audience. However, that goal has been undercut by several of the largest cable operators that are discriminating against our Network by either refusing to carry it or placing it on a much more costly tier than the sports networks that the cable operators themselves own. These cable operators are denying their consumers fair access to this popular NFL programming.

The Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau earlier this month ruled that we indeed had demonstrated that our discrimination charge had merit and rejected the arguments of Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator based in Pennsylvania. The FCC Bureau also found merit in our complaint that Comcast retaliated against NFL Network, thereby also punishing consumers.

We continue to seek a negotiated agreement with Comcast, Time Warner and several other major cable operators so that our fans will not be deprived of our package of eight Network games in the next two months.

Any help that Senator Specter or his colleagues could lend to encourage Comcast or other cable operators to reach a fair agreement with us would be in the best interests of their constituents and our fans.

And ESPN360 will be showing more soccer online thanks to a new agreement reached with Setanta Sports.

ESPN, Setanta Ink Deal for Live US Broadband Coverage of The Football League and Carling Cup Soccer

ESPN and Setanta Sports have agreed a new deal to bring US soccer fans extensive live broadband coverage of England’s Football League and Carling Cup tournaments, featuring many top English soccer teams including Leeds United, Wolves and Sheffield United. The Football League consists of competitions from The Coca-Cola Championships, League One, League Two and the Carling Cup, which is the annual tournament that matches Football League and Barclays Premier League teams.

The deal will bring live coverage (and replay availability) of nearly 100 English soccer matches on ESPN360.com, the company’s signature broadband sports television network. ESPN360.com’s schedule will include up to two Football League matches per week (totaling up to 84 matches this season), Football League playoff and final matches, and will feature five matches from rounds 1-5, four semi-final matches and the finals from Carling Cup competition.

“We have established ESPN360.com as one of the leading destinations for U.S. fans of global soccer. Adding matches from the Football League and Carling Cup to our lineup further adds to that leadership,” said Damon Phillips, vice president, ESPN360.com. “These competitions feature some of the highest-level clubs and players in the world, which have an enormous, passionate base of fans around the globe and in the US.”

Shane O’Rourke, president of North American and Australia Operations, added, “Setanta is committed to increasing the exposure of the Football League and the Carling Cup alongside our other key properties and working with ESPN360.com is a great way to achieve this.”

There you go. That’s it for now. Work schedule has been a bear. I hope to have linkage tonight.

The Amazing Race Asia 3 – Episode 8 Results

Here are the results of the latest episode:

1. Geoff & Tisha – winners of a trip to Hong Kong (perhaps this team is hitting its stride now)
2. AD & Fuzzie
3. Ida & Tania (despite a 30 minute penalty for not finishing first)
4. Sam & Vince
5. Henry & Bernie???? – sadly eliminated

I loved Henry & Bernie and they were my pick to win this edition of the race. I have yet to watch the last episode and yes, I do want to catch up on my recaps and hope to do so starting this week. I just have to get past a horrific work stretch.

World Series Schedule

Fox and ESPN Radio will be the national TV and radio outlets to air the World Series which begins on Wednesday.

For Fox, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will be your announcers in the booth. On the field, Ken Rosenthal and Chris Myers will file reports and conduct interviews. Fox will also bring its pregame studio show to St. Petersburg and Philadelphia. Jeanne Zelasko hosts along with Kevin Kennedy. Mark Grace will join them at Tropicana Field for Games 1 and 2 then 6 and 7, if necessary. Then Eric Karros will join Jeanne and Kevin in Philadelphia for Games 3-5.

ESPN Radio will have Jon Miller and Joe Morgan calling the action. Jon Sciambi will host with Dave Campbell and Peter Pascarelli as analysts.

Here is the schedule:

Wed., Oct. 22 – Game 1/Philadelphia wins, 3-2 – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:35 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 23 – Game 2/Tampa Bay wins, 4-2 – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:29 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 25 – Game 3/Philadelphia wins, 5-4 – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:35 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 26 – Game 4/Philadelphia wins, 10-2 – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:29 p.m. (Phillies lead series, 3-1)
Mon., Oct. 27 – Game 5/Game tied 2-2 – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:29 p.m. (suspended, to resume Wednesday Oct. 29 at 8:35 p.m.)
TBD – Game 6/Philadelphia at Tampa Bay – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:35 p.m. (if necessary)
TBD – Game 7/Philadelphia at Tampa Bay – Fox/ESPN Radio, 8:29 p.m. (if necessary)

Fox Sports – Joe Buck/Tim McCarver/Ken Rosenthal/Chris Myers
Fox Sports pregame and postgame – Jeanne Zelasko/Kevin Kennedy/Mark Grace (Games 1-2, 6-7)/Eric Karros (Games 3-5)

ESPN Radio – Joe Miller/Joe Morgan
ESPN Radio pregame and postgame – Jon Sciambi/Dave Campbell/Peter Pascarelli

As usual, I’ll update the post as the series progresses.

The Return of Terry Tate!!!

Admit it. You loved Terry Tate in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Now he’s back telling you to vote.

Anything you want, Mr. Tate. Terry Tate’s Reebok ads were some of best I’ve ever seen. Here’s Terry’s debut ad from the Super Bowl.

And here’s the first webisode in Reebok’s successful series of “Terry Tate, Office Linebacker”. I loved this series.

If you want to see all of Terry Tate’s videos, they’re archived in his YouTube channel.

Primetime Viewing Picks

NFL
Denver at New England – ESPN, 8:40 p.m.

NHL
Dallas at New York Rangers – Fox Sports Southwest/MSG Network, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Boston – FSN Pittsburgh/NESN, 7 p.m.
Florida at Montreal – Versus/RDS, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Los Angeles – Altitude/Fox Sports West, 10:30 p.m.

Entertainment
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Fox, 8 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother – CBS, 8:30 p.m.
Prison Break – Fox, 9 p.m.
Jose Canseco: Last Shot – A&E, 10 p.m.
Raising The Bar – TNT, 10 p.m.

A Few Notes

As I try to leave before I get caught in Patriots tailgating traffic, I have a couple of things to pass along.

ESPN’s College Gameday makes its first trip to the Big Ten this season as it will be at the site of Penn State at Ohio State from the Big Horseshoe in Columbus, OH. It will be there live at 10 a.m. Saturday and as I check the ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 college football schedule, lo and behold! Penn State-Ohio State is the ABC primetime game opposite World Series Game 3 on Fox at 8 p.m. Another visit to a game that will be on the ESPN Family of Networks. Here’s a quick blurb from ESPN sent to my inbox:

ESPN’s College GameDay from #3 Penn State at #9 Ohio State

College GameDay (Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN) will originate from Columbus, Ohio this Saturday, site of undefeated #3 Penn State at Big 10 foe #9 Ohio State (televised on ABC at 8 p.m.). College GameDay is hosted by Chris Fowler with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard.

Neil Best of Newsday tells us that the New York Mets will remain on flagship station WFAN, its home dating back to 1986.

If you’re wondering about radio coverage of the World Series, ESPN Radio will carry the games with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan on the call. Plus, ESPN Radio will have a bunch of programming leading up to and during the Series.

World Series: All Games on ESPN Radio; Baseball Tonight On Site

ESPN Radio will present every World Series game with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan describing all the Rays-Phillies action. Jon Sciambi will serve as on-site studio host, with analysts Dave Campbell and Peter Pascarelli.

ESPN Radio Studio World Series Programming

Baseball Tonight will offer a World Series Preview, with host Karl Ravech and analysts Peter Gammons, John Kruk and Steve Phillips, Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. Additionally, Baseball Tonight will present post-game coverage, including highlights, news and analysis, on site throughout the World Series with Ravech, Gammons, Kruk and Phillips, along with analysts Eric Young (from St. Petersburg) and Chris Singleton (Philadelphia). Buster Olney and Fernando Vina will offer analysis from Bristol.

The Baseball Show: Postseason Edition aka SportsNation: ESPN Radio’s SportsNation (4-6:30 p.m. M-F) became The Baseball Show, Postseason Edition September 30 and will continue through the World Series. Co-hosts John Seibel and former MLB player and current Baseball Tonight analyst Orestes Destrade analyze the action Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Regular segments include the O-Zone (Orestes presenting his keys to each night’s game), Game Changers (plays that impacted the previous night’s games), and Pre-game Chatter (press conference coverage).

Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m., M-F): hosts Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg present baseball-related guests daily, including: Monday (6:25 a.m., Buster Olney; 7:25 a.m., Rays season ticket holder Dick Vitale); Tuesday (8:25 a.m., Jayson Stark); Wednesday (7:10 a.m., Steve Phillips), Thursday (7:40 a.m., Tim Kurkjian) and Friday (7:10 & 7:25 a.m., Peter Gammons).

Scott Van Pelt Show (3-4 p.m., M-F): Giants pitcher Barry Zito will serve as a special guest analyst throughout the postseason.

The Sports Media Watch says Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on TBS fared well in the ratings directly opposite the Sunday Night Football game between Seattle and Tampa Bay on NBC.

And Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News reports Sunday’s Cowboys blowout at the hands of St. Louis on Sunday garnered the team’s worst TV ratings in the local area since 2005.

I should have an evening update. Check your RSS feeds later.

Some Monday Press Releases For You

Some releases for you to read on this Monday.

First, Turner Sports is sad to have its baseball season end judging from the ratings for ALCS Game 7 on Sunday. According to TBS, Game 7 between the Red Sox and the Rays was the most watched baseball game in cable history and it didn’t even have the Steve Harvey Show as a lead-in!

13.4 Million Viewers Watch the Seventh and Deciding Game –

Making it the Most Watched Baseball Game in Cable History

Red Sox-Rays Also the Most-Watched Baseball Game Across

Broadcast and Cable during the 2008 Regular Season and Postseason

TBS wrapped up its 2008 MLB Postseason coverage with a classic. The seventh and deciding game of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays delivered a 7.9 US HH Rating, making it the most-watched MLB game on all of television for the 2008 regular season and postseason, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The series-clinching game, which propelled the Rays into their first World Series, garnered 13,357,000 total viewers, making it the most-watched game in the history of cable. The game eclipsed the 1998 ESPN Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals game that featured Mark McGwire hitting his 61^st homerun (which tied what was then an MLB single-season home run record).

“Record-breaking performances, extraordinary viewership and tremendous growth across all key demos added up to a winning formula for our coverage of the ALCS,” said David Levy, president of Turner Sports. “The Red Sox and Rays treated baseball fans to a classic ALCS and viewers made it a point to tune in to watch this tremendous series. The sports television landscape continues to evolve and what we witnessed during our ALCS coverage is that on any given night cable programming outdelivers programming on broadcast networks.”

For the seven-game series, TBS averaged a 4.6 US HH Rating and 7,443,000 Total Viewers. The 2008 ALCS earned 96% more persons 18-34 and 83% more persons 18-49 than the 2007 National League Championship Series (NLCS), which was also carried by TBS. Ratings averages for the 2008 ALCS Series were:

• US HH Rating: 4.6
• Persons 2+: 7,443,000
• Total Households: 5,316,000
• P18-34: 1,483,000
• P18-49: 3,353,000
• P 25-54: 3,543,000

• Boston DMA: the ALCS averaged a 26.1 rating in this market
• Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg DMA: delivered 20.2 rating in this market

Additional Game 7 Highlights:

• Game 7 was the top-rated telecast in the history of TBS.
• Ranks among the top 10 sports most-watched cable telecasts all-time.
• The game was the second most-watched telecast on cable this year.
• Game 7 was also the top-rated regular season and postseason MLB game on all of television this year (the MLB All-Star game was the top overall baseball telecast in 2008).

2008 ALCS versus the 2007 NLCS Series carried by TBS

• US HH Rating: +64%
• Persons 2+: +73%
• Total Households: +66%
• P18-34: +96%
• P18-49: +83%
• P25-54: +86%

Here are some notable quotes from the TBS studio and announcing crews for Game 7 of the ALCS:

Notes from the MLB Postseason on TBS – ALCS Game #7 – Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

TBS MLB on Deck

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Harold Reynolds, Dennis Eckersley and Cal Ripken

Eckersley on the high emotions of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza: “I was an emotion-type pitcher, so I can relate to how (Matt) Garza is. He throws the ball so hard and you have to be able to corral that, and he has. He’s admitted that he was out of control at one point and that’s the first (step), admitting that you have a problem with your emotions.”

Reynolds on the Rays returning to basics: “The thing for Tampa is to get back to the fundamentals, play basic ballgames. What they did to win the American League East was that they pitched great and they caught the baseball. (Not doing those things) is why they’ve lost these last few games.”

Ripken: “It’s a matter of execution in the end. Whether it’s fielding, whether it’s hitting, whether it’s pitching, these two teams have to go out there and whoever executes the best in this particular game will go onto the World Series.”

Reynolds on the comeback of the Boston Red Sox: “I didn’t think (the Red Sox) were going to get here. I thought the changes that they made in their roster with the players, I didn’t think they were going to get back to Game #7. They’ve shown the resilience of this club and I think it has a lot to do with the veterans of the team.”

**** ***** ***** ***** *****

Boston Red Sox (1) @ Tampa Bay Rays (3) – The Rays won the series 4-3.

Announcers: Chip Caray, Ron Darling and Buck Martinez; Craig Sager and Tom Verducci reporting

Martinez on Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester: “(Jon Lester) is a different pitcher this year and it really started in May when he started pitching to the outside part of the plate to right-handed hitters. He’s been a pitcher throughout his career that owns the inside part of the plate to right-handers, the outside to left-handers. He can throw a strike to that corner in his sleep.”

Martinez on Rays pitcher Matt Garza: “There are not too many American League pitchers that can pitch with their fastball, but (Matt) Garza’s one of them. He’s got two fastballs – a high, four seamer that rides well above the strike zone and a very good moving fastball, a two seam moving fastball that goes 94 miles an hour.”

Martinez on Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek: “One thing that (Jason) Varitek does so effectively is he separates his at-bat from his catching and that’s a hard thing to do. A lot of catchers will take their (strikeouts) back behind the plate and really cloud their decision-making ability by thinking about the bad swing in a previous at-bat. Varitek never allows that to creep into his mindset.”

Martinez on Red Sox catcher a team captain Jason Varitek who has a “C” embroidered on his jersey: “You don’t see many captains in baseball in this day and age, and very rarely do you see a “C” on the jersey of a ballplayer. Because of the transient nature of baseball nowadays so many guys moving around, you don’t have that kind of longevity to establish that kind of leadership position. (Jason) Varitek has earned it and he’s been the leader of (the Red Sox) since he got here.”

Martinez on Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia: “Just to give you an idea of how beautiful baseball is, Dustin Pedroia was not drafted out of high school. Thirty teams didn’t think he could play in major leagues at that point. And he might win an MVP award this year.”

Darling on Rays pitcher Matt Garza: “(Matt) Garza pitches on a lot of emotion. In his last start against (Jon) Lester, Lester got all of the attention and I think (Garza) is carrying a little chip on his shoulder tonight.”

Martinez: “He’s carrying more than a chip on his shoulder, his whole team is on his shoulders tonight.”

Martinez on Rays manager Joe Maddon coming out of the dugout to talk to pitcher Matt Garza at the top of the 7^th inning: “Jogging managers are generally more of a strategy trip (to the mound), than a pitching change trip.”

Martinez on the strategy of the Rays in acquiring pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Barlett: “You build winning teams around pitching and defense, and that’s exactly what (the Rays) had on their mind when they picked up (Matt) Garza and Jason Bartlett. (The) shortstop (position) had been a big void for them and they needed somebody to pick up the ball. Then you get a starting pitcher the caliber of Matt Garza to fill out the rotation and that addressed two major concerns of this ball club in one trade.”

Martinez on Rays manager Joe Maddon’s leadership of the team: “One thing about this team is that everybody on this team feels that they’re a major part of it and that’s a credit to (manager) Joe Maddon, the skipper. He told them in March, ‘this is a special team, we can play with anybody, don’t sell yourself short.’ And now they have proven that the game on October 19^th is just the same as March 15^th.”

TBS’ Craig Sager interviewed Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton following the game.

Upton on the road to the World Series: “It’s unbelievable. We battled a lot of adversity this year, everybody stuck together as a team and everyone did their little part and here we are right now going to the World Series.”

Upton on manager Joe Maddon’s defensive advice: “Joe said at the beginning of the year that our defense has to be our best asset, and we built around that and we thrived off that all year. We took pride in it and it worked out for us.”

TBS’ Craig Sager interviewed Rays winning pitcher David Price following the game.

Price on getting the call to close out the game: “I wanted the ball, I think everyone down in that pen, including (Scott) Kazmir, wanted the ball tonight. This is the biggest night in Rays history, it’s just an unbelievable feeling that I’m a part of it.”

Price on the feeling of getting the final outs of the game: “Unbelievable. I’m mean, you’re so happy out here, I think everybody shed a couple of tears. I was on the bottom of the dog pile and I couldn’t breathe. I wouldn’t trade that moment right there for anything.”

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Inside MLB

Johnson, Reynolds, Eckersley and Ripken with Verducci

TBS’ Tom Verducci interviewed Red Sox manager Terry Francona following the game.

Francona on the performance by Rays starting pitcher and ALCS MVP Matt Garza: “The velocity (Garza) got past them and got in on our left-handed hitters, breaking ball, sliders, curve ball. Besides (Dustin Pedroia) hitting that home run early, (Garza) gave us nothing out there.”

Francona on Rays rookie pitcher David Price closing the game: “It showed how much both bullpens were used, the kid (David Price) came in and he pitched great. They were in a bind, we had the guys up we wanted, we had men on, we had our chances and he threw the ball very well.”

Francona on his thoughts on the Red Sox following their Game #7 loss: “It’s hard to have a real good perspective, tonight. We are real disappointed. You leave everything out there and it’s hard, it hurts everybody, but when it’s all said and done this will diminish in no way how proud we are of that group in there. That was a fun group, that was an enjoyable group to be with and that will never go away.”

Ripken on why he predicted the Rays would win Game #7: “Certainly everybody was riding the coattails of the Red Sox (because) of their experience and all that stuff. But I think you spend so much energy just getting to the final game and I thought the Red Sox were going to run out, plus, I thought the magic would take over in (Tropicana Field).”

Eckersley on Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza pitching the game of his life in Game #7: “You never know when somebody is going to pitch the game of his life. I think (Matt) Garza pitched the game of his life (tonight). (The Rays) went with him as long as they could, I thought he would’ve gone nine (innings) if he had to.”

TBS’ Craig Sager interviewed Rays third baseman Evan Longoria following the game.

Longoria on the Rays winning the AL pennant: “You can’t put it into words. Everyone picked us to finish last and we kept plugging along and believing in ourselves. (We had) belief and trust in one another, and it’s the guys in the clubhouse that gets you this far.”

Longoria on what the Rays players thought when manager Joe Maddon introduced the ‘9 = 8’ concept to the team: “We thought (Joe Maddon) was crazy. (He told us about ‘9 = 8’ at) a spring training talk at 9 a.m. in the morning, and it didn’t really sink in what it meant until I went home and thought about it for a couple of days. Heck, now it’s gotten us this far and we’re jumping around in (the clubhouse) saying ‘9 = 8.’”

Ripken on Rays winning pitcher Matt Garza’s performance in Game #7: “(Matt Garza) was a pitcher tonight, he wasn’t a thrower. He came in tonight throwing the ball really hard, he controlled his stuff and had a great breaking ball.”

Eckersley on picking the Rays to win the World Series: “How can you not like Tampa Bay (to win the World Series)? They just got off in Boston by going bridge (home run) just to stay in shape every night with ten jacks there. Then you’ve seen what (Matt) Garza did in two starts, he’s the MVP (of the ALCS). The only question mark is the bullpen, and now we’ve seen (rookie relief pitcher David) Price. I’m not saying that their bullpen is better than (the Phillies) and I think Philadelphia has the advantage there, but I have to pick Tampa Bay. This is the best team in baseball. I’m sold on them.”

Eckersely on the high expectations for the Boston Red Sox: “Expectations are so high for the Boston Red Sox and if they don’t get to the World Series, it is a disappointment to Red Sox Nation. They made a nice run at this and going forward, they don’t have to do a lot. They’ve got to tweak a couple of things. They got a nice season out of (left fielder) Jason Bay who they got when they traded Manny Ramirez a couple of months ago. They mixed and matched a lot, (Mike) Lowell was injured at third base and they had a lot of problems. When you start off and the team has the big three (starting pitchers) in (Jon) Lester, Dice-K (Daisuke Matsuzaka) and (Josh) Beckett, you can go a long way.”

Reynolds on the importance of the Red Sox bringing back catcher Jason Varitek: “I think (potential free agent and Red Sox catcher Jason) Varitek is the key. What are (the Red Sox) going to do with ‘Tek (Varitek)? We talk about their pitching, but there is someone back there calling a lot of signs and who does a lot of work. (Varitek) puts in yeoman’s work behind the plate, I think they are going to miss that if they lose him behind the plate. We always focus on offense but he brings a lot.”

Since many of you don’t have NFL Network, here are some quotes from NFL Gameday Final that aired last night.

Week 7 (Oct. 19, 2008) – Quotable from NFL GameDay Final

on NFL Network

(Airs Sunday at 11:30 PM ET)

“They have to remain good teammates. They can’t point fingers and blame the other side of the ball. They have enough talent to win the rest of their games. It’s how they handle that locker room, players and coaches.”

– Steve Mariucci on Dallas Cowboys

“This is the only consistent team in the NFL.”

– Steve Mariucci on 6-0 Tennessee Titans

“Jerry Jones needs to address Jason Garrett and Brian Stewart. You have more than enough talent inside that locker room. It’s up to you to put a good game-plan together.”

– Deion Sanders on Dallas Cowboys offensive and defensive coordinators

“DeMarcus Ware is the only guy on the defense that you know is going to go out there and make a big play every week.”

– Deion Sanders on Dallas Cowboys defense

“Those teams are a lot like the rest of the league. They are up and down, up and down.”

– Steve Mariucci on Saints and Chargers

“This kid’s got it.”

– Steve Mariucci on Bills QB Trent Edwards, who completed 83 percent of his passes in Buffalo’s win on Sunday and ranks second in the AFC with a 98.8 passer rating

“Put him at receiver and throw the fade.”

– Deion Sanders on Houston Rockets C Yao Ming, who was on the field for a halftime ceremony at Sunday’s Houston Texans home game

“This is not the consistent team we thought San Diego would be.”

– Steve Mariucci on 3-4 Chargers

“They can not stop the run with their undersized defensive line.”

– Deion Sanders on Indianapolis Colts, who rank 29th in run defense

“A mobile quarterback drives a defensive back crazy.”

– Deion Sanders on Bucs QB Jeff Garcia

“He can run the seam route with the best of them.”

– Deion Sanders on Bears TE Greg Olsen, who had a team-high six catches (for 74 yards and a touchdown) in Chicago’s 48-41 win over Minnesota

Next, the Breeders’ Cup gets multi-network coverage as a two day event for the first time in its history.

First-Ever Two-Day Breeders’ Cup on ABC, ESPN & ESPN2

Nine Hours of Live Coverage October 24-25

Reduced Commercial Inventory Means Unprecedented Coverage

The 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 24-25 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., will receive nine hours of live coverage including, for the first time, 2.5 hours on ABC. The 25th running of the Breeders’ Cup will feature 14 races over two days with record purses of $25.5 million on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 beginning Friday, October 24, on ESPN2. The ABC and ESPN combination marks the first-ever network/cable telecast of the Championships.

Coverage of the Breeders’ Cup will begin with the Breeders’ Cup Preview Show on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at (time here) on ESPN2. ESPN2 will begin coverage of the racing action with Championship Friday, Oct. 24, from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET with five Breeders’ Cup Championship races for fillies with purses totaling $8 million. It marks the first time a major thoroughbred event in North America will run an entire day of female thoroughbred racing, culminating with the Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff).

On Saturday, Oct. 25, the racing action will continue with ABC airing the Championships from 1 – 3:30 p.m. and on ESPN from 3:30-7 p.m.

ESPN360.com will simulcast the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts live and will air the ABC portion of the Breeders’ Cup at 2:30 p.m. ESPN Mobile will also simulcast the ESPN and ESPN2 coverage.

Also, for the first time, commercial inventory will be reduced by 45% from last year, enabling ESPN to have more time to cover all the stories from Santa Anita.

Joe Tessitore will host the telecasts with analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss. Kenny Mayne will work with handicapper Hank Goldberg. Jeannine Edwards, Jay Privman, and Caton Bredar (on horseback) will serve as reporters. Jessica Pacecho is the odds analyst, while Nick Luck is the European horse analyst and Tom Rinaldi will interview key personalities in the sport. Bill Nack, author of Ruffian, will contribute essays and features, while Trevor Denman will call the races.

On ESPN.com, experts including Jeremy Plonk, Bill Finley and Jay Cronley, will give their analysis of all the action and news on and off the track.

TECHNOLOGY

ESPN’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup will use the latest technology, including 34 cameras:

• All in high definition
• ESPN RailView- gyro-camera mounted on a truck in the infield, providing a close-up view of the leaders
• Steadicam, for post-parades
• Wireless mics on trainers and owners
• New graphics, which will display the odds the entire time
• Three RF cameras, bringing sights and sounds of Santa Anita
• Sportvision pointer system
• Virtual displays that will mark the distances to the finish line (300 yards, 200 yards and 100 yards)
• Fingerworks Telestrator
• Aerial coverage from airplane
• Two point-of-view (POV) cameras mounted in starting gate with audio
• Paddock rail camera mounted in the paddock stalls

FEATURES

Features on The Breeders’ Cup telecast will include:

· Jockey Kent Desormeaux and his son Jacob, who is deaf and losing his eyesight

· A focus on women trainers and their impact on the sport

· Horse-of-the-Year candidate Zenayatta (who will run in the Ladies Classic), the undefeated filly who has the unusual habit of getting out of the starting gate last.

· Kenny Mayne on horse cheerleaders

· Bill Nack looks back at some of the best moments in the 25 year history of the Breeders’ Cup.

· Nack on Classic contender Curlin’s place in the sports history

· The story behind the naming of Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Colonel John by owner Bill Casner

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

Wed,. October 22 — ESPN2, 5-5:30 p.m. ET: Breeders’ Cup Preview Show

Fri., October 24 — ESPN2, 3:30- 6:30 p.m.

• Sentient Breeders Cup Filly/Mare Sprint
• Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
• Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
• Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf
• Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic

Sat., October 25 — ABC, 1-3:30 p.m.

• Breeders’ Cup Marathon

• Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
• TVG Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
• Breeders’ Cup Mile

Sat. October 25- ESPN, 3:30-7 p.m.

• Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
• Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
• Sentient Breeders’ Cup Sprint
• Emirates Airlines Breeders’ Cup turf
• Breeders’ Cup Classic

MULTI-MEDIA COVERAGE

• ESPN360.com: Simulcast of the ESPN and ESPN2 coverage on Friday and Saturday and a replay of the ABC coverage after 2:30 on Saturday.

• SportsCenter: News and information during Breeders’ Cup Week.

• ESPN.com: Countdown Clock started on September 25 through Friday, October 24. In-depth Breeders’ Cup coverage on main and horse racing pages.

• ESPN Radio: On Friday, Los Angeles’ 710 ESPN Radio will have Mason & Ireland (1-4 p.m. PT, M-F) will originate from Santa Anita. Listeners outside Los Angeles can hear 710 ESPN Radio programming on ESPNRadio.com.

• ESPN International: coverage in Pacific Rim (including Australia and New Zealand), Latin America, Caribbean, Atlantic (including Africa and the Middle East) networks and on TSN in Canada.

• ESPN Classic: Re-air of Breeders’ Cup Preview Show on Thurs., Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m.

And the Big Ten Network has a new show airing with host Dave Revsine featuring two women with Big Ten Conference ties.

‘Conversations with Dave Revsine’ Features Two Hall of Fame Women with Big Ten Ties

Revsine visits with basketball legend McConnell-Serio and auto racing pioneer Guthrie

CHICAGO – Although they cemented their legendary status in dramatically different arenas, Suzie McConnell-Serio and Janet Guthrie both can claim Hall of Fame credentials in their sports and deep Big Ten ties.

At 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Big Ten Network presents Conversations with Dave Revsine. In this 30-minute program, Revsine sits down with McConnell-Serio, a 1988 Penn State graduate and basketball star, and Guthrie, a Michigan graduate who was a pioneer in the sport of auto racing.

“These are two remarkable women who made it possible for others to follow in their footsteps,” Revsine said. “They were trailblazers.”

In a word, Janet Guthrie is a pioneer. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1960 with a degree in physics, Guthrie originally worked as a flight instructor and an aerospace engineer before beginning her auto racing career in 1963. In 1977, Guthrie became the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, finishing 29^th and 12^th, respectively. She raced at Indy twice more and finished as high as ninth in 1978.

Guthrie’s helmet and race suit are on display at the Smithsonian and she is a charter member of the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006.

McConnell-Serio graduated from Penn State and became one of the most decorated players and coaches in women’s basketball history. As a player, she was a two-time Olympic medalist and a former WNBA Newcomer of the Year. In 1999, Sports Illustrated selected McConnell-Serio as one of the top 50 athletes in Pennsylvania history. As a coach, she led Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh to five state championship games and three state titles. Success followed McConnell-Serio into the professional ranks, where she guided the Minnesota Lynx to the playoffs and also earned the WNBA Coach of the Year Award.

McConnell-Serio has returned to her native Pittsburgh, where she enters her second year as the head women’s basketball coach at Duquesne University. In June 2008, she was elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Those are the releases for now.

For The Fans of The Amazing Race Episode Recaps

I know I have been lax on the Amazing Race and Amazing Race Asia episode recaps over the last three weeks. First, work has been a bear. Next, when the Red Sox are in the playoffs, all bets are off. It’s hard for me to blog and to pay attention to other things while my team is in the postseason.

I apologize for not being able to provide you with recaps. I left off with the Amazing Race Asia 3, Episode 3 and have not done Amazing Race 13, Episode 2. I will pick up where I left off and you can start expecting those recaps over the next few days. Thanks for your patience.

A Few Monday Links

I have several reports to get out today so I’ll do some quick links on this Monday. I was hoping to do a lot of things on the blog yesterday including my NFL Picks, but I had my day planned for me once again (they usually happen to me on Sundays) so I could not do an update for you.

Time for some links.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks about the power outages that affected Game 6 of the ALCS on TBS on Saturday and the Bengals-Bills game on CBS on Sunday.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says the Yankees and Cowboys are forming a partnership on a new food concession business for their new stadia.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell has more on the Yankees-Cowboys partnership. Darren wonders if it’s really the economy. Darren says the New York Jets’ Personal Seat License auction was a big success.

Newsday’s Neil Best also discusses the Jets’ PSL sale. And Neil has a bit more on the PSL auction in his blog.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is not making sense again.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News tries to explain what happened to TBS during its power outage for Game 6 of the ALCS.

Laura Nachman says a former Philadelphia (and Boston) sports anchor was heard on local radio over the weekend.

The Balimore Sun’s Ray Frager has a few odds and ends in his blog today.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has the winners of the Lone Star Emmy Awards in the sports categories. Barry also has the postmortem on another Dallas Cowboys loss.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the NFL pregame shows tried to dissect the failed trade between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs for Tony Gonzalez.

The Kansas City Star’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes that the Chiefs’ radio broadcast team was all over Brodie Croyle’s injury yesterday.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has the video of Dennis Eckersley being the whipping boy for TBS one last time.

Dusty Saunders from the Rocky Mountain News says two long time sports talk show hosts are back together again.

That’s all for now.

Quotage from The Sunday NFL Pregame Shows

As usual, I present you with the quotes from 3 network NFL pregame shows. Today, I’ll shuffle up the order.

First, NBC’s Football Night in America.

AL MICHAELS ON MADDEN MISSING THIS GAME: "About every 28 years John Madden gets a planned holiday and this is that weekend.  John is resting at home, so out of the "Football Night" studio comes the old Gator himself, Cris Collinsworth.  Cris, welcome and John wants me to tell you he left you the telestrator, three "booms" one "doink" and everything else is premium service."

AL MICHAELS TO COSTAS SITTING ALONE ON SET: "You look lonely there but I have a feeling some other guys might show up before the hour is done."

PETER KING ON RUMOR THAT FAVRE SHARED SECRETS WITH LIONS ON HOW TO BEAT THE PACKERS: "Favre text messaged me this afternoon before he went out to play the Oakland Raiders and said that was "total B.S."  He vehemently denied the story.  I also spoke to the Lions COO and he said, "Our coaches are perplexed.  There was no coaching of our coaching staff by Brett Favre."

KEITH OLBERMANN DURING JETS-RAIDERS HIGHLIGHTS: "Brett Favre telling our Peter King that reports he gave tips to the Lions on how to beat the Packers are total B.S. or TBS if you prefer."

KEITH OLBERMANN DURING COLTS-PACKERS HIGHLIGHTS: "I don't know if Brett Favre told the Colts anything, but it ain't working."

JEROME BETTIS ON THE COWBOYS DeMARCUS WARE NOT PLAYING THE RUN: "He's sack happy.  You have to wonder if this individualism starting to creep into the defensive side.  We know it's already on the offensive side.  Or is it the scheme defensively.  If either one of those are the case this spells big trouble in Big D."

TIKI BARBER ON THE TITANS: "They don't have a lot of weaknesses.  When you have a running game that is so dynamic it demoralizes the other team.  Tennessee is sitting pretty at 6-0 and they go into Indiapolis next week.  If they win that game they are the front-runner in the AFC."

DAN PATRICK ON THE LIONS: "The Lions have licked the stamp and mailed in the season."

Over to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown:

On Dallas Cowboys Drama
(Following a taped segment outlining various challenges of “America’s Team” the Dallas Cowboys – suspension of Pacman Jones, T.O., Tony Romo’s injury and trade agreement of receiver Roy Williams – highlighted in a parody of the popular TV show, Dallas.)

Keyshawn Jackson: “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about Dan Snyder and how he collects talent and Al Davis and the problems with trying to get a winning football team to do things the way he does them. I think the same thing could be said of Jerry Jones. When you talk about Pacman Jones, those problems right on down, Jerry Jones likes being in charge of this football team. He likes dictating everything single thing that they do. You can see now it’s rather dysfunctional and not working. And, I’ve got to add this, how do you convince Terrell Owens that you’re bringing in a guy who plays his position, just like him, another No. 1, and sit him down and say, ‘It’s alright, don’t worry about it, plenty of balls to go around, you’re going to be fine because I don’t know if T.O. is buying into that.”

Mike Ditka: “We’re going to find out a lot in the next month about the character of this football team. Do they have the proper leadership in place to push this team forward.”

Cris Carter: “Right now Jerry Jones is the No.1 enabler in the NFL. Pacman should have never been in the NFL. They should have never let him back into the NFL. For the first time in history, they traded for a player that was suspended. And then last week, Jerry saying, ‘Oh that’s just two guys jiving around’, at some point somebody has to be a gatekeeper for the National Football League.”

On newly acquired Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams – Is he that good?
Cris Carter: “He is truly a No. 1 receiver. He is the sure enough, beginning to the end of T.O. in Dallas. They can say what they want to, but this is the end of T.O.’s story in Dallas.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “He is a really good receiver. They gave up good numbers to get him, good draft picks. I believe that with Tony Romo at quarterback – being able to improvise, move around in the pocket, get him free and he can run routes, he’ll be effective in the offense.”

On Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s Injury and Brad Johnson in for the Cowboys
Tom Jackson: “I don’t know how it went from out four weeks – to coach/gm/president saying, ‘look, he’s going to be ok. Don’t worry about it.’ If you think about the way he throws the ball. Awkward, half-motion underhand, outside the pocket – I think you risk him the rest of the year if you let him play today.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “You definitely let him sit and Tony Romo shouldn’t even be thinking about playing football right now. The one thing he can’t worry about it getting back. You’re job is not in jeopardy, we all know that. You don’t have to be a hero. Don’t be excited to play with Williams, heal yourself.”

Cris Carter: “I think right now Dallas could use some toughness. So if he was right on that borderline of playing, I’d say play. Because there is something that the Dallas Cowboys don’t have, they have the talent, they have all the stars, but do they have the toughness that you need that we know it takes late in the year to be a championship caliber team.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “…Being tough is one thing, but being a fool is another.”

Tenessee Titans Defensive Line Unity: Enough to Carry the Team?
(Following Jackson’s piece on how the Tennessee Titans Defensive linemen are an unbreakable “chain”)

Mike Ditka: “A football is only as good as its weakest link. I think what Jeff Fisher preaches, ‘We’re not going to have a weak link, we may have some links that aren’t as strong, but we’re going to overcome that.’ I think this football team is more than that front four … Here’s the key, turnover ratio, they’re No.1 in the league, if they don’t turn the football over they have a chance.”

Cris Carter: “This is a very physical football team. This is the kind of team that when you talk to guys the week after they play the Tennessee Titans, they’re still sore Wednesday and Thursday.”

Chris Berman: “What I see in the AFC … they bring this defense every week. No one brings something like this every week.”

On Patriots’ Matt Cassel: Does he deserve a vote of confidence?:
Cris Carter: “I don’t know why he’d get a vote of confidence because he hasn’t done anything to warrant it. Whose fault is it? – New England, they blew it. On a 53-man roster the back-up quarterback is a critical position. They didn’t have someone confident if their leader, the great Tom Brady, got hurt. The record right now is two losses early in the season and zero touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and we judge our quarterbacks by what they do in the fourth quarter.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “I think he does deserve a vote of confidence because if this is your quarterback and all the things that are going on in the media are saying that it’s his fault, you want to give this young man a vote of confidence. You want him to have the ability to go down the field and lead this team from an offensive standpoint.”

Tom Jackson: “Key is right, you’re (Carter) wrong, and let me tell you why. Brady never got hurt, so there was no reason to go out and get a guy …how good was the guy going to be. And Matt Cassel is not the reason they lost those two games … Matt Cassel hasn’t played since high school, he’s doing fine.”

Cris Carter: “When you put a high school quarterback on your team, it’s your fault.”

Chris Mortensen’s Sunday Headlines:
Chris Mortensen, NFL Fines around the League and the reasons behind them … “Commissioner Roger Goodell sent out memos in the past four weeks to executives, coaches, players, saying hey listen, if you have criticism we’re going to do it internally. We’re not going to do it in public or else I’m going to fine you. Roger said on Tuesday in the owners meetings, maybe I’m not communicating well enough with them. Maybe you guys aren’t getting my message, so I’m going to make it a little bit louder and fine you.”

Mike Ditka: “The officiating (fine) thing I understand, but the hitting thing I do not understand. You cannot legislate hitting on football, it’s an aggressive sport …It’s a game of hitting. It’s reaction, it’s instinct, It’s split second!”

Cris Carter: “There has to be some type of legislation from the commissioner’s office or competition committee for three reasons. Number one is size of players and the speed, second retired players and overall health of them, we know what’s at stake, and third is the worldwide appeal. We have to make sure that this is a game that is still the most popular in the United States.”

And to Fox NFL Sunday:

FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer reports that former Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre gave the Detroit Lions inside information about his former team. “Earlier this year, Brett Favre called the Detroit Lions, starting off with (former GM) Matt Millen and then the coaching staff and gave them a 90 minute dissertation on every single thing that the Green Bay Packers do on offense. It’s his former team and he’s calling a division opponent of a team that he has nothing to do with anymore. He just let loose all the family secrets.”

Analyst Howie Long on who is responsible for Adam Jones’ latest suspension: “Ask the average American if they would take a job that paid them over $1 million a year and all they had to do was not get arrested. Each of our previous NFL commissioners had significant issues and accomplishments that defined their legacy. It’s important that players today understand that Commissioner Roger Goodell has chosen protecting the image of the NFL shield and its players to define his. Adam Jones has been given multiple opportunities to get it right and after the “zero tolerance” edict, he’s been given yet another. What he does with it will define his legacy. Make no mistake about it, it is Adam Jones who will dictating what that legacy will be.”

Analyst Michael Strahan on who this year’s Saints team is reminiscent of: “Watching these guys reminds me of a team that I used to hate to play – the Rams in their hey day. Drew Brees makes faster decisions than any other quarterback out there right now. Reggie Bush is a lot like Marshall Faulk and Drew Brees is like Kurt Warner.”

FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Jimmy Johnson assesses the Dallas Cowboys weaknesses and what they need to do to improve:

• “The defense is pretty shaky so run the ball more. Grind out some long drives to keep the defense off the field and fresh. With Felix Jones banged up, give rookie Tashard Choice a lot more work in practice so Marion Barber doesn’t have to shoulder the load.
• Offensive play calling has relied on Tony Romo’s mobility and no matter who takes the snap, protection must improve. Frankly, 40-year-old Brad Johnson isn’t mobile at all and if we see Romo, his control will be off with that broken pinkie especially since he’s prone to run while holding the ball with one hand, so call for more screens and draws.
• Teams are taking T.O. out of the game by jamming him at the line of scrimmage with safety help deep, so have more offensive formation shifts and motion him more to get him free.
• Let’s not forget about Special Teams. Some players think Special Teams is the rest period between offensive and defensive drills – it’s not. It’s about intensity. I say, double the time spent on special teams in practice.
• Finally, you have the second most penalties in the league. Make some changes and you’ll be back on the championship track.”

FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Howie Long on the many advantages of the Cowboys acquiring WR Roy Williams earlier this week: “Whoever is playing quarterback for the Cowboys has the added benefit of the acquisition of Roy Williams. He’ll help them on their run game and he’ll help them in their passing game. You know, there is a wag the dog element to this. One, it gets the attention off of Pacman Jones and two, it accomplishes keeping their fan base enthusiastic in selling season tickets for their new stadium.”

FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Michael Strahan comments on how Dallas Cowboys QB Brad Johnson will handle WR Terrell Owens. “What if T.O. (Terrell Owens) doesn’t get enough balls? I don’t think Brad Johnson, being a 40 year-old quarterback, is going to handle it and laugh it off the way [Tony] Romo does. He’s the type of guy that takes charge.”

First Official BCS Standings

These are the first BCS standings of the season as revealed on Fox today.

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Oklahoma State
7. Georgia
8. Texas Tech
9. Ohio State
10. Florida
11. Utah
12. Boise State
13. LSU
14. TCU
15. Missouri
16. South Florida
17. Pittsburgh
18. Georgia Tech
19. Tulsa
20. Ball State

More later.

Videos of the Week: Almost Famous

I haven’t done a Videos of the Week feature in a while and why not bring one back this weekend?

Friday night, Almost Famous played on HBO2 and it’s a movie I fell in love with. I was lucky enough to watch it when the radio station for which I worked had the premiere.

Even though I have the DVD, I had not watched the movie for quite some time. With no baseball to watch and not having the desire to watch Hawai’i-Boise State on Friday, I happened to find the movie after seeing the latest episode of South of Nowhere.

The movie still stands up and it captures a time during which I grew up. The music was fantastic and seeing it again brings me back to a more innocent time for me, at least. I forgot how good the movie was. And Cameron Crowe’s screenplay and direction was just about perfect for me.

One of my favorite scenes, “I AM A GOLDEN GOD!” which supposedly said by Robert Plant.

Of course, you can’t talk about Almost Famous without seeing its signature scene when Stillwater sings “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John on the tour bus and William Miller thinking he has to go home finds out that he actually is home.

This is a deleted scene from the “bootleg” version of the DVD in which you’re instructed to play Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” while this scene is playing. First, the scene was cut because it was way too long and second, Cameron Crowe had trouble obtaining the rights to the song for the movie.

Finally, someone put together a tribute video to the Penny Lane character played so well by Kate Hudson and for which she won a Golden Globe.

There you go. My NFL picks are coming in about an hour. Wait for them.

TBS’ Statement on the ALCS Game 6 Technical Problems

I got to a sports bar in Seekonk, MA right before 8 p.m. and while I knew I was not going to get a seat to watch Game 6 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay, I certainly was not expecting to see “Bloopers and Practical Jokes” with a pre-stroke Dick Clark. Then when the show signed off at 8:07 p.m. and went to the “Steve Harvey Show”, you knew something was wrong.

There was no explanation at first and this angered many fans who wondered what exactly was going on. There was no crawl at first, and all we wanted was something to let us know what was happening.

Luckily, I had downloaded MLB At Bat for my new iPhone and I was able to update a group of people about the BJ Upton home run. Fortunately, the feed for the game returned in the first inning and the patrons at the sports bar calmed down before a riot broke out.

Around 10 p.m., I received an e-mail from Turner Sports trying to explain what happened. Because I could not post it here, I sent it over to the Sox & Dawgs blog asking the fine people over there to publish it. Thanks to Steve for putting it up immediately.

I do have the statement for you now that I’m home:

STATEMENT FROM TBS REGARDING ALCS GAME 6

Two circuit breakers in our Atlanta transmission operations tripped causing the master router and its backup – which are necessary to transmit any incoming feed outbound – to shut down. This impacted our live feed from being distributed to any of the other networks in the Turner portfolio and caused the delay in our coverage. Both our primary and backup routers were impacted by this problem. We apologize to baseball fans for this mishap that caused a delay in our coverage.

I wish that a crawl had been put up as soon as possible allowing us to know right away instead of being left in the lurch. Fans will understand, but not after 10 minutes into the game.

If you’re still wondering, that’s the poop from Turner.

Giada!

In honor of the premiere of Giada De Laurentiis’ new show, “Giada at Home“, I give you some video clips of Giada DeLaurentiis in action. No description needed.

Highlights of Season 1 of “Giada’s Weekend Getaways”

Giada on a Jet Ski

Did I ever say I love Giada DeLaurentiis?

Eck Gets Killed on TBS

Thanks to the great Sox & Dawgs blog, this is the video of Inside MLB doing a little revisionist history on the Kirk Gibson home run in the 1988 World Series. Eck was hoping it would not be the home run and actually, it was not. For a couple of nights, Eck was fodder for EJ’s Neat-O Stat of the Night.

Great stuff. They’ve skewered Eck and Harold Reynolds in the ALCS. It’s really time for Cal to get it tonight.

Although nothing quite matches this skewer from last NBA season when Charles Barkley got it.

That is truly the Neat-O Stat of the Night.

Giving You Some Saturday Linkage

Well, I’ve got a few minutes here to give you some links on this Saturday. I’m also trying to see if Chris Fowler leaves any clues to where College Gameday will be next week. Sometimes, he’ll say, “I can’t wait to see that game,” meaning that he’s been told where the next destination will be. This season, every stop has been either an ABC or ESPN game. It’s mostly due to the fact that ESPN has purchased the rights to every major conference and it can schedule games as it sees fit. But CBS with its SEC contract has yet to carry a big game this season and Notre Dame has yet to get back to a major ranking this season. Chris Fowler has lamented in the past that he no longer goes to sites that are not ESPN or ABC games. And a lot of the choices are due to Kirk Herbstreit being an game analyst for ESPN/ABC, he either has to be close to the primetime game or actually be on site such as tonight’s Missouri-Texas game. That’s my rant on this Saturday morning.

Let’s do some linkage.

Well, the Boomer Esiason-Troy Aikman feud gets curiouser and curiouser by the day. Newsday’s Neil Best has a story in which Aikman responded to Esiason’s Cowboys bias charge on WFAN’s Mike Francesa show yesterday.

The great Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has the first part of a summation on how this whole thing got started. And Barry says he doesn’t think this whole thing will go away any time soon. Barry wonders if Troy and Boomer will try to work things out. And Barry gives us the ratings for Dallas-Fort Worth for the MLB League Championship Series. In his regular Saturday column, Barry writes that former backup QB and current Cowboys radio analyst Babe Laufenberg is rooting for Brad Johnson this week.

Jerry Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News says the Dallas Cowboys can be a drama series of their own.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record has comments from Troy Aikman on this weekend’s NFL games and none of them refer to Boomer Esiason.

David Knox of the Birmingham (AL) News talks with CBS’ college football analyst Spencer Tillman about Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Paul Ziese of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says today’s Pittsburgh-Navy game won’t be widely available in the Steel City.

The Baltimore Sun’s Ray Frager has three items for you in his blog.

Alexa Gilpin of the Business Gazette in Maryland profiles the new director of strategic partnerships for Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, a position that brings him closer to sports stars.

Jim Williams from the DC Examiner says Redskins fans hope the Ravens win their game before the kickoff of the Browns-Washington game as both contests are on the local CBS affiliate this week. And Jim says Red Sox-Rays will be your viewing highlight today.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette looks at two new sports hires on the local TV level.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has a bit more on the fact-challenged movie, “The Express”. And Tom links to a story from Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram which talks about the movie’s depiction of Texas.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star looks at Magic Johnson’s hiring at ESPN.

Eddie Pells of the Associated Press says thanks to its worldwide TV deals, the Olympics are for the most part safe from the financial crunch.

Paula Duffy from Examiner.com doesn’t think it’s a big deal for John Madden to take a week off.

Scott Radley from the Hamilton (Canada) Spectator says sports cameramen don’t necessarily have a cushy job as you might think.

The Sports Media Watch says the collapse of the Rays on Thursday might have rescued the ratings for the American League Championship Series.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable writes that TBS is seeing ratings growth in its LCS coverage.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the ALCS ratings on TBS are also rising in its most important demographics.

Ted Hearn of Multichannel reports that Comcast and the NFL Network remain at loggerheads in their long running carriage dispute.

From Maury Brown’s Biz of Football blog, he looks at the first ever $1,000 Super Bowl ticket.

Joe Favorito looks at Businessweek’s Top 100 Power Brokers In Sports.

That will do it for today.

Weekend Viewing Picks

Saturday, October 18

Boxing
Light Heavyweight bout, Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins – HBO PPV, 9 p.m.

English Premier League Soccer
Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea – Setanta Sports, 7:30 a.m.
Liverpool vs. Wigan – Setanta Sports, 9:40 a.m.
Everton vs. Arsenal – Fox Soccer Channel, 10 a.m.
West Brom vs. Manchester United – Fox Soccer Channel, noon
Aston Villa vs. Portsmouth – Setanta Sports, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)
Sunderland vs. Fulham – Fox Soccer Channel, 6:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
Bolton vs. Blackburn – Setanta Sports, 10:15 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
LPGA Tour/Kapalua Classic, 3rd Round – Golf Channel, 8:30 p.m.
PGA Tour/Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, 3rd Round – Golf Channel, 5 p.m.

MLB
MLB on Deck – TBS, 7:30 p.m.
Game 6 of ALCS/Red Sox at Tampa Bay – TBS, 8:07 p.m.
Baseball Tonight – ESPN2, midnight

NHL
Colorado at Dallas – Altitude/KDFI, 2 p.m.
Scotiabank Saturday Night – CBC/NHL Network (US), 6:30 p.m.
Boston at Ottawa – NESN/CBC, 7 p.m.
Phoenix at Montreal – CBC/RDS, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Pittsburgh – CBC/NHL Network (US)/FSN Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Atlanta – MSG Network Buffalo, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Washington – MSG Plus/Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Florida – MSG Plus 2/Fox Sports Florida, 7 p.m.
New York Rangers at Detroit – MSG Network/Fox Sports Detroit, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay – KSTC/Sun Sports, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Nashville – Fox Sports Ohio, 8 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis – Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Midwest, 8:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton – CBC/NHL Network (US), 10 p.m.
Philadelphia at San Jose – Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 10:30 p.m.
Hockey Night in Canada: After Hours – CBC/NHL Network, 12:30 a.m.

Entertainment
Ask Aida – Food Network, 12:30 p.m.
Giada at Home (series premiere) – Food Network, 1 p.m.
America’s Toughest Jobs – NBC, 8 p.m.
Primeval – BBC America, 9 p.m.
UFC 89 – Spike, 9 p.m.
48 Hours Mystery – CBS, 10 p.m.
Trading Spaces – TLC, 10 p.m.
Saturday Night Live with Josh Brolin and Adele – NBC, 11:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 19

English Premier League Soccer
Hull City vs. Westham – Setanta Sports, 10 a.m.
Tottenham vs. Stoke City – Fox Soccer Channel, 11 a.m.

Golf
LPGA Tour/Kapalua Classic, final round – Golf Channel, 8:30 p.m.
PGA Tour/Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children, final round – Golf Channel, 5 p.m.

MLB
Game 7 of ALCS/Red Sox at Tampa Bay – TBS, 8:07 p.m. (if necessary)

NASCAR
TUMS Quik Pak 500 – ABC, 1:30 p.m.

NHL
Vancouver at Chicago – Comcast SportsNet Chicago, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Anaheim – NHL Network (Canada)/Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Prime Ticket, 8 p.m.

Entertainment
60 Minutes – CBS, 7 p.m.
The Amazing Race 13 – CBS, 8 p.m.
Dexter – Showtime, 9 p.m.
True Blood – HBO, 9 p.m.
Storm Chasers – Discovery, 10 p.m.
Entourage – HBO, 10 p.m.
Californication – Showtime, 10 p.m.
Mad Men – AMC, 10 p.m.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Football
Hawai’i at Boise State – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Golf
LPGA Tour/Kapalua Classic, 2nd Round – Golf Channel, 8:30 p.m.

NHL
Nashville at Columbus – Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Ohio, 7 p.m.
Phoenix at Ottawa – Fox Sports Arizona/Rogers Sportsnet East, 7 p.m.
Toronto at New York Rangers – Rogers Sportsnet Ontario/MSG Network, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Buffalo – Rogers Sportsnet Pacific/MSG Network Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary – Rogers Sportsnet West, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim – Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area/KDOC, 10 p.m.
Carolina at Los Angeles – Fox Sports South/Fox Sports West, 10:30 p.m.

Entertainment
Crusoe (series premiere) – NBC, 8 p.m.
South of Nowhere – The N, 8:30 p.m.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Cartoon Network, 9 p.m.
20/20 – ABC, 10 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.
Down & Dirty with Jim Norton – HBO, midnight
Zane’s Sex Chronicles – Cinemax, 12:30 a.m.

The Friday Megalinks, Part II

Now that we have the first part of the Friday megalinks out of the way, let’s give you the rest.

First, I have some leftovers from the National links, then the East and Mid-Atlantic region and then I’ll do the Midwest, West and Canada from there.

National (cont.)

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable writes that the NFL Network wants to avoid going to an administrative law judge to settle its dispute with Comcast.

Larry Barrett from Multichannel News says former NBA star Mike Glenn will be the studio analyst for Atlanta Hawks games on Fox Sports South and SportSouth.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell has an excerpt of his interview with Oklahoma State University athletic booster T. Boone Pickens that airs tonight.

Maury Brown in the Biz of Baseball says last night’s ALCS Game 5 has livened up an otherwise drab MLB Postseason.

East and Mid-Atlantic (cont.)

The lovely Jessica Heslam of the Boston Herald writes that Entercom employees are wondering why WEEI.com got spared while several employees on the radio side got laid off.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has compiled a preliminary TV schedule of college football games for next weekend.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette explains why fans of Union hockey will hear the opposing team’s announcers call the game against Omaha this weekend. Ken writes that a local station has hired a new weekend sports anchor. Ken links to a podcast in which he speaks with the Director of officiating for the ECAC, Paul Stewart.

Will Leitch and Joe DeLessio of New York Magazine’s Daily Intel blog discuss the sports media going political.

Jim Williams from the DC Examiner says there will be plenty of college basketball programming on TV as the season officially starts tonight.

Midwest

Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News says TV stations in town are trying to find a proper balance between the University of Dayton and Wright State men’s basketball teams.

Michael Zuidema from the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says Versus’ new sports comedy show mirrors sister network’s E!’s “The Soup”.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bob Wolfley talks with CBS’ Phil Simms about the Indy-Green Bay game this Sunday.

Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald talks about the sports radio format being healthy in the Windy City.

Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune talks with Fang’s Bites fav Charissa Thompson of the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports.

Over to Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin who discusses John Madden’s long streak of doing games coming to an end.

The Kansas City Star’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes that an Entercom employee at the local sports radio station has been let go.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks about a local resident who will have plenty of face time on ESPN’s World Series of Poker.

West

The Deseret (UT) News’ Scott D. Pierce tries to answer questions about the mtn.

Jim Gintonio from the Arizona Republic talks with Cardinals radio voice Dave Pasch.

Over to the San Diego Union-Tribune where Jay Posner writes that Fox would prefer Red Sox-Phillies in the World Series. Jay has the ratings from last weekend in San Diego.

John Maffei in today’s North County Times writes about John Madden taking this week off.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star talks about Cris Collinsworth giving Madden a blow this weekend.

Steve Springer from the Los Angeles Times says Fox Trax and Pitchtrax are showing viewers the strike zone and whether umpires are right on ball/strike calls.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with Bob Costas about his role in promoting “The Express”. In his Friday column, Tom discusses MLB and John Madden. In the first part of his extensive media notes, Tom talks about Midnight Madness and a bunch of other stuff. And here’s the second part of Tom’s media notes.

To the Seattle Post-Intelligencer where Gary Washburn talks with the Voice of the Washington Huskies, Bob Rondeau who tries to find a silver lining in an 0-5 season.

Canada

The Toronto Globe and Mail’s William Houston writes that a movie on Don Cherry’s life could begin production in the summer.

John Terauds from the Toronto Star talks about the reorchestration of the Hockey Theme for TSN.

Jonathan Huntington of the Edmonton Sun praises CFL clubs for allowing TSN more access to postgame celebrations.

Crash Cameron of the Winnepeg Sun says when Rogers Sportsnet hit the scene 10 years ago, Canadian hockey was able to get a new life on TV.

That concludes the Megalinks.

Excerpts of Usain Bolt’s Interview with Bryant Gumbel

Next Tuesday, HBO will air an interview with Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Here are some excerpts of that interview:

Bolt’s response to performance enhancing drugs in track & field:

BRYANT GUMBEL: “Has no one ever even approached you and said, ‘Hey, Usain, if you get a little pharmacological help, you can go even faster’? Nobody’s even approached you?”

USAIN BOLT: “No. No.”

BRYANT GUMBEL: “Not once?”

USAIN BOLT: “No.”

BRYANT GUMBEL: “You think you’ll ever outrun the suspicions?”

USAIN BOLT: “To me it doesn’t matter what people think as long as I know I’m clean.”

An unexpected reason Bolt passed on collegiate scholarship offers in the U.S.:

BRYANT GUMBEL: “It’s true that you had U.S. scholarship offers, right, when you were younger?”

USAIN BOLT: “Yeah, yeah.”

BRYANT GUMBEL: “Why didn’t you want to go?”

USAIN BOLT: “I’m a mama’s boy. I’m close to my mom. True story, the first time I went to Europe, I went there for two months, two and a half months. I cried to come home.”

BRYANT GUMBEL: “Because you missed Mom?”

USAIN BOLT: “I was so homesick I couldn’t think about anything else.”

The interview airs with three other segments on Tuesday. I’ll have a real time review after the program airs.

The Friday Megalinks, Part I

I’m going to do this in two parts as I have several things to do at work. At least you can go through some links at first while I do some paperwork.

As usual, it’s the Weekend Viewing Picks.

Well, thanks to the miracle comeback by the Red Sox last night, Game 6 of the American League Championship Series takes place at Tropicana Field Saturday at 8:07 p.m. on TBS. If the Red Sox can win with an injured Josh Beckett over the Rays on Saturday, then Game 7 would be on Sunday in St. Petersburg also at 8:07 p.m.

For college football, ABC has Texas-Missouri in primetime and sister network ESPN will have its College Gameday show live from Austin, TX in the morning. Those who have the Raycom SEC syndicated Game of the Week can see Vanderbilt-Georgia at 12:30 p.m. That game can also be seen on ESPN’s Gameplan PPV package. The College Football Viewing Picks have the national schedule.

Over to the NFL, CBS has the doubleheader with Indianapolis at Green Bay being the featured game. The Sunday Night game on NBC has Seattle at Tampa Bay, but the significance of that game is that John Madden won’t be in the booth as he gets an extremely rare week off. Cris Collinsworth travels to Tampa to call the game with Al Michaels. The NFL Viewing Picks have all of your games on Sunday.

Other events this weekend include a boxing pay per view event from Atlantic City as Kelly Pavlik fights the venerable Bernard Hopkins in a light heavyweight bout. HBO PPV has it at 9 p.m.

NASCAR is in Tennessee for the TUMS QuikPak 500 and ABC will carry that on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.

The PGA Tour is on the cusp of Silly Season as something called the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas takes place over the weekend. Golf Channel has that at 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The LPGA Tour is in Hawaii for the Kapalua Classic and Golf Channel has coverage of that tournament at 8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

The NHL is in full swing and you can check out the schedules for this weekend over at NHL.com.

Now let’s do your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand and Michael McCarthy debate whether it’s time for NBC’s John Madden to retire.

The Sports Media Watch says the National League Championship Series will finish as the lowest rated LCS in broadcast television history.

A few links from CNBC’s Darren Rovell. First, he talks about why the NFL doesn’t have the locker room champagne celebrations that MLB does. Darren says as expected, the Dallas Cowboys dominate jersey sales. And Darren looks for signs that ticket buying is slowing down in the financial crunch.

Joe Favorito discusses how one rotisserie play website is actually putting its money where its mouth is.

The Eye on Sports Media blog says the ACC’s announcement of its men’s basketball TV schedule is a bit deceptive.

Maury Brown’s Biz of Baseball blog tells us that the Tribune Company may retain a larger ownership stake in the Cubs than originally thought due to the current financial crunch.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell talks with Comcast SportsNet’s Donny Marshall about his expanded role on Celtics road games.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette talks with a local native who works for ESPN and had to follow the Barry Bonds circus last year.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has the funny video of TBS imposing Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith into the Fenway Park crowd last night. And Sox & Dawgs also has TBS’ Harold Reynolds finally admitting he was out some 19 years later.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir reports that CBS College Sports is laying off 30 employees as it refocuses its programming.

To the New York Post where WFAN-hater Phil Mushnick goes after Mike Francesa for cutting off his co-host wannabes.

The Post’s Justin Terranova talks with Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman about the tumultuous week for the Dallas Cowboys and what it means for the New York Football Giants. And Justin has five questions for XM’s Rob Dibble.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News criticizes everything baseball today.

Newsday’s Neil Best says while Fox and TBS could have used a New York team in the MLB postseason, the #1 market in the US still likes to watch its baseball. Neil has a story from Fox Sports’ Ed Goren about Tim McCarver from the 1991 World Series. And Neil has more on New York watching baseball just to see the Red Sox lose.

A couple of things from Laura Nachman’s Philadelphia TV and radio blog. First, she mentions that the National League Championship Series cleaned up in the ratings on Wednesday. And she introduces Philly to a new sports anchor on the local Fox affiliate.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun has a bunch of news and notes in his Friday column.

The DC Examiner’s Jim Williams talks with ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd about his show being pre-empted two days a week in DC.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times says don’t really believe that Fox is really disappointed about the Dodgers losing the NLCS.

South

Doug Nye of The State remembers listening to LSU football on the radio as a kid.

Dave Darling of the Orlando Sentinel wonders how the NFL TV scheduling gets done.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram talks with new ESPN NBA analyst Magic Johnson about the Dallas Mavericks.

In the Houston Chronicle, David Barron writes about a new film on Texas A&M’s 12th Man tradition that premieres on Fox Sports Houston this weekend.

Now to Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News. Barry has the list of nominees for the Lone Star Emmy Awards. Barry also has the NFL TV schedule for Dallas-Fort Worth.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks about the new NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder’s radio voice working solo this season. Mel writes that the Thunder will drop a delay in the radio broadcast so fans inside the arena can follow the action. And Mel has his media news and notes today.

Ok, that’s Part I. I’ll have Part II of the links coming up later.

NFL Viewing Picks for Week 7, 10/19/08

NFL Gameday Morning – NFL Network, 10 a.m.
Fox NFL Sunday – Fox, noon

1 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Baltimore at Miami – Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati – Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon
Tennessee at Kansas City – Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker
San Diego at Buffalo – Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

Fox Coverage Map
Dallas at St. Louis – Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Minnesota at Chicago – Sam Rosen/Tim Ryan/Charissa Thompson!!!
New Orleans at Carolina – Matt Vasgersian/Brian Baldinger/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
San Francisco at New York Giants – Dick Stockton/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

4:05 p.m.
Fox Coverage Map
Detroit at Houston – Chris Rose/JC Pearson/Nischelle Turner

4:15 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Cleveland at Washington – Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots
Indianapolis at Green Bay – Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
New York Jets at Oakland – Dick Enberg/Randy Cross/Dan Fouts

7 p.m.
Football Night in America – NBC

8:15 p.m.
Seattle at Tampa Bay – NBC, Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Andrea Kremer

11:30 p.m.
NFL Gameday Final – NFL Network

DirecTV Sunday NFL Ticket Channel Assignments
Sirius Satellite Radio Channel Assignments
XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

College Football Viewing Picks for 10/18/08, All Times Eastern

College Gameday, live from Austin, TX – ESPN, 10 a.m.

noon
Wisconsin at Iowa – Big Ten Network

Georgia Tech at Clemson – ESPN
Purdue at Northwestern – ESPN2
UConn at Rutgers – ESPN U

Texas Tech at Texas A&M – FSN

Wake Forest at Maryland – Raycom

12:30 p.m.
Nebraska at Iowa State – Versus
Vanderbilt at Georgia – Raycom

2 p.m.
Colorado State at Utah – the mtn.

3 p.m.
College Football Countdown – ABC
College Football Today – CBS

3:30 p.m.
ABC Coverage Map
ESPN2 Coverage Map
Kansas at Oklahoma – ABC
North Carolina at Virginia – ABC/ESPN2
Ohio State at Michigan State – ABC/ESPN2

Ole Miss at Alabama – CBS
Pittsburgh at Navy – CBS College Sports

Miami (FL) at Duke – ESPNU

USC at Washington State – FSN

4:30 p.m.
Michigan at Penn State – ESPN

6 p.m.
San Diego State at New Mexico – the mtn.

7 p.m.
Arkansas at Kentucky – ESPNU
Oregon State at Washington – Versus

8 p.m.
Missouri at Texas – ABC

Indiana at Illinois – Big Ten Network

UTEP at Tulsa – CBS College Sports

LSU at South Carolina – ESPN
Virginia Tech at Boston College – ESPN2

10 p.m.
Air Force at UNLV – the mtn.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Football
Florida State at NC State – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
BYU at TCU – Versus, 8 p.m.

MLB League Championship Series
MLB on Deck – TBS, 7:30 p.m.
Game 5 of ALCS/Tampa Bay at Red Sox – TBS, 8:07 p.m.

NFL
America’s Game: The Missing Rings/1998 Minnesota Vikings – NFL Network, 10 p.m.

NHL
New Jersey at Atlanta – MSG Network/SportSouth, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Tampa Bay – MSG +/Suns Sports, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Florida – Fox Sports North/Fox Sports Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Detroit – TSN/Fox Sports Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Washington at Pittsburgh – RDS/Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/FSN Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis – Fox Sports Southwest/Fox Sports Midwest, 8:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Colorado – Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Altitude, 9 p.m.

Entertainment
Survivor: Gabon – CBS, 8 p.m.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – CBS, 9 p.m.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – FX, 10 p.m.
The Sarah Silverman Program – Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

Your World Series on Fox Logo

I don’t know why I’m so much into network logos, but I am. Here’s what the Fox Sports/World Series logo will look like when coverage begins next Wednesday, October 22.

There you go. Nice touch with the leaf at home plate.

More Press Release Material

Not too many press releases today in my inbox, but I’ll give you what I have.

First, former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson becomes the second Johnson (Magic was the other) to join ESPN’s NBA coverage.

Avery Johnson Joins ESPN as Studio Analyst

Former NBA point guard and head coach Avery Johnson has also joined ESPN as an NBA studio analyst, mainly joining host Stuart Scott and analyst Bill Walton on ESPN’s NBA Shootaround pregame show throughout the season and postseason. Johnson, who contributed to ESPN’s NBA Playoff coverage earlier this year, will also contribute at times to ABC’s GMC NBA Countdown.

“Avery has excelled in every professional endeavor and we know his success will carry over to his on-air role,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production. “His experience and passion for the game will resonate with our fans.”

“I’m excited to join the ESPN family of networks and, specifically, to join the NBA broadcast team,” said Johnson. “ESPN and ABC has an abundance of terrific talent and I’m glad to launch my career in broadcasting with the premiere sports network.”

Johnson most recently served as coach of the Dallas Mavericks (2004-08), guiding the franchise to a .735 winning percentage (194-70). His team advanced to the Finals in 2006 and Johnson was rewarded with NBA Coach of the Year recognition. During the 2007 season, Johnson became the fastest coach to reach 150 wins.

Johnson, an NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, had a 16-year NBA career including time with the Seattle SuperSonics (1988-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91; 2001-02), Spurs (1991, 1992-93, 1994-2001), Houston Rockets (1992), Golden State Warriors (1993-94, 2003-04) and Dallas Mavericks (2002-03). Johnson earned the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1998.

And here are the stories and features you’ll see on ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.

ESPN’s Weekend and Monday NFL Studio Features

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown will preview the day’s matchups Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson. Chris Mortensen will also provide headlines and league news, and Steve Young will contribute his weekly Sunday segment, “Young is Restless.”

The program will include reports from Ed Werder covering the Dallas Cowboys at the St. Louis Rams, Sal Paolantonio in Buffalo, N.Y., for the Chargers at the Bills, and Rachel Nichols covering the Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers game. Other highlights:

Dallas Drama

The 2008 Cowboys season has played more like the old television series Dallas than anyone could have imagined. A wide receiver concerned about his role in the offense, a cornerback whose off-the-field behavior has earned him another suspension, and mounting injuries to the starting quarterback and a play-making running back, both happening in the same game. Reporter Greg Garber looks at all the elements that make up the “soap opera” of the Cowboys season.

Titans Defensive Line Unity

One of the secrets to Tennessee’s dominant defensive line is not on the practice field or in the meeting rooms but can be found at any hardware store. The Tennessee D-line keeps a circular chain with each player’s number on it to signify strength in unity. Countdown’s Jackson travels to Nashville to find out what the chain means to the Titans’ “front four.”

Mayne Event: The Helmet Debate

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama held their third and final presidential campaign debate Wednesday night, making their stances known on the economy, health care and national security. In this week’s “Mayne Event,” Kenny Mayne wanted to find out where the two candidates are on the hot-button issue of 2008 – NFL helmet safety.

Countdown’s “Spin The Wheel”

In “Spin The Wheel,” Countdown analysts discuss and debate hot-button NFL topics and issues displayed on a wheel.

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Dwight Freeney vs. Aaron Rodgers

In EA Sports Virtual Playbook, Jackson breaks down Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and the techniques he will use to get to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Ditka’s Doghouse

In his self-titled weekly segment, the erstwhile mercurial NFL head coach Mike Ditka sends an NFL player to “Ditka’s Doghouse,” much like he did to erring players during his coaching career.

Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em with Matthew Berry and Merril Hoge

ESPN’s fantasy football guru Matthew Berry and NFL analyst Merril Hoge preview which players to start or sit Sunday in “Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em” including, weekly trends and sleepers in the NFL.

Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson and Johnson will pick the biggest games of the day and tell fans which players will make the biggest impact in NFL’s Week 7 action. The list of game picks will be posted on www.espn.com/sundaycountdown after the show.

MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, 7 P.M. ON ESPN

Monday Night Countdown with Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, and Mortensen (in Bristol) and Stuart Scott, Young and Emmitt Smith (at the MNF game in Foxborough, Mass.) will review Sunday’s games and preview Monday Night Football. The 90-minute, pre-game show will lead into the kickoff of the Denver Broncos at New England Patriots game (8:30 p.m.), featuring Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser.

Reporters Michele Tafoya (Broncos) and Suzy Kolber (Patriots) and will cover the teams. Other highlights:

ESPN the Magazine’s “For Love or The Game:” Richard Seymour

New England Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour will be the subject of Monday’s “For Love or The Game,” a Countdown segment that pairs a player or coach with a member of his family and a teammate to find out which person knows more about him. Seymour’s wife, Tanya, and his teammate Ty Warren battle to see who really knows Seymour better.

“Soundtracks:” Bill Belichick

Patriots Bill Belichick, a three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and one of the best in the league, is wired for sound in this week’s “Soundtracks,” giving viewers a rare peek inside the mind of the coach during practices and games.

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Jay Cutler’s Bootleg Pass

Countdown’s Jackson takes viewers on the field to show how Denver quarterback Jay Cutler has become dangerous throwing on the run.

“Unmasked:” Champ Bailey

One of the best matchups to watch Monday night will be between Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss and Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. In this week’s “Unmasked,” Countdown takes viewers inside the helmet with Denver’s shutdown corner.

And from Fox Sports, here are quotes from Troy Aikman, Michael Strahan and Brian Billick on the NFL’s top stories.

NFL ON FOX WEEK 7: NFC EAST LOOKS TO REBOUND; NFC SOUTH RIVALS FACE-OFF – The 2008 NFL on FOX campaign moves into Week 7 on Sunday, Oct. 19 with singleheader coverage of five competitive matchups—each presented in crystal clear HD. In the 1:00 PM ET window, the Giants and Cowboys look to rebound from tough losses in Week 6. Following their first loss of the season, Eli Manning and the defending champs look to get back to their winning ways as they host Mike Nolan’s San Francisco 49ers. In St. Louis, the Rams try to take down their second straight NFC East opponent when they welcome the Dallas Cowboys and their newest weapon, wide receiver Roy Williams. Also in the early window, NFC South rivals meet in Charlotte, NC when Drew Brees and the Saints visit the Panthers while the Bears host the Vikings at Soldier Field. At 4:00 PM ET the Lions take on the Texans in Houston.

Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with America’s most-watched pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY. Co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee join analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan to provide insightful opinions on the NFL. NFL Insider, Jay Glazer presents the latest news and notes on “Glazer’s Edge.” Weather forecaster Jillian Reynolds and comedic prognosticator Frank Caliendo also contribute. In this week’s show, reporter Pam Oliver talks to Saints QB Drew Brees about New Orleans’ strong start and the prospects of his team in the NFC South. In addition, fresh off providing a blueprint to fix the Eagles offensive woes, Coach Johnson looks at the problems in Dallas and offers his advice to get the Cowboys back on track.

During postgame coverage of early matchups and halftime of the Lions/Texans game, FOX Sports will exclusively unveil this season’s first official BCS college football standings. BCS on FOX lead analyst Charles Davis joins Menefee, Bradshaw, Johnson and former national championship winning head coach Barry Switzer to break down the rankings and look ahead to next week’s most impact games. FOX Sports is the exclusive home to the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the FedEx BCS National Championship Game.

AIKMAN ASSESSES GIANTS LOSS TO CLEVELAND AND COWBOYS LOSS OF ROMO – NFL on FOX lead analyst Troy Aikman calls this week’s Giants game against the 49ers and while he thinks it’s a pivotal game for the G-Men, he stresses that last week’s Monday Night loss to the Browns should not make anyone hit the panic button in New York: “If you had looked at the Giants schedule at the start of the season and saw the Monday Night game in Cleveland, you’d think that could be a really tough game based on what people thought of Cleveland heading into the season. I don’t know if you necessarily chalk that up as a win for the Giants before the season starts. I’m not concerned by the loss and I don’t think that the Giants should be concerned. You have those kind of games sometimes. You don’t like them but they happen.”

Aikman also considers what effect the loss of Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo will have in the coming weeks: “It’s going to have a major impact on the team. I certainly feel that Brad Johnson’s capable and will do a good job. It’s just going to be a different look entirely. People who say that Dallas still has a lot of playmakers really underestimate what Tony meant to them as far as the big plays. Dallas leads the league this year in plays of 20 yards or more and they led the league last year. They had more than New England did a year ago and Tony Romo was a big reason for that.”

BILLICK: WILLIAMS ACQUISITION MAY GIVE DALLAS TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING – The biggest move as the NFL trading deadline approached yesterday was the acquisition of Roy Williams by the Cowboys. NFL on FOX analyst Brian Billick wonders, with the personalities already in place in Dallas, if there such a thing as being too talented. “Talent always makes you better but wide receiver is the singular position where it’s hard to have two really good guys under contract at the same time. They are in competition with one another. Defensive ends aren’t in competition and you can have all the good lineman you want. But from a contractual standpoint, receivers are constantly in competition with one another to be the No. 1 guy, because that No. 1 guy means No. 1 receiver money on the team. Having Terrell Owens and Roy Williams there together is going to be interesting.”

STRAHAN: COWBOYS SHOULD HAVE CLEANED THEIR OWN HOUSE IN PACMAN MESS – In the wake of the league’s decision to suspend Adam “Pacman” Jones for at least four games after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Michael Strahan considers whether the league would have had to step in at all if the Cowboys had disciplined Jones themselves. “I would have loved to have seen the Cowboys come out and handle this themselves. Maybe if Dallas had come in with some type of action, the NFL would have said, ‘Okay, they’re handling their own business.’ It would have shown the NFL they understood the agreement to reinstate Pacman. I don’t think the Cowboys really handled it well and just made excuses for him. The NFL had to do something.”

That’s it for now.