Fang's Bites

Sports Media Weekly Podcast No. 39

It’s another edition of the Sports Media Weekly Podcast and the guest is Jason McIntyre, editor of The Big Lead.

Jason is on for the entire podcast and Keith Thibault of Sports Media Journal and I ask him about how he began his blog. We also talk about the recent purchase of The Big Lead by Fantasy Sports Ventures (as you’re probably aware from the banner on top of Fang’s Bites, my blog is part of the FSV network).

In addition, we talk about the impact of sports blogs on the mainstream media. And we look at the future of blogs and blogging networks like Fantasy Sports Ventures.

There’s no news of the week segment in this podcast, just Jason as our distinguished guest. You can head to iTunes to download the podcast or

NFL Network Picks Up 14 Canadian Football League Games

In a move that is applauded here at Fang’s Bites, it’s good to see the NFL Network pick up a slate of Canadian Football games starting Thursday night. Overall, NFL Network will air 14 games in July, September and October. No games will be aired in August as NFL Network will be airing every league exhibition game throughout the month.

CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE DEBUTS ON NFL NETWORK IN 2010

 14 Game Schedule Begins Thursday, July 1 at 7:00 PM ET

TORONTO – The Canadian Football League  and NFL have agreed to a new telecast deal for 2010, it was announced today.  NFL Network will broadcast fourteen regular season CFL  games  starting with the  season opener Thursday, July 1 at 7:00 PM ET featuring the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup championship game.

“This is great news for CFL fans living in the United States, a group that includes some of our most passionate and dedicated fans,” said Rob Assimakopoulos, the CFL’s Senior Vice-President for Marketing and Commercial Assets.  “And it promises to expose our brand of football to a broad, new audience.”

NFL Network adds the fast-paced, wide open CFL football action that features familiar names from U.S. college football.

“We continue to acquire more games for our fans and look forward to CFL action kicking off on Thursday with a rematch of the Grey Cup,” said Charles Coplin, Vice President of Programming, NFL Network. “With the addition of the CFL, we now have live games from every level to deliver to our viewers who want football 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

The 14-game CFL schedule on NFL Network in high definition features three games on Saturday nights in July following the Thursday night debut on Canada Day. Due to NFL Network’s commitment to air every NFL preseason game in August, CFL action resumes on Friday nights in September, October and November.

The games will be produced by TSN, the leading sports broadcaster in Canada. NFL Network subscribers in Canada will get alternative programming due to TSN’s exclusivity.  

NFL Network’s programming includes live NFL regular season Thursday Night Football games, Arena Football Friday AFL games, college and high school all-star games and now the CFL.

Canadian football has a history spanning more than a century and its championship game, the Grey Cup, is annually one of the most-watched television events north of the border. Home to eight teams, all in Canadian cities, the league features three downs instead of four, 12 men aside instead of 11, unlimited motion before the snap of the ball, and a playing field that 65 yards wide and 110 yards long, with end zones 20 yards deep.-.

Some of its most recognizable alumni include: former NFL quarterbacks Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Joe Theismann and Joe Kapp and legendary coach Bud Grant. Moon and Grant are members of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2010 Canadian Football League Schedule on NFL Network

Date                                               Teams                                       Time             

Thursday, July 1                 Montreal @ Saskatchewan              7:00 PM ET

Saturday, July 10                Calgary @ Hamilton                         1:00 PM ET

Saturday, July 17                Edmonton @ Saskatchewan           4:00 PM ET

Saturday, July 24                Edmonton @ Winnipeg                    6:30 PM ET

Saturday, July 31                Hamilton @ Saskatchewan              6:30 PM ET

Friday, Sept. 10                   Calgary @ Edmonton                       9:00 PM ET

Friday, Sept. 17                   Calgary @ Saskatchewan                9:00 PM ET

Friday, Sept. 24                   Montreal @ Winnipeg                       8:00 PM ET

Friday, Oct. 1                      Montreal @ Calgary                           9:00 PM ET

Friday, Oct. 8                      Edmonton @ Hamilton                      7:30 PM ET

Friday, Oct. 15                    Hamilton @ Toronto                          7:30 PM ET

Friday, Oct. 22                    Montreal @ Hamilton                        7:00 PM ET

Friday, Oct. 29                    Montreal @ Toronto                          7:00 PM ET

Friday, Nov. 5                     Calgary @ Winnipeg                         8:00 PM ET

NFL Network Schedule Through The Next Week

I’ll have more on this in a bit, but starting tomorrow night, NFL Network will have a slate of 14 regular season Canadian Football League games. Add this to the Arena Football League game it carries on Friday and the Hard Knocks marathon this holiday weekend and you have an action packed week of programming. Take a look at what’s on tap.

NFL NETWORK PROGRAMMING NOTES (6/30-7/6)

JULY 4^TH WEEKEND FEATURES HARD KNOCKS MARATHON INCLUDING NETWORK DEBUT OF FIFTH SEASON WITH THE 2009 CINCINNATI BENGALS

Texans TE Owen Daniels, Cardinals S Kerry Rhodes & Packers LB Nick Barnett In-Studio on NFL Total Access This Week

League Leaders Chicago Rush and Tampa Bay Storm Battle on ‘Arena Football Friday’

Special July 4^th Hard Knocks Marathon All-Day Sunday

As part of NFL Network’s programming for the holiday weekend, the network will air a special marathon of the NFL Films-produced series Hard Knocks.  Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens from 2001 kicks off the marathon Sunday at 3:00 AM ET, followed by the 2007 Kansas City Chiefs at 9:00 AM ET and the Dallas Cowboys from 2002 beginning at 2:00 PM ET. 

The Emmy-award winning Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals makes its NFL Network debut Sunday, July 4th at 8:00 PM ET with episode #1 of the fifth season. The remaining four episodes from season five will debut chronologically, with one episode per night Monday, July 5th through Thursday, July 8th, also at 8:00 PM ET. 

An encore of the entire fifth season airs Sunday, July 11th beginning at 8:00 PM ET.

TE Owen Daniels, S Kerry Rhodes and LB Nick Barnett Guest Studio Analysts on NFL Total Access

Starting Wednesday, a trio of NFL veterans join Rich Eisen, Warren Sapp, Jamie Dukes and Brian Baldinger in-studio for the latest news on their respective team’s preparation for the 2010 season.

Texans TE Owen Daniels stops by Wednesday to share the latest news out of Houston, while Thursday S Kerry Rhodes gives an update on his adjustment to his new team in Arizona. On Friday, LB Nick Barnett has the scoop out of Green Bay and gives insight into what fans can expect from the Packers’ defense this season.

Chicago and Tampa Bay Face Off on ‘Arena Football Friday’ at 8:00 PM ET

‘Arena Football Friday’ enters its 14^th week with the Chicago Rush battling the Tampa Bay Storm.

The Chicago Rush (9-3) have moved into first place in the league and look to add another win to their record.  FB Robert Boss, who was recently named Russell Athletic’s ‘Offensive Player of the Week,’ leads Chicago’s offensive attack.

Like Chicago, the Storm also stand atop the league standings with an 8-3 record and six-game win streak. Friday’s matchup marks the first meeting between both teams this season.

Fran Charles has the call of Friday’s matchup, alongside Michael Lombardi.

THIS WEEK ON NFL TOTAL ACCESS: Texans TE Owen Daniels, Cardinals S Kerry Rhodes & Packers LB Nick Barnett In-Studio

Wedneday, June 30

• Texans TE Owen Daniels In-Studio
• Steve Wyche goes ‘Around the League’ live from the rookie symposium
• #3 of 2009’s Top 10 Regular Season Games revealed
• #15 of ’32 Teams in 32 Days’ revealed

Thursday, July 1

• Cardinals S Kerry Rhodes in the studio
• Steve Wyche goes ‘Around the League’
• #2 of 2009’s Top 10 Regular Season Games revealed
• #14 of ’32 Teams in 32 Days’ revealed

 Friday, July 2

• Packers LB Nick Barnett in the studio
• Steve Wyche goes ‘Around the League’
• #1 of 2009’s Top 10 Regular Season Games revealed
• #13 of ’32 Teams in 32 Days’ revealed

Monday, July 5

• #12 of ’32 Teams in 32 Days’ revealed

Tuesday, June 6

• #11 of ’32 Teams in 32 Days’ revealed

THIS WEEK ON NFL.COM: Chat with 49ers S Dashon Goldson Thursday

Thursday, July 1

• CHAT: Bucky Brooks (2:00 PM ET)
• CHAT: 49ers S Dashon Goldson (4:00 PM ET)

Friday, July 2

• CHAT: Vic Carucci (12 NOON ET)
• CHAT: Jamie Dukes (4:00 PM ET)

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times listed are ET)

Wednesday, June 30

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots (HD)

9:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

10:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

11:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

Thursday, July 1

1:00 PM – NFL Films Presents: Backstage in Camelot

2:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots (HD)

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD)

4:30 PM – NFL Film Session: Super Bowl XII – Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos

5:00 PM – NFL Weekly Countdown: 2009, Week 14 (HD)

5:30 PM – Sound FX: 2009, Week 14 (HD)

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Pass Rushers

7:00 PM – Canadian Football League: Montreal vs. Saskatchewan (HD) – LIVE

10:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Characters

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL’s Top 10: Defenses

Friday, July 2

1:00 PM – NFL Films Presents: Mothers & Sons

2:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Characters

3:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Defenses

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD)

4:30 PM – NFL Film Session: Super Bowl XIII – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys

5:00 PM – NFL Weekly Countdown: 2009, Week 15 (HD)

5:30 PM – Sound FX: 2009, Week 15 (HD)

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Foul-Ups

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – Arena Football Friday: Chicago Rush vs. Tampa Bay Storm (HD) – LIVE

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – Arena Football Friday: Chicago Rush vs. Tampa Bay Storm (HD)

Saturday, July 3

1:00 PM – NFL Follies: NFL Symfunny

1:30 PM – NFL Follies: 2007 Fall Follies

2:00 PM – NFL Follies: New Year Mistackular (HD)

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots (HD)

4:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

5:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Characters

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Defenses

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Week in Review (HD)

8:00 PM – Super Bowl Classics: Super Bowl XLII – New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Week in Review (HD)

Sunday, July 4

July 4^th Hard Knocks Marathon

3:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 1

4:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 2

5:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 3

6:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 4

7:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 5

8:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Raavens – 2001, Episode 6

9:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 1 (HD)

10:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 2 (HD)

11:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 3 (HD)

12 NOON – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 4 (HD)

1:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 5 (HD)

2:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 1

3:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 2

4:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 3

5:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 4

6:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 5

7:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 6

8:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 1 (HD) – NFL Network Debut

9:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 1

10:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 2

11:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 3

12 MIDNIGHT – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 4

1:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 5

 

Monday, July 5

2:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 1

3:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 2

4:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 3

5:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 4

6:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 5

7:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 6

8:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 1 (HD)

9:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 2 (HD)

10:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 3 (HD)

11:00 AM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 4 (HD)

12 NOON – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 5 (HD)

1:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 1

2:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 2

3:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 3

4:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 4

5:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 5

6:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 1 (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 2 (HD) – NFL Network debut

9:00 PM – NFL Classic Games: 2007 AFC Divisional – San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Total Access (HD)

Tuesday, July 6

10:00 AM – NFL Classic Games: 2007 AFC Divisional – San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts (HD)

1:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 2 (HD)

2:00 PM – Game of the Week: 2004 – Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots (HD)

3:00 PM – Game of the Week: 2004 – New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD)

4:30 PM – NFL Film Session: Super Bowl XIV – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Raiders

5:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 2 (HD)

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Gunslingers

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 3 (HD) – NFL Network Debut

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: NFL TV Follies

10:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

11:00 PM – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 3 (HD)

The NFL Network announcement on the Canadian Football League coming up.

Some Wednesday Links

Let’s do a few links on this Hump Day.

Starting with Michael Hiestand of USA Today, he looks at former NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira joining Fox Sports this fall.

Sean Leahy at USA Today’s The Huddle blog notes that ESPN is bringing back NFL Matchup in the fall. 

The Sporting News picks up a story written by John Ourand of sister publication Sports Business Journal about the upcoming bidding war for the Pac 10 TV rights.

Brian Lowry of FoxSports.com isn’t feeling World Cup fever.

Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports that ESPN will utilize announcer Martin Tyler for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. 

Milton Kent of Fanhouse is critical of George Wayne’s interview of Erin Andrews in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. I gave my take on this last night.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Hoffer remembers the old Home Run Derby TV show.

Elizabeth Guider of the Hollywood Reporter writes that the NFL and kids network Nickelodeon are teaming up on a new animated, short form series that will run during football season.

Andrew Stewart of Variety says the movie companies are mildly surprised that they haven’t taken as big a hit as expected during the World Cup.

Marisa Guthrie from Broadcasting & Cable talks about Versus’ multiplatform coverage of the upcoming Tour de France.

Radio-Info.com says an ESPN Radio program director is leaving his post and moving back to his native Ohio. 

Us Magazine reports that former CBS Sports/Access Hollywood/Insider host Pat O’Brien (NSFW) is writing an autobiography about his tumultuous life.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says this year’s World Cup is definitely a TV hit.

Also from the Times, Jere Longman looks at Brazilian journalists who are not happy with restrictions in South Africa which prevent from their normal access to the national soccer team.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has ESPN’s MLB schedule through next Wednesday.

Pete also talks with NBC’s Dottie Pepper who will be home more often under a new schedule worked out with the network. 

Jerry Milani of the New Jersey Newsroom talks with the head of CBS College Sports. 

Jane M. Von Bergen in the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Institute which is studying how people are accessing ESPN’s World Cup coverage. 

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with John Riggins about his return to DC radio and his MASN simulcast.

Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun Sentinel looks at the economic impact Super Bowl XLIV had on Miami and the surrounding areas.

Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel says it’s TV that made the power plays with the college conferences. 

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman reports that Ron Franklin, who had thought about retiring after last college basketball season, has signed a new deal with ESPN.

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer says local sports radio host Andy Furman gets another hosting opportunity with Fox Sports Radio.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business remembers former White Sox announcer Lorn Brown who passed away last week.

Doug Haller from the Arizona Republic says Arizona wants to host the Pac 10 football championship game and mentions that the conference’s football coaches will meet en masse with ESPN next month just before Media Day.

Jon Wilner in the San Jose Mercury News has the complete Pac 10 football TV schedule.

Chris Zelkovich in the Toronto Star writes that the NHL Draft on TSN made a run at the World Cup on CBC in the ratings.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the Raptors have signed a TV and radio deal that puts the NBA franchise on the combined Rogers Sportsnet/FAN 590 combo.

Sports Media Watch notes that Fox saw some poor numbers for last Saturday’s MLB games in primetime.

SMW has the weekend overnight ratings.

SMW has news on various network TV personalities.

And SMW has more ratings news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says NHL Network will be airing a whole slew of Stanley Cup clinching games this summer.

Dave Kohl at the Major League Programs blog says BBC Radio’s 5 Live will air its first MLB game ever on July 4.

That will do it.

NFL Matchup Returns to ESPN

There had been speculation earlier this year that one of the more popular NFL pregame shows, NFL Matchup would end after the league announced it would no longer seek sponsorships for the show. After negotiations between ESPN and NFL Films, the two sides came together on a multiyear agreement that keeps NFL Matchup on the air.

The show will continue to be produced at NFL Films headquarters in Mount Laurel, NJ, but ESPN will now take over selling sponsorship for the show.

Here’s the announcement from ESPN:

NFL Matchup Returning This Fall

NFL Matchup, ESPN’s popular 30-minute weekly X’s and O’s preview and analysis show that uses team-supplied coaching footage to discuss NFL strategy and tactics, will continue on the network this fall thanks to a new, multiyear agreement with NFL Films. One of the few programs that offers an “inside the film room” perspective, Matchup has been popular among football fans since it debuted on ESPN in 1994.

ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio will continue to host with Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski and studio analyst Merril Hoge. The show will continue to be produced by NFL Films, under the direction of longtime producer Greg Cosell. It will originate from the NFL Films headquarters in Mount Laurel, N.J., and ESPN will now oversee selling sponsorship of the program.

NFL Matchup will air at 3 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on NFL Sundays, beginning with the regular-season kickoff weekend Sept. 12 and will continue through Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 6, 2011. Beginning in Week 17, the show will add a re-air most Sundays at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2, and during the 2011 NFL season it will move to this time on a week-by-week basis.

Granted, the show’s scheduling was all over the place, but hardcore football fans really enjoyed the show and so did coaches and players. Glad to see the regular cast of Sal Paolantonio, Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski will return. The show deserves to be on during football season.

Season Premiere of National Geographic Channel’s Locked Up Abroad

I owe my good friends at the National Geographic Channel some love. They send press releases, but sometimes I get bogged down and forget to post them. Well, I’m making sure this particular programming note gets mentioned. One program I particularly love is Locked Up Abroad where the show recreates people getting arrested in foreign lands. It can be very scary and tonight’s season premiere looks into what happened to one American who got arrested on drug charges in Turkey and spent five years leading to his escape then eventual freedom. Sound familiar? Yes, tonight’s program focuses on Billy Hayes, the subject of the movie, Midnight Express. But Billy wasn’t happy with the movie and in Locked Up Abroad, he tells us what really happened behind bars and how he managed to escape from prison.

Here’s a look plus some videos from tonight’s program.

LOCKED UP ABROAD: THE REAL MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

Wednesday, June 30 at 10pm ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad/4735/Overview

“In 1978 Hollywood made a film about my life, it was called Midnight Express and it told the story of my imprisonment and escape from a prison in Istanbul.  The story itself was based upon the book I had written.  In the book I could only say certain things for legal reasons.  The movie itself changed even the book to a point where not all of it is valid and true to my story.  Now I have a chance to tell my story.” – Billy Hayes

REENACTMENT: Billy Hayes (actor) at the Greek border being held at gun point. Billy had staged a dramatic escape, stealing a boat and rowing 20 miles to the mainland. After trying to find an unguarded spot through which to cross into Greece, Billly ran into a military checkpoint, where he was immediately arrested. The animosity between Greece and Turkey shielded Billy from extradition. With the Greeks on his side, he was finally free and able to make the final journey back to Long Island, five years after his first attempt. (Photo credit: © Raw Television) 

The Oscar-winning 1978 film “Midnight Express” told the story of 23-year-old college student Billy Hayes ? his imprisonment for drug smuggling and his escape from a prison in Istanbul, Turkey.  But for legal reasons, neither the film nor the book, authored by Hayes, was completely accurate.  Now, Billy tells the full story of being sent to the infamous Turkish Sa?malc?lar prison and eventually escaping.  After serving five years and believing he is about to be set free, he is told instead that his sentence has been increased to life in prison.  Devastated, he is determined to escape ? and risk death to do it.  His journey to freedom begins after being transferred to another prison located on an island, stealing a fisherman’s dinghy and heaving a skiff 17 miles through the rolling waves to the mainland.  However, once he reaches the shore, Billy runs into a military checkpoint, where he is immediately arrested.  His captors turn out to be Greek, historical enemies of those who had previously incarcerated him, and Billy is granted his long-awaited freedom.

Video “Locked Up Abroad: The Real Midnight Express” – Locked Up Abroad re-examines the life of Billy Hayes, and this time, all is revealed.

Video “Catching a Drug Smuggler” – Just mere steps from his flight, Billy is caught attempting to smuggle two kilos of hash out of Turkey.

 Video “Posing as a Mental Patient” – Hayes fakes insanity in order to transfer to a mental hospital, only to find that the hospital is much worse than prison.

Video “Escape from an Island Prison” – In a prison surrounded by water, Billy steals out in the dead of night, jumps in a canoe, and rows hours to safety.

In addition, Locked Up Abroad will be taking you deep inside Iraq (7/7); Tokyo, Japan (7/14); Bangkok, Thailand (7/21); Spain (7/28); and Panama (8/4) throughout the summer.

Last but not least, if you’re a fan of Locked Up Abroad, you’ll know that in many of the stories (though, of course, not all) there are drugs involved. We’ll be going behind-the-scenes of this $300 billion global industry on Sunday, July 11 and Monday, July 12 through four episodes of Drugs, Inc., and provide a 360º view of our society’s most abused drugs: cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

Thanks to publicist, Minjae Ormes for sending me the info on Locked Up Abroad. It’s greatly appreciated.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

MLB
American League
Detroit at Minnesota – Fox Sports Detroit/Fox Sports North, 1 p.m.
Oakland at Baltimore – Comcast SportsNet California/MASN, 7 p.m.
Seattle at New York Yankees – FSN Northwest/YES, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Red Sox – Sun Sports/NESN, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Cleveland – Rogers Sportsnet/STO, 7 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Kansas City – Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Kansas City, 8 p.m.
Texas at Anaheim Angels – Fox Sports Southwest/Fox Sports West, 10 p.m.

National League
Philadelphia at Cincinnati – MLB Network/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, 12:30 p.m.
Arizona at St. Louis – Fox Sports Arizona/Fox Sports Midwest, 2 p.m.
Houston at Milwaukee – Fox Sports Houston, 2 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs – FSN Pittsburgh/WGN America, 2 p.m.
Colorado at San Diego – FSN Rocky Mountain, 3:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco – Fox Sports Prime Ticket/Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 3:30 p.m.
New York Mets vs. Florida at San Juan, Puerto Rico – ESPN2/SNY, 7 p.m.
Washington at Atlanta – MASN/SportSouth, 7 p.m.

MLB Tonight Live – MLB Network, 3:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight – ESPN2, 10 p.m.

Tennis
Wimbledon, Men’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2, 7 a.m./NBC, 10 a.m. (tape delay shenanigans)/ESPN2, 1 p.m.

Wimbledon Primetime – Tennis Channel, 7 p.m.

Entertainment
America’s Crude Reality: Beyond the Gulf Disaster – CNBC, 8 p.m.
MythBusters Busters’ Cut: Alcohol Myths – Discovery, 9 p.m.
Locked Up Abroad: The Real Midnight Express (season premiere) – National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Inside NASCAR – Showtime, 10 p.m.
In Plain Sight – USA Network, 10 p.m.
The Daily Line – Versus, 11 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

How Not To Conduct An Interview Plus Do We Care About Craig Kilborn Anymore?

I haven’t been able to do a good set of linkage due to shuffling in between two offices over the last couple of days. I hope to be able to do some on Wednesday. However, I’ll give you a brief post on a few issues to hold you over for the night.

First, thanks to Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated for tweeting this first story. It comes from Vanity Fair and its contributing editor George Wayne who conducts an interview with Erin Andrews who may or may not be staying with ESPN.

This interview accompanies a photo shoot of Ms. Andrews (is it right to call it “Caught Looking at ESPN’s Erin Andrews considering what she’s been through?) that is in the August issue. Check out a behind the scenes video below.

The reason why I’m making a post regarding the interview is due to Wayne’s strange questioning of Erin. I don’t know if he’s trying to be snarky or the print version of Howard Stern because neither style is working. Here are some of his questions:

You’ve got these long spindly legs. Did you have a nickname?

Do you have man-size feet like Paris Hilton? You know, she can find shoes to fit her only in the “tranny” section of the shoe store.

What is the one thing you take when feeling constipated?

You have been a victim of cyber-perversity—and, most impressive of all, you have rebounded in astounding fashion. Is there anything you would wish upon that man, Michael Barrett, who filmed you naked last year?

… what gets me to the vomitorium is that faux romance between you and that cheesy ballroom-dancing partner of yours. What was with this tabloid fake romance?

Is Wayne serious? Is he trying to be funny? Is he trying to get a reaction from Erin? You can feel the tension coming out from the text of Erin’s answers. And for her part, Erin tweeted this reaction to Jimmy Traina: “I thought I was being punked thru the whole thing..”

That pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Strange interview and I don’t think I would have even gone to where Wayne was trying to take the questions. 

It’s no wonder why people hate reporters. You see questions like that and you just shake your head.

Next, what’s up with Craig Kilborn?

This week, former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, Daily Show host and late night talk show host Craig Kilborn started hosting a new show on seven Fox-owned stations as part of a trial summer run. It’s hoped that the show will get an audience and the show can be aired either on the national Fox network or syndicated.

The Kilborn File has many of Craigger’s familiar schtick, his fake news headlines, 5 Questions and then something called “The Power Panel” where two or three guests give their take on the news of the day. Whether the show gets picked up is up to the ratings in the seven markets where the show is being aired.

I was a fan of Craig’s when he was on ESPN and enjoyed his work on the Daily Show. But I found it strange that he would leave television altogether in 2004, quitting the Late, Late Show and disappearing.

An interview in Monday’s Los Angeles Times with Joe Flint shed some light on why Kilborn left CBS, but really doesn’t get into the meat of the issue. And that’s the problem with Craig. He seemingly goes into a project with guns blazing, but then seems to get bored and leaves. To me, the interview sounded pompous, but that’s the schtick that Kilborn has been doing ever since he left ESPN for The Daily Show.

I’d like to root for the new show, but it appears that Craig doesn’t seem to care if it gets picked up nationally. Flint writes, “If the show doesn’t work, Kilborn says he won’t lose sleep over it. He has sitcom ideas and fantasies of returning to Northern California and becoming a disc jockey.“

It’s obvious that Craig has no intention of returning to sports and appears that he just wants to live in his own world, away from the bright spotlight. But if that’s the case, why return to TV? It’s that enigma that makes Kilborn very hard to embrace.

Friend of Fang’s Bites, SportsbyBrooks also provides a take on Kilborn and he seems to be puzzled by Craig as well.

A couple of stories to chew on for your mid-week.

HBO To Run Its Annual Summer Sports Documentary Festival

Starting on Thursday and running into August, HBO Sports will air six of its critically acclaimed documentaries, all of which are part of its “Sports in the 20th Century” series. I’ve seen four of them and I’ve liked all of them for the most part. My favorites out of the docs being re-aired, “Ted Williams” and “The UCLA Dynasty” which are being run on consecutive weeks. Take a look and perhaps you can watch a documentary you’ve missed or re-watch one you’ve already seen.

HBO SPORTS^® PRESENTS A SUMMER FESTIVAL OF ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARIES, FEATURING A DIFFERENT FILM EVERY THURSDAY FROM JULY 1 TO AUG. 5 ON HBO

NEW YORK, June 25, 2010 – Recognized as sports television’s best storyteller, HBO Sports presents six of its pioneering documentary films Thursday evenings on HBO this summer.  The collection of acclaimed documentaries, which feature HBO Sports’ trademark blend of archival footage, home movies, revealing interviews and unique storytelling, launches July 1 with “Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed” and concludes Aug. 5 with “Rebels with a Cause: The Story of the American Football League.”

Films include:

JOE LOUIS: AMERICA’S HERO…BETRAYED (July 1, 6:30 p.m. ET/PT) examines the life of the boxing legend, showing how the grandson of slaves became one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, served as an iconic figure in World War II and carried himself with dignity and class through numerous setbacks.

DARE TO DREAM:  THE STORY OF THE U.S. WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM (July 8, 6:30 p.m.) tells the inspiring story of a group of young women who not only excelled on the soccer field, but achieved landmark status on the American sports landscape by empowering millions of young girls to dream and achieve their goals. Featuring Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy.

REVERSE OF THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO (July 15, 6:30 p.m.) chronicles the Boston Red Sox’ historic 2004 comeback victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, capturing the delirious celebrations of Sox faithful after the 86-year-old “Curse of the Bambino” was finally broken.

THE UCLA DYNASTY (July 22, 7:30 p.m.) traces the incredible success of the UCLA men’s basketball program, led by coach John Wooden, which captured an astounding ten national titles during a 12-year run.  The film examines the evolution of this landmark sports institution as it set standards excellence and consistency during a time of tremendous social and political change in the United States.

TED WILLIAMS (July 29, 6:30 p.m.) explores the life of the legendary Boston Red Sox slugger.  A larger-than-life baseball icon and war hero, Williams’ playing career, complex personal saga and relationship with the city of Boston make a fascinating story of courage, triumph and redemption.

REBELS WITH A CAUSE:  THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m.) follows the colorful history of the AFL from its genesis in 1959, when Lamar Hunt announced his intention to form a competitor to the established National Football League, through its ten-year rivalry with the NFL.

 
Following its Thursday night presentation on HBO, each documentary will also be seen the following Wednesday on HBO2. The films will also be available on HBO On Demand^®  during the festival’s run.

That’s it.

Highlights of ESPN Media Conference Call on the World Cup

It seems that ESPN is holding conference calls on the World Cup every few days. This one was held last week. During the call, Jed Drake, executive producer of World Cup coverage, made news saying Martin Tyler would do play-by-play for the Championship game, but the analyst has yet to be announced. Here are highlights from the call.

ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup Conference Call Replay with Executive Producer Jed Drake and Studio Analysts Steve McManaman and Alexi Lalas

On Thursday, June 24, ESPN conducted a media conference call with executive producer Jed Drake and studio analysts Steve McManaman and Alexi Lalas to discuss its coverage of the tournament (June 11 – July 11) and other 2010 FIFA World Cup storylines from South Africa. Select comments:

On what ESPN would do differently if given full production control (vs. world feed)…

Drake: “I’m not sure that I would do anything differently. I think the world feed coverage that HBS has provided us here has been arguably the best world feed that I’ve ever seen.  This is the same group that did 2006 and they brought in people who really understand the sport, that being their camera people and directors…Their primary responsibility is to document the event and that means that the special shots and storylines that are more towards individual styles has to be wiped off the slate.  These guys do have to document the event and I really do believe they’ve done an exceptional job.”

On the U.S. performance in the World Cup and how the drama on the field has captured the American audience…

Drake: “As Ian Darke (play-by-play announcer) said at the conclusion of Wednesday’s (U.S.) game, you wouldn’t dare write this script.  It’s remarkable the level of drama in each match. The calls that have been made by officials have obviously heightened that…It’s the ultimate trail ride these guys are giving us. There hasn’t been an easy match, obviously.  Yesterday I said, wouldn’t it be nice if we got out to a three goal lead in the first half and coast into this thing, but in hindsight, if you can stomach the drama it is the ultimate thrill ride.”

On the most compelling storylines from the World Cup…

McManaman: “The fact that France is knocked out and Italy quickly followed.  Four years ago these were the finalists.  These were the best teams in the world. Yet four years later, they are effectively one of the poorest nations certainly futbol wise.  Likewise, when you look at the teams like New Zealand – minnows in this competition – Australia – have all done themselves proud…The futbol nations are all getting a little bit closer and that’s fantastic to see.  We’ve got wonderful players out there who are always going to be the best, but put them against a well organized, well-constructed team and they can get results.  That’s a credit to the smaller nations.

Lalas: “Dominance of South America – in terms of what they’ve done here and how it relates often to the incredibly arduous qualification process they have…At a time when we’re questioning what it means to players and big players to play for their national team, South American teams have shown that not only have stars but represent country and play well…Literally the only European power that’s cruised is the Netherlands.  All of the big boys have had trouble through the group phase including Spain, and we just saw what happened to Italy.  Before the World Cup began we pointed out the possibility with European teams coming down with climate and doing really well, so that’s been a story, and to a certain extent, a surprise.”

On the selection of play-by-play announcers and analyst for each game…

Drake:  Martin (Tyler) is calling the final.  We look at the matches that now become actual matches on the schedule as opposed to hypotheticals.  As it relates to this weekend, when Germany qualified to the knockout round and ultimately then would play England, Martin and I had a chat about it and he really wanted to do the England game and we wanted him to do it. Ian (Darke) has done a tremendous job on the U.S. games, the two that he has done. Don’t forget Martin did a fantastic job on the first game…I’m going to lack humility for a second, our strategy with these announcers has really paid off and America has really warmed up to them.”

On a moment of pride as ESPN’s executive producer for the World Cup…

Drake: “I’m very proud of the entire team…I am really proud of the camaraderie and spirit.  It’s an amazing group of people with different backgrounds, countries and cultures, by design.  As a result, we’ve really bonded together as a team…I always say, the mark of a really great production is that you feel really empty when it is over.  More and more now, I’m quite certain that I’m going to feel empty when this one is over. We are really enjoying what we’re doing and committed to it.”

And that’s it.

Versus To Provide Multiplatform Coverage of Tour de France

With the Tour de France about to start, Versus gets out of NHL mode and into cycling mode. In addition, Lance Armstrong alleges that this will be his last Tour and we’ll all believe it when we see it. But here is Versus’ press release about the coverage that will span television, online and cell phones.

ON-AIR, ONLINE AND ON iPHONE-VERSUS’ 10TH YEAR OF TOUR DE FRANCE COVERAGE PROVIDES FANS WITH AN ALL-ACCESS PASS IN HD TO THE MOST EPIC RACE EVER

New York, N.Y. (June 29, 2010)-VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country and the exclusive television home of the Tour de France in the U.S., will begin its tenth year of wall-to-wall coverage of the most intense and grueling event in all of sports on Saturday, July 3, at 11:30 a.m. ET, live from Rotterdam, Netherlands. The 97th edition of the Tour de France is highlighted by cycling legend Lance Armstrong, riding for U.S.-based Team RadioShack, competing for his last chance to capture his historic eighth win.

On the heels of the hugely successful 2009 Tour which saw average viewership nearly double (up 98%) over the 2008 race, VERSUS will air an average of 14 hours of race action per day in full HD throughout the 23-day, more than 2,000-mile competition. Daily coverage includes live race action and an expanded primetime show. A complete schedule is available at www.VERSUS.com. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, the undisputed voices of cycling, will call all the race action and Frankie Andreu and Robbie Ventura will return as the field reporters. Craig Hummer and Bob Roll will host the pre-race and primetime show each day and night.

In the quest to deliver unprecedented access via unique production enhancements, VERSUS will have cameras on all U.S.-based team’s busses-RadioShack, HTC-Columbia, BMC and Garmin-Transitions-to give viewers an insider’s look at the team’s daily meeting as they prepare for the day’s stage. VERSUS will also have cameras in U.S.-team cars during race action showing viewers how the strategies and tactics are carried out. Other enhancements include a pointer feature which will easily identify and focus on one rider in the 200-plus peloton; exclusive, in-depth profiles and features on teams and riders such as Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck; advanced on-screen statistics/biometrics to illustrate the intensity at which the riders are competing; among others.

www.VERSUS.com, a critical part of the network’s un-matched and all-encompassing coverage, will once again be the official Tour website in the U.S. and the site has redoubled its 2010 offerings based on the huge surges in online usage during last year’s race. The 2009 Tour de France saw site traffic increase 117 percent over the 2008 race and served over 16 million videos, more than doubling the total for the 2008 competition (6.5 million) and nearly fives times as many from the 2007 race (3.4 million).

During the 2010 competition, for $29.95 via the “Tour Tracker” on www.VERSUS.com , viewers can access live streaming-offering a different perspective from the on-air coverage-from any computer and in full HD. The Tracker will allow viewers to pause and rewind live action and even access the full stage upon its completion via the on-demand feature. While watching online, viewers will have access to a live map, complete with GPS tracking, minute-to-minute updates on overall standings and rider positions, live chat and Twitter capabilities.

The network is also offering an iPhone app for cycling fans to access the Tour on-the-go on their 3.0 and 4.0 phones. The free app will provide access to highlight videos, detailed race results and standings as well as full course profiles. An app upgrade is also available for $14.99 in which fans can access live streaming video-on 3G or WiFi-without commercial interruption and the ability to access the full stage immediately following its conclusion via the on-demand feature. The live streaming is enhanced by real-time GPS tracking showing where the riders are on the course, including time gaps and breakaways, as well as minute-by-minute updates for each stage. While the application is currently available for download on iTunes and the iPhone app store, streaming video, live updates and rider lists will become available once the race begins on July 3.

VERSUS has partnered once again with MapMyRide.com (MMR) for the “Le Tour Challenge”-a competition which allows viewers to get on their bikes and compete “virtually” against actual race competitors and against other cyclists around the world during any given day’s stage for daily prizes.

More coming up.

NFL Network To Run A Hard Knocks Marathon This Weekend

As we approach another holiday weekend, the cable networks prepare marathons for you. It’s easy programming. Just run all the installments of one series one after another and you don’t have to worry about running original shows. So NFL Network will air every season of Hard Knocks, the show originally aired on HBO and co-produced between HBO Sports and NFL Films. This will get you ready for the NFL exhibition season as the first games will be played in a short month from when Hard Knocks starts airing on NFL Network and it also gets you ready for a new season which starts in July.

Here’s the press release.

JULY 4^TH WEEKEND FEATURES HARD KNOCKS MARATHON ON NFL NETWORK

NFL Network Debut of 2009 Emmy Award-Winning ‘Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals’ Sunday at 8:00 PM ET

Independence Day Marathon Features More Than 45 Hours of NFL Films-Produced Programming

Escape the heat this 4^th of July and spend some time at training camp with your favorite teams, players and coaches from the past ten years. As part of NFL Network’s programming for the holiday weekend, the network will air a special marathon of the NFL Films-produced series Hard Knocks. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens from 2001 kicks off the marathon Sunday at 3:00 AM ET, followed by the 2007 Kansas City Chiefs at 9:00 AM ET and the Dallas Cowboys from 2002 beginning at 2:00 PM ET. 

The Emmy-award winning Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals makes its NFL Network debut Sunday, July 4^th at 8:00 PM ET with episode #1 of the fifth season.  The remaining four episodes from season five will debut chronologically, with one episode per night Monday, July 5^th through Thursday, July 8^th, also at 8:00 PM ET. An encore of the entire fifth season airs Sunday, July 11^th beginning at 8:00 PM ET.

Hard Knocks documents the daily challenges and interactions that come with a career in professional football. Each season focuses on a specific team, giving viewers a unique and candid glance into the lives of their favorite players and coaches. Episodes offer a captivating behind-the-scenes look into the highs and lows of preseason training, all while displaying the superior film quality and sound of an NFL Films product. 

The show has been praised as the first sports-based reality series and boasts one of the fastest turnaround times of any show of its type, with seasons premiering just weeks after training camp finishes. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals was the recent recipient of a Sports Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Edited Sports Series, and two past seasons—2007 Kansas City Chiefs and 2008 Dallas Cowboys—have won Sports Emmys for their industry-leading production and composition. Set in late summer and focused on America’s favorite sport, Hard Knocks is the perfect addition to any fan’s 4^th of July weekend.

Sunday, July 4

3:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 1

4:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 2

5:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 3

6:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 4

7:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 5

8:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens – 2001, Episode 6

9:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 1 (HD)

10:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 2 (HD)

11:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 3 (HD)

12:00 NOON ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 4 (HD)

1:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Ep. 5 (HD)

2:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 1

3:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 2

4:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 3

5:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 4

6:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 5

7:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks:  Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2002, Episode 6

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 1 (HD) – NFL Network debut

9:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 1

10:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 2

11:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 3

12 MIDNIGHT ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 4

1:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 5

Monday, July 5

2:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 1

3:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 2

4:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 3

5:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 4

6:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 5

7:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars – 2004, Episode 6

8:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 1 (HD)

9:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 2 (HD)

10:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 3 (HD)

11:00 AM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 4 (HD)

12:00 NOON ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs – 2007, Episode 5 (HD)

1:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 1

2:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 2

3:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 3

4:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 4

5:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys – 2008, Episode 5

6:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 1 (HD)

7:00 PM ET – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 2 (HD) – NFL Network debut

Tuesday, July 6

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 3 (HD) – NFL Network debut

Wednesday, July 7

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 4 (HD) – NFL Network debut

Thursday, July 8

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 5 (HD) – NFL Network debut

Sunday, July 11

8:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 1 (HD)

9:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 2 (HD)

10:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 3 (HD)

11:00 PM ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 4 (HD)

12:00 MIDNIGHT ET – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals – 2009, Episode 5 (HD)

That will do it.

TBS Makes The MLB All-Star Game Roster Announcements on July 4th

This Sunday, TBS makes the announcements for the MLB All-Star Game rosters. Both American and National League rosters will be unveiled. This year, Matt Winer from NBA TV comes over to host the show. Ernie Johnson, Jr. had been the host for the past few years. Joining him will be Dennis Eckersley of NESN, David Wells and Cal Ripken, Jr.

It would be nice if TBS got the cable contract to the MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby as I’m tired of Chris Berman yelling and trying to make local references to endear himself to the local community, but I digress. Here’s the TBS press release.

2010 MLB All-Star Game Rosters Announced Exclusively on TBS this Sunday, July 4th at Noon (ET)

Sunday MLB on TBS features Blue Jays @ Yankees at 1 p.m. (ET)

The 2010 American League and National League MLB All-Star teams will be revealed exclusively on TBS on Sunday, July 4th at Noon (ET) during the MLB All-Star Game Selection Show.  Host Matt Winer will be joined by analysts Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells to make the announcements and provide analysis on the selections. The show will also feature interviews with All-Star Game managers Joe Girardi of the New York Yankees and Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 2010 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, July 13th. The American League All-Star Team will have nine starters elected via the fan balloting program, while the National League All-Star Team will have eight fan-elected starters. The pitchers and reserves for both squads – totaling 25 for the N.L. and 24 for the A.L. – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by All-Star managers Girardi and Manuel, in conjunction with Major League Baseball.

Following the show, Sunday MLB on TBS will continue at 1 p.m. (ET) with an American League East match-up featuring Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees hosting Vernon Wells and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Brian Anderson (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst) will call the action.

“Sunday MLB on TBS” includes match-ups on TBS every Sunday afternoon throughout the regular season. Beginning in October TBS will once again provide exclusive coverage of the Division Series and the American League Championship Series (ALCS). 

TBS has broadcast MLB coverage for more than 30 years serving as the exclusive home of the MLB Division Series (DS) and one League Championship Series (LCS) since 2007 and home of Atlanta Braves coverage from 1977 to 2007. 

Sun., July 4

12 p.m.                MLB All-Star Selection Show

Matt Winer (host), Dennis Eckersley (analyst), Cal Ripken (analyst) and David Wells (analyst)

1 p.m.                  Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees

Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst)

SUNDAY MLB ON TBS UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Sun., July 11

1 p.m.                  Atlanta Braves @ New York Mets

                            Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst)

Sun., July 18

1 p.m.                  Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees

Announcers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst)

We’re done.

Kevin Harlan Is The New Radio Voice of Monday Night Football

This just in. Westwood One Radio has named Kevin Harlan as the new voice of Monday Night Football for this upcoming season. It’s a natural choice as Kevin worked most of the Monday Night Football games last season. If you remember earlier this year, Marv Albert stepped down as the announcer. Harlan will partner with Boomer Esiason. Here’s the press release.

WESTWOOD ONE NAMES KEVIN HARLAN NEW MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER

-- Kevin Harlan partners with Boomer Esiason as Play-by-Play Voice of the Westwood One Monday Night Football Broadcast Team –

New York, NY – June 29, 2010– Westwood One announced today that veteran NFL broadcaster Kevin Harlan will join Boomer Esiason as the lead play-by-play voice for Monday Night Football and Super Bowl XLV. Harlan becomes only the fifth regular Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer since the CBS Radio/Westwood One national radio broadcast began in 1978. Harlan follows in the footsteps of Marv Albert (2002-2009), Howard David (1996-2001), Jack Buck (1978-1984, 1987-1995) and Don Criqui (1985-1986).

“Anyone who has ever heard Kevin call a game knows exactly why we are thrilled to add an announcer of his caliber to our NFL talent roster – full-time,” said Gary Schonfeld, President of Westwood One Network. “Fans, stations and advertisers are going to be very happy this fall.”

“I am honored to have been selected as part of Westwood One’s Monday Night Football broadcast team with Boomer Esiason,” said Harlan. “I am truly humbled by the great voices that have held this position, including one of the legends of broadcasting, Marv Albert.”

“Kevin’s detailed descriptions and infectious energy will have NFL fans nationwide huddled around their radios,” added Howard Deneroff, Executive Producer of Westwood One Sports. “I am looking forward to a super season as Kevin and Boomer continue the long legacy of great broadcast teams that have brought the game to life for millions of listeners on Monday nights.”

Kevin Harlan was the play-by-play voice of select Monday Night Football games throughout the 2009 NFL season, as well as for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four on Westwood One from 2003-2007. Harlan currently calls NFL games for CBS Sports, where he has worked continuously since 1998, after having served in the same capacity for Fox Sports since 1994. He also spent nine seasons (1985-93) as the radio voice of the Kansas City Chiefs, and this marks his 26^th consecutive season broadcasting the NFL. Harlan also is well-known nationally for his basketball broadcasts, describing both CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Tournament and the NBA on TNT for more than a decade. Prior to that, Harlan spent nine seasons as the voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Good move by Westwood One.

HBO and NFL Films Team Up For Vince Lombardi Documentary

This year appears to be the year of remembering the late Green Bay Packers and Washington NFL team coach Vince Lombardi. HBO and NFL Films will team up for a new documentary that will air in December.

In addition, there’s a Broadway play on Lombardi starring Dan Lauria, formerly of the Wonder Years and Judith Light, formerly of One Life To Live and Who’s The Boss, that opens later this year. The play is based on the great book written by noted historian David Maraniss.

The documentary on Lombardi will also utilize Maraniss in the film as well as have interviews with family, former players and writers. HBO usually does well in the sports documentary genre and it continues a partnership with NFL Films that goes back to the original Inside the NFL, Hard Knocks and other documentaries.

Here’s the press release from HBO Sports.

HBO SPORTS^® AND NFL FILMS EXAMINE THE LIFE OF FOOTBALL’S GREATEST COACH IN LOMBARDI, DEBUTING DEC. 11, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

            NEW YORK, June 28, 2010 – The Emmy^®-winning combination of HBO Sports and NFL Films will explore the fascinating career and life of football’s most revered coach in LOMBARDI, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports.  The documentary debuts SATURDAY, DEC. 11 in prime time, exclusively on HBO.

“Vince Lombardi lived a remarkable life,” said Greenburg.  “There isn’t a football fan alive who has not heard of Vince or does not know his famous line, ‘Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing,’ but how much do people really know about this complicated genius?  We plan to peel back the layers for a biography that will serve as the definitive account of an NFL icon.”

“A philosopher once defined a great man as someone who never reminds us of anyone else.  Few men can match that criteria – Lombardi is one of them,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol.  “He is the patron saint of pro football, and we are thrilled to once again partner with HBO in telling such a significant story.”

Born in Brooklyn in 1913, Vince Lombardi received a football scholarship to the Bronx’s nationally ranked Fordham University in 1933.  An undersized guard, his notorious grit and determination enabled him to play a key role as one of Fordham’s “Seven Blocks of Granite.”

Following his college football career, Lombardi became an assistant at the football powerhouse U.S. Military Academy.  After five years at West Point under legendary head coach Col. Earl “Red” Blaik, he broke into the NFL with the New York Giants in a position similar to today’s offensive coordinator role.  In his third year with the team, Lombardi, along with defensive coordinator Tom Landry, contributed to the Giants’ 1956 league championship run.

In a move that would alter the NFL landscape, Lombardi became head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 1959, inheriting a team that had just compiled the worst record in Packers history (1-10-1).  Employing an incredibly effective combination of grueling conditioning regimens and motivational philosophy, he earned the respect of his team and won the 1959 Coach of the Year Award.  Lombardi led the Packers to NFL championships in 1961 and 1962, followed by an unprecedented three consecutive NFL championships from 1965 to 1967, and won the first two Super Bowls, against Kansas City and Oakland, in 1966 and 1967.

On his way to becoming a coaching legend, Lombardi stamped the game with his famous “Packer power sweep,” a strategy that dominated pro football for a decade.  More than any other football figure, he came to define athletic excellence and a single-minded dedication that made his name synonymous with winning at all costs, often at the price of personal relationships.

Featured interviews in LOMBARDI include:  Lombardi’s son, Vince Lombardi Jr.; daughter Susan Lombardi; brother Harold Lombardi; former players, including New York Giants Sam Huff and Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, Green Bay Packers Willie Davis, Jerry Kramer and Hall of Famer Bart Starr, and Washington Redskins Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen; broadcaster John Madden; biographer David Maraniss; and writer Jerry Izenberg.

While with the Washington Redskins organization, Lombardi died of cancer at age 57 on Sept. 3, 1970.  He is buried next to his parents and wife Marie in Middletown Township, NJ.

HBO Sports and NFL Films have a long history of acclaimed co-productions, including 2004’s “The Wild Ride to Super Bowl I” and the groundbreaking Emmy^®-winning NFL training camp reality series “Hard Knocks,” which launches its sixth season Aug. 11 on HBO.

The executive producers of LOMBARDI are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein for HBO Sports and Steve Sabol for NFL Films; produced by Joseph M. Lavine for HBO Sports and Keith Cossrow for NFL Films; Liev Schreiber will narrate; music composed by Dave Robidoux of NFL Films; editor, Bill McCullough.

More later.

Fox Sports Hires Former NFL Head of Officiating Mike Pereira As Rules Analyst

One of the best segments on NFL Network’s Total Access during the week was the rules explanation with Mike Pereira. He would be at the NFL offices in New York with a clicker and Rich Eisen would be at the NFL Network studios in Los Angeles. The two would go over the controversial plays of each week and Mike would explain very clearly why the officials ruled a certain way. You may not have agreed with the calls, but Mike showed that he was quite good on television. Mike retired from the Head of Officiating position this year and Fox Sports swooped him up. This is a very good move. Mike will contribute to Fox NFL Sunday as well as during game broadcasts.

In addition, he’ll write a column for FoxSports.com. I like this move. I’m surprised other networks haven’t had at least a former official to help explain the rules.

MIKE PEREIRA JOINS FOX SPORTS AS NFL RULES ANALYST

NFL’s Former VP of Officiating to Contribute On-Air, Online and on Radio

NEW YORK – It’s official! 

Already in position to boast the world’s best NFL game broadcasts, studio analysis and Internet coverage, FOX Sports now goes deep to add the sharpest mind available on NFL officiating. Mike Pereira, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating, today becomes the newest member of the FOX Sports team serving as a multi-platform NFL rules analyst. 

Each Sunday, Pereira, who retired after the 2009 NFL season, will be situated in his own control room at the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles, giving him visual access to all games played. If circumstances warrant a rules interpretation or explanation, he’ll be available to interact with FOX NFL SUNDAY studio personalities, or communicate with NFL on FOX game crews at stadiums across the country, either on- or off-camera. Additionally, NFL fans will have the opportunity to ask Pereira questions via live chat on FOXSports.com. Assisting him to monitor all Sunday game action will be a team of Los Angeles-area football referees, each assigned to a different game.

“We feel that we have the strongest lineup of NFL studio analysts, game analysts and Internet coverage and today that lineup gets even stronger with the addition of Mike,” said FOX Sports President Eric Shanks. “His tremendous experience and knowledge of the NFL’s rules are second-to-none and we are thrilled to add him as an incredible resource to our coverage.”

“I always appreciated the fact that FOX Sports made a tremendous effort to know the rules and incorporate that into their broadcasts,” said Pereira. “To now join the network is a tremendous honor and my goal is to help fans learn the rules and understand the philosophies behind them.  I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” 

In addition to his responsibilities on Sundays, Pereira will be a regular guest on FOX Sports Radio’s national lineup and pen a weekly column titled “Under Review” for FOXSports.com. “Under Review” will debut after week one and will rank the 10 most impactful calls made during the previous week’s games.

“Adding an expert of Mike Pereira’s stature reflects our mission to acquire the best talent possible,” said Stephen Miller, Managing Editor for FOXSports.com.  “Fans will constantly question the calls made on the field by NFL officials. But to truly question the authority, fans need to know the authority. Mike will help them do that.”

Pereira has been involved with the game of football dating back to 1982 when he was an NCAA Division 1 official.  Pereira spent 14 years officiating college football beginning with nine years in the Big West Conference (1982-91) followed by five years in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) (1992-96).  During that time, Pereira officiated eight post season Bowl Games including the Aloha Bowl and Cotton Bowl twice each, Citrus Bowl, Gator Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Freedom Bowl.  Pereira made the jump to the NFL as a sideline judge in 1996 while also holding the title of supervisor of officials for the WAC. After two years patrolling the sidelines in the NFL and overseeing WAC officiating, Pereira was promoted to NFL supervisor of officiating in 1998. In 2001 Pereira became director of officiating for the NFL and then was promoted to vice president of NFL officiating in 2004. He spent a total of 14 years with the NFL.

Pereira was born and raised in Stockton, Calif. and graduated from Santa Clara University in 1972 with a B.A. in Finance. Pereira now lives in Sacramento with his wife Gail.

Another reason why Fox continues to lead the way in NFL coverage.

CBS To Air Duke-North Carolina in Primetime Next Year

Expecting both Duke and North Carolina to be really good in college basketball this upcoming season, CBS has decided to put the game in primetime on a Saturday night. ESPN has done this before scheduling them in primetime whenever they have the matchup, but this is the first time CBS has placed this game into the evening hours. We have the press release.

CBS SPORTS TO BROADCAST DUKE VS. NORTH CAROLINA IN PRIME TIME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011

CBS Sports, college basketball’s leading network broadcaster, has announced that the Duke at North Carolina game will be broadcast in prime time on Saturday, March 5, 2011 (8:00 PM, ET). This marks the first time that the Duke-North Carolina rivalry will air in prime time on network television.

“Duke-North Carolina is one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports,” said Mike Aresco, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “A primetime telecast on CBS Sports will generate enormous interest across the nation as the ‘Road to the Final Four heats up.”

            The Duke-North Carolina game highlights CBS Sports’ 30^th consecutive season broadcasting college basketball. The entire 2010-11 schedule will be released later this year.

I would assume that Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will call the game.

ESPN2 Has A Good Opening Week For Wimbledon

Despite having a hurky jerky schedule due to the World Cup last week, people apparently were watching Wimbledon on ESPN2. In addition, plenty of interest thanks to the marathon John Isner-Nicolas Mahut match which played mostly on ESPNU. Here’s the press release from ESPN.

A Big First Week at Wimbledon for ESPN

It was a week like none other in the long and storied history of The Championships: Wimbledon and through it all, fans enjoyed the action from the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com.  ESPN2’s  audience is up 14% over last year, and hours watched on broadband ESPN3.com are up nearly four-fold.

The week was marked by the longest day in Wimbledon history (Monday, June 21, extending ESPN2’s telecast to 5:59 p.m. ET, thanks to the roof on Centre Court, ending one minute before the 11 p.m. local curfew), the longest match in tennis history (Isner-Mahut, 11 hours, 5 minutes and 183 games), the first visit in 33 years by Queen Elizabeth II and five-set scares for the last two champions and top seeds, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. 

ESPN2

Through five days, the audience is up 14% vs. 2009, from an average of 408,000 homes to 466,000. The average rating has grown from 0.4 to 0.5, highlighted by the second-most watched Wimbledon telecast in ESPN2 history. On Wednesday, June 23, the noon – 2:26 p.m. telecast with part of the fifth set between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut was seen by average of 814,000 homes, based on a 0.8 rating. The only ESPN2 Wimbledon telecast with a larger audience was July 4, 2008 – 971,000 homes, based on a 1.0 rating.

ESPN3.com

Through six days, ESPN3.com has generated more than 742,300 hours consumed, nearly four times last year – a 286% increase.

The Rest of the Week

Play continues on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com, highlighted by one Ladies’ and one Gentlemen’s semifinal, Thursday, July 1, and Friday, July 2, respectively. Cliff Drysdale and Dick Enberg lead the ESPN tennis team, working with Darren Cahill, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Luke Jensen, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver. Hannah Storm hosts while Tom Rinaldi is on hand for essays and features.

ESPN3.com will offer replays on demand of all four semifinals and both finals.  The semifinals will be available at 8 p.m. the day they are contested; the finals will both be available beginning late Sunday, July 4, at midnight (9 p.m. PT).

All live except as noted

Date	Time (ET)	Telecast		Network
Wed, June 30	7 – 10 a.m.	Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals		ESPN2 & ESPN3.com
	1 – 7 p.m. – *			ESPN2 & ESPN3.com
Thur, July 1	7 a.m. – Noon 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Ladies’ Semifinal		ESPN2 ESPN3.com
	9 – 11 p.m.	Ladies’ Semifinals Highlights	Same day	ESPN2
Fri, July 2	7 a.m. – Noon 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Semifinal		ESPN2 ESPN3.com
Sun, July 4	8 – 11 p.m. Midnight	Gentlemen’s Semifinal HighlightsLadies’ Final (on demand) Gentlemen’s Final (on demand)	Same day Taped Taped	ESPN2 ESPN3.com ESPN3.com

* – Alternate programming from 1 – 4 p.m. ET in Pacific Time Zone (10 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT)

We’ll end it here.

MLB Network’s Live Game Schedule For This Week

We have the games MLB Network will air this week including in both the major and minor leagues. Check it out.

AL Central First-Place Minnesota Twins Take on Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday Night Baseball During MLB Network’s Game Schedule for June 28 – July 3

Schedule features AL East first-place New York Yankees against Seattle Mariners on MLB Matinee and surging Chicago White Sox at AL West first-place Texas Rangers on Saturday Night Baseball

 

Secaucus, N.J., June 28, 2010 – The AL Central first-place Minnesota Twins host the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday Night Baseball on July 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET, part of MLB Network’s live game schedule for June 28 – July 3. MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and Joe Magrane will call the game live from Target Field, the new home of the Twins, for MLB Network’s first game telecast from the ballpark. 

MLB Network will feature two editions of MLB Matinee during the week, starting with the Philadelphia Phillies with their ace pitcher Roy Halladay scheduled to pitch against the NL Central first-place Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, June 30 at 12:30 p.m. ET.  The game, which will be a simulcast of CSN Philadelphia’s telecast, will be available on MLB Network in the Reds’ home television territory. The AL East first-place New York Yankees, with a 25-10 home record, match up against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday July 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Yankees ace CC Sabathia, going for his sixth straight win, is scheduled to pitch opposite the Mariners’ Ryan Rowland Smith.

Rounding out the week, the St. Louis Cardinals face the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, July 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Viewers in select markets will see the San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies  at 8:00 p.m. ET with Tim Lincecum scheduled to take the mound for the Giants against the Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin. Saturday Night Baseball features the Chicago White Sox visiting the AL West first-place Texas Rangers, who are 28-12 at home, on July 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Select markets will see the third game of the San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies series at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Today at 1:00 p.m. ET, MLB Network features Minor League Baseball with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A – Philadelphia Phillies) taking on the Durham Bulls (Triple-A – Tampa Bay Rays), featuring Bulls’ All-Star outfielder Desmond Jennings. The Minor League action continues when the Bakersfield Blaze (Single-A Advanced – Oakland Athletics) match up against the Stockton Ports (Single-A Advanced – Texas Rangers) on June 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

MLB Tonight, MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning signature nightly studio show with look-ins at live games, will air live at 5:30 p.m. ET on June 28, 29 and July 2 as well as after the MLB Matinee games on June 30 and July 1. MLB Tonight will also air on Sunday, July 4 at 5:00 p.m. ET, followed by Quick Pitch at 7:00 p.m. ET and Plays of the Month at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Game telecasts other than Thursday Night Baseball will be carriage of local telecasts, including local announcers, and games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts in most markets will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.

MLB Network’s June 28 – July 3 live game schedule:

Date               Time               Game

June 29         2:00 p.m.      Bakersfield Blaze at Stockton Ports (MiLB)

June 30         12:30 p.m.    Philadelphia at Cincinnati (available in Reds market) 

July 1           1:00 p.m.       Seattle at New York Yankees

                   8:00 p.m.*     Thursday Night Baseball: Tampa Bay at Minnesota

                   8:30 p.m.      San Francisco at Colorado (only in Rays and Twins markets) 

July 2            8:00 p.m.      Milwaukee at St. Louis

                   8:00 p.m.      San Francisco at Colorado (in select markets)

July 3            8:00 p.m.      Chicago White Sox at Texas

                   8:00 p.m.      San Francisco at Colorado (in select markets)

All times ET and subject to change, check MLBNetwork.com for updates

Unless otherwise announced, games will be blacked out in each club’s home television territory

That’s it.

Steve Kerr Returns To TNT

After Doug Collins left TNT to go to the Philadelphia 76ers, the network needed someone to replace him. Well, here comes Steve Kerr after he left his General Manager’s position with the Phoenix Suns. It’s not like Steve doesn’t have experience. He was an analyst with TNT for four seasons before taking the Suns job. Here’s the TNT press release.

Kerr to Make Select Appearances on NBA TV and NBA.com

TNT announced today a multi-year agreement with five-time NBA Champion Steve Kerr to return to the network as a game analyst, starting with the 2010-11 NBA season. Kerr will join TNT’s NBA Thursday night doubleheader coverage and will be a part of the network’s NBA All-Star weekend and NBA Playoffs coverage. In addition, he will be a key contributor for NBATV and NBA.com, providing analysis and commentary for The Finals, All Star Weekend and the NBA Draft. Kerr most recently served as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

“I’m fortunate to have worked with two great organizations since the end of my NBA playing career; Turner Sports and the Phoenix Suns,” said Kerr. “As I resume my broadcasting career, I’m excited to return to the Turner Sports family and proud to be associated with such a great group of people.”

“We are thrilled that Steve is returning to TNT to join our marquee roster of announcers,” said Jeff Behnke, executive producer of Turner Sports.  “We look forward to Steve bringing back to Turner Sports his unique insights, candor and game analysis to our telecasts, sharing the added knowledge he gained during his three years building a team as an NBA General Manager.”

Kerr spent four seasons with TNT as a game analyst from 2003-2007, when he called a full slate of regular season and playoff games. He also worked on TNT marquee events, including three NBA All-Star Games and three consecutive Conference Finals.

Kerr left TNT in 2007 to join the Phoenix Suns, where he was president of basketball operations and general manager for three years. Kerr made several notable trades in his tenure. This year, the Suns advanced to the 2010 Western Conference Finals, losing in six games to the eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers.

A 15-year NBA veteran, Kerr’s notable career includes five NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls (1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98) and San Antonio Spurs (1998-99 and 2002-03).  He is the all-time best three-point shooter at .454 (726/1,599), as well as the single season leader in three-point accuracy, hitting .524 (89-170) of his attempts during the 1994-95 season.  He appeared in 835 regular season games, averaging 6.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per contest throughout his career which included playing for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers.

Most likely, Steve will be the top analyst for TNT unless Turner Sports goes crazy and puts Reggie Miller in that position, but I don’t think it will.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College World Series
Championship Series
Game 2/UCLA vs. South Carolina – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

MLB
American League
Oakland at Baltimore – Comcast SportsNet California/MASN, 7 pm.
Seattle at New York Yankees – FSN Northwest/WWOR, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Red Sox – Sun Sports/NESN, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Cleveland – Rogers Sportsnet/STO, 7 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Kansas City – Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Kansas City, 8 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota – Fox Sports Detroit/Fox Sports North, 8 p.m.
Texas at Anaheim Angels – Fox Sports Southwest/Fox Sports West, 10 p.m.

National League
New York Mets at Florida – SNY/Fox Sports Florida, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Cincinnati – Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Fox Sports Ohio, 7 p.m.
Washington at Atlanta – MASN/Peachtree TV, 7 p.m.
Arizona at St. Louis – Fox Sports Arizona/Fox Sports Midwest, 8 p.m.
Houston at Milwaukee – Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports Wisconsin, 8 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs – FSN Pittsburgh/WGN America, 8 p.m.
Colorado at San Diego – FSN Rocky Mountain/Cox 4, 10 p.m.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco – KCAL/KNTC, 10 p.m.

MLB Tonight Live – MLB Network, 6 p.m.
Baseball Tonight – ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.

Tennis
Wimbledon, women’s quarterfinals – ESPN2, 7 a.m./NBC, 10 a.m. (tape delay shenanigans)/ESPN2, 1 p.m.

Wimbledon Primetime – Tennis Channel, 7 p.m.

World Cup
Round of 16
Paraguay vs. Japan – ESPN/Univision, 9:30 a.m.
Spain vs. Portugal – ESPN/Univision, 2 p.m.

Ticket To South Africa – Fox Soccer Channel, 5 p.m.

Entertainment
Wipeout – ABC, 8 p.m.
Deadliest Catch: Empty Throne – Discovery, 9 p.m.
Rescue Me (season premiere) – FX, 10 p.m.
Primetime: Mind Games – ABC, 10 p.m.
The Daily Line – Versus, 11 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

DEVELOPING: Erin Andrews Staying At ESPN?

Word is developing that Erin Andrews could be staying at ESPN. The Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand tweeted tonight that the co-author of a new book on the Alleged Worldwide Leader, Jim Miller, is reporting that Erin is remaining at the network. 

Miller and Tom Shales of the Washington Post teamed up on a definitive history of NBC’s Saturday Night Live and are pairing up this time for the book on ESPN. Both have a good reputation so we’ll see if this report comes to fruition.

On July 1st, Erin’s current contract with ESPN expires and there has been speculation that she could leave the network for a higher profile gig in entertainment, especially in the wake of her appearance on Dancing with the Stars earlier this year that rocketed her to stardom.

SportsbyBrooks delved into this further and according to the blog, no agreement has been signed. However, according to SbB, Andrews’ new contract with ESPN would allow her to make endorsements that could keep her profile raised in the entertainment world. We’ll see how this goes.

If ESPN does sign Erin, it would mean that two high profile personalities would be remaining under the fold. Earlier this year, the network re-signed Chris Berman to keep him with the Mothership. If the news about Erin Andrews is true, then ESPN would be two for two in talent re-signings this year.

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

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

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Entertainment

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

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

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

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

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

That’s it.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College World Series
Championship Series
Game 1/South Carolina vs. UCLA – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

MLB
American League
Toronto at Cleveland – Rogers Sportsnet/STO, 7 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Kansas City – WCIU/Fox Sports Kansas City, 8 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota – Fox Sports Detroit/Fox Sports North, 8 p.m.

National League
New York Mets at Florida – SNY/Fox Sports Florida, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Cincinnati – Comcast SportsNet/Fox Sports Ohio, 7 p.m.
Washington at Atlanta – ESPN2/MASN/Peachtree TV, 7 p.m.
Arizona at St. Louis – Fox Sports Arizona/Fox Sports Midwest, 8 p.m.
Houston at Milwaukee – Fox Sports Houston/Fox Sports Wisconsin, 8 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs – FSN Pittsburgh/Comcast SportsNet Chicago, 8 p.m.
Colorado at San Diego – FSN Rocky Mountain/Cox 4, 10 p.m.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco – KCAL/Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 10 p.m.

MLB Tonight – MLB Network, 5:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight – ESPN2, 10 p.m.

Tennis
Wimbledon, Round of 16 – ESPN2, 6:30 a.m./NBC, 10 a.m. (tape delay)/ESPN2, 1 p.m.

World Cup
Round of 16
Netherlands vs. Slovakia – ESPN/Univision, 9:30 a.m.
Brazil vs. Chile – ESPN/Univision, 2:30 p.m.

Ticket to South Africa – Fox Soccer Channel, 5 p.m.

Entertainment
Lie to Me – Fox, 8 p.m.
The Good Guys – Fox, 9 p.m.
Big Break Sandals Resort: What a Tangled Web We Weave – Golf Channel, 9 p.m.
Kevorkian – HBO, 9 p.m.
Bend It Like Beckham – IFC, 9:45 p.m.
Unusual Suspects – Discovery ID, 10 p.m.
The Daily Line – Versus, 11 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

TNT Quotage From NASCAR Sprint Cup Race in New Hampshire

Our last press release on this Sunday night/early Monday morning on the East Coast is from Turner Sports and quotage from the NASCAR Sprint Cup race that took place in Loudon, NH. You have the quotage from pre-race, race and post-race. Check it out.

Notes from TNT’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coverage from New Hampshire live from Loudon, N.H. – Sunday, June 27, 2010

TNT’s coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues on Saturday, July 3 with the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, presented in the network’s Wide Open format. Countdown to Green begins at 6:30 (ET) and the green flag will drop on the race at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

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

Countdown to Green

Lindsay Czarniak (host), Kyle Petty (analyst) and Larry McReynolds (analyst)

McReynolds on whether No. 56 Martin Truex, Jr. will retaliate against No. 24 Jeff Gordon after Gordon wrecked Truex and eliminated him from the race: “Here’s the question, did Martin Truex, Jr. mean Loudon in June or did he mean Loudon in September when the Chase actually starts? I honestly believe that we will not see retaliation from Infineon this week, there’s too much on the line. You think about Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, those guys need to be focused on winning a race. You think about Martin Truex, Jr. he’s trying to get to the top 12. I saw David Ragen and Elliott Sadler, those guys are fighting for their ride. They need to focus on performance, not retaliation.”

Petty on the race dictating whether No. 56 Martin Truex, Jr. will retaliate against No. 24 Jeff Gordon: “A driver never forgets, you’ll ride a guy a little high, you won’t give him any room. You won’t see retaliation here today. If (Martin) Truex (Jr.) is running good, Jeff Gordon is the farthest thing from his mind. If Truex gets into an accident, Jeff Gordon had better be leery every time he laps his butt on the racetrack because he’s going to be laying for him.”

Dallenbach on how No. 24 Jeff Gordon’s on track demeanor against No. 56 Martin Truex, Jr. will determine how Truex responds: “That’s why Larry (McReynolds) is not a driver and I’m not a crew chief. Larry said you’ve got to focus on driving, but when you’re a race car driver you focus on getting the guy back. I think a lot of it has to do with how (Jeff) Gordon is going to race Martin (Truex, Jr.) today. If Martin gets in the back of the No. 24, I’m sure the No. 24 is going to get out of his way to give him a lot of room. If that happens you pretty much just wipe it out, you don’t think about it anymore. But if you have a problem with a guy and you come back to the racetrack and he’s jacking with you, you’re not going to wait, you’re going get it done.”

Petty on No. 47 Marcos Ambrose’s recovery from losing the Toyota/Save Mart 350 last week: “I’m going to tell you something, I was impressed with Marcos (Ambrose) this week. The interviews he gave, his line, the way he talked, the way he held himself, the way the team carried itself, they come right back here and go back out on the racetrack. Once you’re back out on the racetrack, that’s your comfortable place. So being in New Hampshire back in the car, it’s behind him now.”

No. 11 Denny Hamlin joined the TNT rig during Countdown to Green.

Hamlin on using negative press as motivation to succeed: “It’s amazing, whenever anything negative in the media is put out about us, we’ll poster it, we’ll put it up in the hauler and use it as motivation. We usually use the beginning of the year predictions when it says, ‘who will miss it,’ and our names is mentioned as going to miss it. We post it right up and use it as motivation. The knee stuff is no different. I’ve really relied on my team to pick me up over those few weeks right after that and since then our team has been on fire.”

Hamlin on having a great competitor in teammate No. 18 Kyle Busch to push him to be better: “It’s no different than the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) and the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson). When you have a competitor like myself and Kyle (Busch) on the same team, it’s motivation. We knew right from the very first test, when he was still with Hendrick Motorsports and they let him come over and test Atlanta with the Gibbs cars, he got in his race car, (and ran) top of the chart. I was top of the chart until he got there. He showed up fastest. I went back out and topped that, and we kept going back and forth, and that’s what it takes to keep the fire in your stomach.”

McReynolds on legendary crew chief Dale Inman who was the focus of this week’s Pride of NASCAR feature: “We can talk about Richard Petty’s seven championships, we can talk about Dale Earnhardt, not to dilute their championships, but that man (Dale Inman) has eight championships. I know this year we put Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., and three very notable drivers in the Hall of Fame, and rightfully so, but when we start putting crew chiefs and great mechanics into the Hall of Fame, that’s the man that needs to go into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, no question.”

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing: LENOX Industrial Tools 301

Announcers: Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Wally Dallenbach (analyst) and Kyle Petty (analyst); Larry McReynolds (analyst) contributes from the in-field with the TNT Offtrack Robotic Car (TORC) with Lindsay Czarniak (host)

Pit reporters: Marty Snider, Ralph Sheheen, Phil Parsons and Matt Yocum

Alexander on No. 31 Jeff Burton clearing the way for No. 24 Jeff Gordon: “It almost looked like a running back with an offensive lineman in front of him. (Jeff) Burton cleared the way and (Jeff) Gordon said I’m following you through.”

Dallenbach: “It’s good if you can follow someone who will do that. It will definitely open the door up for you if you can follow a guy like that, and Jeff Burton knows how to get through traffic, especially at this racetrack.”

Snider on his conversation with No. 47 Marcos Ambrose regarding his penalty at the end of the race in Sonoma which caused him to lose the race:  “I talked to Marcos Ambrose this morning and he said, ‘listen, we had to come here with a different attitude. We had a team meeting on Tuesday and told everyone to put it behind them.’ He said, ‘it was absolutely the most devastating moment of my career, but we had to come here, relax and believe in ourselves, knowing we could run. That meant more than anything, it could have devastated us, but we weren’t going to let it.’ They came here with the right attitude and are running well here so far.”

Dallenbach on No. 47 Marcos Ambrose’s positive attitude: “(Marcos Ambrose) is one of the guys who has the best attitude in the sport right now, I don’t know if I could put it away like he put it away after what happened last week. I’d still be thinking about it.”

Petty: “After last week, I’d be staying in a hotel here (in Loudon) because I would have ripped the door off my bus when I got back to my motor coach. I could not have put it behind me.”

Petty on No. 29 Kevin Harvick: “That’s a team (No. 29) that has the big picture in mind. When you can take nothing and make something out of it, they do it week in and week out. They’ve done it this year better than any other team. There have been times I thought they were going to get lapped in the first 50 laps of the race, but you see (him at Pocono) and they finished fourth.”

Dallenbach on No. 31 Jeff Burton returning to his past form of racing well in New Hampshire: “(Jeff Burton) gets a hold of this racetrack and he is a tough guy to beat at this place. He hasn’t been a threat like he used to be, you used to come here and you had to beat Jeff Burton on this racetrack. But he looks it used to be here when he was winning all these races up here.”

Petty on bubble drivers No. 39 Ryan Newman, No. 99 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and No. 33 Clint Boyer trying to gain points: “If you’re racing against each other, trying to gain ground on each other, you don’t gain anything. Here you are 13^th, 14^th and 15^th and here you are racing at the racetrack eighth, ninth and tenth, so you don’t really gain anything. That’s the tough part about Cup racing, it’s hard to make up those points because they are so competitive week in and week out they run the same. ”

Alexander on No. 48 Jimmie Johnson winning the race: “For all those naysayers who wondered what was wrong with Johnson, I think driver No. 48 is back.”

Dallenbach: “I never listened to what those people said anyway.”

Petty: “Back from what, seventh place in points?”

Dallenbach: “Back from the big slump.”

Petty on the Chase starting in Loudon: “This is where the Chase starts. If these guys come here now and run like they ran (today), you’ve got to take that into account and say, ‘hey, they won here in the first race, they can win here when we start the Chase.”

No. 29 Kevin Harvick, the Chase leader, on how he will approach the final few weeks before the Chase starts: “You definitely want to be solid for the next few weeks, then you can start doing some things that you normally wouldn’t do, trying some things that you normally wouldn’t try. Even now, we can be a little bit more aggressive because you do have a little bit of a cushion. But we do want to win a race or two before the Chase starts and hopefully get our winnings streak in the last 10 weeks, that’s when it all counts.”

LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Unofficial Results:

1. No. 48 Jimmie Johnson
2. No. 14 Tony Stewart
3. No. 2 Kurt Busch
4. No. 24 Jeff Gordon
5. No. 29 Kevin Harvick
6. No. 39 Ryan Newman
7. No. 33 Clint Bowyer
8. No. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
9. No. 20 Joey Logano
10. No. 43 A.J. Allmendinger

We’re done for the night. See you on Monday.

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia All Over AT&T National

This week, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia will have coverage of the AT&T National PGA Tour stop which is being held at nearby Newtown Square, PA. Coverage begins Monday and live shows start on Wednesday. For those subscribers to cable in the Philly area, most notably Comcast systems, you can watch this without a problem. For subscribers to satellite, you’re pretty much SOL. But I publish this anyway.

COMCAST SPORTSNET GIVES PHILADELPHIA GOLF FANS AN INSIDE LOOK AT AT&T NATIONAL AT ARONIMINK

 Interviews with Tiger, Daily Reports and Specials Highlight Coverage

PHILADELPHIA (June 24, 2010) – Comcast SportsNet, Philadelphia’s source for comprehensive local sports coverage, will give Philadelphia-area golf fans extensive inside coverage of the 2010 AT&T National golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Square, PA. Comcast SportsNet’s coverage begins on Monday, June 28 with live shows from the course beginning on Wednesday, June 30. Throughout the week, Comcast SportsNet will bring viewers exclusive interviews, behind the scenes access and daily highlights during Daily News Live, SportsNite and TeeTime at the AT&T National specials.

Daily News Live on the Road

Comcast SportsNet’s daily talk show, Daily News Live will be live on location at the clubhouse at Aronimink Golf Course daily beginning on Wednesday, June 30.  Host Michael Barkann will be joined by special guests and legendary golfers.

TeeTime at the AT&T National Special

On Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30 p.m. Comcast SportsNet will air a 30-minute live special previewing the tournament, the course and the field of golfers. Neil Hartman will have a one-on-one sit down interview with Tiger Woods.  TeeTime at the AT&T National specials will air daily at 11 p.m. beginning on Wednesday, June 30 and running through Sunday, July 4.

Fore! – Golfing with Philly Sports Legends

On Wednesday, June 30 at 7 p.m., fans can catch Philadelphia sports icons as they hit the links at Aronimink Golf Course and meet up with Tiger Woods.  Comcast SportsNet’s Neil Hartman is joined by baseball analyst Ricky Bottalico and Darren Daulton and former Eagle Mike Quick as they play the same course as the professionals and get advice from Tiger.

Tiger Woods Press Conference

Comcast SportsNet will carry Tiger Woods’ press conference live from Aronimink on Tuesday, June 29 at 2 p.m.  It will be available both on air and on CSNPhilly.com.

CSNPhilly.com

Comcast SportsNet has a dedicated page on CSNPhilly.com for the AT&T National including tournament news, fan guides and the latest news. Fans can check it out at http://www.csnphilly.com/pages/attnational.  Also, this Monday, June 28, CSNPhilly.com will air a special edition of Lunchtime Live at Noon. The show, with host Rob Kuestner, along with guests Neil Hartman and Philadelphia Daily News golf columnist Mike Kern, will be live as the course makes final preparations for the AT&T National.

Comcast SportsNet also provides local golf fans the convenience of booking discounted tee times online for leading courses across the region and around the country through a partnership with Golf Channel, also owned by Comcast.  To secure a tee time, golfers can go online to www.csnphilly.com/pages/tee_time.

That’s it.

Golf Channel’s Programming Through July 4th

Here’s another press release for you. We have Golf Channel’s original programming schedule through next Sunday. This does not include the golf tournaments it would air.

Coming up on Golf Channel…June 28 – July 4

Rivalries Blossom on Big Break Sandals Resorts

Duval, Walters and Begay Featured on Golf in America

 

Original Programming Premieres and Highlights

(All Times Eastern)

Big Break Sandals Resorts (new)

Airtime:          Monday, 9-10 p.m.

Hosts:             Tom Abbott, Stephanie Sparks

The newest twist on Big Break Sandals Resorts – the “Save or Send” card – will test established alliances and create new rivalries between the 10 remaining contestants on the series, with one contestant being eliminated at the end of the episode. The players are competing for the opportunity to earn her “Big Break,” tournament exemptions to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on the LPGA Tour and the Dubai Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour.

Golf in America (new)

Airtime:          Tuesday, 9-9:30 p.m.

Host:               Anthony Anderson

The second episode of Golf in America’s new season, hosted by Anthony Anderson, will feature:

·         David Duval – Jim Gray sits down with former World No. 1 David Duval to talk about the highs and lows of his career, his new family life and the future of his golf career.

·         Bill Walters – Learn the story of Bill Walters, a legendary gambler turned golf course property developer and his influence in golf and the city of Las Vegas.

·         Notah Begay III – Todd Lewis interviews PGA TOUR professional Notah Begay III, the only full-blooded Native American on the PGA TOUR. Taking place at the To’hajilee Reservation in New Mexico, Begay will talk about the pressures put on him growing up, his mistakes and his passion behind his NB3 foundation that supports Native American youth.

Golf’s Amazing Videos: Trick Shots (New)

Airtime:          Wednesday, 9:30-10 p.m.

Talk Show and News Programming Premieres and Highlights

 (All Times Eastern)

The Golf Fix

Host:               Michael Breed

Airtime:          Monday, 7-8 p.m. ET

Monday’s episode will commence from the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship at French Lick Resort in Indiana. Host Michael Breed will be joined by several PGA Professionals to provide tips and instruction on all aspects of their golf games during the hour-long special.

Grey Goose 19^th Hole (Live)

Host:               Kraig Kann

Panelists:       John Hawkins, Jeff Rude

Airtime:          Wednesday, 7-8 p.m.

Host Kraig Kann and panelists John Hawkins and Jeff Rude will debate the hot topics and storylines coming out of the LPGA Championship and the Travelers Championship, and also preview the AT&T National. Members of GolfChannel.com’s editorial team will contribute throughout the show.

Golf Central

Live Airings:  Monday-Saturday, 6-6:30 p.m.

Sunday, 6-7 p.m.

                                   

Golf Central Pre Game

Live Airings:  Thursday-Friday, 1:30-2 p.m.

 Saturday, 12-1 p.m.; 2:30-3 p.m.

 Sunday, 1:30-2 p.m.

Two more releases before I’m calling it a night.

USA-Ghana Gets An Amazing 8.2 Rating on ABC

Received this press release today and I haven’t been able to post it as I have been taking care of some family commitments. Saturday’s USA-Ghana Round of 16 match in the World Cup received a whopping 8.2 rating (very good for soccer) and almost 15 million viewers. Now that the US has been eliminated, I expect those numbers to go down, but this shows that if the United States is in contention, people will watch soccer. We’ve seen it with the Olympics and I think this will hold true for the World Cup from now on.

Here’s the press release from ESPN.

U.S.-Ghana: Most-Watched FIFA World Cup Game

8.2 Rating, 14.9 Million Viewers for Team USA’s Round of 16 Match

Saturday’s United States-Ghana match on ABC – a 2-1 U.S. loss in extra time, which eliminated the Americans from the tournament – is the most-watched FIFA World Cup game among households and viewers. The 2.5 hour match window (2:30-5:12 p.m. ET) averaged an 8.2 rating, 9,455,000 households, and 14,863,000 viewers, based on fast nationals.

The U.S.-Ghana game ranks as the most-watched Men’s World Cup game ever, with only the 1999 Women’s Final (U.S.-China) averaging more households and viewers for a soccer game (11,307,000 households and 17,975,000 viewers).  Additionally, the match ranks as the third highest-rated Men’s World Cup game on record, behind two matches in 1994 – 9.3 rating (U.S.-Brazil, Quarterfinal, 7/4/94) and 9.5 rating (Italy-Brazil, Final, 7/17/94). The 1999 Women’s World Cup Final (U.S.-China) also delivered an 11.4 rating.

The U.S.-Ghana match represents increases of 11% in ratings (vs. 7.4) and 13% in viewership (vs. 13,130,000) from ABC’s highly-anticipated U.S.-England World Cup game on June 12, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The entire three-hour telecast (2-5:12 p.m.) — including 30 minutes of pre-match coverage – delivered a 7.5 household rating, 8,649,000 households, and 13,505,000 viewers.

San Diego was the top market for yesterday’s Team USA game, delivering a 15.4 rating. San Diego was the top market for all three previous U.S. matches – vs. England (11.5, ABC), vs. Slovenia (8.5, ESPN) and vs. Algeria (8.9, ESPN).  Rounding out the top 10 for Saturday’s match were Washington, D.C. (13.8), San Francisco (13.3), Cincinnati (12.9), Las Vegas (11.7), Austin (11.4), Columbus, Ohio (10.6), Norfolk, Va. (10.6), Seattle-Tacoma (10.6) and West Palm Beach (10.5).

Also, ESPN’s Uruguay-South Korea Round of 16 match on Saturday morning delivered a 2.5 coverage rating (2.2 U.S. rating), 2,513,000 households, and 3,246,000 viewers.

Through 50 games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the ESPN networks (ESPN/ESPN2/ABC) are averaging a 1.8 U.S. rating, 2,081,000 households, and 2,781,000 viewers.  The rating is up 48% from 2006 (1.2), while household impressions are up 54% (from 1,349,000) and viewers are up 60% (from 1,740,000). (Note: Ratings and viewership numbers are based on the specific match windows, not including pre-match studio coverage.)

The 2010 FIFA World Cup continues with Round of 16 elimination matches through Tuesday, June 29, followed by quarterfinal games starting Friday, July 2, on ESPN and ABC. Coverage is also available on ESPN3.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN Deportes.

I have a couple of more releases to post.

Videos of the Week – Best Baseball Announcers: Vin Scully

Now that I’m done with the Best/Worst Sports TV Themes, it’s time to move to another topic and this one is perfect now that we’re in the summer season. Baseball is a sport that lends itself to radio and warm weather. Over the next few weeks and as long as I can, I’ll post some of the best calls of the greatest baseball announcers of all time. This first one is a natural subject. Vin Scully of the Los Angeles Dodgers is in his 61st season with the team and goes back to when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. He moved when owner Walter O’Malley packed the moving vans and decided to go to Los Angeles and he’s been calling games ever since.

Vin was inducted in the broadcasters wing at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1991, a member of the Radio Hall of Fame since 1995 and he even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Scully started his career as a fill-in on college football on the CBS Radio Network, recruited by Red Barber, who would become to be his mentor with the Dodgers. He joined the Dodgers in 1950 replacing Ernie Harwell who would go to the New York Giants. In 1953, Vin became the youngest broadcaster to call a World Series at age 25, a record that still stands.

In addition to calling baseball for the Dodgers, he’s called the Game of the Week for NBC from 1983 until 1989, heading World Series coverage in 1984, 1986 and 1988. He was the main broadcaster for CBS Radio and called the Fall Classic from 1979-1982 and again from 1990-1997.

Vin also called the NFL and the PGA Tour for CBS. He was the first voice of the Skins Game when it began on NBC in 1983 and called it on ABC from 1991 until 1996.

Over the last few years, Scully has cut back on his schedule, calling home games and rarely traveling outside of the Pacific and Mountain time zones. He has hinted at retirement, but he hasn’t given the official word as of yet. When he does, Vin will be missed as he’s truly a national treasure, especially to Dodgers fans who have grown up listening to his calls.

Ok, enough of the brief biography and let’s get to some of his best known calls.

This is from April 8, 1974. Henry Aaron faced Al Downing of the Dodgers in Atlanta and hit his record breaking 715th home run, passing Babe Ruth. At the moment the ball cleared the fence, Vin got up from his chair and got a cup of coffee allowing the crowd at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium tell the story for 90 seconds. And then he had the perfect words to describe what was happening.

Here’s a rare recording of Vin calling Sandy Koufax’s first of his four no-hitters on June 30, 1962 against the New York Mets. We have the fascinating story of how this recording came to fruition as game audio recordings were rarely done in those days. Here’s a short excerpt of the no-hitter.

From September 9, 1965, we have the audio of Vin’s call of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. This the entire 9th inning and the description is just tremendous. When the transcript published verbatim in a book, readers could not believe it was spoken because the words were grammatically correct. Just enjoy the next 10 minutes and 50 seconds.

Ok, you’ve heard why Vin put timechecks into his call of the Koufax perfect game. Let’s now go to July 20, 1970 and the last three outs of the Bill Singer no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. Keep that in mind when you hear the next 9:37 of the call. This comes off a record made a few weeks after the no-hitter so you’ll hear some pops in the audio.

Let’s jump to last year’s National League Division Series between the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals and listen to Vin’s excellent call of Mark Loretta’s walk off base hit in Game 2.

Lastly, here’s Vin informing his audience earlier this month on Fox Sports Prime Ticket of the passing of former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. As usual, Vin finds the right words and uses Shakespeare to describe Wooden.

Next week, I’ll post calls of another great baseball announcer.

Various Saturday Links

I’ve already given you some press release action today, so it’s time to give you some linkage. Let’s do it now.

Geoffrey A. Bishop of the Wall Street Journal says Facebook has become a integral part of the World Cup experience. 

Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated says Showtime’s patience with Strikeforce may have paid off.

Michael Grottchelli of Broadcast Engineering looks at NASCAR entering the 3-D realm.

The lovely Jessica Heslam of the Boston Herald notes that NESN’s Heidi Watney made a personal appearance at a local Hooter’s restaurant last week (scroll down).

Greg Bishop of the New York Times talks with ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe about his new book. 

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News feels SNY dismissed the story on a sexual assault complaint against Mets pitcher Johan Santana too easily.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union writes that the Travers Stakes at Saratoga is moving from a nationally televised race to a regionally televised one.

Greg Connors in the Buffalo News says soccer appears not to have caught on in Western New York as in the rest of the country.

Richard Rys of Philadelphia magazine writes about a sports radio war between incumbent WIP and an FM upstart. Thanks to Laura Nachman for the link.

Drew Silverman of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia looks at the NFL Broadcasting Boot Camp for current players looking beyond their days on the field. 

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the Stephen Strasburg rookie baseball card could garner $1 million.

Rich McGowan from the Savannah (GA) Morning News feels ESPN is beating him over the head with its World Cup coverage. Dude, don’t watch.

Business First of Louisville says NFL Network’s Rich Eisen and a Food Network personality will be celebrity judges for a Papa John’s pizza contest. 

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News says long-time Texas Rangers employee and TV analyst Tom Grieve finally gets inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. 

The Columbus (OH) Dispatch reports that CBS college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg has become a trustee of The Ohio State University of which is he an alum.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star talks with two local sports radio personalities who lost their jobs on Thursday.

The Big Lead speculates that it might be 3-D TV that brings ESPN and the NHL back together.

The Right Fielders blog looks at Erin Andrews possibly leaving ESPN.

The Sports Media Watch says MLB on Fox fell below the 2.0 rating level again last week.

SMW has more ratings news and notes.

Joe Favorito says a new sponsor for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is a very good fit.

Sox & Dawgs feels Fox hates Connecticut Red Sox fans.

And we’ll end it there.