Fang's Bites

Videos of the Week – Lee Corso Fires Off Guns on College Gameday

Since analyst Lee Corso began making his mascot head predictions on College Gameday in 1996, he has made his prognostications entertaining. Sometimes, the pick is just a football helmet or a mascot head, but a very funny addition has been Corso attempting to fire rifles, pistols or a variation of. Noticeably, this has happened in either Texas or Oklahoma where guns are a part of the culture. Host Chris Fowler and fellow analyst Kirk Herbstreit flinch and attempt to dive for cover.

We can trace the origin of when Lee first brandished a rifle and go through the years. It lends for some very good entertainment. Let’s start it in 2006 at the Oklahoma-Texas A&M game. Corso and Herbstreit are wearing jockey colors because regular host Chris Fowler was at the Breeders Cup for ESPN and sitting in for him was Rece Davis. Lee took out the rifle, but it didn’t work.

So it took a couple of years, but Corso got another opportunity at the 2008 Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. This time, the rifle worked. Ignore the rest of the video after Lee fires off the rifle.

Let’s move forward to November of 2008, former Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight joined the College Gameday crew for the Texas-Texas Tech game and Lee Corso takes the Red Raiders and fires off two guns in the process. Hilarious.

A couple of weeks later, Lee picked the Sooners against Texas A&M and again tried to fire off a couple of rifles. You could see that Chris Fowler was very scared.

That was it for the guns in 2008, but they came back on Saturday for the Bedlam game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, Lee fired off a six shooter and we do mean six shots. Desmond Howard got his first taste of the weapons up close and Herbstreit was ducking as you can plainly see.

Amazing stuff. College Gameday is the only show that provides you with explosive commentary like that. You can’t get guns on a pregame show anywhere else.

And that concludes the Videos of the Week.

Auburn-Alabama Gets Stellar Ratings on CBS

Many of you had the day off on Friday and having a great football game like Auburn-Alabama where the Tigers came back to win 28-27 after spotting Alabama a huge lead just helped to pass the day. I came back from work in time to watch the final quarter and it was compelling television to say the least.

The rating for CBS was a 7.5 with an 17 share which makes this the most watched college football game of 2010. That will most likely change with the BCS National Championship Game, but 7.5 is an amazing rating.

Here’s the press release from CBS Sports.

THIS JUST IN…

            …FROM CBS SPORTS

“SEC ON CBS” COVERAGE OF “IRON BOWL” SCORES HIGHEST RATING OF 2010 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON

The SEC ON CBS’ coverage of the “Iron Bowl” on Friday, Nov. 26, which saw undefeated and *No. 2-seeded Auburn beat *No. 11-seeded Alabama, earned an overnight household rating/share of 7.5/17, up 56% from last year’s 4.8/11 (No. 2-ranked Alabama-Auburn). This 7.5/17 is the highest-rated college football game of the 2010 season on any network in the metered markets.

The 7.5/17 was the highest-rated Friday college football game on CBS Sports in the metered markets since college football returned to the Network in 1996. The previous high was a 5.1/11 for Arkansas-LSU on 11/23/07.

The Auburn-Alabama game rating/share peaked at 10.6/21 from 6:00-6:15 PM, ET. 

Those are amazing numbers especially for college football.

NBA TV Fan Night Game For Tuesday Is…..

Boston at Cleveland. We have the announcement from NBA TV.

Fans Select Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers for NBA TV’s Fan Night on Tuesday, Nov. 30

NBA TV’s Tuesday Fan Night game will feature the Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers, winning with 44-percent of the fan vote on NBA.com. The game will air on Tues., Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. (ET) with host Ernie Johnson and analysts Chris Webber and Kevin McHale on-hand for studio coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. (ET).  

Fan Night voting will continue on nba.com/nbatv/fannight from Tues., Nov. 30 (8 a.m. ET) – Thurs., Dec. 2 (Midnight ET) as fans select the match-up for Tues., Dec. 7 between:

·         Denver Nuggets @ Charlotte Bobcats

·         Cleveland Cavaliers @ Philadelphia 76ers

·         New Jersey Nets @ Atlanta Hawks

·         Detroit Pistons @ Houston Rockets

·         Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

Tipping off on Tuesday is The Jump, a live, interactive show designed for the ultimate NBA fan. Fans can submit questions and comments via NBA.com, Facebook or Twitter. Host Kyle Montgomery, analyst Dennis Scott and ‘chat-master’ Sekou Smith will respond and give their comments and analysis on everything happening around the league. The show will stream live on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. (ET) on NBA.com and air at 5:00 p.m. (ET) on NBA TV. 

The Beat returns this week to prep fans for game action with news and storylines across the league with host Marc Fein, regular contributors David Aldridge, SLAM’s Lang Whitaker and Craig Sager as well as reporters from across the country. The Beat airs Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m. (ET).

In addition, NBA TV will also feature a live game on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. (ET) with the Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks and on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) with the New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs.

And we’re done here.

Weekend Viewing Picks

Saturday, November 27

Boxing
World Championship Boxing/Lightweights: Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Michael Katsidis – HBO, 9:45 p.m.
Showtime Championship Boxing/WBA Welterweight Championship: Andre Ward vs. Sakio Bika/Super Six World Boxing Classic: Arthur Abraham vs. Carl Froch – Showtime, 9 p.m.

College Basketball
Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, AK
Consolation Game
Drake vs. Weber State – Fox College Sports/Altitude 2/MASN, 9:30 p.m.

Championship Game
St. John’s vs. Arizona State – Fox College Sports/Altitude2/Fox Sports Arizona/MASN/MSG Plus, midnight

Las Vegas Invitational, Las Vegas, NV
Championship Game
Arizona vs. Kansas – ESPN2, 10:30 p.m.

Legends Classic, Atlantic City, NJ
Consolation Game
Michigan vs. UTEP – HDNet, 5:30 p.m.

Championship Game
Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech – HDNet, 8 p.m.

South Padre Island Invitational, South Padre Island, TX
Championship Game
St. Mary’s vs. BYU – Fox College Sports, 8 p.m.

Marshall at Louisville – Big East Network, 1 p.m.
Duke vs. Oregon at Portland, OR – Fox Sports Net, 4 p.m.
USC at Nebraska – Fox Sports Net, 6 p.m.
TBA vs. Purdue at Hoffman Estates, IL – Big Ten Network, 6:30 p.m.
Virginia Military Institute vs. West Virginia at Charleston, WV – Big East Network, 7 p.m.

College Football Viewing Picks

English Premier League
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal – ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
Stoke City vs. Manchester City – Fox Soccer Plus, 9:55 a.m.
Manchester United vs. Blackburn – Fox Soccer Channel, 10 a.m.
Fulham vs. Birmingham City – Fox Soccer Channel, noon
West Ham United vs. Wigan Athletic – Fox Soccer Channel, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)
Everton vs. West Bromwich – Fox Soccer Plus, 6 p.m. (same day coverage)

NBA
Orlando at Washington – NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Chicago at Sacramento – WGN America, 10 p.m.

NHL
Calgary at Pittsburgh – Rogers Sportsnet West/FSN Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at New Jersey – Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/MSG Plus, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at Montreal – CBC/RDS/NHL Network (US)/MSG Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Ottawa – CBC, 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay – Sun Sports, 7:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Phoenix – Fox Sports Prime Ticket, 8 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis – Fox Sports Southwest Plus/Fox Sports Midwest, 8 p.m.
New York Rangers at Nashville – MSG Network/Fox Sports Tennessee, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado – Fox Sports North/Altitude, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Edmonton – CBC/Comcast SportsNet California, 10 p.m.
Chicago at Los Angeles – Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports West, 10 p.m.

NHL on the Fly – NHL Network, 10 p.m.

Tennis
ATP World Tour Finals/Doubles Semifinal #1: Bryan/Bryan vs. Nestor/Zimonijc- Tennis Channel, 7 a.m.
ATP World Tour Finals/Singles Semifinal #1: Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray – Tennis Channel, 8:30 a.m.
ATP World Tour Finals/Doubles Semifinal #2: Fyrstenberg/Matkowski vs. Bhupathi/Mirnyi – Tennis Channel, 1 p.m.
ATP World Tour Finals/Singles Semifinal #2: Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer – Tennis Channel, 3 p.m.

Entertainment
5 Ingredient Fix: Dinner Party Delights – Food Network, 10:30 a.m.
French Food at Home: Cocktail Dinner – Cooking Channel, 11:30 a.m.
Giada at Home: No Stress Party – Food Network, 1 p.m.
Sabado Gigante – Univision, 8 p.m.
Behind the Music Remastered: Lynyrd Skynyrd – VH1 Classic, 9 p.m.
48 Hours Mystery: Shootout at the Hills – CBS, 10 p.m.
That Metal Show – VH1 Classic, 11 p.m.

Sunday, November 28

College Basketball
76 Classic, Anaheim, CA
Championship Game
Virginia Tech vs. UNLV – ESPN2, 9 p.m.

3rd Place Game
Oklahoma State vs. Murray State – ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.

5th Place Game
Cal State-Northridge vs. Tulsa – ESPNU, 4 p.m.

Old Spice Classic, Orlando, FL
Championship Game
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame – ESPN2/ESPN 3D, 7 p.m.

3rd Place Game
Cal vs. Boston College – ESPN2/ESPN 3D, 4:30 p.m.

5th Place Game
Temple vs. Texas A&M – ESPNU/ESPN 3D, 1:30 p.m.

7th Place Game
Georgia vs. Manhattan – ESPNU/ESPN3D, 11 a.m.

Tennessee Tech at Michigan State – Big Ten Network, 1 p.m.
Furman at Penn State – Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m.
College of Charleston at North Carolina – Fox Sports Net, 5:30 p.m.
Florida at Florida State – Fox Sports Net, 7:45 p.m.
Creighton at Northwestern – Big Ten Network, 8:30 p.m.

Women’s 
Texas at Stanford – Fox Sports Net, 3:30 p.m.

English Premier League
Newcastle United vs. Chelsea – Fox Soccer Plus, 8:30 a.m.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool – Fox Soccer Channel, 11 a.m.
Manchester United vs. Blackburn – Fox Soccer Channel, 10 a.m.

NFL Viewing Picks

NHL
Boston at Atlanta- NESN, 5 p.m.
Carolina at Washington – NHL Network (Canada)/Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 5 p.m.
Columbus at Detroit – Fox Sports Ohio/Fox Sports Detroit, 5 p.m.

NHL on the Fly – NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Tennis
ATP World Tour Finals/Doubles Final – Tennis Channel, 10:30 a.m.
ATP World Tour Finals/Singles Final – ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

Entertainment
Sunday Morning – CBS, 9 a.m.
Nigella Kitchen: Can’t Live Without – Food Network, 9 a.m.
Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee: Cocktail Party – Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
60 Minutes – CBS, 7 p.m.
The Amazing Race: I Hate Chinese Food – CBS, 8 p.m.
Boardwalk Empire – HBO, 9 p.m.
Dexter – Showtime, 9 p.m.
Top Gear – History Channel, 10 p.m.
Rated A for Adult: Warning: Adult Humor – G4, 11 p.m.
Rated A for Adult: Women on Top – G4, 11:30 p.m.

NFL Network Has Its Most Watched Thanksgiving Night Ever

Thanks to increased availability across the nation (except for Bright House, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and some other cable providers), NFL Network saw its highest viewership for a Thanksgiving Night game since it started airing live action in 2006. Just over 7 million people watched the Cincinnati Bengals’ poor effort against the New York Jets. That figure does not count the over the air audience from the New York and Cincinnati markets. Here’s the press release.

BENGALS-JETS ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL MOST-WATCHED NFL NETWORK THANKSGIVING GAME

Thursday Night Football viewership on record pace, up 37 percent from 2009

Last night’s Cincinnati Bengals-New York Jets game on NFL Network was watched by an average of 7.1 million viewers (not including over-the-air stations in Cincinnati and New York) – to rank as the most-watched Thanksgiving game in the five seasons of Thursday Night Football.

NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football is averaging 5.9 million cable viewers this season – its best mark through three games and up 37 percent from last year (4.3 million viewers).

With 7.1 million viewers (not including OTAs), Bengals-Jets is the third-most watched game in the five years of Thursday Night Football on NFL Network behind Dallas-New Orleans on Dec. 19, 2009 (10.5 million viewers) and Green Bay-Dallas on Nov. 29, 2007 (10.1 million viewers).

Thursday Night Football continues with the Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles next Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8:00 PM ET. The Thursday Night Kickoff pregame show begins at 6:00 PM ET.

More later.

NBA on TNT Quotage From Thanksgiving Night

TNT had its Thanksgiving night doubleheader and we have the quotage from the games plus Inside the NBA.

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Thursday, November 25, 2010

TNT’s NBA Thursday coverage continues on December 2 at 8 p.m. ET with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers followed by the Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Teams are going to start scheduling the Heat for homecoming.”

 Charles Barkley on the Miami Heat

CLIP OF THE DAY:

 Charles Barkley’s experience with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

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TNT NBA Tip-off

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on the Miami Heat: “Teams are going to start scheduling the Heat for homecoming.”

Barkley on what the Heat need to do to turn their season around: “Everyone is going to overreact.  The Miami Heat have a really good team and they are going to go deep into the playoffs.  But they play way too slow.  It’s the same thing we’ve been saying for a month.  They’ve got to speed the tempo up.  Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are scorers but they are going to have to sacrifice part of their game to do other things.  Chris Bosh has to become a better rebounder…and a better defender.  They have to play at a much faster pace.”

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Game 1:  Washington Wizards (96) @ Atlanta Hawks (116)

Announcers: Dick Stockton, Mike Fratello and Chris Webber with Craig Sager reporting

Fratello on Wizards forward Andray Blatche:  “Blatche is a very solid offensive player.  You can post him up or he can face-up from the outside and hit a 20-foot jump-shot.  He also has the ability to put the ball on the floor.  (He is) a well-rounded player who has really developed.”

Webber on Hawks reserve guard Jamal Crawford: “He’s instant energy off the bench.  (He’s) an excellent scorer and ball handler.”

Fratello on Wizards reserve guard Nick Young: “(Young) is a great example of young players who the coach may not trust them initially but they have worked their way into earning more minutes.  (Wizards head coach) Flip Saunders trusts (Young) because he started to do it on the defensive end.  He goes out there and works hard every night.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Wizards head coach Flip Saunders following the first quarter

Saunders on the Wizards’ lack of energy: “Maybe too much turkey.  We don’t have pace in the game, our pace is slow.  We’ve got to get the ball moving.  We only have a couple of guys that look like they have energy.  We’ll have to go to our bench and try to get some energy.”

Fratello on what makes you tired after eating turkey: “I remember having a nutritional conversation with Craig Sager one time and I asked him why do you feel sluggish after eating turkey and I think he said it was the tryptophan.”

Webber: “Is that the color of his suit?”

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on how LeBron James needs to do a better job of running the floor: “LeBron James has to do a better job of running the floor.  I think he’s the best player in the NBA but he sucks at running the floor.  When the team gets a rebound, you stand there and wait, you don’t run.  My perfect scenario would be a fast break with LeBron on one wing and Dwyane Wade on the other end.  They never do that.  (James) got in a bad habit in Cleveland of playing like a point forward.  The only time he should bring the ball up the floor is when he gets the rebound.  That would be scary with him leading the fast break.  He never runs the floor…he waits.”

Smith on why LeBron James should get the ball at the end of games for the Heat: “LeBron James gets the basketball because he’s the guy who can make the play not only for himself, but for other people.  When Chris Bosh gets the ball, he can score for himself.  Dwyane Wade is great at scoring for himself.  He’s not as great of a passer as LeBron James and he doesn’t cause the foul contact to get people into foul trouble.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Webber on Wizards rookie guard John Wall having some frustrating games: “It’s very easy to get frustrated as a rookie in this league.  You have so many great players, it’s hard to be consistent every night especially when you have a hampering injury like (Wall) has (now).”

Webber on players coming off the bench: “If you’re coming off the bench, you always have to be consistent whether it’s a 20-point blowout or a tie game.  You have to be ready to come off the bench.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Hall of Famer and Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins during the fourth quarter

Wilkins on Wizards forward JaVale McGee: “(McGee) has a lot of jumping ability.  He’s a very athletic kid.  Once he figures out how to play the game on the ground as well as in the air, he’s going to be a pretty good player.”

Wilkins on the importance of players holding team meetings: “Sometimes the leaders (of a team) have to do that (hold player-only meetings) to reel the team back in and wake each other up and say, ‘if we don’t start to play better, this thing is going to slide away quickly so we better do something about it.”

Fratello on Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson’s recent comments on Heat team president Pat Riley taking over as head coach of the Heat: “Phil Jackson doesn’t know what went on behind the scenes between (former Heat head coach Stan) Van Gundy and Pat Riley nor does he know what’s going on between Pat Riley and (current Heat head coach Erik) Spoelstra.  It’s inappropriate to make a comment like that and the best thing he can do is worry about his own team.  He’s won more championships than anyone in the history of the NBA (as a head coach) and he has done such a nice job, why mess with someone else’s program?  You don’t need to do it.”

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Game 2:  Sacramento Kings (82) @ Los Angeles Clippers (100)

Announcers: Marv Albert and Steve Kerr with Cheryl Miller reporting

Kerr on who Clippers forward Blake Griffin reminds him of: “Griffin reminds me a little bit of Amar’e Stoudemire when he first came into the league in terms of the explosiveness and the dominant right hand.  I see a little bit of Charles Barkley in him when he gets out in transition.  He has incredible athleticism and power.  It’s awe-inspiring.”

Kerr on Kings rookie forward DeMarcus Cousins: “He’s a force, an absolute monster down on the block and on the offensive boards but he’s just a puppy.  He should be a sophomore at Kentucky right now.  He’s really not ready to play at this level.”

Kerr on the Clippers lacking a veteran presence: “You look at the Clippers roster and it’s just amazing how much young talent (they have).  Their starting lineup could’ve been in the NCAA Tournament with their collective ages.  But this is the NBA and this is a totally different game. They are all young and talented but they’ve got a long way to go.  They don’t have the veteran mentoring and leadership to really get them where they need to go.”

Kerr on Kings guard Beno Udrih: “He’s a nice player.  I think he really needs to find a playoff team to go to.  He’s the kind of guy who can fill a role and play either guard spot.  He’s got a good feel for the game.”

Clippers rookie forward Blake Griffin on the team’s losing culture: “Last year sitting (injured) and watching all of those games with all the negative talk and I heard everything.  We started out kind of slow this year and you hear everything, you hear the jokes, you hear this and that.  As a team, we haven’t been on the team for the past 25 or 30 years so you have to give us a chance but at the same time, I understand.  We have to change that mindset.”

 

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Halftime 

Johnson, Barkley, Smith

Smith on Clippers rookie forward Blake Griffin: “(Griffin) is able to do things off the dribble.  It’s not always because someone gives him the basketball, he can do it himself and he can create his own shot. He is the future power forward in the NBA.”

Barkley on the Clippers needing leadership: “(The Clippers) have something most teams don’t have…they’ve got talent.  There are a bunch of players who are older and can’t play dead. These kids (with the Clippers) have a lot of talent. The one thing they’re missing is leadership.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Kerr on young players needing to consistently improve their game: “So many young players are so talented but have one thing they have to get better at.  Once you’ve established yourself in the league, the second time around, people have the scouting report.  Everyone is going to play (Kings guard) Tyreke Evans the same way this year, they’re going to take away his right hand and make him shoot outside shots.”

Kerr on Clippers reserve forward Brian Cook: “(Cook is) an excellent perimeter shooter and a guy who can space the floor.  What that does is give driving lanes to guys like (Eric) Bledsoe and (Eric) Gordon.  Cook has a chance to be a valuable piece for the Clippers.”

Kerr on Clippers guard Eric Gordon: “It’ll be interesting to watch (Eric) Gordon in his career to see just how good he’ll become. He can create and take late-game shots. Gordon is a guy with the explosiveness and strength to get to the rim. He can make plays when there isn’t anything going.”

 

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Inside the NBA

Johnson, Barkley, Smith

Barkley on the Clippers: “The Clippers have a lot of talent and they have a bright future but unfortunately…this is the present.”

Smith on Clippers forward Blake Griffin’s feel for the game: “The one thing you always look at when you see highlights is dunks, finishes and plays.  That’s not the reason why guys are great or have the potential to be great.  It’s the understanding of the game and knowing when to (make a play) and when not to.  Blake Griffin has a great understanding and a great feel (for the game).”

TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith made their Playoff predictions

Eastern Conference

Barkley: 1) Orlando Magic; 2) Chicago Bulls; 3) Boston Celtics; 4) Miami Heat; 5) Atlanta Hawks; 6) Indiana Pacers; 7) New Jersey Nets; 8) New York Knicks

Smith: 1) Boston Celtics; 2) Orlando Magic; 3) Miami Heat; 4) Chicago Bulls; 5) Atlanta Hawks; 6) Milwaukee Bucks; 7) New York Knicks; 8) Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Barkley: 1) Los Angeles Lakers; 2) Utah Jazz; 3) Dallas Mavericks; 4) San Antonio Spurs; 5) Oklahoma City Thunder; 6) New Orleans Hornets; 7) Portland Trail Blazers; 8) Denver Nuggets

Smith: 1) Los Angeles Lakers; 2) Oklahoma City Thunder; 3) San Antonio Spurs; 4) Utah Jazz; 5) Dallas Mavericks; 6) New Orleans Hornets; 7) Denver Nuggets; 8) Phoenix Suns

Barkley on the Utah Jazz: “When they get (Mehmet) Okur back (from injury), the Utah Jazz are a clear and present danger to the Lakers.”

One more NBA press release coming up.

College Football Viewing Picks For 11/27/10, All Times Eastern

Schedule courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

College Gameday, live from Stillwater, OK – ESPNU, 9 a.m./ESPN, 10 a.m.

noon
Michigan at Ohio State – ABC

Virginia at Virginia Tech – ACC Network

Cincinnati at UConn – Big East Network

Indiana at Purdue – Big Ten Network

Tulane at Marshall – CBS College Sports

Central Florida at Memphis – CSS

Boston College at Syracuse – ESPN
Michigan State at Penn State – ESPN2
South Florida at Miami (FL) – ESPNU

Kentucky at Tennessee – SEC Network (12:21 p.m. kickoff)

12:30 p.m.
Kansas vs. Missouri at Kansas City, MO – Fox Sports Net

2 p.m.
Grambling State vs. Southern at New Orleans, LA – NBC

3 p.m.
College Football Today – CBS

3:30 p.m.

ABC Coverage Map
Florida at Florida State – ABC/ESPN
Northwestern at Wisconsin – ABC/ESPN

Iowa at Minnesota – Big Ten Network

LSU at Arkansas – CBS
BYU at Utah – CBS College Sports/the mtn.

North Carolina State at Maryland – ESPN2
North Carolina at Duke – ESPNU

Washington at Cal – Fox College Sports

4 p.m.
TCU at New Mexico – Versus

7 p.m.
College Football Scoreboard – ESPN
South Carolina at Clemson – ESPN2
Mississippi State at Ole Miss – ESPNU

7:30 p.m.
Wake Forest at Vanderbilt – CSS

Oregon State at Stanford – Versus

Georgia Tech at Georgia – ESPN (7:45 p.m. start)

8 p.m.

ABC Coverage Map
Notre Dame at USC – ABC
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State – ABC

Houston at Texas Tech – Fox Sports Net

UNLV at San Diego State – the mtn.

10 p.m.
Idado at Fresno State – WAC Sports Network

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 12

All Times Eastern

Coverage Maps courtesy of the506.com

Fox NFL Sunday – Fox, noon

1 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Jacksonville at New York Giants – Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Pittsburgh at Buffalo – Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Houston – Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

Fox Coverage Map
Carolina at Cleveland – Chris Myers/Torry Holt
Green Bay at Atlanta – Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Minnesota at Washington – Dick Stockton/Charles Davis/Charissa Thompson!!!

4:05 p.m.
CBS Coverage Map
Kansas City at Seattle – Bill Macatee/Rich Gannon
Miami at Oakland – Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker (CBS’ 5,000th game in its 51 year NFL history)

4:15 p.m.
Fox Coverage Map
Philadelphia at Chicago – Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
St. Louis at Denver – Ron Pitts/John Lynch/Nischelle Turner
Tampa Bay at Baltimore – Sam Rosen/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio

7:00
Football Night in America – NBC

7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights – NFL Network

8:20 p.m.
San Diego at Indianapolis – NBC, Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Andrea Kremer

midnight
NFL GameDay Final – NFL Network

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

NFL RedZone

NFL on CBS Gets Its Best Thanksgiving Ratings in 12 Years

This just in from CBS. Their ratings for yesterday’s Patriots-Lions game was the highest for a Thanksgiving Day game since CBS returned to the NFL in 1998.

The rating was 15.0 with a 35 share, up 19% from last year when CBS was saddled with Oakland-Dallas.

We have the press release from CBS Sports.

RATINGS BOUNTIFUL FOR “NFL ON CBS” THANKSGIVING DAY GAME WITH HIGHEST IN 12 YEARS

CBS Sports’ Thanksgiving Day coverage of the NFL ON CBS on Thursday, Nov. 25, which saw the New England Patriots beat the Detroit Lions, 45-24, earned an overnight household rating/share of 15.0/35, up 19% from last year’s 12.6/32 (Oakland-Dallas). 

The 15.0/35 for the Patriots-Lions game is highest rating for a Thanksgiving Day game in the metered markets since a 15.8/40 on November 26, 1998 (Minnesota-Dallas; FOX).

With two decent games, I would think we would have ratings increases for both CBS and Fox.

Keep your RSS feeds updated.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Basketball
76 Classic, Anaheim, CA
Semifinals
Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State – ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Murray State vs. UNLV – ESPNU, 9:30 p.m.

Losers’ Bracket
DePaul vs. Cal State-Northridge – ESPNU, 5 p.m.
Stanford vs. Tulsa – ESPNU, 11:30 p.m.

Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, AK
Semifinals
Drake vs. St. John’s – Fox College Sports/Altitude2/CSS/MASN/MSG Plus, 9:30 p.m.
Arizona State vs. Weber State – Fox College Sports/Altitude2/Fox Sports Arizona/MASN, midnight

Legends Classic, Atlantic City, NJ
Semifinals
Georgia Tech vs. UTEP – HDNet, 5:30 p.m.
Michigan vs. Syracuse – HDNet, 8 p.m.

NIT Season Tip-Off, New York, NY
3rd Place Game
VCU vs. UCLA – ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.

Championship
Tennessee vs. Villanova – ESPN, 5 p.m.

Old Spice Classic, Orlando, FL
Semifinals
Boston College vs. Wisconsin – ESPN/ESPN 3D, noon
Notre Dame vs. Cal – ESPN2/ESPN 3D, 5 p.m.

Losers’ Bracket
Manhattan vs. Texas A&M – ESPNU/ESPN 3D, 2:30 p.m.
Georgia vs. Temple – ESPNU/ESPN3D, 7:30 p.m.

South Padre Island Invitational, South Padre Island, TX
3rd Round 
BYU vs. South Florida – Fox College Sports, 6 p.m.
Texas Tech vs. St. Mary’s – Fox College Sports, 8:30 p.m.

Miami (OH) at Ohio State – Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
Southern Illinois at Purdue – Big Ten Network, 8:30 p.m.

College Football
Louisville at Rutgers – ESPN2, 11 a.m.
Ohio at Kent State – ESPNU, 11 a.m.
West Virginia at Pittsburgh – ABC, noon
SMU at East Carolina – CBS College Sports, 2 p.m.
Auburn at Alabama – CBS, 2:30 p.m.
Colorado at Nebraska – ABC, 3:30 p.m.
UCLA at Arizona State – Fox Sports Net, 3:30 p.m.
Southern Mississippi at Tulsa – CBS College Sports, 6:30 p.m.
Arizona at Oregon – ESPN, 7 p.m.
Boise at Nevada – ESPN, 10:15 p.m.

NBA
Houston at Charlotte – ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Boston – Comcast SportsNet New England, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State at Memphis – ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.

NHL
Carolina at Boston – Fox Sports Carolinas/NESN, noon
Calgary at Philadelphia – Rogers Sportsnet Calgary/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
New Jersey at New York Islanders – MSG Network/MSG Plus, 1 p.m.
Ottawa at Pittsburgh – Rogers Sportsnet East/FSN Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Nashville at Minnesota – Fox Sports Tennessee/Fox Sports North, 2 p.m.
Chicago at Anaheim – NHL Network (Canada)/WGN/Fox Sports West, 4 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Washington – Sun Sports/Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 5 p.m.
Detroit at Columbus – Fox Sports Detroit/Fox Sports Ohio, 7 p.m.
Montreal at Atlanta – RDS/SportSouth, 7:30 p.m.
New York Rangers at Florida – MSG Network/Fox Sports Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Buffalo – TSN/MSG Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas – Fox Sports Midwest/Fox Sports Southwest, 8:30 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver – TSN/Comcast SportsNet California, 10 p.m.

NHL on the Fly – NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Tennis
ATP World Tour Finals/Singles and Doubles Round Robin – Tennis Channel, 7 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Entertainment
TV’s Funniest Holiday Moments: A Paley Center for Media Special – Fox, 8 p.m.
Law & Order: UK – BBC America, 9 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team – CMT, 9 p.m.
20/20 – ABC, 10 p.m.
Lingerie Football League: Baltimore Charm vs. Miami Caliente – MTV2, 11 p.m.
Lingerie – Cinemax, 11:30 p.m.

NFL Network’s Thursday Night Kickoff Quotage For Week 12

Let’s provide the NFL Network quotage for Thursday Night Kickoff which aired before tonight’s Cincinnati-New York Jets game. Check it out.

Thursday Night Football Notes

Play-by-Play: Bob Papa/Analysts: Matt Millen, Joe Theismann/Sideline: Alex Flanagan

Quotes from Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets

Nov. 25, 2010 on NFL Network

QUOTES FROM THURSDAY NIGHT KICKOFF PREGAME SHOW

From Miami                  Host: Rich Eisen; Analysts: Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders

Reporters: Alex Flanagan, Kara Henderson

                                        Play-by-play Announcer: Bob Papa; Game Analysts: Matt Millen, Joe Theismann          

From Los Angeles      Host: Fran Charles; Analysts: Sterling Sharpe, Kurt Warner, Jason La Canfora (remote)

Cincinnati Bengals-New York Jets Pregame Analysis and Quotes:

“They have to win convincingly. Somewhere along the line, if you’re a number one seed, you have to pound someone. They’ve been winning games last second and in overtime. This needs to be a statement win.”

– Mariucci on the New York Jets closing in on the top seed in the AFC East

“Chad Ochocinco has to have a record night if the Bengals are going to have a chance to win this football game. It’s on Cedric Benson and Chad to help Carson out.”

– Joe Theismann on the Bengals offense

“I want to see this matchup with T.O. because I believe T.O is at his best right now.”

– Marshall Faulk on the matchup between Bengals WR Terrell Owens and Jets CB Darrelle Revis

“It’s a little bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul. They’ve taken away from their run game that they were so good at last year.”

– Steve Mariucci on the Bengals offense

“Until they get the offensive line straight, he is going to struggle.” 

– Matt Millen on Bengals QB Carson Palmer

“He is literally carrying this team as a passing quarterback.”

– Steve Mariucci on Jets QB Mark Sanchez

“He’s like the Mike Martz of defense. He’ll do anything and give you what you want.”

– Faulk on Jets head coach Rex Ryan

“He is a new age coach.  He has the brains, he has the swagger and his guys believe in him.”

– Deion Sanders on Rex Ryan

Deion Sanders 1-on-1 with Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan:

“We’re excited about it, no question. Anytime we can get on primetime and show the kind of team we have and the players and talent we have, it’s a great thing.”

– Ryan on facing the Bengals in a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving

“We’re a physical football team. We’re a passionate team. We play the game aggressively; have a lot of talent and our guys have fun. That’s what it’s all about.”

– Ryan on the New York Jets

“That’s fine, I’ll take it. We got that luck of the green, that’s fine. The good teams are always the lucky teams and that’s how I look at it.”

– Ryan on talk that the Jets are lucky with the recent overtime and last-second victories

“No question. He can do it this year too.”

– Ryan on if QB Mark Sanchez can lead the Jets to the Super Bowl

“I look at it this way: I think the bull’s-eye is on our back. The bull’s-eye we place on our opponent is on their chest. That’s the difference. We come right out and tell you what we believe and yeah, we have a bull’s-eye on our back, but we’re telling you that we think we’re better than your team.”

– Ryan on the Jets’ mentality

“It’s going to be T.O. and Revis. Let ‘em go.”

– Ryan on tonight’s matchup featuring Bengals WR Terrell Owens and Jets CB Darrelle Revis

“I’m just going to be myself.  I have confidence in myself and I have confidence in this organization.”

– Ryan

“I’m just an average person who was given an incredible opportunity.”

– Ryan on coaching the Jets

To view Deion Sanders’ 1-on-1 interview with Jets head coach Rex Ryan, please visit:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d81c69a57/Rex-Ryan-has-his-say

In Memoriam: Vikki Zimmer:

NFL Network looks at how the Bengals have coped after losing their team mom — defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife, Vikki Zimmer — last year.

·         http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-thanksgiving/09000d5d81c6a722/In-Memoriam-Vikki-Zimmer

Quick Quotes:

“They are the most explosive offense in the league.”

– Kurt Warner on the Green Bay Packers

“Tis the season to bring your defense.”

– Sterling Sharpe on teams with productive defense units having the advantage in November and December

“Terrell Owens is built like Tarzan and tonight he’s going to have to play like him as well.”

– Sharpe on Terrell Owens facing Jets CB Darrelle Revis

“It looks like the legs are being cut out from under Jeff Fisher.”

– Sharpe on Titans owner Bud Adams statement on picking up option on QB Vince Young

“The Dallas Cowboys are going to be a team to deal with, not because they’re going to make it into the playoffs, but because they have a chance to spoil some playoff hopes for some of these teams.”

– Warner on the Dallas Cowboys

Jason La Canfora News Reports:

On the CBA front…

Monday’s meeting went well. League officials felt like there was a possibility of some momentum moving forward. They agreed to some of the proposals the union is putting out there, but they still have a ways to go to get a deal done. However, the thinking is from some involved in this process is maybe now, coming out of the holidays that both parties would meet more frequently. These meetings last longer and ultimately, both sides have to sequester themselves in a hotel somewhere days, if not weeks, on end. A deal is not in place yet, but people at the meeting felt like this was a baby step in the right direction.

On the Cincinnati Bengals…

This looks like the end of an era in Cincinnati. Coach Marvin Lewis is out of contract next season and I can’t imagine him being back. Regarding Carson Palmer, if there is a new regime, the Bengals may want to draft a quarterback high or part with Palmer either way. He’s been beat up and his performance has dipped. There are a bunch of other players facing free agency as well: Terrell Owens and Cedric Benson are out of contract and will Cincinnati want to pay Chad Ochocinco $6 million next year? I tend to think not. Those are big names involved with their 2009 division-winning club that may not be back in 2011.

That is it. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving.

NFL Today Quotage From Thanksgiving Day 2010

I’m away from the house and could not see the NFL Today which had an emotional story on the late Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry.

Here’s the press release from our friends at CBS Sports.

NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, DAN MARINO, SHANNON SHARPE, BILL COWHER AND BOOMER ESIASON FOR WEEK 12 ON THANKSGIVING DAY, NOVEMBER 25

THE NFL TODAY featured a very special Thanksgiving Day story on the late-Cincinnati Bengals wide receive Chris Henry narrated by his mother Carolyn Henry Glaspy. 

To see this very special feature, log on to www.CBSSports.com and the link:

http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/nfl/CdypPOxkRyMWxJjEkoxYqBr_XWjB6WQe

On December 16, 2009 Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry fell from a moving vehicle in Charlotte, N.C. and died a day later as a result of the injuries he suffered during the accident. In the wake of the tragedy, Henry’s mother, Carolyn Glaspy, made the decision to donate his organs. Among the recipients were Donna Arnold, James Benton, Thomas Elliott and Brian Polk. The four, along with their immediate families, share their struggles and jubilation over the last year while waiting for donor organs and then receiving the news. Through the assistance of LifeShare of the Carolinas and the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, the four individuals that received Henry’s organs met for the first time on November 5, 2010. A day later, for the first time, the recipients all met Mrs. Glaspy for an emotional meeting a year in the making.  Charlie Bloom is the producer.

And I’ll post the Fox and NFL Network quotage as I receive them.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanksgiving Day Viewing Picks

College Basketball
76 Classic, Anaheim, CA
Quarterfinals 
Virginia Tech vs. Cal-State Northridge – ESPNU, 2 p.m.
DePaul vs. Oklahoma State – ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.
Murray State vs. Stanford – ESPNU, 9 p.m.
Tulsa vs. UNLV – ESPN2, 11:30 p.m.

Old Spice Classic, Orlando, FL
Quarterfinals 
Boston College vs. Texas A&M – ESPN/ESPN 3D, noon
Wisconsin vs. Manhattan – ESPN2/ESPN 3D, 2:30 p.m.
Georgia vs. Notre Dame – ESPN2/ESPN 3D, 7 p.m.
Temple vs. Cal – ESPN2/ESPN3D, 9:30 p.m.

Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, AK
First Round
Houston Baptist vs. Arizona State – CSS/Fox Sports Arizona/MASN, 9 p.m.
Weber State vs. Alaska-Anchorage – Fox Sports Arizona/MASN, 11:30 p.m.

College Football
Tuskegee at Alabama State – ESPNU, 4 p.m.
Texas A&M at Texas – ESPN, 8 p.m.

NBA
Washington at Atlanta – TNT, 8:15 p.m.
Sacramento at Los Angeles Clippers – TNT, 10:30 p.m.

Inside the NBA – TNT, 1 a.m.

NFL
The NFL Today - CBS, noon
New England at Detroit – CBS, 12:30 p.m.: Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

Fox NFL Sunday - Fox, 4 p.m.
New Orleans at Dallas – Fox, 4:30 p.m.: Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

Thursday Night Kickoff – NFL Network, 6:30 p.m.
Cincinnati at New York Jets – NFL Network, 8:20 p.m.: Bob Papa/Matt Millen/Joe Theismann/Alex Flanagan

NHL
Colorado at Edmonton – NHL Network (US)/TSN/RDS/Altitude, 9 p.m.

NHL on the Fly – NHL Network, 11:30 p.m.

Tennis
ATP World Tour Finals/Singles and Doubles Round Robin – Tennis Channel, 7 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Entertainment
The Thanksgiving Day Parade – CBS, 9 a.m.
McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – WGN America, 9 a.m.
Dr. No – SyFy, 10:30 a.m.
Goldfinger – SyFy, 1 p.m.
GoldenEye – SyFy, 3:30 p.m.
The World is not Enough – SyFy, 6:30 p.m.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – ABC, 8 p.m.
The Rise of Black Wolf – National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Casino Royale – SyFy, 9 p.m.
Biography: Brad Pitt – Biography Channel, 10 p.m.
Conan – TBS, 11 p.m.
Never Say Never Again – SyFy, midnight
Naked Lust – Cinemax, 12:05 a.m.

This Week in Sports Illustrated

Here’s what you’ll read in Sports Illustrated this week.

Is It O.K. to Cheer for Michael Vick? The Moral Dilemma Behind the NFL’s Most Compelling Story

Special Guest Op-Ed: Bill Clinton’s Impassioned Plea to Bring the 2022 World Cup to the U.S.

His Drive for Five Complete, Jimmie Johnson Takes His Place As the Greatest Driver Ever

Remembering Cal Coxswain Jill Costello: Cancer Couldn’t Keep Her Off the Water

How Chris Paul’s Summer Trade Threats Now Have the Hornets Flying High

(NEW YORK – November 23, 2010) – Michael Vick appears on the cover of this week’s November 29, 2010, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands tomorrow, with the billing The Enigma: What Michael Vick Tells Us About Ourselves. It is the fourth time Vick has been the featured athlete on the cover of the weekly issue and his first as a Philadelphia Eagle. In an in-depth look at the most compelling story of the 2010 NFL season, senior writer S.L. Price examines how the league and its millions of fans have had to confront uneasy questions regarding crime, punishment and personal redemption – all of which beg the question, Is it o.k. to cheer for him (page 34)? For all the positive steps he took in his first season with Philadelphia, Vick nearly blew his second opportunity this past summer, when there was a shooting following his 30th birthday party in Virginia Beach. This was in spite of the repeated warnings from his mother, Brenda Boddie, to shield himself from any remnants of his darker days. Recalling the aftermath of that night, Vick told Price: “I’m sitting on the chair crying, looking all crazy in the face. My brother, he’s sitting there, he ain’t got no expression on his face because he ain’t going through what I’m going through. I’m going through something totally different: I know what I want in life. I love the game of football. I know what I can do on the field and what I can provide for a team. That’s where my heart’s at, and it would’ve killed me to have that taken away. And I could just see in [my mother's] face, she was tired. She told us it was embarrassing. She wanted to disown us. That’s what she told me: She wanted to walk away. She’s like, ‘You went to prison for 19 months, and you come out and you still ain’t listening….’ Right then and there, I told myself, I am changing my life. I’m going to do everything they ask me to do. I’m getting myself away from this madness.” Vick was equally fearful of losing the trust of commissioner Roger Goodell, whom he was too frightened to call with an explanation in the three weeks following the shooting. Recalling that, he said: “That was so disrespectful. I should’ve been man enough to pick up the phone and say I’m sorry. But I was tired of saying I’m sorry-to everybody. You know? It was old. Look: no more excuses for anything. That was a bad situation. Somebody got shot. And I’m just getting out of prison; I’m still on probation; I just got reinstated into the NFL; and this is my first off-season-­and this happened? I was ready to deal with whatever consequences I had to deal with, man. Because I was just ashamed, and I knew I was wrong.” NFL fans were already struggling to reconcile Vick’s misdeeds with his comeback, and the incident this summer only added to the skeptics’ chorus. But Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie believed Vick had been reformed – a sentiment shared by Lurie’s friend and noted civil rights leader Vernon Jordan, who told Lurie, “F—–’ A he deserves a second chance” when asked if the team should sign him. Most of Vick’s peers on the field – many of whom are also black men from hardscrabble places touched by crime – feel the same way. Price writes: “It’s too soon to say whether Vick’s case will, like the O.J. Simpson verdict, reveal a black-white divide, but Lurie was struck by the scene: In Martha’s Vineyard, after endorsing the move, Vernon Jordan then turned to the room filled with, as Lurie puts it, ‘well-known African-Americans’ and said, ‘What do you guys think? Does Michael Vick deserve a chance to get back in the NFL?’ The answer, Lurie says, ‘was like a rallying cry.’ “ Says Eagles teammate Jason Avant: “We look up to him. The Bible says, ‘The righteous man falls seven times but he gets up again.’ He’s getting up and trying, and it’s helping him and helping our team. Guys look at him not as a quarterback; we look at him as an inspiration. We look at him as a guy who has been through hell and back-and he’s conquered it.” On the iPad: A photo gallery of Michael Vick through the years, from his electric two years at Virginia Tech to the pros.

SCORECARD: A PERFECT MATCH FOR 2022 – BILL CLINTON In a special guest op-ed, former president Bill Clinton argues why bringing the 2022 World Cup to the U.S. – the vote on which takes place in Zurich on Dec. 2 – is a worthy goal for all. Clinton has four key points to his argument (page 14): 1. Higher-than-ever enthusiasm for the game across America: “The last 16 years have seen the creation of the MLS professional league, an expansion of the game’s United States fan base to more than 90 million and now a roster of four million registered youth players. Last summer our passion for the sport extended beyond our borders: The United States was second only to South Africa in tickets purchased for the 2010 World Cup.” 2. More diversity in the United States than ever: “We have a fascinating mix of ethnicities and cultures within our borders. Players from every competing nation would feel as though they were playing a home game right here in the United States.” 3. New opportunities for the world’s soccer economy: “[This includes] greater television and sponsorship rights, increased franchise and team values and greater investment in player development.” 4. Mobilization of Americans to tackle global challenges: “If awarded the opportunity, we will use the 2022 World Cup as a platform to assist those less fortunate and promote environmental sustainability in line with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals…. Additionally, as hosts, we would set new standards in environmental responsibility by minimizing the footprint of the event in six core areas: water, waste, energy, transportation, procurement and climate change.”

THE FIFTH CUP IS THE SWEETEST – LARS ANDERSON In coming from behind to win his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title, Jimmie Johnson made his case for being the greatest driver ever. Staff writer Lars Anderson was at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Johnson’s record-breaking win (page 44): “No one who has ever slid behind the wheel of a stock car-not Richard Petty, not David Pearson, not Dale Earnhardt Sr.-has consistently performed at his best when it matters most like Jimmie Kenneth Johnson, the greatest closer in NASCAR’s 62-year history. He did it again on Sunday, overcoming a points deficit in the final race for the first time in his title run, to win his unprecedented fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.” Johnson has won his five titles in just 327 career Cup races. The two men he’s chasing for NASCAR’s hallowed record of seven career championships, Earnhardt Sr. and Petty, needed 390 and 654 races, respectively, to win five titles. Says Bobby Allison, the 1983 Cup champion, whose 83 career wins is tied for third most alltime: “Jimmie may just be the best there’s ever been. He has no weaknesses. He’s just so smooth on the track, like he’s not even trying. Nothing fazes him.” On the iPad: An interview with the five-time reigning Sprint Cup champion and a photo montage of key moment’s from each of Jimmie Johnson’s title runs.

THE COURAGE OF JILL COSTELLO – CHRIS BALLARD In June 2009, Cal coxswain Jill Costello had just completed a promising junior season when she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Immediately she went from being a carefree, energetic college student to being a cancer patient told by doctors that she probably had nine months to live. Senior writer Chris Ballard (@SI_ChrisBallard) chronicles her courageous tale (page 64): “When she asked her doctors about rejoining the team, they looked at her as if she were crazy. Crew? She’d need all her strength just to make it through each day. Jill didn’t care. She told her mom she saw cancer as ‘just another thing on my plate.’ Besides, she’d had three goals for the better part of her adult life: to graduate from Cal, to cox the first boat and to win nationals. She saw no reason to change them.” Coach Dave O’Neill had told Costello he’d save a spot on the team for her but never expected she’d take him up on it. Yet when she returned to practice in March, she was better than ever. Originally a rah-rah type of coxswain, Costello displayed a calmer mien upon her return, one who assured her teammates that everything would be o.k. regardless of a missed stroke, slow start or any other obstacle. That wasn’t all that she brought to the table. Ballard continues: “O’Neill’s other concern had been that Jill’s illness might prove a distraction. That was clearly not going to be an issue. Not only did she refuse to use cancer as a crutch, but she didn’t even talk about it. Before the first weekend of racing, in early April, Jill endured a round of chemo at Stanford on Friday, then called O’Neill-not to opt out of practice that afternoon but to say she’d be 20 minutes late because her treatment went long. The same day another rower called O’Neill to say she needed to skip practice: She had a fever of 99.1°.” The day after receiving her Cal diploma, Costello was told by her doctors that the treatment hadn’t stopped the growth of tumors in her lungs, bones and liver. Days later the Bears finished second at nationals – painfully short of a national title – and yet Costello refused to be upset: “Jill didn’t break down and cry. She didn’t scream out. She didn’t wallow in the defeat. Instead she went to her mom and picked up [her puppy] Jack, then brought him back to the bleachers for the medal ceremony. That’s where someone took the photo that [assistant coach Sarah] Nevin set as her Facebook profile picture, the one that O’Neill included in the team training schedule, the one that [teammate Iva] Obradovic uses as her laptop background. It’s the same shot that was in the program at Jill’s funeral when she passed away less than a month later, on June 24, 2010. In the photo Jill is holding Jack aloft with one hand in front of the second-place trophy, smiling like the luckiest girl in the world. Look at the faces around her, of the teammates who should have been dejected, who had been so disappointed only minutes earlier. You’ll notice something: They’re smiling too.”

CHRIS PAUL: THE TIPPING POINT – IAN THOMSEN Over the summer Chris Paul said he’d consider leaving New Orleans unless the Hornets made a commitment to get better. The team listened – making dramatic changes first to the front office, team and coaching staff – and now it’s riding high. Senior NBA writer Ian Thomsen (@SI_IanThomsen) spoke with key members of the team about their transformation. Said Hornets’ president Hugh Weber (page 56): “Making those normal tweaks in the organization wasn’t going to work anymore. The analogy I use is that for 22 years, we remodeled the house here and there. But it was going to take a foundational and a structural change to rebuild the house from the ground up…. The whole structure we were trying to build is not your typical sports hierarchy, which is, coach reports to G.M., G.M. reports to president. We wanted to build a triangle decision-making process where [rookie coach] Monty [Williams], [new general manager] Dell [Demps] and I would collaborate.” After just 12 games, Williams has already learned what makes Paul tick, as evidenced by how he reacted to a technical foul that Paul received during a win over the Trail Blazers earlier this month. As Paul recalls: “This is going to seem like a little thing, but 50 years from now I will never forget what he said to me. I got a technical and just about everybody is saying, ‘CP, calm down, calm down.’ And Coach pulled me to the side and said, ‘Listen, everybody else is saying calm down, I want you to keep doing what you’re doing.’ He could have yelled at me for getting a technical. But him just telling me to stay in that mode went a long way with me.” On the iPad: SI.com senior editor Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) interviews Ian Thomsen about New Orleans’ hot start.

STEVEN STAMKOS: BOLT OF LIGHTNING – MICHAEL FARBER Senior hockey writer Michael Farber profiles the best pure shooter in hockey today: Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos. His ability to get the puck in the net – particularly on one-timers – has started to evoke memories of great scorers from this generation and the last. As Brett Hull told Farber (page 52): “He’s kinda claimed that spot that was reserved for [Brendan] Shanahan, Ovechkin and myself. I watch him on TV and I go, ‘Boy, does that ever look ­familiar.’ ” Farber adds: “Stamkos and Hull share Twilight of the Gods one-timers because of a nearly singular ability to blast them off any pass in the same zip code as their stick…. Like Hull, Stamkos is nimble enough to make adjustments – one stride forward or a half step back – but also is able to contort his torso and torque his hips to elevate the shot. His wheelhouse is the size of a Vladimir Guerrero strike zone.” On the iPad: A detailed breakdown of where on the ice Steven Stamkos scored each of his 51 goals during the 2009-10 season plus video footage of his sizzling slap shot.

MLS CUP: RESPECT AT LAST – GRANT WAHL Senior soccer writer Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) was in Toronto to witness the often-ignored Colorado Rapids cap a stunning playoff run with their a 2-1 victory over Dallas for their first ever MLS championship. The win was especially sweet for captain Pablo Mastroeni, who finally raised a trophy in his ninth season with the club thanks in part to lessons drawn from his two World Cup appearances. As he told Wahl (page 62): “To be a successful team in this league, it’s different from Europe, where they pride themselves on talent and individual players. That team ­spirit-leaving the egos in the locker room when you go out to train-is something that the U.S. national team has always done well. And in tough times that spirit will get you past some great individual players and make them question themselves.”

SI PLAYERS NFL POLL For which other coach would you like to play? (page 15) Rex Ryan, Jets….21%                           Jeff Fisher, Titans….8% Mike Tomlin, Steelers….12%                  Bill Belichick, Patriots….7% Sean Payton, Saints….9% [Based on 279 NFL players who responded to SI's survey] FAST FACTS: Each of the top seven vote-getters – including No. 6 Mike Shanahan and No. 7 Jim Caldwell – has appeared in a conference championship game; all but Ryan have been to a Super Bowl…. Wade Phillips, who was 10th with 3% of the vote, was canned on Nov. 8…. Six African-Americans were among the top 13 vote-getters, including one, Tony Dungy, who hasn’t coached since 2008.

POINT AFTER: GRATITUDE ADJUSTMENT – PHIL TAYLOR Cody Ross’s off-season following an MVP performance in the NLCS and a World Series title has been a whirlwind of complimentary meals, standing ovations at restaurants and invitations for speaking engagements and autograph sessions. Yet as senior writer Phil Taylor discovered, the novelty of the adulation still hasn’t worn off on Ross. Searching for words to describe his newfound recognition, Ross told Taylor (page 74): “Crazy, fantastic. Touching, humbling. I’m trying to take all of it in. At the parade after the Series, there were hundreds of thousands of people there, maybe a million, and I wanted to thank all of them individually. I was trying to look every single one of them in the eye.” Taylor adds: “The athlete looks for unconditional loyalty and support from the fan; the fan demands that the athlete deliver a flawless performance, game after game. But sometimes, all too rarely, the connection works perfectly, and both fan and athlete develop a deep appreciation for what the other has provided. Ross values the love from San Francisco supporters as much as they treasure the championship he helped bring them. Sometimes the fans say, ‘Thank you,’ and the athlete says, ‘No, thank you‘ – and they both truly mean it.”

iPAD EXTRAS FOR THE 11/29 ISSUE

• Smooth Operator - In this iPad exclusive, Steve Rushin (@SteveRushin) explains the origins of the Zamboni, which was invented by a Southern Californian who couldn’t skate and now has surfaced everywhere from Sweden to Shanghai.
• Scorecard - Video footage showing the art of faking a football injury (as demonstrated by Cal during its game with Oregon) and an excerpt of Titanic Thompson, written by former Sports Illustrated editor Kevin Cook.

There you have it. Lots of material. Good stuff too.

UFL To Stream Saturday’s Championship Game Worldwide on YouTube

It may not change the sporting world, but it certainly gives us food for thought. The fledgling United Football League has announced it will stream its Championship Game live around the world with no restrictions on YouTube. It means people in the United States can watch it live at the same time as those in the UK, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Brazil, you get the idea. Not only that, the announcing crew will interact with viewers through social media.

We have the press release from the UFL.

UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CREATES HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUTUBE TO BROADCAST 2010 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME LIVE

Ground-breaking UFL will be the first sports league to establish a multiple camera live feed on YouTube when Las Vegas Locos and Florida Tuskers clash in Omaha

 Fans can interact during broadcast through Facebook and Twitter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – OMAHA, NE – Wednesday, November 24 – The United Football League will create broadcast history this weekend when the 2010 Championship Game is broadcast live on YouTube in high definition.

Football fans across the world will be able to watch the live game feed from Rosenblatt Stadium at the www.YouTube.com/theUFL platform when the defending UFL champion Las Vegas Locos take on the Florida Tuskers at 11am Central (12pm Eastern) on Saturday, November 27.

The groundbreaking broadcast features four alternative camera angles in addition to the main live VERSUS telecast as CRAIG MINERVINI and former NFL quarterback DOUG FLUTIE call all the UFL Championship Game action. During commercial breaks, HDNet sideline reporter HDNet sideline reporter RON KRUCK will respond to fans who can submit questions and comments through the UFL Facebook and Twitter social media platforms.

“We regularly promise our fans that they will have an opportunity to engage with the UFL and play an active part in our league and this is another example of that interaction,” said UFL Commissioner MICHAEL HUYGHUE.  “Broadcasting through YouTube also allows us to take our Championship Game and our product to an international audience.”

Other sports leagues such as the Indian Premier (cricket) League have streamed live events through YouTube, but the United Football League is the first to make multiple camera angles available. Fans have the option of watching from a sideline hand-held camera, the line of scrimmage roving sideline angle, a high end zone angle and a second end zone camera that will follow the feed that is used for official replays.

Previous sporting events streamed live have also been blocked in some countries, but the 2010 United Football League Championship Game will be available worldwide, taking the game to an international audience. The IPL cricket games were blocked in the United States, but the international American Football community, which spans some 59 countries where the game is played and watched by millions of enthusiasts, will be able to tune in to catch all the UFL action.

Football fans will be able to connect in person to the game by submitting questions and comments to analyst Ron Kruck through UFL Facebook and Twitter interaction. Comments posted to #UFLCG on Twitter and at www.Facebook.com/UnitedFootballLeague will also post on the YouTube broadcast and selected questions will be answered during commercial breaks.

“At the UFL we embrace every opportunity for new technology to change the way sports fans experience our product,” said UFL VP of Information Technology TOMAS LLIBRE. “This is where the future of television is going and we are excited to be at the forefront as we present our showpiece game.”

The www.YouTube.com/theUFL live feed will be the only platform available for UFL Championship Game viewing and can be accessed through the option of high, medium and low quality streams to accommodate every internet provider’s bandwidth and speed.

Watch Ron Kruck’s UFL YouTube video promo at www.YouTube.com/theUFL.

Perhaps other sports leagues can follow suit. Actually knowing the NFL and MLB Advanced Media, they won’t but it let’s us imagine the potential of a Super Bowl or Olympics on YouTube.

NFL Network’s Programs That You’ll See Through Next Tuesday

NFL Network usually sends the weekly programming release late on Wednesday, but today, we get it early as I’m sure their offices are closing for Thanksgiving. That office policy means you get this post earlier than normal and that’s good for all of us.

NFL NETWORK & NFL.COM PROGRAMMING NOTES (11/24-11/30)

CINCINNATI BENGALS FACE NEW YORK JETS ON THANKSGIVING EDITION OF THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AT 8:00 PM ET

Thursday Night Kickoff at 7:00 PM ET Features Deion Sanders Interview with Rex Ryan & Profile on Bengals coach Mike Zimmer

Tom Landry: The NFL’s Man in the Hat NFL Network Premiere on Friday, Nov. 26 at 8:00 PM ET

Special Edition Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 PM ET

THURSDAY NIGHT KICKOFF – THURSDAY 7:00-8:00 PM ET

Thursday Night Football coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET with Thursday Night Kickoff. Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Kara Henderson are live on the scene at New Meadowlands Stadium, while Fran Charles, Kurt Warner and Sterling Sharpe are live from Los Angeles. Jason La Canfora provides NFL news reports. The special Thanksgiving pregame show features:

• Deion Sanders’ sit down interview with New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan
• NFL Films-produced profile on Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who’s wife passed away last year
• Feature on NFL Network’s “Keep Gym in School” program
• Highlights of Patriots-Lions and Saints-Cowboys Thanksgiving matchups

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets at 8:00 PM ET:

• Bob Papa (PxP), Matt Millen and Joe Theismann (analysts) with Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)

The Halftime Show will air live from New Meadowlands Stadium. Eisen, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders will discuss and analyze the first half of Bengals-Jets, while Henderson and Flanagan provide halftime reports.

THIS WEEK ON NFL GAMEDAY MORNING: Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers face off for NFC Supremacy while 2011 Hall of Fame Ballot is Unveiled

Sunday is NFL GameDay on NFL Network, starting at 9:00 AM ET with NFL GameDay Morning. Host Rich Eisen joins Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp for the first and most comprehensive pregame show every Sunday. The analysts will discuss the following topics:

• The showdown between young quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers for supremacy in the NFC
• Michael Vick traveling to Chicago to face the vaunted Bears’ defense
• The fallout from the dismissal of Brad Childress in Minnesota and Vince Young’s troubles in Tennessee
• Preview of key matchups, including Buccaneers-Ravens and Jaguars-Giants

Additionally, the names of the 25 semifinalists for the 2011 Hall of Fame class will be unveiled during the show.

• Kara Henderson reports from Atlanta for Packers-Falcons
• Albert Breer reports from Orchard Park for Steelers-Bills
• Michael Lombardi reports from New Meadowlands Stadium for Jaguars-Giants
• Jason La Canfora reports from Landover for Vikings-Redskins
• Brian Baldinger reports from Chicago for Eagles-Bears

THIS WEEK ON AROUND THE LEAGUE and NFL TOTAL ACCESS

­­­­­­­­­­­

Wednesday, November 24

Around the League:

• NFL Insider with Michael Lombardi at NFL Films
• Albert Breer reports from Minnesota

NFL Total Access:

• NFL Insider with Jason La Canfora
• Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson interview via Team Cam

Thursday, November 25

Around the League: Thursday Night Football preview

• Thursday Night Football game analysts Joe Theismann and Matt Millen preview Bengals-Jets from New Meadowlands Stadium
• Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci and Deion Sanders preview Bengals-Jets from New Meadowlands Stadium
• Kara Henderson reports from New Meadowlands Stadium

Friday, November 26

Around the League:

• NFL Insider with Michael Lombardi at NFL Films

NFL Total Access:

• Packers WR Greg Jennings interview via Team Cam

THIS WEEK ON PLAYBOOK

Wednesday 6:00 PM ET – Playbook with Sterling Sharpe, Mike Mayock and Brian Baldinger:

• How the rejuvenated Cowboys will try to take down the Saints
• Why the Jets are ready for takeoff against the Bengals

Friday 6:00 PM ET – NFC Playbook with Mike Mayock, Michael Lombardi and Brian Baldinger:

• How the Falcons can beat the Packers and prove they are the best team in the NFC
• Why the Eagles defense can dominate the Bears on the way to a fourth straight win
• How Donovan McNabb can take advantage of the Vikings defense
• Why the Giants offense can overwhelm the Jaguars

Saturday at 6:00 PM ET – AFC Playbook with Mike Mayock, Michael Lombardi and Brian Baldinger:

• Why Josh Freeman will struggle against the Ravens defense
• How Ben Roethlisberger can bulldoze the Bills defense
• How the Texans can snap their four-game losing streak and make things more interesting in the AFC South
• How the Colts can get back on track against the Chargers

Tom Landry: The NFL’s Man in the Hat NFL Network Premiere on Friday, November 26 at 8:00 PM ET

Tom Landry: The NFL’s Man in the Hat, an NFL Films-produced documentary, looks into the life of one of the NFL’s most successful coaches in history and the powerful impact he had on his players, the city of Dallas and the league as a whole. The following is a partial list of people who were interviewed for the special documentary which premieres on Friday, November 26 at 8:00 PM ET:

• Mike Ditka – former Dallas Cowboys tight end
• Drew Pearson – former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
• Thomas Henderson – former Dallas Cowboys linebacker
• Alicia Landry – Landry’s wife
• Frank Gifford – teammate of Landry’s with the New York Giants

Below are a few select quotes from the documentary:

- “Throughout history, they can write anything they ever want to write about the Dallas Cowboys, but it begins and ends with one name: Tom Landry.” – Mike Ditka

- “Tom Landry? He made football.” – Sam Huff

- “He was like a math teacher. He had calculated this down to the lowest possible percentage of failing.” – Frank Gifford

- “The greatest thing that competitive athletics does is it teaches how to meet defeat, not how to meet victory. Because I think only through defeat is character built.” – Tom Landry

Special Thanksgiving Edition Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets – Saturday, November 27 at 8:30 PM ET

On Saturday, November 27 at 8:30 PM ET on NFL Network, an exclusive one-hour “all-sound” cut down version of the Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets will be shown.

“We are planning to have 15 players and coaches miked during the game, including both coaches and the coordinators. We’ll have 60 people at the game, which is more than we use for a Super Bowl, and then we’ll turn it around in 48 hours and show it to you through the eyes of the players. It’s something you won’t see anywhere else.” – Steve Sabol, NFL Films

Episode #11 of ‘The Rich Eisen Podcast’ Features Interviews with Peter King of NBC and SI.com and Joe Buck of FOX Sports

NFL Network host Rich Eisen is live from League headquarters in New York for this week’s episode of ‘The Rich Eisen Podcast’ in anticipation of Cincinnati Bengals-New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium on a Thanksgiving edition of Thursday Night Football. Eisen is joined by Peter King of NBC and SI.com to discuss the dismissal of Brad Childress as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and the promotion of Leslie Frazier as interim head coach, the ongoing situation between Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Vince Young, playoff predictions, and much more. NFL on FOX play-by-play announcer Joe Buck also joins Eisen on the show to preview the Saints-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, the relationship between Childress and Brett Favre, and calling the World Series.

For more information on ‘The Rich Eisen Podcast,’ please visit http://richeisen.nfl.com/ or go to iTunes to download the latest episode.

Episode Eight of ‘The Season’ on NFL.com Profiles the Relationship Between Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis and his Son

The eighth episode of ‘The Season’ is now available on NFL.com. This week takes a look at the relationship between Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and his son Ray Lewis III. As a sophomore at Lake Mary Prep in Lake Mary, Florida, Lewis III is a talented football player who excels at the positions of running back, linebacker and free safety. Standing on the sidelines encouraging and cheering for him is his biggest fan: his father. As the son of a future Hall-of-Famer, Lewis III has a tremendous amount of expectations heaped upon his shoulders to follow in his father’s footsteps. Yet all Lewis wants his son to do is to be his own person. Coming from a childhood in which his father abandoned his family when he was just six years old and leaving his mother to care for six children, Lewis vows to not make the same mistakes that his own father made. They say the greatest gift a father can give his son is to believe in him, and it’s a gift Lewis continually gives to his child.

Episode eight can be found at http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-the-season/09000d5d81c5b606/The-NFL-Season-A-father-and-his-son?module=HP_video

Every week on NFL.com, a new webisode of ‘The Season’ will premiere, opening a new window into professional football to which fans and observers are usually not privy. The characters that will emerge over the next 12 weeks will spread across a broad spectrum – from quarterbacks to coaches, general managers to scouts, beer vendors to executives. ‘The Season’ is a project that’s not so much the story of the 2010 NFL season, but the tale of an NFL season – an important distinction. While who wins and who loses, who starts and who fumbles are all part of the story, they’re more incidental to the greater purpose of the piece – to provide a single, all-encompassing biography of a season.

THIS WEEK ON NFL.COM: NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football

Thursday, November 25

• 8:00 PM ET – NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football:

A live show throughout Bengals vs. Jets with “live look-ins” of the action, reports from Kara Henderson and Steve Wyche on the field covering both teams, in-game highlights and analysis from Paul Burmeister, Jamie Dukes and Bucky Brooks in Los Angeles, plus ‘Instant Playbook’ from NFL Network’s Mike Mayock at NFL Films.

Friday, November 26

• CHAT: Fantasy Focus (12 NOON ET)
• CHAT: Vic Carucci (2:00 PM ET)

Sunday, November 28

• CHAT: Fantasy Live (10 AM ET)
• 11:30 AM ET – NFL Fantasy LIVE with Michelle Beisner, Michael Fabiano and Dave Dameshek delivers the most up to date information for your fantasy team to have a record-setting day

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

Wednesday, November 24

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Replay: Washington Redskins vs. Tennessee Titans (HD)

9:15 PM – NFL Replay: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots (HD)

10:30 PM – Sound FX: 2010, Week 11 (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – Playbook (HD)

Thursday, November 25

12 NOON – Playbook (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Replay: Washington Redskins vs. Tennessee Titans (HD)

2:15 PM – NFL Replay: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots (HD)

3:30 PM – Sound FX: 2010, Week 11 (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL GameDay Scorboard (HD)

7:00 PM – Thursday Night Kickoff (HD) – LIVE

8:00 PM – Thursday Night Football: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets (HD) – LIVE

11:30 PM – Postgame Show (HD) – LIVE

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Total Access: Postgame recap of Bengals vs. Jets (HD)

Friday, November 26

1:00 PM – Best of Sound FX: Mike Singletary (HD)

1:30 PM – Sound FX: 2010, Week 11 (HD)

2:00 PM – America’s Game: 1970 Baltimore Colts (HD)

3:00 PM – America’s Game: Missing Rings: 1981 San Diego Chargers (HD)

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD) – LIVE

6:00 PM – Playbook: NFC (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

***8:00 PM – NFL Network Debut: Tom Landry: The NFL’s Man in the Hat (HD)***

9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Gutsiest Calls (HD)

10:00 PM – Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players: #90-81 (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

Saturday, November 27

9:00 AM – Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players: #90-81 (HD)

10:00 AM – Playbook: NFC (HD)

11:00 AM – Playbook: AFC (HD)

12 NOON – NFL Films Presents: Picture Perfect (HD)

12:30 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Gutsiest Calls (HD)

1:30 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Records That Won’t Be Broken

2:30 PM – Sound FX: 2010, Week 11 (HD)

3:00 PM – Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players: #100-91 (HD)

4:00 PM – Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players: #90-81 (HD)

5:00 PM – Playbook: NFC (HD)

6:00 PM – Playbook: AFC (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

***8:30 PM – Special Edition Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets from Thanksgiving (HD)***

9:30 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Most Versatile (HD)

10:30 PM – Keith Urban: Halftime in Real Time (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – Special Edition Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets from Thanksgiving (HD)

Sunday, November 28

‘NFL GameDay’

9:00 AM – NFL GameDay Morning (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL GameDay StatZone (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL GameDay Scoreboard (HD)

7:30 PM – NFL GameDay Highlights (HD)

11:30 PM – NFL GameDay Overtime (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL GameDay Final (HD)

Monday, November 29

3:00 PM – NFL Replay Real-Time: 2010, Week 12 (HD)

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD) – LIVE

6:00 PM – Up to the Minute (HD)

6:30 PM – The Coaches Show (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:30 PM – The Coaches Show (HD)

9:00 PM – America’s Game: 1977 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

10:00 PM – The Coaches Show (HD)

10:30 PM – America’s Game: 1995 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

11:30 PM – NFL Total Access: Monday Night Football Pressers (HD)

Tuesday, November 30

12 NOON – NFL Replay Real-Time: 2010, Week 12 (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Gutsiest Calls (HD)

2:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Records That Won’t Be Broken

3:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Most Versatile

4:00 PM – Around the League (HD) – LIVE

6:00 PM – Playbook (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

Field Pass Block (8:00-11:00 PM ET)

8:00 PM – NFL Replay (HD)

9:15 PM – NFL Replay (HD)

10:30 PM – Best of Sound FX: Terrell Owens (HD)

Back later.

More Wikipedia Sports Biography Hijinks

Chuckling over the Carson Palmer Wiki bio that was mangled today reminded me of a few other Wikipedia bios that were hacked to bits. Remember, anyone with an active membership can edit Wikipedia so if there’s a bad loss or bad call, angry fans will come out and alter the bio until Wikipedia’s editors put a stop to it.

I have four examples of bios that were hacked to bits until Wikipedia stepped in. Before they were wiped clean, I managed to take a screen shot so all of these are real. The language may not be safe for work so pleased be advised. In each case, click on the pics to get a better view.

First, after an LSU loss last year, angry fans came out after coach Les Miles and it would prove to be a regular occurrence.

During the 2009 American League Division Series between the Red Sox and Angels, umpire C.B. Bucknor made some absolutely horrible calls leading some Red Sox fans to deface his bio.

That’s really nasty, but pretty damned funny.

Now to Charlie Weis and I have two screengrabs. This came after his final game as Notre Dame coach. The fans were quite angry needless to say.

If you have any other examples, send them over and I’ll be glad to post them.

"… Recognized As One of The Worst Players in NFL History"

Thanks to Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina who found this on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback’s Carson Palmer’s Wikipedia page. It’s now been taken down, but I did a screengrab so you can enjoy it. You’ll have to click on the pic below to really appreciate it.

Back later.

NFL Kills In the Ratings Yet Again

Yes, we know the NFL is explosive in the ratings. We know it kills the competition. We know fans love to watch it. And it always makes news when games come in 1-2 in the weekly ratings like this week.

NFL Games Rank 1-2 in Viewers for Week

NFL Games Top Local Ratings Record 88 Percent of Time

NFL game telecasts were the two most-watched programs on television last week (Nov. 15-21), according to The Nielsen Company. 

The CBS national telecast (mostly Colts-Patriots) was last week’s most-watched show among all programs on television with 23.6 million viewers — the 11^th time in 11 weeks that an NFL game telecast has been television’s most-watched program.

Giants-Eagles on NBC Sunday night ranked second and was the week’s most-watched primetime program with 23.2 million viewers.

NFL games topped the ratings in 29 of 30 NFL markets last week.  For the season, NFL games rank as the week’s highest-rated program in local NFL markets 88 percent of the time – the highest rate ever through 11 weeks.

Following is the list of 29 NFL markets where football was the top-rated program for the week of Nov. 15-21:

Week of 11/15–21			HH	HH	RTG
Market	Game	Date	RTG	SHR	Rank
New Orleans	Seahawks at Saints	11/21/10	50.3	68	1
Pittsburgh	Raiders at Steelers	11/21/10	44.4	72	1
Boston	Colts at Patriots	11/21/10	42.0	67	1
Minneapolis	Packers at Vikings	11/21/10	40.3	69	1
Milwaukee	Packers at Vikings	11/21/10	40.3	70	1
Philadelphia	Giants at Eagles	11/21/10	38.1	52	1
Indianapolis	Colts at Patriots	11/21/10	37.8	58	1
Baltimore	Ravens at Panthers	11/21/10	33.5	58	1
Chicago	Bears at Dolphins	11/18/10	32.9	48	1
Kansas City	Cardinals at Chiefs	11/21/10	32.1	60	1
Dallas	Lions at Cowboys	11/21/10	30.4	61	1
Nashville	Redskins at Titans	11/21/10	29.7	52	1
Cleveland	Browns at Jaguars	11/21/10	29.1	56	1
Buffalo	Bills at Bengals	11/21/10	29.1	51	1
Washington, DC	Eagles at Redskins	11/15/10	26.1	42	1
St. Louis	Falcons at Rams	11/21/10	25.5	44	1
Jacksonville	Browns at Jaguars	11/21/10	23.8	43	1
Seattle	Seahawks at Saints	11/21/10	23.8	48	1
Detroit	Lions at Cowboys	11/21/10	23.8	45	1
San Diego	Texans at Jets	11/21/10	23.5	43	1
Atlanta	Falcons at Rams	11/21/10	21.3	36	1
New York	Giants at Eagles	11/21/10	20.0	30	1
Denver	Colts at Patriots	11/21/10	17.9	35	1
Charlotte	Giants at Eagles	11/21/10	17.8	28	1
Phoenix	Cardinals at Chiefs	11/21/10	17.0	34	1
Tampa	Buccaneers at 49ers	11/21/10	16.9	32	1
Miami	Bears at Dolphins	11/18/10	16.8	25	1
San Fran-Oakland	Buccaneers at 49ers	11/21/10	16.4	40	1
Houston	Texans at Jets	11/21/10	15.9	35	1

           

Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company

That is all for now.

The Day Before Thanksgiving Day Links

Let’s provide you with some linkage on this day before Thanksgiving. Lots of things to get done so let’s do this.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand has ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy backtracking on his 72 win prediction for the Miami Heat.

Brian Lowry at Fox Sports says the Thanksgiving weekend gives sports fans a cornucopia of games to watch.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks with Tiger Woods’ agent about his client’s tumultuous year. 

Frank Deford at NPR talks about switching between Monday Night Football and Dancing with the Stars.

At the Huffington Post, Friend of Fang’s Bites Joe Favorito explores the banning of noted hockey blogger Chris Botta by the New York Islanders.

Noah Davis at SportsNewser notes that both ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel will have the live announcement of the hosts of World Cup 2018 and 2022.

Noah adds that Universal Sports’ Senior Vice President for Distribution is leaving.

The Playlist blog says the Moneyball movie based on the book focusing on the Oakland A’s thrifty ways and starring Brad Pitt will be released in the fall of next year.

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter writes that an FCC judge will preside over the Comcast/Tennis Channel carriage dispute which has carried on for years.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says ESPN2 and Tennis Channel have picked up the rights to three noted tennis tournaments.

Marcus Henry at Newsday says the Manny Pacquaio-Antonio Margarito pay per view fight exceeded over one million purchases.

Neil Best of Newsday writes that the Mets’ new manager has to learn to work with a tough New York media.

Larry Rulison of the Albany Times Union says Time Warner Cable’s recent deal with Disney means more sports for subscribers.

Over at Press Box, DCRTV’s Dave Hughes notes that the Maryland high school football championships will be on Baltimore and DC TV.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog has the funny call of Maryland’s radio announcer as the Terrapins won the NCAA Field Hockey Championships.

To the Washington Examiner where Jim Williams notes that the Wizards get a national showcase on Thanksgiving night thanks to TNT.

And Jim tells us to watch Bob Uecker on Studio 42 with Bob Costas which airs this Friday on MLB Network.

Sarah Talalay of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says FanVision, an interactive hand held device, will be utilized at three BCS games.

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer tells Bearcat fans where to watch tonight’s basketball game against Savannah State.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Fox Sports Wisconsin will debut some of the best moments in Brewers history.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business looks at The Year That Was for Tiger Woods.

Meg James at the Los Angeles delves more into the Comcast/Tennis Channel fight.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes about a long-time TV host leaving The Score.

Awful Announcing has the video of a classic Gus Johnson call on the Big Ten Network last night.

Crossing Broad says Al Michaels could have chosen some better words during the Giants-Eagles game last Sunday.

Sports Media Watch notes the 4th ratings decline over the last six weeks for Monday Night Football.

SMW has the Weekend Overnight Ratings.

SMW says the MLS Cup received its lowest rating ever on American television. 

Jason Clinkscales of A Sports Scribe continues his interviews of influential sports bloggers and today, he talks with Paulsen of Sports Media Watch. 

Jason Rice at Sports Business Digest writes that the mostly unused “Bird’s Nest” from the 2008 Olympics in Communist China will be the site of the 2015 World Track & Field Championships.

Paul Gardner at SoccerAmerica feels ESPN did a disservice to American soccer fans by utilizing Ian Darke on the MLS Cup.

And I’ll end it there for now.

Fox Sports Previews Its Thanksgiving Day Game

On Thanksgiving Day, Fox Sports covers the New Orleans-Dallas game, a contest which has grown in stature as the Cowboys have won two straight under interim coach Jason Garrett. We have the preview from our good friends at Fox Sports.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

Week 12 NFL Action Kicks-Off Thursday with Special Holiday Serving of Saints/Cowboys

Thanksgiving Day Coverage Begins with America’s No. 1 Pregame

FOX NFL SUNDAY at 4:00 PM ET

Thursday’s Pregame Includes Segment Live from Air Force Base in Southwest Asia

Strahan Not Getting on Cowboys Bandwagon Yet

 

THANKSGIVING DAY SPECIAL AIRS ON FOX – Everything is bigger in Texas and FOX Sports’ helping of Thanksgiving football is no different as Drew Brees and the Super Bowl Champion Saints take on the Cowboys from Arlington, TX, the home of Super Bowl XLV on FOX. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver call the action and once again have the honor of presenting the game’s most valuable player with the NFL ON FOX’s Galloping Gobbler Award. Considered one of the most prestigious trophies in sports, the Galloping Gobbler was first introduced on Thanksgiving Day in 2002 and won by Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith when he rushed for 144 yards en route to a 27-20 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Coverage begins at 4:00 PM ET with a special edition of FOX NFL SUNDAY co-hosted by Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee along with analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan. NFL Insider Jay Glazer presents the latest league news and scoops and comedic prognosticator Frank Caliendo makes his annual Thanksgiving Day picks. On Thursday’s holiday edition, FOX Sports travels to the site of an undisclosed air force base in Southwest Asia for a glimpse of how our troops stationed overseas spend this very special American holiday. FOX Sports’ Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond broadcast from the FOX Sports Sky Box lounge, a state-of-the-art facility the Department of Defense collaborated with FOX Sports to help build. The lounge opened in June and is where many Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, DoD employees will gather this Thursday for some great food and of course, great football. Myers and Hammond attend several events on the base including the traditional military ‘Turkey Trot’, a race run by most military personnel Thanksgiving morning.

NFL ON FOX GALLOPING GOBBLER AWARD

In 2002, the NFL on FOX introduced the sports world to an annual Thanksgiving tradition like no other — the coveted GALLOPING GOBBLER AWARD presented to the Thanksgiving player of the game.

RECIPIENTS OF THE GALLOPING GOBBLER

2002 – Emmitt Smith, Cowboys RB

2003 – Dré Bly, Lions CB

2004 – Julius Jones, Cowboys RB

2005 – Michael Vick, Falcons QB

2006 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys QB

2007 – Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers QB

2008 – DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys DE

2009 – Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers WR

STRAHAN NOT READY TO JUMP ON COWBOYS’ BANDWAGON JUST YET – This Sunday, co-host Terry Bradshaw proclaimed on FOX NFL SUNDAY that the Cowboys would begin their playoff push with a win again Lions, followed by a win against the Saints on Thanksgiving. Dallas won decisively on Sunday so does analyst Michael Strahan now agree with Bradshaw’s prediction? “It’s not going to happen,” said Strahan. “They started out so slow now they win a game or two and everybody jumps on the bandwagon. Would it be a great story? Absolutely yes but the probability is slim.”

And we’re done.

CBS Sports Previews The Start of NFL Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day

The NFL on CBS resumes on Thanksgiving Day with the New England Patriots taking on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, the traditional early Turkey Day game. We have what the NFL Today will feature on Thursday plus what CBS Sports is saying about the matchup.

“THE NFL TODAY” FEATURES THANKSGIVING DAY STORY ON FORMER CINCINNATI BENGAL CHRIS HENRY FOR WEEK 12 OF “THE NFL TODAY” ON THURSDAY, NOV. 25

Kid Rock To Perform at Halftime of New England-Detroit Thanksgiving Day Game

THE NFL ON CBS, broadcasting its 51^st year of the NFL, continues its 2010 NFL season on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 25 (12:30 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY (12:00 Noon-12:30 PM, ET) live from THE NFL TODAY studio in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.

THE NFL TODAY features a special Thanksgiving Day story on the late-Cincinnati Bengals wide receive Chris Henry narrated by his mother Carolyn Glaspy. 

On December 16, 2009 Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry fell from a moving vehicle in Charlotte, N.C. and died a day later as a result of the injuries he suffered during the accident. In the wake of the tragedy, Henry’s mother, Carolyn Glaspy, made the decision to donate his organs. Among the recipients were Donna Arnold, James Benton, Thomas Elliott and Brian Polk. The four, along with their immediate families, share their struggles and jubilation over the last year while waiting for donor organs and then receiving the news. Through the assistance of LifeShare of the Carolinas and the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, the four individuals that received Henry’s organs met for the first time on November 5, 2010. A day later, for the first time, the recipients all met Mrs. Glaspy for an emotional meeting a year in the making.  Charlie Bloom is the producer.

Excerpts from the feature:

Kidney recipient Brian Polk: “I couldn’t make plans for the future because I was too busy fighting for today.”

Kidney and pancreas recipient Donna Arnold: “Death. If I didn’t get transplant that was the alternative.”

Liver recipient James Benton: “At one point they gave me six months to live.”

Carolyn Henry Glaspy on her son’s last hours after the auto-related accident on December 16, 2009: “I thought I was just going in to see maybe, injuries and I never imagined in a million years I was going in to see my son for the last time.”

In addition, Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Kid Rock will perform live during halftime of the New England-Detroit game, and country recording artist Josh Gracin will sing the National Anthem. 

James Brown hosts THE NFL TODAY, along with analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher, NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly, as well as Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan reporting.

Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE NFL TODAY .

And the preview for Thursday’s game.

THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 12 (THURSDAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, NOV. 25)

The CBS Television Network continues its 51^st year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25 (12:30 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s NFL studio show (12:00 NOON-12:30 PM, ET) live from THE NFL TODAY studio in New York City.

THE NFL ON CBS lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the action from the Thanksgiving Day game, New England Patriots-Detroit Lions, live from Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

Sean McManus is President, CBS News and Sports, and serves as executive producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

That’s it.

SEC Gridiron Live Preview For Week 13

The SEC Gridiron crew goes over the final week of the regular season before the Conference Championship Game next Saturday. We have the preview from the fine people at Fox Sports South.

SEC Gridiron LIVE Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South With Charles Davis, Randy Cross, Tim Couch and Kristina Akra

Kentucky’s Joker Phillips Goes to Practice Mic’d Up

On Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South, SEC Gridiron LIVE previews the games coming up in rivalry week of SEC football. Analysts Tim Couch and Randy Cross take on coaching as they diagram suggestions for Alabama’s defense on how to stop Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.  Couch and Cross go “In the Trenches” to debate several questions surrounding this year’s Iron Bowl and take a look at the Ford “Keys to the Game” in the battle between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Then the crew analyzes whether the LSU Tigers’ recent offensive success will hold up against the Arkansas Razorbacks and gives viewers behind-the-scenes access to the showdown between Kentucky and Tennessee when Kentucky head football coach Joker Phillips is ‘mic’d up’ at practice.

Throughout the show, fans will have the opportunity to interact and debate with each other and the team of in-studio experts through our live chat feature, monitored by social media host Kristina Akra. Visit SECGridironLIVE.com to participate. 

SEC Gridiron LIVE will be distributed to more than 22 million cable and satellite households on FSN throughout the SEC territory – FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Tennessee, Sun Sports, FOX Sports Southwest and FOX Sports Houston.

The regional sports networks serving the Southeast – FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas and FOX Sports Tennessee – collectively reach more than 12.9 million cable and satellite television households in seven states in the Southeast and are the television home of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies and the Nashville Predators, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference. SportSouth reaches more than 10 million homes in six Southeastern states and is the television home of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Thrashers and Southern Conference. SportSouth also offers expanded coverage of the University of Georgia, University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee. Combined, the four networks produce more than 800 live local events each year. For more information, please visit FOXSportsSouth.com, FOXSportsCarolinas.com and FOXSportsTennessee.com.

We’re done with this post. Expect more sporadically throughout the day.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Basketball
Cancun Challenge, Cancun, Mexico
Consolation Game
Providence vs. Wyoming – CBS College Sports, 7 p.m.

Championship Game
LaSalle vs. Missouri – CBS College Sports, 9:30 p.m.

Maui Invitational, Maui, HI
7th Place Game
Chaminade vs. Oklahoma – ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.

5th Place Game
Wichita State vs. Virginia – ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.

3rd Place Game
Michigan State vs. Washington – ESPN2, 5 p.m.

Championship Game
UConn vs. Kentucky – ESPN, 10 p.m.

NIT Season Tip Off, New York, NY
Semifinals
VCU vs. Tennessee – ESPN2, 7 p.m.
UCLA vs. Villanova – ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.

Savannah State at Cincinnati – Big East Network, 7 p.m.
Arkansas-Little Rock at Oral Roberts – Fox College Sports, 8 p.m.

NBA
Miami at Orlando – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
New Jersey at Boston – Comcast SportsNet New England, 7:30 p.m.

NFL
Inside the NFL – Showtime, 9 p.m.

NHL
Columbus at New York Islanders – Fox Sports Ohio/MSG Plus, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Atlanta – Fox Sports Detroit Plus/SportSouth, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo – FSN Pittsburgh/MSG Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Washington at Carolina – Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Fox Sports Carolinas, 7 p.m.
Boston at Florida – NESN/Fox Sports Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at New Jersey – TSN/MSG Plus 2, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Ottawa – TSN2/Fox Sports Southwest, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Montreal – RDS/Fox Sports West, 7:30 p.m.
New York Rangers at Tampa Bay – MSG Network 2/Sun Sports, 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Nashville – Versus, 8 p.m.
Philadelphia at Minnesota – The Comcast Network/KSTC, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Vancouver – Altitude/Rogers Sportsnet Pacific, 10 p.m.
Chicago at San Jose – NHL Network (US)/WGN/Comcast SportsNet California, 10:30 p.m.

NHL on the Fly – NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Tennis
ATP World Tour Finals/singles and doubles round robin – Tennis Channel, 7 a.m. & 1 p.m.

UEFA Champions League
Rangers vs. Manchester United – Fox Soccer Channel, 2:30 p.m.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Werder Bremen – Fox Soccer Plus, 2:30 p.m.
Panathinaikos vs. Barcelona – Fox Soccer Channel, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)

Entertainment
The Middle – ABC, 8 p.m.
Survivor: Nicaragua – CBS, 8 p.m.
The President’s Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office – PBS, 8 p.m.
MythBusters: Inverted Underwater Car – Discovery, 9 p.m.
Inside NASCAR – Showtime, 10 p.m.
Storm Chasers: Twister Twilight Zone – Discovery, 10 p.m.
Conan – TBS, 11 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman – CBS, 11:35 p.m.

ESPN and Tennis Channel Renew Rights to ATP World Tour Finals Plus Gain Indian Wells and Miami

Both ESPN and Tennis Channel announced this morning the renewal of a rights deal that keeps the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals on both networks. In addition, ESPN and Tennis Channel pick up the March tournaments in Indian Wells, CA and Miami, FL, both of which are run in conjunction with the WTA Tour. For Indian Wells, ABC gets the semifinals and finals. CBS airs the finals of the Miami tournament. Over the last couple of years, Indian Wells and Miami were carried by Fox Sports Net and got sporadic coverage leaving many fans in the dark.

Now with Tennis Channel and ESPN2 picking up the spring tournaments, tennis fans will know where to find the action. ESPN3.com has the streaming rights for the tournaments.

We have two press releases, one from Tennis Channel and the other from ESPN. First, the one from Tennis Channel.

TENNIS CHANNEL EXTENDS ATP WORLD TOUR RIGHTS DEAL, WHICH INCLUDES YEAR-END CHAMPIONSHIPS AND EVENTS IN MIAMI AND INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

Five-Year Agreement Continues Network’s Coverage of all ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournaments

More than 600 Live Hours Planned Across 19 Men’s Events in 2011, as Tennis Channel Remains Top Provider of Men’s Tennis on United States Television

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 23, 2010 -Tennis Channel has renewed its telecast rights agreement with the ATP World Tour, the governing body in men’s tennis, which will keep the tour’s most prominent events on the network through 2015. Paramount among the 19 tournaments included in the deal are the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and high-profile ATP World Tour Masters 1000 competitions in Miami and Indian Wells, Calif. The latter are among the most popular events in professional tennis, annually competed in by virtually every one of the game’s greats.

The other seven ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments will also remain on Tennis Channel, which will continue to provide more live men’s tennis coverage per year than all other U.S. broadcasters combined. Under the new arrangement, the network will actually expand the amount of live time it dedicates to ATP World Tour events throughout the year, adding a projected 30 additional hours in 2011 for more than 600 overall.

“We’re thrilled to extend the great relationship we have with the ATP World Tour, which has made its home on Tennis Channel since our beginning,” said David Scott, vice president, programming, Tennis Channel. “Tennis Channel viewers will continue to watch the season-long journey of stars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick week after week, all year long on our network.”

The ATP World Tour categorizes tournaments according to the number of points that they award to their champions. Of the 19 events in Tennis Channel’s telecast rights renewal, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals offers the most points to its winner, 1,500 overall. All nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events (each offering 1,000 points) are included in the deal: BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells, Calif.), Sony Ericsson Open (Miami), Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (Monaco), Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome), Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open (Madrid, Spain), Rogers Cup (Toronto), Western & Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinnati), Shanghai Rolex Masters (Shanghai, China) and BNP Paribas Masters (Paris).

The other nine tournaments in the rights agreement are 500-level events. These are: ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico), Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Barcelona Open BancSabadell (Barcelona, Spain), German Open Tennis Championships (Hamburg, Germany), China Open (Beijing), Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo), Swiss Indoors Basel (Basel, Switzerland) and Valencia Open 500 (Valencia, Spain).

Coverage of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami is a significant component of the telecast rights extension. Each of the March competitions has been called “The Fifth Slam” within the industry, and both feature tournament fields surpassed in size only by Wimbledon, the US Open, French Open and Australian Open. Tennis Channel will offer the most live television coverage of each, with 75 hours in Indian Wells and 56 hours in Miami. Depending on the event, matches range from early rounds to semifinals, while both doubles finals will air live on the network. The channel will also present encore coverage of these matches and later-round semifinal and championship play. In all, Tennis Channel will present viewers with more than 300 hours of Indian Wells and Miami matches next spring.

A final new piece of Tennis Channel’s agreement involves expanded court options during ATP World Tour Masters 1000 coverage. Traditionally, Tennis Channel’s overseas ATP World Tour Masters 1000 telecasts have featured a single court as provided by the ATP’s world feed. Beginning in 2011, the network will have the option of three courts per international Masters 1000 event, and will be able to follow the action back and forth between each in order to give viewers the most exciting live play of the moment.

All ATP World Tour Masters 1000 coverage on Tennis Channel is in high definition, as are all Grand Slam and domestic tournament broadcasts.

And here’s the announcement from ESPN.

New Agreement for ATP World Tour Finals; Indian Wells & Miami Return to ESPN Networks

Extensive Season-Long Action on ESPN3.com

In a wide-ranging multiyear agreement with ATP Media, the year-end ATP World Tour Finals will continue on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com, while the jointly held ATP and WTA tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif., and in Miami every March will return to ESPN networks in 2011. In addition, ESPN3.com will carry an extensive year-long schedule of ATP World Tour action from top events.

The ATP World Tour Finals, held in London, brings together the top eight ranked players in the world with round-robin play leading to a final match aired live on ESPN2. For 2011, the network will also televise one semifinal on tape delay while ESPN3.com will show the entire event. For later years, the television schedule will be expanded.

With top fields of the best men’s and women’s players, the BNP Paribas Open, held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the Palm Springs area, and the Sony Ericsson Open from the Tennis Center at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne island, are widely considered the two biggest tournaments in the world outside the four Grand Slam events. ESPN2 will televise the men’s quarterfinals and women’s semifinals from California Friday, March 18, with the men’s semifinals on ABC on Saturday, March 19, and the men’s and women’s finals on ABC on Sunday, March 20. In Miami, ESPN2 will carry the quarterfinals and semifinals. The finals will remain on CBS. At both events, ESPN3.com will provide extensive coverage throughout the competition and will also simulcast ESPN2’s matches.

ESPN2 last televised these hardcourt events in 2007, having aired each for many years, including the Florida tournament since 1985. The events are two of the nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments and are two of the four mandatory events on the WTA tour.

In addition, the agreement calls for ESPN3.com to offer all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events and nine of the 11 ATP World Tour 500 events, totaling hundreds of hours of live tennis annually.

“We’re very pleased to bring these top-tier events back to ESPN and to have worked with ATP Media to expand the footprint of their events from coast-to-coast,” said Jason Bernstein, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions. “ESPN3.com continues to grow as a destination for tennis fans seeking the best players and events, and these tournaments reaffirm ESPN3.com as the unquestioned year-round home for live professional tennis.”

Steve Plasto, CEO, ATP Media, said, “This is great news for tennis fans in the U.S. who can now look forward to fantastic ESPN2 coverage of two additional ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, as well as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the exciting climax to the season where only the Top eight singles and doubles teams in the world compete.”

That does it.

The "SEC on CBS" Goes For Two This Weekend

CBS carries two games that have definite BCS implications, the traditional Iron Bowl between bitter rivals Alabama and Auburn on Friday and LSU-Arkansas in Little Rock on Saturday. There’s talk that the SEC could get two teams into the BCS fray and both games could impact which teams get into college football’s “postseason”. We have the press release plus some comments from SEC on CBS analyst Gary Danielson.

“SEC ON CBS” THANKSGIVING LINE-UP STUFFED

UNDEFEATED AND NO. 2-RANKED AUBURN AT  NO. 11-RANKED ALABAMA IN “IRON BOWL” ON FRIDAY, NOV. 26 HIGHLIGHTS SCHEDULE

NO. 5-RANKED LSU PLAYS NO. 12-RANKED ARKANSAS ON SATURDAY, NOV. 27

AUDIBLES with CBS Sports’ Lead College Football Analyst Gary Danielson

CBS Sports’ Thanksgiving weekend coverage of SEC college football features the game of the week on Friday, Nov. 26 (2:30-6:00 PM, ET) with undefeated and *No. 2-ranked Auburn at No. 11-ranked Alabama in the “Iron Bowl” and continues on Saturday, Nov. 27 (3:30-7:00 PM, ET) with No. 5-ranked LSU taking on No. 12-ranked Arkansas.

Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson, CBS Sports’ lead college football announce team, handle the call for Auburn-Alabama from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Craig Silver, the Network’s coordinating producer of college football, produces and Steve Milton directs.

On Saturday, Craig Bolerjack and Steve Beuerlein call the action for the LSU-Arkansas contest from War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. Steve Scheer produces and Jim Cornell directs.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY, the Network’s pre-game, halftime and post-game studio show on both Friday and Saturday is hosted by Tim Brando along with analysts Spencer Tillman and Archie Manning. COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY will keep viewers updated on all the games throughout the afternoon with scores and highlights. Vin DeVito produces and Linda Malino directs. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

After CBS Sports’ live SEC game coverage each Saturday throughout the season, CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK takes over with SEC TONIGHT (7:00-8:00 PM, ET), providing a recap of all the news, scores and highlights from around the SEC. Adam Zucker hosts along with analysts Brian Jones and Howard Cross.

Both games will be streamed live and free of charge on CBSSports.com. Each week CBS Sports’ “SEC Game of the Week” is available exclusively on CBSSports.com, CBS Sports Mobile and can also be accessed through a link on the websites of all CBS affiliates.

*BCS Poll as of 11/21/10

* * * * *

AUDIBLES with CBS Sports’ Lead College Football Analyst Gary Danielson

Nick Saban vs. Cam Newton

The “gear-heads” of college football, those that really like the X’s and O’s of the games not the passion, are really going to tune in to find out if Nick Saban, with two weeks and a whole year of game film, can figure out a way to stop Cam Newton and the spread. Can it be stopped? It’s the genius of defensive schemes with his recruited team, 10 game films, two weeks, no excuses. To me it’s almost like we are going to have a final debate on whether or not there is global warming. If Nick can do it, people are going to say, ‘Ok it can be done.’ If Nick can’t do it, a lot of people are going to say, ‘It might not be able to be done.’

Subplots

As a broadcaster I have never been in a game that has had so many sidebars. You have the BCS stuff, whether a little school should get in over the big schools. You have the Cam Newton situation. There is the Heisman drama. And the Auburn drama of going undefeated in 2004 and not getting to go the title game. And everyone in the country wants the SEC to get knocked off because this conference has produced the last four national champions. You have the in-state battle with these teams hating each other. You can do the whole game and not have either team run a play and still have enough to fill 3 ½ hours. You could literally just have both teams come out and do interviews for 3 /12 hours, just do a pregame show from the stadium, and people would be riveted.

On Auburn

Everybody, except Auburn fans, are hoping Auburn loses. The little schools want them to lose. The Big Ten wants them to lose. The people that don’t want to vote for Cam Newton want them to lose. Everyone for one reason or another is rooting against them and rooting for the guy they love to hate, Nick Saban. People love to hate Nick Saban but they are all on his side for this game

Auburn knows what they have. They know what they are. They are not a dominating defensive team. But they have the two best players in the league. Both of them come with baggage right now. The best player on offense is Cam Newton. The best player on defense, Nick Fairley, has been widely criticized by many players in the SEC as the dirtiest player in the league. I think he’s had dirty plays. I think he’s had cheap plays but I wouldn’t classify him as a dirty player. Can these two great players be enough to take on the Alabama machine?

Auburn has gone through so much, coaching changes, offensive coordinators; they fired a coach in the middle of the season. They hired the coach that everybody didn’t want them to hire. It was the most unpopular coaching hire I have ever seen and now he’s got a chance to win the national championship. His team has rallied around him and they are ready to take on Alabama. There are 85 guys on the team, the other 83 are ready to stand behind the three people that have been attacked, their coach, their quarterback and their defensive lineman. The 83 other guys have their backs.

On Alabama

Just four weeks ago, everybody thought top-to-bottom, inside-and-out, from player one to player 85 that the best team in the country was Alabama. If Auburn is going to win a championship they have to go through arguably one of the top teams in the country. Alabama can lineup and beat anybody. They haven’t, but they could. They have this game at home against their dreaded rival and they want this badly.

And we’ll end it here.

NFL Replay Games Plus NFL GameDay Final Quotage

Let’s give you the games that NFL Network will reair tonight and tomorrow regarding the NFL Replay games and then the GameDay Final quotage from Sunday.

First for tonight:

NFL Network’s Tuesday Night “Field Pass” Schedule

Tuesday, November 23

• 8:00 PM ET NFL Replay: Houston Texans at New York Jets

New York wide receiver Santonio Holmes caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez with 10 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Jets to a 30-27 victory over the Houston Texans.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010112101/2010/REG11/texans@jets

• 9:15 PM ET NFL Replay: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy ran for a 50-yard touchdown on 4th and 1 late in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 27-17 victory over the New York Giants and possession of first place in the NFC East.

         http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010112113/2010/REG11/giants@eagles

• 10:30 PM ET Best of Sound FX: Mike Singletary

Best of the on-field sights and sounds of current San Francisco 49ers coach and former Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary.

NFL Replay offers an exclusive look at the previous week’s games in a condensed, 75-minute, high-octane format. With the use of bonus NFL Films and NFL Network footage, including never-before-seen camera angles and coaches’ commentary, combined with exclusive wired sound from the field, locker rooms and sidelines, viewers will experience the game like never before.

Now for Wednesday.

NFL Network’s Wednesday Night “Field Pass” Schedule

Wednesday, November 24

• 8:00 PM ET NFL Replay: Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans

Washington kicker Graham Gano kicked a 48-yard field goal in overtime to give the Redskins a 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. NFL Replay will include special wired sound from Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher during the game.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010112108/2010/REG11/redskins@titans

• 9:15 PM ET NFL Replay: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

New England safety James Sanders intercepted Peyton Manning’s pass late in the fourth quarter to seal a 31-28 Patriots victory over the Indianapolis Colts and thwart a 17-point comeback attempt. NFL Replay will include special wired sound from New England head coach Bill Belichick during the game.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010112112/2010/REG11/colts@patriots

• 10:30 PM ET Sound FX: Week 11

A compilation of the best sights and sounds from around the league from Week 11 of the NFL season.

NFL Replay offers an exclusive look at the previous week’s games in a condensed, 75-minute, high-octane format. With the use of bonus NFL Films and NFL Network footage, including never-before-seen camera angles and coaches’ commentary, combined with exclusive wired sound from the field, locker rooms and sidelines, viewers will experience the game like never before.

Both 75-minute NFL Replay programs are a part of the new ‘Field Pass’ block airing every Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:00-11:00 PM ET. ‘Field Pass’ takes fans inside the game like never before with exclusive NFL Films footage and sound. Following NFL Replay at 10:30 PM ET is Sound FX featuring a ‘best of’ theme highlighting an NFL great on Tuesday nights and a compilation of the sound from the previous Sunday’s games on Wednesday.

***NFL Network Thanksgiving Specials This Week:

Thursday Night Football – Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets – Nov. 25 at 8:00 PM ET

(Announcers–Bob Papa, Joe Theismann, Matt Millen & Alex Flanagan)

Thursday Night Kickoff pregame show at 7:00 PM ET features:

• Deion Sanders one-on-one interview with New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan

• Profile on Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer about how he and his family handled the passing of his wife during last season’s playoff run.

• A look at NFL Network’s Keep Gym in School program that teamed with Comcast and the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers this year to help rebuild and enhance a middle school’s physical education program in their city.

Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets – Saturday, November 27 at 8:30 PM ET

• Exclusive one-hour “all-sound” show, enhanced re-air of the Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football game
• “We are planning to have 15 players and coaches miked during the game, including both coaches and the coordinators. We’ll have 60 people at the game, which is more than we use for a Super Bowl, and then we’ll turn it around in 48 hours and show it to you through the eyes of the players. It’s something you won’t see anywhere else.” – Steve Sabol, NFL Films president

And the quotage comes after the jump break.

And here’s the NFL GameDay Final quotes from Sunday.

Week 11 (11/21/10) – Quotable from

NFL GameDay Final on NFL Network

(Airs Sundays at 11:30 PM ET)

“What helps your football team is when you win games in different ways.”

– Michael Irvin on the difference between the Eagles win against the Redskins and the win against the Giants

“That quickness is what makes Philadelphia dangerous because there’s quickness all over the field.”

– Michael Irvin on the Philadelphia Eagles offense

“I’m impressed with him. He’s been playing very steady, taking good care of the football and distributing to those terrific weapons that he has.”

– Steve Mariucci on the play of Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick, who has 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season

“The best team in the NFL is the Philadelphia Eagles.”

– Michael Irvin

“He’s been suffering without Randy Moss, but this guy in between the numbers is the best in the game.”

– Deion Sanders on New England Patriots WR Wes Welker who scored a touchdown in the victory over Indianapolis

“He wanted to win the game right then and there and he just felt that it wasn’t a good throw. He admitted it, just the like the pro he is and that’s why everybody gives him a pass because you know the next time he gets that opportunity, he’ll go down and score.”

– Steve Mariucci on Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning taking the blame for his late interception in a loss to New England

  

“You beat Pittsburgh, the number one rushing team, last week. And then you turn around and beat the number one quarterback in our modern era right here today in Peyton Manning. That young defense is starting to come together.”

– Michael Irvin on the New England defense

  

“The reason I love this team the most: fourth in rushing offense and fifth in stopping the run. With that recipe, you can go a long way in the playoffs.”

– Deion Sanders on the New York Jets

  

“(At) 3-7, that is a wrap. I think it’s over for (Brad Childress) and it’s over for Brett Favre.”

– Deion Sanders on the Minnesota Vikings

“This team has lost the players emotionally, physically, psychologically, and they’ve certainly lost a lot of games. It’s time for a change.”

– Deion Sanders on the 3-7 Minnesota Vikings

“There’s a tomorrow for the Minnesota Vikings, and you have to start working towards that tomorrow because the today is gone and its dead.”

– Michael Irvin on the Minnesota Vikings this season

“It was the last thing I needed to see as I watch his maturation as one of the top quarterbacks in this league.”

– Michael Irvin on Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick leading the Eagles on the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter

   

“Yes. As well as Carson Palmer. (He) should be concerned about his job security moving forward.”

– Deion Sanders on if Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis should be concerned about his job security

“I like the Indianapolis Colts as long as they’re inside…in a controlled climate.”

– Deion Sanders on the best team in the AFC South

  

“Total chaos. Disarray. All of the above.”

– Michael Irvin on what is wrong with the Cincinnati Bengals

  

“(My sources) told me that Vince is really upset because every time he messes up, they place Kerry Collins in the game. But when Kerry Collins messes up or someone else, nothing happens, and (Young) has just gotten fed up with it. He wanted to go back into the game. He and Fisher got into a shouting match where a policeman had to break them up. This all took place in front of the GM. Here’s what the Titans plan on doing with him: put him on the injured reserve, or cut him as soon as tomorrow.”

– Deion Sanders on the situation with Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young

“One of them has to go, and I don’t think it’s going to be the head coach.”

– Deion Sanders on Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and QB Vince Young

“Vince Young deserves to be the starting quarterback for that team, make no mistake about it. The way he’s played and his win-loss record says that. But there are some things that Vince Young is doing that cannot happen from the quarterback position.”

– Michael Irvin on the actions of Tennessee QB Vince Young following a loss to the Washington Redskins

***        Additional exclusive video clips from Sunday’s NFL GameDay are available on NFL.com. Click on the video segments. These videos include:

-       Let’s Go Primetime: Deion Sanders counts down the top 10 performances from Week 11.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d81c51544/Let-s-go-primetime?module=HP_video

-       GameDay: Sunday recap: Fran Charles, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, and Michael Irvin recap the biggest play from every game on Sunday.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d81c51358/Sunday-recap?module=HP_video

-       Vince Young’s Time in Tennessee Over?: Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin discuss the situation between Vince Young and Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher which unfolded after the game.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d81c4c291/Deion-Release-Vince?module=HP_video

-       Week 11: RedZone Top 10: Scott Hanson looks back at the 10 best moments from Week 11 on NFL Network’s RedZone.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d81c51101/Week-11-RedZone-Top-10?module=HP_video

-       And many more Week 11 game highlights and postgame video only on NFL.com

http://www.nfl.com/videos

That concludes this post.

23.2 Million Watch Giants-Eagles on Sunday Night Football

More amazing ratings for NBC Sports and Sunday Night Football. The New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game garnered more than 23 million viewers and a 13.9 rating and 22 share which is 31% higher than last year’s Week 11 game. Here are the ratings.

23.2 MILLION WATCH EAGLES BEAT GIANTS ON “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

7^th NBC Primetime NFL Game This Season to Surpass 20 Million Viewers; Most Through First 11 Weeks in SNF History 

23.2 Million is 34% Higher Than Week 11 Game in ‘09

SNF Most-Watched Sunday Night Show Every Week So Far This Season (11 For 11)

Most-Watched and Highest-Rated Primetime Program of the Week

Most-Watched Show of the Primetime Season and No. 1 in All Key Adult and Male Demos

SNF Has Best Average Viewership For Primetime NFL Package in 14 Years

NEW YORK – November 23, 2010 – This week’s “Sunday Night Football” game, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17 victory over the New York Giants, was the most-watched program on Sunday night for the 11^th straight week, the most-watched primetime show of the week and was up 34 percent compared to last year’s Week 11 game, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company. “Sunday Night Football” is the most-watched show for the primetime television season (based on Nielsen live + same day data).

The game, a battle for first place in the NFC East, drew 23.2 million viewers, the seventh NBC primetime NFL game this season to surpass 20 million viewers, the most through 11 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history.

2010 NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS:

1. 9/9/10, Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million (Thursday NFL Kickoff Opener)

2. 10/24/10, Vikings-Packers, 25.7 million (Favre Return to Lambeau II)

3. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins, 25.3 million (SNF: Week 1)

4. 11/21/10, Giants-Eagles, 23.2 million (Sunday’s Game)

5. 9/19/10, Giants-Colts, 23.1 million (“Manning Bowl II”)

6. 11/14/10, Patriots-Steelers, 21.2 million (Last Sunday’s Game)

7. 10/3/10, Bears-Giants, 20.9 million

NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS

(Through 11 weeks)

2010 – 7

2009 – 5

2008 – 1

2007 – 0

2006 – 2

• NBC’s 11-week viewership of 21.5 million is nearly two million more than and 10 percent above last year’s 19.6 million, and up 31 percent over 2008 (16.4 million) through the same point in the season.

DEFEATED ALL SUNDAY NIGHT COMPETITION: The “Sunday Night Football” broadcast defeated all Sunday Night competition for the 11^th time in 11 weeks, including original broadcasts of ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, and CBS’s 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI Miami, and Fox’s The Simpsons, Cleveland Show, and Family Guy.

SNF IS 11 FOR 11: With 23.2 million viewers, “Sunday Night Football” was the most-watched primetime show on Sunday night for the 11^th straight week this season (100 percent). Last season, SNF was the most-watched Sunday night primetime broadcast in a record 15 of 16 (94 percent) weeks. In 2008, SNF won 13 of 16 (81 percent) Sunday nights after winning 11 of 16 in 2007 (69 percent) and nine of 16 in 2006 (56 percent).

• The 23.2 million is nearly six million more and 34 percent higher than the Eagles-Bears Week 11 game last season (17.3 million). Sunday night’s household rating of 13.9/22 is more than three rating points and 31 percent higher than last year’s Eagles-Bears game.

• Sunday’s game was the seventh game this season to earn a 12.5 household rating or better, the most through 11 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history.

NO. 1 SHOW OF THE WEEK: Sunday’s game was the most-watched and highest-rated primetime program of the week and, for the 11^th straight week, “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 regularly-scheduled primetime broadcast of the week by a wide margin among Adults 18-49, the coveted advertiser demographic. SNF was also the No. 1 show this week among Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

• For the week, “Sunday Night Football” had a 76-percent margin of victory over the No. 2 show in Adults 18-49 (8.8 for SNF vs. 5.0 for Glee on Fox).

• “Sunday Night Football” stands as the most-watched primetime show on television (based on Nielsen live + same day data), and the No. 1 regularly scheduled primetime show in all key adult and male demos.

o SNF is also the No. 3 show since the beginning of the football season among Women 18-34 and 18-49.

THROUGH 11 WEEKS, SNF BEST IN 14 YEARS: Through the first 11 weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 21.5 million viewers, the most through this point in the season for a primetime NFL package in 14 years (23.0 million in 1996 on ABC).

SNF AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP THROUGH 10 WEEKS:

1. 2010, 21.5 million

2. 2009, 19.6 million

3. 2006, 17.7 million

4. 2008, 16.4 million

5. 2007, 16.1 million

The 11-week average household rating of 12.9/21 is nine-percent higher than last year’s 11.8/19 and 28 percent ahead of 2008 (10.1/16) through the same point in the season.

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR GIANTS-EAGLES:

1. Philadelphia, 38.1/53
2. Norfolk, 26.3/38
3. New Orleans, 24.2/32
4. Las Vegas, 23.9/35
5. Richmond, 20.3/32
6. San Diego, 20.2/30
7. New York, 20.1/21
8. Atlanta, 18.5/29
9. Washington, D.C., 18.3/29
10. Charlotte, 18.0/28

And that’s it.

A Few Tuesday Links

Let do some linkage for you on this Tuesday. Short week for many of you so this is like a Thursday. Not me, but this is good.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that Bright House subscribers have begun to access the authenticated ESPN and ESPN3.com online.

Multichannel News notes that Fox Soccer Channel will be all over the World Cup 2018 and 2022 announcement next week.

SportsNewser’s Marcus Vanderberg says Michael Vick is on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the first time in five years.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse previews tonight’s HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the longer the NFL takes, the more likely Brett Favre won’t be suspended for allegedly sexting Jenn Sterger. 

Darren writes that any talk of an NBA or NFL lockout now is way premature.

From Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, he reports that San Francisco Giants voice Jon Miller has rejected ESPN’s offer to call Sunday Night Baseball games on radio.

In the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman praises CBS’ Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf for not burying the Jets before they came back to win against Houston on Sunday.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette talks about ESPN3D being picked up by Time Warner Cable in New York’s Capital Region.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says NASCAR’s ratings continue to be dwarfed by the NFL. 

Pete has the NFL Week 12 TV schedule for the Capital Region.

Pete also has the college football TV schedule for Week 13.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg in the DC Sports Bog has some highlights from HBO’s preview of 24/7 Capitals/Penguins.

Dan finds some old TV ads featuring former DC NFL team running back John Riggins.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says despite low attendance, the Tampa Bay Rays’ TV ratings were high.

Scott Rabalais of the Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate says LSU football coach Les Miles received an offbeat question about being interviewed by ESPN’s Erin Andrews.

Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News says for the first time since joining the Giants, Jon Miller will be available to call a full season with the team.

Ferd Lewis in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser writes that the University of Hawaii is optimistic its local TV rights will be protected once the school joins the Mountain West Conference from the WAC.

Sports Media Watch says the ratings for the CBS and NBC NFL pregame shows are up.

SMW notes that Notre Dame saw decent ratings for its primetime game on NBC last Saturday.

Johnnie L. Roberts of The Wrap talks about how Turner network executives are known to spend and fly in excess, something totally different from the Ted Turner era.

I’ll end it there.

Mr. Baseball To Appear With Bob Costas On MLB Network This Friday

Johnny Carson gave him the moniker “Mr. Baseball” for his funny appearances on “The Tonight Show” in the 1970′s. Fans in Milwaukee know him as their beloved long-time Voice of the Brewers. He’s also known as being announcer Harry Doyle in the “Major League” movies and for being the co-star of the “Mr. Belvedere” TV series in the 1980′s. But no matter what he’s known for, Bob Uecker is a very funny man and has been part of baseball going back to the 1950′s. It’s great to hear him call Brewers games and this Friday, he’ll be on MLB Network as a guest on “Studio 42 with Bob Costas”.

We have details below.

HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCER BOB UECKER FEATURED ON STUDIO 42 WITH BOB COSTAS  ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26

         

Secaucus, NJ, November 23, 2010 – Hall of Fame award-winning announcer Bob Uecker brings his trademark sense of humor to a new episode of MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas on Friday, November 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET/p.m. PT. Throughout the hour-long interview, Uecker, 75, discusses his more than 55 years in professional baseball, including his playing career and 39-year stint as the radio broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers as well as his place in pop culture with starring roles in the film series Major League, the TV series Mr. Belvedere, commercials for Miller Lite beer, and his frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who gave him the nickname “Mr. Baseball.” Uecker also mentions the health issues that caused him to miss part of the 2010 season and talks in-depth about his life-long commitment to the game. A preview of the interview can be viewed here.

Throughout his playing career, Uecker, a catcher, played for the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. He began his broadcasting career in 1971 with the Brewers and in 2003 he received the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to baseball. 

Prior to Studio 42 with Bob Costas, MLB Network will air Best of Hot Stove, its offseason nightly studio show, at 6:00 p.m. ET with a recap of the moves all 30 clubs are making and planning in preparation for the upcoming season.

Highlights and one-liners from the interview with Uecker include:

• “Gaylord Perry says that the day I hit a home run against him was the worst day of his whole life.”

• “I think my top salary was maybe in 1966. I made $17,000 and 11 of that came from selling other players’ equipment.”

• “Any teammate of mine that had a kid and a boy that was capable of playing baseball, I think I set a terrific example of ‘Don’t do this’ and ‘Don’t do that.’ And that’s one of the things that I’m most proud of.”

• “I had a good time every place I went as long as I didn’t play.”

• “I love baseball Bob, and I mean where would I be without baseball anyway. I love doing the games, and I love doing radio, I really love doing radio and there’s nothing wrong with doing television by any means, but I love doing radio where you can’t see what’s going on…”

• “[Johnny Carson] didn’t know that much about baseball but as we went along he let me do whatever I wanted. As a matter of fact, when I started doing the shows in New York, you get a script to follow and promote whatever you want to talk about. After about the tenth time I did the show Johnny said, ‘Do you need this stuff?’ and I said, ‘No, I thought you did.’ So from then on we pretty much just ad-libbed and went along and whatever he said I just jumped in and went along with it.”

• “Not bragging by any means, but I could have done a lot of other stuff as far as working in films go and working in television …  I had chances to do that stuff, but I like baseball, I really do … The Mr. Belvedere series was great, it lasted six years, but each March when we finished up in California, I couldn’t wait to get to Arizona and get back to baseball and be around what I’ve been around for practically my whole adult life. After getting out of the service and going into baseball I never wanted to do anything else.”

Studio 42 with Bob Costas with Bob Uecker airs this Friday at 8 on MLB Network.