Ok, gathering plenty of good links for you and let’s not waste any time.
I do have one piece of upcoming attractions for you. On Friday, we start up our College Football Viewing Picks once again and every week, I’ll list the college football games of note for viewing on the major networks and syndicators. If you’re new to the blog, here’s a sample from last year. You’ll see them around 9 a.m. and when pro football begins, the NFL Viewing Picks will be up around 10 a.m. followed by the Weekend Viewing Picks at 11 a.m. So you’ll have plenty of features on Friday over the next few months. To the links.
John Ourand in the Sports Business Journal gives us five things to watch with NBC Sports when Comcast and NBC finally merge.
Emily Fredix of the Associated Press reports that the NFL will spend $50 million on a new advertising campaign to promote the return of the league this season.
In the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans from the St. Petersburg Times looks at a pioneering NASCAR executive bringing the sport to BET.
Sean Leahy at USA Today says the NFL is trying to attract fans back to the stadium as they battle HDTV and its own RedZone channel.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that there will be a lot of college football games streaming on ESPN3.com this season.
Fox Sports’ Brian Lowry says the NFL’s TV partners don’t want to discuss the looming lockout.
Karen Rosen of TV Guide speaks with NFL Commish Roger Goodell.
Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says SNY has begun its UConn football coverage in earnest this week.
Milton Kent of Fanhouse weighs in on the Washington Post suspension of Mike Wise.
The Sports COMMENTary speaks with Fox Sports Detroit’s Mateen Cleeves on how he made the transition from NBA player to TV analyst.
Alex Farber of Broadcast Now says ESPN UK will launch a British version of Pardon The Interruption.
Josh Stewart in the Syosset (NY) Patch speaks with NFL PR guru Greg Aiello who says Twitter has become a legitimate news source.
The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg in the DC Sports Bog has the video of a new Alex Ovechkin/Capital One ad. Yes, vikings are in it.
Tom Robinson of the Virginian-Pilot enjoys NBC’s Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football.
Scott Anderson of the Anderson (SC) Independent Mail feels ESPN should not be televising high school football games.
Tom Jones from the St. Petersburg Times says Bright House cable has renewed a rights deal with the University of South Florida.
Robert Napper at the Florida Independent notes that ESPN has been taunting Tampa Bay Rays’ attendance problems.
The Naples (FL) Daily News says the local ESPN Radio affiliate will carry plenty of college and professional football games this season.
Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post has ESPN’s NFL analysts Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden talking about the Miami Dolphins’ chances.
Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News says Time Warner Cable and Disney are expected to announce a carriage deal today which keeps ESPN, ABC and other channels online.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle notes that a former Jim Rome radio show producer will become a local sports talk show host.
David explains why the Rodgers move was made in his blog.
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says Aroldis Chapman’s debut for the Reds garnered big ratings for Fox Sports Ohio.
Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business notes a White Sox subsidiary has landed a technology deal to help move TV into 3-D.
Ed says Mike North will be doing two shows a weekend for Fox Sports Radio.
Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times talks with North about his weekend shifts.
The Sioux City (SD) Argus Leader notes that South Dakota State University will have a weekly sports show on Fox Sports North.
Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Journal-Review says ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little is getting married (scroll down).
But The Big Lead wonders if the marriage will conjure up charges of conflict of interest.
Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic profiles NBC’s Al Michaels.
James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times notes ESPN has been making inroads with its local websites, but not as big as the Alleged Worldwide Leader would like.
Sports Media Watch has the weekend overnight ratings.
SMW has ratings info on Fox’s Sunday night NFL preseason game and CBS’ two preseason games last week.
Joe Favorito is disappointed in Mike Wise’s behavior this week.
John Daly at the Daly Planet says get ready for plenty of NASCAR Nationwide Series pre-emptions and interruptions on ESPN2 now that college football season is getting underway.
Some of my favorite women on Twitter, Amanda Rykoff, Susan Shan and Jaqueline Hadley Conrad all took part in a baseball fantasy player roundtable at the Fantasy Fix.
Susan Shan has an ACC football preview at her site.
From The Stands Sports Media talks with ESPN’s Lindsay McCormick.
Dave Kohl at the Major League Programs blog wonders why baseball fans in Japan can watch MLB games on YouTube while we in the US cannot.
We’ll finish it here for now.
