Time for the Friday Megalinks as usual. Let’s get to these while we can.
You can always check out the Weekend Viewing Picks for the sports and primetime viewing for Saturday and Sunday.
Let’s go to the links.
National
USA Today’ Michael Hiestand says we may have not have seen the last of Steve Phillips on TV.
Sports Business Daily Assistant Managing Editor Brian Helfrich talks with three pundits (including yours truly) about ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series. Thanks to Brian for asking me to participate.
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated talks with some of the TNT and NBA TV staff about the new season.
James Hibberd of the Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed blog writes that the World Series performed well in the ratings once again on Thursday.
Marc Berman at Mediaweek says the World Series lifted Fox to a rare Thursday primetime victory.
Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek writes that the New York Knicks are making a push to get fans into the seats.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks about Roger Federer’s new endorsement deal with a chocolate company.
Darren went one-on-one with new Cubs owner Thomas Ricketts.
Maury Brown in the Biz of Baseball says World Series viewership is up almost 50% from last year.
Maury Brown from the Biz of Football says the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are firing back at a radio report that the owners of the team were planning to sell the team.
The Big Lead interviews Big Ten Network studio host Dave Revsine.
The Sports Media Watch looks at Fox’s record ratings for its Week 7 NFL doubleheader.
SMW says CBS saw its lowest ratings for the NFL in Week 7.
SMW writes that Versus continues to see good ratings for the NHL.
And the SMW writes that the World Series is doing well through two games.
Chris Byrne’s Eye on Sports Media has another guest column from former Raycom and NBC Sports football analyst Dave Rowe.
Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has a look at the viewership of each Versus NHL game this season to date.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe profiles New Englander Ryen Russillo who has a regular gig with ESPN Radio.
Bill Doyle from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette talks with long time Celtics TV analyst Tommy Heinsohn.
Here’s Kristine Leahy of WEEI.com with the week ending edition of The Five.
Newsday’s Neil Best says ESPN’s Bobby Valentine was looking forward to working with Steve Phillips before all hell broke loose.
The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman writes that Fox’s Joe Buck and Tim McCarver spent Game 2 of the World Series complaining about the noise level at the Bronx.
Phil Mushnick in the New York Post feels Buck and McCarver forgot what a “must-win” really means. Whatever.
To ESPN1050 in New York and Andrew Marchand who has five questions for Fox Sports’ Joe Buck.
Lisa Swan of the Subway Squawkers blog properly gets on a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter for complaining about covering the World Series. I’m not a Yankees fan, but I totally agree on reporters, writers and sports radio hosts who complain about their accommodations and/or assignments. No one wants to read or hear whining.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks with the great Ian Eagle of CBS Sports/YES/Westwood One Radio/Tennis Channel about his rather sedate schedule this time around. Yes, I’m being facetious.
Laura Nachman writes that the World Series has been a ratings winner thus far.
Rich Hofman of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Delaware Valley loves watching their Phillies.
Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com writes in Press Box that the TV sportscast is slowly falling by the wayside on Baltimore’s newscasts.
Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner writes about the big college football slate on Saturday.
And Jim looks at a DirecTV contest trying to determine the most diehard displaced NFL fan in the country.
South
Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald has some football announcing highlights and lowlights to date.
Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says ESPN has forced out football analyst Shaun King in the middle of the season.
Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram likes the addition of Ozzie Guillen to the Fox World Series broadcasts.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says the Metroplex watched the World Series in droves on Wednesday, relatively speaking.
Barry says Fox’s Troy Aikman is gushing over Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin.
Barry writes that the inventor of the Arlington Stadium dot race will be honored next week.
David Barron in the Houston Chronicle notes the increase in World Series ratings this year.
To Jerry Garcia in the San Antonio Express-News who says Fox is anticipating good news with a big market World Series this year.
Midwest
Michael Zuidema from the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says a local sports radio show features hosts who aren’t even in the same studio let alone same area code.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks with Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman about the Green Bay-Minnesota game and the return of Brett Favre to the area.
Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his usual winners and losers in sports business and media.
Ed writes that Comcast SportsNet Chicago is canceling its morning show co-hosted by Mike North and Dan Jiggets.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says ESPN is doing a 30 for 30 documentary on Steve Bartman.
Dave van Dyck of the Tribune writes that Ozzie Guillen is behaving during Fox Sports coverage of the World Series.
The Chicago Sun-Times talks with the new owner of the Cubs, Thomas Ricketts.
Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field becomes Must See TV on Sunday.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch isn’t a fan of Fox’s policy staying with blowout games.
West
Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News writes that maybe the Mountain West Conference’s TV exposure isn’t that bad after all.
Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Green Bay-Minnesota will be seen in most areas of the US, except for San Diego.
John Maffei of the North County Times feels the Chargers are always flirting with a local blackout at the last minute.
Jim Carlisle at the Ventura County Star says Fox has been getting plenty of mileage from Joe Buck.
Jim writes that MLB Network looks back tonight at the 1989 Bay Area earthquake that forced the World Series to be temporarily postponed.
Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times writes that Fox will be all over Brett Favre’s return to Green Bay in more ways than one.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News learned what it was like to be a sideline mic operator.
In his blog, Tom has a story on Vin Scully misidentifying a home run in the NLCS and no one coming out to correct him during the game.
Tom has his usual media notes.
Canada
William Houston in his Truth and Rumours blog notes that the new ratings system in Canada is being very beneficial to sports programming.
Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail looks at disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s failed attempt to get his book published.
Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star (and at whom William Houston threw some shots today) writes about the Canadian Olympic Committee’s losing hope on launching its own cable channel.
