Back with an overdue Week Ahead post. Lots of things happening in the Week Ahead so let’s not delay any further and get to what’s happening in the Sports Media over the next seven days.
TELEVISION
PBS Frontline
The already controversial PBS Frontline documentary “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” airs in two parts this week on Tuesday next Tuesday at 9 p.m. While ESPN officially withdrew its cooperation in August following a meeting with NFL where the league expressed its displeasure, the network still will offer clips from the documentary this week. The NFL will most likely offer press releases touting its safety record in reply to the documentary, but from what I’m hearing, there is some solid reporting offered in the film. Depending on your PBS station, League of Denial will air in consecutive weeks or in one two-hour installment.
NFL on CBS Analysts Go on the Road
In some positive NFL news, one of the more interesting stunts this season or any season comes on Sunday. CBS sends three of its NFL Today studio analysts out on the road to join three existing announcing teams. Bill Cowher does Pittsburgh at New York Jets game with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Boomer Esiason teams with Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots for the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills game. Both Steelers-Jets and Bengals-Bills will air to regional audiences in the 1 p.m. ET window. Shannon Sharpe will head out to Denver to join Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts for Jacksonville at Denver.
CBS will utilize Amy Trask and Bart Scott of its That Other Pregame Show in the NFL Today studio to make up for the loss of Cowher, Esiason and Sharpe. It will be interesting to hear how the three NFL Today analysts fare on the road. It’s a ratings gimmick for sure, but it’s also a way to keep the studio analysts from going stale and also adds a new element for the announcing teams. Esiason has done Monday Night Football games on both TV and radio so he knows when to step and step out in the booth. For Cowher and Sharpe, it will be a virgin excursion.
Big Break NFL Premieres
The new season of Golf Channel’s popular reality series, Big Break, begins on Tuesday. Tom Abbott will be back to scold the golfers who yak a shot or fail to play to his standards. Instead of Stephanie Sparks, Michele Tafoya will be the co-host. Six ex-NFL players will lead teams of two former Big Break participants, one man and one woman. Instead of having one man or one woman win, the winning team will have the man receive an exemption to a PGA Tour event and the woman receives an LPGA Tour event exemption.
And the cash Grand Prize is pretty good as well. Former NFL’ers Mark Rypien, Al Del Greco, Jerry Rice, Marc Bulger, Chris Doleman and Tim Brown.
The participants come from recent Big Break competitions including Atlantis, Greenbrier, Indian Wells. Ireland and Mexico.
The show premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Golf Channel.
NBCSN Launches Two New NHL Shows
As the NHL goes into its second week, NBCSN will premiere two new weekly shows on Tuesday, NHL Rivals and NHL Top 10. The shows are set to air at 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET respectively.
NBCSN says NHL Rivals will focus on the the week’s Wednesday Night Rivalry game by delving into the participating teams’ history with appearances by past and current players plus various broadcasters and writers. In addition to its premiere on Tuesday, NHL Rivals will also get a repeat on Wednesday before NHL Live.
NHL Top 10 will be similar to NFL Top 10 which look at the league’s best-ever players, moments and arenas. This week’s Top 10 will be on the best ever plays.
MLB Postseason Continues
TBS continues its coverage of the League Division Series. The network is guaranteed of three series going four games. It’s hoping for more with possibly a couple going five before the League Championship Series begins on Friday. TBS will have coverage of the National League Championship Series. Fox airs the American League Championship Series.
One interesting note. If Boston advances to the ALCS which begins on Saturday, Joe Buck will call the games with Tim McCarver. The Red Sox would host Games 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday. Would Fox attempt to have Buck call a double with the NFL and MLB on Sunday as he did with the National League Championship Series last year in San Francisco? Just a thought. The late NFL on Fox game on Sunday is New Orleans at New England.
Unlike San Francisco last year, the Patriots and Red Sox play over 30 miles apart and getting Buck from Foxboro to Boston would be tougher than getting from Candlestick to AT&T Park. Not sure if it can be done, but I’m sure Fox is investigating a way to helicopter Buck to Boston.
Anyway, TBS has MLB to itself for most of the week until the LCS gets underway later on. It also marks the final year for TBS to have the LDS all to itself as it will split the round with Fox Sports 1 starting in 2014.
Miscellaneous
NBA TV’s Open Court returns on Tuesday night at 6 ET with a look at the 1990’s.
NFL Network’s A Football Life focuses on the great linebacker and not-so-great Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen also on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
You want some more programming on Tuesday? Of course you do … ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series looks at the old ABA Spirits of St. Louis that had a young Bob Costas as its broadcaster.
Fox Sports 1’s Being: Mike Tyson continues …. Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. This shows Tyson bringing his wife to where his boxing career all began.
How about Wednesday? Jim Rome on Showtime airs on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Now let’s look ahead what’s on tap for the various sports this week.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Here are some of the national games of note:
Thursday, October 10
Rutgers at Louisville — ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
San Diego State at Air Force — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.
Arizona at USC — Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m.
Friday, October 11
Temple at Cincinnati — ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
Oklahoma vs. Texas (at Dallas, TX) — ABC, noon
Eastern Michigan at Army — CBS Sports Network, noon
Missouri at Georgia — ESPN, noon
Indiana at Michigan State — ESPN2, noon
Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech — ESPNU, noon
Iowa State at Texas Tech — Fox Sports 1, noonBoston College at Clemson or Northwestern at Wisconsin — ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
Florida at LSU — CBS, 3:30 p.m.
San Jose State at Colorado State — CBS Sports Network, 3:30 p.m.
Baylor at Kansas State — Fox, 3:30 p.m.
Virginia at Maryland — ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.
Oregon at Washington — Fox Sports 1, 4 p.m.
Michigan at Penn State — ESPN, 5 p.m.
Stanford at Utah — Pac-12 Networks, 6 p.m.
Alabama at Kentucky — ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Georgia Tech at BYU — ESPNU, 7 p.m.
Boise State at Utah State — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
Tulsa at Texas-El Paso — Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.
Texas A&M at Mississippi — ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Oregon State at Washington State — ESPN2 or ESPNU, 10:30 p.m.
Cal at UCLA — ESPN2 or ESPNU, 10:30 p.m.
FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
It’s another round of World Cup Qualifying this week meaning that there won’t be English Premier League action this weekend. The US will play in Kansas City on Friday against Jamaica. That game will be either on ESPN or ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. This means the return of Ian Darke on the call. Bob Ley will host a pregame show at 6 p.m.
The following week, the US will in Panama and that game will be on beIN Sport, but we’ll worry about that next week.
Here are the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers that will be aired on ESPN, Fox Sports 1 and beIN Sport on Friday.
Friday, October 11
Germany vs. Ireland — ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.
Sweden vs. Austria — Gol TV, 2:45 p.m.
England vs. Montenegro — Fox Sports 1, 3 p.m.
Honduras vs. Costa Rica — beIN Sport, 4:50 p.m.
United States vs. Jamaica — ESPN or ESPN2/UniMás, 6:30 p.m.
Argentina vs. Peru — beIN Sport, 6:55 p.m.
Mexico vs. Panama — ESPNews, 9:15 p.m./UniMás, 9:30 p.m.
GOLF
The new PGA Tour season begins this week as the Frys.com Open starts the 2013-14 calendar year. Golf Channel has all four rounds of the tournament as well as coverage of the Champions Tour in North Carolina, LPGA Tournament in Malaysia and the European PGA Tour stop in Portugal. Here’s how the coverage shakes up this week.
Thursday, October 10
LPGA Malaysia Open — Golf Channel, 12:30 a.m.
Portugal Masters — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
Frys.com Open — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.
Friday, October 11
LPGA Malaysia Open — Golf Channel, 12;30 a.m.
Portugal Masters — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
SAS Championship — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Frys.com Open — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
LPGA Malaysia Open — Golf Channel, 12:30 a.m.
Portugal Masters — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
SAS Championship — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Frys.com Open — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.
Sunday, October 13
LPGA Malaysia Open — Golf Channel, midnight
Portugal Masters — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
SAS Championship — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Frys.com Open — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.
MLB POSTSEASON
TBS’ coverage of the League Division Series wraps up this week. We know that three of the four LDS will go at least four games. Here’s how the games will go.
Tuesday, October, 8
American League Division Series
Game 4: Oakland at Detroit — TBS, 5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Game 4: Boston at Tampa Bay — TBS, 8:30 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, October 9
National League Division Series
Game 5: Pittsburgh at St. Louis — TBS, 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 5: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta — TBS, 7 p.m or 8:30 p.m. (if necessary)
Thursday, October 10
American League Division Series
Game 5: Tampa Bay at Boston — TBS, 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 5: Detroit at Oakland — TBS, 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. (if necessary)
The League Championship Series begins on Friday. TBS has the National League with Ernie Johnson, Jr., Ron Darling and Cal Ripken on the call. The American League Championship Series will be on Fox and Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will be in the booth for that broadcast.
Here’s how the schedule shapes up.
Friday, October 11
National League Championship Series
Game 1 — TBS, 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
National League Championship Series
Game 2 — TBS, 4 p.m.
American League Championship Series
Game 1 — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 13
American League Championship Series
Game 2 — Fox, 8 p.m.
Monday, October 14
National League Championship Series
Game 3 — TBS, 8 p.m.
NASCAR
Friday, October 11
Nationwide Series
Dollar General 300 — ESPN2 or ESPNews, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
Sprint Cup Series
Bank of America 500 — ABC, 7:30 p.m.
NBA PRESEASON
All games on NBA TV
Tuesday, October 8
Philadelphia vs. Oklahoma at Manchester, England, 3 p.m.
Brooklyn at Washington, 7 p.m.
Denver vs. Los Angeles Lakers at Ontario, CA, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, October 9
New York vs. Boston at Providence, RI, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 10
Houston vs. Indiana at Manila, Philippines, 7:30 a.m.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento at Las Vegas, NV, 10 p.m.
Friday, October 11
Cleveland at Orlando, 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
Chicago vs. Washington at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 5 p.m.
New York vs. Boston at Manchester, NH, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 13
Houston vs. Indiana at Taipei, Taiwan, 1:30 a.m.
NFL
Here are the national games for Week 6 in the League Where They Play for Pay.
Thursday, October 11
New York Giants at Chicago — NFL Network, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 12
New Orleans at New England — Fox, 4:25 p.m.
Washington at Dallas — NBC, 8:30 p.m.
Monday, October 13
Indianapolis at San Diego — ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
NHL
Here are the national games for the National Hockey League.
Tuesday, October 8
Colorado at Toronto — TSN, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Buffalo — NBCSN/TSN2, 7:30 p.m.
New Jersey at Vancouver — TSN/NHL Network (US), 10 p.m.
Wednesday, October 9
Chicago at St. Louis — NBCSN, 8 p.m.
Montreal at Calgary — TSN/RDS, 8 p.m.
Thursday, October 10
Phoenix at Detroit — NHL Network (US), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 11
New York Islanders at Chicago — NHL Network (US), 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
Hockey Night in Canada
Edmonton at Toronto — CBC, 7 p.m.
Montreal at Vancouver — CBC/RDS, 10 p.m.
Ottawa at San Jose — CBC, 10 p.m.
Buffalo at Chicago — NHL Network (US), 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 13
Phoenix at Carolina — NHL Network (Canada), 1 p.m.
TENNIS
Tennis Channel will have live coverage of the Shanghai Masters from Communist China early in the morning at 2 a.m. ET through Friday. Semifinals air at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday followed by the Final on Sunday at 4:30 a.m.
WNBA FINALS
The best three out of five finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream continues this week. ESPN2 has coverage of the games this week.
Tuesday, October 8
Game 2: Atlanta at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Thursday, October 10
Game 3: Minnesota at Atlanta, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 13
Game 4: Minnesota at Atlanta, 8 p.m. (if necessary)
MISCELLANEOUS
Boxing
HBO Pay per View has coverage of the WBO Welterweight Championship fight between Timothy Bradley, Jr. and Juan Manuel Márquez this Saturday beginning at 9 p.m.
CFL
All games will be aired on TSN in Canada and streamed on ESPN3 in the United States.
Friday, October 11
BC Lions at Calgary Stampeders, 9 p.m.
Saturday, October 12
Edmonton Eskimos at Saskatchewan Roughriders, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, October 14
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Montreal Alouettes, 1:30 p.m.
Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 4:30 p.m.
And that concludes this look at The Week Ahead.
