Let’s do your links today. Trying to get them done earlier than the last two days. Good stuff to get to today. And I still finish them at 3 p.m.
Tripp Mickle and John Ourand report in today’s Sports Business Daily that the International Olympic Committee will conduct the bidding for the US TV rights for the 2014 & 2016 Games in the first week of June. Needless to say, Fang’s Bites will be watching.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today says the NFL will take a huge hit if the lockout is not resolved by the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
At Pro Football Talk, Michael David Smith says Mark Ingram Sr.’s lawyer is defending ESPN’s Suzy Kolber for her manipulative interview with Mark Ingram, Jr. at the NFL Draft last week.
David Ubben from ESPN.com says the Big 12 and Pac 12 media rights deals do not compare.
Diamond Leung of ESPN.com writes that the new Pac-12 contract is a win-win for basketball.
Patrick Rishe from Forbes says Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has to be given credit for squeezing lemonade from lemons.
Sofia M. Fernandez from the Hollywood Reporter looks at the new Pac 12 deal with ESPN and Fox.
Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable notes that with lower expenses due to the sharing of the NCAA Tournament with Turner, CBS had higher profits in the 1st quarter of this year.
Tim Baysinger from B&C writes about Michele Tafoya joining NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News talks about ESPN’s ratings for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Toni Fitzgerald in Media Life says there are several factors in the sharp decline in ESPN’s ratings and viewership for the NFL Draft.
In Advertising Age, Brian Steinberg says despite the NFL lockout, the networks have begun to sell advertising for football, both college and pro.
At SportsNewser, Alex Weprin tells us that the producers of the Broadway play, “Lombardi” are bringing down the curtain for the final time later this month.
The Huffington Post notes that Good Morning America introduced former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Josh Elliot to viewers on Wednesday. Elliot’s first day at GMA was Monday.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell notes that a LeBron James-endorsed energy strip is looking to pick up where energy drinks have left off.
At Pro Golf Talk, Ryan Ballengee discusses an interview Tiger Woods conducted with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic about the injury he suffered at The Masters®.
Carolyn Branff of Sports Video Group delves into the Pac-12 media deals.
Newsday’s Neil Best says “Lombardi” had one hellova Broadway run.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette talks about Michele Tafoya joining NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Barry Horn at the Dallas Morning News notes that for the Dallas-Los Angeles Lakers series opener, SoCal beat the Metroplex in the ratings.
John Maher of the Austin (TX) American-Statesman reports that the University of Texas will have final say including any firing of announcers from the ESPN-owned Longhorn Network. There’s a great way to leave your integrity at the door.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Bucks guard Chris Douglas-Roberts got some unwanted attention for tweeting about Osama bin Laden’s death.
Bob writes about Michele Tafoya joining Sunday Night Football.
Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune talks with TNT’s Dick Stockton about the Bulls’ tepid start on Monday.
John Henderson of the Denver Post says the University of Colorado will get huge financial revenue from the new Pac-12 media rights contracts.
Mike Gorrell of the Salt Lake Tribune says the new Pac-12 deals with ESPN, Fox and Pac-12 Media Enterprises will give Utah fans plenty of inventory to watch.
Lya Wodraska from the Tribune writes that a conference-owned network will give Pac-12 schools some flexibility and exposure.
Patrick Finley of the Arizona Daily Star talks with the athletic director of Arizona State to get her reaction to the Pac-12 deal.
Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times says the Pac-12 hit the motherlode of contracts.
Tom Hoffarth in the Los Angeles Daily News says just before it became fruition, the Pac-12 has already given itself a rich history.
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the new Pac-12 deals mean every football and basketball game will be televised.
Rachel Bachman of The Oregonian explains what the Pac-12 deal means for both Oregon and Oregon State.
George Schroeder of the Eugene (OR) Register-Guard notes that Oregon will no longer have to worry about paying for the athletic budget.
Bud Withers of the Seattle Times says the new Pac-12 shows that the conference can no longer be considered a college sports doormat.
In the Toronto Globe and Mail, Bruce Dowbiggin wonders why CBC’s Glenn Healy isn’t a fan of Vancouver’s Green Men who have become a YouTube sensation.
Sports Media Watch notes that the ratings for Game 2 of Celtics-Magic on TNT did not come close to ABC’s numbers on Sunday, but still did well.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the double overtime Game 2 of Nashville-Vancouver did not do too well on Versus.
I think that will do it for us.
