Ok, it’s getting late and in the work day and I need to get these megalinks done. I’ve traveled to the MA office and now back in RI. Let’s get this done so I can watch the Bruins tonight.
All of your Weekend Viewing Picks are right here.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand reviews the HBO documentary on the Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe rivalry.
David Bauder of the Associated Press analyzes how new NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus got to keep the Olympics in the network fold.
At Forbes, Mike Ozanian goes inside Comcast’s numbers to see how it can profit from its Olympic bid.
Craig Wolff at the Wall Street Journal says maybe the time has come for sportswriters to abandon the locker room interview.
Sam Eifling of the Columbia Journalism Review looks at Grantland’s debut.
Jonathan Landreth at the Hollywood Reporter notes that a record audience in Communist China watched Li Na win the Women’s Final at the French Open.
Lindsay Rubino from Broadcasting & Cable says Game 5 of the NBA Finals took home a ratings win for ABC on Thursday.
Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News talks with TNT NASCAR analyst Kyle Petty about the network’s Summer Season of races.
Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life says the NBA Finals also pulled a win in key demographics on Thursday.
Marcus Vanderberg at SportsNewser says last month’s Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley fight drew the most buys for a Pacquaio pay per view bout.
Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid notes that the TD Garden in Boston quickly became enamored with actress and Bruins fan Rachel McAdams.
Joe Favorito looks at how the NBA is trying to engage social media throughout its platforms.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the Yankees might be losing money on Derek Jeter’s chase for 3,000 career hits.
Awful Announcing has Fox Sports’ MLB analyst Mark Grace’s mugshot taken shortly after being arrested for DUI on Memorial Day Weekend.
At Captain Blowhard’s site, we have this great article by Alex French and Howie Kahn on the late, great sports daily, The National, which was way ahead of its time.
Dave Kohl at Major League Programs looks at the news of the week in sports media.
Chris Hadley at The Sports Tube reviews the ESPN on ABC production of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has the final ratings of Games 3 & 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final on Versus.
Sports Media Watch notes that Boston (which is more fixated on the Bruins) is not watching the NBA Finals.
SMW looks at how NBA Finals Game 5’s overnight ratings finished lower than last year.
Erik Malinowski of Wired writes how ESPN is trying to keep ESPN 3D in the forefront and not let it slip away.
The Big Lead says ESPN 3D is trying to break out from being a niche channel.
Midwest
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer misses listening to Chicago Cubs radio analyst Ron Santo.
Michael Zuidema at the Grand Rapids (MI) Press talks with MLB Network host Ahmed Fareed about growing up in Michigan and hitting the national stage.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears from ESPN’s US Open analysts Andy North and Curtis Strange.
Bob reviews HBO’s McEnroe/Borg documentary.
And Bob looks at ESPN’s new logo for Monday Night Football.
Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business has his weekly winners and losers in sports business.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks about one local sports radio station that turns to a new program director.
And Dan has a few news and notes.
West
Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune talks with CBS’ Jim Nantz who was in Utah when the Tiffany Network plucked him to be its college football host in 1985.
John Maffei in the North County Times reviews the McEnroe/Borg HBO doc.
The Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth writes that Vin Scully’s start on the Hollywood Walk of Fame needs fixing.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe notes that NBC/Versus analyst Mike Milbury isn’t making any friends on the Vancouver Canucks during the Stanley Cup Final.
Thomas Grillo of the Boston Herald says win or lose, several Bruins players could cash in as commercial pitchmen after the season.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette looks at Comcast SportsNet New England’s Bruins studio hosts.
The Springfield (MA) Republican notes that the Basketball Hall of Fame has named its print and broadcasting inductees for this year.
Newsday’s Neil Best chronicles his day in the MLB Man Fan Cave.
Neil has more on his day at the Fan Cave and the two men who are spending the entire MLB season inside.
Neil has his thoughts on NBC’s promise to go live at the Olympics.
Justin Terranova of the New York Post has five questions for ESPN’s Andy North on the upcoming US Open.
Bob’s Blitz recaps Jenn Sterger’s appearance on WFAN’s Boomer and Carton show today.
Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union says the US Open will be missing a big storyline when ESPN opens its coverage next week.
Jeff DiVeronica of the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle says local soccer and Brazilian superstar Marta will be featured on an ESPN documentary.
Evan Weiner at the New Jersey Newsroom says the new Olympics deal with NBC/Comcast will help to increase your cable television bill.
David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun notes that former Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams will be an analyst on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s US Open coverage next week.
Dave Hughes in Press Box says the host of a University of Maryland sports-themed show hopes to expand it outside of the Baltimore area.
Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that Tony Kornheiser has reached his limit of shows for the local ESPN Radio affiliate.
In the Washington Examiner, Jim Williams notes that Dan Patrick will be joining NBC’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Final for the rest of the series.
South
Jocelyn Syrstad of the Virginian-Pilot says ESPN is interested in a local beach soccer tournament.
Mark DeCotis of Florida Today profiles a local woman who will be working behind the scenes on TNT’s NASCAR coverage.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talks about the health struggles of two ESPN personalities working the NBA Finals.
Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times reviews NBC’s big win in the Olympics bidding this week.
At the Houston Chronicle, David Barron notes that Astros broadcaster Bill Brown will be honored for his service to the team this weekend.
Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks about the McEnroe/Borg and the Olympics bidding.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says looks at the first ratings in city’s sports radio war.
And that’s going to do it.
