Let’s give you some linkage on this Friday. Been a busy day. You deserve some links
The Weekend Viewing Picks provide your sports and entertainment TV watching. And now to your links.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand and Mike McCarthy debate whether networks should hire ex-coaches knowing full well they could make news and leave for another job.
ESPN Ombudsman Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute takes the Alleged Worldwide Leader to task for its failure to press the Bernie Fine/Syracuse story and holding a tape for eight years.
Alex Weprin of TVNewser writes that ESPN has hired Bloomberg News sports business reporter Michele Steele.
Over to Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk who has Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid angry at NFL Network for its portrayal of wide receiver DeSean Jackson after last night’s game with Seattle.
Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News discusses the viewership increase for Thursday Night Football.
Mike writes about the quintet of games that will open the NBA season on Christmas Day.
Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has an advance clip of a CNN Sunday interview with ESPN Vice President of News Vince Doria speaking about the handling of the Bernie Fine/Syracuse story.
Dan has a very strong promo for the return of the NBA.
Glenn Davis at SportsGrid notes that on the Dan Patrick Show, TNT’s Charles Barkley had some fighting words for notorious sports self-promoter Skip Bayless.
Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group writes that mobile truck operators are happy to have the NBA back in action.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell says while the NBA Lockout has been settled, there’s still a battle that will continue for several years.
Sports Media Watch looks at the NFL ratings for Week 12 for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, and NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football.
Ben Koo of Awful Announcing looks at the machinations behind a longer Thursday Night Football schedule.
East and Mid-Atlantic
At the Boston Globe, Chad Finn looks at how Twitter broke the Bobby Valentine-to-Boston story and he handicaps the race to replace Heidi Watney as NESN Red Sox reporter.
Howard Beck at the New York Times notes that current NBA players are returning slowly but surely to NBA TV which has been stuck showing games from the 1980’s and early 1990’s.
The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson reports that the NFL is looking for big bucks from NBC to renew the rights to Sunday Night Football.
The Post’s Phil Mushnick wants the networks to stop showing touchdown celebrations.
Brett Cyrgalis of the Post has five questions for ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler.
Newsday’s Neil Best bids adieu to WFAN’s Tracy Burgess who left the Boomer and Carton show today.
Neil looks at ESPN being a stepping stone for coaches who are looking for their next job.
Neil has a quickie review of the ESPN Films documentary on former quarterback Todd Marinovich.
And Neil notes that local football players aren’t making news on social networks, but the old fashioned way… on radio.
Bob’s Blitz has pictures of Tracy Burgess’ last day at WFAN.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Fox is trying to get the word out that it’s back in the college football business.
Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says Chris Herren, the subject of ESPN Films’ Unguarded documentary, will be in town to talk about his battle with addiction.
Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com has the latest Baltimore/Washington DC sports media news in this week’s Press Box.
In the DC Sports Bog at the Washington Post, Dan Steinberg tells us what happened to local sports radio host John Riggins who’s been missing as of late.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with Fox Sports’ Gus Johnson and Charles Davis about calling back-to-back conference championship games on successive nights.
South
David Barron in the Houston Chronicle talks with NFL on Fox sideline analyst Tony Siragusa who will be part of the crew calling the Atlanta-Texans game on Sunday.
Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks with ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge who will call the annual Bedlam game.
Mel says Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster are pulling double duty this weekend.
Midwest
John Kiesewetter in the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that Time Warner Cable will be busy with local high school football this weekend.
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press writes that the Detroit Lions have received more national media attention whether it’s deserved or not.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley has Fox’s Charles Davis talking about Wisconsin running Montee Ball’s Heisman Trophy chances.
Bob says NASCAR races will be airing on a different Milwaukee radio station next year.
In Crain’s Chicago Business, Ed Sherman has his weekly winners and losers.
Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says it’s going to be a busy weekend for Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster on Fox.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says St. Louis University may be a rising college basketball program, but it hasn’t translated to more national exposure.
West
John Maffei of the North County Times says local Cox subscribers will be able to see Time Warner Cable’s coverage of the state high school football championships this weekend.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says the Pac-12 Championship won’t be the showcase that Fox had in mind.
Jim says the SEC Championship will have BCS National Championship Game implications like it always does.
Jim has his weekend viewing picks.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Fox is doing its best to sell a less than stellar Pac-12 Championship Game matchup.
Tom has what didn’t make his column in his blog.
Tom says the new Los Angeles Dodgers radio flagship will hire former manager Kevin Kennedy as a postgame host.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail gleefully points out that Don Cherry’s Coach’s Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada is drawing lower ratings than in the past.
And that’s going to do it for our linkage tonight.
