I know not many of you will feel it necessary to watch tonight’s FIRST FOUR™ doubleheader of the NCAA Tournament, but I will. Yes, the Tournament doesn’t start in earnest until Thursday, but seeing some postseason college basketball one day after Selection Sunday is always welcome.
Let’s do some links for you.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today talks the fanboys off the ledge, debunking the rumor that Erin Andrews is leaving ESPN.
Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch has a viewer’s primer for the NCAA Tournament.
Brian Lowry of Variety says longer postseasons help the networks to offset rising fees to sports leagues.
In Baseball Prospectus, the Biz of Baseball’s Maury Brown gives us the real reason why Jeff Moorad pulled his offer to take control of the San Diego Padres and it wasn’t because of the team’s new contract with Fox Sports.
Tim Baysinger of Fox Sports Detroit says the regional sports network’s long-time VP of communications died suddenly over the weekend.
Mike Farrell at Multichannel News writes that sports networks carry the most expensive price tag for cable and satellite providers.
R. Thomas Umstead and Mike Reynolds of Multichannel sit down with YES Network officials to talk about the regional sports network’s 10th anniversary.
Emma Bazilian of Adweek says golf and sports magazines are preparing to cover The Masters®.
Bill Imada at Advertising Age says the frenzy over Linsanity may be fading, but the lessons from that period are still being learned.
Simon Dumenco of AdAge writes that social TV data helped to save a Fox Sports Detroit marketing campaign that seemed doomed from the start.
Diego Vasquez of Media Life speaks with a media researcher about the increased ad inventory for the NCAA Tournament thanks to all the games being made available on TV.
Dan Fogarty of Sports Grid has the video of the national anthem being sung by fans led by the celebrated Timbers Army before last night’s MLS game between the Philadelphia Union and the Portland Timbers. It’s an awesome sight to say the least.
All Access reports that DC sports radio personality Doc Walker is staying with ESPN Radio Washington.
Jack Messmer of the Radio Business Report tells us that a new union contract with NBC gives the rank and file access to NBC Sports Network assignments.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says a woman who kept letters from the late George Steinbrenner dating back to when they were teens has died.
Jerry Barmash of Fishbowl NY writes that a veteran New York sportscaster is retiring after four decades.
Newsday’s Neil Best says ESPN will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the landmark Title IX which brought women’s sports into equal footing with men’s on the collegiate level.
Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer has comments from MLS Commissioner Don Garber and NBC Sports VP Jon Miller about their new partnership.
Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times says a local sports radio morning show host called three African American NFL free agents “monkeys”.
A rare Barry Horn sighting for us. In the Dallas Morning News, Barry says the viewership for MLS on NBC Sports Network wasn’t great, but it was up from last year.
Mel Bracht at the Oklahoman notes that Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is fast becoming a TV darling.
John Keating of Fox Sports Detroit remembers the regional sports network’s PR man who passed away last weekend.
Scott D. Pierce at the Salt Lake Tribune reviews the local TV broadcast of Real Salt Lake’s MLS season opener.
Jeff Pearlman talks with former ESPN’er Sean Salisbury
Jeremiah Oshan of SB Nation says MLS’ debut on NBC Sports Network didn’t do well in the ratings, but was better than on its previous home.
And that will wrap it up for today.
