Let’s do some linkage on this rainy Monday in Southern New England. It may not be raining where you are, but where I am, it’s Ark Building Time.
Starting with Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch, we learn that ESPN’s NBA Countdown crew is expanding its reach when the NBA Finals get underway. Richard also breaks news on a story that I was working on, that SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt will be call games for the NFL on Fox with John Lynch.
Over to The Sherman Report where Ed Sherman writes that ESPN/ABC is really hoping for the Miami Heat to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Don’t know how I missed this from Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead as it was broken late Friday afternoon. Steve Bornstein, the head honcho of NFL Network is reportedly leaving, possibly for a job with the Los Angeles Dodgers. An NFL source has denied this story. I’ll continue to monitor.
At USA Today’s For the Win site, Nick Schwartz has photographic evidence that Chris Berman sweats. A lot.
Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life says the NBA Finals and the French Open highlight the week on television.
Media Life notes the record ratings for the NHL on NBC Sports Network.
One of the oldest football publications, Pro Football Weekly will cease operations. Publisher Hub Arkush writes the farewell letter.
Brad Gagnon of Awful Announcing says PFW’s demise is a sign of the times.
Sports Media Watch says NBC’s broadcast of Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final on Saturday in primetime brought the sport’s best overnight rating in a decade and a half.
Tony Manfred of the business Insider’s Sports Page says Nike had the opportunity to sign Tiger Woods at the minimum last year, but now has to shell out megabucks for a new endorsement deal.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media reviews the MLB Interleague crosstown rivalry ratings in several markets.
Joe Favorito says Major League Baseball hopes to drum up interest in its player-entry draft.
To the New York Post where Phil Mushnick wants broadcasters to scold players when they don’t hustle.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Saturday primetime is the right time for the NHL on NBC.
David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun feels there was too much bias against Towson on an ESPN3 webcast of its NCAA Baseball Tournament game.
Sarah Kogod in the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says Fox Sports Radio’s Rob Dibble compared the Nationals to Communist Chinese swimmers?
Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times says former New York Rangers coach John Tortorella and the newly retired Grant Hill might make good analysts for their respective sports.
Barry Horn of the Dallas News notes the late success for Texas Rangers secondary radio voice Matt Hicks.
Danny Ecker from Crain’s Chicago Business says Blackhawks-Red Wings set a record for NBC Sports Network.
Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says a local TV sports anchor is leaving his post to return to his radio play-by-play roots.
Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News has the SoCal sports calendar for this week.
Benny Evangelista of the San Francisco Chronicle says Yahoo will take over the branding for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Sports Talk Live show.
And that will conclude the linkage for today.
