As we hit mid-week, let’s do another edition of the notebook.
NEWS
CBS announced on Tuesday that it has hired former Colorado, Washington and UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel as a studio analyst. He’ll join the cast of College Football Today before SEC games and Inside College Football on CBS Sports Network. Neuheisel had been a studio analyst for the Pac-12 Networks since 2012.
From what I have heard, Neuheisel was good on Pac-12 Networks. I wouldn’t know as I have DirecTV and you know about that dispute.
Also, ESPN announced the return of Gruden’s QB Camp for its sixth season. Five quarterbacks entering the NFL Draft will take part, Jameis Winston of Florida State, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, Baylor’s Bryce Petty, UCLA’s Brett Hundley and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson.
Gruden will hold scouting sessions with all of the QB’s at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, FL. Broadcast times and the schedule for the new season will be released at a later date.
It’s been almost a year since Turner Sports’ Craig Sager was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Since then, he’s undergone chemotherapy, missed assignments for his favorite beat the NBA as well as the MLB postseason. He made one brief appearance late last year during the Coaches vs. Cancer classic, but for the most part, Sager has been off TV. That changes this Thursday when he makes his triumphant return to the NBA on TNT on the Oklahoma City-Chicago game. I was hoping that he would make his comeback on a San Antonio game just to see what Spurs coach Greg Popovich would say to him, but this is the next best thing. Sager’s return airs at 8 p.m. ET.
LINKAGE
CBS News notes that it’s been more than a week since the son of ESPN.com writer Ivan Maisel was reported missing. My heart goes out to the Maisel family.
John Ourand and Eric Fisher of Sports Business Journal write that it’s likely that there won’t be any in-market streaming for MLB this season.
Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch talks with the man in charge of ESPN Audio.
Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes about a new Golf Channel reality competition series.
During TSN’s TradeCentre coverage of the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday, the network aired a salacious tweet about the Toronto Maple Leafs Joffrey Lupul. As one would expect, Lupul got angry about the insinuation that he slept with teammate Dion Phaneuf’s wife who happens to be 24’s Elisha Cuthbert.
Well, Phaneuf and Lupul demanded an apology from TSN which they got and they along with Cuthbert were retaining attorneys in an attempt to seek damages from the network and the person who tweeted the rumor. This is not going to end well.
Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star looks at this crazy sequence and how this all ties in to the Leafs’ sinking ship.
The Toronto Sports Media Blog also reviews what went on with TSN/Maple Leafs/Lupul/Phaneuf/Cuthbert.
Insane.
The great Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com speaks with an ESPN exec about the upcoming MLS season and how the network will deal with potential labor strife.
Dan Steinberg at the WaPo’s DC Sports Bog has Christopher Russo telling off the Natoinals’ Bryce Harper.
Cecilia Kang of the WaPo looks at Snapchat’s new news service which includes ESPN.
TNT’s Craig Sager speaks with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about returning to the NBA sidelines this Thursday.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reports that Spencer Tillman is leaving CBS Sports and that is most likely related to the Neuheisel announcement at the beginning of this post.
ESPN has been awarded the U.S. rights to Indian Premier League cricket.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Here’s Golf Channel’s live tournament schedule:
PGA TOUR
WGC-Cadillac Championship
Dates: March 5-8
Venue: Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Miami, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday — 1-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Friday — 1-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday — Noon-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday — 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-6 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday — 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday — 3-7 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Golf Channel, NBC airing 27 hours of live tournament coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship: NBC Sports Group will televise more than 27 hours of live coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Golf Channel and NBC. Golf Channel will air early round coverage on Thursday-Friday, and lead-in coverage on Saturday-Sunday ahead of Golf Channel on NBC’s third and final round broadcasts.
Golf Channel weekend Spotlight Coverage continues, focusing on Holes 15-18: Golf Channel’s Spotlight Coverage continues this week, and will feature the closing stretch of Trump National Doral, Holes 15-18 to complement Golf Channel on NBC’s award-winning coverage. While NBC is on the air live with traditional coverage, Golf Channel also will be on the air live, but focusing on Doral’s final four holes.
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing / Notah Begay
Interviews: Steve Sands
Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: John Swantek
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Billy Ray Brown
PGA TOUR
Puerto Rico Open
Dates: March 5-8
Venue: Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico (Championship Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday — 6-8:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4:30 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday — 6-8:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4:30 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday — 6-9 p.m. (Tape delay) / 1-4 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Sunday — 7-10 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-5 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Brian Hammons
Analyst: Jim Gallagher Jr.
Tower: Phil Blackmar
On Course: Jerry Foltz / Kay Cockerill
LPGA TOUR
HSBC Women’s Champions
Dates: March 4-8
Venue: Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course), Sentosa, Singapore
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday — 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Friday — 4:30-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)
Saturday — 4:30-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)
Sunday — 5-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)
Live Stream Airtimes on Golf Live Extra:
Wednesday — 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Thursday — 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday — 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday — 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Peter Donegan
Analyst: Sandra McKenzie / Kate Burton
EUROPEAN TOUR
Africa Open
Dates: March 5-8
Venue: East London Golf Club, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday — 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)
Friday — 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)
Saturday — 7:30-9:30 a.m. (Live)
Sunday — 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Dominik Holyer
Analyst: Denis Hutchinson / Warren Humphreys
On Course: Jay Townsend
And that will close the notebook for now.
