Here we are with another set of links for you this morning.
By the way, the number of hits from the San Diego area to this site has dropped over the last couple of days due to the megafires. I talked to a friend of mine who lives there and I also have a cousin there as well. I’m hoping everyone makes it out ok and will be ok. The latest is that the fires have melted Charter’s distribution center which provides high speed internet access and 9,500 subscribers have been cut off. I hope the fires end soon. And the San Diego Union-Tribune’s website is down so let’s hope the city is not enduring the worst.
To the links now.
Starting off with John Molori of Boston Sports Media Watch, he talks with NESN’s Don Orsillo who as many of you know, did the Colorado-Philadelphia National League Division Series for TBS.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand looks at the TV ratings of selected weekend sporting events.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell looks at the “Battle of the Baby Names” between Brady and Peyton as quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning become more popular.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times talks with New York Yankees President Randy Levine who fires back at those who criticized him last week for the handling of the Joe Torre contract offer. Sandomir also writes about Time Warner Cable’s offer to the NFL Network to put the channel’s slate of games on Pay Per View. And finally, Sandomir has the official word from ESPN about Rick Reilly moving to the Alleged Worldwide Leader.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says Fox tried to portray New York Football Giants coach Tom Coughlin as a cut up.
Newsday’s Neil Best says Fox and MLB couldn’t be happier to have the Red Sox in the World Series. Interestingly enough, both Raissman and Best offer the same quote from Matt Vasgerian of Fox from Sunday’s 49ers-Giants game.
Jim Williams of the DC/Baltimore Examiner urges the Washington Nationals to treat their TV and radio announcers with respect.
Dave Dye of the Detroit News says there is a distinct possibility that the Michigan-Michigan State game on November 3 could be on the Big Ten Network shutting out most of the state’s residents from seeing the game. Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says the same goes for Ohio State-Wisconsin on the same date. And Brian Davis of the Dallas Morning News says ABC is delaying its decision on whether to air one or two Big 12 games on November 3.
Mike Tankersley of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser talks with FSN Southwest college football analyst Jackie Sherill about the BCS.
Bob Wolfley also of the Journal-Sentinel writes about a story on tonight’s E:60 on ESPN that will have a local angle.
MSNBC’s Mike Celizic gives you ten reasons to watch the World Series.
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal says Fox is probably happy about the ratings for the American League Championship Series. Thomas needs to take out one word there. Rick Kissell and John Dempsey of Variety write that Fox is more than happy about the momentum heading into the World Series as ad time for the first five games of the series is sold out. Joanne Ostrow of the Denver Post says Fox hopes for a seven game series and good weather. Jessica Haslam from the Boston Herald says Fox 25 in Boston hopes the Series will give its new 11 p.m. newscast a ratings boost.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes in his Four DVRs, no waiting blog that the ratings of the Titans-Texans game went up, and down, then back up again as the Texans made their ill-fated comeback on Sunday.
And there are a series of stories on Rick Reilly leaving Sports Illustrated for ESPN. Here’s one from John Dempsey of Variety. This is from Jon Lafayette of TV Week. And Steve Donohue of Multichannel News also has the story. Want more? There’s the angle of local boy does good and the papers from Reilly’s native Colorado are also reporting on it. Penny Parker of the Rocky Mountain News has her take on Reilly’s move in her column. Finally, the Boulder Daily Camera talks about Reilly as well.
Dave Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes about ESPN’s Michael Smith who is a contributor on the E:60 newsmagazine.
Linda Moss of Multichannel News reports that the NHL has hired an ad agency to help with the launch of the NHL Network in the States. And also from Multichannel News, Mike Reynolds writes in his blog that ESPN is in a ratings sophomore slump for Monday Night Football.
Elvia Aguiar of the Corpus Christi (TX) Caller-Times writes that the Time Warner Cable-NFL Network battle is dragging on.
Scott Long of the Baseball Toaster blog says Dick Enberg is the Greatest Sports Broadcaster ever. That’s debatable. I like him and I do think he, Billy Packer and Al Maguire were the best college basketball broadcasting team and he and Merlin Olsen formed a very good NFL announcing team, but I would not call him best sportscaster ever, although he’s in my Top Ten. For me, Al Michaels is the best, but I know everyone has their different opinions on the subject. Perhaps I’ll start up a poll or ask you for your opinions on this down the line.
A lot of links today. I may or may not have an update this afternoon so check back later.
