Time to give you your Friday megalinks. Again, we begin with the Weekend Viewing Picks.
The Kentucky Derby is the prime event with tomorrow being the first Saturday in May. NBC has the actual race at 6:20 p.m. with coverage beginning at 4. ESPN has several races from the undercard starting at noon. If you want to get a head start on Kentucky Derby coverage, Bravo has the Kentucky Oaks at 5 p.m. today.
The NBA Playoffs finally finish the first round this weekend and also begin the Conference semifinals. Game 7 of the epic Celtics-Bull series is on Saturday night with TNT picking up coverage at 8. If there’s a game 7 of Atlanta-Miami, ABC will have it at 1 p.m. Sunday. ABC will definitely have Game 1 of Dallas-Denver at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the Conference semifinal round as well. On Saturday, NBC has Game 1 of Pittsburgh-Washington at 1 p.m. Versus takes Game 2 of Chicago-Vancouver, Saturday night at 9. Then on Sunday, NBC will air Game 2 of Anaheim-Detroit at 2 p.m. and then that night, Versus takes Game 2 of Carolina-Boston at 7:30.
Plenty of baseball on the national airwaves. Fox has regional coverage of three games including the Mets visiting the defending World Championship Philadelphia Phillies. The game start at 3:30 p.m., note the special start time. MLB Network will have Oakland at Seattle, Saturday night at 9. WGN picks up the White Sox at Texas, Saturday night at 8, then on Sunday, it will carry the Cubs hosting Florida at 2:20 p.m. TBS has Red Sox-Rays, Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and the ESPN Sunday night game will be White Sox-Texas at 8 p.m.
NASCAR races under the lights Saturday at Richmond. Fox has it at 7 p.m.
The PGA Tour with a top heavy field including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson has the Quail Hollow Championship. CBS and Golf Channel share coverage throughout the weekend starting at 1 p.m.
The full Weekend Viewing Picks can be seen here.
Now to the links.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks with Tom Durkin who will call his 9th Kentucky Derby for NBC.
Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media has some tips for watching this Saturday’s Derby.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell asked his readers to rename Jenny Craig’s entry for the Derby. Darren likes a new online ad featuring Novak Djokovic for a tennis racket. And Darren wonders if looks helped in the NFL Draft.
The Sports Media Watch feels that cable does not deserve to show Game 7 of the Celtics-Bulls series.
Maury Brown from The Biz of Baseball says Fox Sports Wisconsin has extended its rights deal to show Milwaukee Brewers games past the current 2012 deal.
Ben Grossman of Broadcasting & Cable says boxing needs good numbers for the Manny Pacquaio-Ricky Hatton PPV fight this Saturday.
Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News writes that NFL Network and Comcast are continuing to talk past a deadline that would removed the channel from the cable provider’s lineup.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe talks with NESN Bruins announcer Jack Edwards who has become a favorite in the blogosphere for his extreme homer calls.
Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times looks at Selena Roberts’ new book on Alex Rodriguez.
Bob Raissman from the New York Daily News says Mets manager Jerry Manuel is a media manipulator.
Newsday’s Neil Best writes about former New York Giant Brad Benson who has become a star for selling cars on WFAN. Neil has comments from former A-Rod teammate Jeff Brantley.
From the New York Post, Phil Mushnick goes after the Yankees for spinning the empty seats at their new stadium.
Also from the Post, Justin Terranova talks with SNY Mets analyst Keith Hernandez about the Amazin’s. Justin has five questions for NBC’s Gary Stevens about the Kentucky Derby.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says David Wells has the potential to be a good MLB analyst.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette gives his Stanley Cup Conference Semifinal predictions.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says an ad taped by the late Harry Kalas before his death has been re-edited and will be shown on TV this weekend only. Peter Mucha of the Inquirer says Bruce Springsteen used Harry’s voice in a concert at the old Spectrum this week.
This week, the Baltimore Sun fired 61 staffers Ray Frager who was a regular link on the Friday megalinks. Ray bids farewell to his readers. In his blog, Ray mentioned he’ll still be writing about the sports media in another venue and we hope to continue linking to him here.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says NASCAR fans have some Friday night action to watch. Jim writes there’s plenty of good baseball on TV this weekend. And Jim says ESPN will have pre-Kentucky Derby coverage starting at noon on Saturday.
I’ve been called away from the office so I’ll finish the megalinks later.
