Didn’t have time to do megalinks during the day as I was trying to get some end of the month/beginning of the month stuff done at the office. Time to get linkage in while I can.
The Weekend Viewing Picks are chockful of sports action and some primetime programming. Now to the linkage.
National
Jessica E. Vascellaro and Matthew Futterman combine for a Wall Street Journal story on the US TV bidding for the Olympics. Bids are due next week.
The Around The Rings Olympic blog notes that the US Olympic Committee will be on hand to monitor the US TV bidding as well.
Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes handicaps the Olympic bidding.
Back to the Wall Street Journal, Tim Marchman reviews the ESPN book.
David Goetzl of MediaPost says DirecTV announcing that it won’t be charging customers for the NFL Sunday Ticket package during the lockout really should not be news.
Sean Leahy of USA Today writes about DirecTV’s announcement.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today has Fox Sports’ NASCAR analyst Daryl Waltrip complaining that the sport forgot its roots while trying to promote the cars over its personalities.
Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser notes that ESPN NHL analyst Matthew Barnaby has been slapped with two orders of protection stemming from the domestic disturbance he was arrested for last month.
Mohammed Rahman from SportsGrid writes that UFC personality Joe Rogan called noted and respected MMA writer Maggie Hendricks “cunty”. What is up with the UFC people?
Jason Dachman at Sports Video Group looks at some TV tennis news.
Sports Media Watch writes that last Saturday’s MLB on Fox primetime presentation saw its second straight ratings increase.
SMW notes that the Indy 500 saw its highest ratings in three years.
SMW says Game 2 of the NBA Finals had increased ratings, but lower viewership.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has CBC’s opening from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and it reminds us how well the network covers hockey. Some nice use of Adele in the opening.
Awful Announcing has a podcast interview with ESPN book co-author James Andrew Miller.
AA also did a Q&A session with ESPN NBA voice Mike Breen to discuss the Finals and Bill from White Plains.
The Major League Programs blog has its usual review of sports media.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn from the Boston Globe can’t believe one local TV station did not send anyone to Vancouver to cover the Stanley Cup Final.
Chad also reviews the ESPN book.
Newsday’s Neil Best has the best of his blog in his latest column.
Nina Mandell of the New York Daily News says ESPN would love to have Shaquille O’Neal on its air.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick remembers the late NFL Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli.
Justin Terranova from the Post has five questions for Red Sox voice Dave O’Brien.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Jimmer Fredette now has his own YouTube channel.
Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says there will be plenty of coverage of the USA Track & Field Championships.
Evan Weiner of the New Jersey Newsroom goes over how Time Warner ruined sports in Atlanta.
Keith Groller at the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says NBC is happy to have an Original Six team in the NHL Stanley Cup Final.
Rich Hofman at the Philadelphia Daily News is annoyed at how ESPN continually ignores the NHL.
Laura Nachman notes Philadelphia native John Kincaid will lose a gig now that the Atlanta Thrashers have left town.
Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says DC NFL team owner Dan Snyder’s lawsuit against the Washington City Paper is now the subject of Federal legislation.
Steven V. Roberts reviews the ESPN book in the Washington Post.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the NBA Finals won primetime on Thursday.
South
Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says the Tampa Bay Lightning’s playoff run drew viewers in the local market.
Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Big 12 has changed its TV revenue distribution formula for all members. In essence, every school gets more money.
Barry Horn of the Morning News says ESPN/ABC seems to spend more time obsessing over the Miami Heat rather than the Dallas Mavericks.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle recaps his visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame which included browsing through the broadcasters and writers wings.
Midwest
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press reviews HBO’s documentary on the John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg rivalry.
Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel goes over some of his favorite quotes from the ESPN book.
Crain’s Chicago Business’ Ed Sherman goes over his winners and losers this week.
Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune talks with ESPN/ABC’s Mike Tirico about the Big Ten Football Championship.
West
Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera reports that Colorado University is looking to sell local TV rights to some of its football games as it officially joins the Pac-12 Conference next month.
John Maffei at the North County Times says this round of Olympic TV bidding is very wide open.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes that people love to hate the Miami Heat as evidenced by the TV ratings.
Rhiannon Potkey of the Star talks with ESPN Women’s College World Series analyst Jessica Mendoza.
Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times profiles the new Chairman of the NBC Sports Group, Mark Lazarus who leads the network’s Olympic bid next week.
And Joe says Lazarus is not a stranger to making big bids on sports properties.
Flint is impressed with former ESPN and now NFL Network executive Steve Bornstein’s candor in the ESPN book.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says someone needs to investigate this whole Vin Scully Star Hollywood Walk of Fame mess.
Tom notes that Hollywood seems to be back on board with a new movie on the late Jackie Robinson.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail notes that the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final was a ratings hit in both Canada and the US.
The Toronto Sports Media Blog speculates on whether a local sports radio talk show host has a new contract.
The Canadian Sports Media Blog finds a noteworthy feature in CTV’s plans for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
And that is going to do it. Took longer than I thought.
