As we get back to work, then prepare for a holiday tomorrow, I’ll give you some links.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says a year after being let go by ESPN, Joe Theismann is still waiting for an NFL TV gig.
John Daly of the Daly Planet TV motorsports blog looks at ESPN/ABC’s production of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Phoenix.
Newsday’s Neil Best is back from vacation. Nice to have him back. He notes that NASCAR viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones saw that ABC cut off the end of the race just before the network’s primetime programming lineup began and had to switch to ESPN2 to watch the rest of the show.
Bruce Martin of Sports Illustrated feels ESPN/ABC treated NASCAR like a bastard stepchild.
Matt Humphrey of the Orlando Sentinel’s NASCAR Nuts & Bolts blog says the move to push NASCAR to ESPN2 was bush league.
Dustin Long of the Virginian-Pilot says NASCAR is not going to win a primetime ratings battle thus the reason for the switch.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says ABC switching to “America’s Funniest Videos” is what hurts NASCAR fans the most.
Jaynelle Ramon in the Arizona Daily Star looks at the ESPN/ABC production of the NASCAR race from inside the truck.
I could go over to various NASCAR blogs, but you can imagine the venom spewing against ABC and it would be the same thing as what you’ve read in the links listed above. There’s a lot of anger out there. NASCAR fans are very passionate about the sport. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t get the Chi of NASCAR, but I respect the fans for their love of the sport.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union looks at Week 11 in the National Football League.
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post is angry over PSL prices and some other subjects.
Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel feels Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were a bit off during yesterday’s Packers-Vikings game.
Jeffrey Flanagan in the Kansas City Star reviews the TV and radio commentary from the Chiefs-Chargers game.
Back to Barry Horn, he writes that the NFL pregame shows mentioned the Cowboys even though the team had a bye week.
And back to Neil Best, he says Verizon Fios will carry the MLB Network and MLB Extra Innings package.
Kyle Veazey of the Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger the Mississippi State-Alabama game will be seen on ESPN in primetime this Saturday.
St. Clair Murraine of the Tallahassee (FL) Democrat writes that ESPN College Gameday will be at the Florida A&M-Hampton game this week.
Bob Heist of the Shreveport (LA) Times says Lee Corso got his Alabama-LSU prediction right.
Glen Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that ESPN360’s broadband video player gets an upgrade.
Jeff Caplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban filmed an NBA commercial for ESPN.
That will do it for now. I should have an afternoon update later. Check back.
