My apologies for not updating the blog on Tuesday. This computer thing is getting out of hand. Yes, I’ll be getting a new computer. Yes, it will be soon. Yes, once I have the computer, the blogging schedule will be back to normal. Just bear with me. I should be back and blogging regularly next week. Just know that when I’m away from this site, I feel rather strange. But I will say that I’ve been doing other things like watching TV or catching up on my DVD’s. And Hell’s Kitchen has been really good this season.
Time to give you some links while I can.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks about CBS entering the Mixed Martial Arts forum this Saturday. Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune calls MMA, “human cockfighting”.
Also from the Tribune, Fred Mitchell talks with former Chicago White Sox and current FSN Dodger analyst Steve Lyons who’s still bitter over his firing by Fox Sports over a remark made in the ALCS two years ago.
Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch says HBO is going to make a movie out of the book “Game of Shadows”, the tome that brought BALCO and its connection to Barry Bonds and other atheletes to light.
Newsday’s Neil Best transcribes some of the best (or worst depending on your opinion) of Yankees radio announcer John Sterling from the Memorial Day weekend. Neil tells his readers to not leave a movie theater when the credits start rolling.
Some ratings news from the Sports Media Watch. First, the ratings for the first two Stanley Cup Finals games on Versus were the highest for an NHL game on the network. Next, the Indy 500 outrated the Coca Cola 600 in the overnights, but NASCAR eventually overtook open wheel racing in the overall ratings. And the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals did well for ABC/ESPN over the weekend.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says locally, the Indy 500 drew more viewers than the Coke 600.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says the NBA has set the schedule for the Finals.
The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir says the Pistons outrated the Red Wings in Detroit during the first two times the teams conflicted over the weekend. They will conflict again tonight.
The Baltimore Sun’s Ray Frager says Baseball Tonight’s John Kruk will become a game analyst for the Women’s College World Series. The Daily Oklahoman has more on Kruk and the other ESPN announcers who will call the WCWS.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell doesn’t think that hot tennis chick Ashley Harkleroad’s decision to pose nude in Playboy was a good one from a marketing point of view.
The Steel City is talking about sports radio talk show host Mark Madden who has been fired from his ESPN Radio 1250 show for remarks made about Senator Edward Kennedy. Ryan Wilson of the AOL Fanhouse blog says Madden’s remarks were dumber than usual for a guy who’s been living on borrowed time with ESPN.
Kevin Roderick of the LA Observed blog writes about an ESPN.com reporter who’s in hot water for writing a blog entry about Kobe Bryant’s wife.
Larry Stewart of the Los Angeles Times has some anecdotes from Jim Nantz’s book.
Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says the Tampa Bay Rays are finally garnering some national media attention.
Michael Futch of the Fayetteville (NC) Observer laments TBS not carrying the Braves this year.
Scott Rabalais of The Advocate (LA) says the Southeastern Conference has to decide whether to continue syndicating its football games with Raycom or start up a TV channel like the
Jon Show of the Sports Business Journal writes that the LPGA is in negotiations with potential TV partners to broadcast its tournaments for the next five years.
Dave Del Grande of the Oakland Tribune talks with Bay Area natives Ted Robinson and Bob Fitzgerald who will work for NBC during the Olympics in Communist China. And Dave profiles a former TV reporter who has directed a documentary on Barry Bonds.
Good friend, LC over at the 38 Cliches blog wonders who will be with Joe Castiglione in the Red Sox radio booth in Seattle for tonight’s game.
It’s been a while since we’ve had an Erin Andrews story and Walt Belcher of the Tampa Tribune gives us one as Erin covers the National Spelling Bee for both ESPN and ABC this week.
That will do it for now. I’ll have the Primetime and Late Night Viewing Picks coming up.
