I had to go to a meeting earlier today so there were no links, but I’m back now so let’s go to it. I’ll have more on the Dennis & Callahan lockout further down in this entry.
Earlier today, Fox Sports had a webcast of its NFL seminar featuring its Sunday pre-game crew of host Curt Menafee, analysts Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson. Several other Fox analysts were there including Troy Aikman, Moose Johnston and Brian Baldinger. I have yet to see it, but it is archived here.
Talking about the Scooter, Phil Rizzuto, Hal Bodley of USA Today remembers him and looks at his career as both a player and a broadcaster. Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says the Yankees broadcasts were never the same when Scooter left the booth for good in 1996. Mike Puma of the New York Post recaps the tribute the Yanks paid last night before the game wit the Orioles. Phil Mushnick remembers some of the lovable banter Phil had in the booth with his partners. In Newsday, Neil Best writes that Rizzuto’s on-air partners knew him as quite the unorthodox teacher.
Neil Best was quite busy Tuesday as WFAN announced the hiring of Boomer Esiason and Craig Carlton as replacements for Don Imus. In his blog, Best has a bunch of posts, but one notable entry regarded the Fox NFL Sunday crew which returns to Los Angeles after being a traveling road show last season. And Newsday’s Bob Glauber gets on Best’s case for putting Jilllian Barberie’s picture in the above entry and says Best buried the lead from the Fox seminar. Michael McCarthy of USA Today writes about what Glauber was pointing out, that Fox will pit Jimmy Johnson and former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer in a one-on-one segment together. Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News also has a quick blurb on the new segment.
In the New York Times, Richard Sandomir reviews the first episode of ABC News’ five part series on NASCAR. Sandomir correctly questions why ABC News would do a documentary on the sport when corporate cousins ESPN and ABC News are television partners of NASCAR. In addition, Sandomir says the first episode does not break any new ground nor does it have any hard hitting journalism.
Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune notes that with 15 days until launch, the Big Ten Network still lacks contracts with the major cable companies. In the crosstown Chicago Sun-Times, Lacy Banks points out that most of Illinois’ and Northwestern’s men’s basketball schedule will be televised on BTN. Dave Lubach of the Sheboygan (WI) Press says he wasn’t a supporter of BTN before, but after seeing that the channel will pick up most of the Wisconsin basketball schedule, he is now. Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch says Ohio State fans will only see half of the men’s basketball schedule unless BTN is picked up locally. Dave Goetzl of the Media Daily News says BTN has for the most part picked most of the top hoops games of the conference for itself.
Do you care that Perry Farrell, formerly of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros and now of Satellite Party, has written the new theme song for ESPN’s college football? No? Good. I’m not linking to any stories about it.
But I will give you an ESPN press release discussing its extensive Little League World Series coverage which begins Friday and will conclude on Sunday, August 26.
Yesterday, Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch gave five reasons why the WEEI/Dennis & Callahan contract dispute could, could be staged. Let me say this. Entercom is a company that is known for staging walkouts, suspensions, vacations and fights for ratings. In its Boston cluster, Entercom has WRKO, WEEI, Mike 93.7 and WAAF. When Rocco & Birdsie were doing afternoon drive for WAAF, they were constantly “suspended” for acts that were staged. Interestingly enough, those “suspensions” came during weeks that were not in ratings periods, thus Rocco & Birdsie were really on vacation. When WEEI was “looking” for a midday co-host to join Dale Arnold, Program Director Jason Wolfe went through a charade of “auditioning” various co-hosts when it was known that Bob Neumeier would be joining him. And when the nighttime job opened, Mike Adams staged a “sit-in” in the WEEI studios until he got a contract and lo and behold, Program Director Jason Wolfe called in to inform Adams that he had the job (but this had been decided before the stunt). Listeners are smarter than Entercom gives them credit for, but the company continues to stage these stunts. However with the D&C situation, there are clues leaning to the fact that the lock out could be real. There are clues leaning to the fact that it could be staged. John Dennis is still heard on WEEI promos for the Jimmy Fund Radiothon this Friday. But as Bruce points out today in the Boston Sports Media Watch, D&C want to be paid in accordance with that Entercom makes off their show. We’ll see. Entercom has not been called out for its stunts in the past, but if this lockout is not real, there will be consequences for the company and WEEI.
Those are your links for now. I could be back later with an update.
