Well, here we are doing the Friday megalinks well into the late night.
As usual, we have the Weekend Viewing Picks for you.
The U.S. Open has been pushed back a day and possibly more with some rainy weather expected in New York this weekend. NBC has announced it will start its Saturday coverage of the second and possibly third round at 10 a.m., four hours before it was originally scheduled to come on the air. Should the weather cooperate and the final round is played as scheduled on Sunday, NBC will begin its coverage at 1:30 p.m.
Interleague baseball continues this weekend. Fox’s Saturday matchups include Tampa Bay at the Mets. MLB Network has the Civil Rights Game in Cincinnati. TBS has Atlanta at Boston. Check out what your national baseball games are in the “Baseball This Weekend” post.
NASCAR heads to Sonoma, CA this Sunday and TNT has the race at 5 p.m.
The IndyCar series is on ABC, Sunday at 1 and the Formula 1 circuit, most likely on its last legs, is in the UK for the British Grand Prix. Fox has same day coverage starting at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Soccer fans have the Confederations Cup with the US taking on Egypt on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
And for fans of Ninja Warrior, there’s the weekend marathon taking place all weekend on G4 leading up to the new Sasuke 22 competition that airs Sunday night starting at 6:30 preceeded by the American Ninja Challenge at 5:30.
The Weekend Viewing Picks have everything in sports and primetime you need to see.
National
Starting with USA Today’s Michael Hiestand, he looks at a new ESPN2 show to be co-hosted by ESPN Radio no-talent hack Colin Cowherd.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell is surprised that golfer Vijay Singh is still wearing the logo of embattled Stanford Financial Group despite its CEO being indicted on Federal fraud charges.
Darren has an interview with Tiger Woods’ agent.
Joe Favorito likes the move to set up a new office for Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport.
Leo Baraclough of Variety says the English Premier League has terminated its relationship with Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a deadline to pay part of its rights fee. ESPN is now the frontrunner to pick up Setanta’s 23 game package that begins next season.
Marc Graser of Variety says the WWE punked the media with a fake press release saying Donald Trump purchased “Monday Night Raw”.
Claire Atkinson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Tennis Channel is gearing up to air Wimbledon starting on Monday.
The Sports Media Watch looks at the ratings for the PGA Tour this year to date. The SMW says the ACC Football Championship Game heads to primetime, but will be on ESPN after spending its first four years on ABC. The SMW has some various news and notes. SMW also has news on various sports personalities.
The Big Lead interviewed ESPN SportsCenter anchor Josh Elliott.
Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has some suggestions on how to improve the NHL Awards Show.
Chris Byrne of Eye on Sports Media wonders why NBC Sports used baseball lingo to promote the U.S. Open. Chris notes that there’s the same small group of volunteers who help the media at the U.S. Open every year.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe looks at Matt Millen’s two NFL broadcasting gigs this upcoming season.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette hears from the NBC golf crew about the U.S. Open.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says there was little for ESPN and NBC to do when the rains started falling at the U.S. Open on Thursday.
Newsday’s Neil Best says NBC is set to start its U.S. Open coverage early on Saturday morning. Neil namedrops from his day at Bethpage Black. Neil says a scheduled Friday appearance by Sid Rosenberg on WFAN was nixed at the last moment.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News is amazed at how Mets manager Jerry Manuel manipulates the media.
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post weighs in on the Joe Buck Live/Artie Lange controversy.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says the U.S. Open provides plenty of intrigue for the viewer.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette writes that a local New York-Penn League team will have its games webcast on the internet this season.
Laura Nachman says a popular Philly sports anchor, Gary Papa, passed away on Friday. Laura has a statement from the Papa’s former TV station. And Laura links to some clips that paid tribute to Papa.
Michael Klein of the Philadelphia Inquirer also writes about Papa’s death.
The 700 Level blog also pays tribute to Papa.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes about NBC starting its U.S. Open coverage some four hours earlier than planned on Saturday.
South
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle talks with ESPN/ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy about his experience calling the NBA Finals with his brother on the sidelines.
Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram doesn’t feel this year’s U.S. Open and Wimbledon tournaments will be as dramatic as last year’s.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News unveils the identity of the mysterious quarterback in 4th and Long.
James Corley of The Oklahoman writes that ESPN will showcase former OU Sooner standout Blake Griffin during the NBA Draft.
Midwest
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Fox Sports Ohio plans limited commercial interruptions for the Civil Rights Game on Saturday.
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press says HBO generated the wrong type of buzz for Joe Buck Live.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley talks with author Curt Smith about his new biography about Dodgers voice Vin Scully.
Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business lists his winners and losers of the week. Ed also sets the record straight about who broke the story about the now-defunct Windy City internet sports radio station.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Judd Zulgad says TV is the most likely step for former Timberwolves General Manger Kevin McHale.
Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that rain will make for interesting viewing at the U.S. Open this weekend.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dan Caesar says Joe Buck might have taken hits for a bad show and the Artie Lange controversy, but his show did pull viewers for HBO.
West
Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret Morning News says the only ways to catch the Salt Lake Bees are on the radio or the internet.
Jay Posner from the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that long-time local personality Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton returns to the area airwaves for a week.
John Maffei of the North County Times says rain or shine, the U.S. Open will go on.
Diane Pucin from the Los Angeles Times also writes about the waterlogged U.S. Open that’s wreaking havoc with ESPN and NBC.
Austin Knoblauch of the Times feels the NHL shot and missed by holding its Awards show in Las Vegas.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says rain makes for a difficult telecast at the U.S. Open. Tom has his usual news and notes. Tom looks at the week in sports blogging.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail says NBC’s Johnny Miller is honest to a fault.
And we’re done.
