Let’s do the Wednesday links while I can. It’s going to get busy the next couple of days as I try to wrap things up for the 4th of July weekend so blogging may get sparse through the weekend. Just giving you a heads up.
Here are the links for this Wednesday.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today says ESPN is going all out for the Women’s World Cup whether we like it or not.
Karolos Grohmann of Reuters reports that General Electric has pledged to sponsor the Olympic Games through 2020 as part of the deal that kept the US media rights with NBC.
Lindsay Powers of the Hollywood Reporter writes that Tiger Woods has signed his first endorsement deal since his marital troubles began in November 2009.
John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says the NFL wants Congress to leave the silly TV blackout rules in place.
Tim Baysinger of B&C notes that Fox Soccer received its highest audience ever for last Saturday’s Gold Cup Final between the US and Mexico.
Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News notes the improved ratings for TNT halfway through its NASCAR season.
Mike also recaps the ESPN/espnW Women’s World Cup viewing party in New York’s Times Square on Tuesday.
Mike discusses NBC Sports Group providing full coverage of the Tour de France.
Adweek’s Anthony Crupi says the NBA playoffs steered TNT to a cable ratings win in the 2nd quarter of this year.
Tim Nudd of Adweek really likes DirecTV’s Football Cops ad starring Peyton and Eli Manning.
At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Dave Kindred provides a lesson on just who Grantland Rice was and why he’s so revered.
Robert Niles of the Online Journalism Review at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism looks at the limits of free speech citing ESPN’s Jemele Hill defending David Tyree’s anti-gay marriage stance.
SportsGrid has video of Charles Barkley visiting the Sportsnet One booth during last night’s Pittsburgh-Toronto game.
SportsGrid’s Glenn Davis wonders if ESPN’s Robert Flores was caught napping on the job today.
SportsNewser’s Cam Martin writes that video game producer EA Sports plans to build a new studio in Texas.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell speaks with Nike’s CEO and President Charlie Denson on a myriad of sports business topics.
SportsbyBrooks is reporting that former Indiana and Texas A&M coach Bob Knight is preventing ESPN from hiring former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl as an analyst. I didn’t know coach Knight wielded that much power.
Andrew Gauthier of TV Spy notes the return of Len Berman to the Today Show this morning. And no one got hurt!
The lovely Kristi Dosh of the Business of College Sports explains how she got into the sports blogging business.
Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times reviews USA Network’s new football-based series.
Newsday’s Neil Best says Derek Jeter haters will like one new internet product that allows them to ignore the Yankees shortstop.
Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says tonight’s Red Sox-Phillies game originally scheduled for ESPN2 will now be seen on the ESPN mothership.
Ken says New York’s Capital Region will be blacked out on July 8 when Bob Costas and Al Michaels team up to call their first baseball game ever.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that NBC golf reporter Dottie Pepper reaches out to the community when she’s back home.
Evan Weiner in the New Jersey Newsroom says handouts to sports owners are not a good thing.
John George of the Philadelphia Business Journal says MLB Network’s Mitch Williams will be seen on a DIY Network show.
Dan Steinberg from the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog recaps a visit from consumer advocate Ralph Nader to the WaPo offices to discuss sports coverage and a new venture he’s helping to organize.
Graham Cawthorn of the Shelby (NC) Star looks at ESPN wanting to stream the American Legion World Series.
Danny Aller of the Albany (GA) Herald says Braves fans will finally be able to watch Peachtree TV games through the Fox Sports South affiliate.
Joel Hammond of Crain’s Cleveland Business says the Browns will launch a nightly radio show on the market’s dominant sports radio station.
Steve Brandt of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says local officials are denying that there’s a potential bid for the 2020 Olympics in the works.
The Syracuse (NE) Journal-Democrat reports that ESPN3 will stream all games of the American Legion World Series under a new four year contract.
Andrew Blankstein of the Los Angeles Times says former Chicago Sun-Times writer Jay Mariotti must stand trial on stalking and assault charges.
The Elk Grove (CA) Citizen notes that a local high school rejected ESPN’s request to air a football game this season.
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail talks about HBO hitting the ice once again next season.
Sports Media Watch says NASCAR on TNT’s ratings were up again this past weekend.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says viewership for the NHL Draft was up from last year.
The Big Lead wonders if NASCAR fired an in-house blogger for mentioning Kyle Busch’s marital problems.
That’s all for now.
