On this day when many people are waiting for the new iPhone 3G launch, I remain outside of that loop and will provide you the Friday megalinks.
This being All-Star Game weekend in New York, we don’t have much for sports TV viewing. The big summer events happen next week with the MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, but this is a nice quiet weekend especially after last weekend’s great Wimbledon finals.
Weekend Viewing Picks
MLB is the main agenda for the weekend. Fox prepares for the All-Star Game by televising the New York Mets hosting the Colorado Rockies. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal will be at Shea Stadium with the call. Fox’s other games will be Minnesota at Detroit and Arizona at Philadelphia. The first pitches for each game will be 3:55 p.m. on Saturday. WGN will air the White Sox at Texas, Saturday night at 7 and the Cubs hosting San Francisco, Sunday afternoon at 2:10. TBS has the Red Sox taking on Baltimore at Fenway Park at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. And ESPN’s Sunday night game will be the Rockies-Mets.
The Tour de France continues on Versus throughout the weekend. Coverage on Saturday morning begins at 8:30 and on Sunday at 7:30 a.m.
HBO brings us live boxing from Hamberg, Germany Saturday afternoon as IBF/WBO/IBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitchko defends his titles against Tony Thompson. Jim Lampley leads the HBO World Championship Boxing crew. If you can’t watch the fight, it will be re-aired later at 10 p.m.
NASCAR heads to the Chicagoland Speedway for the Lifelock.com 400 Saturday night at 8 which marks the end of TNT’s 6 race season. In two weeks, ESPN/ABC picks up the rest of the Sprint Cup Series.
IndyCar will have Firestone IndyCar 200 from Nashville. ESPN goes head-to-head with NASCAR as it will show the race live Saturday at 8 p.m.
The PGA Tour has the John Deere Classic which CBS picks up for the weekend. Watch 3rd and final round coverage on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
ESPN2 has live 3rd round coverage of the LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, Saturday at 4 p.m., then will show the final round on tape, Sunday night at 6.
NBC will show the American Century Celebrity Championship, the golf tournament featuring celebrities from movies, sports, TV, news, you name it. NBC has the second round Saturday at 4, then on Sunday at 3 p.m. Charles Barkley is among the big names playing at Lake Tahoe.
Summer also means beach volleyball as NBC shows the AVP McDonald’s Chicago Open throughout the weekend.
The entire weekend schedule can be seen over at USA Today.com.
Now to your links.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that MLB is putting its best foot forward for the All-Star Game festivities for ESPN and Fox. As you’ll notice in today’s links, the All-Star Game will be the theme.
This next link has nothing to with the sports media, but it’s to give you something to look at. They’re known as the “Wilhelmena 7”, a group of LPGA golfers selected by Wilhemena Artist Management to be showcased to show a different side of women’s golf. Here’s the first salvo, a very nice photo shoot for Golf.com.
We continue with the links.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Friend of Fang’s Bites, David Scott of Boston Sports Media Watch, breaks news that Boston Herald Red Sox beat writer Rob Bradford will be leaving the paper to write for the soon-to-be-relaunched WEEI.com. This is a big shake up in the Boston media as a mainstream writer leaves to write for a sports radio station’s website. Bruce Allen of BSMW says this is a very good move for Bradford and WEEI.
Nancy Marrapese-Burell of the Boston Globe says Fox Sports is pumped up for the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium this Tuesday.
Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant discusses ESPN’s new “30 for 30” documentary initiative.
Brian Shelter of the New York Times also writes about the increased number of documentaries at ESPN.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium is an exercise in excess.
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says the Mets are gouging their season tickets holders. Justin Terranova of the Post writes that Yankee Stadium will be the real star of Fox’s coverage of the All-Star Game. Justin has five questions for YES’ Ken Singleton.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes that the Ravens will now use their radio team to call its exhibition games on TV.
Ryan O’Halloran of the Washington Times says the Redskins-owned sports radio WTEM made some firings this week including the Redskins beat reporter.
Jim Williams of the DC/Baltimore Examiner writes about some football-related media moves including Inside the NFL, Dan Patrick joining Football Night in America and Bob Papa joining the NFL Network.
Midwest
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal says the ratings for the Arena Football League’s Cleveland Gladiators are pretty decent.
Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has Fox’s Joe Buck and Tim McCarver raving about the Brewers’ young pitching.
Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald has the pros and cons of watching the All-Star Game.
Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune has his weekend viewing selections.
Judd Zulgad over at the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Fox will have some challenges in airing the All-Star Game.
Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin writes that this All-Star Game will be one to watch.
South
Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald says ESPN plans to produce a documentary about the U, University of Miami’s football program and it’s not expected to be sugarcoated. Barry Jackson of the Herald has a primer on the changing landscape of local sports talk radio.
Greg Stoda of the Palm Beach Post says Michael Strahan’s candor will make him a hit on Fox.
Dave Darling of the Orlando Sentinel looks forward to Bob Costas’ latest town hall meeting coming up on Wedensday. Also from the Sentinel, Brian Schmitz and Kyle Hightower wonder when FSN Florida will settle its dispute with Bright House cable about Magic games.
The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron writes that Fox is promising everything but the kitchen sink in its All-Star Game broadcast. And David tells us that NBC plans to air a majority of the Olympics on the internet.
Ray Buck in today’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Fox likes the storylines heading into Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
We have quite a few stories from Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman. First, Mel talks with Fox’s Joe Buck who wishes he had one more game with his father, the late great Jack Buck. Next, Mel has Sonics TV voice Kevin Calabro ripping Seattle for allowing Oklahoma City to take the team. Here’s Mel’s media notebook. And Mel has his viewing picks.
West
Jeremy Evans of the Tahoe (NV) Daily Tribune writing in the Nevada Appeal says ESPN’s Rick Reilly is the Michael Jordan of sports writers.
Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Yankee Stadium is the going to the real star of the All-Star Game. And here are the ratings from last weekend in San Diego.
John Maffei of the North County Times writes that Fox is trying to create moments at the All-Star Game instead of letting them happen.
Jim Carlisle in the Ventura County Star says Yankee Stadium will be the focus of the All-Star Game on Fox.
Larry Stewart from the Los Angeles Times writes that everybody loves a parade including Fox for the All-Star Game.
Tom Hoffarth in his weekly media column at the Los Angeles Daily News says NBC is planning to show everything at the Olympics in Communist China. Tom has his extensive media notes in his Farther Off the Wall blog. Tom facetiously combines two of Joe Buck’s favorite things.
Ferd Lewis from the Honolulu Advertiser says the WAC is appears to be getting increased exposure from ESPN in a new contract.
Media Publications
Kimberly Nordyke of the Hollywood Reporter says ESPN has signed 30 filmmakers for its “30 for 30” project.
Larry Barrett of Multichannel News writes that ESPN is pulling out the heavy hitters for the All-Star Home Run Derby this Monday.
Press Releases
ESPN has also announced four new documentaries for the winter season.
NBC says its coverage of Wimbledon received its highest ratings in 8 years. And NBC talks about the stars participating in the American Century Championship this weekend.
Blogs
Awful Announcing looks at Bob Costas’ latest town meeting on baseball which will run live on HBO the day after the All-Star Game.
The Big Lead has video of Alyssa Milano visiting the Philadelphia Phillies’ TV booth. And the Big Lead has a transcript of WFAN’s Mike & the Mad Dog’s first show together since news surfaced that they might split up.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell wonders how Stephon Marbury can sign a shoe deal with Amazon.com.
SportsbyBrooks talks about Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy going off on agent David Falk in the Elton Brand negotiations.
There you have it for your links today.
