Time for our Friday megalinks. Before we get to the links, we look at the weekend viewing.
Weekend Viewing Picks
This weekend is quite busy for the sports calendar. There’s interleague play in baseball as the natural rivalries come into play in New York, Chicago, Washington-Baltimore, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Wimbledon goes into its first weekend of its traditional fortnight, but without many favorites like Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick. Euro 2008 concludes on Sunday. The U.S. Olympic trials in several sports will take place over the weekend and the U.S. Women’s Open is being played in Minnesota.
The Yankees-Mets and Cubs-White Sox will be the focus of the national attention this weekend. Fox will carry both matchups as part of its regional Game of the Week coverage on Saturday. TBS has the fourth game of the Subway Series (Yanks-Mets) on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ESPN will carry Cubs-White Sox Sunday night at 8 p.m.
ESPN2 and NBC will combine for live and same day coverage of Wimbledon on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. NBC will pick up its coverage from SW19 at noon, then ESPN2 returns at 3 p.m. until the day’s conclusion of play. On the traditional vacant Sunday, NBC will have a review of the week’s play at noon.
The Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain can be seen on ABC at 2:30 p.m.
NBC has coverage of the U.S. Olympic track & field trials this weekend in primetime on both Saturday and Sunday. The swimming trials will also be in primetime on Sunday.
The U.S. Women’s Open will be on NBC as well. Dan Hicks who normally teams with Johnny Miller won’t be at the Open, covering swimming instead. Johnny will be joined by Mark Rolfing in the 18th tower. This will be the last U.S. Open for Annika Sorenstam as she leaves the LPGA Tour after this season. NBC has 3rd and final round coverage at 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
The PGA Tour heads to Michigan for the Buick Open. CBS has coverage throughout the weekend at 3 p.m. ET, Saturday and Sunday.
For those who enjoy the Indy Car Series, the stop is in Richmond, VA for the SunTrust Indy Challenge. ESPN has it at 8 p.m. Saturday.
NASCAR’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series are in Loudon, NH. The Camping World RV Sales 200 will be on ESPN2 on ABC, Saturday at 3 p.m. TNT has the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 starting at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The WBC Lightweight title is on the line Saturday as David Diaz defends his belt against Manny Pacquaio in Las Vegas. HBO Pay Per View has the bout Saturday night at 9.
The complete listings for the weekend can be seen over at USA Today.
Now let’s get to your links.
East and Mid-Atlantic
David Scott of the Boston Sports Media Watch writes that Comcast SportsNet’s Laura Behnke is changing coasts, leaving the New England area to head for a new job in San Francisco.
The Boston Globe’s Nancy Marrapese-Burrell talks with Rhode Island’s own Alan Bestwick who will be working the NASCAR Nationwide race for ABC this Saturday.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick says WFAN’s Boomer and Carton took at a cheap shot at a Mets pitcher. Justin Terranova of the Post talks with YES’ David Cone about this weekend’s Subway Series. And Justin has five questions for ESPN/MSG Network NBA voice Mike Breen.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says Mets fans won’t be able to enjoy Ron Darling this Sunday as he’ll be part of the locally blacked out TBS telecast of the Yankees-Mets.
Newsday’s Neil Best talks about the agony of Personal Seat Licenses being sold in the new Giants/Jets stadium. In his blog, Neil says the middle class is the loser in the PSL sale. And Neil has a letter from the Giants to season ticket holders explaining the PSL’s. Finally, Neil writes that PSL’s are proving unpopular with Big Blue Nation.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that a local sports radio talk show will hit the road starting next month.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun has a bunch of sports media news and notes leading off with the Big Ten Network’s agreement with Comcast.
Jim Williams of the DC/Baltimore Examiner writes that the Ravens will have to move their summer exhibition games from the NBC affiliate to the ABC affiliate during the Olympics. And Jim reports that starting tonight, the Washington Nationals will have Spanish language radio broadcasts. In his Watch This blog, Williams says CN8’s Lynn Doyle wants more women to love NASCAR like she does.
South
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald feels ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Draft improved this year.
Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel lists his Top Ten Favorite Summer Sports Movies.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says former Red Sox and Astros announcer Jerry Trupiano will be in town this weekend. And David reports that the Houston Rockets have a new radio play-by-play man.
Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram raves about FSN’s Baseball Golden Age series which premieres next month.
Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says Texas Rangers TV analyst Tom Grieve is happy to be back in the booth after being treated for prostate cancer. Mel also has some questions for Grieve about the Rangers. In his notebook, Mel has some various media news and notes. And Mel has his weekend viewing picks.
Midwest
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Bucks’ trade before the NBA Draft got ESPN’s coverage off to a ro
using start.
Michael Ziudema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press writes about a local TV sports anchor who has received an award for hockey coverage.
Teddy Greenstein talks with Fox Sports’ Thom Brennaman about his dad’s comments about Cubs fans earlier this year. Teddy has his weekend viewing picks.
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune talks with the NBC Sports golf crew about the U.S. Women’s Open which is being played in Minnesota this weekend.
West
Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) Morning News says lightning problems asides, ESPN has done a very good job in airing the Euro 2008 tournament.
The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner writes that the Padres’ flagship radio station is not treating the team with kid gloves. Jay has the ratings from last weekend.
John Maffei of the North County Times says an ESPN-NFL Network deal could broaden the channel’s subscriber base.
John Scheibe of the Los Angeles Times writes in the Sound and Vision column that there will be plenty of backup generators to prevent a technical glitch at the Euro 2008 final on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth says the three cuts in coverage during Wednesday’s Germany-Turkey game at Euro 2008 gave viewers a shock. And Tom’s media notes seem even longer than normal which is a good thing.
Canada
William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that CBC’s proposed all-amateur sports channel may not get approved by regulators. And Houston talks about the new era in Canada as TSN will air all 77 games of the Canadian Football League on cable.
Alison Korn of the Toronto Sun says CBC is hoping some high profile athletes in the booth will help the ratings for the Olympics.
Kent Gilchrist of the Vancouver Province scolds TSN for not hyping the CFL a bit more.
Blogs
CNBC’s Darren Rovell laments the loss of some potential nicknames during the NBA Draft.
David J. Warner of the AOL Fanhouse blog and Awful Announcing both get on ESPN for not sending announcers to Euro 2008 as the BBC did.
The Big Lead grades ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage.
SportsbyBrooks notes that newspaper sports departments are shrinking and lack in diversity.
That will do it.
