Here to provide some links for you today. Looks like I’ll be out on Friday so posting may be scarce, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the meantime, I have some links for you now.
This week, CBSSports.com Deputy Managing Editor Craig Stanke passed away at the age of 56. He joined the site as a deputy editor when it was known as SportslineUSA.com. During his time, he helped to attract a number of writers and build CBSSports.com’s stable to a point where it challenges the best sports news websites. Stanke worked at a number of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the Palm Beach Post among others.
We have a number of links.
First, CBSSports.com’s Mark Swanson writes Stanke’s obituary.
Scott Miller, CBS Sports’ Senior Baseball Columnist mourns Stanke’s passing.
CBS Sports’ national columnist Gregg Doyel says Stanke continued to teach him even after his death.
Stanke’s good friend, T.J. Simers at the Los Angeles Times, the man who hired Stanke for his first job, says he can’t believe his friend is gone.
To other stories now.
Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com notes that no matter how much the Big 12 expands, the TV payout money will remain the same. And Dodd tells us that the league’s TV deal with ESPN and Fox will be announced any day now.
Brian Steinberg at Advertising Age reports that CBS is 50% sold for Super Bowl XLVII and could reach 80% soon.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today says despite CBS/Showtime dropping Warren Sapp from Inside the NFL this season, NFL Network has signed the controversial snitch for another year.
Reid Cherner at USA Today writes that many feel last night’s NBA Draft Lottery on ESPN was fixed in New Orleans’ favor.
Patrick Burns of Deadspin notes that almost a quarter of all of SportsCenter’s editions last week was devoted to the Miami Heat.
Richard Deitsch from Sports Illustrated has his monthly Media Power List.
Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says the 2012 NHL postseason has had the most viewers in ten years.
Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has the viewership of all of the completed 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs to date.
Steve tweets the overnight ratings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final were down significantly from last year.
And Steve has a story on the overnights at Puck The Media.
Tim Nudd of Adweek reviews the NHL’s newest Stanley Cup spot. It’s a winner, but still doesn’t hold up to last year’s “No Words” promo.
Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center writes that newspapers are dropping the printed word for digital content.
Eric Goldschein of SportsGrid has the video of Chicago White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson going nuts.
In the Sherman Report, Ed Sherman talks about Hawk’s homerism and his love of all things White Sox.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell says talk about concussions may affect youth football participation.
Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk writes that the Miami Dolphins were the first pick of NFL Films for this year’s Hard Knocks and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union tells us that Sunday’s motorsports races finished in a ratings dead heat.
Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that the Anaheim Angels Radio Network is now being nationally syndicated.
Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a colleague, Tarik El-Bashir, is leaving the paper to join Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
At the Miami Herald, David J. Neal says NFL Films won’t have a problem finding story lines for Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins.
Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman talks with ESPN softball analyst Michele Smith about the Women’s College World Series which starts today.
Daniel Dorfman at Chicago Side Sports talks with unabashed White Sox homer Hawk Harrelson.
Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that San Diego State stands to get more TV money when it enters the Big East than from the Mountain West.
The Toronto Star’s Cathal Kelly rips CBC’s online attempt at satire of last night’s Stanley Cup Final Game 1.
To the Canadian Sports Media Blog which notes that Sportsnet has signed a deal to remain the home of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package which even includes NBC’s Thanksgiving Night game.
Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN received a good overnight number for Game 2 of the Celtics-Heat NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
I Am A GM notes that 10 NBA players are crying conspiracy over last night’s Draft Lottery.
At Awful Announcing, the Brothers Yoder list their favorite NBA announcers.
And that’s going to do it.
