Let’s do some links on this back to work Monday. Many of the links will focus on the NCAA Tournament so let’s get cracking.
Starting with John Ourand and Michael Smith of Sports Business Journal, they report that Fox is about to sign a new cable rights deal with the Big 12 Conference that would include football and basketball and possibly start a new channel.
Mike McCarthy of USA Today says ESPN’s analysts did a lot of yelling about the NCAA Tournament selections.
Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch does a Q&A on our viewing the NCAA Tournament.
Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, wonders if the new NCAA Tournament on CBS and Turner is an exercise in excess.
Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporters says the controlling stake in Canada’s top TV sports property is up for sale.
Also from Hollywood Reporter, Kimberly Nordyke writes that Dish Network and LIN TV have resolved their differences and 17 markets have their local stations back.
Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says MSG Network will air its first live concert in its history tonight.
Bill Cromwell of Media Life Magazine writes that media analysts feel the NFL lockout won’t last very long.
Mike Stern of Media Life says radio would be hurt by an extended NFL lockout.
Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid notes that Charles Barkley and old bastard curmudgeony analyst Billy Packer are continuing their feud.
My Twitter Trophy Wife, Amanda Rykoff of espnW, says watching a baseball game in the press box is extremely different than watching from the stands.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell goes inside the numbers of the NCAA Tournament.
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post doesn’t care about eating at the game, he just wants to watch it.
Neil Best from Newsday says it’s time for truTV’s big moment.
Neil says ESPN thumped the desk the loudest over the NCAA Tournament selections.
Neil writes that MLB Network will air some rare footage tonight.
Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the NIT TV tip times.
Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says WWOR-TV will air a handful of Yankees games this season.
Ken says the NIT will be aired exclusively on the networks of ESPN.
From the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg notes that a Capitals-centric NHL ad will debut tonight.
To Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner who writes that viewers finally have control of their NCAA Tournament viewing.
Jim talks with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s Capitals studio analyst Alan May.
Tom Jones from the St. Petersburg Times reviews the weekend in sports television.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle makes a long answer to a reader’s question.
David says Comcast in Houston will add truTV HD starting today.
And David has the early TV lineup for the NCAA Tournament.
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer explains what having four networks airing NCAA Tournament games means for local viewers.
A story that’s being picked up across the country in blogs and newspapers, Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch says ESPN’s and Ohio State alumnus Kirk Herbstreit is moving away from the area because Buckeye fans don’t understand that he has to be objective.
Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reviews the credentials of TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
Bob says ESPN’s Jay Bilas came out railing against the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
And Bob has CBS’ Uncle Verne Lundquist recalling a story on the late Al McGuire.
Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business talks about the new world of NCAA Tournament viewing this year.
Philip Hersh from the Chicago Tribune reports that the International Skating Union has postponed the World Figure Skating Championships originally scheduled for Tokyo this month due to the Japan earthquake. This affects NBC’s plans as it is the rightsholder for the event.
Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says having Turner Sports involved in the NCAA Tournament is a plus for fans.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with CBS/TNT’s Steve Kerr.
Tom also has your Southern California sports calendar for the week.
Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says it appears CBC’s Mike Milbury is the Voice of Reason in the NHL violence debate.
The Toronto Star has entertainment reporter Raju Mudhar taking over the sports media beat for Chris Zelkovich. Raju looks at the battle between TSN and Rogers Sportsnet.
At Puck The Media, Steve Lepore has the transcript of the discussion of fighting between NBC’s Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire.
And we’ll end it there for now.
