Ok, I have a whole slew of press releases to post. Get ready to scroll for a while.
CBS Sports which gets busy this month after four months of quiet, previews the college football season on Saturday.
CBS SPORTS PREVIEWS 2009 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON ON
“NCAA FOOTBALL PREVIEW SHOW“ ON SATURDAY, AUG. 15
CBS Sports kicks off the college football season with the 2009 NCAA FOOTBALL PREVIEW SHOW on Saturday, Aug. 15 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET). Tim Brando hosts with analysis from CBS Sports’ lead college football analyst Gary Danielson, Spencer Tillman and Tony Barnhart.
The one-hour program breaks down each of the top conferences, previews games to watch this season, looks at the Heisman front-runners and the trio of analysts give their 2009 national championship predictions.
CBS Sports begins its ninth year of national coverage of Southeastern Conference (SEC) football on Saturday, Sept. 19 (3:30-7:00 PM, ET), with Tennessee at Florida. Danielson will be joined in the booth by play-by-play announcer Verne Lundquist, and reporter Tracy Wolfson on the sidelines. COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY (3:00 PM, ET), the Network’s pre-game, halftime and post-game studio show with Brando and Tillman leads off the day each week.
The 2009 NCAA PREVIEW SHOW was produced by Vin DeVito.
Harold Bryant is Vice President Production, CBS Sports
Below are excerpts from the show.
* * * * *
EXCERPTS FROM CBS SPORTS NCAA FOOTBALL PREVIEW SHOW
Gary Danielson on LSU-Florida Match-up in National Championship Game: I have been a strong advocate for 10 years that you can’t play in the (National) Championship unless you win the Championship of your conference. Since they won’t listen to me, I will stick it right back to them. I am picking Florida-LSU in the Championship. Four teams from the SEC are in the top 10. I see Florida losing at LSU in that night game. LSU losing to Alabama. Florida will beat Alabama. No one goes undefeated. Two left standing, LSU and Florida play for the (National) Championship. I think every team will lose a game and I don’t think they are going to put Boise State ahead of LSU.”
Tony Barnhart on Punishing Florida State for Academic Fraud: First of all, let’s be clear, Florida State should be punished. This is academic fraud. It was sloppy and it’s unforgivable. But, vacating victories is not the way to go. And I think the same way about the Alabama case. In vacating victories, basically you are saying the games were never played. It is not like forfeiting. I don’t agree with the concept. Do scholarships, do TV, do fines, do any of that, but I agree with Bobby Bowden. This is not fair, in my opinion.
Tim Brando on Charlie Weis: If Notre Dame doesn’t get at least nine wins, Charlie Weis will have to buy a ticket to see the Irish play in the Bronx next year.
Danielson on Notre Dame-Michigan Game: That game against Michigan early is going to start this whole rumor mill going. Michigan-Notre Dame, for the losing coach, the rumors will start.
The Big Ten Network will allow fans living abroad to tap into Big Ten games online for a fee, of course.
Big Ten Network Introduces Web Streaming for Fans Abroad‘Big Ten Ticket’ will make football, men’s basketball telecasts available online outside U.S., Canada
CHICAGO – Big Ten fans around the globe will be able to watch their favorite football and men’s basketball teams beginning this fall with “Big Ten Ticket,” the Big Ten Network’s new international streaming package.
All televised Big Ten Network football and men’s basketball games will be available live and on-demand online to viewers living outside of the United States and Canada on www.BigTenTicket.com.
“The Big Ten Network has made a significant financial investment in the latest streaming equipment and technology. As a result, fans will see their games with a clarity that is comparable to high definition,” Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. “We are thoroughly pleased to be able to offer these games to Big Ten fans living abroad and help them feel a little closer to home.”
Fans will be able to select from three service options: the “Single-Game Pass,” the “School Pass,” which covers every Big Ten Network football and men’s basketball telecast for one school and the “Conference” pass, which covers every Big Ten Network football and men’s basketball telecast for every Big Ten school during the 2009-10 season. Fans will be able to make their selections at www.BigTenTicket.com beginning in late August.
The UFL has unveiled the name of the New York franchise.
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE INTRODUCESNEW YORK SENTINELS
AS TEAM NAME & UNVEILS UNIFORMS
Sentinels to Play “Home” Games at Hofstra, Giants Stadium & Rentschler Field
NEW YORK, NY (August 13, 2009) – At a press conference today, United Football League Commissioner Michael Huyghue announced the New York franchise will be named the Sentinels and unveiled innovative team uniforms showcasing the Sentinels’ “Premiere” season colors of black, silver and green. The name “Sentinels” was selected after more than thirty thousand fan entries and interpretation from industry experts and an in-house creative team on what attributes the fans were seeking with their submissions. New York Sentinels Owner Bill Mayer and Sentinels Head Coach Ted Cottrell were also in attendance at the press event.
“It was critical to us that we took our time in selecting team names that we felt best reflected the local community while simultaneously defining the personality of the team,” said Commissioner Huyghue. “When selecting a name for the New York franchise, we wanted to pay homage to the individuals who protect the city including the NYPD, FDNY, the Port Authority and so many other dedicated organizations who bravely watch over the city.”
Mayer also announced that the Sentinels will play its three home games in its “Premiere” season at Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex on October 29th, Hofstra University on November 4th and Rentschler Field in Hartford on November 14th.
“In an effort to reach fans across the tri-state region, we are playing at multiple stadiums in our “Premiere” season,” said Mayer. “The fan interest for the New York area team has been immense and we want to expand our reach so that all fans may attend a “home” game and be able to embrace the New York Sentinels as their team.”
The New York Sentinels’ first game will be in Orlando on October 10th and will be broadcast on HDNet at 6:00 PM Pacific. The Sentinels’ first home game is October 29th against the Redwoods at Giants Stadium and will be broadcast on VERSUS.
NBA TV will celebrate Magic Johnson’s 50th birthday on Friday.
“Magic’s 50!” NBA TV Special to air on Friday, Aug. 14 @ 6 p.m. ET
A 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time league MVP, Olympic gold medalist and one of the biggest stars ever to play the game of basketball, Earvin “Magic” Johnson now celebrates another milestone – his 50th birthday. NBA TV pays tribute to Magic with a series of countdowns, adding up to the 50 top moments of his career. Assists, Showtime highlights, All-access clips, Clutch plays and his top ten “Magic Moments” are all included, reaching deep into the NBA Entertainment library for exclusive footage not seen in a long while. “Magic’s 50!”…tune in on his birthday, August 14th at 6 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
Please click on the link below to view a rough cut preview of “Magic’s 50!”
http://dmmx2.nba.com:8080/nbae/specials/specials_decker_magic_largerthanlife_and_clutch_1500.wmv
Two releases from NBC Sports now. This weekend, America’s Olympic Network has coverage of the World Track & Field Championships from Berlin, Germany.
BOLT & GAY HEADLINE NBC SPORTS LIVE COVERAGE OF WORLD TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM BERLIN BEGINNING SATURDAY
Live Streaming Webcasts on UniversalSports.comNEW YORK - August 13, 2009 - The fastest athletes in the world, including Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica and reigning world champions Tyson Gay, Bernard Lagat and Allyson Felix of the U.S., headline NBC Sports' live coverage of the World Track & Field Championships from Berlin over the next two weekends.
TEAM USA: The 2009 Team USA squad consists of 20 Olympic medalists, 28 World Outdoor Championship medalists and 10 American record holders. The reigning World champions on Team USA competing in Berlin includes Gay, Lagat, Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, Michelle Perry, Reese Hoffa and Brad Walker.
Over the past 11 World Track and Field Championships, Team USA has won a total of 228 medals, including 110 gold. Russia places second during that span with 122 total medals (33 gold).
COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS: NBC Sports will air eight hours of competition over two weekends beginning this Saturday from 1-3 p.m. ET (LIVE), continuing this Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET (LIVE), August 22 from 1-3 p.m. ET (LIVE) and concluding August 23 from 2-4 p.m. ET (Same Day Tape). Coverage highlights include:
This Saturday: Men's 100m Quarterfinals
Women's 10,000m Final
Men's Shot Put Final
This Sunday: Men's 100m Final
Women's Shot Put Final
Women's 400m Semifinal
Saturday, Aug. 22: Men's 4x100m Relay Final
Women's 4x100m Relay Final
Women's 5,000m Final
Men's Long Jump Final
Men's Pole Vault Final
Women's Hammer Throw Final
Men's Marathon
Sunday, Aug. 23: Men's 4x400m Relay Final
Women's 4x400m Relay Final
Men's 800m Final
Women's 1,500m Final
Woman's Marathon
Women's Long Jump Final
Men's Javelin Final
COVERAGE ON UNIVERSALSPORTS.COM: UniversalSports.com will provide a live webcast of the morning and evening sessions from Berlin each day of the Championships, from August 15 - 23. UniversalSports.com's Alan Abrahamson will provide daily blog posts and news updates from Berlin. The full webcast schedule, highlights, full-length videos, photos, breaking news and more is available at UniversalSports.com/trackandfield.
TEAM USA RETURNS TO BERLIN: These World Championships marks the first time that the USA Track and Field team will return to Berlin for a major international competition since the 1936 Olympic Games where Jesse Owens won four gold medals.
ANNOUNCERS: Calling the action from Berlin is NBC Sports Olympic Track and Field broadcast team of: Tom Hammond, Ato Bolden, Lewis Johnson, Dwight Stones and Bob Neumeier.
NBC will also air the Dew Tour.
DEW TOUR CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND WITH THE WENDY?S INVITATIONAL ON NBC & USA
Competition Features World Champions Ryan Sheckler, Bucky Lasek and Dew Winners Jamie Bestwick & Dave Mirra
NEW YORK – August 13, 2009 – Skateboard Park and BMX Park highlight NBC Sports’ coverage of the Wendy’s Invitational this weekend from the Rose Quarter in Portland, Ore., the first three-sport stop of the 2009 Dew Tour. NBC Sports’ live coverage of Skateboard Park airs Saturday and BMX Park airs Sunday at 4 p.m. ET both days. USA Network will air late-night coverage of the BMX Vert final Saturday at midnight ET/PT.Athlete analysts Jamie Bestwick, Chris Miller and Paul Zitzer will join host Kenan Harkin and correspondent Tiffany Simons from Portland.
More than 140 of the world’s best skateboarders and riders will compete in Portland, including the winners of the first two Dew stops who are back to defend their titles. Competitors include: Bestwick (BMX Vert), Dave Mirra (BMX Park) and Josh Hult (BMX Dirt) from the Nike 6.0 BMX Open; and Skateboarding world champs Ryan Sheckler (Skateboard Park) and Bucky Lasek (Skate Vert) from the ISF Skateboarding World Championships.These Dew Tour winners will face steep competition from athletes fresh off X Games gold medals including Pierre-Luc Gagnon (Skateboard Vert), Garrett Reynolds (BMX Park) and Paul Rodriguez (Skateboard Park).
Freestyle Motocross (FMX) also makes its first appearance on the 2009 Dew Tour, with an FMX jam session featuring last year’s Dew Cup winner Adam Jones, Jeremy Stenberg and Mike Mason.
Complete 2009 Dew Tour Schedule, airs on NBC & USA:Date/Event/Site - VenueAug. 13 – 16: Wendy’s Invitational – Portland, Ore. – Rose Quarter
Sept. 17 – 20: Toyota Challenge – Salt Lake City, Utah – Energy Solutions ArenaOct. 15 - 18: PlayStation Pro - Orlando, Fla. - Amway Arena
Next weekend, Golf Channel will have extensive coverage of the Solheim Cup.
GOLF CHANNEL Has The Solheim Cup Covered from Tee to Green
40 hours of Live Tournament Action and Wrap-around News Coverage
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 13, 2009) – As Team U.S.A. and Team Europe battle for the prestigious Solheim Cup outside Chicago, GOLF CHANNEL will take viewers inside the ropes at Rich Harvest Farms with 26 hours of live match-play coverage of The Solheim Cup – produced for the first time in high definition – Aug. 21-23, coupled for the first time with 14 hours of wrap-around news coverage throughout the week. Live From the Solheim Cup will surround GOLF CHANNEL’s tournament coverage with all of the news from the first tee-shot to the last putt.
Friday and Saturday (Aug. 21-22), GOLF CHANNEL will air more than 10 continuous hours of daily live tournament coverage of The Solheim Cup matches, beginning at 9 a.m. ET. GolfChannel.com will take over live coverage for two hours on Friday, streaming from 2-4 p.m. ET, before the network returns for the conclusion of play from 4-7:30 p.m. ET. Sunday’s live tournament coverage will air from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET.
Brian Hammons and six-time Solheim Cup U.S. Team member Dottie Pepper will serve as play-by-play announcer and lead analyst of the network’s live tournament coverage.
Hall-of-Famer Donna Caponi-Byrnes, LPGA veteran Kay Cockerill, multiple LPGA tournament winner and ’96 U.S. Solheim Cup team member Val Skinner and Phil Parkin will report from the course. Tom Abbott will conduct post-match interviews and report from an on-course tower. Rich Lerner, as show host, will set the stage for the telecasts each day, conduct post-round interviews and rotate with Hammons for play-by-play duties. Hall-of-Famer and two-time U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Judy Rankin will make her GOLF CHANNEL debut at the Solheim Cup as lead analyst, working alongside Lerner.
The network’s Live From The Solheim Cup news team will include Kraig Kann, Charlie Rymer, Laura Baugh, Inga Hammond, Scott Walker, Lerner, Abbott and Pepper providing live news reports, inside analysis and compelling features. Live From The Solheim Cup kicks off Tuesday and Wednesday with pre-event news conferences, followed by wrap-around news coverage Thursday – Sunday. GolfChannel.com’s Jay Coffin and Randall Mell also will contribute to the popular Shag Bag blog with entries and posts throughout the week.
Wednesday (Aug. 19) at 8:30 p.m. ET, Annika Sorenstam will be a special guest on the Grey Goose 19th Hole, joining host Vince Cellini and analysts John Hawkins and Jeff Rude on the network’s fast-paced talk show to preview The Solheim Cup.
GOLF CHANNEL / The Solheim Cup Coverage, (All Times Eastern):
Tuesday
· Live From The Solheim Cup (News Conferences), 2 – 3 p.m.
Wednesday
· Live From The Solheim Cup (News Conferences), 2 – 4 p.m.
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 6 – 8 p.m.
Thursday
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 1 – 2 p.m.
· The Solheim Cup Opening Ceremony, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 1 – 1:30 a.m.
Friday
· The Solheim Cup (Day 1), 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
· GolfChannel.com live stream of The Solheim Cup, 2 – 4 p.m.
· The Solheim Cup (Day 1), 4 – 7:30 p.m.
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 7:30 – 8 p.m.
· The Solheim Cup (Day 1 re-air), 10:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Saturday
· The Solheim Cup (Day 2), 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 7:30 – 9 p.m.
· The Solheim Cup (Day 2 re-air), 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Sunday
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 10:30 – 11 a.m.
· The Solheim Cup (Day 3), 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
· Live From The Solheim Cup, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
· The Solheim Cup (Day 3 re-air), 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
And that does it for this slew of press releases. Baseball this weekend is coming up.
