Ok, got interrupted today, but let’s finish up the linkage for this mid-week. Lots of good stuff out there.
USA Today’s Mike McCarthy catches up with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss the Winter Classic and the league’s TV rights.
Sports Business Journal lists some of the best sports tweets from athletes and journalists.
Sports Business Daily has Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson criticizing the NBA for scheduling five games on Christmas Day and has a roundup of other media reaction to two other league’s handling of the Holy Day.
Rachel Cohen from the Associated Press talks about the increased ratings for the NBA, even taking out the ratings for the Miami Heat.
Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk also discusses the higher NBA TV numbers.
At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans from the St. Petersburg Times shares his thoughts on what could and should happen in the sports media in 2011.
Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser notes that the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl on ESPN beat the UConn women on ESPN2 in the overnight ratings last night.
John Eggerton at Broadcasting & Cable says the NBC-Comcast deal will not be voted on by the FCC before year’s end disappointing both parties.
Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says cable and satellite providers are happy to learn that pay per view darling Manny Pacquaio will have another fight in May.
Lucia Moses of Mediaweek says Time, Inc. is splitting its combined News & Sports Group into two different entities.
All Access says all-around sports charlatan Max Kellerman will join ESPN Radio’s Los Angeles affiliate after the New Year.
Joseph Tartakoff of paidContent notes that Bleacher Report raised another $10.5 million of capital.
To Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo’s Puck Daddy and a look at the NHL’s trailer for the Winter Classic.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk is crowing about a new iPhone app.
Nick Caito of the Hartford Courant reports that Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is petitioning the NFL, Fox Sports and ESPN to not black out the Constitution State for New York Giants as it was last week for the G-Men/Vikings game.
The Waterbury (CT) Republican-American says the UConn women got decent ratings for ESPN2, but still did not reach a record for women’s college basketball.
At the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg wonders which Capitals fan started the “We Want Pittsburgh” chant.
Jim Williams with the Washington Examiner notes that DC and Baltimore had the NFL rank #1 in the local ratings once again.
To the South Florida Sun Sentinel where Sarah Talalay tells us that the latest edition of the LeBron James shoe will be unveiled on Christmas Day.
Sun Sports helped to give an Orlando military newlywed couple a treat during halftime at the Magic game on Tuesday. Thanks to the Orlando Sentinel for the link.
Tommy Hicks from the Mobile (AL) Press-Register says the locally-based GoDaddy.com Bowl has renewed its rights agreement with ESPN.
Shannon Owens of the Sentinel looks at DirecTV possibly dropping Golf Channel by year’s end.
Kyle Veazey of the Clarion (MS) Ledger looks at three state teams playing in holiday basketball tournaments this week that are all owned by ESPN.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs and WGN-AM will begin the search to replace late radio analyst Ron Santo.
Debbie Goffa of the Los Angeles Times writes that NHL Network will be all over the IIHF World Junior Championships starting this weekend.
Jim Moore of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer talks about FSN Northwest undergoing a name change in the Spring.
Bruce Dowbiggin with the Toronto Globe and Mail says Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson makes his job harder by being confrontational with beat reporters.
Friend of Fang’s Bites Jason Clinkscales of A Sports Scribe explains how he made his national television debut on the “C’mon, Man” segment on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
My former TV partner-in-crime Johnny Crowe at The Crowe’s Nest lists his top five announcers in various sports.
Paulsen at the Sports Media Watch has some ratings news and notes.
SMW says TNT’s NBA ratings are on the up-and-up.
And Paulsen says CBS had a slight drop for its Week 15 NFL late Sunday game.
Dave Kohl at Major League Programs talks about the NBA smorgasbord of games on Christmas Day.
We’re finally done with the linkage.
