Ok, let’s get this done. Lots of linkage from yesterday and today. I need to catch up. Let’s go.
Check out your Weekend Viewing Picks for the sports and entertainment programming for Saturday and Sunday.
National
Mike McCarthy of USA Today wonders if there’s a glass ceiling for women in sports television.
Former Comcast SportsNet New England anchor Jackie Pepper has her take about being a woman in sports television.
Back to USA Today, Michael Hiestand looks at the casting call for the new Broadway play focusing on the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry and friendship, produced by the same people who did Lombardi on Broadway.
Hiestand writes that Fox Sports will be using some of its own talent for its UFC debut next week.
Paul Thomasch of Reuters talks with CBS head honcho Les Moonves about the network’s SEC deal.
Emma Bazilian at Adweek notes that DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket promotion over the summer paid off in droves in the third quarter of this year.
Phil Swann of TV Predictions has his take on DirecTV’s subscriber spike.
The talk of the sports blogosphere the last couple of days has been the Deadspin story by A.J. Daulerio on a former ESPN executive who’s filed a lawsuit against an employee denying several displays of odd behavior including masturbating in Erin Andrews’ presence.
Congratulations to former ESPN reporter Amy K. Nelson who leaves the Alleged Worldwide Leader for SBNation. Deadspin has that story as well.
Aaron Kuniloff and David Mildenberg from Bloomberg Businessweek co-author a story on ESPN’s Longhorn Network and its ramifications on college sports.
Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek of Businessweek talk about the alternatives to the NBA and how the league’s TV partners have lost money airing the games.
Rick Chandler of NBC’s Off the Bench explains how an ESPN.com story mushroomed into the Occupy Tebow movement.
At ESPN Front Row, network spokesman Mike Soltys notes that the Alleged Worldwide Leader has new policy on employees writing books, something that got Bruce Feldman into trouble earlier this year.
Jason Dachman from Sports Video Group looks at a new MSG Network mobile app that brings live high school sports to your cell phone.
Ariel Sandler at the Business Insider Sports Page has video of two Canadian news anchors going crazy when their sports anchor is named the winner of a $2.5 million lottery on live TV.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell reviews the results of having two In-N-Out Burgers shipped frozen across country.
Sports Media Watch says TNT’s replacement programming for the NBA’s canceled games on what would have been Opening Night of the season failed miserably in the ratings.
Joe Favorito wonders if the Bellator Fighting Championships can co-exist with UFC in Mixed Martial Arts.
Ben Koo of Awful Announcing says Brent Musburger got the job done in his cameo on an ABC sitcom.
Dave Kohl at The Broadcast Booth says it’s the subject matter, not the personalities that drive ratings for sports radio stations.
SportsbyBrooks notes that ESPN Radio hack Colin Cowherd sat with the beautiful people at last week’s Stanford-USC game.
Marisa Ingemi of In Lax We Trust reports that the National Lacrosse League has a deal in place with CBS Sports Network to air games in 2012-13.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn from the Boston Globe speaks with former ESPN MMA Live host Jon Anik who will work straight for UFC now.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Bill Doyle talks with Comcast SportsNet New England Celtics analyst Tommy Heinsohn who’s cooling his heels during the NBA lockout.
Newsday’s Neil Best notes that WFAN’s Boomer & Carton show has really taken off in the ratings.
Neil has more with Boomer and Carton that he could not provide in his feature story.
Scott Shifrel and Bill Hutchinson of the New York Daily News write that former ESPN executive Keith Clinkscales is claiming that he is the victim of a smear campaign.
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post wonders where’s the outrage on the Detroit Lions for what he feels was mocking Tim Tebow’s religion.
Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for Cleveland Browns franchise assassin and ESPN analyst Eric Mangini. No, I’m not bitter about his tenure as Browns coach.
Justin previews MLB Network’s special on the 1986 Postseason.
Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union hears from SEC on CBS analyst Gary Danielson on LSU-Alabama.
Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call also has quotes from Danielson regarding this year’s Game of the Century.
In Press Box, Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com has the latest in Baltimore-DC sports media news.
In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg looks at a failed lobbyist’s efforts to get DC NFL team owner Dan Snyder to change the brand name.
And Dan has Joe Theismann’s thoughts on the whole John Beck/Rex Grossman QB controversy in Washington.
Monica Hesse of the Post says some of the items from the now-defunct ESPN Zone in DC are being sold at auction.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner finds out ESPN’s plans for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup.
South
Sean Cartell of SEC.com has Verne Lundquist’s thoughts on LSU-Alabama.
Brian Reynolds in the Tuscaloosa News says ESPN is giving LSU-Alabama the Super Bowl treatment.
David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says both CBS and ESPN are pulling out all of the stops for LSU-Alabama.
Midwest
John Kiesewetter in the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that former Bengals QB Carson Palmer will be profiled on Sunday’s edition of The NFL Today.
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says ratings for the World Series were good, but the games showed that instant replay was greatly needed.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that former Brewers radio voice Corey Provus now has a new gig with the Twins.
Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers in sports business and media.
Ted Gruber in Chicago Now feels ESPN gets a big fail in covering Mixed Martial Arts.
Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Corey Provus takes over for former Minnesota Twins voice John Gordon who retired this year.
Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin talks about Provus’ hiring by the Twins.
Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch feels the national media undersold Albert Pujols’ achievement in Game 3 of the World Series.
West
Jeff Call of the Deseret (UT) News says ESPN’s partnership with BYU has been beneficial for both parties.
John Maffei in the North County Times notes how CBS obtained LSU-Alabama for primetime.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says it’s rare to get a #1 vs. #2 matchup in the regular season.
Jim says Brad Nessler is ready for primetime when Thursday Night Football begins next week.
Jim has his weekend viewing picks.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says we’re in a Golden Age of sports documentaries.
Tom has more in his blog.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says Hazel Mae is officially back with Rogers Sportsnet.
The Canadian Sports Media Blog which broke the news of Hazel’s return discusses what her duties will be.
That’s going to do it for the megalinks today.
