You think I’m happy that Friday is here? Yesterday felt like Monday with the holiday smack in the middle of the work week. But a Friday is a Friday so we have the weekend. Time for some links.
As usual, I’ll go from East to West as I give you links from the morning papers. Starting with the Boston Globe, Susan Bickelhaupt writes that the Fox #1 MLB team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver (isn’t it time for someone else to be #1 MLB analyst? McCarver has been doing this since the mid-1980’s with ABC, I think someone else who has a better connection to the game can do this, but I digress) won’t be able to avoid talking about Barry Bonds in Tuesday’s All Star Game.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks about Bud Collins’ final broadcast for NBC at Wimbledon. Hiestand has some nice tidbits on Collins’ broadcast career. Again, I want to stress that Bud will still write for the Boston Globe and be at the Big W next year, he won’t be on TV unless the Tennis Channel or ESPN2 change that.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times is grossed out by the coverage of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
It doesn’t take long for New York Post curmudgeon Phil Mushnick to get ramped up and he’s taking the New York Yankee radio announcers, John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, to task. He calls listening to Sterling and Waldman, “elective torture”. Tell us how you really feel, Phil. Come up to New England and listen to Glenn Geffner for two minutes and your assessment of him will be much worse, if that’s possible.
It appears both Neil Best of Newsday and Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News took this week off. They’re entitled.
Laura Nachman of the Philly Burbs newspapers writes about former Philadelphia native Chris McKendry who is hosting “The Complete Wimbledon” highlights show for ESPN2. Chris played tennis in high school so she knows the game.
Down to Florida and the Miami Herald. Barry Jackson writes about ESPN and Fox muscling for position to be the network to show Barry Bonds’ record breaking home run. Interestingly enough, both are still negotiating with MLB.
Dave Darling in today’s Orlando Sentinel discusses two programs premiering next week focusing on New York, The Bronx is Burning on ESPN and The Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush on HBO.
To the Midwest, Teddy Greenstein had the big story of the week, saying that Dan Patrick is 90% gone from ESPN. Still no official word as of yet, but we’ll probably find out next week. In any event, Greenstein writes in today’s edition that one sticking point is Patrick is still under contract until next year. And Greenstein talks about Fox MLB analyst Mark Grace wondering why the White Sox haven’t given pitcher Mark Buehrle a no-trade clause.
Bob Wolfey of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says Joe Buck of Fox has high praise for the Brewers.
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, Judd Zulgad says ratings for the Twins are still high even with the team’s struggles this season.
David Barron in the Houston Chronicle talks to two Houston natives who had a hand in the beginning of WFAN in New York.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune, Jay Posner says Fox’ Joe Buck and Tim McCarver finally make it to Petco Park for a game.
John Maffei in the North County Times says the even though Buck and McCarver are in San Diego Saturday and ESPN will do the Sunday night game at Petco as well, the Padres aren’t sexy enough for national TV.
Larry Stewart in the LA Times also previews the HBO documentary bringing the Dodgers to Los Angeles. And Stewart in his news and notes column talks about TNT’s of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona tomorrow night.
Over to the crosstown LA Daily News where Tom Hoffarth’s media column has news on the Bonds situation and adds to his media column with his blog, Farther Off the Wall.
That will do it for now. More links later.
