The last couple of days have been tough to provide links as I was out of the office. Glad to be back linking again, although you never know if I’ll be called away again. I’ll try to do what I can.
Mike McCarthy of USA Today attended the NFL on CBS media day on Tuesday which introduced the network’s announcing teams for this season. Mike got some interesting quotage from NFL Today analyst Boomer Esiason on Denver Broncos third string QB Tim Tebow.
Mike reported earlier this week that ESPN’s Brian Kenny is leaving the network to possibly take a position with MLB Network.
Erik Brady of USA Today writes that the late Al McGuire’s granddaughter, once a basketball player at Virginia, is now an accomplished model.
John Ourand at Sports Business Journal chronicles what NBC Sports Group is doing to position Versus as a major player in sports television.
Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable says CBS Sports officials were worried about a potential NFL lockout, but continued to sell ads and carried on with its business of getting ready for this season.
Tim Baysinger of B&C has Marv Albert pleasantly surprised to be calling the NFL on TV again.
Over to Multichannel News and Mike Reynolds who writes that the Pac-12 Conference has hired a sports media veteran to run its seven Pac-12 Networks.
Mike says Tennis Channel has signed a new deal with the National Cable Television Cooperative that takes it off sports tiers on member’s cable systems.
R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel says MTV2 will air some live Lingerie Football League games starting on Friday.
Anthony Crupi of Adweek writes that concerns over the NFL lockout led advertisers to turn to college football for commercial buys.
Crupi adds that NFL Network has signed up another cable provider leaving Cablevision and Time Warner as the last two major holdouts.
Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk writes that former Patriots, Dolphins and Saints running back Heath Evans will retire and join NFL Network’s large cadre of analysts.
Mike Florio of PFT says NFL owners realize that empty stadiums don’t make for exciting TV.
Marcus Vanderberg at SportsNewser writes that ESPN is hiring another WWE veteran to join its on-air staff.
Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid notes that ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown crew was dressed in SWAT uniforms for an promo shoot.
Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group says the Baltimore Ravens are successfully producing all home preseason TV games in-house rather than outsource production to a local TV or cable network.
The Big Lead’s Barry Janoff recaps the NFL on CBS Media Day.
Rich Arden at ESPN’s Front Row PR blog says you can now put the Monday Night Football schedule into your Google calendar. Seriously!
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that if it’s US Open time, then it must mean another battle between Cablevision and Tennis Channel.
Richard says after many repeated offers, MetLife is finally taking the plunge and buying the naming rights to the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Barry Bearak of the Times profiles former play-by-play announcer Dom Valentino who’s currently fighting several life battles.
Richard Huff of the New York Daily News reports that WCBS-TV sports anchor and sometimes CBS Sports reporter Sam Ryan is leaving to take a job with MLB Network.
Newsday’s Neil Best looks at MetLife slapping its name on New Meadowlands Stadium for a rather large fee.
During Tuesday’s NFL on CBS Media Day, Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union asked CBS Sports President Sean McManus about a few non-NFL related issues.
Pete says 18 years later, CBS NFL analyst Steve Tasker is still correcting those who think it was he who prevented Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett from scoring at Super Bowl XXVII.
Ken Schott in the Schenectady Gazette says the University of Albany is shifting its football season opener to a different radio station as its flagship has a conflict.
Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that Time Warner Cable won’t be airing any local high school football games this season.
Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel talks with ESPN College GameDay analyst Desmond Howard about his new book and his usage of social media.
Henry Unger of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks with NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus about replacing the former Emperor Dick Ebersol.
Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the ESPN College GameDay crew will be in Austin to help launch the Longhorn Network.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says the Longhorn Network’s immediate future looks rather murky right now.
Mel Bracht in the Daily Oklahoman notes that former Sooners safety Roy Williams will be a part of the school’s radio broadcasts this season.
Mel says the NFL preseason topped the local TV ratings.
Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman says ESPN’s All-Access series on the Sooners is compelling TV.
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the Bengals garnered a huge local rating on Sunday.
John says the new Joe Morgan radio show is being heard locally.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will appear weekly on the local NBC station.
The Provo (UT) Daily Herald notes that ESPN has released the 2011-12 West Coast Conference men’s basketball schedule.
Ryan Casey of the Denver Post tells us that Root Sports Rocky Mountain will air the state high school football and basketball championships this year.
The Reno (NV) Gazette-Journal reports NFL Network will be seen on the local cable provider this season.
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that CBC is shooting down claims that it’s biased against Western Canadian NHL teams in its new Hockey Night in Canada schedule.
The Canadian Sports Media Blog says TSN and CBC are teaming up for coverage of this weekend’s LPGA Canadian Women’s Open.
Sports Media Watch says the PGA Championship’s ratings fell to a three year low.
SMW also has some various ratings news and notes.
Daniel Feuerstein of MLS Talk feels NBC will be a big boost for Major League Soccer.
Joe Favorito writes that Fordham University has been a fertile training ground for several of NYC’s sports voices.
Last night, I had the privilege to be a guest on the Sports-Casters podcast. Steven Bennett and Don Russ interviewed me on several subjects including the NFL on CBS, Marv Albert’s role at CBS, Joe Buck’s voice, NBC Sports Group, Olympics and a whole plethora of topics. I’m at 1:17:14 into the podcast. Michael Fabiano is also on so give it a listen.
The only Steeler fan I really like, Steelergurl, explains why she hasn’t been blogging lately. Get well soon, Lahne.
Dave Kohl at the Broadcast Booth looks at what NBC Sports Group is doing to improve Versus.
And that is going to finish out the links today.
