Fang's Bites

The Moment The Lights Went Out At The Superdome From Inside The NFL Control Room

When the lights went out in New Orleans, we didn’t get much information through CBS. The network was hampered by a lack of information from the National Football League, Superdome officials and the city’s electric grid. When a statement was released, it only led to more questions that couldn’t be answered in the network’s Super Bowl broadcast.

Well, CBS News’ Armen Keteyian was at the game and doing a story for this month’s edition of 60 Minutes Sports on the behind the scenes machinations at the Big Game and was inside the NFL’s control room at the stadium. He was talking with the league’s point man when the blackout occurred. I understand why CBS Sports’ cameras weren’t inside the control room, but at least someone from there should have been made available to the live telecast to inform us what was happening and when the game would resume. No transparency here.

We have this clip from CBS This Morning that also provides a tidbit that Beyoncé’s halftime performance went three minutes over its allotted time. That’s very interesting. So a lot of things conspired to extend the Super Bowl to its latest conclusion, 10:45 p.m. ET.

Here’s the clip.

The entire 60 Minutes Sports piece will air on Showtime this Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. I’ll post the press release on the program later today.

CBS Evening News Anchor Scott Pelley To Interview President Obama During Super Bowl Today

As is the tradition during the Super Bowl pregame show, the President of the United States will be interviewed. This year is no exception. CBS Evening News anchorman Scott Pelley will interview President Barack Obama live from the White House at 4:30 p.m. ET.

SCOTT PELLEY INTERVIEWS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA LIVE ON “THE SUPER BOWL TODAY” ON SUNDAY, FEB. 3 (4:30 PM, ET) DURING CBS SPORTS’ PRE-GAME COVERAGE OF SUPER BOWL XLVII

CBS EVENING NEWS Anchor and Managing Editor Scott Pelley will interview President Barack Obama live from the White House at 4:30 PM, ET on THE SUPER BOWL TODAY on Sunday, Feb. 3 during CBS Sports’ pre-game coverage of Super Bowl XLVII on the CBS Television Network.

That’s it.

Former ABC News Reporter Sharyn Alfonsi Joins 60 Minutes Sports

For the last five years, she’s been a featured reporter on ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer. Before that, she was with CBS News. Now, Sharyn Alfonsi returns to CBS News as a contributor to 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime.

Over the last year, Alfonsi has been part of ABC News’ “Made in America” feature that discovered that the U.S. Olympic uniforms had been made in Communist China.

Before hitting the network, Alfonsi had worked in Norfolk, VA, Boston and Seattle.

Here’s the CBS News/Showtime press release.

SHARYN ALFONSI JOINS “60 MINUTES SPORTS”

Veteran reporter and former CBS News Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has been named a contributor to 60 MINUTES SPORTS, the new sports magazine that premiered on SHOWTIME^® on Jan. 9.

Alfonsi comes from ABC News where she was a New York-based reporter for five years who appeared regularly on all of the division’s platforms. For “World News Tonight,” she revealed that uniforms to be worn by U.S. Olympic athletes last summer were made in China. Reporting for “Nightline,” she showed the often cruel world of the puppy mill industry, exposing factory-like breeding facilities in the Amish country of Pennsylvania.

As a correspondent for the CBS EVENING NEWS, Alfonsi covered wars and was the lead reporter on many domestic and international stories for the Network, including the school shootings at Virginia Tech. In 2006, she reported from the Israel-Lebanon border covering the war with Hezbollah and later, the violence in Gaza. Alfonsi also covered the war in Iraq.

Other big stories Alfonsi covered for CBS News include Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and the Sago Mine Disaster in West Virginia. She has served as substitute  anchor for the CBS EVENING NEWS weekend edition and appeared regularly on CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING.

Before being promoted to correspondent, Alfonsi was a freelance correspondent for the CBS EVENING NEWS weekend edition, UP TO THE MINUTE and CBS NEWSPATH, the Network’s 24-hour news service (December 2003-July 2004).

Alfonsi came to CBS News from the CBS-Owned station WBZ-TV in Boston, where she covered the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal, the Michael Skakel trial, the historic Rhode Island nightclub fire and served as substitute anchor.

Prior to that, she was a reporter for KIRO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Seattle, Wash. (1998-2000), where she covered the World Trade Organization riots. Alfonsi was also a general assignment reporter for WVEC–TV Norfolk, Va. (1995-97), where she traveled extensively with the military. She began her career in broadcast journalism at KHBS-TV Ft. Smith, Ark. (1994-95).

Alfonsi grew up in McLean Va. She graduated from the University of Mississippi, Oxford, where she was a James Love Scholar and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and journalism studies.

60 MINUTES SPORTS is the product of a unique agreement between 60 MINUTES and SHOWTIME Sports^® and is the first time original 60 MINUTES segments have been produced for a cable network. The program is co-executive produced by CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager and 60 MINUTES Executive Editor Bill Owens with SHOWTIME Sports.

That does it.

60 Minutes Sports Premieres January 9, 2013 on Showtime

Starting in January 2013, 60 Minutes Sports becomes a monthly sports newsmagazine joining HBO’s Real Sports, ESPN’s E:60 and NBC Sports Network’s Sports Illustrated.

It appears that the program will utilize the current 60 Minutes staff that is seen weekly on Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

In the premiere edition, Bob Simon will interview international soccer star Lionel Messi in a rare US profile. Also, CBS Evening News anchorman Scott Pelley will look at the Lance Armstrong story. And 60 Minutes Sports updates a Lara Logan profile of free solo climber Alex Honnold. Another story will be made public closer to the premiere date.

Here’s a preview of the Messi profile.

And we have the press release for you right here.

“60 MINUTES SPORTS” PREMIERES ON SHOWTIME WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 WITH A RARE INTERVIEW WITH THE WORLD’S BEST SOCCER PLAYER, LIONEL MESSI

Plus, 60MINUTES SPORTS Takes a Look Inside the Case of Lance Armstrong

The first edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS will feature a rare interview with Lionel Messi, the record-breaking soccer player considered by many to be the best of all time.  Bob Simon went to Spain to talk to Messi, an Argentine who plays for FC Barcelona, to interview the man who just broke the 40-yr.-old record for scoring the most goals in a calendar year.  Messi is only 25 years old. The profile will be featured on the series premiere of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, a new magazine program from the makers of the iconic CBS News series 60 MINUTES, the originator of the television genre.  The monthly, one-hour 60 MINUTES SPORTS premieres on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and represents the first time original 60 MINUTES content will air on premium television.

Messi was already being compared to soccer legends like Pele and Diego Maradona and last Sunday scored his 86^th goal of 2012 to break the record set by Germany’s Gerd Muller in 1972.  Messi tells Simon he’s hungry for goals and, given his appetite, more records should fall. “I always want more. Whether it’s a goal or winning in a game, I am never satisfied… I always push my limits. And I always try to get better every day,” says Messi, who has years ahead of him in an already historic career.

Also on the 60 MINUTES SPORTS  premiere will be a Scott Pelley report that looks inside the case against Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service Cycling Team that led to the stripping of the cyclist’s seven Tour de France wins.

A third story will be announced closer to the broadcast, which will also feature Lara Logan’s update of her 60 MINUTES story on free solo climber Alex Honnold, who climbs rock walls using only his hands and feet.

That is all.

CBS Selects Its Home in New Orleans For Super Bowl XLVII

Taking a cue from ESPN which has selected various locations in the Super Bowl host cities to base their studio shows, CBS will do the same for its shows across its multiple platforms. CBS says it will use Jackson Square in New Orleans to house shows like the Super Bowl Today pregame show on CBS during Super Bowl Sunday, several CBS Sports Network shows including Lead Off and ROME, Showtime’s Inside the NFL, as well as news and entertainment programs that air on the CBS Television Network as well as CBS Sports Radio.

Being the home of Super Bowl XLVII in February, CBS will go all out to copy NBC’s Big Event strategy from last year by promoting the Big Game across several of its networks.

Here’s the press release.

 “CBS SUPER BOWL PARK at JACKSON SQUARE”
TO SERVE AS NEW ORLEANS HOME FOR CBS CORPORATION
SUPER BOWL PROGRAMMING

CBS Sports, CBS Entertainment, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, SHOWTIME Sports,
CBSSports.com, CBS Sports Radio and CBS Television Distribution to Offer Week-Long Coverage Leading Up to CBS Sports’ Exclusive Broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII

CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square Cable Bridge Over Decatur Street

CBS, home of Super Bowl XLVII, will create CBS SUPER BOWL PARK at JACKSON SQUARE in the heart of the historic French Quarter in New Orleans, La., to serve as the CBS Corporation’s central broadcast center. For the week leading up to the CBS Television Network’s exclusive broadcast of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 3, the Corporation’s assets in network and local television, radio, cable, premium television and digital will cover the Super Bowl from all angles, including entertainment, news and sports.

“The Super Bowl is the granddaddy of big event television, and our approach this year is unlike anything we have ever done,” said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. “For the first time, CBS Corporation will have week-long, round-the-clock Super Bowl coverage on more than a half-dozen platforms.  Creating CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square as the center of all this activity will make it even more compelling, and also illustrate the collaborative efforts across the Company.”

CBS SUPER BOWL PARK at JACKSON SQUARE will be home to 15 different shows from nine CBS divisions across multiple platforms including broadcast, cable and premium television, radio and digital from Monday, Jan. 28 – Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3. The shows and divisions broadcasting from Jackson Square are:

• THE SUPER BOWL TODAY – CBS’s THE NFL TODAY hosts James Brown, Dan Marino, Bill Cowher, Shannon Sharpe and Boomer Esiason will count down to kick-off on the Super Bowl XLVII pre-game show.
• Super Bowl Live – The Corporation’s cable network, CBS Sports Network, will go primetime at the Super Bowl Monday through Saturday with all the latest news information and guest analysts.
• Inside the Super Bowl – CBS Sports Network’s afternoon show will broadcast Monday through Friday from Radio Row and on Saturday and Sunday morning from Jackson Square.
• CBS This Morning – CBS’s morning news show will broadcast live Thursday through Saturday.
• CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley and CBS Evening News Saturday – CBS’s evening news show will broadcast live from New Orleans Friday and Saturday.
• Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer – Bob Schieffer will kick off CBS’s Super Bowl programming on Sunday at 10:30 AM, ET.
• THE TALK – Network television’s fastest-growing daytime talk show will broadcast live Monday through Friday (2:00-3:00 PM, ET / 1:00-2:00 PM, CT/PT) with a live studio audience. Co-hosts Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler will welcome celebrity guests and highlight the local flavor of New Orleans
• THE Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson – Craig Ferguson will tape before a live audience for a special edition airing on Sunday night after ELEMENTARY and local news, wrapping up CBS’s Super Bowl Sunday programming.
• NFL Monday QB – Phil Simms, Rich Gannon, Steve Beuerlein and other CBS quarterbacks will break down the game from the quarterback perspective on CBS Sports Network.
• ROME – Jim Rome will host ROME live Monday through Friday on CBS Sports Network.
• Lead Off – CBS Sports Network’s new late night show with Doug Gottlieb and Allie LaForce will cover all the action and buzz from New Orleans.
• Inside the NFL – The Emmy Award-winning SHOWTIME program with James Brown, Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth will air Wednesday. The show is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films.
• Eye on Pro Football in New Orleans – CBSSports.com will broadcast a daily, live one-hour show. Host Kevin Corke and a variety of NFL experts, including CBSSports.com reporters and Eye on Football writers, will provide real-time analysis of the day’s top stories and discuss the latest news.
• OMG! Insider – Kevin Frazier will be hosting all week leading up to the big game taking viewers inside the top trending stories of Super Bowl XLVII.
• CBS SPORTS RADIO – The newly-created CBS Sports Radio will report all week from Jackson Square, in addition to broadcasting from its home base nearby at the Convention Center at the NFL Media Center on “Radio Row.”
• CBS AFFILIATES – CBS Television Affiliates covering Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans will use the Park during their local broadcasts.

CBS SUPER BOWL PARK at JACKSON SQUARE will consist of four outdoor sets inside Jackson Square shared across the various shows. The sets were designed to reflect the history and architecture of New Orleans. A fifth set will be located across the street in Washington’s Artillery Park for the CBS affiliates. All CBS shows and platforms at CBS SUPER BOWL PARK will share facilities, equipment, office space and personnel throughout the week.

Jackson Square, the historic park in the heart of the famed French Quarter, will serve as the backdrop for CBS’s coverage and will remain open to the public.

The programming schedules for each show will be released at a later date.

“ROME” and “Lead Off” Set

“CBS Evening News” and “Face the Nation” Set 

CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network and “CBS This Morning” Set

There you have it.

Armen Keteyian Joins 60 Minutes Sports

Announced by CBS News and Showtime, long-time investigative reporter Armen Keteyian will join the new “60 Minutes Sports” that will launch in January 2013. Keteyian has been a reporter with Sports Illustrated, ABC News, CBS News and HBO’s Real Sports as well as CBS Sports. He’s won numerous awards and done many influential pieces over the year.

It just seems a natural progression that Keteyian joins the sports incarnation of 60 Minutes. He’ll be the full-time investigative reporter for 60 Minutes Sports. Armen will still contribute to CBS News broadcasts, but his main bread-and-butter will be on 60 Minutes Sports.

Here’s the press release from CBS and Showtime.

ARMEN KETEYIAN NAMED FULL-TIME CORRESPONDENT FOR “60 MINUTES SPORTS,” THE NEW SHOWTIME SPORTS^® MAGAZINE FROM “60 MINUTES”

Award-winning CBS News and CBS Sports reporter Armen Keteyian will become a full-time correspondent for the new SHOWTIME Sports magazine 60 MINUTES SPORTS

Jeff Fager, CBS News chairman and executive producer of 60 MINUTES, said in his announcement that Keteyian will also continue to contribute occasionally to CBS News daily broadcasts. “Armen is the perfect correspondent for our new program,” said Fager, who is also the co-executive producer of 60 MINUTES SPORTS. “He has the reporting experience in news, sports and at 60 MINUTES to bring us high quality 60 MINUTES stories for the new SHOWTIME edition.”

Few can equal Keteyian’s decades of experience as a sports journalist, beginning in print as an investigative reporter at the most prestigious sports print magazine, up through network news and cable television sports assignments at the highest levels, including CBS Sports’ THE NFL TODAY and 60 MINUTES. Expanding beyond sports, Keteyian reached a new level in his career as Chief Investigative Reporter for the CBS EVENING NEWS, where he was nominated five times and won three Emmy awards since joining the broadcast in 2006.

In addition to Keteyian, the monthly 60 MINUTES SPORTS will feature on-air talent from 60 MINUTES and CBS Sports.  It will be produced by the same 60 MINUTES team that produces the CBS news magazine on Sundays and offer the same first-class investigations, interviews, features and profiles that have been the hallmark of 60 MINUTES for decades. The unique programming partnership between CBS News and CBS sister cable company, SHOWTIME, was announced last month and will debut on SHOWTIME in January 2013. 60 MINUTES SPORTS will be co-executive produced by Bill Owens, the Executive Editor of 60 MINUTES.

Keteyian, an 11-time Emmy award winner, was honored last year for his revealing story about personal information stored on resold copiers that can be mined by identity thieves. In September 2010 he won for “Rape in America: Justice Denied,” a five-month 2009 investigation into the startling backlog of tens of thousands of rape kits. In 2008 he revealed the shockingly high suicide rates of veterans, another Emmy winner.

From December 1997 to March 2006,  Keteyian was a special features reporter for CBS Sports in New York, where he roamed the sidelines during top NFL games and covered the league for THE NFL TODAY.  He also regularly covered the NCAA Basketball Tournament and anchored the network’s award-winning coverage of the Tour de France. During that period, through a special arrangement with HBO, he was also a featured correspondent for HBO Sports’ magazine show “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”

In July of 2002, HBO Sports, as part of its highly acclaimed “Sports of the 20^th Century” series, aired a documentary co-produced and co-written by Keteyian entitled “A City on Fire: The Story of the ‘68 Detroit Tigers.”

Prior to joining CBS and HBO, Keteyian worked as a network correspondent for ABC News in New York for eight years (1989-97). During that time he wrote and reported more than 400 stories on a wide variety of sports-related issues for “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings,” “Nightline,” and other ABC News broadcasts. Prior to joining ABC News,  Keteyian worked as a writer-reporter for Sports Illustrated in New York for seven years (1982-89), specializing in investigations. While there he reported on subjects ranging from corruption in college football and basketball, to sports gambling in America, to point shaving scandals, to the widening use of steroids in professional and amateur sports.

Keteyian has also written or co-written nine books including, Why You Crying, The New York Times bestselling autobiography of actor/comedian George Lopez. Among his previous books are: Money Players: Days and Nights Inside the New NBA, a critically acclaimed account of the rise of the NBA under David Stern; the New York Times bestseller Raw Recruits;  and the autobiographies of baseball great Catfish Hunter and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary.  Keteyian is currently writing a major book on college football for Doubleday expected to be published next year.

He began his career as a sports and feature writer in San Diego, where he was graduated cum laude from San Diego State University in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Keteyian was a starting infielder on the university’s baseball team. Born and raised in Michigan, he now lives with his wife Dede in New York City and Fairfield, CT.

That’s it.

CBS News To Produce “60 Minutes of Sports” For Showtime

In the past, 60 Minutes has reaired its sports profiles and segments on ESPN Classic and has also provided some of its old content to CNBC. But this new effort will provide original content on sports for Showtime.

The series will premiere in November and will air every month. 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager and his executive editor Bill Owens will co-produce this new broadcast. No word whether existing 60 Minutes talent such as Steve Kroft, Lesley Stahl or Scott Pelley or go with totally different people.

As we get closer, I’m sure we’ll get information on the stories the premiere episode will air. 60 Minutes on Sports will join existing sports magazines Real Sports on HBO, E:60 on ESPN and the new Sports Illustrated on NBC Sports Network. As long as the journalism is solid, I’m all in favor of seeing more sports magazines on the landscape.

Here’s the announcement.

CBS NEWS AND SHOWTIME SPORTS^® TEAM UP FOR “60 MINUTES OF SPORTS”

Original “60 MINUTES” Content to Air on SHOWTIME^® In a Unique Expansion of the Iconic Brand
Monthly Sports News Magazine from the People who Bring You “60 MINUTES” Debuts in November on SHOWTIME

NEW YORK (Sept. 13) – For the first time, original 60 MINUTES segments will appear on a cable network under a new agreement between 60 MINUTES and SHOWTIME Sports. 60 MINUTES OF SPORTS, a new sports news magazine show from the producers of the iconicnews program, will debut in November on SHOWTIME, the CBS-owned premium television network. The unique programming partnership was announced today by CBS News Chairman and 60 MINUTES Executive Producer Jeff Fager and Stephen Espinoza, the Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of us at 60 MINUTES,” said Fager. “Our SHOWTIME edition will offer the same high-quality, original reporting and great storytelling our viewers have come to expect every Sunday night on CBS.”

“Today is a seminal moment in the 25-year history of SHOWTIME Sports,” said Espinoza. “60 MINUTES is the pioneer of this genre. Adding the most well-known and highly respected brand in television to the growing line up of SHOWTIME original sports programming exponentially increases the value proposition for our subscribers. This is an incredible opportunity for the CBS and SHOWTIME family.” 

60 MINUTES OF SPORTS expands SHOWTIME Sports’ existing line-up of award-winning original sports programming, which includes INSIDE THE NFL, INSIDE NASCAR, ALL ACCESS, THE FRANCHISE and live event series SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®, STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts and ShoBox: The New Generation.

60 MINUTES OF SPORTS will be co-executive produced by Fager and Bill Owens, the Executive Editor of 60 MINUTES.

The new program will utilize the reporting skills of on-air talent from 60 MINUTES and CBS Sports, while providing the same first class 60 MINUTES investigations, interviews, features and profiles that have kept the broadcast in Nielsen’s Top 10 for decades. A dedicated unit of 60 MINUTES producers reporting to Fager and Owens will prepare the stories for each monthly broadcast of 60 MINUTES OF SPORTS.

Each month, the sports magazine will feature two original segments and one updated 60 MINUTES classic sports story from the news magazine’s archive. In addition, each broadcast will contain a timely, studio-based interview with a sports newsmaker.

That will do it.

Let’s Do The Friday Megalinks

Lots of things to get to today. Couldn’t do the links yesterday. Going to do a big megalink edition for you.

Let’s get cracking, but first, there’s the Weekend Viewing Picks complete with a link to the busy College Basketball Viewing Picks which will be updated throughout the weekend.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks with Oscar-winner and ESPN college football analyst Ed Cunningham.

Sports Illustrated issued a statement standing by its feature story this week by George Dohrmann on UCLA’s troubles.

Yesterday, Captain Blowhard, a.k.a Bill Simmons of Grantland interviewed President Obama for his podcast. I haven’t listened to it nor read the transcript as I don’t want to be bothered. Dan Levy of Bleacher Report did and had some problems with it.

Tony Manfred of the Business Insider’s Sports Page lists some writers who were most likely jealous over Simmons’ sitdown with the President.

Sports Business Daily says Captain Blowhard threw a hissy fit this week after Duke refused to issue a credential to one of Grantland’s writers for Saturday’s game against North Carolina.

Tim Baysinger at Broadcasting & Cable writes that NFL Today and Inside the NFL host James Brown will become a special correspondent for CBS News.

Gabriel Beltrone of Adweek writes that Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is pitching Sprint phones.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life says thanks to Super Bowl XLVI, NBC won the February sweeps, marking the third straight year that sports has steered the month.

Ryan Berenz of Channel Guide Magazine writes that NBC Sports Network will be all over a French bicycle race this month.

Maury Brown at the Biz of Baseball says while we know MLB will announce expanded Wild Card Playoff games today, we don’t know which network will air them.

Sam Mamudi of Marketwatch.com writes that the competition among mainstream sports websites is very intense.

Pam Modarelli-Hegner at Sports TV Jobs writes about the types of personalities and egos journalists encounter when interviewing athletes.

Awful Announcing’s Matt Yoder writes in Puck Drunk Love about ESPN’s failure to cover the NHL.

In his regular site, Matt says CNBC’s Darren Rovell assigned his baby daughter several social networking accounts on her first day on earth.

Brady Green at AA has video of the Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia’s very funny impression of ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian that aired on Baseball Tonight.

John Daly at the Daly Planet looks at Showtime’s Inside NASCAR program taking the spring and summer off after one episode this week.

Barry Petchesky over at Deadspin notes that ESPN came up with another potentially racist headline for an Asian-American athlete.

Rachel Margolis at ESPN’s Front Row PR blog talks with college basketball analyst Brooke Weisbrod who has a rather interesting day job that keeps her busy during the work week.

Joe Favorito says President Obama is courting sports fans through the Captain Blowhard podcast.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media reviews the new hockey movie, “Goon.”

Sports Media Watch has some of the ratings from last week’s sports action.

SMW says Jeremy Lin is helping to move the ratings needle for ABC and TNT.

The Tampa Bay Times’ Eric Deggans writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says a San Diego sports anchor’s criticism of Danica Patrick shows that sexism still exists in sports.

Also in the National Sports Journalism Center, Ronnie Ramos laments how social media has watered down traditional sports journalism.

East and Mid-Atlantic

The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan talks with ESPN’s college basketball analyst Doris Burke. High praise and I agree. Doris is one of the best.

Chad Finn of the Globe says despite having his original role reduced, Dale Arnold is remaining at WEEI.

Chad has some advice for rookie ESPN MLB analyst Terry Francona.

Boston Sports Media Watch’s Bruce Allen writing in SB Nation Boston says Bill Simmons has had a meteoric rise to stardom.

Bill Doyle at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette says it was the Worcester Sharks’ radio voice who came up with the idea to have popular New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski spike a puck before a game last month.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks back at the 50th anniversary of one of the major milestones in sports that barely was covered by the media at the time.

Newsday’s Neil Best says two ESPN’ers will speak at their high school alma mater next week.

Neil says the Nets are not drawing well on YES.

Neil notes that CBS Sports Network utilizes a husband & wife team for its college hockey games.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick mocks the bracketologists handicapping the NCAA Tournament field.

The Post’s Justin Terranova has five questions for NHL on NBC voice Mike Emrick.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says MSG Network continues to score with Knicks games.

Jerry reports that former WNBC-TV sports anchor Len Berman is back on TV in NYC.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes that NBC Sports Network will air the America’s Cup next year.

Pete says YES is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says NBC Sports Network is adding NHL games to its schedule for the playoff drive.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call writes that a local service provider has snagged the rights to an incoming minor league hockey team.

DCRTV’s Dave Hughes has the latest developments in Baltimore-Washington, DC sports media at Press Box.

South

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that a local sports anchor is recovering from a stroke he suffered last year.

David has a little more on the story in his blog.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks with Fox Sports Oklahoma NBA studio analyst Stephen Howard.

Mel has more here with Stephen Howard.

Mel says NBA TV is marking the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a game.

Midwest

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Kiesewetter says a movie script has been written about a deaf mute Reds player who changed the way umpires made calls.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders if another network will join Fox and TBS in airing the MLB Postseason this year.

Bob says ESPN still leads the way in cable subscriber fees, meaning how much cable and satellite providers are required to pay ESPN per subscriber.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers in sports business and media.

Ed says a Big Ten Network profile of former Indiana University coach Bob Knight will mostly focus on his achievements and hardly touches on his tumultuous exit.

Paul Christian at the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin notes NBA TV’s documentary on Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says not many Missourians will be able to see local teams in conference tournaments next week.

West

Dan Caesar of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that BYU is better off an a football independent rather than share money and TV time with other teams when it was part of the Mountain West.

John Maffei at the North County Times says local prep basketball games will be harder to find on local TV this weekend.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says who knew that product placement would be the big winner during Fox’s airing of the Daytona 500.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times says CBS and MSG Network are considering buy the Dodgers in separate bids in order to get their TV rights.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks at how the media covered (barely) Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game 50 years ago today.

Tom has some news and notes this week.

Canada

Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star says CBC premieres part two of the movie on Don Cherry’s life this weekend.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail can’t believe how well NHL Trade Deadline coverage does in the ratings.

Bruce says social media has changed sports reporting forever.

And that will do it. Enjoy your weekend.

NFL Today/Inside the NFL Host James Browns Joins CBS News

One of the best hosts on sports television, James Brown will join CBS News as a special correspondent. Brown who rejoined CBS Sports in 2006 after being the original host of Fox NFL Sunday, will begin his CBS News duties this Saturday on CBS This Morning. According to CBS News Chairman, Jeff Fager, J.B. will contribute to various CBS News programs with original reports.

He will continue as host of The NFL Today on CBS and Inside the NFL on Showtime.

We have the announcement from CBS News.

JAMES BROWN JOINS CBS NEWS AS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

James Brown has been named Special Correspondent for CBS News, it was announced today by CBS News Chairman and 60 MINUTES Executive Producer Jeff Fager and David Rhodes, President, CBS News.  Brown will contribute original reported pieces and will appear on various CBS News broadcasts.

Brown begins his assignment this Saturday, March 3, on CBS THIS MORNING: SATURDAY.  Brown continues in his current role as host of THE NFL TODAY, CBS Sports’ NFL pre-game studio show.

“James Brown is among the very best in our business,” said Fager. “He is a fixture at CBS Sports and will be a great addition to CBS News because of his abilities, and because he also happens to be a great human being.”

“Audiences know JB as the face of THE NFL TODAY and other sports broadcasts — what they may not know is his curiosity about the news,” said Rhodes. “His wide-ranging interests from sports to faith to community service will be great assets to CBS News and to our viewers.”

Since February 2006, James Brown has served as host for the CBS Television Network’s NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY, and had served as play-by-play announcer for the Network’s coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA Tournament. He has also hosted the Network’s Super Bowl pre-game show for its coverage of Super Bowl XLIV (2010) and for Super Bowl XLI (2007) in Miami.

In addition, Brown hosts INSIDE THE NFL alongside analysts Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp. INSIDE THE NFL debuted in 2008 on SHOWTIME. In its first year on SHOWTIME, INSIDE THE NFL won the Sports Emmy® Award for Outstanding Studio Show-Weekly. Brown also hosted the Pacquiao/Mosley fight for SHOWTIME Pay-per-view.

Brown’s first book, Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family and Significant Living, hit bookstores across the country in September 2009. In his memoir, Brown relayed how he found the role he was meant to play, highlighting both the good and bad decisions he made along the way, teaching readers how to discover life’s purpose for themselves.

Brown served as host of FOX NFL SUNDAY for 12 years prior to returning to CBS Sports. He joined FOX Sports in June 1994 after a decade with CBS Sports. Brown hosted a two-hour radio show called “Hang Time with James Brown,” and also wrote daily commentaries for Sporting News Radio. He also served as a reporter/correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” and, for 12 years, hosted Championship Boxing matches for HBO.

Brown first joined CBS Sports in 1984, where he was part of the network’s broadcast team for its NFL coverage and college basketball coverage as well as a reporter for the NBA Finals. He also was host of an afternoon show, the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. While at CBS he was also co-host of “CBS Sports Saturday/Sunday,” a weekend anthology series.

His sportscasting career began in Washington, D.C. as play-by-play announcer for the NBA Washington Bullets (now known as the Wizards) for Home Team Sports and served as an analyst for black college basketball on BET. Early in his career, he hosted a mid-day program on WTEM, an all-sports radio station, co-hosted two weekly Washington-area sports programs, was sports anchor for WUSA-TV for six years, and hosted “James Brown’s Pro Football Preview” for SportsFan Radio.

Throughout his career he has earned numerous awards, including three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Host for THE NFL TODAY (2007) and “FOX NFL Sunday” (1998, 1999).” Brown was honored with the 2009 Dick Schaap Memorial Award for Media Excellence. He received the 2007 Maxwell Football Club’s Excellence in Broadcasting Award and the Dallas All Sports Association Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism, and was the first recipient of the annual Pat Summerall Award in 2006, at Super Bowl XL in Detroit. In 2005, he was honored with the Director’s Award for Broadcasting from The 100 Black Men of America and the Greater Washington Urban League’s Sam Lacy Award 2005. Brown was a 2010 honoree as one of the “Faces of Black History” celebrating black media legends who have impacted the black community through their achievements and positive examples, which have included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to the present-day heroes.  He was the 2002 recipient of the International Black Broadcasters Association’s Broadcasting Excellence Award and was chosen as 1999 Sportscaster of the Year (Studio Host) by the American Sportscaster Association. Brown was also awarded the Golden Mike Award (1998) by the Black Broadcasters Alliance, two NATAS Emmys (D.C. chapter) including the Glenn Brenner Award for excellence in sportscasting (1998), and the Quarterback Club of Washington’s Sportscaster of the Year Award (1996). In 2010, he was named “Best Studio Host of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated.

Brown graduated from Harvard with a degree in American Government. A standout on the basketball court, he received All-Ivy League honors in his last three seasons at Harvard University and captained the team in his senior year. He was selected as a fourth-round draft pick by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and a seventh-round pick by the Denver Nuggets. In 1996, Brown was inducted into the Harvard Hall of Fame.

He is a co-founder and principal of the Brown Technology Group, a certified minority-owned and operated information technology company, and is a founding partner of the Washington Nationals.  Brown serves as AARP’s Community Ambassador. He also is executive producer of the documentary “For Aaron,” from JTwoFilms, which won “Best Documentary” at the Puerto Rico International Film Festival and the Indie Gathering Film Festival.

No stranger to charitable efforts, Brown hosts the P.U.L.S.E. Awards, featuring “The JB Awards,” where NFL players are honored for their outstanding community service. He also teamed with the Verizon Foundation to launch a national campaign to end domestic violence against women and men. Additionally, Brown has worked on behalf of Darrell Green’s Youth Life Foundation, the Neimann Pick Disease Foundation and the Marrow Foundation, The HollyRod Foundation, Special Olympics D.C., among numerous other charities and foundations.

He resides with his wife Dorothy in Maryland. Brown’s daughter Katrina and her husband John have three daughters, Kaela, Jordyn and Aniya.

That will do it.

Various Sports Media Thoughts

I haven’t done a thoughts column in quite some time. And to boot, I’m doing this on the iPad. Not that you should care, but this will cause me to pause and think which is dangerous. Anyway, I’ll do this in bullet form.

Thanks for your indulgence.

• The Penn State media coverage has not been over the top as I had feared when the story went national. There has been great reporting from the Harrisburg Patriot-News, the Daily Collegian, the New York Times and NBC News. Bob Costas’ interview of Jerry Sandusky was excellent. In contrast, CBS’ overhyped 24 second interview of Mike McQuery gave us nothing. Not Armen Keteyian’s fault for the overhype, but we expected more. This story will not be going away any time soon. It will be interesting to see how the national outlets handle it as it moves into months and maybe even years.

• In my native area of New England, the big news is twofold, Don Orsillo staying as NESN Red Sox voice through 2015. He had been pursued by both Turner Sports and MLB Network. To be honest, I was convinced he would take the Turner job to be their main voice for Sunday Afternoon Baseball and the MLB Postseason on TBS, but on Wednesday, the news leaked that he would stay in New England to continue to be teamed with Jerry Remy, a pairing that dates back to 2001. Orsillo will continue to call the MLB Postseason for TBS. Sometimes, the best move is the one you don’t make.

• The other news from New England also involves NESN and the third member of the Red Sox team, Heidi Watney. It was reported that she’ll join Time Warner Cable to be the sideline reporter for the Los Angeles Lakers starting in the 2012-13 season. Heidi had been with NESN since 2008 and became popular with many male fans. Women were another story as she was polarizing. I was under the impression from several sources that the 2011 season would the last for Heidi at NESN. A native of California, Heidi returns to the West Coast. I thought she did a good job on NESN. She will be missed.

  The attention now turns to who will replace Heidi for 2012. One good candidate would be Boston native Jen Royle who has been cooling her heels in Baltimore for CBS Radio and has covered the Orioles the last two seasons on both MASN and 105.7 The Fan. Jen did a successful weekend guest spot on WEEI last month and has made it no secret that she yearns to return to Boston. A perfect way to bring her back would be as Heidi’s replacement on NESN or as a host on WEEI. Let’s get this done.

• I thought Fox did a decent job in its UFC debut last Saturday. Curt Menefee is a competent host and got the job done as pre and post fight host. UFC President Dana White was ok as an analyst, but the man who impressed me was Brock Lesnar who showed no fear challenging his boss on the set. While the UFC Heavyweight fight lasted just over a minute, it was better than having five rounds of boring action with the crowd booing. Fox’s production was good. UFC announcers Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan were on top of everything although Rogan seemed to be high on something as he was yelling more than normal. I expect bigger and better things from Fox in the next UFC event in January.

• I watched Wednesday’s New Jersey Devils-Buffalo Sabres game on Versus. Dave Strader and Ed Olzyck did their usual bang-up job. However, Pierre McGuire needs a muzzle. He talks too much and continues to be abrasive during interviews. I would prefer Darren Pang or even Mike Milbury as the ice level analyst, anyone but Pierre McGuire. NBC Sports is doing a disservice to hockey fans by continuing to use this butcher on the air.

And that’s going to do it for now. Enjoy your Thursday.

It’s Time For Mid-Week Linkage

It’s Wednesday. It’s mid-week and it’s time for some sports media links. Let’s get to them without further delay.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks with NBC’s Bob Costas about the “get” of accused child molester Jerry Sandusky for “Rock Center with Brian Williams”.

While NBC and Bob Costas are being praised for the Sandusky interview, Sofia M. Fernandez of the Hollywood Reporter writes CBS is being mocked for heavily promoting a disappointing “get” of Penn State assistant coach Mike McQuery.

If you didn’t see the :24 second interview, the Big Lead has the video.

Back to Michael Hiestand, he writes that two Penn State alums will be on the call for ESPN/ABC for the next two Nittany Lions games.

Patrick Rishe at Forbes says Golf Channel should see a ratings spike for the Presidents Cup for Tiger Woods and his ex-caddie Steve Williams.

Tim Baysinger of Broadcasting & Cable says despite losing UFC to Fox, Spike TV will launch a mixed martial arts newsmagazine.

George Winslow of B&C notes that HBO and Sports Illustrated will use social and digital media to promote their new documentary series premiering in 2013.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News advises NBA Communist Sympathizer David Stern to cut the “nuclear winter” rhetoric.

Mike says the Minnesota-Green Bay Monday Night Football game despite being a blowout, drew over 14 million viewers for ESPN.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says even though Fox’s UFC debut had a very brief fight, it still came out a winner.

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group writes that mobile production companies are being hit hard by the lack of NBA games.

SVG notes that CBS Sports Network will be airing National Lacrosse League games in primetime next year.

Dave Miller at the National Football Post says ESPN analyst Bob Davies will be the new head football coach at New Mexico.

Tim Malloy and Daniel Frankel of The Wrap take a look at how the NBA’s TV partners are coping with a lack of live games this season.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the NBA Players are taking a $3.3 billion gamble.

At the Boston Herald, Michael Silverman reports that Don Orsillo of NESN will stay on as Red Sox voice while reporter Heidi Watney is apparently heading back to her native California.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe confirms Heidi’s departure.

Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England also has the story.

Sean notes that former Red Sox manager Terry Francona will take 2012 off and possibly pursue broadcasting opportunities for next season.

CSNNE’s Boston Bruins beat reporter Joe Haggerty says B’s forward Brad Marchand isn’t happy over a nickname created by a local sports radio talk show.

Greg Sullivan at the Fall River (MA) Herald says former NBA player Chris Herren has become a high demand speaker after the airing of his ESPN Films documentary “Unguarded”.

Amy Chozick of the New York Times says the NBA’s TV partners are trying to fill programming holes left behind by the lockout.

Claire Atkinson at the New York Post says NFL Network will put a full court press on Time Warner Cable during tomorrow’s Jets-Broncos game.

To Jerry Barmash and Fishbowl NY, he tells us that ESPN Radio New York broadcaster Jared Max will be honored by a gay publication.

At the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty has the Week 12 college football TV schedule.

Peter Van Allen at the Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski will be the local spokesman for a national tire chain.

To the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog where Dan Steinberg has CBS News’ Armen Keteyian defending his piss poor interview with Mike McQuery.

Dan says the local CBS affiliate has yet to replace sports anchor Brett Haber who left station three months ago.

Maggie Fazelli Fard of the Post looks at the ESPN Zone auction in DC.

Bob Molinaro at the Virginian-Pilot is not a fan of the ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

Mel Bracht at the Daily Oklahoman has the local ratings of the weekend sports action.

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer says Time Warner Cable will air a couple of high school football championship games this weekend.

Scott Suttell of Crain’s Cleveland Business says ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt will host an awards show next year.

Bill Zavestoski of the LaJolla (CA) Patch says the local ESPN Radio affiliate will pick up Cal-San Diego basketball games.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Dodgers are suing Fox Sports for interfering in the sale of the team.

Chris Erskine of the Times reviews the new book on the late ABC Sports broadcaster Howard Cosell.

Also from the Times, Kevin Baxter and Joe Flint  report that the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS are the latest team to join Time Warner Cable’s SoCal regional sports network.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News also looks at the Galaxy’s move to TWC from Fox Sports.

Tom has the football TV schedules in both college and the NFL for SoCal.

From the Toronto Globe and Mail, Bruce Dowbiggin feels Bob Costas missed an opportunity to get real answers from Jerry Sandusky. What interview was Dowbiggin watching?

Steve Lepore from Puck The Media wonders why the Chicago Blackhawks-Vancouver Canucks rivalry hasn’t been aired nationally in either Canada or the U.S.

Sports Media Watch has the NFL overnight ratings for Fox, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, and ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Kelsey Smith at Transworld Business says NBC Sports Network will be the home of Pro Motorcross Championship in 2012.

And that’s going to do it.

Arrogant NFL Agent To Be Profiled on “60 Minutes”

Extremely arrogant NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus will be profiled on “60 Minutes”. The Master Manipulator of the Media, NFL General Managers and Players will be seen playing up to the cameras during a feature that will be hosted by CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley. Rosenhaus who has used the media to help get a client a better contract, draft position or a perk, will tell Pelley that he’s a Golden God or something to that effect.

The man who has an overblown sense of ego will be seen negotiating, lecturing, cajoling and berating General Managers on behalf of his clients. It’s all on “60 Minutes” following the NFL on CBS.

“THE NFL WOULD FALL APART WITHOUT ME”  – JUST ANOTHER MODEST PROPOSAL FROM PRO FOOTBALL’S COCKSURE AGENT DREW ROSENHAUS  – “60 MINUTES”

60 MINUTES Cameras Capture the Agent as he Fights for His Clients

Call him a cockroach, a thief, a sleaze ball – he’s heard it all before and none of them is true, says pro football agent Drew Rosenhaus. He does not steal clients. Just don’t call him inconsequential, because this wheeler-dealer who represents more NFL players than any other agent says the league would surely “fall apart” without him. Scott Pelley profiles Rosenhaus on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Oct. 9 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

“I really believe that the NFL would fall apart without me,” says Rosenhaus. “That may sound cocky, that may sound arrogant, but I am telling you the truth.”

Rosenhaus says he keeps the NFL “running smoothly.” “When it breaks down between the team and the player, the agent is there to pick up those pieces,” he tells Pelley. He keeps the peace. “If a guy says ‘I want to be traded; I hate this team. I hate this coach.’ I say to the player, ‘Tell me, don’t tell the coach. I don’t want you to ruin your relationship with the team. Come to me,’” says Rosenhaus.

And they do. Who takes “a couple hundred “calls a day, at all hours? Rosenhaus. Who gives his players advice about all things, on or off the field? Rosenhaus. Who loves his players? Rosenhaus.

He’ll even come visit them if they’re ever in jail. “There’s nothing, nothing tougher than that,” he tells Pelley. Just ask Plaxico Burress, the receiver who went to prison for accidentally shooting himself in a crowded nightclub with an illegal pistol. “I didn’t expect anything less [from Rosenhaus]. Because…I know him as a person and you know where his heart is,” Burress tells Pelley.

Not far from Rosenhaus’ heart is his wallet, which nets 3 percent of the hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts he negotiates for clients. 60 MINUTES cameras watch and listen as he earns those millions by jousting with several NFL team executives on a typical day: “What you’re offering is just a joke…The concussion is a thing of the past – on top of that he has a new helmet!…Come on, you’re killing me here…You’re taking a huge risk by letting me get off the phone, because when I get off the phone I am calling another team…”

60 Minutes will air on CBS sometime after 7:15/6:15 p.m. in the Eastern and Central time zones, but at its regular time in the Mountain and Pacific areas.

CBS Evening News To Profile Florida Marlins Manager Jack McKeon

Tonight on the CBS Evening News, correspondent Steve Hartman heads to South Florida for a story on 80 year old Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon. He helped to guide the Marlins to a World Series Championship in 2003. He came back this year to help straighten out a rudderless ship. The press release.

80-YEAR-OLD FLORIDA MARLINS MANAGER JACK McKEON STILL HAS THE MAGIC TOUCH

Steve Hartman’s Inspiring Profile of the Marlins Seasoned Skipper Will Be Broadcast Tonight on the “CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley”

Octogenarian Jack McKeon is €the second-oldest major-league manager of all-time, serving as interim manager of the Florida Marlins. Tonight on the , correspondent Steve Hartman talks to McKeon about his 30 years on the field, how his faith brought him back to the game and what inspires him to keep going.

Since he took over the Marlins last month, McKeon not only ended the team’s 11-game losing streak, but they won nine of the past 11 games.

Hartman’s report airs tonight on the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY. The full story can be found at www.cbsnews.com following the broadcast.

We’re done.

Back to the Linkage Grind Edition

Ok, now that the Olympics bidding is over until the next round sometime later this decade, I can focus on other sports media stories and there are quite a few of them now.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong has taken down his anti-60 Minutes website stating its report on his alleged PED use has been debunked.

Lindsay Rubino of Broadcasting & Cable notes that Game 4 of the NBA Finals scored a primetime win for ABC on Tuesday.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News talks about ESPN signing a new deal with the West Coast Conference for basketball and Olympic sports.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel says ESPN is ready to convert to a full HD format.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek says Captain Blowhard is trying to save the internet from a certain type of advertising. Nice of him to appoint himself as our savoir.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life says the NBA Finals are on pace to become the most watched in seven years.

Bill Simmons’ Grantland site finally had its official launch yesterday. Already people are assessing it including Nicholas Jackson of Atlantic Monthly.

Ty Duffy of The Big Lead has his first impressions.

Tim Carmody of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University wonders if Simmons’ mix of sports and pop culture will work.

Tommy Craggs at Deadspin tells us why Grantland Rice for whom Simmons’ site is named, was really overrated.

Deadspin runs an excerpt from former New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte’s new book in which he recalls an encounter with an overtalkative Bob Costas.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writes that this week’s successful Olympic bid was key for the new NBC/Comcast.

The Nielsen Wire blog has a look at the top NHL players in name recognition.

Cam Martin at SportsNewser has TNT’s Charles Barkley ripping Miami Heat fans.

Cam says the Denver Post’s Woody Paige has apologized to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal for lifting quotes from an ESPN story he wrote.

Corey Nachman of the Business Insider Sports Page has his 100 Best Venues in Sports.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid has the video of a Brazilian writer typing away on a small laptop while showing a bit more of himself than he realized.

And Dan says Steven A. “A is for Allude” Smith hinted on ESPN Radio that something is up with LeBron James, but won’t say exactly what.

Chris Chase of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner gives some examples from the ESPN book that he feels evidence how NBC’s Sunday Night Football is superior to Monday Night Football.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell has a strange endorsement story involving the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez.

ESPN PR pro Bill Hofheimer helps to unveil the new Monday Night Football logo that will be seen when the NFL starts playing again.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that NBC now has to follow through on promises to show the Olympics live.

Brian Stelter of the Times reports that UFC is in talks with Comcast to buy its G4 gaming channel.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union notes that ESPN has added 7 more Big Ten games to its ESPN/ESPN2/ABC college football schedule.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says Time Warner Cable airs some local high school lacrosse finals this weekend.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes in Press Box that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will air 10 WNBA games this season.

In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg notes that there’s something brewing between writer John Feinstein and ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.

Iliana Limon at the Orlando Sentinel writes that Central Florida along with Conference USA have announced their TV schedules.

Jon Solomon of the Birmingham (AL) News reports that the SEC and ESPN are ready to re-evaluate their 15 year deal which now looks antiquated when it was signed in 2009.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says the NBA is gaining increased interest in the area thanks to the Thunder.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says you can design a special bowtie for Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that would benefit Dhani Jones’ Bow Tie Cause Initiative.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Sentinel notes that outgoing ESPN NBA analyst Mark Jackson cites Rick Pitino was his best coach.

Yesterday was Tom Hoffarth’s birthday. Happy Belated Birthday, Tom.

Joe Flint at the Los Angeles Times says keeping the Olympics was top priority for NBC and Comcast.

Jon Wilner at the San Jose Mercury Times has some thoughts on ESPN’s new contract with the West Coast Conference.

Lisa K. Anderson in the Sandy (OR) Post writes about a local woman who’s hosting a reality show for Comcast SportsNet Northwest.

Dan Robson of the Toronto Star says CBC has signed a five year deal with the International Skating Union for figure skating, speedskating and other events.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that TSN will air BBC’s coverage of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

Joe Caporoso of Gunaxin asks Erin Andrews or Michelle Beadle?

Cosby Sweaters looks at how Olympic viewing will change with Comcast in charge of NBC.

We have a new sports media blog, The Sports Tube, headed by Chris Hadley. He looks at the Olympic bidding.

Sports Media Watch notes the ratings for Games 2 & 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final are down from last year.

Joe Favorito wonders if any New York sports teams or events will take advantage of the Congressman Anthony Weiner mess.

That’s going to do it for now.

Up For Thursday Links

Time for some linkage on this very warm Thursday. I hope you all take a moment and say a prayer for the people of Western Massachusetts who head to deal with tornadoes yesterday. Four people are confirmed dead. It was quite devastating to see last night. Let’s hope the area can recover quickly.

To your links.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says Shaquille O’Neal, who retired from the NBA after 19 seasons, would be a logical choice to become an NBA television analyst.

The Sporting News notes that ESPN is looking to hire O’Neal.

The great Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated has a profile on NBC’s NHL voice Mike “Doc” Emrick.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life says thanks to the NBA Playoffs, TNT had the best ratings month in cable TV history.

Andrea Morabito of Broadcasting & Cable says CBS News will not apologize and stands by its 60 Minutes report on cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Michael Malone of B&C says the NBC Sports Group will be all over rugby this weekend.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News writes that ESPN3D plans to air The Championship Wimbledon in the third dimension.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser says NBC Sports gets an EPIC FAIL for airing a promo stating the Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final.

Noah Davis of The Business Insider Sports Page notes the national debut of a Wall Street Journal sports columnist.

Noah has the complete roster of writers who will staff Captain Blowhard’s Grantland.

Dan Fogarty in SportsGrid says Captain Blowhard has finally set an official launch date for the pretentiously-titled Grantland site.

Brandon Costa at Sports Video Group talks about 3-D TV stepping up at The Masters.

Ted Miller of ESPN.com says the Pac-12 has made announcements on seven nationally televised games.

Bill Hofhemier at ESPN’s Front Row discusses how ESPN’s award-winning World Cup production team is back together again for the Women’s World Cup.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell notes that Shaquille O’Neal was one of the first athletes to embrace social media.

Darren says Shaq’s retirement video gave an internet start-up a huge boost in more ways than one.

Darren talks with the men who marketed Shaquille O’Neal.

Martin Pave of the Boston Globe profiles the the Emmy Award-winning director of ESPN’s “Fab Five” documentary who has local ties.

Jessica Van Sack of the Boston Herald says fans don’t have to watch TV to follow the NHL.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir feels NBC needs a better way to air the French Open men’s semifinals.

Newsday’s Neil Best notes that WFAN’s Mike Francesa is not just doing well without partner Chris Russo, he’s flourishing.

Neil has his entire interview with Francesa in his blog.

Neil talks with ESPN Radio New York’s Michael Kay who one day hopes to beat Francesa in the ratings.

Neil also has the ratings breakdown between WFAN and ESPN Radio New York for afternoon drive.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says tennis great Chris Evert is returning to TV as an analyst for ESPN2′s Wimbledon coverage.

Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer says Rugby 7′s will get network TV exposure this weekend.

John George in the Philadelphia Business Journal says Comcast SportsNet will air a local bike race in HD.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that the UEFA Champions League Final outrated Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in DC.

Dan finds out why ESPN Radio DC slapped a 24 hour waiting period on publishing podcasts.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner explains that DC had the highest ratings for the Champions League finale.

Jim says NBC received the best NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 1 overnight ratings in a dozen years.

Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald says the NBA Finals are drawing viewers both nationally and locally.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says Magic star Gilbert Arenas has returned to Twitter with often humorous results.

Chuck Goldberg of the Alabama Newspapers notes that Auburn will get early starts for its first three football games of the season.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News notes that Miami outrated Dallas for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks with two-time Olympic softball player Michele Smith about the Women’s College World Series which begins on ESPN2 tonight.

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports that Fox Sports Indiana and the Pacers have dropped pregame show host Stacy Paetz effective immediately.

Kevin Kane of the Southside (IN) Times wonders when organizers will lift the local blackout on the Indianapolis 500.

Bob Wolfeley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Suds City topped all markets watching the Indianapolis 500.

At the Iowa City Gazette, Scott Dochterman writes that Fox plans to give the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game the Big Event treatment.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News gets the nitty gritty on why Vin Scully’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was covered and mistreated.

Dian Pucin of the Los Angeles Times instructs West Coast viewers on how to watch tomorrow’s French Open men’s semifinal live.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail explores the media’s handling of the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg story.

At Deadspin, A.J. Daulerio chronicles how ESPN.com’s Grantland site pursued and then later had misgivings about hiring site writer Tommy Craggs.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing tries to make sense of the whole thing.

Sports Media Watch says ABC had the most watched NBA Finals game since 2004.

And that will end the links for today.

Going For Wednesday Linkage

If you’ve been visiting the blog throughout the morning, you may have noticed a couple of theme changes and then the return of the current theme. I’ve been trying to make a few cosmetic changes, but I screwed them up so I had to delete the theme and then reinstall it. If you were visiting and saw a different look and got confused, I apologize. Just trying to make the blog look as best as possible. I can assure you I’m done with the cosmetic changes for a while.

Let’s do some links on this Wednesday.

Sean Leahy of USA Today notes that NBC’s Cris Collinsworth is so fearful that the NFL will lose half a season that he took a non-paying high school football coaching position for the fall.

Michael Hiestand looks at the ratings for the Indy 500, primetime baseball and the UEFA Champions League Final.

Lindsay Powers at the Hollywood Reporter writes that Lance Armstrong lawyers are demanding an apology from CBS News’ 60 Minutes stating that the program did shoddy journalism in a segment on his alleged steroid use.

Philiana Ng of the Reporter says NBC has selected its blockbuster hit, “The Voice” to air after Super Bowl XLVI next February.

George Winslow from Broadcasting & Cable says the NBA has launched a Windows phone app.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News reports that ESPN and Tennis Channel have extended their multimedia alliance for the French and Australian Opens starting next year.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life Magazine writes that having a Canadian team in the NHL Stanley Cup Final won’t help NBC’s ratings.

Last night, ESPN’s Chris Berman called the San Francisco Giants-St. Louis Cardinals game for the Alleged Worldwide Leader and as expected, it turned out to be a disaster. Berman can’t call play-by-play to save his life. Two examples of this EPIC FAIL.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has the video from Bubbaprog/Mocksession of Berman not getting the concept of a walk off win.

Then Glenn Davis at SportsGrid has video of Berman trying to be edgy or most likely, not having a clue about “Tossed Salad”.

Alex Weprin of SportsNewser visited the MLB Man Fan Cave.

Joe Favorito says the NCAA College World Series is a missed opportunity for college baseball.

My Twitter Trophy Wife Amanda Rykoff has compiled a hockey glossary at espnW just in time for the Stanley Cup Final.

From the upcoming New York Times Sunday Magazine, Jonathan Mahler profiles Captain Blowhard who’s already complaining about Grantland and the site hasn’t officially launched yet. The profile is long so get ready to scroll.

Richard Sandomir of the Times reports that former Montreal Expos and New York Mets Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has an inoperable brain tumor.

Mike Madden of the Washington City Paper notes that DC NFL team owner and bully Daniel Snyder is taking the next step in his lawsuit against the publication by subpoenaing Washington Post blogger Dan Steinberg for just linking to the City Paper column that led him to sue in court.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner reports that ABC received the best NBA Finals overnight rating since 2004.

Jim says the NBC Sports Group gets to keep the Stanley Cup Final all to itself for the next two and a half weeks.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that a local reporter may have jumped the gun when he reported on an alleged contract extension for the Magic’s Dwight Howard.

Mel Bracht in the Daily Oklahoman says Game 5 of the Dallas-Oklahoma City NBA Western Conference Finals did very well in the local ratings.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the ESPN book has some Wisconsin ties.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business wonders if the Windy City will tune into the Stanley Cup Final.

Scott Dochterman of the Iowa City Gazette notes the rebranding of Big Ten Network.

Chris Foster from the Los Angeles Times speaks with “How I Met Your Mother Star” Cobie Smulders who like her character Robin Scherbatsky is a big Vancouver Canucks fan.

Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun says CBC’s Jim Hughson and Canucks voice John Shorthouse are happy to be calling their native Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final.

Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN2′s coverage of the French Open will be all live starting next year.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media predicts how the Stanley Cup Final will fare on NBC/Versus this year.

That will do it for now.

St. Louis Cardinals 1st Baseman Albert Pujols To Talk With CBS’ 60 Minutes

On Sunday, the award-winning CBS News program 60 Minutes will profile St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. The profile will show him in his native Dominican Republic reaching out to the children. And I’m sure there will be talk about his impending free agency. Here’s a preview.

“I WAS ONE OF THOSE LITTLE BOYS WITH NO HOPE” SAYS SLUGGER ALBERT PUJOLS ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR CHARITY —  “60 MINUTES” SUNDAY

After Just 10 Years, Cards Superstar is Already Among 10 Best Players of All Time

When he’s not helping the St. Louis Cardinals win baseball games with amazing statistics and prodigious home runs, Albert Pujols is helping others. And not just because he is a nice guy. It’s because he was once one of those others, a poor boy in a poor country. Now a rich superstar, he says charity is his passion.  Pujols, who some consider the greatest player in the game today, talks to Bob Simon for a 60 MINUTES profile to be broadcast Sunday, April 10 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Pujols took Simon and 60 MINUTES cameras down to his native Dominican Republic on one of his regular visits to help the country’s poor.  His foundation provides essentials like medical care and mattresses to the residents of shantytowns called bateys.   “This is not so I can be Mr. Nice Guy, ‘Look at that baseball player…’” he tells Simon.  He is as dedicated to helping others as he is about playing ball, maybe more so.  “It’s my passion and I believe this is what God is calling me to do…I was one of those little boys with no hope.”  Watch an excerpt. His foundation also supports people with Down syndrome, another passion for Pujols, whose daughter was born with it.

Pujol’s warm feelings for his fellow man do not extend to National League pitchers, however.  On the rare occasion a pitcher keeps him off the bases for a game, the next day he’s out for blood.  “Whoever is pitching is going to pay up,” smirks Pujols.

Unlucky pitchers have been paying up for years.  Pujols hit his 400^th home run last August to become just the 47^th player in history to reach that plateau.   But he did it in the first 10 years of his career. Over that period, in each season, he batted over .300, had more than 30 home runs, and drove home 100 or more runs — a feat unmatched by any great player the game has ever know.

Pujols is a legend already, ensconced in the statistical pantheon so venerated by the game’s biggest fans.  Says baseball writer Peter Gammons, “If you look at history, there is no doubt that he is in the top 10 players of all time…No question he is going to be a Hall of Famer.”

For teenagers with Down Syndrome, Pujols is already a hall of famer. Cameras capture him dancing with dozens of them at an annual prom he throws for the teens – the highlight of the year for them. “And for me too,” says Pujols.

That’s all.

60 Minutes To Profile Legendary High School Basketball Coach

This Sunday, the CBS Newsmagazine 60 Minutes will give us a profile on one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the country, Bob Hurley of St. Anthony’s in New Jersey. He has won 24 state championships and is known as one of the toughest coaches around. Steve Kroft will interview Hurley and give us an idea of what makes him tick.

LEGENDARY HIGH SCHOOL COACH BOB HURLEY SAYS PLAYING BASKETBALL FOR HIM “IS NOT MEANT FOR EVERYBODY”  – “60 MINUTES”

Steve Kroft Profiles the Man Regarded as America’s Best High School Coach

The St. Anthony Friars are undefeated this year and were named the number-one high school basketball team in the nation — and they don’t even have their own gym.  The tiny Catholic school in Jersey City, N.J., does have Coach Bob Hurley though, whose 24 state championships and 1,000-plus wins speak to his elite, rigorous program that he says just “isn’t meant for everybody.”    Steve Kroft talks to the legendary high school coach who many call America’s best for a 60 MINUTES story to be broadcast Sunday, March 27 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

More than 150 of his players have gone through his strict program to win scholarships to Division One colleges, making it past 10:00 PM curfews and periodic drug testing, not to mention his drill-sergeant style of coaching.  Some have rebelled against his old-school style. “Oh, yeah,” acknowledges Hurley, “That’s why I think there are hinges on doors…this is not meant for everybody,” he tells Kroft. “And every time somebody goes out the door…because they didn’t have it, the rest of them feel a little bit better about themselves and I think the group gets a little tighter.”  Watch an excerpt.

Hurley makes it clear to his players what is expected of them by having them sign a contract, the breeching of which leads to discipline, suspension or worse. There are 19 rules. “[No] alcohol, cigarettes, narcotics…Some of them are…short haircuts, no tattoos…jewelry has to be basic,” says Hurley.  “I’ve had people in communities say to me they think a kid may be ‘hard partying’…so because of the contract, I’ll take an entire team to a drug treatment program [and] we’ll test them.”

In 39 years of coaching the Friars varsity, only two of his players did not go on to college, and that was because they chose not to. Choosing to abide by Hurley’s contract and enduring the rigorous practices with his in-your-face style can be rough say his players, who agree with Hurley’s admission that he overdoes it sometimes.  “He pretty much puts the fear in your heart,” says Kyle Anderson, a junior player.  “But one thing that makes me pretty happy is when we see Mrs. Hurley come in…you realize…okay, practice is coming to an end, she’s coming to save us,” he says with a laugh.

The 63-yr.old coach has been at St. Anthony since 1968 and for him, despite all the changes in society and the game, he remains old school. “For sure. In this day and age, I’m still one of the most demanding people that the kids are going to come across,” he tells Kroft.

That does it for this post.

SI/CBS Investigation Finds The Criminal Element in College Football

Just coming out today, a joint Sports Illustrated/CBS News investigation into the preseason college football Top 25 finds that 1 in every 14 player has been arrested and of those, nearly 40% were for serious offenses. That’s pretty alarming. And of the schools that recruited players, only two of the Top 25 bothered to conduct background checks. This story was unveiled during CBS’ The Early Show today. Unfortunately for CBS and SI, it was up against a live Charlie Sheen interview on Today on NBC so not too many people saw it. The good thing is that the story is out in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated and on its website.

We have details of the investigation which brings CBS News reporter Armen Keteyian back to his SI roots. Reading the first part of the story, to see how many programs fail to check their recruits is just amazing, but then again, where does the responsibility lie? With the coaches? With the administrators? With the parents? The high schools? Let’s take a look at what SI has in store with this story.

Special report: Criminal Records in College Football – A SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/CBS NEWS INVESTIGATION REVEALS AN ALARMING NUMBER OF STUDENT-ATHLETES AT TOP COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS HAVE CRIMINAL RECORDS

Six-Month Investigation Into The Backgrounds Of The 2,837 Student-Athletes Who Comprised The Rosters of SI’s 2010 Preseason Top 25 Revealed That  7% Have Criminal Records & Nearly 40% Of The Alleged Offenses Were Serious Crimes

Just Two of the 25 Schools Investigated Conduct Any Type of Background Checks of High School Recruits

NEW YORK, NY (3.2.11) –  A six-month Sports Illustrated/CBS News investigation into the criminal backgrounds of 2,837 student-athletes who comprised the rosters of SI’s 2010 preseason top 25 revealed that 7% (1 in every 14) have police records and nearly 40% of the alleged offenses were serious incidents.  Equally as eye-opening, just two of the 25 schools conducted any type of regular criminal background checks of potential high school recruits, while none of the schools searched juvenile records.

A detailed analysis of the investigation’s findings – culled from more than 7,000 record checks – along with comments and reaction from the NCAA, several head coaches including Jim Tressell, Jimbo Fischer, Rick Neuheisel and Gary Patterson can be found in a Special Report: “Criminal Records in College Football” which appears in this week’s Sports Illustrated with additional coverage on CBS News’ “THE EARLY SHOW” THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC www.CBSNews.com and www.SI.com, beginning today. The joint investigative team included George Dohrmann and Jeff Benedict, and special reporting from Andy Staples, Armen Keteyian, Michael McKnight, Michael McCann, Jeffrey Gasser and Emily Rand. The package was edited by B.J. Schecter. Some of the investigation’s findings include:

 
• Players had been charged with 56 violent crimes, including assault and battery (25 cases), domestic violence (6), sex offenses (3), aggravated assault (4) and robbery (4). There were 41 charges for property crimes, such as burglary, theft and larceny; and 105 for drug and alcohol offenses, including DUI and intent to distribute cocaine.
• Players were guilty or paid a penalty in about 60% of the 277 total cases that have a known outcome.
• If the study had looked at only scholarship players, the percentage of players with a criminal record would have risen to 8.1% (172 of 2,125)

The background checks were done through 31 state or local courts, 16 court databases, 25 police departments or prosecutors’ offices, 20 Freedom of Information Act Requests, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a private investigator. Most players were checked through several sources. The reporting also included more than 150 interviews with law enforcement officials, defense lawyers, players, victims, witnesses, high school and college coaches, NCAA officials and other experts.

When presented with the study’s results, NCAA President Mark Emmert said, “[It is] a set of facts that obviously should concern all of us.?.?.?. Seven percent, that’s way too high. I think two percent is too high. You certainly don’t want a large number of people with criminal backgrounds involved in activities that represent the NCAA.”

How much programs know about high school recruits is a focal point of the special report “Criminal Records in College Football” and it is surprising just how little coaches know about the students they recruit. Only two of the schools among SI’s preseason top 25, TCU and Oklahoma, perform any type of background check of student-athletes prior to offering a scholarship, while none of the schools review juvenile records. TCU was the only University among SI’s preseason top 25 with zero athletes who had a police record. Stanford University had one athlete cited for a minor offense. The University of Pittsburgh had 22 players with a police record, more than three times the rate of the other 24 schools. The breakdown is as follows:

• Pittsburgh 22; Iowa/Arkansas 18; Boise State/Penn State 16; Virginia Tech 13;  Oklahoma/Wisconsin/Florida State  9; Miami  8; Florida/Ohio State/Oregon/USC  7; Alabama/Cincinnati/North Carolina /Utah 5;  Georgia Tech/Nebraska/Oregon State;. LSU/ Texas  2; Stanford  1;  TCU  0
• Of the 318 athletes SI/CBS News investigated who are from Florida, the only state that allows complete access to juvenile records, 22 were found to have been arrested at least once before they turned 18. If that rate were extrapolated to the entire pool of players in the study, it would mean that approximately six scholarship players per team had been arrested at least once before they arrived on a college campus.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, whose top-ranked 201 recruiting class included 21 prospects from in-state, was asked why the Seminoles don’t do criminal background checks. “We have people in the community who know people,” Fisher said. “Everybody knows law enforcement people. We know people who are around guys.”

One option as suggested in the report is conference mandated background checks something Keteyian discussed with several coaches at the American Football Coaches Association’s Annual Conference earlier this year. Said Neuheisel “I think that would be the way to do it… That protects the individual institutions. It also serves as a deterrent for young people to stay on the straight and narrow. I think it’s a great idea.”

Richard Lapchick, founder of the Center for Sports and Society and president and CEO of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports at the University of Central Florida said of the report: “This sounds an alarm bell that some new policies are going to have to be developed on individual campuses or at the national level to take a closer look at who we’re recruiting… With the results of this investigation, I think it’s almost incumbent on all those universities who play at this level to do criminal background checks on the people they’re recruiting. Not only for the nature of the football program itself, but for public safety on campus.”

Certainly an eyeopening story. We’ll see if there’s any reforms that come from the investigation. That is it for now.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones To Appear On "60 Minutes"

On Sunday following CBS’ NFL doubleheader, Dallas Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones will be profiled on the newsmagazine “60 Minutes”. Jones will talk about various issues including having the Super Bowl at his stadium in February and his team’s poor performance this season. The preview of the interview is below.

COWBOYS’  JERRY JONES LAMENTS THE BAD SEASON,

SAYING EVEN HIS FRIEND GEORGE STEINBRENNER

WOULD FIRE HIM AS GM – “60 MINUTES” – SUNDAY

            A disappointed Jerry Jones says even his friend, the late George Steinbrenner, would fire him for the poor performance of his Dallas football team that many predicted would go to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys owner-general manager speaks to Scott Pelley for a profile to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Dec. 12 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. 

            By the last day of October, the Cowboys chances of going to the Super Bowl were all but dead. “Before this year started, we were recognized as probably or certainly one of two that were favored to win the Super Bowl,” Jones tells Pelley. “What you’re seeing now is agony. I am not willing to accept what we’re doing and how we’re playing,” he says.

            Told by Pelley that his friend Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees owner who died recently, “might have fired you by now,” Jones replies, “Of course he would have. There’s no doubt in my mind he would have,” says Jones.  Watch an excerpt.

           

            Pelley follows Jones on a day of a loss that makes a press conference feel like a police interrogation. “Well, I think it’s time to sweat. Scott, football, one of the reasons I think it has influenced me, is that only about three to five percent of it feels good. Most of the time it doesn’t feel good,” says Jones.

            Nonetheless, the Dallas Cowboys are Jones’ passion and that’s why he bought them 22 years ago after making a fortune in the oil business. “The Cowboys were my devil and I just couldn’t resist it,” he says. “I wanted to be part of the NFL and I wanted to be part of the future with the Cowboys. 

            Right now the only future for the Cowboys he’s interested in, says Jones, is winning another Super Bowl, bringing to four the number of World championships on his watch. He’ll just have to wait until next year for the chance.

More coming up.

60 Minutes Profiles Boxer Manny Pacquaio

Tonight after NFL coverage, CBS News’ venerable 60 Minutes will have a story on Philippine boxing champion Manny Pacquaio. And while much of the story will focus on Pacquaio’s career, some of it will look at his future as many Filipinos hope he will enter the political arena once Manny is all done with boxing. We have a preview of the story and a link to a video clip.

PACMAN’S POLITICS COULD COST HIM IN THE RING:

MANNY PACQUIAO SAYS HIS MAIN GOALS NOW IN POLITICS, A FACT HIS TRAINER SAYS IS HURTING HIS FOCUS ON NEXT WEEK’S FIGHT — “60 MINUTES” SUNDAY

            Boxing sensation Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has done it all in the ring, winning world championships in seven different weight divisions. He’ll go for an eighth title next week, but as he tells Bob Simon, his main concern right now is politics — he also won election to the Congress of the Philippines last May —  a distraction his trainer believes could be hurting his chances in the upcoming bout.  Simon’s profile of Pacquiao will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday Nov. 7 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

            When Simon brings up his political career, Pacquiao lets him know that serving his fellow Filipinos is where his priorities lie now. “I already achieved my goals in boxing, my dreams in boxing,” says the 31-yr.old fighter. “What I want to achieve more is in public service…I want to be a champion there,” he tells Simon.

            But whether he will be the World Boxing Council’s Super Welterweight champion after next Saturday is what concerns his trainer, Freddie Roach.  Roach thinks Pacquiao is not focused enough on beating Antonio Margarito, a taller, heavier fighter he will meet in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas before 70,000 people. “I’m worried about it. Yes, I’m walking around at two in the morning,” he says. “Something is not right and we are not preparing the way we should for this fight.”

            Pacquiao has only lost three bouts in his professional career, which began when he was 16 fighting in the 105-lb. division. Could he lose this one? “If he keeps on the road he’s going, yes,” Roach tells Simon. 

            Pound for pound, Pacquiao is said to be the best fighter in the world. He might be the best ever, a notion he has no doubts about: “Of course, me!” he answers, when Simon asks him who is the greatest ever. His promoter, Bob Arum, says he’s better than the greats he’s promoted over the last 40 years, including Muhammad Ali. 

            “Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter that I have ever seen,” Arum says. Better than Ali? “Yes he is, because Ali was essentially a one-handed fighter. Manny Pacquiao really shocks these fighters because he hits equally hard from the left side and the right side,” explains Arum. 

            Right now, Pacquiao is training in Los Angeles for the big fight, where he and his large entourage live in an apartment. 60MinutesOvertime.com cameras were let in to catch the champ at home. Watch a clip.

Manny Pacquaio is a great fighter, but not better than Ali. Bob Arum is nuts. And we’re done.

60 Minutes Looks At Superhorse Zenyatta

This Sunday, CBS News’ 60 Minutes will air a report on the thoroughbred mare Zenyatta who goes for history in the Breeders’ Cup next weekend. She’ll attempt to win her 20th consecutive race in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Zenyatta has won races not only over her fellow mares, but over male horses and goes into this year’s Classic undefeated. Here’s the preview from CBS News.

“HOW CAN YOU ARGUE WITH PERFECTION,” SAYS HER JOCKEY MIKE SMITH, WHO SAYS IF ZENYATTA WINS THE BREEDER’S CUP TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED SHE COULD BE THE GREATEST HORSE IN HISTORY – “60 MINUTES” SUNDAY

Jockey Believes Zenyatta has “Another Gear” and he Hasn’t Seen Her Fastest Yet

            He’s ridden winners in the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, The Belmont Stakes – the famous legs of the vaunted Triple Crown – yet Mike Smith says one horse never in the winner’s circle in those races is the best mount he’s ever known.  And if he rides that horse, the 6-yr.-old Zenyatta, to her 20^th consecutive victory at next week’s Breeders Cup, the undefeated mare just may be the greatest horse of all time.  Bob Simon reports on Zenyatta’s quest for horse-racing history on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Oct. 31 (7:00-8:00PM, ET/PT) on the CBS television Network.

            “She’s all [those victorious horses] and more. She means more to me than all those,” Smith tells Simon. “She’s Zenyatta. She’s incredible. She’s unbeaten. She’s done everything that we’ve ever asked of her,” says Smith, who has ridden her to 16 of her 19 victories.

            Last year, Zenyatta won the Breeder’s Cup Classic, considered the toughest race of the season.  This year, she’s not only a year older, but the only mare competing in the race, which attracts the best horses in the world. 

            “If she pulls this off, in my book– of course, I’m a little bit one-sided — but I think…she could be the greatest horse of all time,” Smith says.   That kind of career would put her up there with the most famous Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat, considered one of the greatest ever. But Smith thinks his mount could be even better than Secretariat after a Breeder’s Cup win.

             “If we can pull it off, she’s never been beaten. So how can you argue with perfection, you know?” asks Smith.

            Zenyatta has a reputation for running only as fast as she needs to win a race, always exploding in the stretch to pass the field.  Smith says this may be what keeps her healthy and happy, not having to do more than she has to.  It also indicates her top speed is not known yet.

             “I truly don’t believe I have [seen her fastest],” says Smith.  “In every race that I have ridden her in, I have always felt that there was another gear if I needed it,” he tells Simon. 

And we’re done until Saturday morning.

60 Minutes Profiles New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees

Once again, CBS’ 60 Minutes will have a sports profile right after an NFL doubleheader. CBS seems to be doing more sports stories on 60 Minutes and usually has them following the late game of the doubleheader. That’s one way to hook the audience. And for Sunday’s season premiere of the CBS Newsmagazine, a story on Brees is one way to keep the audience from running to NBC until the Jets-Miami game.

Here’s what CBS News is saying about the Drew Brees story.

IF DREW BREES’ WIFE GOES INTO LABOR WHILE HE’S PLAYING, SHE SAYS SHE WILL KEEP IT A SECRET UNTIL AFTER THE GAME — “60 MINUTES”

In a Profile, Super Bowl Champ Quarterback Brees Says the Big Game isJust “a Blur” Now

            Brittany Brees, wife of New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, vows to keep quiet if she begins to deliver their second child while her husband is playing a game.  Steve Kroft talks to Mr. and Mrs. Brees in a profile of the Super Bowl champ for the 43^rd season premiere of 60 MINUTES to be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 26 (7:00-8:00PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network

            Brittany is due to deliver a boy on Oct. 18 and if she goes into labor the day before, while Drew and the Saints are  playing in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, “He’s not going to get a call…He’s not going to know,” Brittany says.  “If I go into labor, I’m going to get the drugs and just pretend everything’s fine.”

            That’s fine by Drew. “Even if she was on her way to the hospital, water had broke, she’s about to give birth, she would make up some elaborate story to make me comfortable and at ease,” says the 2010 Super Bowl MVP.  

            In the interview, Brees recalls the dramatic Super Bowl win. “It’s all just kind of a blur. It just all sort of runs together,” he says.  “At the time, it was all very much one play at a time. The next play was the most important play of the game…I mean it went by just like that,” he tells Kroft.  “I go back and watch it and, you know, we completed almost every pass and every play we ran, we just operated,” says Brees, the game’s MVP who completed an incredible 32 of 39 passes.  

             He also talks about his personal confidence on the field and his thoughts about moving to the city nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The profile includes interviews with Brees’ coach,  Sean Payton, and teammates Jeremy Shockey and Jonathan Vilma.  

That is it for this post.

Five Women Who Can Make Me Stop Flipping The Remote – 2010

Ok, while I’m away at a wedding today, I give you my annual post of The Five Women Who Can Make Me Stop Flipping The Remote. Usually, I’ll try to make each year’s edition different. And since the weekend is near, why not give you a post that doesn’t make you think too much. Of course, you’ll jump on me because you think I missed someone or you’ll think someone doesn’t deserve to be on the list. That’s ok. You’re entitled to disagree.

Last year’s list included three women in sports and two in entertainment.

In 2008, Fang’s Bites faves, Trenni Kusnierek, Heidi Watney and Charissa Thompson made the list.

And the inaugural list in 2007 had Stacey Dales, Tina Cervasio and Erin Andrews.

Let’s see who made the list this year and if there are any holdovers. In each of the previous lists, you can see I have a very good eye and I think this year’s list is very good too.

5. Michelle Beadle – ESPN

I hate SportsNation, but only because of that untalented ESPN Radio hack Colin Cowherd. When I’m flipping the remote in the 4 p.m. ET hour and I see Michelle Beadle on ESPN2, I immediately stop and watch the show. Then when Colin Cowherd comes back on camera, I change the channel. That is the perfect definition of a woman who can make me stop flipping the remote. ESPN has some high hopes for Michelle and expect to see her on other programs down the road. Let’s hope so.

4. Christina Hendricks – Mad Men

I need to get some Mad Men representation on the list and who better to represent than Christina Hendricks? I could have chosen January Jones as well, but then the list would be blond-heavy. Not that I have anything against blonds, but we move on. Whenever Christina is a scene, she lights up the TV. Her character, Joan, is one of the best on television and my TV is already on Mad Men, but the remote cannot be flipped when when she’s on.

3. Betty Nguyen – CBS News

Courtesy: Asiance Magazine

I’m also glad to get some Asian representation on the list. Betty was at CNN from 2004 until early this year, anchoring weekend coverage when she moved to CBS becoming a contributor and occasional host of The Early Show. When she was at CNN, my weekends would always start with her. Now, the remote goes to CBS where does the news on the Saturday Early Show. An excellent correspondent, she’s covered many stories including the Haiti earthquake, the death of Pope John Paul and Hurricane Katrina. Betty is also the co-founder of Help the Hungry, an organization that helps the poverty-striken.

2. Trenni Kusnierek – MLB Network

Courtesy: Trenni Kusnierek

The only holdover from last year and now the first person to be on the list three times and consecutively at that! Trenni does a tremendous job at MLB Network. She’s now in pennant race mode as she’s starting to criss-cross the country reporting from game sites for MLB Tonight. When I put her on the list in 2008, she was working for Fox Sports Wisconsin as the sideline reporter for Milwaukee Brewers games and free lancing for Big Ten Network. Right after she made the list, she worked for TBS Hot Corner for the MLB postseason and got the gig at MLB Network. I’m not taking credit, but as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I do have a very good eye.

1. Kate Walsh – Private Practice

Courtesy: Brian Bowen Smith

I love Kate Walsh. I admit, I watched Grey’s Anatomy and just happened to start when Kate Walsh’s character, Addison, joined the show. I stopped watching when Addison was spun off to Private Practice and went with her to the spinoff. I really can’t find the words to write. She’s gorgeous. Kate’s a very good actress and I love watching her in every scene. Kate Walsh tops our list this year.

Face The Nation Super Bowl Edition Quotage

Well, we’ve never received Face The Nation quotage before, but when you have a Super Bowl edition from South Florida with NFL Commish Roger Goodell and the CBS Sports NFL crew, we’re going to get a full transcript. So for the first time and probably the last time, here’s Face The Nation quotage.

FACE THE NATION
February 7, 2010
HEADLINES & TRANSCRIPT

LIVE FROM SUN LIFE STADIUM IN MIAMI, FL

TOPIC: SUPER BOWL XLIV

GUEST: Roger Goodell
NFL Commissioner

·       On the collective bargaining agreement: “we want to get a deal”

“I think that we’re having dialogue with our Players Association. And we want to get a deal. We want to get a fair deal. We feel the players should be paid fairly. And we will get a deal. It’s just a matter of when. Insofar as what it will do if we go into an uncapped season, I think will not affect the quality of our game. Because we have collectively bargained a number of restrictions in our — in our way players can move with free agency and other terms. And I think it will continue to be a high-quality product, which is what we’re focused on.”

·        Owners don’t win by having a lockout

SCHIEFFER: DeMaurice Smith, the head of the players’ union said the other day, on a scale of 1-10, he thinks the chances of owners locking out the players is — is a 14. What do you think? Do you agree with that?
GOODELL: Well, I — I don’t agree with that. I think the issue for us is to get an agreement. And we’ve got to work hard to get that agreement, and a fair agreement. I think what’s the ownership is focused on. The owners don’t win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody. And it’s certainly not good for the players. It’s certainly not good for the fans. And that’s the most important to us. We want to structure something that really is going to lead us into the next decade in a way that’s constructive, so the players benefit; the teams benefit; and most of all, the game.

·        Players will continue to see growing salaries

SCHIEFFER: Well, Commissioner, are you saying the players are going to have to take a reduction; they’re going to have to be willing to get less revenue than they’re getting now?
GOODELL: Well, what we’re asking them to do is to recognize the incredible costs, which they have already acknowledged, that are required to grow revenue. You have to invest in these stadiums that we’re in today. You need to find new ways of creating revenue, whether it’s international or otherwise. And that takes investment. And we need to make sure that the owners have the capital to be able to do that. And then the pie grows and everyone benefits. And so I think the players will continue to see growing revenue – growing salaries, but their salaries have doubled over the last decade.

·        NFL wasn’t late in recognizing danger of concussions

“We have been on this since the mid ’90s. We’ve had a medical committee studying the effects of concussions, what we can do to minimize those concussions, what we can do with equipment to make sure the players are wearing the best possible equipment. But medical science is still trying to determine what are the long-term effects of concussions. How do we treat these? And I think what’s great about what the NFL has done is the awareness that has been brought to this issue in the last several years. And we’ve had medical conferences. We’ve had congressional testimony. All of that has brought an awareness to the public sector of the seriousness of this… For many years the culture had been quite different, that concussions weren’t serious injuries. I think we have changed that culture and made sure that people understand they are serious and they can have serious consequences if they’re not treated properly, especially if they’re not treated properly.”

·        NFL needs to find more ways to make the game safer

“Well, we have changed the game and we’ve changed the culture. And I think the rules changes that we’ve made over the last several years have made the game safer for our players. We need to continue to find new ways. There are techniques that are in the game that we think can lead to more serious injuries, whether they’re head injuries, the high hits to the head. We’ve done a lot of changes to defenseless receivers to make sure that the players who are in that position are not subject to hits that can cause serious injury.”

·        Does the NFL foresee any changes in the rules?

SCHIEFFER: I mean, can you ever foresee a time when linemen would not get down in a three-point stance in the NFL?
GOODELL: Well, it’s possible. A lot of times — as you’ll see tonight, you’ll see a lot of players that never get down in a three- point stance, so it’s possible that would happen.

PLUS A ROUNDTABLE WITH:
Shannon Sharpe
Analyst, THE NFL TODAY

·        Is football more dangerous today than before?

“I think the guys have gotten bigger. We’ve gotten faster. But the dimensions of the field have stayed the same. I think the thing is now the NFL is doing as good a job as they possibly can with the diagnosis of a concussion. When I first got into the league, they didn’t know any better. Now they know better, they do better. They diagnose it properly. They get the guys off the field. They’re doing everything they possibly can. I think they’re taking steps in the right direction but I think there’s more that can be done.”

Phil Simms
Lead Analyst, THE NFL ON CBS

·        Equipment changes could revolutionize football

“I think they’re making a lot of great changes in the NFL. I think the rule changes we see, that’s the one thing I love about the league. It’s not like the other sports. They’re not afraid to change it, whether its helps TV, helps the enjoyment for the fans and the safety of the players. So every year we see rule changes and the biggest thing is right now too they’re going to — the equipment is going to get better. The helmet, they’re going to revolutionize it, I think, in the next couple of years. And that will help all these head injuries. And they’re going in the right direction.

Jim Nantz
Lead Play-by-Play Announcer, THE NFL ON CBS

TRANSCRIPT

SCHIEFFER: And good morning again. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, is not our only guest; also on the set today, the Super Bowl trophy…

(LAUGHTER)

… the Vince Lombardi trophy, literally put there with kid gloves.

(LAUGHTER)

We may make some history, as well, today. If all goes as expected, this will be our first “Face the Nation” broadcast, Commissioner, that includes a blimp shot. So we’ll all be…

(LAUGHTER)

We’ll all be looking for that.

Let’s — let’s just start with the state of the game right now. You have had — I can’t remember when the NFL had a better season than they had: great teams, great stories, climaxing in this story of this Cinderella team from New Orleans, playing against maybe the best player in the game today, Peyton Manning.

But you’ve got some tough days coming up because the contract between the owners and the players is about to run out. If you don’t sign a contract, I take it, by March, this will be the first season in a long time when you have no salary caps.

In other words, you can sign a player for as much as you want to or as little as that person is willing to play for. Is that — what would be the impact of that?

GOODELL: Well, first off, Bob, we are very fortunate. We’ve got a great game. And today will be a great day for the NFL, and I think for the country. It will be a chance to really celebrate and come together and — and get away from our everyday troubles.

But, you know, as it relates to our challenges going forward, we will have challenges going forward. I think that we’re having dialogue with our Players Association. And we want to get a deal. We want to get a fair deal. We feel the players should be paid fairly. And we will get a deal. It’s just a matter of when.

Insofar as what it will do if we go into an uncapped season, I think will not affect the quality of our game. Because we have collectively bargained a number of restrictions in our — in our way players can move with free agency and other terms. And I think it will continue to be a high-quality product, which is what we’re focused on.

SCHIEFFER: What the players are afraid of, right now, and what they’re predicting is — is a lockout for the 2011 season. They don’t want that. But DeMaurice Smith, the head of the players’ union said the other day, on a scale of 1-10, he thinks the chances of owners locking out the players is — is a 14.

What do you think? Do you agree with that?

GOODELL: Well, I — I don’t agree with that. I think the issue for us is to get an agreement. And we’ve got to work hard to get that agreement, and a fair agreement. I think what’s the ownership is focused on.

The owners don’t win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody. And it’s certainly not good for the players. It’s certainly not good for the fans. And that’s the most important to us.

We want to structure something that really is going to lead us into the next decade in a way that’s constructive, so the players benefit; the teams benefit; and most of all, the game.

SCHIEFFER: You split up the revenue. Now, what, players get 54 percent; the owners get 46 percent? A lot of people say the owners just want to — want to flip that.

GOODELL: Well, it’s — actually, they get 59 percent. And what’s happened since we signed this new deal in 2006 is that they’ve actually gotten 75 percent of all incremental revenues since 2006.

SCHIEFFER: You’re talking about the players?

GOODELL: The players. We’ve generated about $3.6 billion in incremental revenues since 2006; $2.6 billion of that went to the players. And the owners are actually $200 million worse off.

So there’s a way to structure this where the players continue to benefit and the owners have the opportunity to invest back in the game and grow the game so that there are more opportunities for our players.

SCHIEFFER: Well, Commissioner, are you saying the players are going to have to take a reduction; they’re going to have to be willing to get less revenue than they’re getting now?

GOODELL: Well, what we’re asking them to do is to recognize the incredible costs, which they have already acknowledged, that are required to grow revenue.

You have to invest in these stadiums that we’re in today. You need to find new ways of creating revenue, whether it’s international or otherwise. And that takes investment.

And we need to make sure that the owners have the capital to be able to do that. And then the pie grows and everyone benefits. And so I think the players will continue to see growing revenue — growing salaries, but their salaries have doubled over the last decade.

SCHIEFFER: Are the owners on the same page on this?

GOODELL: Yes. One of the things that’s very important is to make sure that there’s transparency in the process, not only with the players but with our owners and with our fans. And we want to make sure that that’s there so everyone understands the issues and we can address them reasonably.

SCHIEFFER: This would be just kind of a layman’s question, I suppose. But is there anything — is there any concession that either side could make that would get these negotiations going and get it off the dime where it seems to be really stuck right now?

GOODELL: Well, I don’t think so. I don’t agree necessarily that it’s stuck. I think where we are is trying to understand each other’s position, understand the economics. We need to make sure we’re on the same page from that standpoint and recognize the tremendous investment required to continue to grow the game.

I think the players understand that. And we have to continue to find creative ways to address it so the players benefit and the game can benefit.

SCHIEFFER: I want to ask you about the concussion question. Was the NFL a little late to recognize how serious this business of the possibility of brain damage is? I know now you’re on the case and you’re trying to do something about it. But it seems to me like it has taken a while for you to get to where you are.

GOODELL: I don’t agree with that, Bob. We have been on this since the mid ’90s. We’ve had a medical committee studying the effects of concussions, what we can do to minimize those concussions, what we can do with equipment to make sure the players are wearing the best possible equipment.

But medical science is still trying to determine what are the long-term effects of concussions. How do we treat these? And I think what’s great about what the NFL has done is the awareness that has been brought to this issue in the last several years. And we’ve had medical conferences. We’ve had congressional testimony. All of that has brought an awareness to the public sector of the seriousness of this.

SCHIEFFER: Well, you got a lot of criticism from the Congress when you…

GOODELL: Sure we do.

SCHIEFFER: … talk — but let me just…

GOODELL: But that was our study, too, Bob.

SCHIEFFER: Well, let’s — that’s just what I was going to talk about here. The study that you conducted says that something like NFL players are five times more likely to have some sort of an injury, brain injury or memory-related illness than the public at large. And in the age group of 30 to 49, maybe 19 times as likely. So this really is a serious problem.

GOODELL: Well, again, this was a phone service. This wasn’t a medical survey. But what it has done has caused us to say, let’s go back and see if there is something here that we need to understand better. We understand our responsibility to the general public, to our players, and we will continue to be responsible and bring awareness to this so that people treat these injuries seriously and get the proper medical care.

For many years the culture had been quite different, that concussions weren’t serious injuries. I think we have changed that culture and made sure that people understand they are serious and they can have serious consequences if they’re not treated properly, especially if they’re not treated properly.

SCHIEFFER: I guess the co-chairman of the Atlanta Falcons, president — co-chairman of the competition committee, said everything is on the table. Everything from the thought of possibly changing the rules to changing the equipment. Where are you on that? I mean, football is a rough game. Can it be the same game if like some people are saying maybe we ought to do away with a three-point stance for the linemen? I mean…

GOODELL: Well, we have changed the game and we’ve changed the culture. And I think the rules changes that we’ve made over the last several years have made the game safer for our players. We need to continue to find new ways. There are techniques that are in the game that we think can lead to more serious injuries, whether they’re head injuries, the high hits to the head.

We’ve done a lot of changes to defenseless receivers to make sure that the players who are in that position are not subject to hits that can cause serious injury.

SCHIEFFER: I mean, can you ever foresee a time when linemen would not get down in a three-point stance in the NFL?

GOODELL: Well, it’s possible. A lot of times — as you’ll see tonight, you’ll see a lot of players that never get down in a three- point stance, so it’s possible that would happen.

SCHIEFFER: I want to just talk a little bit about this game today, and this whole incredible story of New Orleans. And here you’ve got the Manning family that were kind of the heart and the soul of New Orleans. Archie was a quarterback for the Saints and all of that. And now his son Peyton is going against New Orleans, a city that has come back from Katrina. What does that mean to you, Commissioner, and to the game?

GOODELL: Well, it means a great deal to the people of the Gulf Coast. And that’s important for all of us because we’re a big part of that community. And we stood strong with them when the hurricane hit and their tragedy struck. And it was something that we wanted to be a part of, helping rebuild that community.

And I think the team — the Saints became a symbol of hope. Not only did we physically help rebuild the city, particularly the dome, but we’ve now since extended our lease and we’ve actually awarded a Super Bowl in the future to New Orleans.

GOODELL: So I think all of that has helped the people have a better sense of optimism and strength. They’ve inspired a country with their courage. I think the NFL has been a big part of that. We’re proud of that. But the people of the Gulf Coast make it special.

SCHIEFFER: You are, as far as I know, the first commissioner of any professional sport that started out as an intern in the commissioner’s office. I mean you really did. Where along the way did you one day say, you know, I think I’d like to be the commissioner.

GOODELL: You know, I really didn’t focus that, Bob. I was so fortunate to be a part of the NFL, just to have the opportunities that I had and great mentors along the way. And I just feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have this job. I was fortunate just to be part of the NFL. That was my career ambition. So the commissioner was just sort of — it’s a huge responsibility but something I take very seriously.

SCHIEFFER: Commissioner, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. And we’re looking forward to a great ballgame.

GOODELL: Well, it’s great to have you, Bob. It will be a special day for the entire nation.

SCHIEFFER: And we’ll be back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHIEFFER: And we’re back here at the Super Bowl in Miami. Right next to me, my man Shannon Sharpe. Phil Simms, that great New York Giants quarterback, and right over there, of course, Jim Nantz. These two guys will be doing the play-by-play. You’ll be telling us how it is all going to come out.

SHANNON SHARPE, FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER: Let me start by saying this. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I’d be on “Face the Nation.” My grandmother and sister are watching back home and all my friends and I’m on “Face the Nation.” Thanks for having me.

SCHIEFFER: Well, I’ll tell you, I never in my wildest dream thought we’d have a blimp shot on “Face the Nation.” They tell me we’re going to have one. So when we see it, we’ll all wave. Shannon, I just want to start with you because the commissioner was talking about this whole idea of concussions and injuries and that the game has gotten pretty dangerous. Everybody is trying to figure out what to do about it. Can you have football if it’s not rough? I mean, I think that seems to be the question that everybody is grappling with?

SHARPE: I don’t think you can. I think the guys have gotten bigger. We’ve gotten faster. But the dimensions of the field have stayed the same. I think the thing is now the NFL is doing as good a job as they possibly can with the diagnosis of a concussion.

When I first got into the league, they didn’t know any better. Now they know better, they do better. They diagnose it properly. They get the guys off the field. They’re doing everything they possibly can. I think they’re taking steps in the right direction but I think there’s more that can be done.

SCHIEFFER: What about you, Phil? I mean, some people say the game has gotten too dangerous for its own good. They’re going to have to do something here. I don’t think there’s any question people now see this connection between concussions and brain damage that they didn’t see before.

PHIL SIMMS, FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER: Bob, I think they’re making a lot of great changes in the NFL. I think the rule changes we see, that’s the one thing I love about the league. It’s not like the other sports. They’re not afraid to change it, whether its helps TV, helps the enjoyment for the fans and the safety of the players.

So every year we see rule changes and the biggest thing is right now too they’re going to — the equipment is going to get better. The helmet, they’re going to revolutionize it, I think, in the next couple of years. And that will help all these head injuries. And they’re going in the right direction.

NANTZ: The media has a role in this too. We have celebrated and over-celebrated and replayed the big collisions. We’ve had them sponsored on the highlights, the hit of the week. And other various names that really promote players to go out there and viciously lay someone out.

NANTZ: And you know what’s happened, Bob, is that the players are faster and they’re stronger.

SCHIEFFER: And they’re bigger.

NANTZ: And their collisions, they’re bigger. So the collisions, of course, create more damage.

SHARPE: And football is based on the premise of imposing your will on someone. And what you try to do is hit someone physically as hard as you possibly can, legally, to impose your will to let him know you’re the toughest, you’re the most physical team that day and that’s the way a lot of teams win football games.

SCHIEFFER: Well they’re talking, some people, as you all know, about maybe doing away with the three-point stance for the lineman except when you’ve got close to the…

SIMMS: That’s one rule change they’re not going to get away with. That won’t happen. Like I said, the changes, what’s really changed a lot in football is now it used to be everybody was close together and you just kind of ran into each other. Now with the passing off, they spread the field from side line to side line so that just gives guys more space, more time and more speed. But like I said, I really have a lot of faith. I think they’re making some good choices.

SCHIEFFER: But I think what you want, Phil, is that they would say you can’t tackle the quarterback.

SIMMS: No, you’re wrong, completely wrong. No, I want to — well, I don’t want to say that. I was going to say, I want them to go back to the rules that we played under, but they have to be careful there too. You have to give the defense some chance. We can’t do every single thing in football for the offense.

SCHIEFFER: I want to ask you guys about — let’s just talk about this game. I mean, my heavens. I probably know more about baseball than I do about football. But I think one thing I do know about it is a good story and I can’t think of a better story in a long, long time than Peyton Manning coming from New Orleans, the whole Manning family growing up down there. And now he’s going against New Orleans, the Cinderella team. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than this.

NANTZ: It’s a feel-good Super Bowl. There’s not a villain here, Bob. There’s not like a group that, you know, anyone has any reason to say I don’t like that team. I don’t like the way they play football. They’re class organizations. You know, Peyton is in the midst of building a career that might be one of the biggest, if not the biggest of all time. Today would be another step in that direction.

SCHIEFFER: Is the best player in the league?

NANTZ: Well, I think there’s no question he is right now. He’s won the MVP for the fourth time. That’s an all-time record. Then you’ve got the Saints story which I believe if they win here today, this is going to be the feel-good story of all feel-good stories in the history of the Super Bowl. I can’t imagine anything to match. The whole country will celebrate with them, except for Indianapolis.

SCHIEFFER: Everybody talks about him but what about Drew Brees? I mean, I just wrote down some notes here. Here’s a kid that he took his team to two undefeated seasons in high school. Won the state championship in Texas which is a pretty good prize to win. He took his team Purdue to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 34 years. And now he takes New Orleans to is Super Bowl. I mean, this guy doesn’t do anything but win.

SIMMS: Well, I want to say this about Drew Brees. I’m down in New Orleans practice and they all go, hey, don’t forget about our quarterback. And I go, nobody is forgetting about him. Just remember Peyton Manning has been doing it for 12 years. So he has built on to all of this success. Drew Brees, his fourth year under Sean Payton, I say let him do this for eight more years. He’ll be the only story when he comes to the Super Bowl.

NANTZ: He said that to Drew the other day. We met with him on Thursday morning. He says he’s been playing for eight years longer than you have. Because Drew really gets it. He’s one of these compulsive personalities, perfectionist. He was talking about how he realizes this game could put him in that upper echelon with the Mannings and the Bradys. Roethlisberger has won a couple of Super Bowls. He knows his career, if it’s going to be a Hall of Fame career, rests on days like today.

SHARPE: That’s what happens because in grading Drew Brees’ play, when you look at Peyton Manning, I think a lot of quarterbacks get overlooked because Peyton Manning played so well. And I was talking on radio the other day. I said when you really look at Peyton Manning, if you just take his career, he’s going to throw he’s going to win between 12 and 14 games every year. He’ll throw between four and 4,500 yards with 30 touchdowns. Unless somebody has a Tom Brady season of 2007, who else do you give the MVP to? Who?

SCHIEFFER: Well now that I’ve seen “The Blind Side,” I’ve become an expert on blocking and the left tackles and all that, there are a couple of other guys out on the field today besides Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Who should we keep our eye on?

SHARPE: Well I think biggest story line is Dwight because you don’t know if he’s going to play or how much he’s going to play and if he does play, how effective will he be? He’s the best defensive player that was going to take the field provided he’s healthy. And that greatly increases New Orleans chances of winning this ballgame. If he can’t get constant pressure on Drew Brees.

SIMMS: I would say this, you know, as we talk up here today and all week long it’s been about what? Passing the football. And so the defense, we have to stop the pass. Well, if you’re putting everybody back there to stop the pass, who is going to stop the run? So it would not surprise me at all if one of the running backs for either team today has a special day and can be the MVP of the game when it’s over.

SHARPE: Do you really believe Andy can run the football? The average may be a 9.5 a game.

SIMMS: I really believe there’s a chance they can run the ball today.

NANTZ: I believe there’s a good chance we are going to have a punt return for a touchdown today. Reggie Bush, there has never been a punt return in the history of the Super Bowl.

NANTZ: Now, he has played in four play-off games in his Saints career. He scored five touchdowns. He scored in every single playoff game. He’s a game-changer, a game-breaker. I would say the X factor, Reggie Bush, and Reggie Wayne on the Colts’ side.

SCHIEFFER: You think a high-scoring game or low-scoring game?

NANTZ: I’m going high-scoring. Tonight, it’s going to be perfect. These little breezes we’re feeling right now, they’re going to settle down. It’s going to be ideal weather for the quarterbacks to be able to throw the football the way they want to throw it.

SIMMS: Both teams scoring at 20. Is that high scoring?

(LAUGHTER)

So that’s what I think, both teams will be in the 20s. I think it will be close.

SHARPE: I think one team will be in the 30s. I don’t really see, with (inaudible) being out of the ball game, I just don’t see how they get constant pressure on him.

And another thing, the field goal kicker, Garrett Hartley’s in his second year; Matt Stover’s in his 20th year.

NANTZ: I see it this way, Bob. The temperature’s going to be in the 50s; the winner’s going to be in the 40s; and the loser’s going to be in the 30s.

(LAUGHTER)

NANTZ: Tune in, OK.

(LAUGHTER)

SCHIEFFER: Wow. That sounds good.

Guys, it’s great to talk to you. We really appreciate it. Be back with a final thought in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHIEFFER: Finally today, several people asked me this week, with all that’s going on, how can you leave Washington and politics behind and broadcast from a football game? The answer is easy enough. We went to the airport and got a direct flight. And I don’t even follow pro football that closely. My interest in the game starts and stops with my college team, the TCU Horned Frogs, who, in case you missed it, had a pretty fair team last year.

But here is the deal. On Super Bowl Sunday, it’s hard to get a conversation going about anything but the Super Bowl. Want to talk politics inside the Beltway maneuvering? Good luck. But on this one day, I don’t think so.

The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It’s part of our culture, like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays, beyond their meaning, a factor in our economy.

Even people who don’t like football tune in to watch the commercials. You can’t say that about many things.

So you could argue we’re here because the Super Bowl is big news. I won’t. I believe it’s more important than that. I think it’s one of those breaks when we can put aside the things that really matter and, for a few hours, just gather with our friends and family and enjoy something that makes absolutely no difference in the course of human events.

We need that every once in a while, maybe lately more than ever. I feel lucky to be a part of it. Back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHIEFFER: And that’s it for us. Tune in to our CBS sports coverage of Super Bowl XLIV starting at noon Eastern. Katie Couric will interview President Barack Obama during the pre-game show at 4:30. We’ll be back in Washington next Sunday.

Thanks to CBS Sports and CBS News for sending the transcript.

Weekend Programming and More

I hate how I haven’t been able to do the Friday megalinks for most of this month. Work has gotten in the way and while it’s good to get paid, I feel I’ve been behind for most of January. And knowing what’s coming next week, it appears I won’t be able to do them next week either. I hope to get to them the week after next. We’ll see.

In the meantime, we have some releases to post and they have to do with weekend programming. First, CBS has what’s on tap for college basketball.

DUKE-GEORGETOWN HIGHLIGHT CBS SPORTS’ COLLEGE BASKETBALL LINE-UP ON SATURDAY, JAN. 30 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 31

CBS Sports’ college basketball schedule continues on Saturday, Jan. 30 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET) with national coverage of *No. 8-ranked Duke taking on No. 7-ranked Georgetown. On Sunday, Jan. 31 coverage features regional action as Minnesota plays *No. 20-ranked Ohio State and Florida battles *No. 14-ranked Tennessee.

Verne Lundquist joins CBS Sports’ lead college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg to call the action from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. for the Duke-Georgetown game. Bob Dekas, CBS Sports’ coordinating producer for college basketball, produces and Suzanne Smith directs.

Sunday, Kevin Harlan is joined courtside by both Bill Raftery and Kellogg at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the Minnesota-Ohio State contest. Vic Frank produces and Mark Grant directs. For the Florida-Tennessee match-up Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony handle the call from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

AT THE HALF, CBS Sports’ halftime studio show, hosted by Ian Eagle along with Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis, provides all the day’s news, scores and highlights live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Vin DeVito produces and Jim Cornell directs. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

*AP Poll as of 1/25/10

CBS News gets a jump on the Olympics with a profile of gold medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White.

GOLD MEDALIST SNOWBOARDER SHAUN WHITE, PREPARING FOR THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS, TELLS “60 MINUTES” IT’S SOMETIMES LONELY AT THE TOP

 

Snowboarding champion Shaun White acknowledges how lonely it can be when you’re the best in a 60 MINUTES profile before he competes for more gold in the Winter Olympics next month.   The 23-year-old Olympian spent time with Bob Simon – including a moment hanging over the correspondent’s head – for the profile to be broadcast Sunday, Jan. 31 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT).

Simon’s report traces the life of the flame-haired snowboarder, from his infancy when he needed heart surgery, to his boyhood skateboarding collision that nearly ended his career to the lofty heights he currently occupies as snowboarding’s grand trickster and richest endorser.  He’s gotten so good, so successful, he realizes it’s hard to really be a part of the snowboarding fraternity anymore.   His competitors have said he’s off on his own doing his own thing apart from them.

  “I definitely found it a bit lonely sometimes,” he tells Simon.  “I don’t think you can have really good friends that you go and compete…with…beat them at the hill…I totally understand [his competitors’ attitude about him],” he says.  “If you and I were competing on the hill I don’t think I’d want to hang out with you afterward while you’re shining your medal…that would be a bummer,” says White.  

The segment contains lots of footage of White at work, including him practicing his tricks at his own private half pipe in Colorado’s backcountry.  Viewers will learn how White got started on a snowboard, what his predictions are for his upcoming Olympic performance and get a look at his ride when he takes Simon out on the road for a short but fast spin in his Lamborghini.

White likes the view from the top; he’s gotten comfortable there – like when he was able to fly over Simon’s head on cue. “There’s just this amazing moment when you’re not going up anymore, but you’re not coming down…you’re just flying. Yeah, it’s just the best feeling,” he tells Simon.

NBC will air the Detroit-Pittsburgh matchup as part of its NHL Game of the Week on Sunday.

STANLEY CUP FINAL REMATCH THIS SUNDAY ON NBC SPORTS WHEN DEFENDING CHAMPION PENGUINS HOST RED WINGS

“It would not surprise me to see both of these teams back in the Stanley Cup Finals.” – NBC’s Olyczyk

Tampa Tribune (1/18): NBC Sports’ hockey coverage “picked up where it left off last season – among the best sports coverage on television.”

NEW YORK - Jan. 25, 2010 -Pittsburgh and Detroit will meet for the first time since the Penguins defeated the Red Wings, 2-1, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on the NHL “Game of the Week” this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports. 

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty, hosting NBC’s studio show alongside analyst Mike Milbury on site at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. 

Pittsburgh and Detroit have met for the last two Stanley Cup Finals with the Red Wings winning in 2008 and the Penguins capturing the Cup in 2009. The Penguins are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with 65 points, while the Red Wings (58), who have suffered through a number of injuries, are tied for eighth in the Western Conference.

OLCZYK ON DETROIT AFTER THEY REGAIN THEIR INJURED PLAYERS: “They will be a dangerous team, tough medicine for any team that might take them on in the Western Conference. It would not surprise me to see both of these teams back in the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive year.”

EMRICK: “Because they have reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous two seasons, these have been two of the busiest teams in the history of the sport, playing so many games. But it doesn’t show in their performances. Both teams leave it all out there.”

TAMPA TRIBUNE (1/18) ON NBC SPORTS’ HOCKEY COVERAGE: “[It] picked up where it left off last season - among the best sports coverage on television.”

CLOSE GAMES: All of NBC Sports’ NHL games this season have been decided by one goal and two needed extra time to determine a winner. Yesterday, the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, on a power-play goal by Matt Cooke with 1:47 remaining. In NBC’s inaugural “Game of the Week” on Jan. 17, the Chicago Blackhawks needed a shootout to beat the Red Wings, 4-3, in Detroit. The Boston Bruins needed overtime to defeat the Flyers, 2-1, at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic. 

OLYMPIANS IN THE GAME: Sunday’s game features 12 players who will compete for their respective Olympic teams in Vancouver in February.

USA
Pittsburgh, D Brooks Orpik
Detroit, D Brian Rafalski

CANADA
Pittsburgh, F Sidney Crosby
Pittsburgh, G Marc-Andre Fleury

FINLAND
Detroit, F Valtteri Filppula

RUSSIA
Pittsburgh, D Sergei Gonchar
Pittsburgh, F Evgeni Malkin
Detroit, F Pavel Datsyuk

SWEDEN
Detroit, F Henrik Zetterberg
Detroit, F Tomas Holmstrom
Detroit, D Nicklas Lidstrom
Detroit, D Nicklas Kronwall

Here’s what else NBC Sports is airing this weekend.

U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM MEMBERS LYSACEK, WEIR, NAGASU, BELBIN & AGOSTO THIS SUNDAY IN SKATE FOR THE HEART ON NBC

Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White Featured In World of Adventures Sports

NEW YORK- Jan. 28, 2010 - NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Silk Soy Milk Skate for the Heart  this Sunday at 4 p.m. ET from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. 
  
This event is packed with skating powerhouses and current U.S. Olympic Team members including 2006 Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, reigning World Champion Evan Lysacek, three-time National Champion Johnny Weir and current U.S. silver medalist and 2008 National Champion Mirai Nagasu.

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks headlines an evening of contemporary music with Olympic and world-class skaters in a show that provides awareness for the prevention of heart disease. Also providing music is 16-year-old singing sensation Charice Pempengco and pop groups Honor Society and KSM.

WORLD OF ADVENTURE SPORTS, SATURDAY, 2 PM ETThe new season of the World of Adventure Sports will kick off this Saturday on NBC Sports with Red Bull Project X, one of the most progressive snowboard sessions in history. In preparation for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, Olympic gold medalist Shaun White teamed up with Red Bull to create a private halfpipe nestled in the backcountry of Silverton Mountain, Colo. It was there that Shaun would create a series of new tricks that would change the sport forever.     

Pat Parnell hosts.

PBR, SATURDAY, 4:30 PM ETNBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Professional Bull Riders’ Tecate Light Invitational on Saturday from Anaheim, Calif. The event will feature experienced riders including  reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh (Longmont,Colo.), Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil), LJ Jenkins (Texico, N.M.), and Josh Koschel (Greely, Colo.). 

NBC’s Craig Hummer, Justin McKee, Ty Murray, Donna Brothers and Justin McBride call the action.

INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, SUNDAY, 3 PM ETNBC Sports will present a one-hour broadcast of the International Auto Show this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The show will give you a look at some of the most intriguing new vehicles that were on display at the NAIAS 2010 in Detroit. Coverage features the finest production and concept vehicles with a focus on smaller fuel efficient vehicles and automotive design, as well as technical advancements for vehicles of the future. 

NBC Sports Commentators Bill Weber, Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, and Phil LeBeau will give you a close up look at some of the world’s most incredible vehicles.

And that’s going to do it for the weekend programming releases. I have stuff for next week coming up.

Various Press Releases for the Weekend

I think I’ll do three releases for you that previews programming for this weekend.

Here’s NBC talking about the first figure skating tournament it’ll air this season.

GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND ON NBC SPORTS AND UNIVERSAL SPORTS

NBC Sports & Universal Sports Combine to Present 11 Hours of Coverage From Paris

NEW YORK -- October 15, 2009 -- NBC Sports presents coverage of the first stop of the 2009 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series this Sunday from Paris, France. Skaters from Team USA will compete against athletes from 13 other countries, all vying for points and prize money and ultimately spots representing their country at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Coverage on NBC Sports begins Sunday at 1 p.m. ET and coverage on Universal Sports begins Friday at 5 p.m. ET.
 
NBC Sports' broadcast will feature coverage of the ladies and men's free skates and Universal Sports will carry coverage of the pairs and ice dancing finals and the men's and ladies short programs.
 
NBC Sports' ladies' coverage highlights reigning two-time World Junior silver medalist and 2009 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang competing against 2008 U.S. Junior gold medalist Alexe Gilles of France. On the men's side 2007 U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley and reigning two-time World Junior champion Adam Rippon compete. Bradley won the silver medal at 2008 Skate Canada and finished fourth at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships. 

Andrea Joyce and four-time world and U.S. champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton will call the coverage for NBC Sports from the Universal Sports studios in Los Angeles. They will be joined by 2002 Olympic gold medalist David Pelletier who will report from Paris.  

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE: Universal Sports, available in more than 56 million homes, will broadcast more than 50 hours of Grand Prix coverage, including live and near-live taped programming and rebroadcasts of the featured programming that appears on NBC Sports. Universal Sports coverage details of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating -- France are below (all times ET):
Friday, Oct. 16, 5-7 p.m. ET/Encore Presentation: 8-10 p.m. ET
Sat., Oct. 17, 5-7 p.m. ET/Encore Presentation: 10-11 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m. ET

Joyce and three-time U.S. pairs champion and 1984 Olympic silver medalist Peter Carruthers will handle the call for Universal Sports from L.A. with Pelletier reporting from Paris.

CBS airs the “US Open of Supercross” on Saturday.

CBS SPORTS BROADCASTS “U.S. OPEN OF SUPERCROSS” ON SATURDAY, OCT. 17

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR broadcasts the ROCKSTAR ENERGY U.S. OPEN OF SUPERCROSS on Saturday, Oct. 17 (1:30-3:00 PM, ET). Some of the world’s top Supercross racers, including past winners James Stewart and Chad Reed, will take to the track at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a head-to-head, one lap race. The winners of each of the three heats will be awarded one point to their two-night racing totals, with the overall winner receiving the coveted $100,000 prize. A new twist this year will be the MMI Mechanics Challenge, featuring the mechanics of the top three finishing riders of each race. They will compete to remove and replace their bike’s back wheel before dashing to the finish line. The winning mechanic will earn a point towards their rider’s overall two-night total. John Sherlock, Jason Weigandt, Jim Holley and Erin Bates will call the action for CBS Sports. CBS Sports’ Sellers Shy serves as coordinating producer.

Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

CBS News’ Armen Keteyian will unveil some new information on Monday regarding the death of Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair who was found shot to death in July of this year.

CBS NEWS INVESTIGATION REVEALS SURPRISING NEW INFORMATION SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF FORMER NFL SUPERSTAR STEVE MCNAIR – THE TWO-PART “EARLY SHOW” INVESTIGATION WILL BE BROADCAST BEGINNING OCT. 19 ON CBS

Nashville police say former NFL Superstar Steve McNair was killed in the early morning hours of July 4 by his 20-year-old girlfriend who then took her own life. After a three-month investigation, CBS News’ Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian has discovered surprising new information that exposes critical flaws in the police investigation and raises troubling questions about the events leading up to the two deaths. Keteyian’s exclusive, two-part investigation, “Steve McNair Murder Mystery,” will be broadcast on THE EARLY SHOW beginning Oct. 19 (7:00-9:00AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

And I’ll end it there for now.

Michael Vick Speaks to 60 Minutes

Right as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen breaks the news that Michael Vick has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles tonight, you wonder if the interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that airs Sunday will be rendered obsolete, but you would think they’ll get Vick’s reaction to add to the interview that James Brown conducted on Monday.

Here’s a quick preview sent by CBS News:

MICHAEL VICK BLAMES HIMSELF: “I WASN’T A LEADER,” HE SAYS, VOWING TO HELP PUT AN END TO DOGFIGHTING – “60 MINUTES” SUNDAY

Former NFL Star Appears in his First Interview Since his Dogfighting Conviction and Reinstatement to the League

Michael Vick, the former pro quarterback, says he alone is to blame for not stepping up to end the illegal dogfighting that resulted in a prison sentence and his suspension from the NFL.

Vick tells CBS Sports “NFL TODAY” anchor James Brown the dogfights were “wrong” and he feels badly about participating in them and that he deserves to have lost all he did. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last month conditionally restored Vick to the league, after meeting with Vick and hearing his apology. Vick says he has reflected on his actions, missed the game and is ready to start playing again. The interview will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Aug. 16 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Vick also talks about his time in prison, where he says he had time to think about what he had done, realized what he had lost and often cried at night in his cell.

The following excerpt from this Sunday’s 60 MINUTES interview appeared on tonight’s CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC. Watch an excerpt of Vick’s interview.

JAMES BROWN:

And the operation, Michael, that you pleaded guilty to bankrolling, to being a part of, engaged in barbarous treatment of the animals– beating them, shooting them, electrocuting them, drowning them– horrific things, Michael– what about the dogs? What about the dogs?

MICHAEL VICK:

It’s wrong, man…I feel, you know, some tremendous hurt behind what happened. And, you know, I should have took the initiative to stop it all…I didn’t– I didn’t step up. I wasn’t a leader.

JAMES BROWN:

So for the cynics who will say, “You know what? I don’t know. Michael Vick might be more concerned about the fact that his career was hurt than dogs were hurt.”

MICHAEL VICK:

I mean, football don’t even matter.

The 60 Minutes interviews airs this Sunday on CBS at 7 p.m.

Some CBS-centric Press Releases

I think this is a first for Fang’s Bites. We have a whole slew of press releases and I will split them up. This is the first time I’ve devoted one entire multiple press release post to CBS and we have stuff to give you.

First is the appearance of Michael Vick on 60 Minutes this Sunday. He’ll be interviewed by James Brown.

FORMER NFL STAR MICHAEL VICK SPEAKS TO CBS SPORTS “NFL TODAY” ANCHOR JAMES BROWN ON “60 MINUTES” AUGUST 16 IN HIS FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE ADMITTING TO DOGFIGHTING AND GOING TO PRISON

Former pro-football star Michael Vick speaks to CBS Sports NFL TODAY Anchor James Brown on 60 MINUTES in his first interview since he admitted two years ago to running a dogfighting ring – a crime that landed him in federal prison for 18 months and got him suspended from the NFL. The interview, conducted today (8/10) in Virginia, will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Aug. 16 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The ex-Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback was conditionally re-instated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on July 27th, a week after he was released from federal custody. If a team is interested in him, Vick could be playing again in a regular league game by the sixth week of the NFL season.

The segment will also include interviews with Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the U.S., the country’s largest organization dedicated to the protection of animals. Tony Dungy, the former NFL coach who will be a special advisor to Vick, will also be interviewed.

CBS Sports held a media conference call today with its golf crew regarding this week’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

EXCERPTS FROM CBS SPORTS’ 2009 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE CALL

CBS Sports broadcasts golf’s final major of the season with live 18-hole coverage of the 2009 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP on Saturday, Aug. 15 and Sunday, Aug. 16 (2:00-7:00 PM, ET, both days), from Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. CBS Sports will broadcast highlights of early-round action immediately following the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN on Thursday, Aug. 13 and Friday, Aug. 14 (12:35-1:07 PM, ET; both days).

Following are excerpts from CBS Sports’ 2009 PGA Championship conference call on Monday, August 10.

OPENING STATEMENTS:

Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports: “As you all know, I am a firm believer in momentum and I think we have an awful lot of momentum going into this year’s PGA Championship, both in terms of what we’ve seen recently on television and our last couple of events, with the Buick (Open) event and most recently, with the drama and the story we had at Firestone (Bridgestone Invitational) yesterday. I think we have had terrific broadcasts, I think we have had great stories, great coverage, and obviously superlative ratings. We are excited to get back to Minnesota. We are excited for the PGA Championship and the storylines, which the analysts and the hosts and the anchors can talk about. But the storylines going into this year’s PGA Championship are pretty darn good. We are excited to be on our way to Chaska, Minnesota.”

Jim Nantz, CBS Sports lead golf anchor: “I am just thrilled that we have majors, to have Augusta and the PGA. To have the story of course of Augusta every spring and then be able to kind of wrap up the year of major golf (with the PGA Championship), it’s a great privilege to have that responsibility. I am looking forward to seeing of course, along with the rest of the world, how Tiger is going to perform on this incredible stretch we are seeing right now. You have this feeling it’s going to be three in a row, but who knows? He just completed yesterday the pre-major slam. He won his last tournament now all four majors. Not the last tournament, but his last tournament entering a major. It has not added up to a victory in a major yet, but all systems are go right now for Tiger.”

Peter Kostis, CBS Sports on-course reporter and analyst: “We have had three majors this year that, while having compelling stories, could have been phenomenal stories had the outcome been a little bit different. For some reason, I think that this fourth one (PGA Championship) is going to be the one that knocks the socks off the first three. I just think that something special is happening and I cannot quite tell you what it is but I am really looking forward to it.”

Sir Nick Faldo, CBS Sports lead golf analyst and six-time major championship winner: “Ditto. I think that the prelude has been fantastic. I think Hazeltine is going to be an incredible test, with very long par fives and a pretty daunting finish. If I may pre-empt the first six questions (of who is going to win), the answer is Tiger Woods, thank you.”

Harold Bryant, Vice President, Production, CBS Sports: “We are of course bringing our SwingVision technology back to the PGA. This year it is RF-based, so it can move around as you saw. Yesterday, we had some tremendous shots of players from the bunker, from the rough, and we will have that throughout the broadcast. We are also using Golf Track technology in partnership with Turner. We have employed a company that creates virtual hole animations and can show us the slopes of the green and also help show us ball position where players have been hitting them throughout the day or the tournament. And that’s our technology as well as our standards, cameras and EBS equipment will be all over the course.”

Lance Barrow, Coordinating Producer, Golf, CBS Sports: “I think ever since CBS Sports has partnered with PGA of America since John Daly won at Crooked Stick (1991) through last year at Oakland Hills with (Padraig) Harrington, it has been an exciting PGA Championship each year. Obviously, we have had the opportunity since 1997 to see Tiger Woods and what he has done at this Championship, and over the last couple of weeks what Tiger has done. I think this will be maybe one of the greatest, if not the greatest PGA Championship, that will be contested here in Minnesota, at a great golf course in Hazeltine.”

QUESTIONS:

After Tiger’s missed cut at the British Open, is it overlooked how difficult it really is to win a major considering how easy Tiger has made it look over the years?

Peter Kostis: “No question, Tiger is a victim of his own success. You can go down the litany of stats. On one hand, Tiger is completely unlike anyone else out there playing. On the other hand, he is exactly like everyone else. He has days where his rhythm goes off. He has days when his ball striking goes off, when his putting goes off, just like everybody who plays the game of golf does. In particular, Tiger’s swing issues, I feel, are magnified in left-to-right winds. At Turnberry (British Open) going out, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, all those holes at the beginning of his rounds were left-to-right winds and that is where he had his trouble. It was a poor time to happen. He missed the cut by a shot and it is not the end of the world. Like I said, on one level he is not human. And on another level, he is 100% human.”

How do you think Hazeltine sets up for him?

Kostis: “It has the potential to be an extremely long golf course, and as well be very windy, if the weather allows. So, (the winner) is going to be somebody with plenty of power, someone who can put the ball in the fairway. There is no question about that. It is a golf course like many golf courses. The more they try to Tiger-proof it, the more it plays into his hands. He is a clear-cut favorite coming into this event. The golf course is so long you could actually make a case that a medium-length hitter is going to do as well because a lot of people are going to misread he’s going to have to lay up and use your short game and all that stuff. But, what aspect of that part of golf does Tiger not do well? I mean, he’s got it covered.”

Talk about the Tiger factor in terms of ratings. What kind of boost will you get?

Sean McManus: “Well, I will just give you some numbers. Of the five tournaments that Tiger has won this season, four have been on CBS Sports. The numbers are pretty remarkable. The Memorial was up 100%, these are Sunday ratings, AT&T National up 180%; Buick Open up 164%. And yesterday’s final round (Bridgestone Invitational), the overnight ratings are up 104%. So you can pretty much count on anywhere between 100% on the low side to 175% increase. It is nothing new. But I think that because Tiger was off for an extended period of time, and he has not been as competitive in the majors, that when he is on the leader board, it somehow feels a little more special these days. I think that’s part of the reason why the increases have been greater this year than they have in the past. It is a clear cut enormous ratings boost when Tiger is in contention on either Saturday or Sunday. It is mathematical and predictable. And, it is good if you have him in that situation on your broadcast.”

What is it about Hazeltine that presents a challenge?

Lance Barrow: “One of the things about Hazeltine is that it is a long, long golf course. It is a little bit different from when we were here a few years back. But what is great about this golf course is that it sets up well for our cameras. I would not say it’s a flat golf course, but there are not a lot of hills and things like that that will keep us from being able to see shots land. It’s pretty well straight forward. With the experience of doing the tournament here a few years ago, there will not be a lot of challenges for our crew getting around because most of them know where they need to go from point A to point B.”

Tiger has always gauged his year on how he performs in the majors. How can you sum up Tiger’s year so far?All things considered that he is coming off of major knee surgery and he has won tournaments, but no majors thus far.

Sir Nick Faldo: “For Tiger, it is all about majors. That is his yardstick, as it was Jack Nicklaus’ yardstick. He wants to pass Jack Nicklaus with the 18 majors. The way he set it up to win all four (tournaments before a major) is all good so he would deem that everything is on schedule, but he has not quite been able to pull it off (win a major). Sometimes it is caused by his swing, sometimes it is the weather, as we saw was pretty obvious at Turnberry. I think it is pretty impressive to get yourself ready physically, technically, emotionally, and timing it that well to be prepared for a major. He just about does it every single time. To finish it off, the other guys definitely want to stop him but this one looks like the only person who can beat Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods. It is really as simple as that, I feel.”

Kostis: “I think we tend to forget that Tiger is coming off of major surgery. If you look at running backs, or any other athlete that has had this surgery, they take about 18 months to two years before they are back to 100%. I think a lot of people made the assumption that because Tiger is back playing golf, he is 100%. In my opinion, he is nowhere near 100%. What he has done to this point was done on a leg that was greatly improved since the U.S. Open in San Diego, but is nowhere near 100%. I want to give him props for a phenomenal year to this point. He desperately wants to win majors, but I also think Tiger is measuring himself with a little bit of a different yardstick coming off of the surgery. All of his success this year has come in spite of the operation, not because of the operation. He still has to get his strength back and I think that has been shown in the majors.”

And CBS Sports is happy with another huge ratings increase for a PGA Tour event as Tiger Woods pulled out a win at the Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.

RATINGS SOAR FOR CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF PGA TOUR’S “WGC: BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL” FINAL ROUND WITH 104% INCREASE

CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the PGA TOUR’s WGC: BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL, which saw Tiger Woods win his 70^th PGA TOUR event on Sunday, Aug. 9 (2:00-6:00 PM, ET), scored an overnight household rating/share of 4.7/11, up +104% from last year’s 2.3/5 in the metered markets.

Sunday’s final-round rating peaked at a 6.7/15 from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

CBS Sports’ third-round coverage of the WGC: BRIDGESTONE INVIATIONAL on Saturday, Aug. 8 (2:00-6:00 PM, ET) earned an overnight household rating/share of 2.4/6, up +41% from last year’s 1.7/4 in the metered markets.

Of the five tournaments Tiger Woods has won so far this season, four have been broadcast on CBS Sports and have seen triple-digit ratings increases for the final round compared to the previous year: Memorial Tournament (3.2/8, up 100%); AT&T National (4.2/10, up 180%) and Buick Open (3.7/9, up 164%).

Next will be a football-centric press release post. Keep your RSS feeds updated.

Walter Cronkite, 1916-2009

America’s anchorman, Walter Cronkite passed away tonight at the age of 92. Here’s Katie Couric reporting the news on Walter’s former network, CBS.

For those of us who grew up watching him, Walter was the news and gave it in a comforting manner. It’s why CBS News was number one throughout his tenure. He will be missed.