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34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards Nominations Announced

Just received this from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the full press release of the nominations for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards.

NBC Sports Group received the most nominations with 58 followed by ESPN with 43 and Turner in third with 27.

Bob Costas was nominated yet again for Outstanding Studio Host along with Dan Patrick, James Brown, Ernie Johnson and Rich Eisen.

There were only four nominees for Outstanding Play-by-play, Mike Breen, Mike Emrick, Al Michaels and Jim Nantz.

Cris Collinsworth received another nomination for Outstanding Event Analyst. He’s joined by Ato Boldon of NBC Olympics, Jon Gruden, Jim Kaat and Mike Mayock.

Studio Analyst was full with Charles Barkley of TNT, Tony Dungy of NBC’s Football Night in America, CBS’ Boomer Esiason, MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds, Bill Ripken also from MLB Network and Kurt Warner of NFL Network.

Let us take a look at the full list. We need a jump break in here as well. Let’s go. Lots of things to read through. Get ready to scroll.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 34th ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS

Winners to be Honored During the May 7th Ceremony At Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center

New York, NY – March 20, 2013 – The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced the nominees for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards.

More than 170 nominees were announced in 34 categories including Outstanding Live Sports Special, Live Series, Sports Documentary, Studio Show, Promotional Announcements, Play-by-Play Personality and Studio Analyst. The Awards will be given out at the prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center located in the Time Warner Center on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 in New York City.

“What a world we live in,” said Malachy Wienges, Chair, NATAS. “The Olympics, NASCAR, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the World Series, The Stanley Cup, The NBA, the US Open, the Masters…it just goes on and on! This is another outstanding year for the sports community and for The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The entries received in this year’s Sports Emmy Awards illustrate the high-water mark of quality each of us gets to enjoy every time we turn on our favorite program. With so much talent vying for the prestigious Emmy Award and with many of the today’s leading sports broadcasters, personalities, and television professionals in attendance, it promises to be an exciting evening.”

The networks of NBC Sports Group (NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel nbcolympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, nbcsports.com, & Telemundo) lead the nomination totals with 58, ESPN (ESPN, ESPN2, grantland.com, ABC, ESPN3D, ESPNU & ESPNews), garnered 43, and Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, NCAA.com & truTV) garnered 27. A complete list of all Networks and individual show nominations follows below.

A complete list of all nominees is attached and also available at www.emmyonline.tv/sports

34th Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network Group
Network or Network Group Nominations

NBC Sports Group (NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, nbcolympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, nbcsports.com, Telemundo) — 58
ESPN (ESPN, ESPN 2, grantland.com, ABC, ESPN 3D, ESPNU, ESPNews) — 43
Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, truTV, NCAA.com) — 27
FOX Sports Media Group (FOX, SPEED, FOX Soccer Channel) — 17
HBO Sports — 17
NFL Network (NFL Network, NFL Media, NFL.com) — 16
CBS (CBS, Showtime, CBS Sports Network) — 15
MLB Network — 9
DIRECTV — 1
YouTube — 1

34th Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network

NETWORK — NOMINATIONS

NBC — 36
ESPN — 23
HBO Sports — 17
FOX — 13
NFL Network — 13
TNT — 13
CBS — 10
ESPN2 — 10
MLB Network — 9
NBC Sports Network — 9
TBS — 5
NBA TV — 4
Showtime — 4
truTV — 4
grantland.com — 3
NBCOlympics.com — 3
Speed — 3
ABC — 2
Bravo — 2
ESPN3D — 2
ESPNU — 2
Golf Channel — 2
MSNBC — 2
NFL Media — 2
Telemundo — 2
CBS Sports Network — 1
CNBC — 1
DIRECTV — 1
ESPNews — 1
FOX Soccer Channel — 1
nbcsports.com — 1
NCAA.com — 1
NFL.com — 1
YouTube — 1

BREAKDOWN OF MULTIPLE PROGRAM — SERIES NOMINATIONS

Program/Network/Nominations
Games of the XXX Olympiad (NBC/Bravo/CNBC/MSNBC/NBC SportsNetwork/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo) — 14
NBA on TNT (TNT) — 6
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (TNT) — 6
E:60 (ESPN2) — 5
24/7 (HBO) — 4
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO) — 4
MLB on FOX (FOX) — 4
Outside the Lines (ESPN) — 4
Sunday Night Football (NBC) — 4
NASCAR on FOX (FOX) — 3
NFL Films Presents (NFL Network) — 3
30 for 30 (ESPN) — 2
A Football Life (NFL Network) — 2
College Gameday (ESPN) — 2
The Dream Team (NBA TV) — 2
Inside the NBA (NBA TV) — 2
Inside the NFL (Showtime) –2
MLB Network Division Series (MLB Network) — 2
MLB Tonight (MLB Network) — 2
Namath (HBO) — 2
NCAA March Madness (TBS) — 2
NFL on FOX (FOX) — 2
SportsCenter (ESPN) — 2
Sport Science (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNews) — 2
UEFA Euro 2012 (ESPN) — 2

The nominations are coming after a jump break.
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NBA on TNT Kicks Off The 2012-13 Season With A Doubleheader

On Tuesday, TNT will have the season opening games for the new season. It begins with the Boston Celtics taking on the Miami Heat. Included in the coverage will be the Ring Ceremony as the Heat celebrates its championship from last season.

Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and the Czar of the Telestrator, Mike Fratello will be on hand to call all of the action for TNT. David Aldridge will be the courtside reporter. Game coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

TNT has pregame coverage with the Inside the NBA crew starting at 7 p.m.

And the nightcap will have the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Los Angeles Lakers live from Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller will be there to call the action and Craig Sager’s loud wardrobe will roam the sidelines.

Here’s the TNT press release.

2012-13 NBA Season Tips Off October 30 Exclusively on TNT withDefending NBA Champion Heat vs. Celtics & New-Look Lakers Hosting Mavericks

Miami Heat Ring Ceremony to Precede Game Action During TNT NBA Tip-Off Pre-game Show at 7 p.m. ET
Inside the NBA Studio Team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith On Site in Brooklyn Nov. 1

Turner Broadcasting tips off its 29^th year of NBA coverage with TNT featuring two nights of doubleheaders beginning Tuesday, Oct. 30, with the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics at 8 p.m. ET. Marv Albert will call the game with analyst Steve Kerr and reporter Craig Sager. In the nightcap, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Dallas Mavericks at 10:30 p.m. Kevin Harlan will handle play-by-play with analyst Reggie Miller and reporter David Aldridge.

The network’s opening night coverage will include the Miami Heat Ring Ceremony during the one-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off pregame show – with TNT’s Emmy® Award-winning studio show team of host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal – at 7 p.m. ET.  Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will return following the doubleheader for the Inside the NBA post-game show.

TNT’s opening week action will continue Thursday, Nov. 1, with the home debut of the Brooklyn Nets against the New York Knicks at 7 p.m. Albert will call the game with Kerr and Sager. Additionally, TNT’s studio team of Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith will be live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the game. The studio crew will contribute to a special one-hour pre-game show at 6 p.m. on NBA TV. Matt Winer will also anchor NBA TV’s pre-game coverage from Turner Studios in Atlanta with analysts Chris Webber and Rick Fox, along with Inside the NBA on TNT. The Nov. 1 doubleheader will conclude with a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. Harlan will be courtside along with Miller and Aldridge.

NBA on TNT Opening Week Schedule:

DAY/DATE
TIME (ET)	EVENT
Tuesday, October 30
7 p.m.	TNT NBA Tip-Off ’12 (including Miami Heat Ring Ceremony)
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith (analysts)
8 p.m.	Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat
	Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr and Mike Fratello (analysts) with David Aldridge (reporter)
10:30 p.m.	Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers
	Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game	Inside the NBA
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley, Shaquile O’Neal and Kenny Smith (analysts)
Thursday, November 1
6 p.m.	Special NBA TV Pre-Game Show (NBA TV telecast)
	Matt Winer (host), Chris Webber and Rick Fox (analysts) from Atlanta
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith (analysts) from Brooklyn
7 p.m.	New York Knicks @ New Jersey Nets
	Marv Albert and Steve Kerr with Craig Sager
9:30 p.m.	Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs
	Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller with David Aldridge
Post-game	Inside the NBA (live from Turner Studios in Atlanta)
	Matt Winer (host), Chris Webber and Rick Fox (analysts)

That will do it.

Winners of the 33rd Annual Sports Emmy Awards

Throughout the day, I will be posting various press releases from the networks touting their Sports Emmy Awards. Last night, I posted the winners as they were handed out. Now, we have the official press release from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences which holds the annual ceremonies.

These include the names who were involved in each category. Congratulations to all of the winners this year.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 33^rd ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS

Jack Whitaker Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

New York, NY – April 30, 2012 – The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 33^rd Annual Sports Emmy® Awards at a special ceremony tonight at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.  Winners in 33 categories including Outstanding Live Sports Special, Live Series, Sports Documentary, Studio Show, Promotional Announcements, Play-by-Play Personality and Studio Analyst were honored.

The awards were presented by a distinguished group of sports figures and television personalities including Cris Collinsworth (sports analyst for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football”); Harold Reynolds (MLB Network studio analyst); Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football”); Al Leiter (studio analyst, MLB Network); Mike Mayock (game analyst, NFL Network); Melissa Stark (reporter, NFL Network); Shaquille O’Neal (studio analyst, “Inside the NBA on TNT”); Joe Buck (sportscaster, FOX Sports); Curt Menefee (sportscaster and host, “FOX NFL Sunday”); Tracy Wolfson (sportscaster, CBS Sports); Gary Danielson (commentator, CBS Sports); Mary Carillo (correspondent, HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”); Sage Steele (anchor, ESPN’s “SportsCenter”); Bob Papa (HBO Sports Broadcaster); Ernie Johnson (host of “Inside the NBA on TNT”); Chris McKendry (co-anchor, ESPN’s “SportsCenter”); and Steve Levy (journalist, ESPN’s “SportsCenter”).

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Whitaker, sports commentator and essayist, by  Jim Nantz, play-by-play announcer of “The NFL on CBS,” NCAA college basketball and golf on CBS.

“We are honored to be presenting Jack Whitaker with our Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Malachy Wienges, Chairman, NATAS. “I had the pleasure of working with Jack for eighteen years at CBS, and Jack is a sports icon and a class act.”

In addition, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell was honored with the Chairman’s Award representing the networks and their patriotic coverage of the historic 10 year anniversary of September 11^th last year.

The Sports Emmy® Award recipients were chosen by a Blue Ribbon Panel of industry peers.  The awards recognize outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast throughout the 2011 calendar year.

A detailed listing of all awards is below as compiled by the independent accountancy firm of Lutz and Carr, LLP. A list of winners for the 33^rd Annual Sports Emmy Awards is also available on the National Television Academy’s website at www.emmyonline.tv.

Awards by Network Group

NBC Sports Group (NBC, Versus, Golf Channel, nbcsports.com)	9
ESPN (ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, ESPN 3D, espn.com)	6
Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, NBA.com, truTV)	5
FOX Sports Media Group (FOX, SPEED)	5
CBS (CBS, Showtime, CBSSports.com)	4
HBO Sports	3
MLB Network	3
NFL Network	2
PGA.com	1

Nominations by Network

NBC	8
FOX	4
TNT	4
ESPN	3
HBO Sports	3
MLB NETWORK	3
SHOWTIME	3
ESPN2	2
NFL NETWORK	2
CBSSPORTS.COM	1
ESPN 3D	1
NBA TV	1
PGA.COM	1
SPEED	1
VERSUS	1

And the list of award winners are after the jump.

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33rd Annual Sports Emmy Nominations Announced

We have the nominations, all 170 in 33 different categories, for the 33rd Annual Sports Emmy Awards. They just came out today. There are some surprises like massive hockey charlatan Pierre McGuire nominated in the Sports Reporter category and for some really strange reason, Skippy Bayless of ESPN2′s First Take was nominated for Best Studio Analyst. What analysis does he do besides yelling and having massive manlove for Tim Tebow?

There are some of the usual suspects are nominated, Bob Costas for Best Studio Host, Al Michaels in Play-by-Play, Cris Collinsworth for both Studio and Game Analyst.

Some of the nominations I agree with include Mike Mayock for Best Game Analyst, College GameDay and Football Night in America as Best Studio Shows and all of the movies in the Sports Documentary category. Sports documentaries were strong this year and I have trouble picking one although Catching Hell, the ESPN Films effort on Steve Bartman and the Chicago Cubs might be the weakest of the bunch, but the doc was still very good.

Ok, get ready to scroll, the entire list is below. We do need a page break so the list of nominees will after the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences press releases.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 33^RD ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS

Winners to be Honored During the April 30^th Ceremony At Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jack Whitaker to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

New York, NY – March 20, 2012 – The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced the nominees for the 33^rd Annual Sports Emmy® Awards.

More than 170 nominees were announced in 33 categories including outstanding live sports special, live series, sports documentary, studio show, promotional announcements, play-by-play personality and studio analyst.  The Awards will be given out at the prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center located in the Time Warner Center on April 30^th, 2012 in New York City.

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports will go to the Sports Commentator and Essayist, Jack Whitaker.

“This is an outstanding year for the sports community and for The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,” said Malachy Wienges, Chairman, NATAS. “The entries received in this year’s Sports Emmys resulted in a record 175 nominees, illustrating the quality of these entries.  We are also honoring Jack Whitaker with our Lifetime Achievement Award.  I had the pleasure of working with Jack for eighteen years at CBS, and Jack is a sports icon and a class act.”

In addition to Jack Whitaker, many of the today’s leading sports broadcasters, personalities and television professionals will be in attendance as presenters at the event.

The networks of ESPN (ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, ESPN 3D & espn.com) lead the nomination totals with 55, the NBC Sports Group (NBC, Versus, Golf Channel & nbcsports.com) garnered 32, CBS (CBS, Showtime, CBSSports.com) entries received 26 nominations, while Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, NBA.com & truTV) have 22.

A complete list of all nominees is attached below.

33^rd Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network Group

ESPN (ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, ESPN 3D, espn.com) – 55
NBC Sports Group (NBC, Versus, Golf Channel, nbcsports.com) – 32
CBS (CBS, Showtime, CBSSports.com) – 26
Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, NBA.com, truTV) – 22
HBO Sports – 19
FOX Sports Media Group (FOX, SPEED) – 16
NFL Network – 12
MLB Network – 8
DIRECTV – 2
MLB Advanced Media (MLB.com, MLBAM) – 2
NFL.com – 2
NCAA.com – 1
PGA.com – 1

33^rd Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network

ESPN – 36
NBC – 22
HBO Sports – 19
CBS – 15
FOX – 15
TNT – 15
ESPN2 – 14
NFL NETWORK – 12
SHOWTIME – 10
MLB NETWORK – 8
VERSUS – 7  
TBS – 3
ABC – 2   
DIRECTV – 2
ESPN 3D – 2
GOLF CHANNEL – 2
NBA TV – 2
NFL.COM – 2
CBSSPORTS.COM – 1
ESPN.COM – 1
MLB.COM – 1
MLBAM – 1
NBA.COM – 1
NBCSPORTS.COM – 1
NCAA.COM – 1
PGA.COM – 1
SPEED – 1
truTV – 1

BREAKDOWN OF MULTIPLE PROGRAM/SERIES NOMINATIONS

Program/Nominations/Network

24/7: 8 -  HBO
E: 60: 7 – ESPN2
A Game of Honor: 5 – Showtime/CBSSports.com
MLB on FOX: 5 – FOX
NASCAR on FOX: 5 – FOX
NBA on TNT: 4 – TNT
NBC Sunday Night Football: 4 – NBC
FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – ESPN/ESPN2
Outside the Lines: 3 – ESPN
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: 3 – HBO
SportsCenter: 3 – ESPN
The Army/Navy Game: 3 – CBS
The Franchise: 3 – Showtime
Winter X Games 15: 3 – ESPN/ESPN3D
2011 Open Championship: 2 – ESPN
2011 Stanley Cup Final: 2 – NBC/Versus
ESPN Monday Night Football: 2 – ESPN
Football Night in America: 2 – NBC
Grand Slam Tennis on ESPN: 2 – ESPN2
Inside the NBA on TNT: 2 – TNT
Joplin: City of Hope: 2 – ESPN2
McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice: 2 – HBO
MLB Tonight: 2 – MLB Network
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament: 2 – CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV
NFL Films Presents: 2 – NFL Network
NFL GameDay Morning: 2 – NFL Network
NFL on FOX: 2 – FOX
Sports Science: 2 – ESPN/ESPN.com
Sunday NFL Countdown: 2 – ESPN
Unguarded: 2 – ESPN

And after the page break, all of the nominees for the 33rd Annual Sports Emmy Awards which will be handed out April 30 in New York City.

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TNT Offers Another Marquee Thursday Night NBA Doubleheader

Tonight, the NBA’s Network of Record offers another Thursday night doubleheader, featuring three of the league’s marquee teams, the Lakers, Mavericks and Heat. That’s not slighting the Jazz at all, but they don’t have the recognition that the other three do.

Anyway, TNT will show the Los Angeles Lakers visiting South Florida to take on the Miami Heat. Then the defending champion Dallas Mavericks travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz.

Everything starts at 8 p.m. ET with NBA Tip-Off and it all ends sometime around 1 a.m. Friday with the critically-acclaimed Inside the NBA.

We have the TNT press release for you.

NBA on TNT Continues with Exclusive Doubleheader:

Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat (8 p.m. ET)
Dallas Mavericks @ Utah Jazz (10:30 p.m. ET)

TNT NBA Thursday continues on January 19 with an exclusive doubleheader beginning at 8 p.m. (ET). The first game will feature LeBron James and the Miami Heat hosting Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Marv Albert (play-by-play) will be courtside along with Steve Kerr (analyst) to call the game with Craig Sager (reporter). The second game of the night will feature Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks visiting Al Jefferson and the Utah Jazz at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Reggie Miller (analyst) will call the action with Cheryl Miller (reporter). Following the second game, Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst) will recap the night’s action.

Exclusive content, analysis from TNT announcers and replays of Inside the NBA are available on NBA.com (http://www.nba.com/insidethenba/). The broadband channel gives fans the inside scoop on players, coaches and storylines taking place around the league seven days a week. Check out the NBA on TNT pages on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NBAonTNT) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/nbaontnt) to see the latest NBA on TNT schedule, news updates and special features from TNT announcers.

NBA ON TNT NBA SCHEDULE:

DAY/DATE
TIME (ET)	EVENT
Thursday, January 19
8 p.m.	TNT NBA Tip-Off
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
	Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat
	Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)
10:30 p.m.	Dallas Mavericks @ Utah Jazz
	Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Cheryl Miller (reporter)
Post-game	Inside the NBA
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thursday, January 26
8 p.m.	TNT NBA Tip-Off
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
	Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic
	Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Mike Fratello (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)
10:30 p.m.	Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers
	Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Cheryl Miller (reporter)
Post-game	Inside the NBA
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

And we’re done.

It’s The Linkage! At Long Last and It’s Back!

I think it’s about a week and a half since I’ve been able to do links. Been crazy with me, but you’ve still been visiting and I appreciate that. Time to provide you with sports media news links which is what the site depends on to begin with.

Thanks for your patience during this trying time for me. Onward and let’s do the links.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that NBA analysts aren’t holding back as they get ready for a new truncated season.

Mike Foss of USA Today talks with the new ESPN main soccer analyst Taylor Twellman about tweeting while commentating and concussions.

From earlier this week, Tom Weir of USA Today’s Game On blog notes that “Tebowing” has been officially recognized as a word.

This week’s Sports Business Journal lists the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business for 2011. I’m not in this year’s list (I’m joking).

Terry Lefton of SBJ says the Stadium Formerly Known as San Diego Jack Murphy will have a temporary name for the holiday season.

Dan Shanoff’s Quickish site lists the Best Sportswriting in 2011. Some good choices and good reading throughout.

Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life Magazine says three of the five NFL TV partners are experiencing lower ratings from last season.

From MediaPost, Wayne Friedman writes that smaller market TV revenues played a huge role in the NBA’s nixing of the Chris Paul from New Orleans-to-Los Angeles Lakers trade.

Brian Steinberg of Advertising Age says hoping to tap into a more health-conscious audience, Dannon Yogurt becomes the first of its kind to advertise on the Super Bowl.

At Adweek, Lucia Moses says Rolling Stone magazine will host its first-ever Super Bowl party in Indianapolis come February.

All Access notes that Milwaukee Brewers radio voice Bob Uecker will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Chris Chase at Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner has a video that has gone viral in which a Washington, DC news anchor said that if Tom Brady had died, the DC NFL Team might have had a chance to beat the New England Patriots last Sunday.

Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says don’t expect journalism from local MLB TV partners as they increasingly fund team’s payrolls.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid wonders if Shaquille O’Neal will upset the apple cart that is TNT’s Inside the NBA postgame studio show.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor is setting the world afire with his Superman socks.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing lists the site’s Top 10 Pammies of the Year.

Gabriel Sherman of The New Yorker magazine writes about sports journalism getting into some hard reporting in the wake of various scandals.

Newsday’s Neil Best writes about tonight’s premiere of HBO’s 24/7 Flyers/Rangers.

The New York Daily News’ Dr. Gloom and Doom reports that YES may hire former MLB manager Lou Piniella as an analyst for next season.

Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union says while CBS won the right to keep Patriots-Broncos in Week 15, viewers in the Capital Region won’t see it.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette notes that DirecTV will air a local college hockey game through Fox College Sports.

Ken McMillen from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says WGN America will pick up 10 Chicago Bulls games this season.

Laura Nachman has a couple of Philadelphia 76ers announcements.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has gotten a hold of Tony Kornheiser’s high school yearbook picture and yes, he had hair.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with Golf Channel Morning Drive co-host Gary Williams.

Dwain Price at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram speaks with new Dallas Maverick Lamar Odom about his trade from the Lakers and whether he’ll continue to do the Kardashian television abortion.

The Houston Chronicle reports that ESPN college football analyst Craig James is expected to announce a run for the U.S. Senate, a move that would thrill many fans who can’t stand him on television.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman notes that the NFL topped the local ratings in the Sooner State.

Mel says the local CBS affiliate will pick up the rest of the Denver Broncos schedule and air plenty of Tim Tebow.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says a local sports talk show host has resigned leaving his station in the lurch.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business talks with “NHL 36″ Executive Producer Ross Greenburg about tonight’s series premiere.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail asks if lightning can strike twice with HBO’s 24/7.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at the effect of media giants Bell Canada and Rogers combining to purchase Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment which would be like ESPN and NBC teaming up to buy the New York Yankees, that’s how big the news is in Canada.

John Daly at The Daly Planet explores the continuing dispute between Sirius XM and Turner Sports over streaming NASCAR on the internet.

Sports Media Watch looks at the final ratings for the SEC on CBS.

And SMW also notes the final ratings of college football on ABC.

SMW says the Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN last Saturday did well.

And SMW has some ratings news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says today is a pretty big day for hockey fans.

And the Big Lead notes that Tim Tebow is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

That will conclude our linkage today and I hope that the next set of linkage will come tomorrow instead of another 10 days.

Doing Some Monday Links

Let’s do some linkage on this last Monday before Memorial Day.

By the way, if you’re on Facebook, hit my fan page and click “Like”. It acts like an RSS feed. All posts should be there and you can click on the links to see the latest information. Already, 375 people have signed up and you should as well. Thanks for reading that paragraph.

Also, I hope to do the mailbag tonight. I said that yesterday, but for some reason, weekends have become busier than weekdays for me. Not sure why that is. Anyway, the mailbag will be posted tonight and two lucky people will get a $50 gift card from Nike.com. I hope to get one more gift for you as well.

To the links now.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today delves into the clip that went viral of ESPN’s and Rhode Island’s own Doris Burke mouthing a swear word during a report before the Oklahoma City-Dallas NBA Western Conference Finals on Saturday. For the record, ESPN taped that report and a techie in the production truck cued the tape to the wrong report. And forever being classy, Doris did not throw the technie under the bus.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch reviews the book, “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside The World of ESPN.”

David M. Shribman of Bloomberg also provides a review.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable notes that ESPN is using its upcoming fall shows as a vehicle for marketing and advertising.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Jason Fry tells sports editors that they should not be afraid to link to other sites.

Mike Ozanian of Forbes.com says NASCAR’s attendance is getting hit by the economy like many businesses across the nation.

Dr. Patrick Rishe writes in Forbes that there are many reasons to doubt Lance Armstrong’s contentions that he didn’t take performance enhancing drugs.

Bill King of Sports Business Journal writes about UFC positioning itself closer to the mainstream as it begins talks with Spike and possibly other networks to be the home of the mixed martial arts organization.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says despite his world crumbling around him, accused PED-user Lance Armstrong continues to rake in the endorsements.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post decides that he’ll throw darts at MLB Walking, Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that the Preakness Stakes received its lowest overnight rating in a little more than a decade.

At the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg tries to give a synopsis on Ted Leonsis’ mad diatribes on radio, blogs and Twitter.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner notes that TNT just fell shy in setting another ratings record for Game 3 of the NBA Conference Finals.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that TNT will move its Inside The NBA postgame inside AmericanAirlines Arena after encountering some rowdy Miami Heat fans last night.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times reviews the weekend in sports television.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune notes that Game 3 of the Bulls-Miami Heat series is expected to do really well in the ratings when the final numbers come out.

Dusty Saunders at the Denver Post writes that Dick Ebersol’s resignation from NBC certainly ends an era in broadcast television.

Mike Klis of the Post reports that the Broncos are about to change flagship television stations.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times writes that Time Warner Cable has hired a veteran sports executive to lead its sports programming wing.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the SoCal sports calendar for this week.

Matthew Fleischer of Fishbowl L.A. notes that ESPN Deportes has launched a SoCal-centric website.

Raju Mudhar in the Toronto Star looks at the tome chronicling at the history of ESPN.

Sports Media Watch has a couple of MLS-related ratings notes.

SMW says the NBA Draft Lottery failed to catch on with viewers this year.

Last week, my Twitter friend Stefanie Gordon at Not Your Typical Girl, took the picture of the Space Shuttle Endeavor that got picked up by every news outlet. She writes about her experiences and the whirlwind media tour that followed.

Noted public relations expert Gail Sideman at Publiside has some suggestions in case you’re ever caught in a similar situation as Stefanie.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead looks at why some college football teams play in ESPN-owned or ESPN-televised bowl games that end up costing them money.

The Big Lead also has an interview with James Andrew Miller, the co-author of “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside The World at ESPN.”

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media notes that the NHL Conference Finals are trending downward on NBC.

And that’s going to do it.

Bringing Out The Tuesday Linkage

Again, I’ve been all over the place and can’t really blog like I want to, but I do what I can. Some links while I’m free and not committed to anything.

The Pac 12 media deals with ESPN and Fox will be made official later this week, but we do know some details. First, it’s a $3 billion deal over a span of 12 years meaning the Conference will get $250 million a year to distribute to its member schools. Second, both ESPN and Fox will air primetime games on over the air TV. Third, it increases the amount of games shown on television.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says one part of the new TV world for the conference will be a new Pac 12 Network that will be fully owned and operated by the league.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News writes that NBC/Comcast was shut out of obtaining any rights at least on the cable and network deals.

Jon also has some details from the new deal.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says the new TV contract will give the University of Utah much more money than it would have made in the Mountain West Conference.

George Schroeder of the Eugene (OR) Register-Guard writes that Pac 12 schools will start to see a financial windfall thanks to increased revenue from the new TV contract.

Jon Weisman of Variety says the new contract is now the most lucrative in college sports.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the Pac 12 contract proves that sports is the engine that drives TV ratings.

To other stories now.

Brian Lowry of Fox Sports says small market teams are doing their best to play with the big boys.

Eriq Gardner from the Hollywood Reporter says Miami Heat star Chris Bosh is suing the mother of his child and the producer of the VH1 reality show, “Basketball Wives” for infringing on his “life rights” and using his “mark” illegally.

Tim Baysinger at Broadcasting & Cable discusses the Sports Emmy Awards which were handed out on Monday.

Tim also looks at Fox Soccer Channel rebranding its MLS coverage.

The Nielsen Wire blog notes that the number of TV’s have dropped since its last survey.

R. Thomas Umstead from Multichannel News says the Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley fight will be made available online for the same pay per view TV price.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel writes TNT saw a record audience for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Current’s Keith Olbermann writing in his MLB.com blog takes ESPN.com’s Fantasy Baseball to task for not updating its stats quick enough and throws some shots at the Mothership in the process. Thanks to The Big Lead for the link.

The Big Lead notes that noted FoxSports.com basketball writer Drew Goodman could be headed to CBSSports.com.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid says NBA fans get angry when Ernie Johnson, Jr. takes a day off from Inside the NBA.

At ESPN’s Front Row, Sheldon Spencer profiles the network’s Senior Coordinating Producer of the NFL Draft who got his baptism-by-fire this past weekend.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Dave Kindred looks at new media and how the rules of covering established events apply to it.

To Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union who notes a local reporter gets a minor league baseball announcing gig.

In the New Jersey Newsroom, Evan Weiner notes that sports leagues, sports organizations team owners and athletes don’t have their priorities straight.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a trio of CNN reporters were watching or attending Game 2 of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Capitals series when they were notified to get to work to report on the Osama bin Laden story.

Cindy Boren from the Post’s Early Lead blog says Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall tweeted about Osama bin Laden’s death and 9/11.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the Capitals are back in action tonight with an early start on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel has Conference USA rejecting ESPN’s argument that it ventured into a media rights agreement.

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that NBC’s Cris Collinsworth has now won an even dozen Sports Emmy Awards.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says viewership for the NFL Draft was down from last year.

Diane Pucin from the Los Angeles Times talks with ESPN’s Dan Shulman about him addressing the Osama bin Laden story on Sunday Night Baseball.

Sports Media Watch says NASCAR on Fox’s overnight ratings were flat compared to last year.

SMW notes that the opening game of Celtics-Heat scored for ABC on Sunday.

SMW says the series clinching win for the Memphis Grizzlies over the San Antonio Spurs did not resonate with viewers as much as last year’s comparable game.

And SMW writes that the Mavericks-Lakers opener on Monday did very well for TNT.

Ed De Rosa of the Thoroughbred Times says NBC is tapping Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli for this year’s Kentucky Derby broadcast.

Puck The Media’s Steve Lepore is happy to see Mike Emrick win the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Play-by-Play.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog feels TSN Radio should avoided politics on Election Day.

Cork Gaines at the Business Insider’s Sports Page wonders if sports leagues can survive Detroit’s declining population.

And that will conclude the links for today.

Saturday’s Linkage

Let’s give you some linkage since I wasn’t able to do that last night.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable reports that NBC has sold out its ad inventory for the NHL Winter Classic. 

George Winslow of B&C says the Portland Trail Blazers have upgraded their broadcast control facilities to full 5.1 sound surround.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says Fox Soccer Channel hopes to use the renewal of its rights deal for the UEFA Champions League to expand its base.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says it’s time for colleges to reject mandatory ticket deals for bowls as schools are losing money on the arrangement.

Darren says the headset mouthpiece protector can not only be a big hit with coaches, it can double as an advertisement vehicle.

At Boston Sports Media Watch, Bruce Allen says long-time Boston sports radio host Eddie Andelman is calling it quits.

Newsday’s Neil Best is saddened by the passing of a New York City sports radio producer.

Neil talks about MSG Network’s Mike Breen pulling double duty calling Knicks games for his regular network and ESPN.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says two New York Capital Region schools will be showcased on ESPNU’s college lacrosse schedule in the spring.

From the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg has advance footage of the appearance of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby on CBS’ The Price is Right to hype a Showcase with an NHL Winter Classic theme. I have to give the NHL credit for marketing the Winter Classic in non-traditional areas.

Dan and Katie Carrera write for the Post on how 24/7 Penguins/Capitals is showing everything on the Caps, including curse words.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch about the magazine’s annual Year in Sports Media issue.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Heat is amused by Heat announcer Eric Reid summoning Fred Flintstone in his calls.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News wonders why it took so long for the Texas High School Football Championships to be shown on live TV.

Jerry Garcia at the San Antonio Express-News loves watching TNT’s Inside the NBA.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes yet another blackout of the Bengals on Sunday.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks about the city’s high concentration of cable TV-less homes and thus they’re shut out of the Rose Bowl which is on ESPN and has Wisconsin in the game..

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks with CBS’ Ian Eagle is in yet another whirlwind span of games in a short period. Even though I’m not on Twitter anymore, Ian should be on Twitter. His tweets would definitely be very entertaining.

Dan says a talk show host who was fired by a sports radio station in 2008 is finding his way back to his former home in January.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has his extensive news and notes.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail talks about HBO’s 24/7 giving fans a look at what really goes on inside the locker room. 

Amanda Rykoff writes a very heartfelt post about Steven Smith, a Twitter friend who died earlier this week.

Wendy Parker writes about her fellow female scribes who just can’t seem to give the UConn women’s basketball team the respect they deserve as they approach the college basketball record for most consecutive wins. 

Sports Media Watch notes that the ratings for the New York Knicks are way up this season.

Dave Kohl at Major League Programs says some bizarre sports stories got coverage this week.

That will end it for now.

TNT’s Inside The NBA Goes On The Road Again

TNT’s Emmy® Award-Winning NBA Studio Show to Broadcast Live On-Site For Two Highly Anticipated Match-ups

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith will be live from Los Angeles for the network’s annual MLK Day doubleheader coverage on Jan. 17 and live from New York on Jan. 27 for announcement of All-Star Starters

TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith will ring in the New Year by taking their Emmy® Award-winning studio show on the road again for two more marquee match-ups. The trio will broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Martin Luther King Day (MLK) as the L.A. Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Mon., Jan. 17 (10:30 p.m. ET), and from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thurs., Jan. 27 as the N.Y. Knicks take on the Miami Heat (8 p.m. ET). Prior to the Heat @ Knicks game, Johnson, Smith and Barkley will exclusively announce on TNT the 2011 NBA All-Star Starters during a one-hour pregame show.  

• Jan. 17 (MLK Day) – Johnson, Barkley and Smith will tip-off the network’s MLK Day coverage with TNT NBA Tip-off at 8 p.m. ET, followed by an exclusive TNT doubleheader of playoff rematches. Immediately following the pre-game show, TNT will feature an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with the Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter) will call the action from Boston. The second game features Western Conference rivals as the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the two-time defending NBA champion L.A. Lakers at 10:30 p.m. (ET), with Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter) courtside. The evening concludes with TNT’s postgame show, Inside the NBA, with Johnson, Barkley and Smith live from Los Angeles.

• Jan. 27 –  TNT’s studio team gets the night underway with a one hour preview show of TNT NBA Tip-off (7 p.m. ET) featuring the exclusive announcement of the 2011 NBA All-Star Starters. The pregame show will also feature the NBA TV studio team of Matt Winer, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber live from TNT’s Atlanta studio. Following the announcement Albert, Kerr, Miller and Sager will call the action as the Miami Heat take on the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. (ET), followed by the Celtics visit to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers at 10:30 p.m.(ET). Harlan, Fratello and David Aldridge comprise the broadcast team at the Rose Garden. Winer, McHale and Webber will also handle the network’s signature postgame show, Inside the NBA.

Previously, Johnson, Barkley and Smith made their first onsite appearance on Oct. 26, in Boston for TNT’s opening night coverage of the Miami Heat visiting the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. They returned to the road on Dec. 2, for Heat forward LeBron James’ first game in Cleveland since leaving the Cavaliers this offseason.

TNT will once again serve as the exclusive home for NBA All-Star 2011, airing all the action on NBA All-Star Friday, NBA All-Star Saturday and the 2011 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 20, from Los Angeles. The network will also air over 40 NBA playoff games including, on an exclusive basis, conference semi-finals and the Eastern Conference Finals.

Back later.

NBA on TNT Quotage From 12/02/10

TNT got very good ratings for last night’s Cleveland-Miami game, so good that it beat the NFL in the cable overnight ratings. Let’s take a look at what was said during Cavs-Heat and Phoenix-Golden State last night. It seems the nightcap was an anti-climax after the hype for LeBron James’ return to Cleveland.

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Thursday, December 2, 2010

TNT’s NBA Thursday coverage continues on December 9 at 8 p.m. ET with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers followed by the Orlando Magic @ Portland Trail Blazers.

CLIP OF THE NIGHT

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Heat forward LeBron James following his first game back in Cleveland

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TNT NBA Tip-off live from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Smith on the big-game atmosphere prior to the Heat @ Cavaliers: “I’ve been in two NBA Finals and I’ve not seen this much electricity in a regular season game ever in my life. I’ve been in basketball for 25 or 30 years and I’ve never seen an electricity in a building or an intensity in a building (like this). It feels like the NBA Finals.”

Barkley on how Heat team president Pat Riley should support his head coach Erik Spoelstra: “I think they have done Erik Spoelstra a disservice. He is a good coach and a really good guy. I criticized Pat Riley a little bit because he should come out and say that (Spoelstra) is going to coach this team. He puts the team under pressure and Erik Spoelstra under pressure. Pat Riley has done this team a disservice. He should come out and say, ‘I’m not going to coach this team.’”

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Game 1:  Miami Heat (118) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (90)

Announcers: Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller with Craig Sager reporting

Miller on Heat forward LeBron James being prepared for his first game back in Cleveland: “There’s no way that you could possibly prepare for something like this knowing that all eyes have been on you since you made that decision (to leave the Cavaliers). You wonder what’s going through his 26-year-old mind.”

Kerr on what LeBron is going through in his first game back in Cleveland: “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. I know he made some mistakes with the way he handled things but I really feel for him because I don’t think what he did was malicious. He probably didn’t know what he was stirring up.”

Kerr on Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson playing better without LeBron James on the team: “Ironically enough, (Gibson) is having his best season by far. When a player like James leaves, some players struggle because they’re not getting any easy shots. Gibson has seized the opportunity and expanded his game. He used to be a spot-up shooter. Now he’s taking and making more two’s (point shots).”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra following the first quarter

Spoelstra on the Heat playing together as a team: “We’re in this together. Collectively we have to do it. After all the smoke cleared before the game, that’s what you have…a basketball game.”

Kerr on the recent criticism of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra: “I think you can anticipate some of it but you can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like. I was shocked at the amount of criticism he’s received and I think he’s handled it beautifully. He’s a great guy, he’s a good, young coach and you’ve got to give him time to figure out all the pieces as well.”

Kerr on the mismatch in talent between the Cavaliers and Heat: “You get the feeling this is like a NCAA Tournament game with Princeton against North Carolina. Princeton just has to keep it close, lengthen the game and try to make it to the fourth quarter with a chance (to win). There is such a disparity of talent (between the Heat and the Cavaliers).”

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on LeBron James talking to the Cavaliers bench during game stoppages: “Let me tell you something about the Cleveland Cavaliers…I can’t even say what I want to say.  LeBron James is walking over to their bench and laughing and joking with them. I talked to Paul Pressy and said, “dude, are you going to say anything to your players?” LeBron James can’t go to their bench and talk to them as he’s kicking their ass. He’s sitting there laughing and joking during time-outs. I am pissed at (Cavaliers head coach) Byron Scott…I am totally pissed. There’s something about competition and we can be friends after the game but (James) told (the Cavs) they weren’t good enough and after every time-out, he comes to their bench and laughs and jokes with them. I can’t have that.”

Smith on LeBron James socializing with the Cavaliers’ bench during the first half: “In the spirit of competition, the one thing that you’ve already established is that the home fans have tried to make him feel uncomfortable. By (the Cavaliers bench) talking, joking and laughing with him, they’ve made him feel comfortable. At the beginning of the game he was bothered and unnerved by what was going on.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Miami Heat forward LeBron James following the first half

James on his first game back in Cleveland: “It’s just business. We have to come in here and get a road win. We haven’t played particularly well on the road this season. We’ll use the adversity that’s come with this game and try to build on it.”

James on how the fans’ negative reaction to him: “It’s alright, I understand how passionate fans are. I’ve still got a lot of love for these fans here. I’m a Miami Heat player now and we’re looking to get this win.”

Barkley on the Cavalier fans behaving themselves: “I think the city of Cleveland should take a bow. The fans were angry, they were upset but there really wasn’t anything profane and no one has thrown anything (onto the court). I have to take my hat off to these Cleveland fans because clearly they are upset and aside from some boos and some signs, they have been very cordial.”

Barkley on the Cavaliers playing with much passion in the first half: “I can’t tell you how bad I’ve been on the Cavaliers’ players. These fans were on dead-red but these Cavalier players aren’t playing with any animosity and they don’t have a chip on their shoulder. They are doing a disservice to these fans and themselves.”

  

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Miller on Cavaliers center Anderson Varajao: “He’s a great role player on a team with a player like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade who can penetrate and set you up. No one on (the Cavaliers) can get into the gaps and set him up.”

Miller on a part of LeBron James being hurt by the negative reaction in Cleveland: “There is a part of LeBron where this is obviously business. His performance is showing that. But there has to be a little part of him that understands coming home to his former team, he grew up in Akron (which is) 40 minutes away, there has to be a little part of him that hurts. It hurts hearing the chants and reading the signs.”

Miller on Cleveland fans needing to move on from LeBron James: “I agree with Cleveland fans and why they’re upset. You do not go on national television and embarrass us after we tried to do everything for you. But I will say this, get over it. It’s time to move on. He chose somewhere else. You are acting like a bunch of jilted lovers over here. It’s time to move on.”

Kerr on the Cavaliers having a hard time against high-scoring teams: “If you’re (head coach) Byron Scott and Cleveland, it’s going to be very difficult to win games against teams that can score a lot of points. They are going to have to find their (wins) against teams that they can match up with and then out-work and out-hustle them. That’s the type of team that they’ve been this year.”

Miller on the Heat needing to win more on the road: “(The Heat) are going to have to win more big games on the road. That will tell me if they are ready to take the next step.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Heat forward LeBron James following the game

James on the Heat’s victory over the Cavaliers: “We came here with one goal, to win a basketball game and we did that. This is most complete game that we’ve had all year from start to finish.”

James on his performance against the Cavaliers: “I know this court and I’ve made a lot of shots on this court. I just wanted to be aggressive and keep my mind in the game. We made a run in the third quarter but we were able to get stops and make shots.”

James on what the Heat can take away from their victory over the Cavaliers: “We have to continue to get better. We need to know that every night that we go out it’s going to be a hostile environment. We have to continue to get better and it was a good night for our team.”

James on what he has to say to the fans of Cleveland: “It was seven great years. I loved every moment from my growth as an 18-year-old kid to a 25-year-old man and we tried our best as a team to bring a championship to the city and tried to play hard every night. I have the upmost respect for this franchise and the upmost respect for the fans. I’ll just continue the greatness for myself here in Miami and get better every day.”

James on if he would like to apologize for leaving the Cavaliers and joining the Heat in the off-season: “I don’t want to apologize. I think my intentions weren’t to hurt anyone. My intentions were solely on kids during the whole process. I always say that the decisions I make, I live with them. There are always ways that you can correct them or do them better but at the end of the day, I live with them. I’m satisfied, I’m happy right now.”

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Game 2:  Phoenix Suns (107) @ Golden State Warriors (101)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Mike Fratello with Cheryl Miller reporting

Fratello on how the Miami Heat supported LeBron James: “I thought this could be the game that turns around Miami’s season. It was the first time they really rallied together and had (James’) back going into that hostile environment. It gives you a special sense of togetherness. It makes you understand that when you are having a tough night, you come in and you’re a little down, you need the other players on the squad to help you through it and that’s what they did for LeBron tonight.”

Fratello on the Suns’ strong bench: “They have some scorers on this second unit. (Hedo) Turkoglu and (Josh) Childress can score. (Alvin Gentry) created two separate units, relied on his substitutes and it gave him some depth. It allowed him to rest Grant Hill, rest Steve Nash and not have to play them 42-minutes a night.”

Harlan on the Golden State Warriors: “They are different kind of ball club. (They) are building with young kids. (They have) a tremendous amount of athleticism and a new coach.”

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Halftime 

Matt Winer, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber

Webber on the Cavaliers’ bench talking to LeBron James during the game: “I’ve gone back to a hostile environment and the worst thing that can happen is the other team encourages you while the fans are trying to boo you. Cleveland’s bench let (James) get into the game. They are some of the softest guys in the NBA. The whole state of Ohio saw you trying to be buddy-buddy with the guy who left you to go play with better people in greener pastures.”

Webber on how the win over the Cavaliers brought the Heat together as a team: “I think these guys have heart and nothing brings you together, whether its society or city or state like a common enemy. Tonight, the enemy was Cleveland and it helped those guys in the locker room.”

Webber on the Cavaliers’ fans: “The heart of the fans in Cleveland is big.”

McHale: “What about the players?”

Webber: “They are soft as wet toilet paper tissue.”

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Fratello on Suns guard Hedo Turkoglu: “(Turkoglu) is a guy you really like. He’s an underrated defensive player. He’s hoping that he gets back to how he played in Orlando.”

Fratello on teams needing to hear a voice on defense: “You talk about hearing a voice, you always hear coaches talk about hearing a voice on defense. We’ve heard in Miami that LeBron, from day one, is the voice of Miami’s defense.  (David) Lee is not afraid to take on that responsibility (with the Warriors).”

Fratello on the Warriors fans: “(The Warriors) have a great home court with a great crowd that has stayed loyal to this franchise for all of these years.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Suns guard Jason Richardson following the game

Richardson on the Suns being a work in progress: “We’re definitely a work in progress but this is a step forward in the right direction. We did a lot of things right on the defensive end and we’ve got to look at the film and get ready for the next game.”

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Inside the NBA

Winer, McHale, Webber

TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith joined the post-game show from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland

Barkley on getting past LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland: “I’m glad it’s gotten to the point where we can start concentrating on basketball. This was a big night in the NBA. I’m glad it’s over. For the most part, the people of Cleveland were great all night.”

Smith: “I think there was closure. Being in the arena and (James) seeing the fans, I’m glad that Cleveland didn’t go to Miami first. I’m happy that this game was here the first time that they played. Overall, it was what I expected. There was a little bit more enthusiasm at the beginning of the game but it was what I expected.”

Barkley on the difference between the fans of Cleveland and Miami: “In fairness to this whole Cleveland situation, you see the difference between Cleveland, they sell out every game, and Miami who have this glamorous trio (Bosh, James and Wade), they aren’t selling out (games). They’re trying to ‘Fan Up.’ I think there is a difference in the mentality of the fans. Cleveland is a hard-core (fan-base) with the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers. Then you go to Miami, it’s a great city but they’re not sports fans.”

Webber on how LeBron James should’ve had 50 points against the Cavaliers: “I’m happy to see LeBron play this well. He came out and played hard and he really should’ve had 50 (points). We were cheated; I wish Cleveland would’ve played harder so he could’ve gotten to 50 in the fourth quarter. (I’m) glad to see him go back and face this. Let’s be honest, he’s a good person, he made what many consider to be a bad decision in how he left. Hopefully this if over now and the NBA can just celebrate how good this guy is.”

Webber on Warriors guard Monta Ellis: “(Ellis is) a great finisher. This guy can finish off of one leg or he can get both feet together, take the contact, and finish. He’s one of the quickest guys in the league with the ball.”

McHale on Suns veteran guard Grant Hill: “(Hill) had a really big possession where he came down with the ball and made a really slow ball fake. He plays at old man speed, he’s not going fast, he just takes his time and he just tricks all of those youngsters. He really knows how to play the game.”

And that concludes this post.

NBA TV and NBA on TNT Quotage From Opening Night

You had the Miami Heat pulling a stinker for most of the game against the Celtics. You have the Lakers playing rather sluggishly on the night the team got its championship rings. And you have a pretty eventful night for TNT. We have quotage.

Notes from NBA TV Season Preview Coverage & Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Tuesday, October 26, 2010

TNT’s NBA Thursday coverage continues Thursday, October 28 at 8 p.m. ET with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the Washington Wizards @ Orlando Magic followed by the Phoenix Suns @ Utah Jazz.

CLIP OF THE NIGHT:

TNT’s Charles Barkley’s reaction to LeBron James’ new Nike commercial

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NBA GameTime Season Preview

Matt Winer, Kevin McHale, Chris Webber, Dennis Scott, Rick Kamla, Steve Smith, Marc Fein and Mike Brown

Former Cavaliers Head Coach Mike Brown joined the NBA TV crew in studio

Brown on the end of his tenure as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers: “It came to a quick end. I was a little shocked at how quickly it ended. I thought we had a great team and I thought if we kept adding pieces, we could have gone for another run the following year and the year after that. But that is how life goes in the NBA.”    

Brown on LeBron’s nationally televised “Decision”: “I did not watch but my young son did. I was a little surprised that he did leave. But again it is his choice. I think that people have more of problem about how he went about it instead of the actual leaving. As a former head coach, I agree with that.  Everyone has a right to leave if they want to just like we (coaches) have a right to cut someone if we want to. But from the outside looking in, it could have been handled better.” 

Brown on the public letter from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert stating LeBron quit on his team: “I didn’t think anyone quit on our team. I thought that all of our guys tried to get it done, including myself, but we all came up short. That is the tough thing about this business and how it went down. But after it happened, you wanted the same opportunity with the same group of guys. No one played good basketball in the last two or three games in the Celtics series. You wish you could have the same opportunity if you could try it again but obviously that is not going to happen.” 

Kevin McHale on the focus for Lakers in the first half of the season: “Watching Kobe (Bryant) and him getting healthy and getting back. Hopefully they will monitor his minutes a little bit and keep him down, which means Pau Gasol will get to shine.” 

Chris Webber on what could keep the Lakers from winning the Western Conference: “Themselves; maybe bad chemistry or not getting along with each other. But we haven’t seen that in any of the years that (head coach) Phil Jackson has been coaching. That’s why I fully expect them to get back to the Finals.” 

Brown on Steve Blake and Matt Barnes joining the roster for the Lakers: “That is a great fit. The Lakers have added toughness in Matt Barnes and Steve Blake. So now you have two veterans that have been in the Playoffs and had good coaching.  And now you bring them to a team that has won championships. To me, I don’t think there is any better formula.” 

Webber on the Dallas Mavericks this season: “I think they are going to be good. They are going to be right where they are every year. I don’t think they are going to compete against the Lakers but they are going to be good.” 

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony joined NBA TV via arena link 

Anthony on being on starting the season with the Denver Nuggets: “My feelings are still the same about this team. This is my team. Despite all the rumors and all the talk that has happened during the off-season, at the end of the day, I’m suiting up tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz in a Denver Nuggets uniform.” 

Anthony on the reason he didn’t accept the contract extension: “I just wanted to keep my options open. I didn’t say I was signing, I just said I wanted to keep my options open and here I am today traded to every team that is out there.” 

Anthony on his plans to stay in Denver: “Right now, my focus is just on playing basketball with the Denver Nuggets. As far as the business part of it, I’m going to let it handle itself. I don’t like to get into that in-depth to much. I just want to get my season started right there with the Denver Nuggets.” 

Anthony on addressing his teammates about the situation: “As far as my teammates go, from day one I sat down with them and laid it out there for them so we are on the same page. As far as myself personally, nothing can distract me on the court. So as far as rumors and stuff being said in the media, that can’t distract me.” 

Anthony on what the Nuggets need to do this year to excel: “We have to get healthy. Every man we have has been affected by injuries. Last season, us losing (coach) George (Karl) was a big loss. I think it drained us mentally. Now, it is exciting that (Coach) George is back. I think that experience against Utah last year brought us together as a whole.” 

Steve Smith on Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy: “Adjust your game to win, not for individual stats but to win.” 

Smith on what the Portland Trail Blazers need to do this season: “For them they have to find their identity again.  Right now they are going three or four different ways. They have to listen to (head coach) Nate McMillan and buckle down defensively.” 

Webber on the San Antonio Spurs: “They have great players and a great system. (Head coach) Gregg Popovich has had time to build this system. As long as you have Tim (Duncan) as the anchor and the system of inside out, you see they have a winning recipe for success.” 

Brown on the Houston Rockets: “I like this team, they have a ton of depth with the addition of (guard) Courtney Lee, and the addition of (center) Brad Miller and they can do a lot of things because they are extremely skilled. This team is primed to do big things this year as long as they can stay healthy.” 

McHale on Houston Rockets center Yao Ming being limited to 24 minutes of playing time a game: “Personally, I would start him and let him play six minutes and then save the 18 minutes for the second half because you have to try to win games. But that’s a tough position. I don’t know how you distribute those minutes because when a guy gets going you want him to play through his hot streak but you are already thinking about the clock. That throws you out of rhythm as a coach and a player.” 

Webber on the Celtics being better equipped this year: “I think they are much better equipped this year, especially with Shaq (O’Neal). Shaq is still one of the most dominant players in the game just because of the respect he deserves, meaning when you double team him. Also, Delonte West is one of the most versatile guards in this game to me. I think he can handle ball handling responsibilities. I really think this team is better and that they can take over the East again.” 

Brown on how to stop the new Miami trio: “You are going to have to stop them from getting easy baskets. A dunk or two from LeBron (James) or D-Wade will allow the crowd to get into the game and send them into the momentum that they need.” 

The TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley join the NBA TV crew from Boston

Barkley on the Miami Heat trio being unselfish when it comes to scoring: “Realistically, Dwyane Wade is the only guy that wants to score all the time. LeBron, as great as he is, would prefer to pass the ball the majority of the time. Bosh understand his role, he is a third option.” 

Barkley’s response to LeBron’s Nike commercial based on his decision to go the Heat: “LeBron is trying too hard, Nike is trying too hard. LeBron should have just come out and said ‘I had a lot of great years in Cleveland and I wish I would have handled the Decision thing differently.’ That’s the only criticism that he has gotten. No one is mad. First of all he was a free agent so he could have done anything that he wanted. I said ‘punk’ and I was wrong to say that and I apologized. But that was silly to sit there and torture us for an hour. And another thing, he shouldn’t have disrespected the Cavaliers, he should have told them in advance.” 

Smith on the Miami Heat legacy: “This is going to be a championship team for the next six or seven years. This team is a dynasty in the making.” 

Craig Sager interviewed Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra prior to the game

Spoelstra on the anticipation of the NBA season: “We knew this team wouldn’t be built to go under the radar. We are expecting it and we are not running away from the expectations, the attention or the pressure. We feel that it is good, especially if it heightens your focus and commitment to each other.” 

Spoelstra on the expectations of the new Heat trio of Bosh, Wade and James: “We expect we can put it in our system and build some continuity together. We have had 13 practices together. The guys already know each other. We feel that they have played together enough. They are high IQ players and they can figure it out.” 

Spoelstra on the biggest challenges of the season: “We want to make sure we are peaking and getting better as the season goes on. We have already gone through a little bit of adversity but that is the nature of this business and what it has done for us is allowed us to focus and commit to each other. We are as healthy as we can get.” 

McHale on the additions to the Chicago Bulls this season: “I think they are very good. They have (Carlos) Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. I like Ronnie Brewer because of his defense; he can lock down and really defend. They are going to need those guys. I do like the way they are put together.” 

McHale on the New York Knicks being better this season with Amare Stoudemire: “I think they are better.  They were hoping to get LeBron James and Dwyane Wade; they end up with Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire. Amar’e Stoudemire is going to have to live without Steve Nash.” 

Webber on the changes to Stoudemire’s game as a NY Knick:  “I think this is going to change Amar’e’s game a little bit because he doesn’t have (Steve) Nash so he doesn’t get six points on easy dunks nor is someone setting it up later in the game for a easy last second shot. I think it is going to be a little bit of struggle and his field goal percentage will go down and they probably won’t make the playoffs.” 

Webber on Joe Johnson being a leader for the Atlanta Hawks: “I think Joe Jonson is a great player but he can not take this team to the next level by himself.”

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Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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TNT NBA Tip-off live at TD Garden in Boston

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on his weight loss: “We’ve got a serious obesity and diabetes problem in the black community and I was one of the fat asses just like them.  I decided to get in shape because that’s not good looking.” 

Smith on the start of one of the most anticipated NBA seasons: “This is the anticipation of the biggest opening night in NBA history.  This is the biggest night that I’ve been a part of or seen.  But the three guys (Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami) are either going to be the most dominant team in basketball over the next six years or this will be some type of Frankenstein experiment that didn’t go right because they couldn’t play together.  But this could be a dynasty in the making, starting tonight.” 

Miami Heat forward LeBron James on the importance of building team chemistry: “(Chemistry) is something that you know isn’t going to be 110%  (right away).  We need to work every day to continue to get better through our practices and our games.  We haven’t had much practice time together or game time together.  As the season goes on and the practices go on we’ll continue to have camaraderie.  We’ll make it the best as the season goes on.” 

Barkley on the Heat’s team depth: “The big question isn’t with the Big Three, it’s with the guys on the bench.  Is there bench good enough and is their team big enough?  That’s a legitimate question because all three of those guys are great players but they’ve got a really small team.” 

Barkley on how LeBron James should admit that he mishandled his move to Miami: “Nobody dislikes LeBron except for the people in Cleveland.  He’s the best player, in my opinion, in the NBA.  He’s a good guy but that ‘Decision’ thing was silly and he should not have done it.  I wish LeBron would say, ‘you know what, I wish I would’ve handled the whole summer differently.  I should’ve told the Cleveland Cavaliers in advance out of respect and I shouldn’t have done that silly Decision thing.’  That’s the only thing that people are mad about.  Nobody cares that he went to Miami and I wish him the best.  But at some point, he’s got to say that he wishes he did things differently and move forward.” 

LeBron on his new Nike commercial: “I think the mindset was behind everything that went on over the summer and my life to this point.  I just wanted to get the message out there to let everyone know how I was feeling at the time and how I’m still feeling to this day.  Hopefully, for the most part, I hope everyone enjoys it.” 

Smith on dealing with a break-up between player and franchise:  “There’s no way to handle a break-up correctly.  Anytime you feel that you have a great relationship with someone, something or some franchise and then they leave you.  The person that is the star of that organization.  That break-up is not going to be good.” 

Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce on the Celtics adding center Shaquille O’Neal in the off-season: “(O’Neal) a great leader.  He’s been to the championship and been around the block a few times.  He keeps our locker room really loose.  He has great experience and the biggest difference I see is how Kevin (Garnett) has responded.  Kevin is a lot looser this year.  He’s receptive to Shaq, they have dialogue every day on the court.  It’s been great (with) those two feeding off of each other.  Hearing them in the locker room talk about the days when (Garnett) was in Minnesota and Shaq was with the Lakers and their battles.  He’s brought a great presence to this team and a lot of excitement.” 

Barkley on the Utah Jazz challenging the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: “(The Jazz are) the greatest threat to the Lakers in the West.  They’ve got the best point guard in the NBA in Deron Williams.  (Al Jefferson) to me has been the most underrated player in the NBA.” 

NBA TV’s studio team of Matt Winer, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber joined the pre-game show

Webber on Jazz forward Al Jefferson: “I love Al Jefferson.  He reminds me of a young Moses Malone.  He (also) reminds me of Karl Malone.  He can score inside better than (Carlos) Boozer could in this offense.  He can also go outside and hit that mid-range jumper.” 

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Heat forward Chris Bosh prior to the game

Bosh on if the Heat’s pre-season was what he expected: “It’s been more than what I expected.  Even when Dwyane was out (with injury) we got a lot of teams’ best and a lot of people came out to watch us play.  It’s been a lot of fun but we haven’t lost sight of what we’re trying to do and that’s build a championship team.  We know it’s a long process and we’ve been doing a good job of building so far.” 

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Game 1:  Miami Heat (80) @ Boston Celtics (88)

Announcers: Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr with Craig Sager reporting

Kerr on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “(Rondo is) so crafty as a player.  He can find so many different ways to score.  Not a jump shooter but can really get into the lane and score from a lot of different angles.” 

Kerr on the atmosphere of Opening Night: “This feels like a playoff game.  The atmosphere is incredible.” 

Kerr on Rajon Rondo being the best player on the Celtics: “With so much talk about the Big Three for Boston, I think arguably Rondo is their best player.  Especially on the offensive end.” 

Fratello on the biggest challenge for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra: “This is going to be one of the biggest obstacles for Erik Spoelstra is to take guys like (Dwyane) Wade, (LeBron) James and (Chris) Bosh, who pounded the ball because either their team wasn’t good enough and they had to do it or just the nature of what they ran (on offense).  Now they are trying to share the basketball and how do you solve that problem?” 

Fratello on the Boston Celtics: “Don’t underestimate the pride that the Celtics have in their half-court defense.” 

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra following the first quarter

Spoelstra on the Heat’s offensive struggles early in the game: “Defensively, there are some good things going on.  Offensively…exhale…it’s going to get better than this.  We just need to settle down and get into our game.” 

Kerr on two factors that will motivate the Celtics this season: “I think there are two things that are really going to drive Boston and motivate them. One is the (NBA Finals) Game #7 loss to the Lakers.  Two is the construction of this Miami team to really give them a threat.  I thought Boston was bored last year toward the middle of the regular season.  I think they’ll be much more likely to be motivated and ready for everything that’s coming their way this year.” 

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Celtics guard Ray Allen following the second quarter

Allen on how the Celtics are playing defensively: “It’s tough out there because (the Heat have) so many penetrators and so many great shooters on the floor.  I think we’re just giving them so many different looks.  We’re making sure our feet aren’t planted, we’re moving them around and we have to take away the gaps.” 

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on two issues that the Heat need to address: “The Miami Heat are going to have a good team but I’ve noticed two issues that they are going to have to address.  Number one, they don’t get any easy baskets except for on the fast break.  They don’t have anybody to give the ball to on the box and get them to move.  Chris Bosh is a terrific player but he is really a jump shooter.  Also, their substitution pattern, because their bench isn’t great and they are missing (injured reserve) Mike Miller they have to have two of those guys out there at the same time.  That’s going to be a hard decision for Erik Spoelstra with how to work that substitution pattern.” 

Barkley on Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal: “When you’re that big, you can always make a difference in the game.” 

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Kerr compares the Celtics to the Pittsburgh Steelers: “The Celtics are like the (Pittsburgh) Steelers.  They grind you out defensively, they’re efficient offensively and they just frustrate you at the other end.” 

Fratello on the Celtics missing guard Tony Allen this season: “One big area of concern for Boston matching up with this Celtics team was they lost probably their best wing defender in Tony Allen.  When you look at (Dwyane) Wade and LeBron (James) on the wings and who is going to guard them (for Boston).  That had to be a concern for them because Tony Allen gave them a great playoff series.” 

Fratello on Heat forward Udonis Haslem: “(Haslem) epitomizes what the Miami Heat are all about.  He’s been with them for several years and he’s one of the two guys (with Dwyane Wade) to be named co-captain.” 

Kerr on the Heat being a jump-shooting team: “In the half-court, (Miami) is going to be a jump-shooting team.  Bosh does not have a post game, LeBron does not have a post game yet and Wade is still finding his way.  Wade may have to make the biggest sacrifice in this whole experiment with these three guys together.” 

Heat forward LeBron James on who gets the last shot in a game for the Heat: “We have a multiple choice, there’s not one guy.  The best part about this situation is the defense can’t zone in on one guy that at the end of a game, they know who is getting the ball.  In our situation, we keep everyone off balance because we have so many options.” 

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo following the game

Rondo on if the Heat are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference: “I think we are.” 

 

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Game Break

Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on one weakness of the Heat: “The one weakness Miami has is they are just a jump-shooting team.  They have to play at a much faster pace.  As great as Dwyane and LeBron are, they aren’t great jump-shooters.” 

Barkley on Celtics guard Rajon Rondo: “Rajon Rondo is an amazing basketball player.  He is a guy who can’t shoot the ball but can still dominate a game.  That’s impressive.” 

 

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Game 2:  Houston Rockets (110) @ Los Angeles Lakers (112)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller with Cheryl Miller reporting

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on playing through injury: “It’s really about understanding what you can and can’t do and then working your way through those strengths and weaknesses.” 

Miller on the state of Rockets center Yao Ming’s game coming back from injury: “I think (Ming’s) offensive game is ahead of his defensive game.  Offensively, he can get any shot he wants.  Defensively is where he’s going to be a little slow.” 

Miller on Lakers rookie forward Derrick Caracter: “The Lakers are very high on this young player (Caracter).  He had an outstanding summer league.  He’s very aggressive on both ends (of the court), especially defensively, going after the boards (rebounds).” 

Miller on Rockets head coach Rick Adelman: “It really speaks volumes as to how some of (the Rockets’) young players have developed; Chase Budinger, Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin under (Adelman’s) tutelage.  He understands that he’s going to get the max out of his players.” 

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Halftime 

Winer, McHale and Webber

McHale on how the Rockets using Yao Ming in limited minutes affects the offense: “It’s interesting to see because when Yao (Ming) is in there, they are going to get Yao the ball.  It’s a little bit of a different offense.  When Yao comes out and Brad Miller comes in and replaces him, you are going to see different ball movement.” 

Webber on how players take care of each other in great offensive systems: “It’s great to know where players are going to take their shots.  In a great system, you don’t have guys dribbling (around), standing on an island or going one-on-one.  You know what guys’ timing is and you can help guys out by saying, ‘just in case he misses this shot, I’m going to be there.’” 

 

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Miller on Lakers forward Ron Artest accepting his role with the Lakers: “Not only have (the Lakers) accepted (Artest), if you’re Ron, you’ve got to be able to reduce your role and accept it.  He’s done an excellent job of understanding he’s not going to get as many shots or touches.  He’s here to play defense and do some of the dirty work and he’s accepted that.” 

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed NBA Commissioner David Stern during the game

Stern on the busy 2010 off-season for the NBA: “It was a great summer and a lot of teams think they have improved themselves a lot.  There’s a team in Miami that made a couple of roster moves.  A lot of teams are gunning for the Heat now.” 

Stern on the league enforcing technical fouls against players that complain too much: “We wanted to clean up the notion that our players complain too much.  They’re the best players in the world.  They don’t complain in high school, they don’t complain in college and then when they come to the NBA, they get their Master’s (degree) in complaining.  Cut it out and let’s watch the world’s best game that’s appreciated by the world.” 

Stern on the status of a new collective bargaining agreement: “There’s a big gap that has to be bridged and we’re going to knock ourselves out to get there.  That’s all I can say.”

Cheryl Miller: “We’re not going to have a lockout?”

Stern: “We’re going to try as hard as we can short of that to get a deal done with our players and I know they feel the same way.” 

Miller on a team’s mindset when playing on the road: “When you’re the road team, you never want to have too fast of a pace.  You want to slow the ball down and not have too many turnovers.  Possessions are key, especially in an emotional game.” 

Miller on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant being the face of the franchise: “To be identified with one organization, I was very blessed to have 18 years with the Indiana Pacers.  Kobe Bryant has surpassed Magic Johnson as the face of the (Lakers) organization.  Magic Johnson was a fantastic player, probably my favorite player of all-time because I grew up in the Los Angeles area watching Magic Johnson.” 

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Lakers center Pau Gasol following the game

Gasol on playing more minutes this season with center Andrew Bynum out with injury: “Apparently, I’m going to be playing a lot more minutes, a lot more than we were expecting at this time of the year.  I just try to play hard, get into a good rhythm out there and be a presence.” 

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Inside the NBA

Winer, McHale and Webber

The TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley join the NBA TV crew from Boston

Barkley on the Miami Heat: “They will have a terrific team but (they were) clearly rusty tonight. They do have some issues. How are they going to get easy baskets? They are strictly (right now) a jump shooting team. They need to solve this point guard situation. They have to play a lot faster. Will the guys on the bench be able to step up? This is the stuff we knew a week ago. Is there bench good enough? LeBron is great, Dwayne is great, but they are not great jump shooters. Even when they get Mike Miller back, who is a terrific shooter, the game always comes down to the easy baskets. They need to find a way to get some.”

Smith on the Boston Celtics: “If you’re a Boston Celtics, you say ‘we are where we are, we are who we are, we are happy with this. We understand that we win with defense, teamwork and continuity.’ And they did that tonight.”

Webber on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “This is (Rajon) Rondo’s team. I think even the Big Three (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce) would say that. I think the Big Three groomed him two years ago. The way he goes out there and plays, he looks like an extension of (Celtics head coach) Doc Rivers.”

McHale on how the Miami Heat can improve their game: “(By) spacing and running and doing what they say they are going to do, run and be an aggressive team. With good spacing, you can really play. You can be as aggressive as you want but if you don’t have good spacing then you can’t play. You can be the best player in the world but you can’t play in a crowd. If you play in a crowd, you’re going to turn it over and you’re not going to make shots.”

Webber on the Miami Heat: “I’ve been waiting for Miami to draw a line in the sand on something. Just say ‘forget you world, we’re going to win.’ I like that fact that Lebron said ‘we got here because all of us were successful; we’re going to have to play our game and not tip-toe around each other.’ It’s going to be exciting to see those guys (compete) against another team like they used to.”

Webber on Celtics’ center Shaquille O’Neal’s performance: “There are two types of potential. One is the type of potential where you’re banking on somebody to come forward and other is when you’re scared of the potential this guy has already seen and don’t want to revisit. (Shaquille) revisited that domination. He can score inside, make a double team, and pocket passes. Shaq is very good at that. He can get you easy points and he can just beat up the other team. He just wears (them) down.”

That is it.

TNT Takes "Inside The NBA" On The Road To Start The Season

Turner Sports which has been busy this month is also getting ready for the NBA season and the network of record for the Association will take its Emmy Award-winning show, Inside The NBA, to the site of its season opening game in Boston, then again for the first matchup between Miami and Cleveland and the homecoming of LeBron James. We have the Turner Sports press releases for you right here.

TNT’s Emmy® Award-Winning NBA Studio Show to Broadcast Live On-Site For Two Highly Anticipated Match-ups

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith to be in Boston Opening Night for TNT’s Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics Coverage on Tuesday, Oct. 26, in Cleveland for the return of LeBron James on Dec. 2

 

TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley are taking their Emmy® Award-winning studio show on the road this season for two highly-anticipated NBA match-ups.  The trio will make their first onsite appearance on opening night on Tuesday, October 26, at 7 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-off, followed by the network’s exclusive coverage of the season opener between the Miami Heat’s power trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (7:30 p.m.). The second game of TNT’s opening night doubleheader features Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets taking on Kobe Bryant and the two-time depending champion LA Lakers (10:30 p.m.).

On December 2, TNT’s studio team will broadcast live from Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena beginning at 8 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-off, followed by LeBron James’ return to Cleveland for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.  TNT’s postgame show, Inside the NBA, will feature the NBA TV studio team of Matt Winer, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber live from Atlanta when Johnson, Barkley and Smith are on the road. 

TNT will once again serve as the exclusive home for NBA All-Star 2011, airing all the action on NBA All-Star Friday, NBA All-Star Saturday and the 2011 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 20, from Los Angeles.  The network will also air over 40 NBA playoff games including, on an exclusive basis, conference semi-finals and the Eastern Conference Finals.

We have another NBA press release coming up.

Thursday’s Stuff

I have links for you today. Trying to finish these early so I can some work done.

The Associated Press has the top 15 cable programs for last week which includes some programming from ESPN.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek writes that ESPN will finish third in the yearly cable primetime ratings.

Anthony says Monday Night Football scored for ESPN this week.

Romanesko reports that Editor & Publisher, the organization that covers the newspaper industry is now ceasing publication. Very sad.

Carolyn Giardina of the Hollywood Reporter looks at the 3-D test being conducted at Cowboys Stadium for the San Diego-Dallas game.

John Eggerton of Multichannel News says hearings will be held on Capitol Hill later this month on pirating sports broadcasts over the internet.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel writes that the Sportsman Channel is being upgraded on Comcast systems in Chicago.

Sports Illustrated’s Dan McGrath says Cubs TV analyst Bob Brenly is ready to get back into managing.

Alden Gonzalez from MLB.com writes about Dick Enberg being inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame next week.

Sean Gregory of Time looks at how the PGA Tour’s TV partners are treating Tiger Woods.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell looks at how the Tiger Woods story is affecting sports marketing.

Paul Baker from the Ridgefield (CT) Press writes about Monday Night Football director Chip Dean receiving an honor from Arizona State University.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says since the Tiger Woods Slam into a fire hydrant the day after Thanksgiving, his website has seen increased traffic.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times has some thoughts on why Peter Gammons left ESPN in favor of MLB Network.

Dustin Long of the Virginian-Pilot says NASCAR might be putting more of its races online (scroll down). Thanks to Jay Busbee of Yahoo’s From the Marbles blog for the link.

The Orlando Business Journal says the St. Petersburg Bowl now has a sponsor.

Tom Jicha of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel talks about a West Palm Beach TV station outsourcing its sports reports to the local ESPN Radio station.

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News is amused by Michael Strahan’s comments on the Cowboys’ Flozell Adams.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business wonders if the sluggish economy is responsible for the excellent TV ratings for sports programming.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says NBC’s Rodney Harrison is on the Packers’ Super Bowl express.

Riverside County (CA) Press-Enterprise looks at the Lakers’ Luke Walton taking the mic for a couple of games.

Peter Hadekel of the Montreal Gazette talks with International Olympic Committee member and director of the Vancouver Organizing Committee Richard Pound on the business and economic impact of the 2010 Olympic Games.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the Tiger Woods story is leaving sponsors, the PGA Tour and others wondering what’s in the golfer’s future.

Chris Zelkovich from the Toronto Star looks at a civilian who won a one year contract to broadcast sports.

Writing for Pro Football Weekly, Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald says NFL Network’s game productions has a ways to improve.

Sports Media Watch says the Big 12 Championship did well for ABC on Saturday.

SMW says college football on the ESPN family networks was the most viewed in over a decade.

SMW has some ratings news and notes.

SMW says the Tiger Woods story is good business for Yahoo, but not for Tiger’s sponsors.

And the SMW speaks with TNT Inside the NBA producer Tim Kiely.

John Daly’s Daly Planet blog looks at whether NASCAR fans are willing to watch a new one hour weekly highlights show on Showtime.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media wonders where Mike Milbury is on NBC’s coverage of the NHL Winter Classic.

We conclude with Kristine Leahy doing The Five on WEEI.com.

That’s going to do it for now.

NBA on TNT Preview and NBA TV Quotage

Again, I’m combining two releases here, one a preview of Thursday’s NBA on TNT doubleheader and the other, quotage from NBA TV’s Fan Night.

First, the TNT preview.

NBA Action Continues on TNT with a Doubleheader

TNT and NBA TV analyst Chris Webber to Take Part in Live Video Chat

TNT NBA Thursday continues on December 10 with a doubleheader beginning at 8 p.m. (ET). The first game will feature Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics visiting Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards. Play-by-play announcer Marv Albert will call the game alongside analysts Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller with David Aldridge reporting. In the second game of the night, Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz will host Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Doug Collins (analyst) will be courtside with Craig Sager reporting. The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst) will recap the games.

Following halftime of the Celtics @ Wizards, studio analyst Chris Webber will take part in a live video chat with fans on NBA.com (http://www.nba.com/turnersportslive/). Fans who would like to participate can log on to the NBA on TNT or the NBA fan pages on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) to submit their questions.

This week, TNT will announce the nominees for its ‘TNT All-Decade NBA: Playoff Defense’ category. Fans can visit NBA.com’s ‘TNT All-Decade NBA’ page (http://www.nba.com/alldecade/vote3/) to view clips of the previously announced nominees and cast a vote on who they think should win. The ‘TNT All-Decade NBA’ includes the top performances, games and moments throughout the 2000’s and winners will be announced in a special one-hour show airing during TNT’s exclusive coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. (ET).

Exclusive content, analysis from TNT announcers and replays of Inside the NBA are available on TNT OverTime on NBA.com. The broadband channel gives fans the inside scoop on players, coaches and storylines taking place around the league seven days a week. Check out the NBA on TNT pages on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NBAonTNT) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) to see the latest NBA on TNT schedule, news updates and special features from TNT announcers.

TNT NBA THURSDAY SCHEDULE:

Thursday, Dec. 10

8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

8:15 p.m. Boston Celtics @ Washington Wizards

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Orlando Magic @ Utah Jazz

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thursday, Dec. 17

8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

8:15 p.m. Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst), Kevin McHale (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

And we conclude with the quotage from NBA TV on Tuesday night.

Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night – Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Cleveland Cavalier (109) @ Memphis Grizzles (111) – Overtime

Voting is open on NBA.com for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Fans can select between the following games:

New York Knicks @ Charlotte Bobcats

New Jersey Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors @ Miami Heat

Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons @ Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings @ Portland Trail Blazers

CLIP OF THE DAY

(click on link below to watch)

EJ, Webber and McHale discuss the frequent dancing of Cavaliers forward LeBron James before and during games.

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Pre-Game Show

Ernie Johnson, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber

McHale on Cavaliers guard Delonte West: “I love Delonte West’s game. I know he has some issues that he has to work through, but it all boils down to trust. Can they trust him? I don’t believe that they can win unless they can get him playing at a really high level.”

Webber on West: “They do need him. I played with the guy while we were in the championship run and he let the whole team down because you had to worry about where he was during the process and worry if he was okay when everybody should be worrying about themselves and their families. You are right, if it is a distraction it can be a trust factor. But they have known him a long time and usually you are willing to trust someone a little bit more when you have been with them for a long time.”

Webber on Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “I would describe LeBron as someone that does everything he has to do at that time. Last year he had to do a lot of scoring. One thing that is disheartening to me when looking at the stats for the Cleveland Cavaliers is that LeBron leads them in rebounding. By him leading in rebounds as a power forward that lets me know two things; one – the big men aren’t rebounding and two – this guy has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I think he has done all that is asked of him.”

McHale on James: “It’s like fine wine that gets better with time. He is still a young man. He has looked like that since he was 16 and is just getting better. I think he is better today than he was a year ago at this time.”

McHale on the Grizzlies’ chemistry: “They have a nice nucleus of players. They have Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. I like the fact that they have a youthful team and the fact that they are going to be able to grow together and really develop some chemistry together. If you can keep young teams together long enough through all the growing pains they should be able to bond well.”

Webber on Zach Randolph fitting in with the Grizzlies: “I think this is a fit. Why? Because Zach Randolph can score and he likes to take shots. He can rebound but he also likes to take shots. This team needs him to take shots, so he has found a home. They need a post man that can score.”

McHale on LeBron James’ dancing antics: “In the old days, if a guy was doing the Riverdance like that, coach would come over and say ‘who’s got the fewest amount of fouls of my big fellas?’. If you raised your hand, he would say ‘we will let him drive and then we will throw him on the ground;’ when he is laying there we would say ‘do you feel like dancing now?’ And that pretty much solved the dancing problem.”

Webber: “I got to play with Robert Parish and Moses Malone and guys that are younger (in the league today). I don’t know where to come in on this. If I am Joakim Noah, I’m supposed to be mad. But truthfully, go in and play good and have them fear you. That’s what I would say to my team. We know LeBron is a hard worker; if this is his personality you can’t judge his personality. Because I love LeBron’s track record, the jury is out on this one. As a player on the opposing team, I would try to foul the hell out of everybody that came into the paint on that one.”

Webber on Raptors guard Jarrett Jack tying his shoes in the middle of the game: “I am more disappointed in the guy that is checking him (Chicago’s Luol Deng). Where is the talking on defense? Everyone is supposed to be talking. Someone is supposed to trap him on defense. I don’t know what happened with this play.”

McHale: “For Luol Deng or someone not to run up to him and bum-rush him in the middle of tying that shoe is unacceptable. I think you have to be aggressive. You have a guy in the middle of an NBA game that has the ball under his arm reaching down tying his shoe.”

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Halftime Report

Johnson, McHale and Webber

NBA TV interviews Sean Tuohy, the adopted father of NFL player Michael Oher to discuss the story that inspired the movie “The Blind Side.”

Tuohy on the popularity of the movie: “We are still trying to figure out why everyone is so interested in it. We didn’t anticipate that. It wasn’t a massive decision on our part. It is an interesting story because we feel that it is happening so many times and in so many places in the country. Maybe the movie will kick start you to do something nice for someone else.”

Tuohy on life lessons he instilled in Oher: “When Michael came to our house, he was a great kid and we just didn’t screw him up. A lot of times what you have to do is give a kid love, a warm place to stay and some direction but what he did for us was huge. As a family he really brought us closer to together.”

Webber on if the Nuggets can be considered an elite team: “I don’t know if they are an elite team until they get another post player or until (forward) Nenê (Hilario) steps up. You definitely can’t lose these games and call yourself an elite team.”

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NBA GameTime

Johnson, McHale and Webber

Webber on Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins drawing up the final play of the game against the Cavaliers for guard Mike Conley: “I know (Mike Conley) has been struggling and by the (head) coach calling that play (for Conley), that just shows trust. Even if they wouldn’t have won the game, that play would’ve gone a long way two weeks from now. (Hollins is) going to have to put the guys in position again to say, ‘How do you learn to win except you lose in tough situations?’ I think the coach gets a great kudos for the job he did, especially late in the game.”

Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo joined the crew via Arena Link

Mayo on the young Grizzlies figuring out their identity as a team: “We’re all trying to figure out our identity as a team and as individual players. Coach Hollins does a great job of putting us in different positions to be successful. We have to learn to believe in and trust each other. It’s really important for us to trust each other offensively and defensively.”

Mayo on how the Grizzlies came together following Allen Iverson’s abrupt end to his tenure with the team: “After A.I. left and we were struggling, coach said to the team, ‘this is your team and you need to have a player’s meeting. No coaches and you guys can talk about what’s going on.’ He put together a film of our mistakes in our first eight games and we watched it as a team. We criticized each other and we made a promise to each other that this is a new page. We’re going to give it all we have, we have each other’s back and we’re going to play together as a team. When we leave the huddle, we yell. ‘one team!’ and this one team got a great win tonight (against the Cavaliers).”

Webber on Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Wallace: “Gerald Wallace has been the most underrated player the last couple of years. He’s played with a collapsed lung, doing everything he’s done and being a great player. He extends every ounce of energy every night.”

Webber on the Nets at Bulls match-up: “I used to play in the Gus Macker Three-on-Three Tournament and they had something called the ‘Toilet Bowl’ (for the last place team). That’s what this was.”

McHale on the strength of Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans: “What a strong guy (Tyreke Evans is). That guy is a bull-moose out there. He’s strong as an ox and he can finish around the hoop. He’s in a dead heat with (Bucks guard Brandon) Jennings for Rookie of the Year.”

Webber on Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins gaining the trust of his team: “Teams like this can be a graveyard for coaches because you can be put in a messed-up situation by having to teach guys to grow for another coach to reap the benefits. I think Lionel Hollins is growing trust from his players and the community. The plays he called late in the game really impressed me because everybody on (the Grizzlies) could have given up the way LeBron (James) kept coming at them. Great job by the coach and the team.”

We’re done. Good night.

Some Nighttime Links

I’m seeing a few stories I can link to tonight. My new TV is acting up and the audio keeps cutting in and out. I’m going to have to call Vizio about this. Not happy. I shouldn’t have to keep changing channels or press the “AV” button on the remote for the audio to come back. POS.

Anyway, here are a few links this evening.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell wonders if the public is getting tired of the Tiger Woods stories.

Steve Czaban of Fox Sports Radio announces on his blog that his show is being dropped in favor of one hosted by Steven A. Smith. Thanks to the great John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal/Daily for the link.

Kyle Belanger of the Springfield (MA) Republican reports that ESPN and Comcast SportsNet will air games from a high school basketball tournament next month.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record says Sunday’s Cowboys-Giants game drew excellent ratings for Fox.

Ken writes that ESPN has made its assignments for TV and radio for the BCS National Championship Game.

Mike Waters of the Syracuse Post-Standard writes that ESPN Radio is changing affiliates come March.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business says the Blackhawks are scoring for WGN.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks at the potential interviewers for Tiger Woods.

Chris Zelkovich in the Toronto Star says hockey is back on top of the ratings in Canada after giving way to the Grey Cup last week.

ESPN UK continues to pick up soccer rights. Owen Gibson of the Guardian reports that ESPN has picked up the FA Cup beating out the BBC.

MASN has announced the launch of MASN2 HD for next season.

The Cincinnati Reds have announced that the voice of Ohio State football and basketball, Paul Keels will be calling 45 games on Fox Sports Ohio starting next season.

The Sports Media Watch sits down with TNT Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media wishes CBC would do a split telecast for its late game on Hockey Night in Canada as it does for its 7 p.m. ET slot.

Steve urges fans to watch Versus (those who have the channel unlike us with DirecTV) this week as it carries three NHL games instead of its usual two.

Joe Favorito says coaches are an untapped source for brand activation.

Chicago media blogger Robert Feder, formerly of the Sun-Times, looks at some moves by local columnists from the Tribune to the Sun-Times and vice-versa.

Katharine Rust writes in the Huffington Post that ESPN is bad for sports.

Randell Mell of Golfchannel.com says it’s time for Tiger Woods to talk.

Evan Brunell, the owner of blogging network MVN.com, has decided it’s time to shut down. I’m sorry to hear about that. Thanks to Dan Lamothe of the Red Sox Monster blog for the link.

Dumont Walker of the Bleacher Report claims that Fox Sports plans to bid for the rights to the Atlantic Coast Conference. I have not seen this reported in other outlets.

I’ll end it there for now. Time for me to sleep.

NBA on TNT Quotage/Opening Night

I have some TNT quotage from NBA’s Opening Night so let’s post it now. Then I’ll do some links.

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Tuesday, October 27, 2009

TNT’s NBA Thursday coverage continues Thursday, October 29 at 8 p.m. ET with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs @ Chicago Bulls followed by the Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Most people say that the two things that will stop the Lakers are Lamar Odom’s wedding and Ron Artest running into the stands. If those are the only two things you have to worry about with winning a championship as a coach, you want that every single year. Basketball-wise, they don’t have any holes. Ron Artest is usually the first or second best player on a team. Now he is the third or fourth option and he can carry you for weeks at a time. He can actually play defense, get 20 points and stop someone from scoring 20 points. I don’t know three guys in the NBA that can do that. Add that to Kobe Bryant, who is the most electric player in the league. I don’t see how the Lakers can lose another championship, barring injury. They are hands-down the most talented, best team in basketball. If you take the best player off of every team in the West (Conference), this would be the only team that would make the playoffs.”

–Kenny Smith on the Lakers being the best team in the league.

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TNT NBA Tip-off

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber

Barkley on the excitement of opening night for a contending team: “There’s always excitement when you start the season. When you’re one of the elite teams, you have a legitimate chance to win a championship. All of these teams don’t have a chance to win the championship and only one team at the end of the year gets the carrot. So there is a great excitement when you have a legit chance to get that carrot at the end of the rainbow.”

Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal on his off-season workout routine: “I went through training camp and I felt pretty good. I went through all the drills, all the high school and college drills. I did it all and I felt pretty good. I’ve been doing yoga, a new form called gyrotonics. I’ll let you look it up. You know me, I’m advanced.”

O’Neal on playing with fellow Cavaliers’ center Zydrunas Ilgauskas: “With me and Z (Ilgauskas), we’re the best center ever created. Better than Bill Walton. Not better than Mr. Russell, but he’s different. But better than anybody.”

Barkley on Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal in Cleveland: “The key for Shaq is they only have to play him 20-25 minutes a game during the regular season to keep him fresh and healthy. The guy is 37-years-old and has a lot of wear and tear on his body. He is going to give it a good effort but he can’t get frustrated with only playing a few minutes a night.”

Webber on Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace in Boston: “This was the best (off-season) acquisition in the NBA and (the Celtics) will win the championship because Kevin Garnett’s passion matches Rasheed’s passion. In my mind, (there’s) no doubt they’ll win the championship in my mind. They are going to punk a lot of teams.”

Smith on Celtics forward Glen Davis being injured in an altercation and missing games: “It’s unfortunate for him because he was playing so well at the end of last year, but it’s better for the Celtics because now those minutes won’t be shared with Rasheed. He’s going to play all those minutes consistently throughout the year. That’s a better rhythm for him.”

Webber on Ron Artest joining the Los Angeles Lakers: “I think he’s going to come in and play well. We’ve seen guys come to new teams at pivotal points in their life like Dennis Rodman did (in Chicago). I think he’ll fill his role and not try to score too much. He’ll guard the best player, which will help out Kobe late in the game. He’s going to be a good fit.”

Barkley: “If he plays strictly basketball, they’re a better team. Ron Artest has to keep his head together because they need him to win.”

Smith on Vince Carter joining the Orlando Magic: “To me, Vince Carter is a better player that Hedu Turkoglu however, I don’t know if he’s better for this team. What made Orlando so tough to play in the playoffs was they had Rashard Lewis and Turkoglu as unconventional threes and fours. They are easier to match-up against (this season) even though I think Vince Carter is better.”

Smith on Richard Jefferson joining the San Antonio Spurs: “They become a little more explosive offensively (with Jefferson). In the past, the Spurs were always a great defensive team but some nights they couldn’t score 115 points. Scoring comes easy to him and they are lot more explosive because of Richard Jefferson.”

Barkley on the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder being surprise teams this season: “The Clippers and Oklahoma City are both going to have a better record than the Golden State Warriors.”

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Game 1: Boston Celtics (95) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (89)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins with Cheryl Miller reporting

Collins on what Kevin Garnett brought to the Celtics last season: “The thing with Kevin Garnett is he came in (to Boston) and changed the culture with his defense and his energy. He became the voice of that team and the backline of that defense. He became their personality.”

Collins on Celtics guard Marquis Daniels: “Don’t let that sleepy look fool you. This guy is a competitor and he’s got a chance to really help this team, especially playing multiple positions.”

Collins on Celtics forward Shelden Williams: “Doc Rivers is happy with Shelden Williams. He’s trying to get rid of the disappointment with everyone saying that he’s been a bust. He’s got a great chance to come in here and play a roll where he comes off that bench, playing some tough minutes, getting some physical ability and toughness around the rim.”

Collins on the what guards Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon bring to the Cavaliers: “Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon are going to give (the Cavaliers) versatility… small backcourts really hurt them in their series against Orlando (in the ECF).”

O’Neal on playing with LeBron James: “I’m a realist and I know he’s the best player in the world. I know that, my children know that, everybody realizes that. I once had that title when I was his age. But now I’m 37 and on my way out so it would be very foolish of me to come in and take over something that was already pretty damn good. It’s fortunate for me to be inserted into a good team and not lose anybody. I’m not crazy.”

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

NBA TV’s Kevin McHale joined the studio crew

Smith on teams having trouble defending against Celtics Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett: “If you have a slow big man, you’re going to have trouble against Rasheed Wallace when he plays (center). You can’t show and then get back because he gets the ball off so quickly. You have to have an agile forward (to defend Wallace) and not too many teams have two forwards that can defend Wallace and Kevin Garnett.”

Webber on Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett playing together in the defensive end: “(Wallace) and Kevin Garnett, when they are in together are going to terrorize teams defensively.”

McHale on who improved more in the offseason, Boston or Cleveland: “I think Boston (improved more) with Rasheed (Wallace) along with Marquis Daniels who is going to help that team a great deal. I think those two additions are going to outdo Cleveland bringing in Shaq (O’Neal). At the end of games, when you close with Garnett and Wallace, it’s going to be impossible to guard. They are going to be murder at the end of games.”

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Collins on the Celtics making mental mistakes: “Sometimes the Celtics lose focus. They get a lead and then all of a sudden, they’ll make two or three bad plays.”

Collins on Rasheed Wallace enjoying his time in Boston: “The energy that (the Celtics) bring every single day is really going to help Rasheed Wallace. I think he is going to be very happy playing in that environment (in Boston).”

Collins on teams needing to be aggressive when facing the Celtics: “Boston is so good that teams have the tendency to hold the ball and get stagnant. Against Boston, you’ve got to move the ball, cut, pass and get that ball from side to side.”

Collins on the Cavaliers playing Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas at the same time: “It’s a situation where transition defense is going to be a problem when you play those two guys (O’Neal and Ilgauskas) together.”

Collins on the new additions to the Cavaliers not being familiar with each other: “There’s a lot of trust and communication on defense. But offense is so much precision and right now (the Cavaliers) just don’t know each other.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Celtics forward Kevin Garnett after the game

Garnett on how he felt to get back on the court after missing games last season with injury: “I feel good. I feel like the first time I made the AAU team. I feel eager. I had to calm myself down but I gave it everything I have.”

Garnett on how the Eastern Conference has improved: “Cleveland has gotten better. Orlando has gotten better. Washington has gotten better. Atlanta has gotten better. The East (Conference) has gotten better. We’re trying to measure ourselves and see where we are. We’re trying to get everything straight. We’re not perfect at all and we’re a team in process. Tonight was a great test for us and I thought we did a good job.”

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Game Break

Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

Webber on the Lakers not being able to match-up against the Celtics: “The Celtics are the only team that can match the intensity of the Lakers. I love Pau Gasol and (Andrew Bynum) inside but I don’t think they are ready for Rasheed and the crew.”

Smith on the Lakers being the best team in the league: “Most people say that the two things that will stop the Lakers are Lamar Odom’s wedding and Ron Artest running into the stands. If those are the only two things you have to worry about with winning a championship as a coach, you want that every single year. Basketball-wise, they don’t have any holes. Ron Artest is usually the first or second best player on a team. Now he is the third or fourth option and he can carry you for weeks at a time. He can actually play defense, get 20 points and stop someone from scoring 20 points. I don’t know three guys in the NBA that can do that. Add that to Kobe Bryant, who is the most electric player in the league. I don’t see how the Lakers can lose another championship, barring injury. They are hands-down the most talented, best team in basketball. If you take the best player off of every team in the West (Conference), this would be the only team that would make the playoffs.”

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Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers (92) @ Los Angeles Lakers (99)

Announcers: Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller with Craig Sager reporting

Fratello on Lakers forward Ron Artest playing defense: “Ron Artest can frustrate you and make you start to think about jump shooting instead of taking it to the basket.”

Miller on Ron Artest accepting being the third or fourth offensive option on the Lakers: “(Artest is) going to have to accept it. He’s coming into a situation where this team is already established, they are the (reigning) NBA Champions. He’s not coming to a team that’s up-and-coming.”

Miller on the Lakers and Lamar Odom dealing with off-the-court distractions: “There is so much on the plate of Lamar Odom coming off of winning a championship, getting married over the summer. TMZ is following you and your wife around the city and you’re still coming out here and giving everything you’ve got. Phil Jackson is used to the circus-type atmosphere when he (coached) the greatest player ever Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. That was a traveling circus as well.”

Sager interviewed Lakers forward Ron Artest after the first half

Artest on his feelings watching his teammates get championship rings before the game: “I was happy for Lamar (Odom), we grew up together. I greeted everyone as they came out and I told them to enjoy it and let’s get a win.”

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

Barkley on Lakers forward Ron Artest shaving designs into his hair: “You know my rule where once you get past 22 (years-old), you can’t wear throwback jerseys? At some point you’re a grown-ass man and you can’t wear throwback jerseys. What is the age when you can’t carve crap into your hair?”

Barkley on the Dallas Mavericks losing to the Washington Wizards on opening night: “A lot of people are picking Dallas as the surprise fourth seed in the West. They can’t come out this flat in the season opener against an undermanned Wizards team at home.”

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Clippers guard Baron Davis on his rocky relationship with head coach Mike Dunleavy last season: “I was trying to figure out where I was going to be and what my routine was so we never really got a chance to talk and get to know each other. This summer we spent a lot of time talking about the game and the look of the team. I think that has ultimately translated to us being able to communicate on the court with some give-and-take on both sides.”

Miller on Baron Davis making an effort to improve communication between head coach Mike Dunleavy and himself: “Communication is the key between the point guard, who is your floor general, and the head coach. I like how Baron took responsibility for the situation, made the effort to talk to the head coach (Dunleavy) and try to get on the same page.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers head coach Phil Jackson after the third quarter

Jackson on Lakers center Andrew Bynum: “(Bynum is) off to a great start. We know that getting him through the season is a key factor for us. He’s had a wonderful run up to this point. Now we have to keep him in condition and position to compete all year.”

Miller on Lakers forward Lamar Odom: “(Odom) provides versatility coming off the bench (for the Lakers). He has a long, athletic feel that he brings to the team.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on former Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter: “We have a special bond because he basically raised me. When I first got here, it was him and I in a room watching hours and hours of film. It’s good to have ‘Yoda’ back.”

Fratello on how former Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter should be considered for the Hall of Fame: “I think that Tex Winter should be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. There’s a contributor category, he’s not a head coach in the NBA but he is the guy who put the offense in for Phil Jackson who owns ten championship rings. He’s the architect of the Triangle Offense in Chicago and LosAngeles. He should receive serious consideration to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers guard Kobe Bryant following the game

Bryant on the Lakers winning on opening night: “It was good, our rhythm was pretty good. We had stretches where we locked down defensively. It’s going to take a while for Ron (Artest) to get his rhythm. I don’t think he’s used to being that wide-open.”

Bryant on Reggie Miller’s comments that he expects the Lakers to start the season 20-1: “Thank you and no thank you. We won’t put that pressure on ourselves. We’ll leave it to everyone else to put that pressure on us. We just want to get better and work hard every day. We just take every game as it comes.”

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Inside the NBA

Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

Smith on the possibility that the Lakers could lose only one game in their first 21 games of the season: “If (the Lakers) aren’t 20-1 they’re flirting with 20-1. They gave 20-1 flowers and candy.”

Barkley on how the Cavaliers need to utilize forward LeBron James in their offense: “I’ve been saying for three years now, the Cavaliers clearly don’t get TNT, walking it up and down the court and letting LeBron go one-on-five, that’s not going to win in the long run. It’s not really going to show until the playoffs. They should be running a lot more and let LeBron (James) finish, he works too hard for his baskets. The only way they are going to get to that next level is LeBron has to do more finishing and starting these plays than going one-on-five.”

Webber on the Cavaliers’ offense preventing easy points for forward LeBron James: “I don’t know if it’s the offensive structure, but if LeBron was in the triangle, if he got the ball where Carmelo (Anthony) got it…I just see other NBA teams with great superstars and it’s easier for them (to get points).”

Smith on certain offenses allowing an easy six to eight points every game: “When you play on great teams, and all three of us have been fortunate to play on great teams, there are about six to eight points that you get just because of the offense. You don’t really have to do anything, you’re just running and you get precision passes and you know you’re going to get six to eight points and everything else is a bonus. I don’t see those points (for the Cavaliers).”

Barkley on the importance of the Celtics winning their season opener against the Cavaliers: “All you’ve got to do is play Doc Rivers’ speech. (The Celtics) are playing for something bigger. This isn’t like an opening game for them. Like what Doc Rivers said, ‘we’re going to win a championship, we’re not just coming here to beat Cleveland, we’re trying to win the World Championship.’ I thought that was great coaching on Doc’s part. They’re not trying to make the playoffs. They want you to know from day one, ‘we’re trying to win a championship.’ I thought that was a great move by Doc Rivers.”

Barkley on which Western Conference team will struggle: “I think the Rockets will have the worst record. Sacramento is in there, but I really think the Rockets will have the worst record in the West. (Aaron) Brooks will have a good season. (Shane) Battier will have a good season. And that’s it.”

That concludes this post.

Wrapping Up the Monday Press Releases

Well, after watching the Artie Lange Show with special guest Joe Buck on HBO tonight, then Weeds and Nurse Jackie on Showtime, I can now post the press releases that came in during the day that I could not get to. Quite a busy Monday.

First, NBC says Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was the most watched NHL game in the United States in 36 years. That’s a very long time.

MOST WATCHED NHL GAME IN 36 YEARS

8 Million Watch Game 7

Game 7 Handily Beats Competition in Every Ratings Category & Wins Key Adults 18-49 By 191%

NEW YORK – June 15, 2009 – Friday night's deciding Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC Sports was the most-watched NHL game in 36 years with an average of 8 million viewers (5/10/73, Stanley Cup Final Game 6 on NBC, Montreal-Chicago, 9.4 million). Overall, the series averaged 5.6 million viewers for the five games on NBC, the best since 2002 on ABC (three telecasts, Detroit-Carolina, 5.8 million).

Friday's Game 7 earned a 4.3 rating and an 8 share, the best for a series-ending game in six years (6/9/03, Game 7, Anaheim-New Jersey, 4.6/8).

NBC Sports' Game 7 broadcast finished No. 1 for the night in every category including viewership and household ratings.

Competitive Notes:

· NBC won Friday night by a margin of 191 percent in Adults 18-49 (3.2 vs. 1.1 for second-place CBS) and by 41 percent in total viewers (7.7 million vs. CBS's 5.5 million).

· The broadcast of Game 7 beat the ABC-CBS-Fox competition combined in Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Men 18-34, Women 18-34, Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.

· The 3.2 rating in Adults 18-49 makes this NBC's top-rated Friday night since the Beijing Olympics last August.

ESPN points out that Game 5 of the NBA Finals on ABC beat the primetime competition, albeit it was rather weak.

NBA Finals Game 5 Dominates Night in Prime Time

2009 Finals Deliver the Top Broadcast Each Night

The NBA Finals Game 5 – which saw the Los Angeles Lakers win the world championship, defeating the Orlando Magic 99-86 – dominated the night for ABC in prime time. The broadcast averaged 13,992,000 viewers (P2+), according to fast national ratings, to become the No. 1 program of the night for the second consecutive Sunday evening. All five Finals broadcasts ranked No. 1 each night for ABC.

Final ratings for The Finals will be available Tuesday, June 16. If the fast national rating is maintained, ABC’s five Finals broadcasts averaged an 8.4 HH rating, 9,624,000 households and 14,315,000 viewers.

The 2009 Finals qualify as television’s top five broadcasts since May 20, 2009, among viewers and young adults, and as the top five programs among Men 18-34 since February.

Additional Game 5 Ratings Information

Game 5 was the most-viewed Sunday night program in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic (5.6), along with all other key male and adult demos:

• M18-34 (6.7)
• M18-49 (7.0)
• M25-54 (7.2)
• P18-34 (5.6)
• P25-54 (5.8)

Based on fast nationals, Game 5 averaged a 7.9 HH rating and 9,004,000 household impressions.

This is the final quotage of the season for TNT’s Inside the NBA on NBA TV from Sunday.

Notes from NBA TV’s Coverage of The NBA Finals Game #5 – Sunday, June 14, 2009

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TNT NBA Tip-off

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith with NBA TV host Ahmad Rashad joining the show.

Barkley on Orlando Magic going into Game #5: They’re not going to win tonight. It’s over. I don’t think from a psychological stand-point they can overcome losing (game #4). The only thing the Lakers have to worry about is who is going to be holding the trophy on their flight back to L.A.”

NBA TV host Ahmad Rashad on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant “So, we can all agree that Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player in the world?”

Barkley: “No, Lebron James is the best basketball player.”

Rashad: “We all agree that Kobe Bryant is arguably the best basketball player in the world.”

Barkley: “Yes.”

Smith: “I agree”

NBA TV host Ahmad Rashad interviewed Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.

Bryant on the current Laker team: “We all get along really well. I think the talent we have on this team gives us a great chance to win the Championship.”

Bryant on his trust in his teammates: “The trust comes from deliverance. The more and more they started to deliver, the more my trust picked up in them. That’s the evolution of our team.”

Bryant on how the Lakers can win the 2009 NBA Finals: “The Championship is going to be won on the defensive end. We have to figure out how to stop this high-motor basketball team. If we do that, we’ll be Champions.”

Rashad on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s improvements in the 2008-09 Season: The biggest stride Kobe Bryant has made this year is that he orchestrates the game a lot better. It used to be all about Kobe, but this year he is getting everyone involved.”

Barkley on Lakers head coach Phil Jackson winning another Championship: “I believe after this Championship, Phil Jackson is going to retire.”

Smith on how the Magic’s strengths against Cleveland are their weaknesses against the Lakers: “The advantages the Magic had against Cleveland, their length and size, are the same advantages the Lakers have against the Magic.”

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Inside the NBA

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on the Lakers winning Game #5, making them 2009 NBA Champions: “This was a game you knew the Lakers were going to win, from beginning to end. They came out with great energy and Orlando didn’t want to fight. The Lakers were the best team and they proved that throughout the entire season.”

Smith on the Lakers winning the Championship: “From the start, I thought the Lakers were the best team in basketball. They’ve been the team we’ve expected them to be.”

Smith on the Magic’s performance in The Finals: “The NBA Finals exposes a team’s weaknesses. It exposed things that Orlando needs to address in the off-season, because other teams will pick up on it and realize that is how they should attack them next year.”

Smith on the Magic in Game #5: “Stan Van Gundy could not find an answer to the Los Angeles Lakers.”

Smith on Kobe Bryant’s place in history: “In my opinion, Kobe is one of the top ten players of all time.”

L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant joined the NBA TV set after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic to win The Finals.

Barkley to Bryant: “When are you going to stop smiling?”

Bryant: “Never. This has been an incredible year.”

Bryant on when the Lakers knew they would win the series: “After the third quarter of game #4, we knew what we had to do defensively.”

NBA TV’s David Aldridge interviewed Magic forward Rashard Lewis.

Lewis on the Magic’s performance in the 2008-09 Season: “I think we did a great job of getting to The Finals. Nobody thought we would get here. We need to hold our heads high and try again next year.”

Monday Night Football becomes the first sports series to be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

“MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” BECOMES FIRST SPORTS FRANCHISE TO BE HONORED BY BROADCASTING & CABLE HALL OF FAME

19^th Annual Awards Dinner Set for New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Tuesday, October 20

NEW YORK, June 15 2009 – The Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame – the premier industry event paying tribute to the pioneers, innovators and stars of the electronic arts – will honor “Monday Night Football” at its 19^th Annual Awards Dinner, marking the first time a sports franchise has received this prestigious award.

“With its wonderful history of great moments and dynamic personalities all the way up to its current position as the biggest player in cable television, ‘Monday Night Football’ is one of the most storied franchises in American television history,” said Bill McGorry, Chairman of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. “As it prepares to celebrate four decades of greatness, we are thrilled to announce ‘Monday Night Football’ as the first-ever sports property inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.”

“”Monday Night Football’ has become an American institution, thrilling fans of the National Football League for four decades with exciting moments and memorable achievements that our dedicated team at ABC Sports and now ESPN have been honored and privileged to document,” said ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer. “As we celebrate the 40th season of sports television’s signature series, we thank Broadcasting & Cable for this distinguished Hall of Fame honor.”

“Monday Night Football,” now in its 40^th year, will be honored at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, Tuesday, October 20, 2009. The 2009 Hall of Fame class takes its place alongside the over 300 luminaries who have been recognized in previous years by Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. Other new Hall of Fame inductees will include:

· Richard Beaven – CEO, Initiative Worldwide

· Linda Bell Blue – Executive Producer, “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider”

· Pat Esser – President, Cox Communications

· Jorge Ramos – Anchor, Noticiero Univision

· Abby Raven – President and CEO, A&E Television Networks

· Johnathan Rogers – President and CEO, TV One

· Jack Sander – Senior Advisor, Belo Corporation

· David Verklin – CEO, Canoe Ventures

· Tony Vinciquerra – Chairman and CEO, Fox Networks Group

· Jeff Zucker – President & CEO, NBC Universal

Sirius XM Radio will have extensive coverage of the U.S. Open this week.

SIRIUS XM RADIO ANNOUNCES LIVE BROADCAST COVERAGE OF U.S. OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

Hole-by-hole coverage airs June 18-21 from Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY

SIRIUS XM offers 28 hours of on-course coverage Thursday-Sunday; More live coverage than any other TV or radio broadcaster

NEW YORK – June 15, 2009 – SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that it will offer live coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship Thursday, June 18, through Sunday, June 21, on XM channel 146 and on SIRIUS channel 209 with the “Best of XM” programming package. SIRIUS XM’s coverage, available nationwide, will include live play-by-play from the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, NY, plus comprehensive analysis by SIRIUS XM’s on-site hosts and reporters.

Live coverage will start Thursday and Friday at 12:00 pm ET and Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm ET and will continue until the conclusion of each day’s play. On-course coverage will be immediately followed by a wrap-up of the day’s action on U.S. Open Replay.

Brian Katrek will host the SIRIUS XM’s live championship coverage alongside lead analyst and former PGA TOUR member John Maginnes. From inside the ropes, listeners will hear hole-by-hole updates from on-course reporters Mark Carnevale, the 1992 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, PGA TOUR professional Dennis Paulson, and veteran broadcasters Fred Albers, T.J. Rives and John Tautges.

The U.S. Open Championship is considered by many to be the most difficult and complete test in golf. The Black Course, with its length and exceptionally high rough putting a premium on both distance and accuracy, also hosted the 2002 U.S. Open, becoming the first public course ever to host the championship. Tiger Woods won that year’s event with a performance that left him as the sole player under par after four days.

In addition to the live play-by-play, listeners will hear daily talk and analysis by SIRIUS XM’s lineup of expert hosts.

Playing Thru, hosted by T.J. Rives, will air live from the grounds at Bethpage Black Wednesday through Friday (8:00-10:00 am ET) and on Saturday and Sunday (12:00-1:00 pm ET). Making The Turn, with Peter Kessler, will air live from Bethpage on Thursday and Friday (10:00-11:00 am ET) and on Saturday and Sunday (11:00 am-noon ET).

Both shows will feature in-depth analysis of the Open, plus one-on-one interviews with some of the sport’s biggest personalities.

Tuesday morning (7:00 am ET) will feature a new edition of oPINionated, the weekly talk show hosted by popular PGA TOUR member Chris DiMarco and broadcaster Greg Warmoth. The show replays several times throughout the week.

On Tuesday afternoon (2:00-4:00 pm ET) SIRIUS XM will broadcast the pre-championship press conferences featuring some of the field’s biggest names including Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Geoff Ogilvy.

On Wednesday (2:00-4:00 pm ET), Katrek and Maginnes will host The U.S. Open Preview Show, offering listeners a look at the championship field teeing off the following day.

Mad Dog Radio, SIRIUS XM’s all-sports talk channel, will broadcast live from Bethpage on Tuesday and Wednesday of Open week. Tuesday’s broadcast will feature Bruce Murray and Bill Pidto hosting their daily show, The B Team, live (10:00 am-2:00 pm ET). On Wednesday, Gary Williams will be at the course to host the morning show, The First Word, live (6:00-10:00 am ET). Mad Dog Radio airs nationwide on SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144.

Awards this year. This release is for something good. The Arthur Ashe Courage Award goes to former South African President Nelson Mandela. Interesting timing since ESPN will be in South Africa next year for the World Cup.

Nelson Mandela to Be Honored with the

Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2009 ESPYs

The 2009 ESPYs to Be Televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup was hosted in South Africa for the first time. Following the victory of the host national team, The Springboks, and in a pivotal moment for South Africa, President Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby shirt and cap, presented the William Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain Francois Pienaar to the delight of black and white sports fans across the country. This iconic gesture helped to unite a previously divided nation through a shared passion for sport, and further cemented the transition from apartheid to democracy.

Accepted on his behalf by his daughter Zindzi Mandela and grandson Zondwa Mandela, President Mandela will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2009 ESPYs. Presented annually to individuals whose contributions transcend sports, the Ashe Award is the emotional pinnacle of the industry-wide sports celebration, which is being taped on Wednesday, July 15 from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD. The 2009 ESPYs will be hosted this year by Samuel L. Jackson.

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award coincides with Mandela Day, which will fall on July 18^th, Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Mandela Day will act as a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and help change the world around them for the better. The Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664 are calling upon people around the world to commit 67 minutes (Nelson Mandela has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years) of their time to make an imprint and help change the world around them.

President Mandela said, “We are honored to be awarded by the institute representing the work and life of our fellow humanitarian Arthur Ashe. We accept the award on behalf of all the people in South Africa and indeed across the globe who have dedicated their lives and efforts to the interests of others. Arthur Ashe is one such person and we are honored to be associated with this prestigious award.”

“We’re honored that President Mandela accepts The 2009 ESPYs’ Arthur Ashe Courage Award,” John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president added. “His action at the 1995 Rugby World Cup was an iconic moment in sports history. The image – of the previously divided nation, now united under South African colors – shows the importance of sport to society.”

ESPN Inc. will provide unprecedented multimedia coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, June 11 — July 11, 2010. All 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup will be aired live and in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. ESPN360.com will also feature all matches on the ESPN networks.

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented each year to individuals whose contributions transcend sports. In 2008, it was given to U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos who stunned the world after winning gold and bronze medals, by bowing their heads and raising their black-gloved fists toward the sky as the national anthem played. In 2007, it was given to Trevor Ringland and Dave Cullen for their work with PeacePlayers, an organization founded to bring enemies together through basketball.

Additional past recipients include: Jim Valvano (1993), Steve Palermo (1994), Howard Cosell (1995), Loretta Claiborne (1996), Muhammad Ali (1997), Dean Smith (1998), Billie Jean King (1999), Dave Sanders (2000), Olympian Cathy Freeman (2001), Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, four passengers who lost their lives September 11 on United Flight 93 (2002), Pat and Kevin Tillman (2003), Liberian-born soccer legend George Weah (2004), disabled athletes Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and Jim MacLaren (2005) and Afghan female athletes (2006).

The ESPYs

The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2009 ESPYs will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

Fans will determine the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv starting June 25 through July 11.

* The show will be taped Wednesday, July 15 from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles

* For the second time in several years, a limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase through www.ticketmaster.com.

This from my friend Joe Favorito. This is a release from the International Baseball Federation and its pitch to the International Olympic Committee to reinstate baseball into the 2016 Olympics.

BASEBALL MAKES EFFECTIVE PITCH FOR 2016 OLYMPIC REINSTATEMENT WITH FIVE DAY PLAN, COMMITMENT TO USE BEST PLAYERS Year-round co-marketing plan, grassroots growth and leadership position in anti-doping, potential women’s event all included in presentation

(LAUSANNE, Switzerland) – The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and leaders from baseball around the world today presented their outline for baseball’s re-instatement to the Olympic programme in 2016. The presentation, which included IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller, Secretary General John Ostermeyer, Major League Baseball President and Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr, IBAF Anti-Doping Manager Jean-Pierre Moser and professional player Sidney de Jong of the Netherlands, outlined the best possible partnership between baseball and the Olympic programme. Sandra Monteiro, president of the Portuguese Baseball Federation, and Ricardo Fraccari, president of the Italian Baseball Federation, are also in Lausanne this week to assist in the effort.

“We feel that we have not just addressed the issues that were presented as to why baseball was removed for 2012, but have also outlined the most effective way in which the Olympic programme can work with baseball’s year-round global marketing capabilities over the next seven years to maximize Olympic exposure,” said IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller. “From a game-ending rule, to after-use of venues, to using the best players and generating media coverage, baseball has shown it will do whatever it takes, from the grassroots to the professional level, to be not just a partner, but the best partner, for the Olympic movement.”

The presentation included the following key points:

• Baseball will offer a five-day, eight-team tournament which will allow maximum participation of the top players from the countries that qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games. The qualifier for 2016 would be held during the 2015 off-season.
• Major League Baseball in North America will not broadcast any games directly against the Olympic baseball schedule in 2016, giving the Olympic tournament the widest possible media attention. MLB will not play any games on the final day where the medals will be determined.
• All four potential host cities for 2016 have established baseball stadia and programmes in place.
• MLB will work with the IOC to create a year-round marketing partnership designed to increase awareness not just for baseball, but for the Olympic programme overall.
• Baseball will continue to take a leadership position amongst all sports in anti-doping, and will continue to expand its in and out of competition testing programmes.
• A continued year-round commitment to grow the game globally at the grassroots level for young boys and girls, especially focused on emerging nations and across Europe.
• The commitment from young elite players from around the globe who may be eligible in 2016, including de Jong and top American 16 year old prospect Bryce Harper, to participate in 2016 should their respective countries qualify.

The following are excerpts from today’s transcript:

BOB DUPUY:
“Baseball will make a commitment over the next seven years to use all of our assets: television, including our new network which is in more than 50 million homes, and our jewel events, which are broadcast to 225 countries in 13 languages, the world’s best sports digital platform, grassroots campaigns and support of special events such as Olympic day to grow awareness of all of the core values that we share and can promote together. We will work with the IOC to find opportunities in sponsorship and licensing where our year round global reach and popularity and our growing cadre of international stars can assist in growing Olympic marketing opportunities.”

DONALD FEHR:
“The MLBPA has and will continue to work closely with the IBAF, Major League Baseball, the Japanese and other professional leagues, and, of course, players the world over to come up with the best scenario so that more top players will be able to participate, and fulfill the dream of representing their countries in the Olympic Games. We will make sure that happens, and the 2016 Olympics will have the best representation of players ever to participate in any Olympics.

I am confident that MLB and the MLBPA, along with the NPB, the Korean League and Players Associations in Asia will make available to the qualifying countries a to-be-determined number of top players, with the rest of the roster coming from the best athletes available from the professional ranks. The teams will have a sampling of the best individuals in the sport, and the best-ever representative national teams.

Young players in the game today, who are much more familiar with international competition than were players of earlier generations, have already begun to ask about participation in 2016, and to express their intent to do so. In fact, you have a statement from the highest rated young player in America, who has just been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, expressing his commitment to the 2016 Games.”

Baseball was one of seven sports to present to the IOC Monday. It is expected that a recommendation for inclusion of two of the seven sports will be made by the IOC Executive Board during the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin, Germany the week of 15 August. Those sports will then be presented to the IOC membership for a vote at the Olympic Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark 2-5 October. Baseball has been a part of the Olympic programme since 1992, but was voted out of the Games for 2012.

www.ibaf.org.

That’s it for now. I’ll do one more press release post after this. Back very soon.

I meant to post this last night, but again, fell asleep in bed with the computer on. Anyway, I do have more stuff to post and I’ll be back with links soon.

The Final Gone Fishin’ of The NBA Season

From NBA TV and the great people from TNT’s Inside the NBA, Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley do the very last edition of “Gone Fishin’”. It’s nice to have the very end of “Gone Fishin’” at the NBA Finals as the guys usually end during the Conference Finals. Maybe TNT will get to do one after 2016 when ESPN’s contract with the Association expires.

Very well done as always. Nice to have both the NHL and NBA seasons finish within days of each other. Time to focus on MLB and Wimbledon.

An NBA-centric Press Release Post

We had our MLB-centric press release post just before this one. Now it’s time for an NBA-centric press release post.

ESPN is saying Game 3 of the NBA Finals delivered good ratings for ABC.

NBA Finals Game 3 Delivers Night’s Top Broadcast

The NBA Finals continue to deliver for ABC, as Game 3 registered the most viewers of any show on television last night. All three broadcasts of The Finals have been the most-watched show on television each evening and are TV’s most-viewed programs thus far in June.

For the second straight year, Game 3 – which saw Orlando edge Los Angeles 108-104 – garnered more than 14 million viewers (14,196,000 viewers) and was the network’s second most-viewed Game 3 in the last five years (trailing only last year’s 14,512,000 viewers for Boston/Los Angeles). This year’s Game 3 was up 50 percent over 2007’s Game 3 between San Antonio and Cleveland.

Additionally, Game 3 was the top program of the night across all key male and adult demos:

• M18-34 (7.8)
• M18-49 (7.4)
• M25-54 (7.5)
• P18-34 (6.2)
• P18-49 (5.9)
• P25-54 (5.9)

Tuesday’s Game 3 averaged an 8.6 HH rating, representing 9,804,000 households and 14,196,000 viewers (P2+). In Orlando, Game 3 posted a 29.0 rating, the highest NBA rating ever locally on ABC and the network’s highest-rated show of the year in the market. In Los Angeles, the game posted a 24.7 rating, an increase over Game 1 (20.9) and Game 2 (22.5).

Through three games, The Finals are averaging 13,797,000 viewers, slightly ahead of last year (13,791,000 viewers).

The series continues in Orlando – live on ABC and ABC HD – with Game 4 Thursday, June 11, at 9 p.m. ET and Game 5 Sunday, June 14, at 8 p.m. ABC’s NBA Countdown offers a 30-minute preview in advance of each game. ESPN Radio also broadcasts The Finals.

NBA TV gives us the quotes from TNT’s Inside the NBA crew before and after last night’s Game 3.

Notes from NBA TV’s Coverage of the NBA Finals Game #3 – Tuesday, June 9, 2009

NBA TV’s coverage of the NBA Finals continues on Thursday, June 11 with pre-game coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Post-game coverage will follow Game #4 between the Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic.

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TNT NBA Tip-off

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on Magic center Dwight Howard: “Dwight Howard is a terrific player, but he has a long way to go offensively. (The Finals are) going to be a learning experience for him.”

NBA TV’s Ahmad Rashad interviewed Dwight Howard

Howard’s response to an article questioning how great he could be: “I felt they were saying I am too happy to play basketball and I don’t have any dog in me. I have dog in me, but I like to have fun. There’s no need for me to try to look tough when I’m on the floor. That’s not me.”

Rashad on Dwight Howard’s performance in the Finals: “(Dwight Howard) is underachieving. He is already acting like he’s a star. When you get into a situation like this you have to overachieve.”

Smith on Dwight Howard’s performance: “(Howard) has to learn how to score in order to be a superstar. Otherwise, he’s just really good.”

Smith on the NBA Finals: “The (Finals) are a different stage, and a lot of these players get some stage fright. It takes some of them three or four games to get acclimated to being in the NBA Finals.”

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Inside the NBA

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on the Magic winning Game # 3: “You have to take your hat off to two guys; Rafer Alston and Mickael Pietrus. They both played fantastic. Alston gave (Magic) great spark. The Magic played a good game tonight.”

Smith on Magic guard Rafer Alston: “Rafer Alston is a very good basketball player and he has a lot of NBA skills.”

Barkley on the Magic needing to win Game #4 in the Finals: “(Magic) are not back in this series until they win game #4.”

Smith comparing 2008-09 Magic team to 1994-95 Magic team, who was the last squad to reach the NBA Finals: “I can honestly say the 1995 (Magic) team had more talent from top to bottom than this (2009) team.”

Barkley comparing 2008-09 Magic team to 1994-95 Magic team: “Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Pietrus, and Gortat; they are better and deeper down the line.”

Barkley on Magic guard Mickael Pietrus’s defense: “Mickael Pietrus impressed me. He did a fantastic job on Lebron and he’s doing a good job on Kobe. You can’t stop guys like (Lebron and Kobe), you can just work them hard.”

Smith on the Lakers advantages heading into Game #4: “One of the things that the Lakers have an advantage on is the low-post, they always have two out of three players that have an inside presence. They can get lay-up after lay-up against this Orlando Magic team.”

And congratulations to Comcast SportsNet New England’s Tommy Heinsohn who will receive the first-ever Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to basketball.

NBA Coaches Association Presents Inaugural Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award to Hall-of-Famer Tommy Heinsohn

New York, June 10, 2009 — The NBA Coaches Association announced today that legendary Celtics player and coach Tommy Heinsohn will receive the inaugural “Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.” The award carries on the memory of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly.

Daly set a standard of integrity, class and competitive excellence, and his recent passing is mourned by his fellow coaches. The award will recognize a coach who made special contributions to the sport throughout his NBA career and whose body of work had a positive, lasting impact on the NBA coaching profession. It will be presented annually to a current or former NBA head or assistant coach.

Following his Hall of Fame playing career, Tommy Heinsohn led the Celtics to two NBA championships as head coach in 1974 and 1976. During eight-plus seasons on the Celtics’ sideline, Heinsohn displayed a passion for the game and an unwavering loyalty to the Boston franchise that continues today. His love and respect for the game, along with his major contributions to the establishment of the NBA Coaches Association, make him a perfect choice for the inaugural “Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.”

“I’m honored by this recognition,” said Heinsohn. “Chuck Daly was a man and a coach who everyone had great respect for, and to be recognized in his memory is very special. I humbly accept this honor on behalf of all those who coach and have coached in the NBA.”

Dallas Mavericks head coach and NBA Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle added: “Like Chuck, Tommy Heinsohn has shown a lifetime devotion to improving NBA basketball for all who play, coach and watch the sport. His dedication, drive and vision unified NBA coaches and helped ensure their welfare for decades to come. Tommy helped pave the way for future coaches to make meaningful contributions to the game beyond the locker room and sidelines. All NBA coaches owe Tommy a debt of gratitude for his work and his example.”

The NBA Coaches Association encompasses all current head and assistant coaches, as well as an active alumni totaling more than 225 members. The NBA Coaches Association is an integral part of the NBA family, working closely with the league on a wide variety of game-related, marketing and community service initiatives. With the “Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award” the association salutes Tommy Heinsohn for his groundbreaking efforts on behalf of our group.

In Boston, Tommy is loved for bleeding Celtics Green. To me, it’s neck and neck for the outpouring of love between Tommy and Red Sox analyst Jerry Remy. Maybe it’s more for Tommy because Jerry has been a plugwhore over the last few seasons.

It’s A Monday or How NASCAR Fans Got Ripped Off

As we get back to work, then prepare for a holiday tomorrow, I’ll give you some links.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says a year after being let go by ESPN, Joe Theismann is still waiting for an NFL TV gig.

John Daly of the Daly Planet TV motorsports blog looks at ESPN/ABC’s production of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Phoenix.

Newsday’s Neil Best is back from vacation. Nice to have him back. He notes that NASCAR viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones saw that ABC cut off the end of the race just before the network’s primetime programming lineup began and had to switch to ESPN2 to watch the rest of the show.

Bruce Martin of Sports Illustrated feels ESPN/ABC treated NASCAR like a bastard stepchild.

Matt Humphrey of the Orlando Sentinel’s NASCAR Nuts & Bolts blog says the move to push NASCAR to ESPN2 was bush league.

Dustin Long of the Virginian-Pilot says NASCAR is not going to win a primetime ratings battle thus the reason for the switch.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says ABC switching to “America’s Funniest Videos” is what hurts NASCAR fans the most.

Jaynelle Ramon in the Arizona Daily Star looks at the ESPN/ABC production of the NASCAR race from inside the truck.

I could go over to various NASCAR blogs, but you can imagine the venom spewing against ABC and it would be the same thing as what you’ve read in the links listed above. There’s a lot of anger out there. NASCAR fans are very passionate about the sport. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t get the Chi of NASCAR, but I respect the fans for their love of the sport.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union looks at Week 11 in the National Football League.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post is angry over PSL prices and some other subjects.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel feels Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were a bit off during yesterday’s Packers-Vikings game.

Jeffrey Flanagan in the Kansas City Star reviews the TV and radio commentary from the Chiefs-Chargers game.

Back to Barry Horn, he writes that the NFL pregame shows mentioned the Cowboys even though the team had a bye week.

And back to Neil Best, he says Verizon Fios will carry the MLB Network and MLB Extra Innings package.

Kyle Veazey of the Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger the Mississippi State-Alabama game will be seen on ESPN in primetime this Saturday.

St. Clair Murraine of the Tallahassee (FL) Democrat writes that ESPN College Gameday will be at the Florida A&M-Hampton game this week.

Bob Heist of the Shreveport (LA) Times says Lee Corso got his Alabama-LSU prediction right.

Glen Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that ESPN360′s broadband video player gets an upgrade.

Jeff Caplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban filmed an NBA commercial for ESPN.

That will do it for now. I should have an afternoon update later. Check back.

Videos of the Week: NBA on TBS/TNT

Back in 1984, SuperStation TBS purchased the rights to the National Basketball Association, a partnership that has continued through today. Then in 1988, the NBA began airing on TBS’ sister network TNT, and since 2002, has shared the cable rights with ESPN.

For many NBA fans, TNT has become the network of record for the NBA thanks to its long run of airing games. Let’s give you some various opens and promos from TBS.

From 1985, here’s a promo for Monday Night NBA between Philadelphia and San Antonio. When TBS first got the NBA, it labeled the league as America’s Game, something David Stern really liked.

Here’s an intro for Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Pistons. Bob Neal and Doug Collins were the broadcast team and Charlie Neal (no relation) was the on-site host.

In 1991, the Suns beat the Celtics in a regular season game and your postgame host is Ernie Johnson, Jr. as it is today, but look how small the studio looks. Of course, you don’t have Kenny Smith or Charles Barkley.

In 2003, TNT used its “We Know Drama” line for the NBA Playoffs and here’s director Spike Lee.

“Remember the Name” was the theme of TNT’s playoff coverage in 2006.

Here’s the “Remember the Name” intro just before Game 6 of the 2006 Western Conference Finals.

Here’s Entourage’s Jeremy Piven doing the introduction to the 2007 Playoffs.

This is TNT’s opening to the 2007-08 season.

This is Chris Rock doing the intro for the 2008 All Star Game.

Here’s Terrence Howard’s introduction to the 2008 NBA Playoffs on TNT.

Here’s the current NBA on TNT theme.

One cannot forget about Inside the NBA, winner of four Sports Emmy Awards for Best Studio Show. The show took off when Charles Barkley joined Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson, Jr. Here’s video from 2002 after a Denver blowout loss at the hands of Detroit. This is when the three are at their best.

From 2004, Yao Ming wishes Kenny Smith a Happy Birthday.

From the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, TNT shows Charles Barkley on roller blades.

Of course, there’s the classic moment from earlier this season when Ernie punked Charles with the famous “I’m a dumbass” line.

But the best is when the Inside the NBA pulls out the pictures and here is prom night featuring guest analyst Magic Johnson.

There you go. Starting next week, we’ll get ready for the Summer Olympics with various looks at coverage from previous summer games.

Some Mother’s Day Links

I hope you’re treating your mom to a nice lunch or dinner today. As we get to our links, don’t forget who helped to put you into this world. Of course, we’ll remember dad next month too. He had a role as well.

Getting to our links, Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says NBC’s Bob Costas failed to bring the proper emotion to the Kentucky Derby coverage after Eight Belles was euthanized.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels the cost of Yankees collectibles is getting out of hand.

From the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty writes in his blog that he enjoyed today’s edition of The Sports Reporters on ESPN as Mike Lupica was not on.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette writes that there will be plenty of college sports on the radio today.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Fox Sports Jeanne Zelasko has plenty of reasons to enjoy Mother’s Day.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says TNT’s studio crew for Inside the NBA will go barefoot tonight for a good reason.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News also has a blurb on the TNT crew going barefoot.

Aileen Voisin of the Sacramento Bee profiles TNT NBA studio host Ernie Johnson, Jr.

The Toledo (OH) Blade’s Ryan Autillo speaks with ESPN First Take host Jay Crawford.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bob Wolfley talks with former Chicago Bulls TV voice Wayne Larrivee who was droppped from WGN-TV broadcasts.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle asks his readers how important are Rockets radio broadcasts.

Wendy Carpenter of the Tacoma (WA) News Tribune says the players from Central Washington University and Western Oregon have gone on a whirlwind media tour ever since the story broke of the sportsmanship they displayed.

Ron Green, Jr. of the Charlotte Observer writes about Jim Nantz’s new book.

Tom Witosky of the Des Moines Register says it doesn’t appear that Mediacom will be picking up the Big Ten Network anytime soon (scroll down).

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media says Buzz Bissinger just doesn’t get it if he continues to defend his swearing on Costas Now.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has good video of two NESN Red Sox promos currrently airing on the network.

The 38Cliches blog says Dave O’Brien tried to instigate Uncle Joe Castiglione during last night’s Red Sox-Twins game.

Awful Announcing has the video of CBC’s Don Cherry calling Detroit a “redneck town” during his ESPN debut.

That’s going to do it. I’ll have the Week Ahead in Sports coming later today. Enjoy your Mother’s Day.

The Saturday Night Links

I’m back after being away for most of the day. But after I thought I could get away with not providing links today, I find enough news to warrant an update.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News talks with NFL Films President Steve Sabol about Hard Knocks which returns to filming the Cowboys training camp this season.

Jerry Garcia from the San Antonio Express-News states that TNT’s Inside the NBA is the best studio show on TV. I’ll have to say it’s hard to top and the Emmy for Best Daily Sports Show is proof. And thanks to Jerry to linking to Fang’s Bites for the Charles Barkley “I’m A Dumbass” video.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that sports radio station KFNS is changing its lineup at the expense of payroll.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette writes something that I’ve harped on earlier this week, that Versus should not be outsourcing its NHL coverage to Canada during the playoffs. I totally agree with Ken.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty writing in his Best Seat in My House blog feels a locally produced Yankees pregame show just isn’t cutting it.

William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the Players Championship is definitely must see TV.

A couple of things from the Sports Media Watch. First, its weekly ratings predictions for the weekend. Second, the SMW has a story culled from Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch that Hannah Storm, who had been an anchor on CBS’ Early Show, is returning to sports with ESPN on a new morning edition of SportsCenter.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes in his Farther Off the Wall blog that ESPN will explore the relationship between former USC basketball player OJ Mayo and an event promoter who has plenty of baggage.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times gives us his 50 best sports quotes in his Two Cents blog.

Anthony Schoettle of the Indianapolis Business Journal looks at the local radio ratings wars in town including a section on sports radio.

Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that former WNBA’er and Olympian Teresa Edwards will be providing color analysis on Atlanta Dream games on Comcast Sports Southeast.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has the video from Friday’s NESN pregame show that marked the first time that sideline reporter Heidi Watney sat down with the Boston Globe’s Amalie Benjamin. This was heaven for many Sox fans including myself, let me tell you.

See? I told you there were plenty of links tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow with the Sunday media columns.

Charles Barkley says "I’m a Dumbass" on National TV

One of the funniest pieces of video circulating the internet today is the clip of Charles Barkley getting tricked by Ernie Johnson, Jr. on “Inside the NBA” on TNT Wednesday night.

Thanks to Awful Announcing and Real Clear Sports for the video.

I’m still laughing as I write this. Great stuff and kudos to EJ!

Listen to the Stars of Tomorrow

The Cape Cod League has long been a place for the baseball stars of tomorrow to play and learn the nuances of the majors. College players shuck the aluminum bats for wood and get to play on the Cape for a summer. Alumni include Nomar Garciaparra, Frank Thomas and Mark McGwire to name a few. Well, the games from the Cape Cod League this summer will be streamed through WBZ Radio’s website. Legendary Boston Bruins announcer Fred Cusick (who’s in his 80′s, by the way) will call the games live. You can read more from Boston Radio Watch.

Neil Best of Newsday has started a blog and this has led to more articles from him in his newspaper. He has written a story tonight about the NFL allowing reporters access to assistant coaches. Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin and Eric Mangini have all played this game, preventing their assistants from talking to the media. Now with new Commissioner Roger Goodell in charge, this practice stops now. Best also reports that ESPNU will carry the entire NCAA Men’s Lacrosse tournament, all 15 games. However, not all cable systems carry the channel.

In his blog, Best notes that Bob Costas is not interested in pursuing Don Imus’ old show. Costas is not a morning person so I don’t know why this was a story in the first place.

In Minnesota, the Twins will be on both Fox and ESPN this weekend. Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says that while Saturday’s game on Fox will be shown to a small regional audience, Sunday’s game will be shown nationally on ESPN and gives the Twins a rare national opportunity to showcase itself.

Good story from USA Today on the Inside the NBA studio show on TNT. It’s one of the best studio shows in sports. ESPN has tried to match the chemistry of Ernie Johnson, Jr. , Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley to no avail. To be honest, I’d rather have the NBA on TNT on cable and ABC on free, but because ESPN wants to be involved, it gets a slew of games. However, this leads to confusion during the playoffs as you have no idea what games are on which channel. If we went back to the days of when NBC had the over the air contract, it was easy. TNT had the playoff games Monday-Friday and on weekend nights, NBC had the games during weekend afternoons. But now with ESPN/ABC involved, games are on all over the place.

We’ll have more links tomorrow.