Fang's Bites

Jim Rome on Showtime Starts Its Second Season

On Wednesday, the second season of Jim Rome on Showtime begins. It will air Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET and PT on Showtime (where else)? Among Rome’s guests will be actor/rapper Ice Cube, UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.

We have details of the program plus partial transcripts of what was said on the show. Plus, we have a new show logo for you.

It’s all below.

SEASON TWO OF JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME RETURNS THIS WEDNESDAY WITH ICE CUBE, FLOYD MAYWEATHER AND RONDA ROUSEY

Season 2 Premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^® 

LOS ANGELES (March 12, 2013) – JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME returns for its second season tomorrow, Wednesday, in front of a studio audience with guests Ice Cube, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Ronda Rousey, Dhani Jones and Dr. Harry Edwards. The episode premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®.

Media mogul, actor and rapper Ice Cube sits down with Rome for a one-on-one interview to give  his thoughts on current sports and entertainment topics including the L.A. Lakers, the Oakland Raiders, and his new album.

Coming together in a free forum discussion, the first female UFC champion Ronda Rousey, noted sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, and former NFL star Dhani Jones join Rome to debate cheating, sex and religion, and how all three play such a large role in today’s sporting world.

Plus, undefeated, eight-time world champion boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather joins the program via satellite to tackle Rome’s 10 Questions segment.  Mayweather recently announced a unique, groundbreaking revenue-sharing arrangement with Showtime Networks Inc. and its parent company, CBS Corporation. He returns to the ring May 4 to face Robert Guerrero in “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV^®.

When Rome asks Mayweather what the one thing is that he won’t mess with, Mayweather responds, “A married woman.”  To which Rome replies, “Good answer. Good policy.”

JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME, in its second season on SHOWTIME, airs Wednesdays with multiple replays each week on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME^® and availability on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

JIM ROME: Do you trust Dwight Howard at this point?
ICE CUBE: No. Not yet. Not till he re-signs. That’s what it’s all about. How could we when he could just get up and leave on a whim. Until he makes the commitment to the Lakers, how can I make the commitment to him? I love Dwight. I want to see him a Laker. I think he can get up there on the wall and be champion for the Lakers. So it’s on him. Him not being committed has to affect his play. It has to. What’s going to determine it for me is if he remains long-term with the Lakers. And he wears the Laker jacket, you know what I mean. It seems like right now he’s a visitor.

ROME: Between Kobe, LeBron and Michael Jordan, who do you got as the best ever and why?
ICE CUBE: Kobe’s never been cut. I don’t think LeBron’s got the mental fortitude like Kobe Bryant has. I think it’s just what he had to go through in Italy. I just think he’s cut from a different cloth. No disrespect to Michael Jordan and years ago you would never hear me say this.  I just think Kobe had the benefit of looking at Michael in a way. I think he’s kept his body in more condition than anyone has ever seen and he’s doing things 17 years later that are just amazing. He never walked away from the game and came back. For some reason I just think Kobe is the true definition of a baller, with nothing else on his mind.

ROME: What’s the difference between someone like Kobe Bryant and Ray Lewis, who have bounced back from adversity, and Tiger Woods? Why hasn’t he bounced back? What’s the difference between him and all the other guys that have come back?
RONDA ROUSEY: I think Mike Tyson said it best when he said a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. I think you need to enjoy what you’re doing and compartmentalize what you are doing with your professional life. Whenever I see Tiger Woods play golf, he looks pretty miserable. If he could just enjoy what he’s doing and have fun out there and return to where he was at the beginning then I think he can. 

Top highlight from Rome’s Quick Hits:
ROME: Used to be the question wasn’t whether or not (Tiger) Woods would run down Jack, but rather how badly he’d smash his mark. But it says here he won’t get there. And it won’t be because of his knee, Achilles, driver, putter or rebuilt swing. It’ll be because of sex. He had too much of that and not nearly enough heart.

Rome’s Sincerely Yours takes on the Bracket Guy in your office pool:
ROME: This year, you’re even more insufferable now that you’ve gone online with all your garbage. Now, you’re the jerk who drops all his 12-5 upsets into his Twitter timeline. Bad enough you’re going to lose all nine pools you entered.  You’re also going to lose all 12 of your followers because they’d all rather get catfished than get subjected to one more of you sleeper picks with a ‘please retweet’ chaser. Tell you what; this year, instead of laying out your Elite 8, why don’t you go get an elite date. And don’t talk about your NCAA picks until someone asks you about them, because no one will. Bracket Guy, you are a 16-seed in this tournament we call life. A guaranteed loser every single year.

That’s it for this post.

CBS Sports Radio To Be All Over Super Bowl XLVII

With the launch of CBS Sports Radio last week, one of the events made for the network is the Super Bowl. And with CBS being a rightsholder both on TV and through radio (albeit through Dial Global Sports), CBS Sports Radio does have some added access for the Big Game this year.

All of its weekday shows, except for Farrell on the Bench and Damon Amendolara will be live from New Orleans, providing listeners a flavor of what’s happening on Radio Row from the Super Bowl.

Noted shows like TBD (Brandon Tierney, Tiki Barber and Dana Jacobson), John Feinstein, Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb will have their programs originating from the Big Easy and you’ll hear guests throughout the week who will give their opinion about the Super Bowl or plug products.

Some 75 hours will be produced from New Orleans on CBS Sports Radio and also includes selected weekend shows.

Here’s the CBS Sports Radio release.

CBS SPORTS RADIO TAKES THE SHOW ON THE ROAD BROADCASTING NEARLY 75 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING FROM SUPER BOWL XLVII IN NEW ORLEANS

Live Coverage From Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney, Dana Jacobson, John Feinstein, Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb

CBS Sports Radio, the newly created national radio network available on more than 250 stations across the country with in excess of 10 million listeners, is going on the road with a wide range of programming originating from New Orleans in anticipation of the CBS Television Network’s exclusive broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, February 3.

Beginning on Monday, Jan. 28 (6:00AM, ET) with the morning show featuring Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson, CBS Sports Radio will present a daily all-access look at the world’s biggest sporting event with expert analysis and commentary, an array of athlete and celebrity interviews, conversations with Hall of Famers, present and former coaches, and newsmakers, as well as extensive fan interaction and listener exchanges.

Broadcasts continue with John Feinstein (9:00AM-12:00Noon, ET), Jim Rome (12:00Noon-3:00PM, ET) and Doug Gottlieb (3:00-6:00PM) live from Radio Row at the Super Bowl XLVII media center.  All CBS Sports Radio programs will originate from CBS’s dedicated broadcast position alongside select CBS Sports Network shows, a number of CBS RADIO’s all-sports radio stations including WFAN-AM/FM (New York), WSCR-AM (Chicago), KRLD-FM (Dallas), WBZ-FM (Boston), and WIP-FM (Philadelphia), among other Top 25 outlets, as well as CBSSports.com.

Additionally, a variety of shows will broadcast from New Orleans live on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3, including programs hosted by CBS Sports Radio hosts Tierney and John Kincade.

“All of our shows are off to a great start and we are eagerly anticipating being on site for the world’s biggest sporting event,” said Eric Spitz, Director, Programming, CBS Sports Radio. “What makes radio so captivating is its ability to react in real time to the day’s news and events, and get up close and personal with callers and guests. And nothing matches the excitement and spectacle of the Super Bowl. With this winning combination, we intend to capture the enthusiasm of Super Bowl week and give our listeners the feeling they are in the center of the action.”

That’s it for this post.

The Big Dozen Sports Media Stories of 2012

Time for the look back at the Year in Sports Media in 2012. Lots of great stuff. The year has been very interesting and we have seen a lot of things.

Just doing a Top Ten is never enough for the Year in Review. It’s always an even dozen with some honorable mentions mixed in.

Let’s go over what were the Sports Media Stories of 2012.

12. Embrace Debate Leads To Rob Parker Suspension

One of the silliest stories in 2012 was ESPN’s commitment to debate programming. Two shows were revamped to accommodate more debate among ESPN personalities, First Take and Numbers Never Lie. Due to outrageous statements made on First Take, mostly by Skip Bayless, the show received lots of attention and increased ratings. But the pressure to stand out may have caught up with Rob Parker who questioned whether DC NFL Team quarterback Robert Griffin III’s authenticity.

It led to Parker’s suspension and allegedly more oversight over the shows. We’ll see if it leads to some more control and fewer outrageous statements.

11. Steve Sabol (1942-2012)

One of the pioneers in sports television passed away in 2012. Steve Sabol’s impact on the National Football League’s popularity through NFL Films cannot be measured. With his father Ed, the Sabols brought fans closer to the game by thinking outside the box. Games weren’t just regular contests, they became movies with Hollywood production values and full orchestrations. Instead of showing games from high in the stadium, NFL Films went to field level and made extreme closeups of the players. In addition, Ed and Steve introduced slow motion photography to sports.

In 2011, Ed Sabol was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It would behoove voters to induct Steve sometime soon to join his dad.

10. Big Media Taps Into New Media

2012 saw Turner Sports purchased the much-criticized and now-improving Bleacher Report, USA Today buying Big Lead Sports and NBC Sports aligned itself with Yahoo! Sports. This is more than getting pageviews and improving comScores, this is about expanding portfolios and attracting younger audiences. According to comScore, Yahoo! has been the most popular sports news site for several years outpacing ESPN.com. Bleacher Report may get criticized for its multiple and questionable slideshows, but its hiring of some respected editors and writers have increased the quality of the site to the point where Turner Sports purchased the site for beaucoup bucks. And I have to make this disclaimer, Fang’s Bites is an independently-owned blog that is affiliated with USA Today Media Group. We will see more purchases in 2013.

9. NASCAR Renews with Fox

Fox Sports was the first of NASCAR’s TV partners to renew its ties with the sport taking the first half of the Sprint Cup season. For an estimated pricetag of over $2.4 billion through 2022, Fox remains with NASCAR in a relationship that dates back to 2002. Fox is expected to put some of its races on its new all-sports channel, but we’ll get to that later. And expect live on-streaming in this new contract. However, NASCAR’s ratings are a question-mark, but bidding for the second half in 2013 is expected to bring even more money. It’s all going to be quite an interesting year for NASCAR.

8. NBC Steals English Premier League and Formula One From Fox

October turned out to be a good month for NBC Sports Group as far as acquisitions were concerned. It first obtained the rights to Formula 1 as Fox gave just a nominal bid. Then a couple of weeks later, it emerged as the frontrunner to the English Premier League and then won out over a concerted combined bid from ESPN/Fox. While NBC Sports Network won’t be known as a college sports destination or for MLB, perhaps it can become an international sports channel with the EPL, Formula 1 and Olympic Sports. NBC Sports Network will have some sports to watch year-round with the English Premier League, Formula 1, MLS and the NHL (when it finally returns).

7. NFL Network Picks Up Its Last Two Holdouts

Since 2010, NFL Network has been gaining momentum in picking up carriage agreements with the major cable providers. It finally was able to sign deals in 2012 with its last two remaining holdouts, first Cablevision in August and then the very last one, Time Warner Cable in September. Thanks to the increased audience, NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package had record ratings for its new 13 game schedule. It was a struggle for NFL Network to get all eight major cable and satellite providers on board, but after eight years, it finally got it done.

6. MLB New TV Contracts For A Lot of $$$

It started in August when ESPN renewed rights for its three nights of baseball games, a return to postseason and an increased amount of games for a total of $5.6 billion over eight years. Then in October, MLB announced deals with Fox and Turner for a combined $6.8 billion through 2021, providing them with TV Everywhere rights, postseason deals and a package of regular season games. For Fox, it allows the network to put games on its anticipated all-sports cable channel, but again, more on that later.

5. CBS & NBC Announce New Sports Radio Networks

2012 brought two new national networks to the sports talk radio scene. Within two days of each other, NBC Sports Radio and CBS Sports Radio were announced by both companies and with respective partners Dial Global and Cumulus Radio. NBC Sports Radio has been airing limited weekend programming since September, however, CBS Sports Radio chose to wait until this month to begin full operation with a 24/7 lineup. Both have a long way to go to match the firepower and the reputation of ESPN Radio that has been on the scene since the early 1990′s, however, CBS has hired familiar names like Jim Rome, Doug Gottlieb, John Feinstein, Scott Ferrall and Dana Jacobson. NBC will wait until the NCAA Final Four to finalize its weekday lineup. No matter the case, ESPN Radio finds itself with some formidable competition to join Yahoo! Sports Radio and Fox Sports Radio for listeners.

4. ESPN Free Agency

We had some big names leave the ESPN nest, Erin Andrews, Steve Berthiaume, Michelle Beadle, Cindy Brunson, Doug Gottlieb, Dana Jacobson, Michael Yam to name a few, but many stayed including Scott Van Pelt. This seemed to be quite the year for free agency for ESPN. In some cases, the network chose not to renew and wave goodbye to those departing, others decided not to return for other opportunities while in others, ESPN went out of its way to make sure its desired talent stayed. For the first time, ESPN was transparent in making statements about its free agency signings or departures. In the past, it had issued terse statements when media inquiries were made.

3. Fox Spending Spree

As the year-end was approaching, Fox Sports through its parent, News Corp., went on a spending spree unlike any other in sports media. It not only set up an all-sports cable channel for operation in 2013 (again, more on this later), but it bought into the YES Network which will eventually lead into a majority share of the New York Yankees regional sports network and fully purchased Sports Time Ohio for the Cleveland MLB Team. In addition, Fox is reportedly close to signing a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for its media rights. News Corp. had money to spend with the company splitting off its publishing holdings into a separate company and of course, the proverbial fiscal cliff where tax credits were about to change. Will we see more of Fox’s financial muscle in 2013? I think that’s a safe bet.

2. The Emergence of Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2

While NBC Sports Network was attempting to bid for major sports properties, Fox Sports was quietly forming its cable sports strategy for 2013 and beyond. We began hearing rumblings about Fox rebranding Speed into an all-sports channel that would be named “Fox Sports 1″ then at the end of the year, the company’s Fuel channel would also be rebranded as “Fox Sports 2″.

In its new contracts with MLB, NASCAR, the Pac-12, UFC and other sports properties it signed in 2012, Fox had a provision to put games and events on Fox Sports 1. As part of its new contract with Major League Baseball, Fox Sports can place 40 regular season games on cable as well as several postseason games. We should expect a number of NASCAR Sprint Cup races on FS1 and most likely see some UFC events as well.

The strategy is in place. Let’s see how it’s enacted in 2013 and beyond.

1. NBC’s Olympics Both Fail and Succeed

Up until the London Olympics begin in late July, NBCUniversal had been downplaying both ratings and financial expectations stating that it expected to lose money and the ratings for a tape delayed event would not be as good as in 2008 when events were carried live from Communist China. Somewhere along the way, something happened. NBC broke even financially on the Olympics and they became the most watched event in US television history. That was the successful part.

The failure was the tape delayed aspect when many viewers wanted to watch events live. The #NBCFAIL hashtag on Twitter quickly spread like wildfire during the first weekend of the Olympics. In addition, online streaming was sluggish and haggard. But even with the delays and streaming problems, Americans still watched in droves. When the games were said and done, NBCUniversal could pat itself on the back.

Honorable Mentions:

Struggles of new regional sports networks to gain carriage agreements.
NHL Does Well; But Shoots Itself in the Foot with the Lockout
Tim Tebow Overload
ESPN Continues Dominance in College Sports

“Jim Rome on Showtime” Debuts Next Week

With an “Inside the NFL” lead-in, the premiere of “Jim Rome on Showtime” should get a decent audience. The show will be a mix sports and entertainment.

The first show on Wednesday, November 21, Thanksgiving Eve at 10 p.m. ET/PT will have a plethora of guests. On the guest list will be Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, actor Matthew Perry, and sports/entertainment executive Peter Guber.

The show will originate from Los Angeles and be aired weekly on Showtime.

Here’s the press release from Showtime.

“JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME” ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR GUEST LINEUP FOR FIRST SHOW PREMIERING WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21^st at 10PM ET/PT

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Green Bay Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers, Acclaimed actor Matthew Perry and Hollywood & Sports Exec Peter Guber To Go One-On-One With Host Jim Rome

LOS ANGELES, November 16, 2012 – JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME, the new one-hour series set to premiere on Wednesday, November 21^st at 10:00 PM ET/PT, has announced an all-star lineup of guests for its premiere episode. Los Angeles Lakers’ world champion Kobe Bryant; Green Bay Packers Super Bowl champion quarterback Aaron Rodgers; acclaimed actor and sports enthusiast Matthew Perry and legendary Hollywood producer and sports franchise owner Peter Guber, will all sit down with host Jim Rome to discuss a wide range of sports and entertainment related topics ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers new coach and off-season acquisitions to the Green Bay Packers push towards a playoff berth.

Earlier this year, Rome signed a multi-year deal with CBS to contribute across multiple CBS Corporation platforms. The partnership paved the way for ROME, a half-hour daily show airing on the CBS Sports Network, and The Jim Rome Show on CBS Radio beginning in January, 2013.

Previously, Rome served as host of “Jim Rome is Burning” on ESPN, as well as “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” televised nightly on Fox Sports Net. Rome began his radio career at KTMS, Santa Barbara as the “$5 dollar-an-hour” traffic reporter and covered UC Santa Barbara’s sports. He left KTMS for San Diego’s all-sports station, XTRA Sports 690. Rome continues to host a highly-successful daily, live sports radio show from Southern California.

JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME will be produced by GENERATE ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

That will do it.

Rack ‘Em! Jim Rome Joins Showtime

As part of his CBS contract, Jim Rome will have a sports and entertainment show on Showtime. It finally premieres later this month and will be called “Jim Rome on Showtime.” What else would you call it?

To be exact, the show will premiere on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It becomes a weekly series and will originate from Los Angeles.

We have details from Showtime on what you’ll see on “Jim Rome on Showtime.”

“JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME” SETS PREMIERE DATE

New One-Hour Series Hosted by the Acclaimed Sports Broadcaster To Premiere on Wednesday, November 21st at 10 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, November 8, 2012 – Continuing to expand on his multi-year deal with CBS, JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME will make its premiere on Wednesday, November 21^st at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The new, one-hour series will showcase Rome’s trademark style and opinions that have made him one of the most famous and outspoken sports broadcasters of his generation. Weekly episodes will feature a combination of provocative monologues and interviews, along with in-depth features and profiles of relevant and influential figures in the world of sports and entertainment. The show will tape in Los Angeles. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

“We’ve been very focused on increasing the amount and profile of sports programming on our air at SHOWTIME,” said Nevins. “Jim Rome is someone I’ve listened to for years; he is one of the top voices in the American sports world, and bringing him to the network in a fresh and premium format is a key part of accomplishing that goal.”

“Jim Rome’s sensibilities and perspective on the hottest topics in sports and entertainment make him a natural fit for this network,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME delivers on our promise to bring the most compelling and provocative programming to our subscribers.”

Rome has hosted numerous television programs over the last two decades, including his current series, ROME on CBS Sports Network. Previously, Rome served as host of “Jim Rome is Burning” on ESPN, as well as “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” televised nightly on Fox Sports Net.  Prior to “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” he spent a two-year stint hosting ESPN2’s “Talk2,” a nightly one-hour interview show. Rome began his radio career at KTMS, Santa Barbara as the “$5 dollar-an-hour” traffic reporter and covered UC Santa Barbara’s sports. He left KTMS for San Diego’s all-sports station, XTRA Sports 690. Rome continues to host a highly-successful daily, live sports radio show from Southern California.

The series will be produced by GENERATE ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

That will do it.

Jim Rome Officially Joins CBS Sports Radio

We knew this was coming, but today, we get the official announcement. Jim Rome will become part of CBS Sports Radio when it launches full-time on January 2, 2012. He’ll be in his traditional noon to 3 p.m. ET slot that he currently occupies at Premiere Radio Networks. Rome’s show will lead into the previously announced Doug Gottlieb Show that will air from 3-6 p.m. ET.

In addition to his show, Rome will offer commentaries in the CBS Sports Minute that is already being offered to CBS and Cumulus-owned radio stations.

As part his contract that he signed last year with CBS, Rome will appear on CBS Sports on its major events, Showtime, CBS Sports Network where he already has a nightly show and now CBS Sports Radio so you could say he’s all in on CBS platforms.

We have the official announcement from CBS Sports Radio.

JIM ROME JOINS CBS SPORTS RADIO

Newly Created Radio Network To Launch On Jan. 2, 2013

CBS Sports Radio today announced the newest member of its line-up for when the nation’s largest 24/7 major-market radio network launches next year. Jim Rome will serve as host of The Jim Rome Show, broadcast live weekdays from 12:00 Noon-3:00PM, ET beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.

Also at the start of the new year, Rome will provide his unique take on the day’s sports headlines via the CBS Sports Minute, 60-second commentaries that can be heard hourly on CBS Sports Radio affiliate stations. Rome recently signed a multi-year agreement with CBS contributing across a variety of platforms. In addition to his weekday ROME show on CBS Sports Network, he provides commentary for CBS Sports and CBSSports.com. Further, Rome will also be hosting a talk series for Showtime, which will air later this Fall on the premium network.

“Jim would be at the top of any list highlighting sports radio’s most authoritative and opinionated hosts which is exactly why we’re thrilled to welcome him to CBS Sports Radio,” said Dan Mason, President and CEO, CBS RADIO.  “We are building a network that showcases the incredible assets of CBS RADIO and CBS Sports, and creating a strategic opportunity for growth in this untapped marketplace. Jim’s presence in this marquee timeperiod adds strength to our lineup and exceptional value to our advertisers.”

“I am excited for the continued opportunity to extend my personal contributions to the various platforms that this incredible company has to offer,” said Rome. “I am proud to be a part of the CBS family and look forward to the successful launch of CBS Sports Radio.”

Perhaps the most respected voice in the world of sports broadcasting, Rome is one of the leading opinion-makers of his generation. Best known for his aggressive, informed, rapid-fire dialogue, Rome has established himself as the top choice of athletes and fans when it’s time to know what is going on beyond the scoreboard.

For more than 15 years, Rome has hosted a nationally syndicated radio program, “The Jim Rome Show,” a.k.a. “The Jungle,” reaching millions of listeners nationwide. His show on ESPN, “Rome Is Burning,” signed off in January 2012 after airing for six years.

Rome previously served as host of the popular program “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” broadcast nightly on Fox Sports Net, for five years. Prior to that, he spent a two-year stint hosting ESPN2’s Talk2, a nightly one-hour interview show. Rome began his radio career at KTMS, Santa Barbara as the “$5-an-hour” traffic reporter and covered UC Santa Barbara’s sports. He left KTMS for San Diego’s all-sports station, XTRA Sports 690, where he created “The Jim Rome Show.” The show was first syndicated in 1996.

In addition to his extensive sports broadcasting career, Rome has made cameo appearances alongside Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey in “Two For The Money,” with Adam Sandler in ”The Longest Yard” and opposite Michael Jordan in “Space Jam”; appeared in blink-182’s music video; appeared on HBO’s “Arliss;” and released a CD, Welcome to the Jungle, which features memorable sound bites from frequent callers and the hip music regularly used on his radio show.

CBS Sports Radio will offer around-the-clock national sports coverage and programming, harnessing the power and resources of CBS RADIO and the award-winning CBS Sports. High-profile figures from CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com will play a prominent role on CBS Sports Radio which will reach more than 10 million listeners at launch. Original programs across multiple weekday and weekend time periods will feature expert sports commentary and interviews with major sports figures along with listener calls and fan interaction. It was previously announced that Doug Gottlieb will serve as host of afternoons (weekdays, 3:00-6:00 PM, ET) on CBS Sports Radio.

Cumulus Media Networks serves as the exclusive syndicator and sales partner for CBS Sports Radio.

That will do it.

Report: Jim Rome Leaving Premiere Radio Networks to Join CBS Sports Radio

This report comes from a non-traditional sports media source. Nellie Andreeva of the TV industry website Deadline is reporting that Jim Rome will take his radio show from his long time home of the Premiere Radio Networks to the new CBS Sports Radio that will be launching on January 2, 2013.

Rome’s show has been with Premiere since 1996. The move to CBS Radio would be a natural fit since Rome’s nightly TV show is on CBS Sports Network and his contract allows him to contribute to CBS’ major sports properties such as the U.S. Open, the NCAA Tournament and the NFL.

In addition, Rome is expected to have a sports and entertainment show on Showtime so bringing his radio show to the new CBS Sports Radio is just a natural progression.

In my Wednesday sports media thoughts, I wrote CBS Sports Radio was hoping for a big name for its lineup to join Doug Gottlieb who had been previously lured from ESPN Radio. Well, Jim Rome certainly gives the new network a nice one-two punch with him and Gottlieb back-to-back.

Now the morning drive period has to be filled and perhaps that will come from CBS Radio’s WFAN in New York with the already established Boomer & Carton, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton. Esiason has already been signed to be a regular contributor on CBS Sports Radio so maybe his show will be the next big announcement.

In the meantime, we’ll find out later when Rome’s last show for Premiere will air. I would expect Rome to begin with CBS Sports Radio when the network launches on January 2, 2013. We’ll get a formal announcement soon.

Our Monday Linkage

Let’s do some links on a rainy Monday in Southern New England.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today looks at NFL Network’s new morning show.

Michael says ESPN has not confirmed whether Chris Berman will call a Monday Night Football game on the opening weekend of the season.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that CBS is about 80% sold for the Super Bowl.

Terry Lefton of Sports Business Journal says Pepsi has signed a deal to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show.

Mike Ozanian of Forbes notes that the Miami Heat is on the verge of getting a huge deal with Fox Sports Florida.

Former ESPN First Take co-host Dana Jacobsen writes in her blog that she was molested as a child. Courageous for her to speak publicly about this.

Scott Roxborough and Stuart Kemp of the Hollywood Reporter note that yesterday’s Italy-England EURO 2012 Quarterfinal game became the highest-rated and most watched game of the tournament in Europe.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News looks at ESPN going all in at Wimbledon.

Rich Thomaselli of Advertising Age wonders now that LeBron James has won a championship, will he reach Michael Jordan levels in marketing?

Staci D. Kramer of paidContent says ESPN’s streaming of the NBA Finals drew a decent audience.

Ed Sherman from the Sherman Report writes that sportswriter Frank Deford will appear on tonight’s Colbert Report.

The Big Lead looks at alleged bias by the HBO Boxing crew from the Manny Pacquaio-Timothy Bradley fight.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing reviews the train wreck that was Charlie Sheen’s guest appearance on Fox Saturday.

Matt analyzes the moves by CBS and NBC to create their own sports radio networks.

Dylan Murphy at SportsGrid says a French soccer player cursed out a reporter after the team’s loss at EURO 2012 last week.

Also from SportsGrid, Dan Fogarty notes that Oprah Winfrey will interview LeBron James and the Miami Heat this weekend which has train wreck potential written all over it.

Evan Weiner at Examiner.com writes that the NFL has a long way to go to get a foothold in Europe.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with some of the people who have worked at WFAN during its past 25 years.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick says college presidents’ pleas to pray for the Jerry Sandusky abuse victims ring hollow. Did Phil want them to go to Jerry Sandusky’s jail cell and shoot him dead?

And Phil goes after his favorite target, WFAN’s Mike Francesa.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY talks with WFAN Operations Manager Mark Chernoff about the nation’s oldest radio station turning 25.

Jerry says a 1010 WINS sports anchor wants to go after those who mispronounce “Wimbledon”.

Bob’s Blitz has the WFAN 25th Anniversary lineup for this Sunday.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says a New York-Penn League minor league baseball team won’t have a radio partner this year.

Greg Connors of the Buffalo News talks with Jim Rome about his CBS Sports Network show.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner notes that ESPN will be providing a lot of tennis action over the next fortnight.

At Chicago Sports Media Watch, Paul M. Banks talks with Danica Patrick about her transition from IndyCar to NASCAR.

Dusty Saunders at the Denver Post writes about ESPN’s extensive Wimbledon coverage.

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

Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune says all of San Diego State’s football games will be seen on TV, the question is where?

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail suggests that the NHL expand Hockey Night in Canada to Sundays.

Raju Mudhar with the Toronto Star writes about technology and sports melding together.

At Frontstretch, Amy Henderson writes that TV is actually hurting NASCAR and turning fans off.

Back to Paul M. Banks at the Sports Bank and he has video of ESPN’s Jenn Brown taking batting practice at the College World Series.

MediaRantz reviews WFAN at 25.

MediaRantz says noted Florida sports radio bad boy Dan Sileo could be headed to the new CBS Sports Radio.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media says NBC’s shuffle of the NHL Draft wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Sports Media Watch says the NBA Finals’ ratings were down from last year.

SMW writes that MLB on Fox took a hit opposite the U.S. Open.

But SMW says this past weekend, MLB on Fox did significantly better.

Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo’s The Dagger blog writes that ESPN expects to replace analyst Hubert Davis with Jalen Rose on College GameDay.

Paul Magno at Yahoo says boxing may return to network TV as Oscar de la Hoya tries to bring a fight to CBS.

Kris Hughes at Rant Sports asks if Time Warner Cable could purchase the Longhorn Network from ESPN?

Gaslamp Ball talks with the head of Fox Sports San Diego.

And that will do us for today.

Cranking Out Some Friday Megalinks

Ok, linkage has been really scarce over the last month and a half and I apologize for that. My schedules have been quite busy and it’s been tough to sit down for the time it takes to gather the links. I hope that changes over the next month or so.

I have some National links for you right now. I’ll follow up with more stuff later.

Here are the Weekend Viewing Picks for you.

National

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch speaks with the people at the Poynter Institute who are the ESPN Ombudsman.

Nate Davis at USA Today’s The Huddle has the Miami Dolphins not so enthusiastic about being on Hard Knocks this season.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today talks with ESPN’s Sean McDonough who will undergo brain surgery later this year.

Ira Boudwell of Bloomberg Businessweek says ESPN is getting out of the high school sports business saying it’s not broad enough.

Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski says this week’s blowout between David Stern and Jim Rome proves that the NBA Commissioner needs to go.

John Ourand of Sports Business Daily says Fox Sports San Diego is launching an ad campaign against Time Warner Cable which has still not picked up the regional sports network.

Good Morning America’s and former ESPN SportsCenter host Robin Roberts says she will beat the rare blood disorder that will require a bone marrow transplant.

Michael O’Connell of the Hollywood Reporter notes that the NBA Finals are pacing ABC to good ratings this week.

At Broadcasting & Cable, Tim Baysinger writes that this week’s Dream Team documentary gave NBA TV its best viewership ever.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says GolTV scored with this week’s soccer international friendly match between Brazil and Argentina.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life reports that NBC will debut two new sitcoms right smack dab in the middle of the Olympics.

Ed Sherman at the Sherman Report looks at the geriatric broadcasting team calling the NBA Finals for ESPN Radio.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid notes that even after the winning the Stanley Cup this week, the Los Angeles Kings still aren’t getting respect from the local media.

Former Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio returns to his former stomping grounds to do a massive takedown of Jay “The Rat” Mariotti.

Also from Deadspin, John Koblin writes that there doesn’t seem to be a clamoring for Erin Andrews beyond ESPN.

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group says NBA TV and NBA Entertainment are appealing to the hardcore basketball fan for their Finals coverage.

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead says Sports Illustrated could be laying off part of its staff.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has tweets from people who hated Chris Berman on the U.S. Open yesterday.

Sports Media Watch notes that this year’s Stanley Cup Final did not resonate with viewers.

SMW also has some various ratings news and notes.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that Brooklyn Nets gear is selling very well.

MediaRantz tells us that Sean Salisbury will be getting a new internet radio gig.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: Time for more linkage here.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe reports that May was a very good month for sports radio station WEEI as it finished ahead of 98.5 The Sports Hub.

At SB Nation, Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch writes about golfer David Duval taking a turn in the broadcast tower at the U.S. Open.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette discusses Johnny Miller holding court for NBC at the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco this week.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with ESPN college baseball analyst Kyle Petersen who will be introducing many Long Islanders to the College World Series today.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post goes after the Yankees for pricing out fans from the “Beautiful People” seats at Yankee Stadium.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY notes that SNY will unveil the all-time Mets team at a gala event on Sunday.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says the US Women’s National Soccer Team will be on TV and the web this weekend.

Ken says local Time Warner Cable subscribers will have access to the new Pac-12 Networks this summer.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says NBC Sports Group has announced the 2012 Summer at Saratoga schedule.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union talks with Jim Rome who marks his 16th year in New York’s Capital Region.

Pete says one of harness racing’s famous races changes networks this year.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call profiles a local cable TV sports reporter who is filling a double role this summer.

Keith has more on her in his blog.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes that a decision on the Washington Nationals TV rights has been delayed.

South

Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald has some NBA Finals Game 2 postgame reaction as well as Jon Barry saying he’s not a Miami Heat Hater.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Fox Sports Houston was well-prepared and staffed for Wednesday’s perfect game thrown against the Astros by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants.

Mel Bracht at The Oklahoman writes that ESPN on ABC was all over the non-foul call against the Thunder’s Kevin Durant during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The Oklahoman rounds up what sports reporters are saying on Twitter about the NBA Finals.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer says an all-star high school football game will be shown locally this weekend.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that ESPN is dropping its high school sports operation.

Bob criticizes Jim Rome for his questioning of NBA Communist China Sympathizer David Stern.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch says Cubs announcers Len Kasper and Bob Brenly were silent when comedian Jeff Garlin brought up trading Alfonso Soriano.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin notes the rare occurrence of the U.S. Open and the NBA Finals going head-to-head on TV this Father’s Day.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that viewers of Fox Sports Midwest may need a scorecard to tell who’s in the Cardinals TV booth over the next few days.

Dan notes that next week will mark a decade since the passing of Jack Buck and Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile.

West

Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman says this fall’s Boise State-Southern Mississippi game will get the Fox treatment.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says Utahans are nervous about getting the Pac-12 Networkcomparing it to their experience with the ill-fated the mtn.

John Maffei of the North County Times writes that Fox Sports San Diego has set its sights squarely on Time Warner Cable.

Jim Carlisle at the Ventura County Star says ESPN’s NBA Countdown show seems to work fine without a host.

Jim talks with NBC’s Johnny Miller about the U.S. Open.

Jim has his weekend viewing picks.

Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times says Game 2 of the NBA Finals drew a good overnight number for ABC.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with former Kings voices about the Stanley Cup victory.

Tom has some more in his blog.

Canada

The Toronto Globe and Mail’s Bruce Dowbiggin blames both Jim Rome and David Stern for their ugly exchange this week.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog says the NBA and NHL Commissioners are taking it on their chins this week.

And that’s going to do it.

Jim Rome Reacts To Interview Smack From David Stern

Earlier today on his syndicated radio program, Jim Rome got into some verbal fisticuffs with NBA Communist China Sympathizer David Stern. Rome asked Stern about the NBA Draft Lottery being fixed. Then Stern got pissy and asked Rome if he still beat his wife, which came out of left field. Now unless we get word that Rome actually beats his wife, that question was uncalled for. In addition, Stern even gave Rome some smack on Stephen A. Smith.

Stern could and should have laughed it off, but whether it was from a lack of sleep or Stern wanted to strongarm Rome, the interview become rather contentious.

You can listen to the interview for yourself right here. The question comes at 7:39 in. And you can hear Stern ask the “Have you stopped beating your wife yet” question two times. Man.

On his CBS Sports Network show, Rome gave his reaction to the interview.

THIS JUST IN…

…from CBS Sports Network

On tonight’s episode of ROME on CBS Sports Network, Jim Rome addressed his radio interview with NBA Commissioner David Stern from earlier today.

(ROME ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH STERN): I’ve done interviews with David Stern several times over the years. We’ve always had a very good relationship. It’s been kind of a contentious give-and-take at times, but always a fundamental level of respect. I did not expect that to go that way and that was certainly not my intent.

(ROME ON STERN’S RESPONSE): It was a rhetorical device. A lot of people don’t know that phrase (‘Have you stopped beating your wife yet?’). They didn’t know where he was going. I understood it. I didn’t take great offense to it. I didn’t agree with it. But the fact of the matter is I thought my question was direct and it was not a loaded question. So I thought that analogy was inappropriate. My point is, I don’t think that it’s fixed (the NBA Draft). Even after that conversation, I don’t think that it’s fixed. But I thought the question was fair.

(ROME ON ASKING THE QUESTION): I was not looking to start anything. I thought it was a soft ball question, to be honest. I thought it was an easy question. I thought he’d say, ‘Come on, are you kidding? Conspiracy theories? The only people who believe that are whack jobs and people that are out of hand.’

MediaRantz goes in-depth on the whole interview.

More later.

UPDATE, 9:05 p.m.: CBS has now put the video from tonight’s show on its website and I’ve embedded it for you here. Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports and Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com join Jim to react to the interview.

Some Leftover Linkage

I need to clear my brower of links I was hoping to get to sometime over the last few days. Since I couldn’t do the Friday megalinks or any Saturday morning linkage, I’ll do some Sunday evening leftover links.

Consider this the Sunday entrée to the beginning of the workweek. I honestly don’t know what that means.

Here’s some linkage for you to chew on.

Brian Lowry of Fox Sports is not a fan of Shaquille O’Neal on TNT.

Mike Farrell of Multichannel News writes that Time Warner Cable is hoping to obtain more sports properties for its new Southern California regional sports network.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel says the first round of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs was the most watched on record.

Andrea Morabito of Broadcasting & Cable reports that no talent hack Ryan Seacrest will be haunting NBC Sports as well as NBC News in an all-new, all-encompassing contract with NBCUniversal.

Tim Baysinger at B&C says ESPN’s ratings for the First Round of the NFL Draft were up double digits from the year before.

Sam Laird at Mashable writes that social media is influencing sports in many ways.

To Sean Newell of Deadspin who looks at the strange Twitter meltdown of Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley who went all-sexist on female pilots and one of his co-workers.

Ed Sherman of The Sherman Report writes that former CBS and ABC Sports essayist Jack Whitaker is receiving a long overdue honor from the Sports Emmys on Monday.

Ryan Yoder from Awful Announcing reviews the good and the bad of ESPN’s First Round coverage of the NFL Draft.

Joe Lucia of AA does the same for NFL Network.

Back to Matt from AA, apparently Tim McCarver fancies himself an expert on climate change

From the Tampa Bay Times, Eric Deggans reviews ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center.

Jason Dachman from Sports Video Group has ESPN optimistic that its Los Angeles studios will put itself in a unique position to cover the Lakers and Clippers in the NBA Playoffs.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell wonders if Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck can ever match Peyton Manning’s marketability.

Providence’s WJAR-TV and Cox Communications announce a new partnership that will simulcast the NBC affiliate’s local newscasts and also put Cox Sports RI’s programming on a new cable channel.

Amy Chozick and Nick Wingfield of the New York Times explore the growing world of TV mobile and tablet apps which include the soon-to-be released NBC Olympics iPad app.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times profiles actor Peter Scolari who plays three important roles in the Magic/Bird Broadway play.

Breaking a ban of linking to Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News who has an interesting story regarding Yankees voices John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman and whether they’ll be leaving if the team changes flagship radio stations after this season.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick has no hope for our society. Lighten up, Phil. Time to travel to Moldova or Johannesburg. Somewhere you don’t have to watch sports anymore.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says MSG Network’s ratings for Game 7 of the Ottawa Senators-New York Rangers series were the best since the 1994 Stanley Cup-clinching game on the network.

Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the 76ers are leaving long-time home WIP and switching to ESPN Radio Philadelphia.

Crossing Broad says the Sixers’ move came as a surprise.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner talks with Jim Rome and his new CBS home.

Laura Newberry of the Orlando Sentinel says Golf Channel has become a Central Florida mainstay.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Rockets are not only moving to a new TV home next season, but are currently looking for a new radio flagship station as well.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman transcribes Mike Tirico’s call of Kevin Durant’s winning shot for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

The Cincinnati Enquirer says one local cable provider will pick up NFL Network, but it’s not Time Warner.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch says the Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley may be headed towards a suspension.

Danny Ecker at Crain’s Chicago Business says the Bulls generated their highest regular season TV ratings since the Michael Jordan years.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says scheduling of playoff games never has the fans in mind.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says ESPN gave the Utah Jazz the benefit of the doubt in its series opener.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says CBC got the job done in choosing its NHL Playoff series for the Conference Semifinal round.

Peter Adler from the Edmonton Journal says the Oilers’ documentary series Oil Change which runs on NHL Network should return for a third season

Howard M. Alperin of Midwest Sports Fans asks why CBSSports.com doesn’t include soccer coverage?

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy has TSN’s top hockey bloopers of the 2011-12 season.

That’s a lot of leftover linkage. Glad I was able to clear this out before Monday.

CBS/Turner’s Coverage Plans For The 2012 Final Four

The CBS Sports/Turner Sports NCAA Tournament consortium is in New Orleans to air the 2012 Final Four in the Louisiana Superdome. Kentucky-Louisville will be the first game scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET. That will be followed by Ohio State-Kansas at approximately 8:49 p.m.

Jim Nantz will call his 22nd Final Four for CBS and attend his 27th overall for the network. Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will the courtside analysts. Tracy Wolfson reports.

The studio crew of Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Seth Davis and Kenny “The Jet” Smith will be on a specially built set at the Superdome. And three coaches will join them as guest analysts, Tom Izzo of Michigan State, Brad Stevens of Butler and Buzz Williams of Marquette.

There will be plenty of pregame programming including The Final Four Show at 4 p.m. ET which will have features that will be listed below. And it marks another special appearance by Jim Rome in advance of his CBS Sports Network premiere next Tuesday.

We have the press release for you.

CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS’ “ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR” MARCHES IN TO NEW ORLEANS FOR CBS SPORTS’ 31ST CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF NCAA^® MEN’S FINAL FOUR ON SATURDAY, MARCH 31

Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas Vie for College Basketball’s National Championship
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Butler’s Brad Stevens and Marquette’s Buzz Williams Join THE FINAL FOUR SHOW on Saturday

Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and march in to New Orleans as CBS Sports and Turner Sports provide exclusive coverage of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and Final Four. For the 31^st consecutive year, CBS Sports broadcasts the national semi-final games live on Saturday, March 31 (6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and the National Championship game on Monday, April 2 (9:00 PM, ET-conclusion) from the Louisiana Superdome.

Saturday’s Final Four features Kentucky versus Louisville with tip-off scheduled for 6:09 PM, ET. Forty minutes after the game concludes,  Ohio State takes on Kansas to determine the other participant in Monday night’s Championship game. CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, Turner Sports’ Steve Kerr call the games,  with Tracy Wolfson serving as reporter. Nantz calls his 27^th Final Four and National Championship, Kellogg works his fourth, and Kerr joins Nantz and Kellogg for the second time.

Leading in to the semi-final games on Saturday, March 31 (4:00-6:00 PM, ET), THE FINAL FOUR SHOW on CBS with Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Seth Davis features tournament highlights, analysis of the four participating teams and interviews with coaches and players. Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo, Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens and Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams also will be on set to provide analysis.

The opening tease of CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four on Saturday, March 31 (6:00 PM, ET) features New Orleans rising stars Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, in a two-minute music montage previewing the Kentucky-Louisville game. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu joined the band in iconic Jackson Square to welcome basketball fans to New Orleans as the band performed their song “Do To Me.”

Jim Rome, host of ROME, debuting Tuesday, April 3 (6:00 PM, ET) on CBS Sports Network, contributes an interview with Kentucky Coach John Calipari and Louisville Coach Rick Pitino.

Included in the broadcast are features on:

* LOUISVILLE’S PEYTON SIVA
Directing the offense for a Top 20 college basketball program is a major responsibility, yet starting at point guard for Louisville pales in comparison to the challenges Peyton Siva has already had to overcome. When Peyton was a youngster growing up in Seattle, his father left home because of various bedeviling addictions. While Peyton’s mother, Yvette, struggled to keep the fractured family going, it was young Peyton Jr., who bravely tracked down his father, confronted him, and then, remarkably convinced him to turn his life around. Mark Burghart produces.

* KENTUCKY’S DARIUS MILLER
Darius Miller grew up in Maysville, KY, just 65 miles northeast of Lexington, and is now living his dream playing for the team he rooted for as a child. If Kentucky wins the championship, Miller would become the first player in state history to win the so-called Commonwealth Triple Crown -– capturing the boys’ high school state championship, Kentucky’s” Mr. Basketball” honors and an NCAA title at UK. As one of two seniors on the Wildcats’ Final Four roster, Miller has taken the team’s freshmen phenoms, such as SEC Player of the Year Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, under his wing. Sarah Rinaldi

* OHIO STATE’S JARED SULLINGER
Growing up as a coach’s son and winning a high school championship in the heart of Buckeye Nation, the expectations for Jared Sullinger were almost as dauntingly large as his current six-nine frame. Despite Ohio State’s surprisingly premature Sweet 16 exit last year, Sullinger resisted the lure of the NBA and assumed a leadership role in trying to fulfill his lifelong dream of bringing an NCAA championship back home to Columbus for the first time in half a century. Alanna Campbell produces.

* KANSAS’ THOMAS ROBINSON
Big 12 Player of the Year Thomas Robinson has special motivation in his quest to help lead Kansas to its fourth NCAA championship. A year ago, within the span of less-than-a-month, Robinson lost two grandparents and his 43-year-old mother, Lisa. Two nights after his mom’s funeral in Washington, D.C., Robinson was back on the court for the Jayhawks, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds in an emotional victory over Kansas State. With the support of his teammates, Robinson has been able to find solace on the court. In a moving interview, he talks about the pain of enduring multiple family losses and the burden of having to help raise his eight-year-old sister, Jayla, while trying to win a national title as a tribute to the loved ones he lost in such sudden and unexpected fashion. Jeff St. Arromand produces.

* JIM ROME WITH KENTUCKY’S JOHN CALIPARI & LOUISVILLE’S RICK PITINO
Jim Rome brings together Kentucky Coach John Calipari and Louisville Coach Rick Pitino on the eve of what is being billed as the “most important sporting event in the history of the Commonwealth.” Not only are the Wildcats and the Cardinals bitter rivals, but their head coaches -– the only two coaches to ever lead three different teams to the Final Four –- have a lifelong up-and-down history together. Charlie Bloom produces.

* Special Features

ONE HEARTBEAT
In Chardon, Ohio and Harrisburg, IL, the end of February and beginning of March were supposed to be all about basketball. In both towns, the high school varsity teams were in the playoffs, with big matchups ahead on the calendar. Instead, for both places – shockingly and unfathomably –- what transpired was a week enveloped in tragedy. On Monday morning, February 27, a troubled teen opened fire in the crowded cafeteria of Chardon High School, killing three students and wounding two more. Two days later in Illinois, a tornado blew through Harrisburg in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning; seven residents were killed. Suddenly, two towns in the heart of America were forced to pick up the pieces of devastation. Perhaps improbably, both would find strength, community, and inspiration in the game of basketball. Pete Radovich produces.

Also on Saturday, CBS Sports Spectacular broadcasts THE BIG DANCE IN THE BIG EASY (3:00-3:30 PM, ET) hosted by Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg as they look back at the four previous Final Fours that took place in New Orleans. The HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL (3:30-4:00 PM, ET) celebrates the achievements of six former NCAA student-athletes who made a difference off the field Billy Mills, Cody Hodges, Jason Taylor, Chris Duhon, Angela Ruggiero and Amber Tollefson.

Sunday, April 1 (3:30-4:30 PM, ET), CBS Sports’ Seth Davis hosts KINGS OF THE COURT, which looks at some of the top college basketball coaches in America including Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Kansas’ Bill Self. The one-hour special examines the blueprint to success through exclusive interviews and footage of these leaders and their respective programs. THE HIGH SCHOOL SLAM DUNK & 3-POINT CHAMPIONSHIPS (4:30-6:00 PM, ET) highlights the nation’s elite high school players as they compete in New Orleans over Final Four weekend in a Slam Dunk contest and the Boy’s and Girl’s 3-Point Championships.

PRELUDE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP with Gumbel, Anthony, Barkley, Smith and Davis precedes Monday evening’s National Championship game (9:00 PM, ET).

Bob Dekas, coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ NCAA basketball coverage, produces the 2012 Final Four and Bob Fishman directs. Eric Mann produces the preview and halftime programs, and Bob Matina directs.Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS 2012 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 31
CBS: 4:00-6:00 PM — THE FINAL FOUR SHOW
CBS: 6:00-11:00 PM — NCAA MEN’S FINAL FOUR, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
truTV: 11:30 PM-12:30 AM — Inside March Madness

Monday, April 2
CBS: 9:00-11:30 PM — MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
truTV: 12:00-1:00 AM — Inside March Madness

That’s it.

Attempting A Friday Megalink Post

This week has been hellish for me and I apologize for not being able to post as much as I would like. I’ve been away from my computer for most of the day and by the time I get home, I’m tired and don’t want to update the blog.

Well, with me already done my errands for today, I’ll give you some linkage that has been seriously lacking this week.

Of course, there’s the Weekend Viewing Picks which you can peruse.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says Jim Rome is hoping to make a splash as he prepares to launch his new daily show on CBS Sports Network.

Reid Cherner of USA Today’s Game On! blog says perpetually angry ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb is throwing his hat into the Kansas State coaching ring.

The Associated Press was on hand to witness Root Sports Northwest’s production of the Seattle Mariners-Oakland A’s regular season openers in Japan without actually traveling to the Far East.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim has more thoughts on the numerous conflicts of interest in tennis broadcasting.

Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand has Fox Sports’ statement on its carriage dispute with Time Warner Cable over Fox Sports San Diego.

John profiles legendary sports television producer Don Ohlmeyer.

Around the Rings has the press release regarding the European Broadcasting Union obtaining the rights to the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

ESPN Ombudsman Jason Fry of the Poynter Institute says college basketball analyst Bob Knight should not be allowed to live by his own rules when he’s on TV.

Scott Soshnick and Steven Church of Bloomberg Businessweek says the Los Angeles Dodgers sale was sparked by media rights.

Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter says former Sony Pictures head Peter Gruber who’s part of the new Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group could bring a new attitude towards marketing the team.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable has Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott calling rights fees for college football are undervalued.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says NESN National is being launched in Indianapolis.

Tim Nudd at Adweek says Chrysler is unveiling four new follow ups to its “Halftime in America” Super Bowl spots during various events this weekend including the NCAA Final Four and Mad Men.

Adweek’s Mike Shields writes ESPN.com is partaking in Facebook’s Open Graph, but with some restrictions.

Jason Del Ray at Advertising Age notes that CBS/Turner brought in its highest sales revenue ever for March Madness Live.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says March Madness has been enhanced by social media and the digital experience.

The Brothers Yoder at Awful Announcing cast the upcoming Anchorman sequel using ESPN’ers. This is good.

Ben Koo at AA is not a huge fan of the overhead shots employed by CBS/Turner for the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid says the Los Angeles Times feels there’s one person who could spoil the new ownership for the Dodgers.

Ahmed Yussuf at EPL Talk gives a first-hand account of following the English Premier League from Australia.

Sports Media Watch says last weekend’s rain-shortened NASCAR on Fox event did not do well in the ratings.

Joe Favorito asks if ‘The Hunger Games” could give archery a boost in time for this summer’s Olympics.

Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead reports that Joe Posnanski is leaving Sports Illustrated.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says the potential Fox cable sports network may not knock down ESPN, but could give it a run for its money.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks about two rival Hollywood agencies representing Tim Tebow simultaneously.

Bob’s Blitz says WFAN’s Craig Carton browbeat former Tiger Woods swing coach Hank Haney to the point where he hung up.

Brandon Costa of Sports Video Group says CBS returns to New Orleans where it began its Final Four journey 30 years ago.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says ESPN MLB analyst Curt Schilling is facing hypocrisy calls after he criticized his former Red Sox team this week.

Chad adds some thoughts on Schilling and on NESN’s Jenny Dell that didn’t make his column.

Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch writes in SB Nation that a Tiger Woods in contention is good for The Masters^® and its TV partners.

Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times reviews this year’s edition of the MLB At-Bat app.

Richard Sandomir from the Times examines the Dodgers sale.

Anthony Riemer of Newsday looks at Jeremy Lin’s lunch with the sacked ESPN.com editor who unwittingly made a racial slur last month.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels Fox Sports’ Jimmy Johnson should not be advocating violence. I don’t think he did, Phil, but continue to hate everything, ok?

Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for former Tennessee and current Sirius XM analyst Bruce Pearl on the Final Four.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty has the ESPN MAC football schedule.

Pete has CBS excited about this year’s Final Four.

Jane Kwiatkowski of the Buffalo News says this is a tough time for the local TV sportscast.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call looks at a local PBS documentary on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Laura Nachman says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is ready for Phillies baseball.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the Fox sitcom “Raising Hope” gave another of many Capitals references.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with MLB Network’s Mitch “Wildi Thing” Williams.

South

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle writes that the Houston Open should be helped by a lot of interesting storylines.

David says Jim Rome is getting ready for his CBS Sports Network closeup.

David writes that Texans running back Arian Foster is taking his show to the team’s radio flagship station.

In The Oklahoman, Mel Bracht has ESPN’s MLB analysts predicting the upcoming season.

Mel says there will be plenty of baseball available in the Oklahoma City market.

Mel reports a local radio station has flipped to being a full-time ESPN Radio affiliate.

Mel writes that a local radio sports director has been laid off thanks to Clear Channel.

Midwest

Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer says New Orleans has provided CBS with plenty of Final Four excitement.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says a local TV station plans to ride the Kentucky train for as long as possible.

John says a couple of long-time local radio veterans got the ax due to Clear Channel cost cutting.

John writes that a radio documentary on late Cincinnati Reds voice Waite Hoyt airs this weekend.

The Indianapolis Star says Butler coach Brad Stevens will be a guest analyst for CBS on the Final Four.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers have extended their radio rights deal with their long-time flagship station.

Bob says a local sportscaster is back to work after a long illness.

Bob tells us that Marquette coach Buzz Williams will also be a guest analyst on CBS this weekend.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that CBS loves New Orleans at Final Four time.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says 20 Cardinals games won’t be seen by AT&T U-Verse subscribers this season.

Dan writes that the defending champions Cardinals will be in the national spotlight quite a few times this season.

West

Jay Posner at the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Fox Sports San Diego is not optimistic of getting a deal with two cable providers in time for Padres opening day.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star has ESPN’s MLB analysts praising Magic Johnson’s presence with the Dodgers.

Jim was surprised that Kentucky-Louisville wasn’t the nightcap for the Final Four.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Lakers fans are enjoying having guest analysts on radio broadcasts this season.

Tom talks with Jim Rome about his CBS Sports Network show.

Tom has more on Rome in his blog.

Canada

The usually uninformed Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says CBC Sports appears to be rudderless as it heads into a new NHL negotiation.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has the viewership numbers for Canadian sports television from last week.

And that will conclude the megalinks.

“Rome” Not Built in A Day; But Premieres on CBS Sports Network on April 3

Jim Rome’s new show on the CBS Sports Network gets its series premiere on Tuesday, April 3, the day after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The show will originate from Southern California and be co-produced by dick clark productions.

“Rome” will get a 6 p.m. ET timeslot and will air daily for a half-hour, just like his ESPN/ESPN2 show “Rome is Burning.” Among his regular contributors will be the polarizing Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports.com, Will Carroll of SI.com and Gregg Doyel from CBSSports.com.

There won’t be too much reinvention of the wheel. From what I’ve heard, the show will have a similar format to “Burning” with a few tweaks here and there.

We have the press release from CBS Sports.

“ROME” PREMIERES TUESDAY, APRIL 3 ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK

CBS Sports Network premieres ROME, a new weekday show hosted by veteran sports personality Jim Rome, on Tuesday, April 3 (6:00-6:30 PM, ET). ROME will feature news and opinion on the day’s hottest sports stories with rants and debates, delve into the daily headlines and social media buzz and include guest appearances by some of the biggest names in sports.

ROME will also include a roster of regular contributors including Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com, Will Carroll of SI.com and Jason Whitlock and Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com. The contributors will join Rome to break down the day’s major news stories with perspective and analysis.

ROME originates from Orange County, Calif. and is produced by Generate Entertainment in association with dick clark productions, inc.

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

That’s all.

The Mighty Monday Links

I don’t know why they’re mighty, but they’re here. Let’s get to them.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy looks at Super Bowl Media Day which will be covered from all angles on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Preston Bounds from Sports Business Daily lists the top 11 most marketable NFL players. Your humble blogger is quoted in the story.

At the Poynter Institute, Kelly McBride takes both the New York Times and Yale Daily News to task for their handling of the Patrick Witt alleged sexual assault story.

Michael O’Connell of the Hollywood Reporter writes that the NFL Pro Bowl gave NBC a Sunday primetime win over weak competition.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek notes that marketers and star players are for the most part, a winning combination.

Tim Nudd from Adweek looks at the advertiser rundown for Sunday’s Super Bowl on NBC.

Tim loves the extended Honda Ferris Bueller-themed Super Bowl ad.

Back to Crupi who delves into the April launch of Univision Deportes.

Adweek talks with Jim Rome about his move from ESPN to CBS.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times says social media campaigns can enhance and also detract from the Super Bowl viewing experience.

The Nielsen Wire blog looks at the spending trends for Super Bowl ads over the last five years.

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group notes that NFL Network is gearing up for a very busy Super Bowl Week.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin breaks down ESPN SportsCenter’s coverage from last week.

At All Things Digital, Peter Kafka says it’s ESPN that’s weighing down your cable bill.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes that NESN has made additions to its Red Sox broadcast team.

Here’s a rarity, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post giving praise and today he’s dishing it out to Knicks radio voice Spero Dedes.

Bob’s Blitz has caught WFAN’s Mike Francesa in a lie regarding his Super Bowl XLVII prediction.

From the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty notes that former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian has signed with SiriusXM to co-host some radio shows.

Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times looks back at the weekend in sports television.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer ombudsman Ted Diadun discusses the reassignment of Browns beat writer Tony Grossi after a private tweet about Browns owner Randy Lerner went public.

The Waiting for Next Year blog looks at the Plain-Dealer decision.

Also from the Plain-Dealer, Bill Lubinger writes about how local TV rights money is playing a huge role in baseball free agency signings.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post notes that MLB Network has plucked Root Sports’ Alana Rizzo for a national gig.

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

Friend of Fang’s Bites Jackie Pepper is heading to the Super Bowl.

John Daly of the Daly Planet looks at NASCAR taking over operation of its website from Turner Sports.

John also looks at the future of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series on ESPN.

Sports Media Watch has the overnight ratings of the NHL All-Star Game and Australian Open finals.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing says UFC on Fox’s ratings may have gone down from its November debut, but they’re still good in the desired demographic.

That will do it.

Some Late Monday Night Linkage

I’ll do some links that I’ve gathered over the day. You deserve some.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today discusses the monster ratings for Championship Sunday in the NFL.

Michael says with NBC reacquiring the rights to the Breeders Cup, ESPN has gotten out of the horse racing business.

And Michael discusses Jim Rome’s CBS debut before the AFC Championship.

Stuart Miller of Multichannel News says league-owned networks are looking to fill time through imaginative programming.

John Ourand at Sports Business Journal notes that the dispute between MSG Network and Time Warner Cable could threaten the Buffalo Sabres’ number one spot in the local NHL ratings.

John says carriage talks for Time Warner’s new regional sports network featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and for the Pac-12 Network are about to begin in California.

Michael Smith of SBJ says Turner Sports will be running the Fan Fest and other events at the NCAA Final Four this year.

Some stories on how the media handled or did not handle the premature reports of Joe Paterno’s death.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says there are lessons to be learned from the way the Paterno story was reported on Saturday.

Craig Silverman of the Poynter Institute tells us how the Associated Press did not fall into the trap of reporting Paterno’s death.

Davis Shaver on Onward State, the online publication that made the erroneous report, explains the events on Saturday.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable notes that local TV stations in the Penn State vicinity showed restraint on the Paterno story.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times looks into how the Paterno story burned online news sources.

Now to other links.

John Daly of the Daly Planet delves into how Danica Patrick will influence NASCAR this season.

Barry Janoff of The Big Lead writes about Danica’s GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ad.

Sam Laird of Mashable notes that Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis will be the first to have a social media command center.

Sam informs advertisers what the typical NFL fan looks like.

Now some remembrances of the late Andy Musser who along with the late Harry Kalas, the late Richie Ashburn and Chris Wheeler, formed one of the best local broadcast teams whey they called the Philadelphia Phillies from the 1970′s into the 1990′s. Musser died Sunday at the age of 74. Musser was a consummate professional who called the Phillies, the Eagles, the 76ers and Villanova basketball. He did all of them well. A man who was content to be the number two broadcaster on the Phillies behind Kalas, he would call games on both radio and TV for the team.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has an obituary of Musser.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says a memorial service will be held at the end of the month for Musser.

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says Musser was a true gentleman.

And I hope to have more stories about Musser in Tuesday’s links.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has video of a Baltimore news anchor trying to prop up a depressed Ravens fan base.

Dan has another video of a Ravens fan kicking out an entire viewing party after the failed field goal by Billy Cundiff on Sunday.

Glen Davis of SportsGrid has the clip of the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs giving Skip Bayless a verbal beatdown.

Bob’s Blitz notes that Boomer Esiason and Jillian Michaels will co-host this year’s “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials.”

Patrick Burns of Deadspin did some excellent work to break down SportsCenter’s coverage on ESPN over an 11 day span earlier this month.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times notes how Gary Carter’s daughter is chronicling her father’s struggles with a brain tumor.

Matt Flegenheimer of the Times writes about how New York Knicks fans are actually going to games in the wake of the Time Warner Cable-MSG Network dispute.

Back to Brian Stelter of the Times who profiles NFL Films.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post wonders why CBS won’t bring up Ray Lewis’ stabby past.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette notes the big ratings for NFL Conference Championship Sunday.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the ESPN Family of Networks college lacrosse schedule.

Ken says YES will air Jorge Posada’s retirement from the Yankees on Tuesday.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says ESPN will air a half-dozen Spring Training MLB games in March.

At the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik says CBS got the job done during the AFC Championship.

David says the local ratings for the AFC Championship may have set a record.

David writes that the AFC Championship definitely set a social media record.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes about Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s new show.

Tom Jones from the Tampa Bay Times looks back at a tumultuous weekend in sports television.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle writes about the NFL Conference Championship Games’ ratings.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer has Thom Brennaman threatening promising to call Reds games on the radio with his dad, Marty.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post reviews the HBO Sports documentary on Joe Namath.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News discusses the Breeders Cup going primetime on NBC later this year.

Bill Shakin of the Los Angeles Times goes over the process of the Dodgers sale that began in earnest on Monday.

Sports Media Watch says the NBA’s move to becoming a mostly cable television league has paid off.

SMW has some various news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the Boston Bruins had a mixed bag over the weekend on NESN.

Dave Kohl at the Broadcast Booth says live sports continues to rack in the ratings.

Joe Favorito looks at the growth of squash, Twitter trouble and how to use the social media service properly.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing wonders how CBS’ Jim Nantz could confuse two Baltimore Ravens’ wide receivers.

And that will do it for your late night linkage.

A Few Friday Morning Sports Media Thoughts

As my computer churns away with another silly Windows Update, it’s time for a few thoughts on the sports media. They are in bullet form as always.

• The signing of Jim Rome by CBS Sports is a big one. As CBS Sports Network attempts to expand from its regular diet of college sports, it nabs Rome away from ESPN for a nightly 6 p.m. ET show that will be its signature studio show. In addition, Rome becomes a contributor to CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Tournment, US Open Tennis and the NFL. I didn’t realize it at the time of the announcement, but the CBS press release made no mention of The Masters or other CBS golf tournaments. While CBS does want to reach a younger audience, I don’t think the membership at Augusta National want Rome as part of CBS’ coverage, but I digress.

  CBS hopes Rome will bring his core audience to its cable channel and expand the reach to beyond a sports tier where CBS Sports Network lies on some cable systems.

• This leads to a story which The Big Lead broke today, that NBC Sports Network could go after another ESPN’er, Scott Van Pelt. As the story states, Van Pelt’s contract is up in April and NBC using the Golf Channel and possibly the Olympics, could try to lure him away from ESPN. You may remember Van Pelt came to ESPN from Golf Channel so if he leaves, it would be a return to his former home. This is a story that bears watching.
• Another ESPN’er whose contract is expiring is SportsNation’s Michelle Beadle. Her contract is about to expire this month. I have not heard anything in regards to her negotiations. Suffice to say that she is well liked in the Bristol headquarters. We’ll keep you posted if Michelle is offered another gig.
• It was reported Thursday in Dave Hughes’ DCRTV.com site that Jen Royle who’s about to leave her current gig at 105.7 FM in Baltimore, will be part of a new show at Comcast SportsNet New England. A CSNNE spokesman told me that the info reported was incorrect and that Jen is expected to make a couple of appearances on the network’s talk show, Sports Tonight, although no dates have been set. I tried to contact Jen through her Twitter account, but as of the time of this post, I haven’t heard back. The CSNNE spokesman said reports of a new show at the network are erroneous.
• And one non-sports media thought, I can officially say I’m hooked on Downton Abbey. The miniseries about life of an English family and its servants during the Edwardian era and into World War I has been absolutely addicting and infectious. The cast is excellent and the drama is well-written. Thanks to the PBS iPad app, I watched the entire 1st season and first episode paid Season 2 in two nights. And I can’t wait for the third season in the fall.

And those are your thoughts for today.

It’s Official: Jim Rome Joins CBS Sports

Broken by The Big Lead on Friday and finally confirmed by both Jim Rome and CBS Sports today, we learn that Romey will become a multiplatform host for the Tiffany Network.

Jim Rome will take his TV show from ESPN to the CBS Sports Network. The show titled, “Rome” will air nightly in the 6 p.m. ET timeslot starting in April. Rome will also make appearances on CBS’ Sports’ events such as the NCAA Final Four^®, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the NFL and other programs. In addition, he’ll host a monthly sports and entertainment series on Showtime that will premiere in the fall.

We have the press release from CBS Sports.

JIM ROME JOINS CBS FAMILY CONTRIBUTING ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

Rome To Host New Weekday Program “ROME” on CBS Sports Network
Rome Also to Host New Series on SHOWTIME^® and Contribute to CBS Sports

Jim Rome has signed a multi-year deal with CBS and will contribute across multiple CBS Corporation platforms. CBS Sports Network will launch ROME, a new half-hour show airing weekdays at 6:00 PM, ET, hosted by Rome. In addition, he will host a new sports and entertainment series on SHOWTIME adding to the premium network’s ever-growing sports programming lineup. Rome also will contribute to CBS Sports’ coverage of the NFL, NCAA basketball and U.S. Open Tennis Championships, as well as other select events.  Rome, and content from the new shows, will be featured on CBS interactive platforms including CBSSports.com.

Rome will make his CBS Sports debut during coverage of the 2012 NCAA Final Four^® with ROME beginning on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, April 3.  The SHOWTIME series will cover a spectrum of sports and entertainment topics and debut in late Fall 2012.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim Rome to the CBS family,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Jim is a high profile, marquee talent who elevates our overall sports coverage and is a perfect fit within the growing platforms of CBS Sports and SHOWTIME Sports^®.”

“I am ecstatic to be joining the CBS family,” said Rome. “I’m fired up for the launch of ROME on CBS Sports Network this spring and excited to be collaborating with Showtime–a creative, dynamic network allowing me to host and create something completely original and fresh. Being asked to contribute to CBS Sports on its coverage of the NFL, NCAA basketball, U.S. Open Tennis Championships, as well as other events is a realization of a lifelong dream. CBS Sports is the pinnacle.  And I’m ready to get after it.”

“Jim is a well-known and highly-respected sports personality with a fast-paced, high-energy and opinionated take on the sports world,” said David Berson, Executive Vice President, CBS Sports and President, CBS Sports Network. “We’re developing and launching new content initiatives further strengthening CBS Sports’ relationship with fans.  Jim, along with his passionate and loyal following, is an ideal addition to CBS Sports Network.”

“I’ve been a long-time fan of Jim Rome,” said David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “He has set the industry standard for sports opinion and analysis since his first days on the national scene. He’s never shied away from provocative topics and I think his brand matches our brand perfectly.  On SHOWTIME, he will have a broad platform to blend his unique insight with impactful features on an array of pop culture topics. Rome promises to be an important addition for us as we continue to expand our portfolio of sports programming.”

Rome has hosted numerous television programs over the last two decades and brings his provocative sports news and conversation format to CBS Sports Network.  His new show, ROME, will feature news and opinion on the day’s hottest sports stories with rants, debates and guest appearances by some of the biggest names in sports.  The show will originate from Orange County, Calif., where Rome also originates his daily, live radio show.

ROME and the SHOWTIME series will be produced by Generate Entertainment in association with dick clark productions, inc.

“We’re excited to partner with CBS and launch the Jim Rome brand across the powerful spectrum of CBS platforms,” said Mark Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer, dick clark productions. “Through the rapidly growing CBS Sports Network and SHOWTIME’s distinguished sports coverage, this deal provides unparalleled exposure to Jim Rome’s dynamic and original personality.”

“I look forward to working with the production team and have been searching for an opportunity to work again with Mark Shapiro,” said Rome.

Rome will continue to host his nationally-syndicated radio program, “The Jim Rome Show,” which airs weekdays from NOON until 3:00 PM, ET on 244 radio stations across the country, the highest number of affiliates in the show’s 15-year history.

Previously in his career, Rome served as host of “Jim Rome is Burning” on ESPN, as well as “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” televised nightly on Fox Sports Net.  Prior to “The Last Word with Jim Rome,” he spent a two-year stint hosting ESPN2’s “Talk2,” a nightly one-hour interview show. Rome began his radio career at KTMS, Santa Barbara as the “$5 dollar-an-hour” traffic reporter and covered UC Santa Barbara’s sports. He left KTMS for San Diego’s all-sports station, XTRA Sports 690.

And that is all.

Bringing Out Some Tuesday Links

Let’s do some links on this Tuesday.

Michael Hiestand from USA Today writes that a tepid LSU-Alabama rematch drew the BCS National Championship Game’s lowest overnight rating ever on ESPN.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today reports that former ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury has either quit or been fired from his MTV2 Lingerie Football League gig. There’s always a gray area with Sean.

Bruce Horovitz from USA Today says Kim Kardashian has been booted from Sketchers’ Super Bowl ad and replaced by a dog.

Sports Business Daily looks at the reviews of ESPN’s production of the BCS National Championship Game.

At Fox Sports, Brian Lowry feels ESPN did a better job in stepping up than LSU-Alabama last night.

Erin Carlson of the Hollywood Reporter notes that NBC will air the London Summer Olympics in 3-D.

Todd Spangler from Multichannel News reports from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that ESPN admits a lack of 3-D programming for owners of 3-D sets, but the network says that should change.

Ben Drawbaugh of Engadget was at ESPN 3D’s demonstration of the BCS National Championship Game.

Jaymar Cabebe at CNET looks at ESPN Radio now streaming live through Slacker apps.

Erin Griffith of Adweek says the popular sound recognition app Shazam will power almost a third of this year’s Super Bowl ads.

Rich Thomaselli of Advertising Age says Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow could reach the marketing and endorsement stratosphere as long as he keeps winning.

Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says a lackluster game between LSU and Alabama should lead the BCS to change its system.

Noam Cohen of the New York Times looks at NBC going 3-D for the Olympics.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY looks at the NYC Marathon’s new deal to have WABC-TV carry the race live starting this year.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union discusses the end of Jim Rome’s tenure at ESPN.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg says in the DC Sports Bog that former WaPo writers Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon say they would take Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio over Washington’s John Wall right now.

David Knox of the Birmingham (AL) News says last night’s BCS National Championship Game drew a big rating locally for Alabama-LSU, but not as big as last year’s involving bitter archrival Auburn.

Doug Segrest at the News says Alabama quickly took the wind out of ESPN’s sails for a close game.

W. Scott Bailey at the San Antonio Business Journal says the Alamo Bowl on ESPN drew good numbers as compared to some of the BCS games.

Mark Dawidziak of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that the voice of the Browns and WKYC Sports Director Jim Donovan will co-anchor the 7 p.m. edition of the station’s newscast.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that local ratings for the NFL Wild Card weekend were very good.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business looks at a new series on Big Ten Network.

Ed says the Big Ten Conference remains steadfastly opposed to a Plus One or anything resembling a playoff in college football.

At the Salt Lake Tribune, Scott D. Pierce says NBC and ESPN have snubbed Real Salt Lake in their MLS schedules.

Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times says you can bid on the chance to have NBA Hall of Famer and TV analyst Bill Walton at your house.

At the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown says it’s best to wait a year before expanding the MLB playoffs.

I’ll end it there for now. If anything warrants, I’ll add some more links.

UPDATE, 6 p.m.: Some more links for you now.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe looks at the record ratings for the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game between Pittsburgh and Denver.

Newsday’s Neil Best says the NFL is seeing more monster ratings.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette notes what Time Warner Cable subscribers are missing on MSG Network in Day 10 of the two companies’ dispute with each other.

Ryan Yoder at Awful Announcing notes that ESPN Radio premieres a new show tonight.

That’s going to do it.

Jim Rome Will No Longer Burn on ESPN; Will Burn on CBS Sports Network

Props go out to Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead for breaking the story of the day. Through sources, he learned that Jim Rome would take his show, “Jim Rome is Burning” from ESPN to CBS Sports Network.

Several developments had occurred recently that led Rome to leave. For instance, Dom Consentino of Deadspin says he’s learned that Rome wasn’t happy over comments made about him in the book, “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World at ESPN”.

ESPN has confirmed that Rome is leaving and his last day will be later this month.

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/#!/espnmikes/status/155401971799556096"]

Rome joined ESPN2 from its inception in 1993 and his career there was known for the infamous on-air incident where he called Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jim Everett “Chris” as in Chris Evert saying the QB was afraid to get hit and Everett knocked him to the floor. He left ESPN2 and after focusing on his nationally syndicated Premiere Radio Networks show, Rome eventually returned to ESPN in 2003 to begin “Jim Rome is Burning” and was a part of the network’s afternoon talk lineup.

However, this past fall, “Jim Rome is Burning” was moved to ESPN2 and was shuffled to several different timeslots. Co-author of the ESPN book, James Andrew Miller tweeted that Rome apparently learned about the move when it was time to tape a promo.

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/#!/ESPNBook/status/155375020464537601"]

Apparently, Rome’s TV show was shopped around to NBC and CBS. SportsbyBrooks says after NBC passed, CBS took it and also agreed to have Rome make appearances on Showtime’s sports programming.

We’ll find out more when CBS makes an official announcement. We’ll learn when Rome’s show will air on CBS Sports Network and what role he’ll perform on Showtime. CBS has been aggressive in adding original programming for CBSN such as simulcasting the Tim Brando Show with Yahoo Sports Radio and signing MLB insider Jon Heyman and college football insider Bruce Feldman to bolster CBS Sports.com.

Certainly this was a move to make a splash for CBS Sports Network. We could see CBS and NBC make overtures to other ESPN on-air talent to lure them away from the Alleged Worldwide Leader.

Some Back To Work Tuesday Links

On this day when many of you head back to work after the lazy holiday season, let’s provide some links as we get into the New Year.

I’m still saddened today by the passing of Turner Sports and PGA.com essayist Jim Huber. Reading the tributes on Twitter from those who knew him and those who did not, the man was widely well-liked. Jim gave us the facts, was willing to let the events come to him and never was one to call attention to himself. And when you finished reading or watching one of Jim’s essays, you felt the richer for having seen it.

Some links for you.

Scott Michaux from the Augusta (GA) Chronicle says Jim Huber’s passing was so sudden.

Michael Schulder, an Senior Executive Producer at CNN writes at SI.com, that Jim was not only a great writer, he was also a poet.

Ryan Ballengee at Golf Channel mourns Jim’s passing.

John Kim at PGA.com has an obit.

Carla Caldwell at the Atlanta Business Chronicle also has an obituary.

And the Turner Sports-run NBA.com has a story plus a video tribute to Jim Huber.

Other sports media links.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch says ESPN has responded to a column written by The Oregonian’s John Canzano saying the network has bought access to the Rose Bowl while sacrificing journalism.

John Ourand & Michael Smith from Sports Business Journal report that Oklahoma University will have plenty of its sports programming seen in the Sooner State as well as Texas thanks to a new deal signed with Fox Sports.

Brian Steinberg at Advertising Age says NBC has sold out its Super Bowl XLVI ad inventory in sharp contrast to the last time it aired the Big Game when it was selling ads in the week leading up to the event.

And Brian writes that some Super Bowl advertisers are looking to make a big splash like Apple did with its famous “1984″ ad.

Alex Sherman of Bloomberg Business Week writes that NBC is getting as much as $4 million per 30 second ad for the Super Bowl. That’s a lot of money.

At the Hollywood Reporter, Georg Szalai writes about the neverending dispute between MSG Network and Time Warner Cable.

If you watched the NHL Winter Classic yesterday, you may have noticed a new ad from Bridgestone Tires with a fake press conference involving various ESPN personalities, one TNT analyst and if you’re really sharp-eyed, a reporter from Sports Business Journal. Shirley Brady of Brand Channel looks at the ad campaign that will climax at the Super Bowl.

To Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo’s Puck Daddy where he laments the death of Versus.

Jeff Sonderman at the Poynter Institute looks at how Philly.com handled comments in the reporting of Philadelphia Daily News columnist Bill Conlin’s alleged molestation of seven children.

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group mourns the passing of an ABC Sports production legend.

Dan Daley of SVG looks at how Turner Sports wired its NBA broadcasts when the league returned to play on Christmas Day.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that Time Warner Cable has put NBA TV in MSG Network’s channel slot.

Richard says HBO’s 24/7 on the NHL Winter Classic is another part of the network’s winning formula in sports documentaries.

Richard looks at the Super Bowl ads selling out and setting a revenue record for NBC.

Newsday’s Neil Best says NBC did its best to sell hockey during yesterday’s Winter Classic.

At Fishbowl NY, Jerry Barmash catches up with former WABC-TV sports anchor Scott Clark.

Will Leitch at New York Magazine wants to know what’s going on with the MSG/Time Warner Cable spat.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette tells Time Warner Cable subscribers what they’re missing tonight on MSG and MSG Plus.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes that two ESPN’ers and also Capital Region natives get an on-air reunion during this week’s Orange Bowl broadcast.

Pete says Fox Sports Radio has debuted yet another morning show.

WCAU-TV in Philadelphia has announced a deal to pick up ACC Network basketball games this season.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has highlights of the DC NFL Team Radio Network’s season finale from Sunday.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times has some thoughts on the holiday weekend in sports television.

At the Houston Chronicle, David Barron writes that Jim Rome is promising a return to H-Town in the near future after his local affiliate dropped his radio show.

To the Daily Oklahoman where Mel Bracht says ESPN got the job done for last night’s Fiesta Bowl.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post is a fan of NFL RedZone.

Jason Quick of The Oregonian says Comcast SportsNet Northwest has struck a deal allowing fans without access to the channel to view Portland Trail Blazers games online. For a fee, of course.

Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times feels Fox Sports NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira should call things both ways.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the NHL Winter Classic drew its lowest overnight rating ever.

Sports Media Watch notes that TNT is putting Charles Barkley courtside this week.

SMW notes the Rose Bowl saw its lowest overnight rating in years.

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead says Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is banning his players from Twitter and CNBC’s Darren Rovell is pissed.

Barry Janoff from The Big Lead looks at the aforementioned Bridgestone ad campaign.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has tweets from people angry over Matt Millen’s analysis during last night’s Fiesta Bowl. Millen was really awful last night.

Lots of good links for you today. That will do it.

Some End of the Year Links

Time to provide you some links to close out 2011. Thanks for visiting the blog this year. I moved from my old Blogger site to a new server, only to get kicked off the new place because it couldn’t handle the traffic from you. But then I was able to find HostMonster in a pinch and they’ve been absolutely wonderful in hosting the site and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Thanks to you, I keep plugging along at the site and will continue to do so.

Let’s do some linkage on this New Year’s Eve.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my Big Dozen Sports Media

We’ll begin with USA Today’s Michael Hiestand who looks at Versus turning into NBC Sports Network on Monday.

Over to Adweek and Anthony Crupi who says the deadline to hash out an agreement between MSG Network and Time Warner Cable is fast approaching.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York may not be seeing Knicks and Rangers games for a while.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel writes that AT&T U-Verse is also fighting with MSG, but at least can provide the network in HD for its subscribers.

Mike talks with ESPN’s Chris Fowler about the bowl system and how it might lead to a “Plus One” playoff.

And Mike writes that CBS Sports Network provides a Tim Tebow programming marathon  starting tonight.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has the site’s Best & Worst in Sports Media for 2011.

My podcast partner, Keith Thibault from Sports Media Journal lists his biggest sports media stories for 2011.

Timothy Burke at Deadspin has the video of ESPN’s SkyCam crashing down to the field at last night’s Insight Bowl causing a short delay. I like one of the bands doing a SportsCenter sting as the camera was being dragged off the field.

And Ben Koo at Awful Announcing even has video of how the SkyCam works and how it could snap as it did last night.

The great Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch has a Year-in-Review of Boston media at SB Nation.

Max Tedford at WEEI.com has some of the top Boston sports media controversies.

Peter Abraham at the Boston Globe notes that the Red Sox AAA farm team, the Pawtucket Red Sox have found their replacement for announcer Dan Hoard who became the radio voice of the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this year.

At Sports Media Watchdog, the great Mike Silva has his 2011 “Stock Up/Stock Down” for New York sports media personalities.

Newsday’s Neil Best has a quick sports media roundup.

Neil has a few columns mixed into one for his year-end thoughts.

Neil notes how the NHL Winter Classic became exactly that in a short period of time.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes that Friend of Fang’s Bites Ian Eagle is a busy man.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says through radio and TV, local NFL fans will have access to most of the 16 games played on Sunday.

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun says one of the year’s highlights in local broadcasting was also one of the saddest.

David Zurawik of the Sun talks with Friend of Fang’s Bites Jen Royle about her decision to leave Baltimore and return to her native Boston.

And David has some quotes from CBS’ Dan Fouts who will call Sunday’s Baltimore-Cincinnati game with the aforementioned Ian Eagle.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com has his top sports media stories in 2011 for DC-Baltimore.

At the Washington City Paper, Dave McKenna who was embroiled in a legal battle with DC NFL Team owner Dan Snyder is leaving the publication, but not before he fires a few more shots.

Ira Kaufman at the Tampa Tribune gets Jon Gruden to say that he’s not leaving ESPN and will remain with Monday Night Football for the foreseeable future.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says one of Jim Rome’s long-time radio affiliates has dropped the show in favor of local programming.

John Carzano of The Oregonian doesn’t like how ESPN covers the Rose Bowl.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that the World Junior Hockey Championships are doing well on TSN.

In his sports business blog, Joe Favorito provides some thoughts for 2012.

Sports Media Watch reviews its predictions for 2011.

The Business Insider Sports Page provides its Winners and Losers in Sports for 2011.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has some ratings numbers from Versus’ various programming.

Dave Kohl of The Broadcast Booth has his last review of the week in sports media for 2011.

And that will end our linkage for 2011. I know I haven’t been providing as many links lately due to my personal schedules. I hope to do better in 2012. Again, thanks for visiting. I have a couple of more features to provide before 2011 is out. Keep your feeds updated.

Some Late Thursday Afternoon Linkage

Came home a bit early from work so let me provide you with some linkage today.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that Marcus Allen will join Fox Sports Media Group’s coverage of college football.

Ryan Ballengee of Pro Golf Talk discusses the new 9 year deal signed between the PGA Tour and its TV partners.

Philiana Ng of the Hollywood Reporter also looks at the PGA Tour’s deal with CBS, NBC and Golf Channel.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says NFL RedZone has been picked up by a small cable provider.

Emma Bazilian reviews a new Burger King ad featuring UFC’s Anderson Silva lip syncing Minnie Ripperton’s “Lovin’ You” to shill a heart attack-waiting-to-happen.

Alex Weprin writes the final farewell for SportsNewser as it shut down for good on Wednesday.

Jason Dachman of the Sports Video Group notes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and Philadelphia will have a decent schedule of college and high school football.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has video of UK Channel 4 host Otis Deley having trouble hosting the IAAF World Athletics Championships. This is why the BBC usually airs these events.

NESN says the always screaming Kevin Millar will be wired on the network during tonight’s Yankees-Red Sox game.

Newsday’s Neil Best says the sports cameos will be hot and heavy on HBO’s Entourage this Sunday.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the college football TV schedule for this weekend.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette notes that Time Warner Cable is back with high school football this weekend.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes about Versus getting some new original programming starting next week.

Ken writes that an Army hockey game has been selected by CBS Sports Network.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun writes about radio reporter Jen Royle dropping her lawsuit against a local radio station.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner looks at the new PGA Tour rights deal with its TV partners.

Jim takes a look at the beginning of the college football season tonight.

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer says the Bengals will be blacked out on NFL Network tonight, but they will be seen live locally.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes about the PGA Tour keeping the status quo with its TV partners.

Bob says Big Ten Network sees Wisconsin doing well in the conference this football season.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News wonders what’s up with ESPN’s “Jim Rome is Burning” show.

Ed Tait from the Winnipeg Free Press says the Jets have signed a new 10 year deal with TSN for TV rights.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog reviews the Toronto media coverage of former Maple Leafs enforcer Wade Belak’s death.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has some mid-week thoughts on what’s going on.

Dave Kohl at The Broadcast Booth doesn’t like Universities throwing their weight around on school newspapers.

Sports Media Watch says the NFL Preseason Week 3 didn’t bring as strong ratings as the last two weeks.

SMW has various ratings news and notes.

Awful Announcing has a new podcast with the great Timothy Burke from SportsGrid and Mocksession.

And I’ll end it there for now.

With the college football season kicking off, the College Football Viewing Picks return on Friday. And next week, we’ll have the NFL Viewing Picks so the schedule for viewing picks on Friday will be:

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks — 8 a.m.
College Football Viewing Picks — 9 a.m.
NFL Viewing Picks — 10 a.m.
Weekend Viewing Picks — 11 a.m.

You can look for that throughout the fall months.

Quick Saturday Links

I keep getting interrupted at work. I wrote a post earlier today on Brent Musburger’s night in Las Vegas, but I kept being recruited to the leave the office and something that should have taken 20 minutes to write ended up being three hours. And now I’m trying to do some linkage and keep getting interrupted as well. Who said Saturday’s are easy? Who said weekends are for relaxing? Who said you’re not supposed to work on weekends?

Anyway, you don’t want to read my complaints. Let’s do some linkage.

This won’t be as big as the recent news of the deaths in Norway or the just reported death of Amy Winehouse, but legendary boxing promoter Butch Lewis passed away today at the age of 65. He was a prolific promoter of fights in the 1980′s and had his signature tux with no shirt look. Lewis also produced movies and TV shows. He will be missed.

Michael Hiestand and Mike McCarthy of USA Today debate whether US coverage of global sporting events should be neutral or American-centric.

Rebeca Ford of the Hollywood Reporter says comedian Artie Lange is getting closer to co-hosting a Fox Sports Radio show with fellow comic Nick DiPaolo.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the NBA released its national TV schedules this week to a lot of fanfare, but little buzz.

Andy Lewis at the Hollywood Reporter reports that Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has been ordered to negotiate a new bankrupcty loan with MLB after a judge ruled voided one negotiated with another party.

To Sports Grid where Dan Fogarty notes that Jim Rome decided to dredge up some old street slang that people thought was dead for several years.

Glen Davis at SportsGrid says Fox Sports Detroit MLB analyst Rod Allen tried to make a joke about the Tigers’ large Latino contingent, but it came out very wrong.

James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press had Allen trying to clarify that remark.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser writes that legendary announcer Dick Enberg will be honored by the Rhode Island-based International Tennis Hall of Fame for 50 years in broadcasting.

Newsday’s Neil Best looks at NBC/Versus getting into summer horse racing at Saratoga starting today.

Neil says athletes will miss getting their 15 minutes on HBO’s Entourage as the last season airs starting tomorrow.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspapers could lose special access to the London 2012 Olympics due to the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

To Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette who reports that Versus may be interested in airing college hockey games to supplement its NHL schedule.

Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Fox has selected the Pirates for its Saturday Baseball package for the first time since last decade.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes that MASN gives Mid-Atlantic baseball fans a show to watch.

Jeff Weiner in the Orlando Sentinel says ESPN is pulling out its ESPN the Weekend event out of Walt Disney World.

Jon Solomon of the Birmingham (AL) News writes that the SEC Media Days event has outgrown Birmingham.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News looks at some of the developments that occurred in sports media over the week.

Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star Telegram notes that TCU is now keeping a watchful eye the Longhorn Network.

Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World says the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes are looking forward to increased TV exposure this football season.

To the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where Dan Caesar writes that you need a scorecard to keep up with the Cardinals’ TV and radio broadcast teams.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports a local TV station will air selected University of Utah football games starting this season.

Richard Ruelas of the Arizona Republic chronicles how the Fiesta Bowl made it to TV.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at the announcers CTV could employ for the London 2012 Olympics.

The CSM also looks back at the week in Canadian sports media.

Sports Media Watch says Fox got off to a fast start of the second half of the MLB season last Saturday.

The Business Insider Sports Page lists the 10 worst sportscasters on the planet.

Brady Green at Awful Announcing has audio of Yankees voice John Sterling singing crazily about “The Grandy Man.”

That’s going to do it for today. Lots of links for a Saturday.

The Friday Megalinks Are Here! Hurray!

Time for some megalink action. This is turning out to be a busy day, but let me try to give you as many as I can. This being Memorial Day weekend, there’s plenty of sports action. Primetime viewing is kind of slim, but you can check out my Weekend Viewing Picks for the action.

Let’s get to the links. I’ll do as many as I can. I do have to leave early.

National

From yesterday’s Sports Business Daily, John Ourand speaks with outgoing NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer who is retiring at the end of the summer.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable also writes about Ken Schanzer’s retirement from NBC Sports.

Multichannel notes that Time Warner Cable will have a presence to promote the Speed 2 channel at the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race in Charlotte this weekend.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy and Michael Hiestand debate whether LeBron James as a villain is good for the NBA.

Mike McCarthy writes that former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen caused an uproar on ESPN Radio this morning by saying LeBron James could be better than Michael Jordan.

Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center delves into the ESPN book.

Fox Sports notes that this week, Ken Rosenthal’s bowtie will honor our troops during this Memorial Day Weekend.

The Big Lead interviews New York Times NFL beat writer Judy Battista and talks about how she covers the lockout.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid notes that Nike tried to put the screws on TNT’s Charles Barkley to be nicer to LeBron James.

SportsbyBrooks says ESPN management told its hosts what to ask James Andrew Miller about the book he co-authored on the Alleged Worldwide Leader.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has a review of “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN”.

Alyson Shontell of the Business Insider Sports Page says former Versus host Jenn Sterger is now working for an internet TV startup company.

Sports Media Watch says the NHL on Versus saw a ratings high for Boston-Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

SMW notes that the NBA Finals gets its earliest start in 25 years.

And SMW says the NHL Stanley Cup Final avoided conflicting with the NBA Finals.

Dave Kohl at Major League Programs has some complaints on broadcasters not providing the starting lineups when they’re supposed to.

Len Berman has his Top 5 stories of the day.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Mark Blaudshun of the Boston Globe reports that the Big East Conference has rejected ESPN’s “Best offer” to continue their 32 year relationship.

Chad Finn of the Globe says Bruins fans are finally getting the media coverage they’ve been yearning for.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette notes that the local minor league baseball team gets a new media distribution to fans and it’s not what you might think.

Fred Contrada at the Springfield (MA) Republican reports that ESPN.com writer Howard Bryant has been sentenced to probation stemming from a domestic assault case back in February.

New York Magazine talks with YES analyst David Cone about his use of advanced statistics on Yankees games.

Phil Mushnick from the New York Post wants to know what Mets owner Fred Wilpon knew about Ponzi scheme scumbag Bernie Madoff and when did he know it.

The Post has five questions for Fox Soccer Channel analyst Eric Wynalda about Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Final.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says soccer continues to try to gain a foothold in the American psyche.

DCRTV’s Dave Hughes has his latest Baltimore-DC media roundup in Press Box.

In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg finds an interesting Tony Kornheiser-John Feinstein tidbit from the ESPN tome.

Dan also recaps a couple of interviews DC NFL team owner Daniel Snyder conducted on Thursday.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks about the retirement of NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer a week after his boss, Dick Ebersol resigned.

Jim speaks with Fox Sports’ Curt Menefee about hosting the UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday.

South

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson goes over some of the more interesting tidbits from the ESPN book.

Greg Augman of the St. Petersburg Times writes about ESPN’s Desmond Howard blasting black college athletes for a sense of entitlement.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel laments the probable end of the long-term relationship between Florida State University and Sun Sports.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Texas Rangers TV voice John Rhadigan was replaced Thursday and will return to hosting the pregame show on Fox Sports Southwest.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle has his take on the ESPN book that has had the sports media talking.

In the Daily Oklahoman, Mel Bracht talks with ousted Rangers voice John Rhadigan.

Mel notes the local ratings for the series-clinching Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Finals.

Mel despite losing the series, the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook impressed ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy.

Midwest

Cincinnati Enquirer media writer John Kiesewetter says local sports talk show host Andy Furman is on the fast track for a possible new national gig.

John has a few more things on Furman in his blog.

The Waiting For Next Year blog loves Cleveland Browns voice Jim Donovan as do I.

Michael Zuidema at the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says ESPN/ABC is hoping some extra pomp and circumstance at the Centennial Indy 500 will draw viewers this year.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Indianapolis 500 just ain’t what it used to be.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his usual winners and losers today.

Ed explains what Tiger Woods’ agent split from powerful IMG means for Tiger.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that ESPN/ABC is hopeful that the Indy 500 can finally beat NASCAR outright for the first time in over five years.

West

Jim Carlisle in the Ventura County Star talks with ESPN/ABC IndyCar analyst Scott Goodyear about Danica Patrick’s impact on this year’s Indy 500.

Jim reflects on Dick Ebersol’s tenure as Chairman of NBC Sports.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Jim Rome’s hiring in inaugural days of ESPN2 almost caused one network exec to quit.

Tom explains how ESPN/ABC will attempt to keep the Indianapolis 500 relevant with viewers.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail looks at how Gary Bettman decided to buck ESPN.

That’s going to do it. Finished it all in one shot!

Fresh Tuesday Linkage

Been working on a specification that’s taking way to long to finish, so I’m doing linkage while I can.

We’ll begin with the ESPN Poynter Institute Review blog which takes ESPN.com to task for not vetting a post that was done on Alabama football player Aaron Douglas just a couple of hours after his death.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says the appearance of Oklahoma City in the NBA Western Conference Finals may hurt ESPN’s postseason ratings.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today has ESPN’s Executive Vice President John Skipper denying the network has a “frat-boy” culture.

Tom Lowry of Variety says ESPN is telling advertisers not to give up on an NFL season just yet.

Jon Lafayette in Broadcasting & Cable says ESPN pulled out all the stops during today’s upfronts.

Michael Learmont of Advertising Age says digital properties are hoping to get a piece of the advertising pie if the NFL lockout spreads into the fall.

Also from Ad Age, Nat Ives writes that a lifestyle magazine that was to be devoted to the Miami Heat bombed after one issue.

Georg Szalai at the Hollywood Reporter looks at ESPN2′s fall afternoon lineup.

Lucia Moses of Adweek explains why ESPN The Magazine became a “one night only” play.

Bill Cromwell at Media Life Magazine touches on the record ratings for TNT’s Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Ryan Berenz of Channel Guide speaks with James Andrew Miller, the co-author of “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside The World of ESPN”.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser links to audio of legendary Cincinnati Reds Marty Brennaman taking shots at St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter. Marty has never been shy about expressing his opinions and also took shots at Chicago Cubs fans back in 2008.

Ken Kershbaumer from Sports Video Group writes about ESPN’s efforts to go split screen during NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

Newsday’s Neil Best says MLB’s TV partners were mostly on top of the Jorge Posada story over the weekend during the Red Sox-Yankees series.

Stuart Elliot of the New York Times recaps ESPN’s upfront presentation.

At the Schenectady Gazette, Ken Schott has a look at ESPN’s new policy to go split screen during ad breaks of NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase races.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg in the DC Sports Bog has Sports Illustrated’s Peter King explaining how he got caught with his proverbial pants down when he quoted from a radio interview that never took place.

To the Washington Examiner and Jim Williams who writes about TNT’s record NBA ratings.

Dustin Long at the Virginian-Pilot talks about Fox’s decision to go split screen on Sunday during the NASCAR race at Dover.

Mike London at the Salisbury (NC) Post writes about ESPN’s Mike Tirico as he was honored last night by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Doug Demmons of the Birmingham (AL) News writes about ESPN going split screen during the last half of its NASCAR schedule.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has NBA television analysts talking about Derrick Rose becoming the youngest MVP ever.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business feels America loves to watch a villain.

Phil Rosenthal in the Chicago Tribune writes that Heat-Bulls, Game 1 was a huge draw both nationally and locally.

Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star says thanks to the Big 12′s deal with Fox, Kansas State is allowing its athletics department to go alone and not be funded by the state.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times looks at ESPN’s NFL plans and its aggressive bid for the Olympics.

Jim Morris of the Canadian Press profiles the Green Men of Vancouver who started out as a joke and have become an international hockey sensation.

Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN is moving “Jim Rome is Burning” to ESPN2 in the fall.

SMW also has some various ratings news and notes.

Matt Sarzyniak in Matt’s College Sports Media blog explores what could happen with the upcoming TV negotiations for the Big East.

In Puck The Media, Steve Lepore says the ratings for the opening of both NHL Conference Finals were down from last year, but with good reason.

Joe Favorito looks at how the Jorge Posada story became a story and how the media covered it.

That will do it for today.

It’s A Rainy Friday Megalink Thing

As it appears Hurricane Earl will brush Southern Rhode Island tonight, it’s time to do your megalinks. For this Labor Day holiday weekend, there’s plenty of sports viewing. You can check your sports and entertainment programs in the Weekend Viewing Picks.

In addition, we have our first weekend of College Football Viewing Picks so you can check out what’s up for Saturday’s games.

Now let’s do the links.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today talks with ESPN’s Erin Andrews about her expanded role at College Gameday.

Milton Kent at Fanhouse profiles former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Eric Crouch who will be working college football games for Versus this season.

Hannah Karp of the Wall Street Journal says tennis players are quite thin skinned over the analysis from ESPN2 and Tennis Channel.  

John Ourand at Sports Business Daily looks at the new Time Warner Cable/Disney deal which brings forth some new services from ESPN exclusively for subscribers.

At Multichannel News, Todd Spangler says Time Warner subscribers will be able to watch ESPN programming online and through their cell phones.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel writes that ESPN will kick off a college football Red Zone Channel-type service for Time Warner on Saturday.

To Mediaweek where Anthony Crupi and Mike Shields have reaction to the Time Warner Cable/Disney carriage agreement.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Dave Kindred says Mike Wise’s fake tweet on Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension bit him on the butt.

The Big Lead talks with ESPN College Gameday analyst Desmond Howard.

Jay Busbee of Yahoo’s From The Marbles blog says Erin Andrews took a spin around Atlanta Motor Speedway on Thursday.

Yahoo’s Big League Stew blog feels Fox or TBS should hire Pedro Martinez for its MLB postseason coverage. That’s an interesting thought. 

In the Hollywood Reporter, Fox Sports Radio host Pat O’Brien reaches out to perpetual bad girl Lindsey Lohan.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell explores which college football player’s jersey sells the best.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest asks if Women’s Professional Soccer is in trouble?

Sports Newser finally recognizes a worthwhile sports media blog. You can link to the main page, guys, but thank you, I appreciate it.

Brian Powell at Awful Announcing somewhat explains where he’s been since April. 

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe looks at tonight’s premiere of NFL Network’s documentary series on the Top 100 players of all-time.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette says Holy Cross College doesn’t have a radio station lined up for its basketball broadcasts.

Page Six at the New York Post says ESPN’s Erin Andrews was ensured that stalkers would not get near her during a recent stay in the Big Apple.

The Post’s Phil “Dr. Doom and Gloom” Mushnick gets on Virginia Tech for wearing all-black uniforms this coming Monday.

Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for Fox Sports’ Jimmy Johnson.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says sports radio is all over the Derek Jeter contract talks.

Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union speaks with a CBS Sports executive about using a Capital Region sports anchor for the network’s 3-D coverage of the US Open.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says Time Warner Sports is adding tomorrow’s Syracuse game to its schedule.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog notes that ESPN personalities are denouncing the firing of MASN analyst Rob Dibble.

Dan recognizes a local sports TV producer who is retiring after over four decades in the market.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner previews tonight’s NFL Network series premiere.

South

David Ranii of the Raleigh News & Observer says a local sports technology company has raised over $10 million for an expansion.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson has some advice for NFL TV analysts.

Sarah Talalay in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Miami Dolphins’ plea for public money comes as bad timing in the wake of leaked documents showing the Florida Marlins are profitable.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times has ESPN’s Jon Gruden criticizing the proposed 18 game NFL schedule.

Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger says Erin Andrews will speak at a University of Kentucky basketball clinic in gratitude of the support coach John Calipari gave her.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal says Fox Sports will be teaming up with the famed St. Jude Children’s Hospital during NFL season. 

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says this was not a good preseason ratings-wise for the Cowboys.

Ray Buck at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has NBC’s Tony Dungy feeling a looming NFL lockout could weigh on the minds of the Players Association this season.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron says Dungy is bullish on the Houston Texans this season.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman has his media notebook.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Reds pitching sensation Aroldis Chapman helped steer Fox Sports Ohio to high ratings once again.

Mike Zuidema in the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says a local native gets to call his beloved Detroit Lions for national radio.

To the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Bob Wolfley who writes that Fox Sports will be airing NFL games in true high definition this season.

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

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says Fox Sports North is into high school football in a big way.

West

Dick Harmon at the Deseret (UT) News wonders with Brigham Young University now locked with ESPN, how will its in-house BYU-TV survive?

Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune has ESPN’s statement on its new deal with BYU football.

At the Denver Post, CBS’ Shannon Sharpe answers readers questions on his old Broncos team and the NFL.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the syndicated Jim Rome show will be changing stations next month.

Jay notes that Fox will be picking up tomorrow’s Padres game and also be simulcasting their announcers for an inning.

At the North County Times, John Maffei says it was television that was the cause for BYU to leave the Mountain West Conference and become a football independent.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says ESPN pissed people off when it dictated terms at a high school game.

Jim says Tony Dungy has a pulpit at NBC to express his opinions.

Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News looks at the 800 lb. gorilla in college football that is named ESPN.

Tom reviews the week in blogging and sports media.

Casey McMerthney of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer delves into the paper’s archives to remember the Seahawks first radio broadcast team.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that a local sports radio station continues its search for a morning show host.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says the Blue Jays are beginning to take hits over Rogers putting 25 games on a new channel that is hardly carried on Canadian cable systems.

With that, we end the megalinks.

The Mid-Week Linkage

Ok, gathering plenty of good links for you and let’s not waste any time.

I do have one piece of upcoming attractions for you. On Friday, we start up our College Football Viewing Picks once again and every week, I’ll list the college football games of note for viewing on the major networks and syndicators. If you’re new to the blog, here’s a sample from last year. You’ll see them around 9 a.m. and when pro football begins, the NFL Viewing Picks will be up around 10 a.m. followed by the Weekend Viewing Picks at 11 a.m. So you’ll have plenty of features on Friday over the next few months. To the links.

John Ourand in the Sports Business Journal gives us five things to watch with NBC Sports when Comcast and NBC finally merge.

Emily Fredix of the Associated Press reports that the NFL will spend $50 million on a new advertising campaign to promote the return of the league this season. 

In the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans from the St. Petersburg Times looks at a pioneering NASCAR executive bringing the sport to BET.

Sean Leahy at USA Today says the NFL is trying to attract fans back to the stadium as they battle HDTV and its own RedZone channel.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that there will be a lot of college football games streaming on ESPN3.com this season.

Fox Sports’ Brian Lowry says the NFL’s TV partners don’t want to discuss the looming lockout.

Karen Rosen of TV Guide speaks with NFL Commish Roger Goodell. 

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says SNY has begun its UConn football coverage in earnest this week.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse weighs in on the Washington Post suspension of Mike Wise.

The Sports COMMENTary speaks with Fox Sports Detroit’s Mateen Cleeves on how he made the transition from NBA player to TV analyst.

Alex Farber of Broadcast Now says ESPN UK will launch a British version of Pardon The Interruption.

Josh Stewart in the Syosset (NY) Patch speaks with NFL PR guru Greg Aiello who says Twitter has become a legitimate news source.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg in the DC Sports Bog has the video of a new Alex Ovechkin/Capital One ad. Yes, vikings are in it.

Tom Robinson of the Virginian-Pilot enjoys NBC’s Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football. 

Scott Anderson of the Anderson (SC) Independent Mail feels ESPN should not be televising high school football games. 

Tom Jones from the St. Petersburg Times says Bright House cable has renewed a rights deal with the University of South Florida.

Robert Napper at the Florida Independent notes that ESPN has been taunting Tampa Bay Rays’ attendance problems. 

The Naples (FL) Daily News says the local ESPN Radio affiliate will carry plenty of college and professional football games this season.

Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post has ESPN’s NFL analysts Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden talking about the Miami Dolphins’ chances.

Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News says Time Warner Cable and Disney are expected to announce a carriage deal today which keeps ESPN, ABC and other channels online.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle notes that a former Jim Rome radio show producer will become a local sports talk show host.

David explains why the Rodgers move was made in his blog.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says Aroldis Chapman’s debut for the Reds garnered big ratings for Fox Sports Ohio.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business notes a White Sox subsidiary has landed a technology deal to help move TV into 3-D.

Ed says Mike North will be doing two shows a weekend for Fox Sports Radio.

Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times talks with North about his weekend shifts. 

The Sioux City (SD) Argus Leader notes that South Dakota State University will have a weekly sports show on Fox Sports North.

Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Journal-Review says ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little is getting married (scroll down).

But The Big Lead wonders if the marriage will conjure up charges of conflict of interest.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic profiles NBC’s Al Michaels.

James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times notes ESPN has been making inroads with its local websites, but not as big as the Alleged Worldwide Leader would like.

Sports Media Watch has the weekend overnight ratings.

SMW has ratings info on Fox’s Sunday night NFL preseason game and CBS’ two preseason games last week.

Joe Favorito is disappointed in Mike Wise’s behavior this week.

John Daly at the Daly Planet says get ready for plenty of NASCAR Nationwide Series pre-emptions and interruptions on ESPN2 now that college football season is getting underway.

Some of my favorite women on Twitter, Amanda Rykoff, Susan Shan and Jaqueline Hadley Conrad all took part in a baseball fantasy player roundtable at the Fantasy Fix.

Susan Shan has an ACC football preview at her site.

From The Stands Sports Media talks with ESPN’s Lindsay McCormick.

Dave Kohl at the Major League Programs blog wonders why baseball fans in Japan can watch MLB games on YouTube while we in the US cannot.

We’ll finish it here for now.

Doing Some Tuesday Links

Ok, let’s do some linkage for Tuesday. We’re in transition as we are in between big sporting events. We’re finished with the Olympics. That’s being put in the memory banks. The next blips on the radar screen are the college basketball conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament over the next few weeks, then MLB Opening Day and the Masters next month. We’ll be on top of each so if you’re a new reader, keep your RSS or Twitter feeds updated to find out the latest.

To your links.

The Sports Business Daily/Sports Business Journal’s Winter Olympics site has the final ratings for the Games on NBC.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says NBC got the ratings it expected for the Vancouver Games.

Mike Dodd of USA Today looks at the resurgence of the Chicago Blackhawks on the ice, in the stands and on TV.

Jay Bobbin of zap2it talks to ESPN’s Erin Andrews about why she’s doing Dancing With the Stars this season.

Writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times reviews the HBO Sports documentary, Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Two Rivals. I’ll have a review of the doc later this week.

James Hibberd of the Hollywood Reporter writes that the Olympics pulled great ratings for NBC, but the question for the network is what’s next?

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter reports that ESPN has tapped an ABC News executive to oversee the development of new studio shows.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says the Vancouver Olympics became the 2nd most watched Winter Games, just under the Lillehammer Olympiad in 1994.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times tells us that the USA-Canada men’s hockey gold medal game was the third most watched broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Stuart Elliot from the Times looks at which Olympics ads stood out during the 17 days of competition.

Also from the Times, Ken Belson explores which Olympic athletes can parlay their gold medals towards endorsement success.

Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News says SNY’s Mets analyst Ron Darling whom he feels talks too much, is not a fan of Mark McGwire.

Keith Groller in the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says it was nice to have hockey in the spotlight.

Laura Nachman says the radio voice of the Philadelphia 76ers returned to work on Monday.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says MASN goes into baseball mode next week.

And Jim says the two college basketball tournaments start in earnest this week.

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves have set their spring training TV schedule. 

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer says Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has to be considered a favorite for Dancing With the Stars.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has some closing thoughts on the Olympics. 

Ed says having the NHL participate in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi may not be as much as a no-brainer as you might think.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Milwaukee finished on the podium of the top rated markets for the Olympics.

T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times recaps an interview of Dodgers manager Joe Torre and former Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax in front of a live studio and TV audience from Saturday.

Joe Flint of the Times says NBC might have drawn viewers for the Olympics, but not the profits.

Tom Hoffarth in the Los Angeles Daily News says ESPN Classic is running classic Jim Rome interviews from the 1990′s.

Tom writes that the Lakers drew some ratings away from USA-Canada in Los Angeles.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star writes that the USA-Canada game set an all-time viewing record in Canada.

The Sports Media Watch says while NBC is euphoric over its Olympic ratings, they’re still the third lowest dating back to 1960.

SMW notes NASCAR’s ratings dropped again this past weekend.

Milton Kent at Fanhouse reviews NBC’s performance at the Winter Olympics. 

Staci D. Kramer of paidContent looks at the online video stream numbers for NBCOlympics.com.

Joe Favorito says a way for Winter Olympic sports to keep their brands afloat is to possibly team with Summer Olympic sports and organizations.

The Big Lead looks at one potential media feud brewing between Washington Post writers Michael Wilbon and John Feinstein.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the NHL’s in-house platforms will be all over NHL Trade Deadline Day tomorrow.

Len Berman has his Top 5 Sports stories of the day.

That will do it for now.

Continuing The Friday Megalinks

Before I was interrupted and called away from the office, I was in the midst of doing the Friday Megalinks and was on a roll. Unfortunately, I had to stop where I was. Well, I have time now and I’ll finish what I started.

I’ll see if I can add to the National and Eastern links.

National

NBC’s Bob Neumeier has been hospitalized in Lexington, KY after collapsing during NBC’s production of the Kentucky Oaks on Bravo today.

With the Kentucky Derby coming up, CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks horses. Darren also talks with the lovely Danica Patrick.

Joe Favorito says companies that donate equipment for certain causes is one of the best methods of branding.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says CBS College Sports will be Tweeting at the same time it’s airing certain events.

Over at Puck The Media, James writes of his horror stories trying to find Versus during his travels across the USA.

The Associated Press says ESPN and ABC will be using a new Rob Thomas song for its NBA package.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe reports that NESN Red Sox analyst Jerry Remy has flown home from Tampa after contracting symptoms that kept him out of the booth earlier this spring. Remy missed several games during Spring Training and also missed last night’s game. Buck Martinez is filling in for him for the series.

Dan Lamonthe of the acclaimed Red Sox Monster blog will make an appearance on WEEI and Comcast SportsNet come Saturday morning.

Newsday’s Neil Best writes that Michael Strahan is becoming more of a TV personality rather than remaining an ex-football player. Neil writes that SNY has debuted its closed captioning during tonight’s Mets-Phillies game.

Stu Hackel from the New York Times says NHL officials are hiding under their desks, not commenting over Versus’ refusal to air the end of the Devils-Hurricanes Game 7 after its coverage of the Rangers-Capitals game.

A Pittsburgh sports radio host was told to stay home over fears he has the Swine Flu.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Post says the NHL is happy over its TV ratings and visits to its website for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes that NBC loves broadcasting the Kentucky Derby.

South

Bob Molinaro of the Virginian-Pilot feels the hype for the Kentucky Derby is too much.

Joseph Person of The State says the University of South Carolina is looking for a new basketball and baseball play-by-play man.

Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald writes that Dolphin Stadium is about to get a new name and I can already hear the jokes.

Andrew Adler of the Louisville Courier-Journal says NBC is now marketing the Kentucky Derby to women.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton is in a new “This is SportsCenter” promo.

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News writes that Mavs fans will have to put up with TNT and ESPN if they want to watch their team in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Barry looks forward to watching Game 7 of the Celtics-Bull series on Saturday.

Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle says a former Rockets TV analyst has passed away.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says former Oklahoma City Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo has praise for his replacement. Mel has his weekly sports media notebook.

Midwest

George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal says Fox Sports Ohio has a reason to love the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News waxes poetic about Gillette’s sponsorship of various sports.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press is worried about ESPN’s Chicago-centric website.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Brewers have extended their TV deal with Fox Sports Wisconsin.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business talks with WGN-TV’s sports production chief Bob Vorwald. Ed says White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone would like to continue to work on sports radio station WSCR. Ed also talks with Steve.

Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that a local cheerleading team having various disabilities will be featured on the Big Ten Network this weekend.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the newest sports radio station in the market is last among the three in the ratings. Dan has the local sports radio numbers from the last ratings period.

West

John Maffei of the North County Times says local blackouts of the Anaheim Ducks are only hurting the NHL, not helping it.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says KLAA Lakers analyst Dean Merrill also has a higher calling. Jim also goes over ESPN’s and NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes about his experience calling a minor league baseball game for the first time this week. Tom has more thoughts on how he did in his blog. Tom talks with Jim Rome as he was about to watch the horse he owns race at Hollywood Park. Tom reviews the week in blogging.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that two of the University of Washington’s first three football games have been picked up by national TV.

Canada

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says there’s potential for another black eye for hockey with a possible NBC switch away from the Pittsburgh-Washington game on Saturday. Chris writes that TSN will actually air the CFL Draft for the first time on Saturday.

And we’re done.