Fang's Bites

The Fang’s Bites College Basketball TV Awards: NCAA Tournament Edition

Last month, I gave you my College Basketball TV Awards for the 2012-13 regular season. As promised, I’ll provide you with the NCAA Tournament Edition featuring my picks for Final Four, Regional Final and First Week levels. Those not worthy and there will be a couple, will get the infamous Carton of Chinese Cigarettes handed out from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Communist China.

I’ll provide the awards first for play-by-play, then game analysts, reporters and finally the studio.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Final Four Level

Marv Albert, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan – Marv is Marvelous. The man is a Hall of Fame announcer and during the Michigan-Kansas game, was able to pick up on the Wolverines’ comeback late in the second half and his call of Trey Burke’s three pointer to tie the game was perfectly understated.

Ian Eagle showed his versatility in calling NCAA Tournament games on both TV and radio. Does both well and allows the action to come to him. Ian had a very good call of the Davidson-Marquette game that went down to the wire.

Kevin Harlan was outstanding especially as Ohio State’s Aaron Craft hit a jumper with :02 in its Sweet Sixteen game against Arizona.

Regional Final Level

Brian Anderson, Verne Lundquist, Jim Nantz – Having this trio in the Tournament shows some very good depth on the CBS/Turner Consortium. Brian Anderson is a rising star. Calls games on Big Ten Network during the winters, then moves to his best sport, baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers and TBS Sunday Afternoon games. Could easily be on a Regional Final team down the line.

What can you say about Uncle Verne Lundquist that hasn’t already been said? He and Bill Raftery form one of the fun broadcast teams and you know that Verne plays the perfect straight man to Raft. He’s perfect at the Regional Final level.

Jim Nantz is perfect here. He would go higher except that he calls only one to two regular season games a season, yet he’s on the “A” team that goes to the Final Four. Nantz calls a good game, but I think there are several announcers who are better.

First Week Level

Tim Brando – Tim is good, but sometimes falls back on cliches. He’s perfect on the ACC Tournament on the Raycom-produced ACC Network. A nice fit with long-time partner Mike Gminski.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Spero Dedes – Dedes provided some real lackluster and sleep-inducing calls. When Harvard upset New Mexico, Dedes failed to rise to the occasion and when the game ended, he gave us quite a forgettable call. His partner, Doug Gottlieb overpowered him at times.

ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr, Bill Raftery – Clark Kellogg knows his stuff and provides good analysis of the action. He’s able to spot trends and finds the right words. He also stepped up during the Louisville-Duke game when Kevin Ware broke his leg in a horrific sequence. And as Jim Nantz tried to collect himself in the minutes following the injury, Kellogg did his best to describe the emotions on the court.

When Steve Kerr found out that he was going to call the NCAA Tournament three years ago, he found work with Fox Sports to call Sunday night Pac-10 games and quickly got re-immersed in the college game. It was that preparation that puts him on the Final Four Level. And teamed with Marv Albert for the first two weeks of the Tournament, Kerr provides some really good tidbits especially during Michigan-Kansas.

Bill Raftery is the Mayor of College Basketball. Perfectly teamed with Uncle Verne Lundquist, Raft provides great anecdotes, one-liners and always knows when to use his signature “ONIONS!” call. I’d love for Raft to call a Final Four on TV, but you can always hear him on radio for the event.

Regional Final Level

Len Elmore and Jim Spanarkel – Len was the last ESPN exclusive holdover to remain on the Tournament after Turner came on board. Jay Bilas wasn’t kept and while Bill Raftery also works for ESPN, he does games for CBS during the regular season, pulling a rare network double. Elmore when Reggie Miller doesn’t step all over him, provides some salient points. He really could work solo with Kevin Harlan and doesn’t need Miller along side.

Jim Spanarkel works very well with Ian Eagle. It’s hard to believe that they’ve worked 17 previous tournaments together and they’re a very good team. Spanarkel was on top of trends especially when Marquette was coming back on Davidson in the second round.

First Week Level

Dan Bonner and Mike Gminski – Both ACC Network veterans, Bonner and Gminski are perfect analysts for the first weekend of games.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb and Reggie Miller – Gottlieb will harp on points to where you want him to shut up. Reggie Miller must have pictures on a network executive somewhere as he’s a terrible analyst. I understand calling NCAA Tournament games was a dream for Gottlieb, but CBS/Turner should pull the plug on him working games next year. As for Miller, he’s basketball’s version of Marcelo Balboa, a person who makes statements just to hear himself talk and makes ridiculous points.

REPORTERS

Final Four Level

Jamie Maggio, Rachel Nichols, Craig Sager

Regional Final Level

Lewis Johnson, Marty Snider, Tracy “The Wolf” Wolfson

First Week Level

Allie LaForce, Otis Livingston

STUDIO HOSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Regional Final Level

Matt Winer

STUDIO ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Anthony

Regional Final Level

Seth Davis and Steve Smith

First Week Level

Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith – I understand why Barkley and Smith are there, but they’re much better on the NBA than college basketball. Charles’ candor on the NBA works against him on the Tournament as in the case where he harped against the Big Ten.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb — Who else? Failed joke aside, Gottlieb has not differentiated himself from the pack. He overpowers people on the set. He comes off as abrasive as sandpaper.

So there you have the Awards for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

College Basketball Viewing Picks for 03/30 & 03/31/2013, All Times Eastern

Saturday, March 30

Men’s

Pregame & Studio Shows
Road to the Final Four — CBS, 2:30 p.m.
NCAA Basketball Tournament Press Conference — Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
NCAA March Madness 360 — CBS Sports Network, 4:30 p.m.
Big Ten Basketball & Beyond: Tournament Edition — Big Ten Network, 9 p.m.
NCAA March Madness Bracket Breakdown — CBS Sports Network, 12:30 a.m. (Sunday)
College GameDay Scoreboard — ESPN2, 1:30 a.m. (Sunday)

NCAA Tournament
Regional Finals

East Region, Washington, DC
Syracuse vs. Marquette — CBS, 4:30 p.m. (Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Rachel Nichols)

West Region, Los Angeles, CA
Wichita State vs. Ohio State — CBS, 7:05 p.m. (Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller//Lewis Johnson)

NCAA Division II Tournament, Louisville, KY
Semifinals
Metro State vs. West Liberty — CBS Sports Network, noon (Brad Johansen/Dan Bonner)
Western Washington vs. Drury — CBS Sports Network, 2:30 p.m. (Brad Johansen/Dan Bonner)

Women’s

NCAA Tournament
Regional Semifinals

Bridgeport Region, Bridgeport, CT
Delaware vs. Kentucky — ESPN, noon (Beth Mowins/Doris Burke//Holly Rowe)
Maryland vs. UConn — ESPN, 2:30 p.m. (Beth Mowins/Doris Burke//Holly Rowe)

Spokane Region, Spokane, WA
Georgia vs. Stanford — ESPN, 9 p.m. (Dave Pasch/Debbie Antonelli//LaChina Robinson)
LSU vs. Cal — ESPN, 11:30 p.m. (Dave Pasch/Debbie Antonelli//LaChina Robinson)

Sunday, March 31

Men’s

Pregame & Studio Shows
Knight and Auriemma: A Coaches Conversation — ESPNU, 10:30 a.m.
Road to the Final Four — CBS, 2 p.m.
NCAA March Madness 360 — CBS Sports Network, 2:30 p.m.
NCAA Basketball Tournament Press Conference: Elite Eight Postgame — Big Ten Network, 5 p.m.
Big Ten Basketball & Beyond: Tournament Edition — Big Ten Network, 7 p.m.
NCAA March Madness Bracket Breakdown — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
College GameDay Scoreboard — ESPN2, 9 p.m.

NCAA Tournament
Regional Finals

South Regional, Arlington, TX
CBS, 2:20 p.m. (Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager)

Midwest Regional, Indianapolis, IN
CBS, 4:55 p.m. (Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg//Tracy Wolfson)

Women’s

NCAA Tournament
Regional Semifinals

Norfolk Regional, Norfolk, VA
Kansas vs. Notre Dame — ESPN, noon (Dave O’Brien/Stephanie White//Jeannine Edwards)
Nebraska vs. Duke — ESPN, 2:30 p.m. (Dave O’Brien/Stephanie White//Jeannine Edwards)

Oklahoma City Regional, Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma vs. Tennessee — ESPN, 4:30 p.m. (Pam Ward/Rebecca Lobo//Maria Taylor)
Louisville vs. Baylor — ESPN, 7 p.m. (Pam Ward/Rebecca Lobo//Maria Taylor)

CBS/ Turner Unveil 2013 NCAA Tournament Announcing Teams

Announced today by the CBS/Turner Sports consortium for the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the 75th incarnation of college basketball’s national championship, will be the men and women who will be in front of the camera this year. As usual, Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will work the Final Four™ from Atlanta.

Some changes from last year, first Doug Gottlieb who came to CBS from ESPN late last year will call 2nd and 3rd round games with Spero Dedes replacing Bob Wenzel. Lesley Visser becomes a special contributor to the studio shows, leaving the sidelines. Rachel Nichols of Turner Sports takes her place on the team of Uncle Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. And Allie LaForce, co-host of CBS Sports Network’s Lead Off with the aforementioned Gottlieb will work the sidelines as well with Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel.

Your regional final teams will be Nantz/Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson, Marv Albert/Steve Kerr /Craig Sager, Lundquist/Raftery/Nichols and Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson.

Calling the one half of the First Four™ games in Dayton, OH will be Albert and Kerr on March 19.

And the studio will be manned by hosts Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson in New York with Matt Winer in Atlanta. Studio analysts will be Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Seth Davis, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Steve Smith. Doug Gottlieb joins the New York crew for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

Here’s the CBS/Turner announcement.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports Return All-Star Line-up of Broadcast Teams for Coverage of 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship

?Turner Sports and CBS Sports today announces its lineup of broadcast teams for the third year of combined coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Once again, CBS Sports and Turner Sports provide live, full national coverage of the tournament’s 67 games across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – as well as across multiple platforms including NCAA March Madness Live®.

The tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20 with the NCAA FIRST FOUR™ on truTV Presented by Northwestern Mutual. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr will be courtside calling the action from Dayton, Ohio on March 19, with Craig Sager reporting. Wednesday’s FIRST FOUR broadcast team, which will also call the second and third round games from the Dayton site, will be announced on Selection Sunday.

For the third consecutive year Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr and reporter Tracy Wolfson will team up for the Final Four® and National Championship game live from Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, April 6 and Monday, April 8.

Joining this year’s announcer line-up are Doug Gottlieb, who will serve as a game and studio analyst, and courtside reporters Rachel Nichols and Allie LaForce.

Following are the announcer pairings for the second and third rounds (Thursday, March 21-Sunday, March 24):

Play-By-Play / Analyst // Reporter
*Regional Announce Teams

Jim Nantz / Clark Kellogg // Tracy Wolfson*
Marv Albert / Steve Kerr // Craig Sager*
Verne Lundquist / Bill Raftery // Rachel Nichols*
Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Len Elmore // Lewis Johnson*
Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Allie LaForce
Brian Anderson / Dan Bonner // Marty Snider
Tim Brando / Mike Gminski // Otis Livingston
Spero Dedes / Doug Gottlieb // Jaime Maggio

Studio Coverage

For the third consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will utilize two studios, based in New York and Atlanta, to cover all the tournament action. Studio coverage again will be anchored by Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson with Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony and Kenny Smith providing analysis throughout the tournament from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Matt Winer anchors the coverage from Turner Studios in Atlanta and will be joined by Seth Davis and Steve Smith. In addition, Lesley Visser will serve as a contributor.

During the Regional Semi-finals and Finals, Gottlieb will join the New York studio team. Gumbel will remain in New York alongside Barkley, Anthony, Gottlieb and Kenny Smith, while Johnson will shift to the Atlanta studio to join Davis and Steve Smith.

Studio coverage for the FIRST FOUR originates from Atlanta and will feature Johnson, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Steve Smith on Tuesday with Winer, Davis and Steve Smith providing analysis on Wednesday.

There you have it.

Sports Media Weekly No. 137 — Neil Best, Newsday & Kevin Harlan, CBS/Dial Global/TNT

Back with our post-Super Bowl edition of Sports Media Weekly. Keith Thibault of Sports Media Weekly and I are joined by Newsday’s Neil Best as the Third Man in for our News of the Week segment.

The Super Bowl dominated our discussion. We talked about the ratings and viewership which were down from the two previous Super Bowls.

We also discussed the way CBS handled the Superdome blackout and why the NFL did not provide anyone to the network to answer questions as to why the power went out in the stadium.

And all of us went over the performance of Phil Simms which baffled us to no end and finally, we reviewed CBS’ production of the Big Game.

We then moved to the 2014 Olympics and NBC’s one year kickoff to the Games in Sochi. We previewed what NBC plans to do with the Winter Olympics one year from now.

And we ended with a look at Fox tapping Gus Johnson as its Voice of the World Cup.

Our guest is Kevin Harlan of CBS Sports, Dial Global Radio and TNT. Fresh off the Super Bowl, he and I talked about his calling another Big Game on national radio. Most of our conversation focused on the Super Bowl blackout and how it was handled on radio. We aired a clip of Kevin describing the scene courtesy of Dial Global Radio.

You can subscribe to the podcast like I have through iTunes doing a search for Sports Media Journal or go right here to listen

And as I have done in the past, I neglected to post last week’s podcast. Our third man in was Mike McCarthy, formerly of USA Today and currently of Sports Biz USA. Our guest was co-author of Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, James Andrew Miller. That was a very good podcast. And you can find it

How Kevin Harlan Described The Super Bowl Blackout on Radio

One advantage of radio is that when power goes out, you go to telephones to make due until the electricity comes back. That is what happened to Dial Global Radio, the national audio NFL rightsholder and broadcaster of the Super Bowl. Kevin Harlan was at the mic when the blackout occurred. After some dead air, the Dial Global control room in New York went to commercial and engineers were able to establish contact with the broadcast booth via a landline telephone.

Boomer Esiason used a second landline to talk with Harlan and sideline reporters James Lofton and Mark Malone used their cell phones from the field. Host Jim Gray had to vamp on a landline phone as well.

Until the power returned, Dial Global used the old fashioned telephone to continue the broadcast until everything was restored.

We have an audio clip of Kevin describing the scene. I wish that CBS had used telephones with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to help set the scene in the Superdome.

Great job by Kevin to describe the scene and being the listener’s eyes and ears. He’s truly one of the best announcers on national TV and radio.

NFL Viewing Picks For Super Bowl Sunday, 02/03/2013

All Times Eastern

Pregame Shows
NFL Matchup — ESPN, 6:30 a.m.
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
Super Bowl Live — CBS Sports Network, 9 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Face the Nation: Super Bowl Edition — CBS, 10:30 a.m.
Road to the Super Bowl — CBS, 11 a.m.
New Orleans: Let the Good Times Roll — CBS, noon
Phil Simms All-Iron Team: Super Bowl Edition, CBS, 1 p.m.
The Super Bowl Today — CBS, 2 p.m.
49ers Pregame Live — Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 5 p.m.
Ravens Kickoff Live — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 5 p.m.
Super Bowl Kickoff Show — CBS, 6 p.m.
Super Bowl Game Center — NFL Network, 6:30 p.m.

6:25 p.m.

CBS/Dial Global Radio
Super Bowl XLVII, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms/Steve Tasker/Solomon Wilcots (CBS); Kevin Harlan/Boomer Esiason/James Lofton/Mark Malone (Dial Global)

Postgame Shows
Super Bowl Today Postgame Show — CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m.
NFL PrimeTime — ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, 10:30 p.m.
49ers Postgame Live — Comcast SportsNet Bay Area/KNTV, 10:30 p.m.
Ravens Postgame Live — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 10:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio Unveils Its Super Bowl XLVII Broadcast Team

Dial Global Radio, the audio rightsholder for the National Football League, will air Super Bowl XLVII to a whole host of stations across the United States. Kevin Harlan will call the play-by-play. Boomer Esiason will be the analyst. In addition, he’ll be on the Super Bowl Today pregame, halftime and postgame show for CBS. Mark Malone and Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton will be sideline analysts.

Jim Gray will be the broadcast host while Scott Graham will also be on hand for the broadcast.

Here are the particulars from Dial Global.

DIAL GLOBAL ANNOUNCES ALL-PRO BROADCAST TEAM FOR SUPER BOWL XLVII

– Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason, James Lofton, Mark Malone, Jim Gray and Scott Graham, with Contributions from Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Rod Woodson –
– Esiason to pull double-duty for CBS Sports Television and Dial Global Radio broadcasts –

New York, NY – January 24, 2013 – Dial Global Sports, the exclusive network radio home of the National Football League (NFL), is proud to announce its all-pro broadcast team for Super Bowl XLVII, featuring Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason, James Lofton, Mark Malone, Jim Gray and Scott Graham. Super Bowl XLVII airs live from the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 3, 2013 as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens.  Super Bowl XLVII will be heard on more than 700 radio stations nationwide, as well as on Sirius/XM satellite radio, NFL.com/Audiopass, and the NFL Mobile App available to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

Beginning at 4:00pm ET, the Monday Night Football broadcast team of Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason will call their third Super Bowl together.  CBS Sports/Dial Global’s Boomer Esiason will play two positions on Super Sunday—pregame/halftime/postgame analyst for television and game analyst for radio. Immediately following CBS Sports’ SUPER BOWL TODAY pregame show broadcast on the field, Esiason will make his way up to the Dial Global Sports booth to join the radio broadcast, then rejoin TV for both their halftime and postgame segments. This is the fourth time that Esiason will pull double-duty for the Super Bowl, having done so previously in Super Bowls XXXVIII, XLI, and XLIV.

Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton will patrol the 49ers’ sidelines and former NFL quarterback Mark Malone will report from the Ravens’ sidelines. Jim Gray hosts the pregame and halftime shows, as well as provides interviews and insight from athletes and celebrities in attendance.  Three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will join Jim Gray as part of the pregame and the halftime coverage. In addition, Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson will participate in Dial Global’s extended pregame show coverage.   Scott Graham kicks off Dial Global’s extended pregame coverage with Super Bowl Preview at 3:00pm, ET, followed by Super Sunday at 4:00pm, ET.

Country superstar Tim McGraw will help kick off Dial Global’s coverage of Super Sunday with his amped up hit, “Truck Yeah.”  In his record-shattering career, McGraw has sold over 40 million albums and dominated the charts with 32 number #1 singles, won three GRAMMY’s, 14 ACM Awards, 12 CMA Awards, and 10 AMA’s. Nielsen-BDS recently certified McGraw as the most-played Country artist of the past 20 years (1992-2012) with more than 10 million spins detected and Mediabase recognized him as the most-played Country artist in the history of their tracking service.  His upcoming album, TWO LANES OF FREEDOM will be released on February 5, 2013.

“New Orleans is always a great stage for the Super Bowl, and we are excited to once again deliver America’s biggest game to a national audience, “said Howard Deneroff, EVP, Executive Producer, Dial Global Sports. “Kevin, Boomer and the rest of our outstanding broadcast crew will captivate radio fans with their description and analysis of all the action.” 

Super Bowl XLVII will also be heard on American Forces Radio Network which provides programming to America’s military forces around the globe. The American Forces Radio Network serves over one million men and women in uniform, Department of Defense personnel, American Embassies and Consulates in over 175 countries and territories, as well as on more than 250 U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command ships at sea.

Fans looking for a local station in their area can visit www.dialglobalsports.com. The website will feature a nationwide station finder, announcer bios, and exclusive analysis from the broadcast crew throughout the week from New Orleans

As the exclusive radio partner of the NFL, the Dial Global Sports 2012-2013 NFL broadcast schedule also featured 64 prime-time games, including the Opening Kickoff game, 16 Monday Night games, including one doubleheader, 17 Sunday Night games, 14 Thursday Night games (including Thanksgiving Night), one Saturday Night game, a Thanksgiving Day doubleheader, 12 Postseason games, including the NFL Playoffs, the AFC and NFC Championship Games and the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.  Dial Global Sports also delivers specialty programs, including The NFL Today, NFL Preview, NFL Insider, and NFL Sunday.

DIAL GLOBAL SPORTS SUPER BOWL XLVII BROADCAST TEAM

Kevin Harlan, in his third season as the full-time voice of Monday Night Football on Dial Global Sports, will call his third straight Super Bowl for the network. Harlan previously broadcast Super Bowl XXXV for CBS HDTV and also currently calls play-by-play for CBS Sports’ coverage of both the NFL and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Harlan joined CBS Sports in 1998 as an NFL play-by-play announcer, after having served in the same capacity for Fox Sports since 1994. This was his 28^th consecutive season broadcasting the NFL and with his additional role as play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT, this also marks his 25^th season broadcasting the NBA.  Harlan spent nine seasons (1985-93) as the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs and was the voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves for nine seasons as well. Harlan also called the Final Four on Westwood One from 2003-2007.

Boomer Esiason, the lead analyst for Dial Global Sports’ coverage of the NFL, has been part of the Monday Night Football broadcast team for more than a decade and this marks his 13^th Super Bowl broadcast for the network, and 14^th overall. Esiason co-hosts The NFL Today for CBS Sports and also served as the Monday Night Football analyst for ABC Sports for two seasons before joining national radio.  Boomer also co-hosts the #1 rated weekday morning radio show in New York, daily on WFAN,  and co-hosts the weekly show, NFL Preview with Scott Graham on Dial Global as well. Prior to embarking on a broadcasting career, Esiason was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. He spent 14 years in the NFL and quarterbacked the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII. In 1988, Esiason was named NFL MVP by the Pro Football Writers of America and the Associated Press.

James Lofton, lead analyst for Sunday Night Football on Dial Global Sports, will work his fourth straight Super Bowl for radio as sideline reporter, and sixth overall, which was interrupted by coaching stints with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders for seven years in between.  He was the No. 1 draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1978, beginning a long career as an NFL wide receiver. In 16 seasons playing for Green Bay, the Los Angeles Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles, Lofton caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards, which was the most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. In 13 playoff games, Lofton caught 41 passes for 759 yards and eight touchdowns, including a seven-reception game in Super Bowl XXVI. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Mark Malone, analyst for Dial Global Sports’ Sunday afternoon NFL package, will be working his fifth consecutive Super Bowl for the network.  Malone, who also hosts NFL Insider each week, will patrol the sidelines at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.  Malone is most well-known for the decade he spent with ESPN, where he hosted many NFL shows including NFL Tonight, Edge NFL Match-up and Monday Night Countdown. Prior to joining Dial Global, he served as Sports Director for WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he garnered four Emmys for his work. Malone, an All-American quarterback at Arizona State and first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, played for 10 years in the NFL, quarterbacking the Steelers to the 1984 AFC Championship Game.

Jim Gray, host of the network’s Monday Night Football pre-game and halftime shows since 2001, will fulfill the same role for the Super Bowl, his 12^th consecutive with the network. Gray also serves as a reporter for Dial Global Sports’ coverage of both the Final Four and The Masters. A prominent network television reporter for over two decades, Gray currently covers boxing for Showtime, has been a contributor to the Golf Channel, and also has served as a courtside reporter for the NBA on CBS, NBC, ABC and most recently ESPN.  Gray’s numerous credits include: 10 Olympic Games, 24 Masters, 15 Super Bowls, seven World Series and 15 NBCA Finals. Gray has won 11 Emmy Awards and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Scott Graham, the pregame, halftime and postgame host for the network’s Sunday NFL coverage, will be working his fourth straight Super Bowl for Dial Global Sports. Graham has spent 25 years as a radio and television sportscaster, including play-by-play for both the NFL and NFL Europe on FOX. On the radio side, Graham served as the play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies for eight seasons from 1999-2006. For nearly a decade prior to that, he hosted the pregame and postgame shows for the Phillies on CBS Radio in Philadelphia. Since 2003, Graham has narrated a variety of programs, commercials, and features produced by NFL Films. His voice has most often been heard on NFL Game of the Week, in weekly game previews on NFL.com, and in various season highlight films for NFL teams. He also currently co-hosts Dial Global’s weekly feature program, NFL Preview, with Boomer Esiason.

Tom Brady has played in five Super Bowls, winning three, and was named MVP twice. The seven-time Pro Bowler holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season, with 50. In 2007, Brady led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the institution of the 16-game schedule and won his first of two league MVP awards.

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history, amassing nearly 10-thousand yards receiving in just eight seasons in the league.  In 2008, he set a single post-season record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions and seven touchdowns. Last year he signed an 8-year, $120 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals–making him the highest paid wide receiver in NFL history.

Rod Woodson was one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history. He holds the career record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown, with 12, and during his 17 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, Rod was elected to the Pro Bowl eleven times and named an All-Pro nine times. Rod was also named to the NFL 75^th Anniversary team and was the 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Rod played in three Super Bowls, winning one while a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

That’s going to do it.

Dial Global’s Announcing Assignments For NFL Conference Championship Sunday

Dial Global Radio has an NFL Conference Championship doubleheader on Sunday.

The NFC Championship Game will start things live from the Georgia Dome. That will be followed by coverage of the AFC Championship broadcast from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.

Here are the particulars of the broadcasts.

DIAL GLOBAL SPORTS PRESENTS EXCLUSIVE AUDIO COVERAGE OF NFL CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

New York, NY – January 16, 2013 – Dial Global Sports will provide exclusive audio play-by-play coverage of both the AFC and NFC Conference Championship games this Sunday, January 20, 2013.

Broadcast coverage of NFL Championship Sunday kicks off at 2:00pm ET when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Atlanta Falcons.  Dave Sims has the play-by-play, alongside Hall of Famer James Lofton as analyst and Tony Boselli on the sidelines. Following the conclusion of the that game, the AFC Championship Game takes center stage with a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. Kevin Harlan calls the play-by-play, with Hall of Famer Dan Fouts as analyst and Mark Malone on the sidelines.

Scott Graham hosts the pregame/halftime/postgame shows for both broadcasts.

Dial Global Sports offers exclusive live action from all the NFL postseason games. All games can be heard on radio stations nationwide, as well as on Sirius/XM satellite radio, NFL.com/Audiopass, and the NFL Mobile App available to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

That will do it for the previews. Enjoy your Sunday.

NFL Viewing & Listening Picks For Conference Championship Sunday, 01/20/2013

All Times Eastern

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
SportsCenter Special: Parcells’ Conference Championship Preview — ESPN2, 8 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, noon
NFL Championship Chase — Fox, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, 2 p.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, 6 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 6 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 6 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 10 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, 10:30 p.m.
NFL PrimeTime — ESPN, 11 p.m.

3 p.m.

NFC Championship

FOX/Dial Global Radio
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Erin Andrews/Pam Oliver (Fox); Dave Sims/James Lofton/Tony Boselli (Dial Global Radio)

6:30 p.m.

AFC Championship

CBS/Dial Global Radio
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms/Steve Tasker/Solomon Wilcots (CBS); Kevin Harlan/Dan Fouts/Mark Malone (Dial Global Radio)

Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Radio Games For 2013 Divisional Weekend

All Times Eastern

All Games on Dial Global Radio

Saturday, January 12

4 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone/Scott Kaplan

7:45 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers — Kevin Harlan/Dan Fouts/Hub Arkush

Sunday, January 13

12:30 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Tony Boselli

4 p.m.

Houston Texans at New England Patriots — Ian Eagle/Trent Green/Lewis Johnson

Dial Global Sports Unveils Announcing Assignments For 2013 NFL Divisional Weekend

I have to catch up on the site today as a touch of the flu wiped me out on Wednesday. My apologies for not updating the site yesterday. Lots of things to post and you need to be informed.

Let’s bring you the assignments for the NFL Divisional Playoffs on Dial Global Radio. Kevin Harlan and Dan Fouts will call the Green Bay-San Francisco game from Candlestick Park on Saturday night.

Dave Sims and James Lofton will be in the Georgia Dome on Sunday for Seattle-Atlanta.

Ian Eagle and Trent Green will call Houston-New England in the late game on Sunday. And Kevin Kugler-Mark Malone will team up for the Baltimore-Denver game on Saturday.

Here’s the press release from Dial Global.

DIAL GLOBAL SPORTS PRESENTS EXCLUSIVE AUDIO COVERAGE OF NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF WEEKEND

New York, NY – January 10, 2013 – Dial Global Sports will provide exclusive audio play-by-play coverage of all four National Football League Divisional playoff games this weekend.

Divisional Playoff Weekend kicks off Saturday, January 12, when the Baltimore Ravens take on the Denver Broncos. Kevin Kugler has the play-by-play, along with analyst Mark Malone and sideline reporter Scott Kaplan. Doubleheader action continues when the Green Bay Packers meet the San Francisco 49ers. Kevin Harlan serves as play-by-play announcer, along with Hall of Famer Dan Fouts as analyst and Hub Arkush as sideline reporter.

On Sunday, January 13, Divisional Playoff Weekend continues with two more matchups. First, the Seattle Seahawks go head-to-head with the Atlanta Falcons. Dave Simshas the play-by-play, with Hall of Famer James Lofton as analyst and sideline reporter Tony Boselli.  Following the conclusion of that game, the Houston Texans face the New England Patriots. Ian Eagle has the play-by-play, along with analyst Trent Green and sideline reporter Lewis Johnson.

Scott Graham hosts the pregame, halftime and postgame shows for all four wild card broadcasts.

Dial Global Sports offers exclusive live action from all the NFL postseason games. All games can be heard on radio stations nationwide, as well as on Sirius/XM satellite radio, NFL.com/Audiopass, and the NFL Mobile App available to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

That is all.

Dial Global Radio’s Announcing Assignments For NFL Wild Card Weekend

We have the announcing assignments from Dial Global Radio for NFL Wild Card Weekend. Dial Global has the exclusive rights to the entire NFL Postseason so we won’t have any listings for the other radio partners, Compass Media or Sports USA.

So let’s list the press release from Dial Global first and then list the games and times. The press release:

DIAL GLOBAL SPORTS PRESENTS EXCLUSIVE AUDIO COVERAGE OF NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

New York, NY – January 3, 2013 – Dial Global Sports will provide exclusive audio play-by-play coverage of all four National Football League Wild Card playoff games this weekend.

Wild Card Weekend kicks off Saturday, January 5, when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Houston Texans. Tom McCarthy has the play-by-play, along with analyst Tony Boselli and sideline reporter Steve Tasker. Doubleheader action continues when the Minnesota Vikings meet their division rival Green Bay Packers. Kevin Harlan serves as play-by-play announcer, along with Hall of Famer Dan Fouts as analyst and Mark Malone as sideline reporter.

On Sunday, January 6, Wild Card Weekend continues with two more games. First, the Indianapolis Colts go head-to-head with the Baltimore Ravens. Ian Eagle has the play-by-play, with analyst Trent Green and sideline reporter Laura Okmin. Following the conclusion of that game, the Seattle Seahawks face off with Washington. Dave Sims has the play-by-play, along with Hall of Famer James Lofton as analyst and Hub Arkush as sideline reporter.

Scott Graham hosts the pregame, halftime and postgame shows for all four wild card broadcasts.

Dial Global Sports offers exclusive live action from all the NFL postseason games. All games can be heard on radio stations nationwide, as well as on Sirius/XM satellite radio, NFL.com/Audiopass, and the NFL Mobile App available to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

And now we’ll list the dates and times for the weekend in case you’re out or want to sync your DVR to the live radio broadcasts.

Saturday, January 5

4:00 p.m.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli/Steve Tasker

7:45 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — Kevin Harlan/Dan Fouts/Mark Malone

Sunday, January 6

12:30 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts — Ian Eagle/Trent Green/Laura Okmin

4:15 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Washington — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Hub Arkush

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 17, 12/30/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Cincinnati — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Cleveland at Pittsburgh — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
Houston at Indianapolis — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Jacksonville at Tennessee — Don Criqui/Randy Cross
New York Jets at Buffalo — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Carolina at New Orleans — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda
Chicago at Detroit — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Philadelphia at New York Giants — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Tampa Bay at Atlanta — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Kansas City at Denver — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Miami at New England — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Oakland at San Diego — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker

FOX
Arizona at San Francisco — Gus Johnson/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
Green Bay at Minnesota — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at Seattle — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Dallas at Washington — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

Nominees for 6th Annual Fang’s Bites NFL TV Awards

Merry Christmas! Happy to provide you with the nominees for this year’s NFL TV Awards. Last year’s nominees ended up this way.

And later, this was the result for the 2011 season.

Let’s take a look at the nominees in each category.

Best Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle (CBS), Kevin Harlan (CBS), Al Michaels (NBC), Brad Nessler (NFL Network), Mike Tirico (ESPN)

Best Game Analyst: Troy Aikman (Fox), Cris Collinsworth (NBC), Dan Fouts (CBS), Rich Gannon (CBS), Mike Mayock (NFL Network)

Best Sunday NFL Pregame Show: First on the Field (NFL Network), Fox NFL Sunday (Fox), NFL Matchup (ESPN), NFL Today (CBS)

Best Studio Show, Daily or Weekly: Around the League Live (NFL Network), Inside the NFL (Showtime), NFL Live (ESPN), NFL PrimeTime (ESPN), NFL Turning Point (NBC Sports Network)

Best Highlights: Football Night in America (NBC), NFL GameDay Final (NFL Network), NFL PrimeTime (ESPN), The OT (Fox)

Best Studio Host: Rich Eisen (NFL Network), Curt Menefee (Fox), Dan Patrick (NBC/NBC Sports Network), Melissa Stark (NFL Network), Andrew Siciliano (DirecTV), Trey Wingo (ESPN)

Best Studio Analyst: Tony Dungy (NBC), Boomer Esiason (CBS), Marshall Faulk (NFL Network), Rodney Harrison (NBC), Kurt Warner (NFL Network), Steve Young (ESPN)

Most Valuable Network: Fox, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network

Best NFL Insider: John Clayton (ESPN), Jay Glazer (Fox), Peter King (NBC),  Jason La Canfora (CBS), Chris Mortensen (ESPN)

Best Sideline Reporter: Alex Flanagan (NFL Network), Jennifer Hale (Fox), Jaime Maggio (Fox), Lisa Salters (ESPN), Michele Tafoya (NBC)

Best Announcing Team: Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts (CBS), Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots (CBS), Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth (NBC), Brad Nessler/Mike Mayock (NFL Network), Mike Tirico/Jon Gruden (ESPN)

Best Game Production: Monday Night Football (ESPN), NFL on CBS (CBS), NFL on Fox (Fox), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Thursday Night Football (NFL Network)

Best Debut: Carolyn Manno on Football Night in America (NBC), First on the Field (NFL Network), Amber Theoharis on NFL Total Access (NFL Network), Hines Ward on Football Night in America (NBC)

Worst Play-by-Play: Chris Berman (ESPN), Thom Brennaman (Fox), Chris Myers (Fox), Ron Pitts (Fox), Dick Stockton (Fox)

Worst Game Analyst: Dan Dierdorf (CBS), Daryl Johnston (Fox), John Lynch (Fox), Mike Martz (Fox)

Worst Studio Host: Chris Berman (ESPN), Chris Rose (NFL Network)

Worst Studio Analyst: Michael Irvin (NFL Network), Eric Mangini (ESPN)

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 16, 12/22 & 12/23/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Saturday, December 22

Studio & Pregame Shows
Monday Night Countdown — ESPN, 7 p.m.
NFL Total Access — NFL Network, 7 p.m.
NFL Total Access: Postgame — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

ESPN
Atlanta at Detroit — Mike Tirico/Jon Gruden/Lisa Salters

Sunday, December 23

Studio & Pregame Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Miami — Don Criqui/Randy Cross
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Indianapolis at Kansas City — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New England at Jacksonville — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Oakland at Carolina — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
San Diego at New York Jets — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Tennessee at Green Bay — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

FOX
Minnesota at Houston — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
New Orleans at Dallas — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
St. Louis at Tampa Bay — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
Washington at Philadelphia — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Cleveland at Denver — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Chicago at Arizona — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
New York Giants at Baltimore — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
San Francisco at Seattle — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Radio Games For Week 15 of the 2012 Season

Sunday, December 16

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Denver at Baltimore — Chris Carrino/Brian Baldinger
New York Giants at Atlanta — Matt Smith/Curtis Conaway

Dial Global Radio
Indianapolis at Houston — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli

Sports USA Radio Network
Green Bay at Chicago

3:45 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Kansas City at Oakland — Greg Papa/Tom Flores
Pittsburgh at Dallas — Kevin Burkhardt/Danny White

Dial Global Radio
Carolina at San Diego — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

Sports USA Radio Network
Detroit at Arizona

7:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
San Francisco at New England — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Steve Tasker

Monday, December 17

8 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
New York Jets at Tennessee — Kevin Harlan/Dan Fouts/Tony Boselli

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 15, 12/16/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the 506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Denver at Baltimore — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Indianapolis at Houston — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Jacksonville at Miami — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Green Bay at Chicago — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Minnesota at St. Louis — Gus Johnston/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
New York Giants at Atlanta — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Tampa Bay at New Orleans — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Washington at Cleveland — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Carolina at San Diego — Sam Rosen/Heath Evans/Jill Savage
Detroit at Arizona — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jamie Maggio!!!
Seattle vs. Buffalo at Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Kansas City at Oakland — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Pittsburgh at Dallas — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
San Francisco at New England — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

It’s Another NBA on TNT Thursday Doubleheader; Charles Barkley is Courtside in New York

Tonight, it’s another NBA doubleheader on TNT, the network that should be allowed to air the NBA Finals in the next TV contract. Here’s a partner that has been loyal to the NBA since the mid-1980′s, put the games on TBS then TNT, took over the operations of what was a totally boring NBA TV and turned it into a decent channel and has cash to air the Finals if it’s allowed to. I know ESPN loves having the Finals on ABC, but if Turner can convince the league to put the games on cable, then this is a no-brainer and Turner can alternate with ESPN just like it will do with the NCAA Final Four with CBS starting in 2015.

Anyway, TNT will have its regular two Thursday night games with the Lakers taking on the Knicks in a bi-coastal matchup. Charles Barkley makes another appearance out of the studio and at a game site, this time at Madison Square Garden, joining Marv Albert and Steve Kerr at the broadcast table. David Aldridge gets the sideline assignment.

In the nightcap, it will be David Stern’s least favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs taking on the Portland Trail Blazers. Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller will be courtside with Craig Sager and his loud wardrobe roaming the arena.

Here’s the TNT press release.

NBA on TNT Exclusive Doubleheader: L.A. Lakers vs. New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers Tonight Beginning at 8 ET

TNT’s Charles Barkley to Provide Game Analysis for Lakers vs. Knicks at 8 p.m. ET;
Chris Webber Joins Studio Crew for this Week’s Action

The NBA on TNT will continue tonight with exclusive coverage of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant taking on the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony from Madison Square Garden at 8 ET. Marv Albert will call the game with analysts Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr and reporter David Aldridge. TNT’s exclusive coverage will continue with the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan visiting the Portland Trail Blazers and standout rookie Damian Lillard at 10:30 p.m. Kevin Harlan will provide play-by-play with analyst Reggie Miller and reporter Craig Sager. Chris Webber will join the Inside the NBA studio team with host Ernie Johnson and analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.  

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

NBA on TNT Upcoming Schedule:

DAY/DATE
TIME (ET)	EVENT
Thursday, December 13
8 p.m. ET	TNT NBA Tip-Off
	Ernie Johnson (host),  Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber (analysts)
	Los Angeles Lakers @ New York Knicks
	Marv Albert (play-by-play), Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr (analysts) and David Aldridge (reporter)
10:30 p.m.	San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail Blazers
	Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game	Inside the NBA
	Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber
Thursday, December 20
7 p.m.	TNT NBA Tip-Off
	Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith
	Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves
	Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller and Chris Webber (analysts) and Marty Snider (reporter)
9:30 p.m.	Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks
	Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr and Mike Fratello (analysts), and Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game	Inside the NBA
	Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith

That’s it.

NFL Radio Games For Week 14 of the 2012 Season

Sunday, December 9

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Baltimore at Washington — Chris Carrino/Brian Baldinger
Dallas at Cincinnati — Kevin Burkhardt/Danny White

Dial Global Radio
Chicago at Minnesota — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

Sports USA Radio Network
Tennessee at Indianapolis

3:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Miami at San Francisco — Gregg Daniels/Dale Hellestrae

3:45 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
New Orleans at New York Giants — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli

4 p.m.

Sports USA Radio Network
Arizona at Seattle

7:30 p.m.

Detroit at Green Bay — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Hub Arkush

Monday, December 10

8 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Houston at New England — Kevin Harlan/Boomer Esiason/Mark Malone

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 14, 12/09/12

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Washington — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Kansas City at Cleveland — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New York Jets at Jacksonville — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
San Diego at Pittsburgh — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Tennessee at Indianapolis — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

FOX
Atlanta at Carolina — Gus Johnson/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
Chicago at Minnesota — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Dallas at Cincinnati — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
St. Louis at Buffalo — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Miami at San Francisco — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Arizona at Seattle — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
New Orleans at New York Giants — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Detroit at Green Bay — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Radio Games For Week 13 of the 2012 Season

All Times Eastern

Sunday, December 2

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Indianapolis at Detroit
New England at Miami

Dial Global Radio
Seattle at Chicago — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

Sports USA Radio Network
Minnesota at Green Bay

3:45 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Cleveland at Oakland — Greg Papa/Tom Flores

Dial Global Radio
Pittsburgh at Baltimore — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli

4 p.m.

Sports USA Radio Network
Cincinnati at San Diego

7:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Philadelphia at Dallas — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Scott Kaplan

Monday, December 3

8 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
New York Giants at Washington — Kevin Harlan/Boomer Esiason/Tony Boselli

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 13, 12/02/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, noon

1 p.m.

CBS
Houston at Tennessee — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Indianapolis at Detroit — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Jacksonville at Buffalo — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
New England at Miami — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

FOX
Arizona at New York Jets — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Carolina at Kansas City — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
Minnesota at Green Bay — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
San Francisco at St. Louis — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Seattle at Chicago — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Tampa Bay at Denver — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Cincinnati at San Diego — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Cleveland at Oakland — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Pittsburgh at Baltimore — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Philadelphia at Dallas — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Radio Games For Week 12 of the 2012 Season

Sunday, November 25

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
Oakland at Cincinnati — Greg Papa/Tom Flores

Dial Global Radio
Seattle at Miami — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli

SportsUSA Radio Network
Minnesota at Chicago

3:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Baltimore at San Diego — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

3:45 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
St. Louis at Arizona

4 p.m.

SportsUSA Radio Networks
San Francisco at New Orleans

7:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Green Bay at New York Giants — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Hub Arkush

Monday, November 26

8 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Carolina at Philadelphia — Kevin Harlan/Boomer Esiason/Tony Boselli

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 12, 11/25/2012

All Times Eastern

Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel, 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Indianapolis — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Denver at Kansas City — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Oakland at Cincinnati — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Pittsburgh at Cleveland — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Jacksonville — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein

FOX
Atlanta at Tampa Bay — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick Charles Davis/Laura Okmin
Minnesota at Chicago — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Seattle at Miami — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at San Diego — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

4:25 p.m.

FOX
San Francisco at New Orleans — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at Arizona — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Green Bay at New York Giants — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV Sunday NFL Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

Your Week 11 NFL Viewing Guide For The 2012 Season

So where were you last week?
Sick. I went to bed early without doing any NFL previews.  I think you got by fine. In fact, no one asked me about them.

Who has the doubleheader?
CBS does for Week 11. In the first opportunity for the flex this season, Indianapolis-New England was moved from the early window to the 4:25 p.m. ET national spot. That’s added to San Diego-Denver which was originally the lone late game for CBS. In fact, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms who were originally slated to call Chargers-Broncos were reassigned to Colts-Pats last Monday. Kevin Harlan and Solmon Wilcots will now call the AFC West matchup.

Any blackouts this week?
Buffalo narrowly avoided one for Thursday and Oakland appears safe this week after both markets got help to ensure local fans could see their games. But for the Bills, the rest of the home schedule looks in danger for blackouts.

Byes? Who’s on the bye?
Houston, Minnesota, the New York Football Giants and Seattle are taking the week off. ]

What are your Games of the Week?
Overall, it’s actually the Monday Night game between Chicago and San Francisco. But for Sunday, it’ll be Green Bay at Detroit on Fox (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver), Cleveland at Dallas on CBS (Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf) and Indy-New England also on CBS.

So what else should we look for?
Well, for Week 12, instead of one Thursday game, we get three as Thanksgiving Day games kick in. And don’t forget NBC is back in the Thanksgiving picture this year after being out since 1997. But we’ll do a special Thanksgiving Day NFL Viewing Guide for Thursday. Let’s not jump ahead. Enjoy your Sunday.

NFL Radio Games For Week 11 of the 2012 Season

Sunday, November 18

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Cleveland at Dallas
Philadelphia at Washington

Dial Global Radio
Green Bay at Detroit — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

Sports USA Radio Networks
Jacksonville at Houston

3:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
New Orleans at Oakland — Greg Papa/Tom Flores

3:45 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Indianapolis at New England — Tom McCarthy/Tony Boselli

4 p.m.

Sports USA Radio Networks
San Diego at Denver

7:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Baltimore at Pittsburgh — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Hub Arkush

Monday, November 19

8 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Chicago at San Francisco — Kevin Harlan/Dan Fouts/Mark Malone

NFL Viewing Picks for Week 11, 11/18/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Cincinnati at Kansas City — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Cleveland at Dallas — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Jacksonville at Houston — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New York Jets at St. Louis — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

FOX
Arizona at Atlanta — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Green Bay at Detroit — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Philadelphia at Washington — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Tampa Bay at Carolina — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

FOX
New Orleans at Oakland — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Indianapolis at New England — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
San Diego at Denver — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Baltimore at Pittsburgh — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Radio Games For Week 10 of the 2012 Season

Sunday, November 11

12:30 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Buffalo at New England
Oakland at Baltimore — Greg Papa/Tom Flores

Dial Global Radio
New York Giants at Cincinnati — Tom McCarthy/Tom Boselli

Sports USA Radio Network
Atlanta at New Orleans

3:45 p.m.

Compass Media Networks
Dallas at Philadelphia

Dial Global Sports
St. Louis at San Francisco — Kevin Kugler/Mark Malone

Sports USA Radio Network
New York Jets at Seattle

7:30 p.m.

Dial Global Radio
Houston at Chicago — Dave Sims/James Lofton/Hub Arkush

Monday, November 12

Dial Global Radio
Kansas City at Pittsburgh — Kevin Harlan/Boomer Esiason/Steve Tasker

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 10, 11/11/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The O.T. — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at New England — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Denver at Carolina — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Oakland at Baltimore — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
San Diego at Tampa Bay — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Miami — Spero Dedes/Steve Tasker

FOX
Atlanta at New Orleans — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Detroit at Minnesota — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
New York Giants at Cincinnati — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4:05 p.m.

CBS
New York Jets at Seattle — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Dallas at Philadelphia — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at San Francisco — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Houston at Chicago — Al Michael/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

Various Monday Links

Let’s do some linkage on this Monday.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch talks with TNT’s Charles Barkley about the next phase of his career.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that Saturday nights are becoming a sports TV bastion.

Chris Chase at USA Today’s Game On blog has video of an NFL referee cursing which surprised CBS’ Kevin Harlan.

Liana B. Baker and Lisa Richwine of Reuters says US cable sports networks are in a scrum for ad dollars.

Kimberly Nordyke of the Hollywood Reporter writes that Time Warner SportsNet has signed Cox, but Comcast, DirecTV and Dish still remain holdouts.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable says Travel Channel has signed a deal with the NFL to produce a show on the Cleveland Browns traveling to road games.

E.J. Schultz of Advertising Age says despite the NHL lockout, hockey marketers are finding ways to find their target audience.

Media Life Magazine says CBS scored with Alabama-LSU in primetime on Saturday.

Chuck Ross at TV Week explains why baseball remains the greatest game despite its ratings.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks with CBS/TNT’s Marv Albert about calling games at the age of 71.

Ed wonders where Michelle Beadle will fit in NBC Sports Network’s plans.

CBS Sports reports that Dallas Mavericks announcer Mark Followill got into a bike accident over the weekend.

Radio Ink notes that former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy has joined NBC Sports Radio as an analyst.

Digital TV Europe reports that Al Jazeera’s beIN Sport in France has obtained the rights to air NBA games along with the NFL it previously signed.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes that NBC is going all in with soccer.

Phil Mushnick at the New York Post says Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York Road Runners should have admitted fault in attempting to run the NYC Marathon this past weekend.

Sarah Kogod of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a Wizards beer ad featured an underaged 19 year old Bradley Beal.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner looks at the NBC deal to air English Premier League games starting in 2013.

Jodie Wagner of the Palm Beach Post talks with a local sports radio personality about working in the local market.

Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas says the Texas Rangers have announced their broadcast teams for next season.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reports on the local sports radio ratings.

Jeff Balke of the Houston Press provides fans with ways to watch the Rockets for those who don’t have access to Comcast SportsNet Houston.

Neal Rubin at the Detroit News says a group hopes to land ESPN’s X Games for Motown.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Fox’s crew found a lot to praise about the Green Bay Packers.

Danny Ecker at Crain’s Chicago Business writes that the Big Ten Network continues to air the so-called non-revenue sports.

Paul M. Banks at the Chicago Sports Media Watch wonders why the Illinois Sports Facility Authority would hire a former TV reporter to run the agency.

John Vomhof, Jr. of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal provides a look at Fox Sports North’s new studios.

The Denver Post’s Dusty Saunders feels some sports broadcasters make predictions that can’t possibly come true.

Dusty says MLB is trying to spin the World Series ratings.

Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News writes about the last two holdouts for Time Warner SportsNet.

Tom has the SoCal sports calendar for this week.

Tom has the five things he learned over the weekend.

Sports Media Watch notes that while Alabama-LSU’s overnights were way down from last year, it still had impressive numbers for CBS.

That’s going to do it for now. Squeezed as many links as I could today.