Fang's Bites

Thursday’s Press Release Package

Here are some press releases you should read.

This is from ESPN touting the English Premier League games it will show in the UK. The start times are all UK time so subtract five hours for ET.

LIVE ESPN COVERAGE OF BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE BROADCAST SCHEDULE UNTIL NOVEMBER – SEASON 2009/10

Debut season of coverage opens with Everton v Arsenal on August 15^th

More than half of matches feature last season’s top four finishers

New Premier League broadcaster, ESPN, today revealed their first handpicked selection of 46 live matches for the 2009/10 season, to be broadcast on the soon-to-launch new flagship ESPN SD and HD channels.

Announcing the selection of live matches, Lynne Frank, Managing Director, ESPN for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We’re clearly delighted to be able to broadcast 46 Barclays Premier League matches this season on ESPN. We will kick off our coverage with a clash between Everton and Arsenal, live on the new ESPN channel at 5.15pm on Saturday 15 August. ESPN’s coverage of the matches announced today will bring excitement, surprises and drama to football fans. We are pleased to be a part of the beautiful game, and look forward to delivering fans of all 20 Barclays Premier League clubs top quality coverage as the story of the season unfolds.”

Opening the season’s coverage on day one of the Barclays Premier League on Saturday 15^th August, ESPN will showcase the clash between Everton and Arsenal, last season’s 4^th and 5^th place finishers, at Goodison Park. Convincingly beaten 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in 2008, Everton will be looking to go one better than the 1-1 draw they held Arsenal to at home in January 2009.

Other highlights from the coming season’s possible title contenders include Liverpool v Aston Villa on August 24^th, Spurs v Man United on September 12^th and Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers on October 24^th. Overall, as part of ESPN’s debut schedule of coverage, 12 of the 17 matches chosen for live broadcast so far feature a top four finishing club from the 2008/09 season and include 17 of the 20 Premier League clubs.

The full list of 17 live Barclays Premier League matches, selected until November on ESPN are:

August
Saturday 15th	Everton v Arsenal	5:15pm
Sunday 23rd	West Ham v Tottenham	1:30pm
Monday 24th	Liverpool v Aston Villa	8:00pm
Saturday 29th	Chelsea v Burnley	12:45pm

September
Saturday 12th	Tottenham v Manchester United	5:15pm
Saturday 19th	West Ham v Liverpool	5:15pm
Saturday 26th	Fulham v Arsenal	5:15pm
Monday 28th	Manchester City v West Ham	8:00pm

October
Saturday 3rd	Manchester United v Sunderland	5:15pm
Monday 5th	Aston Villa v Manchester City	8:00pm
Monday 19th	Fulham v Hull City	8:00pm
Saturday 24th	Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers	5:15pm
Saturday 31st	Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers	5:15pm

November
Saturday 7th	Wolves v Arsenal	5:15pm
Monday 9th	Liverpool v Birmingham City	8:00pm
Saturday 21st	Manchester United v Everton	5:15pm
Saturday 28th	Aston Villa v Tottenham	5:15pm

ESPN plans to make its Barclays Premier League coverage widely available across multiple pay-TV platforms. As a first step to this distribution strategy, ESPN reached an agreement for its coverage to be retailed by Sky to residential and commercial customers. ESPN will appear in the Sky Guide at channel number 417 in SD and channel 443 in HD.

Next, TNT concludes its NASCAR season in Chicago on Sunday.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing from Chicago Concludes TNT’s 2009 NASCAR Coverage

Pre-race coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET; green flag drops at 8 p.m. ET

The checkered flag waves on TNT’s exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Saturday, July 11^th with NASCAR Sprint Series Racing from Chicago live from Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The network will air the race beginning at 8 p.m. ET with play-by-play announcer Ralph Sheheen calling the race alongside analysts Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach in the booth. In addition, analyst Larry McReynolds will make frequent contributions from the in-field as he breaks down crew strategy and analyzes car adjustments.

The network will rev up its pre-race coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR on TNT Live! with Marc Fein (host), Petty and McReynolds. TNT will have two top drivers join its infield rig, with No. 24 Jeff Gordon and No. 99 Carl Edwards each stopping by for an interview.

TNT’s acclaimed Pride of NASCAR series will feature racing legend Fred Lorenzen who was named one of NASCAR 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Lorenzen won 26 times in his career, highlighted by his 1965 Daytona 500 victory. Lorenzen will also be remembered for driving a car for one race that was coined the ‘Yellow Banana’ due to its front end sloped downward with a lowered roofline and kicked up tail.

Sheheen will take viewers on a private tour of Jack Roush’s personal garage where Roush will put on display his private collection of rare cars.

The show will be followed by Countdown to Green at 7:30 p.m. ET with Fein (host), Dallenbach (analyst) and Petty (analyst) with reports from TNT pit reporters Adam Alexander, Lindsay Czarniak, Marty Snider and Matt Yocum.

During Countdown to Green, Dallenbach will once again break down race strategy during Wally’s World, as he is superimposed into live race footage from last season’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. He will virtually walk along the road course to discuss its nuances, with the ability to stop the race footage.

Also in the show, No. 2 Kurt Busch will give Snider a tour around the Windy City, Busch’s home away from home during the season. Dallenbach will take a look back to last season’s halfway point and compare it to this season, while McReynolds will look forward and weigh in on what drivers need to do to stay alive in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings.

Countdown to Green leads into coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing from Chicago at 8 p.m. ET with Sheheen, Dallenbach and Petty calling the action with frequent interaction with McReynolds (analyst) who will man the TNT Offtrack Robotic Car.

Throughout this year’s NASCAR on TNT Summer Series, the network will join forces with NASCAR.COM, the official site of NASCAR, to provide TNT RaceBuddy a multiplatform experience for race fans which features live feeds from the racetrack including pit road and in-car cameras, as well as live chats and polls.

REMAINING 2009 NASCAR ON TNT SCHEDULE:

(All times ET)

SATURDAY, JULY 11

6:30 – 7:30 p.m. NASCAR on TNT Live!

7:30 – 8:00 p.m. Countdown to Green

8:00 – 11:30 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing from Chicago (from Chicago Speedway)

Over to Golf Channel which gets ready for the Open Championship at Turnberry, Scotland next week.

ORLANDO, Fla., July 9, 2009 – GOLF CHANNEL analyst Frank Nobilo will return to Turnberry next week as lead analyst for the network’s Live From the Open Championship news coverage (TV Times below). Nobilo found success at Turnberry as a player, competing in his first major championship as a professional there in 1986, and in 1994, recording an 11^th place finish. He offers insight on the host course and the field heading into next week’s Open Championship:

What are some of your memories from the 1994 Open Championship at Turnberry and your T-11 finish?

I had played there in 1986 (my first Open) so it was nice to go back to a venue and have a decent idea of what was required to do well. Conditions were better than in ‘86, and the golf course didn’t appear as intimidating. I opened up with rounds of 69-67 to be well placed, just three back from Watson but went backwards with a round of 72 on Saturday when everybody shot mid to high 60′s. A closing 68 redeemed my week a little but not enough to back door a top 10.

How different will the course setup be next week compared to ’86 and ’94?

I don’t think the setup will be much different from ‘86 or ‘94 but the course will play radically different. The average tee shot goes about 20 yards further than ‘94 and there is less dispersion. So, unless they have cold, wet, windy weather – which is unlikely given the recent heat wave – the course will certainly not present the same test as it did in the past.

The weather was much colder and the wind blew most of the week in ’86. Barring Norman’s 63, the scores were relatively high all week. In ‘94 the conditions were relatively benign and the ball tended to roll out more. I don’t remember the rough being as difficult, consequently the scores were much better. This year, with such a dry summer and the massive technological advances coming in the late ‘90′s, it certainly will have lost some teeth.

What are the keys to success in playing at Turnberry next week?

Turnberry is one of the most exposed Open venues. There are lots of holes with no protection on the tee shots and fairways that slope away from the dogleg. The biggest problem for the players will be dealing with stiff cross breezes on holes that often bend or slope in an opposite direction.

What do you think will be the key holes next week in determining the Open Champion?

The first 6 holes are key especially if the wind blows. You never play two consecutive holes in a similar direction until you play 5 and 6. Consequently it is very easy to get over par in a hurry and have your back against the wall. 9 is never easy especially with a left-to-right wind. The fairway slopes to the right while the hole bends to the left. You also have to somehow close your round off on those last 4 holes. A 3-4-4-4 finish will go a long way each day.

Who are the front runners and who might be dark horses next week?

No surprise, even though Tiger has never set foot on Turnberry prior to this Open, he is the odds-on favorite. I think his challengers will be a little younger than previous years. Sean O’Hair, who has recovered from his forearm issue that made him withdraw from the Memorial Tournament, is ready to break through. Anthony Kim, who did well last year in his first Open in bad conditions, is now healthy. The best European hopes look to be Paul Casey, who hopefully has settled into the fact that he belongs amongst the best players in the game today, and Stenson, in case you have forgotten how well he played at The Players and snuck in the back door at Bethpage. I still have to add Garcia to this bunch. His ability to move the ball around in windy conditions makes him hard to overlook. I know you have to make the putts, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to many if he were to break through. A lot of eyes on Harrington going for three in a row, but more realistically he is trying to recover some form to get his game back on track. For an oldie but a goody, remember Goosen. He has quietly gotten his game back.

Is Tiger Woods back to his pre-surgery form, and how do you think Turnberry suits his game?

According to Woods he has struggled with the knee for several years, so to compare his form of the first six months of the year to his previous two or three seasons is difficult. There are some areas of his game that are better than pre-surgery. The pace of his swing is far smoother and the transition from backswing to downswing generally much quieter. I still don’t think he is 100% as his gait is still not normal and it looks like he still has tightness in his hip, probably from favoring the leg. But if anything, he looks more determined now than ever. It is hard to say he has been inconsistent as he has not finished out of the top-10 in a stroke play event since his return, but he has not played any two tournaments with the same type of golf. Now that is scary.

Live From the Open Championship TV Times

Tuesday – Wednesday 2 – 4 p.m. ET (News Conferences)

Wednesday 6 – 8 p.m. ET (Live)

Thursday – Saturday 2:30 – 4 p.m. ET (Live)

Sunday 1:30 – 4 p.m. ET (Live)

Thursday – Sunday 7 – 9 p.m. ET (Live)

I celebrate the first ever Tennis Channel press release sent to the Fang’s Bites inbox. This one talks about what TTC will air this weekend.

TENNIS CHANNEL TO CARRY COMPLETE, LIVE COVERAGE OF 2009 U.S. DAVIS CUP QUARTERFINAL THIS WEEKEND

Tennis Channel also Covers International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductions in Addition to On-Court Action as Stars James Blake, Mardy Fish, and Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan Chase Cup

LOS ANGELES, July 9, 2009 – Tennis Channel will provide exclusive coverage of the U.S. Davis Cup quarterfinal match up in Porec, Croatia, this weekend, with live and same-day, “Instant Encore” replays Friday through Sunday. The network will also telecast the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Newport, R.I., as tennis greats Monica Seles, Andres Gimeno, Donald L. Dell and Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson are honored this Saturday, July 11, at 7 p.m. ET.

Quarterfinal competition between the United States and Croatia will consist of two singles matches on Friday, July 10, at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, July 11, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, July 12, at 10 a.m. ET. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points advancing to the yearlong tournament’s semifinal against the winner of Argentina and the Czech Republic, Sept. 18-20.

Leading the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 induction ceremony, which will be held during the final weekend of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, is nine-time Grand Slam singles champion and former World No. 1 Monica Seles. Also joining in on the induction festivities is 1972 French Open champion, Andres Gimeno, who has been elected in the Master Player category. Finally, Donald L. Dell, of sports marketing and professional sports management company Professional Services Inc. (ProServ), joins the late Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson, founder and director of the American Tennis Association (ATA) Junior Development Program, who helped pave the way for African-Americans in tennis, in the Contributor category.

Following this weekend’s coverage, Tennis Channel’s Web site, www.tennischannel.com, will offer the induction ceremony on demand and in its entirety for free.

U.S. Davis Cup overage from Zatika Sports Hall (all times ET):

Friday, July 10:

10 a.m. – Live Singles #1

1 p.m. – Live Singles #2

{8 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #1}

{11 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #2}

Saturday, July 11:

9:30 a.m. – Live Doubles

{12:30 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Doubles}

{8 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Doubles}

{11 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Doubles}

Sunday, July 12:

10 a.m. – Live Singles #1

1 p.m. – Live Singles #2

{8 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #1}

{11 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #2}

Croatia hopes to uphold its unbeaten record of 2-0 against the U.S. team, defeating the Americans 4-1 during the 2003 Davis Cup first round in Zagreb, Croatia and again in the 2005 first round, winning 3-2 in Carson, Calif. The United States enters this weekend’s match after beating Switzerland 4-1 in Birmingham, Ala., and is bidding to reach the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. In 2007 the U.S. team won its 32^nd Davis Cup title with a 4-1 win against Russia, whom it had not defeated since 1995.

Three-time Davis Cup team member and Davis Cup captain since 2000, Patrick McEnroe returns as the 2009 U.S. Davis Cup coach to America’s team. Mardy Fish, World No. 23, will replace Andy Roddick on the team, due to the latter’s right hip flexor, injured during his five-set loss in the singles final at Wimbledon Sunday. James Blake is ranked No. 17 and comes into this weekend’s match after an impressive run to the men’s doubles semifinals at Wimbledon with fellow Davis Cup teammate Mardy Fish before losing to defending champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonji?. On the doubles front, twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan continue to be the world’s most dominant pair, currently ranked No. 1, and winners of the 2009 Australian Open championships.

The Croatians enter this weekend’s match after defeating Chile 5-0 in Porec, Croatia, in the first round to reach the quarterfinals for the fifth time. After winning 3-2 in the 2005 final against Slovak Republic in Bratislava, Croatia became the 12^th nation to win the Davis Cup and the first unseeded nation to ever win. The team is captained by Goran Prpic and features four of Croatia’s best-known tennis stars including Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko.

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com) is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle. A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community. It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by eight of the top 10 MSOs and has a national footprint via DIRECTV and DISH Network.

National Geographic Channel marks the return of “Locked Up Abroad” with a new episode next Wednesday.

LOCKED UP ABROAD: IRAQ

Wednesday, July 15 at 10PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad/4388/Overview

September 7, 2004: US forces are about to attack Tall ‘Afar in northwest Iraq. Journalists Scott Taylor and Zeynep Tugrul rush to the remote city to report from the front line. But they are kidnapped by insurgents who think they’re American spies. From then on their lives hang in the balance as the American military pounds the city and the journalists face execution and torture and witness scenes few Westerners have ever survived.

REENACTMENT: Scott and Zeynep (actors) meeting suicide bombers in the desert. (photo credit © Raw Television)

Video “Hostage in Iraq” – A trip to Iraq becomes a journalist’s worst nightmare.

Video “Al-Qaeda Hostages” – Two people have been taken hostage by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and have been told this is their last night to live.

Video “Locked Up Abroad: Iraq – Behind-the-Scenes” – Go behind-the-scenes with Locked Up Abroad: Iraq for interviews with the show’s director, producer, and others.

Thanks to the fine people at Nat Geo for allowing me to embed these videos. I have more stuff coming up.

Your Tuesday Press Releases

We have a bunch of press releases to post tonight. It’s not going to be a scrollfest, but enough to make this a good sized post.

Starting with NESN which will air a commercial-free special a week from this Saturday on Jim Rice’s induction into the Hall of Fame.

NESN TO PREMIERE JIM RICE: THE JOURNEY TO COOPERSTOWN ON SATURDAY, JULY 18 AT 9 PM

Original NESN Entertainment (ONE) Special to air Commercial Free

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, will premiere Jim Rice: The Journey to Cooperstown on Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 PM. This Original NESN Entertainment special will recount Rice’s passage from a segregated small town high school team to the daunting left field role at Fenway Park during the tumultuous 1970’s in Boston. Former teammates including, Ellis Burks, Dwight Evans, Rich Gedman, Fred Lynn, Jerry Remy and Carl Yastrzemski share anecdotes and stories from his remarkable career.

Earlier this month, NESN cameras accompanied Jim to his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina where Rice introduces viewers to the people and places which shaped him as a ballplayer, and how they influenced his career with the Red Sox.

“Along with Red Sox fans everywhere, we are very excited that Jim is receiving the recognition he richly deserves as one of baseball’s all-time greats,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer. “Jim humbly allowed us to follow him back to his hometown in South Carolina to document where he grew up and to meet many of the people that helped make him into the extraordinary player and person that he is today.”

Jim Rice was one of the most feared sluggers in all of baseball in the late 70’s and 80’s while playing leftfield for the Boston Red Sox. He was an 8-time All-Star and was voted the American League MVP in 1978. Since retiring in 1989, Rice has served in several roles in the Red Sox organization including the team’s hitting coach from 1995 to 2000 and since 2003 he has served as a studio analyst on NESN. In January 2009, Rice was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his 15^th and final year of eligibility.

Here’s an update on the MLB All-Star Final Vote.

LEAD CHANGES HIGHLIGHT DAY TWO OF ALL-STAR GAME SPRINT FINAL VOTE

Sandoval and Kinsler re-gain top spots in tight races after briefly losing them overnight

NEW YORK, July 7, 2009 – Both races in this year’s All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote saw lead changes last night after day one frontrunners Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants and Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers fell behind Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies and Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers, respectively. At the 48-hour mark, Sandoval and Kinsler have each re-gained those leads with balloting ahead of last year’s record pace as 22.2 million votes have been cast exclusively on MLB.com and the individual Club sites.

While Sandoval and Victorino swapped the top spot on the ballot last night, Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers each have garnered nearly two million votes and are looming in this very close race for the final roster spot on the 2009 National League All-Star Team. They are followed by Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals.

Over in the American League, Inge eclipsed Kinsler for first place last night before the Rangers second baseman re-gained the lead earlier today. Overall, Kinsler, Inge and Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim each have tallied more than two million votes while Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays are in position to make a run.

The eighth annual All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot commenced exclusively on MLB.com and the individual Club sites at 2 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday and will continue until the voting concludes at 4 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 9, 2009.

Mobile voting is available exclusively on Sprint capable mobile phones and fans can send the word “Vote” to 1122 to receive the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot. Standard text rates apply. In Canada, fans should text the word “Vote” to 88555.

Here is your schedule of tournaments that will be aired on the Golf Channel this week.

GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

July 6 – July 12, 2009

John Deere Classic

Dates: 7/9 – 7/12

Venue: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 3 – 6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)

Friday 3 – 6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Rich Lerner (Play by Play)

Peter Oosterhuis (Analyst)

Bobby Clampett (Tower)

Mark Lye (Tower)

Matt Gogel (On Course)

Scott Walker (Interviews)

Broadcast Notes: Thursday – Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET, PGA TOUR Primetime will re-air the opening rounds of the John Deere Classic with special bonus coverage not seen during the live telecast…

3M Championship

Dates: 7/10 – 7/12

Venue: TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Friday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 7 – 9:30 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Brian Hammons (Play by Play)

Frank Nobilo (Analyst)

John Mahaffey (Tower)

David Marr (On Course)

Donna Caponi-Byrnes (On Course)

Ford Wayne Gretzky Charity Classic presented by Samsung

Dates: 7/9 – 7/12

Venue: The Georgian Club, Georgian Bay, Canada/ Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay, Georgian Bay, Canada

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 1 – 3 p.m. (Live)

Friday 1 – 3 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 1 – 4 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 1 – 4 p.m. (Live)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Jerry Foltz (Play by Play)

Curt Byrum (Analyst)

Jason Buha (On Course)

John Maginnes (On Course)

Adam Barr (Interviews)

The Barclays Scottish Open

Dates: 7/9 – 7/12

Venue: Loch Lomond, Glasgow, Scotland

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Live)

Friday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 9:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Prime Replay)

Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 (Live) / 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Prime Replay)

Tennis.com says it was the destination for fans during Wimbledon. I’ll have to take the site’s at its word.

TENNIS.COM DRAWS MORE THAN ONE MILLION

UNIQUE USERS FOR WIMBLEDON

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 7, 2009 – They may play on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon in “classic tennis whites,” but when fans want the news, they turn to the Internet. For the second consecutive Grand Slam tournament, TENNIS.com, the world’s leading tennis website, attracted more than one million unique visitors and over 11 million page views.

TENNIS.com’s increased traffic during the Wimbledon fortnight represented a 34% increase in page impressions and 25% increase in unique visitors from last year. The 2009 French Open, which is one day longer than Wimbledon, garnered a record 1.1 million unique visitors to TENNIS.com this year.

The same growth was evident during the classic final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. The match attracted 104,022 unique users and 994,250 page views. Last year’s showdown between Federer and Rafael Nadal recorded 83,234 unique users and 643,171 page views.

“The extraordinary growth of TENNIS.com is something we’re very proud of, and a testament to the quality and quantity of our reporting,” said James Martin, Editor of TENNIS.com. “Amid our competitors, we’re the first to post on breaking news and big match results. Tennis fans know that if they want to stay on top of the game, TENNIS.com is the best place to go.”

Here are just a few examples of TENNIS.com delivering breaking news from Wimbledon first.

Friday, June 19: Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon

• TENNIS.com has the story as lead at 2:14 pm (as it happened)
• No other major sports website (ESPN.com, ESPN.com’s tennis page, SI.com, Yahoo! Sports’ tennis page, or FoxSports.com) has the story mentioned through 2:16 pm
• At 2:21 pm, ESPN.com reports the story on their main page and tennis page and offers a link
• Yahoo! Sports tennis still had no report at 2:22 pm

Wednesday, June 24: Maria Sharapova eliminated in second round of Wimbledon

• TENNIS.com has the story as lead at 10:23 am (as it happened)
• ESPN.com’s tennis page did not break this until after 10:35 am – by 10:41 am, it was posted

Thursday, June 25: Lleyton Hewitt beats No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro in the 2nd round

• TENNIS.com has the story as lead at 10:44 am (as it happened)
• Yahoo mentioned the result at 10:46 am, but only as a small lead
• ESPN.com’s tennis page did not break the story until 10:49 am

Saturday, June 27: Melanie Oudin beats No. 6 Jelena Jankovic in the third round of Wimbledon.

• TENNIS.com has the story as lead at 10:08 am (as it happened)
• Yahoo! Sports’ tennis page and ESPN.com’s tennis page do not have the result at 10:18 am and 10:19 am, respectively

“From our in-depth blogs and viewpoints to our instruction, gear, and fitness coverage, TENNIS.com is one-stop shopping for the tennis enthusiast. Our message board community has grown by leaps and bounds, a reflection of the passion of our fans. And you can follow us through Twitter and Facebook,” explained Martin. “All in all, we offer an unsurpassed tennis experience.”

And National Geographic Channel has a fascinating special about living on the moon airing on the day before the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission landing.

NAKED SCIENCE: LIVING ON THE MOON

Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/4253/Overview

The day before the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11, NGC presents Living on the Moon. Man has always dreamed of living on the moon, and now a team of NASA scientists is proving that dream could be achieved in our lifetime. We take viewers inside Constellation, the space program’s plan to establish a human outpost on the moon by 2020. Take a closer look at the plans under way, from upgraded space suits to housing modules and moon vehicles, and examine the challenges ahead, such as finding water, making oxygen, growing food and protecting residents from deadly radiation. Then, using 3-D animation, we’ll visualize how the remarkable outpost will take shape.

CGI: Astronaut with moon dust. (Credit: © National Geographic Channel)

Video “Moon Water” – Maybe the moon has water. Maybe the moon has lots of water. How on earth will we get to it?

Video “Moon Colony” – Humans are colonizers, and the moon is ripe for populating. But how? And who?

As usual, I look forward to seeing NatGeo’s documentaries. They’re always fun to watch.

Lots o’ Press Releases

I have a bunch of press releases to post. Since this is a holiday weekend, the networks’ sports PR departments want to get things out early and be on Cape Cod by Friday at 3 p.m. so the fine people at ESPN, CBS, CNBC and Fox churned stuff out today. It leaves you the Fang’s Bites visitor with plenty to read and a lot to scroll. Let’s get cracking.

ESPN leans on Dick Enberg to remember his first ” Breakfast at Wimbledon” 30 years ago and his first “Supper at Wimbledon” on Monday.

Under the Lights: The First “Supper at Wimbledon”

Thirty years after he was part of the first live broadcast of the Gentlemen’s Final from Wimbledon, (“Breakfast at Wimbledon” — Roscoe Tanner vs. Bjorn Borg, 1979), Dick Enberg was again part of history, calling ESPN2′s quarterfinal match in which Scotsman Andy Murray outlatsted Stanislaus Wawrinka of Switzerland 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 — the first match played completely under the new retractable roof of the famed Centre Court (Monday, June 29). With rain falling, the roof had been closed earlier in the day in the middle of the Dinara Safina-Amelie Mauresmo quarterfinal, and it stayed closed as Britain’s latest favorite son, the #3 seed, took on the surprising #19 seed. Illuminated by lights for the first time in history, the sacred sod saw play continue to the latest time in Wimbledon history — 10:39 p.m. locally (5:39 p.m. ET) after 3:46 of back-and-forth action. (The previous record, when competition was limited by the setting sun, was 9:49 p.m. in 2006.)

As for the first-ever “Supper at Wimbledon,” Enberg says, “Of all the changes made here over the years, I was pleased to be part of another piece of Wimbledon history. The quality of the match and the atmosphere made for a ‘tennis dessert’ to the first Supper at Wimbledon. It felt like a championship.

“For generations the long-suffering British tennis fans have anquished over the fate of their male players, with Tim Henman the latest to tease and come close but not end the drought of a British title holder that dates to Fred Perry in 1936. Now they pin their hopes on Andy Murray, who is bigger, faster and stronger…yet still has the flair for dramatic theatre for which London and Wimbledon are famous.”

ESPN goes over what’s up for bid for the “V Foundation Auction”.

“Don’t Give Up V Foundation Auction” to Include 2010 Range Rover and Mike & Mike in the Morning from a Listener’s Home

Online Items and Experiences July 5-15; Day Long ESPN Radio On-Air Auction July 15

A new 2010 Range Rover luxury vehicle – the Autobiography specification valued at over $100,000* — and ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning broadcasting from a listener’s home highlight the more than 275 items and experiences available for bid in the fifth annual “Don’t Give Up V Foundation Auction” July 5-15. Net proceeds from the auction benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The majority of the experiences and items will be available through an online component via espnradio.com or ebay.com (July 5-15) – including the Range Rover, donated by Land Rover North America, and Mike & Mike in the Morning — while 26 fan “experiences” will be auctioned in an 18-hour radiothon across ESPN Radio’s six national shows on Wednesday, July 15 beginning at 6 a.m. ET.

Bidding for the Range Rover, the first vehicle ever available in the auction, will begin at $50,000. The 2010 Range Rover Autobiography – the Land Rover flagship vehicle — will feature a series of enhanced elements, including updated exterior revisions providing a more contemporary detailing to the classic Range Rover design; a new 510 bhp supercharged engine; advanced interior technologies, including a virtual instrument panel; and active safety aids highlighted by Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and a surround camera system.

For the second consecutive year, the Mike & Mike in the Morning experience will open at $0.99. Last year’s experience, marking the first time it was offered, garnered a winning bid of $57,100, the largest for any item. The morning program is hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. ET on ESPN Radio, ESPN2 HD and espnradio.com.

ESPN Radio’s “experiences” will range from special access ticket packages to sporting events and trips to handing Lee Corso the mascot head from behind the College GameDay set to various events at ESPN’s headquarters. Listeners call 1-800-4JimmyV to make bids with the highest bidder at 59 minutes past each hour winning the experience. Items available online will include autographed jerseys, footballs, basketballs, baseballs, guitar, golf club and balls, helmets, books, collector’s player cards and photos. Details of the other auction and online items and experiences are available on espnradio.com.

The fourth annual ESPN Radio “Don’t Give Up V Foundation Auction” set a record by raising $1,130,314 for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a 323% increase from the inaugural event’s total of $201,000 in 2005. The event has raised more money each year ($435,770 in 2006 and $851,036 in 2007).

The event is one of Team ESPN’s corporate outreach initiatives which will coincide with the ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic on July 14 and the ESPYs July 15 (televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN HD).

* Vehicle details: The winner shall receive a 2010 Range Rover Autobiography, inclusive of all standard Autobiography content, standard color and trim options, as well as the Surround Camera System. Additional charge color and trim options may be specified at the auction winners expense.

ESPN will tug at your heartstrings again this year when it brings back “My Wish” next week.

SportsCenter ‘My Wish’ Series Returns July 5-9

ESPN to Chronicle Five Children’s Unique Sports-Themed Experiences Granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation^®

For the fourth straight year, ESPN will present its critically acclaimed SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series, which chronicles sports-themed wishes granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Stephanie Druley, senior coordinating producer, ESPN, and David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer, announced today that the series will air Sunday, July 5, through Thursday, July 9,.

As part of the series, ESPN will help grant sports-related wishes with leading sports figures to five children referred through the world’s largest wish-granting charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Each wish will be the subject of one SportsCenter feature segment.

Similar to previous years, the SportsCenter segment will feature the story behind the wish, interviews with the youngsters and their families and a behind-the-scenes look at the wish fulfilled, including the interaction between each child and his or her favorite athlete. Emmy Award-winning reporter Chris Connelly will again host, and each SportsCenter “My Wish” segment will be taped.

“Sports have a unique way of connecting people to one another, from athlete to fan, and the ‘My Wish’ series continues to share that bond through one-of-a-kind experiences and stories,” Druley said. “The feedback from participants and viewers has been extremely positive year after year and we find that there are always more compelling stories to be told.”

“The ‘My Wish’ series has generated incredible interest in the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission during the past three years,” Williams said. “The stories genuinely reflect what Wish children experience every day – from the daunting challenges of a life-threatening medical condition to the unforgettable joy of having their heartfelt wishes granted. We truly appreciate the support of ESPN, The Walt Disney Company and the athletes who give their time to make the children’s wishes such amazing moments.”

ESPN.com will offer additional and complementary content related to the five wish-granting experiences.

With more than 20 original episodes in three years, “My Wish” has offered an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the wish-granting experience and featured the Wish children participating in sports-related activities with their favorite athletes or teams, including: Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Todd Helton, Michelle Kwan, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Tedy Bruschi and NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson.

DW! Boogity! Boogity! Boogity! Fox Sports NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip has been nominated for the Inaugural Class at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

BOOGITY! BOOGITY! BOOGITY!

Racing Legend Darrell Waltrip a Nominee for Inaugural NASCAR Hall Of Fame

New York, NY – Darrell Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR Champion and the lead analyst for NASCAR on FOX, is among the first nominees vying for a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, it was announced today on NASCAR.com. It was also revealed today that Waltrip’s long-time rival Bobby Allison is also a nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s first class. Additional nominees, a pair each day, will be identified tomorrow and Thursday, July 2, before the rest are announced Thursday night during an hour-long special on SPEED at 8:00 PM ET.

Long before flourishing in his current role as the cornerstone of NASCAR on FOX’s broadcast team, Waltrip became one of the sport’s most legendary drivers. Upon retirement in 2000, Waltrip recorded 84 career wins (3^rd all-time) and was Winston Cup Champion in 1981, 1982 and 1985. Clearly, Waltrip’s most memorable victory was the 1989 Daytona 500, his sole career win at the Great American Race.

“My whole career, I‘ve always thought it was cool that other big league sports would refer to their guys as ‘Hall of Famers,’” said Waltrip from his home in Franklin, TN. “I hoped that one day someone would refer to me that way. It‘s the greatest honor a driver can receive, to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It means you must have been pretty good at what you do. I am humbled and excited that my name, Darrell Waltrip, would be under consideration for a spot in the Hall.”

Thursday’s SPEED special will be hosted by long-time NASCAR broadcaster Ken Squier, and immediately following the program, NASCAR.com will provide a gallery of all 25 finalists and will open registration for a fan vote. Nominees were determined by a 21-person Nominating Committee consisting of officials from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, plus owners and operators of major speedways and historic short tracks. The list will represents many who helped build the sport, including drivers, owners and promoters.

Waltrip twice copped the Most Popular Driver Award (1989-90) and was the proud recipient of the prestigious Bill France Award of Excellence in 2000, honoring his lifetime of achievements on the race track. In 2003, Waltrip was elected into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame, an honor followed by an induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005. Through his 29 year racing career, DW captured 59 Cup poles (4^th all-time) and remains the only five-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 (1978-79, 1985, 1988-89).

The great Darren Rovell of CNBC hosts a new special on the network about the struggles of NASCAR and what it has to do to rebound.

CNBC PRESENTS “INSIDE TRACK: REFUELING THE BUSINESS OF NASCAR”

ORIGINAL CNBC SPECIAL TAKES AN UNPRECEDENTED LOOK AT NASCAR, THE ONCE SEEMINGLY UNSTOPPABLE AND FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN AMERICA

One-Hour Documentary Reported by CNBC’s Sports Business Reporter, Darren Rovell, to Premiere on CNBC on Thursday, July 9th at 9PM, 10PM & 1AM ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 30, 2009-Every weekend from February to November fans show up to see their favorite driver go bumper to bumper at 180MPH toward the checkered flag. The sport fills some of the largest venues in the world...its a Super Bowl every week.  

On Thursday, July 9th at 9PM, 10PM & 1AM ET, CNBC presents "Inside Track: Refueling the Business of NASCAR," reported by CNBC's Emmy-Nominated Sports Business Reporter, Darren Rovell. CNBC takes viewers inside the world of NASCAR, once the fastest growing sport in America, NASCAR is now threatened by an imploding car business and loss of the corporate dollars that are its very lifeblood.

Unlike any other sport, everything in NASCAR is controlled by one family...the France family. They have maintained an iron grip on a sport where television ratings, corporate sponsorship and the number of fans have seemingly defied gravity. But, after a race to the top, attendance and television ratings are starting to decline and the car manufacturing business, for decades the foundation of the sport, is crumbling. Rovell goes one-on-one with NASCAR chairman & CEO Brian France to discuss how he plans to weather the storm.

Win on Sunday, buy on Monday...once rang true of NASCAR fans, but the Wall Street crisis has changed everything and the companies that pay top dollar to have their logo emblazoned on the hood of cars are carefully watching their investment. Is NASCAR sponsorship  paying off? Is the sport still a good fit for corporate America? Rovell speaks with the key people behind the iconic American brands that have stuck with this sport that was born more than five decades ago.

The program also takes viewers inside the garage of driver-turned-owner, Tony Stewart. When Stewart, the fiery, two-time Sprint Cup champion, isn't racing, he's Tony Stewart-the businessman-and he is just as competitive off the track.  For years, Stewart has owned racetracks, open wheel teams and a remote control car outfit-owning 13 businesses in total. Rovell interviews Stewart about his successful rookie season as a driver-owner and the Stewart-Haas team, which according to Forbes magazine, is worth $80 million dollars.

This hour also features a look at the future of NASCAR and the ways in which the sport is trying to broaden its fan base, add foreign automakers and going green.

Rovell also speaks with NASCAR super stars Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards ,  movie star Kevin Costner; Marcus Smith who runs Speedway Motorsports Inc. and Julie Geary, the ultimate NASCAR fan.

Jeff Pohlman is the Executive Producer of "Inside Track: Refueling the Business of NASCAR." Tom Rotunno is the Producer, Nick Stantzos is the Editor and Tyler Mathisen is CNBC's Managing Editor. Ray Borelli is the Vice President of Strategic Research, Scheduling and Long Form Programming.

For more information including web extras, slideshows and extended video clips, log on to nascar.cnbc.com.

"Inside Track: Refueling the Business of NASCAR" will re-air on Sunday, July 12th at 10PM ET and Monday, July 13th at 10PM ET on CNBC.

Sirius XM, mostly XM Satellite Radio will have the MLB Futures Game on Sunday.

SIRIUS XM RADIO TO AIR EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST OF ALL-STAR FUTURES GAME JULY 12

Longtime major league pitcher Jim Kaat will be the game analyst; SIRIUS XM’s Scott Graham will call play-by-play

Futures Game features top minor league prospects from U.S. and abroad

NEW YORK – June 30, 2009 – SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that it will offer baseball fans an exclusive radio broadcast of the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 12, two days before the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. The All-Star Futures Game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and features top minor league prospects from the U.S. and abroad.

Veteran major league pitcher Jim Kaat will be the game analyst for the broadcast, which will air live starting with the pre-game at 2:00 pm ET on XM channel 175. Scott Graham, host of SIRIUS XM’s Baseball This Morning talk show, will be the play-by-play voice.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime broadcaster Jim Kaat, also known as “Kitty,” won 283 games during his 25-year career in Major League Baseball. Best known for his time with the Minnesota Twins, the southpaw won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1962-1977. Following his retirement after the 1983 season, Kaat moved to the broadcast booth, covering three World Series for CBS from 1990-1992, and becoming an analyst for New York Yankees baseball from 1995-2006, where he won seven Emmy Awards. Kaat is now a color commentator for MLB Network’s Thursday Night Baseball series.

Scott Graham has spent over 20 years as a radio and television sportscaster. His work has covered Major League Baseball, the NFL, college football and basketball, and a variety of other sports from golf to volleyball. He has been a play-by-play broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies, ESPN, FOX, CBS and a number of national and regional television and radio networks.

The All-Star Futures Game showcases the brightest talent currently in the minor leagues. Rosters include up to two players from each MLB farm system who are assigned to U.S. and World teams based on place of birth. The World team defeated the U.S. team 3-0 in last year’s All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. This year, Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith will manage the U.S. team and his former Cardinals teammate, Jose Oquendo, now the third base coach for St. Louis, will manage the World team.

On July 4th, CBS airs its NCAA Spring Championships special.

CBS SPORTS TO AIR NCAA SPRING SEASONAL SHOW ON SATURDAY, JULY 4

INDIANAPOLIS — For the seventh consecutive year, all 88 NCAA championships will receive television exposure, including 17 spring sports being featured in a one-hour special. CBS Sports Presents Championships of the NCAA will air at 2 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, July 4, on CBS Sports. Highlights and stories from NCAA baseball, golf, rowing, softball, tennis and outdoor track & field will be featured in the program. For the 2008-09 academic year, CBS Sports will feature half (44) of the NCAA’s 88 championships in its three seasonal shows.

The show focuses on the aspirations of several NCAA student-athletes pursuing their individual and team paths to various national championships, including:

· Division III Rowing – Williams senior Meg Conan overcomes stress fractures in her spine to help defend her teams’ title.

· Division III Men’s Track & Field – The intense rivalry between Abilene Christian and St. Augustine.

· Division I Rowing – Yale senior Christina Person, a member of last years National Championship Varsity Eight Grand Final boat, will pursue a career in the Marines after graduation.

Through the NCAA-CBS 11-year bundled rights agreement, CBS Sports has aired 20 seasonal shows from the three NCAA championship seasons (fall, winter, spring) over the last seven years. Each seasonal show features highlights and unique NCAA student-athlete stories from a variety of NCAA Division II and III championships.

CBS Sports’ Seth Davis will host this edition of CBS Sports Presents Championships of the NCAA. For the fifth consecutive year, the spring program was produced by Deb Boulac. Jonathan Segal, Kimani Morales, Julie Landa and John Paquet served as feature producers. This year’s spring show will again be broadcast entirely in High Definition.

And let’s look at the next episode of National Geographic Channel’s Hooked. Video clips are included.

HOOKED: MONSTER FISH OF THAILAND

Monday, July 6, 2009, at 10 PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/hooked/4320/Overview

The giant freshwater stingray is a megapredator, a true-life Loch Ness monster that can kill with a swipe of its tail! Amazingly, the elusive leviathan was discovered only 20 years ago and already it’s on the vulnerable list. Fish biologist, conservationist and National Geographic Explorer Zeb Hogan is on a mission to find these remarkable creatures as part of the Megafishes Project, a five-year study supported by the National Geographic Society. He’ll head to Thailand, one of the last places on Earth where the freshwater stingray thrives, to see some with his own eyes, and reel them in for a closer look. Hogan will dive into the murky water to learn more about their mysterious behavior—where they roam, how many there are and which areas need protection.

Be there for the milestone moment when Hogan hooks the biggest stingray he’s ever seen. Measuring more than 11 feet long, it takes 12 men to lift the monster ashore. Based on the dimensions, Hogan believes it could possibly be a world record–breaking fish.

CHACHOENGSAO, THAILAND: Zeb Hogan holds giant freshwater shrimps, the giant stingray’s favorite food. (photo credit © Zeb Hogan)

SAMUTSONGKHRAM, THAILAND: Zeb Hogan with the recaptured giant freshwater stingray. (photo credit © Zeb Hogan)

Video “Giant Food for Giant Fish” – Zeb is in Thailand to find a giant stingray — and by the looks of the local shrimp, he’s in the right place.

Video “Swimming with Stingrays” – Zeb’s getting in the pool with a giant hungry stingray. Now that’s dedication.

Video “Giant Stingray” – Zeb has finally caught a giant stingray, but time is running out to get her weighed for the record books.

There you have it. That’s it for tonight.

A Huge Pile of Press Releases to Review

This is going to be a long post. Get ready to scroll for a while. Let’s do this without further delay.

“LIVE AT WIMBLEDON” STREAMING COVERAGE ANNOUNCED BY NBC SPORTS & ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS CLUB

First-Ever Widely Available Free Wimbledon Streaming in U.S. Features Live Matches From Multiple Courts, Alternate Camera Angles, On-demand Replays & More “Live at Wimbledon” is Accessible at NBCSports.com & Wimbledon.org

NEW YORK – June 22, 2009 – NBC Sports and the AELTC combine to present Live at Wimbledon, providing live streaming and on-demand access to The Championships, Wimbledon it was announced today. The Live at Wimbledon video experience, which will be powered by Microsoft Silverlight, marks the first time that coverage of The Championships, Wimbledon will be widely available in the U.S. via free, live online streaming.

The All England Club's U.S. network partner, NBC Sports, is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Breakfast at Wimbledon and is in its 41st consecutive year as the broadcast home of Wimbledon. NBC Sports will present more than 38 broadcast hours of coverage over nine days from Wimbledon beginning this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, and includes live coverage of the Gentleman's and Ladies' Finals. All matches televised by NBC Sports are available online at Live at Wimbledon via NBCSports.com and Wimbledon.org. 

In addition to NBC Sports broadcast coverage, Live at Wimbledon will offer live streaming of up to four concurrent courts, on-demand replays of the best matches from every day of The Championships, alternate camera angles for NBC Sports semifinal and final match coverage, daily video highlights, and Golden Moments from the Wimbledon archive, including an on-demand replay of the classic 2008 Gentlemen's Finals between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, that NBC Sports' John McEnroe said was the "greatest match we've ever seen."  

Live at Wimbledon will be available starting today, the first day of The Championships, Wimbledon with on-demand coverage. Live streaming of NBC Sports coverage and additional matches will begin on Saturday, June 27, concluding with the Ladies' Final on Saturday, July 4 at 9 a.m. ET and the Gentlemen's Final on Sunday, July 5 at 9 a.m. ET.  

The Live at Wimbledon video experience will be powered by Microsoft Silverlight and offers the first implementation of Live Smooth Streaming for U.S.-based audiences. Silverlight and Live Smooth Streaming enable NBC Sports and Live at Wimbledon to deliver true high definition (HD)-quality streaming video for both live NBC Sports broadcast and on-demand coverage. Live at Wimbledon users will also be able to experience digital video recorder (DVR)-like controls, such as the ability to pause live action, skip back to drive their own instant replays, and join live broadcasts mid-event. Microsoft partnered with application service provider iStreamPlanet to build the Live at Wimbledon video player and handle content acquisition, encoding, and origin hosting with Akamai providing the delivery of the content.  

"NBC Sports has a proud tradition of Wimbledon coverage, and we are even prouder to extend our coverage online with the all-new Live at Wimbledon," said Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports & Olympics, Digital Media.
"Tennis fans in the U.S. can now widely follow Wimbledon online both live and on-demand, and the quality of the Live at Wimbledon video player will only enhance their viewing experience."  

"Building on the success of the NBCOlympics.com broadcast of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, we're excited to partner with NBC Sports once again to provide Silverlight and the unique capabilities of Live Smooth Streaming to power Live at Wimbledon," said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Platform at Microsoft Corp. "Silverlight enables NBC Sports to provide Wimbledon fans true HD-quality video content and DVR-like features, dramatically improving the quality of the online viewing experience over previous years."

During the Wimbledon fortnight, ESPNews will add a live morning show to its schedule featuring updates from SW19 in London.

ESPNEWS Adds Live Morning Show During Wimbledon

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23, ESPNEWS will televise a live half-hour program weekdays at 10 a.m. ET to focus on Wimbledon, with highlights, live look-ins to matches and post-match press conferences, along with other sports news. The program will complement ESPN2’s extensive day-long coverage which starts at 7 a.m., and will continue until Friday, July 3. The extended coverage from Wimbledon will continue throughout the day on ESPNEWS.

CBS says U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday.

NEW YORK, June 22 – 2009 U.S. Open golf champion Lucas Glover will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, June 23 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. In only the second victory of his PGA Tour career, Glover shot a final round 3-over par 73 to take the rain-delayed tournament Monday, finishing with a two-shot victory over runners up Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ricky Barnes.

Also on the LATE SHOW Tuesday will be author and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and musical guests MSTRKRFT with John Legend. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Maria Pope, Jude Brennan and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

NBC has rescheduled the U.S. Open Challenge, originally supposed to air this past weekend, for the July 4th holiday.

GOLF DIGEST U.S OPEN CHALLENGE RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JULY 4 ON NBC SPORTS  Event Featured Jordan, Timberlake, Roethlisberger Playing Bethpage Black 

NEW YORK -- June 22, 2009 - NBC Sports' broadcast of the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 4 at 2 p.m. following NBC Sports' coverage of the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Final. The event had been originally scheduled for broadcast yesterday leading into NBC Sports' final round U.S. Open coverage but weather delays forced programming changes.

Michael Jordan, Ben Roethlisberger, Justin Timberlake and amateur winner Larry Giebelhausen all set out with the goal of breaking 100 at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, the site of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship.

The group played all 18 holes of the Black Course from the back tees under strict USGA rules.

In the December 2008 issue, Golf Digest asked readers to send in a six-word essay on why they thought they could break 100 at Bethpage Black. The four finalists were narrowed down from 73,581 essays that were submitted. Larry Giebelhausen a police lieutenant of Scottsdale, Ariz., won the online vote with "I'm a cop, I'll shoot low."

Golf Channel tells us that a new original series hosted by actor Anthony Anderson premieres on Tuesday.

GOLF CHANNEL CHRONICLES THE GAME OF LIFE THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF WITH NEW ORIGINAL TELEVISION SERIES GOLF IN AMERICA

Golf in America Sneak Preview

10-Part Series, Hosted by Anthony Anderson, Premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 22, 2009) – GOLF CHANNEL’s newest original series, Golf in America, will travel coast-to-coast to discover never-before-told stories, larger-than-life characters and inspirational people to capture the spirit of the game of golf. Hosted by film and television actor Anthony Anderson (Law & Order, Transformers), the 10-episode series premieres this Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.

Whether it is a one-of-a-kind golf course situated within the walls of a Louisiana prison, or how golf is being used as both physical and psychological therapy for wounded soldiers returning from the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan – Golf in America will chronicle stories in stunning HD from celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Donald Trump to everyday people across the country who are all unified by the sport. GOLF CHANNEL’s Rich Lerner, Kelly Tilghman, Jim Gray, Brandel Chamblee and John Feinstein are among the contributors that will help bring Golf in America stories to life as series correspondents.

Tuesday’s premiere episode features the triumphant tale of a group of friends who attempted their annual winter golf pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina via Flight 1549 which landed in the Hudson River; Bethpage Black, the first public course to host the U.S. Open; and a massive underground bunker constructed for Congress during the height of the Cold War hidden beneath the stately resort of The Greenbrier in the hills of West Virginia.

Golf in America airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on GOLF CHANNEL.

NBA.com and NBA TV outline their NBA Draft coverage.

NBA TV and NBA.com Suit Up for 2009 NBA Draft with Extensive Multiplatform Coverage

NBA TV and NBA.com will provide fans with all-access coverage leading up to, and continuing throughout, the 2009 NBA Draft, which will be held at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, June 25th.

For the first time, Tennessee Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl will join NBA TV’s draft night coverage to provide a unique perspective on the NBA Draft Preview Show at 6 p.m. ET and the 2009 NBA Draft Recap at Midnight ET. In addition, Pearl will provide blogs on NBA.com titled “Pearl’s Gems” with his insight on the NBA Draft and prospects.

The NBA Draft coverage will be fully integrated with multiplatform content on NBA TV and NBA.com, with unprecedented opportunities for fans to interact with the NBA TV analysts, voice their opinions and access detailed information about each draft selection.

In addition to pre and post-draft analysis, an expert panel of announcers including host Rick Kamla, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Pearl will provide Instant Analysis of key draft selections that will be available exclusively on NBA.com. NBA Insider David Aldridge will be on-hand for NBA TV and NBA.com with breaking news updates about trades. Also, reporter Craig Sager will be on hand at Madison Square Garden in New York City to interview players moments after they are selected in the draft via the Virtual Green Room, streamed on NBA.com. NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake will be in New York to provide scouting reports and draft analysis of international players throughout the night.

“The level of interactivity and depth of our 2009 Draft coverage is unprecedented as we deliver broad professional analysis and exclusive content generated by players and fans across our TV, Internet and Wireless platforms” said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital. “We are thrilled to add Bruce Pearl to our industry leading analyst team as he brings great energy and insight having coached against many of the draft prospects on a collegiate level.”

NBA TV will offer original studio programming leading up to the NBA Draft including:

• NBA GameTime: Coming Attractions (Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla, analyst Steve Smith, NBA Insider David Aldridge and Ryan Blake review the NBA.com mock drafts to anticipate possible selections for the 2009 NBA Draft.

• NBA GameTime: Interactive Draft Room (Wednesday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and NBA Insider David Aldridge will interact with fans during a live webcast on NBA.com from 4-5 p.m. ET. The show will use interactive platforms including NBA.com Fan Forums and NBA TV’s Twitter account to generate fan content, questions and comments related to the draft. The Interactive Draft Room will air on television at 7 p.m. ET.

• Division Review Shows (Friday, June 26, 7 — 10 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and NBA Insider David Aldridge break down each division, team-by-team, to assess the impact of the draft on the team. Each team segment will also be available on NBA.com.

• NBA.com will also offer additional exclusive content including: player blogs from draft prospects Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough and Stephen Curry; an exclusive interview with DKV Joventut player Ricky Rubio from Spain; a live press conferences of the top draft selections; a live draft trade chart to track team trades; prospect profiles and highlights; photo galleries, polls and fan reaction via NBA.com’s Fan Voice forums.

This leads into ESPN’s plans to air the NBA Draft this Thursday.

ESPN, Inc. to Present 63^rd Annual NBA Draft

Draft Televised in HD For First Time

For the seventh consecutive year, ESPN will provide exclusive live coverage of the NBA Draft Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. ET from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. ESPN’s NBA Draft telecast will be available in high definition – for the first time – on ESPN HD. Stuart Scott will host ESPN’s coverage with college basketball analyst and Draft expert Jay Bilas and NBA analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Additional contributors will include international basketball expert Fran Fraschilla; college basketball analyst Dick Vitale (via satellite); on-site reporters Ric Bucher and Andy Katz; on-site interviews by Mark Jones; green room interviews by Lisa Salters; and field reporter Rachel Nichols from Tarrytown, N.Y., site of the New York Knicks’ training facility.

ESPN’s comprehensive multimedia presentation of the NBA Draft will also include a live broadcast on ESPN Radio; a live simulcast on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV; SportsCenter Specials on ESPN June 22-24; expanded ESPNEWS coverage; ESPNU and ESPN International programming; ESPN Mobile Properties content; comprehensive reporting and analysis on ESPN.com; and an ESPN The Magazine Draft preview (on newsstands now).

ESPN’s Draft telecast will display a constant crawl on-screen graphic at all times – including during commercial breaks – continuously providing up-to-the-minute Draft updates including picks, trades, team-by-team summaries, player stats, the results of ESPN.com’s interactive polling in real time, Bilas’ “Best Available” prospects and Fraschilla’s top international prospects. The crawl will also feature team needs, which will include perspectives from Jackson and Van Gundy. Additionally, those viewing the NBA Draft via ESPN HD will have access to this information and more throughout the entire telecast (with information included within the side columns of the screen).

NBA Draft production elements:

• Jay Bilas’ in-depth analysis of the top prospects;

• video conferencing with 15 team headquarters (Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland and Washington) providing immediate access to the key team personnel in this year’s Draft;

• “Draft Cam” from the Draft rooms of the Los Angeles Clippers (No. 1 pick in the Draft), Memphis Grizzlies (No. 2 Draft pick) and Minnesota Timberwolves (three first-round selections), providing a unique window to the decision makers as they make their selection;

• more than 130 player highlight packages featuring top prospects;

• behind-the-scenes video of prospects as they endure testing and measurements at the Chicago Pre-Draft camp;

• a special production shoot involving several of the top players in the Draft including Stephen Curry (Davidson), DeMar DeRozan (USC), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Ty Lawson (North Carolina) and Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), providing content for a wide range of purposes – promotions, bumps, features, etc.

Draft commentator highlights:

• Dick Vitale, ESPN NCAA basketball analyst since 1979 and a former NBA coach, will appear via satellite;

• Fran Fraschilla, who has done extensive overseas scouting, will report on and evaluate the international field of players;

• Mark Jones will conduct interviews with the NBA draftees on site once they are selected;

• Lisa Salters will interview key figures (players, their families, college coaches, etc.) in the league’s Green Room;

• ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ric Bucher will cover breaking news, including trade talks;

• ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz will report on breaking NBA Draft news, along with information pertaining to college players;

• Rachel Nichols will report from Tarrytown, N.Y., the site of the Knicks’ training facility. The Knicks hold the No. 8 pick in the Draft.

2009 NBA Draft Preview – June 24 at 10 p.m.
Stuart Scott, Jay Bilas, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy will preview the NBA Draft in a live program on ESPN Wednesday, June 24, at 10 p.m. from Madison Square Garden. Analyst Fran Fraschilla and reporters Ric Bucher and Andy Katz will also contribute to the telecast. The one-hour preview will include live interviews with prospects, features, athlete profiles and in-depth analysis of team needs.

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio’s exclusive, live national coverage of the NBA Draft will tip off Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. with Marc Kestecher hosting and Will Perdue, Steve Lavin and Doug Gottlieb providing analysis and player profiles. ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ric Bucher will serve as on-site reporter providing behind-the-scenes information.

SportsCenter Specials June 22-23

ESPN2 will televise 60-minute SportsCenter Specials Monday, June 22, at 10 p.m. and Tuesday, June 24, at 9:30 p.m. Matt Winer will host the shows with analysts Jalen Rose (Monday and Tuesday), Len Elmore (Monday), Doug Gottlieb (Monday) and Steve Lavin (Tuesday), and reporters J.A. Adande and Andy Katz.

ESPNEWS

ESPNEWS will offer extensive Draft coverage with daily content including analysis from Jay Bilas and Fran Fraschilla and reporters Andy Katz and Ric Bucher, along with interviews with Draft candidates; NBA Draft preview segments; interviews with team executives; and live coverage of post-selection player news conferences.

ESPNU

ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise games featuring NBA Draft prospects Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26. Draft prospects to be featured include DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Jrue Holiday (UCLA) and Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut).

ESPN International

ESPN International will offer a live telecast of the NBA Draft in the Atlantic (sub-Saharan Africa) and Pac-Rim regions.

ESPN.com

Content leading up to the Draft:

• ESPN’s Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, with his popular NBA Draft Diary;

• Chad Ford, Andy Katz, Chris Sheridan and Marc Stein reporting on the latest Draft news, trade talk and relative storylines;

• Ford’s Mock Draft 6.0 (June 23) and 7.0 (June 25, with updates throughout the day), predicting all first- and second-round picks;

• Ford’s podcast with NBA Draft insiders;

• John Hollinger’s Draft Rater – Hollinger’s new formula which projects NBA performance for college prospects and international players;

• Mock Draft Machine, allowing users to be the general manager for each franchise;

• Video breakdown of all the top NBA Draft prospects;

• ESPN.com’s Original Digital video feature “The Rookie: Blake Griffin,” plus a behind-the-scenes feature on this year’s hot prospect;

• TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott interviewing Draft prospects leading up to the draft;

• Conversation pages for each team’s fans to discuss the Draft;

• Ford’s 2009 NBA Draft Workout Tour (including special Insider content from the Reebok Camp in Treviso, Italy);

• Ford’s Insider content from the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

Content on Draft night:

• ESPN.com NBA Draftcast, a real-time application displaying picks, stats, analysis, chats and videos;

• Breaking news on NBA Draft night trades from Ric Bucher, Chad Ford, Andy Katz, Chris Sheridan and Marc Stein.

• Chats with players after they are selected in the Draft;

• Ford’s pick-by-pick instant analysis;

• Ford’s team-by-team draft grades;

• Live chats between Draft picks;

• Live SportsNation polling;

• Katz’s Draft recap;

• ESPN Radio live streaming Draft coverage;

• ESPN television interviews with top picks;

• Conversation pages for each team fans to discuss team prospects and position;

• TrueHoop Live Blog of NBA Draft from Madison Square Garden; content also distributed thru Abbott’s Twitter feed;

• TrueHoop Network pick-by-pick reaction from team bloggers;

• Player reaction to the draft on ESPN.com video.

Post-Draft day:

• 2010 NBA Draft Index;

• 2010 NBA Draft Top 100;

• Conversation pages for each team’s fans to discuss team prospects and position;

• Jay Williams; team-by-team analysis on ESPN.com video;

• Analysis from ESPN TV commentators at the NBA Draft on ESPN.com video

ESPN Mobile TV

ESPN Mobile TV will provide full simulcast coverage of the NBA Draft and ESPN’s industry-leading mobile Web site will have a special Draft section allowing fans to follow all the selections in real time. Fans will also be able to sign up for mobile alerts, providing instant selection updates and breaking news. ESPN MVP on Verizon wireless will feature news, updates, alerts management and video clips from the NBA Draft.

ESPN The Magazine

ESPN The Magazine’s current issue (on newsstands now) offers a preview of the NBA Draft including a Mock Draft featuring current players making the picks for their respective teams. Top five picks:

1) L.A. Clippers (selected by Ricky Davis) – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

2) Memphis Grizzlies (selected by Rudy Gay) – Hasheem Thabeet, UConn

3) Oklahoma City Thunder (selected by Russell Westbrook) – James Harden, Arizona State

4) Sacramento Kings (selected by Spencer Hawes) – Ricky Rubio, Spain

5) Washington Wizards (selected by Antawn Jamison) – DeMar DeRozan

We get a preview of the next webisode of Mayne Street.

New Mayne Street Tuesday: Kenny & Colin in a War of Words

The latest episode of ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street (debuts Tuesdays at 9 a.m.) is loaded with familiar personalities including Colin Cowherd and Barry Melrose. In this installment, Cowherd insults Kenny and chaos ensues. ESPN star Kenny Mayne continues to play himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network. Mayne’s reoccurring foils consist largely of his fictional production crew, as well as other ESPN personalities.

Mayne Street joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com captures nearly 50 percent of the total minutes spent by users viewing online sports video. In April, ESPN.com came in #1 in the Sports category with 72.3 million total streams, 59 percent more than the closest competitor for the month.

This has been broached by other blogs and I’ve been trying to ignore it, but here’s a release on Chris Berman getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Great.

Berman to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame committee announced that ESPN’s long-time host Chris Berman has been selected to receive a star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame as a tribute for his body of work in sport television. Berman, along with 28 others from the worlds of motion pictures, television, live theater, and recording, will be honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in the coming year. Other honorees include Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Adam Sandler, Jimmy Kimmel, Russell Crowe, Roy Orbison, John Cusack, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Sam Waterston and Ringo Star. The recipients were chosen among more than 200 nominees. Berman joined ESPN shortly after the network launched. The company will celebrate its 30th anniversary September 7.

One more release from ESPN. The new ESPN Chicago site is going to team up with the new Huffington Post Chicago website as part of a new sharing agreement.

ESPNCHICAGO.COM AND THE HUFFINGTON POST CHICAGO

ENTER INTO EXCLUSIVE CONTENT SYNDICATION AGREEMENT

ESPNChicago.com and The Huffington Post Chicago (huffingtonpost.com/Chicago) today announced an exclusive content syndication agreement in which HuffPost Chicago will provide ESPNChicago.com with news headlines and blog posts, and ESPNChicago.com will be the exclusive provider of sports content to HuffPost Chicago, including breaking news, opinion and sports calendars.

“Politics, news and sports play a unique role in the identity of Chicago,” said Marc Horine, vice president of digital partnerships and sales development for ESPN. “The combination of ESPNChicago.com and the Huffington Post Chicago brings to Chicago the best news sources and most varied and passionate voices.”

“It’s a natural fit for HuffPost Chicago to team up with ESPNChicago.com as they both offer the constant news updates, smart opinion and information that Chicagoans want online,” said Ben Goldberger, Editor of the Huffington Post Chicago. “We’re excited to bring ESPN’s mix of the best sports news, analysis and information to our sports-hungry readers.”

ESPNChicago.com sports content complements HuffPost Chicago’s unique blend of news and opinion, which ranges from politics and local news to food and style. The Huffington Post Chicago will supplement ESPNChicago.com’s local content which includes ESPN Radio 1000, and Chicago news, traffic and weather from ABC-owned TV station WLS.

I guess I had another ESPN press release in my inbox. Here’s what the network has planned for various motorsports events this week.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Nationwide Series on ABC from New Hampshire

The Magic Mile, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., hosts the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend, and the race will air on ABC with a live, high definition telecast on Saturday, June 27, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, June 28, at 3 a.m. on ESPN2 and again at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

In other NASCAR-related programming this week, ESPN Classic airs the 1998 Daytona 500 NASCAR race from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, June 27, at 5 p.m.

Park Joins Daugherty, Brewer on NASCAR Now Roundtable

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner Steve Park will join ESPN NASCAR analysts Brad Daugherty and Tim Brewer as panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on ESPN2. The program airs Tuesday, June 30, at midnight ET (late Monday night). Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro slides into the host role for half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. Massaro also hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, June 28, at the special time of 8 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Daugherty and Brewer will join Massaro on the set, while Shannon Spake and Angelique Chengelis will report from the track.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Nicole Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing from Ohio on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series travels to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, this weekend, and ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action on a same-day basis. Qualifying from the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals airs Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m., with eliminations airing Sunday at 7 p.m. Finals coverage re-airs Monday, June 29, at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

The series will make its third appearance at Summit Motorsports Park, which three years ago underwent a $4 million improvement project. The event closes the first half of the season and is the final one on the tour before teams head west for the grueling Western Swing, The event also is the site of the eight-car Pro Stock bonus event, the K&N Horsepower Challenge, the winner of which receives $50,000.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at noon to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Traxxas TORC Series Action on ESPN2 Sunday

Action from the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL returns to ESPN2 on Sunday, June 27, at 12:30 p.m. ET with highlights from the series event held in Crandon, Wis. The premier short-course racing series with the top stars in off-road racing, this exciting form of door-to-door action will appear on both ESPN2 and ABC this season.

The 2009 season features eight total rounds of racing. ESPN2 will air five rounds with three to appear on ABC, including a live telecast on ABC of the Crandon 40^th Anniversary of Off-Road Racing. Marty Reid, lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 and selected NASCAR races, will call all of the Traxxas TORC Truck Series events on ESPN2 and ABC. Joining Reid will be long-time extreme sports announcer Tes Sewell and former Miss USA Kimberly Pressler as pit reporter.

HBO previews Bryant Gumbel’s interview with Jim Brown and Bill Russell on Real Sports tomorrow.

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL

CONDUCTS A JOINT INTERVIEW WITH ICONS JIM BROWN AND BILL RUSSELL, WHEN THE EMMY^®-WINNING SHOW RETURNS TUESDAY, JUNE 23

Janet Van Ham/HBO

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 147th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, JUNE 23 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

Segments include:

*Legends. In an exclusive joint interview, REAL SPORTS host Bryant Gumbel sits down with two icons of the 1960s: gridiron great Jim Brown and basketball immortal Bill Russell. Beyond their hall of fame achievements, both were also outspoken figures in a turbulent period of racism, social activism and profound change. For this expanded segment, Brown and Russell reflect together on the extraordinary events of the era they helped shape, provide candid insights into present-day athletes and reveal the depth and importance of a previously untold friendship they’ve shared for nearly 50 years.

Producer: David Scott.

CNBC will air a documentary on Ultimate Fighting in July.

CNBC’S “ULTIMATE FIGHTING: FISTFUL OF DOLLARS” will premiere on Wednesday, July 29th at 10PM and 1AM ET. The documentary will re-air on Friday, July 31st at 1AM and Sunday, August 2nd at 10PM ET.

It's a hit business like no other. And CNBC is ready for a rematch.

Ultimate Fighting Championship – the premiere name in the sport of mixed martial arts.

CNBC takes a new look inside the biggest brand in brawling with "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars," a fresh take on CNBC's original Emmy-nominated documentary from 2007.

Correspondent Scott Wapner travels to Germany for the UFC's first-ever event in mainland Europe, and goes inside the Octagon with Dana White, the controversial front man, as well as billionaire backers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. Wapner also profiles a stable of skilled fighters who have helped the league grow from a dying franchise to a global sensation in less than a decade.

It's a mix of muscle and mayhem that is making money hand over fist.

CNBC's "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars" premieres Wednesday, July 29.

Finally, National Geographic Channel will start a new series next Monday on bringing us closer to rare species of fish.

HOOKED: VAMPIRE FISH

Monday, June 29, 2009, at 10 PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/hooked/4255/Overview

Trek to remote regions of the world for up-close encounters with monster fish armed with mouthfuls of razor-sharp teeth. In the Amazon, scientist Dr. Justin Grubich embarks on a risky expedition to record the dental imprints of two natural-born killers — the pacu, a cousin of the piranha with teeth and jaws that look human, and the “vampire fish.” Nicknamed for its 2-inch fangs, this megafish can literally “suck your blood.” By studying their bite impressions, Grubich hopes to learn how these river monsters are adapting to a food chain affected by pollution. Then, in the Congo, join the hunt for an elusive river assassin that bears teeth like a dragon and fights with the fury of a pit bull — the Goliath tiger fish. Down under in Australia, see a group of fishing daredevils reel in a great white as we’ve never seen before — using just a rod and reel, they swim bait out into shark-filled waters and pull in their catch … from shore, using a vehicle! In order to tag and track the migration and growth patterns of great whites, the ingenious team fashioned a special chair that hooks to a truck, allowing them to reel in their catch safely. Then, we come face-to-face with the long, broad snout and daggerlike teeth of the alligator gar in the southeastern United States.

BRAZIL: Ichthyologist, fish tooth, and jaw specialist, Justin Grubich, Ph.D., investigates tooth diversity in Characiform fishes of the Amazon. Here he holds open the mouth of a Payara, also known as the “Vampire Fish.” The Payara earns its “vampire” nickname with a set of two-inch daggers thrusting up from its bottom jaw. (photo credit © Julia Dorn)

In the new series of Hooked, we also feature fish biologist, conservationist and National Geographic Explorer Zeb Hogan on a five-year mission to help preserve the world’s biggest freshwater fish.

Here’s a video preview for the series.

Video “Hooked on Hooked!” – If you’ve every reveled in the thrill of the catch, you are going to love this show hook, line and sinker:

As usual, great stuff from NatGeo. Thanks to the channel’s fine publicist, Minjae Ormes for sending these releases to me.

And that finally finishes this press release post.

Some Thursday Press Releases To Read Before You Go To Bed

Let’s give you a few press releases to mull over on this late night Thursday.

First, NBA TV has brought in Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl to be part of its NBA Draft coverage next week.

NBA TV and NBA.com to Deliver Extensive Multiplatform Coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft

Tennessee Volunteers Head Coach Bruce Pearl will join NBA TV for network’s Draft night coverage

NBA TV and NBA.com will provide fans with all-access coverage leading up to, and continuing throughout, the 2009 NBA Draft, which will be held at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, June 25^th. For the first time Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl will join NBA TV’s draft night coverage to provide a unique perspective on the NBA Draft Preview Show at 6 p.m. ET and the 2009 NBA Draft Recap at Midnight ET. In addition, Pearl will provide blogs on NBA.com entitled “Pearl’s Gems” with his insight on the NBA Draft and prospects.

The NBA Draft coverage will be fully integrated with multiplatform content on NBA TV and NBA.com, with unprecedented opportunities for fans to interact with the NBA TV analysts, voice their opinions and access detailed information about each draft selection.

In addition to pre and post-draft analysis, an expert panel of announcers including host Rick Kamla, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Pearl will provide Instant Analysis of key draft selections that will be available exclusively on NBA.com. NBA Insider David Aldridge will be on-hand for NBA TV and NBA.com with breaking news updates about trades. In addition, reporter Craig Sager will be on hand at Madison Square Garden in New York City to interview players moments after they are selected in the draft via the Virtual Green Room, streamed on NBA.com. NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake will be in New York to provide scouting reports and draft analysis of international players throughout the night.

“The level of interactivity and depth of our 2009 Draft coverage is unprecedented as we deliver broad professional analysis and exclusive content generated by players and fans across our TV, Internet and Wireless platforms” said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital. “We are thrilled to add Bruce Pearl to our industry leading analyst team as he brings great energy and insight having coached against many of the draft prospects on a collegiate level.”

NBA TV will offer original studio programming leading up to the NBA Draft including:

· Division Preview Shows (Thursday, June 18, 8 – 11 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and analysts Mike Fratello and Ryan Blake will break down each division, team by team, to analyze each team’s biggest needs and possible draft strategies. Each team segment will be available on NBA.com.

· NBA GameTime: Prospect Park (Monday, June 22, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and analyst and Ryan Blake will take a detailed look at the NBA Draft prospects from across the country and around the world.

· NBA GameTime: Coming Attractions (Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla, analyst Steve Smith, NBA Insider David Aldridge and Ryan Blake review the NBA.com mock drafts to anticipate possible selections for the 2009 NBA Draft.

· NBA GameTime: Interactive Draft Room (Wednesday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and NBA Insider David Aldridge will interact with fans during a live webcast on NBA.com from 4 – 5 p.m. ET. The show will use interactive platforms including NBA.com Fan Forums and NBA TV’s Twitter account to generate fan content, questions and comments related to the draft. The Interactive Draft Room will air on television at 7 p.m. ET.

· Division Review Shows Friday, June 26, 7 – 10 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and NBA Insider David Aldridge break down each division, team by team, to assess the impact of the draft on the team. Each team segment will also be available on NBA.com.

NBA.com will also offer additional exclusive content including: player blogs from draft prospects Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansborough and Stephen Curry; an exclusive interview with DKV Joventut player Ricky Rubio from Spain; live press conferences of the top draft selections; live draft trade chart to track team trades; prospect profiles and highlights; photo galleries, polls and fan reaction via NBA.com’s Fan Voice forums.

ESPN says ratings for the College World Series are up from last year. Is this something to crow about? I guess.

ESPN NCAA Men’s College World Series Telecasts Posting Significant Audience Increases; Coverage Continues

ESPN’s 30th consecutive season of NCAA Men’s College World Series coverage is posting significant audience increases over last year. Through the first eight games, ESPN is averaging 1,278,000 total viewers, 976,000 households and a 1.0 rating, marking increases of 34% (vs. 955,000), 30% (vs. 750,000) and 25% (vs. 0.8), respectively, over 2008.

ESPN2 is averaging 897,000 total viewers and 689,000 households for increases of 5% (vs. 853,000) and 4% (vs. 664,000), respectively, over last year. The network is averaging a 0.7 rating, the same as last season through this point.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com’s complete coverage of the Men’s College World Series from Omaha, Neb. will continue tonight and conclude with the best-of-three Championship Series Monday, June 22 to Wednesday, June 24. Every game will be offered in high definition on ESPN HD or ESPN2 HD.

Commentator teams include Mike Patrick or Sean McDonough with analyst Orel Hershiser and reporter Erin Andrews; Karl Ravech or McDonough with analyst Robin Ventura and reporter Kyle Peterson.

Date	Time (ET)	Network	Game	Matchup	Commentators
Thu., 6/18	7 p.m.	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com	10	North Carolina vs. Arizona State	McDonough, Ventura and Peterson
Fri., 6/19	2 p.m.	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com	11	LSU vs. Arkansas	Patrick, Hershiser and Peterson
Fri., 6/19	7 p.m.	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com	12	Texas vs. Winner Game 10	McDonough, Ventura and Peterson
Sat., 6/20	2 p.m.	ESPN HD / ESPN360.com	13	If necessary	Patrick, Hershiser and Andrews
Sat., 6/20	7 p.m.	ESPN HD / ESPN360.com	14	If necessary	McDonough, Ventura and Peterson
Mon., 6/22	7 p.m.	ESPN HD / ESPN360.com	1	Series Final	Patrick, Hershiser, Ventura, Andrews and Peterson
Tue., 6/23	7 p.m.	ESPN HD / ESPN360.com	2	Series Final	Patrick, Hershiser, Ventura, Andrews and Peterson
Wed., 6/24	7 p.m.	ESPN HD / ESPN360.com	3 *	Series Final	Patrick, Hershiser, Ventura, Andrews and Peterson

* If necessary

CNBC’s Darren Rovell hosts a special on the golf industry live from the U.S. Open Friday night.

CNBC TO BROADCAST LIVE SPECIAL "CNBC REPORTS: LIVE FROM THE U.S. OPEN" ON FRIDAY, JUNE 19th AT 8PM ET

Live Special Hosted by CNBC's Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 18, 2009-Live from Bethpage State Park, the home of this year's U.S. Open, CNBC's Sports Business Reporter, Darren Rovell, will speak with the biggest power players in the game to discuss the state of the golf industry from sponsoring tournaments to the golf retail business.

On Friday, June 19th at 8PM ET, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will broadcast a live special, "CNBC Reports: Live From the U.S. Open," hosted by CNBC's Darren Rovell and focusing on the business of golf during one of the most challenging times the industry has ever faced.

The one-hour program will feature interviews with PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem, Veteran American golfer Kenny Perry as well as a rare interview with Mark Steinberg, IMG's Senior Corporate Vice President and Global Managing Director of Golf and agent to Tiger Woods. 

Tennis.com has an interview with NBC/BBC Sport Wimbledon analyst John McEnroe about Roger Federer’s chances to win at the All-England Tennis and Croquet Club.

JOHN McENROE BREAKS DOWN ROGER FEDERER’S CHANCES TO WIN WIMBLEDON

Exclusive Interview by Peter Bodo at www.TENNIS.com

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 17, 2009 – “It’s amazing to look at Wimbledon and see it’s all brown at the baseline, and there’s nothing but green up around the net. I never thought I would see the day, after playing against Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanisevic and Boris Becker, the three biggest servers I ever saw, when two guys would be playing the Wimbledon final from the baseline.”

So says the always outspoken John McEnroe in an exclusive interview with TENNIS Magazine senior editor Peter Bodo who caught up with McEnroe, a spokesman for prostate cancer awareness, while he was filming a public service announcement on behalf of pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

The interview is at: (http://tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=177914).

McEnroe, also challenges the rest of the field to change their game this year and not play Federer’s game.

“Roger hasn’t had to change anything at Wimbledon,” explained McEnroe. “Over the past five, six years he only been serving and volleying 10-15 percent of the time. Winning five straight Wimbledons and getting to the final in the sixth is level of success that’s hard to argue with, but that’s all the more reason for some of the other guys to maybe make some attempt to be more or at least reasonably aggressive on grass. Let’s face it, they have no business trying to stay back with the guy – they may hit a few good shots but they’re certainly not going to beat Roger.”

And National Geographic Channel has a documentary on Hitler’s attempts to develop a stealth fighter during World War II.

HITLER’S STEALTH FIGHTER

Sunday, June 28 at 9PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/hitler-s-stealth-fighter-3942/Overview

UNITED KINGDOM: A blueprint of the Horten Ho 229 flying wing fighter/bomber. (Photo credit © Arthur Bentely / Flying Wing Films)

For more than half a century, little was known about this mysterious aircraft, called the Horten 229. Now, with an elite team of Northrop Grumman aeronautical engineers, National Geographic Channel (NGC) works from the original plans and prototype to reconstruct a full-scale replica of the jet to determine if it had stealth capabilities. If proven, it would confirm that Hitler was on the verge of introducing a stealth jet fighter into the battle with Allies, long before the United States began developing stealth technology in the 1970s. The implications could have been monumental, especially in light of the Nazis’ parallel progress in developing atomic capabilities.

RIDGECREST, CALIFORNIA: A full scale replica of the Ho 229 bomber made with materials available in the 1940s at prefilght. (Photo credit © Linda Reynolds / Flying Wing Films)

VIDEO EXCERPTS

Video “Nazi Stealth Aircraft” – An elite team of stealth aircraft modelers are taking on a mysterious project: Hitler’s secret stealth fighter:

Video “Advanced Design” – Engineered long before its time, the Horten 2-29 was the product of two brothers’ desire for vengeance:

EXTRA VIDEOS

Video: Archival scenes of Adolf Hitler and stealth fighter airplanes from World War II:

Video: See rare archival footage of Northrop Grumman’s test flights of their early flying wing prototype:

At the program website for Hitler’s Stealth Fighter, the following is available:

• A complete Photo Gallery with downloadable wallpapers
• A timeline with History of Stealth Planes
• A Fact Sheet about the Horten 229

As usual, fascinating stuff from National Geographic.

One more press release post coming up.

Two Releases That Need To Be Posted Now

I have two releases that should be posted today, one before 2:20 p.m.

Here’s one from MLB.com announcing live games on the At Bat app beginning today.

WATCH LIVE BASEBALL ON YOUR iPHONE BEGINNING TODAY AT 2:20 PM (EDT)

White Sox-Cubs Interleague rivalry launches live streaming in award-winning MLB.com app

NEW YORK, June 18, 2009 – After last night’s initial launch of live games streamed within MLB.com At Bat 2009, the award-winning mobile application developed exclusively for iPhone™ and iPod^® touch, fans can watch a pair of prominent Interleague Play rivalries today with the Chicago White Sox-Chicago Cubs from Wrigley Field at 2:20 p.m. (EDT) and the Detroit Tigers-St. Louis Cardinals from Busch Stadium at 8:15 p.m. (EDT).

Below are upcoming games scheduled to be available in MLB.com At Bat 2009 (all times are EDT; schedule subject to change; games subject to blackout restrictions). A continuously-updated schedule of live streaming games is available within the application.

Today

Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.

Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 p.m.

Friday, June 19

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.

Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Saturday, June 20

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9:05 p.m.

Sunday, June 21

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.

Florida Marlins vs. New York Yankees, 5:05 p.m.

Monday, June 22

Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m.

Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 10:05 p.m.

And from National Geographic Channel, one program note for tonight. And this involves my home state of Rhode Island!

WORLD’S TOUGHEST FIXES: Giant Wind Turbine

Thursday, June 18, 2009, at 9 PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/worlds-toughest-fixes

“The load is hanging in the air. The wind is picking up. SNAP! A line breaks!”

— Riley, on erecting a 336-foot wind turbine in Portsmouth, R.I.

Riley travels to Portsmouth, R.I., where residents are setting up a 115-ton wind turbine that will provide years of clean, green energy. The good news is that the winds here are constantly blowing. The bad news is that Riley is about to find out what it takes to raise giant blades in the midst of these unpredictable gusts. Riley joins a team of engineers, ironworkers, crane operators and riggers who must attach the 68-ton gearbox at the center of the blades to the very top of a 300-foot tower, all the while fighting forces strong enough to snap protective lines.

Video “Big Fix” – This town wants to generate its own energy but first it has to figure out how to assemble this turbine.

Video “Big Fix” – The wind is blowing. A cable snaps. Sixty-two metric tons of turbine swing freely. Yeah, it’s tough.

Great stuff as always.

Friday’s Press Releases and Then Some

Ok, we have quite a few press releases for a Friday. Lots of stuff going on. Let’s get to them without any delay. I hope to get to the megalinks before the afternoon ends.

ESPN says viewership for the NBA Finals continues strong through Game 4.

NBA Finals Continue to Deliver for ABC in Primetime

Game 4 Earns 10.9 Overnight

The NBA Finals – exclusively broadcast on ABC – delivered a 10.9 overnight rating, the highest yet for the series, for a thrilling overtime game in which the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-91. The 2009 Finals continue to provide the highest-rated and most-viewed programs of the night in primetime. If the 10.9 overnight rating holds, it will propel the 2009 Finals to outpace the 2008 Finals in viewership.

The 10.9 overnight rating (9 p.m. ET-12:30 a.m.) was up five percent over last year’s Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers (10.4 overnight rating). This year’s Game 4 was the second overtime game of this year’s Finals; the first time a Finals has seen two overtime games since 1984.

The game registered a 27.3 rating in Los Angeles, the highest-rated NBA broadcast locally since Game 5 of the 2008 Finals. In Orlando, the game earned a 26.7 rating.

The Lakers hold a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 of The Finals, an elimination game for the Magic, will be broadcast Sunday, June 14, at 8 p.m. on ABC, ABC HD and ESPN Radio.

However, the Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand tweets: “Good NBA Game 4 overnights. But it’s the 2nd lowest rated Lakers’ Finals Game 4 in the last decade, after 00, 01, 02, 04, but above 08.” Nice to have some numbers crunching to go with the release.

Here’s quotage from the TNT Inside the NBA guys on NBA TV.

Notes from NBA TV’s Pre and Postgame Coverage of the NBA Finals Game #4 – Thursday, June 11, 2009

NBA TV’s coverage of the NBA Finals continues on Sunday, June 14 with pre-game coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Post-game coverage will follow Game #4 between the Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic.

**** **** **** **** *****

NBA Tip-off

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on claims that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is fatigues following Game #3: “Kobe Bryant just had a bad second half. He’s human. He’s not going to dominate the game every night.”

Barkley on the importance of Orlando winning Game #4: “This is the biggest game of the series. Orlando has a good chance of being back in the series after tonight. If Orlando wins tonight, I think this series is up for grabs.”

**** **** **** **** *****

Inside the NBA

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on the Magic’s loss in Game #4: “Orlando gave this game away.”

Smith on Magic center Dwight Howard’s performance in Game #4: “A superstar needs to dominate in three areas. Dwight (Howard) was only able to dominate in two; defense and rebounding. He couldn’t get the third thing in this game and that was scoring.”

Barkley on Magic guard Mickael Pietrus: “Mickael Pietrus is becoming one of my favorite players.”

Smith’s response to Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy saying experience doesn’t play a role in the Finals: “I disagree (with Stan Van Gundy) about experience. There is a reason not many rookies have led their team to an NBA Championship. Experience is a big part in playing a basketball game. It’s composure, not panicking, belief, and trust.”

Barkley: “I disagree. Missing free throws and leaving a player open to make a three-pointer doesn’t have anything to do with experience. The bottom line is the Orlando Magic blew this game.”

Barkley on Stan Van Gundy’s decision not to foul late in the game, which led to overtime: “I think Stan Van Gundy missed it. (Lakers head coach) Phil Jackson was right and Van Gundy was wrong. Phil Jackson was right when he said they (the Magic) had a foul to give.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Magic guard Mickael Pietrus following the game

Pietrus on his thoughts going into Game #5: “It’s going to be tough. The Lakers are going to play hard. I think we just need to relax and play basketball the way we’ve been playing.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Magic guard Jameer Nelson following the game

Nelson on losing to the Lakers in Game #4: “We played well enough to win the game, but we made some mistakes.”

To Jimmy Kimmel Live and what transpired on its Game Night show before the NBA Finals last night.

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night #4

Thursday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night,” Jimmy’s guests included Jack Black and Michael Cera, (who got stuck in the elevator and spent the whole show talking to Jimmy via security camera), a cameo appearance from Paula Abdul and a hidden camera segment with Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade conspiring with Jimmy’s Cousin Sal to torture unknowing autograph seekers.

Here is the link to Dwyane Wade and Cousin Sal’s hidden camera segment:

Additional clips from tonight’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night:”

Guillermo Interviews Kobe Bryant

Stan Van Gundy as a Greek Restaurant Manager

Be sure to join Jimmy throughout the NBA Finals as he delivers primetime specials airing every night of the NBA Finals at 8 pm ET/MT and following the NBA Finals PT/MT on ABC. In each 30 minute episode, Kimmel welcomes celebrity guests such as Denzel Washington, Magic Johnson and 50 Cent, in addition to signature comedy pieces including a Jimmy’s parking lot security guard Guillermo interviewing such NBA Finals 2009 notables as Phil Jackson, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton of the L.A. Lakers, and Hedo Turkoglu, Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night” primetime specials to air:

Sunday, June 14 at 7pm ET/CT and following the game PT/MT

Tuesday, June 16 at 8pm ET/CT (if necessary) and following the game PT/MT

Tuesday, June 18 at 8pm ET/CT (if necessary) and following the game PT/MT

Over to TBS and its coverage of the Mets-Yankees this Sunday.

“Sunday MLB on TBS” Features a Battle in the Big Apple

Mets @ Yankees face off in interleague play starting at 1 p.m. ET

“Sunday MLB on TBS” continues on Sunday, June 14th at 1 p.m. ET with an interleague showdown featuring David Wright and the New York Mets of the National League heading across town to battle Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees of the American League at the new Yankee Stadium. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana is scheduled to take the mound for the Mets against Yankees probable starter A.J. Burnett. Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst) will call the action from the broadcast booth.

“Sunday MLB on TBS” includes match-ups on TBS every Sunday afternoon throughout the regular season. The network will also exclusively televise the MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday, July 5. Additionally, beginning in October TBS will once again provide exclusive coverage of the Division Series and the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

TBS has broadcast MLB coverage for more than 30 years serving as the exclusive home of the MLB Division Series (DS) and one League Championship Series (LCS) since 2007 and home of Atlanta Braves coverage from 1977 to 2007.

SUNDAY MLB ON TBS SCHEDULE:

Sun., June 14

1 p.m. New York Mets @ New York Yankees

Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst)

SUNDAY MLB ON TBS UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Sun., June 21

1:30 p.m. Atlanta Braves @ Boston Red Sox

Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst)

Sun., June 28

1:30 p.m. Boston Red Sox @ Atlanta Braves

Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst)

MLB Network brings back “Studio 42 with Bob Costas” for a talk with former St. Louis Cardinals Bob Gibson and batterymate Tim McCarver about their teaming up for great success in the 1960′s. Plus MLB Network will re-air the original broadcast of Game 1 of the 1968 World Series following the Costas interview.

MLB NETWORK’S BOB COSTAS TO HOST Q&A WITH HALL OF FAMER BOB GIBSON AND TIM MCCARVER ON JUNE 15

Interview to discuss ’64, ’67, ’68 World Series and feature interviews with Jim Bouton, Willie Horton, Al Kaline & Jim Lonborg

Following the interview, MLB Network will air Game One of the 1968 World Series, featuring Gibson’s record-setting 17 strikeouts

June 12, 2009 – MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas will host a conversation with former St. Louis Cardinals teammates Hall of Famer Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver that will air on June 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET on MLB Network. The conversation includes interviews with players from the 1964, 1967 and 1968 World Series, including former New York Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, former Detroit Tigers left fielder Willie Horton, former Detroit Tigers right fielder Al Kaline and former Boston Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg.

Following the interview, MLB Network will air Game One of the 1968 World Series at 8:00 p.m. ET, in which Gibson threw a record-setting 17 strikeouts. NBC’s TV announcers for the original game were Harry Caray, Curt Gowdy and George Kell.

Highlights of the interview include:

GIBSON ON SEGREGATION DURING SPRING TRAINING IN 1958:

“I went up to the desk and I said ‘My name is Bob Gibson, I’m with the Cardinals and you’re supposed to have a place for me.’ And the guy looks at me and says, ‘Yeah, we have a place for you, just go through that door there.’ I went through the door and I opened the door and it was outside and there was a cab sitting out there. I got in the cab, took me to a house where the black players stayed.”

MCCARVER ON TRYING TO SLOW DOWN GIBSON ON THE MOUND:

“When I went out to the mound, Bob looked at me in that Gibsonian glare that we came to love and admire over the years. He looked at me and he said, ‘What are you doing out here?’ He tilts his head to the side, ‘What are you doing out here?’ he said, ‘Get on back behind the plate, the only thing that you know about pitching is that it’s hard to hit.’”

MCCARVER ON GAME ONE OF THE 1967 WORLD SERIES:

“At Fenway Park, for Game One, the one thing that I remember more than anything was all the white shirts in center field. And I thought, going out there I said, ‘Man, you know, if they think Gibson is tough from a hitting standpoint with a dark background, think about trying to hit him with white shirts in centerfield,’ because they didn’t have a batters eye at the time. Well not only was Bob tough to hit that first day, but so was Jose Santiago. You couldn’t see the ball. And that made him doubly, doubly tough.”

To view the on-air promo for this episode of Studio 42 with Bob Costas, please click here.

One more note from MLB Network.

MLB NETWORK TO AIR SPECIAL DON DRYSDALE SEGMENT ON MONDAY, JUNE 15

Bob Costas to voice special segment on Drysdale’s sixth straight shutout game on the night of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination

June 12, 2009 – MLB Network will air on Monday, June 15 a special feature narrated by Bob Costas about Don Drysdale’s sixth straight shutout game, pitched in 1968. The game, held on June 4, 1968 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, coincided with Robert F. Kennedy’s victory in the 1968 California primary. In the first words of his acceptance speech, Kennedy congratulated Drysdale; moments after the speech, Kennedy was assassinated. Four days later, on June 8, Drysdale broke a 55-year old record for consecutive scoreless innings and wore a black arm band to honor Kennedy’s memory.

The piece includes original interviews with Drysdale’s former teammates former Dodgers first baseman Wes Parker and Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, Drysdale’s widow Anne Myers and Kennedy’s speechwriter Jeff Greenfield.

“Baseball’s past is incredibly important to today’s fans and this feature shows how baseball intersects with all aspects of our country’s history,” said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. “We feel a responsibility to baseball fans to describe and relive these key moments.”

The piece will first air between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. ET and re-air throughout the night on MLB Tonight and Quick Pitch.

MLB.com set a record for hits during the MLB Draft.

DRAFT TRAFFIC ON MLB.COM SETS NEW STANDARDS

NEW YORK, June 12, 2009 – MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, announced today that its live coverage of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft drew 332.5 million page views and 29.8 million visitors over the three-day event, shattering traffic records for the comparable draft time period. The total page views represents a 75 percent increase over the 2008 mark of 189.5 million, while visitors were up more than 30 percent year-to-year.

In addition to the live broadcast of the first round on MLB Network and MLB.com, this year’s round-the-clock coverage on MLB.com included the integration of Twitter into the live interactive media application, Draft Caster, and the real-time searchable database of every draft-eligible player, Draft Tracker. Fans embraced being part of a Draft-related online conversation while following the Draft live on MLB.com as the designated hashtag “#mlbdraft” consistently ranked among the most popular ‘Trending Topics’ on Twitter.com.

The complete recap of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, searchable by round, player name, position, MLB Club, school, home state and country, can be found here.

A quick note from NESN on its ratings for the just-completed Yankees-Red Sox series.

The Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway Park this week and Red Sox fans were watching on NESN in near record numbers. NESN averaged a 16.7 HH rating in the Boston DMA for the three games, the network’s best 3 game series since August of 2007 (16.8). NESN’s season average continues to rise (9.4 HH) as the Red Sox travel to Philadelphia to take on the defending World Series Champion Phillies this weekend.

Golf Channel will have Christina Kim miked once again during its coverage of the LPGA Championship today.

Gregarious LPGA professional Christina Kim, who entertained GOLF CHANNEL viewers Thursday mic’d for sound during the network’s Round 1 telecast of the LPGA Championship, wants to repeat the experience and has agreed to be mic’d up for Friday’s second round, including her preparation. Live coverage of the second round of the LPGA Championship will air on GOLF CHANNEL Friday beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Kim, paired with Michelle Wie and Shanshan Feng, will tee-off at 1:20 p.m. ET.

Below is a link to the segment from Thursday’s telecast featuring Kim’s entertaining post-round interview with host Brian Hammons and analyst Dottie Pepper, and a funny exchange with Wie:

Christina Kim Mic’d Up

Universal Sports which is still not on DirecTV will have coverage of Michael Phelps in the pool this weekend.

MICHAEL PHELPS HEADLINES AS UNIVERSAL SPORTS PRESENTS LAST STOP OF USA SWIMMING GRAND PRIX

Live Coverage of Finals Begins this Friday at 8 p.m. ET

Series Concludes With the Swimnetwork.com Santa Clara International Grand Prix Featuring Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and More

LOS ANGELES – June 11, 2009 – Fourteen time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps joins Olympians Ryan Lochte, Katie Hoff and Aaron Peirsol as Universal Sports, in cooperation with USA Swimming and SwimNetwork.com, presents live television and online coverage of the final stop of the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series, the Swimnetwork.com Santa Clara International Grand Prix. Live television and online coverage of the Santa Clara International Grand Prix finals begins this Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist and NBC Sports Olympic swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines and NBC Sports’ Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Ted Robinson will provide commentary for the event, with Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders reporting live from Santa Clara.

COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, available in 45 million homes, presents live coverage of the Santa Clara International Grand Prix Finals. In addition, UniversalSports.com will live stream each event. More information, as well as highlights, full-length videos, photos, breaking news and more available at Universal Sports’ swimming channel at UniversalSports.com/swimming.

June 12 SANTA CLARA DAY 1 (LIVE) 8 – 10 p.m.
June 13 SANTA CLARA DAY 2 (LIVE) 8 – 10 p.m.
June 14 SANTA CLARA DAY 3 (LIVE) 8 – 10 p.m.

ABOUT THE EVENT: The Santa Clara International Grand Prix is the final stop on the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series and the last major competition before the 2009 USA Swimming National Championships next month. The swimmer with the most points at the end of the series will be the winner of the $20,000 grand prize. Michael Phelps was the winner of the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Series and received the first-ever $20,000 grand prize offered for the event.

Phelps made his return to the pool this year at the Charlotte UltraSwim event, where he won the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke events. Going into the final competition, swimmer Mary Descenza is in first place with 19 gold medals, Ryan Lochte is in second with 10, and Chloe Sutton is in third place with nine gold medals.

And here’s an upcoming program of interest from National Geographic Channel on “Iran and The West”. There are videos for you to preview as well.

IRAN AND THE WEST

Monday, June 22 at 9PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/iran-and-the-west-3337/Overview

Called “documentary-making at its best” by The Economist, this landmark special takes viewers inside the top-secret meetings and public declarations that shaped the last three decades of the complex relationship. What were the forces at play that led to the current volatile state of affairs? How did this nuclear-seeking Middle East nation evolve into a strong supporter of Islamic terrorists in the region? And why is Iran so crucial to Western interests and world stability today? Using first-person testimonials to present comprehensive and compelling perspectives on Iran’s turbulent relationship with the West and what may lie ahead, the two-hour special includes fascinating historical footage and more than 40 rare, thought-provoking interviews. Viewers will hear directly from the key officials on both sides, including former Iranian Presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami; former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; former Vice President Walter Mondale; former Secretaries of State George Shultz, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell; other high-level U.S., European and Iranian officials; and notable Iran experts and foreign policy specialists.

“Birth of Hezbollah” – A look at the circumstances surrounding the founding of Hezbollah.

Video “Confusion Over Iran” – In 1978, the shah of Iran receives an ambiguous message from the United States on how to respond to the revolution.

Video “Iran and Diplomacy” – European leaders attempt to negotiate a compromise with Iran that the U.S. won’t support.

Video “Albright in the U.N.” – Madeline Albright tells of sitting face-to-face with a representative of Iran’s government at the U.N. — but who is he?

Certainly looks like an interesting program. I hope to review this program for you before it airs.

Back later with the megalinks.