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NFL Network and NFL Films Combine for Six Sports Emmy Awards

NFL Media, comprising of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com and other properties, took six Sports Emmy Awards home from ceremonies in New York on Tuesday. NFL Films working in conjunction with HBO, Showtime/CBS Sports and NFL Network took five statuettes for work on Hard Knocks, Inside the NFL and the Outstanding Sports Documentary, Namath.

Let’s take a look at what the NFL is saying about its six Emmy Awards.

NFL NETWORK & NFL FILMS COMBINE FOR SIX SPORTS EMMY AWARDS

NFL Films Wins Five Emmy Awards – Tied for Most in a Single Year
NFL Network Wins in Outstanding Short Feature & Sports Promotional Announcement – Episodic Categories

NFL Media – comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL RedZone, NFL.com and NFL Mobile – won six Sports Emmy Awards, it was announced last night in New York City.

NFL Network won in the Outstanding Short Feature category for NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, as well as in the Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement – Episodic category for A Football Life: Life Story, which it shared with NFL Films. With the two Emmy Awards, NFL Network increased its total to 12 in its nine-year history.

To view the Emmy Award-winning NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, visit: http://on.nfl.com/142lGw3

NFL Films – the most-honored filmmaker in sports – won five Emmy Awards, which tied for the most awards NFL Films has received in a single year (2010-11) and increased its total to 112 Emmy Awards. Also, NFL Films was the only entity to win awards for multiple networks (HBO, NFL Network and Showtime).

The documentary Namath, produced along with HBO, earned two Emmys in the Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics categories. Additionally, Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins won in the category of Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound, and Inside the NFL won Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly.

This year, NFL Media received a record 24 Sports Emmy Award nominations, surpassing the previous high of 18 set in 2010.

Following is a complete list of the Sports Emmy Awards won by NFL Media this year:

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE
NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT – EPISODIC
A Football Life: Life Story (NFL Network/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY
Inside the NFL (Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
Namath (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION/DIRECTION/LYRICS
Namath (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING POST PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)

That is it for this post.

Complete List of Winners for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards

Let’s go over the entire list of those who won hardware in the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards. The awards were handed out at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York.

Overall, NBC Sports Group has reason to crow with 23 Emmys, the most of any sports media group. Turner Sports was next with 7 followed by HBO with 6. The ESPN Family of Networks received five awards and MLB Network had three. The CBS consortium, Fox Sports Media Group and NFL Network won two and YouTube got one Emmy.

The entire list is below. It’s a long list so I give a jump break on the main page. Get ready to scroll for a while.

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HBO Sports Wins Six Sports Emmys

This from HBO Sports. The network has taken home six Emmys for its product. Three were in conjunction with NFL Films, two were for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and there was a single award for the 24/7 series.

Here’s the press release from HBO Sports.

Winners were revealed tonight at the 34^th Annual Sports Emmy^® Awards in New York City.

HBO collected six Sports Emmys Awards. The second most of any single network.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel received two Sports Emmy Awards tonight and has now been honored with 25 Sports Emmy Awards in the program’s history.

The “24/7” reality franchise took home the trophy for Outstanding Editing for the fifth consecutive year.

The Hard Knocks franchise also captured a Sports Emmy for its series featuring the Miami Dolphins.

The Outstanding Sports Documentary Emmy for NAMATH marks the seventh time HBO has captured the award, and the fifth time in the past six years.

Below are the six Sports Emmy Award wins for HBO:

OUTSTANDING SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
NAMATH (with NFL FILMS)

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SERIES/ANTHOLOGY–
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL           

OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL – Steve Gleason: Tragic Hero (Jon Frankel)

OUTSTANDING EDITING
24/7 PACQUIAO/MARQUEZ 4

OUTSTANDING POST PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND
HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION / DIRECTION / LYRICS
NAMATH (with NFL FILMS) 

HBO captured the second most of any single network:

NBC — 10
HBO — 6
NBC Sports Network — 4
ESPN — 3
MLB Network — 3
TBS — 3
TNT — 3

For a complete list of wins go to www.emmyonline.org/sports

The 34^th Sports Emmy Award winners were revealed May 7, 2013 in New York City at the Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Center.

NBC will crow about its Sports Emmy Awards next.

34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards Winners

The 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards were handed out tonight in New York at Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center.

Thanks to Josh Krulewitz, ESPN public relations maven, I can list the individual winners. I’ll have a full list from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences tomorrow and I’ll post it when it becomes available.

First, no surprises in the talent categories. The usual suspects won, Costas, Collinsworth, Barkley and Al Michaels is back for play-by-play, his sixth Emmy.

If you want to see the nominations in full, you can go here.

I’ll go in the order the awards were handed out.

The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award – Games of the XXX Olympiad: The Multi-Screen Olympics, NBC/Bravo/CNBC/MSNBC/NBC Sports Network/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo

Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound – NASCAR on Fox, Fox

Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction – NCAA March Madness: Brackets Everywhere, truTV

Outstanding Studio Show Weekly – Inside the NFL, Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films

Outstanding Long Feature – Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Steve Gleason: Tragic Hero, HBO

Outstanding Editing – 24/7: Pacquaio-Marquez 4, HBO

Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement, Episodic – A Football Live: Life Story, NFL Network/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter – (TIE) Pierre McGuire, NBC (why?) and Tom Verducci, MLB Network/TBS

Outstanding Graphic Design – MLB Network Division Series: The Scrapbook, MLB Network

Outstanding Sports Documentary – Namath, HBO

Outstanding Technical Team Studio – Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC/Bravo/MSNBC/NBC Sports Network/Telemundo

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming Short Format – Sport Science, ESPN/Base Productions

Outstanding Playoff Coverage – (TIE) National League Championship Series: Cardinals vs. Giants, Fox and NBA Playoffs, TNT

Outstanding Camera Work – Outside the Lines: Breaking the Silence, ESPN

Outstanding Edited Sports Special – One Heartbeat, CBS Sports Network/CBS Sports

Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics – Namath, HBO/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement, Institutional – (TIE) It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports: Shake On It, The Name, Born Into It — ESPN/Wieden & Kennedy and NCAA March Madness: Brackets Everywhere, TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV

Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play – Al Michaels, NBC

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Event Coverage – Red Bull Stratos: Space Jump, YouTube/Red Bull Media House

Outstanding Open/Tease – NBA on TNT: All-Star Game Tease, TNT

Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst – Cris Collinsworth, NBC

The Dick Schaap Writing Award – Games of the XXX Olympiad: Measure & Motion, NBC

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming – Games of the XXX Olympiad: Countdown to London, NBCOlympics.com

Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology – Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, HBO

Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Analyst – Charles Barkley, TNT

Outstanding Sports Journalism – E:60: Beitar Jerusalem, ESPN2

Outstanding Technical Team Remote – Winter X Games 2012, ESPN 3D

Outstanding Short Feature – NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, NFL Network

Outstanding Live Sports Series – Sunday Night Football, NBC

Outstanding Studio Show, Daily – MLB Tonight, MLB Network

Outstanding Live Event Turnaround – Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC

Outstanding Live Sports Special – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC

Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host – Bob Costas (who else?), NBC/NBC Sports Network

The network press releases crowing about their Sports Emmy wins are trickling in. I’ll post them in order of their arrival into the Fang’s Bites inbox.

Pat Summerall Broadcasting Timeline

With the sad news of the passing of former NFL player and broadcaster Pat Summerall, I’ll provide you with a timeline of his broadcasting career. Summerall was one of the best NFL play-by-play announcers of all time. One of the few who did both play-by-play and analysis during his career, he also branched out to call both college and pro basketball, boxing, golf and tennis.

Summerall was also a host for NFL Films along with eventual partner Tom Brookshier. Together, they called three Super Bowls (X, XII, XIV). And he was teamed with John Madden with whom he called eight Super Bowls.

He began his career with CBS back in 1962 and remained with the Tiffany Network until 1994 when the network lost the rights to the NFL to Fox. Summerall then moved to Fox where he stayed through the 2002 season. He worked the Cotton Bowl for the network from 2007 until 2010.

Summerall also filled in on ESPN’s Sunday Night Football in 2004.

Here’s the timeline.

1962 — Summerall joins CBS Sports after retiring from the NFL. He’s teamed with Chris Schenkel on New York Giants games.

1965 — Summerall is moved to DC NFL Team games with Jim Gibbons.

1967 — Calls the first half of Super Bowl I with Ray Scott, then moves to the sidelines for the second half to make way for Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford in the booth. (UPDATE: Classic Sports TV and  Media says Summerall only worked the sidelines)

1968 — Begins calling The Masters and US Open Tennis on CBS. Also CBS abandons its practice of assigning announcing teams to one team. Summerall is shifted to the network’s number one team with Ray Scott. He and Scott call Super Bowl II.

1970 — Calls Super Bowl IV with Jack Buck and Frank Gifford.

1972 — Calls Super Bowl VI with Ray Scott.

1974 — Calls his last Super Bowl (VIII) as analyst with Ray Scott. Becomes the lead play-by-play man for the first season of the NBA on CBS through the finals between Boston and Milwaukee. CBS reassigns him to play-by-play on the NFL and teams him with Tom Brookshier, his partner on the NFL Films show, “This Week in Pro Football.”

1975 — Hosts the Pan American Games in Mexico.

1976 — Calls Super Bowl X with Brookshier.

1978 — Calls Super Bowl XII in New Orleans.

1980 — Calls Super Bowl XIV, his last with Brookshier.

1981 — Splits the first 8 weeks of the season between Hank Stram and John Madden. After Week 8, CBS decides to team Summerall and Madden permanently.

1982 — Summerall calls Super Bowl XVI with Madden.

1983 — Replaces Vin Scully on the 18th hole at The Masters and teams with Ken Venturi on the PGA on CBS for the rest of his time on the network.

1984 — Summerall and Madden team for Super Bowl XVIII.

1985 — Calls the NCAA Tournament with Larry Conley.

1987 — Summerall and Madden team for their third Super Bowl (XXI).

1990 — Summerall and Madden call Super Bowl XXIV.

1992 — Summerall and Madden call Super Bowl XXVI. Is admitted to the Betty Ford Clinic for treatment of alcoholism.

1994 — Summerall and Madden call their last NFL game for CBS, the NFC Championship between San Francisco and Dallas at Texas Stadium. Summerall calls his final Masters on CBS and is replaced on the 18th hole by Jim Nantz. Summerall and Madden join Fox Sports.

1997 — Summerall and Madden call their first Big Game in five years, Super Bowl XXXI on Fox.

1999 — Summerall and Madden pair for Super Bowl XXXIII.

2002 — Summerall and Madden call Super Bowl XXXVI, their final Big Game together. Madden leaves Fox to join Al Michaels on Monday Night Football. Summerall retires, then decides to return to Fox calling primarily Dallas Cowboys calls with Brian Baldinger. After the 2002 season, Summerall leaves Fox after the network would not guarantee he could work mostly Dallas games.

2004 — Substitutes for Mike Patrick on ESPN’s Sunday Night Football and partners with Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire on preseason and early season games until Patrick returns.

2007 — Returns to Fox to call the Cotton Bowl.

2010 — Calls his last Cotton Bowl for Fox.

2011 — Makes his final appearance on Fox on the Cotton Bowl pregame show.

NFL Media Celebrates A Total of 24 Sports Emmy Nominations

NFL Media comprising of NFL Network, NFL Films and NFL.com received what it says was 24 Sports Emmy nominations. While the official National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences lists 17, NFL Media is also counting collaborations with other networks like HBO, CBS/Showtime and the like.

In the major categories, Rich Eisen, Inside the NFL, Mike Mayock, Kurt Warner, NFL Total Access, Namath and Hard Knocks all received nominations.

This is what the National Football has to say about the nominations.

NFL MEDIA SCORES A RECORD 24 SPORTS EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

Record Number of Nominations for NFL Network & NFL.com
Critically Acclaimed ‘A Football Life’ Series Receives Nominations for Second Consecutive Year
NFL Network Personalities Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner & Mike Mayock Secure Nominations
NFL Films-Produced ‘Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins’ Receives Four Nominations

NFL Media – comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL RedZone, NFL.com and NFL Mobile – received 24 Sports Emmy Award nominations, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced today. This total surpasses the 18 nominations NFL Media received in 2010, setting a new record.

This year, NFL Network earned a record 16 Sports Emmy Award nominations. Also setting a record with its 16 nominations, NFL Films is the only company with nominated programs produced for four TV networks (HBO, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network and Showtime).

NFL Network’s Rich Eisen earned a nomination in the category of Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Host for his work on NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning, Thursday Night Football pregame, halftime and postgame shows, and The Rich Eisen Podcast. This is Eisen’s third career Emmy nomination.

In his second year in the Thursday Night Football booth for NFL Network, Mike Mayock earned his second-consecutive nomination in the category of Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst.

NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner received his first Sports Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst, based on his work throughout the season on such programs as NFL GameDay Morning, NFL Total Access and Around the League Live.

NFL Total Access, the NFL’s show of record, secured its first nomination in the category of Outstanding Studio Show – Daily.

For the second consecutive year, the critically-acclaimed NFL Network/NFL Films series A Football Life was recognized with two nominations – in both the Outstanding Sports Series/Anthology category as well as for the “Life Story” promotional announcement/episodic.

NFL Films, which has won 107 Sports Emmy Awards, earned four nominations for Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, which it produces with HBO. Hard Knocks earned a nomination in the categories of Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology, Outstanding Editing, Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound, and Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics. Also, NFL Films swept all three of the nominations in the category of Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics.

Following its fourth season, NFL RedZone secured its second Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding New Approaches Sports Event Coverage.

For the third time in the show’s three seasons, the NFL Network/NFL.com production The NFL Season: A Biography received a nomination in the Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming category. NFL.com/NFL Films received a second nomination in the category for Everything to Prove.

The 34th Annual Sports Emmys Awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 7 in New York City at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Following is a complete list of NFL Media’s nominations:

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL
Still Standing: The Earl Campbell Story (NBC Sports Network/NFL Films)
Tecmo Super Bowl (NFL Network/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
Namath (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SERIES/ANTHOLOGY
A Football Life (NFL Network/NFL Films)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY
Inside the NFL (Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – DAILY
NFL Total Access (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE
NFL Films Presents: Slackliner (NFL Network/NFL Films)
NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING NEW APPROACHES SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE
NFL RedZone (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING NEW APPROACHES SPORTS PROGRAMMING
Everything to Prove (NFL.com/NFL Films)
The NFL Season: A Biography (NFL Media)

OUTSTANDING NEW APPROACHES SPORTS PROGRAMMING – SHORT FORMAT
Speaking Out (NFL Media)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – STUDIO HOST
Rich Eisen (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – STUDIO ANALYST
Kurt Warner (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – SPORTS EVENT ANALYST
Mike Mayock (NFL Network/NBC)

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK
NFL Films Presents (NFL Network/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING EDITING
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)

THE DICK SCHAAP WRITING AWARD
NFL Films Presents: Like a Rose (NFL Network/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION/DIRECTION/LYRICS
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)
Namath (HBO/NFL Films)
Road to the Super Bowl (NBC/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING POST PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT – EPISODIC
A Football Life: Life Story (NFL Network/NFL Films)

That is all.

CBS Airs NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl” on Super Bowl Sunday, 02/03

As is the norm for Super Bowl Sunday, the rightsholder of the Big Game will air the annual “Road to the Super Bowl” special, produced by NFL Films to kick off the network’s coverage. NBC aired the special last year and this year, it’s CBS’ turn.

This will be the 43rd year for “Road to the Super Bowl” which dates back to 1969. CBS will the special at 11 a.m. ET as part of its extensive Super Bowl Sunday festivities. “Road to the Super Bowl” will look at the entire 2012 season chronicling how the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers ended in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

We have the announcement from CBS on “Road to the Super Bowl.”

NFL FILMS’ “ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL” DEBUTS ON CBS AT 11:00 AM, ET ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

43rd Year of TV’s Longest-Running, Most-Honored Annual Sports Special
One-Hour Special Culled From 1.7 Million Feet of Game Film & 400 Hours of Game Audio from 100 Coaches & Players

How did the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers advance to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans? Re-live the journey as only NFL Films can present it on “Road to the Super Bowl” on Super Bowl Sunday, February 3 at 11:00 AM ET on CBS.

“Road to the Super Bowl” begins with Kickoff Weekend and chronicles the 2012 NFL season utilizing NFL Films’ signature captivating video and sound from on the field and in the locker room from exclusive player and coach wirings.

“Road to the Super Bowl” is the longest-running (43 years) and most honored (28 Sports Emmys) annual sports special. “Road to the Super Bowl,” which debuted following the 1969 season, was culled by NFL Films producers from more than 1.7 million feet of game footage to 980 feet for the one-hour special. In addition, more than 400 hours of audio were captured from 100 exclusive coach and player on-field wirings. Original orchestral music was used in producing the show

That will do it.

The Big Dozen Sports Media Stories of 2012

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

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

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

12. Embrace Debate Leads To Rob Parker Suspension

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

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

11. Steve Sabol (1942-2012)

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

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

10. Big Media Taps Into New Media

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

9. NASCAR Renews with Fox

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

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

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

7. NFL Network Picks Up Its Last Two Holdouts

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

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

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

5. CBS & NBC Announce New Sports Radio Networks

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

4. ESPN Free Agency

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

3. Fox Spending Spree

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

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

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

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

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

1. NBC’s Olympics Both Fail and Succeed

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

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

Honorable Mentions:

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

A Saturday Sports Media Notebook

Fridays are becoming way too busy for me. I need to find a way to stop it. Anyway, I have some links and thoughts for you in this latest edition of the notebook.

ESPN’s Sean McDonough hopes to return to the broadcast booth after undergoing surgery to correct a rare inner ear condition that caused him to hear things unusually loud. McDonough talked with Chad Finn of the Boston Globe and Michael Hiestand of USA Today about his condition and how it’s prevented him from going back to work.

Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock has this takedown of ESPN’s First Take and Rob Parker.

So ESPN is dialing back the Tebowmania? Apparently not as Awful Announcing discovered.

Ben Koo of AA found out that NFL Films is producing an edition of “A Football Life” devoted to Steve Sabol. I’m looking forward to seeing this when the documentary is finished. To be honest, just one hour on Sabol’s career will not do justice to his impact on sports television.

As the future of The Big East is still being determined, the Catholic 7 all-basketball schools that have broken away from the conference appear to be talking to both Fox and NBC Sports Network to place their games on one or the other or both. Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated has an extensive article on the Big East’s future. I would think Fox would be the favorite or perhaps, ESPN might jump in to get a package of games.

If you want to know why NBC’s Sunday Night Football is the number one show in primetime television, you have to go back to its genesis when producer Fred Gaudelli worked for ESPN and was producing Sunday night games for the Alleged Worldwide Leader. Deadspin’s John Koblin has a great article on the teamwork between Gaudelli, analyst Cris Collinsworth and director Drew Esocoff.

Another good article from Deadspin on how NFL RedZone is cannibalizing the Sunday afternoon game broadcasts.

Former US Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton admits to the Wisconsin State Journal that she was a high-priced Las Vegas escort.

While Dan Patrick is on vacation for the holidays, Fang’s Bites fave Bonnie Bernstein will sub for him on Christmas Eve, next Friday and on New Year’s Eve.

In the latest edition of the Sports Media Weekly podcast, you heard former 98.5 The Sports Hub nighttime host Damon Amendolara talking about his new gig as the overnight host for CBS Sports Radio. The Boston sports radio station has named his replacement and it’s a familiar voice to sports radio listeners in the New England area.

For the next Sports Media Weekly podcast on Wednesday, December 26, it’s going to include several sports media observers providing their stories of 2012 and predictions for 2013. I’ve been gathering the stories and predictions from previous guests of the podcast. I hope you’ll enjoy them.

Awful Announcing has Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch talking about his year-end sports media awards.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner says college sports are all about the money.

And Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times provides his top sports media stories of 2012 in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center.

That will do it.

Barry Sanders: A Football Life Premieres Wednesday on NFL Network

One of the strongest documentary series this season has been the “A Football Life” series produced by NFL Films and aired on NFL Network throughout this season. Some of the strongest films I’ve seen this season have focused on Steve McNair and the demise of my Cleveland Browns. I would not be surprised if this series of documentaries receives multiple Sports Emmy Awards.

This week’s installment will focus on former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, one of the best ever. The film will look at his career and also delve into his sudden retirement in 1999 leaving many fans scratching their heads.

The show airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Many family members, former coaches, teammates and players will be interviewed.

Here’s the preview from NFL Network.

HALL OF FAME RUNNING BACK BARRY SANDERS FEATURED ON NFL NETWORK’S A FOOTBALL LIFE

Emmy-Nominated Series Continues Wednesday, December 5 at 8:00 PM ET
“I just felt like I had run out of steam. I just felt like it was my time.” – Barry Sanders

For 10 seasons, Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders electrified the NFL with unbelievable runs while putting up prolific rushing numbers. Yet just before the start of the 1999 NFL season, as one of the league’s biggest stars, he quietly walked away from the game.

NFL Network’s Emmy-nominated series A Football Life continues Wednesday, December 5 at 8:00 PM ET with a profile of one of the NFL’s greatest players who retired during the prime of his career. Barry Sanders: A Football Life examines Sanders’ incredible Hall of Fame career, his unexpected retirement and the reaction it garnered throughout both the NFL and the city of Detroit, and his relationship with his late father, William.

The one-hour documentary features a sitdown interview with Sanders in which he discusses his fascinating football life. The NFL’s third all-time leading rusher talks about how he was overlooked in high school, his decision to attend Oklahoma State, the unwanted media attention that came as a result of winning the Heisman Trophy award in 1988 and being an NFL superstar, and the lessons he imparts to his children, including his son BJ Sanders, a redshirt freshman running back at Stanford University.

Additional interviews include fellow Hall of Fame running backs Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin, former teammates Thurman Thomas, Herman Moore, Kevin Glover and Lomas Brown, former Lions head coaches Wayne Fontes and Bobby Ross, and Hall of Fame guard for the Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars, among others.

Barry Sanders: A Football Life also includes past interviews with his father and Barry reading the statement he released to the Wichita Eagle announcing his retirement for the first time publically.

Barry Sanders: A Football Life includes interviews with the following people:

Barry Sanders
Byron Sanders – Barry’s brother
Lynn Sanders – Barry’s sister
BJ Sanders – Barry’s son
Emmitt Smith – Hall of Fame running back
Joe Dumars – Detroit Pistons Hall of Fame guard
Curtis Martin – Hall of Fame running back
Dale Burkholder – Barry’s high school football coach
Thurman Thomas – Hall of Fame running back & teammate of Barry at Oklahoma State
Mark McCormick – Barry’s childhood friend/Wichita Eagle reporter
Jim Brandstatter – Lions announcer
Herman Moore – Lions wide receiver, 1991-2001
Kevin Glover – Lions center, 1985-97
Wayne Fontes – Lions head coach, 1988-96
Bobby Ross – Lions head coach, 1997-2000
Chuck Schmidt – Lions executive vice president, 1989-2001
Lomas Brown – Lions offensive tackle, 1985-95

Emmy-nominated actor from CBS’ The Good Wife, Josh Charles, narrates.

For the first look at Barry Sanders: A Football Life, visit:
http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/11/29/barry-sanders-a-football-life-first-look/

Following are select quotes from Barry Sanders: A Football Life:

- “I just felt like I had run out of steam. I just felt like that was my time. That was it, I had enough; I had played the game long enough, and that real drive and determination and enjoyment of the game had left.” – Barry Sanders

- “You can’t ask a person in Detroit what your favorite run of Barry [is] because that would say there were just a handful and you can remember one. This guy did something special every single Sunday.” – Joe Dumars

- “They interviewed Barry Switzer, the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, and he said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t hurt Thurman, because they have a backup freshman running back named Barry Sanders and you will never tackle him.’” – Thurman Thomas

- “No matter what year – you can say 1920 and you can say 2012 – he will still be the best running back in the NFL any given time.” – Curtis Martin

- “The Lions needed a franchise player. They needed a brand and Barry had that flash. He had that ability to light a place up.” – Jim Brandstatter

- “Barry is not a rah-rah kind of a guy. He’s not a guy that is out there. He’s not a guy that is going to talk a whole lot, unlike myself.” – Emmitt Smith

- “It mattered that I was playing against Emmitt. He had certainly made a name for himself at that point, and I certainly wanted to put my best foot forward.” – Sanders on playing the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 NFC Divisional Game

- “When you look at when Emmitt Smith ended up getting that honor [of becoming the NFL’s all-time leading rusher], a lot of people looked at it and said, ‘Well, there’s an asterisk beside it; you got it because Barry no longer wanted to play.’” – Herman Moore

- “Sometimes when people retire, it’s almost an opportunity for their close-up. Barry wanted to exit stage right.” – Mark McCormick

Below is the remaining broadcast schedule for A Football Life, airing on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM ET:

• December 12 – Marcus Allen
• December 19 – The Immaculate Reception

Airing throughout the NFL season, A Football Life examines the iconic individuals and subjects that have had an undeniable and profound impact on the history of the National Football League, offering an inside look into their untold stories.

Every episode of A Football Life and all NFL Network programming is streamed live on NFL Mobile, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Yes, I’m still posting stuff tonight. Keep it here.

Time For Some Tuesday Links

Let’s do some Tuesday links. Lots of stuff to get to.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that Bob Costas is receiving his share of criticism for his anti-gun commentary during halftime of Sunday Night Football.

Busted Coverage has video of Bob Costas telling Dan Patrick that he’s not backing off on his anti-gun comments.

Michael Katz of USA Today’s Game On blog recaps Vin Scully’s first and way too brief foray into Twitter on Monday.

From Yahoo’s Cagefighter, the great Maggie Hendricks tells us that Mixed Martial Arts viewing will be different in 2013.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says Universal Sports will be moving its operations from Los Angeles to the Comcast Media Center in Denver.

From Advertising Age, Brian Steinberg writes that Mercedes-Benz plans to bring out some big guns for its Super Bowl ad in February.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell notes that Lincoln cars are looking to make a return to Super Bowl advertising.

Tom Conroy of Media Life Magazine reviews the new NFL Films-produced Travel Channel documentary series on the Cleveland Browns support staff.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report reviews two documentaries that debut this week.

The Nielsen Wire says the Los Angeles Lakers are the most marketable of all NBA teams.

Steve Burton of WBZ-TV in Boston is the only one reporting that the NHL Lockout is close to ending.

Bill Carter of the New York Times says Bob Costas put the spotlight on himself with his anti-gun Sunday Night Football halftime commentary.

The New York Daily News reports that the Jets have renewed their radio rights deal with ESPN Radio New York.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says YES Network had its best ratings ever for a Nets game.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union says Monday night’s Giants-DC NFL Team contest hit the ratings jackpot for ESPN.

Chris Korman of the Baltimore Sun writes that the Orioles are denying yesterday’s Sports Business Journal report that Fox Sports attempted to buy MASN.

Sarah Kogod from the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog tells us that many DC-area athletes stayed up to watch Robert Griffin III on Monday Night Football.

Erik Wemple at the WaPo talks about sports networks tackling political topics.

Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times reviews what happened on sports television over the weekend.

The Fort Pierce (FL) Tribune reports that the local ESPN Radio affiliate will continue to produce nightly sports report for the local NBC and Fox stations.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Jim Deshaies’ departure for Chicago is a big loss for the Astros.

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Fox is close to purchasing Sports Time Ohio and gaining the rights to the city’s MLB team.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune talks about the Cubs hiring a new analyst.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the five things he learned from the weekend.

Joe Flint from the Los Angeles Times says NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football is eating into the ratings of the league’s other TV partners.

Sports Media Watch notes that the MLS Cup had a slight decline in its overnight ratings as the game moved from a Sunday night to late Saturday afternoon.

The Huffington Post has video of ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit giving Northern Illinois blackboard material by ripping the team’s invitation to the Orange Bowl.

That’s where I’ll end it today.

NFL Network’s A Football Life Returns With A Profile on John Riggins

After taking a week off, the NFL Films-produced “A Football Life” Returns next week with a look at former running back John Riggins. Throughout his career whether it was with the New York Jets or the DC NFL Team, Riggins was truly a colorful character. Whether it be cutting his hair into a Mohawk, sitting out an entire season or telling a Supreme Court justice to loosen up, Riggins was definitely cut from a different cloth.

John Riggins: A Football Life will air on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve on NFL Network at 9 p.m. ET. Here are the particulars of next week’s installment of the critically-acclaimed “A Football Life.”

NFL NETWORK’S A FOOTBALL LIFE EXAMINES HALL OF FAME RUNNING BACK JOHN RIGGINS

Emmy-Nominated Series Continues Wednesday, November 21 at 8:00 PM ET with Profile of ‘The Diesel’
“Football was never my life. The guys [and] the relationships were my life.” – John Riggins

NFL Network’s Emmy-nominated series A Football Life continues this week with a profile of the Hall of Fame running back John Riggins. Premiering Wednesday, November 21 at 8:00 PM ET, John Riggins: A Football Life explores the life of the running back known as ‘the Diesel,’ from his upbringing in Centralia, Kansas, to his NFL career with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets, and the colorful personality he was known and loved for.

The one-hour documentary features sit-down interviews with Riggins, his brothers Frank and Bill Riggins, former teammates Joe Theismann and Joe Namath, and former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs, among others. John Riggins: A Football Life also includes footage from the infamous Salute to Congress Dinner Riggins attended in 1985, and his Hometown Hall of Fame plaque ceremony at Centralia High School from October, 2012.

A first-round pick of the New York Jets from the University of Kansas in 1971, Riggins played five seasons in New York before signing with the Washington Redskins. After sitting out the entire 1980 season, new Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs traveled to Kansas to convince Riggins to return to the team. Under Gibbs, Riggins flourished and had the best seasons of his career, which included a victory in Super Bowl XVII in which he was named MVP after rushing for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards, and a season at the age of 34 when he rushed for a career-high 1,347 yards and a then-record 24 touchdowns.

John Riggins: A Football Life includes interviews with the following people:

John Riggins
Frank Riggins – John’s older brother
Bill Riggins – John’s younger brother
Lisa Marie Riggins – John’s wife
Joe Namath – New York Jets quarterback, 1965-76
Joe Theismann – Washington Redskins quarterback, 1974-85
Joe Gibbs – Washington Redskins head coach, 1981-92 & 2004-07
Pepper Rodgers – University of Kansas football coach
Len Mohlman – Centralia High School football coach
Emerson Boozer – New York Jets running back, 1966-75
Ron Saul – Washington Redskins guard, 1976-81
Jeff Bostic – Washington Redskins center, 1980-93
John Kent Cooke, Jr. – Former Washington Redskins President
Charles Robb – Former Virginia Governor

Emmy-nominated actor from CBS’ The Good Wife, Josh Charles, narrates.

For the first look at John Riggins: A Football Life, visit:

http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/11/15/john-riggins-a-football-life-first-look/

Following are select quotes from John Riggins: A Football Life:

- “Football was never my life. The guys [and] the relationships were my life. I have an ability to relate to damn near everybody.” – John Riggins

- “I realized in that moment that physically speaking my talents were well beyond Joe [Namath’s] talents. So then I realized, ‘What am I doing here? This doesn’t make sense because it’s always going to be about Joe.’” – John Riggins

- “After that I was pretty much defeated. I look back on it and there were a lot of things going on, but to me it was like, ‘OK, this is as good as it’s going to get.’” – John Riggins on the loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1979

- “The biggest misconception is that he is a clown. He’s not a clown; he’s a showman instead. He knows intuitively the right thing to do and yet do it in a colorful way.” – John Kent Cooke, Jr.

- “He was just everything you want in a great, big running back. You didn’t hit John; John hit you.” – Joe Theismann

- “John event went to George Allen one time and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you give me a 60 [jersey] number since I’m only going to get the ball once or twice a game?’” – Ron Saul

Below is the remaining broadcast schedule for A Football Life, airing on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM ET:

• December 5 – Barry Sanders
• December 12 – Marcus Allen
• December 19 – The Immaculate Reception

Airing throughout the NFL season, A Football Life examines the iconic individuals and subjects that have had an undeniable and profound impact on the history of the National Football League, offering an inside look into their untold stories.

That will do it.

NFL & Travel Channel Announce New Show on the Cleveland Browns

This from the National Football League, NFL Films and Travel Channel. The NFL is partnering with Travel Channel to produce a new show looking at the Cleveland Browns traveling to various game sites throughout the season.

The show, “NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns” will premiere on Travel Channel on Tuesday, December 4 at 10 p.m. ET and PT.

NFL Films is producing the program for Travel Channel in association with RIVR Media.

The series will show the preparation of the team traveling to various game sites in New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Denver, Dallas and Oakland plus ensuring all the team gets to and from each site on time. It will also show how the team manages to get meals for the entire team prepared at each site.

We have the official press release below.

TRAVEL CHANNEL PARTNERS WITH NFL FILMS AND RIVR MEDIA ON ORIGINAL SERIES, “NFL ROAD TESTED: THE CLEVELAND BROWNS,” PREMIERING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

Series to Provide Unprecedented Behind-the-Scenes Look into an NFL Team During the 2012 Season

CHEVY CHASE, MD (November 5, 2012) – Travel Channel has partnered with NFL Films and RIVR Media on a new series that pulls back the curtain on the current 2012 season of the Cleveland Browns in “NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns,” premiering on Tuesday, December 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

NFL Films will provide unprecedented access to Travel Channel to unveil never-before-seen footage of what it takes to travel an entire professional football team from city to city, game to game, during the regular season. Every road trip requires a massive amount of coordination to haul the 150-person squad 20,000 miles a season. From feeding an entire team, to clothing and housing them, to how a stadium prepares and deals with more than 70,000 rabid fans, Travel Channel’s cameras are there to capture this massive undertaking.

In addition, viewers will see how the Cleveland Browns prepare each week through the eyes of the players and team management, including new owner Jimmy Haslam. They can expect to learn more about the history behind deeply-rooted team rivalries and other notable insights not typically covered in game-coverage news. Episodes will focus around the weeks leading up to games played against the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. The announcement was jointly made today by Andy Singer, General Manager, Travel Channel, and Howard Katz, Chief Operating Officer, NFL Films.

“This series is a first-of-its-kind program providing an exclusive pass to NFL fans during the season. This is an emotionally-charged world. Now, viewers will get a never-before-seen opportunity to see what it’s like for players to live on the road, often away from their families. We’ll hear from the players themselves, coaches and scores of support staff in multiple cities,” said Singer. “Working with the Emmy award-winning storytellers from NFL Films, ‘NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns’ will take viewers beyond the gridiron and inside the action that happens between games as the storied franchise attempts to return to football greatness.”

“We look forward to working with Travel Channel to bring fans a behind-the-scenes look at the logistical preparations leading into each week’s game,” said Katz.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in such an exciting and unique endeavor,” said Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. “This show will offer viewers a great perspective of the inner-workings of an NFL team and what it takes to support a team. With Travel Channel working alongside NFL Films and RIVR Media, we expect that this will be first-class production. We are excited about what this will mean to Northeast Ohio, the Browns and our fans.”

“NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns” is co-produced by NFL Films and RIVR Media for Travel Channel.  For NFL Films, the executive producers are Pat Kelleher and Ross Ketover. For RIVR Media, the executive producers are Rob Lundgren and Lori Stryer, and supervising producer is J.W. Johnson. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Brian Leonard.

Interesting stuff and I’ll be sure to watch this.

Some Monday Sports Media Thoughts

Time to provide some sports media thoughts as we begin another workweek. Of course, they will be in bullet form.

• What was once the place for sports networks to convene to put pressure on cable has suddenly become the place to hold out. DirecTV was once the provider to pick up sports networks before anyone else. It was one of the first providers in the country to pick up NFL Network, the Big Ten Network, the mtn., CBS Sports Network (when it was known as CSTV then CBS College Sports), Outdoor Life Network and others. Now, it has become a holdout like Time Warner Cable which was the last major cable provider to pick up NFL Network and still refuses to carry MASN in North Carolina.

  Now, DirecTV has refused to pick up the Pac-12 Networks and Time Warner SportsNet citing fiscal responsibility. It has not talked with the Pac-12 lately and has no new talks scheduled for Time Warner, thus preventing West Coast fans from seeing college sports and the Los Angeles Lakers. DirecTV says it does not want to pick up all of the Pac-12 Networks (it has seven overall) and wants to charge an extra fee for anyone who wants to watch it. And the satellite provider is balking at Time Warner’s price per subscriber ($3.95) for the Lakers channel.

  DirecTV appears to have drawn its line in the sand. The Athletic Director at Cal-Berkeley changed her TV subscription from DirecTV to Comcast so she can watch Pac-12 Network and the Lakers training facility changed its subscription from DirecTV to Time Warner Cable as ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi tweeted on Sunday.

  Not a great sign that the Lakers’ practice facility switched to TWC from DirecTV this week. They probably wouldn’t if a deal was imminent.

  — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 4, 2012

  So whenever DirecTV decides to pick either or both of the channels, it could very well be at its own terms.

  Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times reports that Cox Cable is the latest to agree to carry Time Warner SportsNet’s English and Spanish channels. It leaves DirecTV and Dish as the last remaining holdouts and of those two, only DirecTV would probably pick up TWSN as Dish has not been willing to carry sports networks as freely as DirecTV.

• NFL Network’s A Football Life has scored touchdowns in each and all of its episodes this season. From the season premiere on Ray Lewis to the look at the final year of the Cleveland Browns 1.0 to the Los Angeles Rams Fearsome Foursome to the latest edition on Chris Spielman, the documentaries from NFL Films have been of high quality. This all began last year when it spent one season with Patriots coach Bill Belichick and showed viewers some humanity behind the man inside the hoodie.

  The access NFL Films has received with each of its subjects, plus the archival footage it has culled through its own library or through news footage or personal home movies, A Football Life has become appointment viewing. The next one on coach Jimmy Johnson during his Dallas years should prove to be quite compelling television.

• There’s been 10 weeks of the college football season and I can now provide a review of the Fox College Saturday pregame show. I’ve been waiting for improvement since Week 2 (Week 1 was pre-empted in most of the country by a Fox Saturday Baseball overrun), but it hasn’t been there. Erin Andrews is not suited to be a studio host. She’s been better on the sidelines, although the MLB Postseason in October wasn’t her best work.

  There is no chemistry between Erin and analysts Eddie George and Joey Harrington. They struggle to get through highlights and there’s doesn’t appear to be any real energy. Oddly, when Patrick O’Neal is teamed with George and Harrington on FX, they have much better chemistry and energy.

  I have a feeling Fox will try this studio team for one more season before making any changes. Fox has too much money invested in Andrews to take her off the show after one season, however, the show remains a train wreck.

• Heard Friend of Fang’s Bites, Jen Royle on WEEI in Boston auditioning last week to become the update anchor for the station’s morning show, Dennis & Callahan. I felt she had the best chemistry among all those trying out. Here’s hoping she gets a gig out of it.
• I wish there was a way to get KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” off ads and TV shows. This song is the bane of my existence. And as it was pointed out on the old “Best Week Ever” on VH1 that it was overused on a slew of ABC’s shows as a female empowerment song in 2006. And don’t ask me why I can remember these references off the top of my head.

  As I digress, if the song can be removed from commercials and movies, it would make me very happy.

Ok, I’m done.

Some Monday Linkage

I’ll do some quick linkage on this Monday.

In USA Today, Michael Hiestand talks with NFL on Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira.

In his extensive Monday Morning Quarterback column, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King remembers NFL Films’ Steve Sabol.

John Ourand at Sports Business Journal notes that MLB will be increasing its haul from ESPN, Fox and Turner in the latest TV contract.

Rick Porter at zap2it says NBC’s Sunday Night Football and CBS beat the Emmys on ABC like a drum on Sunday.

Anthony Crupi of AdWeek writes that the NHL lockout is putting NBC Sports Network in a huge bind.

Toni Fitzgerald at Media Life says NBC’s Sunday Night Football scored an overnight ratings win over the network competition.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen.

ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell says the next big thing is putting team logos on food.

Mike McCarthy at Sports Biz USA tells us that the Brooklyn Nets cheerleaders will stress more of the sizzle in their uniforms.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that not every Time Warner Cable customer had access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone yesterday.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post is the reason why Americans can’t have nice things.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Notre Dame’s resurgence has NBC executives doing backflips at its headquarters.

David Zurawik in the Baltimore Sun says NBC’s Hines Ward still doesn’t feel the love from Ravens fans.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that Sunday’s Texans-Broncos game received a big rating in H-Town.

David says former Red Sox and Astros voice Jerry Trupiano called two recent games for MLB.com.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer has the channel numbers for NFL Network and NFL RedZone for Insight customers.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tells us that Texans-Broncos did really well locally.

Paul M. Banks at the Chicago Sports Media Watch reports that Comcast SportsNet has replaced the popular Sarah Kustok with a new reporter.

The Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth has five things he learned from the weekend.

Tom has the SoCal sports calendar for this week.

Bruce Dowbiggin in the Toronto Globe and Mail notes that Blue Jays analyst Greg Zaun may be facing some disciplinary action after criticizing the team culture following Yunel Escobar’s homophobic incident.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing looks at how a DirecTV error made Lions fans miss a key touchdown during Sunday’s game against Tennessee.

Sports Media Watch notes the overnight ratings for Sunday Night Football.

SMW says IndyCar finished its worst rated season ever.

That’s all.

Some Steve Sabol Links

As Tuesday turns into Wednesday on the East Coast, it’s time to bring you some appreciations and some obituaries from across the country on the late NFL Films President Steve Sabol. Whether it be from media writers or beat reporters, Sabol is being remembered for his influence on the NFL as he helped it to grow into the country’s most popular sport.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King writes that Steve Sabol gained the trust of NFL owners and coaches after they realized how much he loved football.

SI’s Richard Rothschild writes that NFL Films won’t be the same without Steve Sabol.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says Sabol was a master storyteller.

Rachel Cohen at the Associated Press writes that Sabol was the creative force behind NFL Films.

NFL Network’s Rich Eisen has a special podcast with several guests including NBC’s Bob Costas remembering Steve Sabol.

NFL.com has the video when Rich Eisen broke the news on NFL Network of Sabol’s passing.

Mike Barnes of the Hollywood Reporter says Sabol made NFL Films an American institution.

Stephen Miller in the Wall Street Journal writes that Steve Sabol helped to make the NFL larger-than-life.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner has this appreciation of Sabol and his work.

At the Sherman Report, Ed Sherman notes that Steve Sabol was also a poet.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has former NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol opining on Sabol’s influence on the NFL.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says Steve Sabol’s impact on the NFL will live on.

Also from the Times, Douglas Martin has Sabol’s obituary.

Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer says Sabol always stayed close to his Philly roots.

Zach Berman of the Inquirer has Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie’s statement on Sabol’s passing.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner recalls his days working with Steve Sabol.

Mac Engel at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that Steve Sabol leaves large shoes to fill at NFL Films.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron has reaction from Sabol’s friends and former co-workers.

Tom Reed at the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Sabol was a true visionary.

Vince Tuss of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that NFL Films is not complete without plenty of Minnesota Vikings heartbreak.

Chris Erskine in the Los Angeles Times says Steve Sabol shaped the way sports would be covered.

Former Times writer Mike Kupper has the paper’s obit on Sabol.

And that will wrap up the links on Steve Sabol.

Fang’s Bites Top 10 NFL Films Clips

With Steve Sabol’s passing, I thought it would be appropriate to bring you my Top 10 favorite NFL Films moments. These video clips have become iconic just as the moments themselves.

10. Holy Roller, 1978. This was one of the craziest finishes to any game. Between blood rivals, the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers, the fumble to end the game in the Raiders’ favor has become one of the biggest moments in the history of the league.

9. Old Man Willie, 1977. In Super Bowl XI, the Oakland Raiders’ Willie Brown intercepted Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton to seal the team’s first championship. The shot at 3:19 of Willie running towards the NFL Films’ camera in the end zone is one of the best shots ever. This clip is from NFL’s Top 100 Greatest Players.

8. Lynn Swann’s Catch, 1977. I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there’s no doubting the diving catch by Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys has become one of the most iconic shots by NFL Films in the 1970′s.

7. Marcus Allen’s 74 Yard Run. From Super Bowl XVIII, Marcus Allen sealed the Raiders’ third Super Bowl win. Holy Toledo! This is from America’s Game.

6. The Catch, 1982. From the NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, Joe Montana to Dwight Clark. Al Michaels narrates.

5. John Taylor, Super Bowl XXIII. Again from America’s Game, the footage of the game-winning drive by the 49ers over the Cincinnati Bengals is just classic and it ends with the Taylor catch from Joe Montana.

4. Scott Norwood’s miss, Super Bowl XXV. Kind of cruel to include this, but you can see how close this kick was to being good and making the Buffalo Bills champions. Oh, what could have been.

3. Miracle at the Meadowlands, 1978. At the time, the Giants were a rather hapless franchise finding all kinds of ways to lose. At their new home of Giants Stadium in New Jersey, seemingly on their way to beating the Philadelphia Eagles, Joe Pisarcik fumbled a handoff to Larry Csonka and Herman Edwards picked it up for the win. Eagles voice Merrill Reese had the call.

2. Alcoa Fantastic Finishes. Forgive the quality of the clip. Throughout the 1980′s both CBS and NBC would air what was called “Alcoa Fantastic Finishes” at the two minute warning of each game. As the networks went to break, the announcer would say, “As we reach the two minute warning, it’s time for another Fantastic Finish” and we would get an NFL Films feature showing yes, a fantastic finish to a previous game. I wish we still had the “Fantastic Finish” feature.

1. The Immaculate Reception, 1972. I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers, but you can’t deny this moment was one of the greatest in NFL history and also a great moment in storytelling by NFL Films.

You may have your own favorites, but these are mine. And a perfect way to say goodbye to Steve Sabol.

History of NFL Films

The National Football has sent this chronology of NFL Films from its humble beginning in 1962 all the way through today. Amazing how the company has grown to one of the most recognized brands in sports media.

Take a look.

50 YEARS OF PIONEER FILMMAKING

1962

• Ed Sabol, founder of Blair Motion Pictures (6 employees), bids $3,000 for the film rights to the 1962 NFL Championship Game

1963

• Pro Football’s Longest Day: The 1962 NFL Championship Game premieres at New York’s Toots Shor’s to critical acclaim

1964

• NFL buys Blair Motion Pictures after Ed Sabol convinces Commissioner Pete Rozelle that NFL needs its own film company to “not only to promote the NFL, but to preserve its history.”

1965

• NFL FILMS begins first season of filming every NFL game

1966

• NFL FILMS employs graphics in How to Watch Pro Football to explain strategy and tactics
• NFL FILMS wires Philadelphia’s Joe Kuharich for sound during an NFL game

1967

• They Call It Pro Football unveils NFL FILMS’ revolutionary filmmaking style with its use of ground-level, slow-motion NFL action and sideline sound
• NFL FILMS produces football’s 1st magazine show – hosted by Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• NFL FILMS premieres its 1^st network pre-game feature on CBS Countdown to Kickoff

1968

• NFL FILMS produces sports’ 1^st blooper film, Football Follies
• NFL FILMS 1^st to film pre-game locker room action (Coach Saban & the Denver Broncos)

1969

• NFL FILMS 1^st to use 600mm telephoto lens to capture what Steve Sabol describes as “the raw intensity of the NFL – the bloody hands, the eyes bulging, the snot spraying and the sweat flying.”

1970

• Premiere of ABC’s Monday Night Football Halftime Highlights produced by NFL FILMS

1971

• NFL FILMS introduces reverse-angle replay

1973

• NFL FILMS introduces popular music – “The Way We Were” – scored to NFL footage featuring Bart Starr

1978

• NFL FILMS produces 1^st Road To The Super Bowl special

1979

• NFL FILMS moves from a 19,000-sq. ft. production studio in Philadelphia, PA, to a 40,000-sq. ft. multi-million dollar production lot in Mt. Laurel, NJ
• NFL FILMS wins first Emmys for Road To The Super Bowl at inaugural Sports Emmys

1980

• NFL FILMS introduces 1^st sports home videos – 28 team highlights & special releases Big Game America and Football Follies

1986

• NFL FILMS expands production studio to include state-of-the-art post production wing, fiber-optic services and a high security film archive

1987

• NFL FILMS designs software for digital-footage logging system

1989

• NFL FILMS produces NFL DREAM SEASON for ESPN: a computer effects project that alters game footage to realistically pit the NFL’s 20 greatest teams against one another – the 1986 New York Giants vs. the 1951 Los Angeles Rams – in a mythical eight-week series

1990

• NFL FILMS celebrates Silver Anniversary
• NFL FILMS annexes building to expand its production studio to 100,000 sq. ft.

1994

• NFL FILMS celebrates 30^th Anniversary

1995

• NFL FILMS produces filmmaking’s 1st live-action sports short ever shot in Cinemascope, the critically acclaimed, 100 Yard Universe

1997

• NFL commissions NFL FILMS’ Tom Hedden to compose Super Bowl XXXI theme
• NFL FILMS highlights appears in Cyberspace in the NFL Theater on NFL.COM

1998

• NFL FILMS PRESENTS leaves syndication after 30 years and moves to ESPN
• NFL FILMS produces the 1st interactive sports program on Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) – The Official Super Bowl XXXII Championship DVD
• NFL FILMS PRESENTS wins third consecutive Emmy award for Outstanding Sports Series
• NFL FILMS shoots its 7,000^th NFL game

1999

• NFL FILMS breaks ground on 200,000sq. ft. motion-picture studio schedule to open in Spring 2001

2000

• NFL FILMS increases Emmy award total to 78 after receiving awards for Outstanding Music Composition/Direction and Outstanding Features – its third consecutive award in that category

2001

• NFL FILMS increases Emmy award total to 80 after receiving awards for Outstanding Feature and Outstanding Editing HARD KNOCKS: Training Camp with the Baltimore Ravens, a reality sports documentary television series produced by NFL FILMS and HBO premiered in July

2002

• NFL FILMS opens a new 200,000 square-foot television and motion picture studio fully equipped for Hi-Def production
• NFL FILMS adds two more Emmys to its collection taking home the trophies for Outstanding Music Composition and Outstanding Audio

2003

• NFL FILMS plays pivotal role in launch of NFL NETWORK – the first television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football
• NFL FILMS founder Ed Sabol and President Steve Sabol are presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 Sports Emmy Awards
• NFL NETWORK wins its first Emmy Award for NFL FILMS Presents: Big Charlie’s Place becoming the youngest network in history to garner the prestigious award

2004

• NFL FILMS earns four more Emmy Awards increasing its total to 91

2005

• NFL FILMS increases Emmy award total to 92 after receiving awards for Outstanding Studio Show Weekly – Inside the NFL
• NFL FILMS releases Autumn Thunder; a ten disc box set of current and classic music from NFL FILMS’ award winning composers.

2006

• NFL FILMS launches what Steve Sabol calls “the biggest series in company history” in America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions. The series features one-hour documentaries profiling each Super Bowl-winning team.

2007

• NFL FILMS wins 3 Emmy Awards for America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions, NFL FILMS Presents: Finding Your Butkus, and Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs, bringing the grand total to 95 Emmys since 1979.

2008

• NFL FILMS wins 2 Emmy Awards for Studio Show Weekly -Inside the NFL and Post-produced Audio-Sound for Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys, bringing the grand total to 97 Emmys since 1979.

2009

• NFL FILMS produced the five-part miniseries Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League for Showtime which aired in fall 2009 as part of the American Football League 50th anniversary celebration.
• NFL FILMS was honored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the dedication of a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker at 230 North 13th Street in Philadelphia recognizing the location as the “Birthplace of NFL FILMS.”

2010

• NFL FILMS wins 3 Emmy Awards for Edited Sports Series/Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, Post Produced Audio Sound/Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals and Inside the NFL: Sounds of the Year bringing the grand total to 100 Emmys since 1979

2011

• NFL FILMS wins 5 Emmy Awards for Edited Sports Series/Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, Documentary/Lombardi, Camera Work/Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, Post Produced Audio-Sound/Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals and Live Event Turnaround/Sound FX: Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets, bringing the grand total to 105 Emmys since 1979
• Ed Sabol was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6, 2011
• Steve and Ed Sabol were inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in November of 2011 which was followed by Steve’s induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in December
• The premiere season of both A Football Life (NFL Network) and NFL Turning Point (NBC Sports Network), produced by NFL FILMS, earned Emmy Award nominations in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology.

2012

• NFL FILMS wins 2 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics for Ed Sabol’s Last Football Movie: Men of Mettle, and Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound for Sound FX: All Access bringing the grand total to 107 Emmys since 1979
• Hard Knocks: Training Camp at the Miami Dolphins went completely digital, becoming the first series in NFL Films history where no footage was shot on film or tape

More coming up.

NFL Network Obiturary on Steve Sabol

NFL Network and the National Football League has sent this obituary on Steve Sabol, the President of Steve Sabol, the man who helped shape the popularity of the game since 1962.

NFL Network Obituary on Steve Sabol

NFL Films is more than a production company, it’s an institution. The life’s work of Steve Sabol, a football player turned artist who transformed American television for half a century.

In 1962, Ed Sabol won the rights to film the league’s championship game and NFL Films was born. In a sense, so was Steve, who was there that freezing day at Yankee Stadium working as a cameraman. For the next 50 years, he never stopped working for the NFL.

Few men in the League have ever had a longer run. None has ever had a better one. He was the game’s first quintuple threat. An Emmy-winning auteur who won statuettes for cinematography, editing, writing, directing and producing. The only man ever to be so honored.

But it wasn’t hardware that Steve loved, it was the game. And he saw it as no one ever had. Through the eyes of an artist. With an unerring eye for detail, and a pitch perfect ear, Steve quickly transformed NFL Films from simple chroniclers of the game, to epic myth makers. And he did it, as all great artists do, by taking chances.

Super slow motion, wireless mics on players, reverse angle replays, follies films, and custom composed musical scores. All that’s standard stuff today, but before NFL Films it was unheard of. But then, Steve never thought like a sports filmmaker, he thought like a Hollywood storyteller. Big, bold, honest, and, funny. Those were the hallmarks of Steve’s work. And Steve himself.

Across fifty years, and tens of thousands of programs, there was one constant at NFL Films: Steve Sabol. He was one of that now rare breed of executive who not only had done every job in the company at one time or another, but could still do any of them better than most. More than the company’s head, he was its heartbeat.

Last summer, Steve presented his father for induction into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. Big Ed, reminded the crowd that his motto was: “Tell me a story and it’ll live forever.” Like any good son, Steve always listened to his father. Then worked until he became the greatest storyteller the NFL has ever known. But he also listened to his heart. And by turning to the game he loved, he also embraced a piece of wisdom he learned while studying art at Colorado college. Art is love’s accomplice, take love away and there is no art. Steve Sabol knew that better than anyone.

More on Steve Sabol coming up.

NFL Statement on Steve Sabol

We have the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s statement on the passing of NFL Films President Steve Sabol.

STEVE SABOL (1942-2012)

NFL Films President Steve Sabol, for five decades the creative force behind the unique brand of storytelling and cinematography that brought America closer to the game of football, died today at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with brain cancer.

“Steve Sabol was the creative genius behind the remarkable work of NFL Films,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Steve’s passion for football was matched by his incredible talent and energy. Steve’s legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at football and sports, and a great friend.”

More coming up later.

Steve Sabol (1942-2012)

When you look at the history of the National Football League on television and the sports media, there are just a few men who come to mind who have had a huge impact on how the sport became America’s Game. Baseball is America’s Pastime, but there’s no doubt that football is America’s Game.

Ed and Steve Sabol who ran NFL Films has passed away today at the age of 69. To properly describe his impact on the game, it would take more than just one post.

The Sabols helped to bring Hollywood production values into NFL Films such as slow motion photography, beautiful cinematography, wireless microphones, musical scores, storytelling and so much more. Steve began with NFL Films when his father bought the rights to film the NFL Championship Game in 1962 and remained with the company to his dying day.

Throughout today, Fang’s Bites will pay tribute to Steve Sabol and his influence on the sports media.

“Ray Lewis: A Football Life” Premieres on NFL Network on Wednesday

NFL Network’s critically acclaimed series, “A Football Life” returns this week with a concept that gained attention last year. The next installment focuses on Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis by following him over a year’s time. The premiere episode of “A Football Life” did the same with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick so this should be quite interesting.

This episode follows Lewis throughout the 2011 season and ends with the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.

NFL Films says Lewis is the first active player to wear a microphone in every game of the regular season. We have the preview plus a link to a video clip.

Here’s the press release from NFL Network.

NFL NETWORK’S A FOOTBALL LIFE CONTINUES WITH FULL-SEASON WIRING OF RAY LEWIS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 AT 8:00 PM ET

Ravens Linebacker First Player to Wear Wireless Microphone for Entire Season
“The game will fade one day. I realize that success is one thing; impact is another. I live to impact people.” – Lewis

As a Super Bowl-winning linebacker and 17-year NFL veteran, Ray Lewis has had an indelible impact on the football field. Yet, the legacy Lewis continues to leave stretches far beyond what happens on Sundays, extending to his teammates, his family, the community of Baltimore and thousands of football fans across the country.

Lewis’ impactful life is detailed and explored in the NFL Films produced Ray Lewis: A Football Life, which premieres Wednesday, September 19 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. Following in the footsteps of last year’s critically-acclaimed Bill Belichick: A Football Life, Lewis became the first player in NFL history to wear a wireless microphone in every game for an entire season.

NFL Films’ cameras followed Lewis on and off the field throughout the 2011 season, which ended in a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, capturing the middle linebacker in a variety of situations and roles. Featuring footage from inside the team meeting room prior to their Week 9 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, his speech to the Harvard Black Law Students Association at their Spring Conference, lighter moments spent with his family, and more, an all-encompassing profile of the 13-time Pro Bowl linebacker is provided.

The one-hour episode also chronicles his relationship with his father and the bond he formed with Ravens fan Bill Warble, who passed away earlier this year.

Emmy-nominated actor from CBS’ The Good Wife, Josh Charles, narrates.

To view the trailer of Ray Lewis: A Football Life, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/a-football-life/0ap1000000061655/A-Football-Life-Ray-Lewis

Below are select quotes from Ray Lewis: A Football Life:

• “The game will fade one day. I realize that success is one thing; impact is another. I live to impact people.” – Lewis
• “That type of interaction with people who really look up to you can change a life instantly.” – Lewis on his relationship with Bill Warble
• “Our fans can’t stand Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh can’t stand us. It’s just the way it is.” – Lewis
• “I have been there many a time and you realize this is the same game that has haunted us the last three years. That one game, whether it was sooner [in the season] that you didn’t get homefield advantage, or whether it was later because you had to go play in their backyard.” – Lewis on facing the Pittsburgh Steelers
• “I don’t do this for me. I watch enough film so I could put myself in position to make my defense the best defense in damn football. That’s why I come back every year.” – Lewis to the Ravens in team meeting before Week 9 game against the Steelers
• “There is no middle linebacker in the game that can outplay me in their position. And until I’m done, there won’t be.” – Lewis
  
• “You don’t have to respect me by me. You’re going to respect me by what people who I’ve come in contact with know about me.” – Lewis
• “I promised my teammates and my coaches something: that we will finish this. We will see another Lombardi trophy in Baltimore. I owe them that.” – Lewis

Below is the September and October broadcast schedule for A Football Life, airing on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM ET:

• September 26 – Tom Coughlin
• October 3 – Cleveland ‘95
• October 10 – Fearsome Foursome
• October 17 – Steve McNair
• October 24 – Eddie DeBartolo
• October 31 – Chris Spielman

Airing throughout the NFL season, A Football Life examines the iconic individuals and subjects that have had an undeniable and profound impact on the history of the National Football League, offering an inside look into their untold stories.

Every episode of A Football Life and all NFL Network programming is streamed live on NFL Mobile, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

That will conclude this post.

Hard Knocks Season Finale Airs Tuesday Night

HBO’s Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins ends tomorrow. Other than the Chad Johnson firing and Ryan Tannehill not knowing which teams were in which divisions, this has been a lackluster season for Hard Knocks. That’s not the fault of HBO or NFL Films, they can only show us what they taped, it’s more on the Miami Dolphins, a team that doesn’t have much personality.

So Tuesday will mark the premiere of the season finale and there will be various re-airings throughout the week, plus the episode will be On Demand so you can find ways to catch up.

Here’s the preview from HBO Sports.

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS
SEASON FINALE

 HBO Sports, in association with NFL Films and the Miami Dolphins, provides an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League in HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS. Presented in HD, the season finale of the first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – debuts SEPT. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by an encore presentation at 11:00 p.m., exclusively on HBO.

Episode #5

Debut: TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 4 (11:00 p.m.), 5 (3:00 p.m., 1:50 a.m.), 6 (2:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.), 7 (midnight), 8 (10:15 a.m., 1:30 a.m.), 9 (7:00 a.m.) and 10 (9:30 a.m., 2:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 7 (5:00 p.m.) and 9 (12:10 a.m.)

The pre-season comes to a close as the Dolphins travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys; coaches evaluate players as they prepare for final roster cuts.

A 30-person NFL Films crew lived at the Dolphins’ training camp, shooting up to 1,200 hours of video over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews were given unrestricted access to players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training facilities, living quarters and practice fields.

That’s it for this post.

Review of “America’s Game, The Super Bowl Champions: 2011 Giants”

This is a review of the continuing NFL Network/NFL Films documentary series, “America’s Game, The Super Bowl Champions”. As it has for the previous XLV installments, NFL Films has a successful formula, getting three to four of the winning team’s  coaches and players to talk about the season leading up to the Super Bowl, then getting their reactions to winning the championship.

For the program on the Super Bowl XLVI Champions, the New York Giants, NFL Films was able to have coach Tom Coughlin, quarterback Eli Manning, wide receiver Victor Cruz and defensive end Justin Tuck to talk about their experiences about the 2011 season.

One of the themes of the season and the documentary was “Finish”, in which Cough Coughlin used a film of a high school cross country runner struggling to finish a race on her hands and knees to help her team win to get his point across. And another theme was “All In” which the team used poker chips at the end of the season to put all of their hand on the table to guide them through another improbable playoff run to win the Super Bowl.

“30 Rock” co-star and New York native Alec Baldwin narrates the documentary and notes several key points in the season including regular season wins over the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys plus a loss to the Green Bay Packers that gave the G-Men confidence for a second meeting in the postseason.

As with previous “America’s Game” documentaries, the subjects speak directly into the camera. They provide interesting insights including Victor Cruz telling the viewer that he received a text from Eli Manning asking him to meet up in the offseason so he could throw and get familiar with him.

Also, Manning talked about several key moments including his speech to the team about how he didn’t want to be like his brother Peyton after a Super Bowl loss.

One of the better moments was seeing Giants matriarch Ann Mara scolding Fox’s Terry Bradshaw on air after the NFC Championship Game. It was funny seeing it live and even better that the scene was shown in the documentary.

Giants fans will definitely shed a tear watching the documentary. Overall, it’s a familiar NFL Films formula that works in the best sports documentary series on television. The grade is the usual A for NFL Films and America’s Game.

Hard Knocks Set to Premiere This Month

Now that August is here, it means that the National Football League isn’t far behind. Training camps are underway all over the country and that’s especially true for the Miami Dolphins, the subject of this year’s edition of HBO/NFL Films’ Hard Knocks.

The premiere is set for August 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

With Chad “Don’t Call Me Ochocinco” Johnson and new coach Joe Philbin in the mix, there should be plenty of good television over the span of five weeks.

Let’s look at the HBO press release.

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS
KICKS OFF ITS FIVE-EPISODE SEASON AUG. 7, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

HBO Sports, in association with NFL Films and the Miami Dolphins, provides an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League in HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS.

The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – begins its five-episode seventh season, presented in HD, TUESDAY, AUG. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Other hour-long episodes debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 4 season finale.

Episode #1

Debut: TUESDAY, AUG. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 8 (7:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.), 9 (1:30 p.m., 2:10 a.m.), 10 (9:00 p.m., midnight), 11 (11:00 a.m., 11:30 p.m.), 12 (8:00 a.m.) and 13 (10:00 a.m., 11:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 10 (6:25 p.m.), 12 (11:45 p.m.) and 23 (11:15 p.m.)

The new identity of the Miami Dolphins under first-year head coach Joe Philbin begins to take shape as the team assembles for the start of training camp in Davie, Fla. Coaches take the players through week one of on-field drills.

A 30-person NFL Films crew is living at the Dolphins training camp, shooting up to 1,200 hours of video over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews are given unrestricted access to the players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training facilities, living quarters and practice fields

That’s it.

Your First Look at Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins

This from HBO Sports and NFL Films. Check it out.

Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins premieres on HBO in August.

Doing Some Tuesday Linkage

I was expecting to be out of the office today, but with the temperatures over 90 in Southern New England, being inside with air conditioning is probably the way to go today. I hope wherever you are, you’re staying cool and away from the sun.

I have some links.

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter says the BBC is defending the size of its staff devoted to covering the London Olympics pointing out that NBC is bringing almost four times BBC’s number.

Tim Baysinger of Broadcasting & Cable writes that ESPN has hired an internationally-known soccer journalist to bolster its website.

Tim says Golf Channel has made a couple of hires.

George Winslow at Broadcasting & Cable writes that the Pac-12 Networks have selected Cisco to distribute video throughout its systems.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says a US-based martial arts network is attempting to gain a foothold in Europe.

Gabriel Belton of Adweek looks at a new Olympics-themed ad from GlaxoSmithKline.

Rupal Parekh at Advertising Age says Ralph Lauren is taking a huge PR hit over its “Made in Communist China” US Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms.

Michelle Smith of espnW profiles Lydia Murphy-Stephens who’s helping to launch the Pac-12 Networks.

Timothy Burke at Deadspin notes that NBC’s Today Show ran video of the wrong man during an interview with Philadelphia Eagles’  quarterback Michael Vick.

John Koblin of Deadspin says Sports Illustrated will not run an excerpt of Joe Posnanski’s upcoming book on Joe Paterno.

Ed Sherman in The Sherman Report says a promotional video for Posnanski’s book seems to be seriously outdated in the wake of the Freeh Report released last week.

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing explores whether Baseball Night in America was a ratings success for Fox.

Matt Yoder of AA talks with ESPN tome author James Andrew Miller in a podcast.

And Matt speaks with Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel about Penn State and the BCS in a new podcast.

How about one more podcast? Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina interviews Fox’s Erin Andrews on why she left ESPN.

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy explores whether the NHL’s new TV deals with NBC and HBO could prevent a prolonged lockout unlike the last one which wiped out an entire season.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times says the Freeh Report shows that journalists cannot take a college football program at face value.

Also at the National Sports Journalism Center, Michael Bradley blasts ESPN and Big Ten Network for their coverage of the Freeh Report.

Sports Video Group looks at a company that is streaming the Olympics to 70 countries worldwide.

Cork Gaines of the Business Insider Sports Page says ESPN actually censored its own Body Issue cover of New England  Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski this morning.

Newsday’s Neil Best ventures into NBC’s “Billion Dollar Lab” for the 2012 Olympics.

Jerry Barmash of Fishbowl NY notes that WFAN’s Mike Francesa tops the Talkers Magazine Heavy Hundred Sports Radio Talk Show Hosts.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty discusses Golf Channel’s new hires.

Evan Weiner in the New Jersey Newsroom says the NFL is pricing out the regular fan.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning News says a former Eagles and Steelers offensive lineman is now working for NFL Films.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun is telling readers that Taylor Teagarden’s inadvertent “S” bomb after the Orioles win over Detroit on Fox Saturday is not a big deal.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog looks at where the local sports radio talkers rank on Talkers Heavy Hundred List.

Dan has video of a new Robert Griffin III commercial.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner explores the Nationals’ TV and radio ratings.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman notes that native Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be profiled on HBO’s Real Sports tonight.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer has video of Charlie Sheen appearing with Joe Morgan (?) on Jay Leno’s Show of Hacks.

Paul M. Banks of Chicago Sports Media Watch says ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue included a local Olympic volleyballer.

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Chris Scott says the site’s own online TV service will be live from the Del Mar Racetrack this week for Opening Day.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that the White House had trouble transcribing ESPN’s Mark Jones’ interview of President Obama during last night’s USA vs. Brazil pre-Olympic basketball exhibition game.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says NHL fans may not see hockey until at least Thanksgiving at the earliest.

Paulsen at Sports Media Watch has some ratings news and notes.

That’s going to end the links for today.

Bringing Out The Thursday Linkage

Here to provide some links for you today. Looks like I’ll be out on Friday so posting may be scarce, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

In the meantime, I have some links for you now.

This week, CBSSports.com Deputy Managing Editor Craig Stanke passed away at the age of 56. He joined the site as a deputy editor when it was known as SportslineUSA.com. During his time, he helped to attract a number of writers and build CBSSports.com’s stable to a point where it challenges the best sports news websites. Stanke worked at a number of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the Palm Beach Post among others.

We have a number of links.

First, CBSSports.com’s Mark Swanson writes Stanke’s obituary.

Scott Miller, CBS Sports’ Senior Baseball Columnist mourns Stanke’s passing.

CBS Sports’ national columnist Gregg Doyel says Stanke continued to teach him even after his death.

Stanke’s good friend, T.J. Simers at the Los Angeles Times, the man who hired Stanke for his first job, says he can’t believe his friend is gone.

To other stories now.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com notes that no matter how much the Big 12 expands, the TV payout money will remain the same. And Dodd tells us that the league’s TV deal with ESPN and Fox will be announced any day now.

Brian Steinberg at Advertising Age reports that CBS is 50% sold for Super Bowl XLVII and could reach 80% soon.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says despite CBS/Showtime dropping Warren Sapp from Inside the NFL this season, NFL Network has signed the controversial snitch for another year.

Reid Cherner at USA Today writes that many feel last night’s NBA Draft Lottery on ESPN was fixed in New Orleans’ favor.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin notes that almost a quarter of all of SportsCenter’s editions last week was devoted to the Miami Heat.

Richard Deitsch from Sports Illustrated has his monthly Media Power List.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says the 2012 NHL postseason has had the most viewers in ten years.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has the viewership of all of the completed 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs to date.

Steve tweets the overnight ratings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final were down significantly from last year.

And Steve has a story on the overnights at Puck The Media.

Tim Nudd of Adweek reviews the NHL’s newest Stanley Cup spot. It’s a winner, but still doesn’t hold up to last year’s “No Words” promo.

Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center writes that newspapers are dropping the printed word for digital content.

Eric Goldschein of SportsGrid has the video of Chicago White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson going nuts.

In the Sherman Report, Ed Sherman talks about Hawk’s homerism and his love of all things White Sox.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says talk about concussions may affect youth football participation.

Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk writes that the Miami Dolphins were the first pick of NFL Films for this year’s Hard Knocks and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union tells us that Sunday’s motorsports races finished in a ratings dead heat.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that the Anaheim Angels Radio Network is now being nationally syndicated.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a colleague, Tarik El-Bashir, is leaving the paper to join Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

At the Miami Herald, David J. Neal says NFL Films won’t have a problem finding story lines for Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman talks with ESPN softball analyst Michele Smith about the Women’s College World Series which starts today.

Daniel Dorfman at Chicago Side Sports talks with unabashed White Sox homer Hawk Harrelson.

Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that San Diego State stands to get more TV money when it enters the Big East than from the Mountain West.

The Toronto Star’s Cathal Kelly rips CBC’s online attempt at satire of last night’s Stanley Cup Final Game 1.

To the Canadian Sports Media Blog which notes that Sportsnet has signed a deal to remain the home of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package which even includes NBC’s Thanksgiving Night game.

Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN received a good overnight number for Game 2 of the Celtics-Heat NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

I Am A GM notes that 10 NBA players are crying conspiracy over last night’s Draft Lottery.

At Awful Announcing, the Brothers Yoder list their favorite NBA announcers.

And that’s going to do it.

Some Back To Work Tuesday Linkage

Back to work for many of you after the Memorial Day holiday. Because of my crazy schedule, I didn’t get to enjoy it, but you don’t care about that. Let’s do links.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that Cox Communications has dropped the New Orleans Hornets allowing Fox Sports to swoop up the rights.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News takes a look at the US TV coverage of the French Open.

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter writes that UK’s Channel 4 plans extensive coverage of the 2012 London Paralympics which will be held two weeks after the Summer Olympics.

Tim Nudd of Adweek reviews the latest WatchESPN spot.

Alex Weprin of TVNewser reports that HBO’s Real Sports host Bryant Gumbel will co-host Live with Kelly next week.

Evan Weiner at Examiner.com explains how NBC’s huge rights fee effectively ended Qatar’s bid for the 2020 Olympics.

Ed Sherman from The Sherman Report interviews legendary sportswriter Frank Deford.

Ed writes that USA Today’s Sports section is changing its reporting strategy.

Media Rantz remembers the Marv Albert arrest 15 years later. Disclosure: I’m quoted in this very well-researched article.

Will Brinson at CBSSports.com writes that Showtime/NFL Films has quietly dumped Warren Sapp from “Inside the NFL”, however, he remains on NFL Network.

Evan Sporer of SportsGrid has the great video of a soldier home from Afghanistan surprising his daughters at Sunday’s Minnesota Twins game. It has nothing to do with sports media. I’m just a huge sucker for reunion videos.

Chadd Scott at ChuckOliver.net explores how TV money has led to the “Wal-Martization” of college football.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing notes that former ESPN college football crackpot Craig James is running below “Undecided” in the Texas U.S. Senate Republican primary. Always a good place to be when trying to run a successful campaign.

Bob’s Blitz says former Miami sports radio talker Sid Rosenberg has a new gig.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick actually heaps praise this morning. And he does it to Hall of Fame hockey voice Mike Emrick.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says Time Warner Cable will air some local high school lacrosse playoff games.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes that the NBA Draft Lottery will air from New York’s Times Square for the first time ever.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that apparently NFL Network will no longer air CFL games.

Ken adds that there’s no New York City radio home of the 2012 Olympics as of yet.

Ken provides the Compass Media college football schedule for the 2012 season.

And Ken has the Sports USA college football schedule as well.

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

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes that embattled South Florida sports radio talk show Sid Rosenberg is about to start a new gig.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says a local sports radio station is about to acquire a rival FM station.

Jerry Garcia from the San Antonio Express-News says TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal spent some time talking to a local TV station and defending his co-hort Charles Barkley.

Roy Bragg of the Express-News says the Chuckster was glad to meet the peeps in San Antonio on Monday.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch has some linkage of his own to provide.

Scott D. Pierce at the Salt Lake Tribune talks with Utah Jazz TV voice Craig Bolerjack.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post looks at the mtn.: The Final Days.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that a hockey primer from 1993 still holds true today.

Steve Ladurantaye from the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that Rogers and TSN are smelling blood and plan to bid for CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada package.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail says Rogers Sportsnet has snatched IndyCar rights away from TSN.

The Canadian Sports Media blog looks at the silly PR hockey wars being conducted by Rogers Sportsnet and TSN.

Sports Media Watch gives us the overnight ratings for the Indianapolis 500 on ABC.

Steve Lepore at SB Nation’s Puck The Media predicts the ratings for this year’s Stanley Cup Final.

Joe Favorito says things are looking good at NBC Sports.

Jordan Golson at MacRumors talks with ESPN’s NASCAR pit reporter Dave Burns about using an iPad for his reports.

That’s going to do it for now.

HBO & NFL Films Announce Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins

After getting rejected left and right by teams and after a season’s absence, HBO and NFL Films have found a willing partner in the Miami Dolphins for Hard Knocks.

While you might think the Dolphins might be dull after the last edition of Hard Knocks with media darlings, the New York Jets in 2010, you think wrong. With a new coach in Joe Philbin and a potential quarterback controversy and an outspoken owner, the Dolphins might give HBO some juice.

The series will debut on August 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT marking the first time Hard Knocks will premiere on Tuesday each week instead of the customary Wednesday nights.

Let’s take a look at the HBO/NFL Films announcement plus a brand spanking new logo for the series.

HBO SPORTS^®, NFL FILMS AND THE MIAMI DOLPHINS JOIN FORCES FOR A NEW SEASON OF THE ULTIMATE SPORTS REALITY SERIES WHEN HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHRONICLING THE RIGORS AND DAILY DEMANDS OF NFL TRAINING CAMP, DEBUTS TUESDAY, AUG. 7, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Miami Dolphins team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS debuts in August. The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – kicks off its five-episode seventh season, presented in HD, TUESDAY, AUG. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Other hour-long episodes debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, with an encore play every Wednesday in August at 11:00 p.m., culminating in the Sept. 4 season finale.

“We are delighted that HARD KNOCKS will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on the Miami Dolphins, a venerable franchise that had an exciting off-season activity,” says Ken Hershman, president, HBO Sports. “This marks the first time that the series has featured a first-year head coach (Joe Philbin) and we are extremely grateful to both Coach Philbin and the entire organization for agreeing to participate. As always, there will be plenty on the line for veterans, free agents and rookies.”

“On the 40^th anniversary of the greatest season in NFL history–Don Shula’s perfect ’72 Dolphins– it is perfectly fitting that Hard Knocks is heading to Miami to capture the start of a new era for one of the league’s proudest teams,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol. “After Hard Knocks’ hiatus last summer, I know our team at NFL Films can’t wait to get back on the field.”

The cinema verité series will focus on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches as the intriguing Miami Dolphins, who compete in the ultra-competitive AFC East, prepare for the 2012 NFL season. HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS will chronicle first year head coach Joe Philbin and an intriguing mix of high-profile veterans, free agents and rookie hopefuls throughout training camp and the preseason. Each week, players will experience drills, meetings and fun, while struggling to prove they have what it takes to make the team and make their mark in the NFL.

“We are excited that the premier company in sports filmmaking history, NFL FILMS, and HBO Sports have chosen the Miami Dolphins to appear on their award-winning series Hard Knocks,” said Joe Philbin, head coach of the Miami Dolphins.  “We are looking forward to connecting with our many fans across the country as the program chronicles our 2012 training camp. The series will highlight the outstanding men who comprise our team and represent our organization admirably, both on and off the field, as they compete for a coveted position on our roster.

“The Miami Dolphins have long been synonymous with success on the filed as evidenced by our five Super Bowl appearances and the only perfect season in NFL history,” added Philbin. “That heritage serves as a constant reminder to our players and staff of the great legacy that has been left for us to uphold. Our team embraces that rich past and looks confidently to the future as we begin this journey back to the top of the NFL.

“All the decisions that have been made this off-season have had one guiding principle — will it help our players and organization reach its full potential? This one is no different. We are convinced that our affiliation with NFL FILMS and HBO will allow football fans everywhere an opportunity to comprehend the significant sacrifices and demands that our players endure each day along their journey in training camp as a Miami Dolphin. We eagerly await the opening of training camp on July 26 and the 2012 NFL regular season that lies ahead of us.”

A 24-person NFL Films crew will live at the Dolphins’ training camp in South Florida, shooting more than 1,000 hours of video over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews will be given unencumbered access to the players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, dormitories and practice fields.

This summer’s edition of Hard Knocks marks the first time the series will premiere on Tuesday nights in prime time; previously the series debuted on Wednesdays.

HARD KNOCKS launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. The series resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Sports Emmy^®. In 2008, the series returned to the Dallas Cowboys, receiving a second Sports Emmy^® for production excellence. In 2009 HARD KNOCKS spotlighted the Cincinnati Bengals franchise and the show captured two more Sports Emmy^® Awards for “Outstanding Edited Series/Anthology” and “Outstanding post-produced Sound/Audio.” The most recent season of HARD KNOCKS in 2010 featured the New York Jets and the series captured three Sports Emmys^®, including the trophy for “Outstanding Edited Series/Anthology.”

Rolling Stone noted that Hard Knocks is, “A smash hit series” while Time Magazine called the program, “riveting.”

The New York Post wrote, “Hard Knocks is a hell of a show and it becomes must-see TV for football fans.”

Sports Illustrated.com said Hard Knocks is the “most entertaining reality show on TV.”

The New York Times concluded, “It is a rare glimpse into the psyche of a team,” while The Wall St. Journal notes the show is “captivating television.”

That’s it