Fang's Bites

The Friday Night Megalinks

I’ve been to Newton, MA and back, South Kingstown, RI and back and all over my hometown of North Kingstown, RI and all of this today. It’s time to do the megalinks and get them all done in one sitting.

There’s the Weekend Viewing Picks for your sports and entertainment programming.

National

Sports Business Daily goes over the UFC/Fox agreement that will put four live MMA events on network TV and plenty of ancillary programming on Fox’s cable networks.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that Fox Sports Media Group El Presidente Por Vida David Hill has done an about face on airing Mixed Martial Arts.

Sergio Non of USA Today writes that UFC will revamp its shows when they move from Spike and Versus to Fox’s networks.

Sergio has those who will take part in the first UFC on Fox card in November.

Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writes in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center that the success of the UFC on Fox all depends on whether the sport can have a breakout star.

Dave Meltzer at Yahoo! says UFC President Dana White couldn’t be happier in making this deal with Fox.

Also from Yahoo!, Kevin Iole says it will be the fighters who will benefit the most from the new UFC on Fox contract.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser has Spike announcing that the new season of UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter will be the last on its airwaves, naturally.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek looks into the particulars of the UFC on Fox deal.

Bill Cromwell of Media Life Magazine writes that the Fox contract gives UFC some instant mainstream credibility.

There will be more UFC on Fox stories sprinkled throughout the megalinks. Let’s move on to other stories now.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Tim Goodman wonders if Showtime’s “The Franchise” is bringing down the San Francisco Giants this season.

Georg Szalai of the Reporter reports that Comcast has withdrawn a lawsuit against DirecTV over an ad campaign for NFL Sunday Ticket.

David Goetzl of MediaPost notes that DirecTV plans to expand its fantasy offerings for NFL Sunday Ticket.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News looks at Versus/NBC Sports Network’s new exclusive NHL night in the first year of its new 10 year contract with the league.

Andrew McMains of Adweek looks at a new inspiring web video produced for the US Olympic Committee.

All Access says the ESPN Radio affiliate in Minnesota’s Twin Cities has chosen the hosts for its midday show.

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy explores which teams won and lost in the new NHL TV schedules.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser writes that former voice of the North Carolina Tar Heels, Woody Durham, will be honored for his contributions to college football.

The Big Lead wonders if Jay Bilas is the most respected voice at ESPN.

Timothy Burke of SportsGrid investigates how former 2 Live Crew leader Luther Campbell managed to appear to appear on the Dan Patrick Show and the Colin Cowherd Show at the same time.

And Tim presents the Atlanta Braves’ Shake Cam and how it can make fans a bit too excited.

Sports Media Watch says the U-20 World Cup is scoring for Galavision.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has a look at some interesting sports media typos.

Matt shows us how the Baseball Tonight crew had trouble demonstrating its new touchscreen.

Joe Favorito looks at what’s new with professional lacrosse.

Patrick Stafford of Smart Company in Australia speaks with the owner of Footytips.com about how he sold his site to ESPN.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says the limited classic programming on NBA TV during the current league lockout can only take the channel so far.

Sox & Dawgs has the video of NESN’s Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy wearing chicken hats in the booth.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes on how regional sports networks have increasing power and money to be a game changer for some professional teams.

Richard looks at the UFC on Fox deal that puts Mixed Martial Arts into the mainstream.

Dan Levin from the Times has a good story on how some athletes in Communist China are trying to buck their archaic system.

Mark DeCambre of the New York Post notes that the new Meadowlands Stadium now will have a sponsor when the new NFL season begins.

Justin Terranova in the Post looks at how Fordham University was a training ground for several NYC announcers.

Justin has five questions for SNY Jets analyst Anthony Becht.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes about Fox signing UFC for seven years.

Pete says local sports anchor Andrew Catalon’s call of tonight’s Browns-Lions game will be seen on NFL Network this weekend.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says a local radio station will air a full high school football schedule.

Ken says the NBC Sports Group is increasing its commitment to horse racing this fall.

And Ken writes that a new local sports radio talk show will be debuting soon.

To Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record who says the New York Rangers will be featured extensively on the national NHL TV schedules.

Crossing Broad has the audio of Philadelphia’s sports radio station WIP announcement that it’s taking over WYSP’s FM frequency killing off a heritage rock station.

Dan Gross of the Philadelphia Daily News says ‘YSP staffers were melancholy about CBS Radio’s announcement killing off the station.

Jeff Wolfe of the Delaware County Times writes about WIP’s displacement of WYSP just as the rocker’s ratings were increasing.

Mike White in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says two local high school games hit the ESPN family of networks this fall.

Shelly Anderson of the Post-Gazette says the Penguins TV announcing crew will return for another season.

In the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik explains where Ravens fans can find the team on TV and radio.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes in Press Box that the Ravens did extremely well in the ratings in both Baltimore and Washington, DC in their NFL preseason opener.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with DC NFL Team radio voice Larry Michael.

And Jim writes that the Washington Capitals will have plenty of appearances on NBC/Versus (NBC Sports Network).

Mike Madden in the Washington City Paper says the local sports anchor is becoming a thing of the past.

Keith Loria of the Fairfax (VA) Times says native Lindsay Czarniak is about to make her debut on ESPN.

South

The Charleston (WV) Gazette notes that Root Sports Pittsburgh will carry some West Virginia and Marshall programming.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Bob Griese will be joining the Miami Dolphins radio broadcast team replacing the late Jim Mandich.

Andy Kent of the Miami Dolphins website has Griese’s thoughts about joining the broadcast team and also sharing thoughts about Mandich.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times has some thoughts on the UFC/Fox deal, the Little League World Series on TV and CBS’ production of the PGA Championship.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says Yahoo! Sports does a better job of investigating college sports than the NCAA.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle notes that Saturday’s US National Gymnastics championships get a network primetime slot.

Mike Finger and Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News says the Longhorn Network hasn’t given up on airing high school football games in one form or another.

The Daily Oklahoman’s Mel Bracht looks at UFC getting a big payday from Fox.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter in the Cincinnati Enquirer talks with NBC’s Cris Collinsworth who’s going into his third season as Sunday Night Football analyst.

George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal now knows why DirecTV was so willing to give him a free subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket after learning that the service will be offered to Sony Playstation 3 owners.

The Grand Rapids (MI) Press’ Michael Zuidema notes that a Big Ten Network analyst feels Nebraska is a perfect fit for the conference.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is amazed at ESPN’s ever-expanding army of NFL analysts and mountain of NFL programming.

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

Scott Dochterman in the Iowa City Gazette says NFL Network has picked up Mediacom for cable subscribers in the Hawkeye State.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says it’s not known which network will air the October 15th contest between BYU and Oregon State.

Dick Harmon of the Deseret (UT) News speaks with BYUtv’s Executive Director in a lengthy interview. Part I of which is here. Read Part II here.

Larry Bohannan at the Desert (CA) Sun says there’s evidence of not much live golf shown in a PGA Tour telecast.

John Maffei of the North County Times weighs the pros and cons of airing the Little League World Series.

In the Ventura County Star, Jim Carlisle looks at the contrasting opinions that John and Patrick McEnroe had on the state of American tennis on HBO’s Real Sports this week.

Jim explores the UFC on Fox deal.

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times says Fox paid a pretty penny to get UFC into the fold.

Meg James of the Times also writes about the UFC on Fox deal.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says when it came down to it, Fox didn’t have much of a choice but to sign UFC.

Tom says one sidebar to the UFC on Fox deal is the fact that Fox Sports Radio will also air MMA events.

Tom writes that former Dodgers radio voice Ross Porter has found his latest gig, calling high school sports online.

Canada

The Toronto Globe and Mail’s Bruce Dowbiggin feels TSN Radio isn’t getting the job done.

The Winnipeg Free Press notes that the Jets will get 22 games aired on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.

And the number of links today are hearken back to the first two years of this blog. Lots of links. That’s it.

Fox & UFC Announce Multi-Year Deal

The announcement of the Ultimate Fighting Championships moving to Fox is going on as I’m writing this post. This multi-year deal brings UFC to network television with four events on Fox starting in November of this year. It also moves the popular “The Ultimate Fighter” series from Spike to FX starting in the Spring of next year. Other UFC programming will be spread on other Fox networks such as Fuel TV. It brings the male 18-34 demographic to the Fox networks as UFC is one of the most popular sports with the younger generation.

We have the joint announcement from Fox and UFC.

UFC & FOX PACK PERFECT PUNCH
FOX SPORTS MEDIA GROUP REACHES MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

FOX to Broadcast Four Fights Annually Beginning November 2011
The Ultimate Fighter, Featuring a New Format, Moves to FX

Los Angeles – Today, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC), the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization and No. 1 Pay-Per-View event provider in the world, finds its perfect media match in FOX, the No. 1 television network in the country. FOX Sports Media Group, the umbrella entity representing FOX Networks Group’s wide array of sports platforms, has reached a multi-year, multi-media rights agreement with Zuffa, LLC, owner of the UFC brand.

The landmark agreement, which puts UFC on par with many of the country’s professional sports organizations, delivers four live events in prime time or late night each year to the FOX broadcast network, home to the country’s biggest sports events, including the Super Bowl, World Series and Daytona 500. The first live event airs Saturday, Nov. 12 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT. Additional programming on multiple FOX networks launches January 2012 and includes live fights, pre and post shows, countdown shows, UFC Unleashed, UFC Primetime, the UFC Knockout series, Best of Pride, weigh-in specials, and much more original content from extensive Zuffa archives. The agreement also provides for developing robust mobile and authenticated online offerings to exploit a vast array of digital platform rights.

In spring 2012, THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, UFC’s signature weekly reality show moves to FX, FOX’s general entertainment cable network now in more than 99 million homes. With the move to FX, the show will feature a newly-designed format. FX is also set to televise another four-to six-live UFC events annually, with a mixture of additional events and programs heading to FSMG cable networks including FUEL TV.

“We’re excited to be part of the FOX family,” says Dana White, UFC President.  “The UFC is finally where it belongs on the number one network in the country and aligned with the most prestigious sports properties in the world. I’ve always said that the UFC will be the biggest sport in the world and with this relationship it will become a reality.”

“My brother Frank, Dana and I always believed that our passion for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts would help us to build the UFC into a successful global brand and ultimately make it one of the premier sports properties in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of the UFC. “The partnership with FOX is a major step in making this a reality and also builds on the great relationship that we already have established with FOX in Latin America, Australia and Europe.”

“Mixed martial arts is not only the fastest growing sport in the world, but also the world’s most exciting form of man-to-man competition, and the UFC is the world’s premier MMA organization,” said FSMG President & Co-COO Eric Shanks.  “Since FOX Sports is America’s No. 1 sports network and FOX is America’s No. 1 network for young adults, the UFC on FOX is a perfect match.”

“UFC’s growth over the past decade is nothing short of phenomenal and it has become one of the marquee sports in this country,” said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks.  “There is a reason for its rising popularity.  It features some of the greatest athletes in the world, and we believe it will be a terrific addition to our schedule and look forward to our relationship.”

Founded in 1993, UFC has been on a meteoric rise since 2001 when it was acquired by Zuffa, LLC, owned by Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta III and Dana White. UFC’S first brush with FOX Sports goes back to June 2002, when Fox Sports Net carried UFC’s first non-pay-per-view event on basic cable television, and delivered what was then its largest audience to date. Through cooperation with state athletic commissions, consistent rules were established and refined for competition through officiating, judging, the addition of weight divisions, length of rounds and better equipment.  Combined with an unyielding devotion to fighter safety, the UFC has vaulted to mainstream status in the minds of US sports fans attracting major sponsors such as Bud Light, Dodge and Harley Davidson.

UFC has displayed tremendous growth in digital and social media consumption. Unique visitors to UFC.com tripled between 2006 and 2010 (2.1 million to 6.3 million), and UFC established local web sites in 10 countries and Latin America.  Using a unique blend of incentives, promotions and original content, including live bouts, UFC has seen its number of Facebook friends increase from 800,000 in 2009 to 6.1 million at present, outpacing the NFL, MLB and the NHL.  UFC currently ranks second to the NBA in social media followers among the major sports organizations. Additionally, UFC President Dana White regularly interacts with over 1.5 million fans that follow him on Twitter.

Mixed martial arts skews much younger than more established US sports, which ranged from age 43 for Super Bowl XLIV to 61 for horse racing’s Triple Crown in 2010. Thus far, the median age for UFC on Spike in 2011 is 36 and 56% of UFC fans fall into the adult 18-34 demographic. Live UFC programming performs extremely well in the advertiser attractive, hard-to-reach male 18-34 demographic, with live event programing averaging a 1.53 rating, making it a top-20 cable show this year.

More on this later

Doing Some Tuesday Links

Well, yesterday I was two jobsites. Today, I forgot to bring my computer AC adapter and my phone so for several hours, I was without any communication to the outside world. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but it certainly felt strange not to have connection to the internet or Twitter.

Now that I’m back, I can provide some linkage and also do some press release posts. I’ll do the linkage first.

Big news from John Ourand and Sports Business Daily. We learn that UFC will move its programming from Versus and Spike TV to Fox, FX and Fuel TV with four MMA events a year on Fox.

Tim Baysinger from Broadcasting & Cable notes that ESPN will produce the Little League World Series in 3-D for the first time.

Adweek looks at a new ESPN ad that’s being aired in the UK.

Toni Fitzgerald in Media Life Magazine notes that a battle of unknowns in a playoff led to lower ratings for the PGA Championship on CBS.

Tony Manfred at the Business Insider Sports Page says details are coming out on the new ESPN Monday Night Football rights renewal from ESPN book author James Arthur Miller. This story has been out there since January when Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand broke it.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser says ESPN’s Brent Musburger and CBS’s Verne Lundquist will be honored in New York for their contributions to college football.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser says a former WABC-TV sports anchor has pleaded guilty inappropriately touching a minor.

SportGrid’s Ben Axelrod has video of Showtime’s Jim Gray berating boxing referee Russell Mora for missed low blows after the Abner Mares-Joseph Agbeko fight. Jim Gray is a real bulldog, let me tell you. This is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen.

Dan Fogarty has video of ESPN’s Jon Gruden saying, “this guy” multiple times during last night’s Jets-Texans game.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says there’s a glut of Terrelle Pryor jerseys. Were they exchanged for tattoos?

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group talks about ESPN going into the third dimension for the Little League World Series.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with CBS Sports Network analyst Rich Rodriguez about working in TV.

Joe Drape of the New York Times reports that NBC is in talks to air a series of Triple Crown prep races each Spring.

Daniel Massey in Crain’s New York Business writes that the Jets are catching up with the Giants as far as the New York tri-state area fan support is concerned.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says a nationally syndicated radio show will be broadcasting live from Saratoga Race Course on Friday.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record notes that Notre Dame football will be heard locally throughout the season.

Dan Gross of the Philadelphia Daily News writes about the announced departure of Howard Eskin from sports radio WIP.

John Miller at Philadelphia Sports Daily says Howard Eskin will be missed.

In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg says Rick “Doc” Walker will sub for the talkative Joe Theismann for this Friday’s game on the DC NFL team’s local broadcast.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner writes that Texas A&M to the SEC will have a huge fallout in college football.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Mac Engel talks with former Monday Night Football sideline reporter and current Inside Edition reporter Lisa Guerrero.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron reports that Texans running back Arian Foster has signed to appear on both Yahoo! Sports Radio and a local radio station.

The San Antonio Express-News has a fascinating look at the evolution of every major sport on American TV in the last 21 years.

Jerry Garcia of the Express-News adds his thoughts on the most notable changes in sports television.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman has the local ratings from the weekend.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business talks about how Comcast SportsNet Chicago got an interview with embattled Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Tom Hoffarth has the Sports Calendar for this week.

Because of my busy schedule, I haven’t been able to cover the Barstool Sports/Tom Brady baby picture controversy as much I have liked. It’s a big story in Boston as sports radio station WEEI feigned outrage on a slow news day to get ratings. The story went national and Barstool Sports editor David Portnoy found himself today on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM show to explain himself (you can go here and here to listen). Perhaps down the road I’ll spend more time on it and go into analytical mode on it.

In The Broadcast Booth, Dave Kohl looks at Howard Eskin’s announcement that he’s leaving his daily WIP show in Philadelphia.

The Canadian Sports Media blog notes that TSN accidentally leaked a portion of its 2011-12 NHL schedule over the weekend.

At Puck The Media, Steve Lepore says the NHL will finally release its national TV schedule on Thursday.

And that will do it. I’ve been trying to do these links since 3 p.m., but I’ve been interrupted so many times. Glad to finally be done.

Providing Your Tuesday Linkage

Let’s go for your links today.

Starting with Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, he explores whether the Women’s World Cup can find an audience and he also scolds Pierre McGuire.

Steve Weiberg of USA Today says a group of former college athletes is suing ESPN and CBS plus other networks for using their likenesses on commercials, promos and classic programming without their permission. This is going to be a very interesting case.

Sergio Non of USA Today says Spike’s replay of an old UFC event beat a new UFC card airing on Versus in the ratings on Sunday.

Wayne Friedman of MediaPost looks at the NFL seeking yet another TV package to help drive up revenue.

George Winslow of Broadcasting & Cable writes that NBA Digital saw record traffic for the Draft last week.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says the Sportsman Channel continues to gain HD access on Comcast systems in the South.

Mike says a couple of presenting sponsors of ESPN’s self-aggrandizing ESPY Awards are back for another year.

Anthony Crupi at Adweek tells us that TNT still has a few spots open for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Daytona this Saturday.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life says the Women’s World Cup is a top draw on TV this week.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser says Fang’s Bites fave Bethanie Mattek-Sands has issued a challenge to the Larry Brown Sports blog.

Chris Ariens at TVSpy notes that there’s a baby boom among female sportscasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex including my Twitter friend, Gina Miller of KTVT/KTXA .

Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN’s True Hoop NBA blog network notes that the league’s techies and social media gurus are possibly looking at websites without the likenesses of any of its players in case a lockout becomes reality. Thanks to Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser for the link.

Dan Fogarty from SportsGrid notes that ESPN is stocking up on attractive blond female sportscasters.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks with DirecTV Football Cop C.J. Hunter a.k.a. Eli Manning.

Dave Seminara of the New York Times’ Straight Sets blog isn’t a big fan of having to shuffle around NBC and ESPN2 to find the Wimbledon match he wants to watch.

Newsday’s Neil Best looks at Tiki Barber’s attempted NFL comeback.

And Neil has more with Tiki in his blog.

The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg in the DC Sports Bog has the results of a local magazine’s sports media poll.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business notes that former Cubs and Nationals manager Jim Riggleman will be a guest analyst for the Cubs-White Sox series on Comcast SportsNet.

The Idaho Press-Tribune notes that CBS Sports Network gets an important pickup in Big Sky country and for fans looking to watch Boise State football.

Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman says CBS Sports Network will be added to a digital tier which means customers will have to pay extra to see it.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times says the NFL is going full speed ahead with a new TV package.

Tony Manfred of the Business Insider Sports Page says Comcast hopes to use a Thursday Night NFL Football package to challenge ESPN.

Jim Barthold of Fierce Cable talks about Comcast desperately wanting to pick up the NFL for Versus.

Barry Janoff of The Big Lead says when athletes tweet, they engage their fans.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog says the Pierre McGuire-to-NBC story is just about official.

Sports Media Watch notes that the USA-Mexico Gold Cup Final captured plenty of viewers on Univision.

SMW says the NBC Sports Group has yet to settle on a new name for Versus.

SMW has some announcing recommendations for MLB’s TV partners.

Joe Favorito says it’s time for the Yankees Old Timers Game to shuffle into a new era and bring in a “new generation” of old timers.

Awful Announcing’s Bob Bender is not a fan of ESPN’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup or of women’s soccer in general. And the USA played North Korea today, not China.

And I’ll end it there for today.

Back to the Linkage Grind Edition

Ok, now that the Olympics bidding is over until the next round sometime later this decade, I can focus on other sports media stories and there are quite a few of them now.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong has taken down his anti-60 Minutes website stating its report on his alleged PED use has been debunked.

Lindsay Rubino of Broadcasting & Cable notes that Game 4 of the NBA Finals scored a primetime win for ABC on Tuesday.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News talks about ESPN signing a new deal with the West Coast Conference for basketball and Olympic sports.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel says ESPN is ready to convert to a full HD format.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek says Captain Blowhard is trying to save the internet from a certain type of advertising. Nice of him to appoint himself as our savoir.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life says the NBA Finals are on pace to become the most watched in seven years.

Bill Simmons’ Grantland site finally had its official launch yesterday. Already people are assessing it including Nicholas Jackson of Atlantic Monthly.

Ty Duffy of The Big Lead has his first impressions.

Tim Carmody of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University wonders if Simmons’ mix of sports and pop culture will work.

Tommy Craggs at Deadspin tells us why Grantland Rice for whom Simmons’ site is named, was really overrated.

Deadspin runs an excerpt from former New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte’s new book in which he recalls an encounter with an overtalkative Bob Costas.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writes that this week’s successful Olympic bid was key for the new NBC/Comcast.

The Nielsen Wire blog has a look at the top NHL players in name recognition.

Cam Martin at SportsNewser has TNT’s Charles Barkley ripping Miami Heat fans.

Cam says the Denver Post’s Woody Paige has apologized to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal for lifting quotes from an ESPN story he wrote.

Corey Nachman of the Business Insider Sports Page has his 100 Best Venues in Sports.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid has the video of a Brazilian writer typing away on a small laptop while showing a bit more of himself than he realized.

And Dan says Steven A. “A is for Allude” Smith hinted on ESPN Radio that something is up with LeBron James, but won’t say exactly what.

Chris Chase of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner gives some examples from the ESPN book that he feels evidence how NBC’s Sunday Night Football is superior to Monday Night Football.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell has a strange endorsement story involving the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez.

ESPN PR pro Bill Hofheimer helps to unveil the new Monday Night Football logo that will be seen when the NFL starts playing again.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that NBC now has to follow through on promises to show the Olympics live.

Brian Stelter of the Times reports that UFC is in talks with Comcast to buy its G4 gaming channel.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union notes that ESPN has added 7 more Big Ten games to its ESPN/ESPN2/ABC college football schedule.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says Time Warner Cable airs some local high school lacrosse finals this weekend.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes in Press Box that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will air 10 WNBA games this season.

In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg notes that there’s something brewing between writer John Feinstein and ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.

Iliana Limon at the Orlando Sentinel writes that Central Florida along with Conference USA have announced their TV schedules.

Jon Solomon of the Birmingham (AL) News reports that the SEC and ESPN are ready to re-evaluate their 15 year deal which now looks antiquated when it was signed in 2009.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says the NBA is gaining increased interest in the area thanks to the Thunder.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says you can design a special bowtie for Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that would benefit Dhani Jones’ Bow Tie Cause Initiative.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Sentinel notes that outgoing ESPN NBA analyst Mark Jackson cites Rick Pitino was his best coach.

Yesterday was Tom Hoffarth’s birthday. Happy Belated Birthday, Tom.

Joe Flint at the Los Angeles Times says keeping the Olympics was top priority for NBC and Comcast.

Jon Wilner at the San Jose Mercury Times has some thoughts on ESPN’s new contract with the West Coast Conference.

Lisa K. Anderson in the Sandy (OR) Post writes about a local woman who’s hosting a reality show for Comcast SportsNet Northwest.

Dan Robson of the Toronto Star says CBC has signed a five year deal with the International Skating Union for figure skating, speedskating and other events.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that TSN will air BBC’s coverage of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

Joe Caporoso of Gunaxin asks Erin Andrews or Michelle Beadle?

Cosby Sweaters looks at how Olympic viewing will change with Comcast in charge of NBC.

We have a new sports media blog, The Sports Tube, headed by Chris Hadley. He looks at the Olympic bidding.

Sports Media Watch notes the ratings for Games 2 & 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final are down from last year.

Joe Favorito wonders if any New York sports teams or events will take advantage of the Congressman Anthony Weiner mess.

That’s going to do it for now.

Mixing Up Some Sunday Links

Let’s do some linkage on this lazy Sunday.

Kari Lipschutz of Adweek writes that it’s a photo finish in the race to the US rights to the 2014/16 Olympics.

Rachel Cohen of the Associated Press looks into the Olympic bidding.

David Lieberman and Patrick Hipes at Deadline wonder what losing the Olympics could mean to NBC.

Jaqueline Magnay of the London (UK) Telegraph says the longtime Olympics rightsholder BBC is watching the US TV bidding with more than casual interest.

Glenda Korporaal of The Australian notes that current Australian Olympics rightsholder 9 Network is hoping it will keep the Games after taking them away from 7 Network for 2010/12.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News handicaps the Olympics bidding among the US networks.

Mike says viewership for the first two games of this year’s NBA Finals are outpacing the ratings from last year.

Mike writes that the NBC Sports Group is all over collegiate rugby this weekend.

Jackie Finlan of Rugby Magazine says NBC has put its full support behind airing rugby.

Pat Yasinkas at ESPN.com mourns the passing of Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen.

Phil Swann at TV Predictions asks if sports can save 3-D TV. I doubt it.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reviews the new book on Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post decides that ESPN is to blame for the world coming to an end.

Mike Harrington at the Buffalo News writes that MLB Network is trying to generate excitement over the MLB Draft.

Bob Fernandez of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that it’s time for Comcast to step up to the plate for the Olympics bidding.

Tim Whitaker at Philadelphia Magazine has this profile of Comcast SportsNet host Michael Barkann.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner notes that sports on television continues to gain traction with viewers.

Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune has the obituary for former sports editor and columnist Tom McEwen.

Mike Baldwin of the Daily Oklahoman speaks with ESPN softball analyst Michele Smith.

Kent Sterling reacts to Fox Sports Indiana dropping Pacers pregame host and sideline reporter Stacy Paetz.

Blair Kerkhoff at the Kansas City Star looks at the Big 12 distributing its TV revenue more evenly to member schools.

Woody Paige of the Denver Post has his look at “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside The World at ESPN.”

Kyle Ringo of the Boulder (CO) Daily Camera writes that Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott will hold some marquee events and games for the Conference’s in-house TV network.

Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News says former Dodger Steve Garvey would join fellow ex-Dodger and current ESPN’er Orel Hershiser in a potential bid to buy the team from Frank McCourt.

Ferd Lewis of the Honolulu Advertiser notes that the Mountain West Conference now has to play catch up with the Pac-12 after it signed a megabucks TV deal last month.

Gayle MacDonald of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the Canadian TV landscape is getting crowded with the increased amount of players for sports TV rights.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing says ESPN’s Marty Reid wrongly called last night’s finish of the NASCAR Nationwide Race wrong. Oops.

Brandon Stroud at With Leather gets on UFC’s brainless analyst Joe Rogan for calling MMA writer Maggie Hendricks “a cunt”. Joe is an ass.

Sports Media Watch looks at NBC’s ratings for the first weekend of the French Open.

SMW notes that the PGA Tour’s ratings continue to rise this year.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media notes that after getting off to a good start, the NHL Stanley Cup Finals hit a big ratings brick wall on Saturday.

Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski also looks at the NHL’s mediocre ratings on Saturday.

Joe Favorito takes a look at two MLB teams which are trying to reach fans beyond their local areas.

SportsbyBrooks is looking into ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s relationship with 7-on-7 summer football camps which have come under scrutiny of the NCAA and the SEC.

Corey Nachman of the Business Insider Sports Page looks at the 20 Worst Sports Ads of All Time.

Sox & Dawgs has the video of NESN’s Jerry Remy making fun of on his on-air partner Don Orsillo’s capsizing of a paddle boat on Friday.

And I worked extra hard to squeeze as many links as I did today. I hope you enjoy them.

Friday Night Into Saturday Morning Megalink Action

Didn’t have time to do megalinks during the day as I was trying to get some end of the month/beginning of the month stuff done at the office. Time to get linkage in while I can.

The Weekend Viewing Picks are chockful of sports action and some primetime programming. Now to the linkage.

National

Jessica E. Vascellaro and Matthew Futterman combine for a Wall Street Journal story on the US TV bidding for the Olympics. Bids are due next week.

The Around The Rings Olympic blog notes that the US Olympic Committee will be on hand to monitor the US TV bidding as well.

Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes handicaps the Olympic bidding.

Back to the Wall Street Journal, Tim Marchman reviews the ESPN book.

David Goetzl of MediaPost says DirecTV announcing that it won’t be charging customers for the NFL Sunday Ticket package during the lockout really should not be news.

Sean Leahy of USA Today writes about DirecTV’s announcement.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today has Fox Sports’ NASCAR analyst Daryl Waltrip complaining that the sport forgot its roots while trying to promote the cars over its personalities.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser notes that ESPN NHL analyst Matthew Barnaby has been slapped with two orders of protection stemming from the domestic disturbance he was arrested for last month.

Mohammed Rahman from SportsGrid writes that UFC personality Joe Rogan called noted and respected MMA writer Maggie Hendricks “cunty”. What is up with the UFC people?

Jason Dachman at Sports Video Group looks at some TV tennis news.

Sports Media Watch writes that last Saturday’s MLB on Fox primetime presentation saw its second straight ratings increase.

SMW notes that the Indy 500 saw its highest ratings in three years.

SMW says Game 2 of the NBA Finals had increased ratings, but lower viewership.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has CBC’s opening from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and it reminds us how well the network covers hockey. Some nice use of Adele in the opening.

Awful Announcing has a podcast interview with ESPN book co-author James Andrew Miller.

AA also did a Q&A session with ESPN NBA voice Mike Breen to discuss the Finals and Bill from White Plains.

The Major League Programs blog has its usual review of sports media.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn from the Boston Globe can’t believe one local TV station did not send anyone to Vancouver to cover the Stanley Cup Final.

Chad also reviews the ESPN book.

Newsday’s Neil Best has the best of his blog in his latest column.

Nina Mandell of the New York Daily News says ESPN would love to have Shaquille O’Neal on its air.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick remembers the late NFL Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli.

Justin Terranova from the Post has five questions for Red Sox voice Dave O’Brien.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says Jimmer Fredette now has his own YouTube channel.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says there will be plenty of coverage of the USA Track & Field Championships.

Evan Weiner of the New Jersey Newsroom goes over how Time Warner ruined sports in Atlanta.

Keith Groller at the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says NBC is happy to have an Original Six team in the NHL Stanley Cup Final.

Rich Hofman at the Philadelphia Daily News is annoyed at how ESPN continually ignores the NHL.

Laura Nachman notes Philadelphia native John Kincaid will lose a gig now that the Atlanta Thrashers have left town.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says DC NFL team owner Dan Snyder’s lawsuit against the Washington City Paper is now the subject of Federal legislation.

Steven V. Roberts reviews the ESPN book in the Washington Post.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the NBA Finals won primetime on Thursday.

South

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times says the Tampa Bay Lightning’s playoff run drew viewers in the local market.

Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Big 12 has changed its TV revenue distribution formula for all members. In essence, every school gets more money.

Barry Horn of the Morning News says ESPN/ABC seems to spend more time obsessing over the Miami Heat rather than the Dallas Mavericks.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle recaps his visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame which included browsing through the broadcasters and writers wings.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press reviews HBO’s documentary on the John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg rivalry.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel goes over some of his favorite quotes from the ESPN book.

Crain’s Chicago Business’ Ed Sherman goes over his winners and losers this week.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune talks with ESPN/ABC’s Mike Tirico about the Big Ten Football Championship.

West

Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera reports that Colorado University is looking to sell local TV rights to some of its football games as it officially joins the Pac-12 Conference next month.

John Maffei at the North County Times says this round of Olympic TV bidding is very wide open.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes that people love to hate the Miami Heat as evidenced by the TV ratings.

Rhiannon Potkey of the Star talks with ESPN Women’s College World Series analyst Jessica Mendoza.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times profiles the new Chairman of the NBC Sports Group, Mark Lazarus who leads the network’s Olympic bid next week.

And Joe says Lazarus is not a stranger to making big bids on sports properties.

Flint is impressed with former ESPN and now NFL Network executive Steve Bornstein’s candor in the ESPN book.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says someone needs to investigate this whole Vin Scully Star Hollywood Walk of Fame mess.

Tom notes that Hollywood seems to be back on board with a new movie on the late Jackie Robinson.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail notes that the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final was a ratings hit in both Canada and the US.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog speculates on whether a local sports radio talk show host has a new contract.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog finds a noteworthy feature in CTV’s plans for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

And that is going to do it. Took longer than I thought.

Providing You With Tuesday Linkage

For some of you, it’s a back to work Tuesday after a three day weekend. Not for me as I was at the office until late on Memorial Day. But you don’t want to read my complaining, you want linkage so I’ll get it to right away.

Anthony Crupi from Adweek says expect LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki to draw viewers to the NBA Finals starting tonight.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine writes about TNT’s record NBA ratings and the potential for a blockbuster NBA Finals for ABC.

Jeff Neff and E.J. Schultz of Advertising Age say NFL advertisers are getting nervous as the lockout is starting to effect grocery in-store displays.

Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonell gives readers an introduction to investigative reporter George Dohrmann who wrote the expose on former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel.

Sergio Non of USA Today says UFC’s Dana White is looking to put more cards on over the air TV.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says soccer-centric Gol TV will air another edition of its signature reality show.

Carolyn Braff of Sports Video Group writes that Versus had to overcome massive mud puddles in order to bring the Tour of California to viewers.

Paul Meehan at ESPN Front Row says the network’s NBA Marketing team is spending a lot of late nights creating TV and radio promos for the Finals.

Over at Mocksession, a very interesting post on how Fox Sports Net and ABC deceived viewers in various ways.

Maggie Hendricks at Yahoo’s Cagewriter blog wishes the media would stop giving MMA fighter Quintin “Rampage” Jackson the time of day. It’s all over this video as Jackson pretends to motorboat reporter Karyn Bryant’s breasts.

The Big Lead goes into why Jackson is such a lightning rod with reporters.

MMA reporter Karyn Bryant who was the subject of Jackson’s attention last weekend tweets that she wasn’t offended.

I’ve now been told I have to run an errand. More later.

Some more links now.

Tripp Mickle and John Ourand from the Sports Business Journal report on the latest on the bidding for the US Olympic TV rights now that NBC’s Dick Ebersol is out of the picture.

Tripp teams with Terry Lefton on a story about sports marketers who plan to stay in Brazil after the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics are finished there.

And Kevin Sullivan of SBJ instructs athletes on how to tweet the right way.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser notes that ESPN/ABC NBA analyst Mark Jackson is a finalist for the Golden State Warriors coaching job.

Cam says the Sports Illustrated story on Jim Tressel caused a Twitter spat among sportswriters.

Brian Lowry of Fox Sports says the NBA’s TV partners should send thanks to LeBron James and the Miami Heat for increased ratings this season.

Gordon Cox of Variety notes that ESPN and the Tribeca Film Festival are teaming up to put three movies on Video on Demand.

Tony Barnhart of CBS Sports talks with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive about the BCS, college football TV contracts and his contract.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell cautions fans who think college football will change with Jim Tressel’s resignation.

Bill Gorman at zap2it’s TVbytheNumbers notes that Fox’s NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 zoomed past all network competition on Sunday.

Newsday’s Neil Best says former Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill will now double his workload for YES.

Neil says NBC/Versus NHL host Liam McHugh appears to be on a fast track to stardom.

Stan Hochman of the Philadelphia Daily News looks at the ESPN book.

Former ESPN Radio host Mark Madden in the Beaver County Times feels the ESPN book doesn’t cover any new ground. How about bringing up your firing, Mark?

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has his take on DC NFL team owner Dan Snyder making the local media rounds last week.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner says ABC expects to garner good ratings with the NBA Finals.

Shannon J. Owens at the Orlando Sentinel wonders why Urban Meyer would leave ESPN for Ohio State, especially at this juncture.

Ben Thomas of the Mobile (AL) Press-Register says a local station is dropping ESPN Radio programming in favor of Sporting News Radio.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says national announcers have to deal with fans who feel they root against their teams.

Mel Bracht in the Daily Oklahoman says ESPN/ABC’s NBA crew denies that it was rooting against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.

WLWT-TV in Cincinnati notes that NBC’s Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth has taken a job coaching high school football until the NFL lockout ends.

And at his website, Football Pros Live, Cris explains why he took the job.

The Big Lead says it appears that ESPN2 First Take buffoon Skip Bayless was forced to apologize to Chris Broussard after yelling at him on Monday.

EPL Talk says the UEFA Champions League Final drew a 1.8 overnight rating for Fox, a 64% increase from the year before.

EPL Talk notes that Fox dumbed down its Champions League pregame show.

Sports Media Watch notes that Charles Barkley will be back in Miami for the NBA Finals working the games for NBA TV.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media looks at how Boston and Vancouver have fared in the ratings throughout the NHL Postseason.

Barry Petchesky of Deadspin notes that MLB.com is actually allowing some videos to be embedded! Hallelujah!!!

And we’re going to end it there for today.

Doing Some Monday Links

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

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

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

To the links now.

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

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

David M. Shribman of Bloomberg also provides a review.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that’s going to do it.

Doing Some Monday Links

Been shuffling in between two offices and haven’t been able to provide you with the latest information, but luckily, it hasn’t been sports media news that’s been breaking, it’s been the Osama bin Laden news that’s been dominating our news cycles since 10 last night. You can go to the news sites to get the latest information on how the commando raid was conducted and how the President approved the mission. It’s all quite compelling reading, but my suggestions are to go to the New York Times, Politico, CNN and Mashable (it has how Twitter blew up during the announcement). It’s all amazing and stuff you should read when you have a chance.

I’ll do the links now.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that this year’s ratings for the NFL Draft showed that viewers were wary of lockout news.

Hiestand talks with Sunday Night Baseball announcer Dan Shulman who broke the news of Osama bin Laden’s killing to some viewers.

And Michael says Game 1 of the NBA’s Miami Heat-Boston Celtics 2nd round playoff series was a ratings blockbuster for ESPN on ABC.

Spencer E. Ante and Nat Worden of the Wall Street Journal report that the NFL is negotiating with several cable and satellite providers to put NFL Network programming on tablets.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated says NFL Network had the big scoop of NFL Draft weekend.

Michael David Smith at Pro Football Talk writes that ESPN and Suzy Kolber are hearing criticism for her manipulative interview at the NFL Draft with Mark Ingram.

Barry Pachesky of Deadspin goes inside the moment when Suzy Kolber made Mark Ingram cry on national television.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says there are three California sports teams whose media rights are in a state of flux currently.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Jason Fry has five reasons as to why it’s still a good time to become a sportswriter.

Sean Deveney at the Sporting News says the NBA’s TV ratings continue their upward trend.

Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter says hockey has helped UFC become extremely popular in Canada.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has the audio of WFAN’s Mets voice Howie Rose explaining why there were chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” during last night’s Mets-Phillies game.

Over to Sean Leahy of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy who says NBC has made contingency plans in case Saturday’s Game 5 of Tampa Bay-Washington runs into the network’s Kentucky Derby coverage.

Kelly Dwyer at Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie blog notes the super ratings for TNT’s NBA playoff coverage.

At the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown goes inside MLB’s social media policy.

The Nielsen Wire blog notes that Super Bowl ads take most of the spots in the 10 Most Liked Ads of 2011 to date.

The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham notes that NESN’s Jerry Remy will miss his 6th consecutive Red Sox game behind the mic due to health problems, but this one is not as serious as his cancer scare in 2009.

Jim Gerweck of The Daily New Canaan (CT) has ESPN Dictator George Bodenheimer waxing poetic on the early days of the Alleged Worldwide Leader.

Mike Cardillo of the Stamford (CT) Advocate prefers the way Versus presents the NHL over ESPN’s old approach.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with ESPN’s Bobby Valentine who was shaken over the news that Osama bin Laden was killed.

Neil says ESPN proceeded with caution as to when to break the bin Laden killing to the Sunday Night Baseball audience.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post finds it hard to listen to Yankees radio voice John Sterling.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette writes that the local Fox affiliate will air its Sunday NASCAR show tonight following a pre-emption last night.

Ken says his Phillies fans came through last night as the Osama bin Laden story broke.

Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette defends the work of blatant Penguins homer announcer Paul Steigerwald.

Cindy Boren at the Washington Post’s Early Lead blog says Giants coach Tom Coughlin and former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling both weighed in on the bin Laden killing.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner notes that the NBA Playoff’s TV ratings are setting records again.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times goes over the weekend in sports television. I totally disagree with his thoughts on hockey charlatan Pierre McGuire.

In the Louisville Courier-Journal, ESPN’s Pat Forde recounts the time he substituted for Erin Andrews and disappointed a lot of fans.

Mac Engel at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram asks ESPN and other sideline reporters to stop using “told me” in a sentence.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says playoff thrillers are helping the NBA’s popularity and ratings.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has a look at the Southern California sports calendar for this week.

Marty James from the Napa Valley (CA) Register has NBC’s Johnny Miller hoping to attract a pro golf event to a local resort he co-owns.

Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star says Twitter and social media are giving sports teams plenty of agita.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that UFC helped Torontonians forget about their troubles for one night.

Sports Media Watch has some various ratings news and notes.

SMW says NBA TV averaged just over half a million viewers for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says NBC had a mixed bag for its pair of NHL playoff games over the weekend.

Steve also has the local ratings for NBC’s NHL games.

Joe Favorito says sports marketers should be tapping New York’s Times Square for more events.

Stephen Douglas of The Big Lead talks with former ESPN.com golf writer Jason Sobel about why he’s moving to Golf Channel.

That’s going to do it for today. I hope to get back onto a regular schedule for blogging tomorrow.

Coming Back For Sunday Links

After not being able to bring you the Friday megalinks or even Saturday linkage, I have some time to provide the Sunday linkage. Some good stuff here and don’t forget to read my Sunday thoughts.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy breaks news that former co-host of Versus’ The Daily Line, Jenn Sterger will give her first interview on the Brett Favre scandal to Good Morning America this week.

Mike notes that Jim Gray is not part of Golf Channel’s coverage of The Masters^® this year.

Rachel Cohen from the Associated Press says TV networks are trying to work out the kinks of shooting sports in 3-D.

From Yahoo’s The PostGame, Eric Adelson talks to former CBS golf announcer Ben Wright whose “Yes Sir!” call of Jack Nicklaus win in the 1986 Masters has been overshadowed and ignored by Verne Lundquist’s.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News notes that ESPN’s ratings for its opening round coverage of The Masters^® were down from the year before.

Mike says the ratings for The Masters^® did go up Friday when Tiger Woods got back into contention.

R. Thomas Umstead at Multichannel says UFC has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with Bud Light.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek says when you take bar and hotel viewing into account, the ratings for the NCAA Tournament goes up 20%.

Dan Fogarty from SportsGrid writes that the Joe Buck hate reached a fever pitch on Twitter during yesterday’s Yankees-Red Sox game on Fox.

Mohammed Rahman of SportsGrid says ESPN’s Jon Gruden hasn’t met a player he hasn’t liked.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick goes after EA Sports for not toning down the violence in the Madden NFL 12 video game.

Annie Karni of the Post talks with Jenn Sterger’s ex-manager (not Jenn herself?) about how it’s all Brett Favre’s fault that she can’t get her career off the ground. If you read the story in full, you’ll see that apparently Sterger’s interview with Good Morning America could lead into her working for ABC. In what capacity, I have no idea.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says ESPN’s ratings for the 2nd round of The Masters^® were down from last year.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has former Nationals President Stan Kasten denying that former MASN TV analyst Rob Dibble was let go following an e-mail from the father of pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

At the WaPo’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg has Dibble responding to Kasten.

Mike Frandsen of the Washington Examiner says Dan Snyder’s Red Zebra DC radio station is defending its policy to pick up Baltimore Orioles games.

Greg Hardwig of the Naples (FL) Daily News talks with former CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi about watching The Masters without his good friend, the late golf producer Frank Chirkinian.

Mel Bracht from the Daily Oklahoman says 60 Minutes will profile St. Louis Cardinals 1st baseman Albert Pujols today.

Evan Binns from the St. Louis Business Journal says Fox Sports Midwest has added some familiar names to its Cardinals games.

The Kirksville (MO) Daily Express reports that a local cable provider won’t be airing 20 Cardinals games this season over a rights fee dispute with Fox Sports Midwest.

David Southorn of the Idaho Press-Tribune has the complete 2011 Mountain West football TV schedule.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media notes that NHL Network will reveal all of the playoff matchups tonight.

Awful Announcing says St. John’s basketball coach and former ESPN analyst Steve Lavin has prostate cancer. Our best wishes to Steve.

That’s going to do it for today.

Attempting The Friday Night Megalinks

I’m going to try to finish off the megalinks tonight while watching the NCAA Tournament. This is not guaranteed to work, but I’ll do my best.

The Weekend Viewing Picks have everything you need for your TV planning.

Let’s get to your links.

National

USA Today’s Dueling Mikes return, Michael Hiestand and Mike McCarthy argue whether a player-less NFL Draft would make for good television.

Mike McCarthy notes the ratings for the first real day of NCAA Tournament action on the networks of CBS/Turner.

Mike says CBS broke into the NCAA Tournament to air the President Obama statement on Libya today.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch says CBS/Turner will likely change Charles Barkley’s role for next year’s NCAA Tournament.

The St. Petersburg Times’ Eric Deggans, writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, says the March Madness on Demand app is not without its glitches.

Marisa Guthrie of the Hollywood Reporter notes that Damon Wayans will play the lead character in a sitcom based on ESPN Radio hack Colon Cowherd.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable says CBS local affiliates are sad they can’t air schools from their local markets, but they understand the new TV landscape.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News notes the increase of visitors to the NCAA’s March Madness on Demand platforms this year.

Mike also looks at the increased ratings for the opening day of the NCAA Tournament, their highest in 20 years.

Alex Frutkin of Mediaweek says Speed has set its summer schedule in stone.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid notes that CBS/Turner NCAA Tournament sideline reporter Jaime Maggio has caught the eye of many viewers.

Dan has the great video of Gus Johnson’s call of the frantic ending of George Mason-Villanova. Great call from Gus.

Matthew DeGeorge of SportsGrid says a San Diego sports anchor almost got run over during a live shot in Arizona.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser talks with MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds.

Marcus says an MMA blog has been banned from an upcoming UFC event for leaking photos of a Playboy photo shoot of ring girl, Arianny Celeste.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell notes that Gus Johnson has trademarked his own catchphrase.

Darren questions the annual story that the NCAA Tournament hurts work productivity.

Puck The Media’s Steve Lepore isn’t too happy about NBC’s NHL decisions.

Gossip Sports lists the Top 10 Gus Johnson moments in college basketball. These are totally great moments.

Jim Weber of Lost Letterman explains why despite Gus Johnson’s popularity, he won’t call the Final Four as long as Jim Nantz is at CBS Sports.

The Sports Media Watch says the MLS season opener did quite well for ESPN.

SMW says ESPN received record ratings for Championship Week.

And SMW notes that ESPN had a very good week for the NBA.

Ken Kerschbaumer from Sports Video Group says ESPN’s E:60 will produce 3-D features for the ESPN 3D audience which totals about 25.

East and Mid-Atlantic

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn celebrates 30 seasons of Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn as TV voices of the Celtics.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette talks about a Brave New World for airing the NCAA Tournament.

Newsday’s Neil Best discusses how this year’s CBS control room was more relaxed for the NCAA Tournament as compared to past years.

Neil says a YES analyst is expected to return this season after a year’s absence.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post is wary of athlete apologies.

The Post’s Justin Terranova has five questions for ESPN NBA analyst Jon Barry.

From Fishbowl NY, Jerry Barmash reports that long time WCBS-AM Sports Director Jared Max is leaving the station.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says a local radio has the NCAA Tournament covered.

Pete looks at the combined ratings for CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

Pete asks why not have a Red Zone Channel for the NCAA Tournament?

Dan Steinberg from the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog looks at Donovan McNabb working as a college basketball analyst.

Cindy Boren of the Post’s Early Lead says NFL Films President Steve Sabol will undergo surgery for a brain tumor. Let’s hope all goes well.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner takes a look at the American LeMans racing series airing races live on ESPN3.com, then having its races air in condensed format later.

South

To the Miami Herald and Barry Jackson who looks at the local sports radio scene.

The St. Petersburg Times’ Tom Jones talks with CBS’ Ian Eagle who has to really do his homework for the four games he called Thursday for the NCAA Tournament.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle writes that the staggered tip times have helped the early ratings of the NCAA Tournament on CBS/Turner.

David talks about how CBS/Turner handled the President Obama statement on Libya during its NCAA Tournament coverage.

Jenni Carlson of the Daily Oklahoman says the NCAA Tournament is tempting fans to stay home and watch the games instead of attending them in person.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer instructs readers how to find NCAA Tournament games on Saturday.

Michael Zuidema from the Grand Rapids (MI) Press looks at some of the sports media oddities to arise from this year’s college basketball postseason.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel loves the way CBS/Turner is handling the NCAA Tournament.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune says an ESPN Chicago host who was arrested on DUI charges has entered rehab.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch likes the CBS/Turner collaboration on the NCAA Tournament.

Dan says former Rams offensive tackle Orlando Pace has bought a piece of two local sports radio stations.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says CBS is big into BYU’s Jimmer Fredette.

And Scott says the Utah women will be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday.

John Maffei from the North County Times has San Diego Padres and San Diego State University basketball voice Ted Leitner amazed at the ride he’s been calling this season.

Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News talks with CBS/Turner’s Steve Kerr about working the NCAA Tournament.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if TSN can make a dent in the local sports radio scene.

The Canadian Sports Media blog critiques TSN’s first year of handling the NCAA Tournament.

And we are done with the megalinks.

Versus Announces UFC Card in 3-D To Air on Thursday

Versus has formally announced that it will air Thursday’s UFC Live card in Louisville, KY in the third dimension. This means about 45 people across the country will be able to see this. Anyway, it marks the first UFC card ever to be carried in 3-D. It’ll be sponsored by Versus’ parent company, Comcast and will be aired on its Next Generation Xfinity 3D channel. We have the details of Versus’ plans to carry UFC Live in 3-D later this week.

UFC^® LIVE EVENT ON VERSUS IN LOUISVILLE ON MARCH 3 TO BE BROADCAST IN 3D

Marks the First UFC Event to Ever Air in 3D

New York, N.Y. (February 28, 2011) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship^® and VERSUS announced today that the UFC® event airing this Thursday, March 3, will be broadcast in 3D for the first-time ever. The highly-anticipated card, which is headlined by a welterweight clash between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann, emanates from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. and will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The 3D telecast, produced by VERSUS with the UFC and sponsored by Comcast Xfinity, will feature a separate 3D production crew and equipment from the traditional HD production. The telecast will also include a separate announce team, as veteran play-by-play voice Todd Harris will team up with UFC featherweight star Kenny Florian to call all of the night’s action.

Multiple 3D cameras will be placed strategically around the Octagon^®, giving viewers access to some new camera angles not usually seen during previous UFC 2D telecasts.  The 3D telecast will be made available live to those with 3D-capable television sets through dedicated 3D channels on affiliates across the country, including Comcast’s 24-hour, Next Generation Xfinity 3D channel.

“We’re really excited to start broadcasting UFC events in 3D,” UFC President Dana White said. “UFC is ahead of the curve when it comes to introducing new technology and we think UFC fans will really enjoy seeing fights in 3D.”

A couple of more press releases coming up.

Some Monday Linkage

Let’s do some linkage on this rainy Monday in Southern New England. Such a drab day and I just can’t get started. Maybe it was due to watching The Oscars abortion last night. Anyway, here are your links to start off your work week.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand reviews Golf Channel’s State of the Game Live panel discussion that had both NBC and Golf Channel analysts together.

Ryan Ballengee of Pro Golf Talk recaps the Golf Channel special.

Jason Gay at the Wall Street Journal tries to understand the attraction of watching the NFL Scouting Combine.

To the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center where Jason Fry lists some of his favorite Mets stories that he’s culled online from the past week.

At Mediaweek, Katy Bachman notes that online streaming provider Ivi TV got shut down over complaints from the networks and MLB.

Jeanette DeForge at the Springfield (MA) Republican reports on ESPN.com contributor Howard Bryant getting arrested over the weekend for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife. This story was picked up over the weekend by several blogs.

The Boston Herald where Bryant used to work has a story on the incident from Jessica Heslam.

The Connecticut Post says ESPN MLB analyst Bobby Valentine is interested in buying a piece of the New York Mets.

Newsday’s Neil Best notes that SNY will be visiting Mets third baseman David Wright’s home.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels Mets owner Fred Wilpon is flip-flopping over his money problems.

To Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union. He has the America East conference tournament TV schedules.

Pete also has the MAAC Conference tournament TV schedule.

Down to Washington, DC where CBS-owned WJFK-FM has announced it will be the new flagship station of the Nationals for this season.

This also gives me an opportunity to link to Friend of Fang’s Bites Liz Drabick of WJFK (she’s an update anchor) website and her Twitter page. If you’re on Twitter, say hello to her.

From the DC Sports Bog at the Washington Post, Dan Steinberg notes that Sports lllustrated is being harsh on Capitals  star Alexander Ovechkin. Maybe truthful is more like it.

Cindy Boren of the WaPo’s The Early Lead blog also discusses the Nationals’ new flagship radio station.

Nathan Warters from the Lynchburg (VA) News & Advance says ESPN’s Digger Phelps helped to inspire Virginia Tech to an upset of Duke on Saturday.

Tom Jones at the St. Petersburg Times looks at the weekend in sports TV.

John Helsley of the Daily Oklahoman talks with the Perpetually Angry Doug Gottlieb of ESPN to talk about his alma mater’s chances of making a run in the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Stupp of the Dayton Daily News talks about UFC using social media to promote its next card.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post notes ESPN’s Doris Burke’s ability to be analyst or sideline reporter.

At the Toronto Globe and Mail, Bruce Dowbiggin says the NHL TV analysts are taking off the gloves.

And I’ll end there.

A Snowy Sunday Linkage Thing

It’s snowing in Southern New England, nothing major, but it’s a major annoyance. It means I’ll be shoveling out later, but for now, I’ll do linkage for you.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says Versus will be stepping into the 3-D octagon by airing its UFC program in the 3rd dimension later this week.

Southeastern New England media mogul Keith Thibault announces that he is ready to bring his Sports Media Journal site back.

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid says a Southern sports radio host claims to have heard tapes of former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton knowing about a pay-for-play scheme hatched by his father.

Ken Belson and Richard Sandomir of the New York Times write that the Mets which got a cash infusion from Major League Baseball, could continue to receive cash loans to survive throughout the season.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels ESPN and Bob Knight are hypocrites. What else is new about Mushie?

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with ESPN’s Erin Andrews who will be on the Oscars red carpet tonight for ABC.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner is happy to have baseball back on television.

Mark Giannotto from the Washington Post says College GameDay’s visit to Blacksburg, VA was a giant success.

Matthew Stevens from the Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald writes about the final game for legendary Mississippi State voice Jack Cristil.

The Columbus (MS) Dispatch also discusses Cristal’s final game and his long career.

Joe Biddle of the Tennessean says Cristil called more than 2,000 games in his career.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the NFL Network has made a production hire.

Sports Media Watch has its Weekend Ratings Predictions.

Our links are short and sweet today, but it’s quality, not quantity here. That’s all for now.

Bob talks about ESPN hiring the Poynter Institute to be its Ombudsman.

Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star writes that former Chiefs voice Bill Grigsby has passed away.

Versus Expands Its Relationship With UFC

Last week, Versus announced it was solidifying its relationship with UFC and will air four live fights in 2011. This is good news for MMA fans who are extremely loyal to the sport. Here’s the Versus press release.

VERSUS EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH UFC® TO AIR FOUR LIVE FIGHTS IN 2011

NEW YORK, N.Y. -VERSUS has announced it will expand its partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) to feature four UFC events as part of its live programming in 2011, following the announcement that the UFC will be adding championship divisions at bantamweight and featherweight next year. VERSUS will air two remaining live WEC events this year, scheduled for November 11 and December 16, and the network’s 2011 schedule will include classic WEC fights and other taped programming.

“The WEC on VERSUS has been a hugely successful property since its launch on the network in 2007 and the addition of the two live UFC fights in 2010 really solidified VERSUS as a destination for some of the best MMA action on television,” said Jamie Davis, President of VERSUS. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the UFC and take our relationship to the next level.”

The UFC began its relationship with VERSUS in 2010, marking the first time that live UFC events aired on a national sports cable network. VERSUS’ two UFC fights this year, both featuring Pay-Per-View quality cards, averaged more than 1.1 million viewers and made VERSUS a top cable network in the country among key male demos.

“We have a great relationship with the VERSUS network, and we look forward to working with them to give UFC fans even more free fights in 2011,” said Dana White, President of UFC.

The WEC was founded in 2001 and in 2007, announced a television deal with VERSUS, which has since televised 23 live events. The WEC on VERSUS has seen viewership growth each year since 2007 and in 2010 alone, 3.7 million viewers have so far tuned in to the five live WEC events on the network. VERSUS’ two most notable WEC fights, which featured a Urijah Faber/Jens Pulver showdown in June 2008 and championship re-match between Urijah Faber and Mike Brown in June 2009, averaged more than 1.4 million viewers and made VERSUS the top cable network in the country among all key male demos for both telecasts.

VERSUS has also featured other WEC programming, including WEC WrekCAGE, a series featuring an explosive mix of VERSUS’ best live events and the top matches from WEC events never before seen on television, as well as Best-of-Year shows and Greatest Knockouts specials.

We’re done here.

Mixing The Thursday Links

I’ll give you some Thursday linkage while I can. Waiting on an appointment, but while I’m free I’ll do the links for you. Lots of stuff to get to so let’s not keep you waiting.

Jack Carey of USA Today notes that ESPN was a major factor in Brigham Young University declaring independence from the Mountain West Conference.

Cynthia Littleton and Tom Lowry of Variety note that the negotiations between Time Warner Cable and Disney continue today.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News writes that Disney networks will continue to be carried on Time Warner systems even though the current deadline has passed. 

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says NFL Network has made carriage agreements Cable One and Knology.

Alex Weprin of SportsNewser writes that Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio will be expanding his empire to the Sunday Night Football postgame show.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid loves ESPN’s Michelle Beadle so it’s only natural that he has the video of her appearance on Late Show with David Letterman.

At CBS Sports.com, Will Brinson informs us that rival NFL owners Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder have filmed a Papa John’s pizza ad.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell notes that Maria Sharapova is playing with a tennis racket that appears not to be the brand that she’s supposed to endorse.

Speaking of rackets, Darren tells us about rising brand Babolat.

Ann Donohue of Billboard says ESPN will use Atlantic Records artists during its college football coverage. 

In the Boston Herald, Jessica Heslam writes that Comcast and NESN are squaring off with rival style shows. Let’s just stick to sports, ok?

Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe goes after WBZ-TV for its cozy relationship with the New England Patriots. Stop being bitter, Dan.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says the son of boxing promoter Bob Arum is missing.

In the New York Examiner, Evan Weiner says the media and the public just loves to feed off Tiger Woods’ misery. 

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union says Time Warner Cable has released its high school football schedule for the Capital Region.

Pete has the college football TV schedule for this week.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes of DCRTV looks at the firing of MASN analyst Rob Dibble from Washington Nationals games and other Baltimore-Washington sports media news.

I love this next name. J. Freedom duLac of the Washington Post writes about Dibble’s firing.

The Post’s Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog has Dibble’s statement about his firing on Sirius XM this morning.

Dan has Dibble weighing on last night’s Nationals-Marlins basebrawl.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the Nationals brought Dibble in to be opinionated and that’s what he was. 

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times talks about the new NFL Network documentary series on the top 100 players of all-time.

George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that despite being retired from the broadcast booth, John Madden still has the power to pitch products.

Jon Solomon from the Birmingham (AL) News says the SEC and ESPN are pleased with their new marriage, but both parties would like more. 

Eva Ruth Moravec of the San Antonio Express-News writes that a local sports promoter and public address announcer for various sports teams has been charged with harassing a TV reporter online.

Mel Bracht at the Daily Oklahoman says Oklahoma University usually fares well when football games are put on pay per view. 

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says the Bengals, Big Brother and Cris Collinsworth dominate the local airwaves tonight.

John would like to have a local sports morning show instead of syndicated programming so he can listen to Reds talk.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that ESPN’s Monday Night Football crew are bullish on the Green Bay Packers.

Phil Rosenthal at the Chicago Tribune says the WaPo’s Mike Wise didn’t use his noodle when he triggered off a Twitter firestorm.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks about the return of the Cardinals to Midwest radio powerhouse KMOX-AM.

Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune says ESPN’s money and Notre Dame’s prestige will help BYU’s football independence.

Dick Harmon from the Deseret News notes that ESPN presence was too big to ignore for BYU.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News reads the ramblings in USC football voice Pete Arbogast’s blog so you don’t have to.

Cam Inman of the Oakland Tribune has ESPN’s Jon Gruden singing the praises of his former Raiders team. 

Chris Zelkovich at the Toronto Star notes that CFL dominated the Canadian TV ratings.

The great Amanda Rykoff, a.k.a. the OCD Chick, a.k.a. my Twitter Trophy Wife, tells us about the new Capital One Cup which rewards college athletic excellence with school scholarships.

Sports Media Watch says the ratings dropped for the season finale for ABC’s “Shaq vs.”

Joe Favorito says UFC continues to reinvent its brand.

The Big Lead says Andy Roddick may have lost his 2nd round match in the US Open, but it means more looks at Janko Tipsarevic’s wife, Biljana Šeševi?.

Matt Clapp over at Awful Announcing notices that Screamin’ Gus Johnson’s voice is on a Buffalo Wild Wings ad.

Matt Boutwell at the Central Maine Sports Blog appeals to NESN to stop treating Boston as if it represents all of New England.

Maury Brown at the Biz of Baseball notes that the MLB At Bat mobile app is being offered at half price for the rest of the season.

Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski tells us how much the NHL Center Ice package will cost us this season.

Tony Farinella of 411mania talks with former ESPN’er Sean Salisbury about his new internet radio show.

And we will end the links there for today.

Versus Set To Air Its 2nd UFC Event

This Saturday, Versus airs its 2nd live UFC event of the year. Back in March, Versus’ first UFC event garnered a 1.1 rating and just under 1.25 million viewers which matches some of its best NHL ratings.

We have details on the fights and what you can expect to see this Saturday on Versus.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN BETWEEN JON ‘BONES’ JONES AND VLADIMIR MATYUSHENKO HEADLINES VERSUS’ SECOND LIVE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® (UFC®) EVENT ON AUGUST 1 AT 9 P.M. ET

NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 27, 2010)-VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, will air its second live UFC® event on Sunday, August 1, featuring a light heavyweight battle between Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Vladimir Matyushenko. The fight will originate from the San Diego Sports Arena and air live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET.

VERSUS has been the national cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®) since 2007 and in December 2009, the network announced a multi-year extension with Zuffa LLC., the owners of both the WEC and UFC, to air two live UFC events in 2010 in addition to seven live WEC fights. VERSUS’ first live UFC event on Sunday, March 21, which marked the UFC’s debut on a national sports cable network, averaged 1.24 million viewers, garnered a 1.1 national HH rating and made VERSUS one of the most-watched cable networks in the country among all key male demos.

Jon Jones (10-1), winner of four of his last five UFC fights, put together his most impressive performance to date during VERSUS’ first UFC fight in March, with a first-round TKO over the battle-tested Brandon Vera. The 22-year-old phenom is an unorthodox striker and will face the most seasoned of veterans in Matyushenko.

Matyushenko (24-4), 39-years-old, brings a wealth of experience with each of his fights and looks to become a serious contender in the UFC light heavyweight division. He returned to the UFC in 2009 after a six-year break and secured a unanimous decision victory over Igor Pokrajac followed by a split-decision win against Eliot Marshall.

The well-rounded card also features a middleweight battle between Yushin Okami (25-5) and Mark Munoz (8-1); a welterweight fight featuring Jake Ellenberger (22-5) and John Howard (14-4); and a lightweight fight between Takanori Gomi (36-1) and Joe Stevenson (36-11).

I think I’ll post two more releases before calling it a night.

Our Return to Work Links

Back to work for most of us today. Let me provide links for you.

Starting with Michael Hiestand of USA Today who breaks news in his Monday column. He says Joe Theismann who refused to work college football games for ESPN when he was removed from Monday Night Football now willing to work Notre Dame games for NBC. In addition, Michael has items on the NFL deciding to charge $40 to watch 54 exhibition games online and ESPN announcing its team for the late Monday Night Football game in its opening night doubleheader.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch tweets some sad news. A producer for ESPN Dallas, Leah Siegel has passed away after a battle with breast cancer. My sympathies to Ms. Siegel, her family and her ESPN colleagues. Here’s her website chronicling her battle.

In the Sports Business Journal, John Ourand writes that the Open Championship seeing its lowest ratings ever in its first year as an all-cable event is not a cause for concern for ESPN or sports leagues in general. 

John also notes that the Red Sox on NESN has lost its local TV ratings lead to the St. Louis Cardinals on Fox Sports Midwest.

John and Tripp Mickel report that the International Olympic Committee may decide to sell the US TV rights for 2014 and 2016 by itself instead of using an outside source as it has in the past.

David Broughton of the SBJ writes that research shows that fans who use social media to connect to MLB and NFL are now more avid fans of the sports.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable profiles new Fox Sports President Eric Shanks. 

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News notes that boxer Manny Pacquaio has set a pay per view date for November, it just won’t be with Floyd Mayweather.

Diego Vasquez in Media Life Magazine talks about how sponsors can reach an audience at small college football games.

In the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Jason Fry suggests to newspaper websites that they provide links to outside sources as a service to readers.

The Inside Track girls at the Boston Herald says NESN mistook Bill Hall for Mike Cameron in a Red Sox promo.

At the New York Times, Richard Sandomir recaps the rainy festivities at Cooperstown, NY for the annual Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions.

Viv Bernstein of the Times says NASCAR notes that with the lack of younger viewers to the sport comes the lack of younger drivers as well.  

Phil Mushnick of the New York Times goes after Fox Sports’ Eric Karros for talking way too much during Saturday’s Mets-Dodgers game.

In SB Nation New York, Puck The Media’s Steve Lepore looks at SNY taking phone calls during a Mets blowout and Billy Jaffe losing his Islanders TV analyst gig. 

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the Nationals are no longer on the bottom of MLB’s local TV ratings.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner explores the list of Forbes’ Top 50 Sports Franchises.

Dustin Long of the Virginian-Pilot writes that NASCAR is attempting to reach younger viewers which have abandoned the sport. 

Tom Jones in the St. Petersburg Times has his view of the weekend in televised sports.

Larry Harstein of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores an ESPN Outside the Lines report on stadium food safety. 

Doug Demmons in the Birmingham (AL) News says NASCAR should be concerned about its TV coverage based on its slipping TV ratings.

Crystal Forester in the Fort Worth Business Press notes that ESPN will be coming to town for the Super Bowl.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reacts to a British study on drivers who listen to sports on the radio.

Bud Shaw from the Cleveland Plain Dealer says criticism ESPN’s role in LeBron James’ 73 minute infomercial could prevent other athletes from pulling the same shenanigans. 

Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press says ESPN is interested in the story of the first girl to break the Little League Baseball gender barrier in 1973.

Jeff has more in this feature story on how the Little League gender barrier got broken.

Tim Feran of the Columbus Dispatch puts Ohio State fans on alert that Time Warner Cable could be taking ESPN and other Disney networks off its systems before the football season opener. 

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune notes that two local sportscasters have made the transition to news anchors.

Dusty Saunders in the Denver Post says you can’t keep track of the changes in local sports radio without a scorecard.

John F. Russell in the Steamboat (CO) Pilot profiles CBS’ Uncle Verne Lundquist who was honored by his Steamboat Springs City Council for his contributions to the local community.

Kimberly Nicoletti from the Summit (CO) Daily News says the Ski Channel is coming to the local Comcast system.

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

Brian T. Smith of The Columbian (WA) says Comcast is scoffing at a Portland Trail Blazers’ charge that the company is preventing fans from seeing their games. 

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star looks at a key personnel change at CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Bruce Dowbiggin in the Toronto Globe and Mail says this change could lead to more down the road on HNIC.

The Sports Media Watch has a look at the state of ESPN both here and here.

SMW has some ratings news and notes.

Joe Favorito wonders if UFC Chief Dana White is mellowing.

Bruce Allen at Boston Sports Media Watch has a look at the Red Sox beat writers whining like bitter little hedgehogs when they can’t get their way.

Sox & Dawgs has a funny NESN promo featuring Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

And we’ll get these up now so you don’t have to wait until noon.

Doing Some Tuesday Links

Been busy at work today and expecting a busy late afternoon and evening. I’m squeezing in some linkage while I can.

First, USA Today’s Michael Hiestand briefly discusses the impending ESPN/ACC deal plus looks at the ratings for some of the weekend sports events.

Brian Steinberg of Advertising Age says at the network upfront presentations this week, marketers are already looking to buy ads on NFL and college football broadcasts before buying on network primetime programs.

Mike Shields from Mediaweek writes that ESPN is looking to automatically roll an ad as soon as a viewer logs onto ESPN3.com giving an advertiser prime space.

Radio industry newsletter All Access says an ESPN Radio/Deportes combo in San Diego has not paid employees for months. Not one month, but several months.

Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writing in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center gives us an inside look at the ESPN Innovation Lab in Orlando.

CNBC Sports Producer Tom Rotunno subbing for Darren Rovell takes a look at the effect LeBron James is having on the rest of the NBA Playoffs now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from the postseason.

Georg Szalai from the Hollywood Reporter recaps ESPN’s upfront presentation in New York today.

David Tanklefsky of Broadcating & Cable says UFC has signed a deal to put the upcoming UFC 114 event as well other fight cards on Roku in the future.

Thomas Umstead from Multichannel News says cable operators are calling for a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquaio pay per view fight and soon.

Diego Vasquez in Media Life Magazine speaks with a Univision programming executive about the ratings expectations for the World Cup.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says Versus is finding an audience for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Stuart Elliot of the Times has his take on ESPN’s upfront presentation. 

The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman feels SNY’s Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez played blind on Sunday. Whatever Bob.

Keith Groller from the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says the Philadelphia Flyers have captured Eastern Pennsylvania’s attention as the TV ratings prove.

Tim Lemke says two months after being excited by the launch of Bloomberg Sports’ baseball analytical fantasy program, his mood about it is very tempered.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner explores what it would mean to Maryland to enter the Big Ten conference.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times feels Fox Sports’ Chris Myers went overboard with some comments on the Dan Patrick Show yestesrday. 

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says the Blackhawks cleaned up in the ratings on Sunday for the local NBC affiliate.

Ed talks with a Bay Area sports radio host about the relevance of the San Jose Sharks in the local market.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks about ESPN’s Chris Berman getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In Truth & Rumours, William Houston writes that hockey drew the first six spots in Canada’s national weekend TV ratings. 

Sports Media Watch notes that last night’s Game 1 of the Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers series dropped in the ratings from last year.

SMW says NASCAR on Fox failed to impress on Sunday.

SMW talks with NBA Digital Senior Vice President and General Manager Bryan Perez about NBA TV and other league-owned networks.

Jason Fry writes in Deadspin that Captain Blowhard after threatening to leave the Mothership, really had no other place to go and will most likely return to ESPN when his contract is up.

At Puck The Media, Steve Lepore says Sunday’s ratings for the Blackhawks win over San Jose were down slightly from last year.

Steve also has Versus’ plans in case tonight’s Montreal-Philadelphia game goes into overtime and spills into Chicago-San Jose.

That will do it for now.

The Friday Megalink Thing

Ok, it’s time for the Friday megalinks. Wasn’t able to do them last week and now it’s time to bring them to you while I can. There’s a new look here and I’m experimenting with the template and colors. Let me know what you think either via a comment here or through a quick e-mail. I like to hear your comments.

You can always check your Weekend Viewing Picks for sports and primetime TV.

Now to your links.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today talks with CBS’ Dick Enberg who will call his final NCAA Tournament game tomorrow before embarking on a new phase of his broadcasting career.

Also in USA Today, sports broadcasting historian David J. Halberstam looks at the large number of veteran play-by-play men, including Enberg, who continue to call their respective sports well into their 70′s and some into their 80′s

And USA Today’s version of Mike and Mike, Michael Hiestand and Mike McCarthy debate the value of expanding the NCAA Tournament from its current 65 teams.

Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable says MLB is rebranding its Home Plate channel on Sirius XM Satellite Radio to MLB Network Radio and will simulcast its programs at night.

Multichannel News looks at the life of former NBC Sports and ESPN President Chet Simmons who passed away Thursday at the age of 81.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel notes that Spike and UFC have put together a website for their Ultimate Fighter reality series which archives all ten seasons of the show.

Katy Bachman of Mediaweek looks at ESPN launching a New York-centric website.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says the NCAA Tournament steered CBS to an overnight ratings victory on Thursday.

The Nielsen Wire blog notes that Louisville in basketball-crazy Kentucky is the top rated market for the NCAA Tournament through the first two rounds.

Writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Dave Kindred says it’s important to see both sides of the story. 

The Sports Media Watch says Tiger Woods is shooting a new commercial.

Joe Favorito writes that the New York Jets made the right decision in participating in this season’s Hard Knocks program on HBO.

Gail Sideman in Sports Networker provides 5 proactive public relations tips for athletes to prevent them from getting into trouble.

Len Berman has his top five stories of the day.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe compares and contrasts the ESPN and Golf Channel interviews of Tiger Woods.

The New York Times speculates that HBO could be ending “Joe Buck Live” after three mostly lackluster shows.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post isn’t a fan of MLB Walking, Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig’s job on steriods.

Over to Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News who writes that the Jets are taking a stab at HBOs Hard Knocks after turning a request last year.

Writing in Baltimore’s Press Box, Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com has the latest on the Charm City’s sports radio ratings wars and other media moves.

In the Washington Examiner, Jim Williams asks his readers which is the best sports radio talk show in DC?

South

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson looks at an upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Dolphins running back Ricky Williams.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel takes Florida football coach Urban Meyer to task for verbally attacking one of his colleagues this week.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has the latest ratings for the sports radio stations and they’re not good for the local ESPN Radio affiliate.

Ray Buck from the Fort Worth Star Telegram says the national media spotlight will be on Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington after last week’s admission that he took cocaine.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that CBS’ Jim Nantz returns to Houston to call the NCAA Tournament this weekend.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman talks with a national women’s college basketball analyst about Oklahoma’s play in the ladies NCAA Tournament.

In his media notebook, Mel discusses the upcoming season of Hard Knocks and the recent Sports Emmy Award nominations.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press looks at former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves who’s hoping to start a new career on TV.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the Fox Sports’ NFL analysts’ reaction to the new overtime rules.

In Crain’s Chicago Business, Ed Sherman says WGN-AM has eliminated a long-running talk show in place of more Cubs programming.

Ed also has his weekly winners and losers in sports business and media.

Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin has a whole bunch of media stories in his Friday column.

To Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who writes about Verne Lundquist’s return to the Gateway City where it’s memorable for a very big reason.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) Morning News says despite having two NCAA Tournament games in town last night, CBS beamed the games from Syracuse into the local market.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on a continued contract dispute between a local sports radio station and its morning show. 

And John Maffei of the North County Times says on-air auditions for potential replacements have turned out to be disastrous.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star explores why ESPN and Golf Channel accepted interviews with Tiger Woods and why CBS did not.

Jim looks at how CBS handled the first four days of the NCAA Tournament.

John Scheibe in the Los Angeles Times says upsets have not hurt CBS’ ratings for the NCAA Tournament.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes about the new social networking venture by new Angels TV voice and Friend of Fang’s Bites, Victor Rojas.

In his blog, Tom expands on Victor’s venture.

Tom also has his extensive media news and notes.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail previews the CBC mini-series on Don Cherry.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star is puzzled as to why the Blue Jays have yet to release their TV schedule.

In Truth & Rumours, William Houston says the Don Cherry movie is definitely worth watching.

And that will conclude the megalinks.

Two Versus Press Releases

Two more press release posts before I finish for now. This one is Versus-centric. I have a couple of announcements regarding upcoming programming on Versus.

Cycling returns to Versus with coverage of the Tour Down Under featuring Lance Armstrong.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 12, 2010)-VERSUS, the television home of professional cycling in the U.S., will kick off the 2010 cycling season with the Tour Down Under, the first race of the year on the ProTour calendar. The 2010 competition will cover approximately 500 miles over six-stages in South Australia featuring 132 riders across 16 teams. This year's roster is highlighted by the debut of a U.S.-based team led by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

In its second year of Tour Down Under coverage, VERSUS will air daily 30-minute stage re-caps from Jan. 19-23 at 6 p.m. ET as well as a one-hour show at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 24 for the final stage. On Jan. 23 the network will stream the entire final stage of the race live on VERSUS.com beginning at 8 p.m. ET. VERSUS will also air a one-hour retrospective show on Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. ET to look back at the entire competition. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, the undisputed voices of cycling, will be on site in Australia to provide insight and commentary for each day of the network's coverage.  

VERSUS.com is the online destination for cycling fans to find out anything and everything about the 2010 Tour Down Under. In addition to viewing the last stage live and in its entirety, cycling fans can visit the site for in-depth editorial coverage from leading cycling experts, exclusive videos and interviews, highlights from each of the day's stages, as well as information about teams and riders.  

VERSUS' daily coverage of the Tour Down Under will be supplemented with a half-hour special on Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET titled Lance Armstrong: The Next Chapter. This must-see special will feature Paul Sherwen's exclusive one-on-one interview with the cycling legend in which Armstrong reveals his thoughts of his performance in 2009 and what fans can expect from him in 2010. The special will re-air on Jan. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET.  

And Versus’ first UFC event is scheduled for March.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE BETWEEN BRANDON ‘THE TRUTH’ VERA AND JON ‘BONES’ JONES HEADLINES VERSUS’ FIRST LIVE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® (UFC®) EVENT ON SUNDAY, MARCH 21, AT 9 P.M. ET

New York, N.Y. (January 12, 2010)-VERSUS will air its first live Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) event on Sunday, March 21, featuring a light heavyweight showdown between Muay Thai sensation Brandon Vera and 22-year-old phenom Jon Jones.  The fight will originate from the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo. and air on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET.  

VERSUS has been the national cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®) since 2007 and in December 2009, the network announced a multi-year extension with Zuffa LLC., the owners of both the WEC and UFC®, to air two live UFC events in 2010 in addition to seven live WEC fights.   

"Since 2007 fight fans have come to VERSUS for some of the most explosive MMA action on television and we can't wait for March 21 to arrive so that we can showcase the UFC on VERSUS, which will be the first time ever that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network," said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for VERSUS. "What better way to kick off our partnership with the UFC than with a card headlined by two of the world's top light heavyweight contenders. This will be an incredible event that no sports fan should miss."   

Brandon Vera (11-4), with seven UFC wins in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, is dangerous on his feet or on the ground.  Vera, the 32-year-old former U.S. Air Force member from Norfolk, Va., is coming off a memorable match-up against UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 105 and his fight against Michael Patt in which the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt defeated his opponent via TKO. When he gets into the cage on March 21 his ultimate goal is to stop the ascension of rising star Jon Jones.    

"This is a fight that could go anywhere, and that's the beauty of this match-up," UFC President Dana White said. "Brandon Vera and Jon Jones represent the future of this sport in that they are both dangerous strikers and well-versed grapplers. This is the perfect fight for our return to Colorado and our debut on VERSUS, and we're committed to giving UFC fans an event to remember."

Jon Jones (9-1), winner of his first three fights in the UFC, has made an immediate impression in the Octagon and is looking to get one step closer to a light heavyweight title shot. Jones earned unanimous decision victories over Andre Gusmao and Stephan Bonnar in his first two UFC fights and submitted Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 in July 2009. In his last fight, in December 2009, Jones was dominating veteran Matt Hamill but lost by a controversial disqualification. Jones is an unorthodox striker that will face his greatest test against the well-rounded Vera.

One more press release post is heading your way.

Giving You The Monday Links

Time to do the links today. Once again, I ask if you could be so kind to donate to the Fang’s Bites TV fund. Trying to get two HD sets in time for the NFL season. Even if I can get half of the $1,200 target, that would be fine. So far, I’ve raised $66 so I have a ways to go. I’m only asking you to give $5, but if you wish to give more, that’s fine as well. The widget is under my profile to the left.

Ok to the links.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes about Michael Irvin joining the NFL Network this season.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch has his Media Power Rankings for August.

Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal says as many as 12 NFL teams could have local blackouts of at least one home game this season.

Jon Show of the SBJ says the LPGA is shopping around an umbrella naming rights deal for the next three seasons.

Terry Lefton of the SBJ writes that even with a new owner, Anheuser-Busch is still spending plenty on sports sponsorships.

Liz Mullen reports in Sports Business Daily that NHL Players Association Executive Director Paul Kelly has been voted out by the player reps.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that Yankees season ticket holders won’t see that much of a price increase for the postseason.

Darren says the top selling NFL jersey, believe it or not, is Brett Favre’s Minnesota Vikings #4.

Darren got to play the world’s number two tennis player in the world, Andy Murray last week.

Mary Ellen Fillo of the Hartford Courant followed the brothers McEnroe as they made their way through ESPN last week.

Jackie Majerus of the Bristol (CT) Press covered an event on Friday that celebrated ESPN’s 30 anniversary and featured founder Bill Rasmussen.

Dave Phillips of the Shore Line (CT) Times says a local sports radio talk show host is beginning to make the move to TV.

Lynn Zinser of the New York Times says the ESPNization of the US Open has already begun.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick feels TV directors too often miss key action.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has your opening weekend TV schedule of college football action.

Pete says the Mets are being bumped off their local radio affiliate five times in September due to NFL conflicts.

Pete writes that Fox Sports has signed a new four year deal to keep the Cotton Bowl.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record writes that ESPN will make visits to two of the service academies in November.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says get ready for round the clock coverage of the US Open.

Jim adds that for the third year in a row, TBS will use a Bon Jovi song as the theme music for its postseason MLB coverage.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times feels there’s too many NFL exhibition games on TV.

Jon Solomon of the Birmingham (AL) News wonders if ESPN will play favorites with the SEC.

Paul Gattis of the Huntsville (AL) Times asks if the SEC made a deal with the Devil.

Mike Tankersley of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser says a local station will be picking up SEC Network games.

Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says the ESPN/SEC 15 year contract will put the conference into many more homes across the country than its previous TV deal.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has a local sports radio tidbit.

Barry says the Cowboys once again won the ratings on Saturday night.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says former White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell is throwing barbs at his former team in his Chicago Tribune blog.

The Denver Post’s Dusty Saunders says a former Colorado University QB makes his national TV debut on Fox Sports Net this week.

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star says the new University Arizona TV network will be shown outside of Phoenix and Tucson on Fox Sports Arizona.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks about a feature that Bob Costas will narrate on MLB Network tonight.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star writes about TSN celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says veteran Canadian TV host Brian Williams (not the one from NBC News) looks forward to hosting another Olympic games.

Gareth Davies of the London Telegraph says ESPN UK plans to show British UFC fighters who normally would not be seen anywhere else.

Mike Reynolds of Mutlichannel News writes that Tennis Channel will not be on Cablevision for the US Open after all.

The Sports Media Watch looks back at last week.

The Sports Media Journal has two more videos from last week’s ESPN Media Workshop. Here’s one and it’s rather long, but it’s worthwhile to watch, regarding ESPN’s 30th anniversary and it starts with a demonstration of its new virtual technology.

And the SMJ’s Keith Thibeault got to shadow an ESPN Production Assistant as he prepared for a Baseball Tonight segment.

Keith gives his thoughts on attending the Media Workshop.

And Ray Frager writing in the SMJ is happy to hear that Monday Night Football will focus on the game instead of on everything else.

Michael David Smith of Fanhouse (whom I had the pleasure to meet last week at the ESPN Media Workshop) looks at some of the more prolific ESPN tweeters.

Andrew Hampp of Advertising Age has a review of the ESPN Media Workshop.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says there was a schism at ESPN over an ESPN report about a Vikings schism.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media looks at some of the local NHL TV schedules.

Kristine Leahy of WEEI.com has today’s version of The Five.

Jan Ozer of Streaming Media.com finds out why NBCSports.com is using Microsoft’s Silverlight technology to stream Sunday Night Football.

That’s going to conclude the links for today.

Some Monday Press Releases to Post

I’ll provide some press releases while I can.

Here’s the interview CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta conducted with Lance Armstrong. This interview aired on today’s edition of American Morning.

In an interview that aired on today’s American Morning, CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke exclusively with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, just after he took third place at the Tour de France this weekend. Armstrong spoke candidly about the challenges he faced after a four year break, drug tests, his critics and why he has committed to race in 2010.

Full transcript:

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Today has been a remarkable 22 days for Lance Armstrong right here in France. Tour de France started in Monaco, ended right here in Paris. Fans, cancer survivors from all over the world really cheering on the seven-time Tour de France winner.

Now I set on the board of Lance Armstrong, and I can tell you, after a four-year hiatus it was a big decision for him. I caught up with him just a few hours after he took third place at the Tour de France to talk about some of the challenges, to talk about some of the criticisms that have been waged against him, and how he responds to those and to simply ask him why he decided to get involved in all of this again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (on camera): Coming in first, is that something you thought about? I mean, did you care? You write it’s not about the bike. But do you care if you come in first or not?

LANCE ARMSTRONG, THIRD PLACE AT TOUR DE FRANCE: Well, I wanted to come in first. But sometimes in sports there’s somebody that’s better.

And I was that guy for seven years. And I never understood what it felt like to get second or third. I’m 38 now. And you race guys that are 24 or 25 or 26, and they’re fast, they’re strong. They have acceleration.

They have all of the things that you had at that age. And you get third. That’s what the great thing about the Tour is that the best man always wins.

GUPTA: How was this race different for you in terms of how you trained, what you ate? Were there differences compared to five years ago?

ARMSTRONG: Well, I used a lot of the same training, the same idea with diet. I mean, the only difference, I guess, is that I’m now 38 years old. So a 38-year-old man does not wake up every day like a 28-year-old. But I can’t even complain. I mean, I think I rode well.

GUPTA: Why come back after four years? What inspired this?

ARMSTRONG: Obviously, I have to have a love for the bike. I have to have a love for the Tour. Otherwise, this is too hard. It’s just way too damn hard to go out and do this. But my passion for fighting cancer and fighting it not just in Texas or the United States but around the world.

GUPTA: When you look at you the man, Lance, and the issue of cancer, do you think that people separate that? I mean, do they understand why you’re riding and why you came back?

ARMSTRONG: Yes, I think so. You know, these days it’s easy to get feedback. When people have a comment or have an issue, they let you know. And most of them are regarding cancer. So that tells me that the people understand. They’ve been affected either themselves or a loved one and they understand it. And then they say keep going. You know, pedal hard for them tomorrow. Pedal hard for my mom or my neighbor or my co-worker.

GUPTA: One of the things you mention — you talked a lot about during the whole tour was surprise test for doping. They just come and surprise you.

ARMSTRONG: They’re not surprises any more.

GUPTA: Not surprising — 40, I think over 40 tests.

ARMSTRONG: They’re 50 — they’re 50 now.

GUPTA: What do you say to the critics? What do you say to the skeptics now at the end of the tour?

ARMSTRONG: Look, I’ve done this a long time. And I’ve been at the highest level now since 1992 until 2009. I’ve been tested more than anybody else. If I can take four years off and come back at the age of 38 with more controls than anybody else on planet Earth and get third in the hardest sporting event in the world, I think we’ve answered the questions.

In what has become a cliched and hackneyed feature not just on ESPN, but on any media outlet, ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen will be reporting from 20 training camps in a span of 24 days.

Mort Goes to Camp: July 31- Aug. 23
Live Reports from 20 NFL Training Camps in 24 Days
Senior NFL Analyst Chris Mortensen to Take Three-Week Road Trip

Senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen will take a three-week road trip to cover 20 NFL team training camps in 24 days, July 31 – Aug. 23. Mortensen will travel by bus across the country and provide news and information updates from around the league daily on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN platforms.

“This trip will give me the chance to see the country and many of the teams in the league up close, said Mortensen. “I look forward to visiting with coaches, players and the front-office staff of the teams, and interacting with many passionate football fans as they get ready for the new season.”

“Mort Goes to Camp” coverage will include daily appearances on SportsCenter and NFL Live, as well as Monday Night Countdown (before ESPN’s Monday Night Football preseason games on Aug. 13 and 17); reports on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning (simulcast on ESPN2); blog items, video, interactive maps and daily post cards on ESPN.com; and regular updates on Twitter (@mortreport).

Mortensen’s tour will span some 6,400 miles, beginning with a visit to the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 31. The tour will conclude Aug. 23 in Miami, which will host Super Bowl XLIV in February.

“Mort Goes to Camp” Schedule:
7/31 Dallas/Arlington, TX
8/1 Dallas Cowboys (San Antonio, TX)
8/2 New Orleans Saints (Metairie, LA)
8/3 Travel to Minnesota via Hattiesburg, MS
8/4 Minnesota Vikings (Mankato, MN)
8/5 Green Bay Packers (Green Bay, WI)
8/6 Chicago Bears (Bourbonnais, IL)
8/7 Indianapolis Colts (Terre Haute, IN)
8/8 Detroit Lions (Allen Park, MI)
8/9 Cleveland Browns (Berea, Ohio)
8/10 Pittsburgh Steelers (Latrobe, PA)
8/11 Philadelphia Eagles (Bethlehem, PA)
8/12 N.Y. Jets (Hempstead, NY)
8/13 ESPN (Bristol, CT)
8/14 N.Y. Giants (Albany, NY)
8/15 New England Patriots (Foxboro, MA)
8/16 Baltimore Ravens (Westminster, MD)
8/17 Washington Redskins (Ashburn, VA)
8/18 Tennessee Titans (Nashville, TN)
8/19 Atlanta Falcons (Flowery Branch, GA)
8/20 Jacksonville Jaguars (Jacksonville, FL)
8/21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Tampa, FL)
8/22 Miami Dolphins (Davie FL)
8/23 Miami, FL

We continue with ESPN and the motorsports events it will air this week.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Live from Pocono on ESPN

ESPN will have live, flag-to-flag coverage in high definition as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes for 500 miles at the “Tricky Triangle,” Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 2. The telecast is presented by Old Spice and begins with NASCAR Countdown at 1:00 p.m. ET. The race’s green flag is at 2:18 p.m.

The final 17 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will air on the ESPN Networks, with the first six on ESPN and the final 11 on ABC, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

ESPN’s coverage from Pocono includes a live telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Friday, July 31, at 3:27 p.m., and telecasts of two practice sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars on the 2.5-mile track, all on ESPN2. The first practice session airs Saturday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m., while final practice airs at 11:30 a.m.

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

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

Also this week, ESPN Classic will air highlights of the 1988 Budweiser 400 from Riverside International Raceway on Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. The event was the final NASCAR race ever run at the famed California road course and was won by Rusty Wallace.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Makes Iowa Speedway Debut

ESPN continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend as the series races for the first time ever at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. The live, flag-to-flag telecast airs on ESPN on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 4 p.m. ET. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Also on Saturday, live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, while coverage of final practice airs Friday, July 31, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Randy LaJoie. Reporting from the pits will be Jack Arute, Mike Massaro and Rick DeBruhl.

ESPN Pit Reporters on NASCAR Now Roundtable

The four reporters who work the pits in ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on Monday, Aug. 3, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Joining host Allen Bestwick will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch.

Mike Massaro slides into the host role for half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at 5 p.m., and then Nicole Manske hosts episodes airing Thursday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m.

Manske also hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at 10 p.m. Marty Smith will report from Pocono for both programs. .

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

NHRA Lucas Oil Series Action Monday on ESPN Classic

ESPN Classic airs two hours of drag racing action featuring the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series on Monday, Aug. 3, beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

The first hour includes highlights from racing at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. A second hour airing at noon presents action from Englishtown, N.J.

These are the tournaments that Golf Channel will air this week.

GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

July 27 – August 2, 2009

Buick Open

Dates: 7/30 – 8/2

Venue: Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 3 – 6 p.m. (Live)/8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)/2 – 5 a.m. (Replay)

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

Saturday 1 – 2 p.m. (Live)/9:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)

Sunday 1 – 2:30 p.m. (Live)/9:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Rich Lerner (Play by Play)

Frank Nobilo (Analyst)

Peter Oosterhuis (Tower)

Gary McCord (Tower)

Mark Lye (On Course)

Scott Walker (Interviews)

Broadcast Notes: Golf Central will recap the news and storylines from all of the tours, preview the Buick Open and deliver news and insight. Thursday – Sunday, Golf Central will broadcast live from Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, delivering all of the comprehensive wrap-around news coverage of the 2009 Buick Open in addition to the latest news from the Ricoh Women’s British Open and all golf’s major tours… Hosted by Kraig Kann and Brandel Chamblee on-site from Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Golf Central Pre Game will prepare viewers for all of the action on the various golf tours with news, interviews and analysis. Saturday and Sunday, Golf Central Pre Game will air from 12:30 – 1 p.m. ET prior to GOLF CHANNEL’s lead-in coverage, and return for a second show from 2:30 – 3 p.m., preparing viewers for CBS Sports’ weekend action.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational

Dates: 7/30 – 8/2

Venue: The Ohio State University Golf Club, Columbus, Ohio

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Replay)/12:30 – 2:30 a.m. (Replay)

Friday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Replay)/Midnight – 2 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. (Replay)/Midnight – 2 a.m. (Replay)

Sunday 7 – 9:30 p.m. (Replay)/Midnight – 2 a.m. (Replay)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Jerry Foltz (Play by Play)

Curt Byrum (Analyst)

Kay Cockerill (Tower)

Phil Parkin (On Course)

Stephanie Sparks (On Course)

Moravia Silesia Open 2009

Dates: 7/30 – 8/2

Venue: Prosper Golf Resort, Celadna, Czech Republic

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 9 a.m. – Noon (Live)

Friday 9 a.m. – Noon (Live)

Saturday 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. (Live)

Sunday 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. (Live)

HBO Sports will air a new documentary this week on the 1983 Jr. Middleweight fight between Billy Collins, Jr. and Luis Resto. Look for my review of the doc before the airing.

HBO SPORTS DOCUMENTARY “ASSAULT IN THE RING” REVISITS THE ILL-FATED 1983 JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT BETWEEN BILLY COLLINS JR. AND LUIS RESTO WHEN IT DEBUTS AUG. 1 ON HBO

HBO Sports presents ASSAULT IN THE RING, a documentary about the ill-fated junior middleweight bout between Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto and its subsequent effect on both boxers. Debuting SATURDAY, AUG. 1 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO, the special explores the events that profoundly impacted the New York sports landscape and the world of boxing, and changed the lives of two athletes.

“This film will revisit one of boxing’s saddest days,” says Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. “But it’s a compelling story that we feel needs to be told, because so many lives were changed forever on that night at Madison Square Garden. This is an in-depth, comprehensive examination of that tragic event.”

“There were so many unanswered questions surrounding what really happened and who, if anybody, was responsible. What we discovered was much worse than had ever been imagined,” says director and producer Eric Drath. “However, what we ultimately found was a story that went far beyond fact-finding; what unfolded before our cameras is a story of redemption.”

ASSAULT IN THE RING revisits a boxing scandal considered one of the sport’s darkest hours, and traces a man’s despairing journey following his alleged involvement in a criminal plot. The documentary examines new evidence about this boxing match turned 30-minute assault, and reveals much more about the pre-fight activities of Luis Resto, his trainer Panama Lewis and the athletic commission representatives.

On June 16, 1983, undefeated prizefighter Billy Collins Jr. set out to fulfill every boxer’s dream of fighting in the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden. Collins’ opponent, Luis Resto of the Bronx, moving up from welterweight, had his own dream of rising to the occasion in front of hometown fans. But what began as a match that Nashville native Collins was favored to win changed both athletes’ lives – ending Collins’ career dreams and landing Resto in prison.

Resto seemingly reached a fighter’s ultimate goal by upsetting Collins, but his post-fight victory celebration was short-lived when it was discovered that the padding had been illegally removed from Resto’s gloves by his trainer, Panama Lewis, before the fight. Resto was subsequently incarcerated and banned from the sport, while the brutally beaten Collins went into a tragic downward spiral. Resto gives his account of the story in the documentary.

Lewis, whose official career as a trainer came to an end that night, was also subsequently banned, and speaks for the first time in ASSAULT IN THE RING about the events of the fight and their impact. Others interviewed include: former New York State Athletic Commission chairmen Jack Prenderville, Randy Gordon and Ron Scott Stevens; members of the prosecution, defense and jury from the 1985 trial in New York, including former New York prosecutors John Bicks and Thomas Moore; attorneys Robert Beecher and Mickey Joseph; referee Tony Perez; New York State forensic scientist Charles Pampa; former New York City police detective James Rodriguez; Luis Resto’s sisters, Marta Resto and Susan Lopez; Luis Resto’s sons, Brian and Luis Jr.; and Billy Collins Jr.’s former wife, Andrea.

HBO Sports presents a Live Star Entertainment Production; director and producer, Eric Drath; for HBO: executive producers, Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; executive producer, Barry Murphy; supervising producer for HBO, Joe Lavine; writers, Aaron Cohen and Eric Drath.

CNBC will air a documentary this week in Ultimate Fighting.

The documentary will re-air on Friday, July 31st at 1AM and Sunday, August 2nd at 10PM ET.

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

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

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

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

It’s not just the sport’s growing legion of fans who’ve taken notice, but Madison Avenue, too. In 2007, marquee brands were reluctant to advertise with a league that had a no-holds-barred reputation. Despite continued controversy, the UFC has gone mainstream, and Fortune 500 companies like Budweiser and Harley-Davidson are big-time backers.

The sport is becoming so popular and profitable that billionaires Mark Cuban and Donald Trump are throwing their hats into the ring. Their league, Affliction, promises top fighters and revenues to match, but Dana White tells Wapner that it’s just another in a long list of competitors he’s ready to take to the mat.

CNBC takes a look at the range of promotions, endorsements and movie deals tied to the sport, as well as at TapouT, the successful apparel company created by three hardcore fans who turned their passion for mixed martial arts into a $100 million dollar business.

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

“Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars” premieres Wednesday, July 29.

That’s going to do it for now.

Some Saturday Links

I’ll do some linkage for you on this Saturday morning.

First, The Big Lead is really pissed about the Peeping Tom videos of Erin Andrews.

Here’s a statement from Erin’s lawyers who will pursue this case.

A quick note here. Many sports bloggers myself included liked posting pictures of Erin. And it was nice that Erin played along with us. She was a bit confused about the attention at first, but then she rolled along with it. In interviews, Erin said she found the attention a bit daunting in the beginning, but then began to show a sense of humor about it. But then the person responsible for taking the videos took this a step too far. I’ll admit, I’m going to take a step back on posting pictures of Erin for a while. The person who took these videos definitely went over the line in a big way.

To the other links today.

Jack Bell of the New York Times says the USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier game will be aired in English, but you have to search to find it.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette feels Chris Russo lost a lot of credibility with his listeners.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union assembled a panel to rate the Mets and Yankees announcing teams.

Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News has ESPN/ABC’s Paul Maguire confused about his role with the network.

Patrick Berkery of the Philly Burbs papers says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia’s Lesley Gudel’s expertise doesn’t stop at sports.

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Fox Sports Net and ESPN Regional TV have signed a multiyear agreement to put SEC football, basketball and Olympic sports on three of FSN’s networks.

Andrea Adelson of the Orlando Sentinel has details of the ESPN/FSN SEC contract.

Also from the Sentinel, Andrew Carter says the ACC has to play catchup on its TV contract with ESPN when it expires next year.

Andrew writes that the SEC’s huge contract has rival leagues worried.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News writes that the Texas Rangers are doing well in the ratings. Barry has a video of Cowboys QB Tony Romo poking fun at himself.

Todd Jorgenson of the Denton (TX) Record Chronicle speaks with Rangers voice and Denton native Dave Barnett.

James Corley of the Daily Oklahoman says ESPN returns to its roots by airing slow-pitch softball this weekend.

Scott Wright of the Oklahoman says Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy makes the rounds on ESPN this Monday.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says it’s apparent that NBC likes the NHL.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the marriage of UFC and Rogers Sportsnet has been a match made in Canadian heaven.

T.J. Donegan of the Sports Media Journal looks at a side of the Steve McNair story that hasn’t been covered.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media has the lowlights of Tiger Woods’ disastrous 2nd round at the Open Championship yesterday.

I’ll end it there for now.

Wednesday Evening Links

Let’s do some linkage this evening. Lazy night for sports, but never a lazy night for blogging. Let’s do the links then I have some housekeeping to do later. Blog housekeeping, not house housekeeping. That’s for later.

I’ll start with Friend of Fang’s Bites and fellow puckhead Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette who is thrilled over his Flyers coming to Fenway Park to take on my Bruins at Fenway Park for the 2010 Winter Classic.

David Goetzl of MediaPost says ESPN used SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt in several tongue-in-cheek videos to sell upfront ads.

David looks at NBC’s deal with the NHL and IMG selling the international rights for the NFL.

Steve Lepore’s Puck The Media has the potential NHL on NBC schedule for next season. Steve speculates on the possible CBC Hockey Night in Canada sked. And Steve looks at what Versus could air next season.

In the Biz of Hockey, Maury Brown talks about the extension of NBC Sports’ revenue sharing agreement with the NHL.

Maury in the Biz of Baseball looks into his crystal ball at the sites for the All-Star Game in the next few years.

The Hollywood Reporter picks up a story from Mediaweek’s Anthony Crupi about the MLB All-Star Game hitting a ratings home run for Fox last night.

THR also picks up a Mediaweek story from Mike Shields about AOL buying an MMA website.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union provides the times for coverage for all four days of the Open Championship.

Glen Dickson from Broadcasting & Cable says this will be the last year we’ll have to put up with watching the Open Championship in old school standard definition.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times writes about DirecTV providing expanded coverage of the Open Championship.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media has the BBC TV and radio broadcast schedule for the Open Championship. Chris says the PGA Tour’s Facebook page got embroiled in a mini-controversy over the Open Championship.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says Stan Savran will remain on FSN Pittsburgh while losing his nightly talk show.

Ray Frager of the Sports Media Journal gives major props to a Baltimore sports talk show host for coming clean about his painkiller addiction.

Here is the piece that Ray refers to in the Baltimore-centric Press Box site.

Also in Press Box, Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com says news/talk WBAL-AM still holds a big piece of the local sports pie.

SECSports.com has the official announcement from Fox SportsNet about its agreement with ESPN to air SEC football, basketball and other conference sporting events in the conference footprint.

Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Fox Sports South will be part of the SEC cable syndication package.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times writes that Sun Sports will pick up the same SEC package in Florida.

Tom writes about the worst days in sports.

Patrick Finley of the Arizona Daily Star says after failing to make a deal with Fox Sports Arizona, the University of Arizona is starting its own syndicated TV network.

Radio Online says veteran play-by-play man Bill Rosinski joins ESPN Radio for college football games.

Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports that none of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home exhibition games will be aired on local television.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune looks at Don Ohlmeyer who will be the ESPN Ombudsman starting next month.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times also writes about Don Ohlmeyer.

Chicago Tribune and LA Times Olympics reporter Philip Hersh finds out why the International Olympic Committee is on NBC’s side in regards to the creation of the US Olympic Network.

Steve Silver from the Las Vegas Sun takes a behind the scenes trip with ESPN for its preparation for the World Series of Poker.

Ben Klayman of Reuters writes that the Tour de France is steering Versus to high ratings this month.

The Sports Media Watch looks at the 50 most watched sporting events on broadcast TV through the first half of 2009. And the SMW has the 50 most watched sporting events on cable in the 1st half of the year.

The Two Cents from Beantown blog looks at a new monitoring system that will be installed at every ball park that will measure every player’s defensive capabilities.

Fashionistas Cameron Frye and Wrap Around Curl get catty over Erin Andrews’ dress that has caused a stir on the sports blogosphere.

Phil Lowe of the i365Fight blog says ESPN is close to picking up the rights to air UFC programming in the UK.

Ciaran Hancock of the Irish Times says Setanta Sports picked up a key package of English Premier League games in Ireland helping it stay afloat after it lost a series of games to ESPN earlier this month.

The EPL Talk blog says Fox Soccer Channel will pick up three “friendlies” involving Liverpool starting this month.

That’s going to do it for tonight. Back later with some press release stuff.

A Crazy Monday Linkfest

I’ve been going crazy following two different stories today, one being the Chris Russo Firing Stunt and the other the launch of a new video feature on WEEI.com. Lots of stuff going on for what is supposed to be a slow sports day.

Let’s give you links and go from there.

First, let me plug some new Friends of Fang’s Bites, the fine people at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area/California tell me that they will have the re-air of Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter from last Friday. It will air this Thursday at 7 p.m. Pacific time, 10 p.m. Eastern time. On DirecTV, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area is on channel 696. Thanks to the people at CSNBA/CSNC for giving me that info. I wanted to pass it along to my West Coast friends.

Before going into the national links, a couple of links to my own stuff. First, I wrote a piece for my site at Boston Sports Media Watch about the launch of a new video feature at WEEI.com. Take a gander at “The Five” hosted by Kristine Leahy below.

Kristine definitely looks quite lovely there.

Early this morning, I reviewed the HBO Ted Williams documentary.

And I call shenanigans on the Chris Russo/Mad Dog Channel tirade from last week.

Ok, to your links.

Good on Friend of Fang’s Bites Richard Deitsch for breaking the story on President Obama joining Joe Buck and Tim McCarver during tomorrow’s All-Star Game broadcast on Fox.

Richard also writes about the person who shot the video of LeBron James being dunked upon, but then had Nike take said video. Thanks to Richard for linking to my ESPN College Football Announcing lineup post.

A couple of sports business stories from the Sports Business Journal.

Tripp Mickle says the International Olympic Committee made plenty of money on the 2008 Summer Games in Communist China.

Tripp writes that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman got a big raise in salary during the 2007-08 season.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that EA Sports and the NCAA are apparently ignoring a lawsuit by releasing the new version of a college football video game.

Darren says UFC and sponsor Bud Light weren’t too pleased when Brock Lesnar specifically mentioned Coors Light in a postfight interview last Saturday.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick wonders where’s the outrage on the Donte Stallworth story?

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner says ESPN will use Doppler Radar to instantly measure shots during tonight’s Home Run Derby.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times talks with new WTA President Stacey Allaster.

Ray Frager at Sports Media Journal noticed that there was one thing missing from ESPN’s feature on Disco Demolition Night.

Tom Jones from the St. Petersburg Times reviews the weekend in TV sports.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News previews tonight’s 4th and Long show. Barry decides who should be on the Metroplex’s Media Mount Rushmore.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business looks at the ticket prices for tomorrow’s All-Star Game. Ed is concerned about NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol’s comments about Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics being in jeopardy.

Olympics writer Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times has more on Ebersol’s thoughts on the US Olympic Network that’s supposed to launch in 2010.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says the morning drive wars on local sports radio is heating up.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News feels Brock Lesnar’s postfight interview on UFC100 was embarrassing.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail feels play-by-play man Jamie Campell could be doing better on Blue Jays broadcasts on Rogers Sportsnet.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says ESPN on ABC did its best to showcase the city during yesterday’s Indy Toronto race.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media tells us that the Basketball Hall of Fame will honor TNT’s Doug Collins and the New York Post’s/NBA TV’s Peter Vescey.

Matt Sebek at the Joe Sports Fan blog says Chris Berman sits alone and with nobody else at the All-Star Game.

The great Steve Lepore of Puck The Media whose site is blowing up so much that he now ignores my Tweets (I’m joking, Steve), has some thoughts on the NHL upon his return after a week away from blogging. Steve talks about the real reason behind Darren Pang’s departure from Phoenix to join the St. Louis Blues’ TV team.

That’s it for now.

A Sunday Link Day

Let’s give you some links on this Sunday.

I’ll start with Phil Mushnick of the New York Post. He likes the upcoming HBO Ted Williams documentary and he feels last week’s Chris Russo tirade was fake.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record says MSG Network has picked up TSN’s Friday Night CFL package. Ken writes that SNY will air the entire 1969 World Series pitting the Mets and Orioles over the next two months.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with MLB Walking Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig about the All-Star Game format.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks with ESPN’s Joe Morgan about the All-Star Game.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers from last week.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes about UFC reaching its 100th big pay per view event.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star feels sorry for local native John Saunders who’s hosting The Superstars on ABC.

We get the weekend ratings predictions from the Sports Media Watch. The SMW has a very good interview with Atlanta Hawks TV voice Bob Rathbun.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media notes that only one person from the Raycom SEC broadcasts survived to ESPN Regional Television’s syndicated package. Chris writes that two CBS College Sports mainstays are moving to ESPNU for SEC football. And Chris has the field for the Women’s Preseason NIT.

The great Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball says the All-Star Game will truly be a global television event. Maury says the official announcement of the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park comes later this week.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the Boston Herald’s John Tomase, the reporter who came into question after the Patriots Spygate scandal, has been replaced on the Pats beat by a new reporter coming from Alabama. Thanks to Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch for the link.

The Sox & Dawgs blog has the video of Brock Lesnar beating up Frank Mir at UFC 100. Then check out Lesnar’s postfight interview. It has to be seen to be believed.

One more thing from Sox & Dawgs. Kudos to Ian Bethune for getting a photoshopped image of Dennis Eckersley onto the NESN airwaves last night.

That’s it for now. I’ll have my review of the HBO Ted Williams documentary coming up later today.

Saturday’s Linkfest

I’m going to forego the megalinks for one week only. I spent Friday attending a memorial service for my mother’s close friend. I wrote my thoughts about her on Twitter, but I’ll expand on them here.

Even though my mother’s friend wasn’t a blood relative, she was close enough for me to call her “Auntie”. From the first day my parents met when we moved to Rhode Island, she was so nice to us. Always smiling, always thinking of others, she always made sure you felt welcome. She raised three wonderful children, foregoing a career and allowing her husband to work.

Over the last six years, she had gotten sick, but during that time, she never complained, she never asked for anything. She kept going to church, she kept teaching Bible class. Even though she was just five feet tall, she remained a pillar of strength.

In fact, when I took my mother to see her in the hospital, the first thing she did was ask me if I had a girlfriend (no, LOL) and she also told me to take care of my mom. Here she was, not feeling well in her last days, but still not thinking of herself.

At the memorial service, it was amazing to see the church she attended filled with all of the people she had touched over the years. I had not seen her children in a long time. They have grown up to have children of their own. To see them fully grown carrying her values, well, you just can’t ask for anything better as a parent. So I’m thinking about her and her friendship with my mother on this day.

So you can understand why I didn’t get to the megalinks on Friday. My apologies to you and I’ll get to them next week.

To the links for today.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell interviews UFC Iron Fist Ruler Dana White about tonight’s UFC100 event in Las Vegas.

Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch says the Boston Herald has hired a new Patriots beat writer.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times has NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol none too pleased about the US Olympic Network.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette writes that MLB Network is surpassing ESPN as the fan’s destination for baseball. I agree with Ken. To see last night’s no-hitter by Jonathan Sanchez, I went to MLB Network over ESPN.

Ken has ESPN’s Thursday Night college football schedule.

Laura Nachman has one very interesting anecdote from the Gary Papa memorial service this week. And she has details on those who were in attendance.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner previews this weekend’s baseball action.

Brian Van Ochten from the Grand Rapids Press writes that Matt Millen could be back in Michigan this season with ABC for college football coverage.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News reviews HBO’s documentary on Ted Williams.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman has Fox Sports’ Joe Buck crowing about the silly All-Star Game format.

The Sports Media Watch says the Federer-Roddick final at Wimbledon was a big ratings draw. However, the women’s final between Venus and Serena Williams was not. SMW has some various ratings news and notes.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media has a big project that he’s undertaking. Despite recent layoffs, Chris notes that ESPN is indeed hiring.

That’s it for now.

Some Thursday Night Links

I have a lot of work to do on the blog tonight and was delayed thanks to mom insisting I take her to the mall so she could find something for a memorial the entire family is attending on Friday. Suffice to say the plans I had for this evening have been pushed back to about 4 a.m. with all of the shit I have to do. I understand, mom doesn’t like dad driving at night and she’s not confident with her driving skills at this time so I have to drive to her place to pick her up and take her to the places she wants to go. I grit my teeth, but I do it. Gotta do it. She’s the only mom I have.

Anyway, let’s do some late night links then I have a slew of press releases for tonight, then some housekeeping for tomorrow since the megalinks will most likely be late again with all of the stuff I have to do at work and for the memorial.

Starting with Stephen Wilson of the Associated Press who has a scathing statement from the International Olympic Committee regarding the U.S. Olympic Network.

Seattle Times Olympics beat writer Ron Judd wonders if the USON announcement might undermine the U.S. bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times says the U.S. Olympic Committee’s actions only stand to hurt Chicago’s chances to host the Games.

Meg James of the Times says USON is already causing headaches just mere days after the formal announcement.

Bruce Allen of the Boston Sports Media Watch, he tells us that long time Voice of your New England Patriots, Gil Santos, will be inducted into the WBZ Hall of Fame. Gil was the morning drive sports anchor at News Radio 1030 WBZ for 38 years. It’s a well-deserved honor. Gil remains with the Patriots and is the longest tenured announcer in the NFL.

Ray Frager of the Sports Media Journal says a Baltimore sports talk show has been told to fix things. Keith Thibeault of SMJ talks about ESPN’s Ball Track technology that will be unveiled at the Home Run Derby.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record feels Ball Track could be like Fox Sports’ glowing puck if not used correctly. Ken writes that Army football has a new home in the Hudson Valley.

Laura Nachman recaps the memorial for Philly sports anchor Gary Papa.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Darren Pang joins Fox Sports Midwest as an analyst for the Blues, moving current analyst Bernie Federko to ice-level.

Norm Sanders of the Belleville (IL) News-Democrat also writes about Panger coming from Phoenix to join the Blues.

Back to the L.A. Times, Mark Medina writes that Candace Parker lands her own SportsCenter promo later this month.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says the local ESPN Radio affiliate is making some lineup changes as of Friday.

Fabio Pereira of the Hollywood Reporter says mixed martial arts is growing thanks to UFC and its Ultimate Fighter series on Spike.

The Big Lead gets ESPN’s official statement on Erin Andrews taking a ball to the chin during Wednesday’s Dodgers-Mets game.

Dan Levy of On the DL wonders in the Sporting News if ESPN hates the San Diego Padres.

Dave Kohl from the Major League Programs blog looks at classic offerings on CBS Sports as well as the decline of ESPN Classic.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball makes an announcement of a new content partnership.

That’s going to end our links for now. Stories that will be part of the Friday megalinks are already out so I’ll stop with the links and work on a bunch of press release posts.