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Apr
29

Some Leftover Linkage

by , under CBC, CBSSports.com, Cox, ESPN, ESPN Radio, Golf Channel, iPad, Jim Rome, Mike Tirico, MLB, MSG Network, NBA, NBC Sports, NBCUniversal, NFL, NFL Network, NHL, NHL Network, Olympics, Sports Emmy Awards, Tim McCarver, Time Warner Cable, TNT, Train Wrecks, TSN, TV Ratings, Twitter, Uncategorized

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

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

Here’s some linkage for you to chew on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joe Lucia of AA does the same for NFL Network.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Feb
26

TNT Sees 2nd Highest Overnight Rating For NBA All-Star Saturday

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TNT saw its 2nd highest overnight rating for last night’s NBA All-Star Saturday. Lockout? What lockout? Was there ever an NBA lockout? The rating for the events which included the Three Point Shooting Competition and the Slam Dunk, totaled a 4.4 which ties the 2nd best overnight number from 2009.

The TNT press blurb.

NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT Ties Mark as Second-Highest Rated Overnight in the 27-year History of the Event

TNT’s exclusive coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night at NBA All-Star 2012 in Orlando, FL delivered an overall 4.4 US HH rating in metered market overnights. It was tied for the second-highest rated NBA All-Star Saturday Night all-time (2009).

Additionally, the Top 5 Rated DMAs from last night:

1.   Miami – 9.4
2.   San Antonio  – 7.5
3.   Orlando  – 7.3
4.   Oklahoma City – 6.9
T5. Atlanta, Chicago – 6.5

NBA All-Star 2012 weekend concludes on TNT on Sunday, February 26 at 6 p.m. (ET) with NBA Tip-Off followed by the network’s exclusive coverage of the NBA All-Star Game at 7:00 p.m. (ET) and Inside the NBA All-Star Edition.

That will do it for this post.

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Dec
07

TNT’s 2011-12 NBA Schedule

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Turner Network Television or what’s known as TNT will carry 45 regular season games in the shortened season. It begins with the very first game of the season on Christmas Day between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks at noon Eastern. It ends on April 26 with a doubleheader. For the most part, TNT will have doubleheaders on its usual Thursday night time slot starting from 8 p.m. through the conclusion around 1 a.m.

TNT will have special Monday doubleheaders on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 16, Presidents Day on February 20 and again on March 19 during the NCAA Tournament.

Let’s take a look at TNT’s preview before heading to a jump break to look at its 45 game regular season schedule.

TNT’s 2011-12 NBA Regular Season Schedule to Feature Multiple Appearances by Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks and the Defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks

Turner’s 28th Season of NBA Coverage tips off Christmas Day on TNT with the Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks (Noon ET) followed by exclusive doubleheaders on December 27th and 29th

Turner Sports, marking its 28th year of coverage of the NBA, today announced that TNT will broadcast a total of 45 games during its coverage of the 2011-12 NBA regular season. TNT’s slate of games will be highlighted by 10 scheduled appearances each by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as nine by the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Also, the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks are scheduled for eight appearances. The network will feature 44 games in primetime, with 32 being part of TNT’s Thursday night doubleheaders (full schedule listed below).

On Sunday, Dec. 25, TNT will once again tip off the NBA regular season. The day will begin with a special hour-long preview show, TNT NBA Tip-Off at 11 a.m. (ET) with two-time Emmy® award-winning host Ernie Johnson, along with analysts Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, four-time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal and two-time NBA Champion Kenny Smith. The pre-game show will be followed at Noon (ET) with exclusive coverage of the Celtics visiting the Knicks to tip off the 2011-12 NBA season.

NBA on TNT Premiere Week continues on Tuesday, Dec. 27, with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the Celtics @ Heat (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Utah Jazz @ Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET). The action will continue on Thursday, Dec. 29, with another exclusive doubleheader featuring the Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Knicks @ Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).

In addition to the games scheduled during NBA on TNT Premiere Week, the network’s schedule features a number of marquee match-ups, including:

  • Monday, Jan. 16 – A special MLK Day doubleheader featuring the Thunder @ Celtics followed by the Lakers hosting the Mavericks (10:30 p.m. ET).
  • Thursday, Jan. 19 – Kobe Bryant and the Lakers travel to South Beach to take on LeBron James and the Heat (8 p.m. ET).
  • Thursday, Feb. 23 – A star-studded doubleheader featuring Dwyane Wade and the Heat hosting Amar’e Stoudemire and the Knicks (7 p.m. ET) followed by Pau Gasol and the Lakers visiting Kevin Durant and the Thunder (9:30 p.m. ET).
  • Thursday, Mar. 29 – A 2011 NBA Finals rematch featuring the Heat hosting the Mavericks (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Thunder @ Lakers (10:30 p.m.).
  • Tuesday, Apr. 24 – In a battle of the past two Eastern Conference champions, the Heat will travel to Boston to face the Celtics at 8 p.m. (ET).

“We look forward to another highly anticipated NBA season getting underway on TNT with a fantastic matchup on Christmas Day and two great doubleheaders during opening week,” said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. “With a schedule featuring marquee doubleheaders and multiple appearances by some of the league’s most prominent teams, combined with our roster of talented and experienced announcers and analysts, TNT will once again be a weekly destination for fans, players and coaches during the NBA regular season.”

Additional programming highlights include the network serving as the exclusive home for NBA All-Star 2012 from Feb. 24-26. TNT is slated to air all the action on NBA All-Star Friday, NBA All-Star Saturday and the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando. The network also will air more than 40 NBA playoff games including exclusive coverage of the conference semi-finals and the Western Conference Finals.

As part of its broadband coverage on TNT OverTime on NBA.com, TNT Overtime Extra, an interactive application will feature an enhanced live stream that will provide users with an HD-quality experience, as well as DVR functionality and alternate camera angles for TNT games.

The NBA on TNT’s marquee roster of NBA announcers include: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), five-time NBA Champion Steve Kerr (analyst), four-time All-Star Reggie Miller (analyst), former NBA coach Mike Fratello (analyst), David Aldridge (reporter), Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller (reporter) and Craig Sager (reporter).

TNT is in its 24th consecutive year of NBA coverage. Sister network TBS aired the NBA exclusively for Turner Broadcasting System from 1984-89, with TNT serving as Turner’s sole NBA cable home from 1990-94. Both networks aired NBA games from 1994-2002. Once again, TNT’s entire regular and postseason telecasts will air in high definition.

Let’s do another jump break here and then you’ll see the NBA on TNT schedule.

(continue reading…)

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Dec
03

NFL on Fox Previews Week 13

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The NFL on Fox has a doubleheader this week and a bonus game thanks to having the National Football League offices giving them the Denver-Minnesota game from in exchange for losing Detroit-New Orleans to NBC in the biggest flex of the season.

Let’s check out the schedule plus what Fox is saying about Week 13.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

Aikman on Rodgers: “No One Has Played The Position Better”

TEBOW/BRONCOS AND RODGERS/PACKERS BOOKEND NFL ON FOX DOUBLEHEADER  – On Sunday, Dec. 4 FOX Sports commences Week 13  with doubleheader coverage of six hard-hitting matchups – each presented in true HD. Action kicks-off at 1:00 PM ET as Tim Tebow leads the resurgent Broncos into Minneapolis to face Christian Ponder and the Vikings. NFC and AFC South foes meet as Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the Falcons travel to Houston to battle Arian Foster and the Texans. FOX closes out the first-half of the doubleheader with Cam Newton and the Panthers in Tampa taking on the Bucs. The second half of the NFL on FOX doubleheader kicks off in a major way as Eli Manning and the Giants look to end their four-game losing streak and the Packers undefeated run. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver call all of the action from MetLife Stadium. Tony Romo and the NFC East-leading Cowboys travel to the desert to face Beanie Wells and the Cardinals. The NFL on FOX action closes with the NFC west-leading 49ers hosting the Rams.

Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with America’s most-watched Sunday afternoon pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY. Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee co-host the Emmy Award-winning program and are joined by analysts Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson.  NFL Insider Jay Glazer presents the latest league news and scoops from the FOX NFL SUNDAY studio while comedic prognosticator Frank Caliendo contributes his weekly “Frank’s Picks” segment.  FOX Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira is also on hand to go over any impactful officiating issues.

For instant updates during the week and games from the entire NFL on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NFLONFOX. Follow the NFL on FOX on-air personalities @Jay_Glazer, @JimmyJohnson, @CurtMenefee, @MikePereira, @MichaelStrahan, @TroyAikman, @KennyAlbert, @CoachBillick, @TimBrewster, @CFD22 (Charles Davis), @DarylJohnston, @The_ChrisMyers, @LauraOkmin, @ChadPennington, @TimRyan99 & @TonySiragusa on Twitter as they provide insight and analysis all weekend. Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports.

AIKMAN ON RODGERS: “NO ONE HAS PLAYED THE POSITION BETTER”:  NFL on FOX lead analyst Troy Aikman heads to New York this weekend to call the Giants’ attempt to end the Packers undefeated streak alongside Joe Buck and Pam Oliver. The Hall of Famer sizes up his impression of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his place among elite quarterbacks in the game: “I’ve seen Aaron a lot during this stretch. We also had him to finish the season last year, the last six games including the Super Bowl. This is our third straight game of the Packers coming up this week. He’s making it look a hell of a lot easier than it is. I think right now it’s as good a time as I have ever seen in the NFL for the quarterback position. Tom Brady has been outstanding for a really long time and we saw what Drew Brees did this week against the Giants but I’d say if you look at 2011, Aaron Rodgers is playing better than all of them. The remarkable thing is he has been playing that well since last year. I think the numbers say no one has played the position better. I’m a big fan of Aaron’s. I said last year if I were starting a team, he’d be the first guy I would want.”

Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick & Laura Okmin, going to 61% of USA, 1:00PM
Mall of America Field – Minneapolis, MN
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Milwaukee, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tulsa, West Palm Beach

Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans, Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston & on-field analyst Tony Siragusa, going to 20% of USA, 1:00PM
Reliant Stadium– Houston, TX
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, San Antonio 

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs, Ron Pitts, Jim Mora & Drea Avent, going to 5% of USA, 1:00PM
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
MARKETS INCLUDE: Charlotte, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh 

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman & Pam Oliver, going to 77%, 4:15PM
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals, Dick Stockton, John Lynch & Jennifer Hale, going to 14% of USA, 4:15PM
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tulsa 

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers, Chris Myers, Tim Ryan & Jaime Maggio, going to 7% of USA, 4:15PM
Candlestick Park – San Francisco, CA
MARKETS INCLUDE: Sacramento, San Francisco, St. Louis

And we’ll have NBC’s preview of this week’s Sunday Night Football game next.

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Nov
14

NASCAR Championships To Be Decided This Weekend on ESPN’s Family of Networks

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This weekend, the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series will be decided this weekend in Miami on Saturday and Sunday respectively. And both races will end the NASCAR season for 2011. Teams can then focus on the Daytona 500 in February.

ESPN2 will air the Ford 300 Nationwide race on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET and ESPN will carry the season’s final Sprint Cup race Sunday at 3:15 p.m. ET. Both will decide the champion of both series. Rhode Island’s own Allen Bestwick calls Sunday’s race while Marty Reid will do the lap-by-lap for the Nationwide.

We have the press release from ESPN here.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Championships to be Determined in Miami

The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series seasons will end and championships will be determined this weekend at South Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway and both races, as well as selected practice sessions, will appear on ESPN networks. Sunday’s Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race on ESPN will conclude the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup while Saturday’s Ford 300 on ESPN2 will wrap up the Nationwide Series season. All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Telecast schedule (all times Eastern):

Date Time Event Network
Fri., Nov. 18 12:30 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series practice ESPN2
Fri., Nov. 18 3 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice ESPN2
Sat., Nov. 19 4 p.m. NASCAR Countdown ESPN2
Sat., Nov. 19 4:30 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford 300 (GF 4:45 p.m.) ESPN2
Sun., Nov. 20 2 p.m. NASCAR Countdown ESPN
Sun., Nov. 20 3 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 (GF 3:15 p.m.) ESPN

Announcers:

Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick (Sprint Cup); Marty Reid (Nationwide); analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.
ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage: Tim Brewer
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty (analysts).

NASCAR Now Schedule

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with shows at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 16-17. NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick will be at ESPN on Wednesday and will appear on the program, while reporters Marty Smith and Shannon Spake will report on Thursday from NASCAR’s annual Championship Contenders News Conference in Miami. Smith will follow contender Tony Stewart while Spake will follow Carl Edwards, with their reports also airing on SportsCenter and other ESPN platforms throughout the weekend. The one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now will air on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400. Mike Massaro will host with analyst Ricky Craven. NASCAR Now will air its final show of the 2011 season with a one-hour wrap-up from Miami on Sunday night at 10 p.m.

Date Time Show Host Network
Tues., Nov. 15 No show      
Wed., Nov. 16 3 p.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Thur., Nov. 17 3 p.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Fri., Nov. 18 Noon NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Sun., Nov. 20 9 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Sun., Nov. 20 10 p.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2

Motorsports on Other ESPN Platforms

ESPN.com — RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Sunday, Nov. 20, RacingLive! Homestead will kick off to coincide with ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.

ESPN Radio — Each weekend morning, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay starts its engines at 6 a.m. ET with host Pat Patterson anchored from the site of the race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay listeners get an hour of news, previews and analysis, as well as profiles and interviews with NASCAR’s biggest names and newsmakers and the involvement of listeners via calls and e-mails.

NHRA Drag Racing on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season has ended, and drag racing fans can see highlights of the season-ending event for the NHRA Drag Racing Series in Pomona, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

And we’ll be constantly updating the site throughout the day. Keep your various feeds refreshed.

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Jul
25

Fang’s Bites Tweets for 2011-07-25

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24

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23

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22

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21

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20

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19

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18

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17

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16

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15

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14

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13

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12

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11

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10

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10

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09

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08

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07

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Jun
19

The 3rd Annual Fang’s Bites NHL TV Awards

by , under CBC, Comcast SportsNet, FSN, HBO Sports, Kathryn Tappen, NBC Sports, NESN, NHL, TSN, Uncategorized, Versus

Ok, time for this year’s NHL TV Awards. There’s a lot to get to. Starting this year, I will add Jack Edwards moments in this year’s Awards because there’s only one Jack Edwards and to be honest, he’s added a lot to the blogosphere this year.

Let’s get going on these. Not enough time to get to everything.

The Dan Kelly Award For Best Play-by-Play: Jim Hughson, CBC. Tough to give this to anyone than Mike Emrick, but Jim was very good this year. He’s in his element and in his third year as top man on CBC, he’s very comfortable in the role. I know Toronto Maple Leafs fans aren’t thrilled with him as they associate Hughson with his many years calling the Vancouver Canucks on Rogers Sportsnet, but he calls a very good game. As long as CBC has the main NHL contract (which may not be for much longer), Hughson will be the main voice of Hockey Night in Canada. If CBC ever gets the Olympics back, I’d love to hear him call the 2014 Games in Sochi. He would be so good.

Conference Finals: Mike “Doc” Emrick, NBC; Jim Jackson, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia; Rick Jenneret, MSG Buffalo

Honorable Mentions: Chris Cuthbert, TSN; Pat Foley, Comcast SportsNet Chicago; John Shorthouse, Rogers Sportsnet Pacific

The John Davidson Award For Best Game Analyst: This goes to Ed Olcyzk of NBC/Versus for the second consecutive year. I thought Ed did very well during the Stanley Cup Final, although he stepped back from really criticizing some late hits like Aaron Rome’s on Nathan Horton. Still, Edzo was on top of trends and was very good in taking both the Bruins and Canucks to task for defensive holes. I feel Ed is very close to John Davidson’s level on analysis and it’s one of the reasons why NBC and Versus hired him to replace JD when he went to the St. Louis Blues.

Conference Finals: Daryl Reaugh, Fox Sports Southwest; Andy Brickley, NESN; Craig Simpson, CBC

Honorable Mentions: Ray Ferraro, TSN; Kevin Weekes, CBC

Best Studio Show: Yes, NHL on the Fly, NHL Network. Expanded this year for the Stanley Cup Playoffs to include pregame and postgame programming, NHL on the Fly has grown by leaps and bounds. It used to be just a highlight program, but now, the show has become more than that by offering real analysis of upcoming games and providing fans with features and interviews. Brian Duff and David Amber are very competent hosts. Gary Green, Kevin Weekes and Craig Button have added to the show. I also liked seeing the show hosted in Boston and Vancouver with Deb Placey hosting. Very good move.

Conference Finals: Hockey Central, Versus; Hockey Tonight, CBC

Best Studio Host: Bill Patrick, Versus. Bill has become a very good host for Versus and given a the role as main host, he shined this year. In addition, with NBC Sports taking over Versus, it punched up Hockey Central, allowed for more debate, gave it a new set and allowed Patrick to do show a little more personality this season. There’s really good potential for Versus and Hockey Central and as long as Bill Patrick remains, Hockey Central has a chance to become a signature program for the network.

Conference Finals: Liam McHugh, NBC/Versus; James Duthie, TSN; Kathryn Tappen, NESN
Honorable Mentions: Ron MacLean, CBC; Brian Duff, NHL Network

Best Studio Analyst: Keith Jones, NBC/Versus. His role was expanded under the new NBC Sports Group to main studio analyst and Keith has shined. He’s not afraid to give opinions and mix it up with Jeremy Roenick or Mike Milbury or whomever Versus partnered him with. In addition, NBC/Versus ended the silly three analysts in the studio on Hockey Central and whittled it to two making it easier for more debate and allowing Keith to bounce off opinions. Jones barely got a mention in the previous two NHL TV Awards, but he jumps to the Head of the Class this year.

Conference Finals: Kelly Hrudey, CBC; Craig Button, NHL Network
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Weekes, NHL Network; Mike Milbury, CBC/NBC/Versus

Best Inside The Glass Analyst: We’ll rename this award since NBC/Versus, CBC and TSN are all using an ice-level analysts on games. I’ll name Darren Pang as the best Inside the Glass analyst for this season. While he wasn’t used all season by NBC/Versus, when he was utilized like during the NHL Winter Classic and on selected postseason games, Panger shined. As a former goaltender, Darren was able to pick up on trends and see things that the overhead analyst could not. I wish he would be the main Inside the Glass analyst for NBC/Versus, but that appears to be out of the cards. I feel he has a better chemistry with Doc Emrick and Ed Olcyzk, but that’s me.

Conference Finals: Brian Engblom, NBC/Versus; Glenn Healy, CBC

Best Game Coverage: NBC/Versus over CBC by a hair. I acknowledge CBC set the standard for hockey coverage and its production is at gold medal level, but NBC has done a great job in stepping up its camera angles and replays. There were times when NBC failed to get one or two overhead replays during goal reviews, but other than that, it’s done a very good job on its productions. With NBC Sports Group producer Sam Flood now overseeing Versus’ NHL coverage, that network’s production has improved to the point where it can be considered close to CBC’s coverage as well. Altogether, I feel NBC/Versus has the potential to become the standard for hockey coverage as long as the present production team remains together.

Conference Finals: CBC; TSN

Best Debut: Liam McHugh, Versus. Who knew when he was hosting the mess called “The Daily Line” on Versus that McHugh could become such a competent studio host? Inserted on NBC as its main host during the Game of the Week and during most of its postseason coverage, McHugh actually showed me something. And as the secondary host for Versus, he meshed with Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick. With NBC/Versus being the home of the NHL for the next ten seasons, here’s an opportunity for McHugh to be associated with sport for a very long time.

Best Move: NBC Sports Taking Over Versus and Cleaning Out Some Deadweight. When the Comcast takeover of NBC was made official in January, NBC had the opportunity to take over Versus and put its stamp on the network. Some good moves, taking out Joe Beninati from the play-by-play position and allowing him to focus on the Washington Capitals, moving Brian Engblom from the studio to an Inside the Glass analyst, bringing in Liam McHugh, making Keith Jones main studio analyst, expanding Hockey Central and giving more time for hockey highlights. One bad move was jettisoning reporters Bob Harwood and Charissa Thompson, but overall, the moves by NBC mostly positive.

Conference Finals: NBC/Versus Signing 10 Year Contract for NHL Rights; NHL and HBO bringing 24/7 to promote the NHL Winter Classic

Best Jack Edwards Moments: Jack Edwards of NESN is truly one of a kind. Yes, he’s a homer on Bruins broadcasts. Yes, he makes headscratching comments. Yes, he can stray from play-by-play to yell at opposing players. However, the main thing is that he’s quite entertaining. I’ve gone from calling him Worst Play-by-Play in the first NHL TV Awards to giving him Most Bizarre Moment in last year’s edition to giving him his own permanent category. So I give you some of his best (some of you can say his worst if you’re a hater) moments from this season. I count down from #3.

3. Jack taunts Chad LaRose of the Carolina Hurricanes. When LaRose elbowed Zdeno Chara, Jack mocked LaRose’s jawing at the officials for calling a penalty by saying he was “yapping, yapping, yapping all the way to the box.” And then Jack did a strange gargling noise going to break.

2. Jack yells “GET UP!” at Roman Hamrlik. During the Bruins-Montreal 1st round playoff series, Hamrlik went down on a hit that Jack felt was a blatant dive after a Michael Ryder hit. The rest is pure comedy.

1. Jack Edwards’ strange postgame commentary. When the B’s-Montreal series ended, NESN allowed Jack to do a commentary at the end of the broadcast where he compared the Canadiens to hockey royalty looking down on the Bruins and … and.. it was just bizarre.

With the B’s going into a Defending Championship season, expect Jack to crow a whole lot more next season and even more Jack Edwards moments.

Worst Play-by-Play: Joe Beninati, Versus. Before NBC took over Versus, Beninati called many games and for some reason, his style did not mesh nationally. He’s very good on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic on Washington Capitals games, but he was very annoying on Versus games. Don’t know how that happened, but it did.

Worst Analyst of All-Time: Pierre McGuire, TSN/NBC/Versus. The man is everywhere, he’s overexposed, he’s just awful. He adds nothing, he says nothing, he comes off as a big, fat zero on TV. The man is a charlatan, pure and simple, yet NBC is about to give him a huge contract for what I’ve heard is the life of its NHL contract. That’s just horrible. I wish there was a way to prevent this pain and suffering on US hockey fans.

And that concludes the NHL TV Awards for this year.

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Jun
12

Belmont Stakes Overnights Up 55% From Last Year

by , under Belmont Stakes, NBC Sports, TV Ratings, Uncategorized

The race may not have had a Triple Crown candidate, but it did feature the champions from this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Winning the race was a 24-1 longshot, Ruler on Ice.

The race was quite exciting to watch and even with no Triple Crown possibility, the ratings for the Belmont were up 55% from 2010 which was the last year on ABC. We have the ratings press release from NBC Sports.

BELMONT OVERNIGHT RATINGS UP 55%

NBC’s First Belmont Stakes Broadcast Since 2005 Earns 4.8 Overnight Rating and 11 Share
Pre-Race Following VERSUS 2-Hour Belmont Access up 86%

NEW YORK – June 12, 2011 – NBC Sports first broadcast of the Belmont Stakes since 2005, which was won by 24-1 long shot Ruler on Ice, registered a 4.8 overnight rating and an 11 share for the race portion, up 55 percent from last year’s race on ABC, according to overnight ratings data provided today by The Nielsen Company.

The NBC Sports Group presented 6 ½ hours of Belmont Stakes coverage (four-and-a half hours on VERSUS and two hours on NBC), the first time the entire Triple Crown was broadcast on one network since 2005.

  • The race portion of the Belmont (6:15-7 p.m. ET) registered a 4.8/11 overnight rating, 55 percent higher than last year’s race portion on ABC (3.1/7 from 5:30-7 p.m. ET).
  • The rating is down just four percent from the Belmont in 2009 when jockey Calvin Borel attempted to make history by becoming the first jockey to win the Triple Crown on two different horses (Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont and Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness).
  • The pre-race (5-6:15), bolstered by a two-hour Belmont Access show on VERSUS that preceded the NBC broadcast was up 86 percent over last year’s pre-race on ABC (2.6/6 vs. 1.4/3).
  • The 2.6 overnight rating for the pre-show was the best for that segment in a non-Triple Crown year since 2006.

BELMONT STAKES OVERNIGHT RATINGS SINCE 2006 (Race Portion):

2011, 4.8/11, NBC
2010, 3.1/7, ABC
2009, 5.0/12, ABC (Borel going for unprecedented jockey Triple Crown)
2008, 9.5/21, ABC (Triple Crown at stake – Big Brown)
2007, 3.5/8, ABC
2006, 3.8/9, ABC

TOP 10 OVERNIGHT RATINGS FOR BELMONT STAKES:

1. Ft. Myers, 8.7/17
T2. Louisville, 8.6/18
T2. Baltimore, 8.6/18
4. Hartford, 8.1/15
T5. New York, 7.4/16
T5. Buffalo, 7.4/17
7. West Palm Beach, 7.2/13
8. Nashville, 7.1/13
T9. Tampa, 6.8/15
T9. Providence, 6.8/13

The Belmont ratings success follows strong ratings for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in the first year since 2005 that NBC broadcast all three Triple Crown races.

That is all.

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Jun
02

Fox Ends Its NASCAR Season In Kansas, Toto

by , under Uncategorized

Fox closes out its NASCAR season this Sunday with the STP 400 in Kansas. Next week, TNT will start its Summer Season of six races. Kind of harsh to start the season and not get to finish it off, but that’s what happens in NASCAR. Fox gets 14 races, Speed one, TNT 6, ESPN 14 and ABC 3. That’s the split. But I digress. Here’s what Fox is saying as it prepares to say goodbye to NASCAR for another season.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

McReynolds: NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Battle Track This Sunday

2011 NASCAR ON FOX SEASON FINALE THIS SUNDAY – Memorial Day weekend provided the drama as Kevin Harvick nipped Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at the end to capture the Coca-Cola 600. This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway on Sunday, June 5 (12:30 PM ET) for the final race of the 2011 NASCAR on FOX season. Kevin Harvick, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins leader, has perfected the art of closing. In his three victories in 2011, Harvick has led only a combined nine laps and Dale Jr. has most often been his target. At Martinsville, Harvick swiped the lead away from Jr. with four laps remaining. Last Sunday, he won his first Charlotte points race, again snatching the lead from Earnhardt – this time on the final lap. Will Sunday’s race come down to these two warriors again?

NASCAR on FOX prerace show host by Chris Myers looks for the answers. The prerace show, which also features analysts Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond, airs live from the infield and includes updates from drivers, crewmen and officials shaping the day’s action. Once the green flag drops, the voice of NASCAR Mike Joy is alongside analysts Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to call all the twists and turns on the track while Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum patrol the pits for reports on teams and pit stops.

LARRY MAC: RACING SURFACE IN KANSAS KEEPS DRIVERS GUESSING – NASCAR on FOX esteemed race analyst and former crew chief Larry McReynolds points to the challenges drivers will face this Sunday afternoon from Kansas Speedway.  “The small degree of banking this track has makes it much tougher than other mile and a half tracks when handling the car 190mph into the corners,” said McReynolds.  The extreme climate in Kansas City, KS is another issue that takes its toll on the track.  “The hot summers and cold bitter winters experienced in Kansas further deteriorate the racing surface.  Every time we go there, this track has lost grip and seems to develop more and more bumps.  That is another huge handling adjustment for these drivers.”

And that will do for the Fox Sports press releases. Coming up next, some ratings news for the NBC and the NHL.

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May
20

Bruins Do Well On Thursday in Boston

by , under Uncategorized

In Boston, Bruins did well on Versus garnering a 14.4/22.7 overall overnight and 13.7/30.5 in people 25-54.

I’m in NYC. I’ll blog when I can.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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Mar
08

Your Live Tournaments on Golf Channel This Week

by , under Golf Channel, PGA Tour, Uncategorized

Starting on Thursday, Golf Channel will air three tournaments, two PGA Tour stops and one from the Champions Tour. Golf Channel will be live from the Blue Monster at Doral as the world’s top 50 players will be at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. We have details of what you’ll see this week.

Golf Channel Live Tournament Coverage: March 10-13

World’s Best Try to Tame the Blue Monster at WGC-Cadillac Championship
Cink, Daly, Weekley, Cabrera Headline Puerto Rico Open
Ian Baker-Finch Makes Champions Tour Debut at Toshiba Classic

WGC-Cadillac Championship
Dates: March 10-13
Venue: TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Miami, Fla.

Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday                     2-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday                          2-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday                      12-2 p.m. (Live)
Sunday                        1-3 p.m. (Live)

Golf Central Pre Game (Eastern)
Thursday-Friday         1:30-2 p.m.
Saturday                      11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sunday                        12:30-1 p.m.

Golf Central (Eastern)
Tuesday-Saturday       6-6:30 p.m.
Sunday                        7-7:30 p.m.

Golf Channel Tournament Broadcast Team
Kelly Tilghman (Play by Play)
Frank Nobilo (Analyst)
Gary Koch (Tower)
Peter Jacobsen (Tower)
Jimmy Roberts (Tower)
Mark Rolfing (On Course)
Dottie Pepper (On Course)
Roger Maltbie (On Course)
Steve Sands (Interviews)

Broadcast Notes:

  • Golf Channel To Air Live, Weekend Coverage: In addition to Thursday and Friday coverage, Golf Channel will air two hours of live action each day on the weekend – Saturday at noon ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET – leading in to NBC Sports’ live coverage.
  • Golf Channel on NBC: All golf coverage on NBC has been re-branded as “Golf Channel on NBC.” The coverage will incorporate the Golf Channel look throughout every telecast, down to the logo on the NBC Sports commentators’ apparel. Golf Channel’s tournament graphics will be showcased throughout all coverage, which now includes a custom-made Golf Channel-NBC peacock combination logo.
  • Srixon Protracer Featured: Srixon Protracer, a graphics technology that measures the flight and trajectory of a golf shot using superimposed graphics to show ball flight, will be featured on several holes at TPC Blue Monster at Doral.
  • Headlining the Field: Each of the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have committed to the event, including World No. 1 Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Padraig Harrington.

Puerto Rico Open
Dates: March 10-13
Venue: Trump International Golf Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday                     6:30-8:30 p.m. (TD) / 1-3 a.m. (Replay)
Friday                          11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live) / 1-3 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday                      6:30-9:30 p.m. (TD) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Two-Hour Replay, Time Change)
Sunday                        7:30-10:30 p.m. (TD) / 1:30-3:30 a.m. (Replay)

Golf Channel Tournament Broadcast Team
Jerry Foltz (Play by Play)
Craig Perks (Analyst)
Charlie Rymer (Tower)
Michael Breed (Tower / On Course)
Matt Gogel (On Course)

Broadcast Notes:

  • Cink, Daly, Cabrera Featured Group – During Thursday’s tournament coverage, Golf Channel will highlight Stewart Cink, John Daly and Angel Cabrera as the day’s featured grouping.
  • Breed to Examine Angel and Federico Cabrera’s Golf Swings: Two-time Major Champion Angel Cabrera and his son Federico are competing this week at the Puerto Rico Open. The Golf Fix host Michael Breed will break down their swings during the telecast.
  • Headlining the Field: Defending champion Derek Lamely, Stewart Cink, Ricky Barnes, John Daly, Chris DiMarco, Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, Fred Funk, Jerry Kelly, Spencer Levin and Boo Weekley.

Toshiba Classic
Dates: March 11-13
Venue: Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.

Airtimes (Eastern):
Friday                          6:30-8:30 p.m. (TD)
Saturday                      9:30 p.m.-12 a.m.(TD)
Sunday                        10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (TD)

Golf Channel Tournament Broadcast Team
Brian Hammons (Play by Play)
Curt Byrum (Analyst)
David Marr (Tower)
John Mahaffey (Tower)
Phil Parkin (On Course)

Broadcast Notes:

  • Ian Baker-Finch Makes Champions Tour Debut: CBS Sports analyst and 1991 Open Champion, Ian Baker-Finch, will make his Champions Tour debut this week at the Toshiba Classic.
  • Couples, Watson, Crenshaw Featured Grouping: During Friday’s opening round of coverage, Golf Channel will highlight Fred Couples, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw as the day’s featured grouping.
  • Headlining the Field: Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, John Cook, Nick Price, Loren Roberts, Mark O’Meara, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman, Jay Haas, Hale Irwin, Hal Sutton and Larry Nelson.

There you have it.

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