Let’s give you the links during this midweek.
We start with Michael Hiestand of USA Today who writes about ESPN’s Dick Vitale who underwent vocal cord surgery last month and has experienced some other health issues in the last week or so.
Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch talks about a strange story that broke late last night out of Orlando about an alleged dating violence incident involving the Patriots’ Randy Moss. Here’s the interview with WDBO reporter Rozzie Franco on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan show from this morning.
Newsday’s Neil Best writes in his blog about meeting new Tribune company (and Newsday) owner Sam Zell. Neil says Tiki Barber picked his Giants on his Sirius Satellite Radio show last night.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports that David Justice, named in the Mitchell Report, will not be used by the YES Network as a studio analyst this season. Justice says he wants to use the time to rebuild his house which was destroyed in the San Diego wildfires last year.
Justin Terranova in his New York Post TV Sports blog writes that FSN’s Best Damn Sports Show Period has booked a bunch of Giants players during Super Bowl week.
From the DC/Baltimore Examiner, Jim Williams writes in his blog about the media coverage of Jason Garrett leaving town this morning after meeting with the Ravens about its head coaching position.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes in his Medium Well blog about Billy Packer’s comments during the Maryland-Wake Forest game last night.
The Sports Media Watch has some ratings news for us today. First, the weekend ratings and second, other ratings news and notes.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley writes about Packers guard Daryn Colledge’s comments during a radio interview about the Cowboys’ loss to the Giants.
ESPN wants you to know it had a record year for growth for its video and multimedia sites.
Jeffrey Flanagan of the Kansas City Star writes that Saturday’s Kansas-Missouri game will be on ESPNU forcing many fans to scramble to watch it as the channel is not carried on many cable systems throughout the two states. Chuck Woodling of the Lawrence (KS) Journal-World is not enamored with putting the Border War on ESPNU. And Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times says fans in Virginia aren’t happy having tonight’s Virginia Tech-Virginia game on ESPNU.
This was broached in Michael Hiestand’s story in USA Today, and here’s a statement from NBC about Bob Costas and Dick Button co-hosting the U.S. Figure Skating Championships later this month. Olympics writer Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune suggests that Michelle Kwan be used on NBC’s broadcasts instead of the lovely Sandra Bezic. I like Sandra and she does a great job on analysis. I think Michelle would be better as a studio analyst.
William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail reports that CBC will make the Pittsburgh-Montreal game its main broadcast on Hockey Night in Canada this Saturday and delegate the Toronto Maple Leafs to a local regional telecast.
Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press says Golf Channel never should have put Kelly Tilghman in the main play-by-play position. I don’t agree with that, but Monarrez is entitled to his opinion. On the other hand, Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Golf Channel is receiving a lot of e-mail support for Tilghman. And missed in the Kelly Tilghman controversy is the news that one of its popular anchors, Vince Cellini, has returned to Golf Channel after leaving late last year.
Lots of links on a Wednesday. Not bad. Check back for updates throughout the day.
