Some Wednesday Press Releases

I’ll post some press release action for you now. Quite a few releases have flown into my inbox.

Let’s start with CBS Sports. The main network and CBS College Sports will combine for coverage of the announcement of the 65 NCAA Tournament teams on Sunday. Plus, CBS is streaming its 6 p.m. show live across the country on CBSSports.com

CBS SPORTS TOGETHER WITH CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK BREAK DOWN THE BRACKETS WITH THREE HOURS OF NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW COVERAGE

CBS Sports Broadcasts Exclusive, Live, First-time Announcement of 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Field of 65 on Sunday, March 15

CBS College Sports Network Offers Two-hours of In-Depth Analysis of Field of 65 Following CBS Sports’ Live Bracket Reveal

CBSSports.com Streams CBS Sports’ Selection Show Live


CBS Sports, together with CBS College Sports Network, offers college basketball fans the most comprehensive coverage of Selection Sunday with the exclusive, live, first-time announcement and three hours of in-depth coverage of the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship field of 65.


CBS Sports tips-off the madness with the announcement of the pairings for the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 15 (6:00-7:00 PM, ET) during the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW.


Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and Seth Davis host the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will join Gumbel, Anthony and Davis via satellite from the site of the Big Ten Championship at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. In addition, Mike Slive, Chairman of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee joins them live from Indianapolis, Ind. to discuss the bracket and the committee’s selection process.

Immediately following CBS Sports’ live bracket reveal, CBS College Sports Network takes over with BRACKET BREAKDOWN (7:00-9:00 PM, ET) featuring comprehensive analysis of the field, as well as interviews with players and coaches. CBS College Sports Network’s Adam Zucker and CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson host the show, along with analysts Pete Gillen, Steve Lappas and RPI expert Jerry Palm from their New York studio. BRACKET BREAKDOWN also features CBS Sports’ Gumbel, Anthony and Davis throughout the program.


Additionally, CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW will be streamed live on NCAA March Madness on Demand available at CBSSports.com and NCAA.com. Viewers will have the option of watching online on either the NCAA March Madness on Demand standard video player or by downloading the new high-quality player, offering an enhanced video experience free of charge. For more information on 2009 NCAA March Madness on Demand, users can visit: ncaa.com/mmod.

Of course, ESPN will have coverage of the NCAA Women’s Tournament announcements.

Exclusive Unveiling of the 64-Team NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket on ESPN’s “Selection Monday” Special March 16


Carolyn Peck Joins Trey Wingo and Kara Lawson in Studio; ESPNU and ESPN360.com to Simulcast; Bonus Coverage on ESPNU


For the 17th consecutive year, ESPN (also available on ESPN HD) will present the exclusive, live announcement of the women’s 64-team field on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Monday, March 16, at 7 p.m. ET. In addition, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will simulcast the show, while supplemental women’s NCAA Championship content will be featured across other ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and ESPN.com. Trey Wingo will host alongside Kara Lawson and first-year Selection Special analyst Carolyn Peck. The one-hour show will tip-off ESPN’s robust coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship March 21 – April 7 on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN FULL COURT.


Following the exclusive presentation on ESPN, ESPNU will provide bonus coverage of Selection Monday with a one-hour show, NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special: Extended Coverage. ESPNU’s Mike Gleason will host the show and will be joined in studio by the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars head coach Dan Hughes and ESPNU women’s basketball analyst Brooke Weisbrod, who will give their thoughts on this year’s bracket and breakdown the first-round matchups. The show will also feature special guests from around the world of women’s basketball.


On Tuesday, March 17, Wingo, Peck and Lawson will return for a 30-minute edition of the NCAA Women’s Championship Special on ESPN at 7 p.m. This show will further examine the bracket seeds and matchups with more reaction from the women’s college basketball community.


THE NCAA WOMEN’S SELECTION MONDAY SPECIAL AT A GLANCE

(March 16, 7-8 p.m.):


· Immediate analysis and thoughts by Peck and Lawson as the brackets are announced;

· Exclusive interview with NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee Chair Jacki Silar from NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis by Wingo via satellite;

· Peck and Lawson will give their predictions of the teams they think will advance from the Elite Eight through the National Championship;

· Live interviews and reactions from Connecticut, South Dakota State and Tennessee;

· Interviews (pre-recorded) with Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale and Auburn head coach Nell Fortner;

· and a special feature on Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt’s rough road this season.


SELECTION MONDAY ON ESPN.COM


· Expert analysis from Graham Hays, Mechelle Voepel and Beth Mowins, including their picks on the toughest region, best first-round game, Women’s Final Four and more;

· Bracketology predictions and breakdowns from women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme, who will also take a look ahead at the worst- and best-case scenarios for all 64 teams later in the week;

· Live chats with women’s tournament selection chair Jacki Silar (9:30 p.m., on Selection Monday), Creme and other notable guests.


ALL 63 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com & ESPN FULL COURT


For the seventh consecutive year, the ESPN networks will combine to present all 63 games from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. During the first two rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present the 48 games within 12 telecast windows in a whip-around format with home market protection. ESPN360.com will offer complete game telecasts of all 63 games, while ESPNU will offer select ESPN and ESPN2 early-round games in their entirety. The final 15 games (regional semifinals on) will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2. The complete schedule will be announced on a later date.

ESPN wants you to know how many miles Jay Bilas is driving between the Big East Tournament and ESPN’s World Headquarters in Bristol, CT.

Jay Bilas on the Road Again, Again and Again This Weekend

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas will log extra miles and time this weekend with, commuting between New York and ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Conn. — a distance of nearly 110 miles and a two hour-drive each way.


Bilas will call the men’s BIG EAST Conference Tournament semifinals on ESPN Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. from Madison Square Garden in New York before working ESPN’s 90-minute College GameDay at the network’s studios Saturday, March 14, at noon. Following the show, he will drive to back to New York to call the BIG EAST Championship at 9 p.m. on ESPN.


He will close out the weekend by heading back to Bristol to provide day-long Selection Sunday analysis March 15, at noon with a one-hour College GameDay on ESPN. He will also analyze the brackets and preview the matchups on SportsCenter at 6 p.m. (ESPN) and on a two-hour ESPNU Bracketology show at 7 p.m. (ESPN).

And the final college basketball release from ESPN for this post, it has released its college basketball postseason schedule including the NCAA Tournament Play-in Game and the NIT.

Men’s College Basketball: NCAA Tournament Starts Tuesday on ESPN and ESPN360.com; National Invitation Tournament Tips Off

National tournament time on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com starts Tuesday, March 17, as ESPN and ESPN360.com will present the NCAA Tournament Opening Round Game at 7:30 p.m. ET live from the University of Dayton Arena in Ohio. The NIT also starts Tuesday, with six first-round games and four games Wednesday, March 18, on ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com. Schedule:


Date

Time (ET)

Game / Show

Network

Tue., March 17

7 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Dave Pasch, Hubert Davis

ESPN2 / ESPN360.com


7:30 p.m.

NCAA Men’s Tournament Opening Round Game
Brent Musburger, Steve Lavin, Erin Andrews

ESPN / ESPN360.com


8 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Justin Kutcher, TBD

ESPNU


9 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla

ESPN2 / ESPN360.com


9:30 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes

ESPN / ESPN360.com


10 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Beth Mowins, Mike Kelley

ESPN
U


11 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round

Terry Gannon, Stephen Bardo

ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

Wed., March 18

7 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes

ESPN2 / ESPN360.com


8 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Clay Matvick, Drew Barry

ESPNU


9 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Sean McDonough, Bob Valvano

ESPN2 / ESPN360.com


10 p.m.

NIT Basketball – First Round
Dan McLaughlin, Dickey Simpkins

NBC Sports previews this Sunday’s NHL Game of the Week.

RANGERS HOST RIVAL FLYERS IN NHL GAME OF THE WEEK, SUNDAY ON NBC

“John Tortorella is the perfect tonic for Sean Avery.” — NBC’s McGuire

Flyers-Penguins Flexed Into March 22 “Game of the Week”

NEW YORK – March 11, 2009 – The New York Rangers battling for a playoff berth in the tight Eastern Conference, host their fierce rival the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Game of the Week, Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC, presented in high definition. Mike "Doc" Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty, hosting NBC's studio show alongside analyst Mike Milbury on site at Madison Square Garden. 

PIERRE MCGUIRE ON THE RANGERS UNDER JOHN TORTORELLA: "Under Torts the Rangers have improved on the forecheck and also on the power play. He has made them more aggressive in all facets of the game."

PIERRE MCGUIRE ON THE FLYERS: "Philadelphia has great leadership with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, a quick strike offense led by Jeff Carter and a brilliant young player in Claude Giroux. The only question mark is in goal. If they sort that out they will be very tough in the playoffs."

PIERRE MCGUIRE ON SEAN AVERY: "If there's one science experiment that better work for the New York Rangers, it's Sean Avery. John Tortorella is the perfect tonic for Sean Avery. If he's going to salvage his career, it's going to be because of John Tortorella."

MIKE MILBURY ON RANGERS NEW ADDITIONS: "It's amazing what a shift in attitude can bring. John Tortorella becomes the coach, Sean Avery's added to the mix and bang you have chemistry."

INTRASTATE RIVALS FLYERS-PENGUINS FLEXED INTO MARCH 22 "GAME OF THE WEEK": The Sunday, March 22 contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins has been selected for the "NHL Game of the Week" on NBC. Puck drop at Mellon Arena is at 12:30 p.m. ET.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NHL.COM PRESENT "STAR-CAM": NBCSports.com and NHL.com will offer a "Star-cam" in conjunction with NBC broadcasts, which will follow one player on each team throughout each of his shifts. Following the game, NBCSports.com will present a post-game show with game highlights and highlights from "Star-cam" and "Net-cam," along with analysis from McGuire and Milbury.

FLEX SCHEDULING & CONSISTENT 12:30 PM ET START TIME: For the first time, "Game of the Week" broadcasts have a consistent start time – 12:30 p.m. ET on Sundays (except for April 12, 2 p.m. start time). For the second straight season, the NHL and NBC will utilize flex scheduling and will be able to select from up to four games on Sunday afternoons. Thirteen days prior to the scheduled games (on Mondays), NBC, in conjunction with the NHL, will select one of those games as the "Game of the Week" to be broadcast during the NBC window. The other games will remain available to the teams' regional carrier but will not be televised during NBC's broadcast window.

NBC will also broadcast weekend games throughout the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and up to five Stanley Cup Final games (Games 1, 2, 5, 6 & 7).
REMAINING 2009 NHL GAME OF THE WEEK REGULAR SEASON FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
(All Games Announced At Least 13 Days Prior)
Sunday, March 15, 12:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia @ New York Rangers

Sunday, March 22, 12:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh

Sunday, April 5, 12:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota @ Detroit
Pittsburgh @ Florida
Atlanta @ Washington

Sunday, April 12, 2 p.m. ET
New York Rangers @ Philadelphia
Detroit @ Chicago
Boston @ New York Islanders
St. Louis @ Colorado

Here are highlights of Hannah Storm’s interview with one of the most overhyped stars on the planet, David Beckham who says he still wants to play for the MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy. If he did, he would play the entire season, instead of splitting it with AC Milan.

David Beckham Tells SportsCenter’s Hannah Storm He Remains Committed to the Los Angeles Galaxy


In an interview this morning with daytime SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, England National Team and AC Milan midfielder David Beckham reiterated his commitment to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy in July 2009 through the completion of the Major League Soccer season. He also addressed his interest in becoming an owner in Major League Soccer during the interview, one in a series of interviews with U.S. television outlets since reaching an agreement with the Galaxy to remain on loan with AC Milan through May 31. The interview aired on the 9 a.m. ET live edition of SportsCenter and will be reaired on subsequent editions of the program. For the entire interview available on SportsCenter.com, click here.

Highlights:

On partially funding his loan agreement between AC Milan and the Galaxy …
Beckham: “There was a commitment I had to make and it’s something I didn’t think twice about because at the end of the day, my career’s never been about the financial side or the money side. I’ve always been solely interested in the football. People may turn around and say it’s easy for me to say because the money’s always been there, but I think all through my career all I’ve cared about is football and where I play my football.”

On (former Galaxy manager) Alexi Lalas’ predicting he’ll be booed upon his return to the U.S. …
Beckham: I’m sure I’ll have criticism and I understand that, but I want my fans to realize I’m still committed to the Galaxy. I am still committed to the MLS and being an ambassador, but like I said there will be criticism. It’s a shame certain people come out, but at the end of the day I’m bigger than that. I can only make my turnaround by the way I perform and my commitment to the team and I’ll show that when I get back. We’ll have to wait and see on the first time I play back at The Home Depot (Center) and see how that goes”

On the chance he may opt out of the last two years of his MLS contract …
Beckham: “I think leading up to the World Cup, I need to play in Europe to give myself a chance of being involved in that World Cup and after then we’ll see, but I plan on going back to America. My family is happy there. My wife is happy there. My children are settled in at school, and it’s one of the sacrifices we’ve had to make as family. My wife’s been very supportive of my career and until it ends, but as family, husband and wife, father and mother to three boys, we need to do what’s best for our children and our children are settled there.”

On owning an MLS team and what he’d do as owner to prevent similar franchise player-loan options in the future …
Beckham: “I think at the end of the day, you know, I have got the chance to own a franchise at the end of my career and I fully hope that I will be doing that at the end of my career. So that’s something that I’m excited in. This situation happens all over the world in football. Situations like this happen at Man
chester United, it happens at the biggest clubs in the world and you sort of move on and you make it work. I think at the end of the day I’ve already said that I will be going back to the Galaxy and I am committed to the Galaxy and my teammates there, but at the moment I need to be playing my football here.”

On whether his time in Los Angeles is a success or failure
“On the pitch it has not been very successful because we haven’t made the playoffs in the last two years. That’s been disappointing, but on every other level it’s been an incredible experience and one that I’ve really enjoyed so far.”

Nice to have press releases to post today. I may be back later.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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