Just as in 2008, I’m going through Olympics withdrawal. When I saw NBC’s closing credits at 12:37 this morning to conclude coverage, it makes you yearn for one more day of the Games. I admit the closing montage is done very well. If it’s ever on YouTube, I’ll post it here. Anyway, let’s give you some linkage regarding the ratings for the just-completed Winter Games and other sports media issues.
We’ll start with the Sports Business Daily/Sports Business Journal’s Winter Olympics site. Plenty of stuff there.
SBD/SBJ says the overnight rating for Sunday’s men’s hockey gold medal game was a whopping 17.6 for NBC.
Tripp Mickle and John Ourand say that NBC’s tape delayed strategy for the Olympics is getting support from an important International Olympic Committee member. Oh great.
Tripp and John add that the IOC is not only considering the money paid for the US media rights in 2014/2016, it also wants to know how the TV networks would air them.
Tripp also looks at the legacy of the Vancouver Games.
From this week’s SBJ, Eric Fisher writes that CBS is expecting 10 million users for this year’s online March Madness On Demand.
Liz Mullen says former MLB Players Association head Donald Fehr is being asked by the NHL Players Association to to help them out.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that the NHL is looking to parlay the success of hockey in the Olympics.
Jason Fry in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center writes that Spring Training is a great time for baseball junkies.
From the Hollywood Reporter, Georg Szalai tells us that CBS head honcho Les Moonves is practically conceding the ’14/’16 Olympic TV rights to NBC.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell doesn’t feel yesterday’s USA-Canada game will have any lingering effects on the NHL.
Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek says ESPN is increasing its commitment to college lacrosse.
Toni Fitzgerald in Media Life Magazine writes that when the numbers are added, the overall viewership for the Vancouver Games will most likely be the 3rd most watched Winter Olympics in history.
Phil Mushnick in the New York Post loved being able to eat dinner after the USA-Canada game. Whatever, Phil.
Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union is amazed at the ratings for USA-Canada.
Pete also has the MAAC Tournament TV schedule.
In the Buffalo News, Alan Pergament says NBC failed to analyze whether Ryan Miller allowed a soft goal to Sydney Crosby that won the USA-Canada game for the Canadians.
Laura Nachman writes that Philadelphia 76ers radio announcer Tom McGinnis missed some games due to a personal matter.
Tim Lemke tells NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to let the pros play in Sochi for the 2014 Olympics.
Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner says USA-Canada grabbed the ratings in the BWI region.
Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times feels USA-Canada led to some great television.
Tom also looks at USA-Canada’s monster ratings.
John Kiesewetter in the Cincinnati Enquirer says former Dayton Daily News Reds beat writer Hal McCoy will be joining Fox Sports Ohio’s website to write about the team and appear on the network’s coverage on the Reds.
John has more on the Hall of Fame writer joining Fox Sports Ohio in his blog.
Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business wonders what the short and long-term effects of the USA-Canada game will have on the NHL and hockey in general.
Ed notes that the game also drew well in Chicago.
Aaron Barnhart of the Kansas City Star says NBC goofed by cutting off the Olympic Closing Ceremony for the premiere of “The Marriage Ref”.
Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post writes that NBC is hoping the USA-Canada game will help to top overall viewership from the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.
Tom Hoffarth in the Los Angeles Daily News has your SoCal sports calendar for the week.
Tom is very frustrated over the West Coast Olympic tape delays on NBC.
In the Toronto Star, Chris Zelkovich gives praise to CTV’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium.
Chris also looks at how CTV and NBC produced USA-Canada.
In Truth & Rumours, William Houston looks at Canada’s ratings for USA-Canada.
William writes for Yahoo! Canada that CTV did too much cheerleading.
The Sports Media Watch says Sunday night’s Olympics Closing Ceremony rated well for NBC.
Paulsen at SMW gives us some perspective on how well USA-Canada did in the ratings.
SMW says Lakers-Nuggets did surprisingly well against USA-Canada on Sunday afternoon.
Chris Byrne at the Eye on Sports Media says he attended ESPN The Weekend at Walt Disney World as the guest of the Alleged Worldwide Leader.
The Big Lead feels an alliance between the Hearst newspapers and a sports fan website is a bad idea.
Pete Toms at the Biz of Baseball looks inside the competition for local MLB rights in Houston in particular.
To the Biz of Football and Maury Brown who writes that the Miami Dolphins have extended an agreement with a Southwest Florida radio station to carry its games.
Len Berman has his Top 5 stories.
That will do it for linkage for today.
