I have some press releases for you once again. Depending how late it is, I hope to give you some linkage because there’s quite a bit of news since I last posted. This is going to be CBS Sports heavy since I received the most press releases from the Tiffany Network on Tuesday.
I have the highlights of a conference call CBS conducted regarding the AFC Championship between Baltimore and Pittsburgh:
“THE NFL ON CBS” TRAVELS TO PITTSBURGH FOR 2009 AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AS STEELERS HOST BALTIMORE RAVENS LIVE ON CBS ON SUNDAY, JAN. 18
AUDIBLES WITH “NFL ON CBS” LEAD ANALYST PHIL SIMMS AND “THE NFL TODAY’S” DAN MARINO, BILL COWHER AND SHANNON SHARPE
THE NFL ON CBS concludes its 49th season covering the National Football League when it travels to Pittsburgh, Pa. for the 2009 American Football Conference Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 18 (6:30 PM, ET) as the AFC North champions and No. 2-seeded PITTSBURGH STEELERS (13-4) host division rival and the No. 6-seeded BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-5), live on CBS.
CBS Sports’ lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the action, along with Steve Tasker reporting, from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Lance Barrow is coordinating producer of THE NFL ON CBS and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS begins with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s pre-game studio show, on Sunday (6:00 PM, ET) with host James Brown and analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher, as well as NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly, and Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan reporting, live from THE NFL TODAY studio at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE NFL TODAY.
Following are excerpts from the AFC Championship Game conference call on January 13.
(On unique situation of being in charge of CBS News and Sports during a historic week with AFC Championship on Sunday and the Presidential Inauguration on Tuesday)
SEAN McMANUS: It’s about compartmentalizing your day and compartmentalizing your attention. When we are talking about the Inauguration I am completely focused on that. And when we are talking about the AFC Championship I’m focused on that game. It’s a lot of fun but I do find myself sometimes mixing up words and mixing up descriptions. I don’t want to talk to the CBS News folks about blitzes and everything else, then talk to the Sports guys about security for our correspondents down there (in Washington). So it’s fun, but the two do sometimes get mixed up a little bit.
(On years of experience covering live sports being applied to coverage of Inauguration)
McMANUS: Overall, not just the Inauguration, we’ll have further emphasis on really descriptive graphics and trying to do as much live bouncing around. I think we have eight live correspondents down in Washington in every conceivable location. The approach that I’ve always taken is the more you can do live, and the more you can do immediate in news is probably better assuming you can add the right perspective. I approach a big production like the Inauguration the exact same way I approach a production like the football game, which is you’re there to tell the story and set up your on-air talent in the most advantageous possible way. And, look at it as a live event, which is basically storytelling. [There are] a lot of similarities.
(On Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry in AFC Championship Game)
BILL COWHER: It’s a rivalry that goes way back from the time that ClevelandBaltimore. And it really probably started right around when they started getting pretty good. Any rivalry has to do with the attitude of the football teams. This rivalry is very simple – it’s based on two teams that think they have the best defense. That has been the very beginning of the talking that has taken place. Then when you have two t
eams that win, and play the type of football where they pride themselves on being physical, pride themselves on being tough, it makes for a very physical football game. moved to(On which quarterback is under most pressure to win this weekend)
COWHER: I would probably say Donovan McNabb only from the standpoint of when you look at (Joe) Flacco, anything he has done to this point he has surpassed it (expectations). Even with Kurt Warner, he has surpassed expectations…There has been so much scrutiny on Donovan, and the talk about the benching and what he has done from that standpoint.
PHIL SIMMS: I say Donovan McNabb. Anytime you ask a question like this, I say, ‘Well, Philadelphia quarterback no matter what the year, what the scenario is.’ And if the Philadelphia Eagles lose, no matter what happens…it will be bitter disappointment and all the good feelings that a lot of people have will turn right around the other way and they will point out all the faults that happened during the game that caused them to lose. Nothing but a Super Bowl championship right now is going to satisfy a lot of people across the country, and especially in the Philadelphia area, when it comes to Donovan McNabb.
(On Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco)
DAN MARINO: The question I always ask about a young quarterback is, can the guy really throw it? When you have a young guy, does he have a big arm? Can he make all the throws? That’s the one thing to me that is so impressive about Joe Flacco – his arm strength and his ability to put it on the line, use the outside of the field where he can throw outs and comebacks. It seems effortless. Also his movement in the pocket. For a rookie, he has a really good sense of the pocket presence and how to move to keep his body in position to be able to throw the ball…I think he is excellent that way.
(On Donovan McNabb – is he a revived player?)
SIMMS: I don’t know if he’s a revived player. Everything he is doing I’ve seen him do so many times and we all get a little jaded. We got tired of the “Donovan McNabb story” so we wrote him off and let’s move on to the next guy. Then you really sit back (and think)…He’s big and strong, there is no question about that. He can still move around even though he’s been in the NFL a long time. And without question he has one of the most powerful throwing arms there is. He is a leader in the locker room. The players like him. So why do we doubt him? And why are we surprised at the way he is playing now? Maybe it is his motivation. Maybe it is Andy Reid’s ability to rally his players a little bit, get them a little more organized and hopeful. He (McNabb) focused in. Maybe it was the benching, the way he was treated. There are a lot of reasons. I don’t know what he is doing mentally, if he is angry? If he is, keep it up. But the focus seems to be there. They really seem like they believe in what they’re doing. And Donovan McNabb – a lot of confidence, and especially of late, throwing the football as well as you can throw it. His game against the New York Giants, in those elements against that team, the numbers lie. His numbers were not great but his performance was borderline spectacular.
(On Baltimore’s Ed Reed)
COWHER: As I’m looking at that team (Baltimore), the one guy you have to be aware of is Ed Reed. Ben (Roethlisberger) will be looking at him from the time he steps under center until the time he gets rid of the ball. He’s going to have to move him and be aware of him at all times. This guy is a ball hawk and he will jump patterns. If he (Roethlisberger) starts staring someone down he (Reed) will leave where he is supposed to be and will go to the ball. You have to be very careful playing against him.
(On Baltimore’s Ray Lewis)
SHANNON SHARPE: Most great players have passion…Ray has put the time in the film room because he wanted to be great. When he’s done with the game and you talk about linebackers, when you talk about defensive players, he wants you to mention his name. He is very conscious of his place in history as far as a defensive player, and as a player in the National Football League. The biggest thing about him, some guys are born to lead. Ray is a born leader. When he talks, they listen.
CBS also previews what it will show on The NFL Today. If you remember last year, CBS did not send their studio show to the Final Four and once again, the NFL Today is not going to the site of the AFC Championship as in the past to save money.
DAN MARINO SITS DOWN WITH PITTSBURGH STEELERS QUARTERBACK
BEN ROETHLISBERGER AS “THE NFL TODAY” PREVIEWS AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON SUNDAY, JAN. 18 LIVE ON CBS
Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Report Live From Pittsburgh on AFC Championship Game; Lesley Visser Reports Live From Glendale on NFC Championship Game
THE NFL ON CBS concludes its 49th season covering the National Football League when it travels to Pittsburgh, Pa. for the 2009 American Football Conference Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 18 (6:30 PM, ET) as the AFC North champions and No. 2-seeded PITTSBURGH STEELERS (13-4) host division rival and the No. 6-seeded BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-5), live on CBS.
CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS begins with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s pre-game studio show, on Sunday (6:00 PM, ET) live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
THE NFL TODAY’s Dan Marino sits down with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as he prepares for his third AFC Championship Game in his first five years in the NFL. Just three years ago, he became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history. Since then, he has been seriously injured in an off-season motorcycle accident and had an emergency appendectomy. However, Roethlisberger has returned strong and has 51 regular-season wins, which is a record for a starting quarterback in his first five seasons. Can “Big Ben” and his Steelers beat the Ravens for the third time this season and get Pittsburgh one step closer to a record sixth Super Bowl title?
THE NFL ON CBS’s lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, along with Steve Tasker reporting, report live from Pittsburgh on the Ravens-Steelers game. And Lesley Visser reports live from Glendale, Ariz. in previewing the Philadelphia Eagles-Arizona Cardinals NFC Championship Game.
If you missed it, the newest inductees into Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice presented the Top Ten on the Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday.
THE “LATE SHOW” TOP TEN
“Highlights of My Hall of Fame Baseball Career”
Presented by New Inductees Ricky Henderson and Jim Rice*
10. Winning the MVP in 1978, and a Tony in 1983.
9. I designed the first vibrating jock strap.
8. During the 1981 season, I lost my glove and played an entire west coast road trip using a small box.
7. All the free gum.
6. I caught a squirrel in the outfield and the umps let me eat it.
5. Being a Met, a Blue Jay, a Padre, a Dodger…hell, even I can’t remember all the teams that I played for.
4. Before every game, I ate the same meal: pancakes smothered in pine tar.
3. Sleeping with Madonna.
2. Sleeping with Madonna.
1. I played with Jose Canseco and never got to inject anything in his ass.
*Jim Rice presented the even numbers and Ricky Henderson presented the odd ones.
The MLB Network will show live baseball for the first time in February with the Caribbean World Series.
MLB NETWORK TO TELEVISE CARIBBEAN WORLD SERIESFull Live Coverage to Begin with 2009 Winter Championship
SECAUCUS, N.J. – MLB Network announced today that it will televise live the 51st annual Caribbean World Series from February 2 through February 6, 2009 scheduled to be played in Mexicali, Mexico. The telecast of the Caribbean World Series will mark the first live games telecast on MLB Network.In addition to televising 12 games of the winter tournament, otherwise known as “La Serie del Caribe,” MLB Network will air game highlights and recaps of tournament play, preview match-ups and provide extensive coverage as part of its studio show “Hot Stove.”
“MLB Network is proud to join the long, historic tradition of the Caribbean World Series,” said Tony Petitti, MLB Network President and CEO. “We are excited to make this great international event available to a broad audience of baseball fans.”
“The Caribbean World Series offers baseball fans the opportunity to experience competitive play combined with national pride. We are pleased that the tournament will reach its largest distribution ever through the MLB Network,” said Sara Loarte, Cultiva Entertainment.
Since 1949, the Caribbean World Series, a 12-game round robin tournament between the best teams from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, has crowned a champion within this group of nations, and has served as a platform to showcase the best competition of Winter League Baseball. Major League players who have participated in the Caribbean World Series include legends such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt and Fernando Valenzuela; and active Major League players such as Pedro Martinez, Rafael Furcal, Carlos Beltran, Ivan Rodriguez, and Miguel Cabrera, among others. The Caribbean World Series is sanctioned by Major League Baseball. Cultiva Entertainment is the exclusive agent for the Caribbean World Series.
Here’s Westwood One Radio’s announcing assignments for the NFL Conference Championship Games. This might mark the last time Westwood One broadcasts NFL Championship Sunday.
WESTWOOD ONE
PRESENTS THE
NFL PLAYOFF BROADCAST SCHEDULE
FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
— January 18, 2009 —New York, NY – January 13, 2008 — Westwood One (WWON:OB) proudly presents the 2008-2009 National Football League post-season with the following schedule and announcers for the Conference Championship Games:
NFC Championship
Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals, 2:00 p.m. ET, Marv Albert, Jim Fassel, Mark Malone
AFC Championship
Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers, *6:15 p.m. ET, Dave Sims, Dennis Green, John Dockery
*broadcast of game two begins when broadcast of game one ends
Our first press release from HBO Sports in 2009 regards this Saturday’s Boxing After Dark.
HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: ANDRE BERTO VS. LUIS COLLAZO
IS PRESENTED SATURDAY, J
AN. 17 ON HBOAn undefeated young titleholder looks to start the new year off with a bang versus a battled-tested veteran in the 2009 premiere of the network’s hit late-night boxing franchise when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: ANDRE BERTO VS. LUIS COLLAZO is presented SATURDAY, JAN. 17 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), from the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Undefeated Florida native Andre Berto (23-0, 19 KOs) enjoyed a splendid 2008, winning all three of his fights and serving notice he is on the verge of becoming one of the elite stars of the talented welterweight division. Now he gets to test his game against a rock-solid opponent in former welterweight champion Luis Collazo (29-3, 14 KOs) of Brooklyn. The winner gets a head start on sorting out the crowded 147-pound division in 2009.
The co-feature of Sergio Martinez vs. Joe Greene has been cancelled due to Greene withdrawing for medical reasons.
There you have it.
