As I’m getting ready to watch College Gameday on ESPN, I have the NFL Network on and for the second straight week, I happen to catch a new program called “Starting 11” which combines NFL Films footage with segments hosted by the extremely lovely Michelle Beisner who is an early candidate for Five Women Who Can Make Me Stop Flipping the Remote – 2009. She’s quite good at the segments. The show usually runs Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. then again on Saturday morning at 9:30. If you don’t have NFL Network, here’s a sample of Michelle’s work.
And she also did some work for ESPN on the Champ Car Series.
Ok, now that you’ve seen Michelle, let’s do some links.
Jerry Garcia from the San Antonio Express-News says it may be lights out for “Friday Night Lights” after this season.
Barry Horn in the Dallas Morning News has former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson crowing over Marion Barber. In his blog, Barry previews an E:60 story on a Hawaii graduate assistant football coach with cerebral palsy who lost his job after his original employers left for SMU.
Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News says the next installment of America’s Game: The Missing Rings may hit a bit too close to home for Bills fans.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette says this is a strange season for the Yankees as they are out of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says SNY’s Keith Hernandez has become a character in the broadcast booth.
Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that SNY will celebrate the final weekend of Shea Stadium.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says MLB needs to get more of its games on TV in the last week of the regular season.
The Baltimore Sun’s Ray Frager has one brief snippet on the NFL Today for this Sunday and has Cal Ripken, Jr.’s comments on the MLB postseason.
The Sports Media Watch has some ratings news and notes including an all-time season low for MLB on Fox. The SMW also looks at the NFL ratings from last week.
Mike Reynolds …. we interrupt this blog for a Charissa Thompson alert on the Big Ten Network wearing her Catwoman glasses … this is a good thing… ok, we continue … of Multichannel News returns with a story that six Comcast SportsNet regional channels will pick up a Sunday NFL pregame show aimed at gamblers.
We have some posts from Christopher Byrne’s Eye on Sports Media blog on ESPN College Gameday’s visit to the University of Georgia campus today. First, Chris looks at the brand of pencil Lee Corso constantly holds on the show. Yes, it’s a certain brand. Chris highlights a meeting between ESPN’s Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Georgia coach Mark Richt. Chris says fans start showing up at the College Gameday set on Friday. Christopher has a picture of the steadi-cam operator who has to carry 70 pounds of equipment to get thos roving shots of the crowd. And Chris says contrary to popular belief, the College Gameday crew doesn’t always want to set up at the stadium. Great stuff from Christopher and I hope we have more behind the scenes pictures from today’s show and when ESPN strikes the set.
Cosby Woodruff of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser says a songwriter hopes a second playing of his composition on ESPN will be the charm.
John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says ESPN’s white space test at the stadium formerly known as Jack Kent Cooke was not encouraging.
That’s going to do it for now.
