As I watch the local news, I’ll give you some links today.
It’s now official. Charles Barkley has signed a long-term deal with Turner Sports to remain as a studio analyst for TNT in its NBA coverage. He’ll also do work for NBA TV. Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has details in his blog.
Newsday’s Neil Best writes in his blog that Turner Sports has announced its early season slate of Sunday afternoon baseball games on TBS. Neil says New York Giants QB Eli Manning actually got a chance to speak on WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog show.
Tom Singer of MLB.com has more on the slate of Sunday MLB games on TBS.
Phil Swann of the TV Predictions site says ESPN has announced its Spring Training schedule all of which will be seen in HD. And MLB.com lists the announcing assignments for each game.
The Oklahoman’s Mel Bracht writes in his blog about a teleconference involving ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr.
Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch lists the New England winners of the Associated Press Sports Editors awards.
Darren Rovell of CNBC says the injury to the Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming could prove devastating to Reebok.
Dan Gigler of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives us a personal anecdote about the late Myron Cope who passed away this morning. And there will be a tribute to Myron before the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game tonight at the Petersen Events Center. And the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has its own obit of Cope. And this is audio from his last radio show on WEAE radio in 1995. First and foremost, Cope considered himself as a writer and from a piece in 2005, Joe Starkey of the Tribune-Review has some excerpts of Cope’s stories from Sports Illustrated.
ESPN is going to love this story. Linda Haugsted of Multichannel News writes that the all-sports network ranks high among cable operators for helping them gain and retain subscribers.
Nick Jezierny of the Idaho Statesman says basketball coaches in the Western Athletic Conference are dissatisfied with their TV contract with ESPN.
Dave Zirin of SI.com says looking closer at Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s motives on Spygate and the NFL Network shows that something just doesn’t add up.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says that someone wants to revive SlamBall. You may remember seeing it on Spike TV five years ago.
The Puget Sound (WA) Business Journal reports that three regional sports networks in Seattle, Denver and Pittsburgh formerly owned by FSN will combine to form the Liberty Sports Group. And Mike Farrell of Multichannel News has more on the story.
In addition, Liberty has finally completed its year-long purchase of DirecTV.
That’s it for now. I might have an update later tonight. Keep checking back here.
