Time for your megalinks. Lots of stories today. Let’s get to them.
First, Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes about the NFL aggressively promoting its own product through the NFL Network, which includes two important late season games which will be seen exclusively on the channel. Michael McCarthy of USA Today writes that the NFL Network vs. Cable dispute only hurts the fans.
David Scott of Boston Sports Media Watch gets on Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe for jumping the gun on the Mitchell Report meeting with 11 free agents.
Nancy Marrapese-Burrell in today’s Boston Globe writes about ESPN’s College Gameday appearing at tiny Williams College on Saturday for the “Biggest Little Game in America”.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says baseball uber-slimeball Scott Boras is adept at manipulating the media.
In the New York Post, Phil Mushnick says the NFL Network is preventing more than half of the nation’s cable households to watch the Patriots-Giants game in Week 17. Also in the Post, Justine Terrnaova talks with Giants radio voice Bob Papa about Sunday’s Cowboys-Giants game. And Terranova has five questions for ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.
After I put the Thursday night links to bed, Neil Best of Newsday started blogging. The man is up late during his vacation. First, he writes that hockey is doing well in the ratings in New York. Neil then looks into Fox hyping the Giants-Cowboys game.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes about HBO’s new documentary focusing on Ohio State-Michigan.
Doug Nye of The State says the NFL Network is trying to bully the cable companies. Nye says his best bet for the weekend is the Florida-South Carolina game. Bob Gillespie in the same paper says the Columbia market is about to get another all-sports radio station.
In the Orlando Sentinel, Dave Darling talks with the voice of Florida Gators, Mike Hubert.
David Barron’s column in the Houston Chronicle focuses on HBO’s documentary Ohio State-Michigan and how Alabama backers are happy over Dennis Franchione’s departure from Texas A&M.
Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune gives his weekend viewing picks.
Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more about HBO’s The Rivalry documentary.
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a story on a local sports radio talk show host who has some options as his contract is about to expire.
Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin looks at the NFL Network having some big games in its late-season schedule.
Scott Pierce in the Deseret (UT) Morning News says while the Patriots-Colts had a lot of viewers in this country last Sunday, the Arsenal-Manchester United English Premiere League soccer match had a lot more around the world.
Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the third sports radio station in the market finally launches next week. Posner gets a sneak preview of the Sunday Night Indianapolis-San Diego game from the NBC guys.
The North County Times’ John Maffei says the Sunday Night Football schedule as it currently stands is not Must See TV.
Christine Daniels of the Los Angeles Times wonders if the Chargers can pull in the same ratings as the elite teams of the NFL.
Tom Hoffarth of the LA Daily News writes that longtime Dodger voice Vin Scully is less than thrilled over an unauthorized biography written by baseball TV/radio historian Curt Smith. Hoffarth says some internet glitches in some UCLA video webcasts have allegedly been fixed. And here are Hoffarth’s expanded media notes from his blog.
Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star writes that a local TV sports anchor is leaving her position.
And William Houston in the Toronto Globe and Mail says the NHL and one its owners are debating over how much revenue Canadian teams generate for the league.
That’s it for now. We’ve got more a bunch of posts for you coming up today. Check back when you can.
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