After being at a jobsite this morning, I’m now back in the comfortable confines of my office ready to provide you with some linkage. It was certainly a busy day on Monday with ESPN signing its landmark deal with the Southeastern Conference, then late last night, the Big Ten Network coming to an agreement-in-principle with Time Warner Cable. Let’s see how this Tuesday fares as I come in smack dab in the middle of the day and not knowing what has happened to now.
Michael Hiestand of USA Today has a look inside the ratings of non-Olympics sporting events this weekend.
From last Friday, the Boston Herald’s Jessica Heslam has a story on the estranged boyfriend and accused batterer of WHDH-TV sports reporter Julie Donaldson, formerly of SNY, saying he has a sex tape made on the same night that he allegedly beat her up. Nice. Real nice. Way to make your case that you’re still in love with the woman. Yeah, before I beat the living shit out of her, I made a sex tape. That must mean something, your honor!!!!
Newsday’s Neil Best who’s supposed to be on vacation, writes that SNY Mets sideline reporter Kevin Burkhardt played hurt on Monday. Neil also blogs that WFAN is now looking in earnest for various cast mates for Mike Francesa’s show this week.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes that Bal’more finished in the Top Ten of markets watching the Olympics.
Keith Groller of the Allentown Morning Call says Michael Phelps helped to push NBC’s Olympic ratings to gold medal heights.
The Albany Times-Union’s Pete Dougherty says NBC finished the Olympics averaging over a 16 rating. Very good in this day and age.
The Sports Media Watch says the ratings for the Communist China Olympics finished 8% higher than Athens.
The Sports Business Daily/Journal’s Olympics website also has the story on the ratings. And the SBD/SBJ has the day-by-day ratings comparison from 1996 through 2008.
The Washington Post’s Leonard Shapiro says the gamble by NBC Sports & Olympics Emperor Dick Ebersol to convince the IOC to put swimming and gymnastics in the morning in Communist China and primetime in the Eastern US paid off with great ratings.
Joe Nocera of the New York Times wonders what if Michael Phelps had said no to Ebersol’s request to put swimming in the morning in Communist China.
Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times says the Olympics were reduced to blogging and instant gratification for reporters. I think Bill is not enamored with bloggers.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes that NBC got these Olympics right.
William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail says Canadians can look forward to 22 hours of Olympics coverage every day from CTV’s consortium of networks in 2010 and 2012.
The CBC is happy over a poll that shows most Canadians were satisfied with its coverage from Communist China.
Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star reports that ratings for the Beijing Games on CBC were 15% higher than Athens.
Paul Thomasch and Ben Klayman of Reuters say even though the next Olympics up for bid by the networks won’t happen until 2014 and 2016, the networks still have to prepare for them.
And Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban writing on his blog predicts that DirecTV could join ESPN and NBC for the bidding for the 2016 Olympics. Cuban who is on top of technology is usually right about these things.
Over to the Schenectady Gazette’s Ken Schott who has a bunch of TV and Radio news and notes, but headlining them is the fact that MSG Network will air the Woodward Stakes from Saratoga this Saturday.
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal talks with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit about the SEC vs. the Big Ten (or Eleven as the case may be). And George has a story on the Big Ten Network coming to an agreement-in-principle with Time Warner Cable.
Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says the agreement with Time Warner means subscribers can watch the Ohio State season opener this Saturday.
Jeffrey Sheban and Mary Lynn Plageman of the Columbus Dispatch say Ohio State fans came out the winners in the Big Ten Network/Time Warner cable agreement.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Don Walker writing in his Business of Sport blog details the Big Ten Network/Time Warner deal. And Don has the one of the last major holdouts on BTN, Charter Communications hopeful that a deal can be reached soon.
Jeff Richgels of the Capital (WI) Times says with Mediacom in Iowa just about to sign with the Big Ten Network, Charter is the last holdout on the Big Ten Network.
Over to the SEC now, Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who was all over the SEC TV deals, writes that the agreements with CBS and ESPN will help the conference with recruiting as network exposure will increase under the two networks’ watches.
Ray Melick of the Birmingham News says CBS and ESPN have proven that the SEC matters in college sports.
In searching for news about the Big Ten Netw
ork and Mediacom in Iowa, I stumble across this special section in the Des Moines Register devoted totally to gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson. The paper is even covering her homecoming live on its website tonight!
Back to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bob Wolfley says the local CBS affiliate will be fed Brett Favre’s regular season debut with the Jets in Week 1 of the NFL season (scroll down).
Maury Brown from the Biz of Baseball recaps Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s interview with ESPN’s Stuart Scott about his love for the White Sox and other subjects. And Maury says ESPN’s hack E:60 newsmagazine looks at the Tampa Bay Rays tonight.
Quite a few links there. More than I expected. That’s all for now.
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