Here’s the deal. When I’m in the home office, I don’t have internet access. When I don’t have internet access, I can’t post an update. Then when I have to drive into Boston at 2 p.m., I get home late. Then when I get a call to pick up someone at the train station, I don’t get back home to blog until late. So I’ll have to combine the megalinks with the Saturday morning links.
I’ll provide you with the Weekend Viewing Picks.
College Football goes into its rivalry games as the Big Ten regular season ends on Saturday and we have a bunch of great matchups. This includes the feature game of the night, Texas Tech at Oklahoma where ESPN’s College Gameday will broadcast live and ABC will showcase in primetime. Other games of note include Michigan at Ohio State on ABC at noon, Yale at Harvard on Versus also at noon, Stanford at Cal on ABC at 3:30 p.m., and Ole Miss at LSU on CBS also at 3:30 p.m. The College Football Viewing Picks contains your national TV schedule.
Over to the NFL, Fox has the doubleheader, but CBS has two intriguing early games with the AFC East-leading New York Jets heading into Tennessee to take on the undefeated Titans. And the New England Patriots try to avoid the season sweep at the hands of the Dolphins. For the late games, the Giants at Arizona on Fox will be seen in most of the country on Fox. In primetime, NBC has Indy-San Diego. You can check out the viewing schedule, announcing assignments, coverage maps, satellite TV and radio channel assignments and anything else I left out in the NFL Viewing Picks.
Other action this weekend includes another edition of HBO’s World Championship Boxing in which Ricky Hatton defends his IBO Jr. Welterweight title against Paul Malinaggi. HBO has it at 10 on Saturday night.
Annika Sorenstam failed to make the final 16 of the LPGA’s ADT Championship and Golf Channel and NBC will have to do without her unless she makes a visit to the broadcast booth on Saturday and Sunday. Golf Channel has Saturday’s action starting at 2 p.m. and NBC has Sunday’s action starting at 3 p.m. Sunday. This was Annika’s final LPGA event as she announced her retirement earlier this year.
The MLS Cup will be played on Sunday with the Columbus Crew taking on the New York Red Bulls for the title. ABC has it 3:30 p.m.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention CFL’s Grey Cup which will be aired on TSN and Versus Sunday at 6 p.m.
Let’s go to your links now.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that not even Executive Privilige will be able to change the BCS for now.
Guest blogging for CNBC’s Darren Rovell, Jim Zissler of the Inside Sports & Entertainment Group tells us what a Super Bowl would do economically for New Orleans. Friend of Fang’s Bites Joe Favorito blogs for Darren and talks about former 49er and Jet Ronnie Lott helping current players give back to the community. Joe has a good article on UFC going into the collectibles market.
David Goetzl of MediaPost says ESPN is beginning to charge to watch video on the web (you may have to register, but it’s worth the read). David also writes that Versus is going to make a concerted effort to keep the NHL.
Ben Grossman of Broadcasting & Cable writes about HBO using Facebook to promote its De La Hoya-Pacquiao 24/7 series.
Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News reports that Comcast SportsNet Northwest has picked up another cable carriagle deal.
And Mike says Golf Channel will air a three part special with Tiger Woods conducting a clinic for a group of amateur players.
Elaine Wong of Brandweek says the NFL will kick off online voting this weekend for an ad that will air during the Super Bowl.
Puck the Media has another installment in its NHL Tournament of Announcers.
The Sports Media Watch has a look at the primetime ratings for Week 11 in the National Football League. And the SMW has some ratings news and notes.
The Big Lead talks with ESPN’s Outside the Lines host (and an original SportsCenter anchor) Bob Ley.
Now let’s move across the country from West to East this time.
West
Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says FSN’s DeMarco Farr still sees some drama in today’s Apple Cup despite one win between Washington and Washington State.
John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News says the Stanford-Cal game will be aired in boring Standard Definition on ABC.
The Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth says NFL Commish Roger Goodell surprised a few fans by returning their calls after they complained about not being able to watch NFL Network. And Tom has some media notes in his blog. Tom reviews the week in blogging on his own accord and on others.
Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times notices that Dick Vitale’s latest book is short on Pac 10 references.
Robert Rector of the Pasadena Times says ESPN’s purchase of the BCS means the start of a lot of changes on TV.
Scott Reid of the Orange County Register says the total price for ESPN to get the BCS TV rights shows that the property is actually undervalued.
Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star has some mixed feelings on the BCS move to ESPN in 2011.
The North County Times’ John Maffei says with a below .500 record, the San Diego Chargers are certainly not primetime darlings this season.
Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says this Sunday night amounts to a home game for NBC’s Al Michaels. Jay also looks at the ratings from last weekend in San Diego.
Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News says BYU-Utah will mark the mtn.’s first HD telecast.
Midwest
Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star says Ian Eagle has been very busy calling NFL games for CBS Sports and Westwood One Radio.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says St. Louis University will have 13 men’s basketball games on TV this season, but not all of them will be available locally. And Dan reports that a local sports radio talk show has been suspended for allegedly breaching his contract.
Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes it did not take long for former Pro Bowl Safety John Lynch to find a job after retiring from the NFL.
I should have picked this up when it first was published last week, but better late than never. Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Twins radio broadcaster John Gordon has reupped with the team for two more years.
Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune has the Weekend Viewing Picks for Chicagoans.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley writes that ESPN’s Dick Vitale is trying to tone down after losing his voice last season.
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says the BCS did a money grab to put its games on ESPN.
Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News says when the dust settles, it’ll be the fans who will shell out to watch the BCS on ESPN.
South
Mel Bracht of the Oklahoman says ESPN’s Hubie Brown was looking forward to seeing the OKC Thunder on Friday. Mel has a look inside the numbers on College Gameday which will be in Norman. And Mel has some media news and notes. And in his blog, Mel talks with ESPN’s Jay Bilas and has some items that did not make his column.
Now to add some Texas flavor to the megalinks.
Starting with David Barron of the Houston Chronicle, he says ESPN/ABC’s Craig James has more than a vested interest in the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game.
Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says ESPN has gobbled up another big event just before Thanksgiving.
Jerry Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News writes that the Spurs are the highest-rated NBA team on TV thus far in the young season.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News delves into why Cowboys running back Marion Barber gives the media the silent treatment. In his blog, Barry says Deion Sanders of the NFL Network gets high grades, but gets low grades for being a friend of Terrell Owens.
Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal feels ESPN is getting too big.
Now for some Florida flavor in the links.
Dave Darling of the Orlando Sentinel looks at a Sun Sports behind the scenes documentary on what it takes to stage a University of Florida football game.
To the St. Petersburg Times where Tom Jones talks with former Rays TV analyst Joe Magrane who’s joined the MLB Network.
Mike DiRocco of the Florida Times-Union talks with CBS’ Gary Danielson about Florida’s Tim Tebow.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Jim Williams of the DC/Baltimore Examiner says Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles are happy to be on the road for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. And Jim says Maryland basketball and football are on the viewing menu this weekend.
Tim Lemke of the Washington Times has a look at how the sagging economy is affecting sports especially with the LPGA. And Tim says Michigan’s upset over UCLA in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament on Thursday gave a shot in the arm to the auto industry.
Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes that the BCS going to ESPN is leaving out a large segment of fans who don’t have cable.
Bob Fernandez of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Comcast-NFL Network dispute could be heading for trial.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette says ESPN is buying up everything and with tongue firmly in cheek, the Laff-A-Lympics. If never saw the Laff-A-Lympics, here’s the opening.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News feels the NFL should address the gambling issue out in the open. Bob must have placed a bet on the Chargers-Steelers game.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick r
ails against the Personal Seat License and tries to tie them in with flexing games.
The Post’s Mike Puma has five questions for ESPN/ABC’s Craig James.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reviews the new four DVD set of the late, great ABC SportsNight series.
Newsday’s Neil Best mentions that Chris Russo was out for two days from his Sirius XM show and was replaced on Friday with Friend of Fang’s Bites Andy Gresh.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette writes that long-time Patriots radio voice Gil Santos plans to be on the job for the foreseeable future.
Nancy Marrapese-Burrell of the Boston Globe says Yale-Harvard gets some national exposure on Saturday.
Canada
William Houston Toronto Globe and Mail says the economy has forced Canadian newspapers to cut back on sending reporters to the CFL’s Grey Cup this weekend.
Jennifer Wells of the Globe and Mail says while all of the TV ads are sold out for the Grey Cup, the CFL needs to do a better job in branding.
Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says TSN will try to have all of the angles covered for its first Grey Cup telecast.
And that’s going to do it.
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