A Tired Monday Linkfest

I’m a tired man after working until 2:15 this morning. Started at 10 a.m. Sunday and worked through with a couple of breaks for lunch and dinner, but I’m tired and naturally, I’m dragging. I’ll give you the links while I can.

Starting with the Sports Business Journal which looks at the 40 years of Monday Night Football in this week’s issue.

John Ourand writes about ESPN taking a back-to-basics approach with Monday Night Football and coming out with a winning formula.

Terry Lefton looks at the mixing of celebrities and sports in the early days of MNF.

Terry writes about some of the unique products that came from Monday Night Football.

Some of MNF’s past and present staff look back at one of sports longest running series.

And you can test your knowledge on MNF and there are a couple of trick questions here.

Thanks to SBJ for opening up this special section on Monday Night Football.

John Ourand tweets highlights of an interview ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons did with the Sports Business Daily about his Twitter suspension here and here.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand has TNT’s Marv Albert again denying a scuffle with 50 Cent backstage at Jimmy Kimmel Live last week.

The Big Lead properly scolds Marv for backing off the story. And I have say I’m wrong to The Big Lead when I stated that the Bill Simmons suspension from Twitter is a non-story. Looking at it now, it’s a big story and something that stems from the ESPN policy on tweeting.

Hugging Harold Reynolds posts this interesting interview from October with Simmons’ boss, ESPN.com editor, Rob King about the Twitter policy and what Simmons has to do to get fired. It’s a very good listen.

Dan Levy of On The DL wonders in the Sporting News if ESPN’s Twitter policy includes ads.

Writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Jason Fry says the original critics of Patriots coach Bill Belichick of the infamous 4th and 2 call against the Colts are getting roasted now.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk says Detroit will be able to see the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game.

Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News talks with my good friend, the always lovely Amanda Rykoff.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post reports that rare movie footage showing a clear shot of Ron Swaboda’s catch in the 1969 World Series, something that NBC missed, will be shown on MLB Network this week.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says there are plenty of stinkers in the NFL TV schedule for Week 12.

Pete writes that last night’s Eagles-Bears game was lower rated than last week’s Pats-Colts game.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette has some MLB Network programming news for this holiday week.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner lists his favorite NFL and college football announcers.

To the Miami Herald, Adam H. Beasley writes that the very pregnant ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Shannon Spake finished the Sprint Cup season as she’s in her final trimester (scroll down).

Tom Jones gives NBC a thumbs up for its Notre Dame coverage and looks at other issues from the weekend in televised sprots.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News gives credit to Cowboys fans for sticking with a rather boring game on Sunday.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Kentucky basketball fans get a free preview of CBS College Sports this week so they can watch the Wildcats.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs’ new owner plans to block a rooftop ad for a casino by erecting signboards in Wrigley Field.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business also has reaction to the Cubs’ new policy.

Ed also talks with the new head of marketing for the Cubs.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Green Bay Packers are a mystery to some NFL TV analysts.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post has an issue with the Sporting News/Sports Business Journal list of best football broadcasters.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the schedule for the week in SoCal and national sports.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says ex-Toronto Maple Leaf Mike Johnson is carving a niche for himself on TSN and XM Satellite Radio.

Bruce Dowbiggin in the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that TSN didn’t get the job done at the beginning of yesterday’s CFL Western Final.

William Houston in his Truth & Rumours blog gets on a Globe and Mail columnist for attacking Maple Leafs fans.

Brian Gleason of the PR in Sports blog writes that the suspension of the Los Angeles Clippers broadcasters got more news for Fox Sports Net than their actions.

The Sports Media Watch notes that the SEC on CBS garnered lower ratings on Saturday.

SMW looks at the NBA and NHL ratings on the various Comcast SportsNet regional sports networks.

SMW says the MLS Cup moving from ABC to ESPN and from afternoon to primetime raised its ratings.

And SMW notes that NASCAR ratings ended its season as it began, down.

You have The Five hosted by Kristine Leahy on WEEI.com.

Those are the Monday links.