Let’s do the megalinks for you. Time to give them to you now.
As always, you get the Weekend Viewing Picks which this weekend has the skinny on the college basketball conference tournaments and other sports.
Now to your links.
National
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand looks at ESPN providing ABC with some sports programming starting in April.
Writing for SI.com, Kevin Armstrong profiles popular ESPN/CBS college basketball analyst Bill Raftery.
The Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center recognizes the winners of the Associated Press Sports Editors Awards.
Todd Spangler of Multichannel News says the ESPN Mobile TV service is being picked up by Sprint cell phones.
Multichannel News looks at Speed’s changes to its Formula 1 announcing crew.
The Sports Media Watch notes that last Sunday’s NHL Game of the Week did not get a post-Olympics bump, but still did well for NBC.
SMW says last week’s NASCAR ratings dropped yet again.
SMW informs us that TNT’s Inside the NBA crew will be heading courtside to call its first game since 2001.
Joe Favorito can’t wait to see the new movie on Vince Lombardi which would star Robert De Niro.
Steve Lepore of Puck The Media says HBO Sports will focus its next documentary on the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970’s.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe talks with long-time WBZ-TV sports reporter Alice Cook who was given the pink slip last week.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram interviews local native J.P. Ricciardi who goes from being Blue Jays General Manger to ESPN analyst.
Joe Haggerty from Comcast SportsNet New England writes about a new ESPN ad starring Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz and Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher.
A rare Neil Best sighting! The Boston Herald picks up a story from Newsday which continues to hide behind pay wall. In this story, Neil writes about CBS being poised to keep the NCAA Tournament.
From the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman looks at the possibility of the NCAA opting out of its current contract with CBS.
Phil Mushnick in the New York Post is nitpicking over a dunk highlight.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks with CBS/Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis about Siena’s experience as an NCAA player.
Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record has an appreciation of the late Merlin Olsen.
Tim Lemke explains why he is now a fan of the college basketball conference tournaments.
Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner says NBC begins its Paralympics coverage this weekend.
Jim transcribes an interview Billy Packer did with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Jim talks about a Baltimore radio host who’s conducting a contest to give Orioles Opening Day tickets to several families.
South
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talks with sports radio host Sid Rosenberg about his new book.
Sarah Talalay from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says JetBlue will unveil a Florida Panthers tailfin on Tuesday.
Ray Buck in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes that HBO has some big plans for tomorrow’s Manny Pacquaio-Joshua Clottey championship fight at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
To David Barron of the Houston Chronicle who discusses the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Reggie Miller’s rivalry with the New York Knicks.
David catches up on some ratings news and notes since returning home from the Olympics.
Midwest
John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer remembers an interesting story regarding the late Merlin Olsen and former NBC NFL analyst Bob Trumpy.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that the White Sox have shot down manager Ozzie Guillen’s request for a website.
Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his usual Friday winners and losers.
Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Time Warner Cable gave subscribers frozen pictures that hampered fans from viewing of the Big East Tournament.
Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin writes that hockey fans in the Gopher State will have plenty of action to watch this weekend.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says not everyone in the Gateway City will be able to see the Atlantic 10 Tournament this weekend.
West
Scott D. Pierce in the Deseret (UT) News says DirecTV subscribers won’t be able to see the Mountain West Conference men’s and women’s basketball championship games as they will be carried on Versus.
Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune speaks with Padres voice Dick Enberg who won’t be calling his first game until the season opener in April.
John Maffei in the North County Times says the San Diego State men’s basketball team might get some national love if they keep winning in the Mountain West Tournament.
Over to the Ventura County Star where Jim Carlisle says Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen was also a great broadcaster.
Jim is not a fan of the NCAA Tournament expanding to 96 teams.
Diane Pucin in the Los Angeles Times says both CBS and ESPN will be all over the NCAA Tournament selections.
In the Los Angeles Daily News, Kevin Modesti with help from Tom Hoffarth, has a remembrance of Merlin Olsen.
Tom has his usual media notes.
Tom has Dick Enberg’s thoughts on his former broadcast partner, Olsen.
Tom also looks back at the week in sports media.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the NHL knocking out head shots was the right thing to do.
The Toronto Star says CTV has relented and will show the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics live, but only in British Columbia.
Chris Zelkovich of the Star says the Paralympics are not a huge money maker, but are worthy of TV coverage for the Canadian Olympics Broadcast Media Consortium.
William Houston in Truth & Rumours says the head of the Media Consortium may be leaving.
And that will do it for the Megalinks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
