Time for your links for today.
The last two days, I’ve had to go to bed early in order to get up at 4:30 a.m. to drive north of Boston so there’s been no evening updates on Wednesday and Thursday. Plus, I haven’t been able to watch the Cubs-D’backs series although I do know that the Cubs are behind the 8 ball heading back to Wrigley Field on Saturday.
Let’s get to the links.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand has a mostly positive review of TBS’ coverage of the League Division Series, but he says we’re seeing a bit too much of Frank Caliendo and I agree. TBS is running his promos every inning or so it seems.
From the Sports Media Watch, we find that TBS got some good numbers for the first day of the LDS.
Darren Rovell of CNBC has a transcript of an interview with one of the Greatest Athletes of our generation, Lance Armstrong.
Heading to the Boston Globe, Susan Bickelhaupt writes about Jack Edwards who will do the entire Bruins season on NESN for the first time.
In today’s New York Times, Richard Sandomir writes that TBS is coming up a bit short in its first year of MLB Postseason coverage.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is swinging the ax against Madison Square Garden in the wake of the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment lawsuit.
Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News is definitely a TBS hater.
In Newsday, Neil Best writes about TBS selecting earlier start times for the Yankees-Indians series.
The YES Network has fired a freelance photographer for getting into an accident with Yankees first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz before last night’s Game 1 with Cleveland. Minky was injured, but did start the game. And Best mentions in his blog that YES didn’t even report on the accident in its pregame show last night while it became a national story.
Laura Nachman of the Bucks County Courier Times writes that Phillies announcer Chris Wheeler is thinking about his late friend, John Vuckovich, during the playoffs.
To the midwest, George M. Thomas says FSN Ohio is pulling its HD feed from Time Warner Cable systems over a contract dispute.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Milwaukee Brewers games garnered its highest TV ratings since 1994.
In the Chicago Tribune, Ed Sherman reports Wednesday’s Game 1 between the Cubs and Arizona rated lower than the 2003 NLDS opener, mostly due to the all-cable telecast and the later starting time.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Judd Zulgad mostly likes what he sees from TBS.
Let’s head to the Southern Region. Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun has news and notes today. His first item is on MASN preparing to show at least a portion of its Orioles schedule in HD next season.
Doug Nye of The State in South Carolina writes that the ol’ ballcoach Steve Spurrier likes to wing it when taping his TV show.
Two articles from Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald. First is on the changes in the NFL studio shows on the various networks. Jackson likes the changes in NBC’s Football Night in America while not liking the changes in ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. And from earlier in the week, Jackson writes that the Florida Marlins have dropped Roxy Bernstein from its radio booth because he won’t give up doing University of California basketball broadcasts.
The Orlando Sentinel’s Dave Darling writes about ESPN’s Outside the Lines documentary on the son of People’s Temple cult leader Jim Jones, who saved his life after his dad led his followers in a mass suicide in Guyana almost 30 years ago.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle talks with former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer on why the Red River Rivalry (I still prefer calling it the Red River Shootout, but these are politically correct times) between the Sooners and Texas is more important to OU fans. On a side note, Switzer will be live on XM Satellite Radio previewing the game.
Heading out west, two weeks ago, CBS’ Phil Simms told the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner it wasn’t time for Chargers fans to panic over a 1-1 record. Simms tells Posner this week it’s still not time to panic over a 1-3 record, but he joked that it’s close. And here are the ratings for sports in San Diego last week.
In the North County Times, John Maffei says NBC should not put “Friday Night Lights” on a night when the real Friday Night Lights are taking place. And Maffei likes TBS’ coverage of the postseason, even Frank Thomas which is a true rarity from what I’ve read this week.
The Ventura County Star’s Jim Carlisle talks with NBC and ESPN NFL studio analysts about Green Bay QB Brett Favre.
Christine Daniels in her Sound & Vision column in the LA Times has fans’ reaction to Frank Thomas on TBS. It’s not kind to say the least.
Let’s go to the LA Daily News and Tom Hoffarth’s plethora of Friday stories. First is on Dan Patrick’s debut on KLAC and 24 other stations across the country this week. Hoffarth dusts off a review of the first televised World Series in the New York Times, 60 years ago. And Hoffarth writes about ESPN’s upcoming documentary on Jim Jones, Jr.
Up to Canada and the Toronto Star where Chris Zelkovich talks with Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser about the former’s first year on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
William Houston in the Toronto Globe and Mail says the switch of TBS to Peachtree TV in Canada has left many baseball fans in the lurch. Houston says many did not know the games would be on Rogers Sportsnet.
There you go. I’ll be back later with a lot more. Check back throughout the day.
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