More Tuesday Linkage

Let’s give you some more links today. It’s just so hot in my office, I’ve got to finish this set and I’m getting out of there.

I mentioned in the first set of links today that Bud Collins has been hired by ESPN. Here’s the statement from ESPN itself. And here’s the Press Release.

In his Watchdog blog, Newsday’s Neil Best says it’s nice to have Mike and the Mad Dog back together again on WFAN. They’ve been apart due to their vacations since June.

Over to the Sports Media Watch blog where we find out that The Content Factory has apparently hired former ESPNer Michael Irvin who was inducted into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame this past weekend. Irvin joins Dan Patrick who has already been hired to do a show for the company. The question is, can Irvin carry his own show? I was not a fan of his work at ESPN where Michael seemed to yell every time Chris Berman went to him on NFL Countdown. I hope Michael won’t be yelling on his radio show.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell wonders if Tiger Woods is worth the price of endorsement for some companies including American Express which is actually dumping him in. Tiger does make a lot of money, but Rovell questions if Woods has enough bang for the big bucks he’s being paid.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at the radio and TV calls of Alex Rodriguez’ 500th homer and Barry Bonds’ 755th home run. Sandomir praises former Pawtucket Red Sox announcer Dave Flemming who called Bonds’ homer on KNBR and current Red Sox announcer Dave O’Brien who had the call on ESPN2. Jim Williams in his Watch This! blog in the DC/Baltimore and San Francisco Examiners says Frank Robinson will be on hand representing MLB during the Bonds Watch tonight.

TBS Sports has announced a new online broadband channel on MLB.com called “The Hot Corner”. This starts in September in anticipation of TBS’ extensive postseason coverage. It will include a pre-game show for the playoffs. And Paul Gough of the Hollywood Reporter has written a story on this new channel.

Starting Thursday, PGATour.com will offer broadband coverage of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, OK. For the first and second rounds, the website will have simulcasts of TNT’s coverage, plus coverage of select groups of players. On the weekend, CBS’ coverage will not be available online, only the coverage of select groups. The site for online coverage is here.

R. Thomas Ulmstead of Multichannel News reports on a very interesting clause in the NHL’s contract with Versus. Both parties can pull out after this coming season if the channel doesn’t reach certain distribution levels. Ulmstead says it appears Versus isn’t interested in ending its deal and will continue with a planned three year extension into the 2010-11 season. We’ll see how this develops.

From the Oakland Tribune, Andy Altman-Ohr writes that the Bay Area media will have Friday’s Bill Walsh memorial service covered like a blanket.

Keith Jarrett of the Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times says while conferences like the ACC and SEC are paid handsomely by the TV networks to air their football and basketball games, smaller conferences like the Southern Conference (SoCon) have to pay to get their games broadcast.

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star has a suggestion for the CBC when it comes to airing Raptors games (scroll down). Hire Fang’s Bites fav, Stacey Dales (yes, she’s Canadian).

Those are your links for now. Primetime and Late Night Viewing Picks coming up