Press Release Action (Including The Return of Barry Melrose!)

I’ll provide you with a few press releases today. Most of them deal with the NFL, but we have other sports to give you as well.

First, the NFL Network previews its coverage for tonight’s Oakland-San Diego game and programming for this weekend.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

OAKLAND RAIDERS VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT 8:00 PM ET

Marshall Faulk 1-on-1 with Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson on Total Access on Location

Pregame Show at 5:00 PM ET

Steelers-Cowboys Legendary Super Bowl XIII Battle To Re-Air on NFL Classic Games Friday at 9:00 PM ET

THIS THURSDAY ON TOTAL ACCESS ON LOCATION:

Marshall Faulk sits down with Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson

For the second time this season, two of the NFL’s most prolific running backs sit down for a candid conservation. The All-Pro duo discusses the state of the Chargers, LT’s struggle to overcome his toe injury and what keeps the Chargers playoff dreams alive.

• ‘The Marshall Plan’ – Each week, NFL Network’s resident expert and seven-time Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk takes a closer look at newsmakers in the NFL. This week, he focuses on the recent struggles of the Oakland Raiders.

• Head-to-Head – Raiders LBs Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison vs. Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson

· Total Access on Location has added an “Ask Total Access on Location” segment. If fans have a question for the crew, they can send it to [email protected], then watch Thursday’s three-hour pregame show on NFL Network for answers from Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Warren Sapp.

Prior to each of NFL Network’s eight primetime games, Total Access on Location offers up three hours of pregame coverage live from the host city.

Total Access on Location begins at 5:00 PM ET for each NFL Network primetime game and is presented in high definition.

Taking the pulse of the host city, Eisen is live on the scene with analysts Sanders, Mariucci, Faulk and Sapp giving viewers a comprehensive understanding of what participants in an NFL game go through in the hours prior to kickoff. Reporter Adam Schefter is also on-site to deliver up-to-the-minute news from the participating teams and around the league.

Thursday Night Football • Raiders vs. Chargers • 8:00 PM ET • NFL Network

Announcers: Bob Papa, Cris Collinsworth

Local Over-the-Air Simulcast: ABC Ch. 7 (KGO) Oakland

Fox Ch. 5 (KSWB) San Diego

Where to Watch: DirecTV – Channel 212

NFL.com LIVE – live “look-ins” at :15 and :45 of each hour and other key moments

NFL Mobile Live only from Sprint

THIS SUNDAY ON NFL GAMEDAY MORNING:

­­­Live Reports from Game Sites:

• Kara Henderson reports from Pittsburgh (Cowboys vs. Steelers)
• Scott Hanson and Brian Baldinger report from New Orleans (Falcons vs. Saints)
• Lindsay Soto reports from Tennessee (Browns vs. Titans)
• Bob Papa reports from New York (Eagles vs. Giants)
• Derrin Horton reports from Detroit (Vikings vs. Lions)

NFL GameDay Morning, the first information packed show on the air Sunday mornings, checks in at 10:00 AM ET on the only network dedicated entirely to football. Warren Sapp, Marshall Faulk, Adam Schefter and host Spero Dedes bring fans the latest news, injury reports, pregame analysis and game previews on NFL Network.

SUPER BOWL XIII TO RE-AIR ON NFL CLASSIC GAMES

NFL Network will air Super Bowl XIII as a part of NFL Classic Games Friday, December 5 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT.

In the first Super Bowl re-match ever, Super Bowl XIII matched Super Bowl X opponents Pittsburgh and Dallas at the Orange Bowl on January 21, 1979. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a record four touchdown passes to earn Super Bowl MVP honors in leading the Steelers to a 35-31 victory over the Cowboys. With this triumph, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls (Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl X).

Sixteen Pro Football Hall of Famers participated in this Super Bowl including both coaches, Chuck Noll and Tom Landry and 14 players: nine from Pittsburgh (Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount), and five from Dallas (Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Rayfield Wright, and Jackie Smith).

NFL Classic Games features the complete network broadcasts of legendary NFL games with original announcers and graphics. The Super Bowl XIII broadcast on NBC featured announcers Curt Gowdy, Merlin Olsen and John Brodie.

*Following the Friday night premiere, the game will encore later that night at 3:00 AM ET/12:00 Midnight PT and Saturday at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 Noon PT.

Fox Sports also talks about its BCS Selection Show which airs at 8 p.m. Sunday and has some previews of its NFL coverage for Week 14.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

Who Will Play For The Title? – THE BCS SELECTION SHOW

Matchups for Sugar, Rose, Fiesta, Orange & BCS National Championship Game Unveiled Exclusively Sunday in Prime Time

Cowboys/Steelers and Giants/Eagles Headline NFL on FOX Doubleheader Slate

Pam Oliver Finds Out Why Falcons Are Flying High This Season on FOX NFL SUNDAY

Bradshaw Breaks Down Cowboys/Steelers Storied Rivalry

FOX SPORTS’ BCS SELECTION SHOW SETS THE STAGE FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S JEWEL EVENTS — Following Sunday’s NFL Doubleheader action on FOX, the network presents its third BCS SELECTION SHOW. All questions surrounding January’s Bowl Championship Series games will be answered as FOX Sports’ Chris Rose and BCS on FOX lead game analyst Charles Davis join National championship-winning coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer to unveil the much-anticipated BCS match-ups. Once the selections are made, other members of the BCS on FOX broadcast team will be in place at university campuses around the country. BCS on FOX lead play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman will be stationed in Cincinnati to talk to Bearcats head coach Brian Kelly. Other possible interview locations include the University of Alabama, the University of Florida and reactions from Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Texas’ Mack Brown, depending on the outcome of this weekend’s games.

NFL ON FOX WEEK 14 DOUBLEHEADER: COWBOYS/STEELERS MEET IN PITT & GIANTS CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH PLAX AFTERMATH – As the playoff picture begins to come into focus, Week 14 doubleheader action on FOX serves up some pivotal matchups. The Super Bowl champion New York Giants hope to keep focus as they face another tough divisional opponent in Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 PM ET. Meanwhile in New Orleans, Michael Turner and the Falcons look to keep pace in the NFC South as they face the Saints, who return Reggie Bush to the lineup. Also, the Lions welcome Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. NFL on FOX’s doubleheader concludes at 4:15 PM ET with a matchup of two of the NFL’s most storied franchises as Tony Romo and the Cowboys meet Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with FOX NFL SUNDAY. Co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee join analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan to provide insightful opinions on the NFL. This week, reporter Pam Oliver sits down with Falcons head coach Mike Smith and offensive stars Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White to discuss how a team that no one expected to contend has swooped in and become a force in the NFC South. Also, Bradshaw leads a discussion about the rich history between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.

BILLICK: GIANTS WON’T HIT BUMP IN ROAD TO SUPER BOWL REPEAT – Following the Giants eventful week, NFL on FOX analyst and Super Bowl-winning head coach Brian Billick looks at what head coach Tom Coughlin can do to keep his team on track for another Super Bowl season: “You go into training camp and you prepare your team for the loss of a great player. It’s not normally in this fashion, it’s normally from injury. During the course of the year you’re typically going to lose one of your best players and you don’t want your players to panic. The Giants are the poster child for this. After losing stars like Michael Strahan to retirement and Osi Umenyiora to injury, they’ve still been okay. What that does to the psyche of your team is huge.”

NBC says Sunday Night Football finished in first place in key demographics during the November sweeps.

“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” DOMINATES NOVEMBER SWEEPS FINISHING NO.1 IN KEY DEMOS

NEW YORK – December 4, 2008 – "Sunday Night Football," in its third season as the NFL's premier primetime package, finished the November sweeps (10/30/08-11/26/08) as the No. 1 program in all of primetime television across the key advertising demographics of Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54, Men 18-34, Men 18-49 and Men 25-54, according to dat
a provided by Nielsen Media Research.

• Adults 18-49: SNF is the No. 1 primetime program with a 6.5 rating 16 share, an eight percent advantage over Desperate Housewives on ABC (6.0/13), which runs head-to-head against SNF.
• Adults 25-54: SNF is No. 1 at a 7.1/16 one percent higher than Desperate Housewives (7.0/14).
• Men 18-34: SNF is at a 7.4/20 tied for No. 1 with Family Guy on Fox.
• Men 18-49: SNF is No 1 at an 8.7/21 defeating the OT on Fox by 45 percent (6.0/16).
• Men 25-54: SNF is No. 1 at a 9.6/21 besting the OT by 45 percent (6.6/16).

Among viewers 2+ and households "Sunday Night Football" was the No. 1 program on Sunday nights during November sweeps with 17.2 million viewers and a 10.7/17 rating respectively.  For the season, "Sunday Night Football" is averaging 16.5 million viewers an increase of one percent over last year.  The 10.2/16 household rating is even with 2007.

"Sunday Night Football" is in Baltimore this weekend for a "Flex Game" as the Ravens host the Washington Redskins.  Then next week, SNF goes to "Big D" for a highly anticipated NFC East division matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

NBC's REMAINING 2008 NFL SCHEDULE:
("NBC Sunday Night Football" kickoff, 8:15 p.m. ET preceded by "Football Night in America," 7 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Dec. 7 – Washington at Baltimore (Flex Game)
Sunday, Dec. 14 – New York Giants at Dallas (Flex Week, No Change)
Sunday, Dec. 21 – San Diego at Tampa Bay (Flex Week, Teams Subject to Change)
Sunday, Dec. 28 – Flex Week – teams TBA

It’s official, Barry Melrose will return to ESPN on New Year’s Day and he will work with new ESPN NHL analyst Mathew Barnaby.

Barry Melrose Rejoins ESPN as NHL Analyst

Barry Melrose, a knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic hockey analyst, will return to ESPN on January 1, 2009, coinciding with the NHL’s Winter Classic game, to be held at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Melrose will appear regularly on SportsCenter and ESPNEWS, often appearing with current ESPN NHL analyst Matthew Barnaby.

“I am very, very excited about coming back home to ESPN where I have had so many great years,” Melrose said. “I look forward to analyzing people being fired rather than being the guy fired.”

Mark Gross, ESPN senior vice president and managing editor, studio production, added, “We welcome Barry back to ESPN. By pairing him with Matthew, ESPN enhances its NHL coverage and provides hockey fans the in-depth analysis and insight from both the coach and player perspectives.”

Melrose left the network in June 2008 to accept the Tampa Bay Lightning head coaching job. His first full-time stint with ESPN began in October 1996. He had previously worked as a studio analyst for ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning 1994 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and for ESPN and ESPN2 during the 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

CBS Sports will air a celebrity-infested ski event at Park City, Utah on December 21. Can’t wait to see the ratings for this.

TV, MUSIC AND SPORTS MOGULS TEAM UP AT JUMA ENTERTAINMENT’S “DEER VALLEY CELEBRITY SKIFEST”
AIRS DECEMBER 21st ON CBS AT 5 P.M. EST

Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wanda Sykes Slated To
Attend Annual Benefit For Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Waterkeeper Alliance

Special Musical Guest Gavin Rossdale to Perform

Burbank, Calif. (November XX, 2008) - The 17th annual DEER VALLEY CELEBRITY SKIFEST featuring stars, Olympians, and a special acoustic performance by rocker Gavin Rossdale, and produced by Juma Entertainment, airs Sunday, December 21, 2008 (5 p.m. EST) on CBS, adjacent to the NFL in some markets. 

The event is a one-hour special pairing U.S. Olympic ski legends with television celebrities for a weekend of skiing, live music and fundraising for Waterkeeper Alliance.  Confirmed celebrities include cast members from hit series such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine." 

Celebrities slated to attend include: Buzz Aldrin, Larry David, Susie Essman, Clark Gregg, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Hamish Linklater, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Matthew Modine, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Reuben, Wanda Sykes, Scott Wolf, Ian Ziering and many more. The stars will be joined by U.S. Olympians, Phil Mahre, Steve Mahre, Tommy Moe and Heidi Voelker.

That’s it. See you here tonight for an update and possibly more.