Boston Sports Media Watch

Ok, time for the megalinks. I’ve been procrastinating so these are very late, but better late than never.

As usual the Weekend Viewing Picks are the Fang’s Bites at BSMW page.

I have another edition of Follow Friday.

There’s another anti-NBC post at Fang’s Bites.

And if you didn’t read it yet, here’s my report on the HBO Ted Williams documentary screening at Fenway Park from earlier in the week.

Keep track of the Sox at RedSoxLinks.com.

And for the latest on the Celtics Free Agent Action, head on over to CelticsLinks.com.

Now the links:

National

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Versus is along for the ride as Lance Armstrong returns to the Tour de France on Saturday.

Mike says Univision’s family of networks and Fox Soccer Channel will cover the Gold Cup throughout the weekend.

Joe Favorito writes that two indoor soccer leagues only stood to hurt the franchises.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball writes that for the most part, fans are forgiving of Manny Ramirez.

The Sports Media Watch says it appears the All England Lawn and Tennis Club preferred having attractive women on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

The great College Sports on TV site is putting together the viewing guides for the entire college football season and you can check it out here.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Over to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times who writes that NBC had its own ideas for the Andy Roddick-Andy Murray match at Wimbledon despite it being in progress when the network hit the air.

Richard talks about a new website that keeps track of an athlete’s Tweets so you don’t have to.

The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman takes the opportunity to bash Mets manager Jerry Manuel.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks to a local sports radio program director who’s happy to have stayed in the area after he lost his TV gig.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette is one of an increasing amount of writers who feel that ESPN may not be all that good for the NHL. I agree.

Laura Nachman provides two possible replacements for the late sports anchor Gary Papa.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says NBC did not do itself any favors by delaying yesterday’s Andy Roddick-Andy Murray match at Wimbledon.

Jim talks with Versus’ Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin about the Tour de France.

South

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson says sports radio WQAM is looking at Sid Rosenberg to fill a high profile time slot.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says two more local sports anchors have lost their jobs.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says the Cowboys’ Marion Barber might be media shy, but a segment on ESPN will show that he has a big heart.

Barry says Breakfast at Wimbledon remains one of the best traditions on TV.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says NBC is ready to serve another double dose of Breakfast at Wimbledon. Mel writes that ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd comes to TV for a new show. Mel has his media notebook.

Midwest

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Fox Sports ramps up for Mannywood.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that we’ve grown into Breakfast at Wimbledon over the last 30 years.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News feels sports anchors should not be openly rooting for local teams.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes about Fox Sports putting the national spotlight on Manny Ramirez’s return from his steroids suspension.

John Maffei of the North County Times says baseball isn’t your only sports viewing option on this holiday weekend.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes about 30 years of Breakfast at Wimbledon. Jim says the networks are pulling out all the stops for Manny Ramirez’s return.

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times has Fox Sports Prime Ticket’s Steve Lyons talking about Manny. Diane writes that Vin Scully did not give Manny a free pass. Diane says Vin was matter-of-fact when Manny went 0 for 3 last night.

From the Los Angeles Daily News, Tom Hoffarth says the media is all about Manny this weekend. Tom has more on this in his blog. Tom says tennis fans have a legitimate gripe against NBC for its mishandling of Wimbledon this week (including a link to Fang’s Bites, thank you, Tom). Tom also looks at the week in blogging.

That’s it. I won’t be around for the rest of the day, but I will be back on Sunday. Enjoy your 4th and have a very safe holiday.

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Sports media never shuts down on the weekends. You can never tell when a breaking story can strike. That’s why I also do links on Saturdays and Sundays. They might not equal the number of stories during the week, but they’re enough to warrant posts. So you can check over at the Fang’s Bites at BSMW page for the latest.

There is an update today and you can check there again tomorrow around lunchtime for another post.

Also check RedSoxLinks.com for all the coverage of yesterday’s 1-0 Red Sox victory over the Atlanta Braves. From there you can jump to all the other Boston team dashboards.

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Check RedSoxLinks.com for all the coverage of last night’s 4-1 Sox victory over the Atlanta Braves.

In the euphoria of my joining Boston Sports Media Watch, I got stuck doing a few things and did not do the megalinks. Time to do them now.

Normally, you would see the Weekend Viewing Picks here with the megalinks, but from now on, I’m going to put them in Fang’s Bites section of BSMW. So you can see them from now on, over here.

Now to your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael McCarthy says TBS feels Ron Darling is in the upper echelon of MLB TV analysts.

Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal writes that MLB remains in a ratings malaise.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says his readers have spoken and chosen a new nickname for Shaquille O’Neal. Darren reports that Vijay Singh was willing to post bail for embattled Stanford Financial CEO Allen Stanford. Darren also projects the contracts for the first round picks of the NBA Draft.

Joe Favorito wonders if soccer can take advantage of the US’ performance at the Confed Cup.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says MASN is mixing and matching its announcing teams for the Orioles-Nationals series. Mike writes that ESPN and ESPN2 saw record viewership for the College World Series.

The Sports Media Journal’s Ray Frager says he prefers watching the NBA Draft over the NFL Draft.

Deadspin says HBO plans to ditch the comedy for the next edition of Joe Buck Live.

The Sports Media Watch says ESPN has chosen its hosts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Andrew Laughlin of Digital Spy says ESPN may use one its existing UK channels to show recently acquired English Premier League gamese.

Len Berman gives us his top 5 sports stories of the day at the Huffington Post.

Speaking of Len, he did an interview with Obsessed TV about his recent departure from WNBC-TV and I embedded that interview right here.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says Dennis Eckersley is gaining his own legion of fans while sitting in for Jerry Remy on NESN.

Good friend LC at the 38Cliches blog is impressed with Dave O’Brien’s work ethic on Red Sox radio broadcasts.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times chronicles how NBC’s Breakfast at Wimbledon began.

Here’s a Phil Mushnick column I can actually agree with. The New York Post columnist rips WFAN’s Craig Carton for sexually harassing tennis star Jennifer Capriati earlier this week.

The Big Lead also weighed in on Mushnick’s column.

Justin Terranova of the Post talks with YES’ Al Leiter about the Subway Series which has lost some luster this year. And Justin has five questions for MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams about his former Phillies team.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with WFAN’s Mike Francesa one year after his split with former partner Chris Russo. Neil has more with Mike Francesa in his blog. Neil says Mike is in no rush to find a new partner for his show. Mike has some choice words for former CBS Radio and now Sirius XM chairman Mel Karmazin. And Neil has some more from Mike regarding Russo and ESPN. Neil writes about former WFAN midday co-host Sid Rosenberg whether his future is in the Big Apple or South Florida. Neil wonders why the TSN-produced NHL Draft show carried on Versus did not have a continuous scroll.

The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman goes after ESPN and MLB for “celebrating” the return of Manny Ramirez.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union writes about the Yankees’ deal to stream games online and in-market for a hefty price. Pete adds that ESPN was really happy about its College World Series ratings.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner gives us his weekend viewing picks. And Jim says the USA-Brazil final in the Confederations Cup is a highlight of the weekend.

South

The Munroe (LA) News Star says CBS’ Tim Brando was honored by the nation’s Sports Information Directors.

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News says Terrell Owens and supermodel Joanna Krupa get to return to The Superstars on Monday.

David Barron in the Houston Chronicle writes that Sporting News Radio gets a new affiliate in town.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman writes about a local sports radio host who’s happy he can see again. In his media notebook, Mel talks about ESPN NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson branching out from his football roots.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press is another who prefers the NBA Draft over the NFL’s.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has quotes from ESPN’s basketball analysts about the NBA Draft.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers of the week.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin is already looking forward to college football season on ESPN and the Big Ten Network.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talks with former Blues voice Ken Wilson about Brett Hull who will be inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame this year.

West

A local sports talk show host switches places with the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner and writes this week’s media column in the newspaper.

John Maffei from the North County Times says rain put a damper on the U.S. Open and its ratings.

Mike Penner of the Los Angeles Times says the NBA Draft lent itself to a lot of trade talk on ESPN.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Manny Mania swept Albuquerque and the media in both New Mexico and SoCal.

Tom has other sports media news in his blog. Tom goes over the week in blogging.

Canada

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star bids farewell to a different type of sports radio show.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says TSN NHL analyst Ray Ferrarro will have to wait and see where his son will be picked in the Entry Draft.

And that’s it. I’ll be back with more links Saturday at the Fang’s Bites page here at BSMW.

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It was a rocky first inning in a Boston Red Sox uniform for John Smoltz, who gave up four runs on four hits in the frame. On the other side, Jordan Zimmermann, who was born almost a year to the day after Smoltz was drafted by the Detroit Tigers had his way with the Red Sox, as the Nationals posted a 9-3 win in the series finale.

John Tomase says Smoltz should get a mulligan for his first inning as a Red Sox pitcher. Adam Kilgore has Zimmermann outpitching Smoltz on this night. Joe McDonald has Smoltz and the Red Sox liking how the right-hander finished his outing.

Michael Silverman says that despite the first inning, there were a number of promising signs in Smoltz last night. Nick Cafardo says that it might’ve been a tough start for Smoltz, but it’s certainly not the end. Dan Lamothe though, says that Smoltz was an EPIC FAIL last night.

Nationally, Ken Rosenthal says that Smoltz really wasn’t all that bad last night.

Silverman says that pitching depth has put the Red Sox in a good position. McDonald says that Smoltz’s debut last night was another piece of the Red Sox offseason blueprint being put into place.

Kilgore’s Minor League notebook has catcher Mark Wagner showing off his bat at AA Portland.

Chad Finn talks to Dennis Eckersley about his stint in the booth, filling in for Jerry Remy.

Tomase’s notebook has David Ortiz hitting the cleanup spot last night, a spot he might see more of in the future. Kilgore’s notebook has Jonathan Papelbon talking All Star game. McDonald’s Red Sox journal has Ortiz pleased with getting his 1000th career RBI on Wednesday night.

Celtics

The Celtics stood pat last night, not making any trades, and instead just holding onto their one draft pick at #58 overall and using it on University of Tennessee-Martin guard Lester Hudson, who was second in NCAA Div I scoring last season.

Mike Fine says that it was a long night with little to do for Ainge. Steve Bulpett says that it is all about the now for Ainge and the Celtics, who may yet make some moves. Marc J. Spears notes that with the Celtics standing still, there was activity all around them in the Eastern Conference yesterday. Paul Flannery fires off five things we learned about the draft last night.

Dan Shaughnessy says that now is not the time to trade Rajon Rondo. Alan Siegel says that it appears that Rondo is staying put for now. Scott Souza has Ainge saying again that the Celtics are not looking to trade Rondo. Mark Murphy has Doc Rivers saying he has no doubts that Rondo and Ray Allen will be here next season. Murphy has Rondo’s camp miffed over Ainge’s comments on WEEI earlier this week.

Robert Lee thinks that the addition of Shaq to the Cavs might change the Celtics offseason plans. Bulpett has Rivers viewing all the trades made in the East yesterday as no big deal.

Murphy’s notebook has a look at Hudson, who impressed Ainge with his scoring ability. Frank Dell’Apa’s notebook has more on Hudson, who had a long, hard road to last night.

Bruins

Kevin Paul Dupont ponders what Phil Kessel might be worth in a trade. Steve Conroy says that there might be a lot of moves made tonight, but don’t count on the Bruins being big players. Bud Barth thinks that it is possible that Kessel might get dealt. Mike Loftus has the Bruins taking a little different approach to the draft this year.

Joseph Gravellese wonders if there is anyone in this draft who can make the Bruins better. Dupont’s notebook has the Bruins looking to move up in the draft. Conroy looks at who could be on the Bruins radar at No. 25.

Misc

Michael Felger attacks Celtics fans in his mailbag.

Mike Reiss has Matt Light participating in the NFL’s third-annual Broadcast Boot Camp.

Announcement

Finally this morning, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Ken Fang to BSMW. You know Ken from the Friday megalinks, which will still be published here on the front page each week, but in between Ken is going to writing at the new BSMW Fang’s Bites blog each day.

If you’re familiar with Ken’s blog, you know he tirelessly posts at all hours about all things. This blog will be focused solely on sports media, with a regional emphasis of here in New England. Each day he’s going to bring us sports media links and news, and will provide commentary and analysis of the local sports media. I think he’s going to be a terrific addition to the site. His blog is still a work-in-progress design-wise, but we’re getting there. The focus is on the content for now. Welcome, Ken!

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Ken from Fang’s Bites doing the Friday megalinks well into the late night.

As usual, we have the Weekend Viewing Picks for you.

The U.S. Open has been pushed back a day and possibly more with some rainy weather expected in New York this weekend. NBC has announced it will start its Saturday coverage of the second and possibly third round at 10 a.m., four hours before it was originally scheduled to come on the air. Should the weather cooperate and the final round is played as scheduled on Sunday, coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. WHDH and WJAR will air what NBC produces throughout the weekend and possibly beyond.

Interleague baseball continues this weekend. NESN has the Braves/Red Sox, Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 pm. Fox’s Saturday matchups include Tampa Bay at the Mets. MLB Network has the Civil Rights Game in Cincinnati. Check out what your national baseball games are in the “Baseball This Weekend” post.

NASCAR heads to Sonoma, CA this Sunday and TNT has the race at 5 p.m.

The IndyCar series is on ABC, Sunday at 1 and the Formula 1 circuit, most likely on its last legs, is in the UK for the British Grand Prix. Fox has same day coverage starting at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Soccer fans have the Confederations Cup with the US taking on Egypt on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

And for fans of Ninja Warrior, there’s the weekend marathon taking place all weekend on G4 leading up to the new Sasuke 22 competition that airs Sunday night starting at 6:30 preceeded by the American Ninja Challenge at 5:30.

The Weekend Viewing Picks have everything in sports and primetime you need to see.

National

Starting with USA Today’s Michael Hiestand, he looks at a new ESPN2 show to be co-hosted by ESPN Radio no-talent hack Colin Cowherd.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell is surprised that golfer Vijay Singh is still wearing the logo of embattled Stanford Financial Group despite its CEO being indicted on Federal fraud charges.

Darren has an interview with Tiger Woods’ agent.

Joe Favorito likes the move to set up a new office for Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport.

Leo Baraclough of Variety says the English Premier League has terminated its relationship with Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a deadline to pay part of its rights fee. ESPN is now the frontrunner to pick up Setanta’s 23 game package that begins next season.

Marc Graser of Variety says the WWE punked the media with a fake press release saying Donald Trump purchased “Monday Night Raw”.

Claire Atkinson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Tennis Channel is gearing up to air Wimbledon starting on Monday.

The Sports Media Watch looks at the ratings for the PGA Tour this year to date. The SMW says the ACC Football Championship Game heads to primetime, but will be on ESPN after spending its first four years on ABC. The SMW has some various news and notes. SMW also has news on various sports personalities.

The Big Lead interviewed ESPN SportsCenter anchor Josh Elliott.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has some suggestions on how to improve the NHL Awards Show.

Chris Byrne of Eye on Sports Media wonders why NBC Sports used baseball lingo to promote the U.S. Open. Chris notes that there’s the same small group of volunteers who help the media at the U.S. Open every year.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe looks at Matt Millen’s two NFL broadcasting gigs this upcoming season.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette hears from the NBC golf crew about the U.S. Open.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says there was little for ESPN and NBC to do when the rains started falling at the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Newsday’s Neil Best says NBC is set to start its U.S. Open coverage early on Saturday morning. Neil namedrops from his day at Bethpage Black. Neil says a scheduled Friday appearance by Sid Rosenberg on WFAN was nixed at the last moment.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News is amazed at how Mets manager Jerry Manuel manipulates the media.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post weighs in on the Joe Buck Live/Artie Lange controversy.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says the U.S. Open provides plenty of intrigue for the viewer.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette writes that a local New York-Penn League team will have its games webcast on the internet this season.

Laura Nachman says a popular Philly sports anchor, Gary Papa, passed away on Friday. Laura has a statement from the Papa’s former TV station. And Laura links to some clips that paid tribute to Papa.

Michael Klein of the Philadelphia Inquirer also writes about Papa’s death.

The 700 Level blog also pays tribute to Papa.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes about NBC starting its U.S. Open coverage some four hours earlier than planned on Saturday.

South

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle talks with ESPN/ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy about his experience calling the NBA Finals with his brother on the sidelines.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram doesn’t feel this year’s U.S. Open and Wimbledon tournaments will be as dramatic as last year’s.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News unveils the identity of the mysterious quarterback in 4th and Long.

James Corley of The Oklahoman writes that ESPN will showcase former OU Sooner standout Blake Griffin during the NBA Draft.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Fox Sports Ohio plans limited commercial interruptions for the Civil Rights Game on Saturday.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press says HBO generated the wrong type of buzz for Joe Buck Live.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley talks with author Curt Smith about his new biography about Dodgers voice Vin Scully.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business lists his winners and losers of the week. Ed also sets the record straight about who broke the story about the now-defunct Windy City internet sports radio station.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Judd Zulgad says TV is the most likely step for former Timberwolves General Manger Kevin McHale.

Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that rain will make for interesting viewing at the U.S. Open this weekend.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dan Caesar says Joe Buck might have taken hits for a bad show and the Artie Lange controversy, but his show did pull viewers for HBO.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret Morning News says the only ways to catch the Salt Lake Bees are on the radio or the internet.

Jay Posner from the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that long-time local personality Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton returns to the area airwaves for a week.

John Maffei of the North County Times says rain or shine, the U.S. Open will go on.

Diane Pucin from the Los Angeles Times also writes about the waterlogged U.S. Open that’s wreaking havoc with ESPN and NBC.

Austin Knoblauch of the Times feels the NHL shot and missed by holding its Awards show in Las Vegas.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says rain makes for a difficult telecast at the U.S. Open. Tom has his usual news and notes. Tom looks at the week in sports blogging.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail says NBC’s Johnny Miller is honest to a fault.

And we’re done.

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Check RedSoxLinks.com for all the coverage of last night’s  11-6 marathon Red Sox victory over the World Champion Phillies.

—————

Ken from Fang’s Bites back with Part II of the megalinks.

National

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says vacating games is just plain silly.

The Eye on Sports Media’s Chris Byrne wonders if the NCAA is making the right decision if it rules to eliminate printed sports guides.

Joe Favorito says NASCAR making a media stop in New York is a good move for the sport.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media plays “One of These Things Is Not Like The Other”.

Stuart Levine of Variety says the NBA Finals propelled ABC to a ratings win in both primetime and late night.

Keith Thibeault of the Sports Media Journal laments no real internet access from Blogs with Balls.

The Nielsen ratings Wire blog tells us that a Game 7 is an automatic ratings winner no matter the sport.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette talks about the Rose Bowl moving to ESPN in 2011.

The Washington Examiner’s Jim Williams says Mets-Yankees headlines the national baseball broadcasts.

Jim notices that Sirius XM radio will have international events like the 24 Hours of LeMans and cricket this weekend.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has some suggestions for ESPN.

Ray Buck from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Joe Buck will get to show his comedic touch on HBO.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News looks at MLB Network’s new reality series premiering this weekend.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that today’s digital conversion will help the MLS’ Dynamo.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says the long streak of Texas Rangers voice Eric Nadel came to an end earlier this month. Mel also has his news and notes.

Midwest

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Joe Buck doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel for his new HBO show.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business lists his winners and losers in sports business and media this week.

Ed says the Chicago internet sports station is in trouble.

Carol Slezak of the Chicago Sun-Times hopes Frank Thomas’ return to the Windy City as a broadcaster means some healing for him and the White Sox.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin says Game 7 is what sports are all about.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says local resident Joe Buck is ready to go on HBO.

West

Jay Posner in the San Diego Union-Tribune says Padres fans will be able to watch the team’s road games on the big screen at Petco Park.

John Maffei of the North County Times feels the new MLB Network reality series might be Must See TV.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star reviews Curt Smith’s book on Vin Scully.

Jim looks at Joe Buck’s new HBO show.

Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times writes about the Rose Bowl moving to ESPN in 2011.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with ESPN/ABC’s Mark Jackson about what this next move will be. Tom has more with Mark in his blog. Tom has his usual extensive media notes. Tom reviews the week in blogging.

The San Jose Mercury News’ John Ryan says the Oakland A’s are adjusting to a new TV home.

Canada

John Doyle of the Toronto Globe and Mail says the financial problems with the UK’s Setanta Sports could affect the Canadian version of the channel.

And we’re done. Have a good weekend.

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Ken from Fang’s Bites. Let’s get to the Friday megalinks.

As usual, let’s do the Weekend Viewing Picks.

The last two World Series Champions meet in Philadelphia as the Red Sox take on the Phillies in Interleague play. NESN has all three games starting tonight at 7.

In other baseball action, Fox has three games on Saturday at 4 p.m. including Mets-Yankees. ESPN has Cleveland hosting St. Louis Sunday night at 8 and TBS also has Mets-Yankees on Sunday afternoon. For the Fox and ESPN schedules, click here. WGN will have the Cubs hosting Minnesota, Sunday at 2.

The NHL Stanley Cup Finals will conclude tonight with Game 7 of Pittsburgh and Detroit at the Joe. 7NBC and NBC10 will have coverage starting at 8. NHL Network has a pregame at 6.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals is on Sunday at 8. WCVB, WMUR and ABC6 have the game from Orlando as the Lakers try to close out the Magic.

ESPN and ESPN2 have extensive and exclusive coverage of the College World Series this weekend from Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE. Four games over the weekend will be played starting Saturday at 2 on ESPN.

For NASCAR, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Michigan for the LifeLock 400. TNT has that Sunday at 2 p.m.

Golf is busy as well. Golf Channel and CBS combine for weekend coverage of the St. Jude Classic.

Golf Channel also has the LPGA Championship, the second major on the tour, Saturday and Sunday at 4.

Soccer fans will be particularly interested in the Confederations Cup which will be hosted by South Africa, the site of the 2010 World Cup. Two games kick off the event on Sunday, host South Africa vs. Iraq and New Zealand vs. Spain.

Mixed Martial Arts fans have UFC 99 to watch this Saturday on PPV at 3 p.m.

There’s certainly alot to choose from if you’re doing some online sports betting this weekend.

Check out the entire Weekend Viewing Picks here.

To the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand talks with Fox Sports’ NFL insder Jay Glazer about his love for mixed martial arts.

The Game On! blog from USA Today looks at the Rose Bowl moving from ABC to ESPN starting in 2011.

Ray Frager of the Sports Media Journal says a three man booth at the NBA Finals is too much.

The Sports Media Watch wonders how high can the ratings for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals reach? SMW says Game 4 of the NBA Finals did well in the overnight ratings last night.

Jon Weisman of Variety says ABC has set the lineup for the new edition of The Superstars which premieres later this month.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine writes ABC scored in the ratings with the NBA Finals on Thursday.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes that after a slow start, NESN’s ratings for Red Sox baseball are rising to their normal high levels.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Bill Doyle says NESN’s Don Orsillo has had to deal with an ever-changing analyst lineup due to Jerry Remy’s absence.

Newsday’s Neil Best gives his impressions of today’s WFAN morning show simulcast on SNY. Neil says WFAN made some personnel moves for football season. Neil talks about Showtime making famed MMA fighter Gina Carano a headliner for its upcoming Strikeforce card. Neil also talks with Joe Buck about his upcoming HBO show.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News writes that even the Mets and Yankees announcers are getting involved in the Subway City rivalry.

A week’s vacation has not softened Phil Mushnick’s hate in the New York Post today.

The Post’s Justin Terranova has five questions for ESPN’s Andy North about next weekend’s U.S. Open.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks to the person behind a local sports talk show.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette has some baseball TV news and notes.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner says the LPGA Championship’s new home will be the perfect place to hold that event starting next year.

Jim looks forward to watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight.

I’ll have the rest of the Megalinks tonight.

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Ken from Fang’s Bites back with your megalinks following a week’s absence due to my office move last week.

For the Weekend Viewing Picks, there is a lot to choose from.

The Red Sox hope to rebound after Friday’s loss to the Rangers. NESN has the rest of the weekend series, Saturday night at 7 and Sunday afternoon at 1:30.

The NHL Stanley Cup Finals are well underway. With Pittsburgh and Detroit tied at 2 games apiece, NBC could not be happier to see at least a six game series. 7NBC and NBC 10 have Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena this Saturday night at 8.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals is on Sunday night. ESPN/ABC officials hope Game 2 will be much closer than the Lakers blowout of the Orlando Magic on Thursday. Gametime is 8 p.m. on WCVB, WMUR and ABC6.

It’s championship weekend for the French Open. The women’s final is an all-Russian affair between Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova. WHDH and WJAR have it Saturday morning at 9. Then the men’s final pits Roger Federer seeking a career Grand Slam against Robin Soderling, Sunday morning at 9.

Jockey Calvin Borel goes for a personal Triple Crown this Saturday in the Belmont Stakes. Borel will be back on Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird as Preakness Stakes champ Rachel Alexandra did not enter the mile and a half race. WCVB, WMUR and ABC6 have the race starting at 5:30 p.m

Back to baseball, Fox will have three games with Philadelphia at the Dodgers being the featured broadcast in New England, Fox 25 and Fox 64 will carry that game. WGN has a double dose of Cubs-Reds this weekend. And the Sunday night ESPN game is Phillies-Dodgers at 8 p.m.

TNT has the first of six NASCAR races starting on Sunday afternoon with the Pocono 500 at 2.

Fox 25 and Fox 64 have same day coverage of the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The PGA Tour is in Ohio for the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. Golf Channel and CBS combine for coverage for the weekend.

For more Weekend Viewing Picks as well as primetime selections, head over here.

Now to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes that ESPN/ABC hopes jockey Calvin Borel will steer the network to some good ratings.

But CNBC’s Darren Rovell feels Borel did horse racing a disservice by not riding Mine That Bird in the Preakness. And Darren has an exclusive interview with the man who motivated Michael Jordan, the one and only Leroy Smith.

Keith Thibeault of the Sports Media Journal hears from ESPN as to why it opened up a West Coast SportsCenter.

Chris Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media says ESPN won two Gracie Awards this week.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball feels it’s just a matter of time before baseball uniforms have advertising patches.

Jon Weisman of Variety says Game 1 of the NBA Finals gave ABC a primetime ratings win on Thursday.

Glen Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that TiVo is teaming up with the NBA to help promote the Finals.

Multichannel News’ Mike Reynolds says the WNBA’s New York Liberty will put 18 games online.

Mike writes that the Comcast Sports Group will air four Women’s Professional Soccer games on its regional sports networks.

And Mike tells us that the Yankees steered YES to its highest rated start for baseball on any New York regional sports network.

The Sports Media Watch says ratings for Game 1 of the NBA Finals were way down from last year. And Paulsen writes that Fox suffered through its lowest rated NASCAR season ever.

Joseph Tartakoff of paidContent.org writes that ESPN the Magazine will start charging for its online content.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail breaks news that the NHL and NBC Sports are close to a two year extension of their current rights deal.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says NBC and CTV have won approval to have Pierre McGuire on ice level for hockey games during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Bruce Constantineau of the Vancouver Sun says NBC is getting ready and negotiating for broadcast sites at the Olympics.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes that TNT’s Charles Barkley courted trouble once again during the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Thomas Grillo of the Boston Herald says the Celtics want to put their games online for free next season.

Craig M. Douglas of the Boston Business Journal says NESN’s Red Sox ratings are off 14% from last year.

Bill Doyle in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette says Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has an ally with his brother Jeff courtside working for ABC.

Sox & Dawgs has the video of the NESN Dance Party plus Jim Rice’s Line of the Night.

Frank Juliano of the Connecticut Post tells us that Dan Patrick will get his own Man Cave thanks to DIY Network.

Jeff Z. Klein of the New York Times says NBC has put the kybosh on having Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals seen on a big screen outside the Igloo as has been the case throughout the NHL Playoffs.

Richard Sandomir of the Times writes about Pierre McGuire working for NBC and CTV inside the glass during the 2010 Olympics.

Richard also explains why both men’s semifinals at the French Open were not shown live on Friday.

Newsday’s Neil Best says NBC is getting ready for the U.S. Open at the Bethpage Black course in two weeks. Neil gets some impressions from NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol regarding Tiger Woods. Neil adds that NBC’s Dan Hicks played the Bethpage Black course recently. Neil mentions that WFAN’s Boomer and Carton show will be aired live from the SNY studios next week. Neil adds that NBC Sports tried to switch French Open semifinals on Friday.

Newsday’s Trading Paint blog reports that ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jaime Little will be a judge on Iron Chef America on Food Network this Sunday.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News takes the opportunity to rip Yankees voice John Sterling.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union feels ESPN/ABC should have removed Jeff Van Gundy from the NBA Finals to avoid a conflict of interest with his brother Stan.

Laura Nachman says the Phillies had to do some shuffling in the radio booth this week. Laura also looks at how Fox 29 is handling sports.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Tmes goes into a lengthy explanation as to why NBC could not show the Roger Federer-Juan Martin Del Potro match at the French Open on Friday.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald likes MLB Network over NFL Network and NBA TV.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes about a former sports talk show host making do calling high school baseball games.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says Texas Rangers voice Eric Nadel may be back in the booth as early as Monday after having retina surgery.

Midwest

Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News talks with NBC NHL voice Mike Emrick.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes about the overhaul at NBC’s Football Night in America.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has this week’s winners and losers in sports business and media.

Ted Cox from the Chicago Daily Herald writes about a local sports talk show host returning to his roots. Ted also writes about some shuffling at one particular sports station.

Bob Foltman of the Chicago Tribune looks at why NBC didn’t air the Roger Federer semifinal at the French Open.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin says new NBC NFL analyst Tony Dungy is not sold on the Bears.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Dan Caesar says NHL fans do not have a national outlet to listen to the Stanley Cup Finals.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret Morning News goes after Comcast SportsNet for its production of the San Jose-RSL MLS game.

Jay Posner from the San Diego Union-Tribune enjoys Jeff Van Gundy’s commentary.

Jay adds that a La Jolla native will produce NFL Network games this season.

John Maffei of the North County Times takes a look at the new Football Night in America cast.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says ESPN/ABC is not hiding Jeff Van Gundy’s ties to Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy.

Jim also looks at the new Football Night in America on NBC.

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times writes that NBC gambled and lost on the French Open men’s semifinals.

Diane says NBA Entertainment is always looking for the inside story of the NBA Finals.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Lakers fans have several choices for postgame shows following the NBA Finals.

Tom reviews how Jeff Van Gundy did in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Tom has more on the ESPN on ABC production as well as other media notes in his blog. Tom has a few more notes.

The San Jose Mercury News’ John Ryan wonders if Jeff Van Gundy can step up and criticize his brother.

Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times writes that FSN Northwest will air five games of the WNBA’s Storm.

And that’s going to do it for the megalinks. Nice to have them back after a week’s absence.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Ken from Fang’s Bites with the megalinks again.

Well, with this being Memorial Day weekend, we have plenty of stuff going on. The start of interleague play this weekend and the NBA and NHL Playoffs are in their Conference Finals plus the French Open begins on Sunday and motorsports fans have plenty to watch with the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Let’s go over everything.

Weekend Viewing Picks

The Red Sox hope to rebound from Friday’s loss to the Mets and hope to even the series on Saturday on NESN at 7. On Sunday, they’ll play at 1:30. We’ll see if NESN decides to discipline Dennis Eckersley for cursing not once, but twice tonight.

In other Interleague play this weekend, Fox has two games, Phillies-Yankees and the Battle of Lone Star State, Texas at Houston, both of 4 p.m. I have the regional splits right here. WGN will have the White Sox hosting Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. Saturday, then the Cubs at San Diego at 4 p.m. Sunday. And ESPN’s Sunday night game pits Milwaukee at Minnesota.

The NCAA men’s Division I Lacrosse Championships take place in Foxboro. ESPN2 has the semifinals on Saturday at noon and 2. The Final will be played on Memorial Day on ESPN at 1 p.m.

The second tennis Grand Slam tournament begins on Sunday as the French Open starts at Roland Garros. Tennis Channel is the main cable rightsholder and will have live action every morning at 5. ESPN2 will join in most days at noon with some live coverage and mostly taped matches. NBC will have weekend coverage, but before the Peacock network gets involved, Tennis Channel and ESPN2 will carry the majority of the action.

The Eastern and Western Conference Finals in both the NBA and NHL will be showcased this weekend.

In the NHL, Game 3 of the Pittsburgh-Carolina series will be seen on Versus, Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. 7NBC and NBC 10 have Game 4 of the Detroit-Chicago series, Sunday at 3.

Over to the NBA where WCVB and ABC 6 have Game 3 of Lakers-Nuggets Saturday night at 8. Then on Sunday, TNT has Game 3 of Cavs-Magic at 8:30 p.m.

It’s a big motorsports Sunday as the Grand Prix of Monaco is run on the Formula 1 circuit on Speed at 7:30 a.m. The Indianapolis 500 runs on ABC at 1 p.m. Then at 5 p.m., Fox has the Coca-Cola 600 live from Charlotte.

There’s also college lacrosse, college softball and we’re fast approaching the College World Series.

I have the Weekend Viewing Picks complete with primetime programming as well.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today has some suggestions on who should fill the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football analyst spot.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell feels IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter’s MonaVie endorsement is a rather risky one.

Joe Favorito says not every athlete should feel he or she should have to be on Twitter.

The Sports Media Journal’s Ray Frager has some thoughts on ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd.

The Sports Media Watch says TNT saw some monster ratings for Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. SMW says the NHL is also seeing solid ratings for its Conference Finals.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes that Lance Armstrong fans can keep up with their favorite cyclist in the Giro d’Italia on TV or online through Universal Sports.

Mike reports that ESPN has reached a cable syndication deal with Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast for SEC sports.

David Goetzl of Mediapost writes that ESPN will take over YouTube’s home page to promote the NBA Finals.

Jay Busbee of Yahoo! Sports goes behind the scenes of a TNT NASCAR promotional shoot.

Paula Duffy of Examiner.com writes that Cavs fans without cable or satellite won’t be able to watch their team in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Awful Announcing has NFL Network’s Rich Eisen commenting on the Dan Patrick Show that he was expecting Jon Gruden to be on his channel instead of making the surprise move to Monday Night Football.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes about Gruden moving into the Monday Night Football booth.

Johnny Diaz of the Globe says the Bruins and Celtics playoffs runs affected the May sweeps in Boston.

Red Sox fans heard NESN’s Dennis Eckersley curse twice during tonight’s game against the Mets.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette profiles new minor league Tornadoes voice Pete Sachs.

Newsday’s Neil Best says Alex Rodriguez is finally learning how to deal with the media. Neil says the new Citi Field looked pretty on “Ugly Betty”.

Bobby Cassidy, Jr. of Newsday talks with ESPN/ABC Indy 500 pit reporter Brienne Pedigo.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News writes about more incidents involving the Yankee Stadium Gestapo.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post praises MLB Walking, Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig for scheduling World Series games a half hour earlier.

Justin Terranova of the Post talks with ESPN/ABC motorsports analyst Scott Goodyear about the Indy 500. Justin has five questions for ESPN MLB analyst Steve Phillips.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com has some Baltimore and DC-related media notes in the Baltimore-centric Press Box website.

A couple of articles from Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner. Jim writes that gearheads have a big day on Sunday. Jim talks about Sirius XM radio having a big sports smorgasbord for the Holiday Weekend. Jim also talks with a Delaware gaming official about the state’s new law which allows sports gambling.

South

Kyle Tucker of The Virginian-Pilot writes that Virginia Tech and Alabama will kick off the college football season on ABC in primetime.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says two members of the Texas Rangers will be featured on a Fox Sports Southwest original program.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News looks at the debate over the greatest Cowboys player of all time. Barry says the NBA Playoffs are ruling the cable roost.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Astros voice Milo Hamilton caught a lineup card error before most everyone else did.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman writes about a documentary on the late Wayman Tisdale. Mel has his usual media notebook.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press writes that Red Wings fans would rather have TV voice Ken Daniels call their games in the Western Conference Finals.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says ESPN’s John Kruk is taking notice of the Brewers.

Ed Sherman from Crain’s Chicago Business says Chicago’s WSCR is holding open auditions to find a new reporter.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if a popular local sports radio show will be leaving its current home.

West

Scott D. Pierce from the Deseret (UT) says Versus bidding on the NFL is a distinct possibility.

Bob Young in the Arizona Republic feels NBC’s Sunday Night Football outshines ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner talks with ESPN/ABC’s Bill Walton who is missing the entire NBA Playoffs after undergoing back surgery.

John Maffei of the North County Times says San Diego sports radio legend Lee Hamilton will be calling NFL games on national radio.

Jim Carlisle from the Ventura County Star says this was a busy week for the NFL’s TV partners. Jim looks at ABC’s long history with the Indianapolis 500.

Mike Penner of the Los Angeles Times writes that ESPN/ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy still holds steadfast to a Cavs-Lakers NBA Final.

Jon Weisman of the Times wonders why Dodgers fans are angry over Jeanne Zelasko’s internet webcasts.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News profiles ESPN/ABC’s Doris Burke of Providence who’s doubling as NBA analyst and sideline reporter. Tom has more with Doris in his blog. Tom has a slimmed down version of his media notes. Tom reviews his week in blogging.

Tamara Chuang of the Orange County Register says Tennis Channel will be offered free on selected cable and satellite providers in time for the French Open.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News looks at Jeanne Zelasko calling selected Dodgers home games on the internet.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says prospective Phoenix Coyotes owner Jim Balsillie is using new media in his attempts to buy the team.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star blogs that the Maple Leafs will have a major say whether Balsillie intrudes on their TV territory.

CBC Sports says the NHL has announced the start dates for the Stanley Cup Finals.

Rick Owen of the Northern Times says a local town is a finalist to host CBC’s Hockey Day in Canada next year.

TSN will have plenty of coverage of the French Open starting on Sunday.

That will do it. Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Ken from Fang’s Bites giving you the Friday megalinks.

The viewing highlights this weekend: Game 7 of the Celtics-Magic series on TNT Sunday night at 8. The Red Sox taking on Seattle tonight at 10 and tomorrow at 4 on NESN. And the Preakness Stakes today on 7NBC and NBC10 starting at 4.

Find the Weekend Viewing Picks here.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes about former Yankees pitcher David Wells moving to the TBS announcing booth.

John Paul Newport of the Wall Street Journal writes that former ABC Sports golf analyst Bob Rosburg died Thursday.

Matt Foran of the Nielsen ratings wire blog says internet buzz for Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez spiked as news of their steroids use broke.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell looks at one of the contestants for this year’s World’s Strongest Man.

Joe Favorito looks inside the Miami Dolphins’ Land Shark deal to rename its stadium.

Steve Lepore of Puck the Media says Versus nabbed over a million viewers for Game 7 of the Penguins-Capitals series. Steve says Versus has set its announcing teams for the NHL Conference Finals. And NHL fashionista Wrap Around Curl hopes the league will not follow MLB and market pink hats.

The Sports Media Watch writes that advertisers may have jumped the gun on hyping LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the NBA Finals. SMW notes the excellent ratings for the NHL regionally, but not nationally. And Paulsen says that the NBA’s ratings on network TV have eroded thanks to all of the games on cable.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable reports that an FCC judge is ready to hear the case between MASN vs. Comcast on Monday.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Thursday’s Game 6 of the Lakers-Rockets series set a basketball ratings record for ESPN.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel writes that MLB has been granted a patent on setting internet blackouts for its MLB.TV service.

Dave Kohl of the Major League Programs blog looks at the latest sports-related lawsuit.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says the Boston sports fan has been quite busy with the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox all playing simultaneously at times.

Newsday’s’ Neil Best talks with Sirius XM’s Chris Russo about life without former WFAN partner Mike Francesa. Neil adds his thoughts on Russo’s satellite radio show. Neil also looks at the new Spike TV reality show hosted by former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin on those hoping to get a team roster spot. Neil writes that Irvin used a premiere party for the show as a fundraiser for the Cowboys scouting assistant who was paralyzed when the team’s practice bubble collapsed. Neil has a bit more on the reality show. Neil marks an important date in the history of sports television.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News feels the New York Yankees need a refresher course in public relations as they’ve failed at it in recent weeks.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick lectures us on cheating. Just what we need.

Justin Terranova of the Post talks with NBC’s Donna Brothers about the Preakness Stakes. Justin has five questions for SNY Mets voice Gary Cohen.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union feels ABC is rooting for the Lakers to make it to the NBA Finals. Pete writes that a 50-1 shot winner in the Kentucky Derby is certainly bringining in some compelling storylines for the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette says the NHL Network will pick up Canada’s Memorial Cup tournament for Junior Hockey. Ken is tired of listening to the Yankees’ John Sterling.

UPDATE: 5/16/09, 12:15 p.m. – Well, I fell asleep trying to do the megalinks around 1 a.m. and listening to the Red Sox lose to Seattle. Well, picking up where I left off, I’ll add Saturday links here as well.

Back to Ken Schott, he reviews Spike Lee’s documentary on Kobe Bryant and actually likes it.

Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News feels the Kobe doc is a mixed bag.

Ray Frager of Sports Media Journal has some news and notes.

To Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner. He says Kobe Bryant’s documentary and the NBA’s Games 7 will be part of a busy viewing weekend. And Jim previews the Preakness Stakes with NBC’s Gary Stevens.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald enjoys Jeff Van Gundy on ESPN’s NBA broadcasts.

David Martindale of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram looks at the Kobe Bryant documentary.

Ray Buck of the Star-Telegram gave Dallas Mavericks TV analyst Derek Harper a chance to chime in on the Mavs loss to the Denver Nuggets.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that a long time sports radio executive has left his station.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News reviews Spike TV’s reality show, 4th and Long. Barry looks at the various radio spots 4th and Long host Michael Irvin did across the country. Barry also tries to predict the finalists of 4th and Long.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman also looks at 4th and Long. And Mel has his usual media notebook.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press looks at the next generation of TV analysts.

Bob Wolfley from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says tonight’s ESPN doc on Kobe Bryant will show an insider’s look at the egomaniac.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says Chicago-Detroit will get top billing in NBC’s NHL coverage. Ed also talks with Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz about his decision to televise home games full-time.

Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald says the NHL Western Conference Finals will be difficult to find as Versus will air as many as five games in the series.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Dan Caesar urges the Rams to put ex-coach Jim Hanifan back in their radio booth. Dan notes other changes in the Rams radio broadcasts for this upcoming season.

West

Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic talks with Diamondbacks radio analyst Tom Candiotti.

Jay Posner from the San Diego Union-Tribune talks with a long-time sports radio executive about a local station that’s getting a makeover.

John Maffei from the North County writes that the Mountain West’s conference baseball tournament will get some extra attention on TV and across the country next week.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star has a look at the Kobe Bryant documentary. Jim says former MLB on Fox pregame host Jeanne Zelasko will be calling Dodgers games on the internet.

Tom Hoffarth from the Los Angeles Daily News reviews the Kobe doc. Tom has more on the documentary in his extensive media notes. Tom looks back at the week in blogging and other media. Tom writes that it did not take long for the Dodgers to take Manny Ramirez’s mug off its billboards all over LA.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News looks at the Pac 10’s TV contract.

John Ryan of the Mercury News says despite the flap over his recent article in D magazine, David Feherty will be working at the Texas Open for CBS this weekend.

And that concludes the megalinks. Enjoy your weekend.

Popularity: 9% [?]