Jim Williams Media Insider

NASCAR Contenders Live a fan favorite

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:46:00 +0000

Back by popular demand, NASCAR Contenders Live, which will be sponsored by Toyota and Sprint will make its return to Chicago on September 12 for the second-consecutive year, just days before the first race of the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ at Chicagoland Speedway.

It is an outstanding event and just another way that NASCAR keeps giving back to their fans.

The event kicks off the start of the most intense and competitive stretch of the NASCAR season, NASCAR Contenders Live features all 12 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers interacting on stage, providing fans an insider’s look at how the competitors plan to claim the ultimate prize: a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

As you might expect this is a very hot ticket.

The event, which was sold out last year, will take place at the Grand Ballroom at Chicago’s famed Navy Pier from1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT. Fans can buy tickets beginning July 19 by visiting www.NASCAR.com/contenderslive.

NASCAR President Mike Helton will also be making his return to NASCAR Contenders Live, offering fans the rare opportunity to ask questions of him in an open forum, prior to the drivers taking the stage.

Additionally, Official NASCAR Partner Sprint will be supporting NASCAR Contenders Live by having Miss Sprint Cup at the event interacting with NASCAR fans and drivers.

“In collaboration with Toyota, a long standing Official NASCAR Partner, NASCAR Contenders Live was a rousing success with our fans last year,” said Norris Scott, NASCAR vice president of partnership marketing. “The event is unique because it showcases the competitive nature of the top stars in our sport and their passion to be a champion.”

In addition to attending the event, fans can enter the NASCAR Contenders Live Sweepstakes for the chance to win a number of compelling prizes at www.NASCAR.com/contenderslive. One grand prize winner will take home a 2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited, which is newly redesigned for 2014; two tickets to NASCAR Contenders Live; two tickets and VIP passes to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15; and $500 travel cash.

Other prizes include: a 2013 NASCAR Contenders Live full-size helmet autographed by the 12 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers; five Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab® 2’s; four SiriusXM Satellite Radios; and four $50 SiriusXM Satellite Radio gift cards.

“We are pleased to partner with NASCAR on the fan favorite NASCAR Contenders Live event taking place onSeptember 12 for the second year in a row in the Windy City,” said Keith Dahl Toyota National Manager of Motorsports and Engagement Marketing. “NASCAR Contenders Live gives Toyota a grand stage on which to connect with the fiercely loyal NASCAR fan base.”

Sports Talk Radio:Dan Sileo Back and Better than Ever in Miami

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 21:12:00 +0000

He is back Miami, the former Miami Hurricane and popular sports talk show host Dan Sileo, has returned to the airwaves. He will talk all about the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Hurricanes, Panthers and whatever else he feel like.

One of the countries top sports talk radio hosts, Sileo has returned to the airwaves in Ft. Lauderdale- Miami. His new show can be head weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WMEN-AM 640. Sileo has recently been head on KLAA in Los Angeles and in Boston on NBC Sports Radio 1510 serving as a fill in host.

For Sileo, he has learned over the past couple of years that his sense of humor and his wit have become his new tools of choice. He knows now that his rants, while entertaining, were not really the best way to express his point of view. In taking to Sileo recently he discussed how his new style played well in both Los Angeles in Boston and now he hopes it will serve him well on his return to the Ft. Lauderdale-Miami market.

JW: What have learned about yourself since leaving Tampa and then Miami amid controversy?

Sileo:”I have learned that I don’t have to go overboard to prove a point. I was the one of the top morning drive men in the country while at WDAE in Tampa. I loved the listeners and the station, but I also enjoyed pushing things as far as I could as a broadcaster and I did the same at WQAM in Miami. In both cases I was loved by the listeners but put management in a hard place. I have written about what I have learned about myself in Talkers Magazine and said it many times in interviews. I let my passion and my zeal to get my point of view across get in the way of who I am most importantly as person and then as a broadcaster.”

JW: What have come away with in your fill in stints in Los Angeles and Boston?

Sileo: That guys like Dan Patrick, Jay Mohr and Jon Stewart have it figured out. I have always had a great sense of humor and what I have learned from being on the air at KLAA and NBC Sports Radio 1510 in Boston, is that adding satire to my broadcasting style has worked very well for me. The audience’s in both LA and Boston have enjoyed the new way that I have used to get my point across. We have developed a very cool connection, they get it and it clearly is a fun and hip way of taking on the issues of the day in sports.”

JW: So the rants are gone?

Sileo: Rants are like white noise, no one one wants to hear them. They want a host that is smart, has a point of view and can use humor and their years of covering sports to make their point. Look, I have been lucky to have worked at some of this countries best radio stations, I have always had a loyal and strong following and now in Ft. Lauderdale – Miami I am still going to go after people inside and out of sports that I feel are trying to dupe the fans. However, it will be more in the style of Jon Stewart and less in the ranting version.”

Simon Pagenaud takes on the super teams and wins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:12:00 +0000

Sunday at 3 p.m. ET it will be the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. The race airs on NBC Sports Network, with the radio on the IMS Radio network and Sirius XM Channel 211.

A quick look at the current IndyCar standing’s shows that the top four spots are being held down by Helio Castroneves in the No.3 Chevy of Team Penske, Scott Dixon in the No.9 Honda of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the Chevy powered Andretti Autosport duo of defending IndyCar Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No.1 car and his teammate Marco Andretti driving the No.25 car.

Simon Pagenaud rounds out the top five in the chase for the IndyCar Championship, driving the cool blue No. 77 Honda for Schmidt-Hamilton HP Motorsports. Pagenaud has proven that you don’t have to be driving for a super team to compete for a title.

This week at Mid – Ohio the Frenchman, who now calls Indianapolis home, sees a golden chance to win another race this season. In testing last week at the race course not far from Columbus, it was Pagenaud who posted the second fastest time right behind Hunter-Reay.

I spoke to Pagenaud about this week’s big race at Mid-Ohio and how his team has been able to compete with the big boys.

JW: Talk about Mid-Ohio

Pagenaud: It is like a European race course. I must say that it is one my favorite stops on the IndyCar series. It is a challenging course but very fair, I like that there are hills and good straight-a-ways. It really does make me home sick because there are a number of courses like Mid-Ohio, in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

JW: What is the key to winning at Mid-Ohio?

Pagenaud: it really starts in qualifying at a race course like Mid-Ohio. While it is not totally a must, but to me it is key is being in one of the first eight on the starting grid. This is not a place where you want to come from the back of the field in hopes of winning.

JW: How do you explain your success this season?

Pagenaud: Well the team at Schmidt- Hamilton HP Motorsports has given me a great car to drive. My crew is fantastic and as a driver I have grown and I feel that this is one of my best years driving in the IndyCar series. We won at Detroit and we hope to keep building on that victory starting this week at Mid-Ohio.

Take a trip around Mid-Ohio.

<br/>

NBC announces its Engliship Premier League Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:46:00 +0000

This is the start of something big as the NBC Sports Group starts year one of a new three year $250 million dollar deal with the Premier League. NBC Sports Group said it has secured carriage for its Premier League Extra Time coverage with AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish and Suddenlink. As of yet a deal has not been completed with Time Warner.

Relative to streaming service, NBC Sports Live Extra, the aforementioned providers, as well as Cox and Verizon FiOS, will make all Premier League games available to their authenticated subscriber bases.

We are less than a month away from the start of NBC Sports Group today released its television schedule for that time period featuring live coverage of all 130 matches, beginning Saturday, August 17 at 7:00 AM ET on NBC Sports Network with the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

A total of 69 Premier League matches – at least five games each week in the season’s first three months – will be presented on NBC Sports Network, NBC and CNBC with all games preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.

The 61 remaining Premier League matches will be made available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBC Sports Network.

In addition, 27 matches in the season’s first three months will be telecast in Spanish by Telemundo and mun2.

Following are schedule highlights for the first three months of the Premier League season:

Saturday, August 17, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN

LIVERPOOL v STOKE

NBC Sports Group’s first-ever telecast of Premier League action features the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

Saturday, August 17, 12:30 PM ET on NBC & mun 2

SWANSEA CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED

Manager David Moyes takes the reins of the Premier League’s most decorated team – returning champions Manchester United – from their legendary manager of over 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils’ first test comes against a fiery Swansea side.

Sunday, August 18, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CHELSEA v HULL CITY

Chelsea, last season’s third-place finishers, begin their campaign against newly promoted side, Hull City. Jose Mourinho, “the Special One,” is back as the Blues manager to the delight of the Chelsea faithful. With an all-star international line-up, Chelsea will be looking for strong showing against the Tigers, whose quest to avoid a trip back to the Championship begins against one of the Premier League’s perennial powers.

Saturday, August 24, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

STOKE CITY v CRYSTAL PALACE

Stoke, established in 1863, are the oldest club in the Premier League and in their first home match of the campaign, they host newly promoted London-side Crystal Palace. Stoke were known for playing an aggressive, physical style of soccer but new manager Mark Hughes is looking to change that, and playing against colorful manager Ian Holloway’s Crystal Palace, that now boasts rising Spain star and exciting midfielder Jose Campana, will provide an early measuring stick for both the Stoke team in transition and Palace’s rising star.

Monday, August 26, 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN

MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA

In just the second week of the campaign, last season’s first- and third-place finishers meet at the Premier League’s largest stadium, Manchester United’s Old Trafford. Eight of the last nine Premier League titles have been won by either United or Chelsea and both clubs will be under tremendous scrutiny this season with new managers.

Sunday, September 1, 8:30 AM ET on NBSCN, Telemundo

LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED

The two most decorated teams in English soccer history simply do not like each other. At Liverpool’s historic Anfield, the Reds’ beloved captain and star Steven Gerrard, aka “Stevie G”, will look to help his side earn three points against United in the Premier League for the first time since March 2011.

Sunday, September 1, 11:00 AM ET on NBSCN & mun2

ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Arsenal host neighbors Tottenham at Emirates Stadium for the first edition of the season’s North London Derby and for a tough, early test at home for Arsenal. The rivalry between the Gunners and Spurs dates to the early 1900s, and with Arsenal having finished directly above Tottenham in the table the last four seasons, Tottenham will be looking to make an early statement that their place in the standings belongs above Arsenal.

Saturday, September 14, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

HULL CITY v CARDIFF CITY

Hull and Cardiff, both promoted at the end of last season, meet early on in their Premier League campaigns, and as familiar foes, having faced each other the last three seasons in England’s second tier Championship, the Tigers and the Bluebirds will be eager to prove they belong in the league when the world is watching.

Sunday, September 22, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo

MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED

This season’s first installment of one of the league’s most riveting local rivalries, the Manchester Derby, kicks off at the Etihad on September 22. The Manchester teams’ stadiums are just four miles apart, but their distaste for one another is huge. City dramatically won the title on the final day of the season in 2012, leaving the Red Devils in second, while United were crowned champions in 2013 and City were runners-up. The competitiveness and physical distance between these two sides always makes for an electric game, and this time both clubs will be playing under new managers.

Sunday, October 27, 9:30 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER CITY

Last season’s second- and third-place finishers are sure to provide an exciting match -- Chelsea finished just one win behind City last season. By the end of October, the teams’ new managers and summer signings should be settled in to their roles, so this match should offer more of a glimpse as to these teams’ chances at the coveted trophy.

Sunday, October 27, 12 Noon ET on NBCSN & mun2

SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE UNITED

Sunderland’s Stadium of Light hosts the season’s first installment of the Tyne-Wear Derby, the name given to any match between Sunderland and Newcastle. Just 12 miles separate the Magpies and the Black Cats, and last season, Newcastle edged out Sunderland to finish 16th, but both teams sat dangerously close to the relegation zone. American forward Jozy Altidore, recently signed by Sunderland, will be a player to watch as he works to prove he’s a Premier League force.

Sunday November 3, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY

The South Wales Derby between Welsh sides Cardiff City and Swansea City is one of the most widely anticipated matches of the season. With Cardiff’s promotion at the end of last season, the Bluebirds will be playing top-flight soccer for the first time in 51 years, and two Welsh teams will be playing in England’s top flight for the first time ever.

Saturday, November 9, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

LIVERPOOL v FULHAM

This match features two American owners as Liverpool and owners Fenway Sports Group host Fulham and owner Shahid Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the Red Sox and Jaguars will have nothing to do with this match, the American influence in the Premier League will be on display as Liverpool, who need a successful season more than ever, face the Cottagers.

Sunday, November 10, 11:10 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo

MANCHESTER UNITED v ARSENAL

Last season’s leading scorer Dutch star Robin van Persie, aka “RVP,” welcomes his former club to Manchester United’s Old Trafford. RVP managed a goal in both matches last season against the Gunners, and with the 2012-13 Premier League title in his back pocket as well, his news-grabbing move from the Emirates last season has paid off. Arsenal managerArsene Wenger will look for some magic from his scoring threats Lukas

Podolski, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, andSanti Cazorla.

Saturday, November 23, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

EVERTON v LIVERPOOL

The Merseyside Derby, the longest running top-flight rivalry in England (played at the highest level of English competition since 1962-63), features the Blues of Everton against the Reds of Liverpool. The two clubs know each other well; their stadiums sit less than a mile apart, and they are playing for the 221st time. Though Liverpool are the historically better side, Everton finished 6th, one spot ahead of Stevie G’s lads last season. With both clubs scratching at the door to the top-5 and European play, the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park holds much meaning for both sides.

Following is the NBCUniversal schedule for the first three months of the Premier League season:

(NOTE: TBD indicates that there will be one match in that time slot on NBCSN, in some cases one match on mun2, and remaining non-NBCSN games on Premier League Extra Time. Final channel assignments for those matches will be made in the coming weeks.)

Date	Time (ET)	Home	Away	Network
Sat., Aug. 17	7:45 a.m.	Liverpool	Stoke	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Aston Villa	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Sunderland	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Southampton	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Swansea	Man United	NBC, mun2
Sun., Aug. 18	8:30 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Tottenham	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Chelsea	Hull	NBCSN
Mon., Aug. 19	3 p.m.	Man City	Newcastle	NBCSN
*******
Wed., Aug. 21	2:30 p.m.	Chelsea	Aston Villa	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Aug. 24	7:45 a.m.	Fulham	Arsenal	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Aston Villa	Liverpool	NBC
Sun., Aug. 25	11 a.m.	Tottenham	Swansea	TBD
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Man City	TBD
Mon., Aug 26	3 p.m.	Man United	Chelsea	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Aug. 31	7:45 a.m.	Man City	Hull	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Southampton	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Crystal Palace	Sunderland	NBC
Sun., Sept. 1	8:30 a.m.	Liverpool	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
	11 a.m.	Arsenal	Tottenham	NBCSN, mun2
*******
Sat., Sept. 14	7:45 a.m.	Man United	Crystal Palace	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Sunderland	Arsenal	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Man City	TBD
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Newcastle	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Cardiff	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Everton	Chelsea	NBC, mun2
Sun., Sept. 15	11 a.m.	Southampton	West Ham	NBCSN
Mon., Sept. 16	3 p.m.	Swansea	Liverpool	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Sept. 21	7:45 a.m.	Norwich	Aston Villa	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Tottenham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Swansea	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Chelsea	Fulham	NBCSN, mun2
Sun., Sept. 22	8:30 a.m.	Arsenal	Stoke	CNBC, mun2
	11 a.m.	Man City	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
*******
Sat., Sept. 28	7:45 a.m.	Tottenham	Chelsea	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Man City	TBD
	10 a.m.	Man United	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Swansea	Arsenal	NBC
Sun., Sept. 29	8:30 a.m.	Stoke	Norwich	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Sunderland	Liverpool	NBCSN
Mon., Sept. 30	3 p.m.	Everton	Newcastle	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Oct. 5	7:45 a.m.	Man City	Everton	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Crystal Palace	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Newcastle	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Aston Villa	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Swansea	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Sunderland	Man United	NBCSN, mun2
Sun., Oct. 6	8:30 a.m.	Norwich	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	West Brom	Arsenal	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Oct. 19	7:45 a.m.	Newcastle	Liverpool	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Man United	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Chelsea	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	West Brom	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	West Ham	Man City	NBC
Sun., Oct. 20	11 a.m.	Aston Villa	Tottenham	NBCSN, mun2
Mon., Oct. 21	3 p.m.	Crystal Palace	Fulham	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Oct. 26	7:45 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Arsenal	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Man United	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Cardiff	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Southampton	Fulham	NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 27	9:30 a.m.	Chelsea	Man City	NBCSN, mun2
	Noon	Sunderland	Newcastle	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Nov. 2	8:45	Newcastle	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Fulham	Man United	TBD
	11 a.m.	Man City	Norwich	TBD
	11 a.m.	Hull	Sunderland	TBD
	11 a.m.	West Ham	Aston Villa	TBD
	11 a.m.	Stoke	Southampton	TBD
	11 a.m.	West Brom	Crystal Palace	TBD
	1:30	Arsenal	Liverpool	NBC, mun2
Sun., Nov. 3	8:30 a.m.	Everton	Tottenham	CNBC
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Swansea	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Nov. 9	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Chelsea	West Brom	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Norwich	West Ham	NBC
Sun., Nov. 10	7 a.m.	Tottenham	Newcastle	NBCSN
	9:05 a.m.	Sunderland	Man City	NBCSN
	11:10 a.m.	Man United	Arsenal	NBCSN, Telemundo
*******
Sat., Nov. 23	7:45 a.m.	Everton	Liverpool	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30	Man City	Tottenham	NBC, mun2
Sun., Nov. 24	8:30 a.m.	West Ham	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Man United	NBCSN, mun2
Mon., Nov. 25	3 p.m.	West Brom	Aston Villa	NBCSN
*******
Sat., Nov. 30	7:45 a.m.	Tottenham	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
	10 a.m.	Man City	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Arsenal	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Newcastle	West Brom	NBC
Sun., Dec. 1	8:30 a.m.	Hull	Liverpool	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Chelsea	Southampton	NBCSN

Fox Sports 1 looking to capture late night with FOXSPORTS LIVE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 19:26:00 +0000

Sports personality Charissa Thompson, NBA great Gary Payton and past NFL stars Donovan McNabb and Ephraim Salaam join tennis legend Andy Roddick to provide analysis and commentary for FOXSPORTS LIVE, the flagship news, opinion and highlights program airing nightly on FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network launching Saturday, Aug. 17.

Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole, who were stars anchoring for TSN in Canada will no doubt be a big hit here in the United States. The duo are very creative with their entertaining way of delivering highlights. They will be a key part of the new show and should be a good fit.

The announcement was made Thursday by FOX Sports Executive Vice President, Studio Production, Scott Ackerson, who oversees FOX Sports’ news coverage. FOX SPORTS LIVE debuts the night of Aug. 17 at 11:00 PM ET, with refreshed editions airing at 12:00 AM ET and 1:00 AM ET.

“We are so excited to welcome Gary, Donovan and Ephraim to FOX Sports and we’re thrilled to have Charissa back in the family,” Ackerson said. “The group officially unveiled today, with Andy, represents some of the best in their fields, and we are confident that they’ll provide a fresh, unique perspective to the sports news of the day, creating engaging and entertaining television.”

I spoke with the new team about what excites them most about FOX SPORTS LIVE.

Salaam: “What excites me most is being able to have live on air discussions with Gary, Donovan, Charissa, and Andy. To be sitting with people I have grown up respecting and playing against in some aspects. We have great personalities in our group and watching Jay (Onrait) and Dan (O’Toole) do their thing is going to be exciting. Those who don’t know them aren’t ready for what they’re bringing.”

Payton: “I’m not just a basketball fan, I’m a sports fan. We’re going to have a great time because we get along together, and we have a lot of insight of everything. We’re going to have fun.”

McNabb: “We believe the viewers and listeners want to hear Andy give his insight about basketball and football. They want to hear Ephraim and I give our insights about basketball, track, NASCAR, etc. They want to hear something different instead of us just talking about our given sport because that’s easy. They want to hear our insight and see how deep and prepared we are to talk about all these given sports. Its energy, excitement, little bit of laughter, some seriousness, but most importantly we’re being informative for everyone that’s watching.”

Thompson: “It’s the combination of being entertained, having fun, and not taking ourselves to seriously. On the flip side, if there is a serious story then we’ll be able to get into it and use these former professional athletes’ own experiences to draw from. It’s my job as the host to be able to bring that out. We’ve had the pleasure of doing some rehearsals over the last few days, and even talking about Jason Kidd being the new Brooklyn Nets head coach and how that’s going to work with him being so closely removed from the game. Gary had the same experience with Nate McMillan. So being able to draw upon experience and really open up the discussion is something I’m really looking forward to.”

Ackerson and Shanks respond to who the show’s target audience is and the format for FOX SPORTS LIVE:

Ackerson: “Our crew is pretty young and I hope, like any other show, that younger viewers would like to watch this but we don’t exclude any viewers. I believe that, with the type of people we have, both young and older viewers will enjoy the insights of these individuals. People watch sports to have a good time and to get a break from their lives. And that’s kind of the philosophy we’ve had, whether it’s been our pregame shows or our game operation.”

Shanks: “It’s really two shows in one. You have Jay and Dan at the update desk. You have Charissa, Gary, Donovan, Andy, Ephraim and other experts from other sports joining as needed. This show has a lot of different gears and that is why we want to make sure that we can go in a lot of different directions and actually add a bit of spontaneity to sports television. The beauty about sports, and why people watch it, is you never know what’s going to happen.”

Who is moving to L.A.? A look at the candidates

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Leave it to the Dallas Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones to make things interesting. This week on the NFL Network in conversation with Michael Irvin and Rich Eisen he opened up the topic of the league returning to Los Angeles.

"I feel more imminent about a team being in here, that it's more imminent than any time since we haven't had a team in Los Angeles," Jones said. "And yes, this market is a huge market, it's a little bit of a black eye for all of us to have had this many years and not had an NFL team in Los Angeles.

"The owners don't mess much up ... but we haven't gotten this one right. There's people, there's locations, there are people that are interested, a lot of people that can help us put this thing together. And as it turns out that we have at least two teams ... that could move to this area."

Jones was asked where a prospective team (or two!) would come from.

"There won't be any expansion," he said. "So it will be teams that move."

So who are the likely candidates to head to the City of Angels?

Well the first team that comes to mind is the San Diego Chargers. A 115 mile trip up I-5 would actually be a trip home for the Bolts. Back in 1960, it was the first season of the upstart American Football Conference, and the Los Angeles Chargers were playing in the Coliseum with the Rams. Despite the team making the playoffs in their first season there just wasn’t any crowds so they moved to San Diego.

So what are they saying in San Diego about a move?

The Chargers president and CEO Dean Spanos quieted rumors of a team relocation to Los Angeles told the NFL.com's Albert Breer a firm commitment to San Diego as the franchise continues its quest to replace Qualcomm Stadium.

"Obviously, we know what's going on up in L.A., but we have never used L.A. as leverage against the city of San Diego," he said. "I won't do that. Like I said, our goal is to be in the city of San Diego, and we'll continue to try to get something done there."

Even though Spanos sounds like he is not going anywhere he did tell NFL.com that getting a new deal done in San Diego will be a challenge. He conceded that the Chargers would need public support to address the team's stadium situation.

"It's very difficult to get public money in the state of California, but in our marketplace, we need a public contribution to get something done," he said. "Everybody's aware of it. We just need to find the right formula that works for everybody, and it has to be fair for everybody. The politicians know what needs to be done. We just need to get something and make it work."

How about the Bills?

Well there has been plenty of talk about Buffalo headed west but don’t count on it happening. Of all people to assure Bills fans that the team isn’t going anywhere it was none other than the Cowboys’s Jones.

“The thing that Bills fans ought to know is there are a handful of other cities as well that look to Los Angeles and say, ‘Should the fact the NFL doesn’t have a team out there concern us?’” Jones recently told Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “I think that’s an obvious thing to think about, but if I were a Bills fan I would feel good about the recent negotiation and remodeling of the stadium.” But despite what the Cowboys owner says there is some big time issue to resolve in one of the leagues smallest markets.

In seven years, their lease can be broken, the price for leaving becomes much more affordable. Depending on who owns the team at the time, the Bills could be in play to leave.

We have the Jaguars already playing one home game per year for four straight years in London and Commissioner Roger Goodell recently suggesting that number could double, opening the outside chance that if not moving the team to England then L.A. is clearly an option. For years the Jags have been the top candidate to be playing anywhere other than Jacksonville in the near future.

Lastly, we have the team that started this who conversation and would be the St. Louis Rams. Just like the Raiders bolting L.A. to head back to Oakland it is not out of the question to see the Rams leave St. Louis to return to L.A.

A dispute with the city that has given the Rams their freedom could open the way for the team to leave St. Louis, the Rams are now free to leave the stadium after the 2014 season. They could try to renewed push for a new stadium in St. Louis and it could also mean flirtations with other cities for a franchise that’s already called three different towns their home.

So the best chance of moving?

Chargers are a good bet with the Jags and the Rams not far behind.

NASCAR's new deal has FOX and NBC in with ESPN and Turner out

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 20:13:00 +0000

NBC and Fox will be the home to all things NASCAR starting in 2015 - 2024. This means that both ESPN and Turner Sports will no longer be part NASCAR. Meanwhile Fox will have their Sprint Cup series as per normal and they are expected add more content.

It was announced today they reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content beginning in 2015. Financial terms of the agreement, which runs through the 2024 season, were not disclosed.

Fox is likely to take the first part of the Nationwide Series to go to the new Fox Sports 1 so that just two networks will cover the entire package. Fox is expected to also add the Turner package which will give them both the Daytona 500 and the 4th of July Daytona Coke 400.

NBC gains in this partnership, 20 Sprint Cup race schedule includes becoming the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s final 10 races of the season, including its season-ending championship event which will return to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.

“NBC is known for being an exceptional partner and delivering outstanding production quality and presentation of live sports, as well as its broad portfolio of broadcast and digital properties so we are thrilled with the commitment they have made to NASCAR and its future,” said NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian France. “We know this partnership will yield great value to our entire industry, provide a premium experience to our most important stakeholders, the fans, and help us achieve a number of strategic growth objectives. Our new partnership with NBC and the recent extension by FOX validate the strength of our fan base and the many bold steps we have taken the last several years to provide fans with better, more accessible racing.”

In addition to rights to NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, NBC has also obtained exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for NBC’s national series events during their portion of the season, as well as rights to broadcast the NASCAR K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and NASCAR’s season-ending banquets. Further, NBC has been granted Spanish-language rights, certain video-on-demand rights and exclusive TV Everywhere rights for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events.

“Acquiring the rights and bringing NASCAR back to NBC comes at an important point in time for NBC Sports Network, NBC, and all of our distributors and affiliates,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman, Mark Lazarus. “We look forward to working with Brian and his management team, who have brought a renewed focus to NASCAR's intersection of sports and technology.”

“We are excited about the cross-promotional opportunities NBC provides, especially in the timeframes right before NBC’s NASCAR schedule and during the Chase,” said NASCAR VP of Broadcasting and Productions, Steve Herbst. “We’re confident NBC will utilize its powerful Championship Season lineup, including the NHL Playoffs, Premier League, the French Open, the Kentucky Derby and other events, to build interest and excitement for NASCAR. Those opportunities, combined with the opportunity to lead into the number one show on television – NBC’s Sunday Night Football – for select Chase races, were both very attractive prospects when considering this partnership.”

Summary of key NBC Sports Group Exclusive Rights – 2015-2024:

· Final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races (7 on NBC, 13 on NBCSN)

· Final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races (4 on NBC, 15 on NBCSN)

· NASCAR K&N Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events

· NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series events

· NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets

· ‘TV Everywhere’ live-streaming rights for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series

· Spanish-language broadcast rights on Telemundo and Mun2 for national series events and NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series

RGIII says he is ready: The Redskins say not so fast.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:38:00 +0000

Yesterday the Tweet heard around the sports world came from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. Here is what he said:

Robert Griffin III ‏@RGIII22hDoctors cleared me to practice. Coach is going to ease me in. Thank you for your support & See you in Richmond

Well, yes doctors did indeed clear Griffin for practice but do not automatically have him set to start week 1 on Monday Night Football against the Eagles. There is a big difference between being cleared to practice and being ready to start an NFL game.

Unlike last year when the team took heat from some members of the media and fans for the way they handled the whole injury situation. This year the entire organization will err on the side of caution when it comes to their star quarterback.

Yesterday, after reading the RGIII Tweet I talked to a source inside the Redskins organization about their plans for Griffin, once the training camp starts later this week. My source would only speak on this issue as long as I would not use their name.

Here is what my source said about a number of topics concerning RGIII and the team.

On RGIII playing during the preseason:I suspect that we will work with Robert and gauge where he is when it comes to being in football shape.Everyone here is aware of what Robert means to this team We know he has done an outstanding job of rehabilitating his knee and we are not about to do anything to put him at risk in camp.We will have medical and training personnel , as we always do, on hand in Richmond to monitor the progress of every injury we have on the team. So, we watch Robert and talk with him each and every day He will be brought along slowly and watched from every angle.That is key as we do what is best for both the team as well as Robert.

On starting game 1 against the Eagles: The Washington Redskins organization from ownership, to the GM Bruce Allen, and head coach Mike Shanahan, everyone want's Robert to be the quarterback for the next 10 years. This is not about getting him ready to play against the Eagles, it is about making sure he can play at a high level for the long run. That is not to say that he won't start week 1 against Philly. What it does mean, is that the Redskins organization is not going to send him out there to play unless he is as close to 100 percent as possible.

On changing the way Griffin plays: I think that the coaching staff's goal is to refine the pistol offense that Kyle Shanahan put in place last year. Robert will still run and pass from that spread option offense which was so successful last season. When Robert got hurt last season none of those injuries came from when he was running the spread option offense. He was injured when he tried to extend plays by running on his own. I don't think that teaching Robert when it is best to slide, get out of bounds before getting hit, or throwing the ball into the stands and live to play another play will be a problem this year.

On the 2013 Redskins: We are a younger deeper team than we were last year. Despite our lack ability to sign free agents, due to our cap issues, we have a better team now than we did last year.The return of starting linebacker Brian Orakpo, tight end Fred Davis and wide receiver Pierre Garcion, along with others, gives us much needed, quality depth at all the key positions. I feel that since the roster, for the most part is the same as last year things should be good in camp. We won't be spending a great deal of time teaching the basics. We can take the extra time to, add new plays on both sides of the ball and to refine our playbook. That can be of help to us in putting the focus on where we have the most need and addressing those needs. I would say that I am very optimistic about the 2013 season.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Baltimore has a Central American feel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:25:00 +0000

Around 70,000 fans rocked M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday and it was clearly a Latin beat. As the United States national team rolled past a scrappy El Salvador team 5-1 in the opener of the doubleheader with Honduras shutting out Costa Rica 1-0 in the nightcap.

I wrote last week that only 26,000 tickets had been sold for Sunday's quarter finals doubleheader in Charm City. But a huge last minute push from fans of El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica saw over 40,000 tickets sold in less than three days.

While the games were entertaining watching the crowd was even better. This was a true international event and it was if we were watching a soccer game in Latin America. The soccer fans knew every aspect of the sport and were in both games till well after the referee's whistle sounded.

As a fan in the crowd I can tell you that watching the joy, the fun and the support given to their teams by the fans of El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica was inspiring to the U.S. fans who were in the minority. It was a lesson in having fun and enjoying soccer no matter who was playing.

Both the United States and Honduras advanced to play in this week's semi finals to be played on Wednesday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas starting at 7 p.m ET The second half the doubleheader will a real monster game with Mexico facing Panama with a 10 p.m.ET start time.

Both games will air live on Fox Soccer Channel with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m. ET with a full half hour of Gold Cup Match Day.

The two winners will face each other 4 p.m. ET Sunday at Soldiers Field in Chicago with that game airing on Fox nationally.

Hernandez say’s Tebow should give tight end a try

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:01:00 +0000

A few weeks before Aaron Hernandez life changed forever he spoke with the media at the Patriots facility about his good friend Tim Tebow. It was Hernandez who speculated that Tebow, his former teammate at the University of Florida might give playing tight end a try.

George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel who covered Tebow in college and the Denver Post’s Mark Kisla who covered him on the Broncos both feel replacing Hernandez is something Tebow could do.

Well Tebow told New England coach and master motivator Bill Belichick that he is team player. Tim was clear that playing quarterback was his main focus but he would keep an open mind when talking with coach Belichick.

Well let’s take a look at the Hernandez vs. Tebow tale of the tape. Tebow stands 6’”3 weights 236 pounds and runs 4.72 seconds in the 40 yard dash. Meanwhile, Hernandez is 6’1” weighs 245 pounds and he runs the 40 in 4.64.

There is a great difference when you compare them physically; however when it comes to football I.Q. that advantage goes to Tebow by a mile.

So could Tebow play tight end for the Patriots?

The answer is a clear yes if both he and Belichick want to explore that option. The reason Tebow is with the Pats in the first place is because Belichick loves Tebow's toughness, his dedication and his loyalty. From day one that Tebow came to New England when asked about him playing quarterback, the Pats head man has smiled and said "We will see where he fits best."

Remember in the Josh McDaniels, Patriots offense the tight end moves all over the place. Sometimes he is in the backfield, other times he is in the slot and yes at times he is in the traditional tight end formation.

A key factor in Tebow the tight end is the return to the lineup of one of the premier tight ends in the business Rob Gronkowski‎. He has had back surgery and is rehabbing but at this moment the team is expecting to play without at least for the first couple of weeks in the regular season and perhaps longer.

At this moment Gronkowski is doing rehab work with team trainers, concentrating primarily on stretching and improving core strength. He still appears to be headed for the physically unable to perform list (the PUP list) to open training camp later this month.

So, soon it might be Tebow, Belichick, and maybe Tom Brady in a room talking about the season. The duo tells Tebow for greater good of the Patriots organization they need him to take Hernandez place at tight end.

I think Tebow say’s yes and opening day he is in the starting line-up at tight end as the New England faces the Bills September the 8^th. .

Cold Ticket: Baltimore having trouble selling out Sunday's Gold Cup doubleheader

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 15:27:00 +0000

Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi will take place and there are concerns about the size of the turnout. It is a very attractive doubleheader with the United States national team playing El Salvador at 4 p.m.

In the nightcap it will be Costa Rica taking on Honduras with the late game set for a 7 p.m. start.

Nationally, the USA vs. El Salvador will be seen nationally on Fox with the second game of the doubleheader between Costa Rica and Honduras airing on Fox Soccer. Gus Johnson and analyst Cobi Jones will handle the game broadcast on both networks with the pre and postgame shows featuring Rob Stone, with analysts Eric Wynalda and Warren Barton all on site in Baltimore.

Now back to the ticket issue...

As of Thursday afternoon only 26,000 of the potential 71,000 seats were sold for the event. CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz told the media this week that the low presale numbers weren't unexpected given the uncertainty of the matchups. The U.S. team did not clinch its place in the quarterfinals until last Saturday's 4-1 win over Cuba in Sandy, Utah.

"All the games throughout the Gold Cup have been increasing [in ticket sales] from the first game, and we expect that for the quarterfinals," Sanz said. "Overnight and into today, we are seeing a lot of tickets being sold. … It would not be a surprise to have a sellout in Baltimore knowing the market. Anything can happen."

Can organizers really expect a late sale and walk up crowd of an additional 40,000 plus fans in less than a week?

Clearly, anything can happen but a quick check of the online ticket sites like the CONCACAF site, Stub Hub and Ticketmaster showed that plenty of tickets remain. Seats were going for between $40.30 -$163.20 in all sections of the stadium.

Last July, Liverpool and Tottenham played to a scoreless tie in a international friendly, at M&T Bank Stadium before an announced crowd of 42,723 fans.

Anything in the range of 42,000 to 45,000 would be a good crowd for Sunday’s doubleheader.

A crowd of 50,000 is possible if the fans really get excited about seeing the U.S, national team play in Baltimore for the first time since 1998.

Can Charm City get some help from the south?

To reach the 40 to 50 thousand mark Baltiimore will need some help and it could come from Washington and Northen Virginia. Earlier this year, on June 2^nd, down I-95 in Washington the U.S. Men's National Team earned a thrilling 4-3 victory in an international friendly with Germany.

The Centennial Celebration match at RFK Stadium was played in front of a sellout crowd of 47,359. But soccer in the Nation’s Capital has always been a hot ticket, so maybe the big Hispanic community in Washington and Northern Virginia can help boost the numbers in Baltimore.

NBC Sports Group Premier League coverage details

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:38:00 +0000

We are just one month away from seeing if the NBC Sports Group and their parent company NBC Universal have guessed right about soccer. The network paided out an estimated $250 million dollars for the rights to the Premier League

This week the network debuted their plans on what soccer fans can look for starting on August 17^th when the league gets underway.

Coverage begins at 7 a.m.ET on NBC Sports Network and will continue throughout the season on the networks of NBCUniversal as well as streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.

They will make available in the United States all 380 games from the world’s most popular soccer league. That’s more than anywhere else on the globe (including the U.K.). All games will be preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.

Here is a look inside the numbers on the NBC Sports Group coverage::

1610+ Total hours of Premier League programming annually

600 Hours of original and weekly studio programming

380 Live TV games across NBC, NBC Sports Network, Premier League Extra Time, and additional NBCUniversal networks – more televised Premier League games than ever before

380 Live Premier League games streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra – across desktop, tablet and mobile via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD

customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

196 Live games on NBCUniversal television networks

184 Live television games presented by Premier League Extra Time – at no extra cost to fans or TV providers

15+ Former players working on Premier League coverage for NBC Sports Group (includes talent, research and production)

10 Games on Championship Sunday (May 11, 2014) presented simultaneously at 11 AM ET on 10 NBCUniversal channels (10 games, 10 channels)

7 Days each week with Premier League programming on NBCUniversal networks

5 Weekly Premier League magazine/studio/highlight shows

2 U.S. sports networks with major August 17 debuts

Here is the networks new promo.

Fox Soccer Daily to be a key program on FS1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:05:00 +0000

Fox has always understood that soccer fans can never get enough information. With that in mind Fox Soccer Daily will be a cornerstone program on their new sports network. Fox Sports 1 will feature the show Monday through Friday program airing at 4 p.m. ET.

Fox Soccer Daily will make its debut starting August 19^th fans will have plenty of access to the latest in news about “the beautiful game.” The show will be produced from the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles.

“We are excited to create a daily destination for US Soccer fans to coincide with the launch of FOX Sports 1 next month,” said FOX Soccer Daily Executive Producer Jonty Whitehead. “Given our overall programming commitment to international soccer and global reach, we believe Fox Soccer Daily will provide crucial insight, analysis and coverage of the beautiful game that all fans of the sport crave.”

Fox Sports 1, will air the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League including pre-game and post-game shows.

He is back! Olbermann Returning to ESPN

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:48:00 +0000

After leaving ESPN in 1998 Keith Olbermann is back at the network a 16 year absence. In his prime it was the duo of Olbermann and Dan Patrick that created "The Big Show," the best combination of anchors ever to do SportsCenter. But he and management had a big time falling out --- OK, I am being kind here it was a bloody mess for both sides. Things were so bad that it prompted one former ESPN publicist to say that Olbermann not only burned bridges, he napalmed them.

But yesterday it was all smiles as Olbermann joked that "It wasn't quite the Paris peace accords." But returning to the network took some creative work from both sides to get a deal done.

The network announced a new agreement with Olbermann. The new deal calls for a late-night program Monday-Friday on ESPN2, starting Monday, Aug. 26^th. The show will be called Olberman, and will air on ESPN2 at 11 p.m. ET live from the ABC Times Square studios in New York City.

In a conference call with the media Olbermann I got the sense that going back to ESPN might actually be exactly what he needs at this point in his career. His track record is well known with stops at MSNBC, twice, Fox and Current TV;all ending with Olbermann leaving in some short of dispute with management.

He is often the smartest guy in the room and he knows it. No one can question Olbermann’s immense talent, his sense of humor or his ability get a quick grasp of the issues. But like another tormented sports broadcaster, the late Howard Cosell, Olbermann seems to have a problem handling success.

For the record I am an Olbermann fan and I hope this new deal with ESPN works out for both sides.

Talking with Olbermann yesterday he seemed very excited to return to ESPN. He told me about why it was important to him to get back with ESPN.

“Apart from the opportunity to try to create a nightly hour of sports television that no fan can afford to miss, I'm overwhelmed by the chance to begin anew with ESPN. I've been gone for 16 years and not one day in that time has passed without someone connecting me to the network. Our histories are indelibly intertwined and frankly I have long wished that I had the chance to make sure the totality of that story would be a completely positive one. I'm grateful to friends and bosses - old and new - who have permitted that opportunity to come to pass. I'm not going to waste it."

Olbermann’s new show will focus on the day’s relevant sports topics through a mix of perspective and commentary, interviews, contributors, panel discussions and highlights. The content of the program will be sports only and don’t look for politics to creep into the program. This will be Olbermann, on sports and politics, unless it deals with sports, is not on the agenda for his new show.

So will success once again ruin Keith Olbermann?

This time I do think that things will be different, in yesterday's media call Olbermann, was relaxed and very comfortable with the idea of returning to ESPN. As very talented and gifted a broadcaster as he is I think that he knows this show is his best and last chance to return to the top. That is reason enough for Olbermann to bring his A game each night and to stay out of trouble with the network brass.

For What it's Worth: Forbes Top 50 Most Valuable Franchises

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:01:00 +0000

Each year Forbes Magazine ranks the Top 50 Most Valuable Sports Franchises in the World. It seems that there are always a few surprises along the way and the 2013 edition has its share head scratchers.

The top three spots go to international soccer powers lead by Spain’s Real Madrid, a close second is perennial powerhouse, England’s Manchester United and the third spot goes to yet another Spanish franchise FC Barcelona.

The first Untied States team to make the Forbes list are the New York Yankees in the fourth position. A number of key business moves including selling 49% of the Yes Network to the Fox Sports Media Group along with an international marketing agreement with English soccer power Manchester City helped the Yankees move to the head of the class in the U.S.

International soccer and NFL Football dominate the Forbes Top 50 list. A quick peek at the list shows a grand total of seven soccer teams make the list. The NFL is well represented with an astounding 31 teams making the list led the Cowboys, Patriots and Redskins in slots 5, 6 and 8 respectively.

We have already told you that the Yankees hold down the 4^th overall position but the Dodgers, with their new Time Warner deal crack the Top 10 for the very first time sliding in at number 7. Other MLB teams making the list include, the Red Sox in 11^th place, the Cubs are the 31^st most expensive franchise while the Phillies are 41^st overall and the Mets round out the baseball portion of the list at 45^th out 50 listed.

The NBA teams were few and far between on the list with just three making the grade. The Knicks were at the top of the rankings at number 22. They were followed by the Lakers at 31 and the Bulls in the 47^th slot.

Looking for an NHL franchisee?

Well that honor belongs to the Tornto Maple Leafs who were the only NHL representative coming in at 31^st overall. There were two Formula One teams that made the list Ferrari 21^st and McLaren 48^th on the Forbes list.

Some interesting omissions would be the Jacksonville Jaguars as the ONLY NFL team not to make the list. From the NBA the Champion Miami Heat, the iconic Celtics and free spending Nets were no where to be found. On the NHL front you have to wonder about Montreal, Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers None were on the Forbes list, clearly they are profitable franchises just as profitable as the NFL. But then again who is as profitable as the NFL?

Here is a complete list for you to enjoy.

Intervention: Both Tebow and Brady tried to help Hernandez

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Troubled former New England Patriots tight end Arron Hernandez ignored help from both Tom Brady and Tim Tebow. The latest revelation on Hernandez came from a 2011 NFL Films shot on December 18, 2011 when the Pats played the Broncos in Denver.

The film shows the two quarterbacks talking with each other after the game. In this exchange from the film Tebow and Brady are shown talking about Hernandez, as well as former Florida Gator Brandon Spikes.

“...I’m trying to watch over Aaron and Brandon,” Brady tells Tebow.
“I appreciate that, too, man. They’re good guys,” Tebow responds.
“[Yeah] they’re a lot to handle,” Brady says.

Both Brady and Tebow closed their conversation with the usual good wishes.

“Good game, Tim. You’re having a great year,” Brady says.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Tebow says.
“Keep it up. Good things happen to good people," Brady says
“I appreciate that,” Tebow responds.

Here is the video.

In a related item the Orlando Sentinel reported that in 2007 that Tebow attempted to break up a bar fight that Hernandez got into while both were at the University of Florida. Tebow helped get Aaron Hernandez's to play at the University of Florida, but the quarterback wasn't able to help keep the tight end out of trouble.

Radar.com claims, citing Hernandez's descent into drugs and trouble following the death of his father in 2006.

The Radar report went on to say: "... Hernandez made a visit to Florida, a visit that was partly hosted by Tebow, and then a freshman quarterback and Hernandez made the decision – shocking to those close to him at the time – to leave home and play tight end for the Gators."

Click here for the complete report.

A Sucker Bet – Tiger Woods favored to win The Open Championship

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:52:00 +0000

As most know betting on sporting events in the United Kingdom is not only legal but widely accepted. So this week the 2013 Open Championship will be played at the difficult Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland. But if you want a sure thing take the Field Vs, Tiger Woods.

Tiger has not won any major in five years with his last success being the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines leaving him stuck on 14 majors 4 behind Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors. Yet for almost every major for the last five years Tiger continues to be the favorite to win. That includes this week Open Championship, where Tiger remains a strong leader at 7-1 to win..(click here for the latest odds.)

This week’s Open Championship, is being played at the Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland. The last time the Open was at Muirfield was 2002, interestingly won by this year's defending champion Ernie Els. In that 2002 Open, Tiger managed to finish T23rd place and that was when he was at the peak of his career.

Before the Tiger Woods fans come after me let me say I have great respect for all that he has done for golf. I feel that he should be considered one of the greatest golfers of all time and yes maybe perhaps the best of all time. .

But even his most avid fans would have to admit that five years between majors is a long time, especially when we are talking about Tiger. What Tiger has done is inspired a number of brash young guns that would like to take his place at the top of the World Golf standings.

Some of them are on the odds board under Tiger guys like Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Graeme McDowel and Lee Westwood in that order. Look, there is no doubt that Woods could win the Open Championship but he has not played since he injured his damaged elbow at the U.S. Open. Woods has told a number of media outlets that he good to go and is ready play at the Open Championship .

During a conference call with the media two members of the ESPN Open Championship broadcast crew were about about Tiger’s chances coming into the tournament a bit dinged up.

ANDY NORTH: If I can start with that ‑‑ first of all, we don't have any idea how healthy he is. I suspect that he's going to have some lingering effects of what's going on and it may take one shot in the rough to basically have another major go by without having an opportunity to win. I think every major that goes by puts pressure on him. He's very much in the same situation as a guy who has never won a major right now in that the next one is so important to him. Trust me, he's putting pressure on himself. He wants this major so badly, he can't stand it. I think the fact that if he's coming in here at all injured, as he did at the U.S. Open, that's going to be a huge factor.

MIKE TIRICO: The guy is 0‑for‑20 in the last 20 majors; four he didn't play. When has Tiger Woods in golf been 0‑for‑20 in anything? So it's got to be just tearing him up inside, and maybe that's part of why he's having trouble closing the deal after having good starts to these things, because he's never in golf ‑‑ I shouldn't say never; almost never done anything 20 times in golf and not won. So it's just got to be just so foreign to him.

Television coverage is all ESPN this week with things getting underway Thursday and Friday, July 18-19, from 4 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET. Saturday’s third round coverage will be on ESPN live from 7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m .ET, then Sunday it is the final round action starting at 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Radio will be ESPN Radio, BBC 5 and Sirius XM with the broadband streaming video on either ESPN 3 or the Watch ESPN app.

USA faces Cuba in Gold Cup action today on Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 14:56:00 +0000

The Gold Cup matchup between the United States and Cuba is the first part of a double header today.

Things start at 3 p.m. ET on Fox. Then there's a second Gold Cup match, this one between Belize and Costa Rica set for 6 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel, both games will take place in Salt Lake City.

The lead broadcast team will be Gus Johnson and Kobi Jones who will handle the action for both games from Salt Lake City. The pre and post game duties will be handled by the trio of Rob Stone, Eric Wynalda and Warren Barton.

What to watch for in the USA-Cuba game:

The U.S. National coach Jurgen Klinsmann has gone from clueless to a genius in about a months time.

He was about to be run back to Germany after the U.S. team was beaten in friendly by lowly Belgium, in a game where the team looked dazed and confused. Meanwhile, the United States are fresh off wins against Guatemala and Belize by a combined score of 12-1, and that's largely with their "B" team.

So now it is the U.S. National team that has emerged as the favorites to win the tournament. As for the team from Cuba who they will face this afternoon they are coming off a 3-0 loss to Costa Rica.

With a win, the United States will have almost certainly booked their place in the knockout stage, while a win or a draw for Cuba would keep their chances of advancing alive.

Don’t look for that to happen today as Klinsmann has his team focused one game at a time.

Match information:

When: Saturday, July 13, at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah

Watch: FOX

Live Stream: FOX Soccer 2Go

Buck and McCarver: “Pitching will decide the All Star Game.”

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:43:00 +0000

No broadcast team in sports television history has done more Major League Baseball All Star Games than the Fox Sports team of Joe Buck and Tim McCaver. Tuesday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET, from Citi Field in New York, the duo will call their the 16^th and final All Star Game together for Fox. Earlier this year McCarver announced that he would retire after doing the 2013 World Series.

During a conference call this week I had a chance to talk with Buck and McCarver about their All Star Game memories. We also talked about who they expect to will the Mid Summer Classic.

JW: Who has the advantage going into this year’s All Star Game?

McCarver: “If either side has an advantage it’s the National League because they have seven left-handed pitchers and the American League only has three. Having that many left-handers can allow manager Bruce Bochy to go one-on-one with certain left-handed hitters late in the game, and that is an advantage.”
Buck: “Like the last handful of years, the American League lineup on paper is better than the National League’s, but that hasn’t mattered the last few years. It goes back to who has the off night on the mound.”

JW: What are some of your favorite All Star memories?

McCarver as a player: “The team in 1966 had Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron hitting one through three in the lineup and Sandy Kofax pitching in his last All-Star Game start. Tony Perez won the 15-inning game in 1967 and Tom Seaver finished it. I faced Tom Seaver for about 13 years after that game and I don’t think I ever saw him throw any harder. He was young, strong as a bull and my hand hurt for about two weeks after that. That’s a fact.“
McCarver as a broadcaster: “The 15-inning game in Yankee Stadium to send the Grand Old Lady on her way in 2008 was just a tremendous game, the longest game in All-Star Game history. We were on the edge of our seats, as I’m sure a lot of fans were throughout. That game as a whole stands out to me because of the venue. The old Yankee Stadium. That game was the most enjoyable and the longest of all our games. It sure didn’t seem like the longest as it was so exciting.”

Buck on the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston: “The Ted Williams moment at Fenway Park. Both Tim and I were stranding in the booth as Ted Williams was making his way around the warning track and in the strongest motion took the cap off of his head and lifted it up to the fans. Our producer was telling me to talk and I couldn’t speak. I was so choked up. Thank god I didn’t because Tim and I would’ve ruined the moment. It was so powerful and to also be quiet and let the natural audio of Ted Williams talking to Tony Gwynn and Mark McGuire and the other guys who just naturally congregated around him. That happened organically and we stayed with it. We were supposed to go to a commercial break and it was one of the great calls by a great producer in Mike Weisman to stay with that moment. Had we gone to commercial that moment after the ceremonial first pitch would have been on replay but instead we got it live.”
McCarver on ’99: “I think that emotion then carried through to the game as Pedro Martinez started that game and struck of five of the six hitters he faced. It was a phenomenal performance on a phenomenal night.”

James Jakes looking to double down in Toronto

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:28:00 +0000

The IndyCar series heads north of the border this weekend for another weekend double header..

It is being billed as” 2 in TO,” both the Saturday and the Sunday races will be run on the street course in Toronto. Both days the races start at 3p.m. and the races can be seen on NBC Sports Network with the radio on the IMS Radio network and Sirius XM Radio.

IndyCar driver James Jakes feels that the streets of Toronto will be a great place to build some more momentum as he heads into the summer season.Jakes is one of the bright young stars of the race series.

He drives the No. 16 Rahal- Letterman- Lanigan Racing Honda. Thus far he has been a very consistant driver and he has gotten better each time out on the track. Through 12 races thus far he has one top 5 finish and three Top 10 finishes and when I spoke to him via phone today he was excited about the doubleheader in Toronto.

JW: What excites you about Toronto?

Jakes: It is one of the best street tracks on the IndyCar circuit. There are plenty of places to pass, starting with the long straight-a-ways where passing is good. We also have a number of great turns with plenty of passing room if you are careful. Overall it is a fair course and like all road courses it will beat us up physically. To win or to make the podium in either race this weekend it will test both the drivers as well as our teams. Both the drivers and the cars have to be in great shape for two days..

JW: Talk about your first season with the No. 16 Rahal- Letterman- Lanigan Racing Honda team.

Jakes: Well what can I say when you are working for a driving legend like Bobby Rahal. He has been a great help to me. He has taught me quite a bit about the racing business and how to be a better driver. Of course my crew have been outstanding thus far and we just keep getting better the more we work together.. I think we had a couple of very good chances to make the podium this season and that is what excites me about Toronto.

JW: What is your game plan for this weekend?

Jakes: The format makes for a very busy weekend and the key is to race hard and hopefully to qualify in the Top 10. It is great to start a race and not to have to worry about the traffic so that is why qualifying well is so important.I recall that the last time we had a double header was in Detroit and I will tell you Sunday night I had a great night's sleep. It because this is great racing and only the crews that work hard and stay out of trouble will be around for both days. My hope is that we can get our first podium in Toronto. We have both the car and the crew to get that done.
.

O's Davis and the Nat's Harper:" A Beltway HR Derby."

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:57:00 +0000

Monday night at July 15, at 8 p.m. ET from Citi Field in New York ESPN and ESPN Radio will air the coverage of the Home Run Derby. The network broadcast team doing the coverage will be Chris Berman, John Kruk and Nomar Garciaparra.

During a conference call I talked with both Kruk and Garciaparra about a number of subjects. The topics ranged from why fans enjoy watching the event to a battle of interest in the Baltimore-Washington area. .

JW: For the past 20 years people have watched the Home Run Derby. What do you think makes it such a popular event with the fans?

JOHN KRUK: I think it’s the power. People love to see how far guys can hit baseballs. No one comes out to watch people bunt a ball; who cares about that? A lot of people can bunt, but try to hit one 500 feet like these guys and especially without a cage. You’re out there all by yourself with 40,000 or 50,000 people staring at you. I don’t think I would like to do it. I think people tune in because they want to see how far guys can hit a baseball.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: I think people are fascinated with home runs and they want to see that. Also, I think people were going to tune in because usually at the All‑Star break, there was no other major sport going on at that time. Baseball was taking a break.
So when you had that Home Run Derby, people were tuned in because for the longest time it was the only sport you could watch. You got to see these All‑Stars, these big, big men hitting the ball a long, long way. Also, I think people like to see [participants’] peers along the sidelines and to marvel at how far these guys are hitting the baseball.

JW: We have a bit of a Baltimore – Washington rivalry going with Orioles Chris Davis and the Nationals Bryce Harper. John will talk about Chris and Nomar gets Bryce.

KRUK: Can Chris Davis win? Yeah, without question. I think for two reasons. One, he can hit to all fields, which sometimes doesn’t factor into the Home Run Derby. The fact that, when you watch his home runs, he doesn’t swing hard, so as the later rounds come on, if he keeps advancing, to me he’s going to be fresher than anyone else in this thing. I think to me he’s the leader in the clubhouse right now to win it, even though Prince won last year.

GARCIAPARRA: Listen, I think, you know, along the lines of the hype that Bryce Harper had coming into the major leagues, one of the stories you heard and they talked about was when he was, gosh, in high school the Home Run Derby he had at Tropicana Field and how hard and far he was hitting the ball there, and with his swing, I think it’s perfect.

I think David Wright made a good choice in asking him to be part of the Home Run Derby. I think people want to see it, get excited, such as we do watching him play. He’s definitely exciting out there on the field. We know he has the power. We’ve heard the stories of how far he can hit the ball not just during the game, but outside during batting practice and here is an opportunity to see that. I think it was a great choice. Like I said before, Prince Fielder says, “This is what I do in batting practice.” This is what Bryce Harper does at batting practice, hits the ball out of the ballpark and tries to do it. He has as good of a chance as anybody to win this.

Why Bryce Harper was born to win the Homerun Derby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 18:08:00 +0000

As someone who has covered the Washington Nationals from the moment they moved to D.C. in 2005 I can tell you watching and talking to Bryce Harper is a treat. He is a bright respectful young man who loves the bright lights of being in the Major Leagues.

One of the best things about covering Harper is watching him take batting practice. Fans, teammates and players from the opposing team all watch. After a few practice hacks he begins to put on a show as each ball he hits seems to travel farther than the next. To Harper everyday is Homerun Derby day for him, he was born to play this game and it did not start at Nationals Park.

At the age of 15, a freshman at Las Vegas High School his homeruns were so amazing that they got him noticed. In the June 8, 2009 edition of Sports Illustrated Tom Verducci wrote this about Harper:

The lefthanded Harper had hit the ball over the rightfield fence, two trees, another fence, a sidewalk, five lanes of traffic on elevated South Hollywood Boulevard and yet another sidewalk, until it finally landed in the brown, undeveloped desert. It might as well have been a flying saucer, judging by the grin on Las Vegas High School baseball coach Sam Thomas's face. Five-seventeen," it sounds as if Thomas is saying. Five hundred seventeen feet? "Five-seventy," Thomas clarifies.

That edition of SI had Harper on the cover with the headline:”Baseball's Lebron.”

The legend of Bryce Harper grew once the Verducci article was out. Now each homerun was on You Tube or Tweeted and Harper was a viral sensation.

In just three years Harper went from a 15 year old high school freshman, to getting his GED, and entering junior college at age 17 and was signed as the first overall draft choice of the Washington Nationals at the age 18.

Then on April 27th of 2012 at the age of 19 he was called up to the Nationals and made his debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went to make the All Star Team and was a key reason why Washington’s was able to capture the National League East crown. He won the NL Rookie of the Year and now in 2013 he was elected to his second All Star team where he will be playing left field. A position he has played since he was 18 all of two years for those not keeping track.

The 20 year old Harper has become a true team leader and one of baseball's brightest young stars.

He is not the cocky kid that some think, he is a bright young man who has a number of charity projects in the area and he is working on starting his own foundation. He has the respect of his teammates with. Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman as the key mentors. That said Harper pretty much picks the brain of everyone on the team.

Come Monday night at Citi Park in New York, Harper will be there and the bright lights won’t bother him at all. This is what he was born to do, play baseball and to entertain the fans, two things I can say from personal experience he does with ease.

So with no disrespect meant to David Wright (New York Mets), Robinson Cano (New York Yankees), Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado Rockies), Michael Cuddyer (Colorado Rockies) Chris Davis (Baltimore Orioles), and defending Derby champion Prince Fielder (Detroit Tigers).

The fans will be watching the 20 year old Harper steal the show.

The Homerun Derby will air Monday night 8 p.m. ET from Citi Field in New York.

Murray ready to cash in big with Wimbledon win

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 20:02:00 +0000

Andy Murray’s straight set win over Novak Djokovic to capture the 2013 Wimbledon Gentleman’s Final was no small victory. It was the first time in 77 years that someone from the U.K. won at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club and it was Murray’s second major in less than a year. He was the winner of the 2012 U.S. Open title to gain his first ever major.

According to Forbes and other sources Murray will cash in big time with this Wimbledon Championship on his resume. The 26 year old Scotsman who spends at least three months out of the year in Miami is already the third highest paid athlete in Britain with a net worth of around $48 million dollars. So at the moment he trails only soccer superstar David Beckham and boxer Lennox Lewis.

While both Beckham and Lewis are nearing the ends of their career Murray still has a good four to five years to rake in the cash. As a matter of fact early projections for the rest of 2013 have Murray getting as much as $29 million dollars from new endorsement deals.

Murray is also big box office on the small screen as he set a Wimbledon ratings record with his win. The BBC reported that at its peak 17.3 million people watched the match in the final half hour of the event. The telecast had an average audience of 12.1 million viewers tuned in for the Sunday final on BBC One, for a 72.8 percent share of the total TV-watching audience in the U.K. at the time.

Lastly, as we put a bow on this year’s Wimbledon it does not look like Murray is ready to marry his long time, girlfriend Kim Sears just yet. According to The Daily Mail, after the match on Sunday reporters asked him if he was ready to get married and settle down. His answer was:” ‘No… I haven’t thought about that yet.’

BBC analyst questions Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli looks.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 17:46:00 +0000

Just moments after France’s Marion Bartoli defeated Germany’s Sabine Lisicki to win the 2013 Ladies Championship at Wimbledon, a controversy broke out. It had nothing to do with Bartoli’s dominating win, but what BBC broadcaster, John Inverdale said about the newly minted champions looks.

According to the The Telegraph after Bartoli defeated Sabine Lisicki in Saturday’s final John Inverdale asked listeners on BBC Radio:

“Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little, and ‘You’re never going to be a looker? You’ll never be a [Maria] Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight.’

Here is the audio clip in question from the BBC coverage.

As you might imagine social media blew up and the BBC was put on the defensive for Inverdale’s remarks. Here are some of the twitter feedback on Inverdale’s post match comments from The Telegraph .

The BBC was quick to issue an apology:” We accept that this remark was insensitive and for that we apologize,” the network stated.

But now the tennis community and London newspapers were after the BBC big time.

Tanya Gold, a columnist of The Guardian was brilliant in her column on Inverdale’s comments. Here is a sample of what she wrote, but I encourage you to read her entire column.

Even at this moment of exquisite delight, was Daddy ashamed of Marion's inability to incite lust in Inverdale? I did not know professional women's tennis was simply a vehicle for the expression of masculine desire in high temperatures; or that Inverdale had a right to feel aggrieved by Bartoli's appearance – which is, by the way, perfectly acceptable. (She is, if it matters, and it doesn't, pretty; but who is pretty enough in these days of dull homogenous beauty?) I do not wish that Murray had received the same grotesque treatment; but that he did not is remarkable.

The BBC reported 674 complaints over Inverdale's comments about Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli's personal appearance. The network seems to feel that Inverdale has made amends by doing an apology on air as well as writing to Bartoli personally.

It is hard to believe that here in the United States that we have higher standards than the BBC. The British based network has been for many years the “Gold Standard,” by which all other networks are measured.

Here in the colonies we have a long list of broadcasters who have made gaffs that were fired within hours of their mistakes. I am surprised that a network as respected as the BBC seems to be standing by Inverdale.

Here is a list of some of the biggest names in broadcasting here in the U.S. that were cut loose by their their networks.

Let's start with CBS golf broadcaster Ben Wright who was fired in 1996 for his comments about lesbianism on the LPGA Tour. The comments came not on air but earlier in the week when Wright was talking to a reporter from The News Journal the week of the LPGA Championship.

Very high profile broadcasters like CBS Jimmy "The Greek," Snyder (1988) and Rush Limbaugh (2003) proved that no matter how big a star you are, if you say the wrong thing while representing the network on or off camera you could be gone. Limbaugh got the ax from ESPN NFL Countdown show after he made some controversial comments about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Snyder was fired, for comments he made to a Washington, D.C. television station saying that”Blacks were bred tobe better atheletes than whites."

Lest you think it is only men get fired by networks in this country, you would indeed be wrong.Recently, Comcast SportsNet Chicago's, Susannah Collins was fired for a slip of the tongue when she said the word sex instead of success- seen in the following clip.

One has to wonder if Inverdale worked for ESPN would he still have a job today? My guess is that he would not.

Why we should want Andy Murray to win

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:57:00 +0000

Sunday the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final will feature Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Pre-match show 8 a.m. with the finals to be played at 9 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3, Watch ESPN and radio Wimbledon online as well as on Sirius XM.

We should be Murray fans on Sunday because those of us from the United States love an underdog and we love a good story. Murray is the underdog and the English have long suffered for someone to step on the green grass at Wimbledon and win a title.

As many of you know it has been 77 years since an Englishman has won the Wimbledon Gentleman’s Championship.That man of course was Fred Perry who won the title in 1939 and his name seems to be known by most tennis fans throughout the world.

So now for the second year in a row the Wimbledon final features Mr. Murray, a very talented and a suddenly fiery man from Scotland. He worked on his skills in Miami where he has a home and is coached by tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl. These are a couple of key factors that have helped to elevate his game to elite status.

There is no doubt that Murray learned from losing last year in his first Wimbledon final to Federer.It ended up being an emotional disappointment that worked to Murray's advantage by showing how much he wanted to win at Wimbledon.

I think he learned a lot more from his Olympic gold win over Federer and his US Open win against Djokovic. In both cases he learned how get the crowd behind him and to use that energy to get him through the tough times.

Murray has the weight of an entire country on his shoulders entering Sunday’s finals. When he plays the U.K. stops to watch or to listen. Friday as Murray was beating Jerzy Janowicz in four sets 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, almost 70% of the televisions on in the U.K. were tuned to the BBC’s coverage, while millions more were listening to either Radio Wimbledon or the BBC 5 radio coverage.

Djokovic is a guys with a great sense of humor, a true crowd favorite and someone worthy of our respect and our support but another time.Sunday on Center Court at Wimbledon he will have few fans outside of his family box.

Meanwhile, from the Royal Box to "Henman Hill" or as it has been more recently dubbed "Murray Mount" the fans will be firmly behind their boy Andy.

In the U.S. we talk about the importance of home field or in this case home court advantage. It means a great deal and look for Murray to use it to help him get by Djokovic.

Come on folks, the people of the U.K have been with us in war and we have shared many good times together over the years. In point of fact we have far more in common than perhaps ever before. I mean the U.S. has embraced soccer and the NFL is thinking about putting a team in London, now that is joined at the hip.

I actually think you should go to the Wimbledon website and listen to their radio coverage of the match for a while and if that does not get you fired up for Andy nothing will. Join me for three hours on Sunday and lets get behind Murray to end the 77 years of U.K sadness at Wimbledon.