It has been a wonderful eight years as a member of one of the most talented sports departments in the newspaper business. It has been an honor to share the pages of this sports section with such talented people as Rick Snider, John Keim, Kevin Dunleavy, Brian McNally, Craig Stouffer, Thom Loverro and Phil Wood.

I must thank my first Washington Examiner editor, Dan Rubin, who found my idea of having a sports media column worth doing. There have been a number of fine editors over the years, all putting their personal stamp on the section. They are very talented people who work far too hard and never get the credit they deserve for putting together a daily sports section on deadline in a limited amount of space, which is no easy task.

A big thanks also goes to all the copy editors who have spent hours over the past eight years making me look good. To all of those folks, many of whom I have never met, all I can say is thank you.

We've had some great columns, from my conversation with Orioles owner Peter Angelos to talking with Donald Trump about his vast golfing empire. I have been blessed to have been able to share over 700 columns with you. So thanks to all of the people who were kind enough to share their time and analysis with my readers.

Many thanks to the public relations people who have helped get a person to talk to at the last minute. ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 1, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network and countless other folks have helped book the best interviews possible.

Last but not least, there are the readers. You all have been most kind to me over our eight years together. The feedback you have given me has been fantastic. I thank those who have sent me the countless emails and tweets giving me your thoughts on my work, positive or negative.

It has been a fun ride, but alas, all good things must come to an end. I wish my colleagues all the best till we meet again. To my readers, just Google me when you need to find me.

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: ESPN and NBC have U.S. Open covered

Jim Williams

June 11, 12:00 AM June 11, 09:50 PM

The U.S. Open Championship returns to the iconic Merion Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia this week and expect the scores to soar. This an old-school golf course designed in 1910 by Hugh Wilson.

The narrow fairways and the lighting-fast greens will challenge the world's best golfers. After all, that is exactly what a U.S. Open course is supposed to do, and we expect that Merion will not disappoint.

ESPN and NBC will have all four days of the second major of 2013 covered from the first shot Thursday through the final putt on Sunday. There will be a combined 110 hours of coverage between NBC and the Golf Channel.

ESPN has live coverage Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with NBC picking up the coverage between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

NBC takes over Saturday and Sunday with live coverage from noon to 7:30 p.m.

NBC and Golf Channel analyst Roger Maltbie was on hand Monday at Merion for a chat. We talked about this most challenging course and how the key to winning at this beautiful venue will be accuracy.

What makes Merion such a demanding course?

Maltbie » "I think the middle of the golf course is where the players are going to have to make up ground. The finish is brutally hard. 16, 17 and 18 are three of the hardest finishing holes you'll ever see, and that is not to make light of 14 and 15, but 16, 17, 18 are really strong. It's also going to be a very narrow golf course. I think the average fairway is going to be like 23 yards wide. So the fairways are going to be tiny and hard to hit."

How will this old-school course affect the play?

Maltbie » "I think there are going to be a lot of young guys that potentially could get schooled here. They're not used to seeing these old-style golf courses. The courses they play are bigger in scale, longer, much longer, and they're used to bombing away. This course is more about finesse."

So who is likely to win?

Maltbie » "Tiger Woods is always the favorite, but let's look at who might do well on this course. Steve Stricker could get his first major here; a shorter course suits his game. Both Zach Johnson and Graeme McDowell are the kinds of guy that, to me, this golf course presents a great opportunity to win."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: LockerDome shakes up landscape of sports social media

Jim Williams

June 05, 12:00 AM June 05, 10:20 PM

Social media has become an accepted way to report and break news stories today. Twitter and Facebook are routinely used by newspapers, television networks and radio stations as sources for quotes. Some athletes and teams are bypassing the mainstream media and using social media to make major announcement on their own.

Recently, former Ravens all-world linebacker Ray Lewis announced via his LockerDome account that he plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at nearly 20,000 feet, next month in an effort to raise awareness and money for clean-water projects in East Africa through his "TackleKili" movement.

Clearly, Lewis had many media outlets to spread the word, including his new employer, ESPN. However, he made the choice to control his message and used his page on the rapidly-growing LockerDome Network to announce his plans.

For those who are not familiar with LockerDome, it has become a social media community for players, teams, media and plenty of regular fans.

Gabe Lozano is the 30-year-old CEO and co-founder of LockerDome. His modest site has grown in five years to become a force in the social media marketplace. LockerDome is now home to over 1,475 professional athletes, brands, media personalities and other sports properties that use it as a hub to amplify their social media voice.

We talked about how he got there and where this massive sports community is headed.

Tell me about the growth of the site.

Lozano » "I see LockerDome now like Twitter was in 2008, when it started to explode and come on the national radar. We are giving sports teams, athletes, brands and media their own communities where they can instantly share information with their fans, and that is a big part of what drives our success."

How does LockerDome work?

Lozano »

"First of all, it is a free site and anyone can sign up. Once a person joins, they become a part of communities where they can consume content and interact with like-minded fans around their favorite interests, today primarily around sports. Notable publishers include Ray Lewis, Larry Fitzgerald, Alex Morgan, Golden Boy Promotions, among many others. We've partnered with over 40 sports agencies, such as CAA and Octagon, as well as dozens of media companies, such as USA Today."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: John McEnroe breaks down challenges of French Open, looks at who can beat Rafael Nadal on clay

Jim Williams

May 28, 12:00 AM May 28, 11:20 PM

As a player, John McEnroe was not a fan of the French Open. He has few fond memories of the dark red clay on the courts of Roland Garros. As brilliant a career as McEnroe had, he was never able to win a French Open title. He spoke with me by phone from Paris, where he is preparing for his job as a television analyst for the Tennis Channel. We talked about the 2013 French Open and the red clay at Roland Garros.

What makes playing on clay so challenging for some of the world's best players?

McEnroe » "I think the most difficult aspect is the footing, the inability to make that quick first step that you're able to do on a surface where you can stop and start on a dime. You can't do that on clay; players must master the slide, and for some, that is not easy. Especially for an aggressive player like myself, it became difficult to defend well-struck passing shots. The red clay for me altered my style of play so drastically it took me out of what I did best: serve and rush the net. I should say in fairness, I got beat by some pretty good guys."

I know that you like Rafael Nadal as the favorite. But who could upset him?

McEnroe » "Right now, Rafa seems to be playing his best tennis of the whole year, which is sort of frightening for the other players. Unless something happens that's unforeseen, it would be pretty hard pressed to make an argument for anyone other than [Novak] Djokovic to beat him. Maybe someone like David Ferrer could win, but the conditions would have to be extremely heavy so his ball wouldn't have the type of jump it normally does."

What about Roger Federer?

McEnroe » "Roger is working harder than ever, I'm sure, physically to maintain the type of fitness level he needs to be able to go the distance at least against guys that he's better than. It's difficult for him at his age to go past a Djokovic and Nadal to win something on a clay court. I think his best bet, as I've said for years, is Wimbledon. I would be amazed if he would be able to beat both those guys at the French."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: Tennis legend Chris Evert believes Serena Williams will take home French Open trophy

Jim Williams

May 27, 12:00 AM May 27, 08:15 PM

In the long storied history of the French Open, few men or women has been more successful on the red clay of Roland Garros than Chris Evert. She holds a record nine French Open titles: seven singles championships and two in doubles. Evert's 94-15 record at the French Open is the best winning percentage in the history of the event.

This week, Evert will be covering the French Open for ESPN, and springtime in Paris has always been special for the woman the media dubbed "The Queen of Clay." I spoke with her about the 2013 Women's draw and who might take the title.

Serena Williams has played well as of late. Is she the favorite?

Evert » "It has been 11 years since she has won here, so I think it's long overdue, her second French Open win. She has improved tremendously on the clay. We talk about how she's improved her game. But in my mind, I'm impressed with how consistent she's become and how patient she's become and how she's harnessing that power to be not only an effective clay-court player but a tremendous clay-court player. I think she will win her second French Open, yes."

Who will challenge her?

Evert »

"You can never rule out Maria Sharapova. After all, she is the defending champion, so she is worthy of consideration. Then you have Victoria Azarenka, who over the years has given Serena fits on clay. They really are the two who figure to give her the biggest challenge."

How can you beat Serena on clay?

Evert »

"I don't think it's going to take a player to overpower her. First of all, I don't think anybody out there can overpower her. The thing that we have to remember is this is still Serena's weakest surface. Let's not lose sight of that. She likes to go for her shots. This is where she's transformed herself into a better clay-court player.

"If there was a player that came out of the blue that was crafty, had a great drop shot, had some great short angling to get her off the baseline, bring her up to the net, I think that's the only chance that anybody has to beat her.

"But now that I think of it, that could be Li Na. She has won a French Open [in 2011] and she plays that type of game I just mapped out against Serena. That said, I still think we will see Serena holding the French Open trophy in two weeks."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: D.C. native Lindsay Czarniak set to host coverage of Indianapolis 500

Jim Williams

May 25, 12:00 AM May 24, 08:55 PM

Sunday is the single biggest motorsports day in broadcast television history. NBC has the Grand Prix of Monaco at 7 a.m., coverage of the Indianapolis 500 starts at 11 a.m. on ABC and the nightcap at 6 p.m. will be the Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte on Fox. That means over 18 hours of live Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR action, making the Memorial Day weekend must-see TV for motorsports fans.

Lindsay Czarniak will be the first woman to ever host the Indianapolis 500, an exciting fact not lost on the local girl who established her broadcasting skills working under legendary NBC4 sports anchor George Michael. She did NASCAR reporting and hosting for TNT then worked at the Olympics for NBC.

Czarniak made the move to ESPN in 2011, where her star is rising fast. I spoke with her Wednesday about what being part of ABC's Indianapolis 500 team means to her.

Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay and Brent Musburger are all former hosts of the Indy 500. Now it is your turn. What are your thoughts?

Czarniak » "I don't mean to downplay me being the first woman to host the Indianapolis 500, because that is huge. However, to know that I will be hosting such an iconic American event like the 500 and following those amazing broadcasters you mentioned is humbling as well as a true honor."

What is it that makes Indy so special?

Czarniak » "It is all about history and tradition. Non-race fans will tune into the Indy 500 because it is such a part of the Memorial Day weekend. There is color, pageantry and best of all, there is speed. Great race names like A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Johnny and Bobby Unser are some of the many names that fans are always talking about here in Indianapolis. This event has so many great stories and colorful charters that we could be on the air for 24 hours and still have interesting things to talk about."

What about the coverage?

Czarniak » "We will have over 80 cameras covering this race and my fellow broadcasters Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever in the booth. The pit reporters Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch will have all the storylines covered."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: John Smoltz confident Stephen Strasburg will turn his season around

Jim Williams

May 23, 12:00 AM May 23, 08:35 PM

In 1991, a young Atlanta Braves pitching sensation by the name of John Smoltz was 2-11 nearing the All Star break, and like with the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg, the baseball world was wondering what was wrong.

Smoltz made the choice to see a sports psychologist and he finished the 1991 season on 12-2 run, including two wins in the NLCS, leading Atlanta to the World Series.

Tuesday I spoke with Smoltz, who, along with MLB Network broadcast partners Bob Costas and Tom Verducci, were at Camden Yards doing the national telecast of the Orioles and the Yankees.

Would Strasburg benefit from seeing a sports psychologist?

Smoltz » "Let me start out by saying that Stephen is doing fine and his major problems would be solved if the Nationals could score runs. As to seeing a sports psychologist, I do think that there are a number of athletes from all sports that could benefit from seeking professional help. I would not be surprised if there were some players seeing sports psychologists right now. What it did for me back in 1991 was to help me get some clarity about myself. Sadly, even in 2013, there remains a stigma about seeing a psychologist. But why wouldn't a player do everything both physically and mentally to make themselves better?"

What are your thoughts on the Nationals?

Smoltz » "I had Washington and Detroit as my preseason picks for the World Series and I still think they will be there. Things are a bit rough at the moment, but fans should not panic yet. The Nats will be fine because of Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren. They remain one of the toughest rotations in baseball. The bullpen is solid, and once Jayson Werth gets back, the offense will get going."

What teams have surprised you this season thus far?

Smoltz » "Next week on the MLB Network, we have the Yankees and the Mets on the 30th and the Yankees and Red Sox on the 31st. I am looking forward to seeing Boston and the Yankees without the usual star power, but both playing good baseball. Other surprise teams would be Cleveland, Texas, Kansas City and Arizona for what they are doing right. Meanwhile, the Angels and Dodgers are on my most-disappointing list."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: Second-screen options draw U.S. Open to ESPN deal

Jim Williams

May 18, 12:00 AM May 17, 06:30 PM

On Thursday, the USTA announced a new 11-year multiplatform broadcast deal with ESPN. The deal will start in 2015 and will make the network the exclusive home of all U.S. Open tennis tournament coverage.

CBS has broadcast the U.S. Open every year since 1968; its current deal expires after the 2014 tournament. Until that time, ESPN and the Tennis Channel will handle the cable coverage with CBS doing the broadcast coverage.

This deal is about the future and how fans choose to watch sports on tablets, smartphones and TV. When I asked Dave Haggerty, USTA's chairman and president, about how much the second-screen experience played into their decision to go with ESPN, he was very clear: "It had a significant impact on our decision. It really gives us the ability to deliver media, to deliver the event to consumers the way that they want it, the way they demand it today and going forward in the future."

ESPN President John Skipper chimed in on the importance of multiplatform coverage: "On the first day of our discussions, the USTA ask us about the possibility of providing coverage of all 17 courts. There right now is what I hope will soon become an anachronistic phrase, they have six television courts. We were happy to give our answer that our intention during the course of this tournament is to make every one of those matches available, and we're excited by that concept."

This is exactly the same strategy ESPN used to get Wimbledon away from NBC. Through the use of the second screen, viewers have choices and they will watch more of the event because they have more control.

We live in an on-demand world and even when it comes to live sports, we want what we want when we want it. We have choices on TV but even more via the broadband second-screen options. Networks are getting hip to how we are watching sports in 2013.

Live sports events have fixed start times, but with WatchESPN, TNT Overtime, NCAA March Madness On Demand, NBC Sports Live Extra and Fox Soccer 2Go, it has become portable and interactive. The cord has been cut there is no going back.

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: Two days of coverage for the Preakness, Baltimore's jewel

Jim Williams

May 16, 12:00 AM May 16, 10:20 PM

NBC and the NBC Sports Network have taken over Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for extensive coverage of the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. There will be no shortage of coverage of the Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who many think is a legitimate Triple Crown threat.

On Friday and Saturday, there will be six and a half hours of horse racing action broadcast on the two networks. The Friday coverage will begin at 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network and will feature the live broadcast of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

On Saturday, things will begin at 2:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network with Preakness Stakes on Saturday. They will carry the early races from Pimlico, and at 4:30 p.m., things will move over to NBC for coverage of the Preakness Stakes itself.

The Preakness Post-Race Show will air at 6:30 p.m. back over on NBC Sports Network.

Meanwhile, those wishing to hear race on radio can follow the action locally on WSPZ-AM 570 in Washington starting at 5 p.m. The race will air on broadband on the NBC Sports Live Extra platform.

NBC handicapper Mike Battaglia offered me his thoughts on Orb:

"What makes him so attractive as a Triple Crown candidate is that he is not a one-dimensional horse. You have to be more than a one-dimensional horse to win the Triple Crown, and he's proven that already. The pace scenario is not going to be as important to me in the Preakness, because I think he can adapt to anything. What I like so much about Orb is how tactical he is. In the Florida Derby, when the pace was slow, he was right there, just off the pack, made his move, and won impressively. When the pace is fast, like in the Kentucky Derby, he can stay back and then make his move."

Battaglia on who might challenge Orb in the Preakness:

"Will Take Charge was flying in the Kentucky Derby. He was making a move right next to Orb and Verrazano was getting tired. Verrazano stopped, ducked out right in front of Will Take Charge, and Jon Court had to check up Will Take Charge. This horse was really making a nice late run and he got absolutely slaughtered. I think he's a nice long-shot possibility."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.

Jim Williams: Carrie Underwood takes over mantle of 'Waiting All Day for Sunday Night'

Jim Williams

May 11, 12:00 AM May 10, 06:35 PM

When you think of football on television, music might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, from the famous classical music used by NFL Films to Hank Williams Jr. singing, "Are you ready for some football?" music plays a big role in all broadcasts.

When Faith Hill recently informed NBC that she was bowing out of singing "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," a song she had done since 2007, there had to be a replacement. Enter country music superstar Carrie Underwood, who will now sing the theme song.

On Tuesday I spoke to both Underwood and NBC Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli. Clearly, adding Underwood to the broadcast was something both sides wanted.

Fred, what made you think that Carrie Underwood would a good replacement for Faith Hill?

Gaudelli » "Carrie appeals to both men and women, which was a key for us. We have the number-one rated show on television. We're number one in the men demographic, but we're number two in the female demographic. Just as Faith did, Carrie comes with a sterling reputation and is just very, very likable. The important things are she's a dynamic performer that sells a ton of records and generates a ton of publicity, all of it positive. I think she's got that all-American girl persona which appeals to our audience."

Carrie, what attracted you to this opportunity?

Underwood » "I am thrilled to be a part of NBC's Sunday Night Football and am so honored they asked me to be part of the team. For me, as a huge football fan, it just seemed like something fun to do. Seeing Faith get that hype before the game was awesome. So it seemed like a good fit and a good time. I will be meeting with Fred and we will go over how best to arrange the song. It will be sung in a different key and perhaps have a more pop music sound to it. We will see how things turnout once we get into the studio."

Fred, Is it true that Carrie was your first choice back in 2006?

Gaudelli » "Yes, Carrie was among our first choices to sing the theme back when the series premiered in 2006, but timing did not work out."

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Follow him on Twitter @wordmandc.