Monthly Archives: May 2011
MLB Network Unveils June Slate of Live Games
The MLB Network will be providing live coverage of 26 games during the month of June. Rivalries including the Red Sox at Yankees and Cubs at Cardinals will highlight the month’s schedule.
Here is the list:
| Thurs., June 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Pirates | @ | New York Mets | |
| Thurs., June 2 | 8:00 p.m. | Or: | San Francisco Giants Minnesota Twins |
@ @ |
St. Louis Cardinals* Kansas City Royals |
| Fri., June 3 | 8:00 p.m. | Or: | Chicago Cubs Minnesota Twins |
@ @ |
St. Louis Cardinals* Kansas City Royals |
| Sat., June 4 | 9:00 p.m. | Or: | New York Yankees Houston Astros |
@ @ |
L.A. Angels of Anaheim San Diego Padres (8:30 p.m.) |
| Mon., June 6 | 12:00 p.m. | Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A Boston) | @ | Durham Bulls (Triple-A Tampa) | |
| Tues., June 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Dodgers |
@ @ |
New York Yankees* Philadelphia Phillies |
| Wed., June 8 | 12:30 p.m. | Or: | Chicago Cubs Minnesota Twins |
@ @ |
Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Indians*** (noon) |
| Thurs., June 9 | 10:30 a.m. | Louisville Bats (Triple-A Cincinnati) | @ | Syracuse Chiefs (Triple-A Washington) | |
| Thurs., June 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs |
@ @ |
New York Yankees* Philadelphia Phillies |
| Fri., June 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Chicago Cubs Boston Red Sox |
@ @ |
Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays |
| Sat., June 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | St. Louis Cardinals New York Mets |
@ @ |
Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Tues., June 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox |
@ @ |
New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays |
| Tues., June 14 | 10:00 p.m. | Or: | Cincinnati Reds Kansas City Royals |
@ @ |
Los Angeles Dodgers Oakland Athletics |
| Thurs., June 16 | 12:30 p.m. | Or: | Baltimore Orioles Texas Rangers |
@ @ |
Toronto Blue Jays New York Yankees (1:00 p.m.) |
| Thurs., June 16 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Boston Red Sox New York Mets |
@ @ |
Tampa Bay Rays Atlanta Braves |
| Fri., June 17 | 2:15 p.m. | New York Yankees | @ | Chicago Cubs | |
| Fri., June 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Or: | Texas Rangers Milwaukee Brewers |
@ @ |
Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox (7:00 p.m.) |
| Sat., June 18 | 8:00 p.m. | Or: | Detroit Tigers Chicago White Sox |
@ @ |
Colorado Rockies Arizona D-backs |
| Tues., June 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays |
@ @ |
Cincinnati Reds Atlanta Braves |
| Tues., June 21 | 10:00 p.m. | Or: | Minnesota Twins Detroit Tigers |
@ @ |
San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Thurs., June 23 | 1:00 p.m. | Or: | Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics |
@ @ |
Washington Nationals New York Mets |
| Thurs., June 23 | 8:00 p.m. | Or: | Philadelphia Phillies Arizona D-backs |
@ @ |
St. Louis Cardinals* Kansas City Royals |
| Fri., June 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Oakland Athletics Colorado Rockies |
@ @ |
Philadelphia Phillies New York Yankees |
| Sat., June 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics |
@ @ |
Milwaukee Brewers Philadelphia Phillies |
| Tues., June 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Or: | Boston Red Sox Milwaukee Brewers |
@ @ |
Philadelphia Phillies New York Yankees |
| Tues., June 28 | 10:00 p.m. | Or: | Atlanta Braves Washington Nationals |
@ @ |
Seattle Mariners L.A. Angels of Anaheim |
| Thurs., June 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Or: | Boston Red Sox Milwaukee Brewers |
@ @ |
Philadelphia Phillies* New York Yankees |
| Thurs., June 30 | 8:00 p.m. | Or: | Texas Rangers St. Louis Cardinals |
@ @ |
Houston Astros Baltimore Orioles (7:00 p.m.) |
Big Ten Network Announces Primetime Football Schedule
The Big Ten Network has unveiled its slate of Saturday primetime football match-ups. These games will be part of more than 40 games telecast by the network this season.
“We’re very excited about our primetime schedule and think it’s the strongest we’ve ever had,” Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. “There’s always extra electricity in the air for Big Ten night games, and we have some top-quality matchups.”
Here is the schedule:
2011 BIG TEN NETWORK PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
Sept. 2, 7:30pm ET Youngstown State at Michigan State
Sept. 10, 7pm ET Virginia at Indiana
Sept. 17, 7pm ET Arizona State at Illinois
Sept. 24, 7pm ET North Dakota State at Minnesota
Oct. 8, 7pm ET Michigan at Northwestern
Oct. 15, 7pm ET Northwestern at Iowa
Oct. 22, 7pm ET Penn State at Northwestern
NBC Sports Group Chairman Ebersol Resigns
Big shock in the sports media industry today as it was announced that NBC Sports Group Dick Ebersol has resigned. Reports indicate that Ebersol could not come to agreement on a new contract. Ebersol has been involved in sports telecasts for over 40 years, the last 22 of which have been as the head of NBC Sports.
“Dick Ebersol is an incredible talent whose contributions to the company over the last four decades in sports, news and entertainment are unsurpassed. Dick has masterfully produced everything from the Olympics and Sunday Night Football, to the Triple Crown, NHL games and major golf and tennis events. In the entertainment world, he helped create Saturday Night Live, one of the most significant programs in television. We will miss his intellect, experience, and passion for the television business.” said Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal and Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation.
“What I have enjoyed most is working so closely with so many truly outstanding and incredibly talented people over decades of producing some of the greatest events in the world. Those relationships are what I cherish most. I have always said this business is about relationships and I have been fortunate enough to have more deep and meaningful friendships than any man could imagine.” said Ebersol.
Ebersol has spearheaded some of the most important programming decisions in the history of the network. They include the return of the NFL to the network in 2005 and the sole network to telecast the Summer and Winter Olympics since 2000.
With Ebersol’s departure it will be interesting to see how Comcast handles negotiations for the rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics. Those rights are expected to be granted late next month. ESPN is also expected to bid on those rights.
Current NBC Sports Group President Mark Lazarus will succeed Ebersol Chairman.
ESPN Announces Schedule for Inaugural Big East/SEC Challenge
ESPN has announced the schedule for the first annual Big East/SEC Challenge. The 12 game package will take place December 1st through 3rd.
Here is the schedule:
| Date | Game |
| Thu, Dec 1 | St. John’s at No. 2 Kentucky |
| Georgetown at No. 14 Alabama | |
| Providence at South Carolina | |
| Mississippi at DePaul | |
| Fri, Dec 2 | No. 7 Vanderbilt at No. 9 Louisville |
| No. 12 Florida at No. 4 Syracuse | |
| No. 19 Cincinnati at Georgia | |
| Auburn at Seton Hall | |
| Sat, Dec 3 | Arkansas at No. 6 Connecticut |
| No. 17 Pittsburgh at Tennessee | |
| West Virginia at Mississippi State | |
| LSU at Rutgers |
Sports Media Weekly Podcast No. 56- Karl Ravech, ESPN
A little earlier this week with the Sports Media Weekly Podcast.
Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites and I start the show talking about the announcements made today at the ESPN “Upfront” event for advertisers and some of the new offerings from the WWL expected this fall.
We also look at plans by Fox and ESPN to provide split-screen coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup races, dividing the screen so viewers can still follow the race while also watching ads.
We also talk about next week’s release of the new ESPN book Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN and the excerpt released this week in GQ featuring views on former ESPN-er Keith Olbermann.
Speaking of ESPN, our guest this week is Karl Ravech, an 18-year vet of ESPN and host of Baseball Tonight. We talk to Karl about his work on the show and the varied number of analysts he has worked with over the years. Karl also provides insight into some of what he had to say to the authors of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN. Well worth a listen.
Karl then turns the tables on us, asking our thoughts on what works, and doesn’t, on Baseball Tonight.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
