More in our sports tribute to Andy Griffith.
I found an old Andy Griffith Show with a baseball theme. In a season 7 episode, Andy, playing umpire, calls Opie out at the plate. Look at the replay. He was clearly out.
Yet Aunt Bee, and everyone else, gives ‘Ol Andy a hard time about the call. Get Aunt Bee some glasses. And how about Goober getting in Andy’s face?
Scanning for headlines:
Richard Sandomir in the New York Times writes about how baseball is in good position to cash in with its new TV deal, thanks in part to NBC. I think the NBC Sports Network needs to be part of the new deal.
Sandomir writes:
The evolving television landscape provides the rationale.
NBC wants to return to baseball, and its cable channel, NBC Sports Network, needs programming that is more powerful than its current marquee properties: the N.H.L. and the Tour de France. Fox is considering turning its Speed channel into an all-sports network, which would need more than motor racing to thrive.
In addition, rights fees for professional and college sports have soared since M.L.B. made its current deals with ESPN, Fox, and Turner. More than ever, big-time live sports are must-have attractions.
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Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com writes about the possibility of media actually being in the room during the selection process for the new football playoff. I’ll believe that when it actually happens.
Dodd writes:
How transparent could college football’s playoff selection process become? Try a media member in the room monitoring selection committee proceedings. BCS executive director Bill Hancock suggested as much to CBSSports.com on Monday.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for transparency,” said Hancock less than a week after BCS presidents approved a four-team playoff. “Maybe we have an ombudsman, maybe we have a writer come in. There are ground rules as to what you can write, but you’re welcome to be in this room. I think we have a chance to do some really cool things.”
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Ken Clark of the Wall Street Journal writes about how the NFL is relaxing its sellout policy. In my view, it should completely eliminate the policy. Only 16 games were affected last year. In this day and age, every game should air in every market.
Clark writes:
Some teams want freedom to add stadium capacity without risking blackouts. And blackouts are rare anyway, occurring in only 16 of last season’s 256 regular-season games, partly because some team owners and sponsors buy up unsold seats to get blackouts lifted.
Team owners have passed a resolution that starting this season will allow for local broadcasts of NFL games even when as few as 85% of tickets are sold. Under the new rule, each team has more flexibility to establish its own seat-sales benchmark as long as it is 85% or higher. To discourage teams from setting easy benchmarks, teams will be forced to share more of the revenue when they exceed it.
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Mel Bracht of the Oklahoman writes about Texas Rangers play-by-play voice Dave Barnett likely missing the rest of the season due to health issues.
Kudos to Timothy Burke of Deadspin for finding this 1953 classic from Andy Griffith about football. The great one died earlier today.
Darren Rovell posted his official farewell to CNBC on his site. He is taping his last show today, which will air Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET) on the NBC Sports Network.
Rovell sent an excerpt of his farewell in a mass e-mail to me and others:
Forrest Gump.
That’s whose life I feel like I’ve lived over the past six years at CNBC. I played basketball against Dwyane Wade (I promised him I would tell you I didn’t score a point).
I’ve crashed into the wall at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with Kurt Busch at the wheel.
I’ve taken an Andy Roddick full speed serve to the chest.
I lived in Beijing during the Olympics.
I’ve reported on Nike factory workers in Vietnam. I covered a Presidential Election from a bowling alley in Pennsylvania and played cornhole with a Coors Light girl before the NFL season opener in Indianapolis.
I interviewed Billy Mays and the “Shamwow” guy.
I covered Steve Jobs’ death from Apple stores. I’ve felt the 60 mile per hour winds of Hurricane Irene hit my face as I stood on a Montauk beach.
I sang both the American & Canadian National Anthems at a Major League Baseball stadium.
I was on the air when the plane landed on the Hudson. I spent a week in Chile’s Atacama Desert with three Sports Illustrated models.
I’ve stared at $8.9 million of cash in front of me as I reported on the final table at the World Series of Poker. I’ve reported on the growth of the Turducken industry and the launch of the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos.
I’ve even showed up at a random person’s house and gave them $1 million (a waitress from Pennsylvania won CNBC’s “Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge”).
But it is time to move on.
I am heading back to ESPN to be their sports business reporter again. I will also be working as a correspondent for ABC News. My start date is August 6th.
Fox Sports isn’t wasting any time. Erin Andrews will make her network debut next Tuesday at the All-Star Game in Kansas City.
According to Eric Shanks, Fox Sports group co-president and executive producer, Andrews will be a part of the coverage team for all of Fox’s big events. Shanks said Andrews probably will be in one of the dugouts Tuesday.
OK, if you’re a player, would you want Andrews or Ken Rosenthal in your dugout? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Anyway, here’s Shanks: “We view ourselves as a big event network. Erin will add a lot to our big events.”
The main reason, though, why she is being brought over from ESPN will be to host Fox Sports’ new primetime college football show. This year will be Fox’s first with a regular-season package, airing on Saturday nights. The network’s coverage kicks-off on Saturday, Sept. 1 (7:30 PM ET) as Hawaii visits USC, live from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Andrews knows the drill after serving as host during the first hour of ESPN’s College GameDay on ESPNU. She also knows college football and the people in it in her long-time role as a sideline reporter.
And Andrews gives Fox a big-name to help draw eyeballs to the show. The next important component will be selecting the analysts to join her at the desk. The chemistry between those individuals and Andrews will be the ultimate driver of the show.
“First and foremost, you look for quality in doing a show,” Shanks said. “If the person brings attention, that’s an added benefit. But what (Fox Sports heads David Hill and Ed Goren) have always done around here is to start off building the right show. Across the board, they’ve done that from the beginning.”
By the way, Shanks added Andrews will be contributing features to Fox’s coverage of the NFL. So with the baseball playoffs and World Series, college football, and the NFL, Andrews will be plenty busy in the fall.
NBC Sports is tapping into Sports Illustrated for its version of Real Sports and E:60.
The interesting part is that the show won’t have a host (think 60 Minutes) and the reports will be filed by SI’s writers. Some of them already have TV experience, such Tom Verducci, Peter King, Seth Davis, and Grant Wahl.
For others, though, working the TV side in this kind of format will be a new experience. Can’t wait for the first Richard Deitsch installment.
Here’s the release:
The NBC Sports Group and the Time Inc. Sports Group will partner to produce “Sports Illustrated,” presented by Lexus, a monthly, hour-long sports magazine TV show. The announcement was made today by Jon Miller, President of Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network and Time Inc. Sports Group President Mark Ford. It was also announced that Lexus will be the program’s presenting sponsor.
“Sports Illustrated” presented by Lexus debuts Tuesday, July 24, 9:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Network. The show will deliver the magazine’s DNA of award-winning storytelling through feature segments, original reporting and commentary from SI’s trusted journalists. It will also tap into the SI Vault to spotlight great stories from the past, updating our favorite characters and events. Emmy Award-winning Red Line Films has been tapped to produce the show
“Sports Illustrated is an iconic brand and the gold standard in long-form journalism,” said Miller. This programming fits incredibly well with our rich history of storytelling, and partnering with Sports Illustrated for this show adds even more quality programming to NBC Sports Group’s growing portfolio.”
The premiere episode will air just three days prior to the Opening Ceremony from the 2012 London Games with subsequent new episodes originating on either NBC Sports Network or NBC. At least one featured subject from the show will be chronicled in the magazine’s current issue and additional editorial vehicles across SI.com and NBCSports.com will surround and amplify each new episode.
“This is an exciting opportunity to further expand Sports Illustrated storytelling beyond the magazine and our digital offerings,” says Ford. “We have a terrific partner in the NBC Sports Group and are incredibly optimistic about the show’s potential for our franchise and for sports fans.”
“Sports Illustrated’s writing and photography have been intrinsically tied to television sports coverage for nearly 60 years,” said Terry McDonell, Time Inc. Sports Group Editor. “Working with the NBC Sports Group and Red Line Films takes us to a new level.”
The following is the show’s schedule (All times ET):
Episode #1 July 24 9:00 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Episode #2 September 12 9:00 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Episode #3 October 13 2:30 p.m. NBC Sports
Episode #4 November 3 2:30 p.m. NBC Sports
Episode #5 December 13 9:00 p.m. NBC Sports Network
The Tiger Woods factor strikes again. From CBS:
CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the AT&T NATIONAL on Sunday, July 1 (3:00-6:45 PM, ET), which saw Tiger Woods win his third PGA TOUR event this season and pass Jack Nicklaus with 74 PGA TOUR wins, delivered an average overnight household rating/share of 4.6/10, up 188% from last year’s 1.6/4 in the metered markets. (Note: Ratings for Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Columbus are excluded due to severe weather).
This year’s rating tied with 2009 as the highest rating for the final-round since the tournament debuted in 2007.
Sunday’s final-round rating peaked at a 6.8/14 (6:30-6:45 PM,)
And in a rarity, Woods is playing in back-to-back events. He is in the field in the Greenbriar Classic. Last year, Scott Stallings (who?) won.
If Woods is in the hunt again on Sunday, look for another 188 percent, and then some.
I’m a proud alum of the University of Illinois. Well, with the exception of the Illini’s recent football and basketball teams.
Every quarter, I receive the Illinois Alumni magazine. The issue focuses on notable graduates, such as scientists, business leaders, economists, etc. Prominent alums, to be sure.
So imagine my surprise when I received the summer issue of Illinois Alumni and saw Will Leitch on the cover. Yes, Will Leitch, the founder of Deadspin.
Turns out Leitch is a ’97 U of I grad. Inside, there’s a four-page piece by Jamie Malanowski, with a subhead that reads:
Founding editor of the website Deadspin, Will Leitch helped pioneer the postmodern world of sportswriting–all the news that’s fit to print, plus all the stuff that maybe isn’t.
I found the cover choice of Leitch to be rather curious. Illinois can be a pretty conservative place. I wonder if the editors know about some of the exact content on Deadspin. Most of you know of what I speak.
On the other hand, perhaps Illinois Alumni is trying to appeal to younger alums, many of whom likely read Deadspin. Hey, we’re hip too.
All in all, I have one essential question: Does Leitch’s presence on the cover enhance or hurt my Illinois degree?
In an e-mail, I asked Leitch if he ever thought he would be on the cover on Illinois Alumni magazine? It turns out Leitch hadn’t seen the magazine since he isn’t a member of the Illinois Alumni Association. Time to pony up, Will.
Here’s Leitch’s reply:
Ha. I had no idea I was going to be on the cover and had honestly forgotten about the interview until someone told me about the story on Twitter. I suppose it’s an honor, but I can’t help but think that the honor, as a concept, is lessened by the fact that it was bestowed upon me (no club that would have me as a member, all that). I really do hope it doesn’t cause anyone to cancel their subscription. You have to be a donor to the alumni association to get the mag — it’s why I’ve yet to see a physical copy — and boy, that school needs all the money it can get. (I think my four years tuition is almost as much as Bruce Weber made during the time it took me to write this paragraph.)
Also please let everyone know that the picture was taken just a few weeks after my son was born and since then I’ve lost that extra weight.
I was amused to see this line in the release announcing Fox Sports’ hiring of Erin Andrews:
Andrews, one of the most-followed sports television personalities on Twitter with over 1.3 million followers, returns to FOX Sports after spending eight years at ESPN.
It’s the first time I can recall seeing Twitter followers as a barometer of popularity. I have to say it’s not as if Andrews is firing up great content on her feed. Here are a couple of samples from the last couple of weeks.
ErinAndrews Yes, I’m the person that walks two terminals away at 6 am to get a sausage biscuit at the airport..don’t judge me
#guiltypleasureErinAndrews Watching So You Think You Can Dance from last night..I always bawl my face off during this show..amazing talent & real emotions..
Oh, she did have insights from Bill Clinton on the new college playoff system.
ErinAndrews Btw The President Bill Clinton told me tonight, it will be no time before college football has an eight tm and 12 tm playoff
Still, if they’re using Twitter as a barometer of popularity, Adam Schefter has to be feeling good today. He has 1.65 million followers.
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Just like Michelle Beadle’s move to NBC Sports, Fox was able to offer Andrews more opportunities than staying at ESPN. In addition to hosting Fox’s new prime-time college football show, she also will be used on the network’s coverage of the NFL and MLB. Plus, and this is a big plus, there will be entertainment opportunities as well down the line.
From Richard Deitsch at SI.com:
“This was a difficult move but it was the right move because it’s allowing me to do so many things that I probably would not have been able to do had I stayed at ESPN,” Andrews told SI.com on Sunday night. “It’s a different way to expand my role. I’m not tired yet. I don’t want to hang it up. I just need to get better and these were different opportunities that I would not be able to find anywhere but at Fox Sports.”
Andrews would not say what her specific role is on the NFL (Fox has sideline openings) but that announcement is expected to come this week. “The NFL was a huge thing; it’s always been a dream,” Andrews said. “I always wanted to work in the NFL and they are offering me a role in it.”
However, speaking of life changes, here’s an interesting item from Andrews in Michael Hiestand’s column:
Like, say, motherhood. Andrews, 34, says she cut back on travel to games in her last ESPN deal. While she won’t elaborate on all her Fox duties — saying Fox will announce them this week — she says she realizes “I need a life. I need to start thinking about starting a family at some point.”
Is there a Mr. Andrews on the horizon? That should get the gossipers fired up.
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The hire makes sense for Fox. Andrews is an established name and young men like to watch college football.
Although I thought there was a bit of overkill in the first line of the release:
College football on FOX just became must-watch TV this fall as the popular Erin Andrews, one of sports television’s brightest stars, rejoins the FOX Sports family.
While her hiring will create a buzz, I’m sure not sure if Andrews qualifies as a “must-watch.” Unless, as I said, you’re a young man.
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As for ESPN, it has lost Beadle and Andrews, two of its biggest female personalities. However, I doubt they are going into a panic in Bristol. Remember this quote from John Skipper in USA Today in May:
The ESPN president said:
“Getting excited about people leaving is very overrated — whether it be executives or on-air. Mostly it gives somebody else a chance to shine. I can’t think of a single instance where losing a talent has been significantly debilitating to a specific program. I don’t think we’ve ever canceled a program because we couldn’t find somebody to do it.”
In other words, ESPN simply will reload.
Sounds like a good deal for Andrews. Here’s the release. More tomorrow:
New York & Los Angeles – College football on FOX just became must-watch TV this fall as the popular Erin Andrews, one of sports television’s brightest stars, rejoins the FOX Sports family. A versatile broadcaster whose talent bridges sports and entertainment, Andrews’ position includes hosting the new prime time college football pregame show, making significant contributions to the network’s NFL and MLB coverage, along with other marquee sports properties. The announcement of Andrews’ multi-year agreement was made today by Executive Producer, Co-President & COO, FOX Sports Media Group, Eric Shanks.
“Opportunities to add someone of Erin Andrews’ caliber don’t come along often and we’re thrilled to welcome her back to the FOX Sports family,” said Shanks. “Erin is one of the hardest-working, most-respected individuals in sports television and we expect her to have an immediate impact. In addition to having her anchor our new college football show and studio coverage, we expect her to be a big contributor to our MLB and NFL coverage as well as other major events.”
“To have the chance to not only host the primetime college football pregame show, but cover the NFL, MLB and various other incredible FOX Sports properties is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Andrews. “I couldn’t be more excited to get to work.”
FOX Sports’ new 30-minute college football pregame show, which originates live each week from the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles, leads into FOX Sports’ first-ever regular-season over-the-air college football package. The network’s coverage kicks-off on Saturday, Sept. 1 (7:30 PM ET) as Hawaii visits USC, live from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Andrews, one of the most-followed sports television personalities on Twitter with over 1.3 million followers, returns to FOX Sports after spending eight years at ESPN. Most recently, she hosted the first hour of ESPN’s College GameDay on ESPNU and was a features reporter for the full three-hour program, a role she held since the 2010 season. Andrews also served as a sideline reporter for college football and basketball games.
Prior to ESPN, Andrews worked for Turner Sports from 2002 to 2004 as a studio host and reporter. She covered college football (reporter) and the Atlanta Braves (studio host) for TBS and the Atlanta Thrashers (studio host) and Atlanta Hawks (reporter) for Turner Sports South. From 2001 to 2002, she worked for the Sunshine Network as a Tampa Bay Lightning reporter. She got her start as a sports reporter at FOX Sports Florida in 2000.
Andrews is also known for appearing on the 10th season of Dancing with the Stars. Andrews, who was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, was one of three contestants to make it to the finals, where they placed third.
Andrews, a native of Lewiston, Maine, graduated from the University of Florida in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications. She was a member of the Gators’ basketball dance team from 1997 to 2000.
In addition to broadcasting 13 consecutive weeks of regular-season action, including 12 prime time games and seven doubleheaders, FOX Sports boasts exclusive coverage of college football’s Pac-12 Conference Football Championship Game on Friday, Nov. 30 (8:00 PM ET) followed by the Big Ten Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 1 (8:00 PM ET). FOX Sports wraps up its 2012-13 campaign with an exciting Big 12/SEC match-up in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic live from Cowboys Stadium on Friday, Jan. 4 (8:00 PM ET).