Despite Chris Berman, ESPN does highest ratings for U.S. Open coverage

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Good news for ESPN’s coverage of the British Open. No Chris Berman.

As for the U.S. Open, viewers once again had to endure Berman’s misplaced presence on the telecast. He shouldn’t be doing golf, period.

Awfulannouncing.com had some Berman bashing from viewers via Twitter. Then there was this line from the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick.

Allowing ESPN’s Chris Berman to call golf’s U.S. Open is like giving the Class Clown a jumbo can of Silly String.

As for the ratings, ESPN clearly got a big boost from Tiger Woods and primetime viewing in most of the country thanks to a West Coast Open.

From the release:

ESPN’s prime time coverage of the second round of the 112th U.S. Open on Friday, June 15, earned the network’s highest rating and largest audience ever for a regular round of play in the event.

The telecast from 5-10 p.m. ET averaged 3.6 million viewers and a 2.9 household coverage rating, according to the Nielsen Company. The audience was the fifth-largest ever for a golf telecast on cable.

ESPN’s live telecast of earlier U.S. Open play on Friday from noon – 3 p.m. ET earned a 1.5 household coverage rating, averaging 1.6 million viewers.

Thursday’s U.S. Open first round telecast from noon – 3 p.m. on ESPN earned a 1.6 household coverage rating, averaging 1.6 million viewers, while the 5-10 p.m. telecast had a 1.5 rating with 1.7 million viewers. Both telecasts were up in viewership and ratings from the 2011 U.S. Open, which was held in Bethesda, Md., and aired earlier in the day.

ESPN’s largest audience ever for any U.S. Open telecast was a Monday playoff in 2008 with 4.2 rating and 4.8 million viewers.

 

Forget about records: Horrible Cubs-disappointing Red Sox game still gets Buck-McCarver treatment from Fox

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I asked Tim McCarver a simple question:

When was the last time he and Joe Buck worked a game in mid-June featuring two last-place teams and with one of those teams having the worst record in baseball?

McCarver replied: “I don’t know. I can’t think of one.”

Fox Sports’ No. 1 crew will be on hand for tonight’s game, which will go out to 39 percent of the country. The telecast will be about the uniqueness of the two historic franchises playing a game and the ivy of Wrigley Field.

Forget about the records. Please, especially in Chicago where the Cubs are epic bad.

“There’s something about these two teams playing in Wrigley Field,” McCarver said.

Clearly, it isn’t the best match-up Saturday. The top game is the Yankees at Washington. So why not primetime for that game?

According to Fox, there are limitations on appearances for the Yankees, and the schedule for the primetime games had to be locked up prior to the season. Thus, Cubs-Red Sox.

Get ready to hear plenty of stories of Boston pitcher Babe Ruth beating the Cubs in the 1918 World Series.

 

 

Has it been 50 years? NBC documentary looks back at Nicklaus’ first major

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Every record starts with one. For Jack Nicklaus, major No. 1 occurred 50 years ago with his victory in the 1962 U.S. Open. His 18-hole playoff win over Arnold Palmer launched one of sports’ greatest rivalries.

NBC will revisit that Open with a new documentary, 1962 U.S. Open: Jack’s First Major (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET). The USGA film was produced in collaboration with the USGA Museum and Ross Greenburg Productions. If Greenburg was involved, you know it has to be good.

Here’s the trailer:

In the USGA release, Nicklaus talked of the documentary and winning the first of his 18 majors.

“I have never been one to reflect on past achievements, but this production allowed me the opportunity to look back on and relive a very significant part of my life and career,” Nicklaus said. “To the credit of the USGA Museum and Ross Greenburg Production, their combined research was evident in the interview process. They covered aspects of that U.S. Open that I haven’t thought of in close to 50 years. For example, they unearthed letters exchanged after that U.S. Open between my father and my childhood idol Bob Jones.”

“At that time in 1962, I was a 22-year-old kid with blinders on, focusing on the task at hand which was winning my first professional tournament and our national championship,” added Nicklaus. “Fifty years later, it was nice to take the blinders off and think about all the elements that made for such a meaningful week in my life.”

Ramsay, 87, Brown, 78, make everyone feel young working NBA Finals for ESPN

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This is the oldest broadcast pairing in the history of old.

On the call for ESPN Radio’s coverage of the NBA Finals are Jack Ramsay, 87, Hubie Brown, 78, and play-by-play voice Jim Durham, who is a mere kid at 65.

What, Mel Brooks’ 2,000-year old man wasn’t available?

The trio have about 2,000 years of experience in basketball. Their combined ages are 230. Think about that.

Yet people don’t think about their ages when you listen to their broadcasts. I’ll bet you’re stunned to learn Ramsay is creeping up on 90. I know I was.

What matters is that they remain vibrant, enthusiastic, and the former two former coaches can break down and explain the game better than anyone in the business.

ESPN Radio executive producer John Martin has the pleasure of working with them again. This is Brown and Ramsay’s fourth year being paired together for the Final. Here is my Q/A with Martin.

What is it like working with them?

I’m working with two geniuses of the game. They’re able to see and comprehend the big picture of what’s going on better than anyone. You’re talking about two Hall of Fame coaches. Their enthusiasm for the game hasn’t diminished one bit.

How is it that they’re still successful at their age when all the talk is about connecting with the young demographic these days?

In every venue we’re in, people are coming up to Jack and Hubie all the time. It ranges from people close to their age to young people. A lot of times, you could see the father nudging his young boy. ‘Do you know who that is?’ People really react to seeing them.

What about the players?

Jack and Hubie are held in a very high regard. I’ve seen it in veteran players like Shaq and Charles. They go to the younger players, ‘If they ever ask you a question, you better not blow them off.’

I’m constantly fascinated in how the young players pick up how astute they are in talking about the game. Hubie coached at Memphis. (Before Game 1), his former players, Shane Battier, Michael Miller, came up and gave him big hugs. It shows you how they feel about them.

Do you ever stop yourself and say, ‘Jack is 87-years old?’ The NBA life is a hard grind. How does he do it?

I’ve been around Jack for 17 years. From the outside looking in, you marvel at it. But it doesn’t surprise me. He’s always been a physical speciman. The other day, Hubie asked if he still could do the same amount of push-ups as his age? Jack said, ‘No, I only can do 60.’

I had an ESPN executive in for a game and he shook hands with Jack. I asked if he was missing his ring finger. He said, ‘Yeah, he almost broke my hand.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Split decision: High-profile Twitter reaction to Rome-Stern

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Just did a Twitter search for Jim Rome and saw some interesting high-profile reaction to his contentious interview with NBA Commissioner David Stern yesterday.

@BonnieBernstein: Jim Rome‘s NBA “fix” question could’ve been positioned more tactfully. But Stern’s retort w a personal attack? Inappropriate

Mike Greenberg‏@Espngreeny: If you ask David Stern if he fixed the lottery, you’re asking if he is a felon.It’s fine if you want to do it,but don’t expect him to laugh.

‏Chris Mad Dog Russo ‏@MadDogUnleashed:  Was Jim Rome right to ask Stern “the question” about the NBA lottery?” Terrible question, talked about it yesterday.

Seth Davis‏@SethDavisHoops: David Stern handled his Jim Rome interview very badly. But I have to say that Stephen A. Smith line was pretty funny

Jason McIntyre‏@TheBigLead: Not sure if it’s because of the Finals, but Jim Rome vs David Stern http://is.gd/gzOXXU resulted in the biggest hour in site history

Harvey Araton‏@HarveyAraton: There are things David Stern says that upset me but his retort to Jim Rome wasn’t even close.

Adrian Wojnarowski‏@WojYahooNBA: Column: At a time the Finals should be about the NBA’s real stars, Stern reminds everyone why it’s time to say goodbye. http://tinyurl.com/6nx836w

Maury Brown‏@BizballMaury @I_am_orange You know what? If you’re going on @jimrome then know what you’re getting into. Stern should know better than get into baiting

Paulsen‏@paulsen_smw: Even when agreeing with David Stern (any claim that that the lottery is fixed is moronic), he comes off as a horribly obnoxious bully.

The beat: McDonough needs brain procedure; Pac 12 on Fox; Awards for Schaap, ESPN

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Good to see Sean McDonough still will be able to work the U.S. and British Opens. Shows his priorities.

USA Today reports:

McDonough, 50, told USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Hiestand that he has been diagnosed with superior canal dehiscence syndrome and will have a procedure to correct a hole in the bone near his brain on Aug. 7. He wanted to wait until then so he could work this week’s Open and next month’s British Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior British Open. Now, he’s putting up with some bizarre symptoms: “When I’m in a real quiet place, I can hear my eyeballs move.”

Prime-time Pac 12: Fox Sports revealed its opening prime-time games for the Pac 12.

All eyes will be on Los Angeles Saturday, Sept. 1 (7:30 PM ET) as FOX Sports kicks off 13 consecutive weeks of regular-season action, including 12 prime time games and seven doubleheaders.  Expected Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Barkley begins his quest to lead potential preseason #1 USC to a national title when the Trojans host Hawai’i in the Coliseum.  First-year head coach Jim Mora takes the field Saturday, Sept. 8 (7:30 PM ET) when his UCLA Bruins host top 25 contender Nebraska Cornhuskers from the storied Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.  Barkley & Co. are back on FOX Week 3 when the Trojans travel to Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 15 (7:30 PM ET) to take on the nationally-ranked Cardinal.

Awarded: Congratulations to Jeremy Schaap and ESPN. From ESPN:

ESPN has won two 2012 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, honoring excellence in electronic journalism, it was announced this week by the Radio Television Digital News Association.

E:60 won the Outstanding Sports Reporting award in the Television Network category for “Angel in the Outfield”, the story of Christina-Taylor Green, a nine-year old Little League baseball player who was shot and killed in January, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, at the same event at which U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded.

ESPN Radio’s The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap won the Audio Sports Reporting award in the Radio Network/Syndication Service category for the E:60 feature “Hero”, the story of boxer Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez, who died in Philadelphia in 2009 from injuries suffered in the ring. The lives of four women from the Philadelphia area were prolonged by his family’s decision to donate his organs. The Edward R. Murrow Awards are often called the most prestigious in electronic journalism. The awards will be presented at the RTDNA Awards Dinner in New York on October 8.

NBA high: Dream Team still scores after 20 years. From NBA TV:

NBA TV’s critically-acclaimed premiere of The Dream Team presented by Right Guard averaged 847,000 total viewers to become the network’s most-viewed telecast of all-time.

No Mariotti: Deadspin A.J. Daulero has written a long piece imploring outlets not to hire Jay Mariotti. Didn’t know this was an issue. Mariotti hasn’t worked since his troubles in 2010.

Here’s the link.

 

Terrific Skip Bayless/First Take spoof of ESPN Jordan ad

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Give Skip Bayless credit for poking fun at himself.

He is subject of a new ESPN ad for First Take. It uses a variation of the terrific spot that ran in the spring, which focused on people’s disappointed reactions to meeting an unfortunate soul named Michael Jordan.

The First Take ad spoofs the intense polarizing response people have to Bayless. It includes cameos from Stephen A. Smith and ESPN’s Matthew Berry.

And here’s the original Jordan ad. Makes me laugh every time.

SI says LeBron James is so yesterday; ‘New Era’ Durant on cover

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Interesting cover for Sports Illustrated this week.

It features Kevin Durant with the headline: “New Era.” Over to the left, is a small photo of an SI cover of LeBron James with the same “New Era” headline.

Youhave to say SI is right based on Tuesday’s game. However, if James and the Heat win the series, what will be SI’s cover headline? Return of the old era?

From the release:

A new era in the NBA has arrived and it has taken two men to deliver it. LeBron James, 27, and Kevin Durant, 23, are the key players of this post-Kobe era, and each is seeking his first title at the other’s expense. The last Finals to launch a new generation with so much anticipation and promise was the showdown between the Lakers and the Celtics in 1984, when Magic Johnson’s Lakers lost to Larry Bird’s Celtics over seven memorable games. A look inside the much anticipated match-up of the two best players in the league during this year’s NBA Finals is the cover story for the June 18, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now.

Unlike Johnson (a point guard) and Bird (a small forward), who rarely guarded each other, James and Durant will match up for a majority of their minutes, making for must-watch TV. The two players forged a friendship this past off-season. Durant spent four days in Akron working out with James, where they consoled each other about their shared troubles with the veteran Mavs, who had KO’d the Thunder last spring before upsetting the Heat in the Finals.

LeBron James said, “We pushed each other each and every day. I envisioned us getting to this point.”

Also, here’s a preview of story by Chris Mannix on Durant and Russell Westbrook:

Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook may not be the biggest name in the Finals, but how well he runs the Thunder’s offense will determine which team goes home with a championship. Consider Westbrook’s job description: Don’t just score, create, and do it while keeping the turnovers down, the shooting percentage up and, oh, yeah, making sure the NBA’s scoring champ, Kevin Durant, is getting enough shots. Not since Allen Iverson has an elite point guard been asked to play such a multifaceted role.

Westbrook’s relationship with Durant has been dissected at a Kardashian level. Critics have wondered whether two alpha males can coexist, bringing up examples of discord (a well-publicized blowup on the bench in Memphis last December) and statistics (Westbrook’s hoisting up nearly as many shots as Durant in a bumpy 2011 playoffs) as proof that they can’t. What’s rarely cited is how Westbrook and Durant were inseparable during All-Star weekend or how the two routinely text each other about anything, from basketball to video games, late at night. Nor is it often noted that the duo scored more points per game (51.6) than any other tandem this season, or that when the game is tight, Westbrook defers: With a minute to play and the score within three points, Durant has attempted 37 shots, Westbrook eight.

Says Westbrook:“People keep trying to break me and Kevin up. But we just keep getting closer.”

 

 

Did Stern overreact to Rome interview?

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Perhaps there’s another side to the Jim Rome-David Stern story. I’ve had a few people tell me they thought the NBA Commish overreacted here and went overboard with Rome.

During his Rome show on CBS Sports Network, he discussed the now controversial radio interview with panelists Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports. They backed Rome and disagreed with the views, including mine, that he set off Stern by asking the horribly loaded question of “Was the fix in?” regarding the New Orleans Hornets getting the No. 1 pick in the draft.

La Canfora and Dwyer thought Stern was out of line.

Dwyer took offense to Stern’s retort to Rome, bringing up the “Hey, have you stopped beating your wife” question. He said, “I don’t care if it’s the old joke, loaded question kind of thing…This is guy is 69 and has done this for a number of years. I don’t care if he was in a deli in ’61, you don’t make a joke about domestic violence.”

La Canfora said: “He’s a big boy. If you’re going to make the rounds with the national media, if you don’t think somebody is going to say, ‘Hey, you own this franchise and they got the magic ball’…I don’t think it is beyond the realm of possibility that somebody would ask that. He went off the script, went off the rails, and I’m sure he regrets it.”

Later Dwyer said: “It’s an awful answer to a legitimate question.”

Now, speaking of conspiracy theorists, as Rome said in his initial question to Stern, you might say, did you expect Dwyer and La Canfora to disagree with Rome when he’s sitting right across from them?

I’ll knock that down by saying Rome likely told them he wanted an honest appraisal, and that the veteran reporters expressed what they thought.

It’s an interesting subject, one I’m sure will keep Rome’s name out there for a while. Not a bad thing for a guy with a new TV show.

Perhaps, Rome owes Stern a note of thanks.

 

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