Category Archives: NBC

Hear this Boston: Eddie Olczyk won’t play favorites for Blackhawks during Final

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In my Chicago Tribune column (please access via my Twitter feed), I wrote about how Eddie Olczyk, a former Blackhawks player and its current TV analyst, won’t play favorites in his role as analyst for NBC during the Stanley Cup Final.

Of course, the perceptions always are going to be there.

From the column:

Don’t think for a minute some viewers won’t notice the Chicago connection in Boston.

Olczyk knows there will be Bruins fans who will accuse him of favoritism toward the Hawks. He got a taste during the Pittsburgh-Boston series in the East Final. Olczyk spent eight years as a player, coach and analyst with the Penguins.

“I had Boston people saying I was favoring the Penguins because I used to work there,” Olczyk. “And you know what? There were people in Pittsburgh who thought I was favoring the Bruins. That means I’m doing my job. The perceptions always are going to be there. People are going to hear what they want to hear.”

Olczyk insists he has the same approach with Emrick as he does with Pat Foley. He admits there might be a bit more “shtick” as far as nicknames and other banter during local telecasts of Hawks games. However, he didn’t become one of the best in the business by playing favorites.

“My job is tell people why something happened,” Olczyk said. “If a guy makes a mistake, I’m going to call him out. It’s not any different on a local game or a national game. I take great pride in being consistent. I’m very comfortable in the chair that I sit in.”

Esposito brothers revisited: Chicago-Boston Final should be huge for NBC

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I am sure Mike Emrick is gathering his stories on the Esposito brothers. Phil and Tony went at it back in the day.

Throw in some Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, the old Chicago Stadium, and the old Boston Garden, and “Doc” should be good to go about a Final that links hockey’s present to its glorious past.

It’s hard to imagine a better scenario for NBC than Chicago-Boston in the Stanley Cup Final. It marks the first Original 6 Final since Montreal-New York Rangers in 1979.

If it is a compelling, tight series, NBC stands to break its network record for a Stanley Cup Final.

For starters, it has two large-market teams with passionate followings. Chicago is No. 3 with nearly 3.5 million TV homes, while Boston is No. 7 with 2.366 million homes.

You could argue No. 1 New York with the Rangers might produce better overall numbers, but ratings for that city usually are splintered when it comes to their sports teams. Boston will be fully behind the Bruins. It did a 25.4 rating for its Game 4 clincher against Pittsburgh.

Chicago, meanwhile, did a 19.6 rating for its Game 5 double OT victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

Both teams did huge ratings during their last visits to the the Finals. Chicago pulled a 32.6 local rating for the Blackhawks Cup winner in Game 6 in 2010. Meanwhile, Boston delivered a 43.4 rating for its Game 7 victory over Vancouver in 2011.

Not coincidentally, those games were the highest-rated NHL games since the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, back when the TV universe was totally different.

Large ratings from the Chicago and Boston markets will have a dramatic impact on NBC’s national number again. Interest in hockey has increased in both towns since winning the Cup. Those local ratings might be even higher.

Big smiles here for NBC and the NHL.

A Chicago-Pittsburgh Final with Sidney Crosby might have had a bit more star power. But it’s hard to beat the romance of two Original 6ers from storied hockey towns playing for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Cue up the stories, Doc. This should be great.

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Here’s a rundown of NBC’s coverage:

NEW YORK, N.Y. – June 9, 2013 – NBC Sports Group’s exclusive presentation of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final begins Wednesday night with Game 1 between the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins (2011 Stanley Cup Champions) and Western Conference Champion Chicago Blackhawks (2010 Stanley Cup Champions) at 8 p.m. ET on NBC from United Center in Chicago, Ill. NBC Sports Group broadcast (NBC), cable (NBC Sports Network), digital (NBC Sports Live Extra and NBCSports.com), and regional (CSN Chicago and CSN New England) assets will all contribute to the comprehensive coverage of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

NBC will broadcast Games 1 and 4, and, if necessary, Games 5-7, while NBC Sports Network will telecast Games 2-3. In addition, NBC Sports Network will present pre-game and post-game coverage each game night. And for the first time ever, the Stanley Cup Final will be streamed live through NBC Sports Live Extra.

NBC Sports Regional Networks will continue to surround the Blackhawks (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) and Bruins (Comcast SportsNet New England) with in-depth live-event and/or news coverage. NBCSports.com will provide comprehensive online coverage of the Final with online-only video, contributions from Comcast SportsNet insiders, and constant news updates from ProHockeyTalk.

2013 STANLEY CUP FINAL SCHEDULE

Coverage of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins on NBC. All 2013 Stanley Cup Final games will air exclusively on NBC or the NBC Sports Network. Following is the full schedule (all times ET and subject to change):

Wednesday, June 12
8 p.m. Bruins @ Blackhawks (Game 1) NBC
Saturday, June 15
8 p.m. Bruins @ Blackhawks (Game 2) NBC Sports Network
Monday, June 17
8 p.m. Blackhawks @ Bruins (Game 3) NBC Sports Network
Wednesday, June 19
8 p.m. Blackhawks @ Bruins (Game 4) NBC
Saturday, June 22
8 p.m. Bruins @ Blackhawks (Game 5) * NBC
Monday, June 24
8 p.m. Blackhawks @ Bruins (Game 6) * NBC
Wednesday, June 26
8 p.m. Bruins @ Blackhawks (Game 7)* NBC

* If Necessary

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE

For the first time ever, the Stanley Cup Final will be streamed live. NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will live stream all Stanley Cup Final games. NBC Sports Network games will be live streamed 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.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Stanley Cup Final games airing on:

  • NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra.
  • NBC Sports Network will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere.” “TV Everywhere” is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

In addition to live streaming the Stanley Cup Final, NBC Sports Live Extra will offer bonus coverage by utilizing Star Cam and Spotlight Cam for each game of the Stanley Cup Final. Star Cams are dedicated cameras that follow a star player from each team throughout the entire game. Spotlight Cam is a unique top-of-the-glass camera that is positioned at center ice. They are exclusive to NBC Sports Live Extra. This also marks the first time this season that alternate cameras have been used for the live streaming of games that air on NBC Sports Network.

COMMENTATORS

Emmy Award-winner Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will call the action during each game.

The studio team will feature host Liam McHugh and analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, with the latest highlights, news, analysis and player interviews, live on-location from either the United Center in Chicago, Ill. or TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The team will cover intermission reports during games, and pre-game and post-game shows on NBC Sports Network.

Additionally, Jeremy Roenick will conduct on-ice segments and demonstrations as part of the coverage.

ENCORES

NBC Sports Network will air encore presentations of the previous night’s NHL Live post-game show, as well as a cut-down version of the Stanley Cup Final game from the previous night.

NHL Live post-game encores will air nearly every day at 6 a.m. ET and 8:30 a.m. ET, with the game encore airing from 6:30-8:30 a.m. ET.

COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE

Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the hometown network for the Chicago Blackhawks, and Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston Bruins) will air special pre- and post-game coverage for all games, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of their hometown teams.

COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO

Comcast Sports Net Chicago, the hometown network for the Chicago Blackhawks, will provide expanded, local “Blackhawks Post-Game Live” coverage, hosted by Pat Boyle & Steve Konroyd, following every Stanley Cup Final telecast. CSNChicago.com will also deliver “Blackhawks Post-Game Live” via live stream following every game.

In addition, the network will provide expanded pre/post-game coverage nightly on “SportsTalk Live”, weekdays at 5:30 p.m. CT, and on “SportsNet Central”, nightly at 6:30 p.m. CT, on game days, along with providing a half-hour show nightly at 11:00 p.m. CT on non-game days entitled “Blackhawks Fever”.

CSNChicago.com‘s Blackhawks “Insider” Tracey Myers and Comcast SportsNet’s Blackhawks beat reporter Chris Boden will cover every Stanley Cup Final game from either the United Center or TD Garden.

COMCAST SPORTSNET NEW ENGLAND

Comcast SportsNet New England will provide extensive coverage of the Bruins/Blackhawks series with Pre-Game Live and Post-Game Live shows surrounding every Stanley Cup Finals game. Michael Felger and Tony Amonte will lead the coverage, with analysis of each game and response to Bruins fans’ questions, posts, and tweets submitted on Twitter, Facebook, and CSNNE.com.

Unfiltered, in-depth discussion and analysis of the team’s playoff performance will also be part of all Comcast SportsNet programming, including Chevrolet SportsNet Central and UNO’s Sports Tonight. CSNNE.com Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty will once again be on-site providing in-arena reports from every game, both home and away, and will be joined by Comcast SportsNet anchors Mike Giardi and KevinWalsh.

CSNNE.com will provide 24/7 coverage of the Bruins Playoffs action including daily game-day and off-day coverage from Haggerty and the entire CSN crew and post-game editions of “The Great American Hockey Show.” Fans can also follow @CSNNE on Twitter and join the conversation by using #BruinsTalk in their Twitter comments throughout the series.

NBCSPORTS.COM

In addition to its live stream coverage via NBC Sports Live Extra, NBCSports.com’s ProHockeyTalk will anchor NBC Sports’ online and mobile coverage of the Stanley Cup Final.

ProHockeyTalk provides unique, informative and entertaining news, commentary and analysis — updated around the clock — on all the stories surrounding the Stanley Cup Final. Other NBCSports.com features will include:

  • PHT Extra, a multiple-times-a-week online-only video segment.
  • Online-only videos featuring NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network hockey commentators previewing upcoming Stanley Cup Final games.
  • Content provided by Comcast SportsNet NHL insiders.
  • A NHL Stanley Cup Final Channel Finder tool that will help fans locate the times and stations for every Stanley Cup Final game.

SOCIAL MEDIA

In addition to broadcast, cable, regional and digital platforms, NBC Sports Group will connect with NHL fans via numerous social media initiatives, including social integration, on-air integration and news:

  • Social Integration:
    • Social Stanley Cup Final Schedule:
      • Fans that come to the Stanley Cup Final Schedule page on NBCSports.com/NHLonNBC will not only be able to see schedule updates, but also dive into a deep photo experience. Fans can upload photos showing their Stanley Cup Final team spirit directly to NBCSports.com or through team specific hashtags. Fans can vote on their favorite pictures and see the best of photos from the NHL and the teams using #StanleyCup. The best fan photos from this experience will be featured on-air during NBC and NBC Sports Network games.
    • #StanleyCup: NHL Fans can join the conversation by using the #StanleyCup hash tag across every game of the Stanley Cup Final.
    • NHL on NBC Sports Instagram: NHL fans can upload photos to Instagram and use #StanleyCup. The NHL on NBC Sports Instagram account will feature select fan photos.
    • Live Twitter Chats: Fans will have the opportunity to have live Twitter chats with NHL and NBC Sports personalities and commentators.
  • On-Air Integration:
    • Polls: Fans can weigh in on a variety of NHL themed polls on Facebook and Twitter that commentators will discuss throughout the Stanley Cup Final.
    • #MVPonNBC – During pre-game, post-game and in-game coverage, fans can tweet who they think is the #MVPonNBC. Commentators will discuss the fan favorites and weigh in with their own opinions.
  • News:
    • Fans can engage with Twitter (@NHLonNBCSports) and Facebook (facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports) to receive the most up to date tune-in information, scores, reports and stories from around the NHL and ProHockeyTalk.

 

 

 

 

Hey Rovell, you need to get facts straight about Blackhawk rating for double OT game

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Update: When the Hawks scored winning goal in OT, an estimated 843,000 homes in Chicago were watching.

Also, the game did a 37 share in Chicago. That means of the people who were watching TV last night, 37 percent–almost 2 out of 5–were tuned into the game.

Just adding a bit more “perspective” to Rovell’s tweet.

********

Among Darren Rovell’s blizzard of tweets Sunday was this one:

4 out of 5 people in the Chicagoland area did not watch the Blackhawks on TV last night.

The ESPN sports business reporter is a Twitter machine, sending a seemingly infinite stream of facts about his beat. This one, though, is totally out of context.

Restaurants were empty last night in Chicago because everyone was watching the double OT thriller. I should know. The place we went to (don’t get on me, previous commitment) usually is jammed on a Saturday night. But there were plenty of tables available.

Here’s the reason: Game 5 of the Chicago-Los Angeles series did a 19.6 local rating. That means an average of nearly 700,000 homes tuned in during the telecast.

And while I don’t have the exact number, I’m betting the local rating was deep into the 20s during the two overtimes. Those are numbers usually are reserved for the Bears in this town.

And let’s not forget, it was a Saturday night. I’m sure the bars were jammed with happy Blackhawks fans.

Furthermore, the 19.6 local rating was the highest for a non-Stanley Cup Final game in Chicago. Nationally, the game did a 2.9 overnight rating on NBC, the network’s highest ever for a conference final.

I’m not going to get into an analysis of how the ratings work, but those numbers are huge. To suggest nobody cared in Chicago is flat-out wrong.

C’mon Darren, you know better.

 

 

 

Programming alert: Lee Trevino documentary Sunday on NBC

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One of the great things about this year’s U.S. Open at Merion is that people are recalling Lee Trevino’s Open victory there in 1971.

NBC will premiere 1971 U.S. Open: Lee Trevino An American Champion Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.

Here are the details from NBC:

When Lee Trevino captured his second U.S. Open title at Merion Golf Club in 1971, it wasn’t the prestige of winning a major championship in a playoff that mattered so much to the eighth-grade dropout with the homemade swing.  As revealed in 1971 U.S. OPEN:  LEE TREVINO AN AMERICAN CHAMPION, premiering Sunday, June 9, at 5 p.m. ET on NBC, it was the fact that he beat Jack Nicklaus – “the best in world” – to do it, which helped him turn a career corner and made him feel like he truly belonged in the fraternity of professional golfers.

As the U.S. Open returns to Merion June 13-16, NBC and Golf Channel will present 1971 U.S. OPEN:  LEE TREVINO AN AMERICAN CHAMPION, a 60-minute retrospective documenting Trevino’s victory and how he claimed his place among the great champions in U.S. Open history.  Produced by Golf Channel in association with the United States Golf Association, the documentary also will replay on Monday, June 17 at 10 p.m. ET on Golf Channel and throughout June.

The 1971 U.S. Open at Merion was one of six major championships won by Trevino, a Mexican-American who embodies the eclectic spirit of U.S. Open champions who have come from myriad backgrounds to claim the game’s most coveted title.  Narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Andy Garcia, 1971 U.S. OPEN:  LEE TREVINO AN AMERICAN CHAMPION captures the drama that unfolded that week in June just outside Philadelphia, and tells the story of Trevino’s rise from an impoverished childhood to become arguably the greatest shot maker and one of the most beloved personalities the game has ever seen.  The documentary was produced by 12-time Emmy Award-winning Golf Channel producer Israel DeHerrera, and written by Aaron Cohen, winner of 18 Emmy Awards whose work has been featured in acclaimed documentaries for HBO, as well as for NBC, ESPN, NFL and MLB.

As in 1971, this year’s U.S. Open will be played on a golf course that’s relatively short, tight and penal, and one where par golf is great golf.  Reminiscing about “the hardest damn course I’ve ever seen,” Trevino recently was quoted about what the 1971 victory really meant to him.  “Merion gave me my career.  Up until Merion, the way this played out, I never felt comfortable.  I never thought that I belonged,” he said.  “So when I got into the playoff and I beat Jack … what I took away was, it wasn’t so much that I had won the Open for the second time, it was who I defeated to do it.  It finally made me feel like I belonged in the fraternity.”

Interspersed with newly created interviews with Trevino and Nicklaus, 1971 U.S. OPEN:  LEE TREVINO AN AMERICAN CHAMPION tells the complete story of the championship from the opening round through the Monday playoff.  The program covers events both on and off the golf course and includes perspectives about Trevino’s life and career from friends, current and past players, historians and golf media, as well as historical photographs and archival interviews.  Some of the personalities interviewed for the documentary include:  TV icon and golf essayist Jack Whitaker; golfers Johnny Miller, Andy North, Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lanny Wadkins, and Tom Watson; USGA historians Rand Jerris and Michael Trostel; and Merion Golf Club historian and archivist John Capers III.

“Lee Trevino’s duel with Jack Nicklaus deserves to be remembered as one of the great moments in U.S. Open history,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager. “This year’s return of the championship to Merion Golf Club serves as the perfect opportunity to work with NBC and Golf Channel to tell the story and celebrate one of its most colorful champions.”

“Lee Trevino is truly a man of the game and there’s no question about his rightful place among the game’s all-time elite players and personalities,” said Golf Channel President Mike McCarley.  “We’ll not only capture his life story with this retrospective, but also will remember an epic U.S. Open playoff at a legendary golf course our viewers will get to know all over again this year.”

For the first three days, the 1971 U.S. Open featured a mishmash of contenders.  But as they often do, the championship finally came down to a duel between heavyweights – this time Nicklaus and Trevino.  Missing a six-footer on the 72nd hole to win in regulation, Trevino fell into a tie with Nicklaus, forcing a Monday playoff.  The tension on the first tee was thick but soon lifted as the ever-playful Trevino pulled a rubber snake from his golf bag, held it up for the gathered crowd to see and tossed it at Nicklaus, who broke out laughing.   When play commenced, an early deficit for Trevino turned, ultimately, into a three-stroke victory.  On the final hole, he ran onto the green with his trademark smile, blew an appreciative kiss to the gallery and sank his putt for the win.

Of the six major championships Trevino won in his career, four required him to defeat Nicklaus at his best, and he did it all with his trademark charisma and fun-loving style.  As the first person of Hispanic descent to claim a U.S. major championship, his contribution to the game is undeniable.  He had overcome poverty and a professional game that was slow to accept outsiders.  He pursued the game not for its prestige but as a way to support his family, and he created a legacy that continues to inspire the future of the game.

 

No. 1 again: NBC Sunday Night Football tops in prime time

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Question: Will SNF be able to make it three in a row with Carrie Underwood, who replaces Faith Hill this year? You know, it’s all about the opening theme.

*******

From NBC:

Sunday Night Football on NBC finished this television season as the No. 1 show in primetime (Viewers 2+ and all key adult and male demos), based on Nielsen combo data and all 19 SNF telecasts. This marks the second straight television season, and the only two times on record, that a sports series has been the most-watched show of the primetime TV season.

For the 2012-2013 primetime television season, Sunday Night Football ranks as the most-watched show (21.5 million, viewers 2+), and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54 as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54.

  • The 21.5 million average viewers for Sunday Night Football (all 19 telecasts) tops second place NCIS (21.3 million);
  • In the advertiser-coveted Adult 18-49 demographic, SNF tops the second place show by two full ratings points (8.2 vs. 6.2 for Big Bang Theory);
  • In the Adult 18-34 demographic, Sunday Night Football’s margin over the second place show is 60% (7.2 vs. 4.5 for Big Bang Theory).

OTHER SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL VIEWERSHIP NOTES:

  • The 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons of Sunday Night Football are the first three seasons that an NFL primetime package drew more than 21 million viewers since the 1994-1996 seasons of Monday Night Football on ABC.
  • The final average household rating of 12.8/19 (all 19 telecasts) is on pace with the last two seasons of Sunday Night Football and just one-tenth off of last year’s 12.9/20.

Sports Emmys: Big night for NBC; 25th statue for Bob Costas

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NEW YORK–Takeaways from the Sports Emmys last night.

********

Bob Costas won an Emmy for outstanding studio host. It is his 25th, begging the question of whether he has a warehouse to store all of his trophies.

“We have a part of the house where they fit,” said Costas of what must be an immense trophy room.

I asked Costas if winning ever gets old?

“No,” Costas said. “I’m proud that they have come in different categories. I’m more proud of the one I won for Later and the one for news for my Jerry Sandusky interview.”

Costas, though, did make an admission.

“I mean this sincerely,” Costas said. “Half of me was pulling for Rich Eisen, or Ernie Johnson or (James Brown) to win. I almost feel like a guy who wins the Gold Glove a bunch of times. Do you deserve it or do you get it based on reputation and momentum?  All of those guys do a terrific job.”

*******

All told, NBC cleaned up, winning 11 Emmys, the most of any network.

It was a big night for producer Fred Gaudelli and the Sunday Night Football team. Al Michaels won for best play-by-play; Cris Collinsworth for best analyst; its game coverage for best live sports series; and Super Bowl XLVI for outstanding live sports special.

NBC’s coverage of the London Olympics also won several awards. It was a chance to reflect back for executive producer Jim Bell, who already is fully immersed in preparing for Sochi, 2014.

“You’re always looking forward to the next one, and then the next one,” Bell said. “So it’s nice to be able to pat yourself on the back and say, ‘Hey, we did a good job there.’

********

Collinsworth won in a category that includes Jon Gruden. He thinks it is only a matter of time before the ESPN Monday night analyst gets his due.

“I keep telling him to go back into coaching,” Collinsworth said.

*******

NBC’s Pierre McGuire and Tom Verducci of MLB Network and TBS shared the award for top sports reporter.

I asked Verducci, with Emmy in hand, if this meant he was going to give up his day job at Sports Illustrated?

“No,” Verducci said. “I’m very surprised by this. Shocked. I was grew up wanting to be a writer. I never thought of doing anything else. The TV thing has sort of evolved. I grew to love TV.”

McGuire also was elated.

“I’m very grateful to NBC for giving me this opportunity,” McGuire said.

*******

Charles Barkley won for best studio analyst. Of course.

Barkley wasn’t there to accept; he was working for TNT. However, the show’s host Ernie Johnson, was given the night off to attend the Emmys. He accepted for Barkley.

“If Charles was here, he would say it was because of me,” Johnson said.

*******

For the first time in a long time, there wasn’t a winner for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Paul Pillitteri of the Emmy Awards said there wasn’t a candidate who received enough votes from the committee to receive the honor.

“It’s not the first time this has happened,” he said.

With Tim McCarver announcing his retirement, he will be a strong favorite to win the award next year.

*******

Great to see Jeremy Schaap and producer Beein Gim win an outstanding sports journalism Emmy for an E:60 feature on Beitar Jerusalem, a soccer team in Israel. The piece presented the sports side of the Israeli-Arab conflict. It was really powerful.

*******

Weirdest pairing of the evening. Joe Namath and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko presenting awards together.

*******

And finally, Schaap recalled the late, great Beano Cook. He told the story of how Cook was railing about how The Sports Reporters was a terrible show.

“He said, ‘It really sucks,'” Schaap said.

Cook wasn’t aware that he was standing next to Schaap, whose father Dick hosted the show at the time. When they were finally introduced, Cook said: “Oh, your father is great, but the show sucks.”

 

 

 

 

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Riding again: Gary Stevens will provide NBC with different view of this year’s Kentucky Derby

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Networks are supposed to be objective, with the obvious exception of pulling for major-market, star-studded teams to win to boost ratings.

NBC, though, will have a rooting interesting in this year’s Kentucky Derby. One of their own is in the race.

Gary Stevens has left his analyst seat to return to riding again. The Hall of Fame jockey is on Oxbow.

During a conference call, Stevens noted the race has great storylines for his NBC colleagues.

“I am going to be a little bit greedy here and hope to become a main storyline of the race,” Stevens said.

Indeed, NBC will be well prepared either way. Stevens will be wired throughout the entire day.

“I am still part of this team,” Stevens said. “And that’s why I’ve offered to do anything to make this show better. As being on the announcing team, I’ve asked a couple of favors from some guys ‘Hey can you wear a microphone during the race?’ How can I ask that question then not volunteer to do it? So I’m very happy to accommodate to do anything I can to make this telecast any better.”

As for why he returned, Stevens said:

“It was just something that started to grow within me over the past year and a half. And I started getting fit. I didn’t know whether I would be able to come back. I wanted to take it slowly. I did take it slowly.

“And talking with a number of folks, friends, family members got a lot of encouragement. And I thought, you know, if I can do this why not and if I can do it at a high level and continue to do it at a high level. And to be back after four months of racing and riding in the Kentucky Derby I can just say that it’s pretty gratifying.”

Stevens has won three Kentucky Derby races. Can he win a fourth?

“I’ve got a lot more control on a horse’s back than I did sitting in the booth,” Stevens said. “It’s a positive feeling knowing that I can have an impact on the shape of the race. And I feel that I will have an impact on the shape of the race because of my post position where I drew with Oxbow and where the way I wrote him last time in the Arkansas Derby.

“So I’ll just say it here now I’m sending this horse away from the gate and if anybody wants any part of me early on then they’re probably going to pay the price for it. I’ll let that be known right now.”

 

 

 

 

Best viewing of year: NBC Sports Group superserves hockey fans in first round

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The NHL playoffs begin tonight. Nothing like getting the second season started while the calendar still says April.

Thanks to the NHL’s TV deal with NBC, the first round of the playoffs now might represent the best week or two of hockey for the season.

For the second straight year, every game will air on national TV on one of these outlets: NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC, and NHL Network.

That’s every game, something that might not have happened if the NHL opted for ESPN. The multi-channel coverage created a great dynamic during the first round last year. Hockey fans worked out their remotes watching one dramatic finish after another. While the games get bigger during subsequent rounds, nothing matches the volume of the first round.

The end result produced an increase in ratings for the early rounds of the playoffs.

NBC and the NHL hope the numbers improve even more this year as more people catch on to the concept. There will be three games on tonight, and there are several days with four games.

I asked Sam Flood, NBC’s executive producer, about the set-up yesterday during a conference call:

The idea was to super-serve the hockey fan. That’s our Number 1 priority. The league wanted to make sure that their games were available to everyone. And that’s what we’ve partnered up to do with the NHL.

Gary Bettman and his team have been fabulous to work with making sure the schedule works. And unlike the NBA or baseball, this is a league that’s going to deal with two countries and make sure that they keep their partners at CVC, TSN, RDS and NBC happy.

And I can’t say how well the league was working through the schedule planning to make sure they’ve got good games on every night, to make sure the hockey fan has what they want. Which is hockey seven nights a week, and the match ups and times where they can consume them as often as possible.

Let the feast begin. Here’s the menu through May 8:

Tuesday, April 30
8 p.m. Minnesota (8) @ Chicago (1) NBCSN
8 p.m. Los Angeles (5) @ St. Louis (4) CNBC
10:30 p.m. Detroit (7) @ Anaheim (2) NBCSN
Wednesday, May 1
7 p.m. Toronto (5) @ Boston (4) CNBC
7:30 p.m. N.Y. Islanders (8) @ Pittsburgh (1) NBCSN
10:30 p.m. San Jose (6) @ Vancouver (3) NBCSN
Thursday, May 2
7 p.m. Ottawa (7) @ Montreal (2) CNBC
7:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers (6) @ Washington (3) NBCSN
9:30 p.m. Los Angeles (5) @ St. Louis (4) CNBC
10 p.m. Detroit (7) @ Anaheim (2) NBCSN
Friday, May 3
7 p.m. N.Y. Islanders (8) @ Pittsburgh (1) NBCSN
7 p.m. Ottawa (7) @ Montreal (2) CNBC
9:30 p.m. Minnesota (8) @ Chicago (1) NBCSN
10 p.m. San Jose (6) @ Vancouver (3) CNBC
Saturday, May 4
12:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers (6) @ Washington (3) NBC
7 p.m. Toronto (5) @ Boston (4) CNBC
7:30 p.m. Anaheim (2) @ Detroit (7) NBCSN
10 p.m. St. Louis (4) @ Los Angeles (5) NBCSN
Sunday, May 5
Noon Pittsburgh (1) @ N.Y. Islanders (8) NBC
3 p.m. Chicago (1) @ Minnesota (8) NBC
7 p.m. Montreal (2) @ Ottawa (7) NBCSN
10 p.m. Vancouver (3) @ San Jose (6) NBCSN
Monday, May 6
7 p.m. Boston (4) @ Toronto (5) NHL Network
7:30 p.m. Washington (3) @ N.Y. Rangers (6) NBCSN
8 p.m. Anaheim (2) @ Detroit (7) CNBC
10 p.m. St. Louis (4) @ Los Angeles (5) NBCSN
Tuesday, May 7
7 p.m. Pittsburgh (1) @ N.Y. Islanders (8) NBCSN
7 p.m. Montreal (2) @ Ottawa (7) CNBC
9:30 p.m. Chicago (1) @ Minnesota (8) NBCSN
10 p.m. Vancouver (3) @ San Jose (6) CNBC
Wednesday, May 8
7 p.m. Boston (4) @ Toronto (5) NHL Network
7:30 p.m. Washington (3) @ N.Y. Rangers (6) NBCSN

Here’s the official rundown from NBC:

Every first-round playoff game will be televised on a national platform.

In order to televise as many as four games on a given day/night, the NBC Sports Group will utilize NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC and the NHL Network to carry Conference Quarterfinal games.

NBC Sports Network will be the primary home of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, offering coverage of one or two games virtually every night of the first round. NBC will present exclusive afternoon coverage during the weekend of May 4-5.

CNBC and NHL Network will also provide live coverage in primetime. Games airing on NBC Sports Network, CNBC and the NHL Network will be subject to local blackouts in the first round.

See below for a complete Conference Quarterfinal schedule.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

NBC Sports Group’s Stanley Cup Playoff exclusivity originates with the Conference Semifinal round. Beginning in the second round and continuing through the Stanley Cup Final, all games will air exclusively on NBC, NBC Sports Network, or CNBC.

NBC Sports Network will serve as the primary home for Conference Semifinal coverage, offering one or two games virtually every night of the second round. When necessary, CNBC will provide live coverage in primetime, although more infrequently than in the first round. NBC will present exclusive afternoon coverage during the weekend of May 18-19, plus a primetime game on Saturday, May 25.

CONFERENCE FINALS

NBC and the NBC Sports Network will team to provide exclusive coverage of the Conference Finals. NBC will broadcast Saturday games on June 1 and June 8. The remaining games from both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be televised exclusively on NBC Sports Network.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

For the eighth consecutive year, NBC and NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) will provide exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC will broadcast Game 1, Game 4, and Games 5-7 (if necessary), with NBC Sports Network televising Games 2-3. Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call the Stanley Cup Final.

Notre Dame, NBC renew deal through 2025; select games can air on NBC Sports Network

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By 2025, it will be 35 years of the Irish on NBC. Think about that.

The new twist in the deal is that select Notre Dame games (i.e. the non-marquee games) can air on NBC Sports Network, beginning in 2016.

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Here are the details from NBC:

The University of Notre Dame and the NBC Sports Group have renewed their historic football partnership for 10 years, through the 2025 season. The renewal extends the landmark partnership, which began in 1991, to 35 years.

Per the extension, which begins with the 2016 season, the NBC Sports Group retains global media rights on all platforms to a minimum of seven Notre Dame home football games per year, with the vast majority airing on NBC. It also allows for games to air on NBC Sports Network. As it has since 2009, NBC Sports Digital will continue to live stream Fighting Irish home games.

“While our relationship with NBC Sports is longstanding, the more recent merger between NBC and Comcast has opened up additional avenues to expand the breadth of Notre Dame-related sports programming on NBC platforms,” said Notre Dame vice president and athletics director Jack Swarbrick. “Specifically, the evolution of the NBC Sports Network has provided opportunities for special programming featuring inside looks at our football team and several other Notre Dame sports programs and in-depth profiles on the unsung heroes of Notre Dame athletics. These are examples of the growth of our partnership, and we look forward to collaborating on additional projects and distribution strategies in seasons to come.”

“Coming off one of Notre Dame’s best and most dramatic seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic partnership, which continues to be one of the most innovative in sports-media history,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “We are particularly excited that this extension offers enhanced rights that allow us to bring Notre Dame Football to fans on more platforms than ever before.”

In 2012, Notre Dame finished the regular season undefeated — with a 12-0 record that included numerous dramatic finishes — and ultimately earned their first-ever berth in the BCS Championship Game. The Fighting Irish averaged 4.4 million viewers and a 2.8 household rating for its seven games on NBC in 2012, up 69% and 67%, respectively, versus 2011. It was the best performance on NBC in seven years (2005, 5.2 million), while the 2.8 rating was the best since 2006 (3.0).

Revenues from the NBC partnership have played a key role in Notre Dame’s financial aid endowment since the start of the relationship in 1991 when University officers allocated a portion of the football television contract revenue for undergraduate scholarship endowment (not athletic scholarships). To date, some 6,300 Notre Dame undergraduate students have received nearly $80 million in aid from revenue generated through the NBC contract.

The University also has committed NBC revenues to endow doctoral fellowships in its Graduate School and MBA scholarships in its Mendoza College of Business.

NBC has been televising Irish home games since 1991. This marks the first 10-year extension of the partnership, following five five-year agreements. By the conclusion of this extension, NBC will have televised Notre Dame Football home games for 35 consecutive seasons.

84TH ANNUAL BLUE-GOLD GAME

The 84th annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game airs on NBC Sports Network this Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, marking just the third time that the Fighting Irish’s traditional spring scrimmage game will be televised nationally.

In his first official assignment as the newest member of NBC Sports’ Notre Dame Football on-air team, Dan Hicks will call play-by-play, and be joined by analyst and 2013 Sports Emmy Award nominee Mike Mayock, and sideline reporter Alex Flanagan.

 

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL ON NBC

The 2013 Notre Dame Football season on NBC begins Saturday, August 31, at 3:30 p.m. ET, when the Fighting Irish host Temple. The 2013 schedule also includes games against Michigan State on Saturday, September 21; Oklahoma on Saturday, September 28; Arizona State from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Tex., on Saturday, October 5; USC on Saturday, October 19; Navy on Saturday, November 2; and BYU on Saturday, November 23.

 

The following is the NBC Sports Group 2013 Notre Dame Football schedule (all times ET)

Date Opponent Network
Saturday, April 20 Blue-Gold Game NBC Sports Network
Saturday, Aug. 31 Temple NBC
Saturday, Sept. 21 Michigan State NBC
Saturday, Sept. 28 Oklahoma NBC
Saturday, Oct. 5 Arizona State* NBC
Saturday, Oct. 19 USC NBC
Saturday, Nov 2 Navy NBC
Saturday, Nov 23 BYU NBC

 

 

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