Ward calling college football is old hat

By: Jim Williams
The Examiner

When Navy takes on Boston College Saturday, Dec 30, in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, 1:00pm a woman who grew up a short drive from the academies Annapolis campus will call the game for ESPN.

Pam Ward who is from Bowie and was on local radio in the early ‘90’s on WTEM in Washington and later on WBAL in Baltimore. The Maryland grad is now in her 10th year with ESPN and her 7th season as the only woman to do college football play-by-play for a national network.

She calls Big Ten, ACC and Big East football as the lead voice on the ESPN2 noon College Football Game of the Week and also handles about 28 women’s college basketball games for the network.

Ward on how she is accepted as a woman broadcaster “The coaches, players and administrators could not be better. It is old hat to most of them now. I mean I have done games at Michigan, Ohio States, all the Big Ten schools, I have done a games at many of the ACC and Big East venues and of course at my school Maryland, it really could not be better for me and I am given the same respect as any my other play by play person at ESPN.”

On doing a Navy game: “I have never done a Navy game. I have been to games in Annapolis and it is such a great tradition. To be honest I really was hoping that I could have gotten a Maryland – Navy match-up but I have done Boston College games and their fans are great so this should be a wonderful game for everyone involved,” said Ward.

She is already on her third woman’s college game of the season and looks forward to seeing Maryland down the line again. Her dream was once to do NFL play-by-play but that has now changed to being able to call the Women’s Final Four. As of now that job belongs to another local favorite Mike Patrick but someday perhaps Mike could hand the head sets over to Pam. It would be a nice transition a plan for ESPN as Ward is a role model for young female broadcasters.

Big Changes for TV in 2007

By: Jim Williams
The Examiner

Some big changes are coming in 2007 and you will need this handy guide to keep track of where you can watch your favorite sports.

Let’s begin with the PGA Tour all early rounds and some major early tournament events are now on The Golf Channel. TGC is now the cable home to almost every PGA/LPGA/Nationwide and European Tournament. They will be the cable home to ALL early round PGA events except for two – the British Open and the US Open, both have a couple of years left on their ESPN/ABC contract.

The PGA network partners will be NBC and CBS who will split up the season, gone is ESPN/ABC who will have only the British open left along with a few LPGA events in 2007.

Baseball on the local level see’s both the Nationals and Orioles now on the Mid Atlantic Sports Network, on the national side of things Sunday’s will offer 26 weeks of double headers. The Sunday Afternoon Game of the Week will on TBS with Sunday Night Baseball at its normal home on ESPN. The Monday and Wednesday Night Games of the Week also will return to ESPN. The folks at FOX have expanded their roll to have a complete season of Saturday Game of the Week telecasts.

The post season will see on TBS and FOX with early round games and the NLCS on Turner while FOX will have the ALCS and the World Series.

NASCAR has the Craftsman Truck Series on Speed, The Busch Series now belongs to ESPN and the NEXTEL big boys will air on FOX for the first part of the year, TNT takes over with a summer package and ESPN/ABC will bring The Chase for the Cup home in the late summer and the fall.

Tennis remains on ESPN2 as the home for most of the year with NBC keeping the French and Wimbledon and CBS will airs the US Open with USA keeping the early rounds.

The NBA will stay put on ESPN/ABC, TNT and the NBA -TV, while the NHL will continue on VERSUS and NBC. Locally the Caps and the Wiz are on CSN.

MLS is now on ESPN2/ABC and FOX Soccer Channel exclusively. DC United will be on CSN.

Ravens game moved to 4:15pm on CBS

The Ravens game against the Bills will be moved to 4:15pm to be part of the NFL double header.

Here is the rest of the schedule just published by the NFL

The Week 17 Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears game on Sunday, December 31 will be played at 8:15 PM ET on NBC, the Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts games will move to 4:15 PM ET on CBS and the Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles game will move to 4:15 PM ET on FOX, the NFL announced today. Following is the final Week 17 NFL schedule (asterisk and bold/italics represents changed game time):





SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 (SEVENTEENTH WEEKEND)



N.Y. GIANTS AT WASHINGTON
8:00 PM (ET)
NFLN




SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31



PITTSBURGH AT CINCINNATI
1:00 PM (ET)
CBS

DETROIT AT DALLAS
12:00 PM (CT)
FOX

CLEVELAND AT HOUSTON
12:00 PM (CT)
CBS

JACKSONVILLE AT KANSAS CITY
12:00 PM (CT)
CBS

ST. LOUIS AT MINNESOTA
12:00 PM (CT)
FOX

CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS
12:00 PM (CT)
FOX

OAKLAND AT N.Y. JETS
1:00 PM (ET)
CBS

SEATTLE AT TAMPA BAY
1:00 PM (ET)
FOX

NEW ENGLAND AT TENNESSEE
12:00 PM (CT)
CBS

BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE*
4:15 PM (ET)
CBS

SAN FRANCISCO AT DENVER
2:15 PM (MT)
FOX

MIAMI AT INDIANAPOLIS*
4:15 PM (ET)
CBS

ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA*
4:15 PM (ET)
FOX

ARIZONA AT SAN DIEGO
1:15 PM (PT)
FOX

GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO*
7:15 PM (CT)
NBC






The NFL implemented for the first time this year a “flexible scheduling” element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives teams a chance to play their way onto primetime and into the late-afternoon 4:15 PM ET time slot on CBS and FOX.

The NBA Christmas tradition continues

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 25, 2006 3:00 AM (9 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 10,197 articles

BALTIMORE - While the NFL has Thanksgiving, Christmas Day belongs to the NBA.


This year, it will be the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers taking on the defending NBA champion Miami Heat and 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade when ESPN on ABC 2 launches its NBA season on Christmas Day at 2 p.m.

The ESPN on ABC’s game broadcast will mark the debut of a new commentary team — returning play-by-play commentator Mike Breen, analyst Mark Jackson and reporter Michele Tafoya (who will also handle reporting duties during ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecast, New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, later that evening). Dan Patrick will return as the host of “NBA Countdown,” which will originate from the game site throughout the season, with analysts Jackson and Michael Wilbon.

I spoke to both Breen and Jackson about the NBA’s Christmas tradition, as well as the matchup between Kobe and D-Wade.

Jackson: “It’s certainly something that’s special. ... [Players] realize it is Christmas, people open up gifts, and families are around the television set watching. ... [Those] that are selected to play in the games are fully aware of the impact that it could have and how important it is and what type of stage they are on. I think the best thing about it is having two of the league’s brightest stars in Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade participating in this game. It’s going to be a special, special game, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Speaking as a former player, guys are fully aware and want to take part in this kind of environment.”

Breen: “I’m going to be curious with Kobe Bryant. He’s one of those guys that I think loves to play on a day like this when everybody is watching, and the Lakers have been one of the real surprises in terms of how well they’ve played. Now, they are on the road without one of their key guys, Lamar Odom, and he’s going to have to shoulder perhaps a little more of the load.”


Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.


Examiner

Notes from the Gators win over OSU

Greg Gumbel: It's not lost on everyone around here that same two
schools, Florida and Ohio State are going to meet in a few short weeks
for the national championship in football, which brings me to my
partner, Billy packer.

Billy Packer: You talk about the long snapper, the holder and so forth.
Here's my suggestion to football coaches. The most important play of the
season, the only reason they're (Florida) in the national championship
is this blocked kick by Jarvis Moss. You know how high he (Moss) gets
up? 9' 6". Do you realized where Joakim Noah can go? He can go to 13
feet. You start a position called the "Eliminator," they eliminate all
field goals and extra points. Naismith invented the football helmet. If
not for the helmet, there would be no football.

Gumbel: You're deadly serious?

Packer: He  (Noah) can touch the top of the backboard. Can you imagine
what it would do to the heads of the kickers? I am serious.

From Jim Williams sent via T-Mobile Blackberry

Nats make pitch for Sutton

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 22, 2006 3:00 AM (5 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 15,510 articles

WASHINGTON - Several high-placed Atlanta sources tell me former Braves announcer and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Don Sutton will join Bob Carpenter in the Nationals TV booth this season on MASN.

While the deal has not been finalized, it is “very close to being closed and the only thing that needs to be done is the length of the agreement,” according to a source.

The pairing of Sutton, who will be the Nats’ third color analyst in as many seasons, and play-by-play man Carpenter will give Washington one of the best broadcast duos in baseball. Sutton replaces Tom Paciorek, who was not retained after one season.

In his 23 years as a pitcher, Sutton played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels. He won a total of 324 games and is eighth on baseball’s all-time strikeout list with 3,574.

Sutton began as a broadcaster with the Braves in 1989 and over the years has become a well-respected announcer.

He was let go by the Braves after last season as the team is headed in a new direction; TBS is doing a nationally televised “Game of the Week” every Sunday afternoon starting in April.

It ultimately came down to Sutton and former Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone for the Nats. The winner is reunited with his old Braves boss Stan Kasten, now the Nats’ President.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

MASN, Red Zebra should make great partners

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 22, 2006 3:00 AM (5 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 15,510 articles

BALTIMORE - Red Zebra and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network have joined forces on a long-term deal that will have “The John Riggins Show” simulcast on Triple X ESPN Radio and MASN starting in February.

MASN was looking to expand its Washington, D.C., programming, which includes the Nationals and Georgetown University sports. The Baltimore-based regional sports network is attempting to strike a balance and cover the entire mid-Atlantic region. “The John Riggins Show,” which airs from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays, will be the centerpiece of the new deal between the two locally owned media giants.

Riggins, the Redskins Hall of Famer, has a show that should appeal to people throughout the region. His guests are national in scope from both the sports and entertainment arenas. The show is much more than just Redskins.

As for “The Anita Marks Show” on Baltimore’s ESPN 1300-AM, which currently holds that spot on MASN, she’ll be part of the mix but there are some programming decisions to be made. Marks could go in the 3-to-5 p.m. shift and Riggins could do 5 to 7, but nothing is confirmed yet. Fans of both personalities, though, can rest assured that there will be plenty of each on MASN.

Red Zebra and MASN bring together two of the region’s most powerful sports owners, the Redskins’ Dan Snyder and the Orioles’ Peter Angelos. There will no doubt be a number of promotional opportunities to advance both locally owned companies. Fans should be the winner in this deal.

MASN’s radio relationships with ESPN 1300 in Baltimore and Triple X ESPN in Washington are bright moves and should give them access to fresh local programming for years to come.

Barring any last-minute snags, look for the Orioles to move to ESPN 1300-AM/WHFS-FM soon. That will give the O’s tons of cross-promotion with the two Charm City talkers booking plenty of time for players and front office staff.

Is it baseball season yet?

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

CBS BROADCAST CREWS FOR THIS WEEKEND

WEEK 16 – Dec. 24 – DOUBLEHEADER



GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Tennessee @ Buffalo Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker Victor Frank/Mark Grant

·Indianapolis @ Houston Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots Ken Mack/Cathy Barreto

·N. England @ Jacksonville* Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Baltimore @ Pittsburgh Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley



4:15 PM, ET starts

·Cincinnati @ Denver* Jim Nantz/Phil Simms Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·San Diego @ Seattle* Dick Enberg/Randy Cross Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

Red Zebra and MASN strike a deal

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Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 21, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 15,326 articles

WASHINGTON - Red Zebra and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network have agreed on a long-term deal to simulcast Triple X ESPN Radio’s “The John Riggins Show” on MASN beginning in February.

MASN was looking to expand its Washington, D.C.-area programming that already includes the Nationals and Georgetown University sports. The Baltimore-based network is attempting to strike a balance and cover the entire Mid-Atlantic region.

Riggins’ radio show, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m., is the centerpiece of the deal. The Hall-of-Famer has a diverse and entertaining show, helped along by cohorts Gary Braun and Kevin Sheehan.

So what about “The Anita Marks Show” from Baltimore’s ESPN 1300-AM currently simulcast in that spot on MASN? That show could hold down the 3-5 p.m. slot and Riggins could take over from 5-7 p.m. Nothing is set in stone as of yet.

Red Zebra and MASN’s union brings together two of the region’s most powerful sports owners in the Redskins’ Dan Snyder and the Orioles’ Peter Angelos. There will no doubt be a number of promotional opportunities that will advance both locally-owned broadcast companies. Best of all, fans should be the winner in this deal.

For late night football chatter, it’s FOX

If you have yet to hear John Fricke and Chris Landry’s weekend show on Fox Sports Radio, you have been missing the best football show on radio.

Saturday nights from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. on SportsTalk 980 WTEM-AM and XM channel 142, the duo hosts “College Game Time Rewind” and cover every possible angle of that day’s action. On Sunday nights at the same time, they shift to the pro game for “NFL Game Time Rewind.”

While Fricke is in FOX’s Los Angeles studio, Landry is across the country in his home studio in Baton Rouge, La. Despite a geographic gap, their chemistry is apparent and the show is both entertaining and informative.

Callers light the lines and the show moves quickly as the guys do a great job of fielding questions from all areas of the football world.

Fricke is the polished broadcaster who knows football and keeps things moving. Landry is a former college and pro assistant football coach that currently runs a football scouting service. We talked about all things football both college and pro:

» Landry on the NFL: “This year has been the toughest year to see a clear cut favorite in either conference. San Diego has been playing well and Baltimore has been a dark horse all season. The Colts, Pats and the Bengals have all been inconsistent. In the NFC, Chicago just keeps winning. But after that, is it the Cowboys or the Saints that is the best? It should be some ride to the Super Bowl this year.”

» Fricke on the difference between attending a college and pro games: “The NFL has done a wonderful job of making it comfortable for the fans. But I like the old stadiums like RFK where you could not hear and the stands bounced. The college game gives you tradition, walking though campus and then heading to the stadium for a tailgate party. Both have their strong points but if I had a chance to go to a big time college football game or an NFL game, it would be college for me.”

NASCAR will have a truly New Year

In 2007, NASCAR will have a new look and sound.

FOX is now the official home of the Daytona 500 and will broadcast the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races following Daytona.

TNT is entering its 22nd year with NASCAR, adding to the longest continuous relationship of any media company with the sport. TNT will broadcast six consecutive races in the middle of the season, including the July 4th weekend extravaganza highlighted by the Pepsi 400 from Daytona (which will actually run on July 7).

The final 17 NEXTEL Cup races will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN.

The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup — the 10 races that finish the season — will be seen on ESPN on ABC.

The NASCAR Busch Series will move to the ESPN family of networks.

Recently, I spoke to ESPN race expert Dr. Jerry Punch and he could not be more excited about NASCAR returning to the network that launched it in the first place.

» Punch on ESPN getting NASCAR back: “It has been six long years since we have done a NASCAR race and I have to tell you that the entire race team here can’t wait. Getting the Busch Series and the final leg of NASCAR season, including the ‘Chase,’ is a dream come true for us.”

» Punch on Toyota getting into NASCAR: “I think it is going to be wonderful for our sport. Toyota has been huge in the truck series and they will no doubt be a major competitor in the ‘Chase for the Cup’ They will take their place with Chevy, Ford and Dodge and man that will be something to see.”

Also new in 2007, DirecTV will have a coverage package that lets you follow the race as well as up to five drivers at a time with a split screen feature.

The sound of NASCAR will also come from a different outlet. SIRIUS will replace XM as the satellite radio home for all things NASCAR. SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will debut in January on channel 128. The channel will air 24 hours a day, seven days a week of NASCAR talk. More to come on SIRIUS offerings as the season approaches.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.


Examiner

Red Zebra and MASN sign long term deal Riggins Show to be the centerpiece.

By: Jim Williams
The Examiner

Red Zebra and the Mid Atlantic Sports Network have come together on a long term deal that will have The John Riggins Show simulcast on Triple X ESPN radio and MASN starting in February.

MASN was looking to expand its Washington, DC programming which of course includes the Nationals and Georgetown University sports. The Baltimore based regional sports network is attempting to strike a balance and cover the entire mid Atlantic region.

The John Riggins Show which airs from 4pm till 7pm will be the centerpiece of the new deal between the two locally owned media giants.

Riggins the Hall of Fame for Redskins star has a show that should appeal to people throughout the region. His guests are national in scope from both the sports and entertainment arena’s and anyone thinking that all the shows focus is on the Redskins would be wrong. It is a very diverse and entraining show with Riggins being helped by his partners Gary Braun and Kevin Sheehan who keep the program moving.

So what about The Anita Mark Show on Baltimore’s ESPN 1300AM that now holds down that spot on MASN? Well the good news is that she is not going to be part of the mix but there some programming decisions to be made. Marks could hold down the 3pm till 5pm shift and Riggins could do the 5pm till 7pm slot, nothing is set in stone as of yet but fans of both personalities can rest assured that there will be plenty of the two radio/TV personalities on MASN.

Red Zebra and the Mid Atlantic Sports Network brings together two of the regions most powerful sports owners in the Redskins Dan Snyder and the Orioles Peter Angelos. There will no doubt have a number of promotional opportunities that will advance both locally owned broadcaster companies and fans should be the winner in this deal.

MASN’s radio relationships with ESPN 1300 in Baltimore and Triple X ESPN in Washington are bright moves and will give them access to fresh local programming for years to come.

Barring any last minute snags look for the Orioles to move to ESPN 1300AM/WHFS-FM soon. That will give the O’s plenty of cross promotion with the two Charm City talkers plenty of time to talk to players and front office people.

Meanwhile, the new Triple X deal to buy 104.1/103.9FM WGMS should make them the leaders to land the Nationals in 2008. That would give MASN access to both the TV and radio sides of both area professional teams, not a bad thing.

NASCAR, DirecTV take race-viewing to another level

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 20, 2006 3:00 AM (8 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 5 of 12,733 articles

BALTIMORE - NASCAR and DirecTV are about to blow your mind with a very cool new offering that launches in 2007.


While the NFL remains DirecTV’s biggest investment, this new NASCAR deal is the satellite provider’s biggest production commitment ever. They are building a state-of-the-art HD production truck and putting together announcing, production and engineering teams to cover every aspect of races from the race team’s perspective.

The new package, which is called “Hot Pass,” is the brainchild of FOX Sports president David Hill, in cooperation with DirecTV.

I spoke to Eric Shanks, the VP of advanced products and new media for DirecTV, and he explained how “Hot Pass” works, starting with the Daytona 500.

“We have been working with NASCAR for a couple of years now,” he said, “and we have noticed that while there is a race going on, there are fans who really follow a driver, or a car or maybe a team and they do it all race long. So, there are as many as 40 races within the race that fans are following.”

Shanks’ goal is “to offer the race fan the chance to watch the race in one screen and follow up to five drivers.” To do this, they will use five dedicated driver channels — each having their own broadcast team dedicated to one NASCAR driver throughout the race and multiple screens on each driver channel. The screens will be devoted to the following:

» Live national broadcast of the race.

» Driver point-of-view camera looking out the front windshield, with select telemetry readings.

» Additional camera angles, including an overhead cam, pit box cam and corner cams.

» Live audio of the two-way communications between the driver, crew chief and spotter.

» Dedicated announcers for each driver channel and real-time stats.

More NASCAR advances in 2007...

SIRIUS will replace XM as the new radio home of NASCAR in 2007. Race fans will have the opportunity not only to hear all the races, but SIRIUS also will take fans into the cars and pits by devoting up to 10 additional “Team Talk” channels that will carry the driver-to-crew communications of up to 10 different race teams during NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.

SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will debut on channel 128 in January. The channel will air 24 hours a day, seven days a week of NASCAR talk. The entire NASCAR, Busch and Truck series will air on SIRIUS.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal 50 Most Influential People 2006

NAME/TITLE (2005 rank)

1. George Bodenheimer; President, ESPN/ABC Sports (1)


2. David Stern; Commissioner, NBA (3)


3. Bud Selig; Commissioner, MLB (5)


4. Dick Ebersol; Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics (4)


5. Roger Goodell; Commissioner, NFL (28)


6. David Hill; President, DirecTV Entertainment Group / Chairman, Fox Sports (4)


7. Tony Ponturo; VP of Global Media & Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch (6)


8. Brian France; President, NASCAR (7)


9. Phil Knight; Chairman, Nike (11)


10. Sean McManus; President, CBS Sports & CBS News (9)


11. Gary Bettman; Commissioner, NHL (10)


12. Tim Finchem; Commissioner, PGA Tour (13)


13. Gene Upshaw; Executive director, NFL Players Association (17)


14. Robert Kraft; Chairman and owner, New England Patriots (12)


15. Steve Bornstein; Exec VP of media, NFL / President and CEO, NFL Network (15)


16. David Levy; President, Turner Sports*


17. Herbert Hainer; CEO, Adidas*


18. George Pyne; President, IMG (47)


19. Bob DuPuy; President & COO, MLB (20)


20. Richard Lovett; President, CAA*


21. George Steinbrenner; Owner, New York Yankees (18)


22. Myles Brand; President, NCAA (23)


23. Don Fehr; Executive Director, MLBPA (21)


24. Casey Wasserman; Chairman & CEO, Wasserman Media Group*


25. Larry Probst; Chairman & CEO, Electronic Arts (14)


26. Jerry Jones; Owner, Dallas Cowboys (24)


27. Jeff Shell; President of programming, Comcast (19)


28. Ed Goren; President, Fox Sports (26)


29. Pat Bowlen; Owner, Denver Broncos (22)


30. Scott Boras; CEO, The Scott Boras Corp. (27)


31. Tim Leiweke; President & CEO, Anschutz Entertainment Group (30)


32. Billy Hunter; Executive Director, NBPA (29)


33. Arn Tellem; President, Wasserman Media Group Management (40)


34. Bob Bowman; President & CEO, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (31)


35. Mark Cuban; Owner, Dallas Mavericks (34)


36. Don Garber; Commissioner, MLS (45)


37. John Skipper; Executive VP of Content, ESPN*


38. Micky Arison; Owner, Miami Heat*


39. Adam Silver; Deputy Commissioner, NBA (42)


40. Mike Helton; President; NASCAR*


41. Dawn Hudson; President & CEO, Pepsi-Cola North America (36)


42. Arlen Kantarian; CEO of Professional Tennis, USTA (37)


43. Jeremy Jacobs Sr.; Owner, Boston Bruins / Chairman & CEO, Delaware North Cos. (38)


44. Rick Dudley; President & CEO, Octagon (NR)


45. Jerry Reinsdorf; Chairman, Chicago White Sox & Chicago Bulls (44)


46. Peter Ueberroth; Chairman, USOC (46)


47. Jerry Richardson; Owner, Carolina Panthers*


48. Sean Bratches; Executive VP of Sales & Marketing, ESPN*


49. Terry McDonell; Editor, Sports Illustrated Group*


50. Tom Condon; Agent; CAA*

Triple X has classical signal solution

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Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 19, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 10,543 articles

WASHINGTON - Tired of the signal problems Triple X ESPN/Redskins radio has had since launching? Soon they will be a thing of the past.

The station’s parent company, Redskins owner Dan Snyder’s Red Zebra Broadcasting, has a deal in place to buy classical music giant WGMS 104.1 and 103.9 FM with the intent of moving Triple X ESPN to that frequency as early as January.

With 104.1/103.9 FM and the possible expansion of 730 AM’s signal (an FCC request to boost the power is pending), Triple X ESPN would have little problem blanketing the area with Washington’s first full-time FM sports talk station. The AM signal will cover any of the dead spots.

It means more listeners will be able to hear the local shows weekdays like “Redskins Lunch with Larry Michael and Bram Weinstein” and the drivetime offering of “The John Riggins Show.”

Riggins’ show is being targeted by MASN for a TV simulcast. But several issues could kill the deal. A source told me it was a long shot but “worth a try.”

Diamond media notes

Word is Baltimore sports radio personalities Amber Theoharis and Anita Marks could be involved in MASN’s baseball pre- and post-game shows. It is possible the network will do one show that covers both the Orioles and Nationals. Like ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight,” the show’s host would interact with announcing teams from game sites and conduct interviews. It would make sense and is a good way to connect the network with both the Orioles and Nationals. Plus, the sports desk concept could provide score updates and highlights during both game telecasts.

Former Orioles player and coach Rick Dempsey has been tapped by MASN to be part of the pre- and postgame shows. It is also possible Dempsey could fill in for Jim Palmer in the booth with Jim Hunter and Fred Manfra on selected O’s telecasts.

That would make sense if Buck Martinez moves over to join former ESPN partner Bob Carpenter in Washington to call the Nats games. Word out of the winter meetings have both Don Sutton and Steve Stone still angling for the Nationals color job vacated when Tom Paciorek was not retained after one season.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

Landry likes Ravens in title game

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 19, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 10,543 articles

BALTIMORE - If you have not heard John Fricke and Chris Landry do their weekend show on Fox Sports Radio (WNST-AM 1570 or XM channel 142) every Saturday and Sunday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., you have been missing radio’s best football show.


Saturday nights, the duo hosts “Fox College GameTime Rewind,” covering every possible angle of the day’s action. On Sundays, they switch to the pros on “Fox NFL GameTime Rewind.”

Fricke is at the Fox Sports Radio studio in Los Angeles, while Landry is half a country away at his home studio in Baton Rouge, La. Still, they have an on-air chemistry that is both entertaining and informative.

Callers fill up the lines and their show moves along quickly. Fricke, the polished broadcaster, knows football and keeps things rolling, while Landry is a former college and pro assistant coach who now runs a major football scouting service.

Recently, we talked about all things football.

Landry: “I know that Baltimore fans don’t seem to feel the love on a national basis. They feel that the Ravens just don’t seem to get enough respect. If I had to pick an AFC championship game today, it would be San Diego and Baltimore. They are the class of the conference and among the best three or four teams in football. I do think that [San Diego quarterback] Philip Rivers has grown a great deal from the first time the two teams played [Baltimore, 16-13, on Oct. 1], but they are so even that it comes down to who has the home field. That would be worth about three points. But both teams have shown an ability to win on the road. Barring an injury or a misstep along the way, one of those teams will be in the Super Bowl.”

Fricke, on the difference between attending a college vs. pro game: “The NFL has done a wonderful job of making it comfortable for the fans. But I like the old stadiums like RFK, where you could not hear and the stands bounced. The college game gives you tradition, walking though campus and then heading to the stadium for a tailgate party. Both have their strong points, but if I had a chance to go to a big-time college football game or an NFL game, it would be college for me.”

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

Sunday'Best lines from the Pre Game Shows!!!

On Terrell Owens admitting he spit on DB DeAngelo Hall in Saturday’s Cowboys-Falcons game ...
Analyst Tom Jackson: "I personally would rather have someone sucker-punch me in the face than spit on me. I can get over that bruise. I can fight you if you want to fight me man-up. But, the fact that you spit on me is an insult that lasts a lifetime."


"It’s time for someone to do something about it. … TO needs to learn a lesson."
Analyst Ron Jaworski: "Everyday, every single day, it’s something with Terrell Owens. He just sucks the wind, the air, out of your football team."
Analyst Michael Irvin: "There is no time that is right to spit on anybody."
Analyst Mike Ditka: "What he did is disgusting, period."


Howie Long on the struggling Indianapolis Colts: “In order to put a positive spin on things, Tony Dungy is drawing comparisons to his 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad. The only problem with that analogy is the front seven of this Colts team is no where near the team that he had in 1999 in Tampa Bay. They need to get this thing fixed and fixed in a hurry because that window of opportunity is closing quickly.”


Terry Bradshaw adds: “This is not going to be fixed this year. This is going to have to be fixed in the off season, with the draft or some trades. You just can’t fix things like this. Eventually people catch up with you.”


Casserly: I talked to the Steelers this week. First of all, the Steelers would like Bill Cowher to come back next year as the Head Coach. I think there is a misconception of why a deal hasn't been done. People have talked about it being about dollars. They haven't even talked about dollars yet. They had some discussions about structure, length, but nothing about hard dollars yet. What's going to happen from here is this - both sides are going to sit down right after the season. This thing will not drag on. A decision will be made quickly. If Bill Cowher decides not to coach for the Steelers next year, by league rule, he can't coach for anybody in the NFL next year. The successor as I’ve said here before, in my opinion, the next Head Coach, if Bill resigns, will be Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.


BETTIS ON LARRY JOHNSON VS. LADANIAN TOMLINSON: "I like Larry Johnson, he's similar to me in terms of his size, although I am a little bit bigger than him..."
COLLINSWORTH: "You're bigger than everybody."
BETTIS: "LT does so many things well, he catches the ball, he throws the ball, he runs the ball, he's just fully developed as a running back, and he's done it for six years."


COLLINSWORTH: "LT is a better all-around player, but Larry Johnson, I think, is the better pure runner."


COSTAS ON LAMAR HUNT: "Over the past few days, it's been hard to determine what's been cited more frequently: that Hunt always flew coach, or that he always treated everyone first-class."


LADANIAN TOMLINSON TO NBC'S ANDREA KREMER ON WHAT HE SAID TO HIS TEAMMATES BEFORE BREAKING THE NFL SINGLE-SEASON TD RECORD: "I said, 'guys, if this is it, if this is going to be the record, I want every single guy in this huddle to come be a part of it and touch this football, history, I want every single guy to come to the end zone and be a part of it.'"


NFL LEGEND JIM BROWN ON LT: "He is a bright light in today's game because so many other individuals are so interested in their individual achievement, and don't come close to having the charisma and the respect that this young man has."


PETER KING ON DREW BREES'S CONTRACT: "Everybody thought last year that Drew Brees signed a six-year, $16 million deal with the Saints and really, what it comes down to, is he signed a one-year contract with an option clause in it to be exercised on March 1, 2007 where the Saints will have to pay him $12 million to activate the final five years of it. The Saints are not a wealthy organization right now, I asked general manager Mickey Loomis what they were going to do and he said 'Peter, I would be a moron if we didn't activate that clause.' Drew Brees is going to get a big check on March 1."

Saturday Night Left Overs

BOOTH EXCHANGE

“Flozell Adams for years played alongside Larry Allen.” – Gumbel

“The field would tilt to that side.”- Vermeil



“What a collision. The (Falcons) linebacker Michael Boley came through and nailed fullback Lousaka Polite. He (Boley) wasn’t so ‘polite.’”

-Vermeil



Key Stat: Terrell Owens first, first half touchdown this year.



Cowboys 7, Falcons 0



SECOND QUARTER



**Marshall Faulk joined Gumbel and Vermeil in the booth at 8:37 PM ET



BOOTH EXCHANGE

"Marshall, I assume you’re not too fond of how the voting went in “America’s Game?” –Gumbel

“Not at all. I think coach Vermeil and myself feel that team should have been higher on the charts (’99 Rams ranked 19th).” – Faulk

“Anytime you score as many points as that team did and still rank sixth in defense, you’re still a pretty good football team.” – Vermeil

“I have to confess, I did have a vote in that… but I was only a part.” – Gumbel

“Obviously you voted us higher.” – Vermeil

“Of course I did.” - Gumbel



“The fans of Atlanta, no matter the sport, are not known for their enthusiasm. But they are in it tonight.”

-Gumbel



“When he was with the Raiders, he used to give me fits.”

-Vermeil on Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman. Vermeil coached the Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons



Key Stat: Morten Andersen became leading scorer in NFL history with second extra point in the game.



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“As good as (Roy) Williams is, he’s not the best safety in the NFL when he’s in space.”

-Gumbel

“He’s as good as the best though when he’s close to the line of scrimmage.”

-Vermeil



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“From a coaching standpoint, we always say that pass interference is the worst call in football. The ball moves so far on plays like that.”

-Vermeil on pass interference call Aaron Glenn

“Cris Collinsworth believes when there is a pass interference penalty of a certain length, there should be an official review. What do you think about that?”

-Gumbel

“Well Cris was a wide receiver.” - Faulk



“Breaks another record… his own.”

Vermeil on Morten Andersen’s third extra point of the night



Halftime Score: Cowboys 21, Falcons 21



THIRD QUARTER



**Deion Sanders joined Faulk and Gumbel at the beginning of the third quarter. Vermeil left with sore throat.



“This is the same receiving corps we’ve been so critical of. I guess they heard all the commentary that we’ve been offering Marshall. They look like the Indianapolis Colts receivers today.”

-Sanders after an Ashley Lelie reception early in the third quarter



“This is the most aggressive I’ve seen the Falcons defense this year.”

-Sanders



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“Should we really be surprised Michael Vick is putting up these kind of numbers? Some people think he’s an athlete playing quarterback; I think he’s a quarterback that happens to be a great athlete.” – Sanders

“What Vick has been doing tonight that he sometimes has a problem with is remain a quarterback. Sometimes he’ll watch the rush and the ball will get tucked away like a running back. Tonight, that ball has been in his hand, prepared to throw it. -Faulk



“You can say what you want about the off-the-field mess that “T.O” brings, but on the field, this guy is the best receiver in football.”

-Sanders



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“Marshall correct me if I’m wrong, but Marion Barber gives the Cowboys offense so much more of a punch than Julius Jones. Jones looks like he’s trying to find a place to fall down and is not hitting the hole with the same intensity as Barber.”

-Sanders on Cowboys running backs

“Barber is a better downhill runner.” -Faulk

**BARBER RUNS FOR A TOUCHDOWN

“Barber runs with a sense of urgency when he has the ball” - Sanders



“DeAngelo Hall is allowing his emotions to get the best of him on the field.”

-Sanders after Hall angrily went to the sideline after a Dallas touchdown



Cowboys 31, Falcons 28



FOURTH QUARTER



Key Stat: Michael Vick breaks NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback previously held by Bobby Douglass.



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“Were they similar?” –Sanders

“Douglass was built like a linebacker. When Vick runs, he takes punishment. When Douglass ran, he delivered the punishment.” -Gumbel



“You can’t come out of the game. The fans are seeing their star, their 100 million dollar man come out of the game. They don’t want to see him come out of the game unless he’s carried off the field.”

-Sanders as Vick left the game with a groin strain with 1:24 left



BOOTH EXCHANGE

“Is Marshall Faulk coming off the field at this point in the game?” –Sanders

“No.” –Faulk

“Is Deion Sanders coming off the field at this point?” –Gumbel

“Never.” –Sanders



FINAL SCORE
Cowboys 38, Falcons 28



POST GAME



“I can honestly say, that was one of my dreams to call a game.” –Sanders

“Remember, we’re always auditioning.” –Mariucci

ESPN BOWL ANNOUNCER RUNDOWN

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPN RADIO COLLEGE BOWL SCHEDULE

Date/Site Time (ET) Network Game/Commentators
Tue., 12/19 8 p.m. ESPN2 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl–
San Diego Northern Illinois vs. TCU
Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, Mark May and Rob Stone
Thu., 12/21 8 p.m. ESPN Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl – #20 BYU vs. Oregon
Las Vegas Brent Musburger, Bob Davie, Craig James and Lisa Salters
Fri., 12/22 8 p.m. ESPN2 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl – Rice vs. Troy
New Orleans Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Rob Stone
ESPN Radio Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Todd McShay
Sat., 12/23 1 p.m. ESPN2 Papajohns.com Bowl – South Florida vs. East Carolina
Birmingham, Ala. Gary Thorne, Andre Ware and Todd Harris
ESPN Radio Pam Ward and Mike Gottfried
4:30 p.m. ESPN New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico vs. San Jose State
Albuquerque, N.M. Bob Wischusen, Rod Gilmore, Trevor Matich and Stacey Dales
ESPN Radio Dave Ryan, Kelly Stouffer and Quint Kessenich
8 p.m. ESPN Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl –Tulsa vs. Utah
Fort Worth, Texas Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe
ESPN Radio Dave Barnett, Jim Donnan and Rob Simmelkjaer
Sun., 12/24 8 p.m. ESPN Sheraton Hawaii Bowl – Hawaii vs. Arizona State
Honolulu Mark Jones, David Norrie and Heather Cox
ESPN Radio Mark Jones, David Norrie and Heather Cox (simulcast)
CAPITAL ONE BOWL WEEK
Tue., 12/26 7:30 p.m. ESPN Motor City Bowl – Middle Tennessee vs. Central Michigan
Detroit Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley and Vince Welch
Wed., 12/27 8 p.m. ESPN Emerald Bowl – Florida State vs. #25 UCLA
San Francisco Dan Fouts, Tim Brant and Jack Arute
ESPN Radio Dave Barnett, Bill Curry and Dave Ryan
Thu., 12/28 4:30 p.m. ESPN PetroSun Independence Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
Shreveport, La. Gary Thorne, Andre Ware and Todd Harris
8 p.m. ESPN Pacific Life Holiday Bowl – #21 Texas A&M vs. #18 Cal
San Diego Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Erin Andrews
ESPN Radio Dan Fouts, Tim Brant and Jack Arute
Fri., 12/29 1 p.m. ESPN Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl – Clemson vs. Kentucky
Nashville, Tenn. Dave Pasch, Rod Gilmore, Trevor Matich and Stacey Dales
4:30 p.m. ESPN AutoZone Liberty Bowl – South Carolina vs. Houston
Memphis, Tenn. John Saunders, Craig James, Doug Flutie and Todd Harris
8 p.m. ESPN Champs Sports Bowl – Purdue vs. Maryland
Orlando, Fla. Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Bonnie Bernstein
ESPN Radio Dave Lamont, Jim Donnan and Duke Castiglione
Sat., 12/30 1 p.m. ESPN Meineke Car Care Bowl – Navy vs. #24 Boston College
Charlotte, N.C. Pam Ward, Mike Gottfried and Jimmy Dykes
4:30 p.m. ESPN Alamo Bowl – #19 Texas vs. Iowa
San Antonio, Texas Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Rob Stone
ESPN Radio Dave Barnett, Bill Curry and Dave Ryan
8 p.m. ESPN Chick-fil-A Bowl – Georgia vs. #15 Virginia Tech
Atlanta Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham and Dr. Jerry Punch
ESPN Radio Dave Pasch, Rod Gilmore and Trevor Matich
Sun., 12/31 7:30 p.m. ESPN MPC Computers Bowl – Miami vs. Nevada
Boise, Idaho Mark Jones, David Norrie and Heather Cox
Mon., 1/1 11 a.m. ESPN Outback Bowl – #17 Tennessee vs. Penn State
Tampa, Fla. Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe
ESPN Radio Gary Thorne, Andre Ware and Rob Stone
1 p.m. ABC Capital One Bowl – #12 Arkansas vs. #7 Wisconsin
Orlando, Fla. Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Erin Andrews
5 p.m. ABC Rose Bowl Presented by Citi – #5 USC vs. #3 Michigan
Pasadena, Calif. Brent Musburger, Bob Davie, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters and Bonnie
Bernstein
ESPN Radio Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Todd Harris
8 p.m. ESPN Radio Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – #8 Boise State vs. #10 Oklahoma
Glendale, Ariz. Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham and Dr. Jerry Punch
Tue., 1/2 8 p.m. ESPN Radio FedEx Orange Bowl – #6 Louisville vs. #14 Wake Forest
Miami Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe
Wed., 1/3 8 p.m. ESPN Radio Allstate Sugar Bowl – #11 Notre Dave vs. #4 LSU
Atlanta Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Heather Cox
Sat., 1/6 noon ESPN2 International Bowl – Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati
Toronto John Saunders, Craig James, Doug Flutie and Todd Harris
Sun., 1/7 8 p.m. ESPN GMAC Bowl – Ohio vs. Southern Miss
Mobile, Ala. Gary Thorne, Andre Ware and Rob Stone
Mon. 1/8 8 p.m. ESPN Radio BCS Championship Game – #2 Florida vs. #1 Ohio State
Glendale, Ariz. Brent Musburger, Bob Davie, Todd Blackledge and Lisa Salters

The yearly college football playoff debate

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 14, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 9 of 12,347 articles

WASHINGTON - For as long as I can remember, the most common end-of-the-year sports question has remained the same: Why can’t there be a Division I college football championship?

It is a fair question given that every other NCAA sport has a champion decided by a playoff.

So each year I ask some learned people if we will indeed ever see a true college football champion. I chatted with ESPN college football analysts Lou Holtz and Barry Switzer, legendary coaches and two of the sports best talkers around. Both were more than happy to share their opinion.

» “If you’re talking about the system that is used by the NCAA for the Division I-AA college football championship, then the answer is no way,” Holtz said. “The reason here has to do with the college presidents and alumni loving the bowl system. There is nothing better than taking a team to a bowl game as a reward for a good or in some cases a disappointing season. A playoff system, even if you used the bowls, would just not happen. I still like the plus-one concept where you could use the BCS Bowls with No. 1 playing No. 4 and No. 2 plays No. 3 with the winners facing off a week later in the National Championship. That is something I think can be done.”

» Said Switzer: “I agree with coach Holtz on the plus one, it could work. But I do not think a team that does not win their conference championship should play for the national title. Also, I would like to see the conference champions play in their traditional bowls. The Big Ten and Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl, Big 12 and Big East in the Orange Bowl, the SEC and ACC in the Sugar Bowl and use the Fiesta Bowl for Notre Dame and the other top teams. Then have your championship based on the bowl outcomes.”

OK, no true national champion based on a playoff. But I could live with the plus-one system, couldn’t you?

Magic, Bird ... Sidney and Alex?

Make no mistake about it, the National Hockey League feels its future lies in the budding rivalry between the planet’s two best young players. NHL brass hopes the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby can do for it what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did for the NBA in the 1980s.

Ovechkin and Crosby have already generated some of the NHL’s best TV ratings this year in Canada, where the duo is treated like rock stars and can’t walk the streets without being mobbed.

The United States is another matter. Both can and do walk around Washington and Pittsburgh with little fanfare.

VERSUS hockey analyst Ed Olczyk, a former NHL player and coach, knows both players well and discussed their roles in the NHL’s future.

Olczyk on what each player does best: “Crosby is a creator. He likes to set other guys up to move the puck along and he can score with the best of them but that is not his first thought when he is on the ice.

“Ovechkin is a scoring machine. If he is inside the blue line there is not a goalkeeper or a defenseman that can shut him down. You may stop him once or twice but you can’t keep him from scoring and he does it with such flair.”

Olczyk on casting them as Magic and Bird: “I would say that Crosby is the Magic Johnson here. He can fill a number of roles and fits in on a multitude of packages. Ovechkin is clearly the Larry Bird of the NHL. He can shoot from anywhere and his passing is off the charts.”

Both young stars figure to be around for a long time. But it won’t get truly dramatic until the Caps and the Pens get better and the talk shifts to whether Ovechkin or Crosby will hoist the Stanley Cup first.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.


Examiner

Things to watch this weekend that you may not know about

By: Jim Williams
The Examiner

Here are some good shows that might slip through the video cracks so keep a look out for them:

1. Friday 7pm on CN8 Brady Quinn the Notre Dame QB and the 2006 winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award will appear on “Out of Bounds,” mixing it up with host Gregg Murphy and Friday contributors Mike Missanelli, Scott Zolak , Kevin Blackistone and Lenn Robins, a day before he heads to New York as finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
2. Saturday 4pm on NBC the Ironman World championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii will feature a local competitor David Rozelle, living in Washington D.C., is an Iraqi war veteran who lost his foot in Iraq. He is a U.S. Army Captain and the first officer ever to return to command as an amputee. He is currently part of a team designing the new military amputee center in Washington D.C.

In racist-remark debate, coming to the defense of Anita Marks

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 8, 2006 3:00 AM (8 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 5 of 13,397 articles

BALTIMORE - The politically correct police are out in force again.

Anita Marks is being accused of making a racist remark for calling San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman a “juice monkey.”

I know Marks, an ESPN 1300 AM and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network talk show host very well, and she is not in any way, shape or form a racist. To paint her as one is silly.

WNST talk show host Rob Long called for Marks to apologize for the remark. Long is a thoughtful, intelligent broadcaster.

He knows sports, and he also is aware when people say racially insensitive things, as opposed to just plain stupid things.

He has the right to say or do as he wishes, but he should also know that Marks is not a racist.

Before I go any further, let me say this: I do appear on Marks’ show every Friday night, and we talk about TV sports. Some might say I’m sticking up for a friend. They’re right.

I truly believe Marks did not intend her remark in an insensitive or hurtful way. To attack her for being racially insensitive in this matter is not only wrong, but totally unfair.

If we were to hang on every word that a radio or TV talk show host said without thinking through the entire situation, we’d spend our entire lives parsing words and phrases. That’s a waste of time.

Ask the many black athletes and broadcasters whom Marks has worked with if she’s a racist. The answer will be “No.”

I have seen it brought up that in 1983, ABC announcer Howard Cosell was widely criticized for calling former Washington Redskins receiver Alvin Garrett, an African-American, a “monkey.” What hasn’t been reported is that Cosell was defended by a number of top-name black sports stars, including Muhammad Ali, as someone who was a leader of the civil rights movement and not at all a racist.

In this politically correct world, we all must be careful what we say, but the audience also must also look at the body of a person’s work — and not just one item — before rushing to judgment.

The New York Post’s front page Thursday super-imposed the faces of politicians James Baker and Lee Hamilton onto the body of primates. The headline read: “Surrendering Monkeys.”

Anyone want to call Rupert Murdoch?

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.


Examiner

France 24 to channel overseas sports interests

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 7, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 6 of 12,965 articles

WASHINGTON - Every week I receive at least a dozen e-mails from sports fans living in Washington who want a cricket, rugby or soccer score from overseas. Often I point them to Web sites.

I also used to send them to Northern Virginia-based cable channels 53 and 56 of the local MHz Networks. The channels had everything from soccer to Aussie Rules Football. They are free, over-the-air channels seen on cable all over the area.

Well I am happy to reveal that starting Friday, MHz is launching France 24, a new — and free — 24-hour European version of CNN.

I know we often get lost in the local sports news. But Washington is an international city with residents from all over the globe. France 24 will broadcast in English and offer plenty of programming to sports fans with overseas interests.

France 24’s U.S. debut will coincide with today’s worldwide channel launch. At 2:30 p.m., MHz Networks, France 24’s U.S. partner, will begin transmission of the channel in D.C. on MHz3 (Comcast Channel 186 as well as free digital broadcast 30-3). For those who want to see the network for free, you can pick up a digital antenna at any Radio Shack or your favorite electronics store.

France 24 promises to provide a fresh perspective on world events, driven by debate and respect for the diversity of cultures.

“Providing a different angle and contrasting viewpoints on world news, France 24 adds another strong voice to the world stage and is a natural fit to MHz’s portfolio,” said Frederick Thomas, General Manager and Executive Vice President of MHz Networks. “MHz has been committed to bringing the broadest range of world opinion to American audiences for over a decade. Positioning itself between CNN and the Arab media, France 24 delivers an interesting spectrum of opinions throughout the program.”

This is going to be an interesting venture and we are lucky the locally-based MHz Networks are once again ahead of the curve.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

Nats not bystanders after all

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 6, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 11,789 articles

WASHINGTON - Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings are underway in Orlando, Fla., and the Nationals have stated publicly they plan to sit on the sidelines while general managers, agents and the like discuss deals and shake up rosters.


But when I spoke to ESPN baseball insider Steve Phillips on Tuesday morning, he laughed and said, “Do you really think that Jim Bowden is not going to pull off something?”

Phillips confirmed a trade that would send Boston’s Manny Ramirez to the Giants for Barry Bonds is indeed a real possibility. Oh, by the way, the Nationals would play a key role in the complex three-way deal.

Phillips on the possible deal: “Neither side has all the parts to pull this deal off at the moment so Jim [Bowden] has some players he is willing to part with that could make the deal happen while giving Washington a number of prime prospects from both the Giants and the Red Sox.Look three team deals are very tough to pull off but the fact that Bowden is in the middle of this one shows just how creative a GM he really is. Even if the deal does not work you can bet that Jim will be looking for clever ways to help the Nationals that is why he is so good at his job."

“The key piece of the deal for the Nationals could be 26-year-old Giants pitcher Noah Lowery while either Felipe Lopez or Cristian Guzman and other players (closer Chad Cordero’s name came up but that was denied by Bowden) could be headed to either San Francisco or Boston. This deal is moving along and has a real chance of getting done. So much for Jim sitting things out.”Phillips told me.

Phillips is high on all the moves the Nationals have made thus far. “The hiring of Manny Acta was a great move,” Phillips said. “He is a wonderful baseball mind and the stockpiling of over 40 minor leaguers was a no-lose deal. The team of Bowden and Stan Kasten is going to make Washington a premier franchise.”

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

BCS pairings to become theater

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Dec 2, 2006 3:00 AM (6 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 7 of 8,948 articles

BALTIMORE - So who will face Ohio State in the Bowl Championship Series title game?

On Saturday, as Florida battles Arkansas for the SEC championship and Southern Cal plays UCLA, Michigan will be sitting in Ann Arbor cheering for both the Gators and Trojans to lose. Those games will help clear up the BCS picture.

And on Sunday night at 8 p.m., FOX will telecast the announcement of the BCS pairings, a first for prime-time broadcast TV.

“Since this is the moment college football fans wait for all season long, these matchups deserve to be unveiled on the biggest stage possible, with as much production value as we can bring to it,” FOX Sports President Ed Goren said. “There’s no better platform on television than Sunday night in prime-time on FOX, following NFL doubleheader coverage featuring a national Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game.”

Chris Rose, the “BCS on FOX” host, will be joined in the studio by the network’s top analyst team of Barry Alvarez and Charles Davis.

Around the country, BCS lead play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman will be live in Columbus, Ohio with coach Jim Tressel and the Big Ten champion Buckeyes. Allstate Sugar Bowl reporter Jeanne Zelasko will be on the USC campus with coach Pete Carroll and the Pac-10 champion Trojans. Lead “BCS on FOX” reporter Chris Myers will be in Gainesville with coach Urban Meyer and the fourth-ranked Gators, and reporter Patrick O’Neal will be stationed in Boise, Idaho with the undefeated Boise State Broncos and coach Chris Petersen.

If Florida beats Arkansas in the SEC title game and gets left out of the national championship, Meyer’s reaction should be great theater. He has been very outspoken about the flaws in the system, and if his team in not picked to play Ohio State, Sunday’s telecast could quickly become a FOX reality show ... or at least a spin-off of ““Survivor.”

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.


Examiner

NFL Network draws intense fan reactions

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 30, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 6 of 8,694 articles

WASHINGTON - The NFL Network’s Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth have become the most talked about duo in sports broadcasting. And they’ve only done one game.

I have never seen a reaction quite this interesting. Fans either like or hate them. I know it was Thanksgiving and your relatives were driving you nuts, but talk about snap judgments.

As many of you may recall last summer I interviewed both NFL Network president Steve Bornstein and Bryant Gumbel about their plans. Bornstein said the game broadcasts would be “conversational and not your traditional play-by-play and color team.”

Said Gumbel: “I have never done play-by-play and I don’t intend on doing it. I was hired to observe and to react to what is going on and Cris is there as the football analyst. Those are the roles we have been asked to do and we hope to do them well.”

It is different, edgy and won’t suit everyone’s taste. We need to give them some time, much like fans did for the Monday Night Football crew.

This week I spoke to Rich Eisen who with Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, and Adam Schefter handles all the pre game, halftime and post game duties from the game sites.

Eisen spoke to the charges that some have made that the NFL Network never takes on the tough issues that face the league:

“That is something that drives me crazy,” Eisen said. “Clearly the people who say or write those things have never watched the network. We started our show off the other night with Michael Vick making an obscene gesture to the crowd, followed that up by talking about Eli Manning’s sudden fall from grace and we also did a story on the inconsistency of the officiating in the league. That is hardly taking the easy way out.”

Eisen on the Network’s growth: “We are the fastest growing cable network in history and that just goes to show you that fans want football information 24/7/365.”

The network takes its second shot at game production tonight as the Ravens take on the Bengals in Cincinnati.

The NFL Network can be seen on both Comcast and Cox digital services as well as via DirecTV and Dish Network. For those in the northern suburbs or in the Baltimore metro area you can also see the game on WMAR TV 2.



Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

Hoop lovers have their fill

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 28, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 9,317 articles

WASHINGTON - If there were any doubt Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Sports Network would be an entertaining year-round channel, let’s just put that rest once and for all.


MASN has begun to air what will be one of the most ambitious college basketball schedules ever offered to local fans.

How about 150 college games that will feature plenty of local schools like Georgetown, George Mason, Loyola, UMBC and Towson, with a nice compliment of women’s games in the mix?

The top conferences in the country will be featured in this package, including the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Colonial Athletic Association, and MAC.

The package’s showcase is the Big East, home to many a local players and one of the country’s premier conferences.

“We are delighted that MASN will be covering so many Big East contests,” said Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese. “MASN is opening up a whole new channel of opportunity for sports fans who can now follow Big East basketball from wire to wire.”

Dave Sims, the voice of Big East hoops told me, “I know that the Baltimore-Washington area is one of the best in the country. Year in and year out that region produces some of the best college basketball players in the country and many of them play for schools in the Big East. But the best part is that the Georgetown-Maryland rivalry is back big time. They don’t face each other during the season but you can bet they track one another all season long with the hopes of meeting in the NCAA tournament.”

Terps fans will not be slighted. They will be on TV every week once the ACC schedule begins. Maryland fans can follow all the Terps games on CSN, Raycom and the ESPN family of networks.

There will be over 1,000 college games on TV between ESPN, CSTV, CN8, CBS, Raycom and Verses, plus more on broadband and that does not count radio, XM and SIRIUS.

Your best bet is to check your favorite team’s Web site. They will give you all the info needed to follow the bouncing ball.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

Buckhantz: Still a fan

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 28, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 7 of 9,279 articles

BALTIMORE - Steve Buckhantz is one announcer who is not afraid to say he loves the Wizards. He is a fan and very proud of that fact that he followed the Bullets/Wizards ever since he was a little boy growing in Washington.

Buckhantz teams with color analyst Phil Chenier, a former Bullets star, on the Wizards’ Comcast SportsNet broadcasts. It’s a far cry from the days when he watched Chenier on TV and cheered for the Bullets at the old Capital Center.

I spoke to “Buck” about being the TV voice for the team he loves.

Buck on being passionate about the team: “There is nothing wrong wanting to see the Wizards win every game they play. As a broadcaster, I want to see them win, but just like every other fan, if they make mistakes or bonehead plays, you can bet both Phil and I will call them on it. You can be a fan and broadcaster without losing either your objectivity or most of all your credibility.”

Buck on his partner, Chenier: “Phil is a wonderful guy to work with, and he is such a great teacher of the game. I know that he has been able to teach me more about the game, and I know he has done the same for the fans. He has become one of my best friends, and we eat dinner together on the road, we play golf and, of course, we talk basketball. Phil has been with this organization for over 30 years, and he is a great resource, not only about the Bullets/Wizards, but about basketball in general. I can’t imagine a better partner or anyone that the fans would enjoy more.”

Anyone who watches Wizards telecasts knows that these guys like each other and form one of the best broadcast teams in the NBA. Buck has a natural sense of how build the drama of the game, and when he uses his signature call of the “dagger,” we just hope that it is being used by a Washington player.

Let’s not forget Wizards radio voice Dave Johnson, either. He, like Buck, knows how to use drama in his broadcasts.

Wizards fans are blessed to have these two voices.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

MASN, CSN offer a hoops smorgasbord

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 27, 2006 3:00 AM (6 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 7,893 articles

BALTIMORE - If there was any doubt that the Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Sports Network would not be an entertaining, year-round channel, let’s put that question to rest once and for all.

MASN has started to air what will be one of the most ambitious college basketball schedules ever offered to local fans. How about 150 college games featuring plenty of local schools like Georgetown, George Mason, Loyola, UMBC and Towson, with a nice complement of women’s games in the mix. The top conferences in the country like the Big East, Big Ten and the Big 12 will be featured in this package, as well as the Colonial Athletic Association and the Mid-American Conference. The package’s showcase is the Big East, which is home to many local players.

“We are delighted that MASN will be covering so many Big East contests,” Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said. “MASN is opening up a whole new channel of opportunity for sports fans who can now follow Big East basketball from wire to wire.”

Dave Sims, the voice of Big East hoops, told me: “I know that the Baltimore-Washington area is one of the best in the country. Year in and year out, that region produces some of the best college basketball players in the country, and many of them play for schools in the Big East. But the best part is that the Georgetown-Maryland rivalry is back big-time. They don’t face each other during the season, but you can bet they track one another all season long with the hopes of meeting in the NCAA tournament.”

Maryland fans will not be slighted. The Terps will be on TV every week once the ACC schedule begins. Fans can follow all the Terps’ ACC games on Comcast SportsNet, Raycom and the ESPN family of networks.

There will be more than 1,000 college games on TV between ESPN, CSTV, CN8, CBS, Raycom and Versus, plus even more on broadband. And that doesn’t count radio, XM and SIRIUS.

With all these games, your best bet is to check your favorite team’s Web site to find info on how to follow the bouncing ball.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

Three helpings of NFL … for some

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 23, 2006 3:00 AM (5 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 5 of 6,976 articles

WASHINGTON - Today is Thanksgiving and that means turkey and football. For some, there will more of both.

An extra helping of turkey is up to you. What NFL games you’ll have access to is not as simple. Everybody will be able to see the traditional games with Miami at Detroit starting at 12:30 p.m. on CBS, followed by Tampa Bay at Dallas at 4:15 p.m. on FOX.

But the much-anticipated debut of the NFL Network’s prime-time game coverage kicks off later in the evening with the Denver traveling to Kansas City. The pregame begins with “Total Access Live” at 7 p.m. Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth will call the game beginning at 8.

However, even if you have cable in the Washington/Baltimore area you may not be able to see the game. You will need to check your channel guide or cable company’s Web site to find out.

The NFL Network is on Comcast as well as Cox, this region’s two major cable systems. But it is on the digital tier and in some cases is part of the “sports pack.” Dish Network and DirecTV subscribers will be able to watch the game.

This area is lucky. Interested viewers at least have a chance to watch the games. Fans in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Houston, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Charlotte and Indianapolis will not even have a choice. The NFL Network is not carried on Time Warner, Cablevision or some of the smaller cable systems around the country, causing anger among NFL fans.

Cable companies and the NFL Network have been locked in a heated battle over the price-per-subscriber as well as the network’s channel placement on the popular extended basic platform most of the 90 million people in the country get in their homes.

The NFL Network reaches approximately 40 million of the country’s 112 million cable subscribers and the Washington-Baltimore market is in much better shape than the rest of the country. More people get the NFL Network in this area than almost anywhere else. By the way, the same holds true for other niche sports networks like CSTV, NBA-TV, FOX Soccer Channel and Gol TV.

Much like it works with ESPN’s NFL contract, the Kansas City and Denver markets will see the game on local TV.

If you don’t get the NFL Network, you always have radio. WTEM and SIRIUS will air the games.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.


Examiner

Thursday Night Football a show not all can see

By: Jim Williams
The Examiner

It is Thanksgiving and you will be able to see the traditional games with Miami - Detroit starting at 12:30pm on CBS (9 in Washington and 13 in Baltimore), followed by Tampa Bay - Dallas at 4:15pm on FOX ( 5 in Washington and 45 in Baltimore.)

At 7pm the much anticipated debut of the NFL Network’s prime time coverage of the Chiefs and the Broncos kicks off with Total Access Live from Kansas City then at 8pm Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collingsworth will call the game.

However even if you do have cable in the Washington/Baltimore area you may not be able to see the game between the Chiefs and the Broncos you will need to check your channel guide or the cable companies website to find out if you will get the game.

The NFL Network is on Comcast as well as Cox the two major cable systems in the region however it is on the digital tier and in some cases part of the “sports pack.” Subscribers to both the Dish Network and DirecTV will be able to watch the game. As a matter of fact the Baltimore/Washington area boasts one of the largest subscriber bases for the NFL Network anywhere in the country.

So we are very lucky that we at least have a chance to watch the games, fans in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Houston, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Kansas City and Indianapolis will not even have a choice. The NFL Network is not carried on Time Warner, Cablevision or some of the smaller cable systems around the country causing football fans to be very angry.

Cable companies and the NFL Network have been locked in a heated battle over the price per subscriber as well as the placement of the channel on the popular extended basic platform that most of the 90 million people in the country get in their homes.

The NFL Network like the ESPN contract demands that the two teams involved in the telecast will see the game on local TV. Next weeks Ravens-Cincinnati game will be seen on WMAR TV 2 and the Redskins-New York telecast that will be the final game of the season will be on local TV in Washington.

You always have radio WBAL, WTEM and SIRIUS all plan on airing the games.

Fast facts:

1. The NFL Network has 40 million subscribers and is the fastest growing cable network.
2. ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS have in excess of 90 million subscribers nationwide.
3. There are 115 million television homes in the United States.

Hanging with Ahmad on Tuesday nights

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 21, 2006 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 8,855 articles

WASHINGTON - For over 30 years, Ahmad Rashad has been an Emmy Award-winning reporter and program host for NBC, ABC and now NBA-TV.


His show on NBA-TV — “Tuesdays with Ahmad” — is the network’s pregame show that airs just before the Tuesday Night Game of the Week.

It is a hit not only here in the United States but in over 60 countries worldwide.

Local favorites Gilbert Arenas and Carmelo Anthony have been on the show both as in-studio and on-location guests.

I spoke to Rashad about the show and about the NBA’s growth over the past decade.

» Rashad on his show: “I am the executive producer of the show and along with a very talented staff we try do a show that both the casual fan and the hardcore fan would enjoy. We talk to players and celebrities and try give the audience a different perspective about who these guys are as people. If you know more about them as people you are more inclined to like them and cheer for them. As for the guests from the entertainment field they are fans just like us and they enjoy talking sports. All in all, I am proud of what we have done thus far and think the fans enjoy the program.”

» Rashad on the NBA’s worldwide appeal: “The NBA and pro basketball is the second biggest sport in the world behind soccer. I tell my friends in the NFL that everywhere I go in the world people stop me and want to talk about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron James and a number of others. They are wearing NBA gear in Europe, China and everywhere in between. I have seen basketball hoops in Russia and in Africa. To be able to use my show as a way to advance the game is a big plus both for me and the NBA.”

“Tuesdays with Ahmad” can be seen at either 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. depending on the Game of the Week but it is worth finding. It is clearly one of the most entertaining sports shows on TV.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

NFL Network has a Super new show

NFL Network has a Super new show
Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 17, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 10,006 articles

BALTIMORE - Get out you calendar and make time Friday night for “America’s Game: A Countdown to History,” which debuts at 8:30 p.m. on the NFL Network. It’s one of the best sports documentary series ever done.


The series will run over the next 20 weeks, counting down to the best Super Bowl team of all time.

The show, which is hosted by Rich Eisen and Steve Sabol, unveils the top 20 Super Bowl champions of all time, as voted on by a blue-ribbon panel of NFL experts. Panelists include general managers Ernie Accorsi (Giants) and Bill Polian (Colts); Hall of Fame players Dan Marino and Dan Fouts; current head coaches Bill Cowher (Steelers) and Marty Schottenheimer (Chargers); sportswriters Peter King (Sports Illustrated), Rick Telander (Chicago Sun-Times) and Dave Anderson (New York Times); and former players and current TV analysts Cris Collinsworth (HBO, NBC, NFL Network) and Boomer Esiason (CBS Sports).

Having seen some of the shows, this much is clear: NFL Films has outdone itself on this project. “America’s Game” is the best work they have ever done. It’s worthy of making the jump from TV to theaters.

Sabol told me about the massive project: “We have a saying here at NFL Films: ‘Never throw anything away.’ It is a good thing that we didn’t because we were able to use never-before-seen footage in this series. I am proud that we found the right people who were part of the team to tell the story. For instance, on the 1970 Colts we used Bill Curry, Mike Curtis, Ernie Accorsi and Bubba Smith. You could not pick four more different personalities. That was our goal in each film — to get people who could tell us stories that we have never heard before. We also have a wonderful cast of narrators, including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman and Martin Sheen to name a few.”

Sabol on the production: “We filmed this show like would a feature film. The people who told the stories — like Curry, Curtis, Accorsi and Smith — all were given massive binders full of background material in the hopes that it would fill in any blanks they might have had recalling the season. It paid off because we have more stories than we ever expected, and I can tell that I am proud of this project. But most of all, my 90-year-old father liked it, and he has always been our toughest critic.”

The 20 teams that did not make the cut will be shown this spring after the Super Bowl.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Examiner

The King leaves his throne

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 17, 2006 3:00 AM (3 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 10,006 articles

WASHINGTON - He is going out on top.

George Michael has turned down a lucrative offer from NBC and will end his career as WRC TV channel 4’s sports director after 26 years.

It is official. The King is ending his run.

“Bob Wright, the president of NBC, has been good to me and to my staff over the years,” Michael said. “He offered me a deal that was very, very generous. But I just could not see working without my team, the writers and producers that have won awards and have made me look good for 26 years. This network-wide budget cut is tough on everyone and Mr. Wright has been good about taking care of all my staff, the ones that will stay and the others that will have to leave.

“So I have no issues with NBC or channel 4. This is a family now and will always be a family to me — and a part of my life.”

That begs the question: What’s next for Michael?

“For now and into 2007, I will continue to do “The Redskins Report”, “The Joe Gibbs Show”, and “Full Court Press”. Also, I will do the Monday live interviews with Sonny Jurgensen so we can give Coach Gibbs and Joe Bugel plenty of grief.

“As for going to another TV station, I have had plenty of offers — one even wanted to build me my own studio — but it is time to end this. Everything has to come to an end some time and I think that this is my time.”

The future of the “The Sports Machine”, Michael’s nationally syndicated sports highlight show that premiered in 1984, is still uncertain. Michael said he is leaning toward shutting that down in March as well, although he did leave the door slightly open.

Like Johnny Carson, Michael is going out on top. His ratings have never been better. Michael will still be on the air doing the Redskins with Sonny and his fans will be able to watch he and Jim Vance have fun.

So it’s not all bad.



Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.

Examiner

Praise for Acta already started

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 14, 2006 5:00 AM (2 hrs 13 mins ago)
Current rank: # 3 of 5,840 articles

WASHINGTON - Mets third base coach Manny Acta is expected to be introduced today as new manager of the Nationals.

At 37, Acta will be the youngest manager in Major League Baseball. He knows many of the current Nationals players because he served as a coach under outgoing manager Frank Robinson in Montreal from 2002-04.

The move is drawing praise from those in the baseball media.

While Acta has no major league managerial experience, every person I spoke to from ESPN’s Steve Phillips to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal had nothing but high praise for Acta and how he handles players.

Phillips pointed out how well he handled egos while managing the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic. Also, Acta’s attention to fundamentals and teaching young players is his strong suit. Phillips also pointed out Acta showed a great deal of managing savvy in winter ball in his native Dominican Republic where he won a championship with the Licey Tigers in 2003-2004.

“A guy like Manny Acta is the perfect fit for the Nationals,” said ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk. “He will be a great manager and will be around this game for a very long time.”

It has been a busy month for the Nats. They found a manager, added more than 20 new players to their minor league system, and bolstered their scouting department to rival that of any organization in baseball.

The Hot Stove League is just getting started and in their own slow but meticulous way, Nats president Stan Kasten and general manager Jim Bowden are following their rebuilding script to the letter.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
Examiner

Sports fans paying it forward on legal Web site

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 14, 2006 5:00 AM (2 hrs 10 mins ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 5,782 articles

BALTIMORE - So you are now convinced that Maryland is going to a BCS bowl and the Ravens will be in the Super Bowl, and you want tickets. But how do you get them without selling the farm?

TicketReserve.com is a fascinating new concept that allow sports fans to buy tickets at face value for investing some cash in their favorite team’s chances of making it to a big-time bowl game or the Super Bowl. The concept is based on the stock market, with each team assigned a value that either goes up or down depending on its success.

TicketReserve.com is legal, well-controlled, supervised and has impressed so many top bowls and other key sporting event managers that it has won the support of the BCS bowls, as well as a number of other bowls. They also have the support of the NFL and NBA, among others.

For $10 per ticket, a Maryland fan can buy a FanForward pass, assuring them the chance to purchase up to eight tickets at face value should Maryland make the BCS or any of the top-tier bowl games. If they don’t, you are out your $10-per-ticket investment. Right now, the Ravens are at $100 per ticket and growing fast for Super Bowl seats.

Just like the stock market, the “buy-in” goes up the better the team plays. For example, a fan of Ohio State bought the FanForward at the opening price of $156. The Buckeyes’ victory over Texas on Sept. 9 pushed prices over $600. The most recent check saw the buy-in at $595.

For the fan who bought the right to purchase the tickets at $156 over face value, he can either choose to do that or make a profit like the stock market and sell his FanForward to someone else on the Web site. Again, all perfectly legal and very much fan-controlled.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.
Examiner

So you want those BCS and Super Bowl tickets?
Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 11, 2006 5:00 AM (3 hours ago)
Current rank: # 9 of 5,154 articles

OK you are now convinced that Maryland is going to make it to a BCS bowl or that the Ravens will be in the Super Bowl and you want tickets. But how do you get them without selling the farm?

Well the Ticket Reserve is a fascinating new concept that assures that the fans can buy tickets at face value for investing some cash in their favorite team’s chances of making it to a big time bowl game.

It works like the stock exchange in many ways the better the team the higher the buy in for instance right a Maryland fan could buy for $10 per ticket a FanForward pass assuring you the chance to purchase up to eight tickets at face value should Maryland make a BCS Bowl game, if they don’t you are out your $10 per ticket investment. Right now the Ravens are at $100 per ticket and growing fast.

Here is the key; Let's say that Maryland wins out and the Ravens are a shoe-in for the playoffs. Well, just like the stock market the buy in goes up the better the team plays.

For example a fan of Ohio State bought the FanForward at the opening price of $156. The team's victory over Texas pushed prices over $600 and the most recent check of the site saw the buy in at $595.

For the fan who bought the right to purchase the tickets at $156 over face value he can either choose to do that or make a profit like the stock market and sale his FanFoward to someone else on the web site. It is all perfectly legal and is very much fan controlled.

“The goal is to allow Joe Fan better access to prominent sporting events, said Andy Leach who is the company's executive vice president.”The average fan gets locked out of these games," Leach said. "Ticket prices just keep going higher and higher as ticket brokers buy up the seats."

TicketReseve.com has agreements with all the BCS Bowls and a number of other major non BCS Bowls to serve as the official online sales arm of the games.

“The online market's users qualify as your typical fan looking for a seat at the big game, Leach said. “A very small percentage seems to participate more for investment purposes.”

Well worth watching…

CSTV will air the Notre Dame at Air Force game Saturday at 4pm and Comcast in the entire area will have the game on digital cable for free on channel 274.

CSTV also will debut "From Ballfields to Battlefields: Stories From Iraq," a compelling one-hour show hosted by acclaimed actor Matthew Modine. It's about college athletes whose lives and athletic careers will forever be affected because of combat injuries. The show premieres Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Much of the interviews were shot at Walter Reed Hospital and Bethesda Naval Hospital and it worth watching.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

Changes coming on MASN baseball broadcasts

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 10, 2006 5:00 AM (1 hr 45 mins ago)
Current rank: # 5 of 6,178 articles

BALTIMORE - With the recent news that former Washington Nationals color analyst Tom Paciorek was let go, the big question is: Will the new Nationals’ opening have an effect on Orioles broadcasts, now that both are on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network?


Bob Carpenter will return as the Nationals’ play-by-play man, but his partner is yet to be determined. Scuttlebutt from Chicago and Phoenix says former Chicago Cubs broadcaster and Orioles pitcher Steve Stone has been in contact with the Nationals about the opening and that he wants the job.

Stone worked at ESPN last season, but he’d like to do home games for a local team. His wife is from the Washington area, so when the opening came he apparently jumped at the opportunity.

But MASN could hire Stone, partner him with Jim Palmer for Orioles broadcasts and send Buck Martinez to Washington. Martinez, who is a MASN employee, has worked with Carpenter at ESPN in the past. They have a good broadcast history together.

But there is another big name in the mix. Don Sutton, the former major league pitcher and long-time Braves broadcaster on TBS, got caught in the numbers game in Atlanta and is available. Like Stone, he has shown interest in the Nationals’ opening. He certainly knows team president Stan Kasten well, and one would think his résumé would lead to strong consideration.

MASN and the Nationals are likely to get a number of prospective tapes, because this is one of the premier jobs in baseball. It will certainly attract some other big-name candidates.

Joe Angel, Jim Hunter and Fred Manfra are all expected to be back calling O’s games, along with Jim Palmer and Martinez ... for now.

Meanwhile, both the O’s and Nationals are looking at new radio deals. Each team’s one-year deals expired, prompting hopes of a long-term contract and possibly a change of stations.

Stay tuned.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.
Examiner

MASN, Nats resume color analyst search

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 10, 2006 5:00 AM (1 hr 41 mins ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 6,178 articles

WASHINGTON - Tom Paciorek, we hardly knew ya.

MASN announced early this week that Paciorek, after one season, won’t be back as color analyst of the Nationals’ broadcast team.

His partner in the booth, play-by-play man Bob Carpenter, will return.

It’s second year in a row MASN has dropped the Nats’ color analyst, as Ron Darling went the way of Paciorek after the inaugural season. But Paciorek’s departure comes as a mild surprise because he and Carpenter worked well together and fans seemed to enjoy their broadcasts.

So where do MASN and the Nats go from here?

There are several candidates that make sense:

» Word out of Chicago and Phoenix has former Chicago Cubs broadcaster and Orioles pitcher Steve Stone as a candidate. Stone confirmed he has been in contact with the Nats and he “really wants the job.”

Stone worked at ESPN last season but is eyeing a return to covering one team. Stone’s wife is from the Washington area so he has jumped at the opportunity.

» Buck Martinez is a MASN employee currently doing O’s telecasts. He worked with Carpenter before at ESPN and I am sure MASN could find a suitable former Oriole player (possibly Stone) to take Martinez’s spot on O’s games when Jim Palmer is not on the Baltimore telecasts.

» Former major league pitcher and Braves broadcaster Don Sutton got caught up in a numbers game in at Atlanta and is available. Like Stone, he has shown interest in the Nats’ opening. He certainly knows team president Stan Kasten well from their days in Atlanta and one would think he’ll be given strong consideration.

The Nats’ popular radio team of Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler will return, which is good news. They did a great job last season when most of the games could not be seen on TV.

We still don’t know if the team will be back on WTWP AM-1500 and FM-107.7 or not. The Nats provided WTWP with some of its best ratings and are a hot radio property. Other stations in town — WTEM, Triple X ESPN Radio and WJFK-FM — are still in the hunt for the rights.

Stay tuned.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer
Examiner

See the Turtle: Terps on TV

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 8, 2006 5:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 5,092 articles

BALTIMORE - Several weeks ago, the Maryland football team’s chances of earning bowl eligibility and spending some time in the sun in December looked dicey. Now, the Terps are very much in the hunt for the Atlantic Coast Conference title and a possible BCS bowl.

As such, the ESPN family of networks will focus its cameras on Maryland for the stretch run starting Saturday, when Miami comes to College Park for an ESPN on ABC game, seen locally on ABC-2. The Terps’ upcoming games against Boston College and Wake Forest will be seen on an ESPN network at a time to be determined. That’s a far cry from mid-October, when Maryland’s game at Virginia was carried only on ESPN360 Broadband.

Speaking of ESPN, happy 10th birthday to ESPNEWS. They have come a long way since the early days of just reading the news and showing highlights. As a matter of fact, “College Game Day Overdrive” was awesome on Saturday, switching between ACC games to keep you up to the minute on everything going on in college football.

“Sunday Blitz” is also a great show, where you can flip from the Ravens game and catch up all the NFL scores and some great analysis.

The NFL Network is also celebrating a birthday — it turns three this week. No other network has grown as fast, and continues to expand in large numbers every day.

The network made a wise choice to turn down Comcast’s $500 million offer and keep the NFL Thursday/Saturday package in hopes of growing. Turning down the big dollars has allowed the network to gain ground on ESPN and other sports networks. Plus, their NFL Films shows and access to coaches and players have made studio shows must-see TV.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. E-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.
Examiner

Triple X gaining ground on WTEM’s dominance

Jim Williams, The Examiner
Nov 7, 2006 5:00 AM (2 hrs 3 mins ago)
Current rank: # 2 of 7,540 articles

WASHINGTON - For years, WTEM’s “Tailgate Show” leading up to Redskins games has been the standard by which other local pregame shows were measured. Scott Lynn has continued the tradition and with many fine contributors like Doc Walker, Brian Mitchell, Steve Czaban, Andy Pollin and Redskins beat reporter Jerry Coleman, they continue to do the best pregame show in the market.

But Triple X ESPN Radio is quickly closing the gap.

“Redskins Game Day” with Kevin Sheehan and co-host Bram Weinstein has exclusive access with player and coach interviews you won’t find anywhere else. They also have an impressive stable of analysts led by John Riggins, Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff and Larry Michael. Each adds to a show that in less than one season has almost matched the quality of WTEM.

Basically, it’s two good sports talk radio stations dueling to produce the best content. That is good news for D.C. sports fans.


Picture worthy Terps, Hokies

Several weeks ago, Maryland and Virginia Tech’s football teams would have been happy to secure the all-important sixth win, become bowl eligible and spend some time in the sun come December.

But now the Terps and Hokies are in the hunt for a spot in the ACC Championship game and BCS bowl bid awarded the winner.

That means for the rest of the season, the ESPN family of networks will focus their cameras on Maryland and Virginia Tech’s stretch run.

You can bet that starting Saturday, when Miami comes to College Park, followed by a trip Boston College and home final against Wake Forest, all Terps action is ticketed for TV. The Terps and Miami will be a 3:30 p.m. start this Saturday on ESPN on ABC (Channel 7).

Meanwhile in Blacksburg, Hokies fans will be watching their team face off against Kent State on ESPNU before a trip to Wake Forest and home finale against Virginia. All three games will find their way onto either the ESPN family of networks or Raycom/MY20.

So in this wide-open ACC of 2006, Maryland and Virginia Tech fans will be able to see how it all unfolds without having to leave the comfort of their home.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
Examiner