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The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network: NLCS Game 3 Viewership Up Nearly 12% From Last Year
The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network: Timberwolves Launch Redesigned Website
The Biz of Hockey :: The Business of Sports Network: Overturned Call? NHL Players Vote to Investigate Paul Kelly Firing
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Latest BizofFootball Roger Goodell's Comments on Retired Players Likely To Further Driv.. http://bit.ly/ipZwF #NFL 10/19/2009 |
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#nfl Roger Goodell's Comments on Retired Players Likely To Further Drive Wedge Between NFLPA and Retired Pla.. http://bit.ly/ipZwF 10/19/2009 |
NLCS Game 3 Viewership Up Nearly 12% From Last Year
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
The game was ugly, an 11-0 thrashing of the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Philadelphia Phillies on a Sunday night, no less, but ratings continue to be strong for the 2009 postseason.
TBS had 5.035 million viewers for Game 3 of the NLCS from Citizens Bank Park, that’s up 11.9 percent from 4.499 million viewers for last year’s comparable Rays/Red Sox ALCS Game 3 in 2008, a game that aired at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Ratings have been stronger than last year, with marquee teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Phillies in the mix.
Source: Nielsen Media Research ...
Dewey Beats Truman? MLB.com Runs Graphic Showing Dodgers Win Game 4 of NLCS
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
On par with Dewey Beats Truman? No, but none the less, it shows what happens when getting news out now, collides with a game that’s often times, a case of unpredictablity.
Case in point, this screengrab, courtesy of “DarkNemisis618” on Twitter. Game 4 of the NLCS was a hard fought battle coming right down to the wire. The Dodgers looked like they had it won. The problem was, Jimmy Rollins winds up hitting a two-out, two-run double off Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton to give the Phillies a 5-4 win in dramatic fashion. In case you didn’t already know it, the Phillies are now up, 3-1 in the NLCS with the Dodgers facing elimination on Weds. (8:07 p.m. ET on TBS). ...
Snatching the Memories: The Tale of Ryan Howard's 200th Home Run Ball
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
12-year-old Jennifer Valdivia holding Ryan Howard's 200th career home run (WSVN)
Jennifer Valdivia will never forget her first professional baseball game. On July 16th, the 12-year old was in the right-field stands of Land Shark Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her 17-year old brother and her grandfather, watching a game between the Phillies and the Marlins.
In the top of the ...
Columns Griping About Postseason Schedule Due to Chilly Weather Miss the Mark
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Somewhere, the NFL must be smirking; that postman’s anthem playing in the background. You know, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet…” It’s not MLB they’re smirking at, but at the parade of curmudgeonly written columns lambasting baseball for their postseason schedule.
A prime example is from Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Carol Slezak (MLB has put fans in a cold snoreage), who starts her column today with, “Leave it to Major League Baseball to strip the joy out of the playoffs. The postseason should be a celebration, but it has become a mockery. There is no good reason for the playoffs to stretch into November. There is no justification for playing games in 30- or 40-degree weather, with wind chill indexes making it feel even colder than that. There is no good reason to ...
Dodgers Sign GM Ned Colletti to Long-Term Contract
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...
The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that they have agreed to a long-term contract extension for General Manager Ned Colletti. Dodger Owner Frank McCourt made the announcement.
Financial terms were not released.
“One of our core promises to our fans is championship caliber baseball, year in and year out,” said McCourt. “Ned has been instrumental in our going a long way towards fulfilling that promise. I couldn’t be happier for him, both personally and professionally. The stability and continuity that extending his contract provides will further help us achieve the goal of being a consistent winner and I’m thrilled that he will continue to lead our baseball operations into the future.”
In his four seasons as ...
MLB Sees Overall Ratings Up 13% for 2009 Postseason
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
When throwing in the AL Central tiebreaker game, League Division Series, and the games played thus far in the League Championship Series, MLB is seeing viewership up 13 percent from last year.
As for the two dramatic games on Monday -- the 11-inning Yankees-Angels ALCS game, and the come from behind win by the Phillies in the 9th with 2 outs in the NLCS -- the ratings shook out as follows:
Game 3 of the ALCS on FOX drew a 6.0 overnight Nielsen rating, the "best overnight for a weekday afternoon LCS game since Cardinals-Astros NLCS Game Six earned an 8.6 rating on Fox in '04," according to the SportsBusiness Daily.
OnTBS, the Dodgers-Phillies NLCS Game 4 earned a 4.4 overnight rating up against Monday Night Football down 4.3 percent from a 4.6 rating for Rays-Red Sox ...
Upcoming Interview: MLB Network’s Victor Rojas
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
In our continuation of interviews with those that work in the business of baseball, The Biz of Baseball announces an upcoming interview with MLB Network on-air personality, Victor Rojas.
Rojas, the son of famed MLBer Cookie Rojas, joined MLB Network just before its launch on January 1 as a studio host following five years with the Texas Rangers broadcast team and an accomplished career as a Minor League player and General Manager, and a baseball analyst.
Rojas spent the past five seasons as a member of the Texas Rangers television and radio broadcast teams, providing both play by play as well as analysis. During the 2003 season, Rojas did radio play-by-play and analysis for Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasts. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Rojas spent two ...
Who Will Be the Mystery Interview?
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
The Biz of Baseball will be publishing a special celebrity interview shortly.
The interview will be running as early as Friday and no later than Monday. Who will it be? Check back often to see.
OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
(THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL)
NFL on CBS Sees Ratings Up 6% Compared to Last Season
Roger ...
Donald Fehr to Receive $11 Million Compensation Package As He Leaves MLBPA
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Donald Fehr, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association since 1983, will apparently ride of into the sunset with the equivalent of a Golden Parachute.
Fehr announced on June 22 that he would step down from his post sometime before the end of March next year, although an official date has yet to be determined. As reported by ESPN.com, according to a memo sent to the players last month, Fehr will receive a package worth $11 million when he finally takes his leave.
While the sum came as a surprise to some, including a number of players according to Curits Granderson, a member of one of the two union committees that reviewed the compensation package and recommended it to the union membership for a vote, the total does not appear to be unreasonable under the ...
Mets Made $48 Million in Profits Through Bernie Madoff
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
The reports of the losses suffered by the New York Mets at the hands of Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme may be exaggerated.
Matthew Futterman and Amir Efrati first reported in The Wall Street Journal that a partnership connected to the team netted almost $48 million from it dealings with Madoff. The information was included in documents filed with the bankruptcy court in the Madoff case (Securities Investor Protection Corp. v. Bernard L.Madoff Investment Securities LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 08-01789).
The information counters speculation that the Wilpon family, owners of the Mets, suffered losses in their dealings with the swindler that would significantly affect their ability to finance team operations and perhaps even force ...
Ozfest: Ozzie Guillen to Cover World Series for FOX
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Ozzie Guillen has been called many things. Honest, outspoken, intense, insightful, entertaining, amusing, controversial, passionate and a World Champion, but never boring. Now you can add major network television analyst to that list as the Chicago White Sox manager joins FOX Sports as a pregame and postgame analyst for the network’s coverage of the 2009 Fall Classic. The announcement was made today by Ed Goren, President and Executive Producer of FOX Sports.
In addition to his role on FOX Sports, Guillen will also provide exclusive analysis and content for FOXSports.com and appear on FOX Sports En Español World Series coverage.
Guillen will join host Chris Rose and fellow analysts Mark Grace and Eric Karros live on-site for every World Series broadcast on FOX. FOX Sports ...
Timberwolves Launch Redesigned Website
The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network —
Click to see in larger view
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced late Weds. the launching of their re-designed website, providing consumers with a more sophisticated look while adding many new features. While the majority of Timberwolves.com will go live today (Oct. 21), certain features will be rolled out daily until the Wolves' Home Opener vs. New Jersey on Oct. 28.
One new ...
Overturned Call? NHL Players Vote to Investigate Paul Kelly Firing
The Biz of Hockey :: The Business of Sports Network —
Less than two months ago, the NHL Players Association fired executive director Paul Kelly. The union said its executive board (made up of one player from each team) had voted “overwhelmingly” to oust Kelly. The SportsBusiness Daily reported Wednesday that the players association is now calling for an investigation into Kelly’s firing.
The call to action has been spearheaded by NHL legend Chris Chelios, who finally received enough votes to call for an investigation Wednesday. According to the NHLPA constitution, there has to be a minimum of 25 votes cast and at least 20 for the issue to pass. When the vote took place Sunday, there weren’t enough votes, but, the constitution gives players who did not vote 72 hours to do so. The final vote came in 25 in favor of investigation to five ...
Deals With Time Warner, Cablevision, and DISH Push NBA.TV's Reach to 45 Million Homes
The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network —
NBA TV will reach 45 million homes this season, following Thursday’s announcement of new multiyear agreements with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems Corporation, and DISH Network L.L.C., which will supplement recent affiliate deals with Comcast, Cox, DIRECTV, and Verizon.
Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and DISH Network also will continue to provide NBA LEAGUE PASS, the league’s subscription package of up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games each week, to their customers. NBA TV and NBA LEAGUE PASS are part of NBA Digital, the NBA's extensive cross-platform portfolio of digital assets jointly managed by the NBA and Turner Sports. This robust offering also includes NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband, NBA Mobile, NBADLEAGUE.com , and WNBA.com.
"We are pleased to ...
Contents Under Pressure: The Los Angeles Dodgers
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Tune in, folks. You’re witnessing the beginnings of a complete implosion of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. The center of the collapse unfolding is not centered on bad contracts, or controversial comments, ala Marge Schott or Al Campanis. No, the collapse of the Los Angeles Dodgers will boil down to a case of two powerful individuals whose marriage is headed for a nasty divorce.
Frank and Jamie McCourt made their separation public on the eve of the Dodgers beginning the NLCS, but the reality was that there had been open heated arguments in the halls of the Dodgers front office long before then. The tension was described by one front office employee as “walking on eggshells.”
As I opined at the outset, the separation of the McCourts could lead ...
With Record-Tying 12th One-Run Game, MLB Postseason Ratings Up 18%
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
With last night's 7-6 victory by the Angels over the Yankees in Game 5 of the ALCS, MLB continues to see high ratings for the 2009 postseason.
Thursday night's game on FOX had the highest television ratings thus far in the postseason posting a 7.6 household rating, up 49 percent conpared to the comparable NLCS Game 5 shown on FOX last year. The game garnered an average of approximately 10.34 million viewers in the 18-49 adult demo during the primetime portion of the game.
Overall, MLB's ratings are up 18 percent from last year (including the AL Central tiebreaker game between the Tigers and Twins).
Part of the reason for the ratings increase is due to the number of games decided by a single run. Last night's game (when including the tiebreaker game) marked the 12th ...
NHLPA Votes to Form Review Committee on Paul Kelly Firing
The Biz of Hockey :: The Business of Sports Network —
THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...
The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Executive Board has voted 25-5 passing a resolution to have Rob Blake, Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom and Mark Recchi form a committee to review NHLPA operations and submit its recommendations to the Executive Board of the NHLPA. ...
NBA and Referees Association Reach 2-Year Agreement, Ending Lockout
The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network —
THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...
The days of replacement referees have officially come to an end, just before the 2009-10 NBA regular season.
The NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association announced late Friday that they have entered into a new two-year labor agreement. The agreement, which will cover the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, ends the lockout of referees that commenced on September 18.
“We are pleased to reach this agreement,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said. “The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we’ll have the best referees in the world officiating our games. We appreciate the job done by our replacement officials during the preseason.”
Per ...
2009 ALCS Game 6 All About Momentum
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Momentum can be a fickle. It’s intangible. It’s mysterious. And sometimes, it shows up at the strangest times. You’d never think a manager headed back to his home ball park leading 3-2 would be dodging questions about momentum; and you’d never think a manager going on the road down 3-2 would be so thrilled to talk about it, but in the case of the Yankees vs. Angels series, they are.
In Friday’s conference call, Angels manager Mike Scioscia called momentum important. “There’s momentum you can carry as you win some good games against good teams,” he said. “We’re going to definitely have to carry that into Game 6.”
After the Angels gripping 7-6 victory in Game 5, one would expect the mystical force to be on their side, and Joe Girardi didn’t disagree. “I’m sure the Angels ...
VERSUS Network President Takes Battle with DirecTV to the Airwaves
The Biz of Hockey :: The Business of Sports Network —
The battle between DirecTV and VERSUScontinues, even as ratings for the NHL are up on the network
President of the Versus network Jamie Davis said on the NHL Live radio show that ratings are up 30 percent. But, Davis wasn’t on the show to talk about a ratings boost, he was on to talk about a dispute between Versus and DirecTV.
Davis claimed that DirecTV was insisting on ...
GAME 6 OF ALCS POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN, RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...
Game Six of the 2009 American League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York has been postponed due to inclement weather. Game Six of the ALCS has been rescheduled for Sunday at 8:20 p.m. (ET) / 5:20 p.m. (PT) and will be televised by FOX Sports. If a Game Seven is necessary, then it will be played on Monday at 7:57 p.m. (ET) / 4:57 p.m. (PT).
Those fans with tickets for Game Six will now be able to use them only on Sunday. Those fans with tickets for Game Seven will be able to use them form Monday’s game if a Game Seven is played. FOX Sports and ESPN Radio will provide complete coverage of the American League Championship Series games, and ...
"Experienced" Umpires for World Series Simply Window Dressing
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Bud Selig prides himself as being a man of tradtion. Time for him to become a man of the present on MLB's umpiring woes.
You have to give it to Major League Baseball. When “tradition” bumps into “reality”, you can always count on spin to make you feel better.
There were no bad calls by the umpires on Saturday, a rare feat this postseason. Of course, Game 6 of the ALCS was ...
Report: Mark McGwire the New Hitting Coach for the Cardinals
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
Twitter can be a fantastic tool for breaking news, and this may be one of those cases.
Brian McRae posted the following on Twitter, and then pulled it shortly after, but not before several re-tweeted the news:
My dad is out as Cards hitting coach (Hal McRae).....McGwire is in! (as in Mark)-fire it up boys/girls
ESPNewsService is backing the rumor on Twitter. The only tweet left standing by Brian McRae simply reads, "Good 5yr. run with the Redbirds," yet another reference to his father Hal's tenure with the Cardinals.
No word out at this point from the Cardinals, but don't think many aren't hanging wondering whether Mark McGwire moves ...
Welcome Bacta: Indians Name Manny Acta New Manager
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
The Cleveland Indians and Executive Vice President and General Manager MARK SHAPIRO today named MANNY ACTA the 40th Manager in Franchise History. He is signed thru 2012 with a club option for 2013.
Acta, who will turn 41 on January 11, has been a coach or manager at the Major League level each of the last eight seasons since 2002. He most recently served as the Manager of the Washington Nationals for two and one half seasons after being named to the post on November 14, 2006, becoming just the 2nd manager in Nationals franchise history while succeeding Frank Robinson. During his time with the Nationals he compiled a record of 158-252 (.385). During his first season in 2007 he led the Nationals to a fourth place finish in the ...
MLB ANALYST STEVE PHILLIPS FIRED BY ESPN
The Biz of Baseball :: Business of Sports Network —
THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...
ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips, who was recently suspended for one-week after being embroiled in an affair with 22 year-old Brooke Hundley, a production assistant at ESPN, has been fired by the Worldwide Leader. The news of Phillips’ firing came by way of ESPN PR rep Mike Soltys via Twitter.
“Steve Phillips is no longer working for ESPN. His ability to be an effective rep of ESPN has been significantly & irreparably damaged,” said Soltys.
More news as it becomes available ...
