Megalinks Here and Now

Ken from Fang’s Bites with your megalinks. I’ve been writing a column for Digital Sports Daily so that is why the Megalinks are late, but I’m putting them up now.

As usual, we have your Weekend Viewing Picks.

Coming this weekend, it’s the very last football game of the season as NBC airs the Pro Bowl on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. It’s the first Pro Bowl NBC will air in 35 years. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will have the call. Andrea Kremer and Tiki Barber will be on the sideslines for NBC. This also marks the last time the Pro Bowl will be played in Honolulu for a while. Next year’s Pro Bowl will be played in Miami the week before Super Bowl XLIV.

The Celtics are back in action on Sunday when they take on San Antonio at 1 p.m. WCVB, WMUR and ABC 6 will have the game.

Bruins have a Saturday matinee at the Garden against Philadelphia as the puck drops at 1.

I have your College Basketball Viewing Picks with plenty of conference action.

NASCAR returns to Fox with the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night at 8 and then with the Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying Sunday at 1 p.m.

The PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing continues with the Buick Invitational. Golf Channel and CBS combine for coverage starting at 1 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

Check out the Weekend Viewing Picks.

Now let’s get to your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand writes about the spectacle that National Signing Day has become.

Bill Griffith of Sports Illustated grades NBC’s Super Bowl coverage.

The Big Lead interviews noted sports media writer John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal.

I have a column at Digital Sports Daily about Bob Costas moving to MLB Network and Joe Buck taking his place at HBO.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell feels Michael Phelps’ “suspension” is a joke. Darren notes that Michael’s mother, Debbie is not having any problems with her endorements. Darren tells Kellogg’s to put its money with its mouth is and pull the Corn Flakes if it’s so offended by Michael Phelps’ actions. But Darren points out that Subway is keeping Phelps for now.

Gloria Pazmino of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Showtime is picking up a new Mixed Martial Arts series to replace the now-defunct Elite XC.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Thursday’s Lakers-Celtics game pulled the highest NBA ratings for TNT in more than a decade.

Mike writes that Fox Sports Net will celebrate Black History Month.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says men and women differed on their favorite Super Bowl ads. There’s a shock.

The Sports Media Watch says the PGA is getting off to a rough start in 2009.

A couple of things from Maury Brown’s Biz of Baseball. First, Maury says it appears MLB owners will not change the sport’s archaic blackout rules for 2009. And Maury says subscribers to MLB.TV will see some new features for the upcoming season.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Michael Vega of the Boston Globe has WCVB’s Mike Lynch lamenting the loss of “Patriots All Access” to WBZ-TV.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that the Mets are not pleading poverty despite being prominent clients of Bernard Madoff.

The New York Post’s Justin Terranova talks with MSG Network’s Walt “Clyde” Frazier about the Knicks. And Justin has five questions for MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds.

To the New York Daily News and Bob Raissman who feels Joe Torre did not disclose much in his new book.

Newsday’s Neil Best says this week showed that Madison Square Garden can be a happening place once again. In his blog, Neil has Yankees voice Michael Kay complaining about being shut out of doing his radio show at Yankee Stadium by CBS Radio.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty (who was blasted by Keith Olbermann earlier this week) says local sports anchor Andrew Catalon will be busy over the next few days.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun writes about Joe Buck joining HBO.

Tim Lemke of the Washington Times looks at Michael Phelps’ sponsors.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald rates the local TV sportscasts.

Dave Darling from the Orlando Sentinel reviews the Golf Channel’s latest documentary on the struggles of African American golfers.

Jerry Greene of the Sentinel looks at an ESPN the magazine poll which has many respondents feeling the NBA is fixed.

Ray Buck in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that Brad Sham knew not to invoke Bob Knight during this week’s Nebraska-Texas Tech game.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News has the transcript of an interview with Cowboys QB Tony Romo that airs Sunday night. Barry writes that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is trying to plug media leaks. And Barry talks with ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman wonders why so many Big 12 games are overlapping with one another. Mel has his media notes.

Midwest

Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News writes that USA Network and CNBC will be going to the dogs early next week.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press talks with ESPN college football analyst Ray Bentley.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel speaks with outgoing Milwaukee Brewers annnouncer Jim Powell.

Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald answers readers’ questions.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin says it’s time for NASCAR to return.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says HBO replaced one St. Louis native with another.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News reviews the Super Bowl.

Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic speaks with sports radio talk show co-host Dan Manucci about the Cardinals and other subjects.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says CBS may have to go into rain delay mode for the Buick Invitational.

John Maffei of the North County Times writes that two sports radio hosts did not exactly receive a vote of confidence when a big story broke this week.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star discusses the Costas/Buck moves.

The Los Angeles Times’ Diane Pucin says college basketball fans have big respect for UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News starts his annual look at the best and worst of LA sports media with a review of talk radio. Tom goes into his extensive media news and notes in his blog. Tom also has more of his interview with sports radio host Joe McDonnell. Tom talks with two LA sports radio veterans about the industry today. Tom remembers the old Inglewood Forum. And Tom reviews the week in blogging.

Canada

In his last column for the Toronto Globe and Mail, William Houston says sports talk radio is taking a huge hit during the recession.

That’s it. Back next week