Time for some megalink action. This is turning out to be a busy day, but let me try to give you as many as I can. This being Memorial Day weekend, there’s plenty of sports action. Primetime viewing is kind of slim, but you can check out my Weekend Viewing Picks for the action.
Let’s get to the links. I’ll do as many as I can. I do have to leave early.
National
From yesterday’s Sports Business Daily, John Ourand speaks with outgoing NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer who is retiring at the end of the summer.
Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable also writes about Ken Schanzer’s retirement from NBC Sports.
Multichannel notes that Time Warner Cable will have a presence to promote the Speed 2 channel at the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race in Charlotte this weekend.
USA Today’s Mike McCarthy and Michael Hiestand debate whether LeBron James as a villain is good for the NBA.
Mike McCarthy writes that former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen caused an uproar on ESPN Radio this morning by saying LeBron James could be better than Michael Jordan.
Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center delves into the ESPN book.
Fox Sports notes that this week, Ken Rosenthal’s bowtie will honor our troops during this Memorial Day Weekend.
The Big Lead interviews New York Times NFL beat writer Judy Battista and talks about how she covers the lockout.
Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid notes that Nike tried to put the screws on TNT’s Charles Barkley to be nicer to LeBron James.
SportsbyBrooks says ESPN management told its hosts what to ask James Andrew Miller about the book he co-authored on the Alleged Worldwide Leader.
Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has a review of “Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN”.
Alyson Shontell of the Business Insider Sports Page says former Versus host Jenn Sterger is now working for an internet TV startup company.
Sports Media Watch says the NHL on Versus saw a ratings high for Boston-Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
SMW notes that the NBA Finals gets its earliest start in 25 years.
And SMW says the NHL Stanley Cup Final avoided conflicting with the NBA Finals.
Dave Kohl at Major League Programs has some complaints on broadcasters not providing the starting lineups when they’re supposed to.
Len Berman has his Top 5 stories of the day.
East and Mid-Atlantic
Mark Blaudshun of the Boston Globe reports that the Big East Conference has rejected ESPN’s “Best offer” to continue their 32 year relationship.
Chad Finn of the Globe says Bruins fans are finally getting the media coverage they’ve been yearning for.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette notes that the local minor league baseball team gets a new media distribution to fans and it’s not what you might think.
Fred Contrada at the Springfield (MA) Republican reports that ESPN.com writer Howard Bryant has been sentenced to probation stemming from a domestic assault case back in February.
Phil Mushnick from the New York Post wants to know what Mets owner Fred Wilpon knew about Ponzi scheme scumbag Bernie Madoff and when did he know it.
The Post has five questions for Fox Soccer Channel analyst Eric Wynalda about Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Final.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says soccer continues to try to gain a foothold in the American psyche.
DCRTV’s Dave Hughes has his latest Baltimore-DC media roundup in Press Box.
In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg finds an interesting Tony Kornheiser-John Feinstein tidbit from the ESPN tome.
Dan also recaps a couple of interviews DC NFL team owner Daniel Snyder conducted on Thursday.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks about the retirement of NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer a week after his boss, Dick Ebersol resigned.
Jim speaks with Fox Sports’ Curt Menefee about hosting the UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday.
South
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson goes over some of the more interesting tidbits from the ESPN book.
Greg Augman of the St. Petersburg Times writes about ESPN’s Desmond Howard blasting black college athletes for a sense of entitlement.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel laments the probable end of the long-term relationship between Florida State University and Sun Sports.
Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says Texas Rangers TV voice John Rhadigan was replaced Thursday and will return to hosting the pregame show on Fox Sports Southwest.
David Barron from the Houston Chronicle has his take on the ESPN book that has had the sports media talking.
In the Daily Oklahoman, Mel Bracht talks with ousted Rangers voice John Rhadigan.
Mel notes the local ratings for the series-clinching Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Finals.
Mel despite losing the series, the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook impressed ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy.
Midwest
Cincinnati Enquirer media writer John Kiesewetter says local sports talk show host Andy Furman is on the fast track for a possible new national gig.
John has a few more things on Furman in his blog.
The Waiting For Next Year blog loves Cleveland Browns voice Jim Donovan as do I.
Michael Zuidema at the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says ESPN/ABC is hoping some extra pomp and circumstance at the Centennial Indy 500 will draw viewers this year.
Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Indianapolis 500 just ain’t what it used to be.
Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his usual winners and losers today.
Ed explains what Tiger Woods’ agent split from powerful IMG means for Tiger.
Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that ESPN/ABC is hopeful that the Indy 500 can finally beat NASCAR outright for the first time in over five years.
West
Jim Carlisle in the Ventura County Star talks with ESPN/ABC IndyCar analyst Scott Goodyear about Danica Patrick’s impact on this year’s Indy 500.
Jim reflects on Dick Ebersol’s tenure as Chairman of NBC Sports.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Jim Rome’s hiring in inaugural days of ESPN2 almost caused one network exec to quit.
Tom explains how ESPN/ABC will attempt to keep the Indianapolis 500 relevant with viewers.
Canada
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail looks at how Gary Bettman decided to buck ESPN.
That’s going to do it. Finished it all in one shot! Have a good weekend.
Boston Sports Media Watch 
Your post of "Howard Bryant has been sentenced to probation" certainly reads a lot different from the ""Mr. Bryant is innocent of all charges and this disposition reflects that " quote in the ESPN.com story you tweeted out earlier. Might want to revise that wording.
LikeLike
Very deceptive and innaccurate post. He was not "sentenced to probation." He reached an agreement to accept pretrial probation, which is legally quite different and is an administrative, negotiated agreement between Bryant and the court. It DOES NOT contain any admission of guilt and the defendant does not give up either his right to a trial or a presumption of innocence. It is not a “plea bargain,” since there is no plea, or acceptance of any kind of “lesser” charge. In essence, the court offers to make a procedural finding that, after a period of six months, will result in the case being dismissed and disappearing entirely unless the defendant violates terms of probation, which in this case means he is charged with a subsequent crime. In six months the case, including his record of pretrial probation, disappears entirely from the record, as if he were never charged or arrested.
LikeLike