Just a mere 48 hours after the SBJ's report that the NBA is looking to address their television deals ahead of their 2016 expiration, the predictions and commentary on what will play out next has come fast and furious. Our Ken Fang delivered his handicapping of the NBA rights race earlier this week. With MLB, the NFL, and the NHL locked up long term, the NBA is the last of the four major sports leagues with an impending expiring rights deal, so the importance of its next TV contracts can't be overstated. Below is an additional guide on questions to monitor as the process plays out...

Usually it's the sideline reporters that get photobombed and/or videobombed, but leave it to TNT's ecclectic NBA reporter Craig Sager to finally turn the tables.  Sages was sitting behind actor Will Smith at the Bulls-Heat game last night and must have seen the actor on the TV monitor in front of him.  The colorfully dressed reporter then leaned to his right and gave a quick wave to the camera.  His own TNT camera.  

Simply brilliant.  I thought driving a forklift would be Sager's greatest achievement, but photobombing his own network's crowd shots has to rank right up there.  Who said there was nothing interesting in sideline reporting!

[via cjzero]

All Times Eastern

College Baseball
Illinois at Minnesota -- Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
Mississippi at LSU -- ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.
Baylor at Texas Tech -- Fox College Sports Atlantic, 7:30 p.m.
Texas at TCU -- Fox College Sports Central, 7:30 p.m.
Marshall at Rice -- Fox College Sports Pacific, 7:30 p.m.
St. Mary's at BYU -- BYU TV, 8 p.m.

College Football
College Football Live -- ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.

I didn't know this was a thing, but on June 12, the NBA will televise its second annual Social Media Awards:

NBA TV will televise the second annual NBA Social Media Awards presented by SAP -- celebrating NBA players, teams and fans for their social engagement throughout the 2012-13 NBA regular season -- on Wednesday, June 12, at 8 p.m. (ET). Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) will host the show along with contributions and appearances from various players and celebrities. The show will recognize some of the best moments from the 2012-13 NBA regular season, which resonated with fans and generated the most social engagement.

Los Angeles Times columnist TJ Simers should never be taken seriously. Yet, here we are. Before Tuesday's Nationals-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium, Simers met Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire for the first time. The results were predictable, considering McGwire's past and the Dodgers' struggling offense (second to last in the NL in home runs).

I had never met Mark McGwire before Tuesday night, but I knew of his reputation and the fact he has struck out so far as the Dodgers' hitting coach.

So given the Dodgers' lack of power, I asked, "Is it time to introduce the players to steroids?"

McGwire laughed and I wondered why.

"You're funny," he said before finally adding, "No. No."

Whenever I tell someone in real life I blog about sports, bloopers and goofy videos for a living, I often get the response, "So what, you write about fart jokes all the time?"

I tend to get defensive over such flippant remarks because my work is much more dignified and significant to the greater public discourse than that and reply with something along the lines of, "No, DISTINGUISHED SIR and/or MADAM, blogging isn't ALL fart jokes and general tomfoolery.  It's a much more refined profession than that."

Of course, fart jokes are certainly a part of blogging because hey, farts are funny.  This is one of those times.  Watch.  Enjoy.  Embrace laughter.

This morning in ESPN's fifth circle of hell also known as First Take, as the show cuts to commercial it sure sounds like someone experienced digestive flatulence.

Skippy?  Stephen A?  Someone off camera?  The return of a vengeful Lawrence Frank?  Who knows.  All I know is this was by far the most intelligent noise to ever come out of the show.

[H/T Deadspin]

Wednesday, May 15

G1 - Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhaws (NBCSN 8PM) Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire

Thursday, May 16

G1 - New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins (NBCSN 7:30PM) Dave Strader, Pierre McGuire
G2 - San Jose Sharks @ Los Angeles Kings (NBCSN 10PM) John Forslund, Joe Micheletti

Friday, May 17

G2 - Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins (NBCSN 7:30PM) Rick Peckham, Brian Engblom

Saturday, May 18

G2 - Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhaws (NBC 1PM) Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
G3 - Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks (NBCSN 9PM) John Forslund, Joe Micheletti

Sunday, May 19

G2 - New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins (NBC 3PM) Dave Strader, Pierre McGuire
G3 - Pittsburgh Penguins @ Ottawa Senators (NBCSN 7:30PM) Rick Peckham, Brian Engblom

Monday, May 20

G3 - Chicago Blackhaws @ Detroit Red Wings (NBCSN 7:30PM) Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire

Tuesday, May 21

G3 - Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers (NBCSN 7:30PM) Dave Strader, Pierre McGuire
G4 - Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks (NBCSN 10PM) John Forslund, Joe Micheletti

Wednesday, May 22

G4 - Pittsburgh Penguins @ Ottawa Senators (NBCSN 7:30PM) Kenny Albert, Brian Engblom

Thursday, May 23

G4 - Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers (CNBC 7PM) Dave Strader, Brian Engblom
G4 - Chicago Blackhaws @ Detroit Red Wings (NBCSN 8PM) Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
G5 - Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks (NBCSN 10PM) John Forslund, Joe Micheletti

H/T Sammy!

With UFC Tonight moving to Fox Sports 1 in August when the new network launches, expect analyst Chael Sonnen to be a huge part of the show going forward. Sonnen recently challenged MMA legend Wanderlei Silva for a fight in the future (likely on the FS1 debut show in August), and honestly, the fight makes sense for both men.

Silva didn't respond to Sonnen's 24 hour challenge last week, and Sonnen considered the matter dead...until UFC Tonight last night, when Ariel Helwani read comments from Silva. The initial comments were the usual non-committal remarks you hear leading into an unconfirmed fight, but then Silva ramped up his attacks on Sonnen.

It's been a big week of announcements at ESPN. They announced -- among other things -- at their upfront in New York Tuesday that a soccer studio show would be added to the daily ESPN2 lineup. And word emerged via the Wall Street Journal on Monday that the Worldwide Leader will soon be expanding its collaboration with Twitter to include tweets with sports videos embedded. 

Continue Reading