Update: ESPN has subsequently removed Texas from their top 25 week one preview article. Nice try....

Texas A&M has taken the plunge to leave the Big 12, compelled by the level of uncertainty that the conference faces going forward having one institutional member involved in a business and promotional relationship with ESPN. Texas supporters think the Aggies are being irrational and the Longhorn Network is nothing worth fleeing from the Big XII over - A&M's concern over Texas' "we're super special and awesome" TV deal with The Worldwide Leader is overstated.

Enter Exhibit A of ESPN bending the rules for Texas. In this article previewing all Top 25 games from Week 1, ESPN took the liberty of adding one extra game to the list. Although unranked, the Longhorns' game against Rice (which of course is on The Longhorn Network) finds itself oddly added to the article:

Now this isn't the biggest deal in the world, but it's clear that ESPN's editorial agenda is now being dictated by their business relationships. If this was a preview of interesting games, or "big programs," or something along those lines, then of course Texas should be in there. 

This article though is a Top 25 preview, a feature ESPN has had for years. Teams EARN the right to be highlighted here and the criteria is self explanatory. You're either a top 25 program or you're not. That is unless your school has a relationship with ESPN and wants to promote their first game on a new cable channel.  Note that Rice's visit to Austin is also "much-anticipated."

Where will the special treatment stop? Is College Gameday going to spend one Saturday a month covering a Texas game? Will the Longhorns get their own ridiculously stupid version of "The Heat Index" on ESPN.com? 

Again this is a rather subtle attempt to promote Texas and the Longhorn Network, but the precedent has been set. Audaciously, ESPN will bend the rules to promote Texas and The Longhorn Network. While ESPN always has promoted as it see fits, it's always been at a conference, sport, and league level. Now it is one school and ESPN in bed with their own network. Call me crazy, but I don't think the Aggies were being paranoid for wanting to escape the ominous shadow of Texas, ESPN, and The Longhorn Network.

Ed Note: Texas is indeed ranked 24th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.  However, ESPN's list of Top 25 games uses the AP Poll as West Virginia is clearly seen at the link as being ranked #24 in the rundown of games.  Similarly, Penn State, who is #25 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and unranked in the AP (as Texas), does not see their game included in ESPN's list of Top 25 games.  Nor is there a note explaining Texas' presence in the list of AP Top 25 games when they are unranked in that poll.
 

The new Versus NBC Sports Network is the latest, best hope as a challenger to mighty ESPN.  And even though NBC Sports Network is starting on a pretty blank slate, you have to give them credit for wanting to compete directly with the WWL's flagship program... SportsCenter.  Starting next Thursday, the network formerly known as Versus will begin rolling out their vast array of new, original programming.  And the fun starts with taking a direct hit at ESPN's flagship show.

That's right, NBC has announced a nightly Monday-Friday 6PM show called NBC SportsTalk that will air opposite ESPN's 6PM SportsCenter.  The anchor for the nightly show will be Russ Thaler from Comcast Mid-Atlantic.  It's not a surprise that NBC/Comcast would stick within their family to find an anchor for the new show, but it's also a risk to entrust a regional sports anchor to head up this ambitious competitor to SportsCenter. 

Further announcements from NBC Sports have shed more light on the role personalities like Mike Florio, Darren Rovell and Peter King will have on the network.  Florio will join Thaler on Mondays to convert NBC SportsTalk to Pro Football Talk, an hour-long focus on the NFL.  Mondays will also feature an hour-long college football wrapup show (not surprisingly called College Football Talk) to lead in to Florio's NFL show.  Peter King then joins the party on Fridays with Florio and Thaler to preview the upcoming NFL weekend on NBC SportsTalk. 

New details have emerged from Darren Rovell himself on Twitter concerning his Friday night show as well. Apparently Rovell (Twitter savante that he is), will be incorporating social media throughout his show.  Also, CNBC Sports Biz: Game On will apparently have a sideline reporter (?!) in Erin Sharoni.  And... judging by Rovell's sideline reporter, this may be a sports business show worth watching.  All kidding aside, Rovell is one of the smartest in the sports media business, and his show should provide great content that can't be found on other networks.

Original NHL and NFL programming (including a show we told you about backed by NFL Films) will be sprinkled in throughout the week to round out programming.  A future soccer wrap-up show would also be a wise decision once NBC's deal with MLS kicks in to go after another audience starved for attention.  Tuesday through Thursday though will prove to be more interesting in terms of how well NBC SportsTalk will directly compete with SportsCenter.  It looks like on those non-football centric broadcasts, NBC will try to rely on their other talent in the NBC/Comcast family to carry a general sports news/information show on a nightly basis.  Of course, NBC is claiming they aren't trying to compete with ESPN's SportsCenter, at least according to our friends at Sports Business Journal.  

However, you have to think NBC's decision to air a nightly sports news show at 6PM is showing some ambition.  Truth be told, the ratings for these new shows will be grim in the beginning.  Still, the NBC brand and the synergy NBC Sports Network is creating with their online content (Pro Football Talk, etc.) should help immensely.  As we all know from the ESPN Book, Bristol didn't become the WorldWide Leader overnight. But, it sure seems like NBC Sports Network is making all of the right moves in the beginning of their journey towards eventual world domination, because that's what every sports network strives for these days, right?  All that's missing is that new 8-game NFL package...

[Fang's Bites]

You may remember how we praised the reporting of Charles Robinson and Yahoo Sports for the huge Nevin Shapiro/University of Miami story.  With the information from Shapiro and hard evidence backing the reporting, it looked like a home run and the best sports reporting done this year, or even in the last several years.  However, one person wasn't satisfied with Robinson's story and actually went as far as to personally attack Robinson.  

That man is Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports.

Whitlock rolled off the couch and penned a column using words and phrases like "journalism Ponzi scheme," "desperation," "lack of journalistic boundaries," and "media circus" to describe Robinson's work.  Robinson then took to the radio in Kansas City (Whitlock's former market) to respond directly to those allegations and questioning of his character, calling Whitlock a "coward," describing him as "race-baiting," and his column as "ignorant" and "absolutely absurd."  We got ourselves a good old fashioned media feud!!  Here's what the debate between Jason Whitlock and Charles Robinson might look like, combining their columns and Robinson's radio transcript.  You be the judge...

Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Wade Miley committed an error Tuesday night, and when Karl Ravech and Chris Singleton were showing highlights of it on 'Baseball Tonight,' Singleton couldn't help himself -- he just had to find a way to name-drop the risque 18-year-old singing daughter of Billy Ray, whose first name is the same as Wade's surname.  I guess it was put on a tee for the 39-year-old analyst:

Karl Ravech: "Cook lays a bunt down here, and Miley ... Agh. He was looking everywhere except for the ball in the glove."

Chris Singleton: "He was Cyrus on that one. Just gotta grab it, get the sure out at first base."

I'm not positive, but I think Singleton is implying that Miley Cyrus needs to work on her PFPs, which definitely clears up what her best friend Leslie was talking about. On a related note, I'll never get over the Tigers Cyrus'ing the 2006 World Series...

Matt Millen is a college football "analyst" for ESPN.  I put that term in quotes because I hesitate to take "analysis" about football seriously from someone who produced this.  The former Detroit Lions GM, who will now exclusively be a college football "analyst" for the leader, was on SportsCenter tonight to talk about the situation at Miami, the suspension of starting QB Jacory Harris, and who will replace him in the Canes' opener against Maryland.  As you know from your full Week 1 Pammies schedule, Matt Millen will be the analyst for the Miami/Maryland game on Monday.  So, it's only natural that Jay Harris would ask Matt Millen about what's happening at The U and at QB specifically.  

Thankfully for us and the entertainment of schaudenfreudians everywhere, Matt Millen responded in the most Matt Millen way imaginable.  Naturally, bubbaprog (who will be our guest on the AA Podcast this week on Thursday) was first with the video...



"I would expect there to be Jarrett Lee... (stammering)... that would be my best guess, having not watched them, I want to get down there to watch them in practice, and we have them in the opener... umm... it would be... that's interesting.  I'm going to try to get down there this week, try to get a handle on the whole thing."

Jarrett Lee.  Yes, the same Jarrett Lee that will start LSU'S GAME AGAINST OREGON.  The same Jarrett Lee that plays for a different university in a different conference in a different state!  And now we have the evidence that we need to confirm that Matt Millen and ESPN just make it up as they go along.  It's like they aren't even pretending to try anymore.  Don't worry though, our intrepid "analyst" is going to get to the bottom of Miami's fuzzy quarterback situation when he gets down there this week (the actual roster is a good place to start) to "get a handle on the whole thing."  Let me speak for college football fans everywhere...



[SportsGrid]

No, not the bowl of grass you're thinking. It's Fescue grass, the chunk of grass that Les Miles is holding and trying to get the GameDay crew to try to help take their show to the next level. Predictably, Fowler and Herbstreit pass on the grass, but Corso, always looking for an edge, is already treating himself to a nice bowl full: 

It is with great delight (and chubby) to bring back the annual Pammies and present to you the Week 1 CFB announcing schedule.

As done here every year, the Pam Ward Chronicles will provide you the only venue to chronicle all of the awful announcing you hear every week in college football. (Keep notes on the mid-week games because we won't put up the open thread for you to flood the comments until Saturday around 10 a.m. when ESPN Game Day starts to heat up.)

Your 2010 Pammy winner, Chris Spielman, will be at the Akron/OSU game at noon Saturday on ESPN. Sift through the rest of the schedule and pick your games wisely.  Welcome back, College football!

Thursday September 1

Murray State @ Louisville (6PM ESPN) Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams
Villanova @ Temple (7PM ESPN3) Scott Graham, Chuck Cecil
North Texas @ Florida International (7PM ESPN3) Kevin Corke, Doug Graber
Western Illinois at Sam Houston State (7PM Southland Network/WGEM (IL)/Comcast-DC/ESPN3) Randy McIlvoy, Shea Walker, Jane Slater
New Hampshire at Toledo (7PM ESPN3) Bill Clark, John Ross
Fordham at Connecticut (7:30PM) ESPN3 Bob Picozzi, Christian Fauria
Western Carolina at Georgia Tech (7:30PM ESPN3)  Ryan Rose, Warrick Dunn
North Carolina Central at Rutgers (7:30PM ESPN3)   Dave Popkin, Rob Harley
Illinois State at Eastern Illinois (7:30PM CSN-Chicago)   Dan Roan, John Jurkovic
West Alabama at South Alabama (7:30PM WJTC (AL/FL)/ESPN3)    Jim Cox, Dan Brennan, Pat Greenwood
Massachusetts at Holy Cross (8PM CBS Sports Network)    James Bates, Aaron Taylor, Brooke Collins
Drake at North Dakota (8PM FCS-Central)    Pat Sweeney, Mac Schneider
No. 20 Mississippi State at Memphis (8PM FSN-National)    Ron Thulin, JC Pearson, Jeremy Bloom
Montana State at Utah (8PM KJZZ (UT)/Max Media-Montana)    Steve Brown, David Locke, Mike Norseth
Wake Forest at Syracuse (8PM ESPN3)    Dave Weekley, John Bunting
UNLV @ No. 11 Wisconsin (8PM ESPN) Rece Davis, Craig James, Jesse Palmer & Jenn Brown
Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (9:15 ESPNU) Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara Capuano – LP Field, Nashville

Friday September 2

Youngstown State at No. 17 Michigan State (7:30PM BTN)  Tom Hart, Derek Rackley, Lisa Byington
No. 14 TCU @ Baylor (8PM ESPN) Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Samantha Steele

Saturday September 3

Kent State at No. 2 Alabama (Noon SEC Network/GamePlan/ESPN3)    Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano
Akron @ No. 18 Ohio State (Noon ESPN) Dave Pasch, Urban Meyer, Chris Spielman & Quint Kessenich
Utah State @ No. 23 Auburn (Noon ESPN2) Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti & Ivan Maisel
Miami (OH) at No. 21 Missouri (Noon FSN-National) Bill Land, Dave Lapham, Jim Knox
Northwestern @ Boston College (Noon ESPNU) Rob Stone & Danny Kanell
Indiana State at No. 25 Penn State (Noon BTN)   Matt Devlin, Glen Mason, Dionne Miller
Tennessee Tech at Iowa (Noon BTN)  Tom Werme, Danan Hughes, Stacy Paetz
Middle Tennessee State at Purdue (Noon BTN)  Wayne Larrivee, Joe Tiller, Jon Jansen
Appalachian State at No. 13 Virginia Tech (12:30PM ACC Network(National)/GamePlan/ESPN3) Steve Martin, David Archer, Mike Hogewood
South Dakota at Air Force (2PM The Mtn.) Todd Harris, Todd Christensen, Natalie Vickers
South Florida @ No. 16 Notre Dame (3:30 NBC) Dan Hicks, Mike Mayock & Alex Flanagan
Chattanooga @ No. 10 Nebraska (3:30 BTN) Kevin Kugler, Kelly Stouffer, Ahman Green
Minnesota @ No. 25 USC (3:30 ABC/ESPN2)Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Shelley Smith
Western Michigan @ Michigan (3:30 ABC/ESPN2) Mike Patrick, Craig James & Jeannine Edwards
Louisiana Monroe @ No. 6 Florida State (3:30 ESPNU)Pam Ward & Dan Hawkins
Troy at Clemson (3:30PM ESPN3)    Joe Davis, Warrick Dunn
UCLA at Houston (3:30PM FSN-National)    Craig Bolerjack, Joel Klatt, Petros Papadakis
Arkansas State at Illinois (3:30PM BTN)    Tom Hart, Chris Martin, Rebecca Haarlow
James Madison at North Carolina (3:30PM ACC Network (Regional)/GamePlan/ESPN3) Rich Waltz, Keith Jones, Jenn Hildreth
Delaware at Navy (3:30PM CBS Sports Network)    Tim Brant, Randy Cross, Kaylee Hartung
Southern Oregon at Portland State (4PM CSN-Northwest Bob Akamian, Rashad Floyd
BYU @ Mississippi (4:45 ESPN) Bob Wischusen, Bob Davie & Jessica Mendoza
San Jose State at No. 6 Stanford (5PM CSN-Bay Area)    Scott Reiss, Mike McLaughlin
Liberty at North Carolina State  (6PM ESPN3) Darren Goldwater, Rene Ingoglia, Angela Mallen
Colorado State at New Mexico (6PM The Mtn.)    Ari Wolfe, Blaine Fowler, Toby Christensen
William & Mary at Virginia (6PM ESPN3 Dave Weekley, John Gregory
Montana at Tennessee (6PM PPV/GamePlan/ESPN3)    Randy Smith, Jeff Francis
Buffalo at Pittsburgh (6PM ESPN3)    John Sanders, John Bunting
Missouri State at No. 14 Arkansas (7PM PPV/GamePlan/ESPN3)    Scott Inman, Jimmy Dykes
Ball State vs. Indiana @Indianapolis, IN (7PM ESPN3 Jim Barbar, Adam Archuleta
Alcorn State vs. Grambling State @Shreveport, LA (7PM ESPN3)    Adam Amin, Jay Walker
Morgan State at Towson (7PM CSN-MidAtlantic)    Brent Harris, Brad Jackson
Richmond at Duke  (7PM ESPN3)    Neil Solondz, Jay Taylor
Rice at No. 24 Texas (7PM Longhorn Network)    Mark Jones, Ed Cunningham, Samantha Steele
Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 8 Oklahoma State (7PM FCS-Central)    Steve Physioc, Yogi Roth, Desmond Purnell
Charleston Southern at Central Florida (7PM BH-Orlando)    David Baumann, Mark Royals
Austin Peay at Cincinnati (7PM Big East Network/GP/ESPN3) Tom Gelehrter, Artrell Hawkins, Ray Crawford
Army at Northern Illinois (7PM ESPN3)    Shawn Kenney, Bob Chmiel
Fresno State at California (7PM CSN-California)    Barry Tompkins, Mike Pawlawski, Dan Dibley
Florida Atlantic at No. 23 Florida (7PM ESPNU)    Clay Matvick, Brian Griese, Allison Williams
East Carolina vs. No. 12 South Carolina @Charlotte, NC (7PM FSN-National/ESPN3)    Bob Rathbun, Tim Couch, Kristina Akra
Florida Atlantic @ No. 22 Florida (7PM ESPNU) Clay Matvick, Brian Griese & Allison Williams
Eastern Washington at Washington (7:05PM Root Sports-Northwest/FCS-Pacific)    Tom Glasgow, Warren Moon, Jason Stiles, Jen Mueller
Elon at Vanderbilt (7:30PM CSN-Regional/BH-Tampa/CST/GamePlan/ESPN3)    Matt Stewart, Chris Doering, Maria Taylor
No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (8PM ABC) Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Erin Andrews – Cowboys Stadium, Dallas
No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (8PM ESPN) Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe – Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Ohio at New Mexico State (8PM Altitude/GamePlan/ESPN3)    Glen Cerny, Danny Knee
Tulsa @ No. 1 Oklahoma (8PM FX) Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster
Northern Arizona at Arizona (9PM FSN-AZ/KWBA (AZ)/FCS-Atlantic) Dave Sitton, John Fina, Glenn Howell
Cal Poly at San Diego State (10PM The Mtn.) Bill Doleman, Jay Leeuwenberg, Jenny Cavnar
Louisiana Tech at Southern Mississippi (10PM FSN-National) Ron Thulin, JC Pearson, Jeremy Bloom
Colorado @ Hawaii (10:15 ESPN2) Dave Lamont & David Diaz-Infante

Sunday September 4

Bethune-Cookman vs. Prairie View A&M @Orlando, FL (12PM ESPN/ESPN3) Mike Morgan, Jay Walker
Marshall @ No. 24 West Virginia (3:30 ESPN) Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Quint Kessenich 
SMU @ No. 8 Texas A&M (7:30 FSN) TBA

Monday September 5

Miami @ Maryland (8PM ESPN) Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox

Tuesday August 30

New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox (MLBN 7PM) Bob Costas, Jim Kaat [Alt: Philadelphia @ Cincinnati]
Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants (WGNA 10PM) Len Kasper, Bob Brenly

Wednesday August 31

Minnesota Twins @ Chicago White Sox (WGNA 2PM) Ken Harrelson, Steve Stone
New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox (ESPN 7PM) Dave O'Brien, Nomar Garciaparra

Thursday September 1

New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox (MLBN 7PM) Bob Costas, Jim Kaat [Alt: Washington @ Atlanta]

Friday September 2

Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox (MLBN 7PM) Local Broadcast [Alt: Chi White Sox @ Detroit]
Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Fransisco Giants (MLBN 10PM) Local Broadcast [Alt: Minnesota @ LA Angels]

Saturday September 3

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs (WGNA 1PM) Len Kasper, Bob Brenly
Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox (FOX 4PM) Dick Stockton, Tim McCarver, Ken Rosenthal
Cincinnati Reds @ St. Louis Cardinals (FOX 4PM) Kenny Albert, Mark Grace
Chicago White Sox @Detroit Tigers (FOX 4PM) Matt Vasgersian, Mitch Williams
Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Fransisco Giants (MLBN 9PM) Local Broadcast [Alt: Minnesota @ LA Angels]

Sunday September 4

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs (WGNA 2PM) Len Kasper, Bob Brenly
Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox (TBS 1:30PM) Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, John Smoltz
Chicago White Sox @ Detroit Tigers (ESPN2 8PM) Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser, Bobby Valentine

H/T Sammy! 

I don't watch many Mariners games, especially in late August, but do their announcers just sit up in the booth and predict/wish for home runs all the time because they have to get happy about something? 

Well, Mariners' occassional color commentator Jay Buhner sort of called Mike Carp's game-winning homer last night against the Angels. C'mo'.

Yeah, that was more wishful thinking out loud, but, as Deadspin pointed out, it was perfect timing by Buhner. What the hell were the Yankees thinking trading this guy? C'mo'.

Apparently, Dancing With The Stars is a pretty popular show that has been a hot spot for athletes looking to improve their crossover appeal outside of sports.  Past winners have included athletes such as Emmitt Smith, Apolo Onho, Helio Castroneves, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, and Hines Ward. To continue this tradition of athletes appearing on the hit ABC show, Hope Solo and Ron Artest join the cast this year alongside B-listers (Kristen Cavallari, JR Martinez, Nancy Grace), C-listers (David Arquette, Chaz Bono), and others scraping the bottom of the celebrity food chain (Rikki Lake, Rob Kardashian).

The cast as a whole shows how important sports figures are on DWTS.  Not only are there two well-known athletes in Solo and Artest, but dancers like Cavallari (former fiancee to Jay Cutler) and Robert Kardashian (a writer for ESPN.com's Page 2?!?) also have their own connections to the sports world.  At first glance, the most interesting sports figure in the cast is Ron Artest.  Will he try to fight Tom Bergeron or that really old judge?  Will he insist on doing the tango with his psychiatrist?  Will it be the only thing close to NBA action we'll see in the next year?  Many sports fans will tune in to watch the zany Artest/Metta World Peace, but the real rising sports star in the new DWTS cast is U.S. Women's Soccer Goalkeeper Hope Solo.

After the success of the Women's World Cup and a 2nd-place finish, Solo has immediately become the most well-known women's soccer player in the country.  And with the Williams sisters past the heights of their tennis careers and the lack of star power in the WNBA, one could easily argue Solo is becoming the most popular and recognizable female athlete in the country.  A long run on DWTS would not only help her profile among mainstream America, it could also help the growing popularity of women's soccer and soccer as a whole.  Of course, if rumors are true that Solo is posing nude in ESPN The Magazine, I think the U.S. goalkeeper already has the male 18-35 demo committed to stuffing the ballot box.

[Business Insider]