Jim W. Williams

Kornheiser returns to radio

Tuesday at 10 a.m. on ESPN 980 AM, Tony Kornheiser will return to Washington radio. The Mike Wise Show on 106.7 FM The Fan could be in some trouble. Radio is far and away Kornheiser's best medium. He returns to the station where he thrived as a broadcaster and refined many skills that served him well on ESPN -- in particular on Pardon the Interruption and Monday Night Football. What Kornheiser does best is draw listeners by talking about himself, things that give him joy and things that bother him. Meanwhile, he brings in guests like Newsweek's Senior Washington Correspondent Howard Fineman or political guru James Carville to take the focus off sports. You tune in to hear about sports...

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Big plans for the college football season on both TV and broadband

If you are a college football fan, then the 2009 season will provide you with more opportunity to follow your favorite team than ever before. Fans will have to get used to watching games on the computer. There will be more than 500 free games shown on ESPN360 and more than 100 colleges that will offer games for a subscription on the CBS College Sports XXL package or on Sirius-XM Radio. ACC fans will be able to follow the action on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360 Broadband and RayCom (channel 20). Maryland fans will see all their games on TV this year. Two games -- against James Madison and Middle Tennessee State -- will be on ESPN360. Virginia Tech followers also will see all games on the...

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NFL blackouts are a sure bet

In an exclusive story published in Sports Business Journal, there is the distinct possibility that as many as a dozen NFL teams will fail to sell out games this season, causing blackouts that would keep teams' home games from being seen on local television. The league did not identify the teams likely affected, however there are more than a handful that are feeling the effects of a rough economy. Jacksonville leads the list of cities where blackouts are a certainty. It is possible that Jags fans may not see a single home game on TV this year. Oakland, Detroit and St. Louis, who were on the list last year, likely will reappear this season. You can add a few playoff contenders to the...

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Connors loves the U.S. Open

There is no doubt that the fans of New York and former tennis great Jimmy Connors have a mutual love for each other. Connors was a tough, brash, in your face kind of player, and that fit the kind of player that New Yorkers can really get behind. He is a five-time U.S. Open winner starting when the tournament used to be held at Forest Hills. Connors' victory at the 1976 U.S. Open came during the brief period (1975-77) when that tournament was held on clay courts. So while Connors never won the French Open, he is, therefore, one of only five men -- Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- to have won a Grand Slam singles title on grass, clay and hard courts. He will...

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Costas takes show on the road

NBC is taking their "Football Night in America" program on the road this season. Bob Costas will host the show from a set at the "Sunday Night Football" game site. He will be joined by the new Sunday Night Football broadcast team of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who moves from the studio to the broadcast booth alongside Michaels to replace the recently-retired John Madden. During a conference call this week I asked Costas about taking his act on the road. Costas » "I think it's obvious that when you're at the scene of an event you get a whole different feel. You get to be part of the atmosphere. You're talking about a specific event and it isn't just...

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Delaware loses in gamble for sports betting

Monday, in a stunning reversal in Philadelphia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit dealt what appears to be a knockout punch to Delaware's plan to offer single-game sports betting, ruling that the state would be violating federal law if it proceeds. On Aug. 5, a federal district court denied an injunction request by the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and NCAA, clearing the way for sports betting to begin in Delaware in September. The strange part of Monday's ruling was that the U.S. Court of Appeals was to rule on an injunction brought to the court on behalf of the NFL that would have stopped single-game sports betting in Delaware until a trial could be scheduled. But the panel, in an...

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U.S. Open's booth of brothers

ESPN begins its first year of covering the U.S. Open in a week, and they made a huge move before the first ball was hit. For the first time, John and Patrick McEnroe will join each other in the broadcast booth. It will be a great pairing, with Patrick serving as the play-by-play man with John doing his world-class analyst job. I spoke to the brothers via conference call. If their performance on the phone is any indication, viewers are in for a great time: John on working with Patrick » "He has established himself as a great broadcaster, and his work on ESPN has been very entertaining. As the big brother, he has made me proud." Patrick on working with John » "He is the...

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New online toys this season for NBC Sunday Night Football

Last year NBC Sunday Night Football had a very impressive broadband component that allowed viewers to choose camera angles or interact with Andrea Kremer about the game while watching the telecast. Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Kremer will handle the TV portion of the broadcast this season, which will have all the usual technical bells and whistles that we have come to expect from producer Fred Guardelli and his award-winning team. So what does NBCSports.com (also on NFL.com) do to improve their broadband coverage? Their new offering will be called "Sunday Night Football Extra." Perkins Miller, the Vice President of Digital Media at NBC, talked about the new toys that...

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Plenty of drama on sports TV

The drama began last Thursday on TNT when Tiger Woods took the lead at the PGA Championship. It continued on CBS Sunday when it looked like Woods would score his first major of the year and the 15th of his career. Y.E. Yang was two strokes back and playing with Woods in the final group of the day. For three hours on Sunday the drama was riveting. Yang drew even with Woods and then, on the 72nd hole, he rolled in a birdie putt to become the first Asian-born player to win a major. CBS producer Lance Barrow had all the shots covered and closed it out with an outstanding reaction shot by Yang after his title-winning putt. As always, Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo where perfect in their analysis...

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Vick faces 60 Minutes and Philly fans

Sunday night on "60 Minutes, James Brown -- one of the best sports journalists out there -- will handle the first interview with new Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick. CBS scored the Vick interview, his first since he admitted two years ago to running a dog fighting ring -- a crime that landed him in federal prison for 18 months and got him suspended from the NFL. Here are a couple of excerpts from the show: Brown » "And the operation, Michael, that you pleaded guilty to bankrolling, to being a part of, engaged in barbarous treatment of the animals -- beating them, shooting them, electrocuting them, drowning them -- horrific things, Michael. What about the dogs? What...

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Theismann is radio ready

Joe Theismann can’t wait for Friday to come. That is when his new once-a-week radio program, “The Joe Theismann Show,” will debut (albeit out of its normal time slot) on Friday from 8-10 a.m. and originate from Redskins Park. The program will then move to its regular Monday spot, from 8-10 a.m., throughout the Redskins season. He will be joined in-studio by ESPN 980 AM host Kevin Sheehan. The former Redskins star-turned-restauranteur and broadcaster, said doing radio was something that really appealed to him. Even though the show is during the NFL season, he’s not afraid of other topics. Theismann on doing his new show on ESPN 980 » “I really...

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Mark Cuban bullish on the UFL and its inaugural season

The new United Football League announced Tuesday that HDNet would be a TV partner, airing games starting Saturday nights in October. I spoke to Mark Cuban, the chairman and co-founder of the network, about this new league and other sports related matters. Why the UFL? What excites you about the league? Cuban: "I think the UFL is taking the right approach to creating a new football league. They are being conservative. They have a great ownership group and structure and strong management. They aren't taking on the NFL head-to-head. More importantly, I think there is plenty of demand for more football. The UFL is taking a great first step toward leveraging the demand.Ó How...

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Johnson questions Strasburg's passion if he doesn't sign with Nats

Nationals fans are panicking about whether the team will sign top draft pick pitcher Stephen Strasburg or will he, as press reports say, pass on anything less than a $50 million dollar offer. This is Washington, D.C., and you know our motto: "Those who know aren't talking and those who are talking don't know." So as the Scott Boras machine is in full spin cycle and many fans are caught up in the stories that Strasburg isn't talking to the Nationals or that he does not want come here, it is time to take a deep breath. Former Orioles hurler Dave Johnson, now with 105.7 FM Orioles Radio and MASN, has a unique view on the entire Strasburg situation, both as a former player and as...

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Armstrong remains the story of Tour de France

The Tour de France came to a close Sunday in Paris with Lance Armstrong on the podium again after a four-year absence. OK, it was a third place finish and he stood beside his Astana teammate Alberto Contador — but what a return to the Tour it was for the Texan. Versus broadcaster Phil Liggett was there calling every moment of the race and he thinks what Armstrong did was amazing, but next year, at age 38, he could actually return to France and win. I spoke to Liggett in France Friday as he was getting ready for the Tour’s wild finish and we talked about his observations of this year’s race: What have been your overall impressions of this year’s race? Liggett...

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The Brickyard is a challenge to NASCAR drivers

Sunday, the Sprint Cup Series comes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 and each year this is one of the most anticipated races of the season because -- after Daytona -- everyone wants to get a win at Indy. But Indy offers unique challenges versus other tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit and this week I had a chance to speak with the ESPN broadcast team of Dr. Jerry Punch and analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. What are the biggest challenges at the Brickyard? Jarrett » "Flat tracks present many problems and Indy is like no other place we race all season. The lack of banking does affect the drafting -- in this case, the lack of drafting. You can do...

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Andrews' situation reminds us women in the media continue to suffer

ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' privacy being violated by a lowlife who videotaped Andrews in the nude through a hole drilled in the wall of her hotel room is both disgusting and scary. The entire video went straight to the Internet and while Andrews' lawyers are looking to find the pervert who committed the crime the damage is done. During my nearly 30 years in the broadcast business, I have had the honor and pleasure of working with many women both in front and behind the camera. Many of the women in front of the camera were subjected to ridicule and sexual innuendo despite, in most cases, being smarter and knowing more about sports than their male colleagues. Howard Cosell coined the...

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Samuel L. Jackson's love of sports shows at the ESPYs

There are few actors with the great range of Samuel L. Jackson. He has appeared in more than 70 films from “Pulp Fiction” to “The Incredibles,” becoming one of most recognizable actors in Hollywood. But for Jackson, a lifelong sports fan, hosting the 17th annual ESPYs was a labor of love. I spoke to him before the taping of the show about his love of sports and how the top names in sports interact with one another at the taping in Los Angeles. The show was taped Wednesday for airing at 9 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. What is the most fun for you doing the ESPYs? Jackson » “I enjoy just talking with and having fun with old friends like LeBron James, Kobe...

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The new all sports 106.7FM The Fan - WJFK Goes All Sports Monday

By: Jim Williams The Examiner As we have reported in this column and along with DCRTV it became official today. WJFK-FM 106.7 will go all sports come Monday taking on ESPN 980AM. The line – up looks like this: 5:00-10:00AM: The Sports Junkies 10:00AM-2:00PM: Mike Wise and Bill Rohland 2:00-6:00PM: Lavar Arrington and Chad Dukes The station will air FOX Sports radio programming to fill out the evening, late nights and weekend portions of the schedule. Super producer Chris Johnson will return to the area to handle the duties on the afternoon drive time show with Lavar Arrington and Chad Dukes. Johnson’s producing and programming skills...

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Home Run Derby is going Doppler to track flight distance

Every morning I turn on the TV to see what the weather is going to be like for the day. The weather forecast always includes the Doppler radar sweep of the region that displays rain or other types of precipitation. Last week I had a conversation with Jed Drake, ESPN's Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, Event Production, and he told me that their Ball Tracker technology -- which the network is using during tonight's Home Run Derby telecast -- was indeed implementing the same type of Doppler sweep that we see on weather broadcasts. "We have wanted for many years to know the distance the ball traveled at the moment that it does impact wherever it might," Drake said....

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Selig says he's happy with current state of All-Star game

With score tied 3-3 and the 12th inning about to start, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig could no longer sit. He was wondering if all the great pageantry of the last ever Mid-Summer Classic at Yankee Stadium was going to end in a tie. The phrase, "this one doesn't count," didn't sound quite right. "I was nervous," Selig said via conference call this week, "and I walked all over Yankee Stadium. The thought of the game ending in a tie was clearly an option that I did not want think about." The 4-hour, 50-minute 15-inning marathon ended at 1:37 a.m. when Justin Morneau slid home just in time on Michael Young's sacrifice fly to give the American...

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Turnberry could be Tiger's biggest challenger

TNT golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch knows all about the British Open (which he won in 1991) — the oldest title in major sports, which was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland. Baker-Finch would be the first to say that Tiger Woods is the favorite at this year’s British, being played at Turnberry. However, the analyst also contends that the wicked links course is located on the Scottish coast and that is where Woods might have his biggest battle. I spoke to Baker-Finch about the trouble that Turnberry will throw at Tiger over his four days in Scotland. So if Tiger is the favorite, why is Turnberry such a challenge to him? Baker-Finch »...

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Sports television has unique European flavor on Fourth of July weekend

This weekend was a European vacation for U.S. television viewers as we watched two awesome days of Breakfast at Wimbledon and two days of the Tour de France in Monte Carlo. Throw in Sir Nick Faldo, who covered the AT&T National from Congressional and it truly was a royal weekend of sports. NBC Sports' Breakfast at Wimbledon crew of Ted Patterson, Marry Carillo and John McEnroe were perfect in their coverage of Roger Federer's record 15th major title. There is no question that it will become an instant classic as Andy Roddick pushed Federer to a record-setting five-set battle. NBC Sports did not miss a beat -- including the entrance of Pete Sampras. For the next four-plus hours we...

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Terps coach shines at AT&T

Yes, we know that Tiger Woods is in town, but there is another star that attracts attention at the AT&T National. That would be Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams. Williams, along with Chick Hernandez and the Golf Channel’s Steve Sands, has hosted “Tee Time” every night this week (7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet). The golfers all have wanted to spend time talking to the coach about college basketball while he gets some quality golf information out of them. It has been a winning combination for CSN and is now in its fourth year. I spoke to Hernandez about the show and his working with Williams and Woods: What is it about the golfers that draws them to...

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WJFK preps for content change

It looks like WJFK 106.7 FM will become Washington's newest all-sports radio station, joining ESPN 980AM in the battle to keep sports fans entertained and informed. Local Web site DCRTV has been reporting that there have been rumors that the station would be coming on the air July 20 with the Junkies returning to their former name, The Sports Junkies, and serving as the station's morning drive show. I commented a few months ago in this column that WJFK making a move to sports would make sense. Also that their sister station in Baltimore -- 105.7 FM The Fan -- was doing well and could serve as the model for a move to sports talk by WJFK. I have confirmed that a number of Washington...

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MASN, IRL the big winners from weekend TV coverage

Someone has to watch, listen to, and monitor the hours of sports that fills up the weekend on TV, radio and broadband. That is what I am here for, to make sure we don't miss any of the great moments in broadcasting heard over Saturday and Sunday. So here are the Williams' winners for this past weekend: 1. The Battle of the Beltway » MASN was the big winner with their "shared broadcast teams." While the games were less than stellar, the telecasts were playoff worthy. Jim Palmer and Rob Dibble gave a three-day clinic on baseball. The old school Palmer and the new school Dibble were so entertaining that I actually wanted to watch the game. Both Palmer and Dibble took the...

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Plenty of tennis on broadband

Wimbledon is one of the most watched sporting events every year. For tennis fans it is the World Series and the Super Bowl all wrapped up into a wonderful, two-week package played on the emerald green courts of the All England Club in southwest London. ESPN2 offers entertaining and comprehensive coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week. But what if you are at work and don't have access to a TV? Here's a few suggestions: ESPN360.com » They have up to five matches going at one time and offer plenty of free content. The video quality is good and, if need be, you can always minimize the screen and listen to the audio while you work. ESPN360 won't be an option if you are a Comcast...

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Kornheiser says goodbye to ESPN Monday Night Football

After a three-year run as part of the most successful sports program in cable television, Tony Kornheiser made the choice not to return to ESPN’s Monday Night Football. He will be replaced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden. In the end it was his fear of flying that got the best of him. That is the reason he is not returning to join Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski in the broadcast booth. I spoke to ESPN Executive Vice President Norby Williamson about Kornheiser and his decision not to return to Monday Night Football. JW » When was this choice made? Williamson » Last week. Tony and I went over the new 2009 MNF schedule and he had some reservations about the...

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Jim Williams » Things going around the rumor mill you should know about ...

Every once in a while it is my duty to pass on rumors on issues that my readers might like to know — so consider these tidbits to be a public service from me to you ... Who will replace Cris Collinsworth on the NFL Network telecasts? There is a big time buzz that the NFL Network loves Warren Sapp. In his first year with the network he became a star and he is said to be the lead candidate. However, Sterling Sharpe and former Ravens head coach Brian Billick are also in the mix. Are Caps owner Ted Leonsis and legendary Canadian broadcaster Don Cherry locked in an international incident? Well, it does not look like President Obama will have to get involved. However this week during...

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Jim Williams » MLB Network is built for the fan

MLB Network’s signature program, “MLB Tonight,” is set to debut Opening Day — which is Monday, can you believe it? — at 4 p.m. and they will be on the air until the last out of the last game on the West coast. MASN in HD The MASN-HD channel begins today at 1 p.m. with the Orioles-Marlins game from Ft. Lauderdale. Saturday’s spring training finale between the Nats and the Orioles from Nationals Park at 6 p.m. marks Washington’s debut on the new channel. Comcast » 247 Cox » 736 DirecTV » 640 RCN » 687 Verizon » 577 Normally “MLB Tonight” will go live beginning at 6 p.m. and broadcast through the last...

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Jim Williams » Who knew? The Car-Pitts made it to the Super Bowl

In a week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII down in Tampa — but the two teams actually merged to play together for one season. The year was 1944 and the country was at war. Sporting teams in all the major leagues were attempting to entertain America, while at the same time most of this country’s top athletes were serving in the military. The NFL was not the top-ranked league that we know today and they were very affected by the war. The late Art Rooney, founder and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, did not have enough players to field a team. He looked into working with the Cleveland Browns, but they had already chosen to sit out the...

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Jim Williams » Two cities, one shared market

The Baltimore-Washington region has become a shared sports media market over the past 10 years. The point was driven home when Major League Baseball designated it so upon the Nationals’ arrival in Washington. Peter Angelos and the Orioles were rightfully protected throughout the region. It was decided that the Orioles and the Nationals would get equal treatment meaning Orioles broadcasts would continue from south central Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Nationals would get access to the same region. In every sport except the NFL, the Baltimore-Washington region is considered a “shared market.” Much like the San Francisco-Oakland market, there are two NFL and...

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Jim Williams: Ex-Ravens coach on verge of TV stardom

Brian Billick has moved on from his days in Baltimore and now he enjoys his new roles as a full time analyst for FOX and the NFL Network. This week he was in Landover for the Redskins’ home opener with the Saints joining Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger. I had a chance to talk to the former Ravens coach about his new career in broadcasting as a full time broadcaster. Jim Williams » What is it like doing games from the booth and not coaching on the sidelines? Brian Billick » I have to tell you that I miss the sidelines I love coaching — but that said broadcasting has been a great release for me. Doing last week’s Tampa Bay-New Orleans game from the Superdome...

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Jim Williams: Tony Kornheiser's radio future could be at Sirius/XM

Tony Kornheiser, Washington’s most popular sports radio personality is now a man without a home. 3WT radio 1500 AM has changed formats and Bonneville confirmed that Kornheiser will not be back. The local radio options are really limited. The easy answer for some would be that he returns to ESPN 980 AM to work with his long time partner Andy Pollin. But the re-launched station is not a certainty for Kornheiser. The new 980 AM might not be an easy fit because of existing programming. Mr. Tony’s best fit might be with D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio — which is now partnered Sirius and are merged under the name Sirius XM Radio. His show has been on XM both when he was on the...

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Jim Williams: Czarniak an NBC star on the rise

"Olympics on Oxygen" is hosted by Washington’s own Lindsay Czarniak of NBC4. The young sports anchor nabbed a host gig in only her second Olympic assignment for NBC. Czarniak is clearly a rising star at NBC; besides her role as a host on Oxygen she also is doing a number of features from Beijing for the network. "Olympics on Oxygen" can be seen Monday-Friday nights from 6-8 p.m. the rest of this week. As the host of the "Olympics on Oxygen" coverage, she sets up the heavy sale for the events on NBC primetime. Prominently featured are a summary of previous results of the U.S. Gymnastic team events. "Ring the Bella" with legendary gymnastics...

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Packer steps aside at CBS

Since 1974 Billy Packer has been involved with the broadcasting of the NCAA Final Four. He did his first one with Curt Gowdy, but it was when the network paired him in the mid 1970’s with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire that the......

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Nats fans get Spanish broadcasts

When I spoke to Nationals team president Stan Kasten just before the start of this season, the one thing — from a broadcasting standpoint — that he was upset about was the team’s inability to complete a radio deal for the Nats fans in Spanish.Well Kasten has gotten his wish, and so have the many Nats fans that wanted the games in Spanish, as the club joins a growing number of teams that have both English and Spanish language radio broadcasts.Starting......

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Red Zebra chief dishes on SportsTalk 980 acquisition

When I spoke with Red Zebra Broadcasting CEO Bruce Gilbert, it had been less than 24 hours since the company had purchased SportsTalk 980 AM (WTEM) along with 570 AM (WTNT) and 1260 AM (WWRC). Gilbert was ready to start the process of organizing things as we spoke about the key issues facing Red Zebra with the addition of three more stations to company’s existing stable of broadcast outlets.Examiner »......

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Snyder lands 980

Redskins owner Dan Snyder finally landed the major sports talk radio station he was looking, acquiring WTEM 980 AM from Clear Channel Communications. Also in the package will be two other stations, WTNT 570 AM and WWRC 1260 AM, and all stations are expected to continue their current formats.Red Zebra Broadcasting will provide content for the stations starting July......

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NBC regains form at the Preakness

For NBC, the Kentucky Derby was the best of times and the worst of times. They did a wonderful job covering the impressive win of Big Brown and caught flack for their coverage — or lack thereof — of the death of Eight Belles.This was not the case Saturday at the Preakness, where the network proved that they were on top......

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Triumph and tragedy sums up NBC’s Derby coverage

For NBC the final 30 minutes of coverage of Kentucky Derby was a nightmare and a delicate balancing act that came off badly. They stuck to the script, and in so doing, mishandled the story of the year thus far in sports.You had the impressive victory of Big Brown who was as good as advertised and you had the tragic story of Eight Belles who finished second and then collapsed with......

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Fans seem to be willing to forget NBA, MLB scandals

All I heard during the baseball offseason — including the Congressional hearings in February — was howsteroids were going to bring down baseball. Meanwhile the NBA had the referee Tim Donaghy’s betting scandal — another disgrace that would rock the very core of the league.Well, sports fans seem to be willing to forgive and forget. OK maybe not forgive, but certainly to forget the issues that were supposed to keep fans......

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‘Ice Man’ ready for Caps vs. Flyers

Steve Kolbe has been the radio voice of the Capitals for 11 years now and this just might be his most exciting season. He grew up in Baltimore playing hockey in outdoors in city parks on the cities east side or some times at the old "Ice bubble" outside Memorial Stadium and he knows that long before the Caps played in......

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For the Nats, it’s one opener down another to go

After a prime time debut Sunday night at Nationals Park with President George Bush throwing out the first pitch, a full house and a world wide audience on a host of networks — ESPN, ESPN Desportes, MLB.COM and MLB International — it is now time for yet another opener for the Nationals in less than 24 hours.The Continued...

 

Hear the voices of the Madness

CBS Sports lead analyst Billy Packer is broadcasting his 34th NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. He and partner Jim Nantz will be calling the action on both the UMBC-Georgetown game as well as the Mount St.......

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Is Patterson on the block?

The Nationals are exploring trade options for starting pitcher John Patterson, ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips told The Examiner on Wednesday."I think Patterson has been so good in the past," said Phillips, who has spoken with a couple of general managers claiming to have trade conversations with the Nats......

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Broadcaster Carpenter excited about the Nats season

Nationals TV play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter had a great birthday on Tuesday while he and his MASN crewmates, Don Sutton and Debbi Taylor, broadcasted the Nats’ first spring telecast of the season.However, there was a time last fall when Carpenter was not part of the broadcast team and he thought......

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FOX, NFL Network are big winners

Super Bowl XLII was the most watched Super Bowl in U.S. TV history (97.5 million viewers) and for once the game was far better than the commercials. The Giants’ 17-14 upset of the Patriots madefor great viewing and, due to the last minute heroics by both Tom Brady and Continued...

 

An NHL New Year’s Day tradition?

We all know that New Year’s Day has been college football’s biggest day. Bowl games from morning till midnight. But NBC and their partners at the NHL think that they just might have something that might pull you away from college football at least for a while.At 4 p.m. on New Year’s Day, NBC will present their first NHL telecast of the season when Continued...

 

Bad news travels fast

The news of the untimely death of Redskins star Sean Taylor traveled quickly Tuesday morning. CNN was the first to break the news around 5 a.m. Tuesday, but soon after that local outlets WTOP, WMAL, NBC4, FOX5, ABC7 and CBS9 all were reporting the death of Taylor as the lead news story.The Washington sports community had Triple X ESPN, SportsTalk 980 and WJFK-FM all air special shows that allowed Redskins fans to share their thoughts and grief with plenty of thoughtful and insightful talk.WTEM’s Doc Walker and Andy Pollin did......

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NFL Network-Comcast feud just tip of iceberg

The biggest NFC battle of the season is scheduled at 8 Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys (10-1) face the Green Bay Packers (10-1) and the vast majority of football fans will not see the game unless they subscribe to the NFL Network. The NFL Network is part of a sports package offered by local giant Comcast that also offers NBA TV, NHL TV, CSTV, ESPN Classic, Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV, The Tennis Channel and two horse racing channels as well as three Fox Regional Sports Channels that feature college......

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XM fills NHL void left by local stations

It is tough for the average hockey fan to feel like their sport of choice is really being taken seriously. I mean there is not one talk show on either local sports-talk radio station that pays any real attention to the sport.Yes, Al Koken, of the John Thompson Show, does talk hockey from time to time and the new flagship station of the Caps 3WT has a postgame call-in show. On the TV-side, the folks at CSN (including Koken) do a fine job of covering the Caps. But mainstream sports......

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Pats-Colts telecast still No. 2 in local NFL ratings

It was called Super Bowl 41.5 for a reason. The Patriots 24-20 victory over the Colts this past Sunday garnered the highest national TV rating for a regular season telecast in 20 years. CBS Sports earned an average overnight household rating/share of 22.5/39, which was the highest-rated Sunday afternoon NFL regular-season game on any network in the metered markets since at least 1987, which is as far back as CBS’ records go. The previous high for a Sunday afternoon regular season game was a 22.2/41 (Dallas-San Francisco on Nov. 10,......

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Nats need to be loyal to staff

In this column on Sept. 26, we told you that the Nationals would be returning to 1500 AM/107.7 FM and last Thursday, they made it official. So fans will be able to hear the team on 3WT for years to come but who will be calling the games?In the announcement there was no mention of Charlie Slowes and his partner, Dave Jageler. We know that the team is working on contract extensions for the duo. Slowes is the only broadcaster that has been with the team since they relocated to......

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Dan Patrick returns to DC’s airwaves

Dan Patrick returns to Washington sports talk radio starting today and can be heard weekdaysfrom 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on SportsTalk 980 AM. Patrick will replace the popular local show hosted by FOX 5 Sports Director Dave Feldman and Comcast SportsNet’s Carol Maloney. The new version of the Dan Patrick show will be tape-delayed and reduced by an hour from its live version in Los Angeles. It seems to be that Patrick got a little help from his brother in law Clear Channel Washington Regional Vice President Dave Pugh......

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The man with the NFL remote control

When FOX Sports Radio and DirecTV broadcaster Andrew Siciliano was a bit younger, he worked at WTEM SportsTalk 980 as an intern. He loved covering sports and dreamed that one day he would have his own show on the Washington all-sports station.The Reston native can be heard on WTEM from 7-10 p.m. on his own national show on Fox Sports Radio. But, it is his job with DirecTV that gives him the kind of power most sports fans just dream of ... in short he controls the remote and, more......

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Ripken improving as he goes along

Cal Ripken’s debut as a studio analyst for the TBS coverage of the Major League Baseball Playoffs got off to a slow start — but as he gets more work, he seems to be getting better.Hey, I mean after all, it has been over six years since baseball’s Iron Man has taken a pitch.TBS MLB on Deck with Ripken, Frank Thomas and host Ernie Johnson is fast-paced and very well done. They have welcomed in current players like Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson and Atlanta Braves pitcher and future......

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Dan Patrick returns to radio — in L.A.

Do you miss Dan Patrick? Wonder what happened to the one of the biggest stars of sports talk radio after he decided to leave his national radio show heard on over 600 radio stations in the United States and Canada?In one of the strangest moves in broadcasting history, Patrick left ESPN at the top of his game and clearly with a major following. Now, with very little fan fair, he shows up doing his show on a L.A.-based powerhouse sports talk station. But that is about 599 stations short of......

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Nats return to Bonneville for 2008 and beyond

Washington advertising community sources tell me the Nationals and Bonneville Radio are putting the final touches on a deal to keep the team for years to come on 1500-AM/107.7 FM - now known as 3WT Radio. It keeps the Nats with the only radio company they have worked with since moving to Washington.The details of the new deal seem to be centered on the Nationals receiving airtime from 3WT in lieu of a rights fee. That would allow the team retain the vast majority of commercial time to sell and......

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Nats’ Carpenter is a class act and will be missed

Nationals President Stan Kasten told TV play-by-play man Bob Carpenter that he would not be coming back for a third year as a member of the broadcast team. He along with Don Sutton and field reporter Debbi Taylor did the Nats games this year for MASN. Both Sutton and Taylor were given extensions by the club.In 2006 he and then-partner Tom Paciorek replaced Mel Proctor and RonDarling who handled the duties the first year the team was in Washington. The team will now look for their third play by play......

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One game, two broadcasts

Saturday night, from FedEx Field in Landover, the Ravens and the Redskins will get together for their annual preseason game. While it is just a preseason game for the teams, it is much more than that for the broadcast departments — it is a chance for Beltway Bragging rights.It will be Rave TV vs. Redskins TV — both very proud very talented in-house broadcast units that produce award-winning shows and are responsible for the preseason telecasts.OK, let’s talk about the broadcast.Let me tell you that we are spoiled in this......

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Vick becomes more than a sports story

When Michael Vick’s lawyer announced Monday that the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback’s career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a prison term. The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less.The word spread fast CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, ESPN and Bloomberg all lead the afternoon news with Vick’s admission of guilt and it threw the number one sports story to the top......

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Redskins radio a BIG improvement

I was able to do something that I have not been able to do for almost two years. I was able to listen to the Redskin radio team of Larry Michael, Hall of Famers Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff and sideline reporter Bram Weinstein on a local radio station — WBIG 100.3 FM, the flagship station for the Redskins radio network.It was a treat to hear Michaels do a brilliant job of play by play while at the same time officiate the on going debates between Washington’s "Grumpy old men,"......

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Legg Mason is now a key TV stop

When the ATP and ESPN2 worked out their plans for the U.S. Open Series, the tour stop in Washington became huge.Players now need to be here to gain points and the days are gone when stars would show up, play a few games and leave after picking up a nice appearance check long before the end of the tournament.ESPN2 and Cliff Drysdale (in my mind the best voice in tennis broadcasting) are in town and he is very excited about the field and about the chances of Andy Roddick.Drysdale on......

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The British are coming and the Americans are going to Britain

As ESPN gets ready for the biggest British invasion since the Beatles as David and Victoria Beckham make their official L.A. debut in prime time on Saturday night, many Americans will have their televisions tuned to an event going on in Britain.This is "The Open" week in Britain and forget the silly idea that The Masters, The U.S. Open or the PGA Championship is the biggest golf event on the planet. No my friends, it is by far the British Open.This week TNT and ABC will broadcast over 100 hours......

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Hudson: U.S. Soccer missed opportunity

One of my favorite people to talk soccer with is former D.C. United coach Ray Hudson, now lead analyst for Gol TV. He is a man who has no problem speaking his mind about all soccer issues. Hudson and his Gol TV mates are making history, covering the entire Copa America tournament in English for the first time. However, after the United States won its fourth CONCACAF Gold Cup in June by defeating Mexico, 2-1, the team sent to Copa America in Venezuela was just a shell of......

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On the road in France with Phil Liggett

When I reached Versus Tour de France lead broadcaster Phil Liggett via cell phone, he and his broadcast team were on their way to Chablis for Stage 5. In the background you could hear their Tom-Tom barking out directions as their rental car moved along the French countryside at around 9 p.m. and they had another hour and a half left on their journey before they would arrive at the hotel."Yes this is a glamorous life, we have been putting in 14 hour days, eating ham and cheese sandwiches and......

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Patrick is leaving ESPN, could he be replacing Imus?

Dan Patrick announced on his radio show Monday that he was leaving ESPN after 18 years. He made sure to say he was leaving on good terms, but that didn’t stop station managers from D.C. to L.A. from running for some Alka Seltzer as sports radio’s business landscape changed drastically.One station manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told me, "ESPN will have a hell of a time replacing Dan and we will look at a number of options."So what next for Patrick?Moving to MSNBC, where he......

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The price is not right for Patrick

Will Dan Patrick, who has spent 18 years being one of ESPN’s signature faces and voices, be leaving the network to replace Bob Barker?Over the weekend, industry sources confirmed to me that Patrick was indeed "a leader," to be the host of the popular TV game show, "The Price Is Right."However, those sources also told me that he had turned down the offer. Patrick will make his announcement official on his 1 p.m. radio program.He is still working on a contract with ESPN and it is likely that his name......

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Williams shifts from court to course

When you think of Gary Williams, you see a man pacing the sidelines, getting referees and yelling encouragement to (or yelling at) his Maryland Terps from the bench at the Comcast Center. In short, he is an intense competitor and successful NCAA basketball coach.But Williams is a man of many talents and starting today and running through Sunday he will be an integral part of Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods. Not a bad gig for the full-time coach and part-time golf analyst."Tee Time at......

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Comedy on the diamond and multiple court coverage

The Yankees visit to San Francisco for a three games series this past weekend brought out the stars. Billy Crystal, perhaps the ultimate Yankee fan, flew to San Francisco to watch the series with his pal, and fellow comedian, Robin Williams — a Giants fan and Bay Area resident.Joe Castellano the host of XM’s MLB Late Edition scored an interview with the sporting odd couple. Crystal talked about hearing of the Yankees—Giants rivalry as kid in New York when both team battled it out in Gotham. Williams told Castellano: "Watching......

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Haber dethrones the King

How certain was WUSA-TV 9 Sports Director Brett Haber he would not be named "Best Sports Anchor," over retired legend George Michael of NBC 4? So certain Haber went to his college reunion in New Hampshire and skipped the Emmy Awards dinner.He won in absentia."If I had a vote, I would have voted for George," Haber said. "I thought this was going to be George’s night so I figured it would be a safe bet to go to my college reunion. I got the news when someone from the station......

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Honesty and guts starting to show up more on air

TV color analysts are becoming far more honest about the teams and leagues that they cover.This past week we have seen plenty of examples of honesty on display throughout the sports media. Here are a few of the best examples:» NBC golf analyst (and my former high school golf rival) Gary Koch who made the comment Saturday after Tiger Woods played himself into contention for a chance at winning the U.S. Open: "Once Tiger put himself in the final pairing for Sunday, it was game on. Now it is not......

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Beltways to do battle again and MASN scores big

Tuesday night in Baltimore, the Orioles and Nationals renew the "Battle of the Beltway" with both teams’ fans getting to choose which set of announcers they want watch or listen to.On MASN you’ll have the Nationals broadcast team of BobCarpenter and Don Sutton with Byron Kerr doing the in game reports. The pre- and postgame will of course be handled by Johnny Holiday and Ray Knight from the studio.Orioles fans will have a chance to watch Gary Thorne, Buck Martinez with Amber Theoharis and serving as the in game reporter......

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The Belmont Stakes is Mayne’s event

There are very few people that I enjoy talking to more than ESPN’s Kenny Mayne. He is smart, has a very dry wit and is very entertaining.Mayne will have a busy weekend, hosting a Belmont special Friday and then will be part of the network’s daylong Saturday coverage that is highlighted by ABC’s broadcast of the race from 5-7 p.m.Mayne serves as a handicapper on ESPN/ABC’s coverage of horse racing and I got a few tips from him on "Handicapping 101."» See the horses with your own eyes. Instead of......

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Riding in the fast lane with Kenny Mayne

Sports personality Kenny Mayne has a new primetime show tonight at 8 on ABC: "Fast Cars & Superstars." The show will pit top-name stars (among those participating are Jewel, William Shatner, Tony Hawk and John Salley) in skills competitions, but does give them expert help in the form of some of NASCAR’s star drivers (Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray).» GOLF: The LPGA makes a stop in the market with the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at Havre de Grace, Md., with a fun little......

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Buck: Selig must attend Bonds’ record breaker

What a great weekend of sports viewing we had on Saturday and Sunday. Baseball, NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Finals, NASCAR and the French Open. I don’t know about you, but I went through a couple of sets of batteries for my TV remote.The afternoons belonged to baseball and FOX lead play-by-play voice Joe Buck who called the Red Sox’s win over the Yankees. He had some strong words for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig — saying he should be at Barry Bonds’ side when he breaks Hank Aaron’s home run......

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Sir Charles and King James keep the NBA playoffs interesting

As the NBA playoffs roll on to the finals two things have kept the viewers more than entertained over the past week. The entertaining Charles Barkley and the play of LeBron James.The always entertaining Charles Barkley is part of TNT’s basketball pregame, halftime and postgame show which, simply put, is the most entertaining program of its kind in all of sports television.Joining Barkley is the award-winning and under-appreciated host Ernie Johnson Jr., and NBA-stars-turned-analysts Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller. No show on TV comes close to the entertainment and insider......

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Knight does bang-up job

This weekend, as the Nationals took on the Cards on MASN2, the team of Bob Carpenter and Ray Knight were reunited for the first time since they were both with ESPN and the duo hasn’t missed a beat.Knight who normally is in the studio with host Johnny Holiday doing Nats Xtra pre and postgame shows on MASN was filling in for regular color analyst Don Sutton who was on a short weekend vacation with his family.The 1986 World Series MVP was insightful as he talked about defense and was on......

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And the winner is the 500 or the 600?

This Sunday at noon on ABC7 will present the 91st edition of the Indianapolis 500 and according to ESPN/ABC analyst Rusty Wallace, who will be part of the broadcast team, "The 500 is still an American institution that is regaining its place with the fans as a must see race."I spoke to Wallace from Indianapolis earlier this week.Wallace on the Indy 500: "I became a real big fan of IRL, I’m real excited to be able to come back and do the second Indianapolis 500 with Marty and Scott. We......

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Local action highlights good weekend

Start with the Nationals and Orioles doing battle in interleague play, mix in an exciting Preakness and add the NCAA Lacrosse tournament with local interests at stake and you get a rare full weekend worth watching because the events lived up to all the hype.One game, two announcersNeither the Nationals nor the Orioles will be in the World Series this year and the Beltway Series has a long way to go before it reaches the heights of the Subway Series. However one thing is certain, both color analysts — Buck......

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The Preakness and Maryland racing covered from all angles

We know that there is a great deal of chatter locally about the Preakness and its future as well as the future of Maryland horse racing in general. But what does the national media think of the future of the event?ESPN horse racing analyst Randy Moss has been coming to Baltimore to cover the Preakness since 1981 and he understands the history of the event and Maryland horse racing issues.Moss said that he has a clipping in his office from the Daily Racing Form and it says, "That Pimlico should......

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Is FOX5’s Feldman heir apparent to Michael?

With a daily radio show on WTEM 980 AM and two nighttime sportscasts, FOX5 sports director Dave Feldman is quickly becoming Washington’s most popular sportscaster.Tim Brant of ABC7 is a close second at this point but it seems that weatherman Doug Hill (who seems like a nice man) gets so much time on the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts that poor Tim has to take a deep breath and plow on as fast as possible.Meanwhile, Feldman not only has more broadcast time on both the 10 and 11 p.m.......

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When good broadcasters go bad

There is a video making the rounds on the Internet and it stars MASN broadcaster and former Orioles star Rick Dempsey, play-by-play man Gary Thorne and outfielder Jay Gibbons’ wife, Laura Giuliani. It seems innocent enough as Giuliani is being interviewed by Dempsey and Thorne about the Orioles Wives raising money for battered women for the House of Ruth in Baltimore.The interview took place during last Saturday’s MASN telecast of the Orioles-Indians game.The Orioles Wives raising money for domestic violence seems like a good thing ... right?The interview was going......

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Fight, Derby score high marks on big broadcast weekend

It is not often that a pay per view boxing match lives up to its hype or the $55 cost (note to my editor, is this tax deductible?), but the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight did.OK, I had a few friends over and they took care of the food and the beer — so my cable investment was made less painful.There was plenty of action with Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming on in the late rounds with some flashy combinations that impressed the judges whilethe early rounds went to Oscar De La......

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Doing up the Derby on a grand scale

The red carpet, a documentary and an hour and a half of preview coverage. Is itthe Oscars? Nope, it’s the Kentucky Derby.This year NBC is pulling out all the stops, producing what should be a brilliant display of the pageantry that surrounds the Derby and a look at back at Barbaro’s dramatic life.Saturday’s coverage of the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby will begin on NBC 4 at 4:30 p.m. (and in high def if you’ve got it). "Access Hollywood" leads off with their first "Kentucky Derby Red Carpet Special,"......

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Triple X ESPN seeking to grow signal

A number of industry sources are expecting changes at Triple X ESPN that could boost its coverage area. Word out of New York has the gang in Silver Spring looking to buy a number of area stations including WMAL (630 AM) and WAVA (105.1 FM).Another option, according to industry sources, is Triple X partnering up with a high-powered station just for the Redskins game broadcasts. Make no mistake about it, Dan Snyder is a master businessman, so he understands that fans want to hear Larry, Sonny and Sam talk about......

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Former Hoya scores big on NBA TV

Former Georgetown great Jerome Williams has found a home on NBA TV as color analyst for the NBA Playoffs.Williams is a natural on-air talent and a great addition to an already strong cast of analysts.He seems to love his role and joins another Georgetown great Patrick Ewing on the coverage. I spoke to him this week about the playoffs and also the success of his alma mater.» Williams on how the inside game has changed: "The battle of the big men in the NBA is gone at least for the......

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We are all part of Hokie Nation

I have done nearly 20 events at Virginia Tech over the years. The campus, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has always been one of my favorite places to do a telecast. What happened this week at Virginia Tech was such a mind-numbing tragedy that it made news worldwide and the entire college world became part of Hokie Nation.The maroon and orange colors of Virginia Tech have been seen in newspapers from Washington, D.C. to Sydney and the pain was honest and palpable. But at the same time, so was......

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Nats prepare to heat up the airwaves

It is always a treat talking to Stan Kasten — always up beat, positive and willing to talk about anything Nationals related.I spoke to him about the state of the team’s broadcasting efforts for the 2007 season and beyond.» Kasten on his first full year in charge of all things Nationals: "The Lerner family and I wanted our fans to be able to enjoy every Nationals game on TV, radio and at the ball park and we were able to do that this season. We will broadcast all 162 games......

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Jaws takes over Theismann on MNF

ESPN’s Monday Night Football will kick off its 38th season with a lineup change as longtime NFL analyst Ron Jaworski takes the place of former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann.The rest of the MNF crew will remain the same with Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser in the booth, and Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya reporting from the field.Jaworski’s passion for football and his knowledge of all things NFL have made him a fan favorite on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and other studio shows. Jaworski, who played quarterback in the NFL for......

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Bernstein beginsnew quest

Anyone who’s ever seen ESPN reporter Bonnie Bernstein roaming the sidelines or interviewing players knows that she is the picture of health.The University of Maryland grad and former college gymnast has a regular workout regimen and goes out of her way to have a healthy life style.So Bernstein was as surprised as anyone to find out that she had a life-threatening medical condition.» Bernstein on how she found out: "I was working the Texas-Oklahoma football game and the broadcast crew had planned our exit from the Cotton Bowl to catch......

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PTI: Tirico speaks out

One of the calmest and coolest people in broadcasting is ESPN’s Mike Tirico. It does not matter if he is courtside calling a thrilling NBA game — like the classic played last week between the Suns and the Mavs — or in the booth doing Monday Night Football. He is always in control allowing the game to take center stage and keeping his opinions to himself.Well this week he is in Washington and finally gets to sound off, co-hosting PTI with Tony Kornheiser on Thursday and Friday while Michael Wilbon......

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A guide to Madness

How big is March Madness? The FBI estimates office pools in the United States this year will produce over $2.5 billion — more than will be legally wagered in Las Vegas.Most of those pools will range from the $5-20 bracket buy-in and rest assured Washington-area workers will be doing their best to win their office pools.If you are lucky enough to be … sick … today and have time in front of the tube, CBS 9 will have coverage locally beginning with Maryland-Davidson from Buffalo called by Kevin Harlan......

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MLS and Bundesliga partner up

Major League Soccer and the Bundesliga — Germany’s top soccer league — have entered into a historic partnership that could have a major impact on soccer’s growth in the United States and Germany.MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert unveiled an agreement between the leagues to share experience, expertise, and best practices. MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis and Bundesliga Executive Board Member Tom Bender also participated in Tuesday’s announcement in Miami at the SPORTELAmerica 2007 convention, which features the growing technology surrounding the coverage of sports.You may......

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Big names making local calls

In Major League Baseball and other professional sports, economics have changed. Broadcasters used to scratch and claw to get to the network level, but the trend has reversed. Many quality personalities now feel it’s better to be a local broadcaster who mixes in a few network games. Full time network jobs have been cut and are no longer as attractive as they once were.FOX’s lead announcer, Joe Buck, still calls Cardinals home games. ESPN’s Jon Miller handles the Giants radio and TV broadcasts and Dave O’Brien is now doing Red......

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Nats, O’s have it covered

Nationals fans accustomed to a lack of coverage can rest easy. You will be able to see every one of the team’s 162 games this season; MASN and MASN2 will carry 161 and FOX 5 will air one national telecast.Starting Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Nats face the Orioles, we will get to see the team all season long. Bob Carpenter, will be joined by his new partner, Don Sutton, and in-game reporter Debbi Taylor. The Nationals and Orioles will each have 99 games on MASN. MASN2 will......

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Dickie V talks Terps, Hoyas

This time of year, you rarely find ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale at his home in Sarasota, Fla. Normally he is on the road, but I got lucky when I called the Vitale estate Monday and he was in the mood to talk about his favorite subject: college basketball. He will help call the Duke-Maryland game on ESPN Wednesday night and had just gotten off the phone with Terps head coach Gary Williams. "You know, I told Gary that according to the Vitale Bald Dome Index, Maryland is a NCAA......

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MASN’s new lineup has name value

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network has crafted a roster of recognizable talent to cover Nationals and Orioles baseball starting March 3.As we told you well in advance of the formal announcement, Bob Carpenter is back for a second season and will be joined by a new analyst: Hall of Fame pitcher and former TBS analyst Don Sutton. In game reporter Debbi Taylor will join the crew.Johnny Holiday, longtime voice of the Maryland Terrapins, will host "Nats Xtra" along with ex-major leaguer Oriole Ray Knight, the 1986 World Series MVP for the......

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MASN ready to play ball with Nats, Orioles

We have about a week until pitchers and catchers report to camp and MASN has released its schedule for both the Orioles and Nationals Spring Training telecasts.Since both Orioles and Nationals are partners in the network, viewers can expect a great deal of access not available before. The Nats-Orioles tilt on March 3 marks the first of over 300 baseball telecasts MASN will have in 2007. The Nationals broadcast crew of Bob Carpenter and newly-signed Don Sutton will call the game. "I can’t wait to get to Spring Training," Carpenter......

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Dotted line is serious business

CSTV and ESPNU are poised to cover college football’s National Signing Day like it is the NFL Draft. The cable networkswill feature wall-to-wall coverage today with plenty of local high school players and college coaches on the edge of their seats.ESPNU will start its coverage at noon with both ESPNEWS and ESPN dropping by for two hours (3-5 p.m.).CSTV will air live coverage from 2-5 p.m. with Matt Simms, John L. Smith, John Bunting and CSTV recruiting expert Tom Lemming."I spoke to Lemming about the day and how some local......

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According to Frank ...

When I spoke to Frank Robinson earlier this week he was very excited about his part-time role as "special analyst" for ESPN to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.Robinson will provide insight for a variety of studio programs including "SportsCenter," "Baseball Tonight," "Cold Pizza" and ESPNEWS. He will also work as an analyst in the booth during select Spring Training telecasts, appear on ESPN Radio shows and chat on ESPN.com. Robinson’s stint with ESPN ends April 15th. As......

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Revealing your non-pigskin diet

Calm down, you knew this weekend was coming. It is the football-less window before the Super Bowl and you simply have to adjust your viewing habits and seek out alternative programming. No problem. As a public service I have taken the time to do the research for you.Let’s start with the Australian Open, first grand slam tennis event of the year, which can be found on ESPN2. Set your TiVo for the 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning start then watch it at your leisure. If you have yet to acquire a......

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Catching the local sports buzz

What are people in our local sports media scene talking about these days? I’m glad you asked. After working the phones and chatting with sources, here are a few things to keep your eye on:» Triple X ESPN has reeled in Tony Kornheiser.Now that I have your attention, Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will be heard every night at 7 p.m. and every morning at 5 a.m. as Triple X ESPN airs "Pardon the Interruption."Look for Kornheiser to be back on WTEM’s air by the first or second week of February.......

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Sutton officially joins Nats broadcast booth

As we first reported in this space over two weeks ago, the Washington Nationals and MASN will add Hall-of-Fame pitcher and veteran color analyst Don Sutton to their TV booth. Sutton will join the play-by-play voice Bob Carpenter to give the Nats one of baseball’s best broadcast duos."Don’s Hall-of-Fame credentials coupled with a special ability to communicate the inner workings of the game in an easy-going manner will greatly enhance the viewing experience for our MASN audience," said Nationals President Stan Kasten. "His presence will also benefit our players, coaching......

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MNF crew likely to return intact

Monday Night Football was a success in season one for ESPN. Not surprisingly, it was the most-watched series in cable television history. Does that mean the first-year booth trio of Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will return intact.It appears that way.Kornheiser said in an interview with the Miami Herald last week he wants to return. It sounds like the feeling is mutual."Tony’s one-of-a-kind perspective was an integral part of our record-setting inaugural ‘Monday Night Football’ season," said ESPN executive V.P. Norby Williamson. "We are absolutely looking forward to......

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’91 Skins earn spot in all-time Super Bowl lineup

This just in: The Redskins are not going to the Super Bowl this season.But trust me, there was time when the postseason was colored burgundy and gold. And now we can relive the glory of Joe Gibbs’ 1991 team that won it all, dispatching the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI, 37-24, in Minneapolis. Tonight at 8, that Redskins team will be honored as part of the NFL Network’s series, "America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions." It counts down the top 20 Super Bowl-winning teams of all time.It was a......

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Coverage ready and waiting

These things are inevitable: death, taxes and Cal Ripken, Jr.’s invitation to Cooperstown.Around 2 this afternoon, Ripken will be named to the 2007 Hall of Fame class. You can rest assured local media will be all over it.Although Ripken played his entire career in Baltimore, he has many Washington fans that called the Orioles their own during his tenure. CSN and MASN — along with NBC-4, FOX-5, ABC-7, CBS-9 and Newschannel 8 — have extensive coverage planned for the big day.SportsTalk 980-AM and Triple X ESPN radio will also......

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Change on the air and local media wishes

Some big changes are headed our way now that 2007 is upon us. You may catch yourself shooting an incredulous glance at the trusty remote control when the channel you land on does not feature what you’re accustomed to. But never fear. Here is a guide to the changes with time to spare.» When it comes to the PGA Tour, all early rounds and some major early tournaments are on The Golf Channel, now the cable home to almost every PGA/LPGA/Nationwide and European tour event. The Golf Channel is the......

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Nats make pitch for Sutton

Several high-placed Atlanta sources tell me former Braves announcer and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Don Sutton will join Bob Carpenter in the Nationals TV booth this season on MASN.While the deal has not been finalized, it is "very close to being closed and the only thing that needs to be done is the length of the agreement," according to a source.The pairing of Sutton, who will be the Nats’ third color analyst in as many seasons, and play-by-play man Carpenter will give Washington one of the best broadcast duos in baseball. Sutton......

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Red Zebra and MASN strike a deal

Red Zebra and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network have agreed on a long-term deal to simulcast Triple X ESPN Radio’s "The John Riggins Show" on MASN beginning in February.MASN was looking to expand its Washington, D.C.-area programming that already includes the Nationals and Georgetown University sports. The Baltimore-based network is attempting to strike a balance and cover the entire Mid-Atlantic region.Riggins’ radio show, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m., is the centerpiece of the deal. The Hall-of-Famer has a diverse and entertaining show, helped along by cohorts Gary Braun and Kevin......

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Triple X has classical signal solution

Tired of the signal problems Triple X ESPN/Redskins radio has had since launching? Soon they willbe a thing of the past. The station’s parent company, Redskins owner Dan Snyder’s Red Zebra Broadcasting, has a deal in place to buy classical music giant WGMS 104.1 and 103.9 FM with the intent of moving Triple X ESPN to that frequency as early as January.With 104.1/103.9 FM and the possible expansion of 730 AM’s signal (an FCC request to boost the power is pending), Triple X ESPN would have little problem blanketing the......

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The yearly college football playoff debate

For as long as I can remember, the most common end-of-the-year sports question has remained the same: Why can’t there be a Division I college football championship?It is a fair question given that every other NCAA sport has a champion decided by a playoff. So each year I ask some learned people if we will indeed ever see a true college football champion. I chatted with ESPN college football analysts Lou Holtz and Barry Switzer, legendary coaches and two of the sports best talkers around. Both were more than happy......

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France 24 to channel overseas sports interests

Every week I receive at least a dozen e-mails from sports fans living in Washington who want a cricket, rugby or soccer score from overseas. Often I point them to Web sites.I also used to send them to Northern Virginia-based cable channels 53 and 56 of the local MHz Networks. The channels had everything from soccer to Aussie Rules Football. They are free, over-the-air channels seen on cable all over the area.Well I am happy to reveal that starting Friday, MHz is launching France 24, a new — and free......

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Nats not bystanders after all

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings are underway in Orlando, Fla., and the Nationals have stated publicly they plan to sit on the sidelines while general managers, agents and the like discuss deals and shake up rosters.But when I spoke to ESPN baseball insider Steve Phillips on Tuesday morning, he laughed and said, "Do you really think that Jim Bowden is not going to pull off something?"Phillips confirmed a trade that would send Boston’s Manny Ramirez to the Giants for Barry Bonds is indeed a solid possibility. Oh, by the way,......

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NFL Network draws intense fan reactions

The NFL Network’s Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworthhave become the most talked about duo in sports broadcasting. And they’ve only done one game.I have never seen a reaction quite this interesting. Fans either like or hate them. I know it was Thanksgiving and your relatives were driving you nuts, but talk about snap judgments.Last summer, NFL Network president Steve Bornstein said the game broadcasts would be "conversational and not your traditional play-by-play and color team."Said Gumbel: "I have never done play-by-play and I don’t intend on doing it. I was......

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Hoop lovers have their fill

If there were any doubt Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Sports Network would be an entertaining year-round channel, let’s just put that rest once and for all.MASN has begun to air what will be one of the most ambitious college basketball schedules ever offered to local fans.How about 150 college games that will feature plenty of local schools like Georgetown, George Mason, Loyola, UMBC and Towson, with a nice compliment of women’s games in the mix?The top conferences in the country will be featured in this package, including the Big East, Big Ten,......

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Three helpings of NFL … for some

Today is Thanksgiving and that means turkey and football. For some, there will more of both.An extra helping of turkey is up to you. What NFL games you’ll have access to is not as simple. Everybody will be able to see the traditional games with Miami at Detroit starting at 12:30 p.m. on CBS, followed by Tampa Bay at Dallas at 4:15 p.m. on FOX.But the much-anticipated debut of the NFL Network’s prime-time game coverage kicks off later in the evening with the Denver traveling to Kansas City. The pregame......

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Hanging with Ahmad on Tuesday nights

For over 30 years, Ahmad Rashad has been an Emmy Award-winning reporter and program host for NBC, ABC and now NBA-TV.His show on NBA-TV — "Tuesdays with Ahmad" — is the network’s pregame show that airs just before the Tuesday Night Game of the Week. It is a hit not only here in the United States but in over 60 countries worldwide.Local favorites Gilbert Arenas and Carmelo Anthony have been on the show both as in-studio and on-location guests.I spoke to Rashad about the show and about the NBA’s growth......

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The King leaves his throne

He is going out on top.George Michael has turned down a lucrative offer from NBC and will end his career as WRC TV channel 4’s sports director after 26 years. It is official. The King is ending his run."Bob Wright, the president of NBC, has been good to me and to my staff over the years," Michael said. "He offered me a deal that was very, very generous. But Ijust could not see working without my team, the writers and producers that have won awards and have made me look......

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Jim Williams: Praise for Acta already started

Mets third base coach Manny Acta is expected to be introduced today as new manager of the Nationals.At 37,Acta will be the youngest manager in Major League Baseball. He knows many of the current Nationals players because he served as a coach under outgoing manager Frank Robinson in Montreal from 2002-04.The move is drawing praise from those in the baseball media.While Acta has no major league managerial experience, every person I spoke to from ESPN’s Steve Phillips to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal had nothing but high praise for Acta and......

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Jim Williams: MASN, Nats resume color analyst search

Tom Paciorek, we hardly knew ya.MASN announced early this week that Paciorek, after one season, won’t be back as color analyst of the Nationals’ broadcast team.His partner in the booth, play-by-play man Bob Carpenter, will return.It’s second year in a row MASN has dropped the Nats’ color analyst, as Ron Darling went the way of Paciorek after the inaugural season. But Paciorek’s departure comes as a mild surprise because he and Carpenter worked well together and fans seemed to enjoy their broadcasts.So where do MASN and the Nats go from......

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Jim Williams: Triple X gaining ground on WTEM’s dominance

For years, WTEM’s "Tailgate Show" leading up to Redskins games has been the standard by which other local pregame shows were measured. Scott Lynn has continued the tradition and with many fine contributors like Doc Walker, Brian Mitchell, Steve Czaban, Andy Pollin and Redskins beat reporter Jerry Coleman, they continue to do the best pregame show in the market.But Triple X ESPN Radio is quickly closing the gap."Redskins Game Day" with Kevin Sheehan and co-host Bram Weinstein has exclusive access with player and coach interviews you won’t find anywhere else.......

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Jim Williams: FOX brings ‘A’ game to FedEx Field

Maybe their records don’t warrant the attention, but FOX NFL Sunday will be in full force for Sunday’s Redskins-Cowboys tilt at FedEx Field. The Redskins (2-5) are struggling and the Cowboys (4-3) now have a flicker of hope with Tony Romo in for the statuesque Drew Bledsoe. But it’s still Washington-Dallas and FOX is all over it with its traveling band.Coverage begins at noon with FOX NFL Sunday’s Emmy Award-winning pregame show hosted by Joe Buck, who will be joined as always by Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson,......

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Jim Williams: Super Bowl of horse racing gallops to cable this weekend

Football fans have the Super Bowl. Baseball fans have the World Series. Hockey fans have the Stanley Cup.Horse racing fans have the Breeders’ Cup.You can bet the many horse racing fans in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. will be glued to the TV set this weekend.On Saturday from Churchill Downs, ESPN will devote over seven hours on a huge college football afternoon to the 23rd annual Breeders’ Cup. It’s the single biggest day in all of horse racing and another in a long line of premier sporting events to move from......

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Jim Williams: Are you ready for some basketball this winter?

Opening night of the NBA season is just hours away. If you are a pro hoops fan, be ready to log plenty of time on the couch. Games will air virtually every night with CSN, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV serving up all the action.TNT gets things started tonight with a doubleheader that showcases Chicago taking on Miami and Phoenix at the Lakers.The Wizards and the Cavaliers take the national spotlight Wednesday night as part of the ESPN’s opening act. The late game will be the Clippers at Phoenix. ......

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Jim Williams: Let’s give ’em something to talk about

This was a great week for interesting people producing interesting quotes. To that end, I’ve put together a collection of takes from my conversations with sports figures.» NBC NASCAR analyst Benny Parson on the Chase for the Cup:"If we’ve learned anything over the last six Chase races, it’s that no lead is safe. Matt Kenseth finished fourth at Talladega, his next best Chase finish was 10th but he’s now the points leader."NBC 4 Has the Bass Pro Shops 500 Sunday from Atlanta at 12:30 p.m.» NBC Sports President Dick......

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Jim Williams: The Ravens: Washington’s other home team?

The Redskins have one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in all of sports, despite their abysmal start this season. In fact they are most valuable franchise in sports according to Forbes Magazine, who price tags them at around $1.4 billion.However, the Baltimore Ravens know they have fans in the Washington area that buy season tickets, proudly wear their jerseys and want more Ravens info.Baltimore is one of the NFL’s smallest markets. They have the Redskins to the south, Eagles to the north and Steelers to the west.The......

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Jim Williams: Friday night will be lit by TV lights in D.C.

ESPNU has been in town this week and, no, they aren’t here to cover the local college teams. They are in D.C. for high school football. The network will be nationally televising the Coolidge vs. Dunbar game, tonight at 8.The Coolidge-Dunbar football game was chosen to be part of ESPNU’s 13 game national high school game of the week package. The goal is to showcase some of the top players and programs from Florida to California and this week the cross country trip stops in Washington.I spoke to Burke Magnus,......

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Jim Williams: Baseball’s 2007 TV deal puts LCS games on cable for first time

TBS, who began the whole "superstation" baseball on cable trend, took things to a whole different level this week by completing a six deal with Major League Baseball.The deal gives TBS the cable rights to the League Championships Series, one of sports crown jewels, and continued an interesting trend of moving high-profile sporting events to cable from broadcast TV. It is the second major event to move in less than a year following the transfer of "Monday Night Football" from ABC to ESPN.Thus completes Major League Baseball’s new broadcast......

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Jim Williams: Local colleges turning to the little screen

Saturday the Maryland–Virginia game was on ESPN 360 and for those who don’t know what that is, it is ESPN’s broadband (computer only) network.Make no mistake about it, this is where you will be seeing more sports in the future and college sports will be at the forefront.After all the new HDTV sets are just large computer monitors so the lines between cable and broadband are growing ever closer.Recently, Tim Pernetti the CSTV programming boss told me that troops in Iraq had hooked up a plasma screen to their computer......

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Jim Williams: Jon Miller and baseball on the radio — the perfect match

Talking with Jon Miller about baseball and broadcasting is about one my favorite things to do. His passion, knowledge and simple joy for the game — and broadcasting it — turns a short interview into a nearly two hour conversation.He and Joe Morgan are doing the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the American League Championship Series and then they will handle the World Series.I spoke to Jon from his San Francisco Bay Area home as he was getting ready for game two between the A’s and Tigers from Oakland.» Miller on......

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Jim Williams: Christies letting us inside

Doug Christie made a name for himself as a defensive-minded shooting guard for six different NBA teams.But that was before his wife, Jackie, entered the picture. Now Doug is known as the NBA player whose wife travels with him on the road; as in she follows directly behind the team bus in her car.What is the big deal about a wife traveling with her husband?Well, it seems sports talk show hosts and columnists nationwide think Doug might be the most whipped husband in sports.BETJ is giving you a behind-the-scenes look......

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Jim Williams: Nats could be right fit for Piniella, Girardi

The two names at the top of the Nationals wish list to replace Frank Robinson as manager are making headlines in other cities.The New York media has Lou Piniella replacing Joe Torre after the Yankees’ first-round playoff exit by the Yankees even though Torre hasn’t been fired ... yet.Meanwhile, in Chicago they were talking about how nice it would be to have former Marlins skipper Joe Girardi in the Cubs dugout. So what are the Nationals, chopped liver?FOX’s public relations team was quick to get out a statement for Piniella:......

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Jim Williams: Medhurst, Navy find home at CSTV

Since being purchased by CBS, College Sports Television has grown and is gaining respect. One of the network’s prized possessions is coverage of the United States Naval Academy. Meanwhile, Pete Medhurst, a lifelong Anne Arundel County resident and one of the lesser known big broadcasting talents broadcasters in the Mid Atlantic region, is the network’s play-by-play voice for Navy football.Medhurst has been part of the Navy broadcast and WNAV family since age 18 and was ready for the opportunity.CSTV executives see Medhurst as a future star and Navy could not......

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Jim Williams: Joe B. skates into another season with Caps

Hockey fans in the area are thrilled the Capitals’ season has started and you can put theteam’s play-by-play man, Joe Beninati, atop that list."Joe B." will call all 81 Caps games, primarily on Comcast SportsNet. He will do at least another 18 nationally-televised NHL games as a member of the Verses broadcast team.Add in his college game work for CSTV and Beninati will call over 125 games before the puck drops on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.I spoke to Joe about Caps star Alex Ovechkin as well as the team’s overall......

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Jim Williams: Kruk, Phillips pick Frank’s replacement

We know Frank Robinson will not be back as manager of the Washington Nationals in 2007. But who will be the manager?Well, for commentary on topics such as this, there is no better source than odd couple of Steve Phillips and Jon Kruk from ESPN’s "Baseball Tonight."They were more than happy to offer suggestions for Nats President Stan Kasten and General Manager Jim Bowden as to who should replace Frank.Kruk’s take: "I think that the Nationals have a really good core of great young players like Ryan Zimmerman, Nick Johnson,......

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Jim Williams: Nats cashing in on 2007

As we put a bow on an interesting second season for the Washington Nationals, for the first time in a while this franchsie can say the future is bright.We have a dedicated ownership group in place with the Lerner family, who thus far have shown a solid commitment to Washington and the future of baseball.Then there is Stan Kasten, the Nationals team president who is moving full speed on so many fronts I do not have room to list them.Fans now know they will be able to see all Nats......

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Jim Williams: Getting SIRIUS about Chelsea in the U.S.

Chelsea, the English Premiership’s answer to the New York Yankees, and Giorgio Chinaglia will be together starting this week as SIRIUS becomes the official radio home of "True Blue."It brings together one of the world’s most popular soccer teams and one of soccer’s most outspoken and beloved soccer analysts.Prior to every Chelsea match on SIRIUS, Chinaglia, former New York Cosmos and Italian national team striker, and Charlie Stillitano, former general manager of the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, will host Chelsea True Blue, an hour pre-game show. The program will include......

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Jim Williams: Caps and Wiz in our sights

Can’t get enough of No. 8? No worries. All 82 regular season games featuring Alex Ovechkin, recently dubbed the NHL’s best player by The Sporting News, and the Capitals can be seen on local TV this season.What about Agent Zero? Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards will clock in with at least 79 games and that number is likely to jump to 81 once the NBA’s national schedule is finalized.The Caps ...Comcast SportsNet will broadcast 56 games; CW50 (formerly WB50) will carry 13 and NewsChannel 8 will air 10. Every Capitals......

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Jim Williams: Will Irish eyes smile on U.S. team?

USA/NBC 4 will be waking golf fans up early this weekend, but for a good reason. It is Ryder Cup time and the United States team led by Tiger Woods will battle a favored European team.But almost as tough as the opponent will be the elements at the K Club, Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland.The Irish countryside this time of year will be cool, rainy and just what the European team ordered. USA/NBC’s top analyst, Johnny Miller, has been a member of several Ryder Cup teams and is the perfect man......

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Jim Williams: ‘Separation Saturday’ gave us good insight

It was billed as college football’s "Separation Saturday," a day when almost all AP Top 25 teams faced off with another ranked opponent.We had fantastic finishes with ABC 7’s Tim Brant (who is raking in the frequent flyer miles) and partner Dan Fouts calling the end of Oregon’s 34-33 upset of Oklahoma. On NBC 4 we saw Michigan expose Notre Dame’s defense en route to a 47-21 rout of the Irish. ABC 7 had what might have been the stunner of the day as Louisville crushed Miami, 31-7.Primetime saw some......

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Jim Williams: This just in: D.C. loves watching Skins

The Redskins’ loss to the Vikings on ESPN’s first-ever production of "Monday Night Football" drew the network’s highest rating in history, bringing in over 9-million viewers.The game was the second most watched telecast in cable TV history. CNN’s NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot in November of 1993 brought in a little over 11 million viewers.The WDCA MY20 broadcast of the Redskins-Vikings game was the most watched show in Washington this week with a stunning 29 rating.FOX 5 was also a big winner locally. FOX NFL Sunday was......

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Jim Williams: D.C. gets ‘Out of Bounds’ on CN8

It has been around for 10 years but Comcast’s new and improved channel, CN8, is poised to make a big splash in Washington.The channel made its local debut last week and is rapidly gaining momentum with it selection live sports programs. But the operation is anchored by the interactive sports magazine show "Out of Bounds," which can been Monday through Friday at 7 and 11 p.m.The early edition is a fast-paced program hosted by Greg Murphy, who is joined by guests from top regional sports talk radio stations like WEEI......

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Jim Williams: ESPN’s MNF media caravan descends on D.C.

Starting tonight here in Washington, ESPN is out to make sure Mondays during football season are never the same.We already know about the changes to "Monday Night Football." But the showcase event is simply part of the most ambitious day in the history of live sports television.Every Monday from a different city, ESPN will feature Super Bowl-like on site coverage. Live shows to be produced today here in D.C.: "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio, "Cold Pizza," "Around the Horn," "Pardon The Interruption," "NFL Primetime," "Monday......

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Jim Williams: Paradise found for NFL fans

There have been many changes for the NFL viewer in 2006. Good changes.For the first time, each Sunday will feature a national tripleheader on broadcast TV and more than 14 consecutive hours of NFL coverage — not including local programming.Let’s start with CBS 9’s new lineup. Washington’s own James Brown is back where he started. J.B. will replace Greg Gumbel as the host of "The NFL of CBS." The show will be done from the network’s New York studio and Brown will be joined by Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe and......

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Jim Williams: The Brick lays foundation in D.C. on WTEM

He is the definition of high energy.He prides himself on getting to more callers than any other national sports talk show host.And he is ecstatic to be back on the air in Washington.His name is John Tournour, but he is better known as J.T. the Brick. His show, Gametime React, is on nightly from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. on WTEM SportsTalk 980-AM. The Fox Sports Radio talker loves to have Redskins fans back on the air, taking on Cowboys, Giants and Eagles callers in a spirited debate about football."It is good......

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Jim Williams: Nationals TV duo ready for expanded audience

Labor Day Weekend is always a great time for sports on TV and for me it was about sitting in my Northwest Washington home watching MASN’s Bob Carpenter and Tom Paciorek on Comcast channel 42. It was a real treat. We all know how long it took to get the team on cable and yes, the Nats are in last place. But watching Bob and Tommy is always a joy.Together less than a full season, they have become one of baseball’s best broadcast teams. They have also become hometown guys......

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Jim Williams: College football 2006: Games on

You say you’re ready for some college football?Between now and January there will be over 1,000 games for you to digest.And you have come to the right place because in 2006 following your favorite team is possible no matter if it’s Maryland or North Texas. If you have a TV with a cable package and a computer, you’re set.The ESPN family of networks will host all live ACC games and Navy games will be seen live on CSTV.Starting today there will no longer be an ABC Sports — all games......

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Jim Williams: Who needs to take a hike, Comcast or MASN?

We told you Monday that Comcast will launch MASN as part of its channel package on Sept. 8 or the ensuing week, depending on your locationThe Nationals and Orioles will finally both be on regional cable for years to come, which is great news.Then we heard of a rate hike Comcast says is due to MASN’s arrival. Butthe Baltimore-based regional sports network claims the hike is not its fault.So who is right? In a way, both are.Orioles owner Peter Angelos started MASN to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox and......

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Jim Williams: At long last, Nats have D.C. cable arrival date

Here is the news Nationals fans have waited almost two years to hear: On Sept. 8, Comcast will broadcast the Nationals against the Colorado Rockies live from Coors Field.Finally, we will see the first-ever MASN broadcast on Comcast in Washington.In the week that follows, Comcast will phase in MASN on the vast majority of its systems in the Washington, Baltimore and Salisbury markets.Much has been said about Comcast during its long dispute with Baltimore-based MASN. But the cable company should be commended for rapidly integrating MASN once the two sides......

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Jim Williams: Comcast SportsNet has cable covered

We have talked a great deal over the past two days about the depth of talent we have covering sports on TV here in Washington.All four broadcast stations have a different style and do their best in what is a confined time. In most cases they have to battle the weatherman for minutes as the newscast heads to a close.But the gold standard in Washington for regional cable sports news is clearly Comcast SportsNet.They have four shows a day starting with "SportsNite" at 6:30 p.m. through "SportsRise" that plays in......

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Jim Williams: The different styles of 7 & 9

Tim Brant is the local boy done good. ABC 7’s Brant is a Maryland grad and has spent the majority of his long and distinguished broadcasting career here in Washington.Brant is about to start his 24th year as member of ESPN on ABC (previously known as ABC Sports) calling college football games with a new partner, Dan Fouts. They will do mostly Pac-10 Conference games.Since Brant returned to ABC 7, the quality of its sportscasts have gone off the charts. Brant is well connected both locally and nationally which gives......

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Jim Williams: King George still leads the local pack

In Washington we have some of the best sports anchors in this country. Each has their strengths and all but one have something in common: They are chasing NBC 4’s George Michael, whose reign as King of D.C. Sports goes on.Watching Michael work with Sonny Jurgensen and Joe Gibbs on NBC 4’s Monday at 6 p.m. newscast is as good as it gets.The three are clearly friends and chat not only about the Redskins but NASCAR, Tiger Woods and even the Nationals.Michael has an ability to draw his partners into......

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Jim Williams: The golden age of football broadcasting?

The 2006 National Football League season will usher in a new era in sports broadcasting with more networks doing more games than ever before.FOX, CBS, NBC, ESPN and the NFL Network will offer broadcasts of the regular season games and a record number of the telecasts will be in high definition.The ability for fans to see all and hear all the games is at an all time with subscriptions to NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV and The NFL on SIRIUS satellite radio growing daily.The NFL is a ratings king in......

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Jim Williams: A few things you should know …

A respected broadcast engineer and Redskins fan assures me that Triple X ESPN Redskins Radio can easily be heard at FedEx Field for all games day and night on 92.7 FM. Northeast and Southeast Washington should also be able to hear the games on 92.7 FM.Fans not going to the game can hear the broadcasts in the western suburbs on Triple X ESPN Redskins Radio 94.3 FM and gameday affiliate 99.9 FM out of Fredrick, M. Those of us who listen on 730 AM, will be fine for 1 p.m.......

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Jim Williams: Monday Night Football has a real D.C. feel

Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser have had three practice sessions getting ready for their Monday Night Football telecast and all three dry runs have come here in the Washington/Baltimore area.The new MNF team worked on their chemistry at Atlantic Video’s studios here in Washington where ESPN produces a number of shows including Pardon The Interruption.The final practice session came Friday night in Baltimore where the trio did a mock telecast of the Ravens-Giants game.So how is it coming?Last week during a conference call with the trio, I heard......

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Jim Williams: NFL preseason ready for liftoff

Preseason is not just a time for NFL players to get ready. It’s also a time for fans to begin fine-tuning their remote control proficiency because this weekend features a full plate of football.The Redskins will be in Cincinnati Sunday night for a national TV game on NBC 4 at 8.The new NBC Sunday Night Football crew of Al Michaels, John Madden and Andrea Kremer will be on hand to call the action.Meanwhile, Triple X ESPN Radio will make its debut as the Redskins radio flagship. Larry Michael, Sonny Jurgensen,......

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Jim Williams: MASN, CSN to battle for United’s TV rights

D.C. United takes on Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid in Seattle on Comcast SportsNet tonight at 11.United preferred to play the "friendly" in the Washington/Baltimore area but it could not be arranged. So the team worked closely with CSN to make sure its ardent fans could stay up late and catch all the action.United will be heavily courted by both CSN and MASN when its current TV contract with United runs out at the end of 2006. United will be the first major pro franchise in town whose cable contract comes......

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Jim Williams: Balanced cable diet begins soon

Mark your calendar for the first week of September. As we learned Friday, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network — hence, your Washington Nationals — will debut on Comcast.Washington’s cable future is now secure for years to come. The Nats’ all-important TV marketing efforts will be year-round, which is great news for the team and its fans.Comcast and MASN’s deal means 1.6 million subscribers in the Washington area, Baltimore and Salisbury will have access to the Baltimore-based network.In 2007, MASN will produce over 300 Nationals and Orioles. Equal coverage and distribution of......

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Jim Williams: Madden, Michaels prepare for Hall of Fame weekend

This is a special weekend for both John Madden and NBC Sports as they prepare for the annual Hall of Fame game, the official start of the NFL preseason.Madden, perhaps the best NFL color analyst of all time, will be honored with his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction for his coaching talents as the former boss of the Oakland Raiders.So on Sunday night when NBC Sports returns to the NFL businessat 8 p.m. with the Raiders and Eagles, it will be with the best broadcast crew in the business.......

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Jim Williams: McEnroe: Blake used D.C. to get rolling

Tennis fans of Washington know that when the Legg Mason Classic comes to town, so does record heat. For some reason temps rise to the century mark when the FitzGerald Tennis Center out on 16th Street hosts the annual ATP tour stop.ESPN2 tennis analyst Patrick McEnroe is heating up after spending a couple weeks at home in Los Angeles playing Mr. Mom while his wife starred in the "Sound of Music" at the Hollywood Bowl. This week, McEnroe and Sean McDonough will handle the ESPN2’s Legg Mason coverage.I talked with......

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Jim Williams: MASN expands its lineup

The television home of the Washington Nationals has expanded its programming to offer round-the-clock sports action. The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network was scheduled to roll out its full programming schedule at 6 this morning.Anchored by Nationals and Baltimore Orioles coverage, MASN will air 300 live MLB contests starting in 2007."Because MASN is owned by the home teams, MASN can bring fans special in-game enhancements and inside access to the Nationals and Orioles that a corporate-owned RSN could never deliver," said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. "This is a new approach to regional......

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Jim Williams: The sounds of Redskins training camp signal start of season

Are you ready?It’s here. Football season really begins today as the Redskins begin their season’s journey in Ashburn with the start of training camp.What’s that? You can’t spend each day at Redskins Park evaluating rookies or breaking down Jason Campbell? Well, you can keep up just fine with a radio (or computer, for that matter). Triple X ESPN Radio (94.3 FM, 92.7 FM and 730 AM) will have a front row seat from its Redskins Park studio. Each day from noon-1 p.m., it’s "Redskins Lunch" with Larry Michael and Bram......

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Jim Williams: Johnson ready for gridiron tour

Kelli Johnson is a self-professed jock.She comes from a family of coaches and played sports all the way through college. So she has more than a passing interest in football.This is her third year as Comcast SportsNet’s Redskins beat reporter and she gets better each year. Few reporters have the rapport with the players and coaches she does. But most of all, even fewer ask the tough questions that she does week after week.With training camp less than 48 hours away, Kelli and I talked Redskins football and she had......

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Jim Williams: Weinstein excited about upheaval

A doctor once told me two of the most stressful things a person can do is get married and change jobs.Well, Bram Weinstein did both in the same month.Bram left SportsTalk 980 WTEM and headed to Triple X ESPN just after returning from his honeymoon. Not exactly what the doctor ordered.I spoke to Bram this week and am glad to report he is happy with both married life and his new job as Larry Michael’s partner on "Redskins Lunch," weekdays from noon till 1 p.m. on Triple X ESPN (94.3......

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Jim Williams: Content, not the carrier, is king

For over a week we have heard how the launching of Triple X ESPN radio by Red Zebra co-founders Dan Snyder and Bennett Zier was going to be a bad thing for fans.Gone would be objectivity and the Redskins would control the message that came out to all the fans.People, this is sports. Fans want to hear about their favorite teams. I submit to you that objectivity has very little to do with how fans think. It is all about the results on the field and how entertaining the news......

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Jim Williams: Summer’s European vacation nears an end

This weekend marks the end of the major European events with the Tour de France and the British Open serving as the caboose to a TV sports summer across the pond.OLN will have the Tour de France and if youhave not yet watched their coverage you really should.The Tour is part sporting event and part travelogue. The scenes of the French countryside are stunning and the men riding the bikes are true athletes.I spoke to Phil Liggett, who does a great job covering the event for OLN. "As far as......

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Jim Williams: ESPN exec happy to run with Redskins

Bruce Gilbert is ESPN Radio’s general manager and it was his decision to make the change from WTEM to Red Zebra and the new "Triple X ESPN Radio Washington."I spoke to Gilbert about the change and how it could affect sports radio in this area.On why ESPN made the move: "It was a very tough decision for us. WTEM had been our partner from the start and they had done a wonderful job for us. But after talking with Bennett (Zier) and Dan (Snyder) about their plans to create a......

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Jim Williams: Red Zebra sounds like 800-pound gorilla

Red Zebra Radio hits the air tomorrow at 6 a.m. and Washington-area radio will forever be changed.Professional sports team owners and those who follow broadcasting trends will review the launch as a possible future template for teams wishing to maintain their own radio stations.Never before in a market of Washington’s size have three stations broadcast the same programming simultaneously with such a strong program lineup.You’ll hear Red Zebra on 730 AM; in the western suburbs tune to 94.3 FM; east of the city it will be 92.7 FM. At home......

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Jim Williams: Satellite radio maintains soccer presence

After award-winning coverage of World Cup 2006, XM Satellite Radio soccer channel 147 continues to cover soccer in Spanish with the legendary Andres Cantor talking all things soccer as well as baseball, boxing and a number of other sports. XM Deportivo is all Spanish sports talk 24/365.Meanwhile, XM 148 has gone dark for now. However, XM officials told me they are aggressively working on plans to keep soccer a part on their network, which is great news. In the meantime, SIRIUS is ready to welcome soccer fans to its service,......

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Jim Williams: Czabe anchors FSR’s D.C. comeback

Beginning today at 6 a.m., WTEM SportsTalk 980 officially becomes a FOX Sports Radio station when "First Team on FOX" makes its debut. If the show sounds familiar, there is good reason.It is hosted by WTEM mainstay Steve Czaban and he is joined by the usual suspects: WTEM staffers Scott Linn, Al Galdi and producer Jay Cottrell. For more than two years, they have started off the day for FSR’s national lineup.As ESPN heads across the Potomac River to Red Zebra Broadcasting, WTEM gets a new and improved FSR, which......

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Jim Williams: O’Brien, Balboa shine together at Cup

When ESPN/ABC named Dave O’Brien their lead announcer for World Cup 2006, most soccer fans said, "Dave who?"But after a full month of calling games with partner Marcelo Balboa, more fans are now commenting on their quality and style.O’Brien has been solid, never overselling games but keeping the drama and energy level high while Balboa has been clear and honest.Instead of guys trying to be BBC commentators, we have a duo soccer fans — more importantly, regular fans — can understand. The result has been good ratings for ESPN/ABC and......

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Jim Williams: Nats opt out, XM nears soccer limbo

Whether you are a Nationals die-hard or soccer fanatic, your listening choices could be in line for a shakeup.The Nationals have opted out of their deal with WTWP. D.C.-based XM Radio, having created a long-needed outlet for soccer fans, is unsure what is going to happen to its increases soccer programming after Sunday’s World Cup Final.Let’s take the Nationals firstThey had an out in their contract with WTWP that allows them to shop around for a better deal starting in 2007. The Nationals will be on WTWP for the rest......

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Jim Williams: Riggo to sport Red Zebra stripes

Legendary Redskin and Hall-of-Famer John Riggins will be the first big name to join Red Zebra Broadcasting, Dan Snyder’s impending foray into the sports radio business.Red Zebra is set to launch sometime within the next two weeks on WBZS 94.3 FM, WBPS 92.7 FM, WKDL 730 AM and Richmond-based WXGI 950 AM. Also, expect to hear the network on both its own Web site and, most likely, Redskins.com.What is not yet clear is if Red Zebra will show up on a more powerful D.C.-based station. It may employ less powerful......

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Jim Williams: Former United coach Ray Hudson weighs in on World Cup

Former D.C. United coach Ray Hudson has taken his expansive knowledge of soccer and quick wit to Gol TV. For the past two years, Ray Hudson has done color commentary for European league matches and is co-host of "American Soccer."Hudson is now in Germany covering the 2006 FIFA World Cup; he is the co-host for the English-language segment of the nightly "Gol TV in Germany" wrap-up show. The show can be seen nightly at 8 with plenty of replays during the evening and early morning if you miss the early......

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Jim Williams: Viewing plate remains full this week

Get ready for another busy week of sports on the tube as the World Cup continues, Wimbledon gets underway and the NBA Draft hits primetime on Wednesday.This week also caps a record-breaking month for ESPN/ABC as they have indeed proven to be the worldwide leader in sports television.World Cup fans will have two games each day this week as the knockout round continues from Germany on ESPN and ESPN2.The World Cup’s first round ratings are up dramatically and despite the United States’ early exit that should continue. Thus far, ratings......

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Jim Williams: D.C. is Cup crazy

Forget New York, Chicago and Boston when it comes to soccer. Washington, D.C. is once again the nation’s capital.With flags up and down Embassy Row waving in the breeze and fans filling the local pubs, this is soccer central.Don’t think so? After the first week of the World Cup, ESPN/ABC and Univision ratings are more than twice as high as 2002 and D.C. soccer fans are watching the games at a record rate.Saturday’s United States-Italy game was the second-highest rated sports show on Washington TV, beating out Major League Baseball,......

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Jim Williams: Foudy adds to Cup coverage

Talking to Julie Foudy is always a treat.She is funny, charming, while at the same time knowledgeable and passionate about soccer.A former member of the United States’ winning women’s World Cup team, Foudy is now focused on the men’s game and the goings on in Germany. She appears at home during ESPN’s studio coverage alongside hosts Rece Davis and Dave Revsine and fellow color analysts Eric Wynalda and Alexi Lalas.Wynalda, Lalas and Foudy have been candid, insightful and fun. They have logged long hours watchingthree games a day and commenting......

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Jim Williams: Foudy adds to Cup coverage

Talking to Julie Foudy is always a treat.She is funny, charming, while at the same time knowledgeable and passionate about soccer.A former member of the United States’ winning women’s World Cup team, Foudy is now focused on the men’s game and the goings on in Germany. She appears at home during ESPN’s studio coverage alongside hosts Rece Davis and Dave Revsine and fellow color analysts Eric Wynalda and Alexi Lalas.Wynalda, Lalas and Foudy have been candid, insightful and fun. They have logged long hours watching three games a day and......

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Jim Williams: Miller time at the U.S. Open

Golf fans cannot wait for this weekend’s U.S. Open. It marks the return of Tiger Woods, who took time off to mourn the passing of his father, Earl Woods.Hollywood script writers want to know: Could Tiger win the U.S. Open on Father’s Day? The 106th U.S. Open Championship will be played at famed Winged Foot Golf Club’s West Course in Mamaroneck, N.Y., about 20 miles north of midtown Manhattan. It’s close enough that Washington, D.C. golf fans are expected to be there in force. Tiger is looking......

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Jim Williams: Johnson highlights XM’s Cup coverage

Dave Johnson, WTOP-FM’s sports director, is keeping up his double-duty routine. But instead of doing Wizards games or heading out on the road with D.C. United, he is on another continent.Johnson is doing play-by-play of World Cup games from Germany for D.C.-based XM Radio. The days are long, and yes, he may be giving you the Nationals score on the 15s every morning, but around noon you can bet he is on XM Radio applying his signature call of soccer.XM Radio’s exclusive coverage of World Cup has thus far been......

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Jim Williams: LPGA’s big stars descend on Baltimore

For the second year in a row one of the LPGA’s premier events is being held at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Md. For D.C. area golf fans, it’s well worth the hour drive north to the Baltimore area.The McDonald’s LPGA Championship is the second major of the year and has attracted worldwide attention for its star-studded field.Annika Sorenstam is bidding for a fourth straight title and a host of budding stars such as Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie are vying for their first major......

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Jim Williams: Mayor: MLB needs to up ante, get Nats on TV

No one can question that Washington Mayor Anthony Williams put his reputation on the line to bring baseball back after a 30-plus year absence.His hard work and patient dealings with both Major League Baseball and the D.C. City Council resulted in a brand new ballpark to be built along the Southeast waterfront that will hopefully open in 2008.Mayor Williams got the local ownership he asked MLB for with the Lerner family, along with their partner, Stan Kasten.One would think Mayor Williams could relax, sit back, watch the Nationals on TV......

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Jim Williams: Thompson gets Stern on the record

Few local sports talk shows get the quality of guests that Sports Talk 980’s "John Thompson Show" scores on a regular basis. On Friday, Thompson welcomed NBA Commissioner David Stern to the show and Coach got the NBA boss to confirm something that has been talked about but never pinned down, let alone by Stern.Upon questioning from Thompson and his sidekick, Al Koken, Stern said after the 2008 Olympics the NBA will likely begin to brand leagues outside the United States. Stern said he expects to see NBA China and......

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Jim Williams: Gearing up for World Cup action

Soccer fans are examining the World Cup draw with the same kind of zeal as college basketball fans and their March Madness brackets.In a few days the biggest sporting event on the planet — World Cup 2006 — starts in Germany and you can bet people throughout a Washington’s soccer community will be watching the games and sporting their national colors. All World Cup games can be seen in both English and Spanish with ABC 7 airing 12 games, ESPN 21 games and ESPN2 31 games in both standard......

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Jim Williams: The month to get things started

June is a time for weddings and new beginnings. So it is fitting both the Redskins and Nationals look at this month as one to finally find a long-term media partner.The Redskins are expected to announce their home for Redskins radio and team owner Dan Snyder’s Red Zebra Broadcasting will launch its new all-sports radio format.Red Zebra could lease Salem Broadcasting-owned WAVA 105.1, known for its religious and positive talk format. Salem has a successful all-sports station in Cleveland. A deal with a long-term lease could be in the works.......

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Jim Williams: Rosenthal: Nats should consider keeping Soriano

The name Ken Rosenthal is synonymous with baseball in this area. He has been covering the game for over a decade but he has a print background and is a five-time winner of the Maryland Sports Writer of the Year award.Now in is role as senior baseball writer for Foxsports.com, he adds to the network’s Emmy Award-winning baseball coverage. He serves as the baseball insider onthe FOX’s pregame show and is on site as a reporter at one of the regional "Game of the Week" telecasts.Rosenthal brings his baseball knowledge......

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Jim Williams: Memorial Day weekend offers full sports plate

When I was growing up, the Indianapolis 500 was one of the biggest events on the sports calendar. It was speed, crashes, exotic rear engine cars and the best racing anywhere. The Brickyard was a very special place. Before we saw the race live we listened to it on the radio. In the 1970s the Indy 500 was seen on tape delay and shown on ABC in primetime.Fast forward to 2006 and the Indy 500 is part of total media coverage from HDTV, to satellite radio and broadband. We now......

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Jim Williams: The Nats’ plan according to Stan

After all the wrangling and waiting, the Nationals were sold to the Lerner family and questions shifted from ‘Who is the owner?’ to ‘Where are we headed?’The man to answer that is Stan Kasten, the new team president who will take over in the next month. Kasten served as president of three Atlanta franchises — the Braves, Hawks and Thrashers — at the same time. MLB and NBA executives speak of him as an innovator and laud his ability to build a solid organization.I spoke to Kasten about the Nationals......

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Jim Williams: NBA’s first-round playoff performance a slam dunk

The people at ESPN and ABC Sports are psyched.Why? Because the NBA just put on a show with some of the more entertaining first round playoff series in recent memory.When I spoke on Friday to Len DeLuca, senior vice president of programming and acquisitions for ESPN and ABC Sports, he could hardly contain himself.The first two weeks of the NBA Playoffs have shown double-digit gains over last season with all three outlets — ESPN, ABC and TNT — experiencing increased viewing.There are several reasons for the spike, the most obvious......

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Jim Williams: Kremer ecstatic about move to NBC

Andrea Kremer is an award-winning journalist and respected NFL insider. But her new gig at NBC has her feeling excitement of a rookie again.Kremer will serve as the sideline reporter on "Football Night in America," NBC’s Sunday game of the week. She will also contribute to the network’ pregame show.We spoke this week and the enthusiasm she has for her new job at NBC was a big part of the conversation.Jim Williams: What made you want to be part of the new NBC Sunday show?Andrea Kremer: Working for Dick Ebersol,......

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Jim Williams: Quest for Nats on television continues

The battle to get Nationals games on TV has entered a new phase and D.C. fans should be a bit more optimistic.Let’s start with soon-to-be Nationals President Stan Kasten, the newest member of the MASN team. His cable sports background includes being a member of TBS and helping to develop the Braves’ Turner South regional cable network.A number of sources tell me it is likely Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy, Orioles and MASN owner Peter Angelos, Kasten and Comcast representatives will sit down this week and start talking deal......

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Jim Williams: Costashits a homer on the steroids issue

Heard enough about steroids in baseball? Not yet, at least if you haven’t seen this week’s episode of HBO’s "Costas Now."It should be required viewing for any baseball fan and expertly dissects the game’s biggest problem.This week when I spoke to Bob Costas about his show I asked what he hoped fans would take away."I hope people understand that this is a problem that we can’t over look or deny," Costas said. "The steroid era ranks only behind the segregation era as one of baseball’s biggest problems."A roundtable discussion featuring......

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Jim Williams: Haber and WUSA had Nats story right

The wait is over. The announcement Wednesday that the Washington Nationals were sold to the Lerner-Kasten group ended what seemed like an interminable wait to find out who would own this area’s team.Meanwhile, WUSA-9 sports director Brett Haber should get the credit he deserves. Haber and his team at the local CBS affiliate got it right a little over a week ago when they claimed on air the team was going to the Lerner-Kasten group. MLB responded with a strong denial and radio and TV stations all over town dismissed......

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Jim Williams: WTEM 980 goes all local

"The Tony Kornheiser Show," is on the shelf till T.K. returns after his run on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile the folks at WTEM have made a bold move, a move that should excite sports fans all over the area.Starting Monday, Sports Talk 980 AM WTEM became local from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.The "Sports Reporters," with Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban will kick things off weekdays from 9 a.m. till noon. That gives the boys three hours to really dive into topics and build on their odd couple act that......

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Jim Williams: Gumbel and Collinsworth to team up?

A number of sources have reported the NFL Network will soon announce that former "Today" host Bryant Gumbel and NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth will be paired together for the Thursday night primetime game package in the fall. Sources confirm both Gumbel and Collinsworth were given permission to talk to the NFL Network. Collinsworth would still do the NBC studio show. Gumbel would handle play-by-play while Collinsworth would be the lead analyst for eight regular season games on either Thursday or Saturday nights. The first game -- the Denver Broncos at......

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Jim Williams: Sir Charles doles out

For the second straight season the Wizards are in the playoffs, which makes things more interesting for us locals. Even better, the Wiz are facing the LeBron James-led ClevelandCavaliers and will get the star treatment starting with today’s nationally televised series opener on ABC. The series then moves to CSN (though TNT and ESPN will air games on Tuesday and Friday, respectively) with lots of pre- and post-game coverage. On the radio you can follow the Wiz on WTEM 980-AM.ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT have the playoffs covered so fans......

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Jim Williams: Raise your glass for locals

It’s time to say good-bye. "The Tony Kornheiser Show" on Sportstalk 980-AM will be leaving the air for a while — perhaps forever. For those of us who never miss the show it will be a great loss.Why? Because in the vapid world of sports radio, Kornheiser’s show is rare.It is entertaining and fun and there is plenty of sports chatter. But the real secret to the program’s success is you might just learn something by tuning in. Yes, listening could educate you on many non-sports issues. That is what......

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Jim Williams: Angelos on the record

I have had the occasion in my more than 25 years of broadcasting and print reporting to interview prominent athletes, sports owners, network presidents and politicians. Few were as straightforward as Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.I met with Angelos in his Baltimore office to discuss MASN, the Nationals, the Orioles and baseball in general. He did not disappoint and answered every question with candor.Jim Williams: At the special hearing on the Hill by the House Government Reform Committee you proposed a merger of......

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Jim Williams: Sports radio’s local landscape upheaval

Here’s what we know about sports radio in this area. It’s about to undergo a big facelift.Red Zebra’s Bennett Zier has secured ESPN radio programming for Dan Snyder’s soon-to-be-launched all-sports stations. They took "Mike and Mike In the Morning" as well as "The Dan Patrick Show" away from WTEM.But which station Red Zebra will occupy remains the issue. Or will Red Zebra make a programming deal with a local powerhouse? The partner candidates on the AM side are WTEM and WMAL. On the FM dial, the possible partner list is......

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Jim Williams: Kurkjian: Nats success ‘a miracle’

Tim Kurkjian is a well-known baseball insider for ESPN. But long before he was covering baseball for a living, the D.C. area native was a fan of baseball in this city. He graduated from Walter Johnson High in Bethesda in 1974 and the University of Maryland in 1978.Today, when the Nationals take the field for their home opener against the New York Mets, there is a good chance Kurkjian will be in RFK’s press box.It is a stadium Kurkjian went to as a kid to see Senators games and......

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Jim Williams: HeyComcast, take the deal please

Orioles and Mid Atlantic Sports Network owner Peter Angelos testified before a House committee last Friday he would be willing to work with Comcast to merge MASN with Comcast SportsNet.The deal is predicated on Comcast making room right now to begin airing MASN-produced Nationals games as soon as possible. Then the two sides enter into discussions aimed at merging MASN with CSN.The Angelos offer is a deal Comcast should take. It makes a great deal of sense for both sides.It would give Angelos the equity and distribution he wants. It......

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