Jim Williams

Jim Williams: Former Lions exec Millen is happy to be back in the booth

Matt Millen will join Bob Papa as the new broadcast team for NFL Network telecasts starting a week from today when they telecast the game between Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. In the 1990's Millen was thought by many -- myself included -- to be one of the best football analysts in the business and the heir apparent to John Madden. The former Detroit Lions President and CEO has been doing college games for ESPN and serving in the studio on a number of NFL shows. When Cris Collinsworth moved into the NBC Sunday Night Football booth to replace Madden, it seemed fitting that the NFL Network would turn to Millen. JW » The first time around you called the games from the...

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Jim Williams: World Series puts up big numbers for FOX; NBC and Comcast are near a deal

The World Series has scored huge numbers for FOX. Game 4 continued the upward ratings trend for the network as they scored an impressive 13.5/22 average household rating/share with an average audience of 22.8 million viewers. Thus far, through five games, the Phillies-Yankees matchup has led FOX to some great primetime wins. This year’s World Series has been a dominant force in primetime. The first four games of the 2009 Fall Classic have averaged an 11.5/19, which is 19.1 million viewers and a 6.1 in the 18-49 age group. The Series is up 42 percent in household ratings and 45 percent in audience over last year (8.1/14, 13.2 million). It is the highest-rated, most-watched World...

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Redskins owner: "We have let everyone down"

Dan Snyder says his Washington Redskins have "let everyone down." according to an report this afternoon from the AP. In a rare in-season talk with reporters, who caught up to Snyder in the parking lot following his remarks at a charity event about the Redskins, the owner said the organization is embarrassed by its 2-5 start and hopes to turn things around soon. Snyder has been the subject of much ire from some fans. Signs critical of the owner have been confiscated at recent home games as part of the team's new crackdown on all signs and banners at FedEx Field. Regarding the fans, he said: "We've let everyone down, including ourselves, and we know that and we're just apologetic." When...

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Redskins fans complain, but they keep watching

Funny thing about fans they will complain, they will threaten never to watch, listen or go to anymore games but in the end more often than not they return to their team. Such seems to be the case thus far anyway with the Washington Redskins where if the fans are indeed leaving the team you sure could not tell by the ratings. Through seven games this season their ratings are almost exactly where they were last year at this point in the season. The Redskins have won the weeks overall ratings and still remain the #1 watched show on Washington television. So while the team remains 2-5 and going nowhere this season on the field they remain a perfect 7-0 this season on Washington TV. Here is...

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Jim Williams: Johnson, Wizards are ready to rock Chinatown this season

The radio voice of the Wizards is the hardest working broadcaster in Washington. Dave Johnson, who also handles the D.C. United broadcasts, is the sports director on WTOP radio, sports anchor for CSN and is here nationally on FOX Soccer Channel broadcasts. Johnson is a local boy and as he enters his 13th season doing the play-by-play for a team he cheered for as a kid, he is excited about what kind of club he will be broadcasting this season. Johnson on his passion for the team » "I have followed this team since the Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe days and it is funny both [CSN TV voice] Steve Buckhantz and I are local guys. We can broadcast the games with the knowledge and passion...

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Jim Williams: Buck stays humble about his World Series record

Tonight, weather permitting, Joe Buck will put on his headset, take his seat beside partner Tim McCarver and make broadcasting history. He will join play-by-play legends Vin Scully and Curt Gowdy by calling his 12th World Series. The 2009 Fall Classic also marks analyst McCarver's 20th behind the microphone, adding to his record-setting achievement. His first assignment was the 1985 "Show Me Series" between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals on ABC. Buck, the lead broadcaster for FOX, knows very well what this record means. His father, Jack Buck, called 11 World Series in his Hall of Fame career. We talked about the record as well as the constant charge...

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Jim Williams: Mike Golic’s plan to fix the Skins

Mike Golic is part of the nation’s most popular sports talk show - along with partner Mike Greenberg. They are starting their 10th year together doing “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” which is heard on more than 350 radio stations nationally, as well as locally on ESPN 980AM. It is seen daily on ESPN2. The duo will be doing their next Monday show from the ESPN Zone in Washington, where they will be talking in-depth about the Monday Night Football game between the Redskins and the Eagles. I spoke to Golic about the Redskins and his expanded network duties: JW » OK, I am putting you in charge of the Redskins. How do you fix this mess? Golic » “Well,...

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Ripken on the World Series and Nats' manager search

Cal Ripken has become one of the best studio analysts in sports -- and part of what might be the best baseball studio show in TV history. The TBS "On Deck" show has done for baseball what the TNT studio show has done for the NBA. It is honest, it shies away from no topic, and, most all, it is very entertaining. Ripken is joined on the program by host Ernie Johnson and fellow analysts Dennis Eckersley and David Wells. Wednesday night, prior to the Phillies clinching another National League pennant, we talked about a variety of baseball subjects. JW » Tell me about your broadcast partners on TBS "On Deck." Ripken » "It all starts with E.J. He is the...

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Ripken on the World Series and Nats' manager search

Cal Ripken has become one of the best studio analysts in sports -- and part of what might be the best baseball studio show in TV history. The TBS "On Deck" show has done for baseball what the TNT studio show has done for the NBA. It is honest, it shies away from no topic, and, most all, it is very entertaining. Ripken is joined on the program by host Ernie Johnson and fellow analysts Dennis Eckersley and David Wells. Wednesday night, prior to the Phillies clinching another National League pennant, we talked about a variety of baseball subjects. JW » Tell me about your broadcast partners on TBS "On Deck." Ripken » "It all starts with E.J. He is the reason I am doing the...

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Jim Williams: Redskins' season is stuck in a spin cycle

If it wasn't for bad news, the Redskins wouldn't have any news at all. Reading the local newspapers, checking the multiple online sites, listening to sport talk radio and watching the reports on TV is painful for Redskins fans. Questions about the offense, the players, the coaches and the ownership are plentiful. The answers are all too few at this point. The images we see, as players do their best to try to explain the truly unexplainable plight of this 2-4 football team, has Redskins fans angry and upset. Jim Zorn, talking to Chick Hernandez on his weekly CSN TV show, was at a loss attempting to explain how he went from head coach, offense coordinator and quarterback coach back to...

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Jim Williams » A Nation under siege

As the voice of Redskins Nation, Larry Michael tries to address, inform and calm an entire fanbase from his anchor desk in Ashbrun, Va. Each weekday, at 6 & 10:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet, he tries to keep up beat and tackle problems that face the team. It is easy job when the team is doing well, but when things are headed in the wrong direction it might just be the toughest job in Washington sports. Michael’s job is to be the calm in the eye of the storm while at the same time keeping those passionate Redskins fans hopeful. It is no simple task and he is often unfairly attacked by bloggers, local media and in general by people who seem to enjoy having fun at Michael’s...

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Jim Williams » Former Terps star Branch is ready for the Madness

Adrian Branch will be sitting in a studio Friday night with ESPNU anchor Lowell Galindo and Andy Katz as the trio brings fans Midnight Madness action from across the country. The coverage will showcase Georgetown and begin at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, which will simulcast ESPNU's coverage from 11:30 p.m. until midnight. Branch, a former star at DeMatha High School, was a member of the University of Maryland 1984 ACC Championship team. He went on to win an NBA title in 1987 with the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that included Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and coach Pat Riley. Based in Charlotte, Branch now is an ESPN college basketball analyst. We talked about how...

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JIm Williams » TBS, FOX ready for playoff push

Well, Major League Baseball's final four has been set. TBS will have the Phillies-Dodgers National League Championship Series starting Thursday. Then FOX follows on Friday with the Yankees hosting the Angels in the American League Championship Series. TBS will have the broadcast team of Chip Caray, Ron Darling and our friend Buck Martinez handling the NL action. There have been cheap shots from the critics and the bloggers about the duo of Caray and Darling, I think unfairly. However, one thing is for certain; having Martinez in the booth will help because Darling is better when he works in a three-man booth, something he is used to doing with the Mets. Also, a fine job has been done...

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Scott Hanson - Life in the Red Zone

When last we saw Scott Hanson, he was a popular fixture at the anchor desk in Bethesda at Comcast SportsNet. Almost three years ago he moved on to the NFL Network, where he has been a successful anchor and reporter living in Tampa. Recently Hanson was made the host of the new NFL Network Red Zone Channel, a spate channel available as part of the Sports Package that shows every touchdown either live or right after it happens. I spoke to Hanson about life in the Red Zone. JW » When do you start getting ready for the show? Hanson » “I fly from Tampa to Los Angeles on Thursday evening. Starting on Friday we begin to go over all of the data for all the Sunday games. We...

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Navy, Army and Air Force get special treatment on CBS College Sports

I love college football, and CBS College Sports has put together a very special weekend of games and features showcasing the service academies that begins tonight. This is a weekend of football not to be missed. Tonight at 7 p.m. "INSIDE ACADEMY FOOTBALL," which chronicles the daily routines of football players from each service academy, explores how their sport intersects, enriches and informs their lives as officers-in-training for the United States military. It is part of a full day of academy football on CBS College Sports starting at 11 a.m. with "SALUTE TO THE ARMED FORCES" pre-game show. Then at noon it will be Vanderbilt at Army followed by Navy at Rice at 3:30 p.m. The...

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Jim Williams » Playoff-quality broadcasters right here in D.C.

The Major League Baseball playoffs begin this week and Washington is painfully aware that the Nationals will not be in the postseason this year. However, the MASN broadcasters who followed the 103-loss Nationals were worthy of playoff consideration for keeping fans interested to the very end. The team of Bob Carpenter, Rob Dibble and Debbi Taylor was entertaining, informative and fun despite all the losses. Carpenter, once again, proved that he is one of the best play-by-play men in the business. His understated and dry sense of humor was the perfect foil to the "Nasty Boy" newcomer, Dibble. In contrast to the bloggers and print critics, I thought Dibble was a great find for...

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Nats president Kasten on Turner vs. Lerner

Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten talked about a number of very interesting topics on this week’s edition of “The Sports Take with Sports Professor Rick Horrow” that can be seen Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. It is a wide ranging interview that covers a great deal of ground but here are a few of the many topics about the Nationals and baseball in general: On the Washington Nationals » “We know that the record on the field is deplorable and every night that you lose. No matter how many years I’ve been doing this, I still can’t sleep after a loss. So that’s hard, but it’s easier for me in some respect because I don’t just...

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The Capitals and the NHL have lots to see and hear

Anyone have doubts Washington is truly a hockey town? Last year's Caps ratings both locally on CSN as well as on NBC have proven that there is an audience that is large and continues to grow. Consider WFED AM 1500 Sports producer Ben Raby who is in his first year at the helm of the Caps radio broadcasts as positive proof. Raby started his career working at "The Team" 990AM in Montreal where he followed the Canadiens. He would later move to Toronto where he would cover the NHL for TSN (Canada's ESPN). But he had a brief chance to work at WTOP while in college and coming to Washington to work on the Caps broadcasts was something he could not pass up. "To work in Washington...

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Jamie Davis making Versus a force in three years

Jamie Davis is a man on the move. The Versus network turns three this year and there has been success -- but, like any good executive, the network's president wants more. This week I spoke to Davis about the moves Versus has made, as well as DirecTV's dropping of the network. JW » Why was Versus was dropped by DirecTV? Davis » "They wanted to put our network in a pay tier sports package calling us an infomercial network and saying our fees were out of line. We are working out a new contract and I understand posturing as you try to get a better deal but this makes no sense. What made me angry was that DirecTV disrespected our viewers by dropping us while we were in...

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Big Ten and SEC are building a following with their own TV networks

If you are a fan of either the Big Ten or the SEC then on Saturday mornings you no longer have to watch a national pregame show. The two "uber-conferences" have their own networks with programs aimed at their fan base. The Big Ten Network, in its third year, offers at least three day games every Saturday afternoon in the noon - 3:30 p.m. block and a more than a handful of night games throughout the football season. The coverage starts every Saturday at 10 a.m. with "Big Ten Cookout," a live fast-paced show on location from a game site with tailgaters. There is talk about the day's action in the Big Ten, plus a great feel for the on-campus pre-game food offerings. It...

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'Lunch with Benefits' worth sampling

FOXSports.com is in the second week of its new broadband program called "Lunch with Benefits." Every Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. they have a fast-paced half-hour show that you can watch on your computer. By the way, if you miss a show you can access it on demand any time during the week. Versus names its UFL broadcast crew Anita Marks will serve as the sideline reporter for the telecasts. She will be joined by Dave Sims, who will handle the play by play, and color commentators Doug Flutie and Kordell Stewart. The first telecast on Versus will be Thursday, Oct. 8, when the California Redwoods travel to play the Las Vegas Locomotives at 9 p.m. Here is the...

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Jim Williams » Monday Night Football 40 years later

Forty-two years ago Frank Gifford was one of the lead play-by-play men at CBS sports and he was invited to play golf with his friend, ABC Sports president Roone Arledge. During their round of golf, Arledge told Gifford that he was going to begin broadcasting NFL games in primetime every Monday night starting with the 1970 season. He wanted Gifford to be the voice of ABC Monday Night Football. Gifford was under contract until 1971 with CBS so he declined the offer but did suggest his friend Don Meredith to serve in the role of color analyst. So, in 1970 the first Monday Night Football game aired between Cleveland and New York, with the Browns beating the Jets, 31-21. The broadcast team...

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SEC takes center stage this weekend

The college football game of the week will be played in Gainesville, Fla., at "The Swamp" as No. 1 Florida faces SEC rival Tennessee on CBS at 3:30 p.m. This Tennessee team is led by the brash young coach, Lane Kiffin, who already has angered Gator Nation with remarks he made about Florida coach Urban Meyer. But Kiffin knows little about the SEC or the Tennessee rivalry so I spoke to a man who knows what the showdown between the Gators and the Vols really means: CBS college football analyst and former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer. JW » How tough is it to play the Gators at "The Swamp?" Fulmer » "It is the toughest place to play in the SEC....

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Showtime/NFL Films series on the AFL: 'A fun ride into history'

Showtime Sports and NFL Films start a five-part series on the 50th Anniversary of the American Football League titled: "Full Color Football," debuting this week and airing through October. For those of you too young to remember the AFL, its brash style had a direct affect on its more conservative rival, the NFL. I spoke to football historian and NFL Films resident Steve Sabol about the Showtime series and what he found out about the AFL: JW » Talk about the characters that made up the AFL. Sabol » "You start with Al Davis, Sonny Werblin, Sid Gillman, and of course Hank Stram. Hank Stram in many ways was the guy who epitomized what the AFL was in the...

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NFL analysts sound off on their thoughts of the Redskins' season outlook

The Redskins start the season this afternoon against the Giants and Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver will handle the broadcast for FOX. Redskins Radio is ready to go with Larry Michael, Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff and Rick "Doc" Walker calling all the action on ESPN 980AM/Redskins Radio. Today at noon, Kevin Sheehan, the host of the popular Redskins Tailgate Show, will be joined by a cast of thousands of people getting fans ready for the opener on the road at Giants Stadium. The Junkies have their "Unofficial Pregame Show" on 106.7 FM The Fan starting at 3 p.m. CSN will have their award winning Redskins Kickoff Show at noon with Chick Hernandez, Trevor Matich,...

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Maryland – James Madison exclusively on ESPN360

Maryland will host James Madison this weekend and the game will be seen only on computer via broadband network ESPN360. The game will get the full network treatment with six cameras, replays, graphics and a network broadcast team. That’s right, just like the coverage that any regional network would be doing for regular television. The quality of the picture on ESPN360 is as good as watching standard definition television. If you have a laptop it is more portable and accessible than cable. For those who aren’t into the whole broadband thing, you might have thought the Terps’ home opener would be seen on a tiny screen with two cameras, no graphics and student radio...

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ESPN's Ivan Maisel ready for the beginning of college football

Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com and can be seen on everything from ESPN College Game Day to ESPNews. He is an expert on college football and he is one of the most entertaining and well-connected people in the business. I called him Wednesday to talk college football and the first thing I asked him was about his travel schedule. He laughed, "I get on a plane in the morning and I don't get off until the first week of January." Maisel on the ACC » "Right now I like Virginia Tech but they will be pushed by North Carolina, Florida State and don't sleep on North Carolina State. There are plenty of good teams in the conference but not a great team -- yet. Tech...

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Nats likely to stay with Bonneville on AM and FM

Numerous sources have confirmed that the Washington Nationals likely will ink a long-term deal with their present rights partner Bonneville broadcasting, owners of WFED-AM 1500. However the deal is contingent on Bonneville putting the Nationals on an FM signal as well as stronger support programming that would help promote the team. The likely new home for Nationals baseball would be WRQX, Mix 107.3 FM or its sister station Classic Rock WJZW 105.9 FM. Both presently are owned by Citadel Broadcasting, but according to DCRTV and other sources, both are targets of Bonneville. This is far from a done deal, but things seem to be moving quickly and the Nationals are not likely to exercise the...

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Michaels getting ready to roll without Madden

NFL broadcasting starts its "post John Madden era," this weekend when NBC covers Sunday's Hall of Fame game from Canton, Ohio, as the Bills face the Titans at 8 p.m. The new broadcast team for NBC Sunday Night Football will be Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who takes Madden's place in the broadcast booth. Returning will be talented sideline reporter Andrea Kremer, who will be seen both on TV and online. During a conference call this week, I spoke to Michaels about Madden and his new partner Collinsworth: Michaels on working with Madden: "I had a wonderful seven years with John Madden, four on Monday night and three on Sunday night. And, I've said it many, many times,...

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Irv Cross: The quiet pioneer

In 1971 Irv Cross became the first African-American national NFL analyst, coming to work for CBS after spending nine years as a defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams. Cross opened the door for minorities to become both play-by-play and analysts in the NFL. But in 1975 Cross began a 15-year run as the co-anchor of the newly formatted NFL Today, a show that would forever change the way that football pregame shows covered the game. Next month Cross will be honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. Past winners have included Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Gifford, John Madden and Dick Enberg. I spoke to...

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Broadcasters add extra sparkle to All-Star Game

There is something about baseball broadcasting that really connects with the fans. Announcers of America’s pastime are by far the true voices of sports. Tonight, the FOX team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will do their 11th All-Star Game — which is a record for a broadcast team. McCarver has the distinction of calling the most All-Star Games, a record 18, and he’s the only broadcaster to do the game on three different networks — FOX, ABC and CBS. Buck’s 11 broadcasts top his legendary father — Jack, the Hall of Fame broadcaster — who did three broadcasts, two of which coincidentally were with Tim McCarver in the early 1990s. In honor of McCarver...

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Nats take bad news and make it good

The Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten showed why he considered one of the smartest executive’s in sports. He picked the slowest sports day of the year to fire Many Acta the Nats manager. Kasten was able to take bad news and spin it into optimism. It was a brilliant move on his part worthy of James Carville type Washington spin move. Joined by interim General Manager Mike Rizzo(who got more face time then he has all year) at a Monday press conference at Nationals Park Kasten was able turn the negative of the letting go of Acta and turn it into a positive. How did they do it? Both Rizzo and Kasten talked about the talent on the team that was not playing to their...

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St. Louis is one of the best baseball cities in the country

This week the All-Star Game will be played at the new Busch Stadium and the nation will see a full house and a sea of red. Those of us who have followed baseball for years know that St. Louis is one of the best places in the country to watch a game. The FOX broadcast team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are both fans of St. Louis. McCarver played for the Cards and was part of two World Championship teams in St. Louis in 1964 and 1967. Buck is the son of the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck, who was a national broadcaster, but was first and foremost the voice of the Cardinals. I had a chance to talk to Joe Buck, someone who knows better than anyone about the history of baseball in...

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CBS Sports' Nantz is golf's best, most entertaining storyteller

Sitting atop the tower at Congressional Country Club’s 18th hole today is Jim Nantz, CBS Sports’ masterful and entertaining golf storyteller. Nantz has a knack for capturing the moment better than any other announcer in the business. Sitting along side him at No. 18 is partner Nick Faldo, seen by astute golf fans the past few days patrolling the AT&T National’s action on Old Blue via golf cart. This duo are perfect for talking about the final pairing, having just the right balance of history and present day facts to make it interesting to the viewers. We spoke about the importance of context in golf as well as Tiger Woods’ role as a tournament host. What...

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David Feherty connects with the troops at AT&T

CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty will be talking about the AT&T National at Congressional just like he does every week with a great mix of humor and in-depth analysis. It is that dry, and sometimes wicked, sense of humor that is his trademark. But that same sense has also served him well this week, as he has crisscrossed Washington visiting troops at Walter Reed Medical Center and being a huge part of the pre-tournament activities. Feherty told me spending time in Washington at Walter Reed is something he enjoys doing. What is it that causes you to spend so much time with our troops? Feherty » "These men and women give so much for our country that we own them a...

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Caps, Nats, Wiz all willing to talk to WJFK

As it continues to look more and more like WJFK (106.7 FM) is headed toward a format change from “guy talk” to all sports, it seems that the FM powerhouse is getting interest from Washington sports franchises. Three local industry sources have told me that the Capitals, Wizards and Nationals are all looking at having conversations with WJFK about what they may have to offer the local pro teams. Clearly not all three teams are moving to WJFK, but it is clear that all three teams are looking for an outlet that could provide them the promotion and support they are looking for and perhaps are not getting from their present partners. The Nationals are with WFED (1500 AM), the...

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Lakers have a shared history with Washington sports teams

As we all prepare to watch Game 3 of the NBA finals Tuesday night between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, it is amazing to think how the development of the Lakers had such an impact on Washington sports. It all started when Bob Short, a Minneapolis businessman, moved the Lakers to Los Angeles in 1960 to bring NBA basketball to Southern California. But Short was not happy with his move; he had other interests in both politics and baseball. So very early in 1965, he sold the team to a Canadian-born businessman for $5 million. In 1968, he would take that money and outbid entertainer Bob Hope to buy the Washington Senators. Who was the Canadian-born millionaire that Short sold the...

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At what point does 24-hour news coverage cross the line?

Wednesday morning, soon-to-be former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was released from prison in Kansas and returned home where he will serve out the final two months of his 23-month sentence for bankrolling, and participating in, a dog fighting operation in Virginia. CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ESPNEWS, and of course every local news crew from Richmond to Washington, were on hand to make sure that we saw Vick return home to Hampton, Va. The question is this: Is Michael Vick really worth more airtime than President Obama? Over 200 people were covering Vick's return home. I have been covering news on and off for almost 30 years and I am stunned at what passes for news these days....

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Former Nats GM breaks his silence on WUSA9

WUSA Sports Director Brett Haber has an exclusive interview with former Nationals GM Jim Bowden. The interview will be shown in two parts on tonight’s and Thursday night's 11 p.m newscasts. A complete, nearly hour-long version of the interview can be seen on the station's Web site Friday morning. Bowden resigned amid a controversy that he and longtime assistant José Rijo are under federal investigation for the 2006 signing of a 16-year-old prospect named Esmailyn González, who turned out to have faked both his age (by four years) and his name. González, whose real name is Carlos Daniel Alvarez Lugo, received a $1.4 million signing bonus, the largest of its...

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Tennis Channel is making its mark covering the French Open

I am a tennis fan and watching the French Open on the Tennis Channel has been outstanding. It has established itself as a destination channel for the majors. A joint production effort with ESPN2 has provided seamless quality coverage for over 14 hours a day throughout the first week and early into week two. If you add the coverage of both the Tennis Channel and ESPN2, fans have already seen over 150 hours of live tennis with about another 100 hours through the men's final Sunday morning on NBC. Both networks have offered even more on broadband at EPSN360 and the Tennis Channel Web site. Tennis Channel's French Open broadcast team s features Martina Navratilova handling the women's...

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Friends of the column

This was a great weekend for watching sports on TV and as fate would have it most of the best analysis came from friends of the column. So since this is my space I am going to showcase the insights of some of my friends who were spot on this weekend. Lets ‘s start with ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy who summed up the Lakers’ Game 6 win over the Nuggets to clinch a spot the NBA Finals: “This is a vintage Phil Jackson game plan. You play lockdown defense and find the open man moving the ball around the triangle offense. What we have seen in both the Rockets series and the Nuggets series is that Kobe Bryant has learned to get as many of his teammates as possible involved...

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Talking with the man in the middle

NBC Sports hockey analyst Pierre McGuire might be the ultimate insider in sports broadcasting. As the "Inside the glass" reporter he stands between the benches. He listens to the coaches, the players and then translates what he hears to the viewers almost in real time. The NHL is the only league to allow that kind in-game access to the coaches and players. But it is NBC's McGuire that truly makes "Inside the glass" work. His knowledge of the game and ability to breakdown what is happening as it happens, makes him the best in the business. I spoke to McGuire recently about his role as well as the Pittsburgh-Detroit Stanley Cup finals. "Sometimes you can relay a...

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TV partnerships and competition

Tennis fans are seeing more coverage than ever before because of a unique partnership between ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel. The two networks are working together to make sure tennis fans get to see their favorite stars play. ESPN production executive Jed Drake said their relationship with the Tennis Channel is one that works well for both sides. "Our goal is to give tennis fans the best coverage possible and especially on the majors," Drake said. "We work with the Tennis Channel on all the majors now and, in Paris, viewers won't miss an important match or a key moment. Our coverage both compliments and enhances the amount and the quality of tennis that [the] viewer is...

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Delaware becoming Vegas east

Last week as Maryland was getting ready for what could be its last Preakness, just across the state line, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed a bill into law to allow table games such as blackjack, craps, roulette and poker. At the same time, Delaware will also offer sports gaming in the form of a lottery. The move by Delaware made the Maryland slots casinos obsolete before they have even been built. I spoke recently with Ed Sutor, a 30-year veteran of the gaming industry and CEO of Dover Downs, about what the new law would do for Delaware. JW » How long will the process take before the gaming tables are in and the sports betting is operational? Sutor » We have 75 days to...

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A big day for Comcast and NFL Network

There was a great deal of action Tuesday that will offer fans a better chance to watch a number of different sports on cable and broadband. Comcast struck a couple of major deals. Let's look at them one at a time: The big one was the signing of a long-term deal with the NFL Network, putting the channel on the popular Classic Digital service. That will allow the network to be seen by the vast majority of cable subscribers in the region. I spoke to both Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell via conference call about the new deal. "We were able to make this deal, first and foremost, without any additional cost to our customers," Roberts said. "The NFL...

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Both FOX and CBS agree to extend their NFL TV deals

The NFL had a busy day Tuesday signing a deal with Comcast to carry the NFL Network and then doing deals with both FOX and CBS that will carry their deals with the networks through the 2013-14 seasons. "We are happy to be working with all of our broadcast partners," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told me. "We think that the quality of our product has never been better. As for working with CBS and FOX they have been great partners in the past and we expect they will be even better partners in the future.” The new deal gives CBS the exclusive AFC Sunday afternoon rights through the 2013-14 season and the rights to air Super Bowl XLVII. FOX sports also renewed their...

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Comcast and the NFL Network reach a long term deal

The cable giant also adds ESPNU and ESPN360 It has been a busy day for Comcast. First they announced a deal with the NFL Network, and then came the news that they were adding ESPNU and the very popular broadband offering ESPN360. Let’s start with the NFL Network deal ... The relaunch on the network of the NFL Network on Comcast will happen on Aug. 1 and they will offer the channel on the Digital Classic service. That means the NFL network will go from being available in around 10 million cable homes to about 40 million putting it just about on par with the MLB Network. This is great news for football fans who have wanted more access to the NFL Network. Coming to this agreement...

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NBC Sports coverage of the Preakness ahead of the field

Normally I would give you a sampling of what happened on TV over the weekend, however, since NBC did such a magnificent job of covering the 134th, and possibly last, Preakness run at Pimlico I am dedicating the column to the race. Producer Sam Flood and Director David Michaels should receive an award for special effects. They were able to make a shabby Pimlico race track look stunning on TV. The prerace coverage of Rachel Alexandra and Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was not over hyped. They did a good job of explaining how the filly ended up in Baltimore racing in the Preakness. But no one covers the Triple Crown races better than NBC Sports and that was clear as the horses...

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Spike Lee, Kobe making history

Award-winning director Spike Lee has, for years, wanted to do a documentary about the sport he loves so much -- NBA basketball. One day watching a game on ESPN, the idea finally came to him. How about taking a fan inside the game in a way never before seen and have it star one of the sport's biggest names? He got on the phone and called Kobe Bryant and asked if he would star in his movie. The result is "Kobe Doin' Work" -- perhaps the most comprehensive look at one player in one game ever produced. I spoke to Lee about his film and working with Kobe. JW » Tell about the film and how it came together? Lee » Well, I told Kobe that this was going to be a movie...

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They're big, bad and world class

Washington and Pittsburgh will play Game 7 in front of a sellout crowd tonight at Verizon Center -- but that's not all who will be watching. The battle between the NHL's two marquee players has been setting records -- not just locally, but worldwide. The series between the Capitals and Penguins has captured the imagination of both the hardcore and casual hockey fans alike. Let's take a look in Pittsburgh -- they have set a FOX regional sports record for a hockey telecast. FSN Pittsburgh recorded a 21.38 rating on Saturday when the Penguins defeated the Capitals, 4-3 in OT. It marked the highest-rated game ever on FSN Pittsburgh and the highest-rated NHL game on any of the 12 FSN...

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Broadcasters Koken, Mitchell gone from ESPN 980AM

Broadcasters Koken, Mitchell gone from ESPN...

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A-Rod's homer, Rays run explosion, Tiger's dinner plans and bad math

A-Rod's homer, Rays run explosion, Tiger's dinner plans and bad...

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'Inside the NFL' keeps on rolling after its move to Showtime

'Inside the NFL' keeps on rolling after its move to...

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NFL Network, Comcast say deal in works

Well, no one said that it would be easy. But I am very happy to report that NFL Network and Comcast are working on a long-term agreement. Things began to get done about six hours before the network was scheduled to leave the cable company. Yesterday both sides told me that they had not changed their positions. They issued a joint statement on Thursday: “Comcast and the NFL are engaged in productive discussions toward a new agreement for NFL Network carriage on Comcast. NFL Network will continue to be carried on Comcast systems past tonight’s scheduled expiration of the current contract while both sides continue these productive discussions. We are both working to find a...

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Jim Williams » Empty seats at baseball games a symptom of economic crunch

The New York Mets opened Citi Field to a sellout crowd, but since that night they have been unable to fill their new stadium again. Baseball fans — like all other sports fans — have felt the pinch of the nation’s economic slowdown. Despite the infusion of local and national television money, every team in Major League Baseball lives and dies at the gate. Fans coming through the turnstiles, buying a hot dog and a beer are the most important factor to a team’s bottom-line. Recently, I spoke to three men with three different backgrounds — but all very outspoken about the importance of sports teams making ticket prices more fan friendly in these tough economic...

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Jim Williams » ESPN focuses on women embracing sports in ‘Her Story’

It is Women’s History Month and ESPN has been doing a number segments and features all month on SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com. Her Story If you happened to miss Friday’s broadcast, ESPN will re-air the show, hosted by Hanna Storm, at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, April 5 on ESPN2. As SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm drove home from the ESPN Campus Wednesday, we talked about “Her Story” a special that she hosted and the importance of sports in the lives of women of all ages. What impressed you most about all the features that ESPN has done this month? Storm » We covered a great deal of ground over the...

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Jim Williams » Will Comcast drop the NFL Network?

It is getting hot and heavy between Comcast and the NFL Network. Things are so bad that the cable giant could drop the network all together. Many subscribers have seen the messages on screens saying that if the issue is not resolved by May 1, then they (Comcast) will have to stop airing the network. This could spell trouble for the already embattled NFL Network. “We have offered to carry the NFL Network under the terms of our current affiliation agreement while the litigation that the NFL brought against Comcast continues, but the NFL has not accepted our offer,” said John Demming, Comcast’s Director of Corporate Communications. “We believe our proposed...

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Phillips: WBC is a huge success

The World Baseball Classic comes to an end Monday night, and while the U.S. is still warming up to the international competition — around the world it is a huge success. I spoke to ESPN analyst Steve Phillips about his take on the WBC. JW » Do you think that WBC is a good idea and should continue? Phillips » I think that the WBC is a great success story. They drew enthusiastic crowds in Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. Here, our crowds have been into the games and vocal I just wish we would have had larger crowds. We are playing for the right to say we are the best baseball team in the world. But we have to plan beyond this year’s WBC. I really think that...

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Jim Williams » How does the NCAA pick the field of 65?

One of the questions I’m most-often asked is: “How does the NCAA Selection Committee come up with the 65 teams that make up the field for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?” Or as most of us know it, March Madness or the Road to the Final Four, baby. One man who has the job of following the process closely is NCAA representative Chuck Wynne. He works with the staff at CBS so that when the big NCAA Basketball Championship Selection Show airs at 6 p.m., Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, Seth Davis, Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will have all the information they need to reveal the brackets. I spoke to Wynne about the process: Does the committee watch the conference...

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Jim Williams » Do you believe in miracles? Al Michaels definitely does

Al Michaels will be returning to the Olympic beat and will be the lead daytime host for NBC’s 2010 Vancouver coverage. Bob Costas will remain as the network’s primetime host. It has been 22 years since Michaels has been involved in an Olympic broadcast, but he will forever be known for his call in 1980 of the semifinal game as Team USA defeated a heavily favored Russian team and his phrase: “Do you believe in miracles?” became one of sports’ most famous tag lines. But few know how Michaels got that assignment for ABC at Lake Placid in 1980. “I was the one guy on the ABC staff, and it was a phenomenal staff that started with Jim McKay and Howard...

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Jim Williams » Can baseball and softball get back into the Olympics?

Dr. Harvey Schiller has had many tough jobs in his career — commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, president of Turner Sports, Executive Director/Secretary General of the U.S. Olympic Committee and he created the YES network for the Yankees — but it is his current job, as the president of International Baseball Federation, that might just be his toughest yet. Schiller’s goal is to find a way to convince the International Olympic Committee that putting baseball and softball back into the Games is in the long term best interests of the Olympics. Right now the two sports are gone from the Games and there seems to be little interest from the IOC to have them return...

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Jim Williams » Larkin knows A-Rod saga is far from over

As Alex Rodriguez was giving his latest version of the “truth” from the Yankees camp in Tampa on Tuesday MLB Network analyst Barry Larkin was sitting on the set in Studio 3 in New Jersey. Larkin knows a little bit about controversy. He was part of the Reds team that had owner Marge Schott — who seemed to have a pension for speaking her mind — and former manager Pete Rose — who at the time was being dogged about allegations of gambling. Larkin spoke to me about a number of issues starting with the A-Rod controversy and noted, “This is just the beginning. Alex is going to be followed in ever city that he visits and then he goes home to New York and this...

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Jim Williams » This year’s race is back to the old days of NASCAR

Back in the 1970s and even the early ’80s when NASCAR was becoming a bigtime sport, there were guys who would work for free during the week with the hope of a pay check if their driver did well. It was a family atmosphere that made for some great stories and some even better races. Then came the good times, big staffs, corporate sponsorships and drivers with superstar status. But at Daytona 2009, there is a feel that some of the good old days of NASCAR are creeping back into the sport. Some of the smaller teams are finding money tight and are using some guys let go from bigger teams who have had to cut back. FOX will handle the broadcast of today’s Daytona 500 at 3:30 p.m. The...

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Jim Williams » MLB Network passes a big opening test

In TV there are those defining moments that establish when a network makes it to the big time. For the MLB Network, that moment came Saturday at 2 p.m. when Bob Costas had a one-on-one interview with Sports Illustrated reporter Selena Roberts. It was Roberts who broke the story earlier in the day — in 2003 Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs use during a “blind test” conducted by Major League Baseball to determine how best combat the issue. There were 104 names in that sealed report and someone leaked A-Rod’s name to S.I. For nearly an hour, Costas and Roberts talked about the all aspects the S.I. story and the ramifications that...

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Your Super Bowl TV planner

9 a.m. » NBC » The Today Show live from the Super Bowl » Starts the network’s coverage with a look at the behind the scenes parties. An inside look at Tampa and at the NBC compound at Raymond James Stadium. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. » ESPN » NFL Countdown live from the Super Bowl » Boomer and the entire cast will breakdown every aspect of the game in this extended version of the show. Highlights » The true story behind the Terrible Towels, why Larry Fitzgerald wears dreadlocks, and plenty of live up dates from ESPN reporters. Related stories » Rick Snider » Wings, bets and the game » Cards hope to crush Steel...

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Jim Williams » The Caps are rocking the ratings

Washington is a Redskins town and Baltimore belongs to the Ravens, but the Capitals have made a strong push to prove that they deserve consideration as the region’s winter sports team. The Caps are averaging a very respectable 1.2 rating on Comcast SportsNet and that is an astounding 140% increase over last year’s numbers. It seems that Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and the rest of very talented Caps are winning the region’s TV and radio sports fans over. At the gate the Caps have also been a big hit as well with an increase in attendance of 29.8 percent (17,959 fans per game) which puts them second behind only Chicago who has seen an NHL-high 42...

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Jim Williams » The Australian Open — night owl theater for D.C. tennis fans

Tonight if you are driving up Embassy Row and the lights are on very late, there is no new international crisis — it is the start of the Australian Open. The first major of the tennis season gets underway tonight live at 7 on ESPN2 and for the next two weeks, tennis fans around Washington will lose a great deal of sleep. I spoke via conference call with two of ESPN’s top tennis analysts, Patrick McEnroe and Mary Carillo, about what we might see over the next two weeks, via live broadcast, in the wee hours of the morning from Melbourne: “Andy Murray is the hottest player in the world leading up to the Australian Open,” McEnroe said of the men’s draw. “He...

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Jim Williams » It’s no way to treat the King

On New Year’s Day George Michael was at his office at NBC on Nebraska Avenue cleaning out tapes. The King is leaving NBC4 after a 28-year run without any regrets or without animosity toward the station. NBC4 recently announced that it was ceasing production on ‘The Redskins Report’, ‘Full Court Press’ and the Monday night Redskins segments with George and Sonny Jurgensen that have been the only reason that some (myself included) watch local sports on TV. “’The Redskins Report’, with John Riggins, Michael Wilbon and Jurgensen have consistently been among the highest rated shows in Washington for years. But the station does not want to pay the...

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Jim Williams » Time to get a new radio partner for the Nats

It would be nice to talk Hot Stove baseball with the bright and talented Byron Kerr who did such a great job of handling the pre- and postgame broadcasts during the season on 1500 AM. The problem is that the management at WFED is not interested in doing an offseason show. They like doing the games, but fall short serving the fans of the area in the all-important offseason. Back when the Nationals moved to the area, WJFK-FM 106.7 had the best deal on the table but pervious management made what they thought was a shrewd deal — putting the games on 104.1 FM. It was bonehead deal, making sure that no one in Washington could hear the games and, in the process, selling more XM radios than...

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Jim Williams » Knight: Leave Williams alone

A funny thing happened when I asked Bob Knight about the future of Maryland coach Gary Williams. He said, “I will answer your questions if you will answer my question first.” I responded by agreeing to the deal. “OK,” said Knight, “here is your question.” “Do you think that anyone who wants Gary to retire knows as much about college basketball as he does?” I had to say that I did not feel that they did. Knight then said, “fine, now I will answer your questions.” I followed up a question about Williams’ lack of getting a lot of the area’s top-talent to come to College Park. “Gary is coaching in a part of the...

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Jim Williams » Washington-Dallas rivalry was spawned from NFL’s biggest turf war

The Redskins-Cowboys rivalry started before Dallas even had a team. In the 1950s Washington owner George Preston Marshall started the NFL’s largest television network before the league had a deal with CBS. From 1955 through 1962, Redskins games were seen all over the south — from Virginia to Miami. The network also tracked southwest from Florida to New Mexico. Yes, in the 50s, the most popular team in Dallas was the Redskins. When the Cowboys entered the league in 1960 they were surrounded by Redskins fans in the southwest and then all the way east across the Deep South. In college towns from Austin to Atlanta, it was the upstart Cowboys battling with the diehard Redskins fans...

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Jim Williams » Paralympics special is must see TV on NBC

NBC Producer David Michaels (yes, Al’s brother) has crafted a wonderfully inspiring film on the Paralympics Beijing 2008. It is a special that I think every fan of sports — or just competition — needs to watch. Yes, we saw the Olympics games that Michael Phelps stared in but this is the Paralympics where the athletes are disabled in name only. The 90-minute film, narrated by Bob Costas and airing today at 2:30 p.m. on NBC4, does an awesome job of capturing the dedication and the true athletic abilities of these men and women that, in many cases, outshines the accomplishments of their able body counterparts. Swimmer Jessica Long of Baltimore was one of the featured...

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Jim Williams » Monday is Redskins' statement game

When I asked ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski about the Redskins-Steelers game he said, “This is a statement game for Washington. They need to win this game on national TV to prove to the nation what some of us already know and that is they are a good football team. If the Redskins win this game, they have to be spoken of as one of a handful of elite teams in the NFC ... this game could be their coming out party.” Jaws pours over hours of game tape every week at his NFL Films office and those hours every week is what makes him the best analyst on TV. It is also what has helped return ESPN Monday Night Football back to MNF’s entertaining and informative...

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Jim Williams » The woman behind the success of CSN

Comcast SportsNet has a news operation that is aired completely in HD, refined their Redskins coverage while improving live game coverage of the Caps, Wizards and D.C. United, while also being able to cover the area’s major golf event — the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods. All of that success has been spurred by Rebecca Schulte, who joined the network as senior vice president and general manager in March 2007. But that is just the tip of the iceberg for Schulte and her talented team. Some of the more recent changes include a new 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. “We have the 10 p.m. show that, most nights, will be coming out of either our Caps Post Game Live, or our...

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Jim Williams » Series betting beyond the game

With the World Series starting up, I wanted to ask an expert about what interesting offerings were coming out of Las Vegas concerning baseball. T.J. Kendrick, nationally known baseball handicapper of the sports service BetOnline.com, told me that “this is the closest World Series in the last five years with Tampa Bay having the slight early edge over the Phillies. Right now it is the Rays in 6 games with the Phillies in 6 a very, very close second.” But what about the bets that have nothing to do with who wins and who loses the game? Well Kendrick filled me in on plenty of crazy ways that people bet on the World Series without picking a team. » Which team will get the...

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Jim Williams » Cowherd loves D.C.

Lest anyone think that Colin Cowherd does not like D.C., nothing could be further from the truth. Cowherd, the host of the nationally syndicated “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on ESPN radio, had his weekday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. time slot on ESPN 980 AM pre-empted on Mondays and Fridays a few weeks ago. The taker of the air time was “Inside the Red Zone” with the Redskins VP of Football Operations Vinny Cerato. The pre-emption reportedly did not sit well with Cowherd. This week I caught up with Cowherd — who wanted to set the record straight, once and for all, about the Redskins, Washington and Vinny’s show. “After the Redskins opening loss to the...

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Jim Williams: Skins’ Cerrato gives fans a chance to talk to the man at the top

Most Redskins fans have very strong football opinions and will praise or pan their team with anyone who will listen. Now they have the chance to take their voice right to the front office. Vinny Cerrato, executive vice president/football operations, has opened up to the D.C. masses on his new radio show “Inside the Red Zone with Vinny Cerrato” on ESPN 980 AM. The show, which airs Monday and Friday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. during the season, is an open door to vent or hail the Redskins while getting answers from someone at the top of the organization. The show is the brainchild of Red Zebra Broadcasting CEO Bruce Gilbert and Chairman of the Board Mark Shapiro. “It lets [the...

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Jim Williams: ESPN views Jaworski as the next Madden

When ESPN Monday Football Executive Producer Jed Drake told me that “we think that Ron ‘Jaws’ Jaworski has the potential of being the next John Madden,” I had already been sold on Jaws’ talent. There is no doubt that Jaws is clearly one of the best analysts in broadcasting. He is a blue collar kind of a guy who loves to talk football and does it with a passion and enthusiasm that is unmatched by his rivals. Jaws told me that he is having fun doing MNF but thinks that this season will be even better. “I know that ESPN is giving me some tools that will enhance my ability to explain plays to the fans,” Jaworski said. “That means I get to...

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Jim Williams: Taking an inside look at MASN

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network may be Baltimore-based, but it now reaches over five million homes from Pennsylvania to North Carolina — essentially blanketing the region. MASN has answered the question of “is there room for two regional sports networks in this area” by it’s ability to compete with Comcast SportsNet. But they have yet to gain the acceptance of some of the fans which always takes time. Many forget that long before CSN there was Home Team Sports and when Comcast bought the regional network it put its stamp on it making a good regional sports network better. Meanwhile MASN is in year three of their existence proving each day that they belong in this...

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Are you ready for some football (soccer)?

There is a common misconception among non soccer fans in this country. Most non believers think that soccer is not a big sport. American’s are fans of the best soccer in the world and that is good news the European soccer league. This weekend is a big weekend for football fans. Not the NFL or college football but the international soccer kicks off this weekend. Both the English Premiership and the German Bundesliga get underway this weekend and soccer fans in Washington are counting the minutes to kickoff. The Bundesliga CEOChristian Seifert told me in an interview that "America is very important to our long term plans. We love that we have a growing number of fans in the...

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