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 view not only the Indy 500 but other traditional Memorial Day sports fare in an on-demand world.
Sunday at noon on ABC 7, the Indy 500 will get underway with a number of innovations. From a split screen that will allow fans to continue to watch the race while ABC airs ads, plenty of in-car cameras and the first-ever broadband coverage of the race on ESPN 360 is on the menu. Radio coverage for the Indy 500 will be on XM Channel 145.
At 5 p.m. the action heads east to Charlotte where FOX 5 will have primetime coverage the Coca Cola 600. NASCAR.COM has plenty of ways to follow the race and compliment the telecast. Radio coverage is on XM Channel 144.
Baseball is always a big part of Memorial Day and the Nationals-Dodgers can be seen on Friday night at 7 on MASN/WDCA 20, then again on Saturday as part of the FOX Game of the Week at 1 p.m. Radio will be WTWP 1500AM and XM Channel 184.
It’s a big lacrosse weekend with both Maryland and Virginia in the Final Four in Philadelphia. Saturday’s semifinal with Virginia taking on Syracuse at 2 p.m. is on ESPN 2 while Maryland takes on UMass at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. The final takes place Monday on ESPN at 1 p.m.
The NBA playoffs roll on with ESPN following the Heat-Pistons. TNT has the western shootout with the Suns and Mavericks. Radio XM and SIRIUS.
The battle for the Stanley Cup is on OLN all weekend long with radio coverage on XM and SIRIUS.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
