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Archives for August 2012

ESPN’s 2013 Pac-12 Men’s College Basketball Schedule

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ESPN’s 2013 Pac-12 men’s college basketball regular-season schedule will feature 38 conference games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. Overall, ESPNU will televise 24 of the matchups.
ESPN and the Pac-12 are beginning a new 12-year agreement for extensive conference action through 2024-25. As part of the deal, ESPN will add men’s regular-season basketball across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, primarily on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, including in new 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT) Wednesday telecasts (except Jan. 16 and 23). ESPN also receives the rights to one Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal game, and the championship every other year beginning this season.
 
Viewers can also watch live ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU game action online at WatchESPN.com or on smart phones and tablets through the WatchESPN app. The service – available to customers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV and Comcast Xfinity TV – gives fans the ability to watch ESPN’s live networks, no matter where they are.
 
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU 2013 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Schedule
Dates, times and television listings subject to change
 
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Jan 3 8 p.m. Colorado at Arizona ESPNU
  10 p.m. Stanford at USC ESPNU
Sat, Jan 5 9:30 p.m. Washington at Washington State ESPNU
Wed, Jan 9 11 p.m. Washington at California ESPN2
Thu, Jan 10 9 p.m. Arizona at Oregon ESPN or ESPN2
  10 p.m. USC at Colorado ESPNU
Sat, Jan 12 9:30 p.m. Arizona at Oregon State ESPNU
Thu, Jan 17 9 p.m. Oregon State at UCLA ESPNU
  11 p.m. Oregon at USC ESPNU
Sat, Jan 19 9 or 11 p.m. Utah at Washington ESPNU
Thu, Jan 24 9 p.m. UCLA at Arizona ESPN2
  10 p.m. Stanford at Colorado ESPNU
Sat, Jan 26 8:30 p.m. USC at Arizona ESPNU
Wed, Jan 30 11 p.m. Oregon at Stanford ESPN2
Thu, Jan 31 9 p.m. Arizona at Washington ESPN or ESPN2
  10 p.m. Oregon State at California ESPNU
Sat, Feb 2 9 p.m. Arizona State at Washington ESPNU
Wed, Feb 6 9 or 11 p.m. Stanford at Arizona ESPN2
Thu, Feb 7 9 p.m. Washington at UCLA ESPN or ESPN2
  10 p.m. Colorado at Oregon ESPNU
Sat, Feb 9 9 p.m. Stanford at Arizona State ESPNU
Wed, Feb 13 11 p.m. Oregon at Washington ESPN2
Thu, Feb 14 9 p.m. UCLA at California ESPN or ESPN2
  11 p.m. USC at Stanford ESPNU
Sat, Feb 16 4 p.m. UCLA at Stanford ESPN or ESPN2
  9 p.m. Arizona State at Colorado ESPNU
Wed, Feb 20 11 p.m. Washington at Arizona ESPN2
Thu, Feb 21 9 p.m. California at Oregon ESPNU
  11 p.m. Stanford at Oregon State ESPNU
Sat, Feb 23 TBD Washington at Arizona State ESPNU
Wed, Feb 27 11 p.m. Colorado at Stanford ESPN2
Thu, Feb 28 9 p.m. Utah at California ESPNU
  11 p.m. Oregon State at Oregon ESPNU
Sat, Mar 2 9 p.m. Saturday Primetime: Arizona at UCLA * ESPN
  5 p.m. Colorado at California ESPNU
Wed, Mar 6 11 p.m. Stanford at California ESPN2
Thu, Mar 7 9 p.m. Oregon at Colorado ESPNU
  11 p.m. Oregon State at Utah ESPNU
Thu, Mar 14 11:30 p.m. Pac-12 Tournament: Quarterfinal #4 ESPNU
Fri, Mar 15 11:30 p.m. Pac-12 Tournament: Semifinal #2 ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Mar 16 11 p.m. Pac-12 Tournament: Championship ESPN
 
* College GameDay will originate from site
 
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Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins — Season finale next Tuesday

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HBO Sports, in association with NFL Films and the Miami Dolphins, provides an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League in HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS. Presented in HD, the season finale of the first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – debuts TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by an encore presentation at 11:00 p.m., exclusively on HBO.

Episode #5

Debut: TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 4 (11:00 p.m.), 5 (3:00 p.m., 1:50 a.m.), 6 (2:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.), 7 (midnight), 8 (10:15 a.m., 1:30 a.m.), 9 (7:00 a.m.) and 10 (9:30 a.m., 2:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 7 (5:00 p.m.) and 9 (12:10 a.m.)

The pre-season comes to a close as the Dolphins travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys; coaches evaluate players as they prepare for final roster cuts.

 

A 30-person NFL Films crew lived at the Dolphins’ training camp, shooting up to 1,200 hours of video over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews were given unrestricted access to players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training facilities, living quarters and practice fields.

 

Filed Under: HBO

Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Mark Lazarus &Fred Gaudelli Preview 2012 NFL Season

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“If the Cowboys play the Giants in a parking lot in March, it’s still going to be tremendous…Football is king right now. The NFL is hotter than any sport than any time in the history of this country.” – Al Michaels

“How much more people can take? As much as we want to give them, they want more and more and more.” – Cris Collinsworth on the popularity of the NFL

“I know Tom Brady said he came out and said he wants to play forever, but that won’t happen if they don’t improve this offensive line.” – Rodney Harrison

 

NEW YORK – Aug. 29, 2012 – The NFL will open the regular season on NBC on Wednesday, Sept. 5, with NFL Kickoff 2012. The opening game of the 2012 season features the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants hosting their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys, from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Coverage begins on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, Peyton Manning makes his first regular-season appearance as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season. Coverage starts with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports Group today previewed the season on a conference call with Sunday Night Football duo Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth along with Football Night in America studio analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus and Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli.

For a complete replay of the call, dial 719-457-0820 and enter passcode: 4216816. Highlights of the call follow:

ON ASSEMBLING BIG AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES:

Lazarus: “Last year, we culminated with a record-setting Super Bowl, the most-viewed show of all time, and that doesn’t just happen by bringing in core football fans. We have attracted men, women and children. And that doesn’t happen without incredible preparation and skill of all the people in front of and behind the camera here at NBC Sports…We are inclusive of every demographic – men, women and children – and make the game acceptable for everyone, and I think that’s a big part of our ratings success.”

Michaels: “Mark Lazarus made a great point of how many women watch this show. We cut across all demographic lines. We have a big tent and invite everybody into it. This is not for football fans only. Of course, we’re going to do justice to them, no matter how closely or remotely you follow the sport, we’ll take care of that. But, we also like to tell the stories that will make even people who are very, very casual followers of football more interested in the game itself.”

Lazarus: “We work as a group all the time, and we will continue to do that and utilize Sunday Night Football to promote, not only NBC Sports Network, but other programming on NBC, whether its sports or otherwise – entertainment, News, The TODAY show, etc. We will continue to be, what I believe is, the best cross-promotional company in the business. We work very well across every division of the company and vice versa, they work with us to promote. You’ll see next week that the TODAY show and the news division will have a presence as part of what we’re doing when we launch on Wednesday. And I don’t think any other company – big media company – works as well together as we do. And we will continue that. You’ll see it done well and done appropriately, but we won’t overdo it. And I trust Fred’s (Gaudelli) instinct. He has the big filter for us on how we do that and what we do. It is important that we don’t offend the audience that we bring to ourselves each Sunday night.”

MICHAELS ON THE POWER OF THE NFL: “If the Cowboys play the Giants in a parking lot in March, it’s still going to be tremendous…Football is king right now. The NFL is hotter than any sport than any time in the history of this country. I can’t wait to get started.”

MICHAELS ON BROADCASTING THE NFL IN HIS 27TH YEAR: “I’ve loved sports since I was a child, and I’ve just become more appreciative of everything that’s happened. The way football’s evolved, the NFL in particular, it’s just so exciting. It never gets old. It never gets boring. This is not scripted television. You don’t know what the ending’s going to be. Every time I show up, I’m excited because of the drama; you just don’t know what you’re going to see. You’re going to go out there and maybe it’s an overtime game and it’s phenomenal. It might be a one-sided game and we’ll find some stories to connect the viewer with the game as the game evolves. It’s just wonderful. It’s reality television.

MICHAELS ON THE BUZZ IN THE STADIUM FOR AN SNF GAME: “After all these years I can still walk into that stadium and there’s a buzz as the crowd begins to file in. And I think the crowd knows that a good part of America is going to be watching, so there’s just an electricity in that stadium and it never gets old.”

LAZARUS ON THE NEW PRO FOOTBALL TALK ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK: “One note that you may not be aware of is that we’ll be extending our football coverage and ProFootballTalk to a daily show under the name Pro Football Talk, which will be on NBC Sports Network daily from 5-6 Mondays through Friday’s beginning next week.”

MICHAELS ON SNF BEING THE NO. 1 SHOW IN PRIMETIME: “Our goal the last couple of years – as we were close – was to see if Sunday Night Football could be the No. 1 show on television, which it did and we’re thrilled about that, proud of it. And it’s a new goal this year to retain that top spot, and we think we can do it because the NFL is king.”

ON REPLACEMENT OFFICIALS:

Collinsworth: “My concern is that the replacement referees get too cautious. In other words, the easiest way for them to disappear is to keep the flag in their pocket. I think that even the players are starting to get a little sense of that right now, that maybe they can push the envelope just a little bit more than what they’ve done in the past. And if that’s the case then maybe we get players that get a little more aggressive than we would’ve seen otherwise.”

Dungy: “The good thing about it for the coaches is now they’ve had four weeks to see it, and the players will know how these games have been called.”

COLLINSWORTH ON SAINTS OFF-SEASON INCIDENT: “A lot of people are interested to see exactly what’s going to happen with the New Orleans Saints. We saw last year that they lost Sean Payton for a period of time as a play caller, and Pete Carmichael stepped up and they sailed right along because they have arguably the best quarterback in the league right now.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THE POPULARITY OF THE NFL: “You can’t give people too much of it. Look at all the shows, look at all the websites. Look at all the radio shows. How much more people can take? As much as we want to give them they want more and more and more. I just think the interest is not waning at all no matter what happens.”

GAUDELLI ON THE SEASON: “The drama that surrounds the NFL is unsurpassed in any entertainment medium in America. We’re getting ready for Week 1, obviously with the Super Bowl champions hosting the Cowboys. But then on Sunday night, the guy that everyone’s been waiting for now since January of 2011, Peyton Manning, is back on the field in a new uniform, in a new city, and that really just kicks off a tremendous September for us with the stories that, before the game even starts, are going to dominate the headline.”

DUNGY ON PEYTON MANNING: “Peyton Manning, my old quarterback, changing venues and changing offenses. I’ve watched all three of his preseason games and it looks like he’s just gotten better every week. I’m seeing more and more stuff that’s looking familiar to me, so I think they’ve got a lot of the Indianapolis offense in place. I’m interested to see the impact he’s going to have on the rest of the team, if he’s going to make them a better team and I believe he will.”

HARRISON ON PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE LINE: “I know Tom Brady said he came out and said he wants to play forever but that won’t happen if they don’t improve this offensive line. You look at Brian Waters, Pro Bowl guard, he’s out of camp; Nate Solder, who’s a young guy they drafted in the first round, he continues to struggle; Sebastian Vollmer, he’s been injured, he’s had some issues. He looks really stiff and really doesn’t look up to form; and Dan Koppen, their starting Pro Bowl center, coming off a major injury, he doesn’t look the same; and if Brian Waters comes back, then Dan Koppen might not even be a starter, so they have a lot of issues right now. I think it comes down to this offensive line and keeping Tom Brady off the ground.”

GAUDELLI ON TAFOYA VIDEO TWEETS FOR SNF: “Michele (Tafoya) tweets from the sideline during the game, which I think is a tremendous use of her time. But as opposed to just tweeting it this year, we’ve figured out a way to wire her microphone to an iphone. So she’s going to have somebody with her that records her reports and puts them on twitter, and on our Sunday Night Football Extra platform. We think that’s going to make an impact with people who like that second screen experience.”

DUNGY ON COACHES WHO HAVE A GREAT QUARTERBACK: “I’ll say this, it’s a lot easier to be a great coach when you’ve got a quarterback that’s putting up 30 points every week for you. There’s some great defensive coaches that have done things, and great coaches in general, but think having a great quarterback really helps you as a coach.”

# # #

SNF NO. 1 PRIMETIME PROGRAM ON TELEVISION: For the 2011-2012 primetime television season (September 19-April 16), Sunday Night Football ranked as the most-watched (persons 2+) and highest-rated show, and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54, as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, based on Nielsen live + same day data. Additionally, SNF was the No. 3 show among Women 18-34, and the No. 4 show among Women 18-49.

The critically acclaimed Football Night in America, which precedes Sunday Night Football, each week at 7 p.m. ET, was seen by an average of 8.9 million in 2011, its best season ever, and the most for a regularly-scheduled NFL studio show.

Sunday Night Football has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series in each of the last four years.

# # #

NBC will broadcast 19 primetime NFL games during the 2012 season, highlighted by: the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants hosting their division rivals the Dallas Cowboys on NFL Kickoff 2012; storied rivalries such as Steelers-Ravens, Eagles-Cowboys, and Giants-Eagles; two games featuring Peyton Manning with his new team the Denver Broncos – hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, and the New Orleans Saints in Week 8; and NBC’s first Thanksgiving night game, featuring New England Patriots at the New York Jets.

Highlights of the 2012 Sunday Night Football schedule:

  • 19 primetime games, including the opening Wednesday night game and a new Thanksgiving night game;
  • Every 2011 playoff team makes an appearance on Sunday Night Football; 16 of NBC’s 18 scheduled games involve at least one playoff team from last season; 10 of 18 include two playoff teams (Week 17 game TBD);
  • Three games each for Giants, Cowboys, Patriots, Steelers and Packers.
  • The defending Super Bowl Champion Giants host their division rivals the Cowboys in the Wednesday night NFL Kickoff 2012 on September 5;
  • The Jets host the Patriots on NBC’s first-ever Thanksgiving night game. NBC will broadcast a Thanksgiving night game each season through 2022 as part of the new NFL agreement;
  • Peyton Manning, in his first game as a member of the Denver Broncos, as they host Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening Sunday Night Football game of the season on September 9;
  • Three matchups among bitter NFC East rivals: Cowboys-Giants, Giants-Eagles, and Eagles-Cowboys;
  • Three playoff rematches, including a rematch of the AFC Championship Game when the Ravens host the Patriots in Week 3;
  • The first Sunday Night Football regular-season trip to Houston, as the Texans host the Packers in Week 6, and Cincinnati as the Bengals host the Steelers in Week 7;

NBC TO BROADCAST 19 NFL GAMES IN 2012: As part of the new agreement NBC signed with the NFL in December, 2011, NBC will now broadcast 19 regular-season games, including 17 regular season Sunday Night Football games, NFL Kickoff 2012, and the new Thanksgiving night game. NBC’s original Sunday Night Football agreement, which began in 2006, included 17 regular-season games. It was increased to 18 games in 2010.

2012 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Wed. Sept. 5 NFL Kickoff Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Sun. Sept. 9 Week 1 Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Sun. Sept. 16 Week 2 Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
Sun. Sept. 23 Week 3 New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
Sun. Sept. 30 Week 4 New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Sun. Oct. 7 Week 5 San Diego Chargers at New Orleans Saints
Sun. Oct. 14 Week 6 Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans
Sun. Oct. 21 Week 7 Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Sun. Oct. 28 Week 8 New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos
Sun. Nov. 4 Week 9 Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Nov. 11 Week 10 Houston Texans at Chicago Bears
*Sun. Nov. 18 Week 11 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
**Thurs. Nov. 22 Week 12 New England Patriots at New York Jets
*Sun. Nov. 25 Week 12 Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
*Sun. Dec. 2 Week 13 Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Dec. 9 Week 14 Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 16 Week 15 San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots
*Sun. Dec. 23 Week 16 San Diego Chargers at New York Jets
*Sun. Dec. 30 Week 17 TBA

*Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

Follow NBC Sports PR on Twitter at Twitter.com/NBCSportsPR

Follow “Sunday Night Football” on Twitter at Twitter.com/SNFonNBC

Become a fan of “Sunday Night Football” on Facebook at: Facebook.com/SNFonNBC

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Six Postseason Contenders Featured in MLB Network’s Live Game Schedule From September 5-8

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Schedule Includes Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

Pennant Chase Games Continue Lead Up to MLB Network’s First-Ever Exclusive Telecasts of Two Division Series Games On October 7 & 10

Secaucus, N.J., August 30, 2012 – Intra-divisional battles between the AL East’s and NL West’s first and second-place teams are featured in MLB Network’s live game schedule from September 5-8. Derek Jeter, who leads MLB with 176 hits this season, and the AL East-leading New York Yankees visit Adam Jones and the second-place Baltimore Orioles, who sit only 3.5 games back, on September 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Viewers in select markets will see the Kansas City Royals take on the AL West first-place Texas Rangers at 8:00 p.m. ET. Adrian Gonzalez and the revamped Los Angeles Dodgers face Buster Posey and the rival San Francisco Giants on Friday, September 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET as the Giants maintain a 3.5-game lead in the NL West over the second-place Dodgers.

The remainder of the schedule includes Evan Longoria and the AL Wild Card-contending Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Yankees on Wednesday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Josh Hamilton, MLB’s leader with 112 RBI’s, and the Rangers take on the Rays on Saturday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET to conclude the week’s schedule. Viewers in select markets will see the Orioles face the Yankees.

As previously announced, MLB Network will feature a Labor Day doubleheader on Monday, September 3 beginning with the Yankees at Rays at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Dodgers hosting the San Diego Padres in the second game of the day at 8:00 p.m. ET.

MLB Network’s game schedule through September 8 is available here. Games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory unless otherwise announced. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.

Mike Florio To Host “Pro Football Talk” On NBC Sports Network; Debuts September 4

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New Program Airs Monday through Friday, 5-6 p.m. ET; Erik Kuselias to Co-Host

Florio Extends NBCSports.com Digital Partnership

NEW YORK – August 29, 2012 – Mike Florio, who created the innovative, NFL-focused web destination ProFootballTalk.com and initially partnered with NBCSports.com in 2009, will extend the PFT brand to another NBC Sports Group platform when he hosts a daily weekday television program on NBC Sports Network beginning Tuesday, Sept. 4. The one-hour Pro Football Talk will air at 5 p.m. ET, every Monday through Friday, and will be co-hosted by Erik Kuselias, the host of NBC SportsTalk.

Pro Football Talk will feature concentrated NFL insight from Florio, who the New York Times said is “a leading source of information.” Florio and Kuselias will regularly welcome a roster of NBC Sports football commentators, including Rodney Harrison, Hines Ward, Doug Flutie, Ross Tucker, Amani Toomer, and Peter King, among others. In addition to deep diving on the most topical NFL stories of the day, Pro Football Talk will also touch on injuries, fantasy football and officiating.

“When we started the website, the goal was to create a place I’d want to visit as a football fan. That same objective applies to Pro Football Talk,” said Florio. “We wanted to make a show that I would spend time watching if I wasn’t involved in it. Of course, some may say they’d be more likely to watch this show if I actually wasn’t involved in it.”

Soon after entering into a mutually beneficial partnership with NBCSports.com in July 2009, Florio began contributing to NBC Sports’ television coverage. In addition to Pro Football Talk, he can be found on Football Night in America, on the Sunday Night Football post-game show, breaking down the NFL’s top stories of the day with Bob Costas, and on Notre Dame Football halftime segments.

“This was a natural decision for us since Mike is the consummate NFL insider and is familiar to our viewers from his work on Football Night in America, Sunday Night Football, NBC SportsTalk, Notre Dame halftime segments, NBCSports.com as well as his ultra-popular website,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports & NBC Sports Network. “We look forward to him bringing his wealth of NFL information to NBC Sports Network viewers every weekday.”

In addition to Mike Florio’s expanded television presence, NBC Sports Digital has extended its ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com agreement. ProFootballTalk.com, one of the web’s most trafficked, NFL-focused destinations, first joined forces with NBCSports.com in July 2009. Since that time, ProFootballTalk has become the keystone of “NBC Sports Talk,” the sport-specific news sections on NBCSports.com as well as the popular NBC Sports Talk app, which services mobile and tablet users. Florio will continue to host PFT Live, his daily web show on NBCSports.com.

Where Mike Florio will appear this football season on NBC Sports Group platforms:

PROGRAM AIRTIMES PLATFORM
Pro Football Talk Monday-Friday, 5-6 p.m. ET NBC Sports Network
PFT Live Monday-Friday, Noon ET NBCSports.com
Notre Dame Football halftime Saturdays, Halftime NBC
Football Night in America Sunday, 7-8:15 p.m. ET NBC
Sunday Night Football Sunday, Post-Game Show NBC
ProFootballTalk.com 24/7 Internet & NBC SportsTalk App

MORE ON MIKE FLORIO

Generally regarded as the best and most popular, independent NFL news and information site, ProFootballTalk.com consists of 40-60 daily “News and Rumors” items written largely by Florio dealing with the issues surrounding NFL players, coaches, owners and general managers. PFT’s innovative coverage summarizes news from around the NFL but it is Florio’s opinionated, provocative and often humorous accounts drawn from a wide network of NFL sources that are the driving force of the site’s popularity. Sports Illustrated writes that Florio “has turned profootballtalk.com into a must read for news and rumor.”

ProFootballTalk.com, which was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 50 Best Websites, has an unusual background and an unlikely career path for its founder. After earning two engineering degrees from Carnegie Mellon and later graduating from the West Virginia University School of Law, Florio founded PFT in 2001 and operates the site from his home office in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and anywhere else that he can get an Internet connection.

Well respected in NFL circles, the New York Times called Florio, “A leading source of information,” while Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer says of him, “He’s tireless. He’s been our watchdog.” And Sunday Night Football play-by-play voice Al Michaels told the Los Angeles Times that Florio is, “As wired into the NFL as anyone.”

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

National Hockey League Unveils 2012-13 National Television Schedule

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NEW YORK (August 30, 2012) – The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today the television schedules for national partners NBC, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TSN, TSN2, RDS and NHL Network-U.S. for the 2012-13 regular season.

In the U.S., NBC and NBC Sports Network enter the second season of the 10-year agreement with the NHL, the largest media rights deal in League history. It also is the eighth consecutive season both networks have served as a national television partner of the NHL in the U.S. In Canada, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada begins its 60th regular season of NHL® broadcasts. TSN, whose relationship with the NHL dates back to 1987, continues as the League’s national English-language cable partner. French-language telecast partner RDS has been televising NHL games since its inception in 1989 and enters its 10th consecutive season presenting every Montreal Canadiens game.

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Filed Under: NHL

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Featured in Turner Sports Video for 2012 MLB Postseason

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Featured in

Turner Sports Video for 2012 MLB Postseason

Bruce Springsteen’s “Land of Hope and Dreams” Provides Musical Backdrop for MLB 2012 Postseason Coverage, Including First-Ever Wild Card Games Exclusively on TBS

Turner Sports announced today that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will star alongside some of Major League Baseball’s greatest players in video clips highlighting TBS’ 2012 MLB Postseason coverage. The videos, which feature the Springsteen song “Land of Hope and Dreams” as the musical backdrop, will also air on MLB Network, FOX and MLB.com leading up to and during this year’s Postseason.

The videos feature concert footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band performing the song, along with highlights from this year’s MLB season, including two of the year’s perfect games thrown by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants and Phil Humber of the Chicago White Sox. Other players featured include the Yankees’ Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira, Detroit’s Justin Verlander, Texas’ Josh Hamilton, Washington’s Bryce Harper, the Angels’ Albert Pujols and Mike Trout and more.

There will be multiple versions of the spot, which was created by Turner Sports, that will air throughout the next six weeks leading up to the Postseason. Additionally, it will be featured on in-park video boards in MLB ballparks around the League.

TBS will exclusively televise the first-ever American League and National League Wild Card Games on October 5, and will also provide coverage of all four MLB Division Series and exclusive coverage of the American League Championship Series this year. TBS has broadcast MLB games for more than 30 years, including the MLB Division Series and one League Championship Series since 2007. Musical artists featured in past campaigns for MLB Postseason coverage on TBS have included Bon Jovi, Kid Rock and Tinie Tempah among others.

Bruce Springsteen’s “Wrecking Ball” (Columbia) was released earlier this year and debuted at #1 in the U.S. and 14 other countries. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are currently in the midst of a North American tour that runs through December.

HBO Boxing After Dark in the spotlight on Labor Day Weekend

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HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. GRZEGORZ PROKSA

AND SERGIY DZINZIRUK VS. JONATHAN GONZALEZ

WRAPS UP THE SUMMER WITH A HOT DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY, SEPT. 1

          HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise wraps up its summer season with an all-action doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. GRZEGORZ PROKSA AND SERGIY DZINZIRUK VS. JONATHAN GONZALEZ is seen SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY, exclusively on HBO. The team of Bob Papa, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 2 (8:15 a.m.) and 3 (12:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 2 (4:15 p.m.) and 4 (midnight)

In a scheduled 12-round middleweight title bout, Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KOs) of Stuttgart, Germany, puts his belt on the line against top-tier contender Grzegorz Proksa (28-1, 21 KOs) of Redhill, Surrey, United Kingdom, with both fighters making their HBO debuts. Fresh off a third-round knockout of Makoto Fuchigami in May, the undefeated Golovkin, 30, has never been knocked down as an amateur or pro. He recorded resounding amateur victories over such talents as Lucian Bute and Andy Lee, and was a silver medalist at the 2004 Olympics for his native Kazakhstan. Golovkin’s last ten fights have ended in knockouts, and no opponent has gone the distance with him since 2008.

After losing for the first time as a pro in March to Kerry Hope, Proksa, 27, has rebounded nicely with back-to-back victories, including an eighth-round knockout of Hope in their July rematch, and is currently the European middleweight titleholder.

The opening bout is a 12-round, 154-pound showdown of touted fighters Sergiy Dzinziruk (37-1, 24 KOs) from Hamburg, Germany, and undefeated rising star Jonathan Gonzalez (15-0, 13 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Making his second appearance on HBO, the 36-year-old Dzinziruk is returning to the super welterweight division after moving up in weight and suffering his first loss to middleweight lineal champion Sergio Martinez. After starting his career with an astounding 13 consecutive knockouts, the 23-year-old Gonzalez has shown stamina to match his power, recently going the distance for back-to-back unanimous decision victories.

Immediately after the doubleheader of action, HBO will present the premiere of episode #1 of the all-access series 24/7 Chavez Jr./Martinez at 11:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Mike Sheehan.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

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CBS Sports Net Kicks Off First Official NFL Programming With Roundtable Shows

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THIS JUST IN…                       

            …from CBS Sports Network

CBS SPORTS NETWORK PREVIEWS 2012 NFL SEASON WITH ROUNDTABLE SHOWS FEATURING NFL ON CBS ANNOUNCERS

CBS Sports Network kicks off its first official NFL programming with two roundtable shows debuting this weekend featuring NFL ON CBS announcers.

EYE ON THE NFL: SEASON PREVIEW airs Sunday, Sept. 2 (7:00 PM, ET) and previews the upcoming 2012 season. Jim Nantz hosts, and is joined by analysts Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino and Dan Dierdorf.

A clip from the show can be viewed here: http://cbsprt.co/Q4v90w.

EYE ON THE NFL: HOT TOPICS airs Monday, Sept. 3 (7:00 PM, ET). Host James Brown and analysts Phil Simms, Boomer Esiason and Bill Cowher debate the hot-button issues surrounding the NFL. Jeff Pash, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, NFL, joins as a guest.

A clip from the show can be viewed here: http://cbsprt.co/Q4v3WE.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 10 (5:00 PM, ET), CBS Sports Network will air its first regularly scheduled NFL programming with NFL MONDAY QB. Led by Simms, Rich Gannon and Steve Beuerlein, NFL MONDAY QB brings together an elite roster of quarterbacks providing their unique opinions breaking down the week’s games purely from a quarterback’s perspective.

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers including Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and DISH Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

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Former NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson Joins SiriusXM and NFL Network

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Former NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson Joins SiriusXM

Future Hall of Famer will host shows on SiriusXM NFL Radio and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio channels

NEW YORK – August 29, 2012 – Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced that LaDainian Tomlinson, the record-setting running back and 2006 NFL Most Valuable Player, has signed on to host weekly shows on the SiriusXM NFL Radio and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio channels.

Tomlinson will make his SiriusXM debut on Friday, August 31, hosting In the Endzone with LT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (9:00-11:00 pm ET), where he and co-host Jeff Rickard will offer advice to listeners on draft picks, roster moves and other fantasy football topics.  The show will air the following week on Thursday, September 6.  Starting September 12, the show will air every Wednesday night (9:00-11:00 pm ET) throughout the season.  SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio is available on channel 87 on XM and channel 210 on Sirius Premier.

Tomlinson will make his debut on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, September 4 (7:00-11:00 am ET).  Every week thereafter he will host The Opening Drive alongside Ross Tucker Wednesday mornings (7:00-11:00 am ET) throughout the season, taking calls from fans around the country, interviewing players and coaches and discussing the headline NFL stories of the week.  SiriusXM NFL Radio is available on channel 88 on Sirius and XM Premier.

Both the SiriusXM NFL Radio and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio channels are also available on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online at SiriusXM.com.

“It was a thrill and an honor to play in front of NFL fans during my career and now I have this great opportunity to talk directly to those fans on SiriusXM,” said Tomlinson.  “I plan to approach my new career as a broadcaster with the same determination and passion that drove my football career.  Whether we’re breaking down games and league news on SiriusXM NFL Radio or talking fantasy football on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, we’ll work hard to give our listeners something special every week.”

“LaDainian is a first ballot Hall of Famer, one of those special players who cement their place in the history books by being so dominant for so long,” said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM’s SVP of Sports Programming.  “Legions of fantasy football players will also tell you that he single-handedly won them their leagues with his offensive production.  He’s exactly the type of player fans want to hear from and we’re thrilled to have him on our airwaves, providing his analysis of the league and offering the kind of fantasy football advice you can’t find anywhere else.”

Tomlinson was one of the NFL’s most electrifying running backs and thrilled fans and fantasy football players alike for 11 seasons.  Selected fifth overall by the Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft, he played his first nine seasons in San Diego and his last two years with the New York Jets.  Tomlinson rushed for over 1100 yards and 10 or more touchdowns in each of his first eight seasons.  In the 2006 season he set the current NFL record with 31 touchdowns and rushed for a league leading 1,815 yards.  He ranks third in league history, behind only Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, with 162 career touchdowns, and he is in the top five in all-time rushing attempts (3,174) and rushing yards (13,684).  A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro, Tomlinson will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2016.

For more info, visit www.siriusxm.com.  Follow the SiriusXM NFL Radio and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio channels on Twitter (@SiriusXMNFL, @SiriusXMFantasy).

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LaDainian Tomlinson Joins NFL Network & New “First On The Field” Sunday Morning Show