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The Deadspin headline is enticing. Will Leitch draws readers in with a simple question. Which sports death would affect us like Michael Jackson's?

Leitch opens with

"I was as surprised by the reaction to Michael Jackson's death as I was the death itself, though I shouldn't have been. Is there anyone in sports whose death we'd react to in a similar way?"

My initial reaction is "Is Leitch kidding me?" I cannot think of a single athlete, save perhaps Tiger Woods, whose death would bring such a global reaction.

But then he goes further, explaining that he means the question in terms of how we frame our perspectives when talking about Jackson. That is the notion that all of his alleged past sins are gone and discussion focuses on his music.

With the Bowl Championship Series games, and the Rose Bowl, moving to cable only, I have pondered what the cablization of television sports would mean to fans and viewers. I have written about the impact to people without cable, as well as what it might mean for the competitive landscape.

And I have been holding off on this last part in the series because there has been something intangible that I could not quite put my finger on until recently. Namely that, with the exception of The Masters, watching major sporting events on ESPN does not feel "special."

This intangible came into better focus over the past month or so with the NBA Playoffs, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, and the FIFA Confederations Cup.

When broadcast networks ruled the sorts television landscape, sports properties were just one part of what the nnetworks offerred up to viewers. That meant that when the night (or afternoon) of an event arrived, you knew it was something special. Whether it was the voice of Pat Summerall or Keith Jackson, you knew it was going to be a special event. When Brent Musberger would open a telecast with "You are looking live at...", viewers were cued that something big was a going to happen.

Viewers watched new graphics packages. They saw creative openings that drummed up excitement. The broadcast teams treated the events with some reverence, making them something other than the ordinary "game of the week." Viewers were going to be part of a nationally shared experience.

But no more, as ESPN gobbles up sports properties around the globe. The addition of each sport dilutes the sport being acquired because there is nothing special about it anymore. It just becomes part of the Disney/ESPN cross marketing and brand it at any cost approach to what they air and how they air it.

The NBA Finals were broadcast on ABC, but under the ESPN umbrella. So what did this mean? It meant that you had the ABC and ESPN logos plastered to the screen. It meant that viewers were subjected to the scrolling scores and promos that ESPN has on all of their cable networks. It meant that if you wanted to distinguish the NBA Finals logo, you had to squint really hard. It may have delivered solid ratings for the network, but it just did not feel special.

The U.S Open Golf Championship aired on ESPN. When Mike Tirico is calling the action as he did for the Masters, you felt that you were watching a special event. When Mike Tirico called the Ryder Cup, you really had no clue that the event was being produced by the same team that produces the unwatchable golf on NBC Sports.

But as soon as you let Chris Berman loose, it feels silly and stupid. Do viewers tune into golf to hear Berman let loose with a Hanson brothers joke that most golf viewers would not get (and really made zero sense in context)? Not only did it not feel special, it made me pine for the hour when NBC Sports would take over for the day.

And this past weekend we had the FIFA Confederations Cup from Johannesburg, South Africa. Would we get to feel the excitement and pageantry from people on the scene? No, because thye on-air talent was sitting in Bristol, CT. In a sense, they were just phoning it in. Never once was there a disclaimer during the game that they were NOT on site. Is this how a network treats "special" events? Thankfully, ESPN will be sending talent on-site for the 2010 World Cup.

If a viewer is going to take a block of time away to watch an event, then ESPN should do everything in its power to make the event special, nit just present it as one of their many properties. If they don't, the governing bodies of the sports in questions should mandate standards in their contracts with ESPN.

Think it cannot be done? Then how do the the powers of Augusta National pull it off for the Masters? They do it by insisting that their event be treated as special, so that it stands head and shoulders above the crowd. And ESPN responded, providing great coverage worth watching. No scrolling scoreboards. No cross-marketing and cross-branding. Just the sport.

If cable networks cannot do this consistently, not only have they robbed non-cable homes of the events, they are robbing their cable viewers who are paying the high fees that the ESPN family of networks demands from operators.

Related Link(s)

The Cablization of Television Sports Properties - Part I
The Cablization of Television Sports Properties - Part II

After 29 years of working all kinds of support roles in sports television, I finally won my first Emmy Award this past Friday night.

Pictured left is the Emmy Statue as it sits in FSN South Coordinating Producer Craig Ritchie's office.

OK, technically I did not win it. But the game between Central Michigan and the University of Georgia last fall, produced and televised by FSN South/SportSouth, was recognized for "Outstanding Achievement: Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited" at this past weekend's 2009 Southeast Regional Emmy Awards Ceremony.

And yes, I was part of the crew, working as the stage manager for the outstanding talent team of Bob Rathbun and Dave Rowe. And believe it or not, this was the first time Bob and Dave had worked a game together!

And yes, my tongue is somewhat in cheek when I say that I share in the award. I say "somewhat" because when you see a production team win an Emmy award for a sports event, there is so much that goes into the production, and so many people that make it happen. If all cogs are not firing in sync, the show can be a failure and any dreams of an award recognition are pointless.

There are the utility people that do the heavy lifting with the technical specialists, and make sure everything gets positioned and set up properly. There are the audio people who make sure that the audience gets the sound of the game clearly. There are the camera people who have to be constantly on top of the action to make sure they get the best camera shots. There are the people in videotape who not only have to make sure they get all of the action recorded, but are also able to bring it up on demand when called for by the producer. There is the technical director that cannot make a single mistake on the air.




You have the graphics operators who have to build on-screen graphics on the fly as the action unfolds. There is the graphics coordinator who works with the operator, and makes sure that information passed from the producer, director, and stats people gets put together correctly.

You have a team of statisticians, one with the talent, one at an official stats position, and perhaps one in the truck (if it is a network game). You have a time-out coordinator on the field (the "red-hat") who makes sure television timeouts are managed with the game officials.

These people are doing what they love, often times at the expense of spending time with their families, or even at the expense of having a family. They do this to bring the games to the fans who cannot be there in person.

Are they perfect all of the time? No. Could the average fan watching on television do it better? Not likely.

And since most games are not broadcast by the national networks, it is always good when a regional broadcast team gets their due. As former Oakland Raider and NBC Sports Analyst Dave Rowe said to me in a message yesterday:

The thing I remember most about the game was the effort of EVERYONE that made it work!!! That includes that GREAT "Stage Manager!!!" CONGRATULATION right back at YOU, CHRIS! As a certain coach named Madden used to tell us... "Today, you will be fired with enthusiasm or tomorrow, YOU WILL be fired with enthusiasm, KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I always knew exactly what he meant!! Great to be a part of a "WINNING TEAM!"

So congratulations to everyone that was part of the team for that game production! Former CBS Sports director Ric LaCivita directed the game, and Joe Vencius produced. Craig Ritchie is the coordinating producer, and Hammond Reynolds the executive producer.

As usual, I had my camera at the game. So here are some pictures of some of the people involved in the award-winning broadcast.

Here is the 2009-2010 Southland Conference College Football Television Schedule.

Thursday, September 3, 2009	Western Illinois at Sam Houston State	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, September 19, 2009	North Dakota at Northwestern State	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, September 26, 2009	Texas Southern at Texas State	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, October 10, 2009	McNeese State at Stephen F. Austin	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, October 17, 2009	Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, October 24, 2009	Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese State	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, October 31, 2009	Northwestern State at Sam Houston State	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, November 7, 2009	Texas State at Central Arkansas	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, November 14, 2009	McNeese State at Texas State	6:00pm (CT)
Thursday, November 19, 2009	Micholls State at Southeastern Louisiana	6:00pm (CT)
Saturday, November 21, 2009	WILDCARD GAME	6:00pm (CT)

The games are produced by Jeff Watts Productions, and can be seen on these Southland TV Network affiliates.

ARKANSAS
Location	Station	CH
Conway	KARZ	42 & Conway Corp Cable 9
Little Rock	KARZ	42 & Comcast Cable 9
Texarkana	KPXJ	21
LOUISIANA
Location	Station	CH
Baton Rouge	WBTR	41 & Cox Cable 19
Hammond	WVUE 8.2	Charter Cable 108
Lake Charles	KVHP	Suddenlink Cable 705
Natchitoches	KPXJ	Suddenlink Cable 16
New Orleans	WVUE 8.2	Cox Cable 115
Shreveport	KPXJ	21
Thibodaux	WVUE 8.2	Charter Cable 108
TEXAS
Location	Station	CH
Austin	Time Warner Cable	77 & Video-On-Demand
Beaumont-Port Arthur	KFDM/TW Cable	Time Warner Cable 35
Dallas	Time Warner Cable	185 & Video-On Demand
Houston	KTBU	55
Huntsville	KTBU	Suddenlink Cable 16
Longview	MYTX 18	WEHCO Cable 10
Lufkin	MYTX 18	Suddenlink Cable 6
Nacogdoches	MYTX 18	Suddenlink Cable 8
San Marcos	Time Warner Cable	77 & Video-On-Demand
Texas State Campus	Grande Cable	17
Texarkana	KPXJ	21
Tyler	MYTX 18	Suddenlink Cable 2
San Antonio	Time Warner Cable	50 & Video-On-Demand
Waco/Temple	Time Warner Cable	15 & Video-On-Demand

Related Link(s)

Southland Conference Football
Southland Conference TV Network

Apparently Google is on fire with people seeking information about Willie Mays dying. Willie Mays did not die. 50-year old TV pitchman Billie Mays was found dead in his Florida home.

Here is one of Billy Mays' ESPN360 pitches from December 2008:

Billy May's Bio (from Wikipedia)

Mays was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Sto-Rox High School in 1977, he began his career as a salesman on the Atlantic City boardwalk, selling the Washmatik portable washing device to passersby. Working alongside other pitchmen, he developed his style of salesmanship.[4]

Mays later traveled to home shows, auto shows, and state fairs across the United States for a period of twelve years, selling various maintenance products and tools, including cleaning products and food choppers.[4]

Rise to prominence

At a Pittsburgh home show in 1993, Mays struck up a friendship with rival salesman Max Appel, founder of Orange Glo International, a Denver-based manufacturer of cleaning products. He was then hired by the company to promote their line of cleaners, OxiClean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom on the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida.[5]

Customer response to Mays' sales pitches were enthusiastic, with a sharp increase in sales after his first day on the network, although some reviews were poor. He is very well known for shouting in an abrasive manner during infomercials. For example, Washington Post staff writer Frank Ahrens called him "a full-volume pitchman, amped up like a candidate for a tranquilizer-gun takedown."[6]

Following the success of the Home Shopping Network campaign, a line of successful television commercials and infomercials for the products was produced, featuring Mays demonstrating the effectiveness of the products to viewers hands-on. He typically begins such commercials with: "Hi! Billy Mays here for [advertised product]." Their success led to OrangeGlo International being named among the top ten privately growing companies from 1999 to 2001 by Inc. magazine, and its eventual buyout by Church and Dwight. Appel credited Mays' brilliant salesmanship for much of the company's success.[citation needed]

Mays was the CEO and founder of Mays Promotions, Inc., based at his home in Odessa, Florida.[3] His services as a pitchman became highly sought-after, and he appeared in commercials for many diverse "as seen on TV" products. Mays claimed to be an avid user of the products he promotes.[7]

In December 2008, Mays began appearing in ads for ESPN's online service, ESPN360.[8] These ads were a slight departure for Mays as they were designed to be parodies of his and other infomercial cliches with Mays appearing to be doing a parody of himself. He also made a live appearance during the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl promoting ESPN's and ABC's January 1, 2009 bowl games.

Mays resided in Florida in a $1.8 million home which was built in 2005.[9]

In February 2009, Mays publicly challenged Offer "Vince" Shlomi, also known as "Vince Offer" to a "pitch-off" between their respective products, the Zorbeez and the Shamwow. Popular Mechanics compared the absorbancy of two towel products and declared Shamwow the clear winner.[10]

On April 15, 2009, the Discovery Channel began airing Pitchmen, a documentary series that features Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their jobs in direct response marketing.[11] On the June 10, 2009 episode it was revealed that Mays' trademark blue shirt was the idea of fellow pitchman Sullivan before the OxiClean commercial shoot in 1999.

Mays and Sullivan appeared together on the June 23, 2009 episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.[12]

More recently, the commercials for his products have become a popular internet meme, and have spawned countless video remixes.[13]
Death

Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida home on the morning of June 28, 2009. He was then pronounced dead at 7:45am, having died sometime in his sleep. [1][2][14] The Associated Press reported that there were no indications that the house had been broken into, and that police did not suspect foul play.[14]

Mays had been aboard a US Airways flight that blew out its front tires as it landed at Tampa International Airport on June 27, the day before his death. None of the 138 passengers and five crew members were reported to be seriously injured immediately following the incident, but several passengers reported having bumps and bruises from falling objects.[2] Mays told a local Tampa TV station that some of the objects "hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."[14] It is unclear whether Mays' death was related to the incident.

The Big East Conference has announced their initial slate of televised football games for the 2009 - 2010 season.

Syracuse the first two weekends? Liberty at West Virginia the first weekend? Looks like it might be some really compelling football worth watching. Would somebody please remind me again why the Big East is a BCS conference?

Saturday, September 5, 2009
Minnesota at Syracuse, Noon, ESPN2
Liberty at West Virginia, Noon, Big East Network Local (clearances TBA)

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Syracuse at Penn State, Noon, Big Ten Network

Saturday, September 19, 2009
West Virginia at Auburn, 7:45 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 (actual network selection on 6-day basis)

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Marshall at West Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Big East Network Local (clearances TBA)

Will Buffalo or Ball State be stealing headlines again this fall? Will Turner Gill show the world that UB was not a flash in the pan last year? These questions and more will be answered when the Mid-American Conference (MAC), takes the field, and these are the games that will be on television.

The MAC will get its best exposure the first 3 weeks of the season as there will be 12 games against teams from the Big Ten and Big East. Another very interesting, seemingly unlikely, matchup has Colorado playing AT Toledo on Friday, September 11. Since when does a Big 12 team travel to take on a MAC opponent?

Thursday, Sept. 3

North Texas at Ball State, 7:30 PM (ESPNU)



Saturday, Sept. 5

Kentucky vs. Miami (Cincinnati, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPNU)

Akron at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Toledo at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Western Michigan at Michigan, 3:30 pm (ABC & ESPN2)

Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 7 pm (Big Ten Network)



Friday, Sept. 11

Colorado at Toledo, 9 pm (ESPN)



Saturday, Sept. 12

Central Michigan at Michigan State, 12 Noon (ESPN or ESPN2)

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Eastern Michigan at Northwestern, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Western Michigan at Indiana, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Kent State at Boston College, 2 pm (ESPN360.com)



Saturday, Sept. 19

Ohio State vs. Toledo (Cleveland, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Eastern Michigan at Michigan, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Temple at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Northern Illinois at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)

Indiana at Akron, 3:30 pm (ESPNU)



Saturday, Sept. 26

Buffalo at Temple, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)



Saturday, Oct. 3

Toledo at Ball State, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)



Saturday, Oct. 10

Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Miami at Northwestern, 12 Noon (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Classic or Big Ten Network)



Saturday, Oct. 24

Central Michigan at Bowling Green, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)



Saturday, Oct. 31

Akron at Northern Illinois, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)



Tuesday, Nov. 3

Bowling Green at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)



Thursday, Nov. 5

Miami at Temple or Eastern Michigan at NIU, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)



Tuesday, Nov. 10

Ohio at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)



Wednesday, Nov. 11

Toledo at Central Michigan, 8 pm (ESPN2)



Thursday, Nov. 12

Ball State at NIU or BGSU at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)



Friday, Nov. 13

Temple at Akron, 8 pm (ESPNU)



Wednesday, Nov. 18

CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)

CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 8 pm (ESPN2)



Friday, Nov. 20

Akron at Bowling Green, 5:30 pm (ESPNU)



Tuesday, Nov. 24

Ball State at Western Michigan, 7 pm (ESPN2)



Friday, Nov. 27

ESPNU (11 am)/ESPN360.com multiple selection date

EMU at Akron, Buffalo at Kent State, Temple at Ohio, NIU at CMU, Toledo at BGSU



Friday, Dec. 4

Marathon MAC Football Championship Game

Ford Field, Detroit, MI, 8 pm (ESPN2)



Saturday, Dec. 26

Motor City Bowl (vs. Big Ten)

Detroit, MI, 1 pm (ESPN)



Saturday, Jan. 2

International Bowl (vs. Big East)

Toronto, ON, Canada, 12 Noon (ESPN2)



Wednesday, Jan. 6

GMAC Bowl (vs. ACC)

Mobile, AL, 7 pm (ESPN)

A media horde has descended on Bethpage Black for this week's U.S. Open Championship. How do you handle the masses? A group of volunteers known as the "Minnesota 10," have donated their time to help ever since the 1991 Open was held at Hazeltine National Golf Club, outside of Minneapolis.

The familiarity to the working media cannot be understated, as as soon as they walk in the door, they are in a comfort zone with the people staffing the media center. In this article from the USGA, David Shefter writes about this group of volunteers.

Dedicated to the cause, the Minnesota 10 has helped out since 1991

By David Shefter, USGA

Farmingdale, N.Y. – Neatly attired in matching polo shirts and equipped with gregarious personalities, the group of men behind the counter inside the spacious U.S. Open Media Center are usually the first people any of the more than 1,000 credentialed journalists encounter when they register.

They hand out the credentials, know all the seat locations and offer other vital assistance.

Got a question? They can answer it. Need directions to a specific location? They can point the way. Looking for copies of a particular transcript? They can provide it.

Without their benevolence, the entire U.S. Open media operation would suffer, the way a computer hard drive would be crippled by a virus.

Since the 1991 Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club, outside of Minneapolis, this fraternity, known affectionately as the Minnesota 10, has assisted the USGA’s media relations staff at its most visible national championship.

What began as a small act of giving back has turned into an annual rite of June.

“I shudder to think what it would be like to do a U.S. Open without them,” said Pete Kowalski, the USGA’s manager of championship media relations. “When the focus is on the USGA’s largest and best known national championship, to have them here is more than comforting.”

Running a successful media center at a major championship is no small operation. The litany of tasks can take up an entire notebook. Not only must credentials be handled for the crush of reporters, but pre-championship interviews have to be coordinated, seating arranged, food and beverage organized, transportation handled properly and copies of transcripts made. Plus a whole host of other unanticipated issues crop up and must be handled swiftly and without incident.

Properly training a volunteer group to accomplish these tasks could take weeks, or even months. But that’s not the case with Minnesota 10 members, many of whom have worked more than a dozen U.S. Opens. The group has grown to 14 over the years, but the name hasn't changed. Three members, Bruce Bahneman, Pat Logan and Bob Seeger, have been around since the group’s inception in ‘91.

Chemistry, consistency and camaraderie are the group’s three underlying themes. Everyone gets along. They can all playfully rib each other, but when it comes down to business, they take their tasks as seriously as the competitors.

“We believe we compete with the three other major championships for providing a quality media center that allows the press to do their job,” said the 59-year-old Bahneman. “That’s really what we are trying to do and we try to do it with a sense of humor.”

It was Bahneman who started everything by working as a volunteer chairman at the ’91 U.S. Open. He was assigned to the media tent, handling food service and scoring. That year, Diane Stracuzzu, who was the marketing director for the Pebble Beach Company, happened to be onsite to look at the operation for the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Her group was seeking volunteers for the ’92 Open because Pebble Beach was hosting two big events, the Open and the annual AT&T National Pro-Am on the PGA Tour.

“She wanted to know if we would consider coming out to Pebble Beach,” said Bahneman. “So 10 of us went. Seeger was there. So was Darrol Mason, Pat Logan and Jack Chapman.”

When then-USGA director of media relations Rich Skyzinski saw how efficiently Bahneman’s group worked, he invited them to the 1993 Open at Baltusrol and a tradition was born. At this point, the USGA stepped in and offered to pay the group’s travel expenses in exchange for the volunteer work.

Over the years, some original members have left and new recruits joined. Recently a few non-Minnesotans have been brought aboard in Steve Merrill from Nashville, Tenn., and Skip Foreman from Raleigh, N.C. But the turnover is very infrequent; the newest member, Tim Hogan, having joined three years ago.

“I would not trade any of these guys for anyone,” said Bahneman. “They do just an unbelievable job.”

To accommodate the early morning television and radio personalities, this week some Minnesota 10 members have awakened at 3 a.m. to shuttle them from Farmingdale at 4:30 a.m. to do their shows onsite. Another individual has helped ensure media members board the proper shuttle bus back to the hotel.

Other responsibilities include handling the various microphones during the press conferences, communicating with Rules officials in case of a weather delay, ensuring the Wi-Fi inside the media center is functioning properly, getting messages to players in the locker room, getting players finishing on the ninth hole to the interview area near the clubhouse, tracking golfers' shirt colors so they can properly identify players when they finish competitive rounds, copying transcripts and notes, and setting the lines for the photographers at the closing prize ceremony on Sunday.

Merrill, who came aboard in 2005 at Pinehurst, handles the flash area for post-round television interviews. The senior vice president for the Tennessee Golf Association Foundation discovered the operation through retired USGA staffer Larry Adamson, who had landed a P.J. Boatwright internship with the TGA. Merrill’s brother-in-law lived in Pinehurst so he asked Adamson about volunteering and he wound up in the media center passing out credentials and re-stocking water.

“I had been in media centers at the NBA Finals and World Series,” said the 50-year-old Merrill, “but when I saw the tables and all the desks [inside the U.S. Open Media Center], I was just like, ‘Whoa, this is a big deal.’ ”

A background working for NFL Films, ESPN video and the NBA helped Merrill transition into the flash area a year later following the tragic death of Bill Crumley in a boating accident.

Former Minneapolis Star-Tribune golf writer Jon Roe also made an easy transition from media member to volunteer. He retired from the paper in 1999 and in 2000, he, along with St. Paul Pioneer Press writer Gregg Wong and Star-Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse, was asked to join some Minnesota 10 members at U.S. Open media day at Pebble Beach. Most Minnesota 10 members knew Roe from his days at the paper and he became a vital cog in the operation in 2002.

In Roe, the Minnesota 10 had a media member who not only knew most of the reporters, but also could relate their needs and issues back to the USGA media relations staff.

And Roe, who turns 70 in August, gets emotional when talking about the friendships he’s forged with Minnesota 10 members, particularly Chapman.

“I can’t tell you how lucky I was that Jack was the guy who needed a roommate,” said Roe. “In these seven years, we’ve become really good friends. We talk about stuff that two guys don’t always talk about.”

That sums up the entire group. They are as comfortable behind the counter at the U.S. Open as they are playing a casual round of golf back home.

And the feelings are mutual from the USGA side.

“They are our friends now,” said Kowalski, who talks to members of the group year-round. “We work together. It’s the crew in a submarine deal. You can’t get away from them so you might as well get along.”

David Shefter is a USGA Digital Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.

This article was originally published on the USGA Website.

U.S. Open golf coverage would not be complete without anything on cable. ESPN once again steps up to the plate to complement NBC Sports coverage, with 87 hours of their own coverage. Just name an ESPN platform and you will find Open coverage.

Here is the press release and broadcast schedule issued by ESPN.

ESPN will provide comprehensive multi-platform coverage of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship from Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., including live telecasts of the first two rounds on ESPN on Thursday and Friday, June 18-19. Additionally, there will be coverage of the national championship across 15 multimedia platforms: ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com (international and domestic), ESPNDeportes.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN VOD, Interactive Television (ITV) and ESPN Mobile TV.

ESPN will deliver 87 hours of U.S. Open programming across its television networks and digital platforms, including 14 hours of live first- and second-round action (10 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET and 5 – 7 p.m. each day on ESPN), SportsCenter presented by IBM at the U.S. Open preview and highlight shows, plus The Best of the U.S. Open presented by Titleist, which airs in primetime (8-11 p.m.) Thursday and Friday and re-airs of the third and final rounds over the weekend. All telecasts will be in high definition.

Chris Berman, who has covered the U.S. Open on ESPN since 1986, and Mike Tirico will host ESPN’s live coverage Thursday and Friday. Curtis Strange and Andy North, both two-time U.S. Open Champions, will serve as analysts alongside Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch; along with hole announcers Terry Gannon, Gary Koch, Bob Murphy, Karl Ravech, Mark Rolfing and Scott Van Pelt and on-course reporters Bill Kratzert, Dottie Pepper and Judy Rankin. North and Scott Van Pelt will anchor SportsCenter reports from Bethpage. Tom Rinaldi and Jimmy Roberts will contribute interviews and reports and ESPN The Magazine columnist Rick Reilly will provide essays and commentaries.

Among the features planned in ESPN’s television coverage:

• Rocco Mediate: One-year after his U.S. Open Playoff loss to Tiger Woods

• A Look Back at 2008 U.S. Open

• First tee jitters

• How to perform in New York City

• Aaron Stewart: Payne Stewart’s son, 10 years after Payne’s win at Pinehurst

• North’s Notes: Andy North on Bethpage Black

Date	Time (ET)	Telecast	Network
Tue., June 16	2-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN	Live
Wed., June 17	2-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN	Live
Thu., June 18	10 a.m.-3 p.m.	U.S. Open Championship – First Round (Part I)	ESPN ESPN Deportes ESPN360.com ESPN Mobile TV	Live
	5-7 p.m.	U.S. Open Championship – First Round (Part II)	ESPN ESPN360.com ESPN Mobile TV	Live
	8-11 p.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN ESPN Mobile TV	Tape
	11-12 MID	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN2	Tape
	11 p.m.-2 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN Mobile TV	Tape
Fri., June 19	2:30-5:30 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN2	Tape
	10 a.m.-3 p.m.	U.S. Open Championship – Second Round (Part I)	ESPN ESPN Deportes ESPN360.com ESPN Mobile TV	Live
	5-7 p.m.	U.S. Open Championship – Second Round (Part II)	ESPN ESPN360.com ESPN Mobile TV	Live
	8-11 p.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN	Tape
Sat., June 20	12 MID-1 a.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN2	Tape
	12 MID-3:00 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN Mobile TV	Tape
	3-6 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open Presented by Titleist (First Round)	ESPN	Tape
	1-2 p.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN ESPN Mobile TV	Live
Sun., June 21	12 MID-1 a.m	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN	Tape
	3-6 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open (Third Round)	ESPN	Tape
	12:30-1:30 p.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN ESPN Mobile TV	Live
Mon., June 21	12 MID-1 a.m.	SportsCenter Presented by IBM at the U.S. Open	ESPN	Live
	1-5 a.m.	The Best of the U.S. Open (Final Round)	ESPN2	Tape

ESPN360.com

The U.S. Open will mark the first time that ESPN.com will integrate ESPN360.com live streaming directly into the site’s front page main engagement area. When ESPN360.com’s live coverage of the begins Thursday, fans who have access to ESPN360.com through their high speed Internet Service Provider will see a live video tab in the main engagement area. They can click the “watch live” button and the live streaming coverage will appear in the video window.

Fans, who do not currently have access to ESPN360.com, will see ESPN.com exactly as they always have.

Live ESPN360.com coverage includes:

* Live online simulcast of ESPN’s First and Second Round television coverage
* Live coverage of all groups from Bethpage Black's signature Par 3 17th hole (from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. both days)
* Live coverage from the driving range, press conferences and interviews
* Archival channel of classic U.S. Open Championship highlights
* Archival channel of the 2002 U.S. Open Championship at Bethpage Black

* ESPN.com
* Covering the 2009 U.S. Open from all angles, ESPN.com will provide:
* Jason Sobel’s popular daily live blog throughout the championship;
* Columns from featured writers Jason Sobel , Gene Wojciechowski and Bob Harig ;
* Interactive leaderboard and live scores;
* A golf-themed fantasy game titled Best Ball Majors, U.S. Edition , the second installment of the ESPN Best Ball Challenge;
* Live video look-ins of the U.S. Open from the telecast throughout the day;
* Bethpage Black EA flyovers with voiceover by Tiger Woods;
* Video content, including highlights, analysis, clips from SportsCenter and press conferences;
* Photo galleries;
* Podcasts;
* Live chats; and
* SportsNation polling.


Interactive Television (ITV)

Enhanced HD Mix Channel programming with four different screens available during ESPN’s telecast through DirecTV (channels 701-705):

* ESPN live network coverage of the first and second rounds
* Marquee group coverage: featuring the Woods, Harrington, Cabrera and Mickelson, Goosen, Els, groups on Thursday and Friday.
* Live Par 3 coverage of the 17th hole, including commentary from SportsCenter anchors Trey Wingo and John Anderson, among others
* Players in Depth: A deeper look at the Championship, featuring live coverage from the practice range, press conferences, interviews and more

Mobile Properties

* Live mobile video simulcasts of ESPN’s First and Second Round telecasts (available via Verizon’s V Cast Mobile TV service)
* ESPN Mobile Web will feature "Tigercast" in the Hot Corner; a detailed breakdown of each of Tiger Woods’ rounds as well as leaderboard alerts
* U.S. Open leaderboard
* U.S. Open Insider content, news, and columns
* Scoring alerts for top players
* Leaderboard updates
* Video shot packs of select golfers
* In-depth mobile content through ESPN MVP – available on Verizon Wireless – and through ESPN’s WAP site across wireless carriers

ESPN CLASSIC

To get fans ready, ESPN Classic will feature a twelve-hour U.S. Open tribute beginning Sunday, June 14, at 11 a.m. On Wednesday, June 17, – the eve of the 2009 U.S. Open – ESPN Classic will replay the historic 2008 U.S. Open playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at 8 p.m.

ESPN VOD

Video-on-demand content will be available to select cable providers (including Verizon, one of the largest providers) and accessed on over 7.6 million set-top-boxes. It includes 30 minute clips from recent U.S. Open Championships, including 2002 at Bethpage Black.

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio will air live updates and timely interviews throughout the U.S. Open. ESPN 1050-AM New York will be live from Bethpage Black from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. with Brandon Tierney on Saturday, June 13, and Ian O’Connor on Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22. Tierney will also host his show on Thursday, June 18 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the U.S. Open viewing party from Grand Central Station in New York City.
ESPN International:
ESPN International will televise more than 24 hours of live U.S. Open coverage to viewers in Latin America and more than 30 live hours in the Caribbean, Middle East & Northern Africa, Israel, Canada (TSN) and Asia (ESPN Star Sports). Combined, the programming will reach more than 218 million homes outside the U.S. In addition, U.S. Open Classic golf films will air on ESPN’s network in the Middle East & Northern Africa. ESPN’s telecast in Latin America will feature the Spanish-language announce team of Silvia Bertolaccini and Francisco Aleman; in Brazil, Marco Rodrigues and Ricardo Melo will call this event in Portuguese. Fans in Latin America will also be able to follow ESPN's live simulcast television coverage, the 17th - Par 3 Hole and press conferences via ESPN360 platforms, plus full editorial coverage on ESPNdeportes.com.

ESPN Deportes:

ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network in the U.S., will televise more than 10 hours: Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Siliva Bertolaccini will host with a 14-year veteran of the LPGA Tour, analyst Francisco Aleman with John Sutcliffe providing reports for the field. In addition, ESPNdeportes.com will provide real time leaderboard, an Ask ESPN feature giving fans the opportunity to submit the questions to be answered on-air, news and a daily column by Aleman. The site will also feature a daily blog and exclusive video following each round by Sutcliffe.

ESPN’s coverage of the 2008 U.S. Open playoff was the most-viewed golf telecast in cable TV history (4.2 household rating, 4,055,000 household impressions, 4,762,000 viewers).

TNT better hope that Tiger is not locked into a dog fight this Sunday at the U.S. Open. Otherwise, the numbers for their coverage of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California may suffer.

Then again, we may be talking about two entirely different audiences.

Here is the press release issued by TNT.

TNT’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing Continues with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Pre-race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET; green flag drops at 5 p.m. ET

TNT continues its exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 21st live from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The network will air the Toyota/Save Mart 350 beginning at 5 p.m. ET with play-by-play announcer Bill Weber calling the race alongside analysts Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach in the booth. In addition, analyst Larry McReynolds will make frequent contributions from the in-field as he breaks down crew strategy and analyzes car adjustments.

The network will rev up its pre-race coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR on TNT Live! with Marc Fein (host), Petty and McReynolds. No. 18 Kyle Busch will join TNT’s infield rig for an interview prior to the race.

TNT’s acclaimed Pride of NASCAR series will feature racing legend Dan Gurney who is the original road course ‘ringer’ and notably the first driver to win races in Formula One, NASCAR and Indy Car. Gurney also started the tradition of spraying champagne in the Winner’s Circle when he did so following a 24 Hours of Le Mans win in 1967.

In honor of Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21, TNT will feature a father/son story of No. 6 David Ragan and his father, Ken, who sold his prized 1966 Corvette in order to fund Ragan’s early racing career. Last year, Ragan tracked down the same Corvette and gave it back to his father as a gift.

The show will be followed by Countdown to Green at 4:30 p.m. ET with Weber (host), Dallenbach (analyst) and Petty (analyst) with reports from pit reporters Marty Snider, Matt Yocum, Sheheen and Czarniak.

During Countdown to Green, Dallenbach will once again break down race strategy during Wally’s World, as he is superimposed into live race footage from last season’s race at Infinieon Raceway. He will virtually walk along the road course to discuss its nuances, with the ability to stop the race footage.

In addition, Yocum will detail how No. 47 Marcos Ambrose is helping teammate No. 00 David Reutimann conquer road course racing in an effort to make the Chase for Sprint Cup Championship.

Countdown to Green leads into coverage of Toyota/Save Mart 350 at 5 p.m. ET with Weber, Dallenbach and Petty calling the action with frequent interaction with McReynolds (analyst) who will man the TNT Offtrack Robotic Car.
Throughout this year’s NASCAR on TNT Summer Series, the network will join forces with NASCAR.COM, the official site of NASCAR, to provide TNT RaceBuddy a multiplatform experience for race fans which features live feeds from the racetrack including pit road and in-car cameras, as well as live chats and polls.

Related Link(s)

• NASCAR on TNT
• Race information from NASCAR

Somebody at NBC Sports is confused about this weekend's U.S. Open Golf Championship. Roger Maltbie referred to Bethpage Black as a big ball field. The NBC Sports press release talks about the "post-game coverage" they will be broadcasting.

Nonetheless, it all starts tomorrow.

On the serious side, was Tiger's Memorial win a fluke or will he back it up with another win on Long Island? Will Phil Michelson be able to focus on golf while his wife is ailing with breast cancer.

On the not so serious side, will the NBC Sports broadcast crew be able to button their lips long enough for viewers to enjoy watching golf without having to listen to silly, inane conversation? Maybe they will have to talk a lot to offset the costs of the 175,000 feet of cable out there. Of course it is not enough for NBC to say they have that much cable. They also have to point out that "if you add up all the strands of fiber-optic cable that we have it equates to 397 miles of cable."

Here is the news release and broadcast schedule information from NBC Sports.

NEW YORK – June 17, 2009 – Defending champion Tiger Woods, looking for his fourth U.S. Open title and second victory at Bethpage, and Phil Mickelson, runner-up at Bethpage in 2002, headline the field as NBC Sports present live high definition coverage of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m. ET, Saturday 2-8 p.m. ET and Sunday 1:30-7:30 p.m. ET from the public links at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. This is NBC's 15th consecutive year broadcasting the Open. NBC Sports' Father's Day Sunday coverage is preceded by the second annual Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge from Noon-1:30 p.m. ET, in which Michael Jordan, Justin Timberlake, Ben Roethlisberger and contest-winner Larry Giegelhausen competed at Bethpage under U.S. Open conditions in a quest to break 100.

16 HOURS OF LIVE COVERAGE: NBC Sports will provide more than 16 hours of high definition U.S. Open coverage – the most extensive coverage provided for any golf event and the only one with network coverage of first- and second-round play:

Thursday 3-5 p.m. ET
Friday 3-5 p.m. ET
Saturday 2-8 p.m. ET
Sunday 1:30-7:30 p.m. ET

NBC SPORTS GOLF TEAM: Host Dan Hicks and analyst Johnny Miller, in their 10th season together as NBC Sports' lead golf commentators, anchor NBC's Emmy Award-winning coverage from the 18th-hole tower. Hicks and Miller are joined by tower reporters Gary Koch, Peter Jacobsen and Bob Murphy; on-course reporters Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing and Dottie Pepper; interviewer/essayist Jimmy Roberts; with reports from Golf World's Tim Rosaforte. NBC Sports' Bob Costas will contribute opening commentary and interview segments, in addition to periodically resetting the scene from Torrey Pines. NBC's coverage is produced by Tommy Roy, one of the most nominated persons in the history of the Sports Emmys.

U.S. OPEN ROADBLOCK: A total of 13 NBC Universal platforms, 12 networks (NBC, USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, Oxygen, The Weather Channel, SciFi, Sleuth, Chiller, Mun2 and Universal HD) as well as NBCSports.com and USOpen.com will join the "TODAY" show in progress on Thursday and simulcast the 2009 U.S. Open opening round tee shot for the traditional "champions pairing," which this year consists of Tiger Woods (2008 U.S. Open champion), Padraig Harrington (2008 British Open champion) and Angel Cabrera (2009 Masters champion). Live coverage of the "NBC U.S. Open Roadblock presented by Lexus" begins at 8 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT/MT/PT for TODAY) and will be hosted by TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira with on site coverage from NBC golf host Dan Hicks and lead analyst Johnny Miller from Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. A feature on Tiger Woods will precede the tee shots.

HICKS ON THE STORYLINES: "I can't remember going into an Open where we had the top two players, in popularity at least in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, having great storylines around them. Everyone knows what Tiger did a couple of weeks ago at Memorial, kind of giving everybody a glimpse of him being 'Tiger' again, playing incredible. The fact that what he did last year at Torrey Pines and the fact that he is defending here at Bethpage Black sets up a great storyline for him and then everybody knows what is surrounding Phil Mickelson. I just anticipate really one of the most special days in golf."

MILLER ON IMPORTANCE OF GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START: "Sunday is probably the most interesting day but Thursday is definitely the second most interesting day. Thursday is probably the most nervous round. You really study what happens in the first round and it's one of the key rounds. Guys just don't shoot 74 or higher and win. Who can handle the U.S. Open jitters Thursday, which are amazing, is who can get off to a good start."

MILLER ON MICKELSON: "If he can get off to a good start tomorrow, that's got to be the key round, once he gets in contention I think he will stay in contention."

MILLER ON TIGER: "It almost reminds me of the year 2000. I've just got a feeling that all the work that he's done, all of a sudden to go from where he was at The Players to hitting all fourteen fairways the last round of Memorial. I think he's in that nice little spot; you've got to watch out. I think he's in that good spot in his life, he's got a good marriage, good kids."

MILLER ON BETHPAGE: "This course is set up where the best player is going to win like last time the three best players in the world were right at the end: Mickelson, Tiger, and Sergio. It's not tricked out. You are finding a setup that rewards the best players and not blowing them out of the championship because they're are not having a hot week off the tee."

MALTBIE ON BETHPAGE: "This is a big ballpark."

ROY ON CHALLENGES OF BETHPAGE: "The one unique challenge logistically as Roger was talking about is how big a ballpark this is. From where our trucks are parked, which are to the right of the tenth fairway to get up to the clubhouse and all the way to the other side it's at least a couple of miles. So we have 175,000 feet of cable out there. If you add up all the strands of fiber-optic cable that we have it equates to 397 miles of cable."

MALTBIE ON THE NEW YORK FANS: "Nowhere else have I ever been where I have seen such a sense of ownership and affection than displayed by the golf fans of this area for Bethpage Black. It is remarkable. I get questioned all the time on the golf course. What is he going to shoot on our course? You get the sense nobody wants them too shoot good. They want to see them take it on the chin a little bit. They certainly revere this golf course."

KOCH ON THE CROWDS: "I think certainly along with who's going to win the championship, probably the thing I look forward to the most is how the crowds are going to react to these players. I remember so vividly back in 2002, these New York fans don't know the definition of a polite golf clap. If they get behind a player they can provide some monumental momentum and energy and if a player happens to get on the wrong side of a crowd, as Sergio Garcia certainly experienced in 2002, they can be a potential detriment. It's been interesting listening to players early in the week talk about the importance embracing the crowd and getting them behind them. In fact, I've witnessed Sergio this week with a very, very different outlook than he had in 2002. He's signing autographs, he's smiling, he's posing for pictures. I think he learned a valuable lesson: the importance of getting the crowd behind you."

MILLER ON THE RAIN AFFECTING PLAY: "I do think it will change the storyline- guys have to deal with the weather. I know that when Tiger Woods was going to school in Stanford, he used to on purpose, go out and practice in the rain because he knew if he was going to be a champion, he'd have to play in situations like what we are about to experience tomorrow. So that's one thing to keep in mind.

"I think people like to see pros struggle, I hate to say it. They want them to do real well and they want them to struggle. They don't like the boring pars."

HICKS ON THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN: "I think it adds to the intrigue. People will want to see how the pros do in the bad weather, kind of like an NFL game when it's snowing."

MILLER ON THIS YEAR'S ROCCO MEDIATE: "Jeev Milkha Singh. Nick Watney might be a good pick. I don't know, I don't need reasons, you guys make reasons. I just pick them."

MALTBIE ON A DARK HORSE: "I don't know if he is so much of a dark horse but a guy that has been down on his luck a little while here, I think this is a really good golf course for a Retief Goosen. I just have a feeling that this could be a good week for him."

KOCH ON A DARK HORSE: "I like Luke Donald to come through. You know it was last year at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines where he was playing reasonably well and he was forced to withdraw with the wrist injury which later led to surgery. He has come back this year and performed quite nicely. Luke hits the ball very straight and he has had some decent finishes in U.S. Opens before."

HICKS ON THIS YEAR'S ROCCO MEDIATE: "I'm going with Matt Kutcher."

KOCH ON THE WEATHER CONDITIONS: "From a players standpoint one of the things that you have to keep in mind that could make the golf course more difficult is if the fairways do become even softer and you start picking up mud on the ball, adhering to the ball after a tee shot, it will make some of these approach shots into these uphill greens even more difficult. Certainly a situation I don't think any of the players are looking forward to if they do get the bad weather. But these guys are the best and they'll deal with it."

HICKS ON THE U.S. OPEN CHALLENGE AT BETHPAGE: "I think it is more entertaining and the golf is certainly a lot better than it was a year ago at Torrey Pines. Ben Roethlisberger was pretty incredible -- he birdied two of the hardest holes on the course. It's got a lot of people talking about how Bethpage Black might be vulnerable. It remains to be seen, what the best players in the world are going to turn in, but it certainly got some people thinking, is the Black really as tough as we all think it is? I think it is, and I cannot wait to get it going for the real thing on Thursday."

NBCSPORTS.COM: NBCSports.com will simulcast NBC Sports' Thursday and Friday broadcasts (3-5 p.m. ET), live stream on the weekend the 17th hole and offer live post-game coverage all four days, the U.S. Open Wrap-up Show presented by Lexus, hosted by Bill Patrick, Brian Crowell and Jennifer Mills. The site also will offer highlights, interviews and analysis, as well as live blogging.

NBC SPORTS MOBILE: Fans can get U.S. Open news and scores wherever they are with NBC Sports Mobile. The NBC Sports Mobile site will offer the latest news from NBCSports.com, along with complete leaderboards throughout the weekend by visiting http://m.nbcsports.com on their mobile device. Users on the go can also get news and scoring alerts sent right to their phone. To sign up for alerts, users can text "GOLF" to 51515.

iPhone: NBC Sports, in conjunction with the USGA, is offering live weekend coverage on the official U.S. Open iPhone application. Fans can watch live streaming video of the Par-3 17th Hole on both Saturday and Sunday.

MOBILE TV: NBC Sports' complete coverage of the U.S. Open will be available on both NBC 2Go and NBC Sports Mobile.

CNBC REPORTS LIVE FROM THE U.S. OPEN: CNBC will broadcast a special edition of its show "CNBC Reports," live from Bethpage on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The show, hosted by CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell, will feature interviews with power brokers in the business of golf, including PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and Tiger Woods' agent Mark Steinberg.