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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 22 August 2008 |
Maybe...
A note from Mister College Football, aka Tony Barnhart, on ajc.com intrigues us here at OSG HQ...
To wit...
There are talks, and this is what they are right now, just "talks" that the Southeastern Conference and the Four-Letter Network may be in cahoots for a 15-year deal of their own...
The middle paragraph...with a preview...
"...Under this deal ESPN would purchase all of the remaining television rights that CBS does not own.
Why would ESPN do this? Simple. If ESPN owned the remaining rights, it could put several SEC games on its various platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360) and then, whatever rights it had left and did not want, it could sell back to a group like Raycom or even Comcast. Distribution, however, could be an issue because a lot of cable systems do not carry ESPNU or 360 on their basic package. And those distribution issues could ultimately complicate the deal. Some of those distribution issues could be addressed by video streaming on the Internet, which is going to be a big part of these future TV deals."
Barnhart also points out that the new deal with CBS brings in a little over $50-million a year. Those numbers would explode if the folks in Bristol get involved.
More as it becomes available... |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 21 August 2008 |
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After rumbling and grumbling from a few different fronts, the International Olympic Committee is finally going to ask gymnastic muckety mucks to investigate the reported ages of the gold-medal winning Chinese squad.
Multiple sources have found documentation from inside China itself that the ages of three of the women/girls are in doubt. He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, and Jang Yilin may be as young as 14. An article from the government-run Xinhua News Agency from early November even goes as far as declaring He is only 14.
((More on the "Stryde Hax" website below))
"We've asked the gymnastics federation to look into it further," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said Friday. "If there is a question mark and we have a concern, which we do, we ask the governing body of any sport to look into it."
The allowable age for gymnasts to participate in the games is 16.
The International Federation for Gymnastics ((FIG)) has always maintained that a valid passport is evidence enough for verifying a competitor's age. FIG has not questioned the Chinese to this point.
"We are not in a position to say `It's good, it's not good.' It's a government document," FIG president Bruno Grandi said earlier this week in an interview with The Associated Press.
The Chinese are doing their best Roger Clemens-on-Capitol Hill impression to date. He was asked in a press conference after the gymnastics competition about her age:
"I was born in 1992 and I'm 16 years old now," He said Monday. "The FIG has proved that. If I'm under 16, I couldn't have been competing here."
Whaddya wanna bet that the Bruno Grandi quote will be the basis of any and every investigation that FIG and the IOC conduct from this point forward...?
Just axin'...
SI's coverage is hyah
The Times of London has a boatload of coverage hyah
Jane Macartney's coverage on "Stryde Hax" is hyah
The "Stryde Hax" website is hyah.
Follow the chain of documents, it's tremendous- even if it's a long read... |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 21 August 2008 |
Gene Upshaw, a Hall of Fame Offensive Lineman for the Oakland Raiders and a lightning rod for both sides in the union-management struggle in the national Football League died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer. He had just turned 63 on August 15th.
Upshaw ((picture, thanks insidebayarea.com)) had only been diagnosed this past weekend and his condition deteriorated rapidly.
After 15 seasons as a guard for the Silver and Black, he became the head of the NFLPA in 1983. His decisions, including decertifying the player's union in the late 1980's, drew criticism from players, alumni, and front offices, but they helped shape the strength of the union and the collective bargaining process as we know it today.
Upshaw also drew fire in recent years for his stance on medical issues and care regarding the league's earlier ((read, pre-1965)) talent pool. This included an outburst from ex-NFL'er Joe DeLamielleure, whose thoughts on the issue at the time centered on the catch phrase: "Screw Upshaw."
Upshaw's impact on the game could, very easily, be considered the equivalent of what Marvin Miller did for the sport of baseball a decade or so before Upshaw had his chance.
Gary Peterson's column from the Oakland Tribune is here
Nancy Gay's work from the San Francisco Chronicle can be found here |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 21 August 2008 )
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