Some Press Releases For You To Read

As I'm forcing myself to watch TBS Hot Corner for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay, I'll give you three press releases for you to review.

Starting with quotes from the NFL Network's Gameday Final program.

Week 6 (Oct. 12, 2008) – Quotable from NFL GameDay Final

on NFL Network

(Airs Sunday at 11:30 PM ET)

"We have 32 flavors in the NFL, and right now I don’t know which one tastes the best."

-- Deion Sanders on competitive balance

"If they play like they did today, they will beat anybody."

-- Steve Mariucci on San Diego Chargers, who beat New England 30-10

"I’m worried about the New England Patriots. When I was in San Francisco and Steve Young got hurt, we lost our mojo, the swagger, the confidence. The New England Patriots are going through that."

-- Steve Mariucci

"I like a coach that shows emotion.”

-- Deion Sanders on Falcons head coach Mike Smith

"There was no expectation. This team has hope. They are starting to believe that they can win."

-- Deion Sanders on 4-2 Atlanta Falcons

"He is quietly becoming one of the best receivers in the NFL.”

-- Steve Mariucci on Texans WR Andre Johnson, who had a Week 6 league-high 178 receiving yards

"He is doing it on the ground and through the air. What a great draft pick he was.”

-- Steve Mariucci on Bears rookie RB Matt Forte

"They need him to keep the wear and tear off Reggie Bush."

-- Steve Mariucci on Saints RB Deuce McAllister, who had 13 carries for 65 yards

"Panthers-Bucs, otherwise known as ‘Prison Break’ on FOX for Jeff Garcia.”

-- Rich Eisen

"These teams are not the same caliber (as NFC East)."

-- Deion Sanders on NFC South

"One thing is missing, T.O. is not productive enough."

-- Steve Mariucci on Dallas Cowboys

"My expectations of the Dallas Cowboys were too high.”

-- Deion Sanders

Over to Versus (thank you to the NHL Media website) and apparently puckheads are finding the channel. It did quite well for the North American season opener last Thursday.

VERSUS CONTINUES NHL RATINGS AND VIEWERSHIP MOMENTUM WITH HIGHEST RATED OPENING NIGHT GAMES EVER ON THE NETWORK

First Game of Opening Night Double-Header, Detroit/Toronto, Was Most Watched Regular-Season Game Ever on Network Among Households and Total Viewers

NEW YORK, NY (October 13, 2008)-VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition and exclusive cable television home of the National Hockey League (NHL), earned its best opening night ratings ever for its double-header on October 9, featuring the home opener of 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings against the Toronto Maple Leafs followed by the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Boston Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 defeat of the Detroit Red Wings garnered a .5 National HH rating, while the Boston Bruins 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche received a .3 National HH rating.

The Detroit/Toronto telecast was the most-watched regular-season game ever on the network among households (360,944) and total viewers (572,897) beating out the March 31, NY Rangers/Pittsburgh Penguins game.

The National HH rating for the games on October 9, showed a 33-percent increase (.4) compared to the opening night games last year (.3), while total viewership rose 17 percent (413,892 vs 353,269). The network also saw gains in viewership for all the key male demos: Men 18-34 (82%), Men 18-49 (57%) and Men 25-54 (45%). VERSUS was the #3 rated ad-supported cable network for the time period among Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 for its Detroit/Toronto telecast behind only ESPN and TBS for each demo.

As part of the network's October 9, game coverage VERSUS aired the NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008; an opening day spectacular starring multi-platinum selling rock band Def Leppard and Alanis Morissette which garnered a .3 National HH rating.

Locally, Detroit garnered a 4.0 HH rating making VERSUS the top rated cable network in the market for the 7:00-9:45 p.m. ET time period. VERSUS was the fourth highest-rated network overall in Detroit; behind ABC, NBC and CBS, respectively.

Boston garnered a 1.0 HH rating making VERSUS the third highest rated cable network in the market during the 10:15 p.m.-12:45 a.m. ET time period. This was an 11-percent increase over the Bruins' 2007-08 regular season average (.9). The Denver market delivered a 1.8 HH rating which was a 64-percent increase over Colorado's 2007-08 regular season average (1.1).

The network will continue its 2008-09 NHL regular season coverage tonight when the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks at 7:00 p.m. ET. VERSUS' 2008-09 regular season NHL schedule highlights some of the most exciting hockey games of the season with the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins all making a season-high eight appearances on the network and the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals making seven appearances each. In total, VERSUS will televise 56 regular season games, All-Star weekend, wall-to-wall Stanley Cup playoff action and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

Then we go to ESPN and its plans for two documentaries in December including one on the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, called "The Greatest Game Ever Played".

December Airdates, Details Announced for ESPN Films’The Greatest Game Ever Played and A Woman Among Boys

Gifford, Berry, Strahan, Vinatieri and Others Talk 1958 Game; Brooklyn Basketball Team Revived

ESPN Inc.’s ESPN Films division will continue its ambitious production of high quality, sports-themed films in December 2008 with two documentaries: The Greatest Game Ever Played, an innovative special presentation of the 1958 game played between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants at Yankee Stadium for the NFL championship, and A Woman Among Boys, a compelling film chronicling the experiences of Ruth Lovelace, the first female coach of the boys basketball team at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, New York. The Greatest Game Ever Played will be televised Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation. Eight days later, A Woman Among Boys will debut (Sunday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m.) on ESPN2. By year end, ESPN and ESPN2 will have aired nine ESPN Films documentaries.

1958 to 2008

Hosted by Chris Berman, The Greatest Game Ever Played explores the most important game in NFL history to commemorate its 50th anniversary. ESPN Films has created an unprecedented look at this landmark event, which featured 17 Hall of Famers and the only NFL championship to be decided in overtime. The presentation will include new colorization/restoration technology and previously unseen footage of the game.

Additionally, to give viewers perspective about the impact of the 1958 NFL Championship Game on players then and now, ESPN Films brought together 11 surviving members of the legendary game and their modern day NFL counterparts from the past two Super Bowl champion teams - the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. Pairings include Baltimore Colts star receiver Raymond Berry with current Colts head coach Tony Dungy; former Giants kicker Pat Summerall with current Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri; Giants running back Frank Gifford and Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti with current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin; Colts great Lenny Moore with current Giants running back Brandon Jacobs; former Giants linemen Al Barry and Rosie Grier with current Giants lineman Chris Snee; and former Colts star Art Donovan with newly retired Giants star Michael Strahan, among others. Some sample quotes:

Donovan and Strahan:

Strahan: “I’m so lucky I didn’t play back then, oh my goodness.” Donovan: “You would have loved it!”

Grier to Snee on gameday preparations:

“I think my gameday was like me going to the bathroom and throwing up.”

Gifford on the 1958 game’s importance: “The guys who played in that game had no idea that game was going to impact their entire lives… it’s grown almost in a mythological way.”

Against the Odds

A Woman Among Boys, directed and produced by award-winning filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, is an inside look at a season led by the only woman coaching a boys’ team in New York City’s toughest basketball division and in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The once highly accomplished and storied program had fallen on hard times before Ruth “Coach Love” Lovelace, who attended the high school and was teaching Phys Ed at the time, was named coach in 1994 at the age of 24. She’s faced unique challenges and has seen players on her teams work to overcome significant obstacles both on and off the court, and in the process has rebuilt Boys High into a powerhouse – with playoff appearances in every year of her tenure.

Coach Love said, “As a female you can command respect from young men. You can get them to play well and get more academically.”

That is it for now.