Your Sunday Links

Before I head out to a surprise birthday party, I'll provide you with some links today, but before I do, I want to plug two things. First, please join my Facebook blog network. I'm one shy of 20 and I need 20 people so I can receive data about how popular the blog is, so I ask you to join. And don't forget you can follow Fang's Bites on Twitter. I was having a few problems with the site at first, but now it's getting my feed so you can get the latest posts especially if have turned on the cell phone alerts.

Now that the plugs are out of the way, I'll bring you some linkage.

I sent word over to Ryan over at the fine Orbitcast blog and he's put it up today. That's regarding the silent launch of the MLB Home Plate channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. Before Tuesday of last week, it had been exclusive to XM, but it started to air on Sirius Channel 210 and available to subscribers who had signed up for the "Best of XM" package.

A couple of weeks ago, Newsday started to put "The Best of Neil Best" into its Sunday edition of the newspaper, meaning people who don't visit his blog could read what he was writing. This week, the "Best of" reviews what Neil has blogged about including one person who won $1 million in an ESPN contest and how ESPN Radio is looking for an FM station in the metro New York area. In his blog, Neil says the Cowboys soap opera have ripped the Plaxico Burress mess from the nation's newspapers. And Neil says ESPN seems to favor one particular play in its basketball highlights.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News says the Hall of Fame honor bestowed to former NBC and Yankees analyst Tony Kubek was long overdue.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post goes to the tired, cliched column that the flexing of the Giants-Panthers game in Week 16 to primetime is all about money. What are you going to write next, Phil? That the YES Network is all about the Yankees?

Susanna Hamner of the New York Times says NASCAR's sponsors are suffering from a case of sticker shock in the struggling economy.

The Baltimore Sun's Ray Frager spoke with former Baltimore Colt Art Donovan who was featured prominently in ESPN's documentary on the 1958 NFL Championship Game which aired last night.

From the DC/Baltimore Examiner, Jim Williams says both the Ravens and Redskins face big tests on local TV this week.

Jim also suggests for the Nationals to move to a new radio station to get some much needed promotion.

Dave Weekley of the Charleston (WV) Gazette writes about HBO's upcoming documentary on the integration of college football.

Mike Tankersley of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser also reviews the HBO documentary.

Keith Jarrett of the Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times writes that a local resident is known as the "Orange Sleeves Guy" on ESPN's Monday Night Football production.

Lisette Kaczka of the Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel says one of her human interest stories was picked up by NBC Sports earlier this year.

Anne Lindberg of the St. Petersburg Times says ESPN staffers will be staying at a newly remodeled hotel in Tampa for the Super Bowl.

Don McNay writes in the New Albany (IN) News and Tribune that he was going to give to the Jim Valvano Foundation after seeing the famous "Never Give Up" speech on ESPN, but stopped realizing that he has to watch his wallet.

Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune writes that Darrin Jackson will join the White Sox radio booth after nine seasons being the team's TV analyst. Steve Stone will replace Jackson.

The prolific Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times writes about Charley Steiner moving to do radio for the Dodgers after being taken off the team's TV broadcasts.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News also writes about the Steiner move.

Back to Diane, she writes that Lakers radio voice Spero Dedes is pulling double duty today.

Sean Meagher of The Oregonian writes that there's no movement on putting Comcast SportsNet Northwest on DirecTV or Dish Network.

Multichannel News says Fox College Sports will carry 350 basketball games this season. FCS is mostly available on cable sports tiers, so the channel is not widely available, but you can "check your cable or satellite provider" to see if FCS is on your system.

Multichannel News also tells us that Golf Channel will carry a youth special on Tuesday.

T.J. Donegan writes at the Sports Media Journal that ESPN is going overboard on the T.O./Witten Cowboys coverage and I'll definitely agree with that.

By the way, T.J. is also part of the Boston Sportz blog and it will be doing an all day live blog on the NFL action in Week 15, so go join them if you can.

And that's going to do it for today. Expect a few more posts today including Sunday NFL pregame quotage and my review on HBO's documentary (yes, it's finally coming tonight!).