With ESPN's first MLB/NFL Sunday night conflict only
three weeks away, MLB is "leaning toward" giving Sunday
night rights to local outlets in the cities involved,
"rather than set a precedent and accept a move to ESPN2,"
according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y. POST. But if the HR
record "is in play," MLB feels it can "sell any September
Sunday night game to either Turner (TBS or TNT) or Fox."
Sherman: "And what a black eye it would be for ESPN if the
most esteemed record in pro sports were broken on a
different network for an event ESPN initially had rights to"
(Joel Sherman, N.Y. POST, 8/16).
DUKING IT OUT: In Boston, Ron Borges wrote that a "big
shakeup is rumored to be in the works at ESPN," with
longtime fight manager Bill Cayton becoming a consultant,
and promoter J. Russell Peltz "taking over as matchmaker."
Where the moves would leave Bob Yalen, who "for some time"
has been running ESPN boxing, "is unclear." ESPN bought
Cayton's library of fight films for use on Classic Sports,
and Borges reported that part of the deal was for Cayton to
become a network consultant (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/16).
