TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET editions of ESPN's
"SportsCenter," CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight," and FSN's "Fox
Sports News Primetime" (Fox Sports Net South) all led with
Astros-Braves, followed by Dodgers-Mets (THE DAILY).
SPORTS ANCHOR DEFENDS HIS NON-STORY: In Chicago, WFLD-
Fox sports anchor Corey McPherrin defended his decision not
to report that new Bears QB Cade McNown parked in a handicap
spot upon arriving at training camp last week. McPherrin
was criticized by T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times for not
reporting on the incident, considering that McNown is one of
several UCLA students who allegedly used handicap-parking
placards while at school. McPherrin: "It would have been
the ultimate cheap shot to use that story. And (Simers)
makes it out like I'm some kind of wimp for not going with
that story" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/10).
NOTES: SportsChannel FL extended its TV deal with the
NHL Panthers through the 2010-11 season. SportsChannel will
televise a "minimum" of 75 regular-season games each season
(SUN-SENTINEL, 8/10)....Hearst's magazines hired investment
banking firm Jordan Edmiston Group to handle the sale of
Sports Afield and Motor Boating & Sailing. The two have a
circulation of 470,000 and 124,000, respectively (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 8/10)...."The Acclaim Sports NFL Players
Rookie Premiere," a one-hour TV special, will air nationally
on Fox Sports Net during the next three weeks. The show,
hosted by Jackie Slater and Dan Miller, is produced by GA-
based Kestrel Communications and Players Inc (Players
Inc)....E-commerce revenues now account for around 24% of
SportsLine USA's sales, up from 12% a year ago. That figure
is "expected to grow" to 50% (CBS MarketWatch, 8/8).
NFL GOES TO THE VIDEO TAPE: USA TODAY's Michael
Hiestand examines the NFL's new instant replay system.
While officials must "rely on camera shots networks send to
home viewers," Hiestand wonders what happens if the networks
"don't come up with key replays" because they're showing
another shot. ESPN NFL Coordinating Producer Fred Guadelli:
"I don't know how you can make this fool-proof. Somewhere
along the line, somebody is going to get screwed, and it's
not going to be anybody's fault" (USA TODAY, 8/10). At the
end of the third quarter of last night's Cowboys-Browns
game, the Browns challenged a call. When Browns fans began
booing the delay, an on-field official said the delay was
"because TV is in a TV timeout right now. By regulation,
the officials wait until TV has come back to the game before
reviewing a play." ABC's Boomer Esiason noted that the
network was not in a TV timeout and said, "Somebody better
tell them we're back." ABC's Al Michaels: "Well, we've been
back for a while" ("MNF," ABC, 8/9). In Akron, Michael
Weinreb writes that ABC's "MNF" missed a third voice in the
TV booth last night, as Al Michaels and Boomer Esiason "are
just too placid, too pleasant" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/10).
