TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's
"Sports Tonight" led with Orioles-Red Sox, followed by
Cardinals-Reds. FSN's 11:00pm ET edition of "Primetime"
(Fox Sports Net South) led with the final game at Tiger
Stadium, followed by Orioles-Red Sox. ESPN's
"SportsCenter," which aired at 12:00am ET due to "MNF" on
ABC, led with Cardinals-Reds, followed by the finale at
Tiger Stadium. The first non-MLB story on "Sports Tonight"
and "Primetime," at 4:38 and 9:07 into the broadcasts,
respectively, was an update on Dolphins DE Dimitrius
Underwood. The first non-MLB story on "SportsCenter," at
11:17 into the broadcast, was an update on ESPN.com's report
on the Univ. of TN scandal (THE DAILY).
OTHER NOTES: NASCAR VP/Broadcasting Bray Cary said that
negotiations for a new TV deal "could be complete by
November, setting the stage for an announcement as part" of
the organization's annual awards banquet in N.Y. in
December. Cary "thinks having two" TV partners "seems like
the best idea, but admits some proposals for a one-company
deal sound very interesting" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/28).
....Cablevision is "looking to sell, swap or form a
partnership for all of its" non-N.Y. cable area systems,
which "could be worth as much as" $3.5B. The company will
use the funds "to improve" its balance sheet "by reducing
its level of debt" (DAILY VARIETY, 9/28)....Keith Olbermann,
after SI's John Walters was critical of ESPN's Dan Patrick,
for cutting back on his TV work to focus on his new ESPN
Radio afternoon show: "John, Dan has a wonderful wife and
four kids and for some reason he didn't feel like spending
five nights a week working until one in the morning. Where
does it say he deserves criticism for putting his family
first?" (WinStar Radio, 9/27)....MI-based Zondervan
Publishing will publish the autobiography of U.S. soccer
player Michelle Akers, titled "The Game and The Glory"
(Zondervan)....Bob Errey, who "was cut by the Penguins" last
Wednesday, was hired as color commentator for the team's
radio broadcasts on WWSW (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 9/28).
BOOMER BANTER: ABC's Boomer Esiason, following a promo
for the network's "Spin City," which features actors Michael
J. Fox and Heather Locklear: "I don't know about you Al, but
Heather's looking pretty good." ABC's Al Michaels: "Very
good. ... Michael [is] continuing to look like Bob Costas."
Esiason: "Oh, that's between you sportscaster guys, not me."
Michaels: "That's what you are!" ("MNF," ABC, 9/27).