TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition
of FSN's "National Sports Report" led with analysis of the
penalties levied by the NBA against the T'Wolves for
violating the salary cap with a secret agreement with F Joe
Smith, followed by the D'Backs interviewing Terry Francona
for their vacant managerial position. "NSR" had 6:10 of
total World Series coverage. Last night's 11:00pm ET 30-
minute edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" led with Darryl
Strawberry being arrested for violating his probation,
followed by the T'Wolves. "Sports Tonight" had 0:18 of total
World Series coverage. Last night's 1:00am ET 60-minute
edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" led with the World Series
Game Four, followed by the T'Wolves. "SportsCenter" had
22:51 of total World Series coverage (THE DAILY).
NOTES: In Toronto, William Houston reports that ratings
for CBC Sports' "Hockey Night in Canada" "continue to
decline," as last Saturday's prime-time game drew "fewer
than a million viewers (955,000) despite a strong match-up"
featuring Maple Leafs-Flames. Game Two featuring Coyotes-
Canucks "pulled in an audience of only 500,000." But CBC
Sports Exec Dir Nancy Lee said that "it's too early to
panic" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 10/26)....Formula One
President Bernie Ecclestone "is to launch his own magazine
early next year" titled "F1 Magazine -- The Ultimate Car
Magazine for Drivers" (Sportcal.com, 10/25)....Local NY
Metro Channel's METRO will debut November 1 "The Sports
Section," a 90-minute sports magazine show hosted by Bill
Patrick. The show will air from 7:00-8:30pm ET on Tuesday
or Wednesday night, depending on the pro sports schedule
(Metro)....In Pittsburgh, Chuck Finder writes, "If you
didn't watch" ABC's Dolphins-Jets "MNF" telecast "after
midnight, you missed the game of the season. The game is
still the thing ... but the broadcast is getting more
entertaining, too" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/26)....
Charles Barkley, on his new role as an analyst for Turner's
NBA coverage: "It is going to be great for me to get on TV
and tell the truth. Because there is a lot of bull---- that
the media makes up." More Barkley: "I'm concerned about the
league. Because right now, we have five or six or seven
really good teams, and then after that we have some teams
that are just there" (NATIONAL POST, 10/26).
