Media Notes

In Toronto, William Houston cites sources as saying that Rogers Sportsnet will air the inaugural World Baseball Classic in Canada. The tournament takes place in March, when TSN “has a heavy schedule” of NHL games and coverage of the Tim Hortons Brier. Sportsnet also carries the NCAA basketball tournament, “along with its usual amount of regional NHL games,” but sources said that the net “will make room for at least the Canadian and U.S. games” and the playoffs (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/13).

PASSER’S RATING: Fox NFL analyst Troy Aikman, Fox Sports statistician Rick Odioso and Stats Inc. senior analyst Jim Henzler have created the Aikman Efficiency Rating, which uses “seven statistics in five categories that Aikman says offer a truer picture of offensive and defensive prowess” than the NFL’s traditional yardage-based rankings. Aikman posts the weekly ratings on msn.foxsports.com, but Fox has not used them during broadcasts. In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes, “Even if Aikman’s ratings are more complex than a stand-alone statistic, they should find a home on Fox, perhaps occasionally replacing screen space given to giant cartoon arrows” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/13).