MLB Media Notes: Dish Network, SportsNet N.Y. Engaged In Carriage Dispute

EchoStar and SportsNet N.Y. are in the middle of a carriage dispute that could see Dish Network drop the channel prior to the Mets' season-opening game against the Marlins tomorrow. SNY's carriage deal with the satellite operator expires tonight. "We do not comment about on-going negotiations," SNY officials said in an e-mail. But sources said Dish Network could drop the channel, considering that the satellite operator does not carry any other N.Y.-area RSNs. RSNs are among the most expensive channels on distributors' systems, and Dish Network could be deciding to stay out of the N.Y. sports market completely. Over the past two years, SNY has taken steps to expand its programming lineup beyond N.Y., signing up as the official home of the Univ. of Connecticut's men's basketball and football teams. It also is the official home of Syracuse Univ. sports (John Ourand, THE DAILY).

LEGEND OF THE SPRING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Mark Yost profiles Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker, who is "entering his 41st season in the booth" for the Brewers and is "in a league of his own when it comes to baseball play-by-play men." Yost: "Part comic, part encyclopedia, he can recall an amazing number of pertinent facts when the game is on the line, and have a heck of a lot of fun when it isn't." Uecker's "crazy side tends to win out more often than not," and "most of his humor is self-deprecating, like his oft-repeated line that during his playing career he once went 'O-for-June.'" Uecker "was out for three months" last season due to heart surgery and "underwent a second heart operation in October," but he said he is now "doing better than I was a few months ago" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/31).

FULFILLING FANTASIES: The N.Y. TIMES ranked websites by the share of the searches they receive for "fantasy baseball." Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball triples the number of searches for the next highest term, CBSSports.com's fantasy game (N.Y. TIMES, 3/29).