In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes ESPN is showing Cubs-Red Sox over Mets-Yankees on "Sunday Night Baseball" this weekend, and the "fact ESPN is passing on the Subway Series is further evidence some of the juice has leaked out of the bottle, especially considering these TV schedules are set in advance." It is "now reasonable to suggest ESPN suits do not hold the Mets -- or the Mets-Yankees matchup -- in such high regard." However, Mets-Yankees "will get some national love Saturday night with Fox airing Game 2 of the series in prime time." Mets-Yankees, "one of four regional prime time games on Fox, will be seen in 36% of the country," while Cubs-Red Sox will be seen in 32%. Raissman writes it will be the Yankees, and not the Mets, who are "responsible for the ratings," as when a net "can punch the Bombers ticket for a nationally televised appearance ... it's a no-brainer" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/20).
SELLING HAWAII: In Honolulu, Ferd Lewis reported the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Big West Conference "are exploring the possibility of televising some University of Hawaii sports events into California as a cross-promotion venture." UH joins the Big West in '12 "for most sports and the Mountain West Conference in football." Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said that he met with HTA VP/Brand Management David Uchiyama and UH AD Jim Donovan recently "to discuss some possible models" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 5/19).
LET FREE SPEECH REIGN: In Minneapolis, Jim Souhan writes in the aftermath of the firestorm generated by T'Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn's joking comments following the NBA Draft Lottery, "We've got to stop parsing everything every public figure says." Souhan: "We've already gotten to the point where teams issue canned statements through their public relations departments to ensure that their big-name employees don't cause exactly this kind of firestorm." Souhan writes he would "much rather live in a world where" White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen "says something offensive while trying to be entertaining than a world in which someone like Kahn is afraid to speak publicly" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/20).
