Penguins C Sidney Crosby "has once again been cleared for contact and could be returning" as soon as Sunday. Crosby said, "I'll give myself days with contact. We have two more practices this week. No sooner than Sunday, I would say, but I'm not going to sit here and put a date on it." CBSSPORTS.com's Brian Stubits wrote if Crosby "does make his return on Sunday it will come against the Boston Bruins -- NBC already has it scheduled to be the national game of the week" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/6).
DIAL TONE: In Toronto, Michael Woods notes Maple Leafs President & GM Brian Burke "hung up on a radio host during a live interview Tuesday after being asked about his job security, but said he had good reason to do it." Burke said, “The producer asked if I would do an interview regarding two issues. When I became convinced a coaching change was needed, and what I thought our chances were of making the playoffs." CFRB-AM host John Moore said on his blog that Burke was "invited on the show to talk about hockey and the Leafs." Moore wrote, "He knew there were going to be questions about whether the Leafs can pull things out of the fire and make the playoffs. Asking Burke if he thinks he could face the axe is a completely fair question" (TORONTO STAR, 3/7).
TRANSFORMING DIGITAL: BBC Dir of Future Media Ralph Rivera said that the London Games will "transform the British media landscape by ushering in a new age of 'connected TV.'" He said, "Our aspiration is that 2012 will do for digital and connected televisions what the coronation did for TV. ... We will be on all the major television platforms, set-top box platforms, video game consoles and mobile and tablet platforms. We are getting to the point where it is ubiquitous." The FINANCIAL TIMES' Tim Bradshaw notes though the BBC iPlayer is "used by 40 per cent of online adults in the UK every month," Rivera is hoping that the "wider range of coverage that online video and mobile apps can provide during the Olympics will push it fully into the mainstream" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/7).
SAME AS IT EVER WAS: KNRB-AM and the MLB Giants have agreed to terms on a new seven-year contract that will keep Giants games on the station through the '18 season (Giants).
