Univ. of South Carolina AD Ray Tanner on Friday said that the SEC Network has "exceeded expectations and each school will receive a payout this summer." Tanner told the school's BOT, "When we first started talking about the network, they said we’d probably realize a benefit in Year 3. Obviously it’s been more successful than that. This summer we’ll receive a distribution (and) I think it will be at least $5 million. I’d like to think that’s on the conservative side. Each school will receive a $5 million gain" (247SPORTS.com, 2/20).
HONORING HISTORY: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes NBC "did a heck of a job" with yesterday's "Hockey Day in America." Coverage was "based out of Lake Placid, N.Y.," in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic hockey team's upset of the Soviet Union. NBC's remembrance of the "Miracle On Ice" game "was sentimental but not sappy." Jones: "A gold-medal effort all around by NBC" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/23).
EXPANDING HORIZONS: Marlins President David Samson on Saturday said that the team will see at least 90 games "televised in Japan" this season, "up from one or two typically shown in a season." In West Palm Beach, Tom D'Angelo noted the team signed RF Ichiro Suzuki to a one-year deal this offseason, and "his presence alone will boost TV ratings" (PALMBEACH POST.com, 2/22).
