In N.Y., Julia Marsh notes NFL Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul "is doubling down on his invasion of privacy lawsuit against ESPN, demanding to know how" the net's Adam Schefter obtained his medical records. Lawyers for ESPN and Schefter "are also asking a judge to toss the case." But Pierre-Paul "insists in a filing submitted Thursday that he has a right to know 'the precise circumstances under which (his medical) chart was given to Schefter.'" He also wants to know if Schefter "paid the hospital for his private medical information." A hearing is "scheduled for later this month in Miami federal court" (N.Y. POST, 5/6).
MAKE OR BREAK: In Boston, Chad Finn notes the "scale tipped and ESPN -- or the perception of ESPN -- became about making news rather than breaking news." The net "got caught in a maelstrom of controversy" when recently fired analyst Curt Schilling's Game 6 performance in the '04 ALCS "was edited out of a rebroadcast." It "did not take much dot-connecting or a graduate degree in conspiracy theories to suspect that ESPN was up to some pettiness in the editing room." In reality, though, "it's hard to figure that ESPN deliberately edited Schilling out of the documentary out of spite." In fact, it is "standard procedure." The particular documentary "has aired dozens of times on ESPN the last couple of years." It "has been edited several ways, and this was not the first time Game 6 has been cut" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/6).
LOVE WHAT YOU DO: In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg asked CBS' Jim Nantz whether he has thought about retirement. Nantz: "That’s not even in my mind. I’m 56 years old. There are a lot of broadcasters that are friends of mine that are in their 70s. It’s not even a question worth discussing. I love what I do. I’m very fortunate to have started in my 20s at CBS and had a chance to be entrusted with major properties since my very first year" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/4).
HOCKEY CONCERN: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes with Blues playoff games headed to one of those "weather-heavy outlets," KSDK-NBC, there has been "concern that hockey coverage could be superseded by a super cell." But KSDK GM Marv Danielski, whose station has Game 5 of the Blues-Stars series Saturday afternoon and is in line to carry more Blues contests if they continue in the playoffs, said that KSDK "will be judicious on how it would balance severe weather and hockey coverage." Danielski: "First and foremost, if we’re (showing) the Blues we’re not going to cut in unless it’s absolutely dire. ... Ultimately our job is to be responsible to the weather situation, to the market. We’ll always take that seriously. But there are ways to work around it." Those ways include "putting weather coverage on the station’s website or digital over-the-air channel" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/6).
NO REGRETS: In Oklahoma City, Mel Bracht noted TNT's Chris Webber "has been criticized for his over-the-top reaction to a non-call after" Thunder G Dion Waiters pushed Spurs G Manu Ginóbili on an inbounds play in the closing seconds of Game 2 of the Thunder-Spurs series Monday night. When asked if he has any regrets, Webber said, "I'm very happy with it. I played the game." He added, "If I take a little heat for being excited since I played the game and I love being around the greatest players in the world and I know how blessed I am to have a job to be able to watch basketball for a living. I'll take that" (NEWSOK.com, 5/4).
CUP OF COFFEE: In Utah, Jack Urquhart reported with regular Angels radio broadcaster Terry Smith "taking a break for a three-game series between" the Angels and the Mariners, Triple-A PCL Salt Lake Bees announcer Steve Klauke "will fill in" (DESERET NEWS, 5/5).
