PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited a source as saying that the Saints are "bracing for the possibility" of the NFL "tapping them on the shoulder and directing them to be the subject" of HBO's "Hard Knocks." The Saints are one of seven teams that "can be forced to do it, under criteria the league developed several years ago." This year, the teams that "can't decline" are the Saints, Bills, Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, Chargers and Rams. Saints coach Sean Payton may "resist allowing camera into the room when players are being cut." Florio: "That, frankly, could be enough to get the NFL to draft a team that would be more willing to allow what often are the most compelling moments of the series to be captured" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 2/27).
WE'LL DO IT LIVE! In Tampa, Tom Jones gives "major kudos to Fox Sports for its thorough and complete coverage" of the FIFA presidential election. All in the all, the net "was live for 10 hours with reports from the vote in Zurich." There was "outstanding reporting, led by" SI.com's Grant Wahl (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/29). SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted people "behind the scenes put in even longer hours." Deitsch: "Kudos to the network for the commitment" (SI.com, 2/28).
ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes Saturday "may have been as good as it gets as CBS's college basketball tripleheader co-starred three strong courtside analysts -- Steve Lappas on Butler-Georgetown, Jim Spanarkel on Oklahoma-Texas, Doug Gottlieb on Kentucky-Vanderbilt." Because Butler-Georgetown "included a wild finish to regulation then overtime, Lappas's work in these minutes was sensational." Mushnick: "Some senseless plays and decisions were made on both sides and he not only quickly identified them, he quickly explained why" (N.Y. POST, 2/29).
