While most of the country is digging out of snow this afternoon, just know that Spring and baseball is right around the corner.

ESPN released their early season Sunday Night Baseball schedule and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are featured a combined seven times in the 11 games that were announced. Read more

ESPN has fired announcer Ron Franklin according to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal.

“Based on what occurred last Friday, we have ended our relationship with him,” ESPN said in a statement.

Franklin was pulled from last Friday’s Chick-fil-A Bowl broadcast after making derogatory comments towards colleague Jeannine Edwards.

In a statement yesterday, Franklin apologized for his comments. “I said some things I shouldn’t have and am sorry,” Franklin said. “I deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl.”

Shaq Vs., the reality show Shaquille O’Neal stole from former teammate Steve Nash, ended its second season Tuesday night. The finale’s ratings fell from the previous year, although the August 3 and August 17 episodes were the most-watched shows in the two-season run.

Still, Shaq Vs. isn’t exactly putting up slam dunk numbers.

Shaq Vs. was the lowest rated of the five original programs on broadcast television Tuesday night, and the second-least viewed. Reality competition Wipeout (ABC; 3.8, 6.933 mil), America’s Got Talent (NBC; 6.7, 11.504 mil) and Minute To Win It (NBC; 3.6, 5.919 mil) put up significantly larger numbers – though Shaq Vs. topped Minute To Win It in the 18-49 demo.

That’s more like an air ball.