NBC is still sticking to their backwards approach of airing taped competition during their primetime broadcasts, but at least the network is providing an alternative for those that want to watch the Games in real-time.

“That’s what our approach on the Olympics has been and what it will continue to be,” said Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group.

Earlier today, NBC announced Jim Bell would serve as executive producer of the 2012 Olympics and Dick Ebersol would return to the network as a “senior adviser,” with a special focus on NBC’s NFL and Olympics coverage.

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The 12-year veteran, who announced his retirement from the league Friday, will appear on SportsCenter, NFL Live, First Take and ESPNEWS.

“I’m grateful for all the support over the years from my family, my fans, and the league,” said Woody. “I’m excited to start the next phase of my career, moving from the NFL family to the ESPN family, and I feel blessed to continue to be a part of the game of football.”

Woody will make his ESPN debut next month.

Earlier this week, ESPN hired former coach Eric Mangini and ex-defensive end Hugh Douglas.

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You Ready for Some Football?

Dear XXXXX,

We are excited to let you know that the NFL has reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows the entire NFL season to be played this year.

The NFL is the most popular sport in America. Our games are intense, unifying and meaningful to fans in the stadium and to those watching at home. We are thrilled to have a labor deal in place that will provide fans with a decade of certainty and that will allow us to focus all our energies where they ought to be – on the playing field. The upcoming 2011 season will surely be exciting, and football work will begin shortly. Our coaches will begin meeting with players, and the Club will welcome back talented veterans along with exciting rookies from the April NFL Draft, like top picks A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. Whether all of that will take place in Cincinnati or Georgetown, Kentucky, will be decided shortly once we receive the NFL’s operating schedule.

Two years ago, our football team swept the AFC North – one of the toughest divisions in football – and many key components of that team remain, including defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and a defense that ranked in the top half of the NFL for three straight seasons. The area of the team that will change the most will be the offense with a new direction under offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and new faces at quarterback and wide receiver. The mix of veterans and rookies should return our offense to the top level we need, and we are excited by the challenge.

This year – like others before it – we will focus our energies on returning to the Super Bowl again. That’s what we want and that’s what our fans want, and our franchise has been blessed with great support from fans for decades. Last season we reached a record-setting 57th straight sellout – a string we hope to restart soon – and our games have been the most-watched television program in the local market for the last applicable 96 ratings weeks. This is great football country, and incredibly: 95% of the Cincinnati population watched an NFL game during the 2009 season (third highest ranking among NFL markets).

We are very grateful to our fans, we thank you for your patience during the labor stoppage, and now we look forward to a great season together. Who Dey!

Sincerely,

Katie Blackburn

Marvin Lewis

Long live the Bungles. In all honesty, they should be excited about this season and years to come, because A.J. Green and Andy Dalton were great picks in this year’s draft.

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“Kirk Morrison is going to be the next hot sports guy. He’s doing the dirty work while he’s still playing. A lot of players wait until they’re done playing before they start investing into their life after football.” –

We couldn’t pass at the opportunity to speak with the next hot sports guy in NFL linebacker Kirk Morrison.

The free agent has spent his time during the NFL lockout by grinding away in the radio profession, working alongside Rob Dibble on Fox Sports Radio.

Morrison isn’t a rookie to the broadcast world. He got his first break at San Diego State, where the All-American called high school football games for the local NBC affiliate. Prior to his current gig, Morrison was the co-host of the Aztec Power Hour with Darren Smith on XX 1090 in San Diego.

SportsNewser chatted with the 29-year-old about working with Dibble and his thoughts on if the 2011 NFL season will begin on time.

SportsNewser: When did your itch for broadcasting begin?

Kirk Morrison: It began when I was in college. I was about 20 and it just so happened that I was 2-3 years into my major at San Diego State. As I became a spokesman for my football team because I had some success as an All-American as a freshman, the media would always want to talk to me. I was the guy for about 3-4 years and next thing you know, I was always doing radio shows and TV interviews. I wanted to switch it up and go into communications and do something involved with that. People said I expressed my thoughts very clearly and you go out and have a strong opinion. I did a little color commentary while I was still in college. I did high school games for the local station (Channel 4 San Diego) and from then on, I said this is what I want to do outside of football.

Biggest media influence? continued…

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According to SBJ, the two leading contenders for the package are Turner Sports, which would add games to TBS, TNT or TruTV, or Comcast, which would put the games on its cable sports network Versus. NBC already has a deal with the NFL for Sunday night games. NFL network is the home for Thursday night football in the latter half of the season.

The new revenue could offer solace to the league after it was rebuffed on its efforts to expand the schedule to 18 games from 16 games. The players have fought fiercely against that proposal, so in a way, the league is selling a new half-season this way.

continued…

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In case you missed it Friday, Josh Elliott signed off from SportsCenter for the final time.

Elliott starts his new role at Good Morning America on May 2.

[H/T Business Insider]

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Sports fans who think Gus Johnson’s hot sauce-in-the-Jockeys announcing style is the height of entertainment should be overjoyed to learn Johnson is “neck and neck” in a competition with Bob Papa to be play-by-play announcer on the NFL Network next season. So reports Phil Mushnick of the New York Post.

Johnson’s enviable ability to derive excitement from the most mundane sports action would be put to the test if the NFL Network has late-season snoozers akin to last year’s Dec. 23 matchup, which pitted the Super Bowl-bound Steelers against the No. 1 pick-bound Panthers. In case you forgot, that game ended in a 27-3 blowout win for Pittsburgh.

Whoever does the play-by-play for the NFL Network won’t have to keep Joe Theismann and Matt Millen awake this season. As Sports Illustrated reported, they’ve been replaced by Mike Mayock.

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The former University of Florida coach will join ESPN as a college football analyst. Meyer will make his debut on Wednesday during ESPNU’s 10-hour National Signing Day Special.

During the season, Meyer will work a weekly regular-season game and select bowl games. Along with his work in the booth, the 46-year-old will provide studio analysis on College Football Live, College GameDay, the NFL Draft and spring games. Meyer will also make weekly appearances on ESPN Radio.

Meyer announced on Dec. 8 that he was stepping down as coach, citing his family and health.

“Football has played an extremely important role in my life for the past 25 years and ESPN has given me an incredible opportunity to join its world-class team and share my passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the game with fans across the country,” Meyer said.

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The film is about Wendell Scott, the first and only African-American to win a race in NASCAR’s top series. It airs Sunday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, hours after the 53rd annual Daytona 500.

The docudrama was produced by the NASCAR Media Group in conjunction with ESPN Films and Max Siegel Inc.

“Wendell Scott’s legacy will live on forever as the man who broke NASCAR’s color barrier and whose courage and bravery paved the way for minorities to pursue careers in the world of motorsports,” said Paul Brooks, senior vice president of NASCAR and president of NASCAR Media Group. “This film will help preserve that legacy by telling the story of his historic ride and the positive impact his contributions are still having on the sport today.” continued…

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John Miller, the former CMO of NBC Universal Television Group, will helm “The NBC Sports Agency” as soon as the Comcast merger closes. The group will be similar to “The NBC Agency,” which Miller created and ran from 1999-2010, and serve as the go-to agency for all sports-related advertising at the Peacock.

“Over the last 25 years, John Miller has become one of the most legendary figures in television promotion and marketing,” Dick Ebersol, chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, said in a release. “In a business where people often talk about synergy yet rarely achieve it, John, as Chairman of the NBC Marketing Council, has demonstrated to all of us how we can come together for the betterment of all. NBC Sports’ big-event strategy, which has produced record audiences for the Olympics, NFL, NHL and horse racing, is predicated on this marketing strategy. And now John will be masterminding that coordination for NBC Sports, as well as creating campaigns for our partners and advertisers.”

The full release is after the jump, as is a video of Miller explaining the move.

continued…

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“The vitriol that is spewed forth about women, women in sports TV, female sideline reporters is just so out of control,” said Kremer. “It always boils down to: Why are there women sideline reporters? What do they really do? Inane questions that are so antiquated, so passé. It’s not what it’s about. The focus should be on the performance of a Jeannine Edwards. The focus should be on: What did Pam Oliver contribute to the telecast? It should be about the analysis a Suzy Kolber brings, not whether Joe Namath‘s trying to kiss her one day. The focus always gets off the performance and contributions that we bring. I don’t understand that. People are assailing Jeannine Edwards. Why?” continued…

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Because it’s Friday and you’re feeling lazy, sit back and enjoy this Michael Jordan-LeBron James mashup.

Here’s some background on the footage, which crossed LBJ’s “Rise” with a commercial MJ filmed at a basketball camp in 2008. The original Jordan advert after the jump.

(Courtesy of David Cho)

continued…

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In case you wondered what story on The NFL Today had host James Brown all choked up, you can watch it for yourself.

The story is about Carolyn Henry Glasby, the mother of former NFL wide receiver Chris Henry. She made the decision to donate his organs following his death, helping a slew of individuals in the process.

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Working alongside play-by-play stud Mike Gorman, Walton will join the Celtics on their two West Coast trips in early 2011 and provide color analysis on the following telecasts:

Boston @ Portland: January 27

Boston @ Phoenix: January 28

Boston @ Golden State: February 22 continued…

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Well, it certainly appears that way after last night’s overnight ratings.

Going head-to-head with Game 4 of the World Series, NBC’s Sunday Night Football earned a 11.8 overnight rating and 18 share, making it the No. 1 program on Sunday night for the eighth straight week.

Rangers-Giants on Fox earned a 10.4 rating and 16 share from 8:30-11:30. Last night marked the first time that SNF on NBC went head-to-head against World Series. continued…

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