NEW YORK (AP) — A regional TV network will broadcast next week’s Islanders-Rangers game in 3-D, joining a worldwide trend that affects few viewers now but could eventually change the way people watch sports. Wednesday’s hockey game on MSG is the first 3-D sports event on TV in the U.S. But hardly any viewers now have the 3-D capable sets that would allow them to see it. Networks believe 3-D could be the next big thing, and many are rushing to offer programming. The Masters announced this week that next month’s tournament will be available to Comcast subscribers with proper sets. The NHL game will be available to Cablevision subscribers with 3-D-compatible TVs who get MSG HD. The network is in discussions with other cable providers.
March 18, 2010 | Posted in
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo is buying a fantasy sports company co-founded by an MIT graduate whose card-counting skills helped him win millions of dollars in blackjack and spawned a film and a best-selling book. Citizen Sports offers fantasy leagues for sports such as football, soccer and basketball that fans can manage online at social-networking sites and through mobile applications for Apple’s iPhone and smart phones running Google Inc.’s Android operating software. With Citizen Sports, Yahoo is looking to boost its social-networking offerings, an area the company has struggled in even though, according to comScore, it commands the largest U.S. Internet audience in news, sports and finance. Yahoo did not release financial details of its purchase, which it expects to close by June. Millions of people participate in fantasy leagues. Participants rack up points based on the performance of the sports players they pick to be on their make-believe teams. Jeff Ma, whose antics in Las Vegas and Atlantic City inspired “Bringing Down the House” and, more recently, the movie “21,” started Citizen Sports with business partner Mike Kerns in 2004. Yahoo said Wednesday that Citizen Sports will be integrated with content from its sports news and information site, Yahoo Sports, and vice versa. Citizen Sports, which is privately held, now has 39 million unique visitors in the U.S. each month.
March 17, 2010 | Posted in
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NEW YORK (AP) — CBS Sports’ president thinks that Tiger Woods’ return to golf will be one of the “biggest media spectacles in recent memory.” Sean McManus told The Associated Press last week before Woods announced when he would play again that he believed only President Barack Obama’s inauguration would rank higher as a media event. CBS will get to televise the spectacle now that Woods has said he will come back at next month’s Masters. Huge numbers of viewers will undoubtedly tune in to see how Woods plays following a four-month break from golf brought on by revelations of his infidelity. ESPN airs the first two rounds of the Masters before CBS takes over for the weekend.
March 16, 2010 | Posted in
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Motion controls and social gaming were the hot topics at this week’s Game Developers Conference, the annual convention of game designers, programmers and executives. Sony shook up the conference with a splashy introduction of the PlayStation Move, a new wand-shaped PlayStation 3 motion controller system that will rival Nintendo’s popular Wii. Sony showed off several games that use the new system, which utilizes a PlayStation Eye camera to detect players’ movements. Among them were the action brawler “Motion Fighter,” over-the-top party game “TV Superstars,” athletic simulator “Sports Champions,” mini-game collection “Move Party,” third-person shooter “SOCOM 4″ and wacky downhill racer “Slider.” “It’s just scratching the surface,” said TechSavvy technology analyst Scott Steinberg. “If you talk with game developers themselves, they will tell you they don’t know what they’re quite capable of doing because they’re just coming to grips – no pun intended – with the hardware itself. At this point, we’re just seeing some very early possibilities.” The biggest buzz, however, seemed reserved for social gaming, a form of easy-to-play online multiplayer games. With the success of such social games as the real-time crop-growing simulator “FarmVille” and the gangster role-playing saga “Mafia Wars,” several conference sessions this year were devoted solely on how to tap into the gaming world’s Next Big Thing. “I feel like people are motivated more this year,” said Game Developers Conference director Meggan Scavio. “They seem genuinely excited to be doing what they’re doing, and there’s an air of anticipation. I think they’ve discovered there’s still new business models out there. There’s still new ways to develop and make games that they hadn’t thought of before.” There’s still wow factor, too. On the sprawling expo floor, attendees gawked at the VirtuSphere, a huge hamster ball-like virtual reality doodad that allows users inside to control a virtual character by walking around inside it. Folks also crowded in front of a mock living room populated with hipsters rocking out with the upcoming guitar game “Power Gig.” “Civilization” and “Railroad Tycoon” designer Sid Meier delivered a keynote address to hundreds of attendees Friday morning about the psychology of game design, encouraging gamemakers to suspend players’ disbelief without taking them out of the interactive experience. Meier told the audience that they can “save millions” just by tapping into gamers’ imaginations. “What it comes down to is we’re trying to create this epic journey for the player where the process of playing a game takes you from one place to another,” Meier later said. “By the end of the game, you’ve maybe learned something about the world and hopefully something about yourself. That’s what we’re really trying to do with the psychology of making a game.” — On the Net: http://www.gdconf.com/
March 13, 2010 | Posted in
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL’s greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 69. Olsen was a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier in the 1960s. He later starred on NFL broadcasts, commercials, and as Jonathan Garvey on the TV series “Little House on the Prairie.” “He was ferocious and fearless on the football field and then the other probably more important aspect of his personality was he was a true gentleman,” said fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood, his teammate with the Rams in Los Angeles. “We all know what a wonderful, tremendous football player he was, but he was so much more than that.” Utah State, Olsen’s alma mater, said he died outside of Los Angeles. He was diagnosed last year with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining often linked to asbestos. Olsen filed a lawsuit last year, claiming he contracted the disease as a result of being exposed to asbestos on construction sites where he worked as a child and young adult. “He cared deeply about people, especially those that shared the game of football with him,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Merlin was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy.” Olsen was a consensus All-American at Utah State and won the 1961 Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. The Rams drafted him third overall in 1962 and he spent the next 15 years with the team, and is still the franchise’s career leader in tackles with 915. He was picked to 14 straight Pro Bowls, a string that began with his rookie year. He joined Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier on the Rams’ storied “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line known for either stopping or knocking backward whatever offenses it faced. The Rams set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968. Youngblood joined the Rams as a rookie in 1971, backing up Jones as Olsen continued to anchor the other side of the line. Youngblood remembered Olsen telling him as a young player to push to be great not just on every play, but with “every heartbeat.” “When you stop and think of Merlin on the field, he accomplished things that will never be accomplished again,” Youngblood said. “If it hadn’t been for Merlin Olsen, I wouldn’t have turned out to be the football player that he helped mold and make.” Former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Jerry Kramer remembered in his 1968 book “Instant Replay,” co-written with late sportswriter and broadcaster Dick Schaap, dreading Olsen. “I’ll be facing Merlin Olsen, and that’s definitely work, not fun,” Kramer wrote. “Merlin never lets up. He’ll run right over you no matter what the score is.” Olsen was voted NFC defensive lineman of the year in 1973 and the NFL MVP in 1974, and was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. “Merlin Olsen is one of the best players in the history of the NFL,” Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. “His passing is a tremendous loss for the Rams. He will always be remembered as an ambassador for the organization as well as the National Football League.” Olsen made a few television cameos during his football career and turned to acting full time after he retired in 1976. He’s best remembered for his role alongside Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert on “Little House on the Prairie” from 1977-81, and on the short-lived “Father Murphy.” He also stayed in the game as a broadcaster. Olsen wasn’t just some former player who knew football and would weave tales of his playing days into the broadcast. He was well-spoken and smart. The son of a former school teacher, Olsen graduated summa cum laude at Utah State with a degree in economics and earned a master’s in economics in between his 15 NFL seasons. “Merlin was a valued and cherished member of the NBC family in the 1970s and ’80s. He loomed as large in the broadcast booth as on the football field,” NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer said. “Merlin brought both his knowledge of the game and his humanity to bear on his work.” Utah State honored Olsen in December by naming the football field at Romney Stadium after him. Because of his illness, Olsen’s alma mater didn’t want to wait until football season and made the announcement during halftime of a basketball game. Olsen was well enough to attend, but did not speak at the event. He stood and smiled as he waved to fans during a standing ovation and chants of “Merlin Olsen!” and “Aggie Legend!” Utah State is also planning a statue of Olsen at the southeast corner of the stadium. “This was the voice of a man who not only became one of our country’s most decorated athletes, but also one of the most accomplished and respected people ever to hail from the state of Utah,” said Stan Albrecht, president of Utah State. The Rams also honored Olsen during a game Dec. 20, with a video tribute narrated by Enberg. Olsen did not attend because of his health. His name was already part of the Ring of Fame inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis along with other franchise standouts. “I love the game of football,” Olsen said in his Hall of Fame induction speech. “There was some special magic out on that piece of grass out there on that field. And win or lose when I came off that field, it was always coming down. I am sure that the thing I miss most about the game is the people, the very special people and those incredible highs and lows.” Olsen is survived by his wife, Susan, and three children. There was no word Thursday on funeral arrangements.
March 12, 2010 | Posted in
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The commentary on social media during the Academy Awards broadcast was often more entertaining than the show itself. Here are 10 of the funniest Oscar tweets. Think of them as notes from the peanut gallery. -”Shhhh. I’m live tweeting from directly under Sandra Bullocks chair.” – Rainn Wilson (rainnwilson), actor. -”Charlize Theron would like to thank R. Crumb and my 16-year-old id for designing her outfit tonight.” – David Itzkoff (ditzkoff), New York Times reporter. -”Just got lost for a minute, sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah … Zach Effron’s (Zac Efron) eyes!” – Rob Corddry (robcorddr), comedian. -”Looks like a Young Victoria sweep.” – David Wain (davidwain), comedian. – “Shortest Oscar story in history: ( ! > $ )” – Roger Ebert (ebertchicago), film critic. -”Jeff Bridges is quickly closing in on Matthew McConaughey for `best actor who has become a character from an early movie.’” – Bill Simmons (sportsguy33), ESPN columnist. -”Oscars Fun Fact – Samuel L. Jackson spends 40 percent of his yearly income on Kangol hats …” – Eric Stangel (EricStangel), “Late Show With David Letterman” writer-producer. -”Oh, Sam Worthington, your glasses make me think you’re imperfect and therefore accessible.” – Mindy Kaling (mindykaling), actor-writer. -”Oprah’s about to tell everyone in the audience there’s an Oscar under their seat.” – Foster Kamer (weareyourfek), blogger. -”James Cameron is going into his own hurt locker right now.” – Paul Scheer (paulscheer), comedian.
March 8, 2010 | Posted in
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NEW YORK (AP) — Web tracker ComScore says Yahoo took the gold in Olympics Web traffic, besting NBC’s site for the games. Yahoo’s Olympics-devoted site received 32 million unique visitors during the two-week event. NBC’s Olympics site drew 18.9 million unique visitors. Both sites had reason to celebrate. While Yahoo could trumpet its record traffic, NBCOlympics.com tripled the users of the 2006 Winter Games with 45.7 million total visits compared to 13.3 million in 2006. NBC, which owned exclusive broadcasting rights to the games, also drew 45 million video streams of its video offerings online. NBC says that likely helped the site keep visitors for an average of 13.3 minutes, the most among Olympics-devoted sites. — On the Net: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics http://www.nbcolympics.com
March 5, 2010 | Posted in
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — What O.J. Simpson wore when he was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife and her friend was the suit seen around the world during one of the most watched televised moments in history. But the Smithsonian Institution, America’s repository of historical artifacts rejected it Tuesday as inappropriate for their collection. Announcement of the museum’s snub came the morning after a California judge approved the donation as the solution to a 13-year court battle over the carefully tailored tan suit, white shirt and yellow and tan tie. The ensemble has been held by Simpson’s former sports agent, Mike Gilbert. Fred Goldman, the father of the man Simpson was accused of killing in 1994, had been fighting Gilbert for the suit, which Simpson has said was stolen from him. The suit was indirectly responsible for Simpson’s current predicament: The former NFL star is imprisoned in Nevada for a bungled effort to reclaim items of his memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel room. Simpson had been told the suit was in the room and was being offered for sale, along with other artifacts of his life. It turned out the suit wasn’t there. The Smithsonian announced its decision with a terse announcement on its Web site. “The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will not be collecting O.J. Simpson’s suit,” it said. “The decision was made by the museum’s curators together with the director.” Gilbert, who has the suit in storage, said he was disappointed with the decision. “Whether we like it or not, it’s part of American history,” he said. “I’m disappointed that they didn’t wait to hear from me and consider my vision of how it should be displayed.” Attorney Ronald P. Slates, who represents Simpson, said he’s keeping his client informed about the donation effort. Superior Court Judge Joseph S. Biderman consulted Simpson by phone Monday, then approved Gilbert’s plan after Simpson said he would agree as long as no one made any money. “I’m saddened by the fact that the foremost museum in America has refused this very important item in the history of American jurisprudence,” Slates said. “Regardless of one’s feelings about Mr. Simpson, his acquittal by a jury of his peers on Oct. 3, 1995 was of great significance and is widely talked about to this day.” Even then-President Bill Clinton watched on television when the jury announced the acquittal in the killing of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman after a yearlong trial. The museum’s spokeswoman, Linda St. Thomas, said curators consider several criteria for accepting donations, including whether an item has historical significance, whether it is needed to complete a collection or is needed for research. “In this case, they knew it was not appropriate for the collection,” she said. Attorney David Cook, who represents Fred Goldman, said he was sure other institutions would want the suit. “We’re going to hang this suit in America’s closet and there will be no lack of people who want it,” Cook said. “It’s a matter of finding the right fit.” He said he already has some ideas including two Washington, D.C., museums: the Newseum, which has a collection on historical news events, and the Museum of Crime and Punishment. Slates said he may suggest that it go to the University of Southern California, where Simpson made his mark as a star football player. Gilbert, who was placed in charge of facilitating the donation, said he would consider all suggestions. He was given 30 days to report back to the judge, and could receive another 30 days if an agreement hasn’t been reached by then.
March 2, 2010 | Posted in
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A “Baywatch” babe, an astronaut and a gold medal figure skater are among those who will compete on the spring season of “Dancing With the Stars.” Host Tom Bergeron and former finalist Melissa Rycroft revealed the cast Monday. It includes Pamela Anderson, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and reality stars Kate Gosselin and Jake Pavelka. Also competing for the mirrorball trophy will be: gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek, sportscaster Erin Andrews, singer Nicole Scherzinger, football star Chad Ochocinco and actors Shannen Doherty, Aiden Turner and Niecy Nash. “It’s definitely one of our strongest cast lineups ever,” said executive producer Conrad Green. “Pound for pound, it should be really fascinating watching.” “Dancing With the Stars” returns on March 22. Green said the recipe for a great cast is “part hope, part luck, part skill, part research.” The show’s staff has been courting many of the newly announced contestants for months, he said. The new dancers will train for three weeks before making their primetime premiere. Green said his staff is enforcing limits on training time to avoid the spate of injuries that plagued last year’s cast and caused two stars to drop out before the competition began. — On the Net: http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars
March 2, 2010 | Posted in
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BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN has suspended host Tony Kornheiser from his television talk show “Pardon the Interruption” for two weeks for comments he made on the radio last week about SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm’s clothing. Kornheiser announced the suspension on his Washington D.C. radio show Tuesday morning, calling his remarks about Storm intemperate and stupid. “As the result of this, I have been sent to the sidelines of PTI for a while,” Kornheiser said. In a written release Tuesday, ESPN called Kornheiser’s comments inappropriate. “Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s vice president for content. “Tony has been suspended from PTI for two weeks. Hannah is a respected colleague who has been an integral part of the success of our morning SportsCenter.” Kornheiser described an outfit Storm was wearing at ESPN last week as “horrifying,” saying her shirt was too tight and looked “like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body.” Kornheiser said he had called Storm to personally apologize for the remarks. “If you put a live microphone in front of somebody, eventually that person will say something wrong,” Kornheiser said on his show Tuesday. “This was one of the times I said something wrong.” Storm declined to comment, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said. ESPN has been troubled by a series of workplace issues involving alleged misconduct by its television personalities, though they have involved behavior off the air.
February 24, 2010 | Posted in
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