It's hard to believe, but Vancouver is just one month away from lighting the torch for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and thus NBC is releasing a ton of their coverage details. Here is the breakdown of hours, some statistics, and the channels the Games will be appearing on. I'll be sure to provide you with the list of announcers, and weekly schedules, when they are released.

NBC Universal will present more than 835 hours of Vancouver Olympic Winter Games coverage - representing the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, more than the last two Winter Olympics combined, and the most live hours ever for a Winter Games. The Vancouver Games, which will be the first Winter Olympics to be presented entirely in high definition, commence with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 12. The announcement was made today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics and executive producer of NBC Universal's Olympic coverage.

The more than 835 total hours of coverage on six NBC Universal platforms - NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as well as NBCOlympics.com - nearly doubles the coverage from Torino (419) and is more than Torino and Salt Lake City (375.5) combined (794.5).

Following is a breakdown of the Vancouver Olympics coverage on the NBC Universal networks:

- The six NBC Universal platforms - NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as well as NBCOlympics.com - will offer the most in-depth coverage in history for a Winter Olympics. The more than 835 hours is nearly double Torino (419) and is more than Torino and Salt Lake City (375.5) combined (794.5).

- Over the 17 days of the Vancouver Games (Feb.12-28), NBCU's coverage will average nearly 50 hours per day - that's more coverage in one day than all of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics (43.5) on ABC.

- The networks of NBCU will provide coverage of every one of the 15 Winter Olympic sports.

- Vancouver will be the first Winter Olympics broadcast 100-percent in high definition, including the first-ever online HD.

Universal HD: 9am -Noon
USA: Noon - 5:30pm
NBC: 3pm - 5pm
CNBC: 5p - 5am
MSNBC: 5:30pm - 8pm
NBC: 8pm - 11:30pm
NBC: 12:35am - 2am
NBC: 2am - 5 am
MSNBC: 3am - 5:30am

Sad news for Hockey fans, that have DirecTV as their cable provider. Versus is available in about 75 million homes, but DirecTV is considering dropping the channel within the week, which could drop that number by almost one-third. From Multichannel via TSB....

"In our contract discussions, Comcast has demanded a deal for Versus that is not comparable to other providers and is pushing for a significant rate hike that does not reflect current market terms or the value of its programming," DirecTV said in a prepared statement. "We will continue to try and negotiate a fair deal, but we intend to hold the line on our programming costs and protect our customers against these unfair demands that are both discriminatory and wholly unrealistic given current market rates. If we do not reach an agreement, the network will come down on Sept. 1 following the expiration of our contract with Versus."

The dispute comes weeks before the college football season is expected to kick-off - Versus is scheduled to air its first game (Texas vs. Wyoming) on Sept. 12. Versus also airs its first NHL contest on Oct. 1.

In a statement, Versus said that it is negotiating in good faith with DirecTV and hopes a deal can be reached soon.

"Since our last deal with DirecTV, Versus has added many marquee properties and has become the fastest growing sports cable network in the country," the network said in a statement. "Despite this tremendous momentum, we are offering DirecTV the ability to carry Versus the same way it does today at the market price for the network. We continue to talk and are hopeful that we will reach an agreement."

Well that's not good news at all. Versus has made a ton of strides with their programming, and with Hockey back in the National spotlight, it seems like they have more to offer than ever. Hopefully they can come to an agreement soon.

DirecTV, Versus Could Split By Next Week (The Sporting Blog)
DirecTV Could Drop Versus (Multichannel)

Obviously, this isn't the same is interrupting a Super Bowl TD for Porn, but it's certainly somewhat funny. Last week, the BBC was airing their first edition of "The Football League Show", when all of a sudden the show was switched from Soccer highlights to the movie "Blue Crush". Even more funny, was the fact that the scene they switched to involved actress Kate Bosworth going into a bathroom to pee (:40 mark). Via SS Reporters....

Too funny. I love the fact that they switch back less than a minute later. Also, the Country of England already thinks we are inferior to them intellectually and culturally. Do they really need to be seeing "Blue Crush"? You're not helping us out over here, BBC!

BBC Interrupts Your Soccer Highlights to Show Blue Crush! (SS Reporters)

Outside of some random discussions on CNBC, CNN and MSNBC, Sports Business rarely comes up in today's news. Well Versus is planning on changing that with a new show called "The $ports Take", which will debut at the end of August. Via Sports Business Daily ($)....

Versus is launching a weekly sports business show called "The $ports Take," hosted by sports consultant Rick Horrow. Career Sports & Entertainment (CS&E), Atlanta, is producing the show, which debuts August 25 at 6:30pm ET. The show will run on Tuesday nights. The first episode features an interview with Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones and a tour of his new stadium. Future shows will include interviews with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA Commissioner David Stern, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France and PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka. CS&E President of Media & Marketing Mark Lazarus said, "We're excited to bring sports junkies a new perspective on the sports they already love."

I'm sure a lot of people won't find this line of programming interesting, but for there is a small sect of diehard Sports' fans, that love anything involving the business of Sports. Hearing about television deals, free agency and collective bargaining agreements, has always been something I've been drawn to, so I'm definitely going to give the show a chance.

Saw this interesting tidbit in the NY Times today, and thought I'd share. As you know, ESPN is taking over one of the many EPL international packages, and are considering devoting an entire channel to the Soccer league. Well, EPL fans are some of the most, if not the most dedicated viewers in the world, and analysts are predicting a tough go of it for the "Leader"....

But ESPN will have to make its mark quickly, analysts say, because it will have fewer games after the coming season.

“If they haven’t established the coverage with the Premier League next season, then they are going to have a lot of ground to cover,” said Tim Westcott, an analyst at Screen Digest, a research company in London.

As Mr. Wolff [managing director of ESPN International] noted, ESPN has considerable experience with international sports. It used to own 33 percent of Eurosport, a pan-European channel controlled by the French broadcaster TF1, but sold that in 2002. It showed World Cup soccer matches in Brazil in 2006 and broadcasts top cricket events in India. It produces SportsCenter, a sports news show, in 14 versions for audiences around the world.

ESPN also owns Web sites with global appeal, like Cricinfo, which is about cricket; Scrum, which covers rugby; and Racing Live, about Formula 1 auto racing.

Still, few sports fans are as demanding, or as tribal in their passions, as followers of Premier League soccer. American involvement in the game has been a sore subject at clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool, where fans objected to takeovers by American owners.

With everything related to ESPN’s coverage of the Premier League, from camera angles to analyst comments, likely to be scrutinized for signs of a hidden agenda of Disneyfication, Mr. Chadwick had some advice for ESPN: “There is a strong sense of counterculture in English football. They can’t be too glitzy, they can’t be too showbiz, they can’t be too American.”

I can't imagine the amount of pressure ESPN feels right now, but if any network can handle the short turnaround time, it's them. Some sports completely speak for themselves, and Soccer is certainly one of them. Hopefully they can pull it off, get the right announcers in place, and not completely alienate the international Soccer fan.

ESPN’s British Soccer Deal Highlights Global Push (NY Times)

HBO has nabbed Brett Lorenzo Favre as the first guest on Joe Buck Live, and the interview will serve as his first interview since the Vikings rumors began. Not only will Favre be appearing on the debut show, but the network has also lined up David Wright, Michael Irvin and comedian Artie Lange. Wait really?

Primed to be entertaining, informative and lively, the premiere of Joe Buck Live will offer a diverse collection of interviews, opinions and humor as the topic of Sports & Celebrity is addressed. The show will originate from midtown Manhattan and a live studio audience will get to participate.

Segment One: One- on-One live interview with former Green Bay and New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre.

Segment Two: The Glare of Celebrity with former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver and radio personality Michael Irvin and Cincinnati Bengals newsmaker and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. David Wright of the New York Mets will appear in a taped piece on living in the hot New York media spotlight.

Segment Three: A comedy panel featuring Paul Rudd, Artie Lange and Jason Sudeikis, offering their unrehearsed take on sports and celebrity.C

I honestly thought that the first episode was going to just be a lame panel discussion about athletes and celebrities, but this lineup is pretty impressive. The show will also be airing a few taped segments, including one from the Will Ferrell comedy site, "Funny or Die". I'll try to have clips up later tonight, or tomorrow morning.

The ratings for the NHL have been pretty solid throughout the Playoffs, and with the Finals now tied 2-2, they're only going to get better. On the heels of this great news, comes even more great news for NBC in that the NHL has decided to extend the contract with the network for another two years. Via Globe and Mail....

Now, NBC and the NHL are set to announce an extension to their relationship for another two years, past the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and Stanley Cup playoffs.

It will likely be a continuation of the no-money-down/split-revenues-after-costs arrangement that has existed since the two sides fell into each other's arms after the NHL lockout in 2004-05.

At that time, NBC got an inexpensive property to fill out its sports schedule, while the NHL got the perfume of network respectability after locking out its players and fans for a complete season.

Despite the hiccup of NBC switching away from a playoff overtime to a Kentucky Derby prep show in 2008, the relationship has worked reasonably well for both sides.

I still think NBC has to get their priorities straight when it comes to the use of Versus, but they've improved their broadcast over the last few years immensely. It also doesn't hurt that the star power is finally there for advertisers, and that the network is also airing the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

NBC, NHL set to extend broadcast deal (Globe and Mail)

Every channel is looking to fill holes in their programming with a reality show these days, and Sports based ones seem to be the most popular. Well NBC is getting in on the trend as well, and will be airing a women's MMA reality program this fall. Via Chicago MMA....

Ultimate Women’s Combat is a television show that focuses on 16 female Mixed Martial Arts fighters as they attempt to make a name for themselves in the rough and tumble world of professional cage fighting. Many of these combatants have been connected to male fighters and trainers their entire careers. It’s now time for them to step out of the shadows and into the fire! Throughout the show the audience will get to know these warriors not only as fighters but as women who have lives, responsibilities and experiences that extend beyond the cage. Ultimate Women’s Combat will delve deep into the lives of these women pulling from them the most intriguing details of what makes a female fighter. The weekly challenges will have the girls working closely with nationally recognized organizations to make the public aware of issues that have impacted our communities and the women themselves. Make no mistake, this is a fight show and there will be fights! At the end of the season the winners of the tournament will receive a major contract from a partnered fighting promotion. Ultimate Women’s Combat is not a fighting promotion and the creators do not intend to promote fights under the Ultimate Women’s Combat banner.

Bas Rutten and Maxim 100 model, Joanna Krupa will play hosts to the show. Also featured as coaches are #1 ranked fighter, Tara LaRosa, U.K. fighting sensation Rosi Sexton, Strike Force contender Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and Jiu-jitsu legend Cesar Gracie. The 16 female fighters include Felice Herrig, Angela Magana, Angela Hayes, Melissa Steele, Roxy Richardson, Lauren Sugahara, Kerry Vera, Michelle Vera, Moroeles Coenen, Casey Noland, Molly Helsel, Vanessa Mariscal, Jessica Aguilar, Martha Benavides, and Kate McGray (fight roster subject to change).

Obviously they would be better served if they could pull Gina Carano, but this little program could be a hit. There's something about attractive women fighting each other, that guys seem to enjoy.

Felice Herrig's Upcoming Reality Show To Air On NBC (Chicago MMA)

Ask and you shall receive. Just as I was posting the Comcast/ESPNU news, I learned that the NFL and Comcast have also reached an agreement. And get this....it was announced via Twitter....

The details have yet to be released, but as I mentioned in previous posts, the deal is expected to include both on demand content as well as the "Red Zone Channel". This is obviously a great day for all the parties involved, and certainly for NFL fans.

NFL V.P. of corporate communications, Brian McCarthy (Twitter)

The Dallas Cowboys have gone out on a limb, and promised a roster spot to whomever wins the Michael Irvin hosted "4th and Long", with a roster spot. Well that process begins tonight when the show kicks off on Spike at 10pm. Here's a little video on the participants, and a list of the celeb guest stars, if you're interested....

Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Spike TV are on a quest to give a football hopeful a shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster in the new series “4th and Long.” Premiering on Monday, May 18 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT), Spike TV will chronicle the rigorous training, heated competition, and compelling moments among 12 talented unsigned football players – individuals who either blew their first shot at making the NFL, or never had one to begin with. In a 10-week training camp, Irvin will offer his wealth of experience and guidance to mold them into NFL-caliber players. Each week a different contestant will be cut, with the eventual victor heading to training camp with football’s legendary franchise, the Dallas Cowboys.

The twelve players participating (6 wide receivers and 6 defensive backs) have impressive pedigrees including high-school All-Americans, Arena League MVP’s and starters at Division 1 college programs such as the University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of North Carolina and the University of Tennessee.

Former NFL All-Pro Bill Bates will coach the defensive backs and former Dallas special-teams coach, Joe Avezzano will oversee the wide receivers. Guest stars on “4th and Long” include Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Tony Dorsett, and Roger Staubach along with current and former Cowboy greats Drew Pearson, Daryl Johnston, Jay Novacek, Nate Newton, Darren Woodson, Terence Newman, and Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will also appear throughout the series.

I don't know about this one, but at least I've heard of a few of the guys involved. The show really just seems like a Hard Knocks ripoff, but with less people. And the big question is whether this is a guarateed roster spot, or just a chance to come to camp? Interesting idea, but it might not pan out for Spike.

I've been impressed with not only the live baseball coverage on the MLB Network, but with some of the in house productions as well (especially "Prime 9"). Well the network is all set to debut another one this weekend, and they're about to get all statistical and historical on you. Via MLB-N PR....

MLB Network will air the television premiere of the original documentary “Base Ball Discovered” on Sunday, May 17 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Narrated by Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor Edward James Olmos and produced by MLB.com, the film is a detailed exploration of the many generational theories about the origins of America’s national pastime that will take viewers overseas as it makes an unexpected and historic discovery in Surrey, a county in the South East of England.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully has said of the film, “'Base Ball Discovered' is a grand slam of a study. It provides an intentional walk through the scorebook of history and whether of British or Yankee beginnings, rounders or cricket, whether to salute a general or pitch to a private, it scores big time and is a winner.”

In September 2008, “Base Ball Discovered” won the Award for Baseball Excellence at the third annual Baseball Film Festival at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. The award is given to the film which excels in research, factual accuracy, historical context, appreciation of the game, and/or embodiment of the spirit of baseball.

The show will air this Sunday at 6pm, and repeats will be on May 19th, May 21st, May 22nd and May 24th. I'll see if I can get some clips ahead of time, but you might want to block some time to check it out.

Versus has been doing some great things as of late, and I've enjoyed their Hockey coverage during the Playoffs, but their latest idea has fail written all over it. Former ESPN "Dream Job" runner-up, Zach Selwyn, will host a show called "Fanarchy" which features seven fans talking Sports, via webcam. At the end of each show, Selwyn will kick two off, and the next week two new "panelists" will be in their place. Via Sports Business Journal....

“It’s like nothing that’s out there,” said Versus President Jamie Davis. “We said early on that Versus’ original shows were not going to be made up of guys sitting at a desk with a plasma screen behind them giving news and data.”

The show debuts June 7 at 11 p.m. ET, just after a WEC mixed martial arts event, which typically draw some of Versus’ highest ratings.

Eventually, it will settle into the Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. ET slot, following Versus’ other original program, “Sports Soup.”

“These shows are true and unique to the Versus brand: to super-serve sports fans,” Davis said. “We never wanted to be a network that preached to you. Now, we are developing a community.”

Thanks to “Fanarchy,” part of that community will be developed online, Davis said. Versus is devoting part of its Web site to the series (versus.com/fanarchy). That’s where would-be contestants can upload their audition videos. The site’s visitors then will vote on the contestants that should be considered to appear on the show.

While Sports Soup, the other original program on the network, has succeeded after some early bumps....this has trainwreck written all over it. However, if the panelists are half as insane as those on Sky Sports' Fancast, then it might be worth a viewing.

Like A Good Argument? (Sports Business Journal)

I forget the program I was listening to the other day, but an interesting point was raised about the Super Bowl. The radio host was talking Boxing and pay-per-view, and mentioned that he thought that within ten years the Super Bowl would be moved to that format. While that's certainly discerning, it's definitely years away. Unlike the reality that the Super Bowl could be played in London soon.

Roger Goodell has been denying stateside for months that the Super Bowl could be played overseas, but the BBC is saying something completely different....

The NFL has had "substantive talks" with officials in London about holding the Super Bowl in the city, a senior league official has told BBC Sport.

While commissioner Roger Goodell has previously admitted an interest in bringing the game to London, this is the first confirmation of discussions.

"We've spoken on what it would take to host and for us to bring it over," said events vice-president Frank Supovitz.

"The city has all the facilities needed, and in great quantity."

Supovitz was talking in New York City where the NFL Draft will take place this weekend.

"We have had very substantive conversations with the city of London. We've got to the point of exploring the bid document," he added.

Call me an "Ugly American", but I think the majority of the country would be really upset if the Super Bowl went to England. I certainly think it would be a success, and that the event would instantly sell out, but the Super Bowl is an American icon. The only good thing that could come about this, is that the game would be starting at 2 or 3pm here, instead of six something. The wait is the worst part.

NFL in talks on London Super Bowl (BBC)

The National Football League released it's preseason schedule today, and while you can view the whole thing at NFL.com, I figured I'd share the National TV portion of the schedule with you. There are some great games on the slate, but it appears ESPN lucked out with the most intriguing.....a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII. Here's the rest of the schedule....

Hall of Fame Game

Sunday, Aug. 9- Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans, at Canton, Ohio (NBC, 8 p.m. ET)

Week 1

Thursday, Aug. 13- Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
Monday, Aug. 17- Carolina Panthers at New York Giants (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

Week 2

Thursday, Aug. 20- Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Friday, Aug. 21- Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Monday, Aug. 24- New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

Week 3

Thursday, Aug. 27- Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Friday, Aug. 28- New England Patriots at Washington Redskins (CBS, 8 p.m. ET)
Saturday, Aug. 29- San Diego Chargers at Atlanta Falcons (CBS, 8 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Aug. 30- Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos (NBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Monday, Aug. 31- Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

FOX is out of the BCS game following next season's set of games, with the games moving to ESPN in 2010, and there are rumors circulating the Sports World that the network is interested in selling of its rights for 2009. Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution....

Remember that back in 2007 FOX jumped into the BCS sweepstakes and took it away from ABC by paying $80 million a year. When the contract came up for bid last year, ESPN outbid FOX by putting up $125 million a year for 2010-13. FOX has one more season, 2009, on its current deal to televise the BCS games. But there are some rumblings that FOX could sell those 2009 rights to ESPN if the Worldwide Leader made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Because the BCS championship game is being hosted by the Rose Bowl this season, it will be on ABC, of which ESPN is a part. Stay tuned on this one.

Any other year, this move would probably cost ESPN too much, but with the "Leader" airing the Championship game in the Rose Bowl....it actually might be too good a situation to pass up. Again, this is all just speculation, but not all that far-fetched given the timing of everything in 2009.

Speaking of the BCS: Will FOX Sports televise the final year of its contract? (AJC)

Versus' President, Jamie Davis, talked with the Washington Times recently, and had some interesting things to say about the direction of the network. Among the highlights were discussions about the NHL, and rights that they're trying to acquire, but the most interesting part was the comparison to ESPN. Not only does Davis not agree with the comparison, but he flat out said that Versus isn't interested in copying the "Leader's" model....

A lot of people look at Versus and compare it to ESPN. That may not necessarily be fair, but I'm wondering what the biggest challenges have been so far in getting the viewership and distribution up to that level.

First, I want to be clear that we're not trying to become ESPN. They do a great job, but that's not what we want to become. We are trying to serve a fan base that we believe has been underserved in the past, which is to take certain sports and jump thigh-deep into them and really serve them. We're in over 75 million households; we were in 60 million households when we were the Outdoor Life Network. So the migration has rapidly allowed us to extend our reach. Versus is available to everyone across the country...we weren't like that before, and I think it's because now we've extended our offering. It's become a more broad offering to sports fans and therefore more sports fans have expressed a desire to get Versus. We also launched in December our 24/7 HD channel. Versus HD is in 16 million households already and is continuing to grow.

Obviously there are pros and cons when it comes to competing with ESPN, the main one being that you're starting a race about 100 laps down, but it's about time that someone took a stab at it. Part of the problem with ESPN in recent years was their sheer lack of accountability due to the fact that they're a monopoly. People don't have any other options, so they know they're not going anywhere. Obviously that has changed for the better over the past few years, but another player on their level would make the landscape even better. Competition breeds quality and responsibility.

The article is a good piece about a growing network, and you should check it out if you have the time.

Versus' Jamie Davis (Washington Times)

In one of the more interesting moves as of late, NBC announced today that Al Michaels would be involved in Olympic coverage for the first time since 1988. Michaels will be the host of the network's daytime and weekend Winter Olympic coverage, and will be putting in over 50 hours of work over the seventeen day event. Via NBC PR....

Emmy Award winner Al Michaels, one of the most renowned broadcasters of all-time and whose legendary "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" call at the Lake Placid Olympics 30 years ago stands as the most famous call in sports television history, will serve as host of NBC's live weekend and weekday daytime coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The announcement was made today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics.

This will be Michaels' first Olympic broadcast assignment in 22 years when he called hockey games at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Michaels will host more than 50 hours of live weekend and weekday daytime coverage from Vancouver, a significant increase in hours from NBC's daytime shows from Torino in 2006.

"I've loved the Olympics since childhood and to have a chance to be a part of the coverage again, especially on the 30th anniversary of the Lake Placid Games, will be a thrill," said Michaels. "I am very excited about the opportunity to work another Olympic Games."

I had absolutely no desire to watch the Winter Olympics (except for Hockey), but now that the most famous voice of the game is involved, I might actually check them out. Good move, NBC.

All league specific channels have been looking to beef up their content as of late, and the latest do so is the Big Ten Network. The BTN is adding a town hallish show to their lineup, and the show will be hosted by former Big Ten running back, Eddie George. Via BTN PR....

In each episode of the eight-week series, George, the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back, hosts three Big Ten personalities in an open forum taped in front of a live studio audience at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. New episodes will air at 9 PM ET on Mondays, beginning March 23, and will re-air throughout the week.

“The exciting part of ‘The Big Ten Quad’ is its unpredictability. The show will capture natural conversations that would take place even if the cameras weren’t rolling,” Big Ten Network Vice President, Programming Mike Feller said. “Eddie will be a great fit as a host because he is a good conversationalist and he has a strong intellectual curiosity. He will be able to relate to a variety of guests with his experience in the Big Ten and professional sports.”

“The Big Ten is about true passion and tradition, but each athlete or coach has had their own unique experience. My role each week is to ask the right questions and let the conversation flow from there,” George said.

That's definitely an interesting idea, and those interested in Big Ten current events and history will probably enjoy the list of guests that they've lined up. Some of those included will be: Wisconsin Football Coach Bret Bielema, Ron Dayne, Gene Keady, Desmond Howard, Michael Redd and Jeff George.

Not a bad lineup of guests there. The show is set to debut on March 13th at 11pm.

So the details surrounding Joe Buck's new show on HBO are slowly starting to take shape, and Sports Business Daily has a few of the more interesting angles and ideas. According to SBD, the show will be 90 minutes in length, air quarterly and take on the town hall format that people responded to so well. Not only that, but Buck is even suggesting that they keep the name "Costas Now"....

HBO Sports Thursday announced the hiring of Fox' Joe Buck in the wake of Bob Costas' departure to MLB Network. Buck will host a sports talk show starting this May that will air on a quarterly basis and likely will utilize a town-hall format. HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg: "We will build a show around Joe that will showcase his personality and his talent and … there will be some comedic elements as well.” Buck added the show "will be different," but admitted some of the details were still undetermined. Buck: "We don't even have a name for it. I suggested to Ross that we keep 'Costas Now.'" Buck also said he "would like to bring in other elements" outside of just sports. Buck: "I don't think that keeping it straight sports all the time is something that really suits me best. ... This is going to be a unique look"

The biggest question, I have about the show, is if they are going to go straight Sports or make it more of a late night talk show format. Both could actually work, and while I think Joe Buck isn't the greatest PbPer, people might respond to him in as a talk show host. Obviously you have to find a balance between non-Sports and Sports, but I'm not totally discounting HBO and Buck actually pulling it off. I'll be sure to keep you updated as things progress.

HBO Sports Hires Buck To Host Show In Wake Of Costas Exit (Sports Business Daily - $)

I've purposely avoided the whole Irvin-Aikman-Romo talk, because I'm sick of talking about the Cowboys when they didn't even make the postseason, but this item I just couldn't pass up. Spike TV is giving Michael Irvin his own reality show, which will be debuting this Spring. Here's the press release via Barry Horn at the Dallas Morning News....

NFL Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboy icon Michael Irvin has teamed up with 3 Ball Productions, the successful reality television company, to develop an original Spike TV series. This untitled Michael Irvin/Dallas Cowboys project was created by Irvin and his production company, Playmaker Productions, and features twelve amateur hopefuls who will move to Dallas and compete against one another to earn a shot at a coveted spot in Dallas Cowboy training camp next summer and potentially a spot on the team.

This untitled Michael Irvin/ Dallas Cowboys project will premiere in the spring of 2009 and will feature Irvin as on-air talent, keeping a watchful eye over the contestants and helping to mold them into champions as they are put through rigorous competition. The twelve football neophytes, six wide receivers and six defensive backs, will be broken into two teams, overseen by notable former Cowboy coaches and players. Guest judges will appear along the way including other former players, coaches, media personalities and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

"This is a groundbreaking opportunity for football players and football fans," said Irvin. "The unique element is that these men will actually be competing for a training camp roster spot in an NFL camp. There is so much great undiscovered football talent out there, guys that may have missed their shot for one reason or another. This is about hope and a shot at greatness," furthered Irvin.

I'm just as sick as you are of Sports based Reality Shows, but this isn't really THAT bad of an idea. It's like Hard Knocks, but with just one plot line. There is no title yet, and no word if Pacman Jones is a candidate (I kid), but this could turn out to be a good show if done right.

Michael Irvin getting his own Cowboys reality show -- really (Sports Media Blog)