02-10-2006, 01:00 AM
As it turns out, veteran broadcaster Al Michaels was traded by ESPN to NBC, for the following:
1. Rights to broadcast live Friday coverage of the Ryder Cup golf championship between the United States and Europe in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, as well as the right to re-air NBC coverage and extended highlights.
2. Expanded Olympics highlights from this year through 2012.
3. Monday Night Football promotions during the NBC Sunday night NFL game through 2011.
4. Expanded highlights from Notre Dame football, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness through 2011.
The folks at ABC/ESPN also get the rights to a cartoon character named Oswald the Rabbit, who was originally created 80 years ago by Disney, the parent company of the sister networks. (Bold prediction: ABC is developing an animated sitcom involving an aging, balding, sportswriting rabbit hired to work in the MNF booth, who tries to get from game to game by burrowing cross-country, who invariably makes a wrong turn at Albuquerque or Pismo Beach, and who genuinely believes that his endless complaining is actually humorous, charming, and/or endearing.)
1. Rights to broadcast live Friday coverage of the Ryder Cup golf championship between the United States and Europe in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, as well as the right to re-air NBC coverage and extended highlights.
2. Expanded Olympics highlights from this year through 2012.
3. Monday Night Football promotions during the NBC Sunday night NFL game through 2011.
4. Expanded highlights from Notre Dame football, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness through 2011.
The folks at ABC/ESPN also get the rights to a cartoon character named Oswald the Rabbit, who was originally created 80 years ago by Disney, the parent company of the sister networks. (Bold prediction: ABC is developing an animated sitcom involving an aging, balding, sportswriting rabbit hired to work in the MNF booth, who tries to get from game to game by burrowing cross-country, who invariably makes a wrong turn at Albuquerque or Pismo Beach, and who genuinely believes that his endless complaining is actually humorous, charming, and/or endearing.)
