guncurug

The reasons for the increase are varied but there is no doubt that having all five of the largest TV markets in the playoffs for the first time since 1990.  Again, thank you to the Knicks, as the Lakers, Bulls, Sixers and Mavericks have been fairly regular participants in the years since then.  The ratings bonanza should mean substantial revenue gains for the television partners, but should only mean additional headaches for the NBA.  The jump in playoff viewership follows a rise in regular season TV ratings and will only further complicate the already delicate negotiations with the players' union for a new collective bargaining agreement.

The NBA maintains that it is losing some $300 million a year despite rising attendance, merchandise sales and now record TV ratings, and wants a 30% cut in players' salaries.  The union wants to see the books, to verify the claimed losses, something David Stern is strongly, and suspiciously if you're a player or someone who hopes there is no lockout, resisting.

So, back to the action on the court.  The networks have to be hoping that the banged up Knicks can finally learn how to close out a game now that the series moves to the Garden.  With the Lakers and Spurs having tied up their series and Miami and the Bulls firmly in control of theirs, the TV execs are still smiling over the ratings yet to come.  Now, I'm not big on NBA predictions, since I don't follow the league that closely. So, if you want any help with your, um, entertainment, check out NBA predictions by BetUS.

Last year, the NCAA opted out of the last three seasons of its landmark 11-year, $6 billion deal with CBS and wound up with a new 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and Turner.  The new deal resulted in games being broadcast on four networks: CBS and three Turner cable networks, TBS, TBT and TruTV.  To provide additional product for the new agreement, the NCAA expanded the tournament to 68, with four first round games in Dayton, ahead of the round of 64.  Two of those games involve the last four at-large bids with the other two involving the lowest seeded teams in the field, helping to somewhat remove the stigma of the First Four, as the games are now called.

There was some initial concern over the reception of the cablecasts but such concern proved to be unfounded.  Fans of the tournament are thrilled that all games are available on TV for the first time and ratings for the first weekend across all networks are up between 14% over last year.

With so many upsets and double-digit seeds making it into the Sweet Sixteen, expect television ratings to continue to exceed expectations.  I don't know about your bracket, but mine got blown up fairly early on.  I should have gone to NCAA Basketball Predictions at BetUS and maybe I would still be alive in at least one of the pools I entered.  Of course, I don't think even experts would have helped in the case of the Southwest Region's three double-digit seeds (Richmond, Florida State and VCU) making it past the weekend.  In any event, good luck with your picks this weekend.  For what it's worth, I like Butler and VCU's chances in their next games and I look for Marquette to give UNC all it can handle with potentially an upset there too.

Ex-Trail Blazer Chris Dudley running for Governor of Oregon is one of a number of former athletes competing in Republican primaries around the country (AP)

Reflecting the difficulty of athlete endorsers, Nutrisystems drops Lawrence Taylor in wake of rape charges (Darren Rovell)

Intereesting look at Todd Pletcher's coast to coast racing operation and the importance of good assistant trainers, which he was once one for D. Wayne Lukas (C-J)

Sports and pseudo-sports (WWE) drive cable viewing to top four in Mediaweek Cable Hot List 2010, as TBS takes #1, followed by USA, ESPN and TNT (Mediaweek)

The final list of early entrants to the NBA draft - read 'em and weep (CBS)

Virginia seeded number one in men's NCAA lacrosse tournament;  five-time defending champion Northwestern seeded second behind Maryland in the women's tournament; grief stricken UVa seeded sixth  (LaxPower, LaxPower)