Coming soon to a TV near you: All ACC, all the time
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
3. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
4. WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank
5. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
6. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
7. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
8. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
9. CB Manning opts to transfer from Virginia Tech
10. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The SEC Network soon will be upon us. On Thursday, conference commissioner Mike Slive and ESPN president John Skipper announced a partnership that will launch in August 2014 and run for 20 years, making it the longest sports-rights contract in U.S. television.
Your move, Mr. Swofford.
An ACC Network has to be coming, right? You've got to think the league won't want to fall too far behind on this cash grab.
Sports Business Daily reported in January that the league had hired a media group to explore the financial benefits of starting its own network. Last month's signing of the grant of rights by all 15 ACC schools signals solidarity and should add clarity to the process.
So let's assume it'll happen. But what about content?
The SEC Network will televise three football games every Saturday and show more than 100 men's basketball games. Excellent. But what about filling those weekdays in the summer?
That's not easy. Here's an actual TV listing for the Big Ten Network on Monday:
5:30 p.m. BTN LiveB1G: Indiana [TV-PG] Creation of one of the largest student-based entrepreneurial competitions, innovative medical treatments for veterans, and a program dedicated to ending world hunger.
Sporty! Hey, the ACC can do better, but the league needs to start brainstorming now. Here's a potential lineup for the ACC Network during the dog days:
7 a.m.: "Up and At 'Em with Mike and Roy" (1 hour) Live from the Greensboro Coliseum, Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams discuss basketball, politics and the news of the day.
8 a.m.: "Class Act" (30 minutes) A "Cops"-style show featuring low-level assistant coaches popping in on athletes at their dorm rooms when they're supposed to be in class.
8:30 a.m.: "Take it or Leave it" (30 minutes) Star high school athletes equipped with hidden cameras negotiate with recruiters.
9 a.m.: "Beach Bod with Larry Fedora" (2 hours) The UNC football coach known for ripping off his shirt and lifting with his team hosts this weekly program that will get you buff.
11 a.m.: "Bargain Hunters" [1 hour] Fans scour StubHub in search of the cheapest tickets to ACC events.
12 noon: "Great Moments in Duke Football History" (5 minutes)
12:05 p.m.: "Clock Management with Mike London" (55 minutes) The UVa coach discusses late-game strategy, focusing on when to take timeouts. This week's episode: How to explain controversial moves in postgame interview sessions.
1 p.m.: "Long Toss" (2 hours) Watch your favorite ACC baseball players strengthen their arms for the upcoming season with a good ol' fashioned throwing session. This week: Wake Forest.
3 p.m.: "Bobby's World" (1 hour) A reality show that follows the life and times of former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. This week's episode: "Dadgum Weeds."
4 p.m.: Club Badminton (live, 2 hours): Boston College hits the road for a tough match at Syracuse.
6 p.m.: "Dangerous Crowd" (1 hour) Frank Beamer shows off his dance moves in a "Club MTV" send-up.
7 p.m.: "Great ACC Football Blowouts" (3 hours) Step back in time to Sept. 16, 1995, as top-ranked Florida State lays a 77-17 beatdown on N.C. State.
10 p.m.: "Certifiably Insane" (1 hour) The league's basketball coaches gather for this weekly round-table discussion of the greatest NCAA tournament committee snubs in ACC lore. Seth Greenberg moderates.
11 p.m.: "Expansion Madness" (30 minutes) In the style of "The Newlywed Game," representatives from the old guard are paired with their counterparts from Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Notre Dame and attempt to answer questions about each other's athletic history. Hilarity ensues.
11:30 p.m.: "Expansion Madness"
Midnight: "Chopped: Tailgate" (1 hour) The Food Network sends its celebrity judges to parking lots throughout the ACC, as contestants vie for the title of top outdoor chef.
1 a.m.: Club Bowling (tape-delay, 3 hours) Clemson at Pittsburgh.
4 a.m.: "Long Toss" (repeat)
6 a.m.: "Dangerous Crowd" (repeat)
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
3. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
4. WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank
5. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
6. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
7. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
8. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
9. CB Manning opts to transfer from Virginia Tech
10. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
THE ROANOKE TIMES
