NASCAR is back under the lights Saturday as NBC televises the UAW-GM Quality 500 from Lowe's Motor Speedway.
This will be NASCAR's seventh prime-time race, up two from last year. Next year there will be eight as the Los Angeles race on Labor Day joins the prime-time schedule.
The prime-time races, according to NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer, are the result of NASCAR's growing popularity.
"This is just another example of the stunning growth. ... Since 2000, the ratings are up 59 percent, which is why it's the No.2 sport behind the NFL in America. We've seen growth in nontraditional markets like Buffalo, which is up 40 percent, and St. Louis, Dallas, Boston, Pittsburgh, Providence, all of which are up 20 percent and above."
Race coverage begins at 7.
Nice start
Fox Sports Net wouldn't mind a double-overtime thriller every week.
Saturday's USF win over Louisville, the first of three games on FSN this year, produced a 2.8 overnight rating in Tampa Bay, roughly 45,000 households. That compared favorably with ESPN's head-to-head offering of Tennessee-Auburn, which had a 3.5.
We're No. 3! We're No. 3
Sunshine Network's SportsTalk Live debuted Monday, and roundtable member Mike Bianchi, a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, said, "Hiring Ron Zook to replace Steve Spurrier was the worst decision made since Shemp replaced Curly on the Three Stooges."
To make matters worse for Gator fans, Bianchi also exclaimed, "I think South Florida is now the third-best team in the state. They've passed Florida."
Off the field, on the air
Despite his season-ending injury, Bucs fullback Mike Alstott will continue to do his radio show Mondays on WDAE-AM 620.
Program director Brad James said Alstott will be back as soon as he is physically able. Alstott is expected to have neck surgery.
The last word
ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown crew never will be nominated for any acting awards, though they put forth a solid effort Sunday with their apologies for letting Rush Limbaugh get off clean for saying Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.
The word to best describe the sad efforts of Chris Berman, Steve Young, Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson would be smarmy. They rode Limbaugh into the ground, conveniently long after he would have had the chance to defend himself. Say what you will about Limbaugh's comments, but at least he had the guts to express his beliefs, as opposed to his fellow Countdown pals, who passed on the chance to do the same to his face.
It's easy to stand up to someone who no longer is on the set. But as the guys showed the previous week, not so easy when he's sitting right there.
The ratings, however, were up to 3.7, an increase from the 2.6 the week before. Surprisingly, they were higher at the end of the show than at the beginning, when you'd think the curiosity seekers would be tuning in for the self-flagellation.
