TV/Radio

Remote patrol

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published December 16, 2005

CHECK IT OUT

BUCS-NEW ENGLAND, 1:30 P.M. SATURDAY, CH. 13: The winners of the past four Super Bowls meet as the Bucs continue to fight for a division title that the Patriots have all but wrapped up. Dick Stockton , Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa (all together now: groooan) will call the action.

NFL COUNTDOWN, 11:30 A.M. SATURDAY, ESPN: The 30-minute show will have the always popular " Jon Gruden Miked!" feature. ESPN promises a collection of in-game audio from Gruden on the sideline, so hide the children.

SIX DAYS TO SUNDAY, 9 TONIGHT, NFL NETWORK: NFL Network followed former Buc and current San Diego receiver Keenan McCardell as he prepared for last weekend's game, a loss to Miami. This series is one of the better things NFL Network does and a familiar face makes it that much better. Viewers get a tour of McCardell's home, follow along as hs drives his kids to school and gets a hair cut at the barber shop.

ESPN announced Thursday that Sunday Night Football commentators Mike Patrick and Paul Maguire will work on college games next season. Their partners will be announced shortly. This is the last season for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, with Monday Night Football moving to ESPN in 2006. Sunday Night Football's Joe Theismann and Suzy Kolber will join Al Michaels and Michele Tafoya on MNF.

The Lightning's Tim Taylor will wear a microphone in Saturday's game against Detroit as part of Sun Sports' "Sounds of the Game" presentation that night. Viewers will be able to hear Taylor at various points during the broadcast.

Pat Riley goes for 3-0 tonight as Miami meets Philadelphia in NBA play at 8 on ESPN.

FSN announced that it has reached what it is calling "the largest televised poker deal in history" by agreeing to air three multimillion-dollar winner-take-all mega events beginning July 16 when six players are expected to vie for $60-million, the biggest single-day payout in the history of sports. The pot grows to $75-million for 2007 and $100-million for 2008.

It's the holiday season, which means ice skating! NBC will broadcast a slew of specials beginning Saturday with the Earth Wind & Fire Tribute on Ice at 4 p.m. Other specials are scheduled to air Sunday (4-6 p.m.), Dec. 25 (2-4 p.m.), Dec. 31 (4-6 p.m.), Jan. 1 (4-6 p.m.), Jan. 14 (4:30-6 p.m.), Jan. 15 (4-6 p.m.), and Jan. 22 (4-6 p.m.).

ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will offer 24 of the networks' 25 bowl games in high-definition Dec. 20-Jan. 4.

NFL games last weekend were the top-rated program in 22 of 29 NFL markets, including Tampa Bay. The Bucs posted a 30.9 rating, well behind the Pittsburgh market, which had a 44.4 rating for the Steelers against Chicago.

The CBS Sports NFL pregame show beat its Fox counterpart for the first time Sunday, scoring its highest regular-season rating since 1998. NFL Today earned a 3.9 rating and a 10 share from noon to 1:03 p.m. Sunday. That was a 70 percent increase from a 2.3 rating and a 6 share last year, and was 15 percent above Fox's Sunday pregame show. CBS got help by having the high-profile game of the week, Colts at Jaguars, following its pregame broadcast.

[Last modified December 16, 2005, 00:55:10]