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Remote patrol

By SHARON GINN
Published April 28, 2006

CHECK IT OUT

ESPN's 17 hours of coverage of the NFL draft starts at noon Saturday, with eight hours scheduled for ESPN and two more hours scheduled for ESPN2, beginning at 8 p.m. Coverage on Sunday airs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on ESPN.

For the first time, the network's draft ticker will run continuously during commercial breaks, with updates added as news occurs.

This year ESPN has some competition, even though Bright House subscribers in the Tampa Bay area can't view it. The NFL Network said it is ramping up its draft coverage, going live both days with 12 announcers who will wander around Radio City Music Hall in order to grab the latest news.

The NFL Network will alternate with ESPN for the rights to do the first interviews with draftees. (That is not surprising, since even though ESPN is in three times as many homes, the NFL Network is owned by the league.)

Feel like you are missing out? It can't be said enough: Call your cable company.

CHANNEL SURFING

Missing Keith Jackson already? ESPN Classic will air a tribute to him starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, with airings of three games called by Jackson. The first two will be games of Jackson's choosing; the final game will be Texas' win over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl national title game.

Sun Sports will air an inside look at FSU spring football as part of its Under the Lights series, premiering at 8 p.m. Monday. The network gathered footage for the program by miking players and coaches on and off the field.

FSN Florida's latest installment of Inside the Devil Rays features first-year manager Joe Maddon. It premieres Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

RATINGS WATCH

It's been two years since the last Stanley Cup playoffs, and at least some people seem to have forgotten about them.

Ratings for Saturday's regional games, NBC's first of the playoffs, were down 32 percent from ABC's equivalent coverage in 2004 (1.1 nationally in 2006 to 1.6 in 2004). The average for Sunday's regional games was down about 18 percent, to an average of 1.4 from 1.7.

[Last modified April 28, 2006, 02:14:34]