Queen of Sports

NBC And Comcast Merger Could Mean More NHL Coverage

If you haven’t already heard, the cable and ISP giant Comcast has merged with media network NBC. What does that mean for sports fans? More hockey coverage! Comcast owns the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and now has control over Versus, the station whose majority of live sports coverage is for the NHL. To amp up hockey, NBC has announced a Hockey Day in America on February 20th. The six-hour show will include four NHL games and various coverage of celebrities and others playing hockey throughout the country.

Sidney Crosby May Not Be Playing In NHL All-Star Game

Sidney Crosby has been out since January 5th from a concussion believed to be caused by a hit during the NHL Winter Game followed by a hit four days later as the Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Tampa Bay Lightening. Neither of the players who hit Crosby were suspended and Crosby has voiced his disapproval regarding how the NHL handled the hits. The NHL’s new rules on blindside hits to the head call for an automatic major penalty, game misconduct and league review of the hit for further penalties. While many online sources are citing his disapproval as a cause for the possibility of him not playing in the NHL All-Star game as a way to boycott the league, Crosby’s agent has refuted these claims. Still, Crosby must be healthy if he is to play in the game. The game is a week away from Friday. Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal will serve as the All-Star Game captain. His team is hosting the festivities. Detroit Red Wings defense man Niklas Lidstrom will be the other captain. Many speculated Crosby would be the top vote getter for captain, but his health seemed to have played a factor in voting.

Photo: GQ

HBO’s 24/7 Series With NHL’s Penguins And Capitals A Hit

HBO’s hit series “24/7″ chronicled both the Washington Capitals’ and Pittsburgh Penguins’ road to the Winter Classic. The series, which debuted on December 15th, followed both teams through their regular season, and captured the behind-the-scenes action and drama provided by both the players and the head coaches. The rivalry between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby set the stage for the Winter Classic which was the show’s culminating moment. While many sports teams are afraid of making themselves open and vulnerable to the public’s eye, Washington Capitals GM George McPhee said the experience, “might have been the most fun I’ve had in this business.”  The series, which has won 12 Sports Emmys in the past, looks like it may have another shot at an Emmy, too.

This Year’s NHL Winter Classic Became The Most Watched Ever

New Years Day’s NHL Winter Classic game in Pittsburgh between the Penguins and the Washington Capitals saw a rise in TV ratings of about 10%. The game was pushed back due to a rainy forecast, which may have helped the NHL’s ratings. The 10 am PT game was moved to the primetime slot of 5 pm PST. Chris McCloskey of NBC Sports, who covered the game, reported the viewership was up 10% from last year. The Classic’s rise in viewership made it the most watched Winter Classic ever, and the most watched regular season NHL game in 36 years.

If you didn’t catch it, the Capitals beat the Penguins 3-1 and there were a lot of scuffles between the two teams. The outdoor stadium provided a wintery backdrop as snow fell during some parts of the game.

New Skates Designed For Alex Ovechkin For The Winter Classic

Check out these skates designed by CCM especially for Alex Ovechkin to wear for the Winter Classic. The red is made to match the Washington Capital’s Winter Classic jerseys, and they added some personalized touches to the skate with the Ovechkin logo at the tendon guard and the heel. The skates will hit the market in March.

Mercury Insurance Launches LA Kings Sweepstakes

Mercury Insurance is giving LA Kings fans the chance to win three exciting LA Kings prize packages. One package awards dinner for four with Hockey Hall of Famer and Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille in the Lexus Club inside Staples Center, plus four Premiere Seat tickets to the Kings home game of their choice. Another package will allow a lucky fan to meet Kings star Anze Kopitar, and they will receive a Kopitar-signed stick and jersey along with four lower bowl tickets to the Kings game of their choice. The third package awards two season tickets for the LA Kings for the 2010-2011 regular season. The sweepstakes ends January 31st, and contestants can enter by submitting an entry form at LAKings.com/Mercury.

NHL Stars To Appear On The Price Is Right

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals will be appearing with retired NHL star Jeremy Roenick onCBS’ The Price Is Right game show on Monday night. The hockey players will introduce an NHL-themed showcase that includes a trip to Pittsburgh for the New Year’s Day Winter Classic game at Heinz Field. Host Drew Carey will present other prizes including VIP passes to the NHL’s New Year’s Eve bash, ice-level access during the December 31st practices at Heinz Field, and a 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid.

Photo: GQ

Sports Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential People In Sports Business

The Sports Business Journal takes months in gathering their list of the 50 most influential people in sports business. They consider what “influence” means to the sports world, recognizing that influence is not always a positive thing. They said that this year the list was “rooted heavily with an eye on labor and management relations.” They explained their thinking on some of the picks. For example, David Levy, President of sales, distribution, and sports at Turner Broadcasting, moved up on the list because of the deal he made with Sean McManus, president of CBS, for the rights to NCAA basketball. The top 10 most influential people in sports business are as follows:

1. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
2. President of ESPN/ABC Sports George Bodenheimer
3. NBA Commissioner David Stern
4. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
5. NFL Player’s Assocation Executive Director DeMaurice Smith
6. Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Dick Ebersol
7. President and COO of News Corp. Chase Carey
8. President of CBS News and CBS Sports Sean McManus
9. Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, Robert Kraft
10. Dallas Cowboys Owners Jerry Jones

To see the whole list, go here.

Forbes Names The Best-Dressed Athletes

Forbes has compiled its list of the best-dressed athletes. On the list: Sean Avery, David Beckham, Tom Brady, Charlotte Casiraghi, Baron Davis, Luke Donald, Chris Eubank, Roger Federer, LeBron James, Dhani Jones (pictured above), Henrrik Lundqvist, Maria Sharapova, Dwyane Wade, Venus and Serena Williams, and Kim Yuna. Some of the selections are pretty obvious: we all know Tom Brady, who is now the face of Ugg, cares a lot about how he dresses and David Beckham gets a lot of guidance from his posh wife. But who are some of the others on the list and why are they on it? We will inform you.

Sean Avery plays for the New York Rangers. Avery once interned at Vogue, writes a Style Q & A for AskMen.com, and lists his most prized fashion possession as a pair of patent leather YSL high tops. Charlotte Casraghi is the daughter of Caroline of Monaco and a competitive equestrian. She sits front-row at couture shows and has friends like Karl Lagerfeld. She was also sponsored by Gucci this year. Chris Eubank is a retired boxer whose iconic style landed him in ad campaigns for Vivienne Westwood and Versace. Henrrik Lundqvist is a goalie for the New York Rangers (he’s also Swedish if you couldn’t tell from his name). Forbes says he’s “easily the NHL’s most elegant dresser.” He never wears t-shirts and is a fan of tight pants and skinny ties. Lastly, Kim Yuna is an Olympic gold medal winning figure skater and one of the highest-earning female athletes in the world. A superstar in Korea, she supports young Korean designers and is known for her fashion-foward skating ensembles.

New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto Helps Launch Free Street Hockey Program For Youth

New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto announced the start of, along with Rangers alumnus Brian Mullen and a handful of others from NY Parks and such, “New York Rangers & NYC Parks Youth Street Hockey presented by Live Positively, Coca-Cola.” The new program offers a free instructional hockey program indoors to serve youth at New York City Park recreation centers this winter. The program will continue for 8 weeks for children and teens ages 8-16. New York State Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said, “Parks is excited to team up with the New York Rangers and Live Positively, Coca-Cola to launch a new, free indoor street hockey program for New York City youth across the city. The program will teach kids hockey skills, strategies and rules, and emphasize the importance of leading an active, healthy life. Whether kids are hockey novices or have some experience under their belt, these clinics will improve their game. I encourage all kids to visit a recreation center and sign up to participate.”

Classes will be available throughout Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx until the end of January.