A press release direclty from Fox Sports with our comments added in italic:

Last week's Fox doubleheader game (mostly Vikings-Packers) was watched by 29.8 million viewers -- making it the most-watched program on television since the Academy Awards more than eight months ago on February 22 (36.3 million viewers). Even on a night when some 23 million viewers also stuck around to watch the Yankees-Phillies World Series Game 3 a few minutes after Minnesota-Green Bay ended on Fox affiliates.

The first Green Bay-Minnesota game, on Oct. 5, did 21.8 million ESPN.

That's kind of like saying the Lakers' eight-point victory over Atlanta on Sunday night was their most lopsided regular season win since defeating Utah by 13 on the last day of the 2008-09 season.
The Vikings-Packers viewership tops that of the season finales of popular prime time programming including "American Idol," "CSI" and "Dancing with the Stars,: as well as all regular-season and championship coverage of other sports.

Functioning people still watching "Dancing With The Stars"?

NFL games account for the top 6 and 11 of the 12 most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLIII.

And if that Favre guy is throwin' the pickle around, all the better, it seems, for viewership. .

Following are the most watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLIII:

1. Fox Sunday national game (with most seeing Minnesota-Green Bay, but some actually forced to see Arizona-Carolina) on Nov. 1: 29.8 million viewers (the viewership in Minnesota was a 47 rating and 76 share; in Milwaukee, it was a 45.7 rating and 70 share). The Raiders-Chargers game from San Diego, on opposite this game on CBS, did a 29.6 rating and 56 share in the San Diego market. In Phoenix, where viewers had to watch Arizona host Carolina on Fox instead of Minnesota-Green Bay, the Cardinals-Panthers did a 22.4 rating and 40 share, making that crappy little game the higest-rated program in the Phoenix market for the week.

2. Fox Sunday national game (mostly Atlanta-Dallas) on Nov. 25: 28.4 million

3. Fox Sunday national game (mostly Washington-N.Y. Giants) on Oct. 13: 25.1 million

4. NBC Sunday Night Football (N.Y. Giants-Dallas) on Sept. 20: 24.8 million

5. CBS Sunday national game (mostly Tennessee-New England) on Oct. 18: 10/18
23.9 million

6. CBS Sunday national game (mostly PIttsburgh-Chicago) on Sept. 20: 23.9 million

7. World Series Game 4 (Yankees-Phillies) on Nov. 1: 22.8 million

8. Fox Sunday national game (mostly Dallas-Denver) on Oct. 4: 22.0 million

9. ESPN Monday Night Football (Green Bay-Minnesota) on Oct. 5: 21.8 million

10. NBC Sunday Night Football (Chicago-Green Bay) on Sept. 13: 21.1 million

11. CBS Sunday national game (mostly New England-Denver) on Oct. 11: 20.9 million

12. NBC Thursday Night Kickoff Game (Tennessee-Pittsburgh) on Sept. 10: 20.9 million

13. World Series Game 1 (Phillies-Yankees) on Oct. 28: 19.5 million

14. Fox Sunday single game (mostly Atlanta-New England and San Francisco-Minnesota) on Sept. 27: 19.3 million

15. World Series Game 2 (Phillies-Yankees) on Oct. 29: 18.9 million

This once-amusing story has been told before.

Sure, we'll give you the shirt off our back -- no, not this one ... .take one of these instead.

We'll allow Tom Cable to throw the first punch. Because his Oakland Raiders are on hiatis this week -- maybe furlough -- and lead a group of teams that have a bye week interestingly scheduled in the wake of more crazy off-the-field activity.

Such as: Cleveland, with a bye, can find a new GM.

Or St. Louis, with a bye, can find a new owner.

Or Minnesota, with a bye, can give Brett Favre time vacation hunting in Green Bay. Hunting, of course, for a new house. 'Cause now that he proved what he had to prove, the Packers will want him back in '10.

Or the New York Jets, with a bye, can reprogram their rookie QB.

Or Buffalo, with a bye. Just because.

SUNDAY:
== 10 a.m., Channel 2: Miami at New England (with Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdoft; instead of Baltimore-Cincinnati, Houston-Indianapolis or Kansas City-Jacksonville)
== 10 a.m., Channel 11: Arizona at Chicago (with Joe Buck -- unless there's a bunch of rainouts in the World Series -- and Troy Aikman, instead of Washington-Atlanta or Green Bay-Tampa Bay)
== 1:15 p.m., Channel 2: San Diego at N.Y. Giants (with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, instead of Tennessee-San Francisco; Fox also has Carolina-New Orleans and Detroit-Seattle in this window)
== 5:15 p.m., Channel 4: Dallas at Philadelphia (with Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer)

MONDAY
== 5:30 p.m., ESPN: Pittsburgh at Denver (with Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden, who is hopefully not still wearing a Halloween mask from last Monday, two days late)

Bye week: Buffalo, Cleveland, Minnesota, N.Y. Jets, Oakland and St. Louis.

You've finally seen ABC's "Modern Family," right? Hilarity ensues weekly. It's funny, 'cause it's true.

The ESPN version debuts this week. It could get wackier than seeing the former Al Bundy as the leader of a disfunctional unit of people.

ESPN's Thursday night telecast features Virginia Tech at East Carolina. The later team is coached by Skip Holtz. For some reason, ESPN sends his dad, Lou Holtz, as a commentator with Rece Davis and Mark May. It's the first time dad has called a game involving his son. Maybe Shelley Long will make an appareance as the crazy ex-wife.

Skip it, or risk not hearing something crazier than a Thanksgiving after-dinner discussion on health care?

Even more family matters: Taco man Bob Griese is back, and his son, Brian, has two games (starting tonight). And as for the rest of the week's highlights:

The Bruins are wearing throw-back jerseys, to 1967. There's a joke in there someone who has more creativity than us at this point. Something like:
== They wore facemasks back then, right?
== Yes, many parents of the UCLA players weren't even alive in '67 ... or they were stoned.
== Does Gary Beban have any eligibility left?
== Why can't UCLA stick with those unis? They are pretty dang sweet.

THE LOCALS:
== Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket, 570-AM: Washington at UCLA (with Bill Macdonald, James Washington, Brooke Olzendam and Courtney Jones).
== Saturday, 5 p.m., Channel 7, 710-AM: No. 12 USC at Arizona State (with Mike Patrick, Craig James and Heather Cox)

TODAY:
== 4 p.m., ESPN2: Bowling Green at Buffalo (with Bob Wischusen and Brian Griese)

THURSDAY:
== 4:30 p.m., ESPN: No. 23 Virginia Tech at East Carolina (with Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, Mark May and Todd Harris)
== 4:30 p.m., ESPNU: Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois (with Charlie Neal and Jay Walker)

FRIDAY
== 5 p.m., ESPN2: No. 7 Boise State at Louisiana Tech (with Dave Lamont and Rod Gilmore)

SATURDAY:
== 7 to 9 a.m., ESPN: "College GameDay" goes to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Army later plays Air Force. It's part of the network's "America's Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans." With Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard.

== 9 a.m., FSN West: Central Florida at No. 2 Texas (with Bill Land, Gary Reasons and Emily Jones)
== 9 a.m., ESPN: Northwestern at No. 4 Iowa (with Dave Pasch, Bob Griese and Chris Spielman)
== 9 a.m., ESPNU: Syracuse at No. 13 Pittsburgh (with Clay Matvick and David Diaz-Infante)
== 9 a.m., Big Ten Network: Purdue at Michigan (with Craig Coshun, Glen Mason and Mike Hall); also available: Illinois at Minnesota, Western Michigan at Michigan State and Wisconsin at Indiana.
== 9 a.m., Versus: Kansas at Kansas State (with Ron Thulin, Kelly Stouffer and Lewis Johnson)

== 11 a.m., The mtn.: BYU at Wyoming (with James Bates, Todd Christensen and Andrea Lloyd)
== 11:30 a.m., Channel 4: Navy at No. 22 Notre Dame (with Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and not O.J. Simpson)
== 12:30 p.m., FSN West: No. 8 Oregon at Stanford (with Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis and some other guy on the sidelines ... no wait, someone named Rebecca Haarlow)
== 12:30 p.m., Channel 2: No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama (with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson)
== 12:30 p.m., Channel 7: No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State (with Sean McDonough, Matt Millen and Holly Rowe)
== 12:30 p.m., ESPN2: Either Wake Forest at No. 10 Georgia Tech (with Pam Ward and Ray Bentley) or No. 19 Oklahoma State at Iowa State (with Bob Wischusen and Brian Griese)
== 12:30 p.m., ESPNU: Duke at North Carolina (with Todd Harris and Charles Arbuckle)
== 12:30 p.m., CBS College Sports: Army at Air Force (with Dave Ryan and Jason Sehorn)

== 3 p.m., The mtn.: New Mexico at No. 14 Utah (with Dan Gutowsky, Blaine Fowler and Sammy Linebaugh)
== 4 p.m., FSN West: Oregon State at No. 20 Cal (with Steve Physioc, Mike Pawlawski and Drea Avent)
== 4 p.m., Versus: No. 6 TCU at San Diego State (with Tim Neverett, Glenn Parker and Lindsay Soto)
== 4 p.m., ESPNU: Memphis at Tennessee (with Eric Collins and Brock Huard)
== 4:15 p.m., ESPN2: Vanderbilt at No. 1 Florida (with Mark Jones and Bob Davie)
== 4:30 p.m., CBS College Sports: No. 15 Houston at Tulsa (with Tom Hart and Aaron Taylor)
== 4:45 p.m., ESPN: Florida State at Clemson (with Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Erin Andrews)
== 5 p.m., ESPN360.com, ESPN PPV: Connecticut at No. 5 Cincinnati (with Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Lisa Salters)
== 5 p.m., ESPN360.com, ESPN PPV: No. 24 Oklahoma at Nebraska (with Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham)
== 7 p.m., The mtn.: Colorado State at UNLV (with Bill Doleman, Robert Griffith and Molly Sullivan)
== 7 p.m, ESPNU: Fresno State at Idaho (with Charlie Neal and JC Pearson)

SUNDAY
== ESPN, 5 p.m.: Nevada at San Jose State (with Terry Gannon and David Norrie)

ESPNU will also have several hours of programming in honor of Veterans Day, beginning Thursday at 3:30 p.m., that includes how students from Arizona State keep the legacy of Pat Tillman alive on campus, students from the University of South Carolina catch up with long snapper Matt Grooms, who did two tours in Iraq, and other interviews with players from each of the U.S. Military Service Academies.

The piece of art given to the Sports Illustrated athlete of the year wants to be seen.

Tiffany & Co. in Beverly Hills has it in its window this week, in case you happen to be on Rodeo Drive looking for something that might work as a 10th anniversary gift for your wife or pet collar for your high-end poodle.

L.A. is one stop on a four-city tour -- it'll also be in Chicago (Nov. 9-13), Boston (Nov. 16-20) and New York (Nov. 23-Dec. 1), leading to it being awarded on the first day of December in a lavish party.

(Any early favorites? How about Tim Tebow? The qualifications are quite clear: "It is not for the victory alone that he is honored. Rather, it is for the quality of his effort and the manner of his striving." Right, so either Tebow or Chad Ochocinco.

The original Sportsman of the Year trophy, a cool replica of a Grecian amphora, was first given to Roger Bannister in 1954 and has been awarded ever since. The new trophy has that Greek amphoria style etched into silver, made at Tiffany's shop in New Jersey.

Check it out from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, plus Friday, or from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Address: 210 N. Rodeo Drive, BH, 90210.

Tiffany has done other trophies as well -- oh, like, the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy for the NFL, the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy for the NBA, the MLB's World Series Championship Trophy .. stuff like that.

This baby weighs nearly 30 pounds and is almost two feet tall. It's on display usually at the SI headquarters in New York. The one given to the winner is 15 1/2 pounds and is 12 1/2 inches tall, with the person's name on it. Estimated value: C'mon, you think they need that info out there?

The news that trickled out Monday about Bill Walton, an ESPN NBA analyst since the network's coverage of the NBA began in the 2002-03 season, deciding not to return to his TV gig with a year left on his contract is hardly surprising. The Hall of Famer out of UCLA missed nearly all of last season while recovering from back surgery. He's not yet fully back, but the travel really isn't conducive to him continuing on that path for a while.

But it's still some closure we'd hope wouldn't be decided until next season. But Bill wants to move on.

"As I return after a grueling multiyear, life-threatening, life-changing ordeal with back problems, it is time to dedicate the rest of my life to service," Walton said in a statement released by the netowrk. "It is great to be back in the game. Thanks everybody - for everything."

Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive VP of production, added: "Bill is a Hall of Fame talent, both as a player and broadcaster. NBA fans will miss his distinct personality. We appreciate all of his contributions to ESPN and share best wishes toward continued health and happiness."

Where does the big redhead go from here?

Back to his roots.

Aside from that incredible letter Bill sent to us to use in the Daily News on the occasion of coach John Wooden's 99th birthday last month (linked here), the cycling enthusiast has jumped into a project with the Pebble Pedalers (linked here) that support two men on their way to raise awareness of the destruction of the Alaskan environment.

Seth and Parker Berling, whom Walton calls the "riders on the storm," were at San Diego's Balboa Park last week explaining how they plan to ride their bikes from the northern tip of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of South America on an 18-month, 17,000-mile ride. They'd already covered 5,002 miles when they hit San Diego.

Their goal, with the non-profit Trout Unlimited, is to "draw attention to the impending construction of our North American continent's largest open pit mine -- Pebble Mine -- tragically located on the shores of Alaska's pristine and spectacular Bristol Bay," according to Walton.

They left San Diego on Monday with fully-loaded bikes, heading to Tijuana and south toward Mexico and Latin America.

You want to help Bill in any of his future endeavors, check out his website -- www.billwalton.com -- to find out what he's got going. He'll appreciate the support.

He turns 57 on Thursday. Party on...

If Magic Johnson's fractured friendship with Isiah Thomas suffers further collateral damage by a book released this week, there doesn't seem to be much movement for any kissing and making up in the near future.

In "When The Game Was Ours" (linked here), a book coming out Wednesday co-authored by Johnson and Larry Bird to recount their basketball rivalry-turned-brotherhood starting 30 years ago, a few egos have been stepped on when diverting to other sidelights.

Johnson writes about how more-than-miffed he was that Thomas began asking people close to both of them whether Johnson was gay after it was revealed he had HIV in 1991. He adds that he helped orchestrate blackballing the Detroit Pistons' All-Star guard from being picked for the 1992 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team."

When excerpts came out last week on SI.com, Thomas, the former Detroit Pistons All-Star guard who just took over as head coach at Florida International University, responded (linked here): "I'm really hurt, and I really feel taken advantage of for all these years. I'm totally blindsided by this. .... I didn't know he felt this way ... What most people don't know is, before Magic had HIV, my brother had HIV. My brother died of HIV, AIDS, drug abuse. So I knew way more about the disease, because I was living with it in my house."

Monday, Johnson said he wasn't surprised by Thomas' reaction to the book.

"No surprise, that's just a part of life," Johnson said. "Isiah's got to worry now about his Florida team and his life going on, and I've got to worry about my businesses. We both move on and keep going."

Later in a conference call with reporters to promote the book, Johnson, whose Lakers beat Thomas' Pistons in the seven-game 1988 Finals but lost to them in four straight in the '89 championship, continued: "It was time (for this to come out) There was a time when we had an incredible relationship. We used to do everything together in the day, and then it faded. Those two championships (meetings) had something to do with it. Then we went in opposite directions from there.

"But even today, I want Isiah to be successful in what he does, even though it's not the same friendship that it used to be. Sometimes, what happens (in the past) has to be revealed sometimes."

There are nearly two dozen references to Thomas in the 340 page book, but the one on page 240 seems to be the one most sexy in trying to push pre-sale buzz.

Co-author Jackie MacMullan writes about how "immediately there were whispers and innuendo" about Johnson's sexuality because of his contracting the AIDS virus that took place 18 years ago this week.

Johnson's agent, Lon Rosen, is quoted as saying that Thomas told him: "I keep hearing Magic is gay. . . . I don't know what he's doing when he's out there in L.A."

When Rosen ran that back to Johnson, it was as if Thomas "kicked me in the stomach," Johnson writes. Johnson's wife, Cookie, is also quoted as saying that Thomas' response "hurt Earvin the most" and they had "no choice but to move on from people like that."

A few pages later in the book, Johnson agrees that Lakers teammate A.C. Green, a religious man who always preached abstinence, was distant and aloof around him, but never condemned Johnson.

"Even as I sit here, I don't have a problem with A.C.," Johnson writes. "He had a right to his opinion and his beliefs. . . At least I knew where I stood with A.C. He never went behind my back. The so-called friends that did that to me were the ones that hurt me the most."

Johnson said Monday that, although he endorsed Thomas getting a front office job with the New York Knicks -- "I was cheering for him ... one thing that's great about him is his talent evaluation is off the charts" -- he hasn't spoken to Thomas since the excerpts were released and Thomas reacted.

"If that day comes, then we'll sit and talk about it," said Johnson. "If it doesn't come, then it doesn't come. Right now, as I said earlier, we both got a lot to do. I wish him well. It's too bad it has to come to this, but sometimes, that's what happens."

In 1992, Johnson wrote a book with Bill Novack, "Magic Johnson: My Life" in which none of these problems with Thomas were revealed. Last year, he also came out with a book entitled "32 Ways to be a Champion in Business."

Every night, I worry a little bit more about my friend Antonio.

As it got later Sunday night, while trying to drift off to sleep still thinking about what a nice day of soccer we experienced, I could only hope that face in the moon was at least watching over Antonio. Even if that moon, somewhere off in the non-Chivas galaxy, really did look more like a giant soccer ball.

MONDAY

Jimmy Jam Rollins, upon having his arm twisted by Edward R. Murrow Jay Leno on national TV, predicted a Phillies World Series repeat, in five games. Maybe six. That, of course, is impossible now. But what else was he going to say? Phillies in seven? That can happen. It starts tonight with a big welcome back to Cliff Lee. Are the Phillies doin' the right thing, Spike? You look as lost roaming around outside of Philly park as the Yankees did against Lee in New York a couple of days ago. Then again, later tonight, you could be washing down a cheesesteak with some championship bubbly.
World Series Game 5: New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies, 4:57 p.m., Channel 11. (if necessary: Game 6 is Wednesday in New York, 4:57 p.m.; Game 7 is Thursday in New York at 4:57 p.m.)

Gretzky Watch '09 continues. Anyone seen the Great Guy?
NHL: Kings at Phoenix, 6 p.m., FSN West

Kurt Rambis, no longer a Laker man but a man residing in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, brings his rag-tag Target Centered team to L.A., minus an injured Kevin Love. We'd love to go out and see this in person, but ...
NBA: Clippers vs. Minnesota, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket, KFWB-AM (980).

TUESDAY

Meet Liszt -- not actual size -- a member of the Ducks' "Power Players" (the girls who sweep the ice, greet the fans, stand around, look cold). She was named after 19th Century Hungarian piano composer Franz Liszt. As a kid, she took lessons in violin, cello, flute and piano. Now her guilty pleasure is funnel cake with strawberry topping. And watching the Ducks stomp the Pens.
NHL: Ducks vs. Pittsburgh, Honda Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket

Sadly, the Lakers' first roadie begins not in Seattle, but here.
NBA: Lakers at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., Channel 9, KSPN-AM (710).

WEDNESDAY

There's a poll on the Concordia athletic website, asking people how they follow Concordia sports. Do you know about this NAIA school from Irvine because a) cuieagles.com; b) via Facebook (Screaming Eagles); c) E-scores from Stretch Internet; d) OC Register/Irvine World News. ..... There's an Irvine World News? God Bless 'em.
College basketball exhibition: UCLA vs. Concordia, Pauley Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

Artest vs. Ariza ... They both better bring their A-game.
NBA: Lakers at Houston, 5:30 p.m., Channel 9, KSPN-AM (710)

THURSDAY

Maybe Sidney Crosby won't recognize former teammate Rob Scuderi since these Kings are wearing their special third jersey for the occasion ... which does kinda look like a penguin suit in some fashionable circles.
NHL: Kings vs. Pittsburgh, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSN West

FRIDAY

The first six races of the 14-card, $25.5 million Breeders' Cup event features the kids and females: Marathon (1 3/4 miles), Juvenile Fillies Turf, Juvenile Fillies, Filly and Mare Turf, Filly and Mare Sprint and Ladies' Classic (at 3:45 p.m.) Rachel Alexander isn't here, though, and Zenyatta decided to go in the big boy's race.
Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park: 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., ESPN2.

Which game sounds least offensive?
NBA: Lakers vs. Memphis, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSN West, KSPN-AM (710); Clippers at Golden State, 7:30 p.m., KFWB-AM (980).

SATURDAY

USC will be haunted by its trip to Oregon, and dropping from No. 5 to No. 12 in the BCS poll as the highest-rated team with two losses seems appropriate. In the USA Today Coaches' poll, for what that's worth, USC fell to No. 13 -- one spot behind Ohio State, which went up from No. 15 to No. 12 after shutting out (in the middle of Big Ten season) New Mexico State. Like it matters to those preparing for an Oregon-Iowa Rose Bowl prelim to a Florida/Alabama-Texas BCS title game at the same facility six days later. Meanwhile, if USC is to have any shot at Pac-10 runner-up and squeeze into that inglorious Holiday Bowl in San Diego, winning this one against a Sun Devil team that could have knocked off Cal the other day is essential.
College football: USC at Arizona State, 5 p.m., Channel 7 or ESPN, KSPN-AM (710)

A five-game losing streak, and 0-5 in the Pac-10 isn't all the impressive for the Bruins, who need to win three of their last four to be bowl eligible after that 3-0 start to the season. Their comeback last Saturday at Oregon State is at least something to build on behind Kevin Prince.
College football: UCLA vs. Washington, Rose Bowl, 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket, KLAC-AM (570).

Zenyatta, who in her final workout had a flawless six-furlong run in 1:12.40 on Saturday morning at Hollywood Park with regular jockey Mike Smith, is the main attraction in today's $5 mil Classic, up against guys like Mine That Bird, Einstein, Colonel John and Awesome Gem. Zenyatta, who has won all 13 of her starts but has never faced males, will be pre-entered in both Friday's Ladies' Classic and in this one. ABC has the first three races of the day -- Juvenile Turf, Turf Sprint and Sprint. Then ESPN has the heavy hitters: $2 million Juvenile, $2 million Mile, $1 million Dirt Mile, $3 million Turf and the Classic, at 3:45 p.m. Breeders' Cup, Santa Anita Park: ABC, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; ESPN, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A day game of hockey ...
NHL: Kings vs. Nashville, Staples Center, 1 p.m.

... followed by a nighttime of a basketball game that will likely contain this third paragraph in the final game story: "Eric Gordon scored 22, and Baron Davis and Chris Kaman added 21 points apiece for the Clippers, who fell to 0-(update loss total)."
NBA: Clippers vs. Memphis, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., KFWB-AM (980)

SUNDAYThis one's for all the grass stains. Tie, and they keep playing. Still tied, and its penalty kicks to see who advances. May the least glamorous team win.
MLS playoffs: Chivas at Galaxy, Home Depot Center, 4 p.m., ESPN2.

Is this the night Byron Scott comes on the floor to represent a Laker championship team from the past?
NBA: Lakers vs. New Orleans, Staples Center, 6:30 p.m., FSN West, KSPN-AM (710).

C'mon, your nose doesn't actually bleed when you're navigating the sherpa-style incline to seats somewhere in the 300 level at Staples Center for a Kings game. It just sparks a natural curiosity: Would the quality of life be better if given the chance to slide up to the glass at an NHL contest.

Just once.

Every night, the Kings have a sponsored promotion at the game that emancipates two fans from their blimp-view perch to a spot right up against the boards. We tried to recreate the experience the other night during a Kings-Blue Jackets game.

We tried to recreate the experience the other night at a Kings-Blue Jackets game. Right on the blue line, just five seats over from the penalty box. Even with the Kings' 6-2 pasting of these clowns from Columbus, we weren't completely sure if we actually had the best ringside seat for the circus.

It all depends: Is your view on the glass is half full of fun, or of half empty promises.

Pro: It rocks. It rolls. With no seat belts. With the barrier there for protection, it's better than swimming with sharks at a barrier reef at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The speed is breathtaking. The agility on display is remarkable -- did you see how Rick Nash skated backward and still made that pass? Watch a faceoff, or fisticuff, just a few feet in front of you. An in-your-face hip check has you checking bladder control. Get the camera ready to shoot because ...
Con: There could be a goal about to be scored in front of you - only to have a ref skate right into your line of vision. Good ol' No. 91. Don Henderson (bio linked here). That happened on the Kings' first score of the night. I had to watch it on the replay screen. Thanks buddy. You can even see the reflection of me taking the picture.

Pro: The crunching, shushing and slapping sounds are unlike anything you'll get on a Bose TV stereo system, or anywhere else in the building
Con: The sound of a puck hitting the Plexiglas is like a rock hitting your windshield when you're not expecting it. You jump, your heart skips, you see if you've rear-ended anyone, there are no shards in your hot dog, you realize you've just missed the last 20 seconds of action.

Pro: Despite expectations, it's really not that cold down there.
Con: Despite the fact it's now not all that cold, you've overdressed and are now too warm to sit comfortably. Layer accordingly. Laker socks optional with flip-flops.

Pro: Stand and pound on the glass, to show approval.
Con: Don't do it when an usher is nearby. He won't approve.

Pro: When you least expect it a ref could flip a game-used puck over the ice to you.
Con: He meant for it to be given to the little girl sitting behind you, meathead.

Pro: A kid sitting nearby us yells: "Slam him into the wall! Make his face bleed!"
Con: The kids weren't back for the second or third period. Some other couple was sitting in their seats. And making out for most of the action. Hey, get a room.

Pro: On the inside of the boards, you can show off to everyone else behind you by lining up your beer cups on the ledge.
Con: One lowered shoulder check into the boards, and you're wearing a couple of $10 beers on your pants.

Pro: The Kings' Rob Scuderi puts a check on the Blue Jackets' Jason Chimera, sending him skates over head, bleeding from the face, right along the board.
Con: We had no idea what happened. The fans went nuts, and it happened on our side, but on the other end of the rink. Why all the pushing and shoving and ref tackling? Later, we read that Scuderi was fined by the league for the hit. Hope he got his money's worth. We didn't.

Pro: The Kings' ice girls leisurely glide right past you. And they may wink.
Con: The Kings' Zamboni machine churns right past you. And it may stink.

Pro: When the game ends, a Kings' player who's named one of the three stars skates over and hands his stick over the glass to you.
Con: A 6-year-old boy with puppy-dog eyes, whose parents led him down to the front moments before the final siren just to stake out a position, will guilt you into giving it up.

Pro: Your ticket could include access to the Chairman's Room (where Jack Nicholson sneaks off to during Laker games, or the suite-level restaurant. Take advantage of it between periods.
Con: That's included in the $455 face value of the ticket. Or $350 if you buy it as a season seat. Then, you also have to spring for the price of the cocktail, hors d'oeuvres, or dinner. You want an $18 sushi sampler? Take the lobster risoto with it ($14, but very rich). It can start adding up and send your credit card to the penalty box. (And the waitress is taking our order while Jarret Stoll is scoring ... thanks for the distraction). But then, the glass up there separating you from the game is very clean, no smudges, no streaks, no scratches ...

Pro: You can brag to your friends about how you were down with the players, got on TV, brushed past Jerry Bruckheimer, almost ripped the jersey off Rick Nash and lie about how the glass almost broke a few times.
Con: One idiot friend will always come back with: Yeah, I did that once, and it was OK, but I really like my top-deck seat, especially when I'm on the rail, because you can really see all the plays develop, and it's only 12 bucks, and ... blah, blah, blah ... puck, puck, puck ...
Pro: You can tell him to shut the puck up. ... And hey, could you reach down to those loose wires down by our feet, the ones that lead to that small puddle over there ... just grab one of 'em and slide it over to the left .... here, with the other hand, hold this metal post and ....

Jonathan Hayward/AP Photo/The Canadian Press
Men's eight Olympic gold medalist teammate Kevin Light, right, passes on the Olympic Flame to the coxsain of the junior team during the Olympic Torch Relay in Victoria, B.C., on Friday.

The Associated Press

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Protesters forced the 2010 Vancouver Games torch relay to be diverted from its planned route Friday, hours after organizers kicked off what is supposed to be the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.

Several hundred protesters, angry that billions are being spent on the Olympics instead of housing and health care, blocked Victoria city streets for hours, preventing the torch from passing by Government House and forcing organizers to reroute.

Relay organizers attempted to drive the torchbearers around the demonstration. Instead, they were taken several miles away to Victoria's waterfront. Then, more than a half-dozen participants lined up side-by-side along the road, where they passed the flame from torch to torch without running their segments.

The run resumed with a short relay to the day's final stop, the provincial legislature.

Relay organizers said in a statement the rerouting was implemented "to ensure the safety of all participants."

Over 106 days, the torch will stop in every Canadian province and territory leading to the lighting of the cauldron at BC Place. The games will be held from Feb. 12-28 in Vancouver and Whistler.

About 400 protesters earlier greeted the flame's arrival by staging what they called a "five-ring circus" with a "Zombie March" -- complete with costumes, drums and trombones -- to the provincial legislature, where a concert was planned by Vancouver Games organizers to celebrate the completion of the Olympic flame's first day on Canadian soil.

Tamara Herman, an organizer with the group No2010 Victoria, said whatever opponents' specific objections to the Games, it all comes down to money.

"The reasons that we oppose the Games are very multifaceted. We oppose them because we see homelessness is a bigger priority than a two-week parade, we see health services is a bigger priority," she told The Canadian Press. "Why have we decided to spend such an enormous amount of money on what is essentially a two-week party?"

The San Diego Chargers say enough tickets have been sold to lift the local television blackout of their game Sunday against AFC West rival Oakland.

The Chargers needed a 24-hour extension from the NFL, until 1:05 p.m. Friday, to sell the remaining tickets to lift the blackout. The usual deadline is 72 hours before kickoff.

The game was already scheduled to be shown in the L.A. market. It goes head to head with Fox's coverage of the Minnesota-Green Bay contest.

According to statistics provided by the Associated Press for some reason, this is the 43rd consecutive regular-season or postseason Chargers home game to be televised live in their home market. The last regular-season blackout was on Nov. 7, 2004, against the New Orleans Saints. The team's longest streak of consecutive games televised live is 44 set from 1979-84.

Yes, they keep these kind of stats in the NFL.

Also, the Arizona Cardinals filled the extra 24-hour extension to sell out their home game against Carolina on Sunday. It also goes head-to-head with Minnesota-Green Bay -- in fact, the sellout now means those in Arizona and North Carolina will be forced to watch the Cardinals-Panthers, and not the Vikings-Packers, because both are on Fox.

By Stephen Wilson
The Associated Press

LONDON -- Encouraged by the improving economy in the United States, the International Olympic Committee plans to begin negotiations on U.S. broadcast rights for the 2014 and 2016 Games next year.

IOC president Jacques Rogge told The Associated Press on Friday that the bidding could begin soon after the Feb. 12-28 Winter Games in Vancouver.

NBC, ABC-ESPN, Fox and possibly CBS-Time Warner are expected to bid for combined rights to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"The economic climate seems to be reviving in the United States, so that's a good omen," Rogge said in a telephone interview. "Definitely, I think rather shortly after Vancouver we will start discussing. We're not going to negotiate during the Vancouver Games themselves. But I think second quarter, second half of next year, would definitely be possible."

What's this about how high schools are getting all money crazy by charging higher fees for TV production trucks that neither the Dodgers nor Angels would even think of hitting they up for?

We're catching up on a recent blog post by L.A. Times veteran prep writer (and former Daily News prep czar) Eric Sondheimer (linked here) explaining how Mater Dei and Long Beach Poly probably won't be able to have any of their home football games televised from Santa Ana Stadium or Long Beach Veterans Stadium because of prohibitive stadium fees.

FSN West/Prime Ticket is paying the CIF Southern Section about $40,000 this year in rights fees to televise high school sporting events. But in return, Vets Stadium (run by Long Beach City College) has been asking for $7,500 in fees (for seven hours or more), plus custodial fees of $35.50 an hour, for any time FSN West/Prime Ticket wants to do a game there. At Santa Ana Stadium, run by the city of Santa Ana, it's a $2,100 flat fee.

Give the kids a break, eh?

Through some further research, the charge for any TV truck at Dodger Stadium or Angel Stadium is a flat $1,500 a game. At Yankee Stadium, for example, it's in the $4,000 range. But then, at the Rose Bowl, Coliseum, Home Depot Center, Staples Center and Honda Center do not have a fee, according to our sources.

What gives?

There's gotta be more behind the fees being as steep as they are -- city ordinances, union involvement, etc. If the bottom line is that residents don't want the TV trucks around, then that's what they've bargained for.

It can only lead to schools like Long Beach Poly or Mater Dei to find a new home field if they want TV exposure. Then who'll foot the bill?

Some other things we've like to include in our week of learning in review:

== Your college football Week 9 TV schedule (linked here), with lots of Oregon cheerleaders on Halloween, dressed up as awesome Oregon cheerleaders.

== Your NFL Week 8 TV schedule (linked here), with the Farve thing in the way again.

== Fox's NFL pregame is getting more bang for their buck with a billboard ad campaign -- complete with goal posts and pads (linked here)

== They (Harry Caray and Curt Gowdy, working the '68 championship for NBC) were talking about TV replays in the World Series more than 40 years ago (linked here). Yet, Fox doesn't want to be put in the position to push for more umpire help from their camera feeds (linked here)

== The Ocho Cinco News Network (OCNN) even got a mention in Sports Illustrated this week (linked here), and he was on Letterman doing the Top 10 list Thursday, which was also promoting his new book ... does he know the NFL season is underway?

== Steve Phillips, called out (linked here)

== The video on Bob Griese's taco reference (linked here)

== Why having a 22-year-old son made it even more difficult for Mary Carillo to report on the Nick Adenhart story for HBO's "Real Sports" this week (linked here)

== Can there be a "wow" factor in getting kids to read about sports (linked here)?

== Did you get to hear Rick Reilly call a race at Santa Anita (linked here)? You will on ESPN's coverage of the Breeders Cup next weekend (linked here).

== Wasn't Larry Merchant telling us a few weeks ago that the New York Times never covers boxing any more (linked here)?

== You seen the Season 3 premiere yet of "Mayne Street"? It's only been out for awhile... while we wait for Episode 2, have at it, where Bill Simmons pretends he's not from Boston (from Encino) and wears a Doug Christie Clippers jersey:

== These guys are in a "league" of their own, on FX (linked here).

== Here's a question to ask Vin Scully: Why does it seem everyone's afraid to correct you behind the scenes if you make an error? (linked here)

== Our array of leftover notes (linked here)

AND FINALLY:

== A new favorite bookmark, Yallkiltit.com (linked here), authored by former Daily Bruin sports editor Evan Lovett, with his own links to interesting finds along the way. He also passes along a link he found to a Columbia Journalism Review piece on "The Reconstruction of American Journalism" (linked here) with very compelling commentary and insight.
Another thing Evan has been on top of is the ongoing Deadspin.com vs. ESPN legal controversy that's been brewing, and we should take a closer look at in the days to come.

Excuse me. Pardon me. Watch out.

Clunk.

That wasn't the sound of a Taylor Mays hit. It was me hitting the security guard in the head with the parabolic microphone dish as I tried to move up the sidelines and toward the end zone in the second quarter of Saturday's USC-Oregon State game at the Coliseum.

Sorry, man.

Hey, so how'd that sound back in the truck?

The pleasure I had in providing sounds for your college football experience ... no need to thank me. Just read about it in today's newspaper column (linked here) and go on with your day, unaware of all of us who make things happen in your life...

Other stuff that crossed our sound check, but we passed on it for newspaper space purposes:

== One more thing about how a sporting event may sound on your TV set, based on the ears of audio mix specialist Dana Kirkpatrick, who was handling all the sound for the crew on our game last week:

After Kirkpatrick's crew matches the digital sounds to the pictures on the uplink to the satellite, it's usually on the downlink feed, after it filters through the local affiliates and then hits your TV set with or without its updated technology, where the sound can often get jumbled or unbalanced.

"We are very sure when we send it out, it's clean, because of our technical manager and studio crew in New York integrating it," said Kirkpatrick, who'll often work a 12-hour day on a college football game, starting with equipment checks and ending with feeding post-game interviews to ESPN's Bristol, Conn., studios for "SportsCenter" reports. "Some (TV receivers) haven't converted to stereo, believe it or not, so they'll only take the left side of our audio feed, so everything is out of mix."

== Most of the young people who ask Kirkpatrick for career advice have a much more broad sense of what an audio person may do, but they lack experience in many specfic tasks, he says.

"College kids, it seems to me, are trained to do a little of everything, so if I ask them about doing something, they'll say, 'I can't run it, but I know what that machine is,'" said Kirkpatrick.

"There's plenty of work out there (in sports audio production) if you're good at it. The TV business can be kind of weird in that it's hard to break in through the proper channels. It's usually a lot about who you know and word of mouth. That's the Catch 22.
"I always recommend to someone if they want to get into this side of the business, work at an NPR station. There you have to edit your own stories, learn about transmition -- everything you'd do on a TV production. But if you listen to a show like 'This American Life,' you really hear all the editing that goes into it."

== Because ABC/ESPN decided last week to take the Cal-Arizona State game (at 12:30 p.m., Channel 7), and there was no FSN game of the week, UCLA's game at Oregon State on Saturday looked to be going without a TV carrier in L.A. until FSN West/Prime Ticket decided to make room for it, taking the FSN Northwest broadcast and airing it on delay (from the 1 p.m. kickoff to a 3:30 p.m. airtime). Tom Glasgow, James Washington and Steve Preece are on the call. FSN West isn't allowed to air a Pac-10 game live head-to-head with the ABC choice, so it has to wait for the 3:30 p.m. window to open.

== FSN West's first Laker game of the regular season (tonight, 7:30 p.m., vs. Dallas) starts with "Lakers Life" at 6:45 p.m. with Bill Macdonald and Norm Nixon. ESPN also has the game (not blacked out) with
Dan Shulman, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Ric Bucher as the pretend courtside reporter. And, if you're inspired, ESPN will have something called the "NBA on ESPN RV Tour" in Nokia Plaza from 4 to 7:30 p.m., letting fans come in and do nutty stuff like free throw contests, vertical jump challenges, souvenir photo stations, giveaways and whatever else they can fit into an RV. Or, you can do that the ESPN Zone restaurant and playyard right there on the corner.

== NBC has the 40th edition of the New York City Marathon on Sunday (live on Universal Sports and UniversalSports.com from 7 to 11 a.m., with Al Trautwig and Toni Reavis, and a two-hour highlight replay on Channel 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Jimmy Roberts).

== DirecTV's NBA League Pass continues with a free trial offer through Tuesday on channels 751-768.

== Tom Kelly and Chris Rix will do the Crespi-Notre Dame football game tonight (7:30 p.m.) for Ibnsports.com and Vootage.com.

== AND FINALLY:

== Fox's coverage of the Minnesota-Green Bay game Sunday won't include a Favre Cam. At least, not the TV side. A camera put high on the 50-yard line will be isolated on Brett Favre's every move, from entering the field to leaving it with a pelting of snowballs, with a constant video stream available on both FoxSports.com and NFL.com.

A new FX half-hour comedy series that revolves around a bunch of friends with their heads buried in a fantasy football league launches tonight (10:30 p.m.) but with several repeats of the premiere episode called "The Draft" (11:30 p.m., and Saturday at 5:30, plus Wednesday Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.). Episode 2, called "Bounce Test," debuts next Thursday at 10:30 and 11:30 p.m.)

Among those in the cast:

Mark Duplass as Pete, the immature league champ; Stephen Rannazzisi (from "Samantha Who?") is Kevin, a successful assistant district attorney and happily married father who also covets the elusive League trophy; Nick Kroll (from "I Love You, Man") is Ruxin, never a winner but has no doubt he is the smartest of the group; Paul Scheer (from "30 Rock") as Andre, the long-standing punching bag of the group as well as its most successful member; Jon Lajoie is Taco, Kevin's little brother, a part-time musician and full-time stoner with little interest in fantasy other than hanging with his buddies. Then there's Katie Aselton (from "The Office") as Jenny, Kevin's wife and his (secret) better half in the fantasy league; Leslie Bibb (from "Talladega Nights") is Meegan, Pete's wife who hates fake football, and Nadine Velasquez (from "My Name Is Earl") who plays Ruxin's wife Sofia.

Jeff Schaffer ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Seinfeld") and Jackie Marcus Schaffer are the series creators and exec producers.

A review from the Houston Chronicle (linked here) and another from the Kansas City Star (linked here) and the Philadelphia Inquirer (linked here).

The Hollywood Radio & Television Society is promoting the fact that it will have a lunch featuring a Q&A with Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The lunch starts at 12:30 p.m. More information: (818) 789-1182 or visit www.HRTS.org.

Ron Shelton, the Hollywood writer, director and producer, will be asking the questions.

Meanwhile, for the lead item in today's LARadio.com, writer Don Barrett copied and pasted an item that former Channel 9 sportscaster and KMPC-AM (710) morning man Scott St. James put up on his blog (linked here) recently concerning how people at the station aren't taking care of Scully properly.

St. James says he's been wrestling with this "story" since mid-October -- reporting on the fact Scully misidentified a home run that Manny Ramirez hit on Oct. 15 in the NLDS Game 1 against Philadelphia as a three-run homer instead of what it was, a two-run homer.

The home run took place in the bottom fifth inning -- when Scully was not on the air. He had done the first three innings, then was coming back in the top of the seventh to do the final three. The homer pulled the Dodgers from a three-run deficit back to within one.

The error was repeated several times going into a commercial break. But no one, apparently, informed him that the error had occured. Scully repeated it throughout until the end of the game.

St. James isn't sure who's more at fault with this -- the KABC-AM (790) executive producer, for not doing his job to correct him, or the program director who hired the EP.

Writes St. James:

The questions I have that haven't been answered are as follows; Did the Executive Producer, during a commercial break after the top of the 8th inning ended, politely advise Scully of the mistake he was making? If not, is this because the Executive Producer is not allowed to talk to Scully, the Executive Producer wasn't listening to Scully's play by play or is it because the Executive Producer (while listening) didn't KNOW that Scully was giving inaccurate information for the final six half innings of the broadcast on KABC?

If these guys want to pretend their big league job titles makes them big league players, they ARE required to "Protect The Show." What happened on the night of October 15th seems to indicate that (as Al Campanis might have said) "THEY DON'T HAVE THE NECESSITIES!"

Take it for what it's worth...

There's a new 12,500-seat Danube Arena in the Self Govering Region of Bratislava, and it has just signed a letter of intent with AEG Facilities to run it.

Or, had someone sign for it.

It did so, apparently, on Tuesday, and AEG is just getting around to announcing it because it just found more information at the Rand McNally store.

Start with Europe. Pinpoint Slovakia. Head toward Austria. Stop when you see Julie Andrews.

They're going to have ice hockey, basketball, music concerts and other stuff they do in Bratislava at this place. The Backstreet Boys will appear there, "performing," on Nov. 25. Not that we knew that offhand or anything (linked here).

The Phillip Anschultz-run AEG, which of course has Staples Center, Nokia Theatre and the Home Depot Center in Southern California, also has (believe it or not) Sprint Center (Kansas City), The Rose Garden (Portland), Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis), American Airlines Arena (Miami), AT&T Center (San Antonio), Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, N.C.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) and Target Center (Minneapolis),

In Europe, it now has six facilities, adding to The O2 Arena (London), O2 World (Berlin), Color Line Arena (Hamburg), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Globe Arenas (Stockholm), Plus, there's the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena (China), Acer Arena (Sydney, Australia) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar).

This Danube Arena (named after the nearby waterfare) has access to Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News Staff Photographer

The science involved in how a parabolic microphone works on the sideline of a sporting event can't be more complicated than trying to explain to a kid why you can hear someone from a reasonable distance by talking into tin cans with a string attached.

Sound about right?

The lessons we learned as a half-day laborer on the sidelines at the USC-Oregon State game last week were enough to make us appreciate all the heavy lifting that goes on from that unsung position on the ABC production crew as well as get us interested in it to try it again sometime.

Until the story lands on your doorstep or news rack tomorrow morning, here are a few photos along the way to help explain how it went:

It went up in September. It was supposed to be a one-month run, until October. It's still up, and it's almost November.

Maybe because the billboard company can't find another business that wants a sign that includes goal posts.

A promotional campaign that led to Fox buying four billboards around the country -- including one for Southern California, located north of the 405 at Hawthorne Blvd., in Lawndale -- stands out for uniquiness in that you just don't see larger-than-life yellow end-zone posts with flags on the top sticking out and around a freeway-side ad.

"Or billboard with actual pads around the goalposts below," noted Eric Markgraf, the executive VP of Fox Sports Marketing Group.

Markgraf said doing this "mixed media" campaign was to stand out from the other new wave of digital billboards that need to be updated daily to make them relevant.

Billboards like this one were also put up to promote the "NFL on Fox" pregame show in New York, Philadelphia and Dallas. In each of those cities, the pad around the post matched up with the local teams -- Giants (not Jets), Eagles and Cowboys. It's also an NFC thing, since that's the Fox conference of choice.

"It's really the first time we've seen anything like it," said Markgraf, who worked with a company called New And Improved Media to do the buying and production. "In New York, we put it near the Holland Tunnel, and we were worried that someone might want to vandalize it. But we've had nothing but great feedback from it. People have noticed them.
Especially with the flags on the top. Very simplistic, not flashy."

Now that Fox has only paid for a month's worth of exposure, it'll be interesting to see how much they stay up -- based on the fact they probably can't be easily taken down.

Remember back in the summer of '07, when we drove around the city snapping our favorite sports-related billboards ... maybe we gotta revive that one soon.

At the same time that Fox is carrying live the Yankees-Phillies World Series Game 1 tonight, the MLB Network is showing the first game of the 1968 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The differences very much outweigh the similiarities.

The game 41 years ago is during the day, in St. Louis, a "hot and muggy day" as Curt Gowdy continues to remind the audience. The game tonight at the new Yankee Stadium is rainy, cold, with players blowing fog from their breaths.

But almost at the same time -- at least, on the current clock -- umpire controversy ensued.