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**Sports Media Update #4**

**2011-12 NHL Opening Week Reaches More Fans On More Platforms Than Ever Before ** Sports Media News Article Anyone who considers themselves a sports fan would be lying if they said that they believe the NHL to be one of the most popular leagues. However, this belief and fact may be changing. For the first time ever, the NHL is televising games across multiple platforms. Previously, it has been extremely difficult for a sports fan to be able to find a hockey game on television, whether a regular season or a playoff competition. This new move by the NHL to broaden their brand by delivering their product to more people in more ways may prove to pay dividends, as they have created an opportunity to attract more fans and market themselves to younger generations in the near future. //Posted By: Joseph Knox//

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=ESPN Scrambles to Find Replacement Programming for Cancelled NBA Games=

NBA commissioner David Stern made it officially last week; the NBA will be canceling its first two weeks of regular season games. In wake of this news, ESPN has to provide replacement programming for the opening games that would have featured marquee-teams and starts such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant. The NBA and ESPN are disappointed with these cancellations as both entities wanted to capitalize on the success of last years successful NBA season. The NBA was blessed with higher ratings, more popularity and increased interest from "casual" fans. ESPN is replacing these cancelled games with college football games featuring teams that are currently not in the top 25 rankings.

By: Steven Carey-Walton

Full article available [|here] ___

=Twitter Fires Back on NBA Player=

==In response to the NBA lockout and the league canceling the first two weeks of the season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher thought that it would be a good idea if players swamped user’s Twitter newsfeed with the phrase “Let us play” and the hastag #StandUnited. The general public however, did not react the way he intended them to. Fans instead expressed their anger towards the athletes on Twitter by telling them to take the deal and stop complaining. The NFL used a similar social media tactic last year during its labor dispute. Many Twitter users compared the two leagues stating that while the NFL contracts aren’t always guaranteed, players still play with passion. In the NBA, however, players are deemed spoiled and are assured money. This social media forum has been used as a sufficient way for fans to express their anger and disdain towards NBA players. Twitter has yet again proven that it is a wonderful tool to get a certain thoughts and ideas out to specific users or the general public.==

By Danielle Gaut

To view full article, please [|click] = = =NFL GAMES RANK AS 13 OF 15 MOST-WATCHED SHOWS THIS FALL =

I think it is safe to say that football, not baseball, is America's pastime. The home's of an overwhelming amount of families are glued to the television every sunday watching premier athletes play a gruesome, but highly enjoyable game. No one even dares to change the channel. As of October 19, 2011, National Football League games rank as thirteen of the fifteen most watched shows for this fall season. The only shows that cracked the top fifteen were episodes of Two and a Half Men, which included the premiere without celebrity Charlie Sheen. The Fox national telecast last sunday of the Cowboys and the Patriots was the most watched sporting event since the Super Bowl. More specifically, the top 26 local markets also experienced football games at the top of their ratings. It seems as though nothing can compare to the entertainment of unscripted sporting events.

[|full article] By Michael Dutina

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Vassar Athletics Embraces Social Media
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The Vassar College athletics department has decided to jump on the bandwagon and sign up their sports teams to Twitter and Facebook. The aim of creating a Twitter and Facebook for the athletics department is to give better access to Vassar College sports fans. They are also hoping that the popularity of the social media sites will grow, thus increasing the interest for students to want to go to Vassar College in the future.

//Posted by Allison Brown//

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