While We’re Young (Ideas) – Memorial Day Weekend
HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While glaciers melt, war is devastating Ukraine, Sudan, the Middle East and gang wars have made Haiti one of the most dangerous places on earth, the troubles of a few hundred people at a sports network can barely be noted.
The gobs of money for sports programming continues to soar, as sports and (real) breaking news are the only specks of programming not controlled by the DVRs or TV on Demand. The NBA numbers will flourish further when the league inks these new TV deals and some 51%+ flows to player salaries.
Years back, the NBA Players Assn. refused a system of easing-in the new TV deal money into the grand pot of gold to be divided up. Let nature take it course was the presiding viewpoint, that same view that once made Atlanta’s lug of a center – Jon Koncak – forever to be known as Jon Kontract.
NUGGETS & TIDBITS: On the LAX front, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) closed its 37th season right where it ended its 36th – with the Buffalo Bandits claiming championship honors. The Bandits’ championship was the sixth for the franchise, tying the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings for most in NLL history. Buffalo’s Josh Byrne became the fifth player in NLL history to win both the regular season and Finals MVP awards. … On the collegiate side, the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four was held Saturday in Philadelphia. Top-seeded Notre Dame (15-1) advanced to Monday’s 1:00pm final at Lincoln Financial Field and will meet the University of Maryland who defeated No. 6 Virginia, 12-6, in an NCAA semifinal Saturday before an announced crowd of 32,269. ND and Maryland will play for the title Monday.
NBA FINALS DATES: The 2024 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV will begin June 6, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster:
Game 1: Thursday, June 6
Game 2: Sunday, June 9
Game 3: Wednesday, June 12
Game 4: Friday, June 14
*Game 5: Monday, June 17
*Game 6: Thursday, June 20
*Game 7: Sunday, June 23
* if necessary
THE SPORTS EMMYS: It’s always fun to review and re-live some of the greatest sports moments of the year, captured by the talented people who produce, photograph and announce the games. Here are the prominent Sports Emmy winners for 2024:
OUTSTANDING LIVE SPECIAL
Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers (CBS)
OUTSTANDING LIVE SERIES
Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli (ESPN2/Omaha Productions)
OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE
American League Championship Series, Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers (FOX/FS1)
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM EVENT
Super Bowl LVIII — CBS
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO
NFL Draft — ESPN/ABC
THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Toy Story Funday Football, DragonFly Tech (DISNEY+/ESPN+/NFL/Next Gen Stats/Beyond Sports/Hawk-Eye)
OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – LIVE EVENT
FOX NASCAR (FOX/FS1)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY
College GameDay (ESPN)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – DAILY
MLB Tonight (MLB Network)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – LIMITED RUN
Inside the NBA Playoffs on TNT — TNT
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Telemundo)
OUTSTANDING EDITED EVENT COVERAGE
NFL Game Day All Access, Super Bowl LVIII (YouTube/NFL Films) OUTSTANDING EDITED SPECIAL
You Are Looking Live! (CBS/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING HOSTED EDITED SERIES
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO/Max)
OUTSTANDING ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE
League of Legends Worlds 2023 Final, T1 vs. Weibo Gaming (LoLEsports.com/Twitch/YouTube/Riot Games)
OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – EVENT/SHOW
Toy Story Funday Football (DISNEY+/ESPN+/BIG Studios/Beyond Sports/Silver Spoon Animation/PIXAR)
OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – SPECIALTY
Super League: The War for Football (Apple TV+/Words + Pictures/All Rise Films)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION
Toy Story Funday Football (DISNEY+/ESPN+/BIG Studios/Beyond Sports/Silver Spoon Animation/PIXAR)
OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE – EVENT COVERAGE
Thursday Night Football: Event Coverage Optionality/Customization (Prime Video/Amazon MGM Studios)
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION
Dreamcaster (MSG Network/MSG+/Weber Shandwick/Helo)
OUTSTANDING SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Extraordinary Stories, One-Armed Wonder: The Extraordinary Story of Jimmy Hasty (UEFA.tv/Noah Media Group)
OUTSTANDING LONG DOCUMENTARY
The Deepest Breath (Netflix/A24/Motive Films/Ventureland)
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Super League: The War for Football (Apple TV+/Words + Pictures/All Rise Films)
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES – SERIALIZED
Football Must Go On (Paramount+)
OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Call of Duty: How War is Destroying Ukrainian Sport (HBO/Max)
OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE
NFL 360, Heroes (NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE
Unredeemable (Golf Channel)
OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE
Super Bowl LVIII, My Way (CBS)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO HOST
Ernie Johnson (TNT/tbs)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/PLAY-BY-PLAY
Mike Breen (ESPN/ABC)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO ANALYST
Charles Barkley (TNT)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/ EVENT ANALYST
Greg Olsen (FOX)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/SIDELINE REPORTER
Tracy Wolfson (CBS/TNT)
OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/EMERGING ON-AIR TALENT
Noah Eagle (NBC/Peacock)
OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – SHORT FORM
The NFL Today: Super Bowl LVIII, Just Win Baby! (CBS)
OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – LONG FORM
Freeride Skiing, Descendance (YouTube/Legs of Steel)
OUTSTANDING EDITING – SHORT FORM
NHL on TNT, Show and Tell (TNT)
OUTSTANDING EDITING – LONG FORM
Unredeemable (Golf Channel)
THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD – SHORT FORM
NFL 360, Still Here (NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING WRITING – LONG FORM
The World According to Football (Showtime/SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films/Religion of Sports/Day Zero Productions/Mainstay Entertainment)
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
NBA on TNT, 50 Years of Hip Hop (TNT)
OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – POST-PRODUCED
Vamos Vegas (YouTube/TORQ)
OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, Battle of the Baddest – Rumble (ESPN/ESPN+/Park Pictures)
OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE CONTENT
Notre Dame Football, What Would You Fight For? (NBC)
OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH
Mundo NFL Originals, El Sueño de Cieneguitas (Mundo NFL/Sway/Mundo NFL)
OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PERSONALITY IN SPANISH
Andrés Cantor (Telemundo)
Editorial Note: Due to the increasing number of paid subscribers via Substack, only a limited edition of the Sunday Notes will be posted to Digital Sports Desk.