Watchdog

For most Americans old enough to remember it -- or who saw the recent ESPN documentary --  the story of the 1983 NCAA Tournament forever will be the upset of Houston by Seaford High’s own Jim Valvano and North Carolina State in Albuquerque.

But CBS’ Jim Nantz experienced that event from the opposite perspective, as a recent Houston alum who watched in horror as the final play unfolded.

“I...

Jon Rothstein said he feels “like a CPA on April 13 or 14,’’ which is natural for a college hoops expert this time of year.

But the current NCAAs have been particularly taxing because CBS has aggressively scheduled media appearances that have showcased his formidable trove of knowledge.

“For most people this is a three- or four-week process,’’ he said. “For me, it’s 365 days a year.’’

Rothstein,...

The halftime show news conference always is one of the biggest – and strangest – of Super Bowl week, as fawning entertainment writers and grouchy sportswriters vie to ask pertinent questions of famous musicians.

But Thursday’s Beyonce presser was an all-timer, from the moment she began by belting out the national anthem in a clever in-your-face to critics of her Inauguration Day lip-sync.

She...

Sometimes it’s best to just quote Super Bowl news releases verbatim, allowing them to speak for their wacky selves, rather than trying to think of something clever to say about them.

For example, one from CBS about, well, this:

"CBS Sports, home of Super Bowl XLVII, Queens and Helmut VonLichten have teamed to re-mix the iconic rock classic “We Will Rock You” with “The NFL on CBS”...

Before we move on to Sunday’s conference finales – which will be the second- and third-most-watched American television shows of 2013 – let us pause to honor the massive audiences for last weekend’s divisional doozies.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, an estimated 40.8 million people and 24.0 percent of all U.S. households were tuned into the Ravens-Broncos game. At 4 p.m. Sunday, 43.2 million and 25.6...

Strange but true: There were far more journalists and people in suits (and even some journalists in suits) at CBS’ event Tuesday previewing its Super Bowl coverage in New Orleans than there were at the Rex Ryan/Woody Johnson presser at the same time.

Such is the power of the Super Bowl, an event that draws from the worlds of sports, news, business and show biz. (Plus, CBS’ event was catered.)

Speaking...

In this week's installment of "Whither Mike Francesa?" we check in with Dan Mason, president of CBS Radio. So, sir, are you hopeful of re-signing the big guy?

"We’re always hopeful for that," Mason said. "Mike’s a big part of the radio station, so we are hopeful of that."

Francesa has not said much about his future since telling Newsday last January he is...

A complete transcript of an interesting conversation I had with CBS analyst Bill Cowher Tuesday at an event to promote the network's coverage of SB47:

First, I asked Cowher whether with all of the openings around the league he was tempted by any of them. He said this:

"No, no, no, no. Hey, we have the Super Bowl. All these coaches are trying to get there. I know I'm going to be...

The professional football schedule for Week 17 includes nine games with direct playoff implications for the NFL and two that present a visual anomaly for New York-area television viewers.

The Jets and Giants both play at 1 p.m. this Sunday -- and not against each other -- thereby splitting the nation's No. 1 media market in two. The 6-9 Jets play at the 5-10 Bills on CBS, and the 8-7 Giants...

Dan Fouts has worked over his long broadcasting career with many of the biggest names in play-by-play, including the late Jack Buck, Dick Enberg, Al Michaels, Keith Jackson, Brent Musberger and Verne Lundquist.

"The very best," he said. But he said he would put his current CBS play-by-play partner, Ian Eagle "up there with them all. To me he is extremely well prepared, so, so...