There are very few annual events that approach the level of coolness that is the NHL's Winter Classic, and the NHL announced all the details of next year's matchup on New Year's Day. Everyone knew it would be at Fenway, and feature the Bruins and Flyers, but it became official today. Here's the release....

The National Hockey League's annual outdoor game will return on New Year’s Day with the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park -- home of the Boston Red Sox -- in the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter ClassicTM. The Eastern Conference rivals will face-off at 1 p.m., ET in the classic, which received the SportsBusiness Journal “Sports Event of the Year” award for its inaugural edition in 2008.

“A unique event deserves a unique venue, and we are delighted the Bruins and Flyers will renew their rivalry with the ‘Green Monster’ providing the backdrop,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We welcome our fans, our teams, our sponsors and the great city of Boston to this annual celebration of our sport.”

Bridgestone brand will return as the title sponsor, showcasing its status as the Official Tire of the NHL® and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) to a broadening viewing audience. Last season’s 2009 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic attracted 5.6 million North American TV viewers and gathered more than 750,000 visitors on NHL.com. The 2009 event at Chicago’s Wrigley Field drew 41,818 to the historic ballpark, with demand for tickets exceeding 240,000.

The 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic will be the third regular-season outdoor NHL game played in the United States (the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Year’s Day 2008, and the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on New Year’s Day last season), and the fourth regular-season outdoor game in League history (the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003).

NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S. In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live. NHL Radio and SIRIUS XM Radio will provide radio coverage and NHL.com will provide extensive digital video coverage.

I can't reiterate this enough, but the Winter Classic is the perfect pregame to all of the New Year's Day College Football games later that afternoon. The fact that they made it two Eastern rivals, and put it at one of the most famous stadiums in America, is just icing (pun intended) on the cake. I'm still hoping for a Pens-Caps matchup on the National Mall in the future, but next year's contest should be just as fun.

HBO Sports has been putting together a nice collection of rivalry documentaries, with the last being a look at Ohio State and Michigan, and their latest should be just as interesting. The network will be delving into the dynamic that is Duke-UNC, titled "Battle for Tobacco Road", and they've got a pretty impressive lineup of cameos. Via HBO PR....

Separated by fewer than ten miles, the two schools have been going at it on the hardwood since 1920. But over the past 25 years, their heated competition has steadily grown in intensity, with Duke and North Carolina gearing up each season to reach a common goal: to beat their archrival twice in the regular season, regardless of rankings or won-loss records. These two Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses frequently dominate the conference standings, and routinely compete for the top spot in the national polls. Remarkably, since the NCAA Tournament expanded to its current configuration in 1985, these two schools alone have combined for more national titles (five) and made more Final Four appearances (18), than any other entire conference.

The high-profile list of interviewees from the Blue Devils and Tar Heels programs weighing in on the intense rivalry in BATTLE FOR TOBACCO ROAD: DUKE VS. CAROLINA includes: Hall of Fame coaches Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski; players Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Charlie Scott, Larry Brown, Art Heyman, Kenny Smith, Phil Ford, Eric Montross, Mitch Kupchak, Chris Collins, Grant Hill, Alaa Abdlenaby, Jay Bilas, Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Brian Davis, J.J. Redick, Jeff Capel and Christian Laettner; commentators Jim Lampley and Seth Davis; former Duke athletic director Tom Butters; and current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams.

Sounds pretty interesting, and if it's anywhere near as good as the UM-OSU one, it will certainly be a hit.

This trip is the one that we all predicted would happen. With both the Longhorns and Sooners undefeated, and with the game being on ABC, ESPN will take it's Gameday crew from Nashville, TN to Dallas this Saturday. Via the Oxford Press....

The Longhorns took care of Colorado 38-14 and Oklahoma took care of Baylor 49-17 on Saturday, and seconds after each victory, the respective fan bases had moved on.

That's because No. 1 and undefeated Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) and No. 5 and undefeated Texas (5-0, 1-0) are meeting in Dallas on Saturday for the 103rd Red River Rivalry. This one promises to be one of the biggest Oklahoma-Texas showdowns ever, and not just because there will be 92,100 fans packed into the Cotton Bowl, almost twice the 46,200 the stadium seated when it first opened:

It's the first time since 2004 that both teams enter the game ranked in the top five.

That's exactly why ESPN's "College GameDay" will be camped outside the Cotton Bowl.

I don't know what it was about last week, but none of the games on the schedule were really that appealing. This week as a whole isn't better, but with TEX-OK, OKST-MIZZOU and LSU-FLA, at least we have three top tier matchups throughout the day. The Red River Rivalry should be a good one this year, and it kicks off right at noon this Saturday.

Magic is back in Texas-Oklahoma matchup (Oxford Press)

I originally wrote this for posting over at Sporting News, but I wanted to share it in this spot as well. I don't know if you watched the Sports Center Special last night on ESPN, but if you missed it I tried to capture it's greatness as much I could.

ESPN Actually Does Something Cool With Its Celtics-Lakers Coverage (The Sporting Blog)

When I wrote about the NBA Finals late in the day on Monday the obvious angle to note was the Jimmy Kimmel appearance. Well that was certainly not the case after Tuesday night. ESPN's re-airing of Game Six of the 1987 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Celtics was some of the best programming I've seen the channel ever air. But before we get into the clips and the show itself I want to share with you the reason that I didn't even mention it in the Finals preview the other night. I think this section of the press release speaks for itself....

SportsCenter NBA Finals Special Tuesday on ESPN
ESPN will televise a three-hour primetime SportsCenter NBA Finals Special devoted to Game 6 of the 1987 NBA Finals – the last time the Celtics and Lakers met in The Finals – Tuesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. The Lakers defeated the Celtics, with Magic Johnson earning MVP honors. The telecast will include game footage, interviews with participants, and a look ahead at the 2008 NBA Finals.

I know that sound far from boring but it was nothing compared with what they actually did on Tuesday night. Matt Winer and Tim Legler hosted an over 3-hour replay of on of the Lakers-Celtics most intense games and not only did they not interrupt the game itself but they even brought in some of the old players between breaks in the action. Dick Stockton and Tommy Heisohn were on the call that night and not only did they interview the play-by-play man Stockton, but they also sat down with the face of CBS at the time Brent Musburger. Here are some of the highlights....

I can't stress enough how much this idea worked on multiple levels. First the obvious is that it was a vehicle to promote the 2008 Finals. There's never anything wrong with advertising your product, but this show did that and more. The simplicity of the original broadcast, along with the unobtrusive and fan-like demeanor of Winer and Legler let the rivalry speak for itself. The addition of all of the media folks and the announcers was just the icing on the cake.

The game itself took us back to a time where Dick Stockton was at the top of his game and Tommy Heisohn added an unbelievable amount of unbiased commentary. There were no explosions, there were no intrusive and useless sideline reporters, and there was no crappy music or obtrusive graphics. It was just ridiculously talented Basketball players who hated each other waging war, and it was awesome.

Now that's not to say that today's game is bad (it most certainly isn't most of the time). Sure the game back then was different and you're not likely to see Kobe go and shake the Celtics' Coaches hands (ala Kareem Abdul Jabar in 1987 as he leaves the game), but the allure of this year's Finals to NBA fans is just as great as it was back then. Of course there's not seven (seven!) future Hall of Famers playing in Game One this Thursday, but it's still going to be fun. I don't know who came up with this idea over at Bristol HQ, but it's one of the best things the network has done in the past 10 years. Hopefully they re-air it for those that missed it.

ESPN Actually Does Something Cool With Its Celtics-Lakers Coverage (The Sporting Blog)

Having watched a Sporting Event or two at a movie theater that serves beer I can tell you that there may be nothing cooler. Well for you Texans out there you'll have the chance to do so (minus the beer but you can always sneak some jack in for your extra large Coke) at Cinemas throughout the state....

The Walt Disney Studios, ESPN and Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. will team up to stream a live HD broadcast of the classic rivalry between the University of Texas and Texas A&M into digital cinema-equipped theatres throughout Texas on February 18, 2008. The game will be shown on a total of 15 screens in Carmike Cinemas, Galaxy Theatres and Rave Motion Pictures cinema locations. Excited fans, unable to be in the Longhorn's sold-out Frank Erwin Center, will be able to cheer together from the equivalent of courtside seats as the teams tip-off.

Pretty sweet if you ask me. Sooner or later they'll be doing this for all games. Hopefully they let you tailgate in the parking lot, but if not you can always hang out at the TGI Fridays next to the Rave Cinema beforehand.

Texas Fans to Enjoy College Rivals Pair-up in Theatres Around the State (Access IT)

One of the most well-known and respected Business magazine, Fast Company took a look into some of the work that Yahoo! has done to re-brand itself in the Sports World. The whole thing is a pretty good read but the best part is the quotes from those involved.....

The contrasts between Yahoo Sports and ESPN.com give it all the trappings of a classic rivalry. ESPN has only taken baby steps into the blogosphere and lags in fantasy sports, but overall has an enormous built-in advantage: It televises the games themselves, both on its nine U.S. TV networks and online. "We don't see ourselves as simply a Web site, but as a network that goes across digital," says ESPN's John Kosner, senior VP and GM of digital media. "I don't think there's much question among sports fans who offers the best content."

Yahoo Sports may never rival ESPN in terms of scope. But it doesn't have to as long as it feeds the larger Yahoo effort to reinvent itself. Pitaro says he speaks to Jerry Yang regularly, and the CEO believes that sports is a bellwether of what's possible if major categories such as news, finance, travel, and music are also category leaders. More people starting their day at Yahoo means more ads--and higher rates.

Yahoo Sports' team is taking it one game at a time. But sometimes they can't help but think big. "The vibe here is not timid," Silver says. "We're here to bust down the door and smack some people around."

Booyah! What's up now ESPN??? Michael Silver's coming for your ass!!! In all seriousness I don't really read either publication, but I think both are doing a great job of increasing their viewers. By the time ESPN realizes how to market their online game offerings though it could be a blowout.

All things considered it's pretty amazing the reversal of fortune that Yahoo! has achieved, and like I always say....more sources are better than just one.

Yahoo's Rally Cry (Fast Company)

Had this forwarded to me by reader Brenden this morning and couldn't stop laughing. Redskins fans are willing to give up a good bit of coin (and other things) for tickets to tomorrow's game. Via Craigslist.....

HERES WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER FOR SKINS TICKETS THAT ARE PRICED 6 TIMES THE FACE VALUE:

MY SON MARK....HE IS A HARD WORKER AND GREAT STUDENT AND DEFINITELY WORTH 2 UPPER LEVEL TICKETS. I CAN HAVE ALL OF HIS THINGS PACKED UP FEDEXED TO U BY TONIGHT.

MY DAUGHTER MEGAN: SHE IS MY FIRST BORN AND ONLY DAUGHTER SO WOULD LIKE TO GET 2 LOWERS FOR HER. SHE IS THIRD GRADE AND AN HONOR ROLL STUDENT SHE LOVES HANNAH MONTANA AND CAN ALSO BE FEDEXED WITH TRACKING NUMBER TONIGHT.

MY WIFE DEBBIE:SHE....SHE...SHE HELL U CAN HAVE HER FOR A PARKING PASS

2007 BMW 328XI...ONLY 4000 MILES ON IT PAID OVER 40,000 LOADED OUT...WOULD LIKE TO GET 4 CLUBS FOR IT AND A PARKING PASS I KNOW THATS A LOT TO ASK OF U SCALPERS SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW ON THAT ONE.

U SCALPERS ARE IDIOTS

Someone seems a tad bit bitter about not being able to get tickets.

I Am Begging Skins/Cowboys Willing To Pay Anything I Mean Anything (Craigslist)

Just wanted to pass along this set of vids found at The Wizard Of Odds this morning. Growing up next to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland you are trained for one thing...well two. Crappy, Running Football Teams and hating Army.

For some reason I still watch the game every year, and this year will be no different. Well except for the added value of a YouTube war between the two rivals....

Enjoy our Bowl Game is pretty classic, but the production quality in the Army video wins out. Won't matter though...Navy wins this one by 20.

'Operation Good Shepherd' Is a Success (The Wizard Of Odds)

I was looking through the release of ESPN's coverage of the "Big Game" this weekend, and the further and further you got down on the thing the more and more ridiculous the coverage seemed. Given it's a huge game every year (the biggest in my fandom) and viewership should be through the roof, but check out some of this nonsense.

1) Obviously Gameday will be there and Desmond Howard won't be booed for the first time in years.

2) ESPN Classic and ESPN U will air 9 different former clashes between the two Big Ten teams...

Wednesday, Nov. 14 - 2 p.m.: 1981 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPNU)
Thursday, Nov. 15 - 2 p.m.: 1995 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPNU)
Friday, Nov. 17 - 1 p.m.: 1997 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPNU)
3 p.m.: 2006 Michigan at Ohio State (ESPNU)
5 p.m.: 2005 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPNU)
Saturday, Nov. 18 - 3 a.m.: 1973 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPN Classic)
5 a.m.: 1997 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPN Classic)
7 a.m.: 2005 Ohio State at Michigan (ESPN Classic)
9 a.m.: 2006 Michigan at Ohio State (ESPN Classic)

3) An interactive Blog going from Noon to 7pm on ESPN.com

4) Fans can purchase and download full versions of the classic 1973, 1997, 2002 and 2006 Ohio State–Michigan games from The iTunes Store for $1.99 each.

5) ESPN.com Podcasts throughout the day.

......and lastly and most importantly..........

6) Reporter Greg Garber Gets Mohawk Haircut!

This week’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (Saturdays at 10 a.m. on ESPN) will include ESPN.com reporter Greg Garber receiving a Mohawk haircut as part of a story about the seemingly growing trend for the hairstyle among college football players. Players from South Florida, Kentucky, Oregon and Boston College are featured in the piece.

Sweet! I don't even care about the game anymore. I just want to see a middle-aged white dude get a haircut.