Good morning. It’s Monday October 2, 2017 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

The MLB Postseason is upon us as the league eliminates its way to the World Series, flush with contenders that include heavyweight viewership regions such as New York, Boston, DC, Chicago, Houston and LA, equating to six of the top ten television markets. We have the postseason schedule below, but harnessing a powerful National League lineup this year will be TBS, which opens the playoffs with the Rockies/ Diamondbacks Wild Card game on Wednesday at 8p.

Cynopsis asked Ron Darling, who will be in the broadcast booth for the Turner channel throughout its coverage of the postseason, about this year’s storylines, the surge in young talent and his career advice for hopefuls looking to work behind the microphone.

Darling on key NL storylines: In the National League, I want to see which Dodger team is going to show up as they began to doubt themselves later in the season. I think for the Cubs, it’s interesting that they are playing their best baseball of the season. All year long, we saw them a lot and everyone has been asking about a malaise after the World Series and Joe Maddon basically said - Why Not? Of course it makes sense that we had a tough beginning after everything that has happened. We’ll see if they can continue that level of play. For the Washington Nationals, the theme for me is that if they had not had bullpen issues at the beginning of the year, we would be considering them the equal of the Dodgers. The issue with both the Dodgers and Nationals is that they both have post-season demons and they will have to confront those to move on.

On AL storylines: The Indians are the opposite of the Cubs, and showed no malaise after the World Series. They are incredibly built for the 162-game season and it will be interesting to see if they are as potent in the post-season. Boston’s series against Houston will showcase some of the best young talent in the game today from both clubs. Of course, the Yankees originally looked like they were two or three years away, but all of the sudden Mike Judge looks like Babe Ruth and changed everything. I’m more excited about the group of teams coming in this year for a variety of reasons. Some are talent, some are an abundance of talent. Some are because they are playing their best baseball, and some because they are simply having magical years.

On the emergence of young talent in the sport: I think that the young players of today are less encumbered by the trappings of being a professional Major League player. When I played, I played against the best players in my town where I grew up. But these kids play against the best young players in the sport all year long on these travel teams. So when they get to the Major Leagues, I’m not surprised when these guys who are 21 or 22 excel at the sport. When I am on the air, I am always saying “so-and-so and this other player played on the same travel team in Las Vegas.” I think these guys are not in awe of being a Major League baseball player.

On advice to break into the industry: 1) Be so over-prepared that you have 25 things to talk about on the broadcast, even if you end up only talking about two. 2) You cannot replace the reps. The more reps you have the greater chance you have of being you on air so you voice comes through. 3) You cannot worry about whether people like or don’t like you. You need to be true to yourself. If you try to pretend to be someone other than you, you will always mess up. 4) Do not at any time get on social media and try to see what people are saying about you.

ON THE AIR

As mentioned, the MLB postseason lineup and locked and loaded, with ESPN opening the gates tomorrow with a Twins/Yankees Wild Card matchup at 8pm followed by TBS’ Rockies/ Diamondbacks showcase. The ALDS then opens play on Thursday with the AL Wild Card winner/Indians and Red Sox/Astros split between FS1 and MLB Network. TBS will then launch NLDS action on Friday, with the NL Wild Card winner/Dodgers as well as Cubs/Nationals.

In ratings news, the opening valley of Thursday Night Football’s multi-channel/platform coverage saw a Packers teams rout the Bears with an average minute audience basis by 15.1 million viewers across all platforms, including CBS Television Network, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, NFL Digital and CBS digital platforms. The telecasts on CBS and NFL Network notched both rating and viewership boosts over last year’s comparable game, with an average of 14.6 million television viewers, up 3%, and a national household rating/share of 8.9/17, up from a 8.6/15, according to Nielsen live plus same day national ratings. The average digital audience hit 488,000. Amazon Prime Video first foray with TNF reached a total of 1.9 million combined viewers worldwide for the NFL Thursday Night Kickoff pregame show and the game. For the TNF game alone, 1.6 million worldwide viewers initiated a stream on Amazon Prime Video, which saw an average worldwide audience for at least thirty seconds on Amazon Prime Video at 372,000, with each viewer watching an average of 55 minutes.

In college football, Nielsen overnights showcased that ABC televised the highest-rated game of the week with Saturday Night Football featuring Clemson/Virginia Tech earned a 3.0 overnight. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Friday night matchup featuring USC/Washington State drew a 2.2 overnight to mark cable’s best overnight of week five.

Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and Little League International jointly announced today that the Phillies and the Mets will play in the second “MLB Little League Classic” next year in Williamsport, Pa. during the 2018 MLB Championship Season. The special Regular Season contest, as well as ancillary activities by each club, will take place on Aug. 19 with the game airing nationally that evening on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” and ESPN Radio at 7p.

The Patriot League detailed plans to televise 22 games on OTA channels around the nation through the league’s partnership with Stadium this fall. A total of seven Patriot League football games will air on Stadium through the end of the 2017 season. "We are thrilled to continue to offer new audience opportunities for the student-athletes, athletic departments and fans of our great partners at the Patriot League,” said Jason Coyle, CEO of Stadium. “With more than 30 million digital antennas in market across the country and millions who view broadcast television on cable looking for a modern day alternative to the traditional sports network, we are excited to bring this audience the live-game action that they cannot find anywhere else."

RIP to Dallas Stars’ play-by-play announcer Dave Strader, who passed away at the age of 62 following a year-long battle with cancer, according to the team. His career included runs as the No. 2 play-by-play announcer for the NHL on NBC as well as covering college basketball and WNBA games. “Dave Strader’s calls combined expertise, passion for our sport, the ultimate in professionalism and a calm command of the story of the moment. Dave didn’t just describe the action for a viewer, he brought you to the rink to sit next to him,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “As we mourn Dave’s passing, the National Hockey League honors his courage, his warmth, his contribution to hockey broadcasting and his adoring devotion to his family. We send comfort and condolences to his wife, Colleen, their children and grandchildren and all whose hockey experience was improved by the sound of Dave’s voice.”

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

It’s the end of the line for CSN and TCN regional sports channels, which officially rebrand under the NBC Sports moniker starting today. Channel lineups will now feature NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Northwest and NBC Sports Philadelphia, while TCN will transition to NBC Sports Philadelphia+. Meanwhile, CSN Mid-Atlantic, TCN Mid-Atlantic and CSN New England will become NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports Washington+ and NBC Sports Boston, respectively.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is now calling for a briefing on last week’s college basketball bribery scandal that has resulted in 10 arrests this far, according to the AP. Committee leaders said they are requesting a briefing from the NCAA and sports companies allegedly involved in the scheme. "The federal government's investigation into sports companies and basketball coaches at numerous colleges across the nation is extremely troubling and puts into serious question the NCAA's ability to oversee its own institutions," Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon and top Democrat Frank Pallone of New Jersey said in a joint statement. "In addition to any criminal activities, these allegations raise concerns about the effects of these predatory schemes on youth athletes and how hidden financial connections between advertisers and endorsers influence young consumers."

Chinese company ANTA Sports signed on as the official sports apparel partner for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. ANTA is already the current supplier for the Chinese National Olympic team.

DIGITAL & STEAMING

EA kicked off EA Sports FIFA 18 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 systems. The title features new gameplay offerings including Real Player Motion Tech, a Dribbling Overhaul, Player Personality, and Dramatic Moments. “When you play FIFA 18, I think you’ll immediately notice the benefits of the Frostbite engine across the game, the level of detail that has gone into gameplay to deliver unprecedented fidelity of control, and the passion that has gone into the modes like FUT, Career Mode, and The Journey to make them even more engaging,” said David Rutter, VP and GM of EA Sports. “Today FIFA 18 will launch in more than 50 countries and 19 languages; I’ve never seen the team this proud to launch and I know fans will get many, many hours of enjoyment out of FIFA 18.”

ESPORTS

The Overwatch League has its first official team name, with the Shanghai team in China, led by Chinese internet technology company NetEase, officially unveiling the team’s moniker, logo, and colors. The Shanghai Dragons will officially begin play when its kicks off in Dec., offering a logo that “combines the team’s name and a dragon figure to call upon the history of this symbol. The letter S outlined by the body of the dragon represents Shanghai, and the smooth line design is a nod to the strategic skill and flexibility of the team.” Red is present as a theme color for the Shanghai Dragons’ logo in order to emphasize its Chinese connection.

Riot announced that the North American League of Legends Championship Series will revert back to a best-of-one format starting next season. In a statement, organizers said that “Feedback showed us that fans preferred watching more content across multiple teams than tuning in selectively for matches specifically of one team,” noting that a Bo1 worked better because it was a more digestible format for fans and it allowed the company to get rid of dual streams.

The WWE and IGN are teaming up to offer the WWE + IGN eSports Showdown in New York on Oct. 5. The event will feature WWE stars go head-to-head with names that include A.J. Styles, Sasha Banks, Cesaro, New Day’s Kofi Kingston, and more. New Day’s Xavier Woods will also be on hand as the Showdown’s General Manager, while Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller will also be hosting. IGN’s Max Scoville will be offering commentary over the showdowns, while Alex “Golden Boy” Mendez will be shoutcasting the event.

ROSTER MOVES

Keith Dawkins, an executive for Nickelodeon, accepted a job to become the first CEO of The First Tee. “The First Tee is a very effective and very necessary program for our nation’s youth and future,” President George W. Bush said of the appointment. “I’m proud to be the Honorary Chairman and to have worked with Joe Barrow, and I thank him for his leadership over the years. I congratulate Keith Dawkins and look forward to working with him. The First Tee, and thousands of young people, will benefit from his energy and experience.”

THE MAIN EVENT

Redskins/Chiefs on ESPN at 8p.

Check out the 2017 Cynopsis Digital “IT” List Honorees!

Joining us from 38 companies that cover all elements of the industry, digital’s movers and shakers will represent the top brands and innovators in the business at our 5^th Annual Digital Awards Ceremony. Share insights and connect with your peers as we celebrate the honorees at this fabulous awards event on November 10 at Tribeca’s ThreeSixty (NYC). See the full list of honorees, companies and event details here .

ON THIS DAY in 1970: A plane carrying the Wichita State University football team crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people.

In the Know: What is the name of Wichita State University’s mascot? (Email Chris-Sports@Cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: Which NFL player still holds the record for most sacks in a single game (giving not receiving)? Answer: Derrick Thomas. Kudos: Andrew Feingold,-Fox News/NY; Denis Barry-CBS/NY; Nate Hammond-JCC/NY; Eric Wright-DS Simon Media/NY; Willy Gibson-WTG Consulting/Columbus; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Deerfield Beach; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Matthew Shapiro/Denver; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Later -- Chris

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