ESPN may love Boston teams, but when it comes to on-air football talent, it also seemingly has a thing for former members of the New England Patriots’ rivals, the J-E-T-S.

Former No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft wideout Keyshawn Johnson, who recently added a weekly pro football radio show on ESPN Sports KSPN in Los Angeles to his duties, and ex-NFL coach Herm Edwards both have J-E-T-S entries on their resumes. They were joined this week on the Bristol roster by another pair that have donned the green and white, Eric Mangini and recently retired offensive lineman Damien Woody, who finished his career under Rex Ryan in New York.

It should be noted that both Mangenius (many in the Cleveland and New York DMAs may prefer another moniker) and Woody, who has a couple of Super Bowl rings to show for it, also spent time with the Patriots spying under the hoodie with Bill Belichick.

After getting sacked as coach in Cleveland — like his sparkling wit and love for the media, it’s another commonality Mangini shares with the Pats’ dour head coach genius, for whom he worked with on the Browns — Mangini served as a guest analyst on ESPN leading up to last season’s Wild Card matchup won by the J-E-T-S in Foxborough.

Now, Mangini will be quartered in Connecticut, where someone fashioned the following funnies - “With my reputation for access and ease with the media, it seems like a natural fit”… and … “As for my new role, I have been preparing diligently, by picking out tribal tattoos for my lower leg and doing triple shots of espresso to match Herm Edwards’ energy level” - for his arrival.

Moreover, Mangini, as did Belichick, also has plenty of time earned under former NFL coach and executive Bill Parcells, during his days with the NYJ. Parcells, of course, was Belichick’s boss with the New York Giants, which won Super Bowl XXI and XXV. Following his 1991-95 failure in Cleveland, Belichick joined the Tuna in New England during 1996, when they lost to Brett Favre’s Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. The two and much of the rest of the Pats staff then hightailed it to the Jets from 1997-99.

After Parcells didn’t like the man he saw in the mirror, he kept his GM gig, but jettisoned himself as head coach. Belichick was appointed in his stead, but infamously wrote “I resign as HC of the NYJ” on a piece of paper before he was introduced at a press conference the following day. In 2000, Belichick, with Mangini in tow as a defensive backs coach, succeeded Pete Carroll — who had been the head man for Jets in 1994 — to become the BMOC for Bob Kraft in Foxborough.

For his part, Parcells, who also coached Keyshawn as a J-E-T, has spent two stints on the Bristol announce beat and aired a pre-draft special earlier this year. Given the tangle of the two franchises, one can only assume there’s a seat waiting on the set for the bubbly one in Bristol, when Tom Brady retires or he ever texts “I resign as HC of the NEP.” Maybe, Mangini and Belichick would exhibit the studio version of the dead-fish handshake they exhibited following the Jets-Pats meetings on the field.

On a weekend when ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball showcases the New York Yankees invading Fenway, here’s another tangle query: Why isn’t Curtis Martin working for the worldwide leader?

Last week, Fox and Telemundo gained the U.S. media rights to top FIFA events from 2015 through 2022, highlighted by the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018 and Qatar four years thereafter.

It was an upset — perhaps not as big as the U.S. topping England 1-0 in the group stage during the 1950 World Cup in Brazil — because money and FIFA president Sepp Blatter were involved.

Still, for more than $1 billion in outlays for those two events, plus the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups and a host of U-17 and U-20 competitions, one would think there could have been a few more definitive answers about future telecast plans from the new rights-holders.

Or at a minimum there should have been some of the usual platitudes, thanking ESPN and Univision, which will continue to air FIFA’s events through the 2014 World Cup tourney in Brazil, and welcoming and expressing confidence that the newcomers will help FIFA to continue to grow the game…blah, blah, blather, blather, blatter, blatter.

Instead, after reports began surfacing around 11 a.m. on Oct. 23 that Fox and Telemundo had unseated the incumbents, FIFA wouldn’t allow the winners to officially declare their new futbol fortunes until 5 p.m. (ET). And when FIFA did, a three-paragraph statement was all the sport’s international governing body could muster.

FIFA was focused on, as one apologist pointed out,  its Executive Committee meeting and subsequent press conference, which addressed ethics, reforms, transparency, corruption, the establishment of a good governance committee, the withholding of ISL dossier information until December, and featured Blatter parrying whether he had ever considered resigning from the scandal-ridden organization.

Or as some wagged– just another day at headquarters in Zurich.

But it’s not every day, even at FIFA — whose current $425 million contracts with ESPN ($100 million) and Univision ($325 million) had represented its top media rights deals to that point — that a new record haul of more than $1.1 billion –$425 million to $450 million by Fox, $600 million from Telemundo and another $100 million by Futbol de Primera Radio for Spanish-language radio rights — comes in the door. And surely, Blatter’s side could have used a respite from reporters’ repeated inquiries centering on the organisation’s array of “reputational” woes.

FIFA’s bad timing and poor form didn’t provide executives from Fox and NBCUniversal’s Telemundo, who had traveled to Switzerland for what turned out to be a two-day bidding process, with a chance to properly celebrate their triumphs, talk up the exhilaration about presenting the globe’s biggest sporting event and allude to the attendant business opportunities thereunto. Or maximize press coverage of the same back in the States.

If you’ve indulged this Blatter blather thus far, please read a little further because FIFA’s cone of silence and the many years until these events transpire leave many questions unanswered about the winners, losers and Stateside futbol over the next decade.

Must-Win For NBCU. Sources familiar with the process say the NBC Sports Group made a bid that included the Spanish-language broadcaster in the mix, as well as an individual play for Telemundo, which was really NBCU’s corporate priority in its pitch.

Long a distant second to Univision, which given the rise of the Latino populace in the U.S. often tops the Big 4 broadcast network with the 18-to-34 set, Telemundo, with the FIFA fare, figures to attract more viewers who will presumably sample its entertainment fare.

The move could also serve to increase the value of the signals of its owned stations for retransmission-consent revenue, and perhaps sway affiliate switches and help bridge the homes gap — Univision reaches 97% of Spanish-language, versus 93% for Telemundo.

Fox Steps Up. The company really put its best boots forward of late. With Fox and FX presenting marquee matches from the UEFA Champions League and action from the Barclays Premier League — recent English circuit encores on the broadcast network delivered quite well on Sundays versus CBS’s NFL windows — may have signaled to FIFA just how serious News Corp. is about the world’s game here in the States.

With the FIFA additions, Champions League, BPL and Italy’s Serie A, it’s easy to argue that Fox has the best soccer stable in the States. Logically, those holdings certainly should build distribution and value — it currently collects some 17 cents monthly subscriber fee — for Fox Soccer over time. The programmer also can up its digital and mobile game with its FIFA rights score.

Matches On Cable? That being said, one has to wonder how many, if any, of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup matches will appear on cable? Fox Soccer counts some 40 million subscribers, and the promise of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup should help that base grow substantially. But FX holds an almost 60-million home edge and the dedicated soccer channel faces a 75 million-home deficit versus the broadcast network, which, given the tourneys usual June kickoff, shouldn’t face any major entertainment entanglements, following the end of the TV season.

Similarly, if Telemundo mirrors the game plan deployed by Univision, none of the matches would appear live on cable. During the 2010 World Cup, Univision premiered all of the matches from South Africa live, with encores appearing on broadcast brethren TeleFutura and cable network Galavision.

One might expect 35-million home mun 2 to host other FIFA events, perhaps even some Women’s World Cup action, and tons of shoulder programming — Fox Soccer and premium Fox Soccer Plus figure to get World Cup-centric, too, on the English-language side — but all or most of the main matches will premiere on Telemundo.

MLS Musings. Fox inked a one-year deal for the domestic league’s current season in February, but Comcast’s NBC and Versus netted what was de facto that package for the 2012-14 campaigns this August, flanking those held by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision. All of the MLS contracts are now co-terminus.

Televising MLS, which enjoyed its best ever season at the gate since its 1996 kickoff , but still yields anemic ratings, was part of ESPN’s current FIFA contract and was reportedly part of its bid for the 2015-22 cycle of events. It’s hard to imagine that Fox’s and Telemundo’s winning plays don’t include similar MLS pledges.

And one has to wonder about future rights to the U.S. national team, which are controlled by the U.S. Soccer Federation and largely held by ESPN, as well.

Joga Bonita. Univision and ESPN’s FIFA contracts conclude with the 2014 men’s tourney in 2014. Given a time-difference that’s two hours ahead of America’s east coast, a number of the matches will fall into primetime. If the U.S. and Mexico qualify and advance past the group stage, ESPN and Univision should easily set ratings records.

Finances aside — ESPN’s $100 million for FIFA events from 2007-2014 is a relative pittance compared to many of its other rights gambits — Brazil figures to be the top Cup. Russia and Qatar don’t match up as favorably on the time zone differential, sponsor interest or merely as an attractive destination.

If you have to leave the World Cup stage for a while, Brazil is a pretty good one to go out on.

Whither ESPN? In acknowledging that it came up short — ESPN reportedly upped its initial ante from $350 million to $400 million — the worldwide leader said it made a disciplined bid that was aggressive, yet prudent and that it remains committed to presenting the sport at the highest level — Euro 2012, BPL, La Liga,, MLS and the 2014 World Cup — across various platforms.

At this point, ESPN sublicenses the rights from the top two European leagues from Fox Soccer and Gol TV, respectively. Gol’s La Liga contract ends after this season, while Fox’s BPL deal does following the 2013 campaign. As mentioned, all of the MLS contracts finish following the 2014 season. Without the World Cup as a kicker, will ESPN really stay in the game?

If it does, will it be content to maintain its current positioning with the European circuits? Or will it step up its game and outbid its current partners, controlling the play in the upcoming auction cycle or beyond? Can it,  given its commitment to American college football shoulder and game programming on Saturdays and NFL previews on Sunday mornings? At the same time, broadband service ESPN3 is a beast that needs constant feeding and ESPN Classic could become home to soccer programming. On top of everything, executive vice president of content John Skipper is a big fan of the sport and certainly has helped increase its popularity in this nation.

For those who don’t know, round, but dimpled soccer balls can be made to swerve depending on how they’re struck. The same holds true for media rights and the company’s that hold them over any particular length of time. Let’s check back in a few years and see how the sport is bouncing in the U.S.

The NFL is the model pro sports league. Its weighted/revolving schedule presents many teams with a chance to elevate to the playoffs from the basement the season year before, while its billions in varied revenue sources, TV chief among them, seemingly flow unabated.

Super Bowl XLVI is looking to extend the NFL Championship audience for a seventh consecutive year, which would make Comcast’s NBC the holder (until XLVII) of the most-viewed telecast in American history. Advertisers are plunking down an average of $3.5 million 30-second spot to advertise in the Big Game.

But not all is always well at the Super Bowl (good luck getting to and parking at Met Life Stadium in 2014). Following last year’s weather disaster in Arlington that injured Jerry’s World and made ingress to his palace an hours-long ordeal, Dallas Cowboys owner Jones shoehorned in more bodies that his venue could accommodate, in pursuit of an attendance record. Hundreds found unsafe/unready seats, their trips of lifetime undermined by ego and greed.

There has been nothing egregious in Indy this time around. But the league showed bad form on Friday, when commissioner Roger Goodell, during his state of the league address, said that NFL Network will increase its primetime package from eight games to 13 during the 2012 season.

On Sept. 8, the declaration of ESPN’s $15.2 billion, nine-season renewal of Monday Night Football and other rights, upstaged the 2011 season opener that night between the last two Super Bowl winners, Green Bay and New Orleans on NBC, just weeks after the league and its players resolved their lockout woes. It was the same difference on Feb. 3, the NFL Network schedule upgrade could have waited.

Then again, Goodell’s timing may have been brilliant in deflecting criticism from the move. What’s good news for the league’s in-house network, doesn’t play so well for CBS and Fox, which are again losing games to build NFL Network’s expanded Thursday Night Football package. Residential and commercial subscribers to DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket will also forfeit games, perhaps furthering weakening the out-of-market package’s already soft 4 p.m. schedule.

While Goodell positioned the change as one that will give every team primetime exposure, it also means that each squad will now be exposed to the physical, game-planning and travel rigors of playing a second game just four days after a Sunday confrontation.

More importantly, the maneuver may be a trojan horse of sorts, a bit of research reconnaissance about injuries and quality ofplay, as the league looks to move toward an 18-game regular-season in 2013 or beyond. Whether that could also result in another primetime package (or two, leaving NFL Network in a cheerleading role) remains to be seen.

Of course, the run-up to Super Bowl XLVI has been shrouded in the mystery about the ankle injury to New England’s record-setting tight end Rob Gronkowski and whether he’ll be able to play and how effectively against Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants. But the Bronk’s medical issues were by no means the only injury capturing national headlines.

Peyton Manning, big brother of Giants QB Eli, missed the entire 2012 season due to problems with nerves regenerating in his neck. Peyton’s future Indy and whether he can resume his career there or elsewhere has been a topic du jour. His comments about the changes for the worse in the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium, Colts’ owner Robert Irsay’s angry reaction to Peyton airing that dirty laundry, and the fact that they’re still best of buds have been well-documented. Then came reports that No. 18 had been cleared medically to play, presumably allaying retirement fears, while further fueling stories about where the MVP of Super Bowl XLI will play next season and beyond. Will Peyton prove to be the most-pursued free agent of all-time and all that.

Given Peyton’s on-field exploits over his Hall of Fame career are one of the primary reasons the Big Game landed in downtown Indianapolis, it was obvious this Manning was going to be front in center in Super Bowl XLVI, either as player or ambassador. After an early statement about his progress, Manning should have been muzzled. The NFL could have taken a page from MLB’s playbook and put off all business dealings (never mind that A-Rod contract opt-out bit during the 2007 World Series) until after the conclusion of its showcase event.

As for the game itself, the combatants, the league and NBC are lucky this is not a rematch of the Harbaugh brothers’ historic coaching matchup on Thanksgiving night, which drew an NFL Network record of 10.7 million viewers. Turkey night matchups, by the way, will now air on the Peacock going forward.

The Giants benefited from a pair of fumbles by San Francisco substitute punt returner Kyle Williams to advance 20-17 in overtime in the NFC championship game, while the Patriots depended on the largesse of Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff missing a 32-yard field goal that would have sent the AFC title tilt into overtime. A query about whether there would have been a review if Wes Welker had a game-winning TD stripped by a Ravens defender in the final minute elicited an angry response from an NFL official this past week.

Regardless of their arrival points, it’s a juicy rematch of Super Bowl XLII, when Eli, a miracle grab by David Tyree and the fierce pass rush of the Giants’ defensive line, crushed Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s dream of 19-0 NFL perfection. Whereas New England was favored by a dozen in the 2008 game, the line, after opening at 4, now has the Pats as a 2.5-point choice. The last three times these teams have met — 2007 season-concluder went 38-35 to the Patriots just weeks before their 2008 Super Bowl meeting, while the Week 9 confrontation on Nov. 6 went to New York 24-20 — the largest margin of victory has been four points.

But there are many other intriguing options for those who would like to engage in the aspect of business that also helps make the NFL the king of U.S. sports. Vegas has put the over/under number at a combined 54 for these high-scoring teams. There are various odds on who will be the MVP, with Brady and Manning topping the list. You can also put down a nickel on whether it will take Kelly Clarkson more or less than 1:34 minutes to sing the national anthem and if Madonna will wear fishnet stockings during any part of her halftime performance.

From the TV perspective, there is under/over action on the national rating of a 47.5 and 115 million viewers, a level that would shatter last year’s U.S. record audience of 111 million who saw the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. You can also invest a penny on which region, Boston, Nielsen DMA No. 7 is at -7, or New York, DMA No. 1 at +7, will  generate the higher local TV rating, and if more/less than 1.5 million will stream the game on NBCSports.com or NFL.com.

Whatever your NFL business, or if you’re merely a fan, good luck and enjoy Super Bowl XLVI.

Go Big Blue!!!

Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? David Stern and the NBA will find out on Christmas, when the league finally tips off its 2011-12 season.

Avoiding Stern’s nuclear winter, the NBA will begin its lockout-shortened season with a five-pack of high-profile contests. The season starts with Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler and the retooled New York Knicks hosting the hated Boston Celtics, perhaps minus one of its Big Four, Paul Pierce, at the world’s most famous arena. TNT has the coverage at noon.

ABC then takes the spotlight with the 2010 Finals rematch of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks entertaining the Miami Heat’s Big Three of LeCon James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The Alphabet then will count on last season’s MVP Derrick Rose and his Chicago Bulls visiting the Los Angeles Lakers — Kobe insists the ligament injury in his right wrist won’t make him a DNP during Coach Mike Brown’s debut — to draw viewers in the 5 p.m. window.

While the afternoon match-ups certainly are alluring, they only have to fight off presents, Christmas dinner and all the trimmings for TV time. At night, it’s a different playing field. The Orlando Magic, which for now still sports Dwight Howard at center, is taking on this year’s “it” team, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder at 8 p.m. on ESPN, followed by the Staples Center’s “now” crew of CP3 and Blake Griffen, as the Los Angeles Clippers travel to Mark Jackson’s Golden State Warriors in the nightcap at 10:30 p.m. on the worldwide leader.

Unlike last year when the NFL Network was in play with Dallas-Arizona, this time both of the cable contests face NBC’s Nielsen juggernaut, Sunday Night Football. TV’s top series pits the NFL’s oldest rivals, as the Green Bay Packers invite the Chicago Bears to legendary Lambeau Field. It’s the only game on Roger Goodell’s slate, but some of the bloom may fall off of the ratings rose because Romeo Crennel’s Kansas City Chiefs knocked Aaron Rodgers’ Pack from the unbeaten ranks last Sunday, ending Green Bay’s pursuit of perfection. That may entice some of the casual viewers to opt for OKC or the prospective Clippers’ lob-fest, instead of the football game.

That’s not to say that NBC isn’t going to handily win the day and likely surpass its average audience of 21 million through 16 games thus far in the 2011 campaign. But at least the NBA contests now have a chance. Santa Stern should say thanks to Romeo for the holiday gift.

The following is Nielsen’s list for last year’s NBA quintuple-header: a 1.8 national rating for Knicks-Bulls at noon; a 4.6 for Celts-Magic at 2:30 p.m.; a 6.4 for Lakers-Heat at 5:30 p.m.; a 1.4 for Thunder-Denver Nuggets at 8 p.m.; and a 1.3 for Warriors-Portland in the nightcap.  NFL Network’s Cowboys-Cardinals contest tackled 7.8 million viewers.

It’s well  before dawn. Our tuxedo cat Donald has awakened me, per usual, begging for food. On ESPN’s season-opening marathon of college hoops, Hawaii is putting it to Cal State Northridge. Drexel and Rider are about to tip. It’s Day 138 of the NBA lockout.

Yesterday on Day 137, after leadership of the NBA Players Association rejected the league’s “final” offer, the group decided to disband and said it plans to file an antitrust suit against the league. NBA commissioner Dave Stern retorted “we are about to go into the nuclear winter of the NBA.”

Guess what? The sun is going to come up today and for the foreseeable future.

Would I miss the NBA, if the sides ultimately elect to airball all of the 2011-12 campaign - and beyond? Yes, for both professional and personal reasons. Every season, there are any number of compelling marketing, Nielsen and license fee stories, at both the national and regional sports networks level.

And pro hoops has been my favorite sport since I began listening to Marv Albert call the exploits of Clyde and Willis on Knicks games on the radio and Dr. J was soaring for the ABA Nets and eliciting Dave Zinkoff’s inimitable intonation — “From! The University Of Mazzachushetts, number six, Captain of the Philadelphia 76ers Julius… The Doctor… Errrrrrrrrrving!!” at the Spectrum. What Dirk and his crew in Big D did to LeCon and the Heatles on ABC last June was certainly extraordinary and could serve as the league’s lasting image for a while — or in the winter of Stern’s nuclear discontent, perhaps forever.

But the lockout litany and language have grown too long and laborious. Why can’t the sides just figure out how to equitably divvy up the $4 billion in basketball related income — hardly the stuff of plantation owners and wages — that emanates from guys bouncing a ball and shooting it through a rim. That’s something millions do, obviously not nearly as well as Kobe and company, for sheer fun and enjoyment.

Don’t the owners and the players know that the international debt crises are ruining 401K plans back in the States, that the economy sucks? That in real life, workers face the full court press of salary rollbacks, freezes, job cuts and a national unemployment rate that has stagnated in the 9% range? What about the regular guys working the parking lots across from Conseco, Staples and MSG? They ain’t getting any green back from all the games missed so far — and to come. Ushers aren’t directing people to their seats on what would have been game night. And bartenders, who would have been serving up drinks and pocketing tips from people watching NBA games, are going dry.

They should have decertified long ago, cry players like Nets guard Derron Williams, who has plied his hardcourt trade in Turkey. The players gave, gave and caved, agreeing to reduce their share of BRI from 57%, 53% 52.5% and finally 50%. But those greedy owners, like the tax man in Creedence’s “Fortunate Son,” just want more, more, more. Management only budged somewhat on mid-level exceptions, wanted to clip part of the Bird rights, and was looking to rewrite the playbook on sign-and-trades. Don’t accept this proposal, and the offer is reverting to 47% of BRI, with salary rollbacks galore.

MJ has become Abe Pollin. You can’t afford the Charlotte Bobcats? Go make some more commercials for Nike and Hanes, big guy. Blazer owner Paul Allen — the Forbes favorite, former Charter boss and the possessor of more than a few Jimi Hendrix guitars — is now a small-market player, too. Cablevision CEO and Knicks boss Jimmy Dolan has been described as a voice of reason throughout much of the failed-negotiating proceedings.

Of course, disbanding the union is just an irresponsible negotiating ploy, according to Stern, who says we were so close, that the players blew it up. Hunter says the collective bargaining process has just completely broken down. Stern hates Jeffrey Kessler, the lead attorney for the now-defunct NBAPA, who loathes the commissioner. Esteemed counsel David Boies, whose case load has included Al Gore’s presidential recount gambit and working with management during this summer’s NFL lockout, is on court now, so don’t worry, he won’t let the shot clock run out.

There could have been a 72-game season. Enough millions to go around for most. Go see where you can make that kind of money without a college degree. Sans paychecks, the repo man may come calling for the players’ Ferraris. And what’s a posse to do during nuclear winter?

You know, the owners just want to make the game more competitive. The new proposed 10-year deal — with a player opt-out after six, when new national TV contracts would kick in — was designed to save management from spending beyond their means. There was going to be an amnesty clause for the Gilbert Arenas and Eddie Currys of the world.

What about Stern’s legacy, or Hunter’s next job? We’re also looking out for all of the players coming after us? Don’t you think the next generations of would-be pro ballers are now going to have seriously consider the economic certainties provided by toiling on the gridiron or diamond?

According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN’s college hoops ratings leaped 22% during the 1998-99 NBA lockout. The other paying national cable carrier TNT has said it will rely on other primetime fare to fill the NBA GRP gap. The declines in advertising will be offset by reduced, refunded rights fees. Regional sports networks will be impacted more. They’ll forfeit ad buys/sponsorships tied directly to their NBA clubs and will have to revise their schedules with more classic contests, college hoops and other replacement programming. They may — repeat, may — even have to refund a portion of their license fees to distributors. RSN refunds to subscribers for not presenting a significant part of their offerings? Don’t expect to see a credit entry on this (or next) month’s cable bill.

Maybe more people will watch NHL games. They’ll tune in original series on the premium channels, on USA Network, FX, AMC — or perhaps even NBC. How about these alternatives to an NBA-free world: reading, going to the gym, playing with the kids, talking to the wife. Life is already going on without the league.

But soon the NBA negotiations will be in the hands of antitrust lawyers and judges. The union’s disbanding play will expedite things in a way that decertification couldn’t hope to. Somehow, this will be just the ticket to push the parties back to the negotiating table. The fail-safe button can still be hit. Remember the 1998-99 lockout, they got things together in early January — just in time to salvage a 50-game season.

At that stage, it really would be winter. Just not a nuclear one.