- With fewer than 40 laps remaining, NASCAR’s Checker O’Reilly 500 was moved from ABC to ESPN2, to protect ABC’s prime time line-up from being delayed. Coverage was cut off at 7:30 PM, at which point the network began airing America’s Funniest Home Videos. NASCAR personalities were understandably less than thrilled, as third-place finisher Jamie McMurray noted, “I mean, maybe if the President was going to talk, maybe if something big had happened, but I can’t believe that America’s Funniest Home Videos would take priority over us.” For what it’s worth, last week’s (Nov. 2) NASCAR overrun drew a 5.1 rating from 7-7:30 PM, while the abbreviated edition of America’s Funniest Home Videos that followed drew a 3.6 from 7:30-8.
- With Saturday Night Football featuring the Seminoles, ESPN’s College Gameday is headed to Tallahassee — but not from the campus of Florida State. Gameday is headed to FAMU’s campus for the Rattlers’ home game against Hampton, marking the first time the school has hosted the program. Kirk Herbstreit will have a relatively easy commute from FAMU to FSU, where he will call the Seminoles’ game against Boston College with Brent Musburger.
- The recent blockbuster trade between the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons has led to at least one change in the NBA national television schedule. Thursday’s tilt between Allen Iverson’s Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors has been added to TNT’s schedule, replacing a previously scheduled Mavericks/Bulls game. On both Thursday and Friday, the Nuggets and Pistons will both be featured in nationally televised doubleheaders (Denver/Cleveland and Detroit/Golden State on Thursday, Denver/Boston and Detroit/Lakers on Friday).
