They could have lifted the ban.
Under a new National Football League rule, local television stations aren’t allowed to shoot video from the sidelines during games.
The exception: locally produced preseason games, such as Saturday’s matchup between the Broncos and Tennessee (7 p.m., KCNC-Channel 4).
Not gonna happen. The Broncos, says a spokeswoman for Channel 4, “have said what is good for the regular season is good for the preseason.”
This means, of course, only Channel 4 will have a videographer on the sidelines during the game but even “the official Broncos station” is allowed to use the video only on the four Broncos shows it produces. Like the other stations, Channel 4 must rely on the networks for its game highlights, which may be used only within newscasts.
Attempting to reduce sideline clutter, the Broncos also have cut back this season on photographers’ passes it distributes to smaller newspapers.
CU under glass
FSN Rocky Mountain is jacking up its college football coverage this fall, beginning with “Big 12 Conference Football Preview: Colorado Buffaloes,” hosted by Charissa Thompson (4 p.m. Friday).
FSNRM will do Big 12 and Pacific-10 games every Saturday. On Sept. 9, the sports network will do pre- and post-game shows from the parking lot of Invesco Field for the CU-Colorado State game.
New this year is “CU All-Access,” up close with the CU football program all season long, debuting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
Holyfield comes back
That can’t be the original Evander Holyfield fighting in Dallas on Friday, can it?
It must be Evander Jr.
Nope, it’s the four-time former heavyweight champion, who turns 44 in October, making another comeback, this time against Jeremy Bates, who’s lost 11 of 33 fights. In his past nine fights, Holyfield has fought two draws and lost five times.
So badly beaten in his last fight in November 2004 that New York pulled his license to box, Holyfield says his health is good and he’s raring to go. And it’s not about the money, although he figures to make close to a million bucks for getting back into the ring (8:30 p.m. Friday, FSN Rocky Mountain).
Around the dial
The USA basketball team’s Redemption Tour kicks into high gear Saturday with a first-round game against Puerto Rico in the FIBA World Championship in Japan (11 p.m., ESPN2) … Is there some sane reason KOA 850-AM cannot spell Mike Shanahan’s name correctly on its website? … Quotable: “History says he is a disruptive force, and football games are hard enough trying to get along with everybody, even a talented bunch. So he is not someone I would want on my football team. Ever.” Terry Bradshaw, on Terrell Owens on “Best Damned Sports Show Ever.”
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
