The Media Learning Curve: That which can be gauged as miscellaneous, except if you are needed to help punctuate a shirtless message

More media notes, in addition to what we have in today's column (linked here):

== The essence of HBO's latest documentary on Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (debuts Sunday, 8 p.m.) is about how two NBA stars bonded through their rivalry. Seeing them on camera, rather than reading about them in Jackie MacMullen's recent book, provides a deeper reach into this relationship. The residue that the viewer may not fully realize is how perception, even a loud hit of racism, is so stupid when examined by those directly involved. Watch Magic tear up when he talks about how important it was to him that Bird called on that day in 1991 when he found out he was HIV positive.

An excerpt:
Magic on Bird: "He's very private, but if he's your friend, you got a friend for life. And Larry Bird is a straight shooter. He'll tell you when he don't like you. That's one thing I wish I could have that he has that I don't have."
Bird on Magic: "I mean, if he walked in here, this whole room would change. And maybe that's what I always wanted to be, but I just couldn't."

There's also a quote from Bryant Gumbel, the "Real Sports" anchor who injects himself into this hour-long piece since he worked for NBC during the 1979 NCAA title game between Magic's Michigan State and Bird's Indiana State teams. "One of my pet peeves always is when people say, 'Oh, Michael Jordan saved the NBA.' Bullshit. Magic and Larry saved the NBA."

Other HBO airdates: Saturday at 11:30 p.m., Tuesday at 4:15 p.m., Thursday at 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.), March 14 (8:30 a.m.), 17 (noon, 8:00 p.m.), 20 (11:30 a.m.) and 23 (7:30 p.m., 3:10 a.m.), and April 2 (1:55 a.m.) and 5 (6:30 p.m.). On HBO2: Monday at 3:30 p.m., March 12 (7:30 p.m.), 27 (4:30 p.m.) and 30 (noon, 8:30 p.m.).

== John Ireland replaces Spero Dedes on play-by-play for the Lakers' radio broadcast of Friday's game at Charlotte. Dedes is leaving the Lakers' road trip to do the UCLA-Arizona State game in Tempe, Ariz. (Saturday, 1 p.m., Channel 2). Dedes is expected to return for the Lakers' game at Orlando on Sunday (Channel 7, 11:30 a.m.), but if there's some haywire plane plans, Ireland, who is already on the trip as the KCAL-Channel 9 sideline reporter, is ready for a repeat.

== Turner Sports decided that someone named Adam Alexander will replace Bill Weber as the new lead play-by-play guy for NASCAR races on TNT. Alexander will be joined in the booth by analysts Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach. As for what happened to Weber ... you must not have been paying attention.

== Versus channel has announced its first live daily sports studio show, "The Daily Line," starting April 5 at 3 p.m. The show is supposed to be relying on tweets, texts, calls and emails from viewers for use on the air and could probably be compared most to ESPN2's "SportsNation." One of Versus' on-air "talent" for the show: Jenn Sterger.
Google her if you're out to lunch on that one.

== A few friends who have DirecTV and are upset that the satellite dish service remains in a contract dispute with the Versus channel -- thus, knocking them out from national NHL coverage -- have informed me that by calling a customer rep and explaining their frustration, they've been able to cut a deal to get the NHL Center Ice package at a very reduced price.
Time Warner Cable is trying to drum up more interest in the service as well, offeirng a free preview of the out-of-market subscription package through Monday as fans of hockey get back from the 2010 Winter Olympics with a somewhat renewed interest in watching the sport.
Time Warner is offering Center Ice for $79.90 during the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs on channels 756 to 762.

== NBC, meanwhile, is flexing its NHL schedule to promote as many appearances by recent Olympians during the final few weeks of the regular season. The network is promoting Sunday's coverage of Detroit at Chicago (Channel 4, 9:30 a.m. Sunday) as Team USA star Patrick Kane reuniting with Canada's Jonathan Toews on the Blackhawks' roster as they play the Red Wings, coached by Team Canada's Mike Babcock and include Team USA's Brian Rafalski. Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire are on the call, with Mike Milbury in the studio. NBC already announced this week that it is picking up the Washington-Chicago game for March 14, also from Chicago.

== As CBS gears up for college basketball overload, NBC takes over the PGA Tour starting with this weekend's Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., going noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Channel 4). Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller, Gary Koch, Mark Rolfing, Roger Maltbie, Dottie Pepper and Jimmy Roberts are on hand. NBC follows with the WGC-CA Championship from Doral in Miami (March 13-14), Transitions Championshp from Tampa Bay (March 20-21), Arnold Palmer Invitational from Orlando (March 27-28 ... sounds like a natural for Tiger Woods), and the Shell Houston Open (April 3-4), leading into the Masters on CBS.

== Tennis Channel has the U.S. Davis Cup team's first-round competition against Serbia in Belgrade this weekend, starting with singles today (7 a.m.), the Bryan brothers in doubles on Saturday (5 a.m.) and reverse singles on Sunday (6 a.m.), with repeats at 4 p.m. each day. Thousand Oak's Sam Querrey, ranked No. 22 in the world, is making his second Davis Cup appearance.

== Sirius XM radio goes into high gear with MLB spring training starting today on "MLB Home Plate" (XM channel 175, Sirius channel 210) starting with the Dodgers-White Sox from Glendale, Ariz. The "Inside Pitch" with Casey Stern and Cal Ripken Jr. airs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

AND FINALLY:

== Former ABC college football play-by-play man and Sherman Oaks resident Keith Jackson hasn't done a game since the 2006 Rose Bowl -- Texas' win over USC in the national championship.

USA Today reports that the 81-year-old Jackson will be back on-air to host and do interviews on "Big Ten Icons"' a 20-episode series the Big Ten Network will launch in September.

"Haven't missed it at all," Jackson said of broadcasting. "I had a long-running feud with stadium parking lot attendants across the country."

Big Ten Network Senior Coordinating Producer Bob Lanning said: "On college campuses now, students might not know Otto Graham. Ask them if they know Keith Jackson and I know damn well they won't."

Everyone should, right? Wait'll the Pac-10 starts up its own network as well. Jackson could be the voice of it.