Media Notes

In Miami, Barry Jackson reports the Dolphins "aren't allowing live blogging at offseason practices and training camp but won't stop reporters from taking notes and reporting everything once practice is over." Dolphins Senior VP/Media Relations Harvey Greene: "We don't believe in any live transmission of any part of our practice through any means. In the past, that included outlets such as TV cameras and radio broadcasts. Now, with the advent of new technology, it includes blogs." Greene polled NFL teams about their policy and found that "13 of the 15 that responded don't allow live blogging" ( MIAMI HERALD, 5/16 ). THE GREAT OUTDOORS : SportsNet N.Y. announcers Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez broadcast Thursday's Nationals-Mets game from the upper deck to the right of home plate instead of from the press box. Darling said after the game, "It's a very interesting way to do the game, not from our little cocoon downstairs." Cohen added, "Just having people around us in the stands, that was the most refreshing part to me." Hernandez: "I wouldn't want to do it in July when its 87-90 degrees and the humidity around 90%, but it was a beautiful day to do it up here and I just had a ball" ( SNY, 5/15 ). SIGNING OFF : In Houston, David Barron reports Houston Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon Thursday was dropped as host of KFNC-FM's "The Bottom Line" because of a newspaper policy barring employees "from selling or reading ads on the air." Solomon: "I can't endorse products and sell ads, and that's that. If they can't afford to keep me because I can't sell ads, I guess I understand" ( HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/16 ). NOTES : In DC, Tim Lemke wrote of ESPN.com's Bill Simmons voicing complaints about his exposure on the site, "It's surprising that Simmons would be so frank and open about his feelings toward ESPN, but I don't find the feelings themselves too surprising, based on things he told me in an interview last year" ( WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 5/15 )....In Orlando, Dave Darling writes the Magic's '07-08 season was a "disaster for the organization and its fans." Darling: "And this will continue to be the case until the Magic, FSN Florida and Bright House Networks figure out a way to get every game on TV" ( ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/16 )....USA Today received an EPpy Award for best sports Web site with more than 1 million unique monthly visitors, and AOL Sports’ Fanhouse received the award for best sports blog. The awards were presented Thursday during the Editor & Publisher/Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas ( EDITORANDPUBLISHER.com, 5/15 ).

(l to r) Cohen, Darling And Hernandez Calling Nationals-Mets Game From Upper Deck