Notice anything about ESPN's All-Star Game coverage? The network was not allowed by Major League Baseball to set up its usual studio set at the site as a punishment for releasing the All-Star rosters too soon on July 1.

TBS had rights to the All-Star Selection Show for the first time this season. ESPN — much like it does during the announcement of the brackets for the NCAA Basketball Tournament — revealed the starters and reserves right after TBS did. But MLB didn't want ESPN to do that until the TBS show was completely over.

The New York Times this week said ESPN deliberately disobeyed the order because it felt the embargo was too strict and apparently told baseball officials it planned to cover the story as a breaking news event as it happened. That in turn prompted MLB to "punish" ESPN at the All-Star Game in San Francisco.

ESPN senior vice president Len DeLuca told the Times even though his network holds rights to such events as the NFL and NBA drafts, it doesn't expect other media outlets to hold back on reporting on them.

"Can you imagine if we told everybody, You have to hold off your reports until the end of the first round of the NBA draft'?" DeLuca told the Times.

ESPN wasn't the only embargo violator. TBS' show was put off two hours because of a rain delay in an Atlanta Braves game it was showing and The Associated Press released the rosters ahead of time as well.

Who's watching? The All-Star Game earned an 8.4 rating and a 15 percent share of the TV audience on Fox, down 9.7 percent from last year's 9.3 and 16. However, the total number of viewers for the game increased, up to 31.4 million from 31.2 million in 2006. The rating in the Los Angeles market, which includes Ventura County was 8.4, down 10.6 percent from last year's 9.4. Sunday's Wimbledon men's final drew a 3.2 big-market rating and a 9 share, up 10 percent from 2006. Saturday's women's final was 2.8/8, up 27 percent from last year's 2.2/7. 

Let's go to 17: A golf telecast may seem relaxed and casual, but juggling coverage of more than 100 players can be chaotic. CBS, during its Saturday coverage of this weekend's John Deere Classic, will take viewers "Inside the Truck" to show them what goes on behind the scenes with coordinating producer Lance Barrow and director Steve Milton. The telecast goes from noon to 3 p.m.; the "Inside the Truck" segment will be from 1 to 2.

Other notes: KSPN (710 AM) has extended its contract to air USC football and basketball through 2010-11. ... FSN Prime Ticket and ESPNews will have live coverage of David Beckham's introduction as a member of the Galaxy at 10 a.m. today. ABC will show the WNBA All-Star Game from Washington at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

— Jim Carlisle