Fast Break

Arena football

Frederick makes all-rookie team

Former Spokane Shock standout receiver Charles Frederick made the Arena Football League all-rookie team.

Frederick, now playing for Kansas City, led all rookies in receptions (115), yards from scrimmage (1,518), first downs (100), all-purpose yards (2,129), rushing TDs (14), and scoring (41 TDs, 246 points).

Frederick, who played college football at Washington, was a major player for the Shock last year, helping lead the team to the ArenaCup title in their first season.

The rookie of the year honors went to Tampa Bay Storm quarterback Brett Dietz. He played in the af2 last season with Louisville and was signed briefly with the Shock at the start of this season.

Dietz made his AFL debut in Week 9 and guided the Storm to an 8-1 record, throwing for 2,395 yards and 47 touchdowns in the process.

Former Washington State receiver Trandon Harvey also made the all-rookie team playing for Arizona. Harvey caught the game-winning touchdown against UW in the 2005 Apple Cup.

TV sports

NBA purchases unknown media

The NBA’s new television contracts with ESPN/ABC and TNT include rights to technologies that have yet to be invented, an indication of the importance the deals place on newer forms of media.

The eight-year extensions go through the 2015-16 season. The current six-year contracts expire at the end of next year.

The number of games televised on the networks won’t change much. What’s different are the extensive rights for the networks to broadcast games and other content on the Web and mobile phones.

The NBA will receive about $930 million a year for all its broadcast rights, an increase of more than 20 percent from the previous average of $767 million, according to a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release details.

The previous contracts, though, did not include the extensive digital media rights. ESPN/ABC and TNT will each be able to simulcast and offer video on-demand for games that air on its networks.

Commissioner David Stern and network executives downplayed the league’s declining TV ratings, insisting there is still plenty of demand for NBA-related content through other forms of media. San Antonio’s recent four-game sweep of Cleveland finished with a record-low 6.2 television rating and 11 share on ABC.