YouTube says it's in talks to stream NHL, NBA games, NHL says it isn't

Currently, sports is one of the main things that's tough to stay connected to if you choose not to subscribe to traditional linear pay-TV service like cable or satellite, so it's no surprise there was much ado over Gautam Anand, Google Director of Content Partnerships for Asia Pacific, saying the company is negotiating to broadcast NHL and NBA games on YouTube. However, the key words in Bloomberg's report of the statement are "for Asia Pacific," and while the NHL flat out denied any discussions, the NBA merely noted it was "pleased that YouTube recognizes the value of live sports." YouTube already airs games from the Indian Cricket Premier League, and PaidContent's Staci Kramer has learned talks centered around the possibility of airing NBA games -- but only in Asia. It's doubtful, if not ludicrous, to think TNT or ABC/ESPN would let hoop games escape from cable to the internet like free agents to South Beach and while leagues could see potential in new international broadcast models, don't expect to see things changing in the US anytime soon.

Ken Jennings talks about losing to Watson, being human after all

In a piece for Slate titled "My Puny Human Brain," former-Jeopardy-greatest Ken Jennings talks briefly through his experience playing against IBM's Watson. If you were hoping for some sour grapes, you won't find it here, but Ken gives a great insight into what it feels like to be an underdog human up against a PR darling supercomputer. "Watson has lots in common with a top-ranked human Jeopardy! player: It's very smart, very fast, speaks in an uneven monotone, and has never known the touch of a woman." Ken wraps it up on an uplifting, humans-are-going-to-be-alright-after-all note, and we seem to have something in our eye...