• Outstanding sports personality/host -- Winner: Bob Costas, NBC.

Others nominated: James Brown (CBS), Bryant Gumbel (HBO), Chris Fowler (ESPN), Ernie Johnson (TNT).

The view here: An easy call -- Costas is the most skilled, eloquent sports host of our generation. His work on MLB Network -- long-form interviews and breaking news coverage, including last year's Alex Rodriguez steroid story -- was also factored in, besides his NBC duties. Only 2009 was considered, which excluded his exemplary hosting of the Vancouver Olympics.

• Outstanding play-by-play -- Winner: Jim Nantz, CBS.

Others nominated: Mike Breen (ABC/ESPN), Joe Buck (Fox), Mike Emrick (NBC, Versus), Al Michaels (NBC), Mike Tirico (ESPN).

The view here: Nantz is a worthy choice; he's versatile (NFL, college basketball, golf); an adept storyteller; and conveys warmth and a big-event feel on any assignment. But the vote here would be Michaels, the NFL's best play-by-play announcer of the past quarter century and still on top of his game.

• Outstanding studio analyst -- Winner: Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN.

Others nominated: Charles Barkley (TNT), Tony Dungy (NBC), Al Leiter (MLB Network), Howie Long (Fox).

The view here: Herbstreit has become one of college football's two exceptional analysts (along with CBS' Gary Danielson), but he doesn't deserve the studio award because he spends more of his time in the booth calling games.

The choice here would be Dungy, who delivered smart, sensible analysis and displayed surprising candor as a rookie. Dungy criticized several coaching decisions, which nobody could have expected.

No TV personality amuses viewers more than Barkley, but he repeats his remarks too often, and it's difficult to honor him for a year when he went on a temporary leave of absence after a Dec. 31, 2008 DUI arrest.

• Outstanding game analyst -- Winner: Cris Collinsworth, NBC.

Others nominated: Jon Gruden (ESPN), Jim Kaat (MLB Network), Tim McCarver (Fox), Phil Simms (CBS), Jeff Van Gundy (ABC/ESPN)

The view here: A tossup between Collinsworth, who aced his first season as John Madden's successor, and Van Gundy, who combines cogent analysis with offbeat musings more adeptly than anyone since Madden. If it were possible to share the award, this would be the time to do it.

• Outstanding studio show/weekly -- Winner: College GameDay, ESPN.

Others nominated: Fox NFL Sunday, TNT's Inside the NBA, MLB Network's Studio 42 with Costas, Showtime's Inside the NFL.

The view here: Though taking the show on the road creates a festive feel, College GameDay would rank last on our list. Inside the NFL serves up the most engrossing football dialogue among the analysts (Simms, Collinsworth, Warren Sapp); Inside the NBA the most laugh-out-loud moments; Fox NFL Sunday the juiciest information (thanks to Jay Glazer); and Studio 42 the most compelling interviews. Our vote: Inside the NBA for sheer entertainment value.

• Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology -- Winner: Hard Knocks/Cincinnati Bengals, HBO.

Others nominated: ESPN's 30 for 30, E:360, NFL Films Presents, HBO's 24-7 boxing series.

The view here: This vote would go to the first seven installments of ESPN's high-quality 30 for 30 series, including well-crafted documentaries on ``Jimmy The Greek'' Snyder, the 1980 Muhammad Ali/Larry Holmes bout, the life of Len Bias and UM football.