Stephen A. was there when Dwight Howard lost his virginity.
Mike Piazza does unthinkable: Becomes only person in U.S. to speak poorly of Vin Scully
Mike Piazza doesn’t admit to taking steroids in his new book, Long Shot. No real surprise there, I suppose.
However, Piazza does take a swing at Vin Scully. Big surprise.
I mean that’s like going after the Tooth Fairy.
From Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times:
Piazza blames Scully for stirring the fans’ ire in a 1998 interview in which the legendary announcer challenges the slugger for giving the Dodgers an ultimatum on stalled contract talks. Piazza had criticized the Dodgers in an opening-day story in The Times, even implying that the contract impasse would affect his play. He is now accusing Scully of turning his words against him.
“The way the whole contract drama looked to them — many of whom were taking their view from Scully — was that, by setting a deadline and insisting on so much money, I was demonstrating a conspicuous lack of loyalty to the ballclub,” Piazza wrote of the fans, later adding, “Vin Scully was crushing me.”
When contacted by The Times’ Bill Shaikin about the charges, Scully was clearly wounded, saying, “I have no idea where he is coming from. I really have no idea. I can’t imagine saying something about a player and his contract. I just don’t do that.”
Piazza already had a credibility problem before going after Scully. Now it’s completely gone.
Really, is anyone going to believe Piazza over Vin Scully?
Even Piazza’s biggest supporter was dismayed. Writes Plaschke:
Fifteen years later, Piazza has misguidedly polluted it again. In an attempt to sell a book that he surely hopes will edge him closer to the Hall of Fame — he fell short this winter in his first year of eligibility amid rumors of steroid use — he has pushed himself further from his Dodgers home.
“I’m very disappointed in that, I’m sorry he would even do that,” Lasorda said Thursday. ”I don’t know what he was thinking.”
NBC’s Hockey Day in America more than about games
NBC and the NHL will do its annual “Hockey Day in America” presentation Sunday, beginning at noon ET. It will feature three games on NBC and NBC Sports Network. The network then will will weave in features that document the game around the U.S.
Not a bad bit of marketing to show hockey’s growth, impact and relevance. Here are a preview of the features.
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Ice Hockey in Harlem
Ice Hockey in Harlem is a non-profit organization for youth that uses the sport of hockey to promote academic achievement, teamwork and character. Their motto is “Education is the Goal” and the organization has served the community for 25 years. The program is only open to those living north of 110th Street in Manhattan and there is a waiting list to enroll each fall. At the core of this non-profit organization are lessons that stick with the kids for life. Themes such as family, commitment, dedication and giving back are passed on to these local area children, which will help in creating a better future, leaders and role models.
Jack Jablonski’s Road To Recovery
Jack Jablonski was a promising ice hockey player for Benilde-St. Margaret’s high school in suburban Minneapolis. On December 30, 2011, a check from behind during a JV game left him paralyzed from the chest down. That same day, Jablonski’s boyhood idol, Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee. Jablonski and Peterson both faced grueling rehabilitation programs and seemingly insurmountable odds. Then something curious happened and they met during the summer. Jablonski naturally was inspired by Peterson and all the hard work he’d done to get back to the Vikings’ training camp. What’s surprising is that Peterson was deeply inspired by Jablonski as well and used him as motivation during his comeback, which resulted in one of the greatest years ever by a running back. Jablonski has also exceeded expectations, regaining some movement that his doctors never expected.
Hockey Hair
Skaters streaking down the ice with long, flowing hair trailing behind them has been a common sight at hockey games for decades. Unlike playoff beards, which are widely believed to have been popularized by Islanders teams of the early 1980s, the exact origins of hockey hair have never been adequately explained. Michelle Beadle and Jeremy Roenick will dive back into NHL history and explore the long legacy of Hockey Hair.
A Little Boys Winter Classic
During the NHL lockout this past December, eight-year old Christopher John thought of holding his own Winter Classic. Working with his parents and his teammates on the North Jersey Avalanche, John turned his dream in to a reality. The Avalanche took on the Long Island Royals at Central Park’s Lasker Rink on December 23rd. Along the way, John’s idea for a game took on greater meaning and served as a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Sandy. New York Rangers LW Carl Hagelin and D Ryan McDonagh heard about the game and showed up at 8 a.m. to cheer the kids on. To date, the campaign has generated $25,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief.
12:30 p.m. ET, Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Joe Micheletti
3:30 p.m. ET, Los Angeles vs. Chicago
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire
6 p.m. ET, Washington vs. NY Rangers (NBC Sports Net)
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Inside the Glass: Brian Engblom
Thompson on Jordan interview: Surprised at the way he opened up
Fascinating behind-the-scenes stuff with Wright Thompson on his terrific story of Michael Jordan at 50.
The funny, tormented life of David Feherty: ‘I live 20 minutes at a time’
Two new profiles do a terrific job of documenting the funny and not-so-funny side of David Feherty.
In a cover story for Golf World, Franz Lidz has this nugget about Feherty and 60 Minutes:
So broad is his appeal that CBS even asked him to audition as Andy Rooney’s replacement on “60 Minutes.” The fact that Feherty didn’t make the cut may have had less to do with his Q score, a celebrity popularity rating system, than his mordant choice of material. In one bit he offered three situations in which it’s permissible to laugh at a funeral: “One was that you didn’t like the deceased,” he recalls. “Two, if the pallbearers drop the casket.” He can’t remember the third.
Insights from Bob Knight, who wanted to do Feherty’s TV show.
Knight agrees. “David puts you at ease,” he said after their summit. “He’s not mean-spirited, and he won’t throw you under the bus. I’ve never spent a more enjoyable time being grilled on camera, and remember: Nobody has ever accused me of being real kind.” Knight had asked to be on “Feherty” after watching an episode in which the host shot questions at pro basketball great Bill Russell. (“So, Bill, you were left-handed and black? I mean those are two serious disadvantages on a golf course.”) Knight had laughed so hard that he wanted to be part of the fun. And he was: At the end of the powwow, Feherty gave Knight tips on his golf swing, and Knight coached Feherty on the art of tossing a folding chair.
Unfortunately, there’s his daily drug regimen that allow him to get through life:
The vial Feherty keeps in his pants pocket harbors his daily regimen of anti-depressants (Cymbalta), anti-psychotics (Abilify, Klonopin), stimulants (Adderall, Vyvanse), mood stabilizers (Lamictal), cholesterol (Lipitor) and blood pressure meds (Avalide), and sleep aids (Ambien). “I don’t like sleeping pills,” he allows. “I don’t like sleeping, period.” His credo: You sleep for a long time when you’re dead. “I’m hopelessly in the present, I don’t live one day at a time. I live 20 minutes at a time. I have no f—— clue what I’m doing tomorrow.” Asked in what era he would have liked to play golf, Feherty says the 1980s and ’90s. He quickly adds: “But I’d like to remember them this time.”
John Garrity wrote about Feherty for Sports Illustrated:
But you can’t separate Feherty’s antics from his anxieties. He noticed a few years ago that he was starting to forget things. “And not where my car keys were,” he said at lunch. “I was starting to forget words. At a speaking engagement for the Navy I had to ask the audience to help me. ‘What do you call that thing that goes across the land that has water in it?’ And people would shout, ‘A tanker!’ No, that’s not it. Somebody shouts something else. ‘A stream!’ “No! I meant a river.”
He smacked his forehead with the heel of his right hand. “I’ve had my head run over a couple of times, taken a few falls, been knocked senseless.”
So yeah, Feherty has reason to worry about the possibility that he’s losing his ability to express or comprehend speech, a condition known as aphasia. At 54, he already depends on his wife of 17 years to manage his affairs and make sure he doesn’t get on a plane to Fargo when he’s supposed to speak in Seattle. “I rely on Anita beyond anything you can imagine,” he’d said in the restaurant, staring wistfully at the attractive brunette by his side. “I don’t know where we bank. I don’t know how much I get paid. I couldn’t tell you my net worth.”
It got so bad last summer that he asked Anita to make an appointment for him to get an MRI brain scan.
“My problem,” he starts to say–but he’s interrupted by the elevator doors opening. He steps out and looks right and left before joining a parade of guests headed for the casino floor. His eyes search for a sign pointing to the Skyview Suites Tower.
“Remind me again,” Feherty says to a reporter. “What is this for?”
Payback? Jordan snubs SI again; grants extensive access to ESPN’s Thompson
Just read Wright Thompson’s terrific piece at ESPN Outside the Lines on Michael Jordan turning 50. It covers all the angles of the ultra-competitive Jordan waging a frustrating battle with age. More than worth your time.
However, what struck me about the story is all the access Thompson had with Jordan. He spent hours with him. I can’t remember the last time Jordan opened himself up like that.
Then it dawned on me. Did Jordan do this as another form of payback to Sports Illustrated? In Phil Taylor’s cover story, he writes:
We will have to wonder about that without, as usual, much help from him. Jordan declined a request for an interview from SI, as he has ever since his baseball hiatus.
Jordan never forgave SI for a 1994 cover mocking his attempt to play baseball. Apparently, he is going to carry the grudge to his grave.
So Jordan snubs SI and basically opens the door for ESPN’s Thompson. Coincidence? More Payback?
Nobody would put it past Jordan.
High sports rights fees, higher cable rates: DirecTV adds surcharge
Somebody is going to have to pay for the billions that regional sports networks are shelling out for rights fees to franchises. And that somebody will be you.
Yet another example.
From Multichannel News:
DirecTV will expand its regional sports network surcharge in the spring to include existing customers chairman and CEO Mike White told analysts Thursday.
DirecTV began implementing a $3 monthly surcharge in August for regional sports networks in markets that had multiple RSNs, but only to new customers. That surcharge, mainly in markets like New York and Los Angeles, will expand to existing customers in those areas in the spring, White told analysts on a conference call to discuss fourth quarter results.
Other distributors have followed DirecTV’s lead with the RSN charge – Verizon’s FiOS TV began implementing a $2.42 monthly charge for RSNs in California, Texas and Florida in February, with plans to expand to its remaining sates in March. In Maryland and Virginia, the surcharge will take effect in April.
Analysts have expected other distributors to follow suit to help offset the high costs of RSNs, but so far no cable operators have taken the bait.
White has been a vocal opponent of rising programming costs, and on the conference call, said the surcharge doesn’t come close to covering its RSN costs.
“I think it’s a judgment you have to make based on responsible churn,” White said. “We’ve made choices not to carry certain sports unless we can carry them ala carte.”
Maury Brown, writing at Bizofbaseball.com, believes consumers have reason to be concerned.
Deals will continue to be brokered as media rights deals expire, but the battle to get them on the major carriers, or getting the massive deals that have been recently inked, will continue to be an issue.
Of course, none of this is good for fans. While the financial flexibility is something every sports fan loves to see their favorite club have, if it means a large spike in their cable or satellite TV bill, it comes with a price. The pin is positioned near the bubble. When will it make contact is the question.
What is the over/under of topless model photos in SI swimsuit edition? Think high
The swimsuit edition finally arrived yesterday. My wife was home at the time, and I showed her the cover shot featuring a mostly topless Kate Upton and her rather generous gifts from God or medical science.
“That’s outrageous,” she said of the cover shot, not Upton.
It really is.
Now I am not going to go on a long-winded rant about the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. And I’m not opposed for any moral or ultra-conservative reasons. I would describe myself as fairly liberal on virtually everything.
I just think the swimsuit edition degrades a magazine that generally does great work and is strong covering women’s sports. This is the same magazine that put the 40th anniversary of Title IX on the cover, which I lauded at the time.
(Note: Fairly sure I’m the only blogger who ran the Title IX cover for a swimsuit edition story this week.)
Simply: The swimsuit edition is a blatant money grab, and SI knows it.
What I have found interesting through the years is how far SI will push the envelope in showing risque shots of the models. Remember when we were stunned to see Cheryl Tiegs in a fishnet? Now that looks like she is wearing a blanket compared to today.
Of course, it is about showcasing bathing suits to the supposed 18 million who read this issue? Right? If that’s case, how come so few of the models wear the top of their bikinis, or anything at all for that matter?
I decided to do my own count of models who clearly aren’t wearing a top: Hey, somebody has to do it. For statistical purposes, my number does include models in the see-through fishnet top since I never have actually seen a woman wear one in real life.
And Vegas, here’s your winning total: 39. And that’s give or take a few I might have missed. Either way, the number seems rather excessive, or as my wife would say, “outrageous.”
Again, what’s the point other than to titillate and sell a bunch of ads? And one more question: How long before SI goes full frontal topless? No arms strategically placed, etc…
I’m betting when the number exceeds 50. At that point, why not?
Clay Travis: Sports bloggers have become ‘Mean Girls’; bully and travel in packs
Turns out I wasn’t the only person who found Will Leitch’s takedown of Darren Rovell to be excessively nasty.
Clay Travis felt the same way. Writing for Outkickthecoverage.com, he made many of the same points I did about Leitch.
Travis writes:
It wasn’t funny or witty or demythologizing of sports, instead, it was just mean and bullying. I’m not going to pretend I’ve never been mean in what I’ve written, but I’ve at least always tried to be funny. (I’ll excuse pretty much anything if it’s funny). But there was no attempt at humor or satire here, this was a serious attack on Rovell’s online persona.
Travis then expanded his critique. He said Leitch’s column is an example of a Mean Girls mentality among sports bloggers.
The more I thought about it the more I realized Will’s column was the culmination of something I’ve noticed over the past couple of years, the sports blogosphere’s descent into “Mean Girls.” You remember “Mean Girls,” right, the movie that suggested Lindsay Lohan was going to be a superstar, the script that vaulted Tina Fey into the limelight. (If you don’t remember “Mean Girls,” you’re clearly much cooler than me, which may be a given). At its heart the movie was about a group of cliquish girls who didn’t think for themselves and bullied everyone else around them. That’s when it hit me, increasingly the sports blogosphere in a Twitter age has come to resemble the clique of mean girls at the center of that movie, a cabal of bloggers who all share the same opinions and band together to bully the same targets.
The targets will vary, but they’re typically employed by ESPN. From Bill Simmons to Craig James to Joe Schad to Darren Rovell to Stephen A. Smith to Colin Cowherd to Stuart Scott, all of them have provoked the ire of the sports blogosphere at some point or another. It’s a roving band of ridicule, a bunch of ants trying to take down a rhino.
It’s jealousy personified. A group of people without a very substantial audience who go after a target with a substantial audience in hopes of punching up and making a name for themselves. Only the sports blogosphere fights aren’t one on one, they attack as a cohesive whole. Everyone, miraculously, has the exact same opinion of every target. And to what end? Are you really telling me that these ESPN targets are so much worse at their jobs than everyone else in the sports media? Of course they aren’t, that’s not the point, it’s that the mean girl clique has nothing better to do than band together and go after new targets over and over and over again. What they lack in audience they make up for in dedication, woe unto you if you have the temerity to question the herd of ants.
I’m sure they rose to their feet in Bristol when they read that passage.
I don’t know about the “Mean Girls” parallel, but as I wrote yesterday, I do believe the discourse has become excessively mean. Leitch simply took it to another level. And there’s no question that high-profile targets like ESPN, Rovell, and Rick Reilly are under attack in the name of page views.
That isn’t to say some of those targets don’t deserve the criticism. Just because fans embrace the celebrity of Chris Berman when they see him in public doesn’t mean he is universally beloved when he launches into his schtick on ESPN. And it is essential to pile on Craig James.
Travis makes some points worthy of discussion. Judging by the Twitter reaction, his critique has hit a nerve or two among the bloggers/critics.
NBC Sports Network best bet for Big East
Or what’s left of the Big East. Besides UConn, who else remains from the once great conference?
However, there will be a Big East. And it looks as if the conference is headed for a deal with the NBC Sports Network. Money aside (and it ain’t great), the conference would do well to follow the lead of the NHL, and become the main college game in town on NBCSN. The full-court (ice?) special treatment has helped hockey, and it could do the same for the Big East.
Former Boston Globe reporter Mark Blaudschun, now writing for his own blog ajerseyguy.com, does an excellent breakdown of things broke down for the Big East and where it goes from here.
Blaudschun assigns the blame for the conference passing up a mega-deal with ESPN:
Marinatto’s moves were dictated by the Presidents, particularly those at Pittsburgh and Georgetown, who were his prime backers when he was selected to replace former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese. Both argued strongly that the ESPN offer could be and would be topped by outlets such as NBC and Fox, who were desperate for programming.
The theory was that since the Big East was the only available BCS league without a long-term television deal, it would be a seller’s market. The Big East was the only game in time. That was the argument Marinatto was using, even though his inclination was to take the ESPN deal and run and run with it.
Throw in West Virginia, Rutgers and Notre Dame as other conspirators in the move away from ESPN and you have the ring leaders. Add former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue who was a consultant also arguing that expanding to other networks and other parts of the country were better and you have the major players pulling the strings behind the curtain.
But it gets better. Consider the schools that were yelling the loudest to turn down a deal which would have given each school approximately 13 million per year, which was 10 million more per year than the current Big East football contract, which has one year remaining.
Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and Notre Dame. All have left or leaving the Big East.
As for the future, Blaudschun writes:
So next year look for Big Monday to be on NBC cable. Look for the Big East tournament to be on NBC and NBC cable. Prime time exposure with prime time teams, a great starting point for a new network needing exposure.
In two years, when the Catholic 7 leave and Rutgers and Louisville head to the Big Ten and ACC, the football deal will kick in.
Look for NBC cable having a Big East game of the Week each Saturday. Look for prime time non-conference games such as a UConn-Michigan showing up on the main NBC network when Notre Dame is not playing at home.
Look for promotion and more promotion.
But what about the money? Or lack of it. At first, it will be very low. But it’s not a long-term deal. There will be “look in’s” clauses every couple of years. If takes off, the deal will be re-done for more money.
This could really work..
The Catholic 7–again led by Georgetown–will take their balls and sign a long-term deal with Fox to start their own 10 or 12 team play group, beginning in the fall of 2014. Maybe they will invite Xavier, Butler, St. Louis, Dayton, Creighton, VCU or Richmond or any combination that brings the total to 12.
The current Big East will emerge as a 10 team football league without a true dominant Top 10 contender on a consistent basis. It will be part of the non-BCS pack.
But it will have potential to get bigger and better. And it will have NBC promoting and cross promoting.