Jason McIntyre of Big Lead wrote a long analysis piece on why Charissa Thompson is the likely replacement for Michelle Beadle on ESPN’s SportsNation.
However, McIntyre has a wonderful aside in the second paragraph:
Aside: Clearly, this is the most pub SportsNation has gotten since its inception in 2009. The bandwidth spent on the show over the last month has almost been comical; it’s as if we’re discussing the Monday Night Football booth. Maybe that’s what happens when attractive females are involved? That being said, we trudge onward.
The picture that runs with the post provides the answer. It shows Thompson in a bare shoulder black dress.
Of course, there’s so much focus because these are very attractive women here. I mean, would there be this much fuss if Karl Ravech was leaving Baseball Tonight?
Probably not. Then again: Has anyone seen Ravech in a bare shoulder black dress?
Update: Just heard Ravech extended his contract earlier this year with, alas, no fanfare.
I almost drove off the road listening to Colin Cowherd during his ESPN radio show today. He basically blamed a “young,” “work cheap” crop of hockey writers as the reason for New York Rangers’ coach John Tortorella’s terse press conference last night.
(Newspapers) are getting a lot of young, cheap people to cover hockey. It’s not like newspapers are sending their best people to cover hockey.
And…
Fox News doesn’t send Bill O’Reilly to a speedbump proposal in his hometown. He goes to a presidential election.
And..
Hockey doesn’t get the cream of the crop in our business…What do you think I’m giving the kid out of Fordham? The New York Islanders. He’s cheap, he’s bright, and his brother used to play hockey.
And finally..
The guy covering the Florida Panthers, he was at a floral show early in the week.
At that point, I’m yelling at the radio, which had to look pretty weird to the person in the car next to me.
Not to stereotype as Cowherd does, but this is what happens with somebody who grows up in the Northwest and doesn’t have a clue about hockey. In my hometown of Chicago and in Detroit, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and other cities, they aren’t handing the hockey beat to some kid just off the bus.
As somebody who used to work for a major newspaper, I can tell you the beat is hugely important, and the hockey writers are well known among their passionate fan bases.
In Chicago, I was inspired to become a sportswriter in part because of the work Bob Verdi did as the Blackhawks writer for the Chicago Tribune in the 1970s. Verds set the bar high, and the current crop (old pals Tim Sassone, Chris Kuc, Jesse Rogers, Tim Cronin and the rest) are highly-respected members of the fraternity.
By the way, where is Cowherd basing his information? When was the last time he attended a hockey game or sat in the press box? At a Hartford Whalers game?
Before Cowherd goes into another rant about hockey, somebody should tell him the Whalers moved out of Hartford a long time ago.
Major League Baseball took care of its own Thursday.
It was announced that TBS has landed the rights to air the two new wildcard games in 2012 and 2013. However, in the process, MLB shifted two division playoff games to its MLB Network.
It is a shrewd move by baseball. Post-season games will drive more eyeballs to MLB Network. It also means we’ll likely get to hear Bob Costas on the call for playoff baseball. That’s a good thing.
As for TBS, the American and National League wildcard game should attract big ratings. They will have the feel of the win-or-go-home feel of the NCAA basketball tournament. We love that.
It isn’t often that we get trash talking between two sports networks. So let’s celebrate while it’s here.
In an interview on SI.com, Richard Deitsch asked ESPN President John Skipper the following question: “How concerned are you about NBC and Comcast creating a national network to rival you?”
OK, Skipper had to know the question was coming. Initially, he was corporate respectful, but then in mid-answer he turned into Rex Ryan.
We know those guys. They have significant resources and smart folks there. They have platforms, so we have a lot of respect for what they do, and we of course pay attention.
Trash talk alert:
However, we’ve been doing this for 32 years and I do think there’s a little too much respect paid to the great brand names. Everybody sort of assumes, ‘Oh, my gosh, NBC is going to a 24/7 network and it’s a two-horse race.” But they don’t look like we look. You guys saw all the stuff today — mobile, Internet. We have more viewers in an average minute on ESPN mobile than they have on NBC Sports Network.
Sure enough, that is the case. During the average minute in TV daytime, there’s 93,999 people using ESPN Mobile and apps compared to 82,421 watching NBC Sports Network, said ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys in USA Today.
Nevertheless, NBC Sports Network wasn’t about to let that shot slide. From USA Today.
NBC Sports Group spokesman Greg Hughes responded Wednesday with a statement suggesting ESPN overcharges TV customers. And that NBC Sports Network provides more value for the buck than the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports.
“The NBC Sports Group brands are among the most powerful brands in sports. We don’t look like anyone else and we’re very proud of that fact. They’ve been at this a long time and at a significantly higher cost to consumers,” Hughes said. “Our audience and market share are increasing as evidenced by the NHL playoffs and at great value to our viewers.”
Interesting comment. Let’s examine.
Yes, ESPN does charge much more than anyone else. You know why? Because they can. Let’s not kid ourselves, for all the talk of being such a bargain, NBC Sports Network would do the same thing if they could. Comcast isn’t running a non-for-profit.
However, NBC Sports Network can’t reach those pricing levels because its programing doesn’t come close to matching ESPN’s arsenal. And it won’t for a long time with ESPN locking up many long-term deals.
Perhaps that should be ESPN’s retort here. But I’m guessing we have heard enough trash talk for now.
I always have reservations whenever Sports Illustrated or another outlet begins to over hype a high school athlete. There’s the quest to find the next big star, and being anointed can put a lot of pressure on a young kid.
However, it’s hard to argue with Sports Illustrated’s decision to put Jabari Parker on the cover this week. Living in Chicago, we know all about the Simeon High School basketball star. He’s that good. Will he be as good as LeBron James? Time will tell, but you’ll likely be hearing about him for a long time.
Also he has an interesting story. He isn’t your typical high school superstar looking to take the quickest path to the pros. Here’s a preview:
Jabari Parker, a junior at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, is the best high school basketball player since LeBron James, but there’s something more important to him than hoops stardom: his faith. Parker—who was the 2011 USA Basketballathlete of the year and is being recruited by all the top college programs including Kentucky, Kansas and Duke—is a devout Mormon. After his freshman year in college, when top players will head to the NBA draft, Jabari will have to decide whether he will declare for the draft or—like thousands of other Mormon men who turn 19—embark on a two-year mission to spread the faith in the U.S. or a foreign country.
Parker appears on the cover of the May 21, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now. Parker is the first high school athlete on the cover since Bryce Harper appeared on the June 8, 2009 cover.
Jabari wakes up each morning at five and says a prayer, and three days a week, he is at Bible study by 5:30. Parker also accompanies a Bishop of his church on visits to the sick, the poor and the elderly—an assignment designed to teach young men the importance of service and self-sacrifice. Parker tells contributing writer Jeff Benedict, “I realize why I’m in the position I’m in right now. It’s not because of me. It’s because of God.”
He knows his decision will be difficult. His brother Christian, who has already served a mission, has told Jabari that it was the best thing he’s ever done. Jabari says, “When he came home from his mission, we talked a lot about it. I want to go. But I have doubts. The NBA is the biggest dream of basketball players, and I’m not different.”
Also in this edition, Chris Ballard profiles Tim Duncan.
Tim Duncan is the most successful player of his generation, maybe even its best. In the 15 years since Duncan was drafted, no other team in the four major pro sports has had a better winning percentage than the Spurs. Now Duncan is the foundation of yet another Spurs team that could win it all. So why haven’t the masses fallen for him? Senior writer Chris Ballard breaks down the 21 reasons why Duncan, compared with his peers, remains practically anonymous (page 36).
Duncan said, “Winning should be the only thing that matters. I can’t manipulate how people see me. I could be more accessible and be the darling of everybody. I could open up my life and get more endorsements and be out there and be a fan favorite. But why would that help?”
NBC announced Wednesday that the Golf Channel veteran will serve as MSNBC’s studio host during its coverage of the Olympics. Tilghman will receive plenty of air time with 155 hours of Olympics sports slated for MSNBC.
This will be Tilghman’s first Olympics assignment. It is a huge step, allowing her to branch out beyond golf. It also shows the synergy among the networks since Comcast bought NBCUniversal.
Also, NBC announced CNBC will have 73 hours of Olympic boxing, both men’s and women’s. Fred Roggin will serve as the host.
Tennis fans will go to Bravo for 56 hours of their favorite sport. Pat O’Brien will be the host.
Interesting to note that ESPN isn’t trying to stifle Laurie Fine’s libel suit against the network. The news appears among the headlines on ESPN.com and there’s a lengthy wire story.
She held a press conference this morning. Here’s a passage from the story:
“I’m here today as a wife and a mother who has had to endure the trauma of being smeared in the public as a monster,” Laurie Fine said, reading quickly from a statement. “My life has been destroyed.”
Federal investigators opened an investigation into Bernie Fine following the allegations of a third man, 23-year-old Zach Tomaselli of Lewiston, Maine, who has since said he lied. The local prosecutor has called Davis and Lang credible but said the alleged crimes occurred too long ago to pursue.
Laurie Fine, with her two daughters at her side, said her husband called to wish her luck Wednesday. She would not address whether they are still together.
“Bernie does support this lawsuit, and he’s behind me 100 percent,” Laurie Fine said.
She said the attention has forced her to live in seclusion for the past six months and give up charity work she enjoyed.
“They should apologize and retract these horrible lies reported about me,” she said.
Fine said the network was motivated by the unfolding child sex-abuse scandal at Penn State University involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
“Although these defendants have known me to be a decent and honorable woman, they have maliciously attacked me in order to attack my husband and to boost television ratings in the wake of the Penn State scandal,” she said.
ESPN said the suit has no merit and is standing by its reporting of the story.
USA Today reports that Laurie Fine, the wife of former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, is suing ESPN for libel. She is announcing the suit in a press conference in Geneva, N.Y. now.
Laurie Fine’s lawyers gave a copy of the complaint to USA Today. According to the suit, Mrs. Fine says ESPN falsely accused her of:
• Creating a space in which children could be sexually molested in secret;
• Witnessing her husband sexually molest children, but not doing anything to
stop it;
• Knowingly permitting the sexual molestation of children in her home;
• Telling (former ballboy) Robert Davis that she knew her husband was sexually molesting him;
• Having adulterous sex with Robert Davis while he was still in high school;
• Betraying Robert Davis’ trust by not protecting him from sexual molestation;
• Having adulterous and dysfunctional sexual relationships with Syracuse basketball team players over the course of many years.
ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said: “We haven’t had an opportunity to review the complaint. We stand by our reporting.”
Making the rounds as the NBA and the networks continue to pray for Miami to beat Indiana:
Reload: Don’t look for ESPN to fret about losing Michelle Beadle or anyone else for that matter. I found this comment from ESPN president John Skipper in USA Today to be very telling:
Getting excited about people leaving is very overrated — whether it be executives or on-air. Mostly it gives somebody else a chance to shine. I can’t think of a single instance where losing a talent has been significantly debilitating to a specific program. I don’t think we’ve ever canceled a program because we couldn’t find somebody to do it.
In other words, ESPN plans on finding another Michelle Beadle.
Redhead return: SportsbyBrooks is reporting that Bill Walton will return to the analyst’s chair. Reportedly, the former UCLA great will lend his expertise for ESPN’s coverage of the Pac 12. Walton had cut back on his broadcast duties because of chronic back problems.
I know Walton’s style irritates a lot of people, but I like him. It’ll be good to have him back.
Golf Channel shift: Erik Kuselias is gone as a co-host of the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive? He did a tweet over the weekend saying he is moving up to Connecticut to work for the NBC Sports Network.
As for Kuselias’ replacement, Jimmy Roberts is handling the duties this week. I’d be a big fan of him getting the job on a permanent basis. Great guy, and he knows golf.
I don’t want to say Mike Francesa is behind the times, but based on his rant about Twitter yesterday, I’m betting he still uses dial-up to access the Internet.
During his show on WFAN in New York, the afternoon host railed on about the evils of Twitter, saying it “should be against the law” for anybody with name recognition to be tweeting – specifically “broadcasters, media people and athletes.”
He said:
“Nobody needs to hear from any one of them,” Francesa ranted on WFAN/New York as well as on television via YES Network. “Including me, because you’re never going to catch me tweeting. It’ll never happen. I promise you, never.”
Well, it turns out Francesa is on Twitter. At least, his show is.
Meanwhile, YES Network operates a Twitter account dedicated to Francesa’s program. And once Francesa was off and running about his “Twitter should be illegal” rant, YES Network staffer Anthony Griek informed all 11,000+ followers of the account that the purpose of the @MikeFrancesaYES account is “to promote news about the show”, usually guests that Francesa is scheduled to interview on his show that day. With that, Griek also made a point to write, “For those asking, Mike does not tweet here.”
Like YES Network, WFAN has its own way of keeping listeners updated with upcoming guests. The station’s parent company, CBS, calls it the “Audio Roadshow.” Among the other features of the app, specifically designed for Francesa’s program, are a convenient WFAN audio stream, a “spot poll,” and on most days, the first thing you’ll see when you open up the app is… a sports comment written by none other than Mike Francesa? We’ve archived one from mid-February about how Francesa “saw Lin in person last night” at the Garden – as in Jeremy Lin… remember him? – on what would be the first game the Knicks would lose with Lin being a starter. (This, of course, led to unsavory headlines that got a bunch of ESPN personnel in hot water.)
C’mon Mike, it’s 2012, not 1912. Time to get up to speed in more ways than one.
