ESPN: The World Wide Leader In Hypocrisy

Hey, remember when a bunch of ESPN talking heads, including Michelle Beadle, Kirk Herbstreit, Jay Bilas, and Colin Cowherd went on a moral crusade against Joe Paterno for not doing more upon learning that Mike McQueary witnessed Jerry Sandusky in the shower behaving beyond inappropriately with a boy in the shower?  Good times, wasn't it?  Now, in a cruel twist of irony, the shoe is on the other foot, and then some.  While we do not know what Jim Boeheim did or did not know in terms of the Bernie Fine allegations at Syracuse, but we do know who did know of these allegations back in 2003.  That's right.  The Worldwide Leader, themselves.  ESPN knew.

ESPN did nothing.

What am I talking about, exactly?  It goes back to the Syracuse allegations against Bernie Fine.  Released today on Outside The Lines, a recorded telephone conversation former Syracuse ball boy Bobby Davis had with Bernie Fine's wife, Laurie in regards to Bernie Fine's behavior.  Due to the disturbing nature of this conversation, I will not post any quotes here, but if you want to read it so you have, click here to read excerpts of the conversation between Davis and Laurie Fine.

One slightly major issue.  The conversation in that transcript took place in 2002.  ESPN obtained a copy of the audiotape of that conversation in 2003.  Sporting News summarizes what ESPN did with the conversations (bold emphasis mine).

Davis, now 39, shared the tape with Syracuse police after Outside the Lines reported that allegations Nov. 17. He had given ESPN the tape of the recorded conversation in 2003, but ESPN did not report that accusations because it didn’t have enough information to back up Davis’ allegations.

 At least Joe Paterno went to the AD and the head of police, even though all he had to off of was hearsay.  ESPN had tapes from Bernie Fine's wife essentially implicating him in child molestation.  ESPN sat on these tapes.  They claim there was not enough evidence to go public, but they did not turn over the conversation to authorities for further investigation.  Is this beginning to sound familiar to anyone?

Now this is likely something that Michelle Beadle, Kirk Herbstreit, and other ESPN talking heads knew nothing about, but, it is worth pointing out that they are not directing anger at their own company.  Shocking.  Beadle has turned from mud-flinging at Paterno to "Monsters are everywhere," and "Focus on cleaning up" abuse at universities.  Amazing.  I know.

But instead of continuing on my moral high horse on the hypocrisy of some at ESPN, I'll just ask one question.

Is this too a conspiracy of cowards?

JP Dellacamera Signs Deal With Fox Soccer Channel

(Originally posted at The Brotherly Game)

The long time voice of United States soccer on ESPN is taking his talents to another network. Fox Soccer Channel, to be precise. It was announced today that JP Dellacamera has signed a 1-year deal with Fox Soccer Channel and will call their Friday Night MLS games.

Taking over the hole left by JP Dellacamera will be Adrian Healey, who has been promoted to ESPN's top MLS commentator and will work ESPN's MLS games along side the oft-criticized John Harkes.

For Philadelphia Union fans who have grown to like JP Dellacamera as the Union's play-by-play announcer, do not fret. Dellacamera will continue to work Philadelphia Union local broadcasts, with a color analyst yet to be named.

The repercussions of this are positive all around. JP is back to being a lead announcer on a national level after losing out to Ian Darke over the summer. FSC finally has a half-decent announcer. ESPN promotes the underused Adrian Healey who is serviceable in his own corny, unique way. And JP stays with 6ABC and the Union. Now if only ESPN could do something about that John Harkes problem....

One ESPN Graphic, So Much Fail

This is without a doubt the most embarrassing graphic ESPN has put up since the Brett Favre 500th touchdown party graphic. How someone let this graphic get onto the ESPN broadcast will forever be a mystery.

It is no secret that everyone at ESPN wants some time alone with Brett Favre for a few minutes of happy time, but just because Brett Favre is on the Vikings does not mean the Vikings are in playoff contention. They are mathematically eliminated. And they are not even 5-7. Their record coming into Tuesday Night's game with the Eagles is 5-9.

But yet, my favorite part of this has to be that "Team Name" and "Team Name," both with records of 0-0 are still vying for a playoff spot. With players like "Quarterback," "Hard-Hitting Linebacker," and "Prima Donna Wide Receiver," "Team Name" is a threat to win the Super Bowl this year.

(Hat tip to some random guy on Twitter I found by running a "team name twitpic" Twitter search.)

ESPN Announces 2011 BCS Bowl Game Announcers

It's the 2010 season, but the BCS Bowl games are played in 2011, so they technically get labeled as such. Besides, in hindsight, these games always get referred to in the years they are played, not the season from which the match-ups came from. Anyway, enough about semantics and onto your ESPN BCS Bowl Game announcers. The question of who will replace a crew consisting of Thom Brennaman, Dick Stockton, and Charles Davis has finally been revealed!

2011 Rose Bowl and 2011 BCS National Championship Game: Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit
2011 Sugar Bowl: Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge
2011 Fiesta Bowl: Sean McDonough and Matt Millen
2011 Orange Bowl: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden

"This Guy" is now going to be a college football player! Huzzah!

All kidding aside, while Musburger/Herbstreit, Nessler/Blackledge, and McDonough/Millen were to be expected, I am curious as to why ESPN would go with the MNF rew for the Orange Bowl instead of sticking Franklin/Cunningham on it or the dreaded DavieJones Locker. That being said, and even though it is with Matt Millen, it is good to see Sean McDonough finally calling a BCS game. He is quite possibly the best announcer play-by-play announcer ESPN has and it is good to see him working the big games he deserves. Now if only he could get a better partner than Matt Millen.....

ESPN Getting In Touch With Their Darke Side

Some circles have known this bit of news for quite a while, but now it has been made official. Ian Darke is leaving Sky Sports to join ESPN. But, not only is he joining ESPN, he is taking over their soccer coverage in a massive, massive way. Via ESPN press release: (bold emphasis is mine)

Ian Darke will be the primary play-by-play voice on ESPN’s U.S. networks for Barclays Premier League matches, the U.S. National Teams (Men’s and Women’s), marquee Major League Soccer events, 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He joins ESPN after commentating on Premier League and UEFA Champions League matches for the past 18 years. Darke was widely praised for his work on ESPN during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, especially for his commentating on the U.S. Men’s National Team matches vs. Slovenia, Algeria and Ghana.

“Having Ian Darke as our year-round signature voice for soccer programming reaffirms ESPN’s commitment to elevate our overall coverage of the sport in the U.S.,” said Drake. “Ian’s experience, authenticity and passion for the sport, which were evident throughout the World Cup, will resonate with our viewers, who have come to expect top-quality soccer commentary from ESPN.”

Darke added: "I am delighted and excited to be joining such a polished and talented team as ESPN. It was wonderful to be calling the USA’s dramatic World Cup campaign for American audiences – and I am flattered to be asked back on a permanent basis.”

Darke’s debut as ESPN’s signature voice for soccer will be Saturday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 a.m. ET, when he’ll provide play-by-play commentary for Manchester City vs. Chelsea, live from the City of Manchester Stadium. In his new role, Darke will be in the booth live from Barclays Premier League match sites each week for ESPN’s U.S. audience – a first for the network. His co-commentators (analysts) for each ESPN soccer programming series will be announced at a later date.

Holy amazing awesomeness, Batman! ESPN was blasted almost universally for their piss poor, deplorable coverage of the 2006 World Cup. And now, 4 years later, their 2010 World Cup coverage has been almost universally praised and now they have hired one of Britain's top voices to be their lead for every major soccer event they cover. Talk about a tremendous transformation. On a personal level, Ian Darke quickly became one of my favorite all time announcers during the 2010 World Cup, and now I will be able to hear him again on American airwaves, starting tomorrow as I wake up at 7:30 AM to see Chelsea take on the New York Mets of the EPL, Manchester City.

ESPN Announces 2010 Little League World Series Announcers

Last year many of you may remember my constant coverage of the Little League World Series. Unfortunately, and in part thanks to my vacation, I will be spending the better part of the next week and a half getting ready to return to college and therefore will not be able to put in the proper effort in closely following the LLWS that I normally do. For those into the LLWS that have not heard, there has been a major format change for this year. Instead of straight up pool play determining 2 teams from each pool to play in an 8-team knockout round, the LLWS is keeping the 4 pools but will change the format of pool play to double elimination resulting in 1 team from each pool advancing to a 4-team single elimination round consisting of the International Championship, the U.S. Championship, and the Little League World Series championship. From an ESPN press release:

For the first time, this year’s Little League World Series will feature a double-elimination format. The Little League World Series from Williamsport will begin with regional winners competing in the double-elimination round Friday, Aug. 20, including: New England (Fairfield, Conn.) vs. Northwest (Auburn, Wash.) at 1 p.m. on ESPN; Midwest (Plymouth, Minn.) vs. Southwest (Pearland, Texas) at 3 p.m. on ESPN; Caribbean (Puerto Rico) vs. Europe (Germany) at 6 p.m. on ESPN2; and Japan (Tokyo) vs. Mexico (Tamaulipas) at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. ABC will broadcast two games from the opening weekend: Southeast (Columbus, Ga.) vs. West (Waipahu, Hawaii) Saturday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m., and an elimination game between either Mid-Atlantic (Toms River, NJ)/Great Lakes (Hamilton, Ohio) vs. Southeast/West Sunday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m.

Action will continue daily (excluding Friday, Aug. 27) through the Little League World Series consolation game Sunday, Aug. 29, at 11 a.m. on ESPN and Little League World Series Championship.

ESPN game commentators:

Double Elimination Round – Aug. 20-26

* Gary Thorne and Orel Hershiser
* Karl Ravech and Bobby Valentine
* Jon Sciambi and Nomar Garciaparra
* Kyle Peterson and Adriana Monsalve will serve as roving reporters

Fun Fact: Hershiser and Garciaparra will achieve the broadcasting triple crown this season, contributing as game analysts to ESPN’s Major League Baseball, College World Series and Little League World Series coverage.

Single Elimination Round – Aug. 28-29

* Brent Musburger and analyst Hershiser will call the U.S., International and World Series Championships on ABC. Ravech, who will host ABC’s weekend coverage throughout the tournament, will call the third-place consolation game with Valentine.

ESPN will also televise a Little League World Series Web Gems/World Series Preview Presented by Subway, recapping the best defensive plays throughout the tournament and previewing the championship, Sunday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m.

Last year, ESPN had Sean McDonough calling games pool play games for the LLWS behind Gary Thorne. Sean McDonough is one of my favorite announcers, but he was a fish out of water calling the Little League World Series. Sean McDonough's style of commentary did not jive well with 12-year old kids playing baseball. That being said, I can't say that ESPN is improving anything by re-inserting the walking disasters of Karl Ravech and Jon Sciambi.

ESPN Release 2010 College Football Announcing Line Up

From Fang's Bites via an ESPN press release:

Game Telecast	Play-by-play	Analyst	Reporter
Saturday Night Football (on ABC)	Brent Musburger	Kirk Herbstreit	*
ESPN College Football Primetime (Saturday)	Brad Nessler	Todd Blackledge	*
ESPN2 College Football Primetime (Saturday)	Mark Jones	Bob Davie	**
ESPNU SEC Saturday Prime Time	Clay Matvick	Herm Edwards
ESPN College Football Primetime (Thursday)	Rece Davis	Craig James and Jesse Palmer	Jenn Brown
ABC Saturday Afternoon	Sean McDonough	Matt Millen	*
ABC Saturday Afternoon	Mike Patrick	Craig James	*
ABC or ESPN Saturday Afternoon	Ron Franklin	Ed Cunningham	**
ESPN College Football (Saturday afternoons)	Dave Pasch	Bob Griese and Chris Spielman	**
ESPN2 College Football (Saturday afternoon)	Bob Wischusen	Brian Griese	**
ESPNU Saturday noon	Rob Stone	David Pollack
ESPNU Saturday afternoon	Pam Ward	Danny Kanell
ESPNU late Saturday (WAC)	Todd Harris	David Diaz-Infante
ESPNU late Saturday (HBCU)	Todd Harris	Eddie Robinson or Jay Walker
ESPN and ABC Saturdays (West Coast games)	Carter Blackburn	Brock Huard and Mike Bellotti	**
ESPN and ESPN2 midweek games	Beth Mowins	David Norrie and Robert Smith
ESPN and ESPN2 Friday games	Joe Tessitore	Rod Gilmore	**
ESPNU Thursday	Anish Shroff	Jay Walker or Eddie Robinson
ESPN 3D	Joe Tessitore	Tim Brown	Ray Bentley
ESPN Radio games	Bill Rosinski	David Norrie	Joe Schad
SEC Network (ESPN Regional Television syndicated games)	Dave Neal	Andre Ware	Cara Capuano
BIG EAST Network (ESPN Regional Television syndicated games)	Mike Gleason	John Congemi	Eamon McAnaney
ESPN Regional Television MAC Syndication	Michael Reghi	Doug Chapman

* Reporter to be determined weekly between Erin Andrews, Holly Rowe and Heather Cox
** Reporter to be determined weekly between Jeannine Edwards and Quint Kessenich
ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Regional Television Studio Assignments

Show	Host	Analyst
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (Saturdays: 9-10 a.m. on ESPNU; 10 a.m.-noon on ESPN)	Chris FowlerErin Andrews (9 a.m.)	Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard
Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Countdown (Saturdays on ABC)	John Saunders	Jesse Palmer
ABC Saturday reports	Robert Flores
Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Final (Saturdays on ESPN)	Rece Davis	Lou Holtz and Mark May
Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPN2)	Wendi Nix	Todd McShay and Robert Smith
Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPNU)	Lowell Galindo (prime time) and Dari Nowkah (afternoon)	Tom Luginbill and Matt Stinchcomb
College GameDay on ESPN Radio (Saturdays at noon)	Ryen Russillo	Trevor Matich and Brad Edwards
ESPNEWS Overdrive	Ryan Burr	Jon Ritchie
Inside the Polls (ESPNU)	Lowell Galindo	Tom Luginbill and Mike Bellotti
SEC syndication studio	Dari Nowkhah	Matt Stinchcomb
SEC Weekly (ESPNU)	Cara Capuano	Matt Stinchcomb and David Pollack
Big 12 This Week (ESPNU)	Melissa Knowles	Jon Berger

Is it just me or is it amusing that Bob Griese and Brian Griese will be calling games at the same time on a weekly basis? Also, Pam Ward has been (seemingly) demoted to the ESPNU afternoon game while Bob Wischusen is promoted in her place. Also, who on earth does Ron Franklin think he is? Brett Favre? I could have swore he retired last year....

Steve "Bulging Dick" Levy Accurately Describes The Mets' Stadium

For the 80 bajillionth day in a row, ESPN has been switching back and forth from its regular scheduled programming to the Yankees game every time A-Rod has an at-bat to ensure that all of America gets the opportunity to see a cheater set a milestone that will be marked with an asterisk in a few years. Understandably, the constant back and forth can be a little tiresome on the studio guys, especially when the venue you throw it back to changes every night. Thus, it can lead to mistakes. And when you are Steve Levy (most famous for his "bulging dick" blooper) throwing it back to Citi Field, well, this slip-up can happen.



"A double for Alex Rodriguez, now let's get you back to Shitty Field." - Steve Levy

Completely ignoring the fact that that is an accurate description of the Mets new stadium, that is just too funny. And hey, any time someone on ESPN curses, it is a funny blooper worth replaying over and over again, right?

Pam Ward Wants To Be An NFL Play By Play Announcer (For Realz!)

And you thought that it was bad enough having Pammy do Big 10 football games every Saturday afternoon. She has not achieved her lifelong goal yet as that is to one day broadcast NFL games.  From the Washington Post.

The Mitchellville native and University of Maryland graduate obviously was gratified to have been presented the award at COSIDA's national convention in San Francisco on July 6. But [Pam Ward] also will admit to a certain amount of frustration that she still has been unable to fulfill one of her own lifelong goals. Plainly put, Ward has always dreamed about wanting to do play-by-play on NFL games, the better to prove once and for all that a woman doesn't have to be solely restricted to studio or sideline work at the highest level of the sport.

She also is a realist. At her own network, Mike Tirico, one of the best in his business, is firmly entrenched as the play-by-play voice for "Monday Night Football." At NBC, the great Al Michaels isn't going anywhere anytime soon for Sunday night prime-time games. And at CBS and Fox, each employing six full-time announcing crews for Sunday afternoon games, there has been little turnover in recent years, with few openings expected in the near future.

"The NFL is something I've wanted to do since I was a little kid," Ward said in a recent interview, adding that she remains undeterred in trying to fulfill that quest despite years of hearing network executives insist there are only so many jobs out there and the pool of "qualified" female candidates makes it even more difficult to pull the trigger on what surely would be an extremely controversial hire.
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"Maybe that's true," Ward said, "but I wonder why no one has even bothered to at least talk to me about the possibility. I don't really see what the big deal would be."

Make no mistake: Ward loves her job at ESPN, which also includes a hefty load of women's college basketball and plenty of radio and television studio work involving the NFL and the NBA, among many other duties she's performed since joining the company in 1996.

But play-by-play remains her great passion, and she's starting to wonder if she or any other woman will ever get a chance to regularly call NFL games in her lifetime.

Harold Bryant, vice president for production at CBS Sports, said in an interview that "it is coming in the future. As soon as we find the right person, we'd give her a shot. It is still a hurdle we have to overcome. It's something we want to happen and we will try to make it happen. Unfortunately, right now there aren't a lot of women out there doing it. I do know Pam Ward is one of them, and I think she's very good."

Ed Goren, president and executive producer for sports at Fox, also said he was familiar with Ward's work and "she does an extremely professional job. She has the appropriate voice quality. She's prepared. But we haven't hired a play-by-play announcer in quite some time; I can't remember the last time we did.

"Anytime there is a breakthrough, it takes the right individual to make it work, and one that the audience will accept. Branch Rickey had to pick the right person when he brought Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers. It's not a simple issue. Sometimes you only get one shot, and if you fail, then what?"

Ironically, there is something of a Catch-22 situation at work for Ward, as well. CBS and Fox both have a small stable of part-time announcer teams for weekends when they are televising more than six games around the country, which occurs three or four times during the regular season.

But because Ward is under contract to ESPN, it seems highly unlikely the Worldwide Leader would allow her to moonlight elsewhere. And it would probably be professional Russian roulette for Ward to sever her ties with ESPN for a chance to do three or four NFL games a season, contests that no doubt would match bottom-feeding teams with a minuscule viewing audience.

Ward clearly could have gone to a major network as a sideline reporter on NFL games, but she tried that genre once early in her career and despised the job. These days, she also hates the fact that when she speaks to young women on campuses around the country with an interest in doing sports on television, "they all want to be sideline reporters because that's really all they ever see," she said. "I tell them don't pinhole yourself, don't limit yourself. But they see it as their only way in, and that's a shame."

I respect the hell out of Pam Ward for what she has achieved and what she tries to inspire in young college women across the country, but Pam Ward, um, er, well, she is not very good at play-by-play. Now I am glad that she has a dream and a goal that goes beyond the point she is at now (especially as the spot she holds now is revolutionary), and to an extent I hope that she can realize it, but Pam needs to be working on her skills as an announcer if she wants to make the jump and be embraced by the American public. Personally, I hope she does do that and she can improve and she can work NFL games without the football knowledgeable public laughing at her, but I would be lying if I told you that that ideal is ever going to become a reality.

Soneone At ESPN Was Lacking A Brain Last Night

(Hat tip to Meech on Twitter)

ESPN Uses LeBron James Coverage To Take A Cheap Shot At Philadelphia Sports Fans

As if you needed another reason to hate ESPN, right? Sometime during the LeBron-a-thon, ESPN aired a video package which took a not-so-veiled cheap shot at Philadelphia fans. Not only do they cross sports for the cheap shot, but display an utter ignorance of Philadelphia sports culture. Check it out for yourself. (Hat tip to The 700 Level on Twitter



"It's the reason they never turned on him, unlike other cities who turned on their sports stars." - ESPN voiceover lady while showing a picture of McNabb.

I will say this simply, I will be direct, and I won't mince words. If you want to mistake a vocal minority of Philadelphia fans displaying their passion by booing sports stars who are paid lots of money to meet expectations and subsequently fail to meet them as an entire city turning on a player, then quite simply, you can go fuck yourself.

Broadcast Information For The World Cup Finals This Sunday On ABC

From an ESPN press release.

ABC will provide live coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Sunday, July 11, from Soccer City in Johannesburg. The one-hour pre-match show starts at 1:30 p.m. ET. Martin Tyler and Efan Ekoku will call the title match.

John Harkes and Ian Darke will work the 3rd place match between Uruguay and Germany on Saturday, July 10, in Port Elizabeth. The match will be broadcast on ABC with coverage starting at 2 p.m. In addition to ESPN’s roster of studio hosts and analysts, Harkes will join Bob Ley at Soccer City for pre-match, halftime and post-match analysis.

I hope you all like John Harkes!

On a more serious note, hopefully this 3rd place game will not be the last time that we hear Ian Darke on ESPN and American television. Whether they bring him in to call MLS, the upcoming Euros, or a future World Cup, he needs to be heard in the States again. He has been the best announcer of this World Cup by miles (and to think this is in the same category as Martin Tyler), and has been a complete joy to listen to.

I'll have a more elaborate preview post up sometime before the match starts.

Jon Gruden Says A Naughty Word At The NFL Draft

When I heard this at the draft last night, I initially thought it was Kiper. But Mookie, whose initial thought was Gruden, was the one that got it right. Listen now as Jon Gruden goes on a rant about dumbasses before being cut of by Chris Berman to announce they are back on the air



"I said it's a crazy league, a lot of dumbass....." - Gruden

Haha. And even funnier than that was Mel Kiper laughing and Steve Young seemingly admonishing Gruden. It seemed like ESPN had a few problems of timing when Gruden, Jackson, and co. did not know they were back on the air when they actually were. That was not the only time something not meant to be heard over the air was in fact heard, but it was by far the funniest. ESPN might want to work on their production communications or else for all we know we could be treated to Chris Berman going crazy again.

ESPN Expands It's Little League World Series Coverage To Include Regional Semifinals

I think I made this perfectly clear last August, but I love the Little League World Series and think that ESPN does an awesome job covering it. Well the awesome just got awesomer as ESPN is further expanding its coverage of the LLWS to include regional semifinals. From a Little League press release.

One of the most popular summer programming events on the ESPN family of networks, the Little League Baseball World Series, will see even more of its International Tournament televised with the announcement of expanded coverage by the cable network.

“We’re delighted to grow our coverage of the Little League regional semis,” said Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisitions. “The Little League World Series merits more national attention as one of the leading sports events in the dog days of summer. We can capture more stories from expanding our coverage of the eight regionals in the United States.”

ESPN and its family of networks have expanded its coverage of Little League Baseball’s Regional Tournaments by 14 games. Last year, ESPN televised eight Little League Baseball regional tournament games, all championship contests. This year ESPN will again cover all eight regional championship games in addition to selected semifinal games in regional play. ESPN platforms will provide coverage of 22 Little League Baseball International Tournament games leading up to their coverage of the Little League Baseball World Series.

Beginning Aug. 10, ESPN has added the Southwest Region semifinals from Waco, Texas; the two semifinal games from the Mid-Atlantic Region in Bristol, Conn.; semifinal games in the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions held in Indianapolis, Ind., and semifinals games in the Northwest and West Regions played in San Bernardino, Calif.; and, the Southeast Region semifinals in Warner Robins, Ga.

Twelve of the games will be televised on ESPN2, with the games also available on ESPN3.com. Two of the games will be exclusive to ESPN3.com.

“We are pleased ESPN has decided to expand its coverage of the Little League Baseball International Tournament,” Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “I think this shows ESPN believes the core values of Little League Baseball and Softball are meaningful to its viewers. There also is an increasing fan interest in tournament play in all eight divisions of Little League tournament play. We are thankful to have ESPN as a media partner to help us promote the benefits of the Little League experience.”

With the additional games, ESPN and its family of networks will air up to 56 games of the Little League Baseball International Tournament and a total of 65 games across the eight divisions of play in the Little League Baseball and Softball International Tournaments. All games will be televised live.

The entire schedule of Little League Baseball and Softball International Tournament games expected to be televised will be released in June.

The only regional semifinals not on ESPN will be the games in the New England Region, which will be televised on NESN (New England Sports Network).

My vacation is in August this year so I will likely miss most of this, but it is still good to see ESPN taking a great thing and making it even greater. Last year the Mid-Atlantic and New England semifinals were shown on MSG and NESN respectively, but that was it. There was no way to watch any of the other regional semis. I know some people are probably thinking that this is too much, but I look at it as you can always watch something else and for people like me who just love watching these games, the more I get the better it is. From the time the U.S. regionals begin to the time a world champion is crowned, only 3 weeks have gone by so this is not even something that gets old at all. It's a good time for involved and this expansion is, in my book, a win for who enjoy the LLWS!

2010 ESPN FIFA World Cup Play By Play Announcers

ESPN has released the names of their play by play announcers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and all I can say is damn, I am excited for the World Cup this year. ESPN has taken the harsh criticisms of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and taken them to heart. We already knew that they were bringing in play-by-play legend Martin Tyler to be their lead, but what we did not know until now is that they are taking all 4 of their TV PbP guys from the Motherland, with the only PbP holdover from the 2006 World Cup being the only PbP Brit they had in the booth, Adrian Healey. To complete the list of 4, Martin Tyler and Adrian Healey will be joined by Derek Rae and Ian Darke to round out the depth chart of ESPN's 2010 World Cup play-by-play announcers. From an ESPN Press Release

“The group of commentators we have assembled represents some of the finest English-language voices for televised soccer anywhere in the world,” said Jed Drake, ESPN’s executive producer, 2010 FIFA World Cup. “They present the sport at its highest level and their first-hand knowledge of the players who will compete in the FIFA World Cup will greatly inform fans and enhance how we present this global event in the United States.”

Tyler, who was previously announced as ESPN’s lead play-by-play commentator for the FIFA World Cup, is one of the most renowned voices of the sport and has broadcast every World Cup since 1978. He will be joined by a trio of announcers who have collectively called the most prestigious leagues and competitions in the world over the past two decades.

Darke has handled play-by-play for English Premier League and Champions League matches since 1992, and he joins Tyler as one of the world’s most recognizable soccer voices. He joined Sky Sports in 1992 after 10 years covering soccer, boxing and other sports for BBC Radio and is also considered one of the UK’s most respected boxing broadcasters. Darke continues to commentate on Premier League games for Trans World International (TWI) and is a primary host of its weekly magazine show.

Healey provides play-by-play commentary for ESPN International’s coverage of the UEFA Championship League, Spain's La Liga, Italian Serie A, and English FA Cup matches. He also handled play-by-play for ESPN’s live coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, as well as the network’s coverage of World Cup qualifiers and Euro 2008 qualifying matches. Healey serves as a host of the popular soccer debate and discussion show ESPN Soccernet Press Pass and ESPN2’s Barclays Premier League prematch, halftime and postmatch segments.

Rae was the lead English-language play-by-play voice on UEFA Champions League telecasts for the series’ 15 years (1994-95/2008-09) on ESPN in the U.S., and he handled play-by-play for ESPN’s critically-acclaimed coverage of the European Championships (Euro 2008) two years ago. Rae has served as a host of ESPN Soccernet Press Pass since 2003. The native of Aberdeen, Scotland, has travelled weekly to Europe to call Scottish Premier League matches for ESPN UK since August 2009. Rae worked his first FIFA World Cup for the Scottish BBC in 1990.

The preliminary announcements on the analyst front is not looking as good, though. No official announcements have been made, but it appears as though Andy Gray will not be back and while JP Dellacamera will work for ESPN Radio, John Harkes will be returning to the TV booth as an analyst and Efan Ekoku will also work for ESPN as an analyst this year (credit for that information goes to Mookie and Stupid Sideline Reporters.

The World Cup is dawning on us very rapidly. It certainly looks like it will be good times all the way around and ESPN really is stepping up their game in a massive way this year, bringing in Tyler and Darke, in addition to Rae and Healey. You know you've got a good group of play-by-play announcers when the weakest of the four is Adrian Healey.

So now that we've got all British announcers working the games, the USA is going to win the whole thing, right?

ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Bungling The Brian Westbrook Release

And you thought the prank call was as bad as it got.

If teams are actually interested in the services of ex-Redskin bust Michael Westbrook, then I think they need to have their head examined pronto for every memory disease known to man and the 343 memory diseases known to monkeys.

Brian Westbrook Looks Forward To A Future Of Worshipping The Prostate Of Howard Stern

In case you did not see it due to it being behind Ian Eagle commenting on a cheerleader being eaten by a Raptor or the live blog of a thrilling qualification round, the Eagles released Brian Westbrook today. As with any big story, ESPN wanted the first major TV interview with him to ask him if a business decision hurt him personally. They thought they had gotten him live in the late night edition of SportsCenter, only to find out that instead they crank called by a either a Howard Stern fan, or someone directly associated with Howard Stern. Prepare for hilarity.



Too too funny! And to think that guy did not even sound a thing like Brian Westbrook to begin with. You would think that they've heard enough Westbrook interviews to know what he sounds like, but apparently they bought it all the way until the caller declared that he wanted to worship Howard Stern's prostate.

I can't stop watching that and I can't stop laughing. Credit to SVP though for handling it professionally, even though he was a little shell-shocked that just happened.

ESPN Classic: The Worldwide Leader In Awesome Decade Celebrations

First of all, Happy Boxing Day!

To the point of the post, I know I am a little late on getting this up, but as it was early Boxing Day morning and I was surfing my television trying to find something appetizing to watch. Well, I turned on ESPN Classic, Game 6 of the 2000 Subway Series was on, bleh, but sometimes you take what you can get. Anyway, I look at the top of the screen and it says "Best of the Decade". I look at the guide through my DVR, and I am amazed at what I see. Non-stop classics in every sport from every network running from 2000 all the way to 2009! The only thing that is missing is the NFL, and yet for me, that is not that big of a deal as NFL Network runs classic games on a fairly regular basis that I watch with some occasional regularity. Sure ESPN Classic runs Classic games, but it always seems to be disjointed with no real schedule. This marathon has a schedule and I have it listed below. Now I am the farthest thing from an ESPN shill, but I must admit, that when I saw all of this and the games they have managed to air, it moved.

Some of the games include the 2000 Eastern Conference finals game between the Flyers and the Devils which was I game went to and it also was the last time Eric Lindros was seen in a Flyers uniform, Raymond Bourque finally winning a Stanley Cup, Ohio State-Miami controversial Fiesta Bowl, Penn State-Florida State Orange Bowl, Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl (a.k.a. my personal choice for The Game Of The Decade), Tiger vs. Rocco, Federer vs. Nadal, the 6 OT game between UConn and Syracuse, George Mason's Elite 8 upset over UConn, Gonzaga's collapse against UCLA, the Phillies breaking Philly's 100-season and 25-year championship drought with a World Series championship by winning a game that ended 49 hours after it began, and so much more. How much more, you ask? Well, here is the full schedule courtesy of ESPN.com.

Saturday, Dec. 26

Midnight-2 a.m.: 2000 World Series, Game 5, Yankees versus Mets. Yankees win their third straight World Series title.

2 a.m.-4 a.m.: 2000 NHL regular season, Maple Leafs versus Penguins. After a 3½-year absence from hockey, Mario Lemieux returns to the ice for Pittsburgh with one goal and two assists in 5-0 win.

4 a.m.-6 a.m.: 2000 Eastern Conference finals, Game 7, Devils versus Flyers. Devils come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win Game 7, 2-1.

6 a.m.-8 a.m.: 2001 NBA regular season, Wizards versus Knicks. Michael Jordan returns to NBA with the Wizards in front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden. He finishes with 19 points but the Wizards lose 93-91.

8 a.m.-11 a.m.: 2001 GMAC Bowl, Marshall versus East Carolina. Byron Leftwich throws for 576 yards and leads Marshall to a tremendous comeback and a 64-61 double-overtime victory.

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: 2001 NHL Stanley Cup finals, Game 7, Devils versus Avalanche. Colorado wins the Stanley Cup and Ray Bourque finally lifts the Cup.

1 p.m.-3 p.m.: 2001, Duke versus Maryland. Duke makes up 10-point deficit with under a minute left to tie the game and force overtime, where Shane Battier scores the last six points for a 98-96 win.

3 p.m.-5 p.m.: 2001 Wimbledon final, Goran Ivanisevic versus Patrick Rafter. Ivanisevic finally prevails at Wimbledon, beating Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.

5 p.m.-7 p.m.: 2002 NBA Finals, Game 4, Lakers versus Nets. Lakers complete three-peat with sweep of the Nets.

7 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: 2001, Lennox Lewis versus Hasim Rahman. Rahman pulls off Ring Magazine's Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year as he knocks out Lennox Lewis in the fifth round.

7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: 2001 World Series, Game 7, Diamondbacks versus Yankees. Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat single off Mariano Rivera wins the series for Arizona.

9:30 p.m.-midnight: 2001 U.S. Open quarterfinal, Andre Agassi versus Pete Sampras. Sampras outlasts Agassi 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5) in this epic battle between the two rivals.

Sunday, Dec. 27

12:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.: 2001, Dodgers versus Giants. Barry Bonds hits home run No. 73 to finish the season with a new single-season record.

2:30 a.m.-3 a.m.: 2001, Lennox Lewis versus Hasim Rahman. Rahman pulls off Ring Magazine's Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year as he knocks out Lennox Lewis in the fifth round.

3 a.m.-4 a.m.: 2001, Micky Ward versus Emanuel Burton. Ward wins a 10-round decision in the 2001 Ring Magazine Fight of Year.

4 a.m.-6 a.m.: 2002 Big East Tournament championship, Connecticut versus Pittsburgh. The Huskies win a classic Big East title game in double overtime, 74-65.

6 a.m.-8 a.m.: 2002 NBA Eastern Conference finals, Game 3, Nets versus Celtics. The Celtics overcome a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 94-90 in one of largest comebacks in playoff history.

8 a.m.-10 a.m.: 2002 Australian Open final, Jennifer Capriati versus Martina Hingis. Capriati saves four match points in the second set and defeats Hingis.

10 a.m.-1 p.m.: 2002 Little League World Series semifinal. Louisville defeats Fort Worth 2-1 in a game that features nine innings of no-hit ball and a record 49 strikeouts by five different pitchers.

1 p.m.-6 p.m.: 2003 Australian Open quarterfinal, Andy Roddick versus Younes El Aynaoui. Roddick prevails 4-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 in this classic marathon match that lasts four hours, 59 minutes.

6 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State versus Miami. In one of the greatest bowl games of all time, Ohio State upsets Miami 31-24 in two overtimes to become national champ.

9 p.m.-11 p.m.: 2003 ALCS, Game 7, Red Sox versus Yankees. Aaron Boone becomes an instant hero in New York as his 11th-inning home run off of Tim Wakefield sends the Yankees to the World Series.

11 p.m.-1 a.m.: 2003 Heritage Classic, Canadiens versus Oilers. The first regular-season outdoor NHL game is played in Edmonton, with the Canadiens winning 4-3 thanks to two goals by Richard Zednik.

Monday, Dec. 28

1 a.m.-2 a.m.: 2003 Rocky Juarez versus Antonio Diaz. Juarez beats Diaz in the 10th round in Ring Magazine's Knockout of the Year for 2003.

2 a.m.-4 a.m.: 2003 NCAA championship, Syracuse versus Kansas. Hakim Warrick and freshman Carmelo Anthony lead Syracuse to an 81-78 win over Kansas.

4 a.m.-5 a.m.: 2003 World Series of Poker final table. Chris Moneymaker wins the $2.5 million first prize.

5 a.m.-6 a.m.: 2003 PBA Earl Anthony Classic. Norm Duke bowls a 300 game in the semifinals, the 15th televised perfect game in PBA history.

6 a.m.-7 a.m.: 2003 PBA Cambridge Credit Classic. Mika Koivuniemi tosses the 16th televised 300 game in PBA history.

7 a.m.-9 a.m.: 2004, Diamondbacks versus Braves. Randy Johnson tosses a perfect game at age 40.

9 a.m.-11 a.m.: 2004 women's NCAA championship, Connecticut versus Tennessee. The UConn women win 70-61 over rival Tennessee, giving the Huskies' men and women national titles in the same year.

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: 2004 NCAA semifinal, Connecticut versus Duke. Emeka Okafor helps the Huskies beat Duke 79-78 to advance to the national championship.

1 p.m.-3 p.m.: 2005 NCAA regional final, Arizona versus Illinois. Illinois trails by 15 with four minutes to play, but Deron Williams leads the comeback and 90-89 overtime victory.

3 p.m.-5 p.m.: 2006 NCAA regional final, George Mason versus Connecticut. No. 11 seed George Mason upsets Connecticut 86-84.

5 p.m.-7 p.m.: 2004 ALCS, Game 4, Yankees versus Red Sox. Down 3-0 in the ALCS, the Red Sox avoid the sweep after Dave Roberts steals second and Bill Mueller singles off Mariano Rivera to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. In the 12th inning, David Ortiz cracks a two-run home run to allow the Sox to live another day.

7 p.m.-8 p.m.: 2005 PBA Banquet Open. Liz Johnson becomes first woman to reach final of PBA event by beating Wes Malott 235-228.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2005, Jose Luis Castillo versus Diego Corrales. Named the 2005 ESPN.com and Ring Magazine Fight of Year; Corrales rallies in the 10th round to score the TKO win and retain the WBO lightweight title.

9 p.m.-midnight: 2006 Rose Bowl, Texas versus USC. Vince Young and Texas pull off the memorable 41-38 upset over USC to win the national title.

Tuesday, Dec. 29

Midnight-3 a.m.: 2005 EA Sports Maui Invitational semifinal, Gonzaga versus Michigan State. This three-overtime thriller features Gonzaga taking down Michigan State 109-107 as Adam Morrison pours in 43 points.

3 a.m.-5 a.m.: 2005 NLDS, Game 4, Braves versus Astros. Rookie Chris Burke hits a walk-off home run in the 18th inning to beat the Braves while 43-year-old Roger Clemens pitches three innings in relief to get the win.

5 a.m.-10 a.m.: 2005 Australian Open semifinal, Roger Federer versus Marat Safin. After 4½ hours, Safin emerges victorious over the seemingly invincible Federer, 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 9-7.

10 a.m.-1 p.m.: 2005, USC versus Fresno State. Reggie Bush runs for 294 yards and scores twice while leading the Trojans to a wild 50-42 win.

1 p.m.-3 p.m.: 2006 Orange Bowl, Penn State versus Florida State. Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden face off in a three-overtime thriller that Penn State wins 26-23.

3 p.m.-5 p.m.: 2006, Ohio State versus Michigan. No. 1 versus No. 2 for the first time in the history of this rivalry. Troy Smith leads Ohio State to a 42-39 win.

5 p.m.-8 p.m.: 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State versus Oklahoma. Boise State wins 43-42 in overtime, helped by an earlier 50-yard hook-and-ladder touchdown.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2006 NCAA regional semifinal, Gonzaga versus UCLA. Gonzaga blows a 17-point lead as UCLA wins 73-71.

9 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: 2007, Vic Darchinyan versus Nonito Donaire. Donaire rocks Darchinyan with a big left hook that Ring Magazine named the Knockout of Year.

9:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: 2008, Edison Miranda versus David Banks. The 2008 ESPN.com and Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year comes from the right hand of Miranda.

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: 2007, Rafael Marquez versus Israel Vazquez I & II. The first bout in this trilogy sees Marquez breaking Vazquez's nose and capturing the WBC super bantamweight belt. The second bout is the 2007 ESPN.com and Ring Magazine Fight of the Year, with Vazquez reclaiming the belt with a bloody sixth-round TKO.

11 p.m.-midnight: 2008, Rafael Marquez versus Israel Vazquez III. In the 2008 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year, Vazquez wins the brutal third match of the trilogy with a split decision.

Wednesday, Dec. 30
Midnight-1 a.m.: 2006 PBA Dydo Japan Cup. Walter Ray Williams tops Pete Weber to pass Earl Anthony for most PBA titles of all time.

1 a.m.-2 a.m.: 2006 PBA Motor City Classic. Tony Reyes rolls a 300.

2 a.m.-4 a.m.: 2007 National League wild-card playoff, Padres versus Rockies. The Rockies won 14 of their final 15 games, including this come-from-behind, 13-inning, 9-8 win over the Padres.

4 a.m.-6 a.m.: 2006, Oregon versus Oklahoma. Oregon scores 14 points in the final five minutes and then blocks a field goal on the final play of the game to seal the improbable 34-33 win.

6 a.m.-8 a.m.: 2007, Appalachian State versus Michigan. Appalachian State stuns No. 5 Michigan 34-32 in one of biggest upsets in college football history.

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: 2007 PBA Pepsi Championship. Ryan Shafer bowls a 300.

9 a.m.-11 a.m.: 2008, Texas Tech versus Texas. Graham Harrell finds Michael Crabtree in double coverage with the final seconds ticking down as Tech stuns No. 1 Texas 39-33.

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: 2006, Raptors versus Lakers. Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in a 122-104 rout.

1 p.m.-4 p.m.: 2007 Eastern Conference finals, Game 5, Cavaliers versus Pistons. LeBron James scores 48 points in this double-overtime thriller that Cleveland wins 109-107.

4 p.m.-6 p.m.: 2008 NBA Finals, Game 4, Celtics versus Lakers. The Celtics overcome a 24-point deficit to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

6 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2009 Eastern Conference first round, Game 4, Celtics versus Bulls. Ben Gordon scores 22 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer late in the first overtime, as the Bulls beat the Celtics 121-118 in double OT.

9 p.m.-11 p.m.: 2008 Winter Classic, Penguins versus Sabres. Before the largest crowd in NHL history, the Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

11 p.m.-1 a.m.: 2008 Firestone Indy Car 300 at Japan. Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win a major open-wheel race as she passes Helio Castroneves with three laps remaining.

Thursday, Dec. 31

1 a.m.-3 a.m.: 2008 women's NCAA championship, Stanford versus Tennessee. Pat Summitt wins her eighth national championship as the Lady Vols take down Stanford 64-48.

3 a.m.-5 a.m.: 2008, Texas A&M versus Texas Tech. Bob Knight reaches 900 career victories with Texas Tech's 68-53 rout.

5 a.m.-7 a.m.: 2008, Tennessee versus Memphis. No. 2 Tennessee knocks off No. 1 Memphis 66-62, ending the Tigers' 47-game home winning streak.

7 a.m.-9 a.m.: 2008, Texas versus Oklahoma. Colt McCoy leads Texas over Sam Bradford and Oklahoma in this 45-35 Red River Rivalry shootout.

9 a.m.-11 a.m.: 2008 NCAA championship, Kansas versus Memphis. Kansas overcomes a nine-point deficit in the final 2:12 to force overtime and win the national title.

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: 2008 Wimbledon final, Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal. In the match of the decade, Rafael Nadal ends Roger Federer's five-year run at Wimbledon with an epic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 win.

4 p.m.-6 p.m.: 2008 U.S. Open playoff, Rocco Mediate versus Tiger Woods, Part 1. The first nine holes of the 18-hole playoff.

6 p.m.-8 p.m.: 2008 U.S. Open playoff, Part 2. It goes 19 holes as Tiger wins despite obvious pain from an ailing knee.

8 p.m.-10 p.m.: 2009 NHL Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 2, Penguins versus Capitals. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby trade hat tricks, but Ovechkin's goals in the third period give the Caps the 4-3 win.

10 p.m.-midnight: 2009 NHL Stanley Cup final, Game 7, Penguins versus Red Wings.The Penguins upend the Red Wings on the road in a memorable 2-1 victory.

Friday, Jan. 1

Midnight-3 a.m.: 2009 Frozen Four championship, Boston University versus Miami (Ohio). BU scores twice in the final minute to tie the game, then wins in overtime on fluke bounce.

3 a.m.-5 a.m.: 2009 women's NCAA championship, Connecticut versus Louisville. Led by Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles, the Huskies complete a 39-0 season by beating Louisville 76-54.

5 a.m.-7 a.m.: 2009 World Series of Poker final table. At 21, Joe Cada becomes the youngest world champion.

7 a.m.-10 a.m.: 2008, Baylor versus Texas A&M. This five-overtime contest ends with Baylor's 116-110 victory.

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: 2009 Wimbledon final, Roger Federer versus Andy Roddick. Roddick battles Federer to the bitter end, but Federer prevails in the epic match, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

3 p.m.-5 p.m.: 2008 NCAA tournament second round, Georgetown versus Davidson. Stephen Curry scores 25 of his 30 points in the second half as the Wildcats upset No. 2-seeded Georgetown 74-70.

5 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2009 Big East tournament, Syracuse versus Connecticut. Six overtimes later, Syracuse wins 127-117.

9 p.m.-midnight: 2009 Ford 400 at Homestead Miami. Denny Hamlin wins the race but Jimmie Johnson enters the NASCAR history books with his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.

Saturday, Jan. 2
Midnight-2:30 a.m.: 2001, Indians versus Mariners. The Indians mount the greatest comeback in 76 years, winning 15-14 in 11 innings after trailing by 12 runs.

2:30 a.m.-4:30 a.m.: 2001 World Series, Game 4, Diamondbacks versus Yankees. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Tino Martinez launches a two-run homer off Byung-Hyun Kim to tie the game and then Derek Jeter homers in the 10th to win it.

4:30 a.m.-6:30 a.m.: 2003 World Series, Game 6, Marlins versus Yankees. 23-year-old Josh Beckett, pitching on three days' rest, throws a shutout to give the Marlins the title.

6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.: 2003 NLCS, Game 6, Marlins versus Cubs. With five outs to go for a trip to the World Series, the Cubs fall apart.

8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: 2004 ALCS, Game 6, Red Sox versus Yankees. With Boston on the verge of elimination, Curt Schilling pitches with a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle in the "bloody sock" game.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: 2004 ALCS, Game 7, Red Sox versus Yankees. Johnny Damon cracks a grand slam and a two-run homer to help Boston complete the historic comeback.

12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: 2004 World Series, Game 4, Red Sox versus Cardinals. The Red Sox complete sweep of Cardinals with a 3-0 win for their first World Series title in 86 years.

2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.: 2005 World Series, Game 4, White Sox versus Astros. After 88 agonizing years, the White Sox sweep the Astros with a 1-0 victory.

4:30 p.m.-7 p.m.: 2006, Padres versus Dodgers. The Dodgers hit four consecutive home runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and then Nomar Garciaparra hits a two-run homer in the 10th to give the Dodgers an improbable victory.

7 p.m.-9 p.m.: 2007, Nationals versus Giants. Barry Bonds hits home run No. 756 to pass Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king. The historic blast comes off Nationals hurler Mike Bacsik.

9 p.m.-midnight: 2008 World Series, Game 5, Rays versus Phillies. The teams play the final three innings after the game was postponed two days earlier, and the Phillies pull out a 3-2 win for the city of Philadelphia's first major title in 25 years.

Yeah, it's official, I found my programming for the next week. Sure I'll tune in to the Winter Classic, some bowl games (keyword: some), and obviously all of Week 16 of the NFL, but aside from that, it's time to indulge myself in some nostalgia, relive games that I forget, and see games that I never got a chance to see, but look like they were something special and I want to see them anyway.

Brent Musburger Lives Out The Fantasy Of Every American Sports Fan

Now I can say with almost 100% certainty that none of you were watching SportsNation yesterday (and why would you be?). You can count me in that group, but you can also put me in the group of the people that wished they saw it yesterday. Yesterday, something happened that I have been dying to see for years (and I think lots of sports fans, especially Philly sports fans, would agree) that this may be is the career highlight of Colin Cowherd. Brent Musburger was on the show and he suckerpunched Schrutebag! See for yourself.



Brent Musburger is now my new hero for life. Seriously. Brent, if you are out there and you are reading, you have just earned yourself one free post at FARN! Email me at FireAndyReidNow@gmail.com and we can hook something up there, pardner. You're my friend, Brent, you're my friend!

John Clayton Is An Assclown Who Knows Nothing About Football

I swear, ESPN hires some of the stupidest people in the world. This time, it's John Clayton, who know, that one ESPN reporter who is lost in the mix with Ed Werder, Mort, and now Adam Schefter. Yeah, well, there's a reason he is lost in the crowd and this is it. Just read this incredibly idiotic observation he wrote on Monday on McNabb's injury.

McNabb's injury could have been avoided: Eagles coach Andy Reid wouldn't lift his foot off the accelerator with a 21-point, third-quarter lead, and as a result, he might not have QB Donovan McNabb for next Sunday's potential shootout against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb padded a commanding lead, but he paid a price.

With 6:59 left in the third quarter of a 38-10 win over the Panthers, McNabb suffered a fractured rib in the left side of his back as he scrambled into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. That touchdown gave the Eagles a 38-10 lead in a game that was over in the middle of the second quarter. X-rays revealed one fracture. McNabb's a competitor, but there was no need for him to risk injury with that big of a lead. It's too early to determine McNabb's status, but he's more doubtful than questionable

Has John Clayton ever watched a football game in his life? I swear, this is one of the most idiotic things I have ever read. Let me break it down for you so you know what I mean.

First of all, the Eagles were only up by 21 points before the McNabb touchdown/injury. Clayton tries to paint is as they were up 4 touchdowns and they were pulling a Bill Belichick circa 2007. That would be if the Eagles were up by 38 in the 4th quarter and they were still running all of their starters and gadgets to purposefully score more points. Scoring another touchdown when you are up 21, is at ramming the game down an opponent's throat and that is not the time to take your foot off the accelerator. Not in the 3rd quarter, at least. After all, the Eagles scored 3 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter in a period under 5 minutes with mainly defense and special teams. Who is to say that the Panthers could not have done the same thing with their defense and special teams?

And also, the Eagles were not doing anything tricky or trying to be fancy schmancy with that drive. They were establishing rhythm on offense after being totally out of sync during the pre-season. There was not anything fancy that said we want to shove this game down your throats. It was the Eagles offense running the Eagles offense. It's not the Eagles fault that the Panthers were unable to stop the Eagles' basic offensive scheme. Something that John Clayton knows nothing about.

And as far as the actual play itself and Donovan McNabb himself, it was a typical play. Nothing wrong, nothing over-the-top. He dropped back to pass, looked for a receiver, saw that no one was open, saw a potential running lane for the endzone and did what McNabb does back and take off and run for it. Now I can argue that the hit that fractured the rib was a late hit, but that's not really the point. The guy was trying to make the play. It may have been a tad late, but it was by no means egregious like it was in the 04 NFC Title game. Not that John Clayton would know anything about that, mind you.

But back to comebacks, not only have we seen 21 point comebacks in football games, if we think back to a several years ago on Monday Night Football (and the infamous Leaping game), Peyton Manning led a 21-point comeback with less than 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter! Sure Delhomme was stinking it up by then, but as mentioned earlier, who is to say that the Panthers could not have had a special teams/defense explosion. And while this was written before the game, who is to say that something like yesterday's Bills-Pats game could have happened. Of course, I'm sure John Clayton was quite surprised, shocked, stunned, and amazed all at once when he woke up this morning and saw that the Patriots won 25-24. Surely he had gone to bed when the Bills scored that touchdown that make it 24-13. After all, there has NEVER been an 11-point comeback with 3 minutes left in NFL history. After all, there have never been any halftime comebacks of 21-points or more. What we saw last night was truly unprecedented and chances are, we will never see anything like that again in our lives.

Like I mentioned before, I would be truly amazed if John Clayton has ever seen a football game in his life. What a complete ass and an utter moron.

FIRE JOHN CLAYTON NOW!

Brady is Back. Did Federer Give Up Against Del Potro? NBC Is The Clippers & Why John Clayton Is So Wrong. (On the DL Podcast)