Sports Archives - Page 215 of 224

“Highway 18” Quick Nine: The Spotlight

August 28, 2008 Ryan Berenz

1. Odds are good someone’s going home. Three teams have a shot at getting sent home today: Raul and Jameica, Andy and Parker and the Ashleys. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on the Ashleys to get the boot. But I think I’ll be a little disappointed if no one goes home today. I think maybe I’ve watched too many mean-spirited reality shows, and much of my enjoyment comes from teams or individuals getting kicked off. But really, there’s no one team I dislike and want to see kicked off — I just want someone to get […]

"E:60": Sperm U, The Tampa Bay Rays And Steve Fossett

August 25, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Cubicle QB Features on the Aug. 26 (7pm ET) edition of ESPN’s sports newsmagazine series E:60: Sperm U — Kids today are competing in organized sports at younger ages and with greater intensity because parents see the rewards that come with athletic achievement (college scholarships, pro salaries), as well as the consequences for children who fall behind early (physical inactivity, obesity). As such, parents resort to extreme measures to give their kids a fighting chance. E:60 correspondent Tom Farrey exclusively reports the story about the ultimate effort to buy athletic advantage — the purchase of sperm from anonymous […]

"Highway 18" Quick Nine: Beaches, Basketballs And Blunders

August 22, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Ryan 1. Rob’s knowledge of Caddyshack is poor. One of the Ashleys is preparing to hit her shot on Daytona Beach, and Rob starts quoting the “Be the ball” Ty Webb Zen golf thing from Caddyshack. But wouldn’t the “Noonan!” psych-out technique be more appropriate here? Either way, if his desired effect was to annoy, then he succeeded. It doesn’t faze the Ashleys, though. They come in second, right behind Peach and Jay. 2. Rashard Lewis’ latest CD drops Tuesday. Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic lends his voice talents to the CD in the teams’ Enclaves, instructing […]

"E:60": Reggie Love And Cindy McCain

August 18, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Cubicle QB Sports and politics come together beginning this week on ESPN’s sports newsmagazine series E:60. Reggie Love (Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7pm ET) — The name Reggie Love may not mean much to the public at large, but for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, he’s been a constant presence. Love is the personal assistant, more commonly referred to as a “body man,” to Barack Obama, and is always by the senator’s side. The former Duke University football and basketball player tried to make it in the NFL. But after unsuccessful tryouts with the Packers and Cowboys in […]

ESPN Saves Geico Cavemen From Extinction

August 15, 2008 Ryan Berenz

It seems that ESPN’s days of appealing to sports Neanderthals are not over. AdvertisingAge is reporting today that ESPN will be using the Geico cavemen as pitchmen for their online fantasy football and SportsCenter. The insurance-shilling Neanderthals will be spotted frequently across the cable-sports behemoth’s media properties over the next year as part of a novel integration deal between Geico and ESPN that casts the cavemen as fantasy-football salesmen, as well as stars of a series of vignettes promoting the network’s flagship SportsCenter program. The Geico cavemen may be the most overrated, overhyped and underfunny marketing gimmicks ever, and I’m […]

An Olympic Perspective

August 14, 2008 StayTuned Staff

Posted by: haro1d We’re now well into the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and we’re deep into the groove of events. Medals are being won and lost, international goodwill is being fostered and the announcers are as annoying as ever. These Olympics have made their impression in numerous ways — some expected, some not. Take those undeniably awe-inspiring opening ceremonies. We knew that China was going to pull out all of the stops for this particular event, that it was going to be massive in scale and scope, and that we could expect a message from it, as the opportunity would be […]

"Highway 18" Quick Nine: Off To The Races

August 13, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Ryan 1. “I love you, man!” Thanks to Andy hitting his shot in the target at the horse farm, the two guys get a nice head start on the other teams on their way to Daytona. Parker professes his love for Andy, and their budding bromance will be an intriguing subplot for the rest of the series. 2. The Ashleys’ airbags have deployed. Golf is such a mental game. One bad shot can get in your head and lead to many more bad shots. The Ashleys are in a state of panic during the golf challenges, and they’re […]

ESPN's "E:60" Returns: Dara Torres, Randy Moss Racing And Lightning Lee Murray

August 8, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Cubicle QB In the midst of the Brett Favre madness and the Olympics, we’re just now reminded that new episodes of ESPN’s E:60 sports newsmagazine series are returning Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 7pm ET. E:60 is back for 14 straight weeks, airing each Tuesday until Nov. 11. Here’s what’s on the agenda for the Aug. 12 episode: Dara Torres — For over eight months, E:60 crew and correspondent Tom Farrey followed Olympic swimmer Dara Torres’ quest to make her fifth Olympic team at age 41. On May 6, E:60 profiled Torres as she trained for the U.S. Olympics […]

Hail Mary!: Danny Abramowicz To Host "Crossing The Goal" On EWTN

August 6, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Cubicle QB Longtime football fans remember Danny Abramowicz as the NFL’s receptions leader in 1969 and QB Archie Manning’s favorite target with the New Orleans Saints. I, however, remember Abramowicz from his days as a wide-eyed, excitable special teams coach for the Chicago Bears under Mike Ditka. Now I will remember Abramowicz mostly for the “spiritual fitness” show he’s going to host on global Catholic network EWTN: The show, called Crossing the Goal, was created in conjunction with the EWTN Global Catholic Network. Segments include “The Kickoff,” where the problem of the day is presented; “The Game Plan,” […]

"Highway 18" Quick Nine: The Swamp

July 31, 2008 Ryan Berenz

Posted by Ryan 1. Keri Murphy Is Easily Amused. I interviewed host Keri Murphy about Highway 18, and she really played up this episode and its swamp challenge. “They came out to the swamp — it’s full of gators — and they think that they’re going to have to do some sort of golf challenge. But really, they just had to find their way back,” Murphy says. “Getting them out of the swamp was pretty hilarious.” Now, having seen this episode, the “swamp” looks more like a park that had a gator in it somewhere. And the teams just followed […]