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Sports

Notre Dame At Michigan: The Battle Of Who Stinks Less

I’m pretty sure that this isn’t what ABC had in mind when they scheduled the Notre Dame at Michigan game on national TV (Saturday at 3:30pm ET). Both teams are 0-2 after Michigan was upset by Appalachian State and then got pummeled 39-7 by Oregon (both losses at home), and now they’ll be without QB Chad Henne. Notre Dame lost to Georgia Tech and Penn State by a combined score of 64-13. Touchdown Jesus is not pleased. This is the first time in history both teams have been 0-2 at the same time. Both teams’ seasons are wrecked, but one […]

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Sports

Channel Guide’s Pigskin Preparedness Primer

I have a tradition of writing a football preview in our company newsletter, Joined In Progress (JIP), every September. Since our office is located in Milwaukee and our parent office is in Chicago, and there is much animosity and trash talk between our two cities’ football fans, I always try to throw some fuel on the fire with an equally scathing preview of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to go public and share the preview with the masses (both of you guys). JIP Pigskin Preparedness Primer JIP’s NFL Insider Cubicle QB […]

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Sports

Uh … Football?

Man, these two-day work weeks are killing me. I tuned in to the NFL Kickoff Special last night on NBC. Mrs. Cubicle QB walks in while Kelly Clarkson is belting out some song, and asks me, “What the hell are you watching?” I’m like, “Uh … football?” I generally hate musical acts before sports events. I’m compiling a list of bands and artists that I want banned from all sports venues (and some of them are bands that I actually like). Having John Mellencamp also perform was like a swift kick to the privates, since we already have to suffer […]

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Reality TV

“Fore Inventors Only” Taps In For Par

GOLF CHANNEL’s reality competition series Fore Inventors Only has its live finale Sept. 4 at 10pm ET, and only one of the five remaining contestants’ inventions will win a marketing deal with GOLF CHANNEL and have their winning product sold in golf retail shops. Viewers will decide who wins by voting online and can do so right up to the fourth segment of the finale. Comedian George Lopez, who seemingly spends every waking moment at celebrity golf tournaments, will cohost the finale with GOLF CHANNEL’s Rich Lerner. Here are the five products which made it to the finale: Hill Shot […]

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Sports

New ESPN MNF Crew Review

Because I wanted to see the awesomely meaningless Super Bowl XLI preseason rematch and get a sampling of ESPN’s revamped Monday Night Football team, I tuned in to last night’s Bears vs. Colts game — the first half, anyway. I’m not masochistic enough to watch the second half of a preseason game on ESPN. When the production crew wasn’t missing one of Rex Grossman’s fumbled snaps because they were airing NASCAR promos, I was pleased with two thirds of their broadcast. I figured it wouldn’t take much for Ron Jaworski to be an improvement over Joe Theismann, but Jaworski really […]

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Sports

There Is No More Refuge From Ryan Seacrest

More disconcerting news from FOX Sports today: Ryan Seacrest, host of FOX’s AMERICAN IDOL, the No. 1 television series in the nation, is set to join the cast of FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s No. 1 NFL pregame show, for the biggest day on the sports calendar: Super Bowl Sunday. The announcement was made last evening by David Hill, Chairman, FOX Sports Television Group. The wildly popular television and radio host has agreed to serve as “entertainment host” for FOX SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, the Super Bowl XLII pregame show. The plan is to utilize Seacrest’s expertise to wrap the entertainment portions […]

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Sports

FOX Knows You’ve Been Clamoring For More Barry Switzer

FOX Sports today released its NFL on FOX broadcasting teams, as well as some changes to its FOX NFL Sunday studio show. Giving up the traveling studio show that had Joe Buck working double duty as studio host and play-by-play man, FOX NFL Sunday returns to the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles. Curt Menefee is the new full-time host, and he’s joined again by Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, with funny guy Frank Caliendo and weather chick Jillian Barberie adding their segments. Perhaps realizing the importance of having an actual “information guy” there to give the show […]

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Reality TV

Deion Sanders, Oxygen To Unleash Pestilence Upon Us

Like most sports fans, my Deion Sanders tolerance threshold was crossed sometime around 1995. Following his long, long overdue retirement from football, he’s continued to annoy me as an NFL TV studio analyst. But I never really had the urge to body slam or electrocute Deion … until he said this recently: I believe [Michael] Vick had a passion for dogfighting. I know many athletes who share his passion. The allure is the intensity and the challenge of a dog fighting to the death. It’s like ultimate fighting, but the dog doesn’t tap out when he knows he can’t win. […]

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Sports

Behold! NBA Schedule Released

The 2007-08 NBA season schedule is out, and so is the national TV schedule. Not surprisingly, there are suddenly a lot more Boston Celtics games on TV this year. Here are a few of the TV highlights: Oct. 30 – Portland at San Antonio and Houston at L.A. Lakers (TNT). The season opens with No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden and the Blazers against Tim Duncan and the defending champion Spurs. Oct. 31 — Dallas at Cleveland and Seattle at Denver (ESPN). You’ll get to see No. 2 pick Kevin Durant and the Sonics against Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. […]

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Sports

ESPN Chronicles Barry Bonds’ Pursuit Of The Home Run Record

I knew I would have to do this post someday. Blah. Here are ESPN’s plans for coverage of Barry Bonds’ chase for the career home run record: Live cut-ins and short turn-around highlights of Bonds’ at bats when he goes for home runs 754, 755 and 756 during all Major League Baseball game telecasts Live cut-in or taped highlights in non-MLB programming Short turn-around highlights of home runs 754, 755 and 756 on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPN on ABC Select cut-ins to Bonds’ at bats through home run 756 on ESPN.com Live cut-ins to each Bonds’ at bat once […]