On Friday in Los Angeles, Metta World Peace gave what can only be described as the most MWP weather report ever.

He hopped on KTTV-TV to talk basketball and weather.

On today's AA Podcast we welcome award winning sports reporter Tom Verducci. Tom's an award winning field reporter for TBS and MLB Network as well as a game analyst for Fox and a respected writer for Sports Illustrated. Tuesday Tom will appear as a field reporter for MLB Network's coverage of Yankees-Orioles. Tom chats with AA about his many different duties in the baseball media and the 2013 MLB season taking shape. Topics include...

-Being honored as the best sports reporter in the nation. 
-The challenge of a sportswriter stepping into the broadcast booth. 
-Why he hasn't joined Twitter and his priorities as a reporter. 
-Why it's actually fun to follow the Yankees this year. 
-Miguel Cabrera possibly winning a second Triple Crown. 
-Races in the AL and NL Central. 
-The biggest in-game issue MLB must address moving forward.

In case you've missed any of our podcasts, check out all of our interviews by subscribing to the AA Podcast on iTunes or our AA Podcast RSS Page.

The Grizzlies' 105-83 loss in San Antonio in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals must have really taken a lot out of Memphis Head Coach Lionel Hollins.  Watch as he needs a few moments to collect himself and remember the identity of one of his key bench players - Jerryd Bayless.  At least he got to it eventually and didn't call him O.J. Mayo or Steve Francis.

Maybe we should forgive Hollins, the Grizzlies' effort was a forgettable one all the way around on Sunday.

[H/T For The Win]

On the final day of the Serie A season, AC Milan needed two goals in the final seven minutes for a 2-1 comeback win at Siena to qualify for next year's Champions League.  A Mario Balotelli penalty and Philippe Mexes goal prevented a disastrous draw or worse at the already relegated Siena when only a win would secure a Champions League spot.

Let's see... AC Milan... two goals in the final seven minutes... Champions League spot on the line... we've got to have the reaction video of Tiziano Crudeli for this insanity, right...

This piece originally ran on Dave's site What You Pay For Sports. Dave will be writing original pieces on here from time to time in addition to having his work syndicated on occasion. 

A bad product is difficult enough to sell as it is. It’s even harder to sell when you tell the public you don’t really care how bad it is.

So it goes for Houston Astros owner Jim Crane. His team has by far the smallest payroll ($24.33 million) in Major League Baseball. Predictably, it has the fewest wins, too, tied with the Miami Marlins. While Crane’s strategy of building up the farm system and bringing up prospects over the long term has supporters, his telling fans they can “write a check for $10 million” if they want a better team isn’t exactly a genius PR move.

It’s also just one reason why Comcast SportsNet Houston, the Regional Sports Network partially owned by the Astros, finds itself on the losing end of a carriage war — one more thing the Astros are losing.

Ed Note: The following appears courtesy Bloguin's National Hockey League blog - Puck Drunk Love.

Want to hear one of the worst attempts at the Star-Spangled Banner you'll ever hear? Of course you do. As the Portland Winterhawks and Halifax Mooseheads (don't you love CHL team names?) waited to drop the puck for the 2013 Memorial Cup, fans and players were treated to arguably the most uncomfortable, most awkward and most hilarious attempt at the U.S. National Anthem in sports history. Canadian singer Alexis Normand successfully sang "O Canada" before trying her hand at the anthem of the United States.

With the last day of the 2013 season taking place Sunday, ESPN signed off after four successful years broadcasting live weekly English Premier League games.  Starting in the 2010 season, ESPN struck gold with the pairing of Brits Ian Darke and Steve McManaman.  Darke had gained cult status in the USA after his enthusiastic World Cup calls while former Liverpool player McManaman had also played a role in South Africa in the ESPN studio.

The best broadcast booths are always the ones that have a natural chemistry and Darke and McManaman possessed that in spades.  The fact that they were on-site throughout England and were veterans of covering and playing in the league made them a landmark pairing for American viewers.  As they signed off for the final EPL broadcast before rights move to NBC next year, ESPN paid tribute to Darke and Macca with what else... an outtake reel!

All Times Eastern

College Baseball
SWAC Championship, Fort Worth, TX
Jackson State vs. Prairie View A&M -- ESPN, 9 p.m. (delayed from 5/19)

Florida State at North Carolina -- ESPNU, 6 p.m.

College Football
College Football Live -- ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

Golf
Big Break Mexico: It Takes Two -- Golf Channel, 9 p.m.
Feherty: Ken Venturi -- Golf Channel, 10 p.m.

During Game 2 of the Rangers-Bruins Eastern Conference Semifinals series on Sunday, NBC's Pierre McGuire asked Rangers coach John Tortorella how to describe Ryan Callahan, who scored a goal in the first period to tie the game at one goal apiece. Tortorella's response was brief, and extremely descriptive.

"Well right now, that's a HUGE goddamn goal he scored in the first period."

McGuire then thanked Tortorella and immediately ended the interview, likely with the horror of realizing that New York's coach had sworn on national TV. There were no immediate apologies from the NBC crew, and they essentially called Tortorella a wild card. These things happen sometimes, and seeing McGuire immediately have to squirm his way out of an uncomfortable situation is always entertaining to watch.

Former CBS golf analyst and 1964 US Open champion Ken Venturi passed away Friday afternoon at the age of 82.  Venturi's most important victory came at Congressional, when in the '64 Open he overcame extreme heat exhaustion to claim his only major.  It's one of the most famous major tournaments in the history of golf as Venturi was followed by a doctor for most of the day while he was battling for the win.  Earlier this year, Venturi was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, although his physical condition didn't allow his attendance.