The NBA is back on Christmas Day with five games across TNT, ABC, and ESPN.  We know the announcers of the four ABC and ESPN games.  Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown will call Bulls/Lakers at 5 ET on ABC, Dave Pasch and Doris Burke will call Orlando at OKC at 8 ET on ESPN, and Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy will call Heat/Mavs at 2:30 on ABC AND Clippers/Warriors from Oakland at 10:30 ET on ESPN.  

You read that correctly.  Bristol's top team will call two different games in two time zones to open the NBA season in one of the more unique announcing situations on record.  Here's what ESPN had to say about this Christmas Day double duty...

ESPN’s lead NBA commentator team of play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Jeff Van Gundy are planning to call two Christmas Day games. They will begin in Dallas when the defending NBA Champion Mavericks and Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki host the Miami Heat and its All-Star trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on Sunday, Dec. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Lisa Salters will be the courtside reporter in Dallas.

Immediately following the game, Breen and Van Gundy will jet to the Bay Area for the head coaching debut of former colleague Mark Jackson with Golden State.  The Warriors will face the Los Angeles Clippers and All-Star Blake Griffin at 10:30 p.m.  Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, a Warriors legend and Jackson’s teammate at St. John’s and with the Indiana Pacers, will join Breen and Van Gundy courtside for the Warriors/Clippers game. Terry Gannon will be the courtside reporter.

Gannon and Mullin will also be on site prepared to announce the game if Breen and Van Gundy have any issues making the trip from Dallas to San Francisco... or if Heat/Mavs happens to go seven overtimes.  It'll be a very unique challenge and experience for Breen and Van Gundy.  I honestly can't remember a broadcast team ever attempting to announce two nationally televised games from two different cities in the same day before, on one of the biggest stages in sports no less with the NBA on Christmas Day.

We got a chance to talk to Breen about the experience.  "I've always considered it an honor and a privilege to do the games on Christmas Day," Breen said.  "And to be able to do two, especially to be there for a dear friend's coaching debut, to see the first night of his fulfilling a dream, to me it's a privilege to be there.  It's a really cool thing and an honor to be able to do it."

Breen and Van Gundy plan on being in Oakland approximately 90 minutes before the opening tip if everything goes according to plan.  The opportunity to announce former colleague Mark Jackson's first game as a head coach was a driving force behind the double duty and ESPN executives brought the idea to Breen and Van Gundy when the revised Christmas Day schedule came out.

"They thought it'd be a really nice thing for Mark for us to fly out there and be there for his first game.  When they called, I thought they were kidding.  We are so thrilled to be there for his first night," Breen exclaimed.  "We don't care what it takes, just to be there that night is going to be really fun for us."

Hopefully Jackson will be mic'd up for the game and we can hear "HAND DOWN, MAN DOWN" periodically from the sidelines.  For what it's worth, Breen isn't giving up hope that Jackson will return to the booth.  "I'm going to see if I can convince him to come back to the booth.  To me it's not too late.  He can go to the front office and tell them he's made a grave mistake and he really wants to work with Jeff and me again," he joked.

As of now, it appears Breen and Van Gundy will be the number one team for ABC and ESPN this year, although Breen told AA the network may try different people throughout the year to fill Mark Jackson's seat.  If a third announcer does join the team, it'll be very tough to duplicate the on-air chemistry and success of Breen, Jackson, and Van Gundy.  

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Tough guy Michael Milbury, the current NBC/NESN/HNIC analyst who is "famous" for hitting a Rangers fan with his own shoe, is being charged with one count of assault and battery on a 12-year-old youth hockey player, one count of threats to commit a crime, and disorderly conduct. The Boston Herald has the alleged details:

The incident allegedly occurred at the end of the Winter Classic between the Boch Blazers for whom Milbury coaches and his son plays forward vs. the Boston Junior Black Hawks. It is alleged that after Milbury’s son and a player for the Black Hawks got into a scrape on the ice, Milbury charged out onto the rink and verbally berated and grabbed and shook the 12-year-old opposing player.

I mean, Milbury's heart had to be racing, his mind on his son's survival. TOTALLY REASONABLE. Now, we're left with a "smug" 12-year-old "who has become a bit of celebrity because he got shaken and just barely stirred. He should let it go. He likely won't."

UPDATE: NBC has pulled Milbury off the air while he deals with his "affairs." No word on the other gigs.

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After the Saints Superbowl win, most of the American population created a simultaneous “Awwwwwww” when they witnessed the winning QB Drew Brees holding his son Baylen with sound blocking head phones to combat the crowd noise.

Now Brees is taking his football to Sesame Street as he filmed a segment for the children’s program back in April that aired this week on PBS. In the episode, Brees appears in a scene with Elmo to talk about the word “Measure” and how you can measure things with everyday objects.

Besides being one of the cutest videos you will ever see, it’s particularly funny to hear Elmo call Brees “Mr. Drew” especially when he says the line “What you talking about Mr. Drew” and you can see Brees almost start to laugh.

When asked about the appearance he filmed back in April, Brees said his son “Baylen absolutely loves Elmo” and could spout off the names of new characters such as Abby Cadabby and the classics like Snuffleupagus.

From watching the interview and seeing his performance, it’s no wonder most of us absolutely adore Drew Brees off the field as well as on the field...

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Regardless of your political affiliation, I think we can all agree that this TebowMania thing is officially getting out of hand... 

Oh, and in case you were slightly confused, that was a real clip from last night's Republican Primary debate in Iowa and not an SNL skit.  Rick Perry is a bit misguided though, he's actually the Tim McCarver of the Iowa caucuses and not the Tim Tebow of the Iowa Caucuses.  What's next, kids getting suspended for Tebowing in the hallways of schools?  No, that would be just too far-fetched...

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This article first appeared on Bloguin's national NHL blog, Puck Drunk Love.  J.P. Quayle is a staff writer for Puck Drunk Love and manages the hockey blog Ice the Office.  HBO's 24/7 series has received acclaim from all over the sports world.  This latest version follows the Flyers and Rangers in the lead-up to the Winter Classic.  Here's JP's take on the first episode...

Everybody please put your thumb in the air. HBO is back for round two.

Last night HBO's Documentary series "Road to the Winter Classic" kicked off with the first episode of a four part series that features the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams are set to face off in the 2012 Winter Classic, which will take place in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. This marks the second time that the National Hockey League has allowed cameras to pry into the lives of its players and coaches. After a wildly successful experiment last year, it was impossible to say no to all the behind the scenes action this year.

When we look at the first episode as a whole, we can easily see that producers haven't missed a step and there are plenty of personalities to carry the series. Depending on who you ask, it might be Flyers goaltender llya Bryzgalov, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella, or the even the grandma of New York Rangers player Ryan Callahan. The notorious level of swearing continues, but the calm familiar voice of Liev Schreiber helps fans fall into an attention coma that will render them helpless for the following sixty minutes. In those sixty minutes, we follow the highs and lows of the lone ranger (Artem Anisimov), the philosophical proclamations according to the llya, and the credit card gamble amongst other great material. Quotes such as "Hankie's a professional changer" and "You gotta take care of the captain" will become cult favorites to those who don the blue shirts. The disappointment of a budding star will become the final note as we see Claude Giroux suffer a concussion at the hands of his own teammate...

The NBA preseason tips off tonight (and the regular season in 10 days), so to celebrate the return of basketball the NBA will start digging into their faithful fans' pockets, like a five month lockout that clipped 16 regular season games didn't just happen [via Business Insider]: 

The NBA announced the prices for this season's League Pass Tuesday, the television service providing access to every game throughout the year. Last season, service for the 82-game schedule cost customers $179. This year, it can be yours for the low price of $169. Great deal, right? Wrong! When you consider the 2011-12 NBA season is only 66 games, the service has actually increased in price.

Simple math tells us that it's proportionally about $25 more than last year's 82-game price. The five-team option is again $109, which is what I talked myself into last year.

As a subscriber of NBA League Pass, MLB TV, NFL Game Rewind, and NHL Game Center, I'd say NBA League Pass is the worst product of the major sports and it was already the most overpriced. Now, with the league cutting 16 games from the schedule, it's even more expensive. Hmmmm. Well, thanks for your sincerity, Mr. Stern; I see NBA really does care.

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News anchor banter is usually a lighthearted affair. This however was not the case on FOX 5 in Washington DC as anchor Maureen Umeh segued to sports by very matter of factly saying that the Redskins chances against the Patriots were bleak as long as Tom Brady was breathing. Pretty dark stuff there. Still, it's hard to disagree in the slightest with her analysis.

Usually when someone says something unfortunate on live TV, it's encouraged just to continue as if nothing odd had just happened. Sports Director Dave Feldman was going to have none of that. Instead, he brought it up immediately and prolonged the awkwardness. Umeh this time said she didn't wish death on Brady, just that maybe he would have to disappear if Washington was going to have a chance. Or, as it's more commonly known, the Celtic Pride strategy (sidenote: If you have way too much time, the entire movie is on Youtube). Feldman ended the painful transition by saying that maybe wishing an injury instead of death might be nicer. Plenty of awkward laughter by both and thankfully this funny sequence will always exist in the annals of the internet.

As you know, a very much alive Tom Brady torched the Skins for over 350 yards and 3 TD's as the Patriots won, 34-27.

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Dick Stockton takes another weekly crown this week, but I have a feeling he owes this week's award to his brethren at Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.  If we've learned anything this year, complimenting other awful announcers during your telecast is sure to get you Pammies or Dickies points.  The envelope, please...

10) "You know, coach Cowher he hands out compliments like manhole covers." - Phil Simms (via kylejgood)

9) "It's amazing how you figure those yardages out so fast John...I'm really...(awkward pause) amazed." - Dick Stockton (via abashuk)

8) "These Skittles, I gotta find out what's in these things." - Jon Gruden (via AA)

7) "Doug "Prematurely" Baldwin" - Chris Berman (via JagsFan93)

6) "You hate when your balls get tipped around" - Marcellus Wiley (via jbteller)

5) "Mike McCarthy...I said he's a genius. And you know why? Because he doesn't try to be a genius." - Phil Simms (via DevsFan30)

4) "This is a very important game." - Chris Berman. He was talking about the Jaguars-Buccaneers game. (via JoshuaBatelli)

3) "That's a tight hole and a big man right there" - Brian Billick (via jessegennigen/prwillard2)

2) "Tom is pretty good at challenges. He's lost his last six though" - Al Michaels (via ThreeRiversBlog)

1) "Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are the gold standard of baseball broadcasts." -Dick Stockton (via JoshButters)

Week 14 Top 5 -

1) Dick Stockton 87 pts

2) Brian Billick 55 pts

3) Phil Simms 53.5 pts

4) Jon Gruden 47 pts

5) Chris Berman 34 pts

Others receiving votes -Mike Tirico 28 pts, Dave Lapham 14 pts, Jim Mora 14 pts, Al Michaels 13.5, Dan Dierdorf 13 pts, Rich Gannon 12 pts, Joe Buck 11 pts, Cris Collinsworth 11 pts, Terry Bradshaw 10 pts, Scott Hanson 10 pts, Jim Nantz 10, Dan Fouts 8.5 pts, Bob Griese 8.5 pts, Troy Aikman 8 pts, Dan Patrick 7 pts, Mike Mayock 6 pts, Daryl Johnston 5 pts, Marcellus Wiley 5 pts, Tim Ryan 5 pts,  Bob Costas 4 pts, Warren Moon 3 pts, Marv Albert 3 pts, Keyshawn Johnson 3 pts, Chad Pennington 2 pts, Thom Brennaman 2 pts, Tony Siragusa 1 pt, Ron Jaworski 1 pt.

You can check out the Week 15 NFL announcing schedule here.

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If there’s anything most of us can agree on, it's that anyone who hires the defense attorney for Jerry Sandusky deserves to get a guilty plea.

Joe Amendola, best known for his genius move in allowing Bob Costas to interview the creepy Sandusky without his legal team present, has now managed to embarrass himself at least three times this week on national television. This left Ann Curry of the Today Show to question his competence to handle the pending Sandusky trial.

Yesterday, after Amendola waived his client’s right to a preliminary hearing, he held a press conference outside of the courthouse that lasted for THREE hours. During the presser, where he insinuated the victims were working together to gain a monetary settlement, he asked anyone who believes anything in the grand jury testimony to dial 1-800-Reality. 

1-800-Reality is a gay sex hotline. Not exactly the number you want to give out in regards to Sandusky.

After Amendola didn’t get enough time to cement his idiocy, he then went on a media tour yesterday hitting up the always polite Ann Curry of the Today Show.

Except during Ann’s interview, she looks on pathetically to Amendola and asks him straight up if he has “done his homework” and the doozy “are you competent enough to defend your client?"

Ann doesn’t insult guests too often and is always professional, but it certainly was called for when you see what Amendola has done so far to “protect” his client.

Or, Amendola could be a Saint and secretly is pretending to be a moron just so he all but guarantees Sandusky’s lifelong sentence far away from innocent children.

[H/T SportsGrid]

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As has been expected, the networks broadcasting NFL games re-upped with the league on a new deal yesterday.  NBC, CBS, and Fox will now all carry NFL games into the 2022 season.  The current arrangement with the three networks expires after the 2013 season and both sides were eager to pen a new contract.  The three networks will pay an average of over ONE BILLION DOLLAS PER YEAR EACH for the rights to NFL games.  (If you want to get granular with the numbers, Fox pays the highest amount at 1.1 billion because NFC teams are in traditionally stronger markets.)  It's an insane amount of money and shows the significance of the NFL and televising live sports in general.  Let's face it, with the advent of the DVR, sports is one of the few events on television that has to be seen live - thus rights fees are going through the roof all over sports.  And the NFL is king of the mountain of live sports.

With the new deal starting in 2014 will come several very interesting changes for NFL fans and sports media geeks like yours truly.  The structures of the NFL deals with its networks are the most interesting of any sport and a major shift to the landscape will come when the new contract kicks in.  Here's each of the major developments of the new contract between the NFL and Fox/CBS/NBC...

*Flex Scheduling Expansion

This is perhaps the biggest change to how we will watch the NFL.  Not only will NBC receive enhanced flex scheduling for Sunday Night Football, but both Fox and CBS will have flex capabilities.  In a move that alters my reality, Fox will now have the ability to broadcast AFC games and CBS will have the ability to broadcast NFC games.  Here's that part of the announcement from the NFL...

Flexible scheduling – which ensures quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots and gives teams a chance to play their way onto primetime on NBC and into the late-afternoon 4:15 PM ET time slot on CBS and FOX – remains a viewer-friendly element of the network broadcast agreements. It will be expanded in 2014, including the ability to move games between CBS and FOX to bring regional games to wider audiences. Further details on enhanced flexible scheduling will be developed with the networks.

If you're like me, AFC games on Fox and NFC games on CBS is shocking news.  I don't know about you, but there has always been a sense of comfort level knowing that Fox was the network to watch my Saints since it was the "NFC" network.  But ultimately, this enhanced flex scheduling is a huge victory for NFL fans around the country...