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...

Yes, that's Matthew Barnaby's Porsche Cayenne after apparently driving 9 miles before being arrested for DWI. Police concluded he drove that distance after finding the missing tire on the side of a freeway exit ramp, but were unable to get a 5th charge of fleeing the scene of an accident to stick as they couldn't prove that Barnaby's tire was the one they found and had no witnesses linking him to any damage or injuries.

Barnaby couldn't shake the other four charges and pled guilty to driving while intoxicated, refusing a Breathalyzer test, driving with unsafe tires, and failing to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of his address change. Although he'll avoid jail time, Barnaby was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, give 100 hours of community service, and ordered to attend rehab as well as outpatient counseling upon completion of his program.. It's still tbd if his former plea deal for another incident will be honored and if he's safe from facing deportation to Canada.

Barnaby gave a pretty convincing statement and apology to the press that brought him to tears. I'd cry too if I lost my job at ESPN and was no longer dating Michelle Beadle. Below is a video of local news coverage of the court appearance and his public statement.

While a lot of coaches and television personalities are able to continue their careers despite similar legal issues, I'm not so sold we'll see Barnaby back on television anytime soon. He's got two strikes against him and the NHL has limited positions within the media. Potentially something opens up down the road in Canada or with a regional channel, but for the foreseeable future, Barnaby will have a tough time getting back on television.

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One of our favorite posts from our relaunch in 2010 was the Top 10 Announcing Gaffes of the year.  Once again, to look back on the year that was in Awful Announcing and spread some holiday cheer, we've poured through our archives and narrowed down hundreds of possibilities to bring you the Top 10 Announcing Gaffes of 2011 (give or take a couple).  These are the absolute best announcing bloopers and faux pas from the last twelve months.  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of the list and your favorite gaffe of the year.  

10) Dan Shaughnessy Soothsayer

Dan Shaughnessy is one sportswriter turned talking head that may actually have fewer fans in the blogosphere than Skip Bayless.  So, it's refreshing to know Shaughnessy is still wiping egg on his face after this guarantee during a rain delay on the last night of the Sawx baseball season.

9) Matt Millen Is Confused, So What Else Is New...

Matt Millen is paid by ESPN to be a college football analyst.  However, given his track record, maybe the following gaffe shouldn't come as a surprise.  When asked about the Miami quarterback situation in the wake of the Nevin Shaprio scandal and who would replace starter Jacory Harris, Millen replied with "Jarrett Lee."  One slight inconvenience to this hypothesis... Jarrett Lee plays for LSU.

Here is your Week 15 NFL schedule. You can find the broadcast maps here (via The 506).  This week features the first Saturday game of the season in addition to the regular late season Thursday Night game. Next week there will be a whole slate of Saturday games, so get your feet wet with this week's game on NFL Network.

Thursday, December 15

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons (NFLN 8:20PM) Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan

Saturday, December 17

Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFLN 8:20PM) Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan

Sunday, December 18

Cincinnati Bengals @ St. Louis Rams (CBS 1PM) Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills (CBS 1PM) Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts (CBS 1PM) Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants (FOX 1PM) Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
Green Bay Packers @ Kansas City Chiefs (FOX 1PM) Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears (FOX 1PM) Chris Myers, Tim Ryan
Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans (FOX 1PM) Ron Pitts, Charles Davis
New Orleans Saints @ Minnesota Vikings (FOX 1PM) Dick Stockton, John Lynch

Detroit Lions @ Oakland Raiders (FOX 4PM) Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos (CBS 4:15PM) Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles (CBS 4:15PM)  Marv Albert, Rich Gannon
Cleveland Browns @ Arizona Cardinals (CBS 4:15PM) Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker

Baltimore Ravens @ San Diego Chargers (NBC 8:20PM) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya

Monday, December 19

Pittsburgh Steelers @ San Francisco 49ers (ESPN 8:30PM) Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski

H/T Sammy!

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Deep in Parts Unknown of the sports world lies a debate desk, surrounded by a lake of fire and hideous, monstrous looking creatures.  This place is known in the above world as the First Take studio.  The daily double trolling of Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, or what I like to refer to as Occupy Common Sense, was on full display as the two debated Dwight Howard's future and a possible trade to the Lakers.  (I know, a Tebow free three minutes, who knew?!) 

Skip Bayless sent Stephen A. into the laughing fit/heart attack pictured above by saying he would take Andrew Bynum straight up over Dwight Howard.  Dwight Howard is a 4 time All NBA First Teamer.  Andrew Bynum was last seen doing this.  Preposterous, but as we all know, that's what Skip Bayless is paid by ESPN to do for a living.  Consider it our public service to feed the trolls and share videos like this with you so that you will know to stay away from this dark, evil place...

If I were ESPN, I would trade Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless straight up for Jacob Silj and this mentally unbalanced wrestling fan to debate every day.  It would be more watchable television.

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