Back in February, a very specific group of friends (you know who you are) each sent me the same bit of news.  Comedy Central had ordered 8 episodes of Sports Show with Norm MacDonald, which was then described as "part Daily Show, part Tosh.0 and part Onion SportsDome."  If you're a fan of Norm's, you might have fist pumped a little, knowing that 1) he'd be back on TV for you to laugh at and 2) he would be doing what he does best: reading the news.  Fast forward to April, when we started seeing Norm MacDonald's face on the late night circuit, hearing his 5 am slur on the Stern Show, and tonight, watching the series premiere. 

Now there are 2 types of people in this world, people who find Norm MacDonald hilarious, and those who don't.  It seems his "funny for being unfunny" act doesn't go over with everybody, and even though I have a VHS copy of Dirty Work at my parents' house, I get that.  But if you're in the "don'ts," let's get it straight right now - you're probably not going to like "Sports Show."  If you're a fan, you'll feel right at home from the first segment, which is pretty much a Weekend Update of the sportsworld, highlighted by Norm's repeated enunciation of the name "Charl Schwartzel."  After that, Norm had Blake Griffin help out with a taped bit in which the host himself barely appeared.



Clever workaround by the guy who said he was "right to be fired [from Saturday Night Live] because "I couldn't f****** act."  He took time to have some fun with Jim Nantz's historic putt calls and offered his opinions on Tiger Woods "lying down with ladies" in a segment called "What the H?" reminiscent of fellow Weekend Update Anchor Dennis Miller's HBO show in the 90s (which he worked on).  

All in all, the format is definitely designed to put Norm in his element, although I'd like to see some guests in future shows. Reading the news is how his awkward cadence and dry delivery just work, and Norm of course takes opportunities to throw out some jokes to remind us that after all, he's just a hilarious old hack at heart. 

“I’m excited and look forward to doing this series,” said Macdonald. “On this show, we plan to put the central back in COMEDY CENTRAL."

Actually, I'm surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often.  Pro athletes aren't exactly known for their discriminate tongues, but there are just certain words that you don't want to drop anywhere, no matter the circumstances... especially if it's in front of a national television audience and you're one of the most marketable, popular, and well-known athletes across the world.  Right, Kobe? (Warning, language here is pretty vulgar)



Ouch.  That wasn't pretty.  Reggie Miller chuckling at Kobe doesn't help the situation either.  Tiger Woods swears all the time on the golf course and gets away with it from the PGA Tour, but Kobe using a disgusting slur like this and being caught on TV seems worse.  Seeing as how it's Kobe and the Playoffs are imminent, I'll be shocked if he's suspended for swearing like Wayne Rooney was a week ago in the EPL.  But, seeing the vulgarity of this video makes me think the always image-conscious David Stern will want to do something, if only a slap on the wrist to make the story go away.

H/T The Last Angry Fan
 

IF there is a preseason before the NFL season next year, here are the games you'll be able to see on television.  The Bears and Rams will open up with the "hypothetical" Hall of Fame Game, and your MNF crew lead telecasts will be SEA-SD, NYJ-HOU, CHI-NYG and WAS-BAL.  Here are the rest of the games you won't be seeing this summer! 

Sunday, Aug. 7
-Hall of Fame Game - Chicago vs. St. Louis, at Canton, Ohio (NBC, 8 p.m.)

Week 1 (Aug. 11-15)
Thursday, Aug. 11 Seattle at San Diego (ESPN, 8pm)
Friday, Aug. 12 Tampa Bay at Kansas City (FOX, 8pm)
Monday, Aug. 15 N.Y. Jets at Houston (ESPN, 8pm)

Week 2 (Aug. 18-22)
Thursday, Aug. 18 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh  (FOX, 8pm)
Friday, Aug. 19 Atlanta at Jacksonville (FOX, 8pm)
Monday, Aug. 22 Chicago at N.Y. Giants (ESPN, 8pm)

Week 3 (Aug. 25-28)
Thursday, Aug. 25 Washington at Baltimore (ESPN, 8pm)
Friday, Aug. 26 Green Bay at Indianapolis (CBS, 8pm)
Saturday, Aug. 27 New England at Detroit (CBS, 8pm)
Sunday, Aug. 28 New Orleans at Oakland (NBC, 8pm)

Michael Pineda is one of the hottest young prospects in baseball.  The Dominican pitcher for the Seattle Mariners was the subject of a Baseball Tonight segment featuring ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez.  Pineda is a possible Rookie of the Year candidate and Eduardo was attempting to talk about the 6'7" Pineda standing on top of the 10 inch mound, and being an imposing 7'5" presence.  Except, that didn't quite happen very smoothly...



That was a very nice awkward pause involving Pineda's "ten inch uhhh."  Needless to say, I think this clip is much more memorable with the awkward silence and uncomfortable innuendo than the thousands of other forgettable Baseball Tonight segments that will run this year.  Don't worry though, I'll spare you more jokes about Pineda's impressive tools or hard stuff.

H/T HyperVocal

Today we present Part II of our interview with Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated.  In case you missed Part I yesterday that talked primarily about NCAA Tournament coverage, you can catch it here.  In today's second part, Richard talks to AA about several topics ranging from the young baseball season to the Poynter Institute to which announcer has caught his eye thus far this year.

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Q: MLB season is just getting underway.  What do you make of ESPN's shakeup to the Sunday Night booth and will Fox do anything to liven up their coverage, which has seemed stale for years?

A: For those of us tortured for decades by the serial grump Joe Morgan, this year represents the sweet taste of freedom.  I'm not sure I love Bobby Valentine or Orel Hershiser but it matters not: Joe Morgan is gone, and life is good again.  I’ve long been a huge admirer of Shulman's and have written that for close to a decade. I appreciate ESPN executives finally catching up with me.

I’m not as down on Fox’s coverage as many sports bloggers seem to be.  I get the reason why people don’t like Tim McCarver - they think he’s arrogant, moralizing etc… but I’ve long respected McCarver for speaking his mind, damn the consequences.  Fox’s history of poor talent choices on its non-NFL pregame shows would take up a couple of graphs and my fingers are tired.

Q: ESPN is touting a more transparent relationship with fans through the new PR blog and ombudsman. Has their effort done enough thus far?

A: It's far too early to give a grade on the transparency of the blog but I think those that are expecting ESPN Front Row to offer self-analysis of why the network made certain editorial decisions should look elsewhere.  The blog is well done.  Great design.  Sharply edited.  But so far its charter has been to highlight some deserving behind-the-scenes players who don't get nearly enough credit publicly.  I think it will be a huge hit for employees in the same way people love seeing their name in the hometown paper.  The addition of Poynter as ESPN’s watchdog gives me hope for the moment.  I thought Kelly McBride's second column was one of the best pieces I've read from an ESPN watchdog.  As I've said for years, if ESPN wanted readers and viewers to take the ombudsmen efforts seriously, there needed to be a mechanism for the ombudsman to react somewhat in real time.  McBride did that, and props to her.  Will ESPN implement suggestions from Poynter?  Only time will tell.

Q: You've been very hard on Colin Cowherd, as have we.  With his history of inflammatory comments, etc, why does he still have a job?

A: I have mixed feelings on Cowherd.  There are not many people who can carry a daily national sports-talk show and he can certainly do that.  As I've written, I appreciate that he's been generous with Michele Beadle, and it’s helped her get comfortable on SportsNation.  I also hear from plenty of staffers that he's a decent guy away from the mic.

My major problem with Cowherd is that no national sports-talk figure offers more generalizations on more topics, and too often his generalizations are not factual, and at worst, reckless.  His comments on John Wall were reprehensible and that no one at ESPN uttered any kind of objection spoke volumes.  Cowherd has a job because his company considers him a valuable commodity.  He's on a ton of affiliates and he produces an entertaining show for many people.  I don't advocate ESPN pulling him at all.  I just wish there were someone in-house who was courageous enough to publicly say that the guy is full of bleep when the guy is full of bleep.

Q: Your media awards column ends with broadcasters we should see more of and ones we should see less. Who's one announcer that has stood out for you so far this year as on the rise, and one who needs to ride off into the sunset?

A: It's counterintuitive but I think Hubie Brown continues to get better with age.  He's prepared, never talks down to his audience, and has the gravitas of being in the arena.  He's had an excellent year.  No one bludgeons a telecast like Joe Theismann.  I've said it a thousand times before: If you are going to employ Theismann, he must only be in the studio.  Viewers simply do not like him as game analyst.  But in the words of David Byrne: Same as it ever was.

Q: If you were starting a new sports channel withan unlimited budget and could hire any 5 TV sportspersonalities, who would they be and why?

A: First, I'd hire a great executive producer long before any on-air talent.  Get me a creative thinker, a visionary, someone who understands how great television is produced, and then we'll figure out how to develop on-air talent.  I'd also need to know what sport the channel is primarily focused on.  That said, I'll give you a starting five, even though there are hundreds of terrific on-air people.  Bob Costas, Dan Shulman, Mary Carillo, Al Michaels and Mike Mayock.


Big thanks to Richard for taking the time to talk with us and answer our questions.  Hope you enjoyed our two-part Q&A.  You can catch Richard's writings on SI.com (his latest media column is here) and in the magazine.  Also follow Richard on Twitter for great links and insights.  

Richard Deitsch covers sports media and a myriad of other topics for Sports Illustrated.  With his year-end media awards, Tweets, and other writings, Deitsch is one of the most influential and respected writers in the business and a must-read for anyone interested in sports media.  With his assignment at the Women's Final Four in Indianapolis concluded, Richard took the time to answer some of AA's questions about the NCAA Tournament and sports media in general.  In Part I today, Richard talks with AA about his grade for CBS and Turner's coverage of the NCAA Tourney, Charles Barkley, and whether or not we'll hear Gus Johnson announce the Final Four anytime soon.
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Q: You were just at the NCAA Women's Final Four - was Texas A&M's win good for women's college basketball, or is UConn's dominance better for the sport?

A: Stars sell, and traditional powers sell.  That won't change, and over the long haul, UConn and Tennessee will draw more eyeballs than the lesser powers.  But this year's tournament was very good for the sport in that viewers were exposed to some new programs in Texas A&M and Notre Dame.  ESPN was thrilled with the rating, which was up four percent from the Connecticut-Stanford final of the previous year.

Q: What are your thoughts on the job CBS/Turner did for the NCAA Tournament?  What were some hits and misses and what is your overall grade?

A: I thought CBS/Turner did excellent work overall, and the four-network format empowered viewers to control how they wanted to watch the tournament.  Yes, truTV is never going to produce water cooler conversation -- Charles Barkley slyly called it “The White BET” - but I think viewers eventually figured out where it was on their cable system.  For me, the Marv Albert and Steve Kerr pairing was a fantastic addition.  There are a handful of announcers whose voice and presence give an event a big-game feel, and Albert is one.  Kerr is a thoughtful broadcaster with a terrific sense of humor.  I thought Greg Anthony was a real standout, too - a sharp broadcaster not afraid to spar with his colleagues on the set.

What didn’t work?  The Gus Johnson-Len Elmore-Reggie Miller trio was far too cacophonous for viewers, and lacked a natural chemistry.  There's a temptation to add star power (i.e. Reggie) to a broadcast because of the notion that it will add more tune-in. CBS/Turner should resist the urge next year.  Obviously, Barkley should be nowhere near the Selection Show, and look for a change in that grouping next year.  I think CBS/Turner should continue to search for an on-air officiating expert they can use for the longterm.  NCAA coordinator of basketball officiating John Adams was a nice start but he’s a little bland for my taste.  So often how viewers judge the tournament coverage comes down to the tightness of games, and the Houston Chronicle reported that 17 games were decided by three or fewer points.  My grade would be something like an A- or B+.

Q: How did NBA regulars, such as Charles Barkley especially, translate to the college game?

A: Call it a mixed bag.  Albert and Kerr were terrific, and Kenny Smith got better as the tournament got deeper (and, thus, less teams to focus on).  Barkley is genuinely funny, and adds great tension to any set.  But he's the first to admit that he can't analyze the college game the way someone like Jay Bilas can.  I thought Barkley was at his best riffing on something he saw, and not on whether VCU deserved to make the tournament.

Q: We've discussed the lack of fresh faces at the very top of the network positions (Buck, Nantz, Michaels, etc) at AA.  Jim Nantz is the top CBS voice for the NFL, March Madness, and the PGA and has been for several years.  Buck is Fox's top guy for NFL & MLB, etc.  Why is there so much lack of mobility for the top broadcast positions?

A: There's not one specific answer.  Sports divisions by nature are conservative with talent decisions, and there's a belief that viewers get accustomed to hearing certain voices (say Al Michaels on the NFL) for certain sports.  Plus, the top announcers (and their agents) often have very close personal relationships with the executives running the sports divisions.  Finally, there is a really big gap between a good announcer and a so-called top announcer at a network. They are not easy to find.

Q: Jim Nantz and his puns have been a big topic amongst AA readers.  Will we ever see networks start listening to fans and have Gus Johnson announce the Final Four for instance?

A: Gus Johnson will never announce the Final Four in the current setup.  Nantz and CBS Sports president Sean McManus are very tight, and Nantz is considered the network's No. 1 sports voice.  I understand why the Gus lovers want him there but in the words of Drew Rosenhaus, next question.


Make sure you check out Part II of our interview with Richard tomorrow where he tells us his thoughts on the new MLB season, the Poynter Institute as ESPN Ombudsman, Colin Cowherd, and if he were to start his own network, which five TV sports personalities would he choose?  That's coming up tomorrow in Part II of our Q&A with SI's Richard Deitsch.

Monday April 11

Orlando Magic @ Philadelphia 76ers (NBA TV 7PM) Local Broadcast - Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings (NBA TV 10:30PM) Local Broadcast - Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA

Tuesday April 12

Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks (TNT 8PM) Marv Albert, Mike Fratello - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers (TNT 10:30PM) Kevin Harlan, Steve Kerr, Reggie Miller- Staples Center Los Angeles, CA

Wednesday April 13

New Orleans Hornets @ Dallas Mavericks (ESPN 8PM) Dave Pasch, Hubie Brown - American Airlines Center Dallas, TX 
Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 10:30PM) Terry Gannon, Mark Jackson - Staples Center Los Angeles, CA

Earlier today we told you about Joe Buck's performance for the ages for Yankees/Red Sox this weekend.  Well, Yankees play by play man John Sterling is anything but dispassionate and boring.  Sterling's trademarks include his "Yankees win, theeeeeeeee Yankees win" call at the end of a Yankee victory and his unique home run calls.  Love him or hate him, at least he doesn't sound like he has one foot in the grave ala the Buckster.  Sterling's newest entry with Canadian Russell Martin is perhaps one of his most... well... interesting.  Qu'est-ce que c'est???  Huge H/T to @LevityNYC for the clip!



In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a Yankees fan dating back to the days of Paul O'Neill (don't worry, I get a good share of hate for it), and part of me loves Sterling's bizarre schtick, but I'm aware that scores of baseball fans (in New York too) can't stand the man's announcing.  Let us know what you think about John Sterling's eccentric excitability.  Would you rather have your home announcer sound more like Sterling or Buck... or neither?  Leave us a comment below!

The corpse of Joe Buck announced yesterday's Red Sox/Yankees tilt at Fenway Park.  As disinterested as Joe Buck usually sounds, apparently the game on Saturday took Joe to another level of dry, monotone, "I'd rather be on vacation in Tripoli right now" announcing that we've grown accustomed to hearing.  First, a shoutout to our pal Jimmy Traina of SI's Hot Clicks for this video of Joe's riveting home run call...



Wow.  That was special.  In case you need more proof of Buck seemingly being in a coma as Traina suggested, here's another home run call from yesterday's game.  It seems like we should give Joe a bit of a break this time though as SI's Richard Deitsch Tweeted that Buck had a virus.  Nevertheless, Twitter blew up and Joe Buck was a trending topic for his morbid commentary.  I want to feel sorry for him in this case, but Joe Buck has earned his reputation of emotionless commentary.  If he appeared to cared at all when announcing games the rest of the time, perhaps fans would be more understanding (Marv Albert had a virus during the NCAA Tournament and fans didn't destroy him if I recall).  Instead, Fox's play by play man traditionally sounds like he'd rather be cleaning manure out of a barn than announcing a baseball game.  As always, these are Real Tweets from Real People...

FakeJeter Joe Buck does the MLB On FOX broadcast with a loaded revolver on the desk, and just stares at it during commercials.
ryangiglio Honestly, I'm watching yesterday's Yankees Red Sox game, knowing the outcome, just to hear Joe Buck not give a sh*t.
tcostello I officially switched from Chicago trends to New York trends. Fortunately the hatred of Joe Buck apparently transcends geography.
NotCoachTito But seriously I do want to send my condolences to Joe Buck, who apparently passed away before today's broadcast.
scottnyhc Joe Buck should commentate funerals. Fox needs to fire this emotionless prick.
OriginalNixster #liespeopletell "I love listening to Joe Buck when he calls an MLB/NFL game!"
Swiftdidit Joe Buck sounds like the old man from pawn stars...
mlobikis1 Joe Buck doesn't act like he's "been there before," he acts like he's been there too many time and is bored to tears by it.

NYMoot One of the few things that Yankees and Red Sox fans can agree on is that Joe Buck is an awful announcer
Zach_Russell If it's between watching Angel Cabrera win the Masters and watching Joe Buck call a game, I'll take watching a puppy being runover by an SUV
bruce_arthur Joe Buck makes Jim Nantz sound like Gus Johnson.
InTheCitty Just now learning that Joe Buck is awful? Where have you been the last decade? Would rather listen to one of Craig Sager's suits call a game
YankeesBones Joe Buck, "Yankees win, i'm going home now to hang myself, oh well" #joebucksucks
c_lauer I didn't think it was possible, but Joe Buck sounded even more disinterested in the broadcast than he usually does. #redsox
buckweaver Virus only a symptom, not the root. RT @richarddeitsch: Fox Sports: Joe Buck has a virus. That's why his voice sounds a little off today.
sportsguy33: Joe Buck just flat-lined during a home run call. I think it's time for an intervention.

bigpaulyb @awfulannouncing Joe just seems bored to me....perhaps having a mid-life crisis a bit early at 42.
kensing45 @awfulannouncing Question is why does FOX keep him as #1 guy if TWO sports? Seems pretty universally reviled
JasonOlmstead27 Joe buck is making me more depressed than the #redsox are.
_mistermet How bad is Joe Buck? Hes so bad, I willingly turned on John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman's broadcast to avoid falling into deep depression.
LivedHere2Long Fox should hire Artie Langue for MLB broadcasts and bring him out like smelling salts at specific moments to wake up Joe Buck.
ThisIsSan_Diego One nice thing about being a fan of a small-market team is that you won't have to hear Joe Buckbutcher your games. #JoeBuck #sucks
bigleaguestew: Can we get IBMs Watson people to build a A/I version of Vin Scully to replace Joe Buck?

 

St. John's announced yesterday that their head coach, Steve Lavin, is battling the early stages of prostate cancer.  Lavin just completed his first year at St. John's after serving several seasons as an ESPN analyst.  This year, Lavin led the Red Storm to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.  Here's more details from ESPN...

"My family feels fortunate that through annual health exams, we detected my condition at an early stage," the 46-year-old Lavin said in a statement released by the school. "This past fall I didn't want to distract our team, but with the season behind us, we are now working with medical experts and taking the proper steps to tackle this health challenge head on."

The former UCLA coach was hired by St. John's in April 2010 after seven years as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

"We are pleased that through early detection we determined Coach Lavin's condition as a relatively low-grade cancer, and one that could wait for treatment until the conclusion of the basketball season," said Jonathan Schiff, a board-certified urologist in private practice in New York City. "We have spoken to Steve and his family about his options, and will proceed with a course of treatment shortly."

"I expect a complete cure of Coach Lavin's condition and we anticipate a seamless continuation of his coaching duties."

Lavin was a great announcer in the studio and in the broadcast booth.  His pairing with Brent Musburger as Lavinburger was one of the top announcing tandems in college sports during their time together.  Now that he's back in coaching, Lavin has successfully turned St. John's back into a contender.  We wish Steve Lavin all the best in thoughts and prayers as he battles prostate cancer.

Steve Lavin takes on prostate cancer - ESPN