With the talk of ESPN's SkyCam and the response from sports fans around the country, it got me thinking about the best and worst innovations with regards to sports on television.  It may not seem like it when you watch a game today, but things have changed drastically over the years in how we watch our sports.  Some ideas have changed certain sports for the better, and even created a fanbase for some.  Others have been so laughable that they have long been forgotten.  Of course, with only five good and bad listed, this is nowhere near a complete list and doesn't go back as far to include things like color TV or instant replay.  Leave us a thought below on what we left out.  Enjoy!

5 Worst Sports Innovations

5) Sideline Reporters
-Believe it or not, sideline reporters date back to the mid-70s.  In fact, it's believed that the first sideline reporter was none other than HBO Boxing play by play man Jim Lampley.  Deadspin has a nice feature on Lampley and his first job in the business... and his disdain for the stupidity of the job.  Since Lampley, sideline reporters have naturally evolved into a pointless existence.  CBS has gotten rid of them on their NFL broadcasts without missing a beat.  There are some today that do a good job with what they have like Lisa Salters, Rob Stone, or Erin Andrews, but the nature of the beast is the problem.  The wide majority of sideline reports are completely unnecessary and add little to a broadcast.  When news does come from a sideline report, it's usually for negative reasons - do the words I want to kiss you ring a bell?  Maybe sideline reporters aren't so bad though, it has given us comedic gold like John L Smith and this video below from Michigan hockey.  If only all sideline reports were like this, they may be worthwhile.  Take it away, GUYS! 



4) Scooter


-It's sad that there could be so much hatred for a lovable looking cartoony baseball... but yet, MLB on Fox coverage is known for taking us to levels of hell previously uninhabited by mortal men.  Scooter is perhaps the clearest example of this phenomenon.  Scooter was meant to... well, actually, I have no idea what his (or her?) purpose was, except to explain things that baseball fans over the age of three already knew.  This demon spawn looks innocent enough, but children cried whenever he came on the screen during Fox's MLB games.  It made adults yearn for Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to come back and save us.  Thankfully, Scooter only lasted a couple years in the middle part of the 2000s, but it was long enough to leave a lasting impact that still haunts many baseball fans to this day.

There was a lot at stake in Tallahassee tonight as Florida State took on UNC. UNC has hopes of an ACC title while a victory by the Seminoles would most likely cement their place in the tournament. Anyways, the game came down to the last 10 seconds with UNC down by one and with the ball. UNC decided to put their hopes of an outright title in the hands of the much ballyhooed PTPer, DIAPERDANDY Freshman, Harrison Barnes. As soon as Barnes let that three go my ears were bracing for all out pandemonium. Instead...we got relative calm? Strange. I was expecting one of those "oooOOOHHHHHH  AREE YOUU SERIOOUSSS?!?!" yelps that has been the trademark of Dickie V for decades. It's a shame the game ends rather anticlimatically as an FSU player steps on the sideline just before he can attempt a half-court heave for the win.

Usually, the story of Troy Murphy signing with an NBA team after being bought out would not be an interesting subject for AA.  But, when two of the leading NBA reporters tweet conflicting reports regarding Murphy's landing place, that makes for a brief, but amusing sports media story.  As the story played out on Twitter, ESPN and Yahoo reporters had conflicting scoops.  As always, these are Real Tweets from Real People...

First, Yahoo NBA writer Marc Spears tweeted this scoop on Murphy:

SpearsNBAYahoo  Free agent forward-center Troy Murphy has agreed to sign with the Heat, sources tell Y! Sports. Murphy also turned down Celtics.

Seemingly seconds later, ESPN NBA writer Marc Stein had his own take on the story:

SpearsNBAYahoo  Fegan cont. on Y! report: "respond to 'yes' on Boston. I apologize for the mistake."

Stein 1, Spears 0.  ESPN 1, Yahoo Sports 0.

I find it interesting that in admitting the mistake, Spears basically threw Murphy's agent under the bus and outed him as the "sources" from the original tweet.  I do give Spears credit for the transparency shown, but it is interesting that he claims the errant tweet as a "Y! Sports report" instead of owning up to what he posted.  Interestingly, Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski also commented on Twitter taking responsibility for what was posted by Yahoo writers, but those tweets have also been deleted.  ESPN has been losing out on some reporting races recently, especially on the NFL side to Jay Glazer, but at least they can claim a victory in this Twitter duel.  Competition for the leader in grabbing scoops and sports reporting is nothing but good news for sports fans, as long as the stories are correct of course.  If nothing else, the Stein/Spears smackdown made for an interesting display of sports reporting in the Twitter age and what can happen when competing reporters tweet different scoops.  That was only the beginning to yesterday's exciting day on Twitter.  

 By now you've heard about former Alabama quarterback, Greg McElroy's, reported 48 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test given to all NFL draft prospects at the combine. McElroy can now add highest score for a quarterback (tied with Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick) to the list of career accomplishments to go along with a Texas High School Championship, BCS Championship, and being named a team captain and a Rhodes Scholar Finalist. He is even giving this guy a good run for most successful Alabama Football player. 

 

But it's really McElroy's next accomplishment/job that has me really intrigued. If we do have a 2011 NFL season, McElroy will either fight his way onto a NFL roster or there is the alternative: Taking a job at ESPN.

Currently projected as a 5th round pick, McElroy's chances of making a NFL roster is pretty much a coin flip if the 5th round projection that most people have him at is accurate. Looking at the at the last 4 drafts shows 6/11 of those signal callers still in the NFL although only 4 of them were on the roster all season long and not  on practice squad or a late season addition.

Then there is the other option, where McElroy reinvigorates college football coverage at ESPN. Apparently a job offer has already been implied after McElroy absolutely killed it in guest appearances leading up to the BCS Championship.

"They haven’t said anything specifically to me, but rumors around were that if I wanted to come on, there was a place for me," McElroy said. "They were happy about the way things went, and I felt pretty confident about how I handled myself. It’s a lot more difficult that people give it credit for."

If you're a little miffed where all this is coming from, I take it you're not one of the many whose jaw was injured upon hitting the floor when McElroy absolutely overshadowed ever single other ESPN analyst and personality leading up to the BCS Championship Game. Think I'm crazy? Maybe, but I'm certainly not alone as evidenced by these clippings of similar sentiment.

Last week, Create the Caption starred Justin Bieber awkwardly talking with Craig Sager.  The winner was Rizzmiggizz with "Welcome to my chocolate factory, Charlie."  Thanks for those of you that participated!  This week, our caption comes from the man that is winning the moment - one Charlie Sheen.  I can't think of anyone that has so captivated the nation like the insane drugged out actor has for the past 72 hours.  After opening his Twitter account and gaining hundreds of thousands of followers instantly, Sheen tweeted this picture along with the words, "Winning!... choose your vice."  Can you create a create the caption to describe Charlie's madness?  At least he's still channeling his inner Ricky Vaughn with that Indians cap.  There's a lot to work with here people, I'm hoping for some awesome captions!



#Winning Links

ESPN is threatening suit over rights to... Conference USA?  Really?  [Sports Business Journal]

The first official shot is fired in the NFL Lockout saga - a victory for the players as owners will be denied their massive TV money in the event of football's absence.  [Sports Illustrated]

A journalist got fired for clapping for Trevor Bayne in the Daytona pressbox.  Here's his side of the story.  [Frontstretch]

The Sporting News on AOL has arrived.  Here's what it looks like.  [Sporting News]

Sadly, the Colombian club soccer mascot owl has died.  [Fox Sports]

ESPN's new ombudsman is actually a journalism school.  [ESPN Media Zone]

CM Punk made Shawne Merriman Go 2 Sleep in a cross-sport (or entertainment) Twitter fight.  [Hot Clicks]

Recently, ESPN writer and television contributor Howard Bryant was arrested by police on Saturday in Massachusetts after an alleged domestic dispute with his wife.  Bryant was charged with domestic assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest.  The initial reports claim that witnesses saw Bryant arguing with his wife and he subsequently choked her.  Furthermore, Bryant then struggled with police, allegedly elbowing a policeman in the chest at the scene.

Bryant refutes the arrest, releasing a statement that he is innocent.  From USA Today...

"I am so sad today. I am sad today because this attack on me by the Massachusetts State Police and the Buckland Police has made it necessary for me to defend untrue allegations and repair my reputation when one conversation with either Veronique or with me would have diffused the entire situation. Instead, the police chose aggression first over dialogue, threatened to taser me whenever I tried to speak, and all in front of my 6-year-old son. As a result, I have to defend a charge that I attacked both the woman I love and the police when nothing could be further from the truth."

Bryant's wife also released a similar statement proclaiming that nothing happened.  Furthermore, Bryant's lawyer claims that race was a factor with the arrest.  In that Mass Live interview, Bryant goes on to say that he lost his temper in a public way, but that the police reports are entirely false.  So, on one side there are five witnesses and police reports of domestic violence versus Bryant and his wife's claims of his innocence on the other side.  Clearly, judgment will have to be reserved in this case until all the facts are on the table.  Nevertheless, Howard Bryant was one of the most respected voices in ESPN the Magazine and on ESPN.com.  Seeing his name in this light is nothing but bad news for the leader, even if he's eventually proven innocent.  His name joins Ron Franklin, Steve Phillips, Jay Mariotti, and others representing ESPN who have been in the news for the wrong reasons.  Time will tell whether Bryant's ESPN career withstands these charges.

[USA Today, The Republican]

Here are a couple of slip ups that might make you giggle a little and then me way over-analyzing them.

First, we have Mike Mayock referring to Jahvid Best as a "black" instead of a running "back." Our friends at Cosby Sweaters think it might be a racially charged Freudian slip, but I think it probably has to do with the fact he just finished talking about LaGarrette Blount:

Speaking of LaGarrette Blount and Detroit running backs, we then have Bruce Bowen analyzing the tragic "player protest" involving the Detroit Pistons. Bowen sends his well wishes to Pistons head coach John Kuester, who has to deal with the situation, and adds that it's unfortunate he will likely take the "blunt" of the blame:

So, yeah, while Mayock may have still been thinking of the L in his previously used B-word, Bowen could've been thinking ahead to his next B-word, "blame." Or they could've been some kind of Freudian slips. I dunno, you be the judge:

In Racially Charged Freudian Slip News... [Cosby Sweaters]
Rip Hamilton yelled at John Kuester so hard the youngsters were mortified [Deadspin]

Monday February 28
Boston Celtics @ Utah Jazz (NBA TV 9PM) Local Broadcast - EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tuesday March 1

New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic (NBA TV 7PM) Ernie Johnson, Kevin McHale, Chris Webber - Amway Center, Orlando, FL

Wednesday March 2

Phoenix Suns @ Boston Celtics (NBA TV 7:39PM) Local Broadcast - TD Garden, Boston, MA
Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Clippers (NBA TV 10:30PM) Local Broadcast - Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Thursday March 3

Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat (TNT 8PM) Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller - American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz (TNT 10:30PM) Dick Stockton, Kevin McHale - EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

Friday March 4 

Chicago Bulls @Orlando Magic (ESPN 7PM) Michael Tirico, Hubie Brown - Amway Center, Orlando, FL
Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs (ESPN 9:30PM) Mike Breen, Mark Jackson - AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

Saturday March 5

Toronto Raptors @ New Jersey Nets (NBA TV 3PM) Local Broadcast - Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Sunday March 6

Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat (ABC 1PM) Michael Tirico, Hubie Brown - American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs (ABC 3:30PM) Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy - AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks (ESPN 6:30PM) Dan Shulman, Doris Burke - Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN 9PM) Terry Gannon, Tim Legler - Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI

H/T Sammy!

no comments

There may be nothing in the universe that is funnier than a man getting hit in the groin... unless it happens to you of course.  But, when that unique and momentary pain and misery is unleashed on another human being, it is hilarious.  When that man is CBS golf announcer David Feherty, wearing a ridiculous target suit, being hit by a little kid, we reach the stratosphere of guys getting hit in the groin videos...



This video is definitely near the top of the list for all-time groin shots, but it still can't touch #1 - the legendary Hans Moleman.  I think the following clip may be one of the defining moments of my childhood.  And, who better to summarize why it's so funny than Homer Simpson himself...

"But, the ball, his groin, aha, it works on so many levels!"



Wise words my friend, wise words.

As a part of her new deal with ESPN signed last summer, Erin Andrews was given additional opportunities and TV time.  These included hosting an extra hour of College Gameday and becoming an ABC crossover personality by appearing on Good Morning America.  Well, now EA is going Hollywood by covering the Oscars with former ESPNer Robin Roberts.  From USA Today...

The Mouse House is making good on its promise to Andrews to allow to her to cover both sports for ESPN and entertainment for sister network ABC.

Andrews bashers won't like it but she's working with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America's coverage of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night. There she was in Hollywood Friday morning providing a behind-the-scenes hit for GMA viewers on the logistics for the Governor's Ball.

Andrews bashers?  Are there actually people out there that don't like Erin Andrews?  I suppose I haven't met one yet.  Good for her to continue to expand her reporting and TV work by breaking into Hollywood.  The red carpet experience must beat being creeped out by thousands of drunk college dudes on a regular basis.  Erin should do us all a favor while she's there and take out Joan Rivers' scary robot corpse once and for all.  Seriously, that thing could be the star of the next Saw franchise.  Here's a behind the scenes video with EA from Good Morning America...



In terms of Best Picture, I've got to go with The King's Speech. By far the best movie I've seen this year and maybe one of my favorite of all-time.  Honestly, I thought it was going to be boring too but it ended up being a terrific movie.  There's just something about a stuttering English monarch that speaks to me in a profound way.