Deion Sanders comes out of hiding today to talk to Thayer Evans of the NEW YORK TIMES about his role in Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant getting suspended by the school.

Sanders, contrary to what ESPN Radio host (and former Oklahoma State basketball player) Doug Gottlieb said today on-air, claimed to Evans that Okie State coaches asked him to mentor Bryant! Gottlieb said he was told by the same coaches that Sanders spirited Bryant away from them and was providing unsolicited career advice.

Sanders said he was asked two years ago to mentor Bryant because of Bryant’s difficult past; his mother served time in prison on a drug-sale conviction.

Sanders said that before he started mentoring Bryant, he called Oklahoma State’s receivers coach to ensure that it was O.K.

“When Dez is late to class, the coach calls me,” Sanders said. “When Dez doesn’t show up for this, the coach calls me.”

Sadly, we get no response to Sanders’ comments from Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Read more…

• Super Bowl viewers in Tucson were treated to a 30-second clip of some guy’s schlong. And for those who are curious, here’s what they saw.

• That pornographic interruption was probably more fun than actually going to a Super Bowl party.

• Should Erin Andrews and other female sports reporters get the chance to graduate from the sidelines to the broadcast booth?

• The USOC is seething over a strip club hosting its own “Pole Olympics“.

Read more…

This week I received an email from the father of Nebraska basketball player Cookie Miller. Miller’s dad, who signed the correspondence “Big Cookie”, is demanding an apology from ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb for a comment he made about Miller during ESPN2’s recent Kansas-Nebraska basketball telecast.

After a scrum for a loose ball, Gottlieb said of Miller, “He’s acting like a punk.”

Big Cookie’s email and video of the incident after the jump.  Read more…

I started SbB in 2001 because was I was bored working in the sports talk radio biz.  I couldn’t take being hemmed in by the daily local yocal game analysis, pushover interviews, formulaic guy talk, and same ol’ fallback topics on slow days. So I created SbB to escape that noxious environment, if only for my own amusement.

(Van Pelt’s solo show, rusty folding chair, left out in the cold)

Today if you listen to Dan Le Batard’s radio show in Miami, and plenty of others, you hear sports talk radio going in the direction of what I’ve been onto for years: Giving the visitor breaking information accented by clever commentary. That now-burgeoning trend in radio now has trained me back to the medium. And with that, I was very interested when ESPN announced changes in its national radio schedule this week.

First the good news (no, they didn’t blow out Mike & Mike): Beginning on March 16, Brian Kenny is getting a daily show, from 8-10p ET weeknights. Kenny has been the most underrated sports personality on the network for over a decade (sorry Sal Pal!), and it’s nice to see him get some recognition. I’m guessing he’ll be great listen, but those of us in L.A. will have to catch Kenny on the web, as his show will likely be covered by KSPN-AM in afternoon drive. (By my guys Mason & Ireland?)

Another underrated talent and the best radio talk host ESPN has, Doug Gottlieb, is moving his show to 4-7p ET.  Colin Cowherd, who in my estimation is the most overrated host on the net, will get another hour tacked on to his midday show (10a-2p ET). So those of you wondering about the day’s produce selection at Wegmann’s and/or menu specials at your friendly neighborhood Fleming’s, have at it.

(Miracle! Despite disabling TMJ attack, Cowherd still menaces radio audience)

Those time changes mean the show hosted by Mike Tirico and Scott Van Pelt will move to 2-4p ET, with the one-hour Van Pelt solo show now a memory.

So why the elimination of Van Pelt’s show? Read more…

Jorge Sedano of Miami’s 790 The Ticket has your catch o’ the day:

Chargers wideout Chris Chambers making some sick grabs that may or may not have been digitally enhanced. I actually think not.

Went to the Maddenpalooza thing last night at the Rose Bowl. As I sit here today, I’m still wondering why the event was staged by now-faltering EA Sports. Was the evening designed to be a media event? Was it to move product? Was it to create a lively, fun environment for attendees?

From what I observed, that would be no, no and no.

(Need to lose some lbs., so I don’t cover up that one guy - see armpit)

I went early evening, and there was less than a thousand people milling around Slick Rick’s spacious abode at that time. Musicial artists Busta Rhymes and Good Charlotte played to about 200 people on one side of the stadium turf, while a tent full of Madden-loaded plasmas sat empty beyond the opposite endzone.

(How to create a fun, fan-friendly environment!)

But of course, as someone who occasionally attends UCLA football games which don’t include a certain Cardinal & Gold opponent, that hollow, placid environment is nothing new for the Rose Bowl. So I felt right at home.

(Busta Rhymes is in there …. somewhere)

Here on the westside of Los Angeles, I pass by EA Sports’ gleaming, half-empty HQs all the time. You wonder if last night’s flaccid activities are symptomatic of larger problems inside the company. Based on the sagging pre-sale of the company’s flagship product, perhaps they are.

(Guerrilla Marketing at Maddenpalooza?)

More coverage of the event from Mike Tunison at DEADSPIN, who actually had the audacity to *shudder* take a photo of Warren Sapp.

Found via the forum at Tripadvisor.com, a map of where some celebrities live in Miami:

(Map link - look at bottom of second forum response)

I’m also a little perplexed that Kimbo Slice’s Nissan Sentra parked outside the Dairy Queen on Alton Road isn’t push-pinned (if you’re one of the last living souls unaware that he lived in his car, we apologize).

Also, will someone, ANYONE give props to Dan Le Batard? Forget Youtube, he’s the man who manufactured and served up Kimbo Slice to the main media as legitimate (that means you, Kevin Iole).

Martin Rogers of YAHOO SPORTS reports on a crisis facing the tranny-owned Houston MLS franchise: Too many white players!

Team owner Oscar De La Hoya: “Right now, the majority of our players are Caucasian. We are looking at different options to bring in the best players from Mexico because of Houston having such a large Latino population. We want to maybe bring in a couple of players from Mexico and mix it up a little.”

Saw this in a Fark.com thread on the cradle-robbing practices of the New England Patriots.

Fake or real? I’m guessing real.

I added that “Brooks” navigation box to the front page (top left) of the site today. Quick links to my posts, and a map where you can effectively stalk track my every move.

In case you haven’t figured it out, my new “Brog” is essentially some of my own personal observos about sports, with some stuff about the SbB site and my life thrown in. I’ve found that there were a lot of sports items that were slipping through the cracks. And I also wanted to have a place where you could find out what some of the future plans for the site were - and get reader feedback.

Speaking of SbB plans, I’m seriously considering putting out calendars of the SbB Girls in time for Christmas. I’m thinking we’d do 2-3 of them, with individual girls getting their own calendars.

Who are the girls I should consider? I have a pretty good idea, but let me know your feedback.

Or maybe I’ll just do a Kansas City-themed calendar!

Uh, anyone?

I may also do some SbB merch (shirts, hats) and other stuff you can buy. Like wallpapers of the SbB Girls. We have a store setup thing that we’re working on. For .99 cents on Paypal, you can buy a single wallpaper. We may also sell credits. Once you purchase the wallpaper, an email link is sent to you so you can download it.

I have millions of photos you haven’t seen, so that sounds like a good use for some of them. FYI: I also have shoots coming up in the next two months with three new SbB Girls - stay tuned. The first shoot is in mid-June. Read more…

Today is recovery day at the Final Four here in San Antonio. After two stinkbomb suspenseful games, everyone partied their little hearts out last night and are now paying the price (except us, of course).

(Hubert Davis’ deadly stinkeye - normally reserved for Digger Phelps)

As you might expect, it’s been an exceptionally exciting weekend already here in the River City, especially with all the f-list major celebrity sightings we’ve had. One of our highlights so far was catching a glance at ESPN superstar Hubert Davis after the doubleheader (we stake his hotel out for three days hoping to steal a glimpse of Hubie - paydirt!).

(ESPN Radio holds (food) court in San Antonio at Final Four)

And thanks to our visit to the local mall, we also rubbed elbows with some of our favorite ESPN personalities. Read more…

ESPN analyst and former Oklahoma State basketball player Doug Gottlieb cites an anonymous source in reporting that, “(Oklahoma State basketball coach Sean Sutton, who kept the family name in place at Oklahoma State after succeeding his father as coach, will not return for a third season.”

Gottlieb also notes Sutton will get paid for the final three years remaining on his 5-year contract with the school.

Talk about a bitter ending for the Suttons at O-State… Read more…

ESPN ANALYST GETS INTO IT WITH CHAT ROOM CHUCKLERS: Doug Gottlieb does not suffer fools gladly:

DEADSPIN gets a battle communique from TURTLE SPORTS REPORT on a recent war of words between the college basketball analyst and comedic commenters on ESPN.com.Here’s some of the selected sparring as it occured in the Worldwide Leader’s chat room:

(Background note: During his freshman year at Notre Dame, Gottlieb was convicted of stealing his roommate’s credit cards and ringing up $900 in charges. He soon transferred to Oklahoma State.)”Mike (Indiana): How did your mediocre basketball career prepare you for a mediocre broadcasting career?

Doug Gottlieb: (4:04 PM ET ) So your mediocre life can prepare you for a mediocre afterlife….and by the way, which one of us works for ESPN….hey and next time…when I you say 30 minutes or less….get here on time with my pizza.

John (Notre Dame): Doug, I lost my credit card, where were you last night?Doug Gottlieb: (4:27 PM ET ) Ask your mom.

Johns Mom (Notre Dame): GOTTLIEB I KNOW YOU STOLE MY SON’S CREDIT CARD!

Doug Gottlieb: (4:34 PM ET ) Ten years ago I made a mistake…and payed for it…18 years ago YOU WERE your parents mistake and they are still paying for it.”Touche.

There’s a valuable lesson to be learned in all this - don’t dilly-dally digitally with a defiant Doug.

Just imagine the fireworks flying if Gottlieb ever came to message board blows with fellow Bristol employee Scott Van Pelt.