Video from WithLeather.com:

Not everyone can call a game from inside a one-way mirrored booth.  Read more…

I’m starting to sense that the NCAA Tournament-spawned online popularity of Gus Johnson is transitioning from a quasi-mocking tone to a genuine appreciation for his excitable on-air style. A style that’s a complete departure from virtually all national television network play-by-play guys.

(Gusgasms Keep March Madness Fans Gushing)

So why have so many people responded positively to what some might consider Johnson’s contrived, showboating style? Because the people who matter obviously think what he does is instead a natural outpouring of affection for the game.

With 96 looming, if any major sporting ever needed more of that right damn now, it’s March Madness.

So I want to take your temperature on who you’d prefer in the booth for future Final Fours. That is, to find out if you actually do take Johnson seriously as a candidate to replace Jim Nantz.

Read more…

Sneak couple-six Ancient Age minis into arena for Hugs. Do some very light reading before you take a meeting. Gift Trey Wingo a Garmin. Bask in the majesty of the Gus Johnson Soundboard:

Happy to report that Binghamton basketball is just as fun this year as last offseason season. Quote from Coach Mark Macon, via the NYT’s Pete Thamel, after the team’s loss last night to Boston U.

We were never trying to sneak up on anybody anyway. Why? We want people to know we’re coming. When I knock on your door, I want you to know who it is. If you don’t, I might steal something. We’re not trying to surprise anybody. Like I said, if I knock on your door and you ain’t there, it’s your fault your TV got stolen, not mine.

Best part of the quote isn’t the comment itself. It’s the unflinching reaction from the locals reporting on what he said.

That gorgeous video is after the jump.

Read more…

Gus Johnson had only just gotten over Brandon Stokley’s deflected TD reception against the Bengals when a controversy arose surrounding his interesting choice of words during the Jaguars-Titans game on Sunday. In calling a Chris Johnson touchdown run, Gus said that the Titans running back had “getting-away-from-the-cops speed!” Whoops.

Gus Johnson is very sorry, kind of. And he said so today, in one of the most striking non-apology apologies in the history of anything. In fact, the apology was so hollow, there was an audible echo. He shouldn’t have bothered, really, except that in saying something, at least he was acknowledging the controversy.

(Wait, isn’t it the Bengals who are usually running from the cops?)

Video following the jump. Read more…

Gus Johnson is one of the most excitable play-by-play men in college basketball today. Check that - he is the most excitable. And now that NCAA tournament time is finally upon us, we’ll all get to bask in more generous glory of our guy Gus.

However, Mr. Johnson may be taking the whole “March Madness” thing a little too literally. How else can you explain good ol’ Gus getting into a melee with a restaurant manager?

Read more…

O Glorious Day! The zenith of nascent spring has arrived! Today, you can call in sick to work (tell them you need to prep for your World Series-winning colonoscopy), crack open a beer before 9:30 am on the West Coast, and stare intently at teenagers in short pants for four straight days without so much as a cocked eyebrow from your loved ones.

(2008 Final Four coverage from SPORTSbyBROOKS)

(Hint: timing’s everything on this one. One weekend in the wrong direction and you’re stuck programming your GPS to stay 200 yards from schools for the next five years.)

Here’s what you need to thrive today:

Television schedule
Watch online
Watch on your iPhone
Nevada Council on Problem Gambling

(2007 teaser from SPORTSbyBROOKS coverage)

Here’s your morning NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament storylines:

• UNC guard Ty Lawson will not play against Radford in the first round.  Please adjust your money line bets accordingly.
• However, Michael Jordan’s son will likely play more for Illinois during the tourney due to injuries.  (Odd how MJ doesn’t even provide a drop quote for his son to the NEW YORK TIMES, leaving all the talking to Mom.)
• And Levance Fields feels much better, making him available for Pitt.
• Mike Krzyzewski got his back out of whack when he heard President Obama didn’t even pick Duke to go to the Final Four.  (Worse: he picked Lawson’s team to win it all.) Don’t get excited, Coach K… he did pick your team to be prepared for a little thing called “life”.
• Gus Johnson will call games in Memphis with as much gusto as he calls out bad service in a restaurant: loudly enough to get handcuffed.
• Finally, if you haven’t filled out your brackets yet, follow our advice: you can never go wrong shaking the Big Ten teams off your sheet like Mateen Cleaves works a towel.

Since you now have a few hours to kill, here’s the hail of bullet points to distract you while considering why you’re getting sex advice from China’s last eunuch (and how they tested for this):

• The United States lost to Venezuela 10-6 in second-round WBC action with slightly more meaning than a rerun of “Maude” since both teams had already advanced to the semifinals.
• More pressing: why aren’t you all out there supporting the U.S. squad? Don’t you know Tommy Lasorda said you’d go to hell if you didn’t cheer loudly enough? (And does this make the U.S. team a Bizarro Tinkerbell?)
• If you want to see what poor support at home looks like, follow Cuba back to the island after they were eliminated by Japan in a repeat of the 2006 final.

• Continuing the international baseball thread, Manny Ramirez and his balky hamstring enjoyed the game of cricket yesterday in the desert. Four out of five doctors agree that many ailments can be cured or temporarily assuaged by applying an appearance fee to the affected area.
• As always, you can stop Mexican drug wars temporarily if the local soccer team does well.
• If you’re a referee, you’d probably rather not have a potential replay rule change named after you. Too bad, Ed Hochuli.
• Donté Stallworth is very sorry that someone died.
• Grandpa Warner has hip surgery. His helmet next season will come with a radio and a hearing aid.
• Things are getting interesting in New York City sports talk radio. And by “interesting”, we of course mean “catty”.
• The Cubs are retiring the number shared by Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux. Cubs fans would have settled for retiring Dallas Green before letting Maddux escape to Atlanta in his prime.
• Also, you don’t apparently have to live near the USOC to lay off 13 percent of your staff. And we doubted the USOC CEO!

Awesomer is a word. I don’t care if dictionaries are too good for it, it’s a word, and today, it describes the Big Ten Network quite perfectly.

That’s because the BTN just announced that it is adding Gus Johnson to the college basketball team, instantly transforming a shoddy, low-rent organization into the best in the business. Gus Johnson is that good, and if you don’t believe me, A) you’re an idiot, and B) conclusive video evidence is after the jump. Read more…

• PRO FOOTBALL TALK tallies the votes on the CBA, and the NFL owners unanimously decide to make it DOA.

Such news could soon mean job cuts at the NFL Network. It’s a good thing Bryant Gumbel already left early.

• THE WIZARD OF ODDS finds Pete Carroll touring the USC campus & asking people if they know who he is.

• WITH LEATHER argues that if interleague play ain’t broke, why fix it?

• DEADSPIN bids a fabulous fond farewell to Mike Piazza.

Read more…

• THE 700 LEVEL gets distracted, as Tony Romo seems to play poorly when his gal pals are in the stands:

• TRUE SPORTS FANS think ESPN’s “E:60″ is spreading it a bit took thick by comparing O.J. Mayo to LeBron James.• MONEY PLAYERS finds the governor of West Virginia venting about Rich Rodriguez’s run to Michigan.

• Speaking of the Wolverines’ new coach, VARSITY BLUE has notes from Coach Rod’s Monday press conference:

When informed by a reporter that he was the school’s third choice, Rich responded, “I might have been my wife’s third choice, but I ended up with her.”

• THE SPORTS HERNIA learns that covering a tough assignment like the New York Giants can really put hair on your chest.

• Gregg Doyel of CBS SPORTSLINE is apparently amused by Louisville’s Caracter issues.

• AWFUL ANNOUNCING has a Q&A with a sportscaster we actually enjoy listenting to - Gus Johnson.

• Speaking of Vick, THE ANGRY T offers this exercise regimen to help keep #7 fit behind bars.