10:04 AMRicky Williams is opening a new restaurant in Miami. The joint will feature strictly vegan dishes that are to Williams' taste, and the usual steak and seaford entrees. Sound like a recipe for success!
8:01 PM Interesting statistical analysis by the college hoops blog Storming The Floor on the sons of famous basketball players. The apple falls a lot farther from the tree than most people probably realize.
7:41 PMChris Mortensen reports: "As I reported earlier on SC & MNCD, Big Ben is telling teammates and friends he's fine, will play vs. Ravens on Sunday night."
7:20 PM ESPN has announced college football's award finalists. One glaring omission: USC's Taylor Mays not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award given annually to CFB's top defensive back.
One of the time-honored traditions in most forms of sports broadcasting is the shout-out to/thanking of the production staff at the end of games. It’s a nice little gesture to let audiences know that it takes much more than a couple of talking heads to put on a sportscasts; none of the blowhards on camera could do their thing without the producers, directors, cameramen, and other hard-working people behind the scenes. TNT’s INSIDE THE NBA, however, ain’t “most forms” of broadcasting, and loudmouth Charles Barkley ain’t “most broadcasters.”
(Turrible.)
After last night’s game, a 103-90 Orlando Magic beatdown of the Cavs that sent the Magic to the NBA Finals and signaled the end of the season’s TNT NBA broadcasts, the INSIDE THE NBA crew assembled to thank their production staff. Everything went fine until Sir Charles let loose, calling executive producer Tim Kiely … well, a “cat”, in a manner of speaking. Video impropriety, including an unprovoked potshot at Kenny Smith’s family jewels, after the jump.
Mike Polk is making a name for himself among convention & visitors bureau circles, thanks to his hilarious hastily-madeCleveland tourism videos. And now Mr. Polk is working his musical magic for the “Inside The NBA” crew, as he takes aim at Ernie, Kenny, Reggie & Chuck:
Good news for fans of the best studio show in televised sports: Charles Barkley will be returning to the set of “Inside the NBA” soon. The man with a thousand vices was placed on an indefinite leave in early January after a DUI arrest on December 31. You probably remember that quite well. As for when we can expect Barkley back, well… soon. Kinda soon.
(And by April, it’ll be okay for Kenny and Ernie to make fun of this.)
Turner Sports president David Levy told the SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL that a final decision on the date of Barkley’s return wouldn’t come until after the All-Star break(article is subscription only, sorry kids) , which is in about two weeks. Levy said the decision would be made on a “gut feel,” and this is where you start running through the “fat guy” jokes in your brain.
